Friday, August 17, 2012

More Madame Alexander My Life Doll Goodies and a Goodwill Squee! :D

Hey guys!  I just had to come back and report after a super exciting day of dolly shopping. ;)  My girls and I had to go to Walmart today, so of course, we stopped by the toy section to see how things looked. :}

All four of us were thrilled to see a huge display in progress for the "My Life" dolls.  (To see my previous post on this new doll line, click HERE.)  There was a lot of merchandise that had not arrived yet, but there was still enough there to be excited about! :)  I brought home a sampling to share with all of you. 

Most of the items they had available today were more small individual accessories.  This adorable ballet bag was $1.97.  There was also a small purple backpack and a glittery silver purse.  I wasn't a big fan of the purse.  The glittery sequins were a little big for doll scale, and it looked inexpensive, while the other two bags just were inexpensive, if you know what I mean. ;)

A closer look at the ballet slippers on the front of the bag.

It opens on top with a zipper.

This cowgirl hat was $1.  They also had them in pink and lavender.  While it actually fit my American Girl dolls well, it looked a little off, as you can see from the pictures.  It's a little too shallow.  

It looks slightly better from the side.  It's too bad that it's not quite right, because the hat is really cute.  It's made of a nice, heavy-duty flexible plastic.

AND THERE WERE MORE AMAZING SHOES!!  Just like before, each pair cost $1.97.  All of the pairs I purchased today were made of the same thick, flexible plastic as the cowgirl hat.  

These adorable rollerblades feature wheels that really roll, and they're sturdy and have great balance.  I was actually able to roll Hailey across the floor (while still holding onto her) like she was really rollerblading. :)

I like the little decals on the side. :)

I also adored these ice skates...and I just realized that I put them on the wrong feet...I think.  It's kind of hard to tell.  Oops! :}  Oh well, Emma didn't complain. ;)  Just like the roller blades, the ice skates had great balance.  Emma could stand unassisted while wearing them. :)

Side view

Charlie reluctantly agreed to take her normal boots off long enough to model these pink ones for me.  She thought these were comfy, but still prefers her brown ones. ;)


One nice thing about all of the shoes I purchased today is this feature:  They all have a nice, big slit in the back that makes them super easy to take them on and off.  While this may not look the most accurate, as a mom who's wrestled my fair share of stubborn doll shoes, I really appreciate this feature.  One of the worst pairs of my daughters' doll shoes is a pair of pink boots that came with Oldest Gal's Alexander Girlz doll, so I'm glad to see they've changed their design.

I also picked up these super cute garden boots.  

Aren't these adorable?  I especially love the little butterflies on the sides. :)

One of the other things they had was a package that included a pair of pink glasses and lavender sunglasses for $1.97.  At that price, I had to try them out, especially since I've been wanting to replace Hailey's glasses for a while.  And they actually look pretty cute on her! :)

I tried them on Emma too.  Unfortunately, the American Girl doll faces are just narrow enough that these look a little big.  Bigger glasses are coming back in style, so maybe this won't bother everyone, but I didn't care for this look as much.

The glasses were also a bit too long on the sides.  Honestly, this didn't surprise me, as the Madame Alexander dolls have always had much bigger heads than the AGs.  I figured it was worth trying, though...especially since AG glasses cost around $9 a pair. :}  

Oh, and I should mention that I had a harder time getting these to work on Charlie, and I think it's because she has thicker hair.  I couldn't get the glasses to stay very well.

While I'm at it, I should also mention that if these glasses are stretched too far, they come apart fairly easily.  They can be fixed without too much of a headache, but this still might be frustrating for younger ones. Of course, you get what you pay for.  And at 99 cents a pair, well, I suppose it's not fair to expect too much. ;)

The sunglasses worked slightly better for Emma, at least in my opinion.  I think it's mainly because I'm getting used to seeing really big sunglasses lenses again.

Like the regular glasses, these were also a bit long.  This pair seemed to fit just slightly better, though. :) 

They worked okay on her head, although the first time I tried this was the first time they came apart on me. :}

I decided to try the regular glasses on Hailey one more time to see if I still liked them.

I couldn't get over how cute Hailey looked in them.  What do you think of her new look? 

As I said at the beginning of the post, the display was still in progress, but I saw enough to keep me checking back for more goodies.  They had all of the dolls in stock, as well as several really cute outfits.  Oh, and for all of you who were fans of "Friends Boutique" Emily last year, there are two dolls that look a lot like her in this line. :)

Since the dolls were all there, I was able to identify what each of the doll's "life" experience was supposed to be:

From left to right, they are:  "Nature Girl", "Ballerina", "Cowgirl", "School Girl", "Gymnast", another "Ballerina", another "Cowgirl", and another "Gymnast".  Nature Girl and Cowgirl #2 are the ones that look the most like Emily.  In person, my favorites (besides Gabby) were School Girl (I love the brown eyed, blondish-haired combination) and Cowgirl #2. :)

I also saw price stickers for things like "bed", "camping set", "wheelchair", and "horse with accessories", so I can't wait to see what all of those look like! :)  If the quality is as nice in some of the other categories from this line, I think there will be a lot of wonderful, less-expensive alternatives for doll-sized Christmas gifts this year. :)

And as if that didn't provide enough excitement for one day, we stopped at our local Goodwill afterwards and I found...

...a Hearts For Hearts Girls Dell for $1.99!! :D

She didn't have any clothing, but her hat was still attached to her head.  And even though her hair was a bit messy, it was still in its original ponytail and didn't look too matted.

Her price was on her leg (thankfully, it came right off!).

The only thing I was slightly concerned about was this green spot near her nose.  I was pretty sure it would come off, but you just never know.

Thankfully, her face cleaned up perfectly and her hair brushed out beautifully...and I am totally in love. ;)

This doll is so stunning.  Her stock photos don't do her justice.  And honestly, I wouldn't even judge her by how she looks in the box, with her camo hat on and her hair pulled back from her face.  I would 100% recommend this beautiful little gal.

She tried on a few things before settling on this dress.  For some reason, she really felt at home in it. ;)  (For those of you who don't know, it was made for her...just in case you didn't get my humor there.) ;)

I especially love Dell's eyes.  They're this beautiful blue green that is one of the most unique doll eye colors I've seen.  

Dell will most likely end up belonging to Oldest Gal.  This one's been on her wish list for a long time.  :)

I cannot get over how BEAUTIFUL Dell's hair is!!  And this just goes to show you what great quality hair these dolls have.  I mean, this is what it looked like after I got it at a thrift store.

I thought it would be fun to take a group shot of all of the Hearts For Hearts Girls currently under our roof.  (Yes, Lauryce is still here.  I'd better get her listed on eBay soon, or she might just stay here forever!) ;)
Back row:  Oldest Gal's Consuelo, Dell, Zelia, Nahji
Front Row:  Little Gal's Rahel, Middle Gal's Nahji, and Lauryce

All 6 of the different dolls (duplicate Nahji stepped out for this one since I was just wanting to show the different dolls). 

And although it's not quite as exciting as a Hearts For Hearts Girl, I was still happy to find this fun doll-sized princess lunch box. :)

So, that was my day!  I hope you all had a wonderful day too. :) 

I'll probably be haunting Walmart all week, waiting for new releases in the "My Life" section.  And man, after today, I might just stop by Goodwill a little more often, too. ;)

Talk to you all later!  I have some more great things to share, but I may not have a chance to post for a bit.  I'm singing in a wedding tomorrow, Sunday is church, and Monday is the first day of school! :}  It might take me a while to adjust to the new schedule (but it's totally worth it to go back to grocery shopping with only one child). ;)  Anyway, don't think I've forgotten you if my posting is sporadic for a bit here. :)

23 comments:

All AG said...

In love with Dell! But *cough* I have to get the Hunger Games movie. Oh well. If you ever find Dell again post her on eBay. I will buy her! :-) I do not have clothes to fit her though. I am thinking I will make Disney animator doll Katniss cuz I am such a nerd about the Hunger Games.

S and O said...

Wow, great job on finding Dell! Now I want her.

~ Sophie ~

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks, girls. :)

All AG, if I find another Dell, I'll probably keep her for me, as this one is going to my daughter. So if I find a 3rd one, I'll list her on eBay for you and everyone else. ;)

Kath said...

I am so jealous of your find.. I also got Dell at the thrift shop but I had to pay $5 for her with the discount of the day.. but she had on her full outfit minus the camo hat... I love how they work with the BFC dolls..

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Congrats, Kath! :) This is the first time I've found a Hearts 4 Hearts Girl at a thrift store, so I was super excited. :) $1.99 or $5, it sure beats $29! ;)

I also love how well they work with the BFC Inks. I love pairing them up into sister groups (not that you could tell from reading my blog, or anything!). ;)

Mickey's Girl said...

I just adore Dell! I saw the first photo of her you took and I awwed! Hehe! I just wished I would have waited a little longer to get her expanded pack. ;) Congrats on your awesome finds! :)

Mickey's Girl

Ashley said...

Do you have any tips for finding dolls at thrift stores? I've been to Goodwill several times and haven't found anything good.

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi Ashley, thanks for your question. :)

The best tip I can give you is to be patient. ;) I know it may seem like every time I walk into a thrift store I find something amazing, but the truth is that there are many times I go in and find nothing interesting. It's basically a matter of being in the right place at the right time. It also depends on your particular store and what they specialize in. Our local Goodwill has a big toy aisle (which makes for great doll finds), but I've been in other Goodwills that focus more on clothing or other items.

The other thing I'd suggest is to be thorough. Look through that pile of naked Barbies (which is where I found Dell). Check the stuffed animals, because sometimes dolls or doll-related items end up there. Jewelry boxes often make great doll-sized dressers. Dig through the McDonald's sized toys, even if it takes you a long time. Sometimes you can find vintage toys or doll accessories hidden among the stuff that isn't worth much.

Also, think about what you'd like to focus on collecting or finding at secondhand stores. Once you've narrowed down your field, really get to know the things you're looking for. Remember size, color, and any company names or distinguishing marks. Often times, dolls or toys may be hard to recognize in their used state. A careful observer will find more than someone who isn't paying attention to details.

And above all, don't give up. Even if you go 20 or 30 times without finding anything, that doesn't mean that you'll NEVER find anything. ;)

I wish I could give you a foolproof way to find things, but unfortunately it's not all that easy. ;) Just keep looking, and you never know what may turn up. :)

Stephanie said...

Wow what a great find at Goodwill! Dell is beautiful! I am not familiar with this line of dolls...how tall is she? I am also a Goodwill shopper! I have found AG books recently as well as Justice and Limited Too clothes for my little girl! I found my son a like new pair of name brand red crocs too! I have looked through the toys but have never found any decent dolls. The lady who works there told me they are constantly putting new stuff out throughout the day so I'm trying to stop in when I have time to browse around. I was actually HOPING to find a Gotz Doll since they look so much like AG dolls and finding an actual AG might be comparable to winning the lottery. ;)
Thanks for sharing your find! :)

Stephanie

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks, Stephanie.

My mom, aunt and I (who are all thrift shoppers) have noticed the same thing about new product being put out throughout the day at our Goodwill. It's really smart marketing on their part, because it makes you want to stop by as much as you can. Seriously, it's easy to get a bit obsessive about dropping by, "just in case". ;)

Dell is from the Hearts 4 Hearts Girls line and is about 14 inches tall. I've actually done several reviews of these dolls. If you go up to the tabs just underneath my header and click on the one that says "Doll Product Reviews", it will open to a page that has a list of all of the doll-related products I've reviewed. There are several Hearts 4 Hearts Girls posts listed. :)

Thanks for commenting! :)

Jenny said...

Yay about the new products for My life dolls! My Walmart has nothing in that line yet, but they are now selling all of their leftover friends boutique and other toys on clearance! They do this every year and are clearing out for their new Christmas toy selection! I am looking forward to all the little accessories for the my life dolls!

I totally went through EVERY item on clearance and got two friends boutique accessory sets (tea set and rollerblading set) and the last horse they had!! Super excited about that because I paid so little for them! I stocked up on all I could for the dolls I'm giving my girls for Christmas but I don't have any shoes for them yet. SO looking forward to the new toys coming in! Thanks for the heads up on what will be available!

Congrats on your Dell doll. She is amazing!

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Glad you were able to find some goodies, Jenny. :)

And thanks...I'm super excited about Dell. :)

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking of getting Dell, Nahji, Lilian, or Consuelo. Which one should I get? I'm leaning towards Dell, but I'm not decided completely.

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Ooh, that's a hard choice. Dell, Nahji, and Consuelo are 3 of my personal favorites. Lilian's a cutie too, but I would lean towards one of the other 3 myself. Consuelo and Lilian have the easiest hair, but Dell's is surprisingly easy to manage, too. Nahji's takes a bit more to maintain because of the curls, but because the hair is such nice quality, it's not too stressful to keep it looking nice.

If you have the opportunity, I would recommend seeing each one in person and seeing which doll appeal to you the most. Of course, Dell looks much better out of the box, in my opinion. ;)

Sorry this wasn't all that helpful. ;) Basically, any of them are great, it just depends on which one is your favorite. :)

Anonymous said...

I wasn't seriously considering Consuelo much, but I think she has a very sweet face. Thank you for responding to me; it means a lot. I'm going to take your advice and see how all of the dolls look when I visit Target. Your response was pretty helpful. I think I'll get Dell or Lilian, and save Nahji, Consuelo, and others for later.

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

No problem...I can't wait to hear who you end up with! :)

Anonymous said...

Why do you have two Nahji's? Is one your daughter's?

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Yep. Middle Gal and I both have Nahji dolls. :)

Anonymous said...

okay. Now this is just turning into a dilemma! I added Zelia and Lauryce to the list. Any more hep? :)

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Both Zelia and Lauryce are beautiful in person. Lauryce seems to be rather hard to find. I love her golden brown eyes and her cute outfit. Her hair would be a little harder to maintain, and I personally wouldn't style it much because of the crimps in it. Zelia is adorable and has very nice hair for play and styling. She does have the same face mold as Nahji, if that makes a difference. ;)

Honestly, it all depends on what you're looking for and which doll you prefer. In my opinion, you can't make a wrong choice with these little dolls! ;)

Anonymous said...

I saw Lauryce on Amazon for $150! That's more than an AG doll! But I guess she is REALLY REALLY hard to find!

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

My goodness! Now I'm beginning to think I should have held onto Lauryce instead of Zelia! :}

Anonymous said...

It's fine. Zelia is a cutie, if that makes you feel better. :)