#23 of 2021 - Such A Gem Dania Zarr

Most Integrity doll collectors know Ryan Liang.  He is doll couturier who designs under the name "Shantomo".   It was only a matter of time for him to win the IT Design Competition and have one of his designs created for Fashion Royalty collectors.

Such A Gem Dania Zarr was the winner in 2019.  The purchase of this doll was a no-brainer for most collectors (made to order edition size of 1205).  Dania Zarr is a favored character mold and the ensemble is truly wonderful with lots of pieces for mix and match potential.

Here is a picture in the box.

And a closeup.

Such A Gem Dania Zarr is one of those rarer dolls that needs to be released from the box to be truly appreciated.  For some reason, that forward-glancing dead stare in her pale Japan complexion is truly off putting.  She reminds me of Mrs. Danvers from the movie Rebecca!  (Without the mole of course)

Out of the box, you realize the beauty and craftsmanship involved in the production of Such A Gem Dania Zarr.

There really is A LOT going on in this ensemble.  Here is a picture of the accessories (property of Integrity Toys).  I am very happy that the mesh portion of this ensemble is actually a separate underskirt.  (The bow is also detachable, but I really like it quite a bit.)

Since Mrs. Danvers was on my mind, I decided to try a little redressing and see if I could create a more modern version (even more so than Kristin Scott Thomas).  Here is Such A Gem Dania Zarr wearing the lace gown from Sister Moguls.

So, what about that mesh skirt?  I've been toying with the idea of using it with other designs.  How about A Fabulous Life Rayna Ahmadi?  She's been hanging around in her summer ensemble of 2011's Veronique Breaking the Mold blouse and Randall Craig slacks.  For some reason this version has always reminded me of Angelina Jolie.

Let's put her back in her original dress and try to mesh skirt.  What do you think?  Maybe I should keep looking...

As part of my summer organization plan, I decided to change the bodies of some of my dolls.  Sweet Nothings Gretel Eden Blair is one of my very favorite versions of that character mold.  I put her on a Nuface2 body.  How would she look in the Such A Gem dress with train?

What do you think?  I don't know why, but all of the dolls in this blog are reminding me of actresses.  Does anyone else see a younger Lisa Hartman Black in this doll?

So, what's my final opinion of Such A Gem Dania Zarr?  Love the flexibility of the ensemble and it will allow a great deal of redress options (if I can get it off Eden Blair).  The doll is so elegant and refined.  Such A Gem is definitely a keeper!

That UGLY Secondary Market

I was going through all my records from this year and checking them against my blog.  If you haven't already done so, you need to keep records of your purchases (and sells).   Apparently, the latest Covid19 Relief Bill passed by Congress included some sneaky details that had nothing to do with the pandemic.  One of those details is that PayPal/E-bay must start issuing 1099 forms for all sales over $600 starting in 2022.   That's right gentle reader.  

Fortunately, I started keeping a spreadsheet of my collection in 2015.  I keep up with what I pay for a doll, taxes, and shipping.  I also keep up with doll sales with E-bay/PayPal fees, and shipping costs.   

My first resolve for organizing my collection this summer was that I wasn't going to buy any more dolls secondary market.  (That will probably change after the convention releases.)  As luck would have it, I finished my collection from the 2020 IT Legendary Convention this spring when prices settled down a little after the holidays.  Here is a quick look at those purchases.

#16 of 2021

Not Pretending Eden Blair

#17 of 2021

Fierce Zuri Okoty

#18 of 2021

Style Legacy Isabella Alves

#19 of 2021

Body of Work Isha Kalpana Narayanan

#20 of 2021

Celebration Aymeline

#21 of 2021

Lovely in Lilac Poppy Parker

#22 of 2021 

Black Tie Poppy Parker

It's hard to believe I accomplished this in the first few months of 2021.  (Unless you look at my credit card debt; then it is apparent how I did it!)   In addition to the last six Legendary Convention dolls added to my collection, I also picked up a couple other girls.

#24 of 2021

This doll rarely shows up on secondary market.   She is from the 2010 IFDC Convention collection, Curiouser & Curiouser Alice - Dynamite Girl Gavin.  Her edition size was only 300.  The ensemble is amazing in detail.

#27 of 2021

Colette Duranger (mold 1.0) is one of my favorite characters Integrity Toys has ever produced.  I initially passed on Lost Angel Colette Duranger because she has purple irises.  I've always considered adding her to my collection and getting her eyes repainted.  She recently turned up on secondary market at an excellent price.  She was "Mint in Box" with her complete ensemble.   I took the plunge, knowing that she would require a body change.  This is a photo of her redressed.

So ... I am almost caught up.  That completes my list of secondary market dolls purchased in 2021 (so far).   My Sales vs Added lists are actually balanced at this time: 27 in/27 out.  I realize I have several dolls on pre-order, so I need to get busy sorting.

#9 of 2021 - Right Ensemble, Wrong Doll

Doll collectors can sometimes be fickle; they can also be fiercely loyal.  Somewhere between these extremes lies most of us, being hesitant to jump on board a new doll line.  (I can still remember how it took a couple years for Poppy Parker to be embraced by the community!)

Somehow that wasn't the case for Integrity Toys (IT) newest line, Meteor.  It was only introduced last year but was an immediate hit.  IT started the line with modest edition sizes of only 525.  

The Meteor line was marketed as a response to the doll collecting community's cry for more diversity in the dolls being produced.   Although I liked all five of the dolls in the initial lineup, I chose to only purchase the W Club Exclusive Afterglow Keeki Adaeze.  (Photo property of Integrity Toys)

My decision was based on the fact that IT had elected to create yet another body type to go with this line; it's similar to the FR6.0 body but has a larger breast plate.  I knew I could always use Aferglow's ensemble (especially that amazing coat) on a different doll in my collection.  And I loved those boots.

Also, like others, I wanted to wait and see real life photos of the dolls produced.  The story setting for the Meteor collection is a dance club.  The concept is quite nice and the characters all fit well together.  After dolls were shipped they started selling out quickly.  Right now, they can only be obtained on secondary market and at close to double their original prices.

When the next two dolls were revealed, I jumped in.  I'm glad I did.  I'm going to review #9 added to my collection in 2021, Coming Out Navia Phan.  Here is one of the promo shots by Integrity Toys.

Some collectors refer to this ensemble as the Covid19 Coronavirus ensemble because the pattern in the dress has a symbol that sort of looks like the picture of the virus.  I find this so funny, yet so appropriate to the last 18 months!

For some apparent reason, I can't help but see supermodel and "Lip-sync Battle" host Chrissy Teigen in this doll.  I think IT missed the mark by producing this doll in the Japan Skintone.  Here is a photo of the doll in the box.

And a closeup.

Although the ensemble fits the dance club vibe, the doll just looks too innocent and young.  I think IT must have realized this early in the production process because they didn't even use the Meteor body for this doll.  (Larger boobs would've looked ridiculous with that cute face!)  Coming Out Navia Phan was produced using the FR6.0 body.  Here is a missed opportunity because I think they should've take her down at least one more degree to the NuFace2 body.  (The ensemble looks amazing on Billion Dollar Baddie Alejandra Luna!)   

I decided this doll needed to be part of The Industry squad; maybe a personal assistant for Tulabelle.  I put her on a body from The Industry.  She is wearing a Barbie ensemble.  What do you think?  Is anyone else getting the Anne Hathaway "Devil Wears Prada" feel from this?  I think she's going to hang around in my collection for a while.  Tulabelle already has some errands for her to run.

But what about the Coming Out ensemble you ask?  

Why it was snapped up quickly by one of my girls. I Slay Nadja Rhymes didn't allow it any closet time.  She may just have found her "forever ensemble" to be displayed in.

Could Someone Please Call A Plumber?

Note:  Please forgive me for not including photos in this blog entry.  This was more of a soul searching ramble of words.

I have drafted this blog entry several times.  The past 18 months have been a very confusing time; it's hard to believe that the flu has caused such disruption in so many lives.  

Last year I was doing a great job keeping my collection balanced.  That is, I was doing a great job keeping my collection balanced until Covid19.   I was off to a great start in 2020, between January 1 and June 30, I sold 42 dolls!   

Our state went into "quarantine" in April.  Fortunately, I had completed enough reorganization to continue my sales through June.  Then my Covid19 puppy, Harleigh, came to live with us May 26.  She has become an amazing member of our family, but she needed a lot of attention during the adjustment period of those early months.

In July, our county went back to school; at least the teachers did, and we continued online instruction for the first few weeks.  Students came back the beginning of September.   Teachers had a whole new mess of problems:  students had to be socially distanced, surfaces had to be cleaned every time students changed class, teachers were quarantined after coming in contact with the virus, and everyone had to wear masks.   It was very stressful.  

Covid 19 meant business.  I lost a family member and a couple friends to it.  It's been a very scary time that has affected the entire world.  

For the first time, the post office no longer guaranteed services.  2-Day Priority Mail could take weeks to be delivered!  There were horror stories of buyers charging back to sellers successfully while receiving the doll weeks later, only to keep the merchandise and their money.   I was afraid to try to sell anything!  Instead, I have focused on organizing my collection into Detolf cabinets my husband purchased for me as Valentine's Day presents.  

Although I hadn't planned to do it, I retired on June 1, 2021.   I don't think it's hit me yet.  I have decided to take my collection into control this summer.  I've sold 19 dolls in two weeks!  

What am I doing with the "extra money".   Sadly, being sequestered at home leaves a whole lot of on-line shopping time.  I didn't get a ticket to the Integrity Toys Legendary Convention, so I spent more money that I had saved due to secondary market prices.  I have actually carried a credit card balance from October to now.   That's the first time I've had a credit card balance in years and was contrary to my retirement plans.  I rationalized, "I could catch the flu and die in a few weeks; I should buy what I want and enjoy my time at home."  I doubt if I am alone in this thought process.

So, other than pre-order dolls, I am staying away from secondary market prices on dolls and am going to continue selling and hacking away at my credit card debt.  My goal is to have a 0 balance by July 31.   [EDIT:  I successfully met my goal!  Actually a whole month early!  I sold enough dolls on secondary market to get my credit card balance to "0" by June 30.   I have promised myself to no longer carry a credit card balance.  If the funds aren't available, I don't need it OR I sell enough items to cover the cost.]

Starting soon, I will be posting photos of the changes in my collection.  I hope you enjoy this journey with me.