I'm usually a pretty good judge of whether or not I'm going to like a doll. I try my best to trust my "gut instinct" when I pre-order. Most times I'm right. There have been a few dolls I purchased and then decided to sell because I just couldn't bound with them. Money's tight these days, so you want to choose wisely.
Then there's the flip side to the coin. Sometimes I pass on a doll; after production dolls are shipped, the photos start posting and the "talk" gets started about how great the doll is. I look at the photos over and over. I keep asking myself, "What am I missing here?"
This was the case with my first doll of 2013. She was a W Club Exclusive Doll. I didn't like her promo photos at all. When collectors started posting redressed photos, I still didn't feel any love for this poor girl. She started appearing on "Best of 2012" lists. A LOT of "Best of" lists, for that matter.
So, I found her head for a great price and posted a "Want to Buy" to find a body. .My dear friend Rich saw the post and offered to send this doll's body because he had changed his girl onto a regular Fashion Royalty body.
Her head arrived and I put on the heating pad. I dressed her and she came alive.
I've developed a whole story for her in one photoshoot. Her name is Fletcher. She attends Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, as have the women in her family for the past five generations. Her father is a United States Senator. For holiday this year, she visited the castles of Europe. Here she is in Germany and the Augustusbug.
She really is quite lovely. I'm surprised I missed her. I need to be more open-minded and take some risks when purchasing dolls. It's obvious that I'm not always right.
My first doll of 2013 ... Integrity Toys NuFace High End Envy Erin.
