Brandy as Barbie

I passed by a thrift shop last Saturday (May 22nd) while I was on my way to a store where I buy our supplies for our souvenir business. Since I was not really in a hurry, I asked M.A. (my boyfriend) if we can just look around and see if there's something interesting.

I was not disappointed as I found a boxed Brandy Barbie. I grabbed it and held on to it while roaming around the shop. It was the only interesting item I saw, but was worth it. It was priced about $9 but I only got it for $7. It's surely a bargain!

The doll is mint, but box is already smashed so I will have to take it out of its "bondage". She will be joining Raven-Symoné of 'That's So Raven'.

Summer Heat on Anne Geddes

The summer heat is excruciating! I just don't know how else to define the weather, that even the aircon can't totally make the room cooler during daytime. What's more is the consequence of paying so much for the electricity. As in TOO MUCH!

It's been hot for several months now, and it gets hotter everyday. This is a cause for me to worry about my toys as most of them are stored in the attic that despite the insulator in the roof, the sun's ray seems to find its way in. I have been checking my toys every now and then, making sure that they haven't "melted" yet.

Unfortunately, my Anne Geddes dolls gave in. It's not that they melted, but the heat definitely affected their eyes. 5 out of 7 dolls have lost their pupils, appearing as if they are blind. I guess the materials used for their eyes are sensitive to heat. Good thing one of them has its eyes shut so it's not affected.

They are still beautiful, despite that. They will remain cute and cuddly.

American Doll MC

I was ecstatic when I got my American Girl doll in the mail yesterday. I saw her in our local ebay and did not let my chance pass in owning her for less than $10! Her dress is also an AG authentic. I definitely had a great deal!

She's Felicity, if I am not mistaken. She's my first full-sized AG, as I bought a mini Josefina just a couple of weeks ago.

The picture shows you her state when she's delivered to me, but I will definitely be doing something about her, as I did with my other pre-owned Barbie dolls.

I spent my time watching on YouTube tips and ways in restoring and cleaning up AG dolls last night. I also browsed through ebay items that I can buy for her, like additional clothes, wigs, etc. I slept 4:00 AM. I would like to be careful in restoring her, or at least bringing her back to an acceptable state.

Will post her "after" picture once I am done.

Oh by the way, I am calling her MC.

Test Shoot

I am not a photographer, nor I am practicing professional photography.

May 11, 2010. I had to go out of town and I knew that I had to bring along my dynamite girls with me. I am always browsing Flickr to look at doll pictures taken by the members and I am always amazed on how creative they are in terms of taking pictures of their dolls, given all the backdrops and props.

I would often conduct photo shoots for my dolls, but I always do that inside the house, with our painted walls as their background. I place them in doll stands and just make them stand up as I click the camera. No poses, no attitudes, whatsoever.

Taking the pictures you see in this blog is my first time to be shooting them outdoor, minding their background and poses. Hope I somehow did a good job taking their photographs. This will definitely not be the last time.

By the way, my models are Electro Pop Susie and Boogie Beach Gavin. I used Sony Handycam HDR-TG5.

Thoughts On Me Collecting

I am 30. I started collecting toys when I got my first job, which was in 2001. I was 21.

I really do not have specific toys that I am collecting. I get whatever catches my attention. Although at this time, my collection is vastly composed of Barbies and other dolls.

I started with the electronic toys from Hasbro --- Chirpy-Chi, Meow-Chi and Poo-Chi. They were followed by 3 Shelby(s), also from the same company. Then one day at the department store, I saw this Barbie doll on sale. She was the only one left of her "kind" so I got her, not knowing that she would be the start of my sort-of-addiction to dolls.

Since then, I would always scout for dolls on sale. Whether it's Barbie, porcelain or baby/toddler dolls.

The nature of my jobs prevented me in tracking my toys well. Years and years of buying is now giving me storage challenges, that lately I've started giving some of them to my cousins and others were sold online.

Toy and doll collecting is not a cheap hobby. Oftentimes, I would spend most of my salary in buying my toys and I would end up in immediately looking forward to the next payday. But the toys give me relief from the ever-challenging world.

At this point, I am checking them out one by one from the attic and try to take their photographs and upload it in an online photo site. I've been doing that for several months now.

Oh well, sooner or later I know that my effort will pay off and I am looking forward to the day when they are all accounted for and that they are already placed in a room specifically built for them to be displayed. Soon!

Introduction

You may call me Pastel. I am not a huge fan of blogging. I am just not comfortable announcing my personal activities to everyone. I don't have a twitter account, and I only use Facebook to play games and sometimes get in touch with old friends. I enjoy my time alone or spending it only with people I choose to be with.

I am a toy collector. This is basically why I set up this blog site: to share my thoughts and ideas pertaining to my hobby.

I may, however, write ideas that are beyond my collection. Maybe some personal stuff as well. But I still prefer to keep my anonymity as who I really am.

This I hope will be a start of another journey not just as a collector, but as a person as well. Write on!