Looking Back at Barbie’s 50th Anniversary- NYC Style
In February 2009, I was summoned to New York City, not for Toy Fair, but to take the Directors Guild Assistant Training Program test in an attempt to get into the exclusive program which trains Production Assistants. It wasn’t meant to be. The test was ridiculous and silly and I honestly still have no idea how taking an IQ test tells anyone how good of a production assistant one would be. However, since I was in New York City, I, of course, made time to wander about. This trip, however short, ended up being very doll filled!
I thought I’d go back in time today to show you how Barbie was being celebrated at Bloomingdale’s in 2009 in their New York City location. Because Barbie was turning the big 5-0, Bloomies went all out with their Barbie Loves Bloomingdale’s NYC exhibit. It featured a month-long Barbie celebration including traffic-stopping store windows along Third Avenue, an unprecedented in-store display of 120 historic Barbie dolls, and a 242-square-foot, in-store Barbie boutique featuring Barbie-branded apparel, accessories and dolls.
Here’s some photos of the dolls on display.
I spent a couple bucks at the Barbie Boutique, which I’m sure comes as no surprise to you! I bought an adorable clutch purse (Barbie Luxe by Patricia Field, shown below)!
The next two photos were actually taken at NYC’s Sephora for the All Doll’d Up with “Barbie™ Loves Stila” Cosmetic Collection.
Now, back to Bloomies… On display in store were also some fantastically dressed Barbie mannequins. From the 2009 press release, “To celebrate Barbie doll’s place in fashion, Rootstein, and Mattel, have collaborated to produce a limited edition collection of mannequins with Barbie as the muse – a literal homage to the fantastic, fashion favorite whose many looks have provided a common point of reference for generations of women across the globe. Re-modeled into a stunningly six-foot-two-inches-tall figure, dozens of mannequins have been created to resemble the 11 ½ inch-tall iconic doll. The mannequins will retain Barbie doll’s hourglass figure, youthful skin and stunning style to emphasize the fact that at 50, Barbie, is a truly modern woman.”
I was so fortunate to be in New York City when this month-long celebration of Barbie was going on at Bloomingdale’s and around New York City. If only I had a better camera to capture it all. Stay tuned for a few more photos from my 2009 trip that feature the gone, but not forgotten Madame Alexander Museum. Were you lucky enough to see these Barbie windows and mannequins in person? Do you have a favorite window or mannequin? Let us know in the comment area!
My Melody McD Japan Fry/Drink Holder
I’ve always been a Hello Kitty fan. I have fond memories of wandering through the local mall and into our Sanrio Store, filled with store made lucky bags and kawaii merchandise just waiting to be bought. Now, I never really got to buy anything from the store, as I only received a $2.00 allowance and that didn’t amount to much, but nonetheless, I fell in love with the cute characters and vibe of Sanrio and their products. That being said, I don’t actually have a large Sanrio collection. I dream of decking my car out in Hello Kitty finery one day and would love a bathroom themed around the kawaii characters, but besides a few small things, my collection is pretty slim.
As I said, I have this weird dream of decking out my car in Hello Kitty cuteness. So, it should come as no surprise that I fell hard for the McDonalds Japan exclusive Fry and Drink holder, designed to hold, as you’ve probably guessed, a drink and fries from McDonalds. Made in the likeness of My Melody’s face, the drink and fry holder was too cute to pass up. After seeing it in a Facebook group of Hello Kitty fans, I immediately headed over to eBay, found a seller in Japan and put my money down for one!
A few weeks later, it arrived and, guys, it was worth the wait! While this was designed to be carried or to hang from the headrest of a car, you can really use it for anything. In total, the Sanrio My Melody Fry and Drink holder is 23cm long, 9cm wide and 11cm tall. Currently, I have a hodgepodge of things in mine, including a few unused chopsticks, some sonic screwdrivers and other odds and ends.
They sit in an unused fry container that I asked for when I ran into McDonalds the day this arrived and asked for a clean fry holder. The girl ringing me up probably thought I was crazy.
If you’re looking to buy one of these for yourself, you can find one on eBay. I’m hoping McDonalds Japan does more of these with other Sanrio Characters one day, since they were clearly popular with fans of the brand.
What do you think of this adorable fry and drink holder from McDonalds Japan? Share your thoughts in the comment area!
Kikipop Kinoko Juice- So Kawaii!
Last year at the Pullip and Dal Doll Lovers Event, I went gaga over the Kikipop Kinoko Juice dolls that were on guest tables and being sold by vendors. They were too expensive to even consider buying at the show, but I had caught the Kikipop bug! Fast forward to 11/11/2018, when AliExpress was running an 11/11 sale. One store had their Kikipop Kinoko Juice dolls at an amazing price in celebration of what is China’s biggest shopping day of the year (think of 11/11 like Black Friday in the US, but much bigger). Kikipops were originally made in resin for the Japanese market by doll company Kinoko Juice, who later partnered with Azone to release them more widely in ABS.
There’s an issue of authenticity that comes into play here and some of you may disagree with me on my stance when it comes to buying ball jointed dolls that don’t come direct from the companies that sell them. For me, however, deciding to add this Kikipop Kinoko Juice doll to my collection was a no brainer, knowing that dropping $300 plus dollars on an authentic 1/6th scale doll was never going to happen. If you can afford to collect only authentic dolls, go for it. If you see a great price on a doll you think may be less than authentic but it comes from a reputable buyer with good resin and you know you’ll love it forever, I also say, go for it. Do what feels right to you!
So, going back to the story, a resin Kikipop Kinoko Juice BJD was ordered that would eventually end up under our Christmas tree with my name on it. Since I knew about her in advance, I was able to do a little bit of shopping, so when I eventually opened up this cutie, she’d be prepared to make her debut to you all!
All decked out in her new outfit and wig, my new Kikipop is adorable! I love her to bits and will definitely be adding a few more to my collection! At 26cm, Kiki is a great size and has a body more like a Yo-SD doll than a slim 1/6 scale doll, which I like a lot. This doll has a good weight when held in your hands and is made of quality resin. Speaking of hands, this Kikipop dolls hands are magnetic! The seller gave me two sets of hands- one pair with open palms, another with fists. I’m happy to report that the magnets are keeping the hands on good and tight! Like other BJD’s, you can change her eye color by opening her headcap and give her fun, new wigs whenever you’d like.
I love, love, love my new Kikipop Kinoko Juice doll. She’s one of the most adorable dolls I’ve ever seen and I’m happy to have one in my collection. I fully expect I’ll be adding more Kikipops to the mix in 2019!
Do you have a Kikipop Kinoko Juice doll? What do you think of her? Share your thoughts in the comment area!
Mattel Announces BTS Dolls
Heads up, K-Pop fans! Mattel recently announced that the incredibly popular world-renowned boy band BTS is headed to toy shelves this summer!
Per the official press release, “Under this multi-category license with BTS under its label, Big Hit Entertainment, Mattel will create dolls, collectible figures, games, and more. In the wake of sold out tours across the globe, the collaboration launches this summer with a first-ever BTS-inspired toy line created around the likenesses of the band’s seven members: RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook. The dolls will be fashioned in the looks from the BTS’ iconic and YouTube record-breaking “IDOL” music video.” Note, the image below is just an image of BTS that I thought looked cool and may not reflect what they wear in IDOL. (I’m more of a k-drama fan than a k-pop fan!)
According to Billboard, Mattel stock increased by 8.26% following the announcement of this new line. Mattel VP and global brand general manager Sejal Shah Miller had this to say, “The cornerstone of our strategy is to partner with established franchises that have global appeal, and we believe that Mattel’s creative expertise will create a product that properly celebrates BTS.”
What do you think of this brand new collaboration? Are you excited? Let us know in the comment area!
Madame Alexander Makes Grand Return in 2019
For most of 2018, Madame Alexander Doll Company was dark. Their social media accounts were left untouched. They were no-shows at one of the biggest toy events of the year, New York Toy Fair. And besides stock that ended up at discount stores like Tuesday Morning, the releases were few and far between. For most of the year, there was speculation that the company was sold to a new buyer, but online searches revealed nothing. I was worried that we were going to lose this iconic doll maker, but thankfully, it looks like that isn’t the case.
Madame Alexander Bride
Back in October of 2018, after months of nothing on their various outlets, the Madame Alexander Doll Company re-emerged and has been posting regularly on social media ever since. The website also got a bit of an update, as well. According to an article posted to ToyBook, the company is now, in fact, under new management. The new owners and their partners are looking to “improve marketing, customer service, production, and fulfillment capacity while expanding its 2019 product catalog.”
Madame Alexander Victoria
They’ve hired a pr/branding company to help move the company forward as their 100th anniversary (2023) is quickly approaching, with a “new digital campaign focused on activating the next generation of moms through social media, digital influencers, content marketing, and PR programs.”
Madame Alexander Travel Friends
According to VP Tom Neville, 2019 will bring us “Newborn Nursery dolls in more ethnicities, meaningful updates to the classic Huggums line, some great collectibles, new play dolls, and much more!” He goes on to say that there will be a “much wider variety of multicultural dolls to the line in 2019… to allow kids to have dolls that reflect themselves and the world around them.”
Neville also mentions that they haven’t forgotten about the classics and will be “offering the classic Wendy and Huggums dolls and reintroducing a number of other classic dolls. We love and value the collector community!” Neville says the new owners aim to “get back to the values of the family-led business and Madame Alexander’s original vision.” Reading statements like this make me think this change may be a positive one for the company, as the previous owners never really ‘got’ the brand and it’s ideals, in my opinion. I can’t wait to see what the new owners have up their sleeves!
For instant updates on the company, make sure to follow them on social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter)!
What do you think of the (slightly cryptic?) sale of Madame Alexander Doll Company? What would you like to see the new owners change? What staples do you want them to keep? Let us know in the comment area!
Confessions of a Doll Collectors Daughter 