The Doll Cafe

Sunset Parade Barbie: Buy a Barbie and Help fight Cancer!

2013-04-11T11:45:00.002-07:00

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Barbie Conventions are a place to have fun with your friends and fellow collectors but did you know that Barbie Conventions are arranged around charitable purposes? Typically, convention organizers seek donations of OOAK dolls and these Barbies are auctioned off during conventions or on ebay or similar sites. All proceeds (after allowed expenses) are donated to a charity of the convention committee's choice.

This doll is the beautiful Sunset Parade Barbie, a one of a kind design by José Luis Montesdeoca, of El Blog de Ken with sewing skills provided by Yolanda Cañete. Convención de Coleccionistas de Barbie en España is sponsoring the auction. For this auction, all of the proceeds will support Asociación Española contra el Cáncer, a Spanish cancer charity.

Sunset Parade, was inspired by the classical origins of Barbie and the sunsets on the beach where she first fell for Ken. Barbie, shines in a wide neck sheer top buttoned in the back, which allows you to peek at a blue and gold bikini bra, a nod to the legendary zebra striped swimsuit she in her debut. The layered styled full skirt is turquoise silk, knotted at the waist by a golden bow tie! A perfect touch reminiscent of a big hug from Ken. Sunset Parade Barbie's subtle makeup and nude color eyeshadow channel the golden sun. Isn't she a dream?

I hope you take a look and spread the word. Let's use our hobby to contribute to great causes. Well done Jose! Hope this Barbie brings lots of bids for your charity! Don't you just love her?!?

Dolly Tally 001: Tarina Tarantino by Designs by Robin Studio

2013-04-03T10:56:00.001-07:00

Tarina by Designs by Robin Studio, a photo by The Doll Cafe on Flickr.

Many of you know that the Steffie mold is my favorite mold. When the Tarina Tarantino Barbie came out in 2008 I was just floored by her beauty. This doll is an OOAK Tarina Tarantino I purchased at the 2010 Barbie Convention at the sales table of Designs by Robin Studio. I was immediately drawn to this doll. Shockingly I did not buy her right away. I think I came back later or the next day and was so happy she was still there. It was so funny because earlier that year I had purchased another OOAK Steffie doll (Barbie Basics, Collection 1.5, Model No 3.) from Robin on Ebay. Since that time I have bought many dolls from Robin and recommend her work. She is also on Ebay, Pinterest and Facebook. Check out her work and enjoy dolly number 001 in my Dolly Tally Project.

News: The Black Swan Company Q&A Hosted by Coleccionistas de Fashion dolls en Madrid

2013-04-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

Today Coleccionistas de Fashion Dolls en Madrid ("Coleccionistas") hosted a special online Q&A with Black Swan Company's Francesco Catalano.

Coleccionistas is an active doll community based in Madrid, Spain, who will be hosting the Madrid Doll Show this fall.

The Black Swan Company is an emerging OOAK doll based in Italy. You can also find their creations on their Ebay page. Please see their latest offerings.

This is the first OOAK Silkstone produced by The Black Swan Company is "White Swan Prima Ballerina." Isn't she amazing?

White Swan Prima Ballerina Silkstone OOAK Barbie

The Black Swan Company was named after their first OOAK doll "The Black Swan" which caused a sensation in the collector world. The company features beautiful styling with a focus on ballet, dance and fantasy.

Principal designer Francesco Catalano's focus stemmed from his love of music: "The inspiration about ballet and dance depends on my love for the music. I am a musician and I study piano and flute since I was 9 years old. I have been in the conservatory of music with flute and I got a degree. In the world I lived I had the chance to see opera and ballet and I fell in love with The Swan Lake, Cinderella, Emerald, Don Quixote and many others I had the chance to see. I [have] love[d] Barbie since [the age of ] 5 so I tried to mix my two biggest passion in my life. The Black Swan Company is the final result of who I am.

The doll making process is not easy! Francesco notes that, "In one year we were able to produce more than 50 dolls. 5 artists work about a week 8 hours at day to create one of our dolls." [This does not include those] who work for the boxes, printings and certificates. Sometimes a doll requires more time, like Evanora the Witch of East who required almost 20 days of work.

Francesco's favorite Barbie is Wind Rider, a true beauty and one of my faves! I encourage you to learn more about OOAK artists and support these artists. They are the ones who bring our favorite dolls to life in new and exciting ways! Don't forget to check out The Black Swan Company's Facebook page and follow this amazing OOAK doll company and their future creations.

News: The Doll Cafe Lives!

2013-04-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

LOL, no, I wasn't dead but you'd think I was. I'm shocked that my last post was April 28, 2012. It seems like this time of year my doll collecting passion is re-awakened. Well, maybe it's more of my my pre-Barbie Convention panic mode!

Convention this year will be held in New Orleans! Wow, that's so exciting. Being the homebody that I am, I have never traveled to that area of the country so I'm seeing the World with Barbie once again this year!! I'm excited to report that my daughter Steff will be joining me for the second year in a row. Her first Barbie Convention last year was a blast! Here is an amazing picture of the beautiful dolls we both received as gifts from our generous table hostess last year Jen M. Do you see some Steffies and Basics in there? Boy aren't we lucky!!??!!

I hope that you have been following our Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Flickr, or Instagram posts.
Did you know we also have a Tumbler? Just choose your favorite online platform and join us for the dolly fun. Also, be sure to check out our Facebook Group and the Model Muse and Steffie pages online.

For future blogging I will be tagging posts with useful titles with labels and will try to post daily (ok, you've heard that before). Most of our news will be posted on Facebook and Twitter so I will use this blog to feature pictures from our collection, doll news, and in a continuing attempt to count our dolls we will also be featuring a post on each doll in our collection so we can keep a handle on it all.

Thanks for all your support, comments and suggestions. Keep reading for more dolly centered fun.

-The Doll Cafe

See What Great Marketing Can Do . . .

2012-04-28T14:48:00.001-07:00

William and Catherine Royal Wedding Dolls: Behind the Scenes

I didn't have a strong opinion either way about this set. There are things I like and some other things that are so-so to me. I do love the Catherine doll. If I saw her loose on ebay I'd probably get her. Well, after seeing this new Barbie Collector vid there is something in me saying buy this set, buy this set! I love the closing scene the best but it's just too short. Would love to see some still pics of that scene. Let me know what you think.

Four Years Ago Today Barbie came to my house!

2012-04-16T13:35:00.003-07:00

On April 16, 2008 a film crew came to my home to film a personal interview with my daughter Stephanie and me for inclusion in the Barbie in a Christmas Carol DVD! I found out about this opportunity through a friend who was also a member of the Barbie Fan Club board. She said there is a post requesting mother and daughter collectors for a special project. I responded to the post and sent a picture of us and about a month later we heard from Mattel and Universal about the project. We had a conference call and they let us know they wanted to come to our house and interview us and then later invite us to the Mattel Design Center in El Segundo, California. Wow, we were so amazed! We spent the next several weeks cleaning up the house and setting up all our favorite Barbie in Stephanie's room. To this day I have never forgotten this fabulous experience. We visited the Mattel Design center on April 18, 2008. I still pinch myself today. I miss Sharon a lot and am happy to have met her and spent the day with her! A few years ago I found out this DVD was on You Tube. I hope you enjoy it.

My Tarina Obsession

2012-04-11T08:35:00.001-07:00

Tarina Tarantino in Kari Michell, a photo by The Doll Cafe on Flickr.

I hope you all had a fabulous Easter. Spring is finally here and warmer weather greets us. Actually it's raining here today but no matter. My Tarina is ready for spring fun in her Kari Michell dress. Please check my Flickr for my continuing month of Daily Tarina pics in the 2012 Dolly Daily. I took so many pics at the end of March that I decided to make a month dedicated to Tarina. As soon as I'm done posting this set of pics I have a new set ready for publication. Enjoy your dolly days ahead!

Mattel will Produce a Bald Barbie

2012-03-29T23:35:00.001-07:00

Tarina Tarantino Bald, a photo by The Doll Cafe on Flickr.

Mattel will indeed be producing the "Bald Barbie!" This statement appeared on their Facebook page on Tuesday!

Play is vital for children, especially during difficult times. We are pleased to share with our community that next year we will be producing a fashion doll, that will be a friend of Barbie, which will include wigs, hats, scarves and other fashion accessories to provide girls with a traditional fashion play experience. For those girls who choose, the wigs and head coverings can be interchanged or completely removed. We will work with our longstanding partner, the Children’s Hospital Association, to donate and distribute the dolls exclusively to children’s hospitals directly reaching girls who are most affected by hair loss. A limited number of dolls and monetary donations will also be made to CureSearch for Children’s Cancer and the National Alopecia Areata Foundation.

Through a thoughtful approach, we made the decision not to sell these dolls at retail stores, but rather get the dolls directly into the hands of children who can most benefit from the unique play experience, demonstrating Mattel’s ongoing commitment to encourage play as a respite for children in the hospital and to bring joy to children who need it most. We appreciate the conversation around this issue, and are interested to hear what you think!

Mattel is definitely doing the right thing, but don't worry if you won't be able to buy one. You can create your own by removing a Barbie's hair and using Mattel wigs that have been produced for other dolls. I purchased this Tarina Tarantino Barbie bald from someone who was going to re-root her. I like her this way. She also has wigs for when she'd like to sport a new look. Spa Retreat Silkstone is bald and the Fashion Queen Barbie and repro are bald. Be creative and have fun, that's always been what Barbie is about and I'm glad to hear that little girls going through hair loss will have a Barbie that looks like them.

Read more news here.

My Silkstone Day

2012-03-29T02:21:00.001-07:00

Silkstone in Yellow Dress, a photo by The Doll Cafe on Flickr.

Back in February I had the opportunity to visit Studio P.H. 8442 for an amazing time viewing the current collection of Silkstone Barbies in the display Portrait of a Hollywood Dressing Room. The display was set up and arranged by Robert Best. I took several pictures which you can see here. You can also click here to see other amazing Barbie pics and posts at Studio P.H. 8442's website.

Randall Craig Update

2012-03-27T00:00:00.000-07:00


Randall Craig and me at the 2011 Barbie Convention

I'm such a fan of Randall Craig Fashions! Over the years his collections have dressed my dolls so stylishly! I had the opportunity to finally meet Randall in Summer of 2011 at the Barbie Convention. He presented his Convention Collection of amazing light and airy fashions. He also had two exclusive poodles available for sale.

I just received an email where Randall reports that their website will be undergoing an update soon so look out for that. Also a new Randall Craig Ready to Wear collection will be out in the second quarter with four new fashions featuring "lovely fabric." Finally, Randall Craig will be having a sample sale featuring house samples, pre-production samples and possibly some prototypes. The sale will also take place in the second quarter. I will post as soon as I find out more details!

You can take a look at some of my Randall Craig pictures here and here.

Yes, Virginia, There Will Be a Hunger Games Barbie!

2012-03-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, the rumors are true! Mattel confirmed that there will be Katniss Barbie for sale soon! Bill Greening also confirmed the news on his Facebook page Friday. Hopefully that means that Bill G is the designer! The Reuters news release does not really give many details but I suspect the price point will be 29.99 to 34.99. Hopefully Katniss will come with her own face mold modeled after actress Jennifer Lawrence, but I am not getting my hopes up. The Tango mold might be a great choice but the Goddess or Kayla/Lea mold could also work as well for Katniss. Take a look at the various molds. What do you think? Either way, Katniss Barbie would be a good way to make use of a mold other than the Mackie or Generation Girl molds used for Bella from Twilight and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. The Hunger Games franchise looks like it will be worth millions. It's no wonder that Mattel decided that a Hunger Games Barbie would be part of the action. I have not read the books or seen the movie but if this is a Barbie doll that I like I would consider buying her. With the legions of Hunger Games fans this doll may be a big hit!

In other news, I ran across this article today and must admit I don't think I've ever heard about Charlotte Buettenback Johnson and her role in Barbie history. Enjoy!

The Doll Cafe Blog is Back

2012-03-25T06:43:00.000-07:00

Dear readers, I know it's been a while. I think about this blog every day and today is the day I finally return. You may be aware that The Doll Cafe Facebook page is very active, but if you don't like Facebook, I'll be posting here more regularly. It just seems that with our Twitter page, and the various Facebook groups I moderate, I have not made the time to post longer commentaries or pictures here on Blogger. Sometimes, links and those little bursts of news are just quicker to post.

If you are a Flickr fan, I've been posting at least a dolly pic a day in the the 2012 Dolly Daily so hopefully you have been able to access some of our postings other than the blog. I am considering posting the dolly daily here as well. It might be overload if you already read the Facebook page, but maybe if I have no time for news or commentary that might be a possibility. I've also been active in trying to keep up my collection at Barbie Collector. That's always a work in progress. LOL! I'm not sure I want to know how many Collector dolls I really own but there is a count there now that seems to be growing quite a bit! LOL!

I'm still as much of a Steffie addict as ever. Ever since Tokidoki, it's been a little quiet on the Steffie front, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of Steffie to keep me busy and happy. Please be sure to join our Steffie Facebook Group and check out the Steffie Wiki. It's a work in progress but there are several dedicated members who are keeping up the Wiki in grand style. It's in need of a little makeover but you can still check it out!

I will be attending the National Barbie Doll Convention again this year. I'm so happy that the location is just a short 45 minute drive from home. I will be sitting at a table that sounds like it is going to be a blast. My daughter Steffie is joining me for the first time this year as well as my dear friend Helen. The theme this year will be the Grand Tour which is fitting because our tablemates are coming from all over and as far as Australia! I think it will be amazing.

Before I go, I wanted to thank Ada from My Dolls for her help in adding some amazing graphics to our home page and our Facebook page. She is an amazing graphic designer and she works tirelessly on her website to bring you daily dolly news and pics. Please check out her page for the latest releases and dolly info. Thank you all for your comments and support. I hope The Doll Cafe brings new interesting news, pictures, info and more in 2012 and beyond.

Barbie Raises Money for Charity!

2011-12-08T22:57:00.001-08:00

Heavenly Trio of Barbie Angels & Display Case , a photo by The Doll Cafe on Flickr.

Now available at Charity Buzz are many OOAK Barbies and unique Barbie gift items being auctioned off for charity. This year brings another beautiful holiday Steffie. She is in the set Heavenly Trio of Barbie Angels. Other amazing OOAK Barbies include a stunning Hollywood beauty by Bill Greening. A cute Francie gift set and the celebrity dolls of Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry. Check out the OOAK Barbie Dream House. There are so many amazing details that it almost makes me want to customize my own Barbie house! Help out Project Angel Food and receive a beautiful one of a kind Barbie in return!

I Love My Nighty Brights Francie

2011-11-14T23:19:00.000-08:00

I love this new Francie! She is much more than I expected! Now I would really love to go back and get Check Please Francie but there are so many new dolls that I want! Here is one of my fave pics. Click to see more of the pics on my Flickr page!

Silkstone Francie Exclusive for Barbie Fan Club Members!

2011-10-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

"Francie, Check Please! by mood4mod, on Flickr"

Just as anticipated, Barbie Collector has announced the new Silkstone Francie! Her name is "Nighty Brights" and she features her nighty outfit and a cute yellow mod shift dress. Barbie Collector also announced some cute collectibles honoring Francie! Francie will be available on November 2 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific. Here is her page at Barbie Collector. If you would like her, it's not too late to join! I'm hoping this one will be more of a hit with collectors but as you know repros always bring up strong feelings for collectors. Mattel tries to please vintage collectors but sometimes the new interpretations are not exactly what the collectors hoped for. Recent comments about the repro Check Please Francie were mixed. Some collectors have noted that Francie's lips and eyes were too cartoon like! I think this is an interesting addition to the Silkstone line but I'm still a big fan of the classic looks and tailored outfits of the earlier Silkstone offerings. I think this Francie is a cutie who may end up on my list sooner or later! If you are a Barbie Fan Club member check out this exclusive content!

Barbie Collector: Hollywood Icons Sale at Gilt

2011-10-24T22:28:00.000-07:00

Don't think I blogged about the previous blog sale so I hope you see this in time! The last great sale at Gilt Groupe allowed me to buy the Russian Silkies I was seeking for just $50! This time they are having a Barbie Collector: Hollywood Icons sale featuring the Grace Kelly vinyl and Silkstone dolls, Elvis, Sinatra, Dynasty, Lucy and Ricky and more Barbies. If you haven't signed up use this link and you will be ready for the sale tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. Pacific time. You can get into the sale at 8:00 a.m. Pacific if you go to the Gilt Children's page and look for the Exclusive Sales tab. I already got my Sinatra and Elvis Barbies but maybe you can find one with your name on it!

Can you Believe the Tokidoki Barbie Firestorm?

2011-10-23T10:17:00.001-07:00

Tokidoki Barbie, a photo by ShellyS on Flickr.

Wow, who could predict that Miss Tokidoki Barbie would cause such a firestorm! I'm sure you've read the articles and may have even seen the news reports on CNN and other outlets. I loved this doll from the moment I saw her pictures from Toy Fair. There is no way this is a child's Barbie doll and I'm not buying into all the articles and new stories that the media has picked up on. Now that Barbie Collector announced on 10/21/11 that this Barbie is really sold out she seems to have gone up in price considerably! A few weeks ago I was able to meet the designer Simone Legno in Santa Monica, California. I hope you enjoy the pics!

Katrina Kaif Barbie Pics

2011-08-28T00:49:00.001-07:00

Katrina Kaif Barbie , a photo by The Doll Cafe on Flickr.

I finally had the chance to take some pics of the Katrina Kaif I Can Be Barbie. As Barbies go she is a regular playline belly button Barbie with the Lara/Drew face mold. Her accessories include a female Oscar and a gold purse with matching gold jewelry that's a little nicer than most recent playline dolls. It's too bad that playline dolls no longer feature this face mold. The face mold gives her more of a collector doll look. I was hoping the doll would look more like the prototype that I posted about in my last post but this doll is very beautiful and she could easily be rebodied to a model muse body as the skin tone is the usual Barbie tan color that a lot of MM bodies come with!

Barbie goes Bollywood with the Katrina Kaif Barbie Doll

2011-08-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

I have heard a lot about Katrina Kaif and her upcoming Barbie doll but I don't know much more about Katrina apart from the fact that she is an actress born in England who became a big Bollywood star! I remember reading about the doll last fall and there were even prototype pictures available. As you can see from the pics, the prototype is wearing an outfit similar to an outfit that Katrina Kaif modeled for Barbie's 50th Anniversary. The doll was also a Model Muse doll. It looks like Katrina Barbie went through some changes for the final product. Now you can own her Barbie doll from the I Can Be series. Barbie I Can Be a Movie Star, Katrina Kaif features the Barbie I Can Be a Movie Star packaging that is similar to the US Version. Katrina Barbie also holds a female gold "Oscar" in her hand. I was able to obtain one of these dolls from a friend in India. I will post some pictures in my next blog post.

Barbie hits the red carpet in first UK TV campaign

2011-08-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Barbie is a star, but I'm shocked to learn that this is her first UK TV campaign. According to Adpraisal, ad agency Ogivily has created two adverts aimed to strengthen and build Barbie’s relationship with 4-9 year old girls. I hope the stores are well stocked with Barbie items for our UK Barbie fans. May this be the beginning of a nice successful campaign. Since Barbie is heading off on her Grand Tour for Barbie Convention in 2012, maybe the UK decided to get in on the fun. This looks kind of like a teaser since I doubt these Barbies will ever actually be produced. Look at the Ken. He seems to be the glamorous Ken staring in ads this year. Barbie looks like she is wearing a dress based on the Heidi Klum Barbie dress. The Barbie also looks like a glammed up Fashionista Barbie. Hopefully the UK will see increased interest and sales for our favorite girl in their future!

Barbie Basics 2.1 or 2.5?

2011-08-12T00:16:00.001-07:00

Barbie basics, a photo by Jesús_Doll Addict on Flickr.

The Metallic Basics are now available! We've seen several pics of them on ebay mostly from a foreign seller. These boxes are labeled 2.1! Today, Barbie Collector placed the collection for sale in their shop, for the nice price of $19.99 I might add, and listed them as 2.5. Well, 2.1 or 2.5 take a look at this Flickr stream with some great pics of two out of the three new Barbie Basics! Wow! What do you think of the body? Is it what you expected? I ordered my dolls today and ordered two of each of these dolls. I want one on the pivotal body and one on MM. I am waiting to get a second of Model No. 8 because I'm not sure if her skin tone will match any MM bodies I have. I know, I'm strange. LOL!

I saved a lot of money because of the sale that Barbie Collector currently has going. I hope my dolls arrive soon!

Enjoy!

2011 Barbie Convention Report Part 2

2011-08-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

Check out this great video that convention goers at the 2011 convention were treated to promoting the 2012 Barbie Convention The Grand Tour. Credit goes to co-chair Rocky! It is beautifully produced and I think you will enjoy it. It brought me back to the fun times of 2011's convention! After seeing this, I'm super excited for 2012!

2011 Barbie Convention Report Part 1 of . . .

2011-08-07T12:37:00.001-07:00

Barbie Basics 3.0, a photo by The Doll Cafe on Flickr.

It has been an exhausting couple of weeks. I was preparing for, attending and recovering from the 2012 National Barbie Doll Collector's Convention in Ft. Lauderdale Florida! The convention was amazing! So many things to see and do! Please see my Flickr set for the pictures I took of the Barbie Basics 3.0 and the two accessory packs that will be available. These dolls were available for viewing at the Barbie Fan Club event on Friday July 29, 2011. BC Shannon was hosting this table display. Sadly, it has been reported that this collection will be the last in the set of Barbie Basics.

Halloween Haunt Coming This Fall

2011-07-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

Here is a doll I am excited about. I like the vintage look with the modern styling. She is much cuter than the upcoming Dracula Mackie doll. I cannot post pictures but if you are a Barbie Fan Club member you can take a look at the recent sneaks. This cutie is much more up my ally. What do you think? She is a Bill Greening Barbie.

Halloween Haunt Barbie

I hope her production issue is similar to the prototype shown here. I think she would look great paired with the vintage Bewitched Barbie. I missed out on this one but there is always ebay!

Great Couples: 50th Anniversary Barbie and Basics Ken

2011-07-13T22:57:00.001-07:00

50th Anniversary Barbie and Basics Ken, a photo by The Doll Cafe on Flickr.

Welcome to the first pic in my Great Couples series. 50th Anniversary Barbie is so glamorous even in Model No. 3's black sleeveless T.