On the Second Day of Summer Break ...

Back to our regularly scheduled program.

So ... I started reorganizing with Veronique Perrin because she was the first Fashion Royalty character introduced and the first one in my collection.   This led me directly to blonde dolls with ponytails, which progressed to Dasha D'Amboise.  Female Icon Dasha took me to dolls with short red hair, and I am now finding myself at Tatyana Alexandrova, which fits in with both blonde dolls with ponytails and short-haired redheads!

Here is a collage of my Tatyana dolls:

Tatyana started her life at Integrity Toys as the first Lana Turner doll, Ethereal Return.  I remember collectors carried on about how this doll did not look anything like Lana Turner, so Integrity Toys revised her mold.  That same year, a different character with the original Lana Turner mold showed up as the Convention Doll,   Fete Accompli Tatyana Alexandrova and was the first character to appear with the Porcelain Skintone - twice in 2008 with Feta Accompli and Paris J'Adore.  (Also released in 2008 withe the Porcelain Skintone was Queen V Veronique Perrin.)

At this point, you may be thinking, "Wow!  This is a very interesting mold and can look quite different depending on the doll."  Well ... Tatyana has never been popular with collectors.   When she transitioned over to FR2 in 2013, she had some plastic surgery - there are two distinctly different molds.  Part of the inspiration for doing this is the fact that the original mold went through a third character development, Jordan Duvall.

After completing my comparison of blondes with ponytails, I sold Goddess Tatyana.  I have also listed Perfect Reign for sale.

Surprisingly, most of my Tatyana dolls are still NRFB.  What's up with that?  I'm not sure why, but IT also likes to use Tatyana's mold for villains or characters (Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland, Bloodlines for Bride of Frankenstein, and Fashionably Ruthless for Cruella Deville).  Two of the ten versions I owned have been moved into the "leaving" stack, so I think the others are safe for right now.  I need to start releasing them from their boxes, but I need to make room for them first.

Since I mentioned Jordan Duvall for using the first Tatyana mold, I went ahead with reviewing this character.

Each of these dolls is special and unique in it own way.  None have to worry about leaving the island any time soon.

... Now where to go next?

#49 of 2019 - Vivid Paradise Tatyana Alexandrova - I Love An Underdog (+ 50, 51, and 52)

Registration to attend an Integrity Toys (IT) Convention is not cheap.  If you paid up front in one payment, it was still $550.   For $550, you get access to the Salesroom, Style Lab, Room Sales, Bazaar, two dinners, one luncheon, and pizza was served during the Bazaar (nice touch!).  This year there was a Welcome Doll (Fresh Perspective Agnes Von Weiss = #34 of 2019), a Gift Doll at the Welcome Party (Vivid Paradise Tatyana Alexandrova #49 of 2019), a Gift Doll at the Poppy Parker Luncheon (Pink Powder Puff - #48 of 2019), and the Convention Doll (Spring 2017 Elyse Jolie). 

(#50 of 2019 is Spring 2017 Elyse Jolie.)

You also got the opportunity to purchase at least two of the centerpiece dolls.

At the Welcome Dinner, the centerpiece was Sting To The Heart Agnes Von Weiss.

That's right Agnes #2 and #51 of 2019. 

The centerpiece at the Banquet was Ethereal Beauty Vanessa Perrin.

Yes, she is mold 1.0!  #52 of 2019.

Even though they are considered "Gift Dolls", they are part of the registration cost.  Excluding Fresh Perspective Agnes, most the "Gift Dolls" have received a very lukewarm reception by collectors and are not fetching very high prices on secondary market.

The doll least preferred by collectors seems to be Vivid Paradise Tatyana Alexandrova.  Here is a photo of her NRFB.

And a closeup.  IT has had quite a bit of trouble over the last three years with heads that are slightly different in color to the dolls' bodies.  Unfortunately, this is the case with my Vivid Paradise Tatyana.  

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)  At the W Club Luncheon, attendees got to view a slide show with embedded videos that walked us through the entire production process.  It was very eye-opening.  Each doll's head is individually rooted by hand.  After the rooting process, the makeup is sprayed on by hand using copper molds placed over the rubber face.  There are as many as 24 molds/steps to putting on a doll's face up.  Eyelashes are then applied by hand.  IT is having trouble keeping a trained workforce because employees are so transient.  There is no "formula" for skin tones.  Each head is produced by a colorist mixing the dyes by hand.  The bodies are also produced in a similar fashion, and because the material for the body is different from the material used for the heads, they sometimes come out slightly different.  Add to that the fact that the heads are "cured" by warming them and that process isn't uniform either, it's a wonder things aren't worse than they are.  It made me look at my dolls very differently.  It's near impossible to get a perfect doll.

(Back from Commercial Break)  Vivid Paradise Tatyana Alexandrova came with some lovely blue shoes and a pair of awesome parrot earrings.  There was also a simple bracelet and another pair of hands (without the long nails).

Since Tatyana is selling so reasonably on secondary market, I decided to buy a nude second one to use as a body donor (she has the "Sunkissed" skin tone which is a good match for the earlier "Tan" dolls).  When my body donor arrived, I found that her head actually matched her body better than mine!  Although her hairline isn't as perfect, she isn't quite as yellow.  I decided to spend some time redressing her before turning on the heating pad.

Here she is wearing a pair of Elen Priv pants and an artist's blouse.  She seems to redress rather well.

I am not usually a fan or lavender colored eyes, but I do like the face-up on this doll.  I had to wash and boil perm her hair to make it more manageable.  I also had to take a needle and remove some of the eyelash glue from one of the eyelashes.  The workers at the factory have gotten very "heavy handed" with the eyelash glue this year.  Sometimes there are really big globs of glue all over the lower eyelash.

While room shopping, I came upon a dress for which I had been stalking secondary market.  I had seen this dress on someone's flickr page and loved it.  I bought it at a room sale for $35!

Although she may be an underdog, I think she is seriously under-rated.  This is probably due to the fact there were so many beautiful dolls produced for this convention.  It's like saying one rose is the least beautiful in a bouquet.  It's still a rose!

#35 of 2019 is Vivid Paradise Tatyana Alexandrova.  (My "Tan" girls are still waiting for the body donor...)

2017 Fairytale Convention Collection

The "Convention Collection" is the group of dolls attendees can purchase prior to convention.  IT announcees the list of dolls (without photos) and they can be purchased as a bundle and either picked up at the convention or shipped directly to the attendees home after the convention is over.  Even though there are merits to doing this, the collector is actually purchasing dolls sight-unseen.

In 2015, W Club members got the opportunity to direct purchase a doll from the convention collection from a sketch, Reigning Grace Eugenia.   Attendees got a discounted price, but every W Club member got the right to buy her.  It was a big hit with W Club members, and we were excited to get that opportunity again in 2017.

This year's Direct Purchase Fairytale Convention doll was based on Cruella Deville's character from 101 Dalmatians.  (Not an actual fairytale character but one from a Disney film based on a 1956 novel by Dodie Smith.)  The doll was Tatyana Alexandrova and the version was a giftset called "Fashionably Ruthless" ($175 or $200 at Convention).  The actual production doll could be picked up by the convention attendees since they paid a discounted price for her as an upgrade to their convention package.  (W Club members will be billed balances next week and the doll will be shipped directly to them).

I am so glad I had the foresight to purchase this doll.  I think she is going to be a big hit with collectors.  Fortunately, I have Bloodlines Tatyana from the 2013 IFDC Convention to go with her!

Other dolls in the Convention Collection included Veronique Perrin (mold 2.0) wearing "Sea Devil" representing Ursula from "The Little Mermaid" ($150).

I'm on the fence with this doll.  I was expecting blacks and purples or maybe shades of ocean blue.  The platinum hair was a surprise as well.  I'm just not sure about adding her to my collection.  I think the doll will redress well, but I've seen a lack of consistency with the hairstyle.  I don't think I would purchase one unless it was an actual photo of the doll and the hair was exactly the way I wanted it.  (She also makes an interesting companion doll to the table centerpiece Agnes)

You simply cannot have a Fairytale theme without The Wizard of Oz.  It just can't be done.  The designers, fortunately, looked to the musical Wicked for inspiration.  First up is Natalia Fatale (mold 2.0) as the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, wearing "Wicked Behavior" ($140).

I really want to love this doll -  the Natalia 2.0 mold is a favorite of mine, but I'm totally on the fence.  I love the dress!  The doll reminds me of 2009's Heat Seeker, but I like Heat Seeker's screening a lot better. I think this doll will redress beautifully though.

You can't have the Wicked Witch without her sister, Good Witch of the North, Glenda.  Vanessa Perrin (mold 1.0) wearing "Spell of Kindness" ($150).

Again, I'm not feeling this one even though Vanessa mold 1.0 is one of my very favorite molds.   I already have the silkstone dress that is similar and the Poppy Parker "Miss Amour" from last year.  The screening is a lot like 2007 Vanessa Perrin "In Bloom".  The doll is gorgeous, but when you've been collecting a while it seems to be getting harder and harder to add dolls with a "special quality" to your collection.

That gives us four Fashion Royalty characters in the main Convention Collection.  It was a sure bet that Poppy Parker was going to show up as Dorothy ($135).  She is wearing "Rainbow Connection" (try getting Kermit out of your head all day!)

I so long for a little dog with this!   It's super cute.  I even like the tighter curls.  This is a very cute and accurate interpretation with some mix and match possibilities.  (The purse reminds me of Vivacite Eugenia's)

The other Poppy Parker in the Convention Collection represented Rapunzel and she is wearing "Shining the Starlight" ($135).

I Love that Poppy Parker is in a different skin tone!  Love the hair (it's a long braid almost down to the floor).  Don't love the ensemble!  I wouldn't mind picking this one up nude on secondary market, but I don't think it will happen because I sense she will quickly become very popular and difficult to get.  (Some collectors have remarked that it looks like she is wearing dust ruffle.)

The NuFace line was well-represented in the Convention Collection this year.  First up is Ayumi Nakamura as Mulan wearing "Rarest of All" ($140).

This is quite an extraordinary doll.  I really like her, but I am passing since I already have an oriental  Ayumi in my collection.  The ensemble, faceup, hair, and fascinator are all amazing.   I love the eyebrows!  It was a difficult pass.

The next doll was the first to sell out in the salesroom.  Eden Blair (I'm not sure why it is Eden since Lilith is usually the dark-haired version) appears as Pocahontas wearing "Changing Winds" ($140).

The twins are always a fan favorite.  As much as I want to love this version, I'm not feeling it for some reason.  I really like the hair a great deal.  The faceup isn't bad.  The ensemble is ok (I am old enough to remember chenille bedspreads!).   The accessories are fantastic.  I think I passed because she reminds me a great deal of 2012's Fame by Frame Imogen which is a favorite of mine and already living here.

Each doll in the Convention Collection had an edition size of 600.   As lovely as they were, I didn't dip my toe in the secondary market pool for any of them.  I feel comfortable waiting to see if the prices come down or if there are any left for W Club lotteries.

In addition to the Convention Collection, there are "salesroom" dolls offered to collectors with purchase tickets randomly put in their convention packets.  This year there were three.

The first was a tremendous surprise.  This is the first time the IT Nippon line has been made available at a convention.  (It is only the second time Nippon has been sold domestically - the first being a Haute Doll Magazine exclusive in 2006 "Metallic Moment".)   This was a giftset of Miaki and Amelie called "Drawn to You".  It had an edition size of 500 and retailed for $175.

They represent Mickey and Minnie Mouse!  What a wonderful giftset.  Amelie's hair even has two buns to look like mouse ears (had the buns been larger and more exaggerated, I may have taken the plunge on this one)!  I have been a fan of Misaki since the very beginning and own many of them.  As cute as they are, they were, with regrets, a pass for me.  My dolly budget is very tight lately.

Poppy Parker made another appearance in the salesroom.   This time she is Tinkerbell wearing "Believe in Me" ($135).

As cute as this one is, the dress reminded me of Lash Out's from a couple years ago.

The final advertised doll in the salesroom was Erin Salston as Rumpelstiltskin wearing "24K" ($140).

Holy Brothers Grimm Batman ... stop the Batmobile ... I cannot put into words how I feel about this doll.  She is amazing and was the second doll to sell out in the salesroom.  I have to give a shout out to Leandro Romero on this one.  I was able to get one from him at a very reasonable and fair price.  Thank you!  You have no idea how happy you made this old schoolmarm.

In addition to the advertised dolls there were five color infusion dolls were sold in the salesroom that had never been previously.  Three of them were male and two were female.  IT did not release photos of them.

Love the direction IT went with this theme.  There is a little something for everyone.  I think all of the dolls will redress beautifully.  Faces and hair look better than they have in many years.  It looks like quality control is back!  Great job IT!