1593 Golden Groove Gift Set

I've become very nostalgic for my childhood dolls. So far I have managed to re-collect two of them. One is discussed in my post from a few weeks ago. Another one of my childhood dolls was Talking Barbie. My doll was from the Sears Exclusive set "Golden Groove" (item #1593). This set features either a blond, brownette or brunette doll. The doll pictured below is the brunette version. I took this picture at the Mattel display of rare and collectible Barbies at the 2006 Barbie Collector convention. I was absolutely amazed to think I actually owned this set once upon a time! I always remembered this set because I thought it was so elegant. The pink and gold snakeskin like material and matching faux mink fur trim were just so impressive to me as a little child. The fur was so soft. I remember running it up against my cheek and being transported into the world of parties and music and adults. The thigh high gold lame boots were the perfect match. They went all the way up the leg right to the edge of the skirt. Much later when I purchased the Barbie Bazaar Mattel & Christmas Catalog reprints I realized that this set that I had as a child was a rare Sears exclusive and highly collectible. I don't think I've ever seen this entire set mint in box on ebay. I have seen the outfit or just the boots, which are the same boots in the Winter Wow ensemble. I stared at this set and took several pictures when I was at the convention because I knew it would be one of the last times I see such a perfect version of my childhood doll set.

Spotlight: Daria Celebutante

Daria is one of the girls who started it all! One of the three original dolls in the Model of the Moment collection, Daria featured a new face mold, now known as the Daria mold. Her platinum blond hair is styled in an up swept bun with her bangs just slightly over her forehead to the right. Her long drop silver earrings frame her face beautifully. Daria's dress is a powder blue charmeuse with ruffle trim. Her Mary Janes match just perfectly. The black fish nets give Daria a fierce look, somewhat reminiscent of Paris in the 1940s. Her faux fur stole compliments and finishes her look.

Daria was one of the few Model Muse dolls with the very fair skin tone which makes her perfect for rebodying other dolls. Until 2007, she was one of the few fair skinned Model Muse Barbies. Known body matches include Golden Angel Barbie, Princess of Greece Barbie, Kate Spade Barbie, Hollywood Divine Barbie, Pink Ribbon Barbie, Paul Frank Barbie, Society Girl, Fashion Fever Wave T Lea, and Martina McBride Barbie.

Daria has a beautiful face and her facial screening really brings out her eyes. Some collectors may recall that prototype pictures of Daria featured Daria with the Lara/Drew face mold. Although Daria was produced with her platinum blond hair, she also looks very beautiful as a brunette. Her fair skin tone looks great and her eyes are even more vivid when paired with brunette hair. One of my Darias will soon be re-rooted as a brunette.

Overall, this is one of the more versatile Model Muse dolls you can own. Whether you keep her as is, restyle, or re-root her, you will not be disappointed. Currently she can be purchased at Ebay and you can still find her at reasonable prices.

Sugar is So Sweet

I was shocked this evening to find out that Sugar™ Barbie® Doll is part of the sale at the bc.com shop! I figured she would be $59 or $49. When I logged in I realized she is only $39.00. For once it paid off to wait to buy a doll. I had been watching a few on ebay and was almost ready to buy too! I took advantage and also bought Ferrari for $49. Another great deal. I'm so excited! Here is the picture of Sugar I took at the Barbie convention in 2006 to celebrate!

Should I Buy Lady of the Unicorns??

This is one doll I've been debating about. She is a Model Muse doll so that would be a good reason for me to get her but she is very over the top isn't she? I guess that's part of the Mackie mystique! I'm sure her packaging is going to be something else. I first heard she was going to be a Canadian exclusive, then I heard she will be offered in the US at FAO. There have been changes in her production numbers and in her price. Forum member Scott sent me a copy of the e-mail he received from MFD about Lady of the Unicorns:

Originally expected to arrive in February, the Lady of the Unicorn Barbie has now been rescheduled for a late April or early May delivery. Mattel has also increased the price from $129.99 to $149.99. The Lady of the Unicorn Barbie has some confusing history. Originally, it was to be an exclusive for Canada only with a 5,000 piece production and suggested retail of $179.99, which was later reduced to $129.99. Now it will be available in Canada , Italy and FAO Schwarz stores, the production has been decreased to only 3,500 dolls and the new price is $149.99. While this may seem sudden, the changes have actually taken place over a number of months.

I'm sure I'll end up with her in the end, but I guess the key thing is to get her before she goes off to secondary market prices. I can see this doll selling for over $200.00 once she is sold out. I'll be checking FAO daily to see if she comes up for sale. I'm on their mailing list too. I will let you know when she goes on sale.

In honor of Mr. Mackie, here is 90s Cher in the Ringmaster outfit based on a Bob Mackie design.

Miss Summer Meets Hollywood Hostess

I finally de-boxed I Dream of Summer from the Dream Seasons collection a few weeks ago. I always knew I was going to re-body her but she just sat in her box like my other Dream Seasons girls. The only one to be re-bodied so far is Autumn. I finally found the right body with a great tan. Her new body is that of Versus Barbie. I was so surprised when I de-boxed her because she has those cute strappy sandals that fit the model muse foot so well. The shoes are a darker orange and they instantly reminded me of the shoes from the Hollywood Hostess set. So I got the idea to try the Hollywood Hostess extra outfit on Miss Summer. I think it looks great except that the skirt just won't snap. Ugh. It is just too tight over the body suit. I took some pictures of Miss Summer in her body suit and I think she looks equally smokin!

Organizing Dolls is a Never Ending Task

Again this weekend I spent most of my time clearing out boxes and organizing my collection. This includes de-boxing, repackaging for storage, storing in baggies, etc. I still have to go through my holiday dolls. I keep meaning to go through the Valentine, Easter and Christmas playline dolls I have and thinking hard about whether they should stay or go. I just don't think there is a market on ebay for most of these dolls. Every so often I watch the prices but even for the Kelly themed holiday dolls, the prices have gone way down. At some point, I'll have a big de-boxing party and strip them of their clothes and put them all in a nude lot. Of course, the problem is that I always love to take photographs of each doll before I sell it just to have a record. I set up a pile of dolls to de-box, I do one, take a lot of pictures, put the clothes in a baggie and put the doll itself in a sale box. It works out ok for the first two or three. Then I get side-tracked by the phone, reading e-mail or one of my children. It just never ends and all the dolls I intended to get to in a day just go back in a bigger box, in the closet until the next weekend. I guess I should be grateful I have something to do. I can honestly say I am never bored and wish I had time for all my hobbies like reading, watching movies, etc.


While preparing for some dolls to go to new homes, I took some time to photograph some of my newer items over the past few weeks as well. I was lucky enough to find a nude Indigo Obsession doll a few months ago. She is re-bodied with Milan Best Model's body. I didn't feel I had quite the right outfit until I saw this new Randall Craig outfit Retro Modernism. I think Miss Indigo looks quite happy to be back in blue.

Buy Me, I'm On Sale

The Barbie Collector Shop has selected dolls on sale right now. The Birthstone Girls are still a steal $12.95 (except for Caucasian Peridot who is sold out). Cynthia Rowley is on sale, and so is Ferrari Barbie Doll. She is only 49.99 at this time. This is one doll that was beyond my price range at the time so I bought her nude. There are a few dolls at 9.99 and vintage repro dolls are discounted as well. Maybe now might be a good time to head on over to the shop. If you do, please be sure to click on the links here and support the site! Happy Shopping!

Goodbye Barbie Collector Magazine

I recently received the last issue of the Barbie Collector Magazine. This is the magazine that replaced Barbie Bazaar magazine some time last year. You may have heard that the magazine is already folding. The fourth issue, the Spring 2008 issue is the last issue. I really think it's a shame that the magazine wasn't given enough time to develop and gain acceptance. It is true that most of the magazine was advertisements but I was really starting to enjoy the articles. The last issue did two things for me, it convinced me to buy the Haut Monde Barbie Collector Club Silkstone. The front cover picture (I know it's perfectly retouched and all) helped me to see the beauty in this doll. I'm still not liking the price tag but the club discount will help. The other thing about the magazine that I enjoyed was the article about the Steffie mold. The article discusses the history of the Steffie head sculpt and her creator Martha Armstrong Hand. In the article there is also a list of all the Steffie dolls produced. I was surprised to learn that the Steffie mold is the longest running head sculpt in Mattel's history spanning 35 years and still in production! I don't have any Steffie mold dolls prior to 2000 but now with that list, I've been stalking ebay for some of the older ones. What is amazing is the versatility of this sculpt. There are so many different types of dolls using it. Maybe I'll look for some bargains on less than perfect dolls and leave the beautiful NRFB dolls to the collectors. I'm watching one now from the 80s. I'll be sure to post if I get her!

I know I got started a little late but this was my first Steffie, the Paul Frank Barbie. She is on the Daria Celebutante body. Here is a cute close-up of her.

If You Sleep, You Missed Her!

I discussed the Platinum Label Walmart exclusive Japan Barbie a few posts ago. I knew she was going to be really hard to obtain after Mattel announced that she would be Platinum Label and only available at Walmart but I didn't think I had to lose sleep over her! It seems she went online early this morning sometime after Midnight Pacific Time. By three a.m. she was sold out! So a $70 dollar doll becomes a $350 doll almost overnight! Actually, I'm not all that broken up about it. I did manage to get the foreign exclusive version of this doll so I'll live. It's hard for me to tell but it looks like the Japan Barbie has a Goddess face mold. Maybe it's just the facial screening that's different. Well, good luck to all who obtained her for themselves. For those that resell at those outrageous prices, well, that's their choice but it's sad that actual collectors don't have a chance to obtain a doll just because they had to get some sleep!

On a lighter note, I received my lot of dolls from Ebay with the nude 70s Cher! I really wanted an extra of this doll to re-dress but by the time I wanted an extra the prices had gone up so high! I got Cher in a lot with other nude MM dolls and the seller even included two extra MMs and some extra clothes including this cute dress from Modern Circle Melody. I think the dress really looks like one of the dresses that Cher used to wear in the 70s that were off the shoulder like that. I'm very happy with my new Cher. I see a lot of redressing opportunities in the future. . .

I Hope I Don't Regret This

From time to time I have sold some of my Barbies for varying reasons. At the time I am comfortable with the sale and usually buy another doll I want or use the money for pressing issues. I have decided to part with my Platinum Badgley Mischka Bride Barbie. At the time I bought her I was really into bride dolls and buying bridal dresses and redressing my dolls. A few days ago on the bc.com board I read that a member was seeking to trade the Badgley Mischka Bride for the Platinum Label Monique Lhuillier Bride. She is the blond version of the original doll only offered by FAO. I immediately thought oh, yes! I really want this this doll. But, I stopped and thought about it for a few days. For some reason I always regret selling or parting with my dolls. I don't regret it at the time, but I regret it later. The difference this time is that I will be trading for a doll I think is beautiful and that I've wanted. I was actually watching one on ebay when I saw the offer for the trade. Tonight I made the trade. Miss Badgley Mischka is boxed up and ready for her trip to Minnesota! I think she will be very happy in her new home and I will be very happy to add Miss Monique to my mm collection. I'm thinking this is one Barbie I will not regret parting with. . .

Why Do I Always Do This, or Why is Coco so Expensive?

I was assessing my MM doll collection a few days ago. Model Muse dolls are now the predominant part of my Barbie collection. It's amazing how this body sculpt really breathes new life into an older doll. I've spent the past year or so re-bodying most of my collector dolls. This means de-boxing them, photographing their original version and then body switching them. I still have several dolls I would like to de-box but it will probably take me another year to do so because in the meantime I buy new nude dolls and new nude MM bodies for these new projects. I guess this is a never ending task. But, I really do love it. There is something somewhat therapeutic about going through your collection and revamping it.

Another issue is that I would like to have all the Mattel produced MM dolls in my collection at some point in time. I think I have pretty much all of them but when The Chapeaux™ Collection came out, I really wasn't interested. I saw Sugar close up at the 2006 Barbie Convention but she didn't do anything for me. Last year I found her nude on Ebay re-bodied with Marisa Beach Baby's body. I went for it and bid and won the doll. The picture of her is below. Her hair was trimmed by the seller and I thought she looked just great. When Pepper was announced I thought it would be nice to buy her and the others in The Chapeaux™ Collection. I looked in the Barbie Collector shop and realized that Coco was sold out. I'm amazed that her price is going for over $300 on Ebay now. I wonder why? Was it because she was produced in such limited numbers? She really is out there in style and hat pin! Maybe it's because there are some die-hard Byron Lars collectors? I could have bought her for her original price of 99.96 but that seemed so high at the time. I see that Sugar is still available in the shop so what is it about Coco that made her sell out and jump up in price? I'm going to enjoy my Sugar for now, but I have the feeling that someday Coco, Sugar and Pepper will all have a play date at my house.

Goodbye Miss Peridot, Hello My Melody

I was browsing around on some doll blogs here at Blogspot. I decided to click on one of the Barbie Collector site ads and help out a fellow blogger. (I can't click on my own, that's a no-no!) I started browsing and realized that Miss Peridot is now sold out at bc.com. Luckily, I already have this beauty. I checked on ebay and there are still quite a few at good prices. Since this great 12.99 birthstone doll sale I've bought four extras for re-bodying. All the Caucasian dolls have the same skin tone. The AA dolls have two varying skin tones. I think I'm going to order four more AA dolls to save for future projects. I re-bodied a few of the dolls onto BB bodies and they look great. These Steffie dolls are so versatile.

While browsing around I noticed the My Melody doll. I had really forgotten about her. I pre-ordered several dolls already and just pre-ordered Hello Kitty Apple Tree but not My Melody. Actually, I'm not sure why because she is so cute. I think I'll use my next bc.com reward on her . . .

Armani, Yes!

This week I've picked up a few dolls on Ebay that I've been wanting for a while. Today I managed to buy the Armani Barbie at a reasonable price. I know when I receive her she is going to be hard to de-box. But of course, I have plans for her . . . Now I'm stalking another doll that just didn't grab me when she came out. I've seen really nice pictures of her on the Barbie Collector Board and in the forum so I think I'll take the plunge. I'll post here if I nab her!

I've taken so many pictures the last several weekends that I still have tons I haven't posted. This one of Summer is one of them. So far, Summer remains in her original outfit. It's just so cute that I can't bring myself to redress her. I picked up the Street Sweet My Scene dolls and thought it would be cute to have them switch clothes with the four Hair Wear girls. I guess that's a good idea for a future photo shoot!

Back to Business!

Thanks to all the members that have returned to the forum. I still have to email several more people but I left my flash drive at work and don't have access to the email list for now. I hope to alert everyone by email soon of the forum opening.

I got some of the dolls I ordered today. Kate Spade is so incredible. I just can't bring myself to de-box her for now. I've admired her for so long that it's strange to actually have her in my hands. She was worth every penny. I also stopped by Walmart to pick up the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader AA doll. I really like her deep chocolate skin tone. Very nice contrast to her white outfit. I'll have to de-box all three girls soon for a photo shoot.

Bill Greening, Barbie Collector line designer, reported on the BC.com BB that the Vidal Sassoon Barbies were very much under wraps. They were not part of the collector design team but were designed by a Fashion Fever designer! Mattel is still working out plans for the 09 collection and dolls of this type will definitely be considered. Count me in! I'll take two of each please!

Sale Alert: Toys R Us in the US has all their Barbies marked down. Click here for the playline dolls and here for the Collector Dolls. I cancelled my Hello Kitty Apple Tree pre-order and picked one up at the sale price. I also ordered E! Live on the Red Carpet, The Interview, and Tout De Suite. The new Silkstone Preferably Pink Barbie Doll is on sale but I really don't need another blond girl in a suit so even though she's on sale I'm passing. There are many other bargains like the Dolls of the World and Vintage Repros. Check them out!

Three Cheers!

I still can't get over those adorable Vidal Sassoon 60s and 70s dolls! Argh, those are going to be so hard to find!

But on to better things! Things have finally been resolved with Em. What a relief! My hubby saw me excitedly adding some pictures to the forum and he just rolled his eyes, "You aren't getting us sued again are you?" I must thank him first and foremost for putting up with me during this hectic time and for being the best damn lawyer ever!!! I also want to thank so many of the former forum members. Most notably Likeamuse, Chococat, Helen, Zoila and Vivi! I really do think The Doll Cafe is destined for great things! I am so glad to be "officially" back! Please join me in the forum and take a look at the new look of the gallery! Check here for all the official announcements and the official grand opening! So, let's celebrate, three cheers and three Summers for us all!

Good things come in fives?

Five Good Things About Today

1. I received an email that my Grease Cha Cha shipped from TRU.


2. I received an email from Walmart that my AA Cheerleader is ready for pick-up.


3. I heard from Pinkponytail that my Kimora Lee Simmons Doll is in.


4. I read about limited edition Vidal Sassoon Barbies on the Barbie Collector board.


5. Em has finally seen the light!

The Vidal Sassoon Barbies are part of a promotion for the Vidal Sassoon products in Japan. You buy the products for the chance to win one of 300 of these dolls. I'm not sure if they come in a set or any other details. There is no way to "buy" them. I e-mailed Kazue and she said she will try to obtain some of them but I'm sure they will be a pretty penny! The prize winners will not receive the dolls until October! In the meantime, re-rooting some of the current Steffie molds is an option . . . The dolls are based on a Japanese pop group that have currently running Vidal Sassoon commercials. The commercials were styled by Patricia Field. You can see the commercials here in You Tube Links from Patricia's Blog.

Platinum, Very Desirable

In the world of Barbie, platinum is very desirable. A Platinum Label doll that is. Platinum Label dolls are exclusive, elusive, and very limited. They are dolls are produced in editions of less than 1,000 worldwide, including premium one-of-a-kind dolls available at select events, like Barbie Conventions. There are also Platinum Label dolls of more widely released dolls like the Carolina Herrera Bride FAO version. The next one I am stalking is Japan, Doll of the World for Asia. She will be a Walmart exclusive. She will be available online and in limited stores. Her production numbers haven't been released but they could be less than 1,000. Her price is still a mystery. She is the Platinum version of the Gold Label Asian Market Happy New Year Barbie.

For today's picture, I think Miss Gone Platinum Diva fits in with all that is Platinum! She has received a new body (of course), courtesy of Cynthia Rowley, and her stunning dress from Lone Star Great. All I can say when I see this doll is Foxy Lady! Here she is originally.

To Buy or Not To Buy

That's always the question isn't it? I'm just about this close to stop buying Silkstone Barbies but then some cute ones are introduced into the line and I break my own rule. I pretty much had every Silkstone up until 2006. I can't remember what happened and I stopped buying every single one in the yearly collection. I really like the Career Girls and have all of them except the Secretary but I'm thinking it's time to stop collecting. Some of the dolls were introduced as foreign exclusives for the Asian and Australian/European markets. I do have two dealers that contacted me about purchasing the dolls but I really think I should wait. The Artist is probably the only one I really want. The Shop Girl kind of scares me with the streak in her hair. Barbie Collector may offer a limited number of these dolls so the big question is pre-order now at a high rate or wait and try my luck at getting her for the retail price. She is supposed to be $70 but I have the feeling she will be more. Some dealers are charging $200 for these dolls. This seems to happen every year with the Silkstones. There are one or two dolls that everyone wants and the prices go up, up, up! Hello Violette, Dahlia . . . I think I'm going to wait for now. If I don't get these dolls I think I'll live.

My doll for today is Modern Circle Simone. This is a doll I saw tons of at the Mattel Toy Store and she did nothing for me at all. The hair even frightened me. I bought her outfit from E-bay years ago and finally last year I bought this doll. I bought her in a lot with Melody. Now that she has a new body I really love her. It's funny how my tastes change. I probably ended up paying more for her nude and her outfit separately than I would have for a good deal at MTS but she wasn't speaking to me back then! Now I think she is smokin! A few more pictures here.

Another Doll Week, and Increased Ebay Activity

It's the start of a new week and I'm very proud that the work on the Grand Opening continues. I don't want to say much more but I hope that many new and exciting things are in the future for the Cafe.

I've made some changes to my identity over at Barbie Collector. In the five years I've been there I've only had two avatars. The first was Katiana Jimenez Barbie. I guess I picked her because her designer is Latina and I've always thought that doll was so pretty and I wished I looked like her. LOL. I had that avatar from 03 to 06. In 06 I picked the Monte Carlo avatar in honor of my love for the Model Muse dolls and the darker skin tone. I changed again today to the Opal Birthstone from 2003. The doll is pictured in one of my recent posts. It's such a shame that she was the only doll from that collection with that skin tone. She is just so precious. So, I wonder how long it will be until I change avatars again. I am changing my nick there too. I used my real name when I first signed up. Maybe that's not a good thing so I'll post my new nick soon once the change goes through. It's kind of a process, lol.

As if I have nothing better to do, I've been stalking Ebay a lot more than usual. Lol. I'm always looking for cheap mm bodies for donors. It's really hard to beat the current sale on the birthstone dolls at Barbie Collector but I found a lot of five mm bodies that are great for re-bodying. The one that really caused me to "Buy It Now" was a nude 70s Cher. I've been wanting an extra one for ages. I'll keep my original NRFB so I'm thrilled to have one to re-dress. The four other dolls are Marisa Pretty Young Thing, Marisa Beach Baby, Lily Pulitzer and Jeff Gordon. All the perfect skin tones for girls awaiting their plastic surgery. As a bonus I also got the Stacey doll that comes with Lilly. If anyone wants to buy some heads or even Stacey please leave me a comment and I will contact you.

Now here is another of my recent re-bodies. She is 2005 Sears Holiday Barbie on Aquamarine Birthstone's body. Again, just a quick head pop and she looks beautiful in the Aquamarine outfit. She'll probably stay like that for a while. It takes ages for us to redress our girls. She is currently on display in the doll room (Steph's room).

Have I Gone Too Far?

No news on the Grand Opening Today. Still doing working on the forum and the final touches. I'm hoping the Grand Opening will take place sometime by the weekend! There are always delays in a new undertaking though . . .

Today I won a doll on Ebay I've been wanting for a long time. She is Kate Spade Barbie. I'm always watching for a good price and I'm happy with what I paid. I sold some things recently so I have the Paypal funds to cover her cost! I can't wait to receive her!

I thought long and hard about rebodying Princess of the Nile. I bought her nude on Ebay so it wasn't a matter of de-boxing her and removing her beautiful outfit. When I first got her I wasn't enamored by her. I put her in a box and left her there for a long time. In my big Barbie clean-up starting last President's Day, I found her again. She looked so lonesome without clothes or any friends. She spoke to me this time. I thought I should at least clothe her. Still she sat waiting for the right outfit. I found another box with an extra dressed Monte Carlo Barbie and a little light bulb went off. I could transform this Princess of the Nile into the Queen of the Runway. So here she is with just a direct body switch from Ms. Monte Carlo. I'm still not sure though. Should I keep her this way? I keep thinking, have I gone too far?

Opening A New Cafe Is Hard Work

Work continues for the Grand Opening of the Doll Cafe. To Think that less than two weeks ago I had no idea that I would be opening a new site or moving on from my previous web effort. On that note, I think things are progressing very smoothly. The forum is about 90% complete. The layout and color scheme is finally in place. Editing some of the posts and moving them around continues. There is just one modification that needs some edits. I guess I'm a bit of a perfectionist!

I started organizing, re-bodying, and redressing a lot of my dolls around the President's Day Holiday (February 18th). I finally de-boxed Blair from the 12 Dancing Princesses. Stephanie received one as a gift for her Birthday but she already had one so she gave her to me, and she sat in her box for ages. I re-bodied her with the body from the Queen of Hearts since the are both very fair. The little hearts painted on her fingernails are just adorable. Her outfit is from Randall Craig. Her elegant sister is Chinese New Year Barbie available in Asian markets. She is so beautiful but her shorter body really took away from her beauty. She received a new body courtesy of Top Model Summer. Miss Chinese New Year is wearing a Mattel carded fashion from 2005.

Work Behind the Scenes Continues

I'm still working hard for the grand opening of The Doll Cafe. I finished reorganizing the gallery and have begun posting some new pictures. Currently I am re-doing the forum. This is proving to be more challenging. Finding just the right colors and layout will take a little time. I've been going through the posts, editing some and moving others. I hope that will only take one more day.

I took a little time to review some of the pictures I took this weekend. This poor Shakira was stuck in a box with no clothes on. I decided to de-box this Fashion Fever outfit from early 2007. I didn't think it would fit because it was so tiny but I think it looks just great. This set also comes with a jeans vest but I decided it would not look that great. More pictures here. She is such a pretty doll. Forum member Zoila commented to me that she looks like Hard Rock Cafe Barbie. I think she's right. I had forgotten that I took some pictures of them together. Here is one of them.

Still Cleaning Up and One More New Girl

I've been working very hard cleaning up the galleries for the grand opening. Looking through the various galleries and deleting many pictures also brought back some memories. The Mattel playline has really changed in recent years. It seems like the playline is really trying to separate itself from the collector line with the body changes and head mold and head size constantly changing. But then again, Mattel adds Model Muse dolls to playline with the Top Model collection. It's hard to know what direction Mattel will go in next.

On that note, there is always Ebay and I could always go back and buy dolls I missed out on! Speaking of new dolls, today I ordered the AA Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader. I'm really eager to get her. She's the last one I need from the set. I haven't de-boxed the Blonde or the Hispanic doll but I'm sure as soon as I receive the last one I'll have a little de-boxing party . . .

Here is another doll I worked on last weekend. With the Barbie Collector $12.99 sale I picked up two extra AA Birthstones. One of them was Opal. I thought she would perfectly match the Birthstone Opal from the last collection. I'm quite fond of this doll because she was the only one with this skin-tone in the entire collection. In addition, very few Hispanic or African American dolls are made with the Mackie mold and this is one of them. In addition, my birthstone is Opal. I'm quite pleased with the way she turned out.

So Many Memories

One of the things that so many doll collectors share are the memories that a special doll brings. The 1969 TNT Barbie 1160 is one of those dolls for me.

Once I started collecting dolls again I always kept the special memories I had of my childhood dolls very close. This TNT Barbie was one of my first dolls. I always remember having this doll and taking her everywhere. I mean everywhere. She was really my best friend. She even travelled with me to South America when I was eight years old. She brought me a lot of comfort!

I recently obtained this doll again. I had seen many of her in doll shows and even on ebay but I could never find one with the right look. It's hard to find one with perfect hair. Actually, that doesn't really matter to me. I just can't tell you the feeling I had when I first held her. She was a little dirty and even smelled a tiny bit of mildew. That's ok. I gently washed her hair, her arms and legs and even her swimsuit. I made her mine again. It's like we were never apart. I am holding those memories close at this time. I have a lot more friends now and so many more memories, but they will never replace the thoughts and emotions of my childhood "best friend."

And The Beat Goes On . . .

The corporation, let's call them Em! Well Em is still giving me some trouble. Things are not as smoothed out as I had hoped. It's a lawyer thing and a money thing! I wish that Em would realize what a great promotional vehicle they had. Oh well.

The Doll Cafe is becoming a very warm and inviting place. As we ready for the grand opening many people are working hard behind the scenes. Yours truly was trying to figure how to work on blogger (it's my first blog here) and found an amazing blog about an American living in Spain and working as an English teacher for the last seven years. Wow, I spent hours there!

Anyhow, reading that blog took me back to the times I travelled there. In honor of the wonderful time I spent in Spain I share with you my beautiful Spain Doll of the World. She looks quite different now but here she is in all her original glory. Viva Espana!

You Never Know!

It's hard to know why things happen. I am here now because of a change, a momentous change! A major corporation took note of something I created online! Wow, I should be so proud! At first, I was shocked, horrified, angry! But then I realized, they are right. It's ok! I have a new opportunity for something bigger and better! That is how I arrived here! Through the help of internent savvy friends, graphic artists, and doll fans, I am back here.

I spent some time taking pictures last night. . . This is Lone Star Great the Barbie doll offered to club members who joined the 2005 Barbie Fan Club. She sat in her box quietly for almost three years. This weekend she was released, rebodied (with Top Model Hair Wear Teresa's body) and given fresh new Randall Craig clothes to wear. She looks rather pleased!