Doll-A-Day 2023 #365: American Girl Elizabeth

   Whoo Hoo!! I did it! 365 dolls in one tumultuous year! Whew! I wasn't sure I was going to make it, but I did. Soon we'll be back in our house, and I will be constantly working on clean up and repair, when I have lights and hot water to help me get things done. I anticipate being in constant pain and tired all the time! Even though I'll be super busy, I want to finish up the posts about our trip last year too, because I also have come so close to finishing those. I wish I had finished the posts on our previous trip to England. This time, I'm going to finish. There are lots of interesting things for me to show you from the last few days of our trip. In those days we visited Germany, Bruges, and Brussels in Belgium, and Paris. I will definitely be showing you that. And happy news, I found one of our missing memory cards from the trip in our bedroom a couple of weeks ago! It doesn't have much of the trip on it, but there is some. I think it's things I've already shown you, but I am glad I have the memory card!

  I wanted to end the year with a bang. I tried to think of a super wonderful doll to show you that would knock your socks off. In the end, I settled for this doll, in spite of the fact that I haven't cleaned the white mark off her cheek, or combed her hair. She's American Girl Elizabeth Cole.

She is a nice looking doll, with tight limbs and all of her original outfit.

I got her at a garage sale this past summer, for, let's say, a pretty cheap price. I wanted to sell her to make up for the signed Raggedy Ann I bought for myself. Once I discovered she had her ringlets buried in the sides of her hair and she could be tidied quite easily, I thought I had it made. But just recently I noticed that she has one flaw that can't be cleaned off, like that white splotch on her cheek can. Can you spot it?

Try again.

See it? She's missing the eyelashes on her right eye. Dang it!

I swear those were there when I got her! It's a shame, because everything else about her is so nice She has her complete original outfit, including her dress, which is bright and clean.

 

The ribbons are nice, and she has her pearl necklace.

Her shoes and stockings are also in great shape.

She has her shift too.

Her pinner cap is pinned to her head with a pearl top pin.

And she has her hair ribbon. 

  Elizabeth was the best friend of Felicity. Elizabeth was originally described in the book as having dark hair and brown eyes. This was changed either, as theorized, because she was played by a blue eyed blonde in the movie, or, as American Girl said, to distinguish her from Felicity. The book illustrations were changed to align with the new look.

She has her pearl drop earrings. Elizabeth was the first American Girl doll to have removable earrings, and she came with more than one set. And see? She does have her ringlets.

  Elizabeth was originally released in 2005, and archived only 6 years later, along with Felicity and her entire collection. Felicity was later rereleased, but not Elizabeth. 

  She's marked Pleasant Company on the back of her neck.

The tag in her pinner hat and her dress says 'made in China for American Girl'.

  If anybody wants to take Elizabeth, she's up for grabs. 'Cash grabs' that is. I will be asking for more than postage for her. Leave a comment with your contact information if you're interested. I have two American Girls at home, and this isn't one I really want. 

  Don't forget to check out the Doll Book of the Month Club post today too. 

  I'll be popping in every now and then next year, but not posting everyday. Whenever I do that, after every day posting, I feel like I'm goofing, off, like I should be doing it. But I'm going to have a lot of work ahead of me to get the house livable again. There hasn't been anybody but cats living there for a year. We had a bird in the house since we had no windows in Fuzz's room for a few days. I'm still finding poop spots. The whole upstairs, except Ivy and Emma's rooms, is covered with soot. So are the stairs and the stairway walls. I need to pull up the landing and stair carpet. Like I said, a lot of work.

  As I started to say yesterday, in the coming year I will be going through a lot of dolls and getting rid of them. Not my collection, but dolls we had to sell. When I get a chance, every now and then, I will be posting a doll that will be for sale. So stay tuned and maybe you'll see something you like. I'd rather offer the dolls here than have to resort to Ebay. I'll be offering everything for fair, if not downright cheap, prices. 

  Happy New Year everybody! See you soon!

Doll-A-Day 2023 #344: Santa's Helper Barbie

   Before we see today's doll, I just wanted to mention, for those who read yesterday's post, that my friend Cheryl's cat Ted passed away today. She is heartbroken, and could use those positive thoughts more than ever. 

  Today's doll is right in line with the season. She's Santa's Helper Barbie. 

This doll came out in 2004.

She looks sleepy.

The name of the doll is in Spanish too.

  If it wasn't for the blurriness of the photo I took, you could read the poem on the back of the box.

I liked the Christmas Barbies in the seasonal sweaters. Those outfits were pretty sought after. I don't think anybody is on a hurry for the Santa's Helper outfit The hat is nice though.

  See you again tomorrow.

Doll-A-Day 2023 #342: Princess of Imperial Russia Barbie

   Today's doll is one that's a little worse for the wear from the fire. She's Russia Barbie.

  There has been more than one Russia Barbie. This particular one is from the Pink Label Collection and was part pf the 25th anniversary of the Dolls of the World series in 2004.

  She has a very fair skin tone, and the Mackie Face.

 

That's some heavy duty crown! Her hair is a long braid.

 

See? Huge crown, very long braid.

No rooted eyelashes, but I think she's very pretty.

  Her boots look to have been made from the same mold as the Barbie boots from the late 60's and early 70's.

  I know this has been a quick one, but Tammy World and my Christmas projects have taken up all the time. I think the multi-post catch up will have to be three posts a day after Christmas, instead of two a day from here until the end of the year! See you tomorrow.

Doll-A-Day 2023 #332: Fred Flintstone

 Today's doll is Fred Flintstone.

Fred was one of a series of four dolls. The dolls were 'played' by Tommy and Kelly.

 

They were play line dolls, released in 2003. Fred wears the typical Fred Flintstones outfit.

But he has the cute Tommy face.

He also has a cow lick, ala' Alfalfa from Little Rascals/Our Gang.

And like Fred always is, he's barefoot.

  As for Pebbles and Bamm Bamm, they were released as Tommy/Kelly dolls too. (Or, should I say, Kelly and Tommy were Pebbles and Bamm Bamm.) Those dolls were released as part of the Barbie 'Silver Label' line. They were more considered collector dolls, and were more expensive. Consequently, they still sell for more than the adults.

  That's the doll for #332. Stayed tuned for more!

Doll-A-Day 2023 #327: McDonald's Trollz Doll

   Today's doll is a little one I came across. She's from a 2004 TV series called Trollz.

She's about 3 inches tall. That's not counting her rather substantial hair.)

She was made for McDonalds in 2004.

 I'm told this character is Topaz.

  She doesn't do anything. This is the worst sort of McDonald's toy: It can't move, because it has no joints, and it is stuck forever in a weird position that limits it's playability.

  And on that, I will let you go. I will see you tomorrow, if not sooner, for another doll.

Doll-A-Day 2023 #322: Holiday Angel Deirdre

   Okay. Yesterday's doll was pretty creepy. Nothing evil today! Today we're feeling Christmassy. The doll for today is Holiday Angel Deidre.

Not only is she a dolls, she's a tree ornament, as it says on her box.

  

 Although she's Deirdre, it says Kelly above her head. That's because she was a Kelly friend. The dolls were made in 2004. The series was holiday themed, and also included Holiday Party Kelly, Winter Treat Becky, and Mistletoe Kisses Tommy. Ivy had Becky.

  

  Fuzz, who had just about every Tommy, had Mistletoe Kisses Tommy, but I had to remove the kiss from his face with nail polish remover.

  Deirdre has a sweet Kelly doll face, and a halo.

I love her big brown eyes.

  Her costume was a purple and white angel robe, with wings.

 

  As I recall, the dolls' outfits had ribbons on them to hang the dolls by. 

 This doll survived the drenching of the Room of Water, but she was in a cardboard box, which got wet. As a consequence her box got a bit mildewy. She was saved in the nick of time. Her box is even okay. 

  That's the doll for today. See you again tomorrow.

Doll-A-Day 2023 #224: Teddy Ruxpin

  Today we are looking at an old favourite...not of mine. I was way too old by the time this guy came around, and even Unsentimental Niece was already more than eight years old. I was aware of him at the time though, especially since I worked at a retail store. He's Teddy Ruxpin.

  Teddy Ruxpin has been the favourite of a lot of people though, since he premiered in 1985. At the time, the technology that allowed him to move his eyes and mouth in sync with the tapes that were played in the slot in his back, and essentially 'tell' stories, was considered to be pretty amazing. 

This particular Teddy Ruxpin is a later model, made by Backpack Toys, made in 2005. Like the other Teds, his battery compartment and controls are on his back, under his shirt.

Instead of cassettes, like the original Teddy, he uses digital Rom Cartirdges.

The cartridge goes in where the yellow thing is, but I tried, and it doesn't pull out. I haven't delved into the question any further, in spite of having his original instructions.

Teddy always came with books, so kids could read along while Teddy told the story.

The Treasure Series belongs to this Teddy. The other books go to a Worlds of Wonder Teddy Ruxpin. Unfortunately, we have no cassettes for the WoW books, and I'm not sure what's in his back is a ROM cartridge. I tried to pull it out and it wouldn't budge. I have no idea if this Teddy works.

  Teddy Ruxpin was the best selling toy of 1985 and 1986. He was named the official spokesbear for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children not long after his appearance in the toy world. He had his own TV show in 1986 and '87. He spawned a friend, Grubby the caterpillar, who could be connected to the WoW Teddy with a cable and the two could have conversations. Teddy also had a 'sequel' of sorts, Worlds of Wonder's Talking Mother Goose, who, like Teddy, came with a book, was activated by a cassette, (under her wing), and had moving eyes and mouth. There were WoW clothing sets available for Teddy and Grubby.

Like this nightgown and cap set. Pretty sure only the WoW Teddys had clothes available. 

  

  Worlds of Wonder, or WoW were the makers of Teddy Ruxpin, and also Laser Tag, another popular toy of the day.  WoW then came up with Nintendo. As popular as Nintendo became, it's hard to imagine that WoW had trouble selling it. But retailers were wary of video games, after video game sales died off following oversaturation of the market around 1983. In order to get Nintendo sales off the ground, WoW did a little Columbia/Three Stooges move. (In my post on the Three Stooges I explained that, while telling the Stooges that they couldn't give them a raise because their short subjects were barely making money, their studio, Columbia, was using the Stooges shorts to sell their B-movies. If theatres wanted the very popular Stooges shorts, they had to also take Columbia's lesser quality feature films.) Retailers were told that if they wanted Teddy Ruxpin and Laser Tag, they had to also take Nintendo. It worked, and Nintendo went on to massive sales. Oddly, it was Nintendo, and the company's confidence in Teddy Ruxpin, that helped kill Worlds of Wonder. In 1987 WoW invested too much in Teddy Ruxpin production, ignoring the fact that Teddy's sales had declined, while sales of Nintendo were soaring. To make a long story short, WoW overinvested in Teddy, ended up in debt, and went out of business. Since then Teddy has been made in various forms by various companies.

  My tastes run more to T.J. Bearytales. Now he is cute. This Teddy is looking for a home. If anybody want him, since he's untested and they thing in his back may or may not be a cartridge, you can have him and his instructions and book, in it's case, for $15 and postage. Just eave me a comment with your contact information.

  See you tomorrow.