The Studio Commissary Board's Fifth Anniversary

Although I would not classify myself as a big collector of the Gene Marshall line I have been a participant at The Studio Commissary since it's beginning five years ago.  I discovered Gene dolls after I was already collecting Tonner's dolls and heavily into Fashion Royalty.  I did start buying a few here and there after meeting Mel Odom at FAO Schwarz during a W Club event. Little did I know of the depth and history of the doll.

By the time Integrity Toys was ending it's relationship with Gene, I was very interested. I had joined the Gene W Club which would be it's last year. Collectors did not know that. In 2009 it was announced that the 'end' was near and there would be one last convention in 2010 in Philadelphia. It was a wonderful convention. I'd love to do it again - I would not change a thing.

Sandra Stillwell had (some of) her immense collection of Gene dolls on display.  There are only some of the photos I took in that room (which had terrible lighting. ) I didn't even know Sandra back then and had no idea what her history was with prior Gene events.

Anyway, this post is supposed to be about the Studio Commissary and has turned into my own history with Gene Marshall. 

What inspired me to post this today was the anniversary celebration which just ended on that board. The last "game" played was a question which asked: "What do you love about Gene?" 

Here are parts of the answers.

The people I've met, the friends I've made & the places I've gone because of Gene! 

Her soft, beautiful face, calm expression and the variety of outfits she has. - 

I don't think I can add a thing to what's already been said... I love her lovely vintage world! I>> 

It was love at first sight. And each time I see her it is like that first time 

She's a 3-dimensional version of Mel's unique art--and her sculpts have so much character. -

Her wholesome good looks, peaceful expression and, of course, those clothes! 

She wears the clothes society no longer appreciates and aren't appropriate for my workplace! -

She lets me spend time in a world which contains only kindness and beauty. - 

redressing her - she looks great in everything! 

She take me back to my childhood days of sitting by the fire and making clothing for my 

I love the vintage fashions, and it reminds me of my mom; she was a young woman in the 30s-50s. 

Her beautiful beautiful face which can become so many different personalities 

Her classy outfits and big eyes! 

that a tiny plastic woman can engender so much creativity in so many different people! 

She has the "It" factor as compared to most fashion dolls! 

I love the outfits her and her pals wear.

I have always loved the Golden Age of Hollywood, and she reflects it beautifully. 

The fact that she gives me an opportunity to enjoy elegant, vintage fashions in miniature scale; 

Everything everyone else has said plus a fun stress release for me after long hours of work. glamourous age and she gets to wear -

I'm echoeing the others: vintage fashion, vintage movies, and learning to "play" , and the people >> tory, the fabric, the hats.

To me she represents a world of grace and beauty. I've enriched my knowledge of fashion, history, 

The friends I've made because of her! 

the fashions and vintage hollywood 

Hollywood's Golden Era with the studios creating movie stars!

I love the 30s and 40s era and the movies made during those decades. - 

I love vintage Hollywood and Gene represents that perfectly for me! - 

The vintage style and grace of the dolls and fashions; quality of fashions; 

She was a friend when I needed one very badly.

Her glamour, style, story and her fans - all of us!

Representation of an era of class, sophistication, glamour, and gentility that is 

The fact that she represents a wonderful time period for fashion and glamour. 

I love the people who collect her! When I got involved in this community >> - 

Her connection to the Golden Age of Hollywood & the decades of fashions - 

The glamour and detail of the fashions, and the active "customizing" community>> 

I love every inch of her... -

The era s of fashion she represents. The accsessories! -

The 'Hollywood Glamor'! 

The fashions! -

I can dress & redress her with lovely outfits. No hands-off! -

She reminds me of my mother. I have photos of her as a young>> -

The world of movies she represents and her wonderful fashions! - 

Love the 40s fashions and that she represents the heyday of the big Hollywood stars. -

Her Iconic look & that time period in fashion -

She is the re-creation of old Hollywood glamour and the fabulous >>> - 

Her versatility: she can go from innocent to Hollywood Icon with the change of an outfit! -

The details in her clothing and hairstyles for the eras she represents. -

Gene is the epitome of Hollywood style and glamour! -

She taught me how to love dolls! -

The eras of fashion....I especially love the 30's and 40's. -

The world of fashion, friends & fun she offers.Playtime is COOL! - 

The eras that she represents....especially love the '50s fashions - 

The chord she's struck in all her admirers: love of -

The Studio Commissary 

 

Integrity Toys W Club Fifth Year Registration Opens

It was a cold snowy day on February 14, 2006 when we left Woodstock in the late afternoon headed for Manhattan and FAO Schwarz where the first W Club event was to be held. We actually made very good time into the city and had plenty of time to eat and traipse around on Fifth Avenue. By the time we headed over to the store, the line outside was already around the block. Flurries were in the frosty air but so were the sounds of expectant W Club members. We stayed warm by huddling together, yakking and laughing. When the uniformed doormen finally allowed us entry, the going was slow as all our entry cards were checked against a guest list. But we were finally inside.
I had not been in FAO in a million years, certainly not since it was renovated. I liked it better before the renovation but it was still amazing with masses of huge stuffed animals alongside the escalator accompanying us as we ascended to the next level. It was a mob scene up there; the noise level was astonishing. I greeted many people I had met in Canada four months earlier. My poor husband was surrounded by wide-eyed collectors everywhere; nevertheless, he survived to attend many more events after that one.
An Isha gift set called Final Cut Cannes was the event doll. It was in a free standing showcase and rather difficult to see and photograph. I don't think we got to take them home that night. Many procedures were changed as the event went forward and that is a good thing because that night we had to stand on lines to buy the doll and it took forever. All the Integrity staff was there and although the event lasted only two hours officially, it felt like much more. Did I forget to mention that what did accompany us home was the de rigueur New York blizzard?
Meeting other collectors changes the entire landscape of the game. Even if one is in contact regularly on-line with other collectors, face to face encounters are so very different. I was saddened to learn that there will not be a February event this year other than a virtual meeting. For some people, the New York event was the only one they ever attended or could afford to attend. It is definitely a loss. From a business point of view, it's the right move for Integrity as it saves a huge amount of money. In that respect, I don't blame them for cutting out the event. The members of the W Club are a built-in market at this point. No further promotion is necessary. I don't know if Integrity ever did participate in the actual Toy Fair event anyway.
That being said, promotion may not be necessary but quality is. I'm in a quandry. One of the upgrade dolls is an AvantGuard called Freeze Frame. I love her look but they are so difficult to pose standing up and are so, the best word I can think of is wiggly, that I don't know if I want another one. But she is very cute - especially the wig and I want that wig. The dress, meh. The boots are cute. What will I do with the stuff in the middle? When will we get an AG in a gown? I plan to cut that wig Lady GaGa length and get some big sparkly sunglasses. I want a Lady GaGa doll!!!!

Base membership in the W Club for 2010 is $50. The AvantGuard Freeze Frame is $160. plus shipping.
The other optional or upgrade doll is "Spring Forward" Eugenia Perrin. There is nothing about this doll I like except the blouse and shoes. I find her to look very much like the original Natalia. See the inset of Natalia "Behind Velvet Ropes." Eugenia appears way too stern-bordering on severe and that doesn't go along with the bright, happy colors used on her.

The price for Eugenia is $75 above the membership.
There is also an option to purchase both upgrade dolls. The total for that with the base membership comes to $285.
The prices are quite fair in light of what we've been paying for AG and FR. Both dolls are scheduled for a May delivery.

Many Integrity dealers are offering W Club members a one-time free shipping per member for the coming year until December 1, 2010. And....members will be offered the opportunity to purchase two other Fashion Royalty Club dolls and one AvantGuard doll in addition to the upgrade dolls. That's what I mean about a built-in market. We sign up; we buy.

Payment must be made by January 22, 2010.

Since there is no contest this year to award the person who signs up the most new members, you can tell them my poodle, Rudy, sent you.

Lana Turner "Portrait of an Era" Giftset

I was on the fence about this FAO giftset featuring Integrity Toys' Hollywood Royalty Lana Turner until I had it in my hot little hands and started taking pictures. This is the prettiest of all the Lana dolls so far. Her hair flatters her face and is well done. She comes dressed in a tight pink sweater and black A-line skirt. I added the necklace.

At first the suit appears to be a copy of the suit from the Haute Doll exclusive Lana doll in a different color. That suit was somewhat ill fitting. This suit was a surprise. It fits nicely and has distinctive styling like the high waisted skirt. The necklace which is not shown is the same as the previously mentioned set which is a mistake on Integrity's part. Why would a collector want the same necklace twice?
The jewelry isn't really worth mentioning further as it is plain and not memorable. The shoes are too large and are unusable. Those are the only two items that miss the mark. The suit is lined in a similar pink to the sweater. The hat is really more like a headband and goes on easily and stays on! I like the faux fur stole. The entire appearance is very elegant. There is a sleeveless, v-neck mauve shell for the doll to wear under the jacket or she can wear the pink sweater.
The details on the suit are classic Fashion Royalty and that's really good to see.

The third outfit is a hostess fashion which consists of a strapless jumpsuit and a sweeping robe. I couldn't close the robe over the jumpsuit so I just tied it shut. The shoes are cute little silver pumps. The necklace was added by me.

The jewelry should have been more interesting and the ill-fitting shoes are very surprising. The drawbacks are minor but annoying in a set priced at $225. We were given a code to use for free shipping. However, one W Club member found a 20% off offer which was accepted. Those of us living in a state where FAO does business in Macy's, also have to pay tax.

I do recommend this set because of the beauty of the doll and the well-constructed, classic fashions. Of course, each collector will have to weigh the high price against the contents in making the decision to purchase or not.

"The Jazz Age" Josephine Baker Gift Set by Jason Wu

The Thrill is Gone

On March 17, the new Josephine Baker gift set went on sale at FAO Schwarz. Ordering was a breeze and my doll arrived two days later via UPS. The outer box went through the required box kicker-compressor at the UPS warehouse but the inner box containing the gift set was in perfect condition.

I love the window boxes of this line of dolls. This one was so well protected it had a separate sheet of vinyl outside and inside adhering to the window! Impressive.

Deboxing went well. There were no problems caused by packaging. The fashions were in great condition except for a few creases in the tuxedo which I improved with the careful use of my trusty Rowenta. I was not able to completely remove the creases in the lapels of the jacket.

Josephine comes dressed in her robe with nothing underneath. That was a little odd. Several people received dolls whose bare chest greeted them through the box window. I don't suppose FAO will be displaying one of those.

Using my wigged Via Venetto to model the gown and The Muse to model the tuxedo, I was able to have a photo session with all the fashions at one time. The gown and wrap are made well and fit well and that's it. Nothing outstanding or new there.

Dressing The Muse was an event in itself. The shirt goes on easily and has a crotch elastic to hold it down.

The vest fits oddly. On both of those items the hooks show and look bad. I taped the wrists and fingers of the doll prior to putting on the jacket. It is a tight, skimpy fit and the dolls arm movements are somewhat inhibited. The pants and shoes fit great and the hat just sits on her head. Strangely enough there are socks included. I didn't even bother. The bow tie has to be pulled over the doll's head. That was a mistake. The elastic is tight enough to ruin the hairstyle and/or eyelashes while being put on. I chose earrings from my stash to complete the look.

There are two pairs of shoes, earrings and a choker and no other accessories besides the black socks and panty hose. I would have liked a dancing stick for the tuxedo.

And now for the bad news.

This is Josephine right out of the box and no, she does not have a hair net on. She doesn't come with a hair net at all. Apparently it has become part of her hair. There are dried clumps of something, residue on her face and short strands of hair sticking out all over the place. In general this is disgusting. This was not supposed to happen any more.

After my first experience with banana dance Josephine (pictured below), I hesitated to purchase the others because I was so turned off.

As you can see from the photos, there is an indent on both sides of her mouth extending back to the jawline. In addition, so much hair glue was used that it is visible on the skin of the forehead and around the curls. It is on the eyelashes. What appears as dust on her eyelashes and in the eye area in general is actually production debris which apparently got stuck to the glue used on the hair.

I was asked by Mark Tewfik, the "Patient Care" rep at IT to return the doll because it had multiple problems and they wanted to show it to the factory.

The problems have not been solved. I wonder if they've been addressed. My 2008 convention Tatyana had the embedded hairnet syndrome. Paris J'Adore Tatyana had her side curls glued to her cheeks with a visible residue and the similarly styled hair on the Mood Veroniques was horrible.

We have had many Fashion Royalty dolls over the past few years who had forehead curls and fancy updos. This problem did not exist. Going backwards in time and to name just a few:
Agnes Von Weiss - The Royal Weiss; Vanessa Perrin - True Royalty; Véronique Perrin - Gliteratti; Vanessa Perrin- Intoxicating Mix; Véronique Perrin - Foreign Affair; Véronique Perrin - Rare Creature; Adèle Makeda - Lustrous Silhouette.
...............
My recommendation:
If you like Josephine Baker and you manage to get a doll without the hair problems, then the gift set is a decent buy. The price is much better than any gift set sold in the last few years. I was able to get 20% off as a result of the Barbie celebration. Right now there is free shipping being offered.
Here is the blurb from the FAO site:
"For the second installment in their Hollywood Royalty line, Integrity Toys is proud to present Jason Wu's vision of true renaissance woman, human rights pioneer and stage artist extraordinaire, Josephine Baker. Ready to delight her adoring fans, Josephine Baker comes to you with everything she needs to make a lasting impression. This FAO Schwarz exclusive doll gift set includes a robe, gala gown, tuxedo, shoes and accessories. Limited edition of 300 sets."
Retail price $160.
http://www.fao.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=14993

Follow Up:
I have been told that I will get a free replacement head. It will be ordered from the factory in China and will take time to get here.

Fourth Annual Integrity Toys W Club "Toy Fair" Event

We arrived at the W Hotel in Manhattan shortly before the scheduled opening of the Integrity Toy's traveling store. I was expecting lots of deals and goodies however we were presented with very little in the way of variety or bargains. A few items from the Gene Marshall line were reduced. There were dolls that didn't sell well in the retail market for sale at retail. Phase I of the AvantGuard dolls were available in limited quantities. Eclectic sold out fast. I wanted her fashion so I purchased one and sold the nude doll to another collector. I also picked up the Josephine Baker event doll called "La Joie de Paris." This is a Limited Edition of 350 dolls. At $120. this gal was no bargain but she looked beautiful in her futuristic blue and silver gown with the silver gauntlets and I couldn't resist. I really like the packaging of the Hollywood Royalty dolls with their window boxes and the featured doll's signature on the front of the box.

Josephine Baker photo courtesy of Integrity Toys

We sat and chatted and greeted eachother in the lovely seating area outside of the main event room until it was time to go in to dinner. The space was very large with tables set for the meal on one side of the room and the displays featuring the new lines on the other side.

On each table there were two dolls dressed similarly with the same color hair. One was a Luchia and the other was a Zita. At each place setting there was a placecard and a gift of an AvantGuard wig and a pair of shoes.

The food was very good. We had the steak. The service was excellent. Everyone I asked said they'd love to have a convention right there in Manhattan.

Brief remarks were made by Carol Roth,


Mel Odom,Jason Wu and Percy Newsome. Jason began his greeting by saying, "A few things have happened since we last met." We all laughed.

We browsed the collections during dinner. My comments on the dolls will be in posts to follow.

Prior to dessert, those who had won the opportunity to purchase the centerpiece dolls were notified and asked to go to the salesroom to pay for and pick up their dolls.

From 9:00PM to 10:00 PM a free cocktail party was held in the same room as the displays. The area of the dining room was partially partitioned off so that those who lingered over coffee could hang out. There were many areas outside of the main room to gather, chat and sit comfortably.

Overall, it was a fun mini-convention. The atmosphere was 100% superior to that of the FAO events of the previous two years. And it did not snow!

Some of our tablemates:




Marg of MFD and Luanne:

Swept By The Moods of Paris: Tatyana Alexandrova

"I left Moscow with one goal in mind: to conquer Paris and break it with my iron will. I was wrong, one does not conquer the City of Lights; Paris conquers the heart at first sight."

Above is the text from the story card that accompanies the Paris J'Adore Tatyana Gift Set. This is only the second Tatyana. The first was the 2008 Wu Convention doll about whom I wrote previously:
terrigoldphoto.blogspot.com/2008/10/tatyana-new-fashion-royalty-character.html

This fabulous set comes with the doll, a long lace gown, a long brocade coat embellished with rhinestones, faux fur and a tiny frog closure, a short brocade dress embellished with beads and a faux fur hem, a head piece, earrings, ring, bracelet, necklace, panties, hosiery, shoes and boots. If you like the sculpt you will like this set. The fabrics are very rich and the clothing is elegant and finely constructed. There are many pieces of great jewelry (I love that) and varied looks can be created from these wardrobe items and the coming Moods W Club collection.

The one defect that has popped up several times this past year is the uneven sole/heel combination of the shoes and boots. The heels are too high and the doll cannot stand with her heel and ball of foot planted on the ground. Apparently they tried to remedy this problem on the shoes by adding an extra piece of sole.

It is not enough. If the doll were to stand in the shoes or boots with the sole and heel touching the ground, she would tilt forward. So...please, Mr. Newsum, tell the factory to get on this and re-engineer the height of the heels. We don't want our dolls falling on their faces, do we?

Jason must love this character to have elevated her so fast - first a convention doll and then an FAO exclusive giftset!

Many collectors were surprised and others dismayed at the length of Tatyana's hair. I think it would serve well used as an extension if one were to cut it off.

The doll modeling the short dress is She Means Business Veronique whose hair was restyled by Parawatee of Thailand. The fur stole is not part of this set.

Still available at FAO Schwarz website for $250. Limited Edition of 300. Item #: 916556.
Right now shipping is free on orders over $120. Last week there was a site wide sale of 20% off which brought the price down to $200. Don't forget that FAO now charges tax in many states than they previously did due to the fact that they have boutiques in Macys stores. As far as giftsets go, this is a decent price for what you get. It's still a lot of money to spend right before the holidays. But if you can swing it and you like Tatyana, I recommend this purchase.

On the CDCMHS (Compulsive Doll Collector Must-Have Scale) this scores a 7—8.

The W Club - Tell them I sent you!

The purpose of this post is to inform any doll collector who is not yet a member of the W Club what the club has done in the past three years since it's inception. I highly recommend membership for all of the reasons you will read below.

If you do decide to join I would appreciate it if you would use my name as the referral person! Please make sure to join prior to December 22, 2008 in order that I may get credit for the referral. And if you do use my name, please let me know. You won't be disappointed!

This year I am also joining the Gene W Club as I realized that I was missing out on all the goodies that went along with that club, too.

Membership has it's rewards!
• Exclusive access to first-to-know information; sneak peeks at
upcoming dolls, fashions & more!
• Exclusive access to members-only forums!
• VIP customer service from the W Club Liaisons!
• Guaranteed ability to purchase exclusive Club-only doll(s)!
• Special coupons for discounts on purchasing Club dolls!
• Club-only opportunities to purchase dolls, fashions & more!
• Exclusive VIP invite to Toy Fair event in New York City on 2/21/2009!
• Priority Convention Registration!
• Access to private Q&A sessions with Jason Wu and Mel Odom!
• 3 levels of Club membership to meet collectors’ needs!

Registration information is at the end of this post.

I have been a member of Integrity Toy's Fashion Royalty W Club since it started three years ago. My fondest memory of the first year was attending the first FAO event on February 14th, 2006. It was Valentines' Day and I manipulated my husband into driving down to Manhattan with me by telling him I would accept it as a Valentines' gift. I'm so generous. LOL
The event was for W Club members and their guests. Those of us who arrived at the store a little early stood on line outside in the cold of the New York winter waiting to be let in. Don't believe for one minute that we stood quietly. There were squeals of recognition every minute and hugs and chatter. Once inside we were checked in and rode the escalator upstairs past huge stuffed dinosaurs where we saw the new line of Fashion Royalty dolls for that year. It was very exciting and very crowded as we pressed together to get a good look at the dolls. We met and mingled and were served drinks and hors d'oeuvre. We got to buy the last doll in the Voyages Line, Isha "Final Cut" Cannes Collection Giftset.

That year we had a Yahoo W Club board which was pretty active and lots of fun. There were two dolls available only to W Club members: Stylish Escape Veronique and Dressing the Part Agnes.

Also offered to W Club members were two tri-fold backdrops called Evening at the Theater and Coffee and Cocktails in Krakow.

In 2007, I signed up for two memberships! On February 13 the second FAO doll unveiling event was held at which we were able to buy the beautiful Wicked Valentine Agnes doll.

The weather was typical February in New York, freezing, snowing, sleeting and overall horrible. Many collectors who drove spent hours on the road trying to get home. But we did all arrive home safely.
The W Club dolls that year were:

In Bloom Vanessa:


Costume Drama Giselle Diefendorf:

and Grand Arrival Colette:
We were given a choice of buying one or both of these dolls. There was also an exclusive fashion called Purple Reign offered to club members.

Throughout the year contests were held and prizes awarded. We got sneak peeks at dolls before the public and were offered lotteries before the public for limited edition dolls and remaining convention dolls. We were able to register for the convention earlier than the public as well.

At the last FAO Toy Fair event held on February 22, 2008, we were treated to the premier viewing of the new Hollywood Royalty line and the first doll, Ethereal Return Lana Turner was available for purchase.

Of course, we viewed the new dolls for 2008 as well. It was a fabulous event, attended by many in the metropolitan area, the country and there were even several collectors from Europe! In typical February New York fashion, we had a snowstorm. But that didn't stop several hundred collectors from converging on FAO Schwarz at 6:00 PM.

At each event the we have mingled with the founder of Integrity Toys, Percy Newsum and his family, Jason Wu and some of his staff and Mel Odom of Gene Marshall fame.

Early in the year the W Club switched to a forum-format chat board which made organizing themes, topics, threads and information possible. We share our collections and expertise. We ask and answer questions and are given information by the liaisons. We can buy, sell and barter dolls and doll related items of any kind.

We were able to purchase an Upgrade Option club doll this year. She was a Eugenia doll called "Going Public."

The last 2008 club offering which is about to arrive is called the Moods Collection. We were offered two different Veroniques with the original face mold. They will be the last Veros with this face mold. We could create our own giftsets by choosing from the following items:

Blond Ambition
Body Double Veronique Perrin Starry Night Wardrobe FashionFrench Dressing Deluxe Accessory Pack
Luxe Finish Accessory Set

The final 2008 club doll is called Bewitching Hour Luchia who is due to arrive sometime in 2009.

_________________________________________

Registration information from Integrity Toys W Club for new members:

Here are the prices of each 2009 membership- for more information see the brochure or begin the registration process, as there are details included there as well.

http://www.integritytoys.com/2009club.pdf

You may register now through 5:00 PM Central Standard Time (Chicago Time) on January 8, 2009.

Make sure you register well in advance of the deadline. Every year, things come up at the last minute, so register as soon as possible

A-Base (Gene) Gold Membership: $40

B-Upgraded Gold Membership: $140 (plus shipping), which includes the base Gold membership and the Zita Charles doll.

Of the $140, $65 will be billed at registration and $75 plus shipping will be billed in April, with the doll scheduled for May delivery.

C-Base (FR/1:6 Scale) Diamond Membership: $50

D-Upgraded Diamond Membership: $130 (plus shipping), which includes the base Diamond membership and the Vanessa Perrin Cruise Control doll.

Of the $130, $70 will be billed at registration and $60 plus shipping will be billed in April, with the doll scheduled for May delivery.

E-Super Deal! Base Platinum Membership: $80 (includes one membership to each of the Gold and Diamond Clubs)

F-Mega Deal! Upgraded Platinum Membership: $260 (plus shipping), of which $121 will be billed at registration and $139 plus shipping will be billed in April, with the dolls scheduled for May delivery.

Again, you can begin the registration process (if you do not want to view the brochure) here:

http://www.integritytoys.com/wclub.html

We have a brochure about the 2009 W Club that can be found in our forum or at this link:

http://www.integritytoys.com/2009club.pdf

Contact the Liaisons if you have any problems. wclub@integritytoys.com

So there you have it. The instructions can be quite confusing so if you need clarification or help, I recommend contacting the liaisons or you can contact me right here by asking a question.