On The Other Hand ...

I adore The W Club and have been a member since the very first year it started!  It's entertaining, interesting to read, a great place to see beautiful pictures, and it's where I go for gossip with very passionate collectors.  The W Club is dedicated to Integrity Toys dolls and is well organized and easy to navigate.  Many collectors participate in the discussions and post photos.  Members get to preview upcoming collections and are offered special editions of dolls.  It's easily the best $50 spent each year as a collector, and you get a $20 coupon to use on any doll purchase.

I recently deboxed Fine Print Elyse Jolie for a photo shoot in response to a discussion thread.  (She was one of my Top 10 of 2015.)   A question was raised: "What Are The Top 5 Daywear Looks?"

Here she is NRFB.  I just can't get enough of that camel hair coat!

And a closeup!

How about out of the box?  (Look at those extra hands that look like BROWN leather gloves!!!  ADORE!)

Another closeup.

I am also a member of the Barbie Collector Club and have been for many years.  With the Barbie Collector Club, members get a $20 coupon every quarter.  Last year, I only used one coupon.  On Barbie's birthday, I ordered Boucle Beauty Silkstone; in celebration, Barbie Collector was offering an additional 20% off your purchase.  Boucle Beauty was originally $100.  She was on sale for $79.99.  With the additional discount and application of my $20 coupon, I got her for for less than $53 shipped.

I am quite surprised that I like the doll as much as I do.  She has odd hair - quite gray.  Her eye painting is terrible.  I guess the factory workers in China are very dissatisfied with work.  Not only has quality gone downhill with IT, but the Silkstones are suffering as well!

I purchased this doll with the express intent of using the ensemble with Fine Print Elyse Jolie.

Many collectors have released this doll's hair, but that hairstyle just totally rocks my world!   I love the severity of it.  I don't have another doll like her.  But I think she needs a hat, don't you?

I do love the simple blouse with the bow!

I may complain loud and clear when I'm unhappy, but I hope that my celebration of beautiful dolls is just as clearly projected.  Fine Print Elyse is divine!  Every little detail all the way to the redress value is totally amazing.  Had I any idea she looked this fantastic wearing something else, she would've been higher on my "Best of 2015" list.

It's A Shame ...

I was hoping the two Integrity dolls that I paid for on March 7 would've arrived before my blog entry today.  Didn't happen.

I was trying to wait on their arrival before returning some other merchandise.  I guess I decided to be optimistic - I hope it doesn't come back to bite me.

In addition to the Voltage Erin head (subject of an earlier post), I had to return several items.  Last September when my Out of This World Poppy Parker arrived, I took photos.  I have come to the conclusion that the camera picks up things that one would normally miss with the naked eye.  NOTE:  Collectors probably should photograph all of their dolls when they arrive and look at closeups for problems!   Had it not been for the photo, I may not have realized there was a problem until after the warranty period (1 year for workmanship).   She had lip rubs - probably due to putting the hairnet on before the paint dried.   My NRFB doll had to be removed and decapitated.   Out with the heating pad!  (And don't think I didn't notice how thick the upper eyeliner was on left eye compared to the right!)

Although Reigning Grace has been standing in the display case since October, her dress needed to be removed and returned.  The hemline is all crooked, it's even higher than the underskirt in the back.

Unfortunately, these pleated sheer hemlines are a challenge for Asian factory workers.  The same thing happened with Out All Night Lillith.  (I hated taking this off because I was planning to leave the doll NRFB for now.)

My Prestige Natalia's skirt was missing the zipper pull.   In addition, the worker who tied her into the box must have had sharp finger nails because the top of the "leather belt" on the skirt had a tear in it.

When I contacted Patient Care about the skirt issues, the response was "we will inspect them for you and exchange them of course if they are defective."  For some reason, that's not the sort of response I expect.   I sent these exact same photos when I notified Patient Care.  I spend more money on Integrity Toys products in one year than I do on food.   I may be eating better this year.

Don't get me wrong.  I love Integrity Toys dolls and have been a fan for over 10 years now.  Unfortunately, they really don't have very much competition in this size doll line and the quality seems to be very inconsistent over the past three years.  It's a shame.