Wednesday, November 27, 2013

No More Articulation For Fashionistas?


My Target has the latest male Fashionistas in stock for $10.99 and when I first saw them I was like, "What in the holy crap is this?!" For a second I thought maybe it was just a regular playline version, like the beach dolls, but no, it said "Fashionista" on the side of the box.



Seriously, no articulation at all and the hair is molded?! And then I turn the box over and realize the entire line has no articulation. This some bull dookie. I thought the whole deal with being a Fashionista was their posabilty and runway fashions. Why would they take that away?

Meanwhile, Target also has Katniss and Peeta and they are AMAZING. I love her sculpt and his sculpt looks even better than the real actor (no offense). When the promo photos came out I decided I wanted the Finnick doll. However, having seen him in person at ToysRUs, he does not look as handsome as the promo pics so I'm in no rush to get him.





Even though I applaud whoever developed this Hunger Games line, the person that green lighted these stiff behind Fashionistas is a douche. Okay, the clothes are rather adorable, so I'll give them that, but no articulation?! Man, get outta here.


53 comments:

  1. Hello from Spain: I like the new Katniss. She has a very pretty face. In my country it is not on sale until next year. It's a pity that the new Kens has no articulable body, I just want to buy articulated bodies. Keep in touch

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    1. Marta, too bad you have such a long wait to be able to get the Katniss doll. She really is spectacular in person.

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  2. Mattel strikes again! I swear they have no idea what the hell their doing these days. The hunger games dolls are awsome to say the least but the new fashionestas are terrible. Well back to just collecting articulated figures for me.

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    1. William, sometimes I think that no one at Mattel is actually a doll collector. Just designers and executives making nonsense decisions.

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  3. A guy from a Barbie collectors group on Facebook time ago said that Mattel produced this Fashionistas line because articulations were dangerous for little girls hands. Again they forgot that they have also adult customers. I'll join the Mattel official Facebbok page only to insult them *evil mode*
    I got the Finnick doll from a dealer and he will be here soon. I own the first Katniss and I love her, so with a friend we will buy the new Katniss together, he keeps the head and I keep the body + outfit. Peeta will be released in Europe for Christmas, so I hope to put my paws on him too!

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    1. Wow. Ok...I get the possible pinching for little kids by the joints (really I don't) but the rooted hair is a danger too? Mattel be lying, lol.

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    2. Sergio that "dangerous for little girls hands" is a crap explanation if that's why they did it. Does that mean they are going to stop articulation on Monster dolls too? And like Tracy said, why mold the hair of the boys but not the girls? Little kids were eating the male's hair but not the females? Silly Mattel.

      I have the first Katniss too and will be getting this latest version when she goes down in price. Like way way down.

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  4. Bull dukie indeed Muff. When I saw the new "fashionistas Kens" I seriously though they were new Disney Princes or something. No articulation at all is horrific but the plastic hair sent me over the edge. I'm hoping Mattel has a good reason for this, like...they're going to start creating more collector Ken's using the Harley Davidson body. I'm sure it's wishful thinking but someone needs to answer to this catastrophe. The Catching Fire dolls are nice. I'm waiting for my shipment of Katniss and Peeta now and like you, I've decided to wait a minute for Finnick. It's strange that he looks more like David Hasselhoff than Finnick. He's still worth it but I'd rather have the blonde Texas A&M guy first.

    Good post.

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    1. LOL, Tracy I wouldn't go so far as to say he looks like a young Hasselhoff. He needs more bangs for that! But seriously he's just not as cute as the promo pics so I'll wait until he's rock bottom in pricing.

      Based on some of the comments below, the Fashionsta have been phased out and the line in my photos is now Barbie & Friends. I must be on crack but I swear the side of the Ken's boxes said "Fashionista" on it. I'm going to take another look next time I'm at that Target. But even so, let's say this is the last of the Fashionistas, why would you close out the line like that? Spin Master did the same thing when they announced no more Liv dolls. The last dolls they produced were only half articulated. Where's the appreciation to customers? What makes it even more maddening is that they finally have some adorable, non hoochie clothes on and then expect me to pay $10.99 to get them. Please.

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  5. I thought that fashionistas are closed, and now we have new line- http://papusilemele.com/en/2013/11/05/barbie-glamour-luxury-fashion-2014/ with articulated and well-dressed dolls. Female dolls. Good news is that clothes seems to be way amazing then fashonistas', bad, that they have very generic molds and there is no sign of ken or Ryan. That's propably the end of articulated boys for a while, which is a shame and I really don't get ideas of Mattel- Fashionistas were such a popular line, I doubt they will be succesful with their new look. Ah, and when you looks closer to different pics you may think (not sure, it just look like), that back of their clothes are not printed- again.

    Now for the fire...I love, love, LOVE Peeta, I didnt like him on pics, but on your blog he looks just right. I think I have to buy him and maybe Finnick too? Katniss is very prety but I have already overpopulated my dolland with females, it's time to add some testosteron here and there. So jelly you can buy them right now :)

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    1. Those Fashionistas look like a "my first Barbie" or something LOL I love the strong jawline on Peeta. All of this is perfect timing as I am about to sell a boatload of articulated dolls as soon as I can get the pricing right.

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    2. Major, thanks so much for the update and the link to the dolls that will be replacing this line. I like the clothes the luxury dolls are wearing, but so far there are only 4 dolls in the line and like you said, no males. I'll have to see what other dolls they introduce to the line but right now, I'm not impressed.

      I will definitely be adding Peeta to my collection too. My females also outnumber the males, lol.

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    3. LOL, Grandmommy! Everyone else is all, "Boo, hiss," and you're like, "Hmmm, this presents an opportunity for me." I like your thinking!

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  6. No more articulation? Are they insane? And molded hair...yack they're steping backwards! Where will I get new bodies now?? :P

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    1. Agreed, V. Even if they are halting production of the line, why on earth would you put molded hair on the males?

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  7. Major mistake on Mattel's part to attempt to save money by removing the selling feature of the Fashionistas and the boys' molded hair is mistake #2. What were they thinking? Maybe their little girls and possibly boys target market won't notice or care enough for it to make a difference to Mattel, but I hope it does. Who in the world wants a new-to-market stiff doll for $10.99?

    The head sculpts on the Hunger Games dolls are nice. With portrait dolls, Mattel usually (except for J. Lo) comes through in creating almost exact likenesses.

    dbg

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    1. Debbie, I admit that I rarely spend any time playing with the boy's hair, even Japan Ken. I'm also perfectly satisfied with molded hair on the Power Team guys 'cause it actually looks good on them. But don't go backwards and mold hair that used to be real. That's just ridiculous.

      Yeah, that JLo sculpt looks NOTHING like her. I don't care what anyone says, it just doesn't.

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  8. Sheesh... I've gotten to the point where I can only assume Mattel wants to go out of business. It's not just collectors... even kids these days want dolls that pose.

    What in the world are they thinking?
    Also... the new Fashionista clothes ARE cute (my god, they don't look like prostitutes!)... but I wonder if that pattern on the dresses goes all the way around? I REALLY hate when they do half a dress in patterned fabric.

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    1. Heather, since I didn't play with dolls as a kid I couldn't be sure what kids thought about articulation; for/against, want it/don't care? But as an adult, I need it!

      They didn't have any of the girls there so I cant tell ya if the dresses are half patterns or not. But if they cant be bothered to articulate, I doubt they can be bothered to use an entire piece of fabric.

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    2. When I was a kid, I did not like articulation with joints like the Dinah-mite doll. It reminded me of the Frankenstein monster. I preferred click bend knees and twist'n turn waist. The gumby soft bend arms, I did not like. They never bent enough, plus it seems that they would go flabby soon.

      As an adult, I came to appreciate articulated dolls. Especially after Momoko and some of the other fashion dolls like Volks' Who's That Girl, etc. I prefer articulated bodies now, although if I like the dolls body enough, I can settle with a less pose-able body.

      Sharing because I grew up with dolls and then kept collecting them ;-D

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    3. I definitely wanted articulation as a kid. I was always disappointed that click-knees didn't bend far enough to let the dolls sit properly, and there was never enough room for everybody's legs under the table. But I had fun anyway, and I guess today's kids will too.

      Bad news for the rest of us, though. I really hope articulated guys won't be exclusive to the collectors' editions from now on - that's a bit out of my budget. :(

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    4. Interesting points of view on kids and articulation Dana and Anderson. For me, a doll without articulation seems less alive to me. Like she's a fake doll and practically just a mannequin. If I was a kid and the option of articulation was available I would be all over that.

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  9. I remember reading that Mattel started the Fashionista line to compete with the highly articulated Liv dolls. I had a feeling that the articulation would be phased out from the Fashoionista line since they no longer had the Liv dolls to worry about. Sad to see that become a reality.
    And while I like the Hunger Game dolls, I think that the guy dolls have really long foreheads. To me it looks like they all have receding hairlines. I wish their hair were like two rows further down and I totally would be getting one. I also felt JLo suffered from the long forehead problem too.

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    1. Aubrey, your comment made me pull out some of my basic males and look at their foreheads. You are right that Peeta has a bit of a 5head going on. I thought that maybe the actors hair was like that, but nope, there is a photo of him on the doll box and his hair doesn't recede that far back. Gotta say, that I don't mind it though. He's got enough hair that you can give him some bangs maybe.

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  10. Eww, I wonder if Mattel has some sabotagist in designers team. Or would they REALLY modify their very succesful line because it possibly COULD be dangerous for kids, even though no incident has been announced yet? I don't get it. Btw, am I mistaken or does Raquelle looks more like Latina now? Wasn't she Asian before? But it seems to have sense since she's supposed to be Ryan's sister and he definitely doesn't look like an Asian man.

    Katniss is really pretty, Peeta ugly as hell but I'm still getting him because there's never enough of articulated men. I really like cheekbones of Katniss, she have typical Slavic features I wonder if actress who played her have any Slavic ancestry maybe?

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    1. LOL, Jewel, you think a disgruntled employee sabotaged the line? Stranger things have happened. I am not buying that safety is an issue because in that case they would discontinue the Monster High line immediately. You can pull their hands and arms out of their sockets and that's something a kid really could swallow.

      There always seems to be some discussion about Raquelle and whether or not she's Asian. They seemed to have answered that question by making her definitely NOT Asian anymore. Her eyes are much wider now and all lovely Asian influence is gone. Check out [this blogger] to see some detailed photos of the dolls from this line, including Raquelle. I like her face actually, and especially her hair - she just doesn't look Asian anymore.

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  11. Hi! I don't like those new Fashionista dolls, I'm looking forward to the luxury fashion line, their outfits are great, they remind me the fashion fever line! I also like the new Katniss, she's gorgeous! I'll try to get her!

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    1. Hi, Acerico! I never saw the Fashion Fever line but the lux clothes do look more substantial than what was produced for the Fashionistas. Good luck on your Katniss hunt.

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  12. No No I cant deal!!!! They just F up everything now!!! I really dont like the molded hair they took 20 steps back on no articulation. But I will admit the clothes are cute and fun looking. I do have a theory maybe these will be playline and the Barbie STYLE dolls will be the new "fashionistas" just a thought though. Ive been wanting a Hunger game katniss for awhile now still waiting on the ones from last year to go down in price no luck yet though. Peeta and finnick are 2 must haves! Also still no steven doll has been added to the line yet now that is some real bull dookie!!!!!

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    1. Barbie style dolls
      http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattelkendoll/10695264723/in/pool-2176846@N24

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    2. Jay, are we going to have to resuscitate you?! You breathing over there, boy? Thanks so much for the Style doll link because from there I found more photos on these non Fashionistas as well. I'm telling you right now, those Style/Lux dolls look darn expensive. Like Stardoll expensive. I don't know if I'll be collecting those because I have no doubt that they will sell out quickly. My only hope is that they produce some furniture to go along with the lux girls that wont be pink inspired.

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  13. Darn. Tsk, tsk.

    I don't like molded hair on fashion dolls. Okay on action figures, but NOT on fashion dolls. Sigh.

    Thanks for the close ups of the new Katniss and the Peeta. I like both of their faces ;-)

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    1. Dana, I never really thought about the fact that action dolls have molded hair versus real as compared to fashion dolls. I guess action dolls have to be ready for battle and cant be fussin' with their locs.

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    2. LOL, no time for hair fussing.

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  14. Dang, I don't want to pay 10.99 for an outfit! An outfit and a body yes but this NO! Mattel is tripping and they sure don't listen very well either.

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    1. Hiya, Musitwait! I guess there is no power in the people as far as Mattel is concerned.

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  15. I don't know what in the world Mattel is thinking. No way would I be interested in these dolls with no articulation. I don't like the outfits THAT much.

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    1. Roxanne, I will admit that if Raquelle looks anything like her promo pic then I'll probably get her - on clearance of course.

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  16. I think Mattel have forgotten that girls of all ages buy Barbie, not just little kids, and they all like dolls that are poseable. Oh well, there are other dolls. However, the new Hunger Games dolls look good and I hope they are on sale here soon so I can put them on my Christmas list.

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    1. Carrickters, I kind of think it's ridiculous that ALL dolls aren't poseable, but that's just me. Mattel is going to keep doing what they do, which is confuse us.

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  17. I don't what Mattel is thinking! I guess it is that they should be charging more for articulated bodies and not "giving them away" for $13. Can you hear that? It is the sound of secondary market articulated bodies rising!

    I plan to get a Peeta. I really like him 5head and all!

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    1. Yeah, Ms. Leo, Peeta is definitely on my list. Even with that 5 head he just has a interesting mold and a character about him that I find appealing.

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  18. I hope it isn´t a definite decision from Matte´l... I think no articulation is a big mistake. On the other hand their clotes are very fashionable. In Spain we have to wait for them...

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    1. Ana, supposedly it is a final decision and the Fashionista brand is kaput. They are coming out with a different articulated line that might be more expensive but that has better clothes... supposedly.

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  19. Leave it to Mattel to get to Christmas and think "How bad can we screw parents?" instead of "How much can we flood the marketplace and cause a feeding frenzy?". My money's on them going cheap under the guise of child-protection so that it makes adult collectors look like horrible people to complain.

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    1. LOL, Tina! Are we horrible for complaining? Now I'm not going to say that I haven't gotten some skin pinched on the articulated knees of a few dolls but it's not like it drew blood and it's not like they aren't coming out with another articulated line to replace this one. That whole safety bit is so much crap and I cant believe they even offered that as an excuse. That has got to be a rumor.

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  20. What a disappointment! Now that I have started collecting articulated dolls, it's hard to go back to the un-articulated ones. Especially since I like to pose my dolls for photos. But at least the Life in the Dreamhouse line and the Glamour Luxury Line have that feature.

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    1. Tiffany, it is a disappointment. I remember when they cancelled the Basics line and I didn't give two hoots because even though those dolls had nice clothes, they weren't articulated so it wasn't a big deal to me. The Fashionistas were my cheap, goto dolls for body replacements.

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  21. Hola, Boris y muchas gracias por parar cerca y comentar.

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  22. Ellos deberian de vender los cuerpos articulados como piesas aparte, asi los colecionistas podrian sustituir esos horrorosos cuerpos estaticos!

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    1. Usted lo ha dicho, Dolly! Lástima que no lo hacen.

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  23. I’m disappointed too... I’m a teenager collector and I’m disappointed to see the new fashionistas replace the old articulated ones. I’m hoping Mattel will make more articulated ones and start thinking more about the adults. I was like “I’m done” when they started molding the Ken dolls hair, ����

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