Dolly Market Forum

(04-11-2018, 02:10 PM)Miss Edith Wrote: [ -> ]I wanted her so much because of her name/theme but I didn't really like her face. This was back when I sold most of my MH & was barely tempted by any. In other words, before the Doll a Day challenge

I know what you mean. River Styxx is a fairly recent acquisition. After having no real interest, I "fell for her" a few month ago after seeing several great photos on Instagram.

I love River (just post a MH doll photo and I'll tell you that I love her, haha). Purple skeleton-ghost is a must-have for me.

Mint-in-Box Marches Into April:


Bratzillaz Theme Song: Glam Gets Wicked (Tonight)

Ah, Bratzillaz. Too sad they didn't last.

Mint-in-Box Marches into April:



Didn't we already see this figure? Well, we saw a very similar one. I previously posted a photo of the brown-haired version. This is the yellow-haired version. It's another recent eBay acquisition that I picked up for cheap.

I have a theory as to why this 1996 "Masterpiece Edition" is currently bringing low prices on the secondary market. It's because there are a lot of them, obviously, more supply than demand. But why are there a lot of them for sale? And why doesn't anybody want them?

I believe this release, a reproduction of the original 1964 era GI Joe, was marketed to the late "Baby Boomer" generation who remembered GI Joe from their childhoods. I think a lot of guys who were in their mid-thirties to mid-forties in 1996 either purchased this figure as a nostalgic keepsake, or received them as gifts from family members.

GI Joe was originally released in 1964 as an 11-inch action figure. By the early 1970s, GI Joe had a "life-like hair and beard" rather than painted hair, and, later, "kung fu grip." By the late '70s, the 11-inch GI Joe line had been discontinued, replaced a few years later by a 3-3/4 inch line that a later generation remembers fondly. The "Joe years" were a pretty narrow window to begin with, and the painted hair years were a small slice of that time period.

The guys who were thirty-something to forty-something in 1996, and at the peak of their "nostalgic collectible purchasing years," are now more than twenty years older, late-fifties to almost seventy: retirement age. They're downsizing and selling off the collectibles... most of which are now merely clutter. Some of these guys are even starting to die off. The twenty-year old "collectible" GI Joe box sets that have been gathering dust on the bookshelf or in the closet are turning up on eBay... where, sadly, it's hardly worth the effort to sell them. I paid $30 for this figure including shipping, and it cost the seller $22.50 to mail it. Factor in eBay and PayPal fees and the seller probably netted about a dollar and a half for their effort.

It's kinda sad. The original GI Joe generation is dying off, leaving almost nobody who is interested in America's Movable Fighting Man; or at least, nobody is interested in a twenty-year old reproduction of a fifty year old toy line.

That's a sad story. Hopefully new wave of interest will arise!

River Styx was an interesting doll, I liked all the Haunted line.

I enjoy your commentary with so many of these figures -- always interesting. It's kinda sad that these figures from a different era are not in demand anymore. I wonder too, now that there are "badder" looking figures and society's taste in entertainment has changed, if younger collectors now aren't interested in "that old stuff".
I got an eBay deal like that once, on a LOTR box book set that cost the seller about 50 cents more to mail than what they charged me in total. Well, I'm glad this guy has a home with someone who appreciates him Show us some pix of the book illustrations?

I don't generally like dolls with red eyes but Jade J'Adore is cute.

the GI Joe story makes me feel sorry for an action figure I never owned one as a kid (it being "for boys" back in the middle ages) & I didn't own a Ken either. I have always hated that doll Given the choice, I would take a soldier boy every time.

I have that Jade J'Adore, probably my favourite Bratzillaz so far. She was my only one until this year. Gee I wonder what changed?

(04-13-2018, 06:53 PM)Miss Edith Wrote: [ -> ]The GI Joe story makes me feel sorry for an action figure....

I have that difficulty, too. I begin to assign "feelings" to inanimate objects, especially to toys, dolls, and action figures.

(04-13-2018, 06:53 PM)Miss Edith Wrote: [ -> ]I have that Jade J'Adore, probably my favourite Bratzillaz so far. She was my only one until this year. Gee I wonder what changed?

The opportunities for temptation from this "Doll a Day / Week" thing are growing, aren't they?


I purchased one of the Jade J'Adore Bratzillaz figures when they were originally released, but I only kept the costume and sold the doll. Later, of course, I came to regret having done that and bought the one seen here. I was intending to open the package but now I kind of don't want to. Or rather, I do want to, but I'm thinking of buying another one so I can open one and keep the other mint-in-package.

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Mint-in-Box Marches into April:


Sometimes when ordering online you end up with multi-language international packaged versions of the Monster High dolls like this one rather than the standard USA release.

In the early days of Monster High, most figures were made in Indonesia while a few were made in China. There was actually a subtle difference in the face screenings, particularly in the size of the eyes. The Indonesia-made figures were generally considered to be the more attractive. At first glance, the relatively large eyes of this Vandala figure lead me to believe she is an Indonesia-made version. Checking the box confirms that assessment.

Vandala is wonderful doll. I always thought it would be awesome if they made some fashion packs for her, with different peg-legs for her to go with various outfits. Ah, a girl can dream...

lovely Vandala photo. That is very interesting about the slight differences in dolls made in different places.

Poor Joe! But its the same path a lot of Barbie collectibles are on. Except some of them didn't sell well from the get go and high production numbers didn't help.

(04-14-2018, 10:51 AM)Cornflower Blue Wrote: [ -> ]Poor Joe! But its the same path a lot of Barbie collectibles are on.

Like forum favorite, the FAO Schwarz exclusive George Washington Barbie?

(04-14-2018, 12:07 PM)davidd Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-14-2018, 10:51 AM)Cornflower Blue Wrote: [ -> ]Poor Joe! But its the same path a lot of Barbie collectibles are on.

Like forum favorite, the FAO Schwarz exclusive George Washington Barbie?

Indeed! And many, many more.