Lovely Lea & Friends : adventures in doll collecting

News about the Moschino Barbies: the release date is Nov. 9th. It's confirmed that the dolls will be available on net-a-porter.com and moschino.com. Most likely, they will also be for sale on barbiecollection.com. Price is $150. Edition size is TBA; they are Gold Label editions. They aren't my style but I do love the handbags. (my weakness). Won't be trying for these but good luck to those that do!  WWD has an article about the collaboration, with great photos.  http://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/moschino-barbie-doll-capsule-collection-jeremy-scott-10268599/ Mattel & Moschino released a fun retro-80's video today promoting the dolls. Check it out! See also:  Buzz | The Barbie Collection

The 2016 Barbie Fashionista dolls have made their way online, and not just as sneak peaks!   Mattel Shop currently has 6 dolls in stock. amazon.com only has the two guys. The in-box photos are new, so I'm posting them here.  "Dolled-up in Dots" "Fancy in Flowers" "Ice Cream Romper" "Powder Pink" "Smile with Style" "Glam Team"

Amazon.com  has 3 new Barbie Style dolls in stock. They are the previously leaked 2016 trio. I don't know if we'll see any more dolls in this series but I'd hope for at least one "ethnic" doll. 2015 saw Grace & Nikki. I'd love 2016 to include a Lea/Kayla face. (I can dream, right?) The new "heels to flats" ankles have been kept, as have the two pairs of shoes. The fashions, however, are mostly a remix.  We've seen these before in the fashion packs. (Teresa's Jacket, skirt & Raquelle's top) Barbie's jacket is very close to the one from 2014's "Stylin' Friends" set. The "Be Yourself" top on Teresa is from a 2015 Fashionista. The print on Barbie's skirt is the same as a 2015 single pack dress.  I'm rather disappointed by the lack of new fashions. Personally, I don't even care for the styling on these dolls. Raquelle's outfit is the only one I kind-of like.  Unless I need more repla

Over the past few years, Barbie playline has been getting a lot of complaints from collectors. Namely, poor quality. We were once able to utilize these fashions in our collection without cheapening it.   I really enjoy adding “Chic and Cheap” elements to my dolls’ wardrobe. Asian facemolds are a passion of mine and playline was also a great place to find them. This year, Mattel overhauled playline.  Since 2015 is almost over now, I think it’s time to ask:     Is there anything for the thrifty collector in the Barbie playline these days?   So far, I would say a hesitant "Yes". The GOOD: Nice Fashions and accessories. The release of individual and group fashion packs  this year have been promising. The looks are current/stylish, not ALL pink, quality is decent and the price is reasonable. These fashions have been popping up on dolls all over flickr. It's fun to see how others mix & match them. Also, I love that they work well for so many other doll body ty

I was not one of the lucky few that was able to purchase a Purple/Platinum version of the 10th Anniversary Tokidoki Barbie.  I missed out on her not once, but twice. At the Barbie Collection site, I wasn't fast enough for the treasure hunt. It definitely hurt my chances.   A week later, she went on sale at the Toys R Us website. I had the page up for days, refreshing and checking. Even signed up for an email notification that never came. Sadly, I wasn't available when she went live around 3-4PM est.  There's still some faint hope though. A few of them might be floating around retail stores, randomly placed in shipments of the "Pink" dolls. It's a long shot though.  Another option is eBay, where the doll is currently selling for between $1000-$1300. (Let me go shake down my money tree...) This is the first platinum doll I tried for and didn't get. I really loved this doll and wanted her for that reason only. Not the edition size. It has been very dis

2015 is the 10th Anniversary of Momoko Doll.  To celebrate, several anniversary dolls are being produced. Sekiguchi released Deep Violet Momoko, Petworks will release 2 CCS dolls: MFC (Momoko Fan Club) China and Korea editions. I broke my dolly bank account to pre-order Deep Violet Momoko and  Today's momoko China MFC 10th AN.  I'm very excited for them both.  Deep Violet is, in my opinion, a re-interpretation of Pure Violet Momoko; she was one of the first Sekiguchi Momoko dolls produced. I haven't been lucky enough to add her to my collection. DV has a new, center-eyed face screening; that sold me on her as well.  Deep Violet Momoko is still available on petworks global site, which offers international shipping:  http://petworks.ocnk.net/    See also additional photos:  http://petworks.ocnk.net/product/857 Fabric & Friends and Cherished Friends (both USA) have her on their websites also. TD's Momoko China MFC is just stunning. She has some of my favorite f