Anime Central 2012 Goodies
Recently, I attended an anime convention dubbed Anime Central (ACEN). I used to be a regular attendee, but decided to forgo it for the past few years because I started finding more gripes with the convention than actual entertainment. Anyway, after five years, I returned to the craziness that is ACEN and can honestly say I had a pretty good time.
Programming: Truth be told, I didn’t attend any panel programs this ACEN. Friday had no programs that looked remotely interesting to me. (Saturday and Sunday were another matter, but alas, I wasn’t there for those events!) With nothing to talk about regarding the programming, why not jump to the main reason I attend conventions– Cosplayers, the Dealers Hall, and the Artist Alley.
Our dolls watching cosplayers from the restaurant window, while we ate lunch.
Cosplayers: As expected, cosplayers came out in droves to ACEN. Either I’m really out of the loop regarding the popular anime’s of today or a lot more people went pop culture themed. Personally, I don’t have a problem with that– it helped me recognize them easier! There were a ton of people dressed as ‘the Doctor’ from Doctor Who. Surprisingly, there were also at least 40 people dressed as My Little Pony characters. It surprised me mainly (pun intended!) because I had never really seen anyone cosplay as an animal character before. The most unique costumes I saw came from a group of attendees dressed as ramen noodles. (Photos will be posted in another post!)
Dealers Hall/Artist Alley: I saw some definite changes in the Dealers Hall since my last trek to ACEN. This year brought along many fantastic ‘steampunk’ themed booth, as well as your typical Japanese figure vendors. Also along for the ACEN ride, were wig makers and (dare I say?) ball jointed doll vendors, including Mint on Card! (For those outside of the BJD realm, Mint on Card is a BJD store located in Michigan.) Mint on Card was awesome enough to bring wigs, shoes, clothing, and even some dolls. I would have loved to walk home with a 60 cm male doll, but it just wasn’t in the cards this year budget wise.
I found the dealers with ‘traditional’ merchandise (ie: figures, keychains, manga) to be a bit redundant, but with everything that happened to Japan in recent years, I’m sure it hasn’t been easy for US dealers to come across large amounts of stock. Shockingly, I didn’t see any Pinky ST figures or Re-Ment. One booth had Re-Ment phone fobs, but I was really looking forward to picking up some food to add to my collection. Production of Pinky ST’s has pretty much been non existent in past years, but I still expected vendors to have a few for sale. The lack of those two products really was a downer. Also a bit of a downer was the fact that the mini figures you usually find in ‘surprise’ type packaging were more money that I would have expected. In the end, I broke down and bought two from a booth that I should have just picked up a grab bag from for the same price. I probably would have gotten more for my money.
Ah, the artist alley. My favorite booths in the Artist Alley weren’t the ‘fine art’ ones, but rather, the ones that had a bit more unique wares. Color me surprised at the number of Perler bead designers in the Alley. I remember my third ACEN, I purchased a Perler bead Charizard magnet. My mom thought I was nuts. I adored it (and still do!). This year it seemed like at least 1/4 of the vendors had some Perler bead action going on. Had I my own refrigerator, I would have left with so many magnets!
Another thing that surprised me while walking the Artist Alley was the vast number of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic products. I saw crochet’d My Little Ponies, Perler My Little Ponies, felt My Little Ponies. Literally, they were all over the places and super adorable. Dare I say, they were totally kawaii! Sadly, they were also somewhat expensive. I didn’t leave with any of the cute My Little Pony items, but maybe next year! I was disappointed that no one was selling OOAK My Little Ponies (ie: My Little Pony re-paints). I would have loved to add a new OOAK pony to my collection– maybe an Ash Ketchum or Misty?
While not as prevalent as My Little Pony vendors, there were also a handful of booths dedicated to ball jointed doll clothing and wigs! The people running the booth were very nice and even allowed us to test the outfits on our dolls before buying.
The Goodies: Ah, the big reveal. Here are some photos of what came home with me!
My Luts Aru in a green star MSD Wa-loli by Crimson Chimera
Originally, I purchased this Wa-loli for my Doll In Mind Fantasia. I had some trouble getting it to fit her chest properly, so instead Aru gets to wear this little number. The Wa-loli was crafted by Crimson Chimera. The wig was purchased at ACEN, as well. It has three parts– one short bob cut and two pony tails that clip on. It’s a very versatile wig, even if the pony tails like slipping down occasionally. (I’m blanking on the vendor right now, but I’ll edit this if I can find the name of the booth.)
My MSD Doll In Mind Fantasia wearing a Resin Melody top and skirt.
Breena is modeling a casual outfit purchased at the Resin Melody booth. Originally, Aru was going to wear this, but I had to do a minor quick change. Both dolls look great in it, though!
Banpresto K-On Ritsu Prize Figure
I like to pick up at least one figure when I go to ACEN. If I were to give awards out, this vendor would have won best booth! One example of each of the figures for sale was de-boxed and displayed in well lit, glass cases. (If I remembered the name of the vendor, I’d give them kudo’s, but I’m blanking right now!) In the center case, they had two oversized figures on display that caught my eye. I meant to buy both figures, this one with the drums and another with a girl playing a guitar, but just before I was helped, someone bought the last guitarist. I knew very little about this set and nothing about the character/anime before purchasing it, but it turns out that this figure is a Banpresto prize figure of Ritsu from the anime K-ON. Since ACEN, I’ve watched all 13 episodes of K-ON and loved them all. I’m looking forward to watching season 2 and collecting the rest of band to eventually complete this set!
These are my two token ‘surprise’ boxes. I was surprised at the lack of vendors with these out of box. A good chunk of vendors had them in boxes, but in my ACEN’s past, it was quite common to have these already broken up into their series. The left is a TokiDoki Unicorn figure and the right is a girl with rice balancing on her head. The box was completely in Japanese, so I have no idea what set she’s from, but she’s unique, nonetheless!
The gang relaxing between in the lobby.
Overall, I had a good time at ACEN and am very happy I could share the day with my mom. She’s the best shopping buddy around! I have been hearing horror stories for years about this and that, but I didn’t have close to as many gripes leaving ACEN this year as I did in past years. Who knows, maybe I’ll even go next year!
C2E2 2012 Goodies
Friday, I attended the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2). I’m not a huge ‘comic’ person, but usually these conventions are filled with pop culture/entertainment and those elements are my cup of tea! As I only had a Friday pass, I missed most of the celebrity guests on the playbill, however, I did score a few fun buys and attend a few entertaining programs. While this post isn’t exactly about dolls, I thought you might be interested in hearing a bit about it!
The day started off with a program hosted by the creators of the webcomic ‘Unshelved’, Gene Ambaum and Bill Barnes. It was one of the more entertaining convention programs I’ve been to. Gene and Bill talked about how they got started, how certain strips came about, and even talked about some of the strips that didn’t work out as intended. If you’ve ever worked at a library or even a job heavily based around books and customer service, check out ‘Unshelved’.
I also attended two ‘professional development’ type panels. One of the panels was hosted by an entertainment lawyer who spoke about how to protect your ideas through copyright and trademarking. The other panel was hosted by a TV writer who let us in on how he got his start and his current projects. Both of these were interesting programs.
The dealers hall was as expected. It had fewer ‘comic’ vendors aka vendors who’s booths are filled with cardboard boxes filled with single issue comics, a good number of ‘toy’ vendors, and (thankfully) a surprising amount of ‘unique’ vendors, selling cool Star Wars purses or fantastic looking, steampunk hats.
The artist alley was fantastic. First off, it was huge, as in it could take you a good hour to see everything the artists had. Second, it was filled with a large number of amazing artists. And let’s not forget that the unique works of art each artist offers up are far better priced than anything you’ll find in the dealers hall!
Like all my past convention experiences, I left with my bags a little heavier than when they arrived. My shoulder may be in a little pain today, but all in all, it was worth it.
The super big My Little Pony bag was free with a purchase from the WeLoveFine booth. The bag is very similar to the ones handed out by Warner Bros. and most recently BBC America at San Diego Comic Con. I purchased this shirt from WeLoveFine. It isn’t very often that two of my obsessions collide like this (Doctor Who/My Little Pony). I was very tempted to get one of their Jem and the Holograms tee’s, too, but wanted to try the company out before buying a ton.
This Doctor Who Fob Watch is a reproduction of the one used in Series 3 of new ‘Who’. I over paid by $5.00-10.00, but it’s a neat toy and a working fob watch. It will come in handy if I ever need to be ‘steampunk’.
Newsie’s is my favorite movie and if I ever see any of the actors, you know I’ll be getting this one sheet signed! Also, pictured is an Avatar: The Last Airbender promo print and a Spider-man print.
This is my purchase from the artist alley. You may have seen this image on Deviant Art before… If I were rich, I would have ended up with a print from Crystal Aura Wilson, Garth Cameron Graham, and loads of other talented artists!
All in all, C2E2 made for a great way to spend the day. I feel like we (my mom and I) did a good job at experiencing both the programming end of things, as well as the vendors area. If you are in the Chicagoland area and like pop culture, toys, and comics, you might want to check out the C2E2 website and add it to your calendar for 2013!
My New Addiction: Iwako Erasers!
I’ve been a fan of Re-Ment, particularly Re-Ment food, for some time. Re-Ment manufactures adorably detailed miniature food pieces, as well as furniture, animals and other mini items. Just this past Christmas, I received a Re-Ment Hello Kitty Bakery case to finally display a few of the Re-Ment food pieces I’ve gathered over the years.
How does this tie in with Iwako Eraser’s, you ask? Well, this past week I stopped into a shop called ‘Five Below’ and stumbled upon two packs of very cute eraser food pieces. Iwako, a Japanese company, produces environmentally friendly erasers shaped to look like a multitude of different things. From animals to food to sports, they have an eraser version of pretty much anything you’d ask for! You can see the huge array of Erasers via their online museum! Glutton for punishment, I purchased two multi-piece packs and a few single pieces. Silly me, now I want more! Below are pictures of the two multi-piece packs I purchased.
The Drinks and Snacks pack includes Milk, Orange Juice, a Vitamin drink, a bag of lettuce (I think!), two rice dishes and, from what I gather, a box of fried squid. (Not exactly what I’m used to eating, but that makes this set even cooler!)
The Bakery package contains two loafs of bread, pizza, a doughnut, a tart and a cream puff treat. Out of the package, they look like this…
The details in these two sets really blow me away. They look like no eraser I’ve seen before! Most of the items above have detachable pieces. For example, you can take the strawberries off the tart. Even the two containers have rice in them!
Back to the topic, I thought I’d dress up my Re-Ment Bakery case with a few of these delightful erasers… The erasers are bigger than Re-Ment, but they look pretty good in the same bakery case. Some changes had to be made– the doughnut is now a bunt cake and the tart is now a full on strawberry cake, but the single hotdogs and sandwiches I picked up look pretty good without any re-imagining! Here’s the results!
The eraser food is on on the right side of the case: the hamberger, sandwich, hot dog, newly dubbed strawberry cake and bunt cake. Here’s a closer look…
Excuse the angle of this shot, I was standing on a stool that was just a little too short to get a straight on close up. This gives you a little better idea of the size difference between the Re-Ment pieces (mostly on the left) and the Iwako Erasers (mostly on the right).
Where can you find Iwako Erasers? In the US, I have a feeling you’ll be able to find these wherever Ty products are sold and possibly your local anime convention. Like I said, I found mine at Five Below, but also saw these at a speciality ‘gift’ shop that had a large Ty section. I, personally, think they’re awesome. Will I use them as an eraser? No way, but they’ll be great for photo shoots!
Do you have a food you’d like to have as an Eraser? (My answer: Mrs. T’s Perogies!) What do you think of these little Iwako Erasers? Share your thoughts below!
The Kane County Doll and Toy Show– My Goodies!
This weekend was the Kane County Doll and Toy Show. This event is at the Kane Country Fairgrounds and is held 2 to 3 times a year. Hundreds of vendors bring in their wares to tempt us crazy, impulsive doll and toy collectors. All in all, this weekend, I think my mom and I did really well. Want to see what I got my hands on????
Madame Alexander Lucy Bride (1948):
The person who sold this adorable 17″ Lucy Bride to me is a Madame Alexander collector herself. Her prices were fantastic and were perfect for people like me who are just starting to walk the path of vintage Madame Alexander collecting. She was knowledgable about the doll, pointing out what was and wasn’t original and seemed to genuinely want to have the doll go to a good home, as opposed to just wanting money in her pocket.
Skipper Bunk Bed Set:
For a few years now, I’ve had a backdrop of Skippers bedroom that originally went with this bunk bed set. Finally, I have the bunk beds to go with it! My mom spotted this at a great price. Again, the owner seemed really appreciative that the set was going to a collector who would love it (like me!). It’s missing the foam inserts and a pillow case, but everything else is great!
Also picked up at the show was a redressed Blonde Kevin doll and a MIB Cool Tops Brunette Kevin.
All in all, I love the items I picked up this weekend. I can’t wait to do it again (though my pocket book might recommend waiting!).
Splurge Alert!!!– Skipper Stuff
I try to add a few things each year to my Skipper collection. So far, this year has brought some fun finds! Here’s the lowdown on the new items in my Skipper collection!
Dolls:
This past toy show, I picked up this stunning Twist and Turn Skipper. Believe it or not, this is my first Twist and Turn Skipper, though it’s not from lack of trying.
There were other Twist and Turns at the show, but this one had such a great face. Her make up is fantastic, she has no green area’s, and she isn’t missing any lashes. I need to do something about her fly-aways, but overall, I love this doll!
She came with this outfit, which is another reason I picked up this girl. I’m lacking on vintage outfits and wouldn’t have had anything for an unclothed doll to wear!
Extras:
I don’t just collect Skipper dolls, but also the extra’s that go with them. I picked up this great Skipper, Francie, and Barbie doll case via ebay earlier this month. It was a steal. I’m quite surprised I got it as cheap as I did! The condition is fine for my needs, as I only really keep these for the art, which is fantastic on this case!
What do I love about this case? First, I LOVE the outfit Skipper is wearing. I don’t own the outfit yet, but I will one day!!!
Second, I quite like that it has both Barbie and Francie on it. I love the cases that have more than one character. Francie’s look is just too cute and Barbie’s sophisticated Bob is adorable!
Alongside these, I also picked up a new style Skipper, but I’m saving her photos for a review post! Check back for updates! More to come!!!
Splurge Alert!!— Luts Kid Delf Aru and accessories
Remember the post I did a few weeks back about wanting to buy a new BJD for my collection? Well, I’ve done it! Sort of. I won’t see the doll for probably two months, but I have placed an order!!! I was all set on picking up a Leeke World Geeyu, but in the end, had to put that on hold due to her cost. She would have run close to 650.00 for her to be complete with a wig, outfit, shoes… I just can’t spend that at the moment.
So, I went back and looked on the Den of Angels and saw something I was looking for– a Luts group order! I really like the Luts dolls I’ve seen in person, but have always held off ordering one because they don’t have any US distributors and shipping from Luts to the States… *yikes* With this group order, I’ll still pay a bit in shipping, but hopefully it saves me a few bucks!!!
Do you want to see what I ordered? Okay… Here ya go!!!
Luts Kid Delf Aru with Face-up
ACACIA SET For Kid Delf
DS-110 For Kid Delf (Shoes)
Wigs
I won’t see this doll for a while, but I’m excited!!!!! Let’s hope none of these items are sold out by the time the Group Order goes through!!!
Like this:
Dolly Impulse Buy– Tonner’s Captain Jack
Impulse buying pretty much comes hand in hand with doll collecting… My most recent impulse buy is Tonner’s Captain Jack doll made in the likeness of John Borrowman. I know, I know, I made a whole big hoopla about waiting and waiting for The Doctor, but in all honestly, I think Captain Jacks ‘figure’ looks much more like the character than The Doctor’s. The Doctor is still on my list, though!
Thankfully, this impulse buy came at a discounted price. I had a coupon from C2E2 that I had vowed to use on something. The Doctor Who/Torchwood line came out just in time. (Can’t let a perfectly good coupon go to waste!) Another plus for picking up the good Captain was that I found The Doctor listed on another website for the price I would have paid with this C2E2 coupon, which was not the case with Jack. (Research, Research, Research!)
Captain Jack should be arriving any day now. I’ll update here with a ‘Dolly Report’ when he comes in!!! I’m super excited!
