W Club Registration Until March 16

You have until 5 p.m. EST on March 16 to register for the 2023 W Club.  There are several perks to joining this collecting community for the upcoming year:

• You have the opportunity to purchase 3 upgrade dolls (more below)
• There will be at least five exclusive club dolls for purchase
• W Club members get "first to know" information about lines before they are announced to the public
• There are lottery opportunities for limited edition dolls that are only available to W Club members
• All W Club members will be allowed an opportunity to purchase tickets for the IT Virtual Convention this year
• You have access to a private forum where members interact to post messages and photos of their creativity; there is also a Market Thread to buy, sell, and trade dolls

The cost to join is only $50.  Each doll shown below costs $160.  When you register you choose any of the doll purchase options to add to your membership and have to pay a $30 deposit per doll.  Here is a link to the W Club announcement with detailed information for each doll:  2022 W Club Upgrade Dolls and Registration Information .

The W Club is really great about trying to provide something for the varied interests of its members.  The upgrade choices include a Poppy Parker, Fashion Royalty, and NuFace option.  

The Nuface Option is Earth Angel Eden Blair.  Here is a full length photo (photo courtesy of Integrity Toys)

I'm not really crazy about the ensemble here.  She reminds me a great deal of 2018's Free Spirit Poppy Parker.  One of the few Poppy Parkers that I just didn't like and was sold off the island.  The big selling point of this doll is all those accessories!

Eden Blair is a twin to Lilith.  One of the W Club exclusives this past year was The Nu Classics Lilith Blair.  

Since Earth Angel is the companion to that doll, the purchase of this version was an easy choice.  Into the cart she went.  

The second doll is a favored character mold for IT collectors.  She is Up With A Twist Agnes Von Weiss.  

Anyone else see 2019's Ocean Drive Agnes Von Weiss when they look at this doll?  She was a favorite doll of mine that year and still resides here.  Are they too similar?  I do like the dress Up With A Twist is wearing.  And the accessories are really great.

Unfortunately, I find it difficult to resist Agnes Von Weiss, so she went into my cart as well.

This year's club Poppy Parker is Ultra Violet.  At first I was confused by the hime hair; however, upon research, discovered that it was a style in the 1970's, so it is appropriate for Poppy Parker.  I didn't like it on 2020's Charmed Life Ayumi and I don't think I like it on Poppy any better.    

Another beautiful group of accessories though.  Those purple boots are needed in my Poppy wardrobe! 

I've learned the hard way about not purchasing Poppy Parker.  If you miss an opportunity at retail, you'll wind up paying more than double on secondary market.  Just to protect my interests and bank account, I added this one to my registration as well.

Apparently, Integrity Toys production has suffered from the global effects of Covid 19.  The design team announced that they had limited choices for production of these dolls relative to materials, screenings, hair, etc.  Scarcity of materials and man power has caused prices to climb this year.  The owner of the W Club tried to explain that the loss of the $50 coupon to members upon registration would result in W Club members getting retail dolls at special pricing.  This "perk" fell on many deaf ears.  

Mattel seems to have abandoned its collectible lines including Silkstones and Model Muses.  The upscale doll lines that use resin casting cost almost triple the amount of an IT doll.  IT continues to control a monopoly in the 1:6 plastic fashion doll community and has quite a  loyal following, so they can get by with a lot more at this time.  I'm not sure how long this will last, but I'm sure there will be a record membership in the W Club this year.  You better sign up if you don't want to be left behind.

It's That Time Of The Year Again

Registration for the W Club has been officially open for about a week, so I figured I needed to go ahead and share that information with anyone who is living under a rock.  The advertisements and announcements are all over social media, doll boards, and photo hosting sites.  

I can say with pride that I have actually been a member of The W Club since its beginning in 2006 - I still have my membership pin.   I also still have Dressing the Part Agnes von Weiss from that club year.

There are a lot of benefits to joining The W Club.  The most obvious one is having access to the W Club Message Forum.  It's a great place to share information, find answers to questions, get tips for dioramas, and just make some good doll friends.   It is an amazing resource and a must for anyone who collects Integrity Toys products. There is even a "Buy, Sale, and Trade Thread".

Another wonderful thing about the W Club is that you get on the "First To Know" list.  Whenever a new line of dolls is going to be introduced and sold publicly through dealers, The W Club hosts a "Reveal Event".   The W Club has an agreement with dealers that W Club members get an advance ordering window before the dolls become available to the general public.  (Most dolls are sold out before they even get advertised on websites!)

Whenever there is a W Club Reveal, there is usually an exclusive "Event Doll" that is offered to all W Club members.  That makes it very exciting.  Some of these dolls are the most sought after dolls in collections.   

Speaking of "Event Exclusives", The W Club guarantees five "made-to-order" exclusives sold only to W Club Members.  Some of these are phenomenal giftsets like:  Fame & Fortune Vanessa Perrin, The Faces of Adele Makeda, Split Decision Poppy Parker, Looks A Plenty Poppy Parker, Metamorphosis Erin Salston, etc.  Even dolls that aren't part of gift sets can be quite phenomenal.  Last year's Mademoiselle Lilith and Eden Blair dolls (sold separately) were #2 in my Best of 2020 Countdown.

In addition to "made-to-order" W Club Exclusives, there are W Club Lottery Opportunities of very limited dolls.  That's how Optic Verve Agnes Von Weiss made her way to my collection.  

Since there are several lottery opportunities offered throughout the year, most collectors choose to purchase multiple memberships.  It increases one's odds of winning.  I usually purchase two memberships, one for me and one for my spouse, in case we go to the convention together.  That way we both can attend The W Club Luncheon.  Did I forget to mention that another perk was there is a special luncheon at the IT Convention just for W Club members?  It always includes one doll in the cost of the luncheon and the opportunity to purchase the centerpiece!

And all of this can be yours for the paltry fee of $50.  But wait!  There's more!

When you register for The W Club, you get a $25 gift certificate for each membership that can be used for any purchase over $99.   (So your membership really only costs $25!)

And when you register, you get the option to purchase "Upgrade Dolls".   That's right!  From the very start you are given the opportunity to get new dolls!  For the past few years, there have been three different opportunities:  1 Fashion Royalty, 1 NuFace, and 1 Poppy Parker.  Two of my very favorite dolls in my collection were upgrades dolls:  Going Public Eugenia Frost and To The Fair Poppy Parker. When you register you can choose to buy any or all of these dolls.  If you purchase multiple memberships, you can purchase multiple upgrade dolls.  Registrants are required to pay a $25 deposit for each doll with their registration payment.  They are billed the remainder of the cost + shipping when the dolls are ready to ship.

Here are the Upgrade Dolls for 2021.  (All photos are property of Integrity Toys/IT)

First up, we have the Fashion Royalty Upgrade, Bijou Elyse Jolie.  

There was a lot of discontent last year because Elyse didn't show up at the convention.  Designer Jessy Ayala made up for that by bringing her to collectors as an upgrade.  Bijou Elyse Jolie is an interpretation of model Iman.  This is the first time Elyse has been produced in the A-Tone skin color.    She comes with some pretty cute accessories.

Her price is $140.  I really like the elegance of this version of Elyse.  In my opinion, the taste level of the ensemble is questionable.  Unless they lower the hem, my girl's gown will probably be sold on secondary market.  The doll, however, is breathtaking.  I knew I didn't want to take the chance of passing on this doll and then having to seek her out on secondary market after "in real life" photos started showing up when she was released.

The Nuface offering got me very excited!  This version is called Fit To Print Nadja Rhymes.  Nadja Rhymes has appeared in so many different skin tones!  This is her first time in Hungarian, and it is the first time "Cinnamon" has been used for a hair color.

A photo of her accessories.

Her price is also $140.  This purchase a "no-brainer".   Ever since Jessy Ayala started designing the NuFace line, my NuFace collection has tripled in size!  The Enchantress Nadja Rhymes from the 2020 IT Convention was my favorite doll of last year.  The "baby hair" is very on-trend right now.

The final doll is Pink Lemonade Poppy Parker.

This doll represents the pink haired companion doll to the 2019 Style Lab "Heads Up" doll with lemon yellow hair.   (She often sells upwards of $1000 when she can be found secondary market.)    I love the ensemble and the fact that she has high heel feet/ankles.  

Like her sister, she is in the Japan skin tone.  Her price is also $140.  Although I am a little concerned about the "nylon" hair, I need this ensemble in my life!

... So what are you waiting for?  You only have until March 8, at 5:00 p.m. EST to join.   I actually ordered all three dolls.  I'm rarely disappointed with W Club Exclusives.  Hope to see you in the forum!

Oops!  I guess it would help to have the website.  It's W Club Registration