davidd's A Doll A Day 2019

[werepuppy]

I honestly have no answers for the what to do with too much stuff problem, as I am currently trying to sort that one out myself.

I hope you get your new camera working for you soon, and be able to take all the pictures you want

[davidd]

I suppose the first step we could all take toward addressing the "too much stuff" problem would be to simply stop buying new stuff, but where's the fun in that?

I know a guy who does fairly well in adhering to the "one in, one out" rule... but then, much to his frustration, his other family members proceed to fill up the space he clears with their stuff.

3 November – Monster High Power Ghouls Cat Tastrophe aka Toralei Stripe

This one gets to stay in the box, because the comic book style packaging is too cool! I have all the Power Ghouls and had intended to keep them all in their boxes, but prior to moving four years ago, in an effort to save space, I deboxed them. I have regretted that decision. The figures look really fun in their packages. Once unboxed, they're kind of just another doll. This one I picked up somewhere since moving.

From time to time I have considered tracking down boxed examples of the others, but then I begin to wonder what I would do with more boxed dolls. Would I set them on shelves for display? Would I pack them away in boxes, and just take them out to look at them once in a while? Would I begin to resent them as simply adding to the clutter?

Some years ago I knew a guy who collected action figures, mostly Star Wars, and had a goodly sized collection of mint-on-card examples, which he kept out on display. Then, at some point, he suddenly asked himself, "do I really want my house to look like the toy aisle at K-Mart?" He ended up dramatically downsizing, selling what he could, and donating or dumping the rest, keeping only a few favorite pieces.

The clutter issue can be addressed in a number of ways. One of those approaches is to look at what we want to do with our toys, dolls, and figures. Are they decorative items? Collectibles? Do we enjoy the hunt, working toward the completion of some kind of set or collection? Or do we want to play with them by dressing them, modding them, or photographing them?

Anyway, the Power Ghouls, to me, are more fun boxed than unboxed. (Same was true with the Bratz Action Heroez, all of which I also unboxed and now wish I had not.)

Just for fun, and on a completely unrelated topic, here's an ancient throw-back image (2010) in memory of Laika the Space Dog, launched in to orbit on this date back in 1962:

Космодром Байконур, Kosmodrom Baykonur

[neon_jellyfish]

I guess I have a high clutter threshold, I've never felt overwhelmed by my collection. The only advice I know is is to pack things you're not sure about selling/keeping away so that you don't see them, wait six months, and if you don't miss them or even forget you had them, you can sell them.

I love Toralei releases with long hair.

[werepuppy]

I do what neon does - put the item away for a while and if you don't miss it, it goes.

Both pics are great and you're right about the cool packaging

[davidd]

I do what neon does - put the item away for a while and if you don't miss it, it goes.

Or, you open up the storage box and it's like a mini-Christmas: "Oh! I forgot I had this! Oh! I love this one! Oh! I was wondering what happened to this!"

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4 November – Monster High: Little Dead Riding Wolf

When the Monster High Stories figures were released, I was very surprised that a major toy manufacturer like Mattel would prominently feature the word "dead" on the packaging of a mainstream playline doll. Monster High in its prime really pushed the boundaries of acceptability, which, contradictory though it may be, is both what made the line popular and what, I suspect, ultimately led to its demise.

This is another figure that will remain in the package, tempted though I have been to open it, simply because... dead!

I wonder if I could find a de-boxed one cheap on the ol' eBay?

In unrelated news: just how the heck old am I, anyway? How is it that with just a glance at today's Google Doodle I thought, "Oh, look at that! Will Rogers!" I mean, the guy has been dead since 1935!

[werepuppy]

I loved the Monster Fairy Tales line - I really should have picked some up from it but I was being strict on my one doll per character thing.

That Google doodle is adorable

[neon_jellyfish]

I loved MH for all the monstrousness it brought us, and was sad to see it go, but, no matter how much I wanted MH to last for decades like Barbie, it was probably bound to die. You need mainstream audience to be interested if you want to keep a brand going, and mainstream audience can get tired of otherness quickly. Once the Twilight hype faded away, monsters weren't hip anymore, and the final attempt to 'barbify' MH chased away the old fans, while failing to lure in new ones, because even with all the extra cuteness and innocence and family-friendliness, the dolls were still monsters.

Sacrily Ever After (Scary Tales in some areas) line was PURE GENIUS! I love the MH retellings of the fairy tales to bits!

[Elfy]

Love the outfit. That was another line I never saw down here.

[Alliecat]

Google's doodles are endlessly entertaining and clever.
I dunno, I just can't keep dolls in boxes.
Wait, you got to visit Baikonur Cosmodrome?? Coool. Tell us more!

[Lejays17]

I understand about the urge to de-clutter. We are slowly trying to get rid of stuff, but our biggest issue is where to start (and also where to take it). I recently got rid (by donation to one of the church charities) 12 archive boxes full of fiction books, which barely made a dent in the library.

Sometimes the boxed dolls are more appealing than the unboxed ones, because of the packaging. But I enjoy the playing / photographing too much so they are all unboxed eventually. They don’t really appreciate in value much so I may as well get some fun with them.


The Pinky St with Laika is so adorable, a lovely anniversary pic.

[davidd]

Wait, you got to visit Baikonur Cosmodrome??  Coool.  Tell us more!

Unfortunately, no; the "cosmodrome" backdrop is made from empty plastic soda bottles.

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5 November – Mattel Monster High "Lab Parters" Set with Ghoulia and Cleo

This box will eventually be opened. The packaging is not particularly clever or attractive (not enough morbid puns), and I purchased this with the intent of opening it, but then never got around to it. There was something in this set I particularly wanted, but now I don't remember what it was. Ghoulia's "periodic table" dress is clever, and these are cute versions of both characters.

"A scary-cool mixture of friends." Yeah, MH was definitely losing its edge by the time this set was released.

[neon_jellyfish]

This set is cute (they have custom lab coats, how cool is that?), but I remember being slightly disappointed when I learned that they were making perfume, of all things they could have been doing with that adorable chemistry set. Oh well, that's what imagination is for!

[werepuppy]

Even though they were just making perfume - come on guys these are the two who would definitely work on something involing mind control - this set is still one of the cooler ones. I have this set actually. Ghoulia's dress is the best.

[Lejays17]

Their custom lab coats are the best.

[Alliecat]

Unfortunately, no; the "cosmodrome" backdrop is made from empty plastic soda bottles.

OMG, hahaha!!!
Well you did a great job.
I actually googled to see if they did tours (It does sound interesting.)

I bet you your crew could find a use for some new lab equipment....