Play Sets: Bratz Rock Angelz Recording Studio

   I've been having trouble with my computer. For some reason it can't install the latest updates, and it's blocking something, which keeps it from being able to come on. I'm having to use Ken's computer for this. That will slow down my posts unless I get that fixed.
  The play set for this month is the Bratz Rock Angelz Recording Studio.

The studio has a built in mixing board on the outside .

'On Air'? Is this a recording studio,or a radio station?

The recording studio goes to the series of Bratz RockAngelz dolls.

There's a door on the side so the dolls can enter the booth.

The recording studio was sold with and without a doll.

There's a microphone hanging inside the booth.

The booth is lined with speakers.

This is another shot of the inside of the booth.

Since the recording Studio is made for Bratz dolls,it's a little short for most 1/6 scale dolls,like Barbie. It looks alright on the outside, but it too small for them to stand up in. Twelve inch Paul decided that since he knows so much about recording, he would demonstrate Here he is showing how the door is too short for him.

He still needs some shoes. He's been crossingAbbey Road all day.

 But the booth is tall enough on the inside for him to stand up in. The microphone is too low though.

It was sold in 2005.

The set as it looked in box.

  The set originally came with a microphone for the child, that recorded and played back brief pieces,what appears to be a doll sized margarita glass, glass of orange juice, and two bottles of 'water',and a head set for the doll.
  Surprisingly, the recording studio didn't come with anything else that would be useful for recording a song,like,say, guitars for the dolls or any other instruments. Those things were saved for other sets that were available separately.
 

  Those sets included a stage set ,a drum and keyboard set, and guitars. (There was even a tour bus play set.) There were quite a few Rock Angelz dolls sold, who came with guitars,or a stand microphone. There was even a two doll set that came with a guitar and a keyboard.
  You can see the original commercial for the recording studio HERE.
   That's the play set for the month.See you tomorrow for the Doll Book of the Month Club.

Play Sets: The Heart Family Visits Disneyland Park Dumbo Ride

  This month's play set is one that Emma was obsessed with getting when she was a kid. It's the Heart Family's Dumbo Ride. The Dumbo Ride was originally sold in 1989. Emma wasn't born until 1991,but in the 90's stores did something wonderful they don't do anymore: They held on to merchandise for year sometimes, marking it down repeatedly until it finally sold. The Dumbo Ride,which was made for the Heart Family line of dolls, was still hanging around when Emma was a kid. It was either Toys R Us or Kaybee toys where she saw it. She had to have it. I don't know why she was so obsessed with it. It is cute. But she wanted it so badly. Eventually she bought it for herself with money she had saved.
  The Heart Family, for those of you who haven't heard of them, were a line of dolls that included Mr. and Mrs. Heart,and their two children, a boy and a girl. The Heart Family kids were those stumpy giant babies whose sculpt was also used for the Teacher Barbie set,and the Rosebud Babies. You may have seen a Rosebud Baby that I have HERE,or the Teacher Barbie kids I showed you HERE. The Heart Family were sold from 1985 to 1990,and there were all sorts of sets and accessories sold for them, including a car, a house, a play ground set,sets of accessories for the kids,clothing packs,a camper, and even a dog.
  The Dumbo Ride recreated part of Disneyland,and included the ride, benches, and a refreshment stand,complete with a hamburger, popcorn,an ice cream ,a hotdog, and 'toys to buy'.

   The Heart Family dolls, sold in Disneyland attire, were sold separately,in sets of one parent and one child.
  I came across the Dumbo Ride,or,at least, the important part of it,in Emma's closet recently. Emma's room still has a lot of her stuff in it,including all but her three favourite dolls and her favourite bunny and his sister. (You'll see some of her dolls next year...maybe). The Dumbo Ride was tucked away in her closet with about a million dolls,including the stuffed 'DollPock Apartments', which is a hanging shoe holder, where many of Emma's second string favourite dolls live. So here's the ride.

Thanks to Ivy for helping out. The ride was a little heavy on one side to stand up because it's missing a Dumbo.

The missing bit is the second Dumbo. There should be two, as well as another pink heart for the other short arm. (Also I didn't find the bench and accessories.)

The Dumbo's have seat belts to hold the dolls in.

The seats fit the Heart Family children. Kelly and Tommy dolls also fit nicely. In this case, Gareth World,who has a bend leg body from a Kelly friend with swivel arm joints,is showing you how well he fits.

The ride is a wind up toy. Winding it up makes the Dumbo's go around. The piece at the top, with Dumbo's mouse friend Timothy on it, is the part that's wound.

Timothy is even two sided.

The arms travel along on an un-level circle. The difference in the height of the circle causes the arms to move up and down as they go around.

The ring at the center is higher on one side,and gradually gets lower.

 Ivy thought I should somehow show you the ride in action. The only thing I could do was take a series of pictures of the ride in motion. Click through them quickly and you'll get a feeling of motion!

 The base on the ride is decorated with many different pictures of Dumbo.
 

   Additional sets were sold to be used with the Dumbo ride,or as individual rides. They were called Heart Family (Visits Disneyland) Kids on Parade. The sets included a doll,(also made from the Heart Family kid sculpt), and a ride vehicle which could be attached to the other arms of the Dumbo Ride,or rolled along loose,and hooked together, to be a parade.

The Dumbo ride also came with those yellow thingies to hook the Dumbos together.

  To attach the  Kids on Parade vehicles,you had to remove the hearts from the short arms of the Dumbo Ride and replace them with the Kids' vehicles.

  The Dumbo vehicles can also be used off the ride itself,as they have wheels  that really turn.
  In researching the ride for this post I found a picture of something I had never heard of before:

I don't know if this piece was sold in the U.S. or not. The only picture I found is of one that has French and German writing on the package too. This piece is musical and is just one Dumbo that rocks back and forth.
  Dumbo himself is really cute.

His ears and tail are separate pieces,that look like they might move. They don't,but flapping ears would have been pretty cool.

  The bench that comes with the set is purple,with white legs that look like upside down hearts. 
  You can watch an unboxing video of the set HERE.
That's the play set for this month. Don't forget to check back in a couple of days for the next Doll Book of the Month Club entry.

Play Sets: Iilco Kitchen

  The second part of the last post will have to wait a bit. Today is the last day of the month and time for the Play Set of the month!
  This month's play set is the Iilco kitchen.

There were originally middle cabinet doors too. I only have one because I bought mine at a yard sale,so I just leave them off and  pretend it's supposed to be this way!

  This kitchen was made in 1977. That accounts for the brown and gold colour scheme and the backsplash pattern.

    It was made by the Illfelder Toy Company of new York.
 

The kitchen was wired for electricity, and powered by D batteries.

  The electricity powered a huge outlet on the counter top...

...and the lights in the oven,which doubled as lights in the stove top burners.

Under the black plastic rings are clear plastic circles for the light to shine through.

This is under the burners,on the inside of the oven.

   The set originally came with a blender that really ran on the electricity by plugging into the outlet,and a set of yellow plastic kitchen ware that included a kettle, a sauce pan with lid, and a casserole dish with lid.

I found this picture of the box on the internet. I'll remove it if asked.

   There can also be running water too,by hooking a tube in the back up to water.

The water tube is next to the battery door. Probably not an entirely good idea.

This thing is really short. Has it been cut? How do you run water through it?

It says it recycles the water for a constant supply of running water. I'm not sure how it 'recycles' it though.
   The knob on the stove turns on the stove light,and the knob below the sink turns on the water.

I found this picture of the directions on the internet too.

The upper cupboard doors open...

...as well as the oven door...

...and the left bottom cupboard.
 

And what do I store in my kitchen? Why, another kitchen,of course.

The oven shelf is removable...and in this case, broken.

   Sorry for the somewhat grungy looking state of this thing. It's been stored in a tub, so I don't know why it looks so dirty.

  That's this month's play set. Tomorrow we'll see another Doll Book of the Month.