Organization - Cabinet 2 Shelf 3

You are probably wondering what happened to Cabinet 1 Shelves 3 and 4?  

When I started pulling my dolls to organize them, I wanted to keep them in order by year of production and then by body type.  I started with all the dolls pre-2006 that had replacement bodies to the Tall FR body.   There were enough to fill up an entire shelf (Cabinet 1, Shelf 1).  Organization, Cabinet 1, Shelf 1

The next shelf concentrated on dolls that were produced post-2005 that were still on the Tall FR bodies.  There were 12 dolls from 2006 - 2008 to fill Cabinet 1, Shelf 2).  Organization - Cabinet 1, Shelf 2

After completing Cabinet 1, Shelf 2, I realized that I had some pre-2006 dolls that still had not been put in the display cabinets.  The problem was that these dolls had all been put on FR2/FR6.0 bodies!   I knew I needed to figure out where to start displaying these dolls while leaving room on previous shelves for other dolls produced between 2006 - 2014 that were still on the Tall FR bodies.  Also, I have reserved the bottom shelf of Cabinet 1 for my dolls' wardrobe boxes.  

Cabinet #2, Shelf #3 - Back row:

Shock Bon Bon Vanessa Perrin (mold 1.0) from 2004.  She was put on one of the first released FR2 bodies because he skin tone is difficult to match.  Her original sweater still fits.  I added a Randall Craig skirt.

Since I wanted to display her in her original gown, I had to put Talking Drama Adele Makeda (mold 2.0) next.  (The trains of the dolls' gowns can drape over the back of the shelves because there is a gap between the shelf and the cabinet wall.)  Talking Drama Adele Makeda is from 2007 with an edition size of 500.  I used a replacement body produced by IT in the "Black" skin tone.  The gown still fits beautifully!

Cosmetic Takeover Natalia Fatale (mold 1.0) is also from 2004 and rounds out the back row (since Talking Drama's gown is so full, I could only fit three dolls across the back row).  She was the very first Integrity Toys Convention Doll and was only produced in an edition size of 300.  Her body is from the second round of "Latino" bodies produced by IT.  Her original ensemble actually looks better on the FR2/FR6.0 body!

Middle Row:

Bodacious Adele Makeda (mold 2.0) is from 2005.  She not only took the ensemble from Time and Again Adele (2015), she stole her body!  She was a difficult doll for which to find a body donor because there are some reddish hues to her skin tone; she cannot use the mass produced replacement bodies in the "Black" skin tone!

Next up is Glimmer Luchia Zadra from 2008.  Her body was from the most recent IT "Japan" skin tone replacement body release.  She is wearing Tatyana Alexandrova's Goddess ensemble from 2018.

Graphic Language Adele Makeda (mold 2.0) is still considered by many as one of the best versions of this mold (even without applied eyelashes).  She is from 2004.   Her body is also one of the mass produced "Black" skin tone versions.  She is wearing her original sweater and a Randall Craig skirt.

Shake It Up Korinne Dimas was from the 2012 IFDC.  Her edition size was only 300.  She benefitted from an IT replacement body from the last release of "Japan" skin  tone bodies.  Her original ensemble is another one that looks better on the FR2/FR6.0 bodies.

Front Row:

This brings me to my favorite dolls that have been put on FR2/FR6.0 bodies that were released prior to 2013.

Although she isn't a grail, Gold Glam Adele Makeda (mold 2.0) is from 2013 and was only produced in an edition size of 300.  Her replacement body was difficult to locate.  She is using Vivid Encounter Adele's body from 2014.  Her original dress looks great on the FR2/FR6.0 body!

Next up is Force of Nature Agnes Von Weiss.  She was the centerpiece doll from the Welcome Dinner at the Tropicalia Convention in 2012 (edition size 200).  The closest match for her skin tone is 2014's Elusive Creature Natalia Fatale.  She could wear her original dress, but the matching tap shorts won't go over her new legs.  She is wearing Iselin's Fall 2018 Gown.

One of the most sought after version of Adele Makeda (mold 2.0) is The Muse.  She is from 2008's convention and has an edition size of 400.  She is wearing 2016 Dania Zarr's Tweed Couture ensemble.  (The sleeves on her original ensemble are too short.)   Her body is one of the IT replacement bodies in the Dark A-Tone skin tone.

My final doll on this shelf is Second Skin Vanessa Perrin (mold 1.0).  She is 2014 and was released in an edition size of 300.  She was another difficult doll for a body replacement.  Her match is from the 2017 Faces of Adele giftset.  Her original ensemble fits the FR2/FR6.0 body quite nicely.

This shelf is home for:

Vanessa 1.0 - Two dolls

Luchia - One doll

Natalia - One doll

Korinne - One doll

Agnes - One doll

Adele 2.0 - Five dolls

#36 of 2019 Spring Romance Adele Makeda (+34, 35, 37, 38, 39, and 40)

My "Guidelines for Collecting Dolls" have not been very useful this year.  I've not had the time to focus on selling off dolls from my collection.   At the beginning of the year I had a health scare.  Earlier in the summer, I found out that I was moving classrooms (from a mobile to inside the building).  My mother-in-law has had some very serious health issues and has required a lot of my time and care.

Even though I've been unable to sell as much as I wanted, I still was able to "fine tune" my collection this year using doll sales proceeds from 2018.   I even had enough cash to attend the IT Convention "Live From Fashion Week".   After all of the issues this year, I was afraid it wasn't going to be possible, but my loving husband took the week off to handle things at home and insisted I needed a vacation.  What a wonderful man!

I drove from Atlanta to Raleigh to pick up my friends Reese and Sal.  From there we drove on to Baltimore.  Unfortunately, three collectors and their luggage doesn't allow for a lot of room to bring home extra dolls to sell, but we found the room for all of the dolls we wanted to add to our collections!  I couldn't have asked for better driving buddies - such wonderful conversation!  

I left home at 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning.  This was only my second convention, and I really wanted to go to room sales!   (I missed the room sales at my first convention because we didn't leave until Thursday and my husband felt uncomfortable going into other collectors' rooms.)

We arrived just in time to register and pick up the Welcome Doll ... Fresh Perspective Agnes Von Weiss.  AGNES VON WEISS!!  A Welcome Doll?  That's never happened before.  And what a beautiful version!!  (#34 of 2019)

Reese and I checked into our room, unpacked, and checked out our dolls (of course, not in that order!).   Then it was off to room sales.  There were specific artisans we definitely wanted to hit.  (Unfortunately, Squish Tish/Yoko Dolls was only selling at the Bazaar; Randall Craig was only selling at a specific time on Thursday, but I was seventh in line and was able to snare a gorgeous dress and jewelry!)

We were able to pick up some incredible handbags!  One of my favorites, Paintbox Designs, was open (almost impossible to pick just one).   We got to Rebecca's suite after dinner and I found a marvelous scarf!  I tried very hard to be extremely selective.  It wasn't easy.  Had I $1000 for this purpose only, I would've easily gone through the entire amount.  There were some incredible prices on NRFB dolls!

We came home, went through our loot and took showers before bed - sweet dolly dreams all night long.  The next morning we had breakfast in the hotel before going to the IT salesroom and Style Lab.

This year IT was at the top of its game.  They took some great suggestions for improvement from collectors and implemented them.  When you registered for the convention, you were given a cue number.  The cue numbers were then assigned a colored lanyard.  Collectors were lined up by their lanyard color and cue number.  There was no stress!  No one broke line!  No one got into arguments!  It was wonderful.

When your color was called, you walked into a "holding area" where all of the dolls were on display!  You could look and think about your favorites.  There were six dolls in the Convention Collection:

1.  English Rose Eugenia Perrin Frost (FR)
2.  Spring Romance Adele Makeda (FR)
3.  London Show Nadja Rhymes (NuFace)
4.  Winter Shimmer Lady Aurelia Grey (East 59th)
5.  Young Romantic Poppy Parker (PP)
6.  Kimono Go Go Poppy Parker (PP)

In addition, there were three salesroom exclusives (and you didn't need a ticket to purchase them):
1.  Art of Manliness Darius Reed (Monarch)
2.  That's All Plum Powers (The Industry)
3.  Devil Made Me Do It Tulabelle True (The Industry)

There were also six different versions of Poppy Parker in the Style Lab, a two head hair fashion giftset, six different boxed ensembles, six different carded dresses, an accessory set, and doll bodies.

Doll overload set in - I began to hyperventilate!!

I went in with the mindset of a collector not a speculator.  Rather than thinking about what I could sell to make money, I thought about what I wanted to add to my collection.  I knew exactly how much I wanted to spend.  I limited my purchases in the Salesroom to five.  Shown in order of preference.  

London Show Nadja Rhymes was a no-brainer.  A pale version of Nadja - enough said.  (#35 of 2019)

Adele Makeda 2.0 is a favorite mold, so I knew Spring Romance was coming home with me. (#36 of 2019)

Unfortunately, I did not purchase English Rose Eugenia Frost at the convention.  She had a veil on covering her eyes in the display area and also in the salesroom.  It wasn't until after seeing my roommate Reese's version in the hotel room that I was able to see what a beautiful screening she has.  I wound up purchasing this doll secondary market from a dealer at small markup after returning home.  (#37 of 2019)

I was totally surprised by Winter Shimmer Lady Aurelia Grey and how much I loved that dress and her face and hair!  I think this is the best version of this character yet. (#38 of 2019)

I am a fan of the movie The Devil Wears Prada, so That's All Plum Powers (an older The Industry character representing Miranda Priestly).  (#39 of 2019)

And Devil Made Me Do It Tulabelle True as Andi rounded out my five.  (#40 of 2019)

I will do individual reviews of each doll as I get to them.  I may regret not purchasing Eugenia, but I already have so many beautiful versions of her at home.  

Although the two versions of Poppy Parker were lovely, I knew there would be a Poppy Parker luncheon and I had seen versions of Poppy in the Style Lab display I preferred.

... Skip ahead ...

I drove back home from Baltimore on Sunday.  I had just enough time for a quick bite to eat, unpack my luggage, and get some sleep.  I retuned to work on Monday morning at 7:00 a.m.  

I didn't have any play time this past week, so my boxes remained unopened.  Yesterday (Saturday) was a dreary, rainy day and we ran errands and I caught up on laundry, housecleaning, and grocery shopping.

I woke this morning to a beautiful day filled with dolly promises.  

First, I decided to rebody The Muse Adele Makeda to a FR2 body.  I ordered some Dark A-Tone bodies from the last IT body order, but I wanted a body with the hip joint.  Timeless Adele (mold 3.0) went into the heating pad with The Muse.  

It was time to decide how much Spring Romance from the convention fit with The Muse.

First a picture of the outside of the box.  How clever.  I have to praise the return to these shoebox-like containers.  I much prefer them to the ones with the flaps.  The box is designed with perforated circles with a colored layer behind it.  A different color represented a different line!  The FR color was neutral tan/peach color.  CUTE IDEA!

Here is a photo in the box.  I love the face.  Mold 2.0 is a personal favorite.

Full length in the box.  This ensemble is so gorgeous!

And look at all the accessories.  (Photo from IT)  I adore the hat and purse.  The shoes are amazing.  Look at those enamel earrings.

I decided I needed a photo of The Muse with Spring Romance.  But I had to find something with pastel colors for her to wear.  Does anyone realize how few pastel pieces of clothing are available for these dolls?

I decided to put the Fashionably Floral Silkstone top with the pants from Be Daring Imogen Lennox.  Then I used the shoes and jewelry from the 2007 ensemble She Comes in Colors.

Different enough?  Surprisingly, I actually prefer The Muse.  I thought I was going to prefer Spring Romance!  They would make an incredible set of twins since they aren't identical and really complement each other.

Now for the decision:  1.  Keep both and have twins?  2.  Sell Spring Romance Adele Makeda NRFB?  3.  Keep Spring Romance's clothing and sell the doll nude?