Monday, December 30, 2019
REVIEW: LOL OMG Alt Grrl
I got my Alt Grrl from Amazon today! She's part of LOL OMG Series 2. We're back to the original box designs, not the fancy ones from Winter Disco.
Alt cost me $26.99 on Amazon. She is currently available to purchase and will be in stock on January 4th.
I'm not going to go through the entire deboxing process, as you've seen it all before, so let's see what's inside.
Two garment bags.
Magazine.
Black purse.
Silver brush.
Yellow shoebox and silver hatbox.
Black stand.
And here she is!
I pretty much fell in love with her when I saw her face. Her makeup is gorgeous.
Her hair is mostly yellow with black streaks. It looks much darker, kinda muddy, in the promo photos, so this is a big improvement.
Her skintone is the same as Downtown BB's.
She has a smokey eye that surrounds most of her eyes.
Her lipstick is kind of a dark raspberry pink.
The garment bags contain a little white jacket and a black vinyl dress with real chain straps.
Back of the jacket.
The dress is a bit tight to get on and the straps aren't the easiest to get on her shoulders, but it all worked in the end.
I do like the jacket, but I think it covers the outfit too much, so I'm leaving it off.
The hatbox contained sunglasses, a necklace, a bracelet, and earrings.
I love how they did the earrings. They make it look like she has way more piercings.
Each earring is different.
These glasses are super cute and I love how quizzical she looks with them on, but they're not part of the overall look I prefer.
This is how I'm displaying her, leaving off the jacket and glasses.
The shoes are cute black heels. The base material is a translucent brown with the black painted over the top and then the additional painted details.
The shoe mold is the same as Swag's.
These were not easy to get on the doll. I had to really push her foot hard, basically pressing the doll down into the shoe, which was stood on the counter. I couldn't do it with just the force of my hands alone.
In my opinion, this girl brings little to mind of her sister, Grunge Girl. The glasses are the most similar thing, and the white, yellow and black color scheme, but Alt hardly has any of Grunge's light pink.
So while the connection between sisters is thin, I think Alt is a better doll for it. I love the dominantly yellow hair.
She might just be my favorite so far. Dollie is the only one I like either as much or almost as much.
PHOTO CREDITS: Mine.
Sunday, December 29, 2019
NEWS: Glitter Girls 2020
https://www.battatco.com/catalogs/2020/Glitter_Girls_Catalogue_2020.pdf
So the above is a link to the 2020 Glitter Girls catalog. I'm going to dissect it page by page, because I'm weird like that. I am not going to crop a bunch of pictures from it for this post, because that's simply too much to do, so if you like the dolls, you'll just have to open the PDF and follow along.
The current state of the line is kind of a mess. I've talked about this before. The first two waves of dolls came out fine, but the third wave had 2 dolls with an extremely limited release and 4 that don't seem to exist and the fourth wave had 3 dolls come out on Amazon and 3 that don't seem to exist. What will happen with the fifth wave? Who knows?
Let's dig into this catalog.
PAGES 6-7:
Doll #1: Maren (Wave 5)
This pale blonde, blue-eyed chef is from the upcoming fifth wave. She looks a lot like other characters, like Chrissy from Wave 3 (Doll #6 on the same pages) and the unnamed blue-eyed, ponytailed blonde from Wave 4. She looks like she might have the pale skintone? She's cute, but not wowzers. The chef outfit is kinda neat, but also immediately brings to mind Chrissy, who's also got an apron and "works" in food service at the Sweet Shop.
Doll #2: Emilia (Wave 4, currently available on Amazon)
Doll #3: Floe (Wave 5)
Floe is pretty. Honestly, she looks like Wave 2's Lacy but with bangs, but there's something cute enough about her that I don't even care. I like the weird cowgirl outfit.
Doll #4: Sashka (Wave 3)
Sashka is one of the two incredibly hard to find Wave 3 dolls that got a very limited release.
Doll #5: Amy Lu (Wave 2)
Doll #6: Chrissy (Wave 3)
Chrissy is on the back of my Bobbi's box, so she's definitely part of Wave 3, but I've seen no proof that she actually exists, although she seems closer to existence than the other 3 dolls from Wave 3, who don't even have names.
PAGES 8-9:
Doll #1: Lacy (Wave 2)
Doll #2: Elula (Wave 1)
Doll #3: Fifer (Wave 1)
Doll #4: Charlie (Wave 4, currently available on Amazon)
Doll #5: Eline (Wave 2)
Doll #6: Bobbi (Wave 3)
Bobbi is like Sashka. Wave 3 and very, very, super limited release.
PAGES: 10-11:
Doll #1: Stivie (Wave 5)
One of the upcoming girls. Stivie...who in the world does these names? Some of them are fine, but why not just do Stevie, which is likely how this is pronounced? Weird. Stivie brings to mind both Eline and Charlie, our existing freckled redheads, even though Stivie looks like a brunette. She looks a little like Ariadne, one of the Wave 3 unproduced girls, although she has brown eyes. (I really want her to exist! Argh.) The fast food worker theme is actually pretty cute.
Doll #2: Candice (Wave 2)
Doll #3: Hallie (Wave 5)
Hallie looks almost exactly like Stivie, except she does seem to be a redhead. The eyes might be the same color or maybe a teeny bit different? They sure love these green eyes right now. I lean slightly more toward Stivie, since with her red hair, Hallie looks more like a green-eyed Eline than Stivie does. Cute outfit though.
Doll #4: Poppy (Wave 1)
Doll #5: Bluebell (Wave 1)
Doll #6: Odessa (Wave 4, currently available on Amazon)
Doll #7: Keltie (Wave 1)
PAGES 12-13:
Doll #1: Sarinia (Wave 1)
Doll #2: Kani (Wave 2)
Doll #3: Nelly (Wave 2)
Doll #4: Jana and Cuddles (Wave 5)
These seem to be doll plus dog sets. Jana is pretty cute and manages to look different than both Keltie and Odessa, although I wish she had a bob, because that would have helped differentiate her even more.
Doll #5: Tavi and Nougat (Wave 5)
I can't tell if she's more strawberry blonde or a full-on light red (yes, they're different to me). I like her though.
PAGES 14-15:
I like to try to ID which doll is modeling which outfit, so now that we're out of the doll pages, that's mostly what you're going to see.
L-R: Amy Lu with her hair up, Odessa, Eline, Bluebell, Lacy, Tippi.
PAGES 16-17:
I'll mark an outfit as "new" if it isn't currently out on Amazon.
Outfit #1: Elula
Outfit #2 (new): Eline
Outfit #3 (new): Eline
Outfit #4 (new): Chrissy
Outfit #5 (new): Ariadne
PAGES 18-19:
Outfit #1: Candice
Outfit #2: Fifer
Outfit #3: Eline
Outfit #4: Lacy
PAGES 20-21:
Outfit #1: Poppy
Outfit #2: Nelly
Outfit #3: Sarinia
Outfit #4: Kani
Outfit #5: Eline
PAGES 22-23:
Outfit #1: Ariadne
Outfit #2 (new): Charlie with different hair.
Outfit #3: Elaithea. This outfit is currently on Amazon and the Glitter Girls website and that is the name shown for the model. She is one of the Wave 3 mystery girls! So at least she finally has a name. It's a cool name, too. I wish she'd been made.
Outfit #4: Tippi. Same as with Elaithea, I only just learned that this (unproduced?) Wave 4 doll's name is Tippi.
Outfit #5: Sarinia
PAGES 24-25:
Outfit #1: Dayle. As with Elaithea and Tippi, here's another mystery solved! Dayle is one of the Wave 4 girls.
Outfit #2: Sashka
Outfit #3 (new): Stivie
Outfit #4: Keltie
Outfit #5: Elula
PAGES 26-27:
Outfit #1: Poppy
Outfit #2: Kani
Outfit #3: Amy Lu
Outfit #4: Elula
Outfit #5: Keltie
PAGES 28-29:
Outfit #1: Amy Lu
Outfit #2: Kani
Outfit #3: Bluebell
From here on out, I'm only going to note if there's a new or unproduced doll in the photos. I don't care enough about the playsets to keep track of what's new. I'm lazy. Sorry.
PAGE 32:
This stable set looks new and the doll pictured seems to be Dayle.
PAGE 37:
The Pop-Pup Shop is new. The dolls are Tippi and Bobbi.
PAGE 38:
The dogs are how I finally learned Ariadne's name! Gah, I wish she existed. Ariadne was my chosen name in Ancient Greek language class in undergrad.
PAGE 42:
The dark-skinned girl is a new mystery! She has lighter eyes than Keltie and she has freckles!
PAGE 51:
And here she is again.
PAGE 64:
There's another angle on Floe.
PAGES 66-67:
More Jana and Tavi.
PAGE 73:
Another shot of Stivie.
And that wraps it up!
Well, I'm glad I did this. I either hadn't noticed those mystery girls' names before or they changed, so now we have only a few mysteries left.
We know now that Wave 3 is Bobbi, Sashka, Chrissy, Ariadne and Elaithea. The dark-skinned girl remains unknown. The GG website calls her Keltie, but she's not Keltie. She actually has Candice's really dark blue eyes.
Wave 4 is Charlie, Odessa and Emilia plus Tippi and Dayle. The tan girl with hazel eyes and black or very, very dark brown hair remains our mystery here.
And we have a new mystery with the freckled dark-skinned girl.
Ah, Glitter Girls. Please stop showing cute stuff you don't actually make!
So the above is a link to the 2020 Glitter Girls catalog. I'm going to dissect it page by page, because I'm weird like that. I am not going to crop a bunch of pictures from it for this post, because that's simply too much to do, so if you like the dolls, you'll just have to open the PDF and follow along.
The current state of the line is kind of a mess. I've talked about this before. The first two waves of dolls came out fine, but the third wave had 2 dolls with an extremely limited release and 4 that don't seem to exist and the fourth wave had 3 dolls come out on Amazon and 3 that don't seem to exist. What will happen with the fifth wave? Who knows?
Let's dig into this catalog.
PAGES 6-7:
Doll #1: Maren (Wave 5)
This pale blonde, blue-eyed chef is from the upcoming fifth wave. She looks a lot like other characters, like Chrissy from Wave 3 (Doll #6 on the same pages) and the unnamed blue-eyed, ponytailed blonde from Wave 4. She looks like she might have the pale skintone? She's cute, but not wowzers. The chef outfit is kinda neat, but also immediately brings to mind Chrissy, who's also got an apron and "works" in food service at the Sweet Shop.
Doll #2: Emilia (Wave 4, currently available on Amazon)
Doll #3: Floe (Wave 5)
Floe is pretty. Honestly, she looks like Wave 2's Lacy but with bangs, but there's something cute enough about her that I don't even care. I like the weird cowgirl outfit.
Doll #4: Sashka (Wave 3)
Sashka is one of the two incredibly hard to find Wave 3 dolls that got a very limited release.
Doll #5: Amy Lu (Wave 2)
Doll #6: Chrissy (Wave 3)
Chrissy is on the back of my Bobbi's box, so she's definitely part of Wave 3, but I've seen no proof that she actually exists, although she seems closer to existence than the other 3 dolls from Wave 3, who don't even have names.
PAGES 8-9:
Doll #1: Lacy (Wave 2)
Doll #2: Elula (Wave 1)
Doll #3: Fifer (Wave 1)
Doll #4: Charlie (Wave 4, currently available on Amazon)
Doll #5: Eline (Wave 2)
Doll #6: Bobbi (Wave 3)
Bobbi is like Sashka. Wave 3 and very, very, super limited release.
PAGES: 10-11:
Doll #1: Stivie (Wave 5)
One of the upcoming girls. Stivie...who in the world does these names? Some of them are fine, but why not just do Stevie, which is likely how this is pronounced? Weird. Stivie brings to mind both Eline and Charlie, our existing freckled redheads, even though Stivie looks like a brunette. She looks a little like Ariadne, one of the Wave 3 unproduced girls, although she has brown eyes. (I really want her to exist! Argh.) The fast food worker theme is actually pretty cute.
Doll #2: Candice (Wave 2)
Doll #3: Hallie (Wave 5)
Hallie looks almost exactly like Stivie, except she does seem to be a redhead. The eyes might be the same color or maybe a teeny bit different? They sure love these green eyes right now. I lean slightly more toward Stivie, since with her red hair, Hallie looks more like a green-eyed Eline than Stivie does. Cute outfit though.
Doll #4: Poppy (Wave 1)
Doll #5: Bluebell (Wave 1)
Doll #6: Odessa (Wave 4, currently available on Amazon)
Doll #7: Keltie (Wave 1)
PAGES 12-13:
Doll #1: Sarinia (Wave 1)
Doll #2: Kani (Wave 2)
Doll #3: Nelly (Wave 2)
Doll #4: Jana and Cuddles (Wave 5)
These seem to be doll plus dog sets. Jana is pretty cute and manages to look different than both Keltie and Odessa, although I wish she had a bob, because that would have helped differentiate her even more.
Doll #5: Tavi and Nougat (Wave 5)
I can't tell if she's more strawberry blonde or a full-on light red (yes, they're different to me). I like her though.
PAGES 14-15:
I like to try to ID which doll is modeling which outfit, so now that we're out of the doll pages, that's mostly what you're going to see.
L-R: Amy Lu with her hair up, Odessa, Eline, Bluebell, Lacy, Tippi.
PAGES 16-17:
I'll mark an outfit as "new" if it isn't currently out on Amazon.
Outfit #1: Elula
Outfit #2 (new): Eline
Outfit #3 (new): Eline
Outfit #4 (new): Chrissy
Outfit #5 (new): Ariadne
PAGES 18-19:
Outfit #1: Candice
Outfit #2: Fifer
Outfit #3: Eline
Outfit #4: Lacy
PAGES 20-21:
Outfit #1: Poppy
Outfit #2: Nelly
Outfit #3: Sarinia
Outfit #4: Kani
Outfit #5: Eline
PAGES 22-23:
Outfit #1: Ariadne
Outfit #2 (new): Charlie with different hair.
Outfit #3: Elaithea. This outfit is currently on Amazon and the Glitter Girls website and that is the name shown for the model. She is one of the Wave 3 mystery girls! So at least she finally has a name. It's a cool name, too. I wish she'd been made.
Outfit #4: Tippi. Same as with Elaithea, I only just learned that this (unproduced?) Wave 4 doll's name is Tippi.
Outfit #5: Sarinia
PAGES 24-25:
Outfit #1: Dayle. As with Elaithea and Tippi, here's another mystery solved! Dayle is one of the Wave 4 girls.
Outfit #2: Sashka
Outfit #3 (new): Stivie
Outfit #4: Keltie
Outfit #5: Elula
PAGES 26-27:
Outfit #1: Poppy
Outfit #2: Kani
Outfit #3: Amy Lu
Outfit #4: Elula
Outfit #5: Keltie
PAGES 28-29:
Outfit #1: Amy Lu
Outfit #2: Kani
Outfit #3: Bluebell
From here on out, I'm only going to note if there's a new or unproduced doll in the photos. I don't care enough about the playsets to keep track of what's new. I'm lazy. Sorry.
PAGE 32:
This stable set looks new and the doll pictured seems to be Dayle.
PAGE 37:
The Pop-Pup Shop is new. The dolls are Tippi and Bobbi.
PAGE 38:
The dogs are how I finally learned Ariadne's name! Gah, I wish she existed. Ariadne was my chosen name in Ancient Greek language class in undergrad.
PAGE 42:
The dark-skinned girl is a new mystery! She has lighter eyes than Keltie and she has freckles!
PAGE 51:
And here she is again.
PAGE 64:
There's another angle on Floe.
PAGES 66-67:
More Jana and Tavi.
PAGE 73:
Another shot of Stivie.
And that wraps it up!
Well, I'm glad I did this. I either hadn't noticed those mystery girls' names before or they changed, so now we have only a few mysteries left.
We know now that Wave 3 is Bobbi, Sashka, Chrissy, Ariadne and Elaithea. The dark-skinned girl remains unknown. The GG website calls her Keltie, but she's not Keltie. She actually has Candice's really dark blue eyes.
Wave 4 is Charlie, Odessa and Emilia plus Tippi and Dayle. The tan girl with hazel eyes and black or very, very dark brown hair remains our mystery here.
And we have a new mystery with the freckled dark-skinned girl.
Ah, Glitter Girls. Please stop showing cute stuff you don't actually make!
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
TOP CHARLIE BEARS OF 2019
I did one of these a few months ago, covering my Top Ten purchases from my first few years of CB collecting. Well, 2019 has been my most purchases by far and likely my most ever. I'm going to be cutting back next year. Or trying to anyway! I do love these bears.
So this is a list of my favorite purchases in order of arrival, not in order of preference.
Shani was a bear that had to grow on me. I loved her name right away, because it reminds me of a book character, but it took quite awhile to want the bear, who's from the 2017 collection. By the time I wanted one, she was nowhere to be found, but I got lucky and one of my stockists got some in. She's a big, lovely girl and she's the queen of my gray bears.
Little Toadstool was a must have from the 2019 collection. He's like a little elfy bear. I love his hat, but just the green bear himself with his white-tipped fur was enough to make me want him. Pair the coloring with a darling little face and he's a winner.
Candice was another early arrival from the 2019 bears. I actually was more interested in her sister Cara when I saw the catalog, but it was Candice herself who would overshadow once I got her in person. I still love Cara, but Candice is definitely my favorite of the pair. She even got more attention than Toadstool when they arrived together (and also with Muffin).
This little guy! This was actually not my first choice of Splodges, but I fell for his one blue ear and he was still available when everyone else had chosen, so I got him, too. He came home first and he's been on my bed ever since. The other Splodge with more varied coloring sits on my shelf and I admit I ignore the poor guy in favor of this one.
This guy is one of my big loves from this year. He's actually 2018 collection, but it was a larger layaway, so I didn't get them home until March 2019.
Rum Baba is AMAZING. The main reason people love this bear is his fur. A lot of CBs use Tyber fur, which is incredibly soft, but mostly it's just on their limbs and faces. Rum uses it ALL OVER. And his is thicker than a lot of the other ones. So Rum is my go to comfort bear when I'm upset or not feeling well. He lives on my bed, so his feet are never too far away for me to grab. And his coloring is absolutely stunning.
Hakatan had the poor luck to be in the same shipment with Rum Baba. Haka was actually one of the ones from 2018 that I was most excited for, but he ended up completely overshadowed by Rum. Almost everyone in that order did. I recently started picking him up more though and he deserves a spot on this list.
As does my grumpy little Chillblaine, who suffered from the same misfortune. I owe him some hugs. I love that face!
Dandy was in the same shipment as Rum and the others, but he's the only one that held his own against Rum. It's a bit funny, because I pre-ordered him, but he was one I was not completely sold on. He's gorgeous, but he was also a bit expensive and I thought if I had to eliminate one, it would be him. But then I got to pick mine and I saw this one's sad face and just fell in love. I know I've talked about it before, but he reminds me of this sad lion sculpture in the Met that was my favorite piece in the museum.
Simone was another unexpected love. She was pretty, but not for me when I first saw her stock photo, but then owner photos made me want her. She's absolutely lovely in person.
I love Windypops so much that I worried he'd be delayed and the US wouldn't get him or something, so I ended up importing him. We did finally get him in, but I did not want to take that risk! He was one of my most wanted from this year's collection. He's just darling and really nice to cuddle.
I got this guy for a steal on ebay! Firework always hovered just off my want list, but for the good price, I had to have him and in person, he impressed me enough to make this list. He's a lot more cuddly than he looks in photos!
Cherry Pie is my little imp. His black tufts of fur on his head naturally move into two little horns. They're not quite as formed here, but they started doing it a day or so after I got him. I love red and brown together and he's fabulous. Simply fabulous. Lollipop seemed to be the one other people preferred, but I am all about Cherry.
This photo is incredibly dark, but Evermore is really a very dark blue. He was another older bear from my want list that I got a great ebay deal on! Even with importing, his price was really low.
The best Bearhouse creation ever when it comes to detail. I'd give Dringle the nod for being the cutest ever, but Congo is by far the most gorgeous. Every bit of him is just stunning. I'm looking forward to getting Fiddy, who's the one pre-order I still have left, and sitting them together. Big, muscley, gorgeous boy!
Snapdragon is one of two absolutely stunning dragons produced this year. She was the very limited, club members only mohair dragon. She's surprisingly soft and cuddly for a mohair! I did not expect that at all. And her detailing is simply exquisite.
Lush purple Errol is the same type of fur as Rum Baba. I have already said how much I want a bear that uses just this fur in just this color. Errol is a more recent arrival from only about a month ago, but he's already gotten a lot of cuddle time.
Grumbleweed is the other lovely new dragon. He's regular collection, so a lot more people were able to get him, but he's still selling out in a lot of places, as he is a limited edition, not an open one.
He's incredibly soft and cuddly! That mottled green fur is super soft. I knew he'd be a favorite, but he's even better in person than the promo pic.
Bryce possesses the same manipulative power as Jason. Only even moreso! There's something about those eyes that just draws me in. I've spent a lot of time with this bear, even though he's much bigger than the ones I usually go to for my repeated cuddles. He was never on my pre-order list, but then I saw people's pictures and I added him. I had to wait for others to choose first, but I somehow lucked out and ended up with my first choice after all! He's definitely one of my very top choices for the year.
Sausage is an older bear from 2012 that's been at the top of my want list for a couple years. A fellow collector told me one was on ebay and I was able to import him for a very fair price. He's a standing bear, so he's claimed a spot right beside my bed where I can reach down and pat him anytime. He's also more cuddly than my other standing bears, which is great.
Can't have Errol without having Flynn, too! This one is a gorgeous dark green.
So that's my list of 2019 bears. How many did we come to? 23? Not too bad! If I really had to narrow it down to ten, well, I just can't! It was too good a year. I fully admit I have splurged on bears this year. I'm considering it my recovery year from all the trauma of Hurricane Michael. Next year, I may dial back my collecting of everything more. I need to go through what I have and rehome some things as I finally work toward getting everything out on proper display again. But I'm sure I'll probably still get more bears than anything else!
So this is a list of my favorite purchases in order of arrival, not in order of preference.
Shani was a bear that had to grow on me. I loved her name right away, because it reminds me of a book character, but it took quite awhile to want the bear, who's from the 2017 collection. By the time I wanted one, she was nowhere to be found, but I got lucky and one of my stockists got some in. She's a big, lovely girl and she's the queen of my gray bears.
Little Toadstool was a must have from the 2019 collection. He's like a little elfy bear. I love his hat, but just the green bear himself with his white-tipped fur was enough to make me want him. Pair the coloring with a darling little face and he's a winner.
Candice was another early arrival from the 2019 bears. I actually was more interested in her sister Cara when I saw the catalog, but it was Candice herself who would overshadow once I got her in person. I still love Cara, but Candice is definitely my favorite of the pair. She even got more attention than Toadstool when they arrived together (and also with Muffin).
This little guy! This was actually not my first choice of Splodges, but I fell for his one blue ear and he was still available when everyone else had chosen, so I got him, too. He came home first and he's been on my bed ever since. The other Splodge with more varied coloring sits on my shelf and I admit I ignore the poor guy in favor of this one.
This guy is one of my big loves from this year. He's actually 2018 collection, but it was a larger layaway, so I didn't get them home until March 2019.
Rum Baba is AMAZING. The main reason people love this bear is his fur. A lot of CBs use Tyber fur, which is incredibly soft, but mostly it's just on their limbs and faces. Rum uses it ALL OVER. And his is thicker than a lot of the other ones. So Rum is my go to comfort bear when I'm upset or not feeling well. He lives on my bed, so his feet are never too far away for me to grab. And his coloring is absolutely stunning.
Hakatan had the poor luck to be in the same shipment with Rum Baba. Haka was actually one of the ones from 2018 that I was most excited for, but he ended up completely overshadowed by Rum. Almost everyone in that order did. I recently started picking him up more though and he deserves a spot on this list.
As does my grumpy little Chillblaine, who suffered from the same misfortune. I owe him some hugs. I love that face!
Dandy was in the same shipment as Rum and the others, but he's the only one that held his own against Rum. It's a bit funny, because I pre-ordered him, but he was one I was not completely sold on. He's gorgeous, but he was also a bit expensive and I thought if I had to eliminate one, it would be him. But then I got to pick mine and I saw this one's sad face and just fell in love. I know I've talked about it before, but he reminds me of this sad lion sculpture in the Met that was my favorite piece in the museum.
Simone was another unexpected love. She was pretty, but not for me when I first saw her stock photo, but then owner photos made me want her. She's absolutely lovely in person.
I love Windypops so much that I worried he'd be delayed and the US wouldn't get him or something, so I ended up importing him. We did finally get him in, but I did not want to take that risk! He was one of my most wanted from this year's collection. He's just darling and really nice to cuddle.
I got this guy for a steal on ebay! Firework always hovered just off my want list, but for the good price, I had to have him and in person, he impressed me enough to make this list. He's a lot more cuddly than he looks in photos!
Cherry Pie is my little imp. His black tufts of fur on his head naturally move into two little horns. They're not quite as formed here, but they started doing it a day or so after I got him. I love red and brown together and he's fabulous. Simply fabulous. Lollipop seemed to be the one other people preferred, but I am all about Cherry.
This photo is incredibly dark, but Evermore is really a very dark blue. He was another older bear from my want list that I got a great ebay deal on! Even with importing, his price was really low.
The best Bearhouse creation ever when it comes to detail. I'd give Dringle the nod for being the cutest ever, but Congo is by far the most gorgeous. Every bit of him is just stunning. I'm looking forward to getting Fiddy, who's the one pre-order I still have left, and sitting them together. Big, muscley, gorgeous boy!
Normally, I do profile shots for these things, but my best pictures of Jason are from the shelf. He is a master of The Eyes. He was not anywhere near my want list, but I saw him on the QVC show sitting on a shelf and immediately ordered him. He sold out before they were even done presenting him and the US still has not gotten him back. The UK only just got him.
See, he's so manipulative that he gets two photos.
He is not my usual type of bear at all. That would be something more like Rum or Cherry Pie. But there is something about his little face. Those freckles. The needy eyes. I found myself constantly scooping him up off the shelf to give him attention. Definitely one of my very top choices from 2019.
I can't have Dandy on the list without the delicate little Clock to go along with him. Clock was the one I originally wanted more, but now I love both about equally. He's a gorgeous silver lion.
Roman and Windypops were my two biggest wants from the 2019 catalog. Both ended up being a bit overshadowed by others, but they're still very high on my list.
I love Roman's bizarre hairy self. He's beautiful and tall and skinny, yet still cuddly.
Snapdragon is one of two absolutely stunning dragons produced this year. She was the very limited, club members only mohair dragon. She's surprisingly soft and cuddly for a mohair! I did not expect that at all. And her detailing is simply exquisite.
Lush purple Errol is the same type of fur as Rum Baba. I have already said how much I want a bear that uses just this fur in just this color. Errol is a more recent arrival from only about a month ago, but he's already gotten a lot of cuddle time.
Grumbleweed is the other lovely new dragon. He's regular collection, so a lot more people were able to get him, but he's still selling out in a lot of places, as he is a limited edition, not an open one.
He's incredibly soft and cuddly! That mottled green fur is super soft. I knew he'd be a favorite, but he's even better in person than the promo pic.
Bryce possesses the same manipulative power as Jason. Only even moreso! There's something about those eyes that just draws me in. I've spent a lot of time with this bear, even though he's much bigger than the ones I usually go to for my repeated cuddles. He was never on my pre-order list, but then I saw people's pictures and I added him. I had to wait for others to choose first, but I somehow lucked out and ended up with my first choice after all! He's definitely one of my very top choices for the year.
Sausage is an older bear from 2012 that's been at the top of my want list for a couple years. A fellow collector told me one was on ebay and I was able to import him for a very fair price. He's a standing bear, so he's claimed a spot right beside my bed where I can reach down and pat him anytime. He's also more cuddly than my other standing bears, which is great.
Can't have Errol without having Flynn, too! This one is a gorgeous dark green.
So that's my list of 2019 bears. How many did we come to? 23? Not too bad! If I really had to narrow it down to ten, well, I just can't! It was too good a year. I fully admit I have splurged on bears this year. I'm considering it my recovery year from all the trauma of Hurricane Michael. Next year, I may dial back my collecting of everything more. I need to go through what I have and rehome some things as I finally work toward getting everything out on proper display again. But I'm sure I'll probably still get more bears than anything else!
HAIRDORABLES RANKING #2: WILLOW
Here we are at the end for the second time!
1) Sleepin' Willow: Oh, man, is she ever cute! I was so happy to open her! Her hair is not curly in the checklist art, so it was a pleasant surprise and she looks absolutely adorable with it. I love her.
2) Willow Flower: Thankfully, this one was another departure from the art, because the art hair was not flattering one bit. The gentle expression works well for her and I love the flower petal skirt.
3 and 4) Fishtail Willow and Willow Waves: I could not choose between these two. Willow Waves was one of the earliest dolls I opened when Series 1 came out and she was my first favorite until I think Neila came along and nudged her (and everyone else) out of the way. And Fishtail Willow has amazing hair. I love that braid and the blend of colors. Both have really cute outfits, great hair, cute accessories. How can I choose?
5) Whimsical Willow: One of the most casual Willows, but I think one of the cutest. I love her three hair colors, the outfit, the unicorn toy. She's adorable.
6) Water Willow: I love how dorky cute this one is, but she's hampered by not being able to stand very well. Great idea, middling execution.
7) Poolside Willow: I want to like this one more than I actually do. Not really sure why she's this low. Maybe the simple outfit? It's a great design, but it's still basically a swimsuit.
8) Willow Wings: This was my last Series 1 that I needed. She's okay. Like she's plenty cute, but I think the other two Series 1s are much better.
9) Whirling Willow: Love the pouty face and the boots, but the dress is severely lacking. It's so boring! The wings are cuteish, but nothing we haven't seen before, and the hair is just okay.
HAIRDORABLES RANKING #2: SKYLAR
1) Touring Skylar: Gah, this doll is gorgeous. I love when they use darker colors on this type of toy, as opposed to a fashion doll where you see it more often. Everything is perfect about this girl except they chose the wrong hand type for her. I made her hold the fan like I wanted, but it was a struggle to be sure.
2) Sensational Skylar: This is another rare from Series 3 that I never expected to get, but I got lucky. I opened her on the same day as Late Night Noah even! She's a departure from the regular travel-themed Skylars and she's the better for it. Sometimes Skylar's themes work and sometimes not so much.
3) Sushi Skylar: Definitely an unexpected love. This one has the cutest little face and freckles. I think it's the same as with Rayne Shine. This face style looks really cute with long bangs. Her outfit isn't the best, which is what put her at #3 instead of #2, because her face is definitely cuter than Sensational's.
4) Sunnin' Skylar: This was one of only three I had left to track down after the hurricane. I bought her and Kali Curls from the same seller. This Skylar is beautiful! I love the other two from Series 1, but this one's a bit more glammed up. There's just something elegant about her.
5) Sky-Lites: I think people write off this doll, but I love her. It's the way her hair blends its colors that makes her so pretty. And she came with the best accessories.
6) Global Skylar: While I love the outfit on this girl, her hair was disappointing because the "bow" was so much bigger in the art! And her glasses are constantly a weird color instead of either red or gold.
7) Hair We Go Skylar: Pretty, but the passport is the best thing about this doll.
8) Street Style Skylar: While I do love the face on this girl and the purse is precious, the entire package doesn't do anything for me. She goes more little kid than lolita. Her hair quality is really lacking compared to the majority of this line, too.
HAIRDORABLES RANKING #2: SALLEE
1) Festival Sallee: I never thought a festival-themed doll would be my favorite Sallee, but she is. Pouty face, freckles, adorable hair and outfit. Even off the artsy theme, Sallee is still a star.
2) Art Z Sallee: The signature from Series 3 is so perfect! I love her sleek hair with its little braid across the back and her outfit is casual and practical yet adorable.
3) Savvy Sallee: This was a close one. I love both of these girls a lot. I love the glasses and boots and apron on this girl. She was my favorite Series 1 Sallee by far, but Art Z just nudges her into third place.
4) Starring Sallee: I love this one's expression. She's gazing up so cutely. I love the enormous headpieces, dress, shoes, hair. She's lovely.
5) Sallee Sketches: Ah, the adorable buns. I hope they do more with this hairstyle. It's so cute! The outfit is pretty basic and the hot pink boots kinda come out of nowhere, yet I love this girl.
6) Design By Sallee: This girl is gorgeous, too. I kept flip-flopping these two, but finally opted for this one in sixth place. It was the buns that beat her.
7) Slumber Sallee: This one was a little bit of a disappointment, because she has darling buns in an updo on the checklist, not the tiny buns with long, flowing hair the doll has. But her face and outfit are still cute and I love the big blue streak in front.
8) Simply Sallee: I feel bad putting this one so low! I love her a lot! Her hair is great and her outfit makes that rather unattractive shade of yellow look good.
9) Stylin' Sallee: By no means a doll I dislike in any way. She was my first Sallee and I was so thrilled to open her.
10) Stencil Sallee: Another rather lackluster doll from the Hairdudeables series. She's cute, but the others are just so much better.
HAIRDORABLES RANKING #2: RAYNE
1) Rayne Shine: Series 3 did wonders for Rayne, even moreso than DeeDee. Just like DeeDee, all three of Rayne's S3 dolls are in the top spots. Rayne Shine was one of three signature Series 3 dolls that did not come out with the first wave of releases. However, unlike Breakaway Brit and Techna Kali, Rayne Shine is nearly impossible to find. I paid more for her than any other Hairdorable, including my rares. But she is hands down my favorite Rayne and one of my big favorites overall that isn't a Neila. The new style face works really well with the long bangs and her colors are great.
2) Rayne Coat: She's the true sleeper hit of Series 3 Wave 1 for me, because I never expected to love a Rayne so much! But she's adorable. I love her outfit, her hair and how the boots look over the perma-red tights. I also love that she can hold her umbrella in one hand and kinda look like she's feeling to see if it's still raining with the other. But the best thing? She has FRECKLES.
3) Rayne Shimmer: Really cute with the pouty face! I love the hair and outfit, too.
4) Rayne Festival: A lot of the Raynes have kind of weird hair. This one definitely does. Her outfit is really cute though and I love the balloon animal on a leash accessory.
5) Roller Rayne: The cuter of the two offerings from Series 1. The curly pigtails really work for her, even though the helmet design both works and is kinda weird.
6) Rayne Bow: Possibly the most overexposed doll of Series 1. How many of her did I see? TOO MANY. It doesn't help that her hair is crappy and pretty dry.
7) Pineapple Rayne: I don't get this one. What do pineapples have to do with rainbows? How does this fit her theme? It seems like Skylar dressed her up. Her barrette fits like crap, too. She's kinda cute, don't get me wrong, but I just don't understand her design.
HAIRDORABLES RANKING #2: NOAH
1) Night Out Noah: This one came screaming in that she was the best and she is. Finally, Series 3 brings two dolls with new hair colors for their "face" character! I adore the shade of orange in her hair, the hairstyle, the face. And she's made even better by having an amazing dress, cute purse and great shoes. The best Noah by far!
2) OOTD Noah: She's basically Sk8r Noah (who's beside her) with a pouty face and slightly different braid placement in her hair. But she does have a superior outfit and that lovely pouty face. I love that lipcolor and the pout enhances it.
3) Sk8r Noah: Initially one of my most wanted from Series 1, she quickly suffered from overexposure, though not nearly as much as some others. I still love this doll.
4) Selfie Noah: I've got a soft spot for her for two reasons. One, she's one of the few who looks a little different. Two, several of the others have long wavy hair, some even with the same braid, and most of the remaining ones have braids. Selfie's one of only two with something a bit different. Her outfit isn't the best, but there's still something cute about it. And my second reason is that she's one of the last packages I got at my Florida address after the hurricane. She and another doll were supposed to be delivered the day before it hit, but they refused to bring them, despite bringing the mail. They finally showed up before we moved away.
5) InstaNoah: Another example of cuter art than doll. I love the touches of red, but that hat does not fit. And she has basically the same hair as Noah Knows, only with some bits a smidge darker, I think.
6) Late Night Noah: I was ready to skip this girl, because she's one of the rares for Series 3, but I got lucky and opened her. I like the purple in her hair, the cute buns and her face.
7) Naturally Noah: Another one with the same hair and a more boring outfit. Poor Noah. The cuter face puts her a little bit above On the Go though.
8) On the Go Noah: Sk8r Noah without the blonde. She even comes with a skateboard, too! Her outfit is superior, but I love the honey blonde, so I prefer Sk8r. I gave Singalong Harmony's glasses to mine and with those, she ranks way higher, but I don't count it because those aren't her glasses.
9) Noah Knows: One of the worst overexposure victims from Series 1. She's cute, but she's pretty basic and her sandals fall off a lot.
HAIRDORABLES RANKING #2: NEILA
1) Shine Bright Neila: I don't know if there will ever be another Hairdorable that I love more than this one. Although I've already seen another blue-lipped Neila from Series 4! The lips with their color in combination with the pouty mold works so well on her, and then top it off with great hair, a cute tiara, and the best outfit and shoes, and you've got the ultimate Neila.
2 and 3) Night Sky Neila and Starstruck Neila: Starstruck Neila was the original Neila package. Excellent space-themed outfit, cute antenna, telescope, great shoes, cute hair. But Night Sky, while completely failing in the outfit department, is somehow so completely adorable that I couldn't pick between these two. So they're #2 and #3 equally. Night Sky is the cuter face, but everything about Starstruck is perfect.
4) Night Owl Neila: This one was only the second close-lipped, regular skintone Neila after Night Sky. She's almost as cute. There's something about Night Sky's eye color that I prefer. Night Owl has a great outfit and hairstyle though. She's really so super close behind the other two.
5) Firefly Neila: Another complete package for Neila. Every bit of her is perfect.
6) Far Out Neila: I love this girl's new expression, but it's hidden behind her glasses, yet I also love her in the glasses.
7) Moonlit Neila: She looks super cute with short hair and I love the boots and purse, but the dress is what holds her back. It's a bit much.
8) Super Neila: Yep, the rare one is last. It's the skintone. It was a really cool idea and I love the overall effect, but one of my favorite things about Neila is her color palette and that includes her warm, pinkish-tan skintone.
HAIRDORABLES RANKING #2: KAT
1) Mountain Kat: This is THE Kat. She looks so cute with the pursed lips and freckles. I love her hair. I love the outfit. She was a really popular one and a bit harder to find, but she was worth the slight bit of overpaying I had to do to get her.
2) Wild Kat: This one was actually super close. I kept switching her and Kurly between second and third. The reason Wild Kat ended up winning out is her expression. I love how alive she looks and how happy and excited. I love her hairstyle, outfit, binoculars and especially her boots, too.
3) Kurly Kat: Hands down the best Kat from Series 1. I love her hair and every bit of her outfit. The retro thing was a bit unexpected for her, but it works very well.
4) KatTastic: I love this doll despite her looking way cuter in the art. The hairstyle with bangs really suits her well. The dress and headband are cute, but I wish they'd done the footwear another way. Those just don't look like socks. They should have been painted on with the little shoes separate.
5) Kool Kat: I had her in sixth initially, but ended up swapping her into fifth. There's just something really cute and innocent about her little face and adorable hairstyle. Even if the outfit makes her look way too young!
6) Kat Walk: I loved this doll when I opened her, but she got hit with the overexposure problem. I'm also not a big fan of the sneakers with socks with their giant pompoms. Once was fine, but on both of her dolls from the initial release? Meh. The rest of her outfit is cute though and I like her hair.
7) Kat Nap: This one is very cute and she has a sloth theme, so you'd think I'd like her better, but she's just a little too simple.
8) Kat N Dogs: Overexposure, don't like the footwear, don't like the visor, don't like the dress. She also suffers from quite rough hair. The Rayne with this same hairstyle has the same problem.
HAIRDORABLES RANKING #2: KALI
1) Kozy Kali: This Series 3 doll is by far my favorite of hers. Sure, it's not the most versatile outfit, but those panda PJs, ears, shoes and hairclip are adorable. I think she's the best standalone doll, too, even without the outfit, because I absolutely love her hair with all the tiny braids.
2) Kampin' Kali: Another one of those that looks just okay on the checklist, but great in person. She really rocks the pursed lip face and she has freckles! I hardly ever see her. I think she's one of the most underrated Series 3 dolls.
3) Magnetic Kali: She's not that far off from Kali Coder (in 5th place), but the closed-mouth smile I think is cuter on her, so that pulled her up this high. The shoes and dress are adorable, too, and the slightly different hairstyle from Kali Coder.
4) Keyboard Kali: A little bit younger-looking than the other Kalis, but she still works this look. Her purse is darling and I love this hairstyle on her.
5) Kali Coder: This might actually be my favorite overall outfit for her and the doll I think of when I hear "Hairdorables Kali." I think my problem is that I saw too many of her early on so she kind of wore out her welcome. She's still awesome though.
6) Techna Kali: I love the name on this one, but the doll is not my fave. Actually, I do like the doll herself. Kali looks really cute with this style face. But I'm not a fan of the outfit and her hairstyle is a bit weird.
7) Cutie Kali: The effin' socks with sandals. I HATE that. This is an otherwise cute doll, but she suffers from the aforementioned poor footwear as well as the same overexposure as Kali Coder.
8) Kali Curls: I don't hate this doll and she didn't have the overexposure problem. Her hair is actually super cute. But her outfit is dull and she has the same bad footwear as Cutie Kali only even worse because the socks are just giant white socks. I gave her Magnetic Kali's headphones, because I didn't want them to mess up her hair.
9) Game On Kali: Kind of an amusing name for this one, since she's last. I honestly can't tell you why I'm not a big fan. Maybe it's the facial decor or the excess of pink? I don't know. I do know I liked her more when I first got her, but she's since fallen.
HAIRDORABLES RANKING #2: HARMONY
1) Harmony Rocks: I don't think they'll ever make a Harmony that will top this one for me. I love the short tri-colored hair, the darker outfit and the huge boots. She's one of my top favorites from Series 1 overall.
2) Harmonic Harmony: I try to avoid the rares, but this one was a must have. The big curls, pink stockings (perma-colored legs, but still they work well), giant open boots, lovely dark blue dress with silver star print. She's got some Jem vibes going on, which she always kinda does because she has Pizzazz hair, but even moreso with this particular doll. I'm really lucky I got her for a very reasonable price on Amazon UK!
3) Acoustic Harmony: Her hair is way curlier than it looked on the checklist, but that's a big plus. I like the more dominant appearance of the green, the cute outfit, the awesome hairclip, and she works this new face very well.
4) Rock Out Harmony: I love the hair on this girl! The Operetta-style bangs, the long waves. I love her outfit, too, and her purse is one of the best of the entire line.
5) Goin' Gold Harmony: The braids really work for this particular doll. The giant boots are always a good look for her and she came with a music award in the shape of herself, so that's just a hilarious accessory. I love the spiked headphones/mic, too.
6) Singalong Harmony: This doll looked great in the art, but her outfit ended up extremely ill-fitting and the silver glasses ended up not silver at all. (They look cute on On the Go Noah though.) She does have an excellent hairstyle with the side braid and her sandals are gorgeous.
7) P'Jammin' Harmony: I thought I'd like this one better, but all the pieces don't quite add up for me. Her hair is a little rough, I'm not a fan of the outfit's color scheme, and she doesn't really work the pouty face very well.
8) Open Mic Harmony: Same doll as Harmony Rocks only in a not good outfit. The boots are adorable though and I do like the star headband.
9) Harmony Highlights: One of those dolls that suffered from being seen too much in the early days of release. She doesn't quite fit with the others. Her outfit is weird and doesn't look like something she'd wear and then the lumpy transparent shoes I don't understand. Neila could pull those off, but not Harmony. The clip-in pink highlight is cute, but slides out of her hair very easily. The keytar is her one redeeming quality.
HAIRDORABLES RANKING #2: DEEDEE
1) Sweet Dreams DeeDee: This doll unexpectedly slammed all the other DeeDees to the side. She's got an adorable face and outfit, but her main appeal is her perfect hair. I love the blend of colors and the swirl of bangs.
2) DeeDee Dots: This doll is one of the cutest with the new pouty face. I love her candy dots on the strip of paper outfit theme. The hair extension being attached to her headband is brilliant. Her shoes and purse are fabulous. She's just great.
3) Sugar Rush DeeDee: Series 3 was really a good one for DeeDee. Look, all three of her S3 dolls are in the top spots! This one has another excellent hairstyle and outfit.
4) DeeDeeSert: This is the doll from the Hairdudeables 2-pack. I love the brown as an addition to her array of haircolors. The outfit is one of her more over the top ones, but it somehow works better this time.
5 and 6 and 7) DeeDeeLicious, DeeDee Dorable and Sweet Treats DeeDee: These three Series 1 dolls are so close in ranking, I'm just sticking them all together. I love different aspects of each one. Licious is the most chef-looking and her hair is cute with the whisk accessory. Dorable's big curls are fun. Sweet Treats has the darling glasses and gummy bear barrette. I really like all three almost equally and my preference would shift from day to day, so let's just lump them together.
8) Cotton Candy DeeDee: Just barely squeaked ahead of last place. Just barely. Her hair is pretty, but not that different from DeeDee Dorable's and her outfit worked better in the art.
9) Delightful DeeDee: This one I actually think is a much cuter doll than Cotton Candy, but her mess of an outfit holds her back. There is not one piece of that outfit that I like.
HAIRDORABLES RANKING #2: BRIT
This one's going to be close to the first, since I only added one new doll. Brit has the Series 3 ultra rare, which I doubt I'll ever get.
1) Brit Braids: This is like the signature look for Brit for me. The braided hair and cute soccer uniform. She's simple, but she's the very essence of the character.
2) Boppin' Brit: Probably surprised to see one of the all-pink Brits in the second spot, but I love this doll. Brit doesn't always have the best color combinations, but this doll has one of her best outfits. I love the braids on the side of her head and she works the pouty face and fancier makeup quite well.
3) Bouncy Brit: This one is just cute. Not as feisty-looking as Brit Braids and I don't like her outfit as much, hence the third place.
4) Batter Up Brit: If this doll had the original red hair, she would have been in second place. I like the switch from soccer to baseball, but it's only on one doll. The braid is really nicely done. I just wish it wasn't all pink!
5) Breakaway Brit: This one and Batter Up are basically tied. I flip-flopped a lot on which one to stand where. Batter Up ended up with the slight edge, because she has the better outfit and very slightly better hair, although I do love Breakaway's hair a lot. But Breakaway has the cuter face.
6) Cheer Brit: Cute, but Brit is supposed to HAVE the cheerleaders, not BE one.
7) Brilliant Brit: Ugh, this poor thing is one of the worst dolls of the entire line. The ugly color combination, socks with sandals. She's a mess.
HAIRDORABLES RANKING #2: BELLA
Now that I finally have Series 3 complete, I thought I'd revisit my rankings! As before, there are no ultra rares included, but this time, they're the only ones missing.
So once again, we move left to right in the photo from favorite to least favorite. I'm also reposting my comments from the first time with some edits as necessary.
1) Bella of the Ball: This was a very easy choice, because this doll is gorgeous. She just got the best of everything: outfit, shoes, rose accessory (except the color).
2) Breakdance Bella: I remember opening her and just loving her. Her hair is super silky and the little outfit is cute. She and Freestylin' Bella are basically tied, but Breakdance got the slight edge with better details and the lime accents.
3) Freestylin' Bella: So close to second place! I love her hair in its very casual, practical style and her outfit for the same reasons. But the outfit is a teensy bit too casual. If the shirt or pants had a print, she might have made second place.
4) Bedtime Bella: Here's a new addition. I wasn't excited for this one at all, but Bella continues her power from Series 2 and this one is actually one of my faves from the slumber theme. The pursed lip face really works for her and I love her simple yet not too simple hairdo. She always looks cute with curly hair. And the bunny slippers are precious.
5) Royal Bella: I managed to get one of these after all! I didn't pay nearly as much for her as I expected I'd have to, so she ended up in my collection. I love the dark shoes especially and she's easily the best of the Series 1 Bellas.
6) Bejeweled Bella: I honestly thought I'd be putting this one higher, but she ended up sixth. I think the main problem is that Bella of the Ball does this same theme only better. It's pretty obvious from the photo that my favorite Bellas are not the ones that rely only on pink and purple. I prefer the hints of blue and green.
7) Bella Bunerina: Bella's Series 1 dolls look like toddlers. That's a big part of the reason I didn't like her. This one is slightly ahead of the other because I like the curly hair.
8) Bella Bows: I actually really like her legwarmers/shoes combo. It's cute and they should use the mold again. The rest of the doll is just a bit blah.