Dollcraft

Ken has a new bod! It took me awhile to notice. On the shelf, it's not as dramatic a difference as Barbie's new bodies were. But there is more than you'd expect. While Barbie got Curvy, Tall, and Petite (I only reviewed Curvy ), Ken Fashionistas now come in Slim, Original, and Broad. Gentlemen, time to take off your clothes.  At the moment I don't have an old Kens to compare... but does Original Ken look extra trim and built to you? I feel like this one should be called Muscle Ken. Even his biceps are huge!  Slim Ken is quite slim. It gives him sort of an adolescent look, which makes his head seem a bit large? But that is less noticeable when wearing clothes. Broad Ken doesn't look fat at all- this is simply a good example of different body types. (So, sadly, there is no Dadbod Ken. Get a  Drew Carey  doll instead.)  The next big question regards clothing sharing. This was a source of much distress for Barbie designers when they...

Every now and then, Mattel reads my mind. I had a vision for a construction doll I could display in my office (two guys in my office have toys on their desks, so I figured it was socially acceptable). I planned to make safety gear myself, but I needed a hard hat. And in 2017, the same year I started working in construction, so did Barbie. The hard hat! The safety vest! The tool belt! Just one change... I'm working in Hawaii, and I wanted Moana, a Polynesian doll,  to be my carpenter. Moana is a Disney doll made by Hasbro. Her body is a little shorter, and her proportions are more teenage than Barbie's. Although her waist is slightly smaller than Barbie's, her arms and legs seems more muscular.  This Moana has elbow and knee articulation, which seems important for construction work.  In construction, proper attire is call PPE : Personal Protective Equipment. Barbie makes it halfway to fitting these guidelines. hard hat steel-toed boots safety v...

I'm so happy to welcome some new teenagers to my collection, all dressed in the fashions of the late 90's. I acquired my favorite four of Dieter Meller's single wave dolls. Most of the American Teens can be found on ebay for around $20 each. I learned about these dolls from  Black Doll Collecting , but wanted to add some extra images.  Zoe, Dominique, Benjamin and Alex Zoe First, Zoe, the goth girl. Goth was a fashion fad when I was in high school, and this doll brings back a fun mix of memories. I admit I didn't know anyone who dressed quite like this in Smalltown, Wyoming, but there were inspirations in this genre. Zoe wears a long black coat that is soft and has large pockets. The coolest coats from my school were sort of Matrix inspired; I remember a glossy faux leather one in particular. The part of this outfit that made me laugh is Zoe's truly enormous pants! Yes, I remember these. You can't honestly call them flared or bell-bottoms... the...

I've long admired Gloria doll furniture on ebay, but haven't been able to discover much about it. It seems to be a Barbie knock-off, made and sold in China, and the boxes have a 1990s style. I finally bought two sets I'd been admiring, and didn't realize until receiving them that my dining table was "My Fancy Life" brand. However, it's obviously the same design as Gloria, as the wine glasses and bottle are identical. (If anyone knows anything about these brands, please tell me!) I paid less than $30 for the two items. Yes, Chinese Barbie is allowed to drink, clue #1 that this wasn't sold in the US when I was a 90's kid. But I feel rude calling these designs a knock off; although they are Barbie-sized, they seem to all be original designs and are both clever and practical. Making a doll house is a big desire of mine, and Mattel products haven't filled that void in the way Gloria does.  The dining room set comes in pieces, cle...