I cannot believe it is that time of year again! I started 2019 with very good intentions, but I definitely lost my way! Somehow I managed to add more dolls to my collection this year than in any year previous, even though it was a very lean year from Integrity Toys.
Many collectors are beginning to feel oversaturated with product. There are so many different characters from so many different lines, so many different bodies, so many different feet This has caused a multitude of dolls being released into the secondary market. Depending on how you look at it, it can be a bad thing or a great thing. If you are looking for some good deals and wanting to add to your collection, then it is an awesome time to be purchasing dolls. If you are wanting to unload some dolls or lower your numbers, it is frustrating and can cause some serious financial damage!
This year, I was able to pick up several Misaki dolls for good prices; dolls that have eluded me in the past due to secondary market prices. I also got several older dolls that I've been eyeing. I went to my second FR Convention and purchased much more than I needed (or intended)!
When looking over all the dolls that arrived at my home this year, I culled out any doll that was actually produced and released prior to 2019. That eliminated several of my favorite purchases from this year. When considering what was left, there were some standouts dolls that have brought me joy.
The first doll in my countdown has actually already had a blog entry. She was the #17 doll added to my collection this year. Here is a link to the original posting: Original Blog Posting.
For me, Best of 2019 #10 is My Essence Dominique Makeda. I don't understand how this doll is not more popular. I adore her! Her makeup is so clean and her hair is luxurious. I love the skin tone they used.
Choosing dolls to release from boxes and add to my collection can sometimes be a long process. I have very limited display space, so I sometimes have to sell or rebox a doll for another to join those dolls currently out.
Unfortunately, when you collect Integrity Toys dolls, you can't just return a whole boxed doll and have it switched out for another. The Patient Care program requires that you identify the problem and then send back the specific part or head/torso for replacement. This takes some of the control out of a collector's hands about which dolls are released from their packaging first. It's what happened with NYFW Karolin Stone.
At the 2019 IT Convention, the "Fashion Week" theme was most apparent in the NuFace dolls. The only NuFace doll in the convention collection was London Runway Nadja Rhymes (#35 of 2019). At the W Club luncheon on Saturday, the centerpiece doll was Paris Runway Giselle Diefendorf.
(Hate the color of the interior of these boxes - yellow just doesn't look right on most skin tones). #54 of 2019.
It seems the NuFace dolls were unsettling to many collectors. Some collectors loved them, and some collectors disliked them just as much. The same is true for the W Club Luncheon gift doll that was included with the luncheon fee, NYFW (New York Fashion Week) Karolin Stone.
When I got upstairs and opened my doll, I found that she had not made a safe trip to Baltimore. She had come untied from her box and had been tossed around. Her head was twisted around like Linda Blair. Her eyelash was not secure and she was missing some of the paint from her eyeliner.
I took her back downstairs, hoping to exchange her, but the IT team had already boxed up everything. I went to the salesroom and they tried to help me; unfortunately, they were unable to find a doll to switch out, so I was told I would have to contact Patient Care.
When I got home, I had to remove the doll from the box, undress her, and disconnect her from her torso at the breastplate. She was mailed to Canada. I just got the replacement this week.
Here is a full length photo of the replaced doll in her entire ensemble. (Love those shoes!)
And a close up.
I added a hair ribbon to better show that gorgeous face because it is quite dramatic and beautiful. Fortunately, my replacement had a higher forehead than the original. This doll's best feature is her eyes. They are amazing! Again, the factory workers globbed on too much glue on the eyelashes, but I found a quick fix. I just took a small paint brush, some black paint and painted over the glue! It made a significant improvement in photos.
So how will she redress? How about how does she undress??
#53 of 2019 is NYFW Karolin Stone, a truly amazing doll to photograph! I think she looks almost like a OOAK re-paint. She'll be staying here for a long time. I see a lot of playtime in my future with this doll! I wonder when her value will increase as collectors realize her potential and she stops being overshadowed by other dolls from the convention...
