I have been ridiculously sick this week. I had flu-like symptoms near the beginning of the week, but luckily, it wasn't the flu. Instead, it was a nasty sinus/ear infection combo that knocked me off my feet for at least two days, so bad that I could barely sit up straight without having the room spinning around me. I've been sore from head-to-toe, waking up with headaches, and I've been horribly off-balance. I'm still fighting it, but at least besides a hacking cough, difficulty being comfortable sitting, standing, laying, etc., I think I'm finally getting back to some semblance of "normal." So, in feeling better today, I decided to stop by one of my favorite stores on my way home from work to possibly pick up a few things to cheer me up. And I certainly picked a great day to do just that.
First, let's back up for just a moment. Contrary to popular belief, I do not just repair and restore toys. As much as I love to renew toys, it's also nice to grab a few new-in-box items, as well. And this store in particular can have some honest-to-goodness bargains on things people might typically overlook unless they have an eye or the interest for that special something.
I'll be honest: I haven't kept up with the latest dolls when it comes to today's Barbie. In truth, I find it head-spinning to keep up. I think it might have started when Kelly disappeared, Chelsea became the toddler, Stacie became roughly the size Skipper was in the late 70's - early 80's, and Skipper became a brunette with a purple/blue streak in her hair. And with the upcoming body changes Barbie is about to go through (curvy, petite, tall - check out Time magazine or Google for more information if that's news to you, pretty interesting stuff about to happen), I'm thinking now may be a good time to look for what will probably soon be old news in the world of Mattel.
I have to admit, out of all the previously mentioned changes, I have been most impressed with Skipper. I really love the changes and the fact that they chose to set her apart. I have really been wanting one out of the box, loose. I hope to possibly pick one or a few up at a flea market sometime, along with the new Stacie. In the meantime, I bought one last year and kept it in the box. I bought the very same doll today for $1 cheaper. So you might say, no problem, just take one of those out of the box, you might say. Well, to that, I say check these out. The top picture is the doll I bought today.
This is a side-by-side comparison of the new doll and the one I purchased last year.
I dislike taking pictures through plastic. You may not be able to see my point entirely, but the bottom line is that there are some variations. The newer doll has brighter lip paint and eyeshadow, and her vinyl, especially on the face, is a more vibrant hue, and she is also fuller in the face. This may not seem like a big deal to some, but I think I'm going to take some more time to decide. If I do end up taking one out of the box, it will probably be the older one I bought a year ago, the one on the right. But again, I will most likely continue my hunt for one that's already been taken out of the box.
I purchased this next doll at the same time I grabbed the previously described first modern Skipper about a year ago. She caught my eye with her blonde and brown hair - I actually have a Cheerleader Skipper from the 80's with this exact same hair color, and she is adorable. She's in storage, or else I would love to have a side-by-side shot of them together. I do love this hair color combo though. I plan to keep her in the box. I personally do not consider her to have "Extra Long Hair!" as described on the box (it only goes to about the middle of her waist), but that's okay. She is still quite lovely.
And now we move on to my surprise find of the day - my first Ball Jointed Doll! I really did not expect to find this doll at the price I did, especially where I live. I have never, ever seen a BJD around here, and perhaps I haven't looked anywhere except on eBay where they go for hundreds for the big dolls, no less than $40-$80 for small ones like this adorable little doll, who stands about 3.5 inches. There were four to choose from, and I really wanted the brunette, but her eyes were closed. I did not want my first BJD to have closed eyes, and maybe that's picky of me, but I really wanted one with open eyes, at least for now. There was another copper-haired one, and a blonde. I chose this one because of her lovely green eyes. She was only $21, and I couldn't be happier. I never thought I could find one for that price, and I totally ran across her on accident. This lovely little girl's name is Aster, and I can tell you, she has attitude! She has a pointed finger on one hand - I made it look like she's telling me (or the camera) to get out in the final shot, ha ha.
I know I can replace her faceplate, hands, hair, and even eyes, if I wish. I'm not sure I want to do that, but it's something to think about on down the road. And that's definitely something to consider for the brunette I had my eyes on. So, we'll see.
That's it for today's TaDolls! Stay tuned for next time, where I can hopefully get in some photos of my retro and mod dolls! Until then!
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