Best of 2022 - Number 1

So, we finally made it.  Thank you to my followers for staying with me for this countdown.  

It doesn't take much digging to figure out that 36 dolls were added to my collection this year.   Six of those are not eligible for my countdown because they were purchased secondary market and were actually produced and received by collectors in previous years.  The four Jamieshow Muses girls, two male dolls, four Mystery Date Poppy Parkers, Varsity, Desert Dazzler, Wildflower, and Mademoiselle Annik have already been listed.   That only leaves sixteen contenders and ten of those were from the 2021 Obsession Convention; even though the virtual convention took place in late 2021, the majority of these dolls got delayed in shipping until 2022. 

With the economy in such a bad spot and budgets being tight, a lot of collectors are seeking the most bang for their buck.   That's why the last four spots in my countdown were all dolls/doll lines/manufacturers that provided collectors the most fun for their investments.

The doll that brought me the most joy in 2022 was purchased from a new doll friend.  He only collects IT Hommes but got a ticket for the Obsession Convention.  He sold his female dolls at very reasonable prices; selling the gifted dolls for appx 1/3 his convention ticket price.  From all the Obsession Convention dolls this year, this doll was easily my very favorite.  The giftset was phenomenal with so many accessories and mix and match possibilities.   I reviewed this doll earlier in 2022  Collection Cycle 2022 Number 4 .  

This doll is just gorgeous and redresses so well.  She's not just my favorite doll of 2022, she is probably my very favorite version of the Vanessa Perrin 3.0 mold.  She is "pretty in pink" in an Andymy fashion for New Year's Eve celebrations.

Number 1 of 2022 - A Doll's Life Vanessa Perrin.  

Best of 2022 - Number 2 - JamieShow Muses Holiday Enchanted Collection

The second capsule of Jamieshow dolls received by collectors in 2022 was promoted last Christmas Season and was called "Enchanted".  This time there were only two male dolls but five females - all of them new versions of previously shown characters.  Photo property of Jamieshow Owensu Dolls.

You wouldn't know it from the dolls themselves, but this collection was based on Fairytale Couture.   I rarely display a doll in my collection wearing a gown, so I thought I was going to be safe with this collection.  Surprisingly, not the case.  Below is a sampling of the offerings in a Jamieshow Owensu Muses Promotional Photo. 

These ensembles are just opulent - look at the rich textures of materials!   The design aesthetic is off the chart and it is reflected in the cost of each ensemble, as they range in price from $200 to $350 each.   I allowed myself only one of the five male ensembles offered this time.  (Yes, that is a "Phantom of the Opera" mask!)

Since these ensembles and headpieces were so extravagant, I only allowed myself to preorder one of the dolls and four of the sixteen female ensembles .  Unfortunately I wasn't able to get any of the ten accessory sets this round (four for the males, six for the females) which only included three pair of shoes each and cost $85 each.

So how does Jamieshow Muses Owensu Holiday Enchanted merit such a spot in my countdown.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  This is Look 16 being modeled by Summer Kisses Nicole.  I fondly refer to to this gown as the "origami gown" as the folds are just a true work of art; it is the largest gown in my collection!

In addition to the gowns, collectors were offered ten very elaborate couture Owensu headpieces priced from $100 - $180.   I could only afford two headpieces.  Here is Nicole with Headpiece J added to that incredible gown.  How intricately decadent!

Jamieshow Owensu ensembles are beginning to attract many cross-over collectors since most of these ensembles can fit Fashion Royalty/NuFace dolls.  

Although I already reviewed the one doll I preordered, Jamieshow Muses Enchanted Lilly, in a previous blog entry, this doll has not been redressed since being displayed in this ensemble.  She is just a little piece of 1:6 scale fashion art.  Lilly is still wearing Look 5 with Headpiece E.

After collector photos started showing up, I started regretting my lack of foresight in not purchasing Enchanted Grace, but I was fortunate to grab her from the "leftover sale".  Here she is modeling Look 10 also from the leftover sale.  Her wigcap is from an earlier offering.

It can't be denied that it is difficult to surpass the quality and beauty of the Jamieshow Muses Holiday Enchanted Collection - Representing this collection for Best of 2022, Number 2, is Holiday Enchanted Grace.  

Best of 2022 - Number 3 - Jamieshow Dangerous Love Collection

To try and be fair across lines, I decided to take the Jamieshow contenders and group them according to capsule.  The first capsule of 2022 was called "Dangerous Love".   It included four male and four female dolls.  Here is the Jamieshow Owensu Dangerous Love promo photo:

Dangerous Love Orlando (second male from the right) has already shown up on my countdown because he was included with the Number 9 of 2022 male dolls.  I can honestly say that I regret not getting Daniel (first male on the left). 

These dolls are made using a Jamieshow exclusive copyrighted resin formula that doesn't have a history of yellowing or turning brittle.   They are strung, ball-jointed dolls that use a "wig cap" technology for changing out their looks; they feel quite heavy and luxurious to the touch.  Each doll is hand painted and blushed, so they are almost like OOAK dolls.  All of this is reflected in their price of $425 (the price was raised to $450 for the 2023 dolls).  This price point causes me to be very selective about which dolls join my collection.

In addition to the eight dolls, there were 26 ensembles (8 ensembles for the males and 18 ensembles for the females), five new wigs caps in various colors, and twelve accessory packs (8 for the girls and 4 for the guys).   The mix and match possibilities were limitless!  With all the post-pandemic manufacturing and shipping problems, Jamieshow pulled off quite an impressive collection in 2022.  Below is a promotional photo sampling of what was offered.

I preordered the male ensemble from the photo and picked up two additional male ensembles during the "leftover sale".  I preordered five of the female ensembles and picked up three more from the "leftover sale".   The starting cost of ensembles was $135 ranging up to $200.  These ensembles are just amazing.  The attention to details and all the pieces included is reminiscent of Integrity Toys in its heyday circa 2004/2005.  All ensembles came with jewelry, shoes/boots, and most included purses.  Some of these ensembles included coats, belts, and even headpieces!

Although all four of the female dolls were amazing - I only acquired two.  Here is Dangerous Love Ginnie wearing the complete ensemble from Dangerous Love Look 11.    

I reviewed the dolls I purchased from this collection earlier this year,   Dangerous Love Dolls, but am going to include one of those photos again because it is probably my favorite doll photo I took this year.  When you've been collecting Integrity Toys dolls for several years, you acquire quite a wardrobe. When you combine the Dangerous Love ensembles with those IT pieces, you can create something like this.  The Skirt is from Dangerous Love Look 22.  The blouse is from Merveilleuse Agnes, the hat and scarf are from Exquise Adele, and the boots belonged to Poetic Beauty Eden.

To keep this entry fresh, I took out several pieces from the Dangerous Love collection and redressed Dangerous Love Sasha.  An appropriate look considering the recent temperatures here in the south over the past week!

The majority of Sasha's ensemble is from Look  21- the coat, skirt, purse, and earrings.  

Those incredible patent leather, lace-up boots with grommets (yes they have a zipper in the back) are from Accessory Pack B.  I couldn't resist this accessory set because it had an orange Birkin bag, a pair of sunglasses, a fur collar/cape, and two other pairs of shoes (one of which is for flat feet).  The accessory packs can be expensive (almost as much as an ensemble) but they do pack a punch at $115!

The  top is from Look 22.  Look 21 also included some incredible shoes - the heels actually looked like tubes of lipstick!

So Number 3 of 2022 goes to the Jamieshow Muses Dangerous Love collection for bringing collectors so much enjoyment in redressing their dolls.  Representing this line in the countdown is Dangerous Love Sasha.

Best of 2022 - Number 4 - Learning to Pivot

Just before I retired from teaching, the latest catch phrase in education was "Learn to Pivot".   With all the problems going on in this profession, we were told we had to realize that "the old way of doing things no longer worked" - that you had to alter your way of thinking if you were going to be survive in modern education.  

That's actually true of everything.  Any successful person will tell you that they got that way by picking themselves up every time they got knocked down; they learned from each failure and changed how they responded to the situation.  Nothing could be more true for businesses post-pandemic that are dealing with supply-chain problems, worker shortages, and economic crises.  

One business that seemed to alter its sales model is MGA toys.  The creative genius behind this is Michael Scott Anderson.  In 2020, MGA introduced an Animated Series on Youtube about a group of dolls that attended an alternative arts school, Rainbow High.  Each character has its own designated color choice in wardrobe and backstory.  This built up interest in the dolls before they were actually released.   (Early in its history, Integrity Toys created a similar buyer loyalty with their story cards, which went away for several years but recently returned.)   It took a couple years for the Rainbow High dolls to get established, but now they have a very loyal and fervent following!

The Rainbow High Dolls actually made my #8 spot in my 2021 countdown.   I included quite a bit of history with them at that time Rainbow High Dolls 2020-2021 .  Like the coronavirus, MGA has adapted and morphed quite a bit this year.  

Most of the Rainbow High dolls come with an additional ensemble and retails for less than $30.  Their original cost in 2020 - 2021 was $24.99, but the price increased with Series 4 to $29.99.  Here is a photo of Series 4 that was released May 23, 2022 (on my birthday by the way).  Photos by MGA except as noted.

The hair styles on these dolls are so amazing; the details in the ensembles are just fantastic; the bodies are articulated; the price point just can't be beat.  The Series 4 girls are so inclusive this time.  We have so many special versions!  The third doll from the left is called Delilah Fields, representing a person with albinism.  She is one of my favorites produced so far (I added the white bows).

As the mainline dolls related so specifically to color, MGA apparently realized they were literally "painting themselves into a corner", so they mixed things up a little.  With the world's obsession with competition, MGA decided Rainbow High needed some rival schools.  In 2022, we got Pacific Coast, retailing for $31.88 each (the beach scene sold separately and has been able to be purchased on clearance for $25):

Pacific Coast was followed by Shadow Vision.  Shadow Vision dolls started as a grayscale version and are actually quite phenomenal.  The execution of this line was genius (yes, the picture below is in color). 

Here is a production photo of Nicole Steel representing the color "platinum" in my collection.  

Adding other schools to the storyline opened up all sorts of competition venues!   Walmart got exclusive rights to a Costume Contest!  Being a store exclusive, that allowed Walmart to bump the prices on these dolls to $34.97.

You can't turn on syndicated television in America without seeing some sort of music competition: American Idol, The Voice, The Masked Singer, America's Got Talent, Lip Sync Battle, or The American Song Writer.  How clever would it be to have these rival schools compete in a talent show?  What if we gave them original scores and music videos on Youtube and called the competition Rainbow Vision?  Why not?!  (Each dolls retailed for $39.99 and some of them actually came with instruments like the Rockstars from 2021)

That gave us Rainbow Divas:

Neon Shadow:

And The Royal Three:

These dolls were each quite phenomenal on their own right.  So, there is a little something for everyone.  But MGA also offered a Special Edition Shadow High Ainsley Slater Fashion Trunk Show for $49.99

To respond to the Rainbow High De'Vious Twins, we got a special edition Shadow High Storm Twins, Naomi and Veronica for $69.99 (at Christmas these dolls went on sale on Amazon for less than $30).  Yes, one of the dolls is blowing a bubble with bubblegum!

MGA realized in 2021 that Rainbow High had started attracting a serious group of adult collectors and decided to test the waters by introducing its first "Rainbow High Collector Doll", Jett Dawson, in August 2021.  It even produced 1000 dolls with "Numbered" cards sold randomly through Amazon.  The doll retailed for the most ever asked for a Rainbow High doll $54.99.   It came with a little dress form.

Jett Dawson was quite successful, so MGA continued offering "Collector Dolls" in 2022.  

First up offered on February 1, 2022 is Chinese New Year Lily Cheng.  She sold online for appx $80.  This doll is one of the most perfect Rainbow High dolls made to date.  She is just breathtaking!  Even the box artwork is to die for!

Next up Walmart offered the most expensive Rainbow High Collector Doll to date, Dia De Los Metros Maria Garcia.  She originally retailed for $129, but has come down in price and is hovering around the $100 mark.  That still puts this doll right up there with high end dolls like Integrity Toys!  The packaging on this doll is as stunning as her predecessor, Lily Cheng.   Maria Garcia's box actually has LED lights around the inside edge that can be turned on and off!  There has been a lot of complaining that the ensemble isn't culturally accurate, but it can't be denied this is still one beautiful Rainbow High doll.

In 2022 Rainbow High produced its first ever "Holiday Doll" with Roxie Grande.  Roxie could actually be found in Target Stores in American and retailed for $59.99.  She was on sale on Amazon for $39.99 and Target even matched the price.  The lower price is reflected in packaging since it was similar to mainline MGA dolls.

The final "Collector Doll" of 2022 was Rainbow High's first celebrity doll.  Can you imagine getting a Rainbow High Paris Hilton character?  Was she worth $99?  Totally - "That's Hot!"

Just when you think you couldn't get any more Rainbow High/Shadow High fun, MGA goes and releases some blind box accessories.  Each box costs $9.97 - the displays in the stores look like this:

There are 27 previously unreleased pairs of shoes (many associated with specific dolls).

And 28 previously unreleased handbags (again, mostly associated with specific dolls).

I daresay there is at least one on many fellow collectors' shelves.  In a year when high-end doll producers are unable to get product into collectors' hands, MGA was able to offer a little something for everyone.  They recognized market opportunity and seized it.  Whether you needed a cute quick fix for less than $30 (and many of these mainline edition dolls hit sales bins for as little $10 or less) or wanted something a little more luxurious like Paris Hilton, Lily Cheng, or Maria Garcia, you could walk away with a deep sense of satisfaction.   

My #4 of 2022 goes to MGA for availability, affordability, and playability.  The doll I chose to represent this line was my personal favorite from 2022, Lily Cheng.  To my surprise, it was the doll I actually asked for under my Christmas tree this year.

Best of 2022 - Number 5 - The Power of Play

My 5th spot goes more to a group of dolls than an individually packaged one.   I've been a doll collector my entire life.  I started when I was a little girl and am still enjoying this fickle and exciting hobby decades later; I've seen more than a few changes!

Pretty much gone are the days of purchasing a doll and leaving it displayed NRFB.   I'm not saying I don't have a few of those still, but the vast majority of my doll collection is taken out and handled.   I believe Integrity Toys was truly a leader in this shift in collecting mindset, and it started primarily with the articulated dolls of 2004/2005.  The posability of these articulated limbs were based on the taller ball-jointed dolls found in the Asian marketplace (which in turn were based on the antique composition bodies of the 1890's).   When collectors started handling these dolls and redressing them, it allowed adults to experience the joy of play from their childhoods.   Mattel later followed suit with their Made To Move dolls and earlier less-articulated bodies.  

With so many articulated doll lines now on the market, the competition for a collector's money has gotten quite stiff.   Designer's must be creative.   It is hard to beat the team of David Buttry and Alain Tremblay when it comes to creativity.  

Poppy Parker is an imaginary doll character that is a young adult in the 1960's.   Integrity Toys collaborated with Hasbro to combine Poppy Parker and the vintage board game Mystery Date.  I reviewed these dolls earlier this year  Poppy Parker Loves Mystery Date Review.   What a creative concept!

It would be difficult to put into a blog just exactly how impressive the packaging is (photo property of Integrity Toys). 

Talk about a lot of fun!   For the retail price of $240, you got a female doll, her date, and wonderful accessories.  What more could you ask for?  The only problem was in the packaging.  It was too elaborate to translate well to production.  First, it was difficult to open the door to the date.  Also, the thin cardboard liners required a lot of folding which got multiple tears when the factory workers started assembling them.  Many of the boxes arrived with taped places in the liners.  Integrity Toys/The W Club has an amazing customer service department that sprung into action and sent replacements to collectors who reported this problem.

Here is Integrity Toys' promo photo of all the dolls:

It would be difficult to choose just one doll or one set of dolls to represent the collection for my countdown.  The spot is actually more for the designers.  Since I have already reviewed the males dolls as part of my  Best of 2022 - Number 9, I will put the girls together for this one.  Best of 2022 - Number 5 is Poppy Parker Loves Mystery Date.

Best of 2022 - Number 6 - "Something I Didn't Know I Wanted"

This doll has already been reviewed as she joined my collection very early last year Best of 2022 - Number 6 Review.  The Integrity Toys (IT) Convention "Obsession" was held virtually very late in 2021.  Almost all of those dolls made it into collectors' hands in 2022.  

Most dolls collectors anticipated "Obsession" to represent truly opulent fabrics, beadwork, furs, etc.  The IT design team took it into completely different areas such as sports and politics.   Collectors were very vocal in their disappointment to the point of insulting some of the designers.  One individual even responded (paraphrasing), "We don't try to make 'ugly' dolls.  We want to give collectors something they may not even know they want."   

I think the majority of collectors who only purchased one convention ticket were okay with the offerings.  But many of those opportunists who use multiple convention tickets to purchase enough extra dolls to sell on secondary market were quite upset.  Since there were 1300 convention tickets sold this year, I have read that some of them actually lost money on many of these dolls.  I guess that'll teach you to scalp dolls!

I actually liked this doll quite a bit.  The ensemble included MANY wonderful mix and match possibilities. Especially those boots!  Because I am so fond of this ensemble, I am including the stock photo of this doll again.

Many of my older dolls benefited from replacement bodies this year.  Here is a photo of People Really Do Fall In Love Vanessa Perrin 2.0 (now Violaine Perrin) wearing one of Sal's designs and those boots.

But the subject of this blog entry is Alejandre and she looks so good redressed.  The minute I saw Amirah Majeed in 24K Shine, I knew I wanted the ensemble for Alejandre.  Number 6 of 2022 is Varsity Alejandre Luna.

Best of 2022 - Number 7 - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

The next doll in my countdown is probably one of my very favorite versions of this character ever produced.  For some reason, many collectors have been on the fence with her, which I don't understand.   The moment I saw her promo I knew she would be phenomenal.  I even purchased two of her, one with each of my W Club memberships.

She was the last doll fully reviewed in my 2022 Doll Collecting Cycle: Number 33 of 2022 .  Although I'm not a fan of the ensemble, this girl just radiates when redressed.  

Each year the department store Christopher Banks releases holiday ornament sweaters.  Unless you are ambitious enough to cut them in the back and sew them up, you have to slip them over a doll's head.  The closer it gets to Christmas, these sweaters usually go on sale for 50% off.  I allow myself a couple each year and have amassed quite a collection of them!  I decided my Number 7 of 2022 would model one.

Number 7 of 2022 is Desert Dazzler Poppy Parker.

Best of 2022 - Number 8 - What? Another "First"?

The next doll on my countdown is actually the last to arrive at my home in 2022.  She just showed up this week in time for Christmas!  I haven't even had time to carefully debox her, so please forgive my lack of "out-of-box" photos.

I have been a big fan of the Integrity Toys Nippon/Misaki doll line ever since its premier in 2006.   These dolls are difficult (not to mention expensive) to acquire since they aren't produced for, or marketed in, the U.S.  They've been quite popular recently and their secondary market prices have climbed again to the levels of their highest popularity.

After Poppy Parker was introduced, it seems that IT put most of its effort into that line.  As a matter of fact, there were only three dolls offered in the Misaki line in 2019, two in 2020, and three this year.  I have been collecting them since 2006 and have many of the earlier dolls, and I actually prefer the earlier aesthetic to those that been produced in the last several years.  That is until the next doll.

Wildflower Misaki is so reminiscent of the earlier Misaki girls.  I love the yellow and denim with pink cowgirl boots!  Her hairstyle is just perfection.   Here are some of the IT promo photo.

Full Length:

Back of doll to see the wonderfully elaborate hair style.

And IT's photo of the accessories.  These accessories are just marvelous.  Those pink cowgirl boots are to die for (and they have zippers).  Look at those bumblebee earrings!  So much play opportunity here!

This is one of those times that the production doll actually surpasses the promo photos.  I LOVE everything about this doll.  Here is a full length photo of the actual production doll.

And her production closeup. 

This is the first time a Misaki doll made it on my countdown!  What a fun doll!   Number 8 of 2022 is Wildflower Misaki.