davidd's A DOLL A DAY 2025

[Alliecat]

Back from tropical paradise and back to work, eh? 

How does a phone photo not have a suitable format for forum display?  Sincere question.
You can crop, at least on an iPhone, and I'd assume other phones with camera/photo functions would let you do the same with an "edit" button.  I don't do any of that with "dispatches from the field".  I just upload it to Flickr and then mess with trying to copy/paste the link from a little screen.
And yes, Flickr app's upload is soooooo cumbersome.  It shows previously uploaded photos, I have to click those, back & forth a couple of times from the photo library because I can never remember quite how it works, deselect the previously uploaded photos, which you'll have noticed doesn't always work and it re-uploads the same photos even when they aren't selected, select the new ones, back through a couple more screens, finally upload them, and then they're just kinda there in the photostream and if I want them in albums or to add captions or change titles, I have to do it on the web version.  On the tiny screen if I don't have a laptop with me.
Sunsette is very dedicated in posting her dispatches 

[davidd]

How does a phone photo not have a suitable format for forum display?  Sincere question.

You can crop, at least on an iPhone....

I just upload it to Flickr and then mess with trying to copy/paste the link from a little screen....

And yes, Flickr app's upload is soooooo cumbersome....

Sunsette is very dedicated in posting her dispatches.

I applaud Sunsette's dedication. She is far more dedicated to filing dispatches from the field in a timely manner than am I. Perhaps she gets that from her deadline-oriented mentor.

Of course, once she gets home and it's time to sort, edit, and upload the rest of those field photos, it's a different matter altogether. 

Regarding phone photo formatting: phone photos have large file sizes and, if the capabilities of the phone camera are utilized to maximum effectiveness, a widescreen aspect ratio. With occasional exceptions, I prefer to post my photos in 8x10 (4x5) or standard 4x3 aspect ratio. File size is of more concern than aspect ratio when posting from the road. The yuuuuge mondo-megapixel phone photos sometimes fail to upload, or take a long time to upload, or... you've possibly encountered this with the Flickr app... they show up two or three days later! When I travel, my Internet access is often limited. While I supposedly have an "unlimited" data plan, those large file-size photos simply do NOT want to upload in a consistent manner. So uploading a widescreen, large file-size photo to Flickr is a pain.

I also have not found a reasonable way to re-size a photo on the phone, which I would need to do if I wanted to upload the image file to my own hosting account. Maybe there's a feature for that which I have not yet found. When I've looked in to doing so, usually an "app" is recommended. I have too much cr*p on my phone already. I don't want another cr-app to resize pictures -- an app which would be either filled with ads or which would constantly be prompting me to pay for extra features. An app which would be cumbersome to use on a tiny screen. An app which would store the files in a difficult to access folder. And then, of course, I'd need yet another app, a File Transfer Protocol app, to upload images to my hosting site.

I envy people who can run their entire lives from a phone. I can't do it. I just can't. Messing with the phone makes me want to throw it against the wall.

I know some people have their Flickr accounts linked to Instagram accounts. Instagram posts load automatically (I guess?) to Flickr. Maybe I should look in to that. Instagram is relatively easy to use from a phone compared to Flickr. I could set up a "private" Instagram account that I just use for photo posting.

My phone is an Android. I wish I'd purchased an iPhone. At the time they said the Whatchamallit-23 had the "best camera" available in a mobile phone. Maybe based on specs, but iPhone photos still look better, and the iPhone interface is smoother and more intuitive. And iPhones just work better, much like Mac computers. But yes, I can crop photos on the Android, if I care to be bothered with teeny tiny touchscreen controls on a teeny tiny even though they say it is "large" screen.

"Just upload to Flickr...." yeah, sure. Like I mentioned, and to which you allude, that's not always so easy. Uploads are dodgy and inconsistent at best. And then... where's the BBCode link? I have not been able to find a code link on the app. I went back and looked at it again just now. Got so frustrated that... yeah, tempted to throw the phone against the wall. Finally figured out -- I can't DO that from the app. Not on my phone, not on my iPad. What I have to do, I realize as of ten minutes ago, is open the Flickr site on a browser app -- the web version -- and copy the link from there.

SO MANY STEPS! I thought mobile phones were designed for ease of use. That was their original intent, anyway. Now these "apps" are designed for Content Consumption, not content creation. Apps are designed for scrolling thru stuff created by OTHER people, interspersed with advertising. Yeah, we can kind of upload from apps if our data or internet connection is sufficiently robust, but the hassle of trying to do anything else -- as you say, captions, tags, groups, folders -- makes it not worth the time or trouble. Oh, and I discovered while I was traveling that I cannot edit titles or tags from the Android Flickr app. Don't make typos! Don't come up with a clever turn of phrase after the fact. You can't fix it from the phone.

And then trying to navigate this forum on a tiny screen, paste in a photo link, and add a bit of text from a phone, or even from a touchscreen tablet device? I'd rather wait 'til I'm back at a keyboard and screen.

Besides, I still often use a "real" camera for many, or most, of my travel photos. I have no idea how to efficiently transfer a photo from my ten year old pocket camera to a phone or iPad.

As I said, I shoulda bought an iPhone. And while I'm at it, I should buy a laptop computer. I loved the Mac laptop(s) I had. They each lasted for six to eight years of daily use and lots of lugging around. But eventually they quit working. And... because Apple are *sshats... Apple eventually stopped supporting the iOS, and the installed apps stopped working with the outdated iOS.

I suppose I could get a cheap laptop, but I suspect the user ex-perience would be... disappointing, at a minimum.

Anyway, I'm back, and taking a page out of Sunsette's playbook, who knows if or when I'll get around to "playing catch-up" with A Doll A Day. I believe I missed twenty-one or twenty-two days.

Speaking of missing days -- I'll be away for three or four days around Halloween, and for two-ish weeks or a bit more around the end of November, and I don't know yet what's happening around Christmas. The 2025 A Doll A Day is going to have a lot of holes in it.

P.S.: Imagine trying to post a caption like this from a phone! 

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13 August - A Doll A Day 2025:

A Mysterious Arrival

The parcel isn't all that mysterious. It contains... or I think it contains, but I haven't opened it yet so I can't be certain... an "action figure" item I purchased nineteen months ago.

Yes, nineteen months ago. It's absurd. In the world of action figures and of many toys, items no longer appear on store shelves (or in online storefronts) for sale when they are in stock. Rather, items are announced in advance, an estimated release date is posted, "pre-orders" are accepted for a window of time (sometimes limited to weeks or days, sometimes open until items become available), and items are shipped once they are received by the retailer. Estimated release dates are inevitably delayed. The norm for that delay has become about a year. This item had a four-months-away original release date. Here it is, nineteen months later.

If a potential customer decides to wait to make a purchase, the items almost always sell out during the pre-order window. Retail shops only order the number of items for which they receive pre-orders. With rare exceptions, the price for most items escalates rapidly on the secondary market once the pre-orders close. The only way to get many items at "original retail price" is to pre-order them sight unseen.

Most items fall short of the promise in the promotional images and descriptions.

Even mainstream, "big name" companies like Mattel and Hasbro are starting to play this game. "Special Edition" or "Limited Edition" Barbie and Monster High dolls are often only available online through pre-orders.

So what's in the box? I'll show y'all when I get around to opening it. I already have a few unopened boxes sitting in the storage shed. I've been too busy or too lazy to get around to opening them. Maybe if I wait long enough they'll become "valuable."

There's an exception to that secondary market price inflation situation -- anything I purchase will almost inevitably decline in price.

Anyway, UPS dropped off this box today, nineteen months after I purchased the item.

I think I'm done with pre-orders. At this point, there's no guarantee I'll even be alive by the time the pre-order item arrives.

13 August - A Doll A Day 2025

[Alliecat]

Wow, no, I've never had something upload days later!
I only use wifi on the iPhone.  So my ex-perience has been shockingly-fast uploads compared to what I get here with our crappy internet.  When I upload a batch of photos here, I click it and go do something else for a few minutes.
Yeah, I don't think you can resize.  Hehehe, I stubbornly refuse to add more cr-app to my phone and I don't even have much on it at all!  Wanna keep it that way.  And no, you can't find BBCode on the app, as you've just discovered!
A reputable refurb dealer might have a good laptop you'd like.  All mine have been refurbs.

P.S.: Imagine trying to post a caption like this from a phone!

That's what phone dictation is for!!   
Then you get to spend 5x as long as it would've taken you to type it on a keyboard, correcting all the errors that the phone thought you said.

That box looks like it's been on the road for quite a few of those 19 months
And yeah, pretty much everything you said about pre-orders.  I've only done it twice, with Sofia & Neytiri, and I forget how long Neytiri was delayed, but I think it was around a year. 
So you'll have way more pre-order ex-perience than I... was it like this before Flu-rona, or are we still blaming "supply chain issues" for some of these delays?
I'm not into Blythes, but from what I've gathered, those are offered for pre-order based on a drawing???

Maybe if I wait long enough they'll become "valuable."
There's an exception to that secondary market price inflation situation -- anything I purchase will almost inevitably decline in price.

Dude, I keep sayin... get some good stocks if you wanna buy something that appreciates.  Buying dolls for "an investment" is a likely fail.

Almost never buying new dolls (me) solves the pre-order problem, haha. 

[davidd]

Dude, I keep sayin... get some good stocks if you wanna buy something that appreciates. 

Following the "Liberation Day" stock market "crash" back in April 2025, a friend who likes to think he is a savvy investor, and who has been saying for several years now that "his financial advisor says the market is due for a major correction," sold a lot of his holdings, sure that "the correction" was upon us and a full-on crash was imminent.

I thought he was crazy, and that he should be buying, not selling, but he was sure it was the beginning of a big crash.

I scraped together a paltry few hundred clams and "bought the dip."

Since April, four months ago:

AAOI - up 58%  (This one has been up as much as 103%. It tends to make big swings. I think it's one of those "day trader" playthings.)

DAL - up 49%

NCLH - up 43%

F(ord) - up a mere 17%

What? No losers in the bunch? Yes, of course there are losers.

FUJHY - up a mere 2% (finally)

WEN - down a whopping 26%

Total account - up 34% since April. (It's been up as much as 50%. The traders are playing games, from what I can see, using tariffs and interest rates as manipulative tools, driving prices down then buying and profiting from the inevitable rebound. Most of the decline in my holdings has been in the last week or so. Tomorrow will probably drop again -- there always seems to be a drop on Friday. Monday will depend on what transpires when Trump talks to Putin this weekend. You'd think corporate earnings would affect stock prices, but no, every day the financial news is all about "Trump said this" or "The EU says..." or "Fed Chair offers little on interest rate plans." It's all games among the super-elite. Ultimately, they're never going to let themselves go broke, so "buy and hold" is usually the best plan. Or so my vast four month ex-perience as a trader suggests to me.)

So yeah, you're probably right about buying stocks rather than dolls for investment.

I wish I had more than a few hundred bucks in the market. Now I see how the rich get to be really rich... without working. Start with a bunch of money, buy some stock, and pretty quick you have a bunch more money!

How do YOU choose "good stocks?"

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14 August - A Doll A Day 2025:

Recent arrival: TBLeague (Phicen) S35 1/6-scale flexible seamless action figure with stock head sculpt.

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TBLeague S35 1/6-scale Figure

This model features "attached feet," which eliminates the unsightly seam at the ankle, but which also renders the figure unable to stand without support.

I purchased this figure about a month ago prior to leaving on holiday. Now that I'm back, I was looking at the box and thinking, Whuu...? Whyyy?

Then I remembered that I thought it would be a fun and clever idea to have a couple of generic bikini babes to loiter around in the background of my surf shop diorama. The seamless ankles serve admirably for surfer girls who do not wear shoes and who lounge provocatively rather than stand unaided in action-packed poses.

But what about when she's surfing? Yeah, well, I guess she'll be relegated to "paddling out" and "pre-pop-up" poses.

As for the diorama, that would be the surf shop diorama that I fully intend to resume working on once I get some real life projects out of the way. Of course, that list of real life projects keeps growing, so... yeah.

Anyway, it's a cute figure featuring one of the prettiest face sculpts (in my opinion, at least) that TBLeague has produced, so I'm sure I'll think of some use for it.

[Alliecat]

Do the ankles bend?  If her feet are flat enough there "should" be a balance point where she could stand...?  It's all physics...
I guess you will have to break out some chopsticks or knitting needles to prop her up 

So yeah, you're probably right about buying stocks rather than dolls for investment.

How do YOU choose "good stocks?"

Hehe, ya think? 

Back when Canadian Business magazine had a print edition, they published an annual "top 500" list.  Dad (plus me when he could no longer see to do it) would go through the list, looking first at dividend yield, pick a few that sounded promising, and then look up the company, read enough of a couple of annual reports to get an idea how things were going, and then run it by our financial guy.
Now if I'm shopping I have to look up recommended stocks on random lists like Motley Fool or something similar, trying to search for Canadian ones amid the glut of financial "lists" online... pick a few with good dividends again, and then look at some statistics -- dividend history, price history, beta, P/E, P/B & all that stuff, income trends (is it going up YOY), read a bit of the annual reports... are they thrilled about how great business is going or trying to make a poor year look shiny... then I will suggest to the new financial dude.  That's where it gets frustrating because I often feel we're not on the same page, and his regular "nudging" to completely rearrange things to match their "suggested list" would mean dumping stocks that pay well and have been pretty good for many years (yes, buy & hold if they're doing OK).  I miss the old guy so much!!!!; he retired.
"When" I get out of the ghetto and have some mental focus again, I'd like to learn enough to manage it as much as possible on my own. 

Nothing wrong with a few hundred bucks; if you pick good stocks it'll grow 
How did YOU pick?

[davidd]

Do the ankles bend?  If her feet are flat enough there "should" be a balance point where she could stand...?  It's all physics... 


... would go through the list, looking first at dividend yield, pick a few that sounded promising....

How did YOU pick?

Yes, the ankles bend and swivel. The feet are soft rubber with a metal armature inside, but the foot armature is much shorter than the actual foot. Usually I can manage to get these rubber feet versions to stand on their own for at least a few moments, but this one was choosing not to cooperate.

Thank you for the insight in to your method. Dividends, yes, that's important. For my initial foray in to investing, I was overlooking dividend pay-outs. Another friend of mine who wisely started investing in stocks when he began working in his teens learned to purchase stocks that pay dividends. I don't know how much his investments total now, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were a couple mil at least. He's always been really frugal, too. He doesn't squander money buying dolls or any other silly collectibles. He rarely tips at restaurants, either. I know he looks at dividends, both for generating cash or to reinvest.

As my account grows, I might start considering dividends more closely. But at this point, I'm not likely to live long enough to grow the account to the point where dividends would equal any appreciable amount.

How do I pick stocks? I remember Warren Buffett once mentioned that he buys stock in companies whose products he likes or uses. Hence, Delta Airlines, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and Subaru! I figure I might as well try to get something back from the money I spend!  

I also watch TV financial news shows once in a while and half-listen to what they're saying. Back in April some analyst mentioned AAOI in a 15 second bit, ex-plaining that they manufacture the connections that attach fiber optics to computer chips. Currently most chips have up to five connections. Within a few years, each chip is projected to have up to ten connections. Thus, the little hardware bits that support the fiber optic infrastructure are important and have growth potential.

Plus, I look at price. I'm poor, I don't have a lot of money, so I look for stocks under $20 per share. AAOI was about $11 per share when I bought it. Then I added some more at $13. Today it's at $22, so that one worked out really well.

So basically, price + what seems logical on the surface. No real in-depth research.

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15 August - A Doll A Day 2025:

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POP MART Peach Riot Rush Hour miniature figurine: Mail Delivery Gigi

[Alliecat]

New figure?  That pic looks like it could be on a notecard.  The background is interesting.

I remember Warren Buffett once mentioned that he buys stock in companies whose products he likes or uses.

Haha, I did look up the symbols and admit to a chuckle at the cruise line because I imagined that was why you picked it, and I noted most aren't dividend payers.  If a company can afford to pay dividends, it could be a sign they're doing well, and moreso if the dividends have increased over time.  Of course, there are others that are hemorrhaging out unsustainable dividends in order to attract investors, which is why you have to look at the other stuff too.  I forgot to mention payout ratio.
Grumble grumble about big banks, but they generally pay well, increase dividends and are making craploads of money.  Utilities can be good bets.  Consumer staples/retail, manufacturing... I don't know what the US equivalent of REITS is, but, "real estate investment trusts" own malls, office buildings, apartments, warehouses, etc.
Not a $20 stock, but EIFZF (I think is the U.S. equivalent?) is kinda cool.  Aviation & aerospace manufacturing & services.  One we found that Old Financial Guy hadn't heard of but started following when we bought it.
There are lots of lists you can search for "best dividend stocks", "best growth stocks" etc.
Did you buy on your own or through a broker?  I would really like to do my own trading.  SOMEday?... >sigh<

[davidd]

I would really like to do my own trading.  SOMEday?... >sigh<

schwab.com

No commissions. Trade online. Do everything yourself without a broker. Instantaneous order fills. It's wild! I don't know how they do it without charging commissions.

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16 August - A Doll A Day 2025:

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All Hands On Deck

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Janie and Trivia complete some measurements before installing railing posts on the deck -- a project that was intended to be completed several months ago.

[davidd]

17 August - A Doll A Day 2025:

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Triv and Janie Installing Porch Railing Posts

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The afternoon sunlight is beginning to look autumnal... while still being HOT!

[Alliecat]

Oh boy, still hard at work!
I await the Pinkys' adventures on the cruise.... there were Pinky adventures... weren't there....??

We have equivalent discount brokerages & DIY trading platforms in Canada. Yes, that's what I'd like to be able to do.

[davidd]

18 August - A Doll A Day 2025:

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Power Tool Prowess

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19 August - A Doll A Day 2025:

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Garden Bench Project

[Alliecat]

Have you ever thought of hooking up with the Smart Doll company/marketers to do a promotional thing with these girls...? They could have a regular blog, and sponsorship!

[davidd]

Have you ever thought of hooking up with the Smart Doll company/marketers to do a promotional thing with these girls...?  They could have regular blog, and sponsorship!  

Did I ever tall ya about the time Danny Choo, the creator of Smart Doll, blocked me on his Instagram account?   I don't ex-pect to see a promotional connection happening. 

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20 August - A Doll A Day 2025:

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Another photo-story interactive game installment for the OneSixthFigures forum.
This part picks up from here, give or take:
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t...ure#133807

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[Alliecat]

Did I ever tall ya about the time Danny Choo, the creator of Smart Doll, blocked me on his Instagram account? 

Hahaha, no, I don't think so! What happened?

...Welllll.... if you're only making stuff for others' "eyeballs", you'll often be disappointed. Make stuff you enjoy, and if someone else does too, it's a bonus.
Kind of echoes a conversation I had last week with a singer/songwriter I interviewed. He said there's a lot of self-promotion involved in performing (and, I think by extension, "creating content"), and that he wasn't very good at it because he's "not pushy". He found something he likes doing better for full-time work. So he can enjoy when he does perform.