Lovely Lea & Friends : adventures in doll collecting

The dust has settled on Integrity Toys "Doll Days of Summer".  The week got off to a slow start and some were disappointed.  By week's end, we had a Nu Face reveal, new ITBE lotteries and pre-order and/or lottery opportunities for previously announced dolls.  (Poppy, Jem) Not sure about everyone else but I, for one, was thrilled.  Since IT went all out, I figured I would too. Pre-ordered 2/3 Nu. Face dolls I wanted (dang you elusive Nadja!), went in on 4 lotteries. I won them all! These are my first lottery wins. After missing out on ITBE Dark Side Anja, I was a bit soured on them. Now, I'm over it. ;-) Needless to say, this means spending a lot. I haven't even posted about my other recent purchases/new arrivals.  I am, dolly-budget-busted. :-P  BUT, I will be selling several outfits/dolls from these wins & purchases to pay for my other (keeper) dolls. Some hard choices to make! Additional Pre-orders added from last post (Due F/W 15):  Nu. Face Voltag

There are so many dolls on the horizon right now.  Last month, Integrity announced the spring 2015 line up. Barbie has at least a few dolls coming out this month; City Shine, 3rd offering in Faraway Forest line. Plus there are rumors of designer dolls in the near future (tokidoki in august, moshico in ?) Convention season is also creeping up.  Though I won't be going to any conventions this year, I will most likely be seeking out some convention dolls on the secondary market. With something of a budget-consciousness in mind, I'm trying to be picky about my choices this year. My collection has grown to the point where I have to take space into consideration now as well.  So far, I have pre-ordered the following dolls:  IT Fashion Royalty: Aristocratic Baroness Agnes Von Weiss®  Due June 2015    Barbie Look Collection: City Shine Red (Lea) Due Mid-July 2015    IT Fashion Royalty:   Fame Fable Kyori Sato™   Due Mid-July  August 2015  IT: Mood Changers Poppy Parker™

I was eagerly anticipating two events this week: Integrity Toys 2015 Spring Unveiling Event and the Barbie Fan Club exclusive platinum doll sale of Classic Evening Gown.  These are two perks of the fan clubs I joined this year.  This is my 3rd try at a platinum doll. (Previously went for and got Karl Lagerfeld & Beaded Gown) It's my 1st time experiencing an IT webinar. It turned out to be a bad week for doll collectors. On Wednesday, the BFC platinum sale was abruptly rescheduled due to a server failure. This once-a-year frenzy to acquire a limited edition doll usually ends within an hour. Complaints, pouting etc continue on for a few days after. ;-)  Some people go so far as to take off work for the chance at a limited edition of 999 dolls. I'm fortunately enough to be self-employed and able to work the sale into my schedule. I know others aren't so lucky. This was only a minor annoyance to me. On Saturday, the W Club's Spring 2015 Collection unveiling webinar

I just signed up for Integrity Toys W Club for the first time. This is the 10th year, which I think makes it feel extra special.  At present, I only own 4 Integrity Dolls but that might change. ;-) With your membership, you may upgrade and purchase up to 3 club exclusive dolls. The offerings this year are: Agnes Von Weiss FR, Poppy Parker and Ollie Lawson Color Infusion.  After much deliberation, I went with just Agnes. I love her outfit and can see keeping her in my collection. Poppy is cute too but not my style.  I debated picking up the CI homme to resell but wasn't sure it would be worth the trouble. So far, I liked the presentation and offerings of the club. I'm hoping it will be a fun year. The forums don't open up right away. I wonder what they will be like in comparison to the BFC ones? There are a lot of great bonuses offered with membership. I think my favorite is the digital membership to Dolls and Haute Doll magazine! The cost of a W Club base membership