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| Image from Wikipedia.com |
If you are thinking about the 1960s song Twist and Shout, first recorded by the Isley Brothers (1962), then The Beattles (1963) that is not what I want(ed). I am referring
instead to friend-of-Poppy Parker, Twist
‘N Shout Darla Daley by Integrity Toys (IT) from the 2011 collection whose bio reads as follows:
Introducing Poppy's best friend, Darla Daley. They met in a record shop and now, they are inseparable. Darla is an upcoming young singer who just made her television debut on the Ted Mullivan show. Thanks to her appearance on the show, she now has her first hit single!Limited Edition of 400 Dolls Worldwide
After seeing a Facebook
friend’s headshot of the original Darla Daley and asking, “who-is-that-doll?”
my I want one antennae rose. The mission to find Darla was not immediate,
but she loomed in the back of my head for weeks to months. Occasionally I would search eBay for her, but
knew I did not want to pay one hundred+ dollars. For a while, I waited for Toonaroona.com to discount Hit Single lower
than their sale price of $70, but quantities sold out at that price first. Thank
goodness that happened because I would have been very disappointed with the purchase.
I recall Facebook Friend
writing, “I’m glad I got her before the mold changed.” I wasn’t quite sure what she meant, but later
discovered some interesting history about the original Darla Daley… the head
sculpt I desired.
Thanks to Dolly Panic’s
blog of March 2, 2012, I discovered why the one I had been hoping would be
discounted would not be the version of Darla I wanted. Dolly Panic wrote:
…someone at the factory Integrity uses broke the original Darla face mold (so I've heard ... apparently, this was revealed at Integrity's convention this past October). They had to re-do the Darla sculpt, which is why the original promo photos of "Hit Single" look so different from the production doll. She even managed to go from left-glancing eyes to right-glancing.
See
the comparison shots of the original and the new Darla Daley here. Dolly Panic’s PoppyParker-dedicated blog again mentions Darla’s damaged sculpt.
After nailing down for
certain which Darla I wanted, I googled “Darla Daley Twist Shout” in hopes of finding
a reduced price doll. Bam! I found one down under, literally, in
Australia for $59 shipped from the merchant's American store. The seller accepted Paypal so I immediately ordered and a few days later received a shipping
confirmation minus tracking number. After waiting a couple of weeks for the doll
to arrive, I contacted the seller to request tracking
information and to find out if the doll was shipped from Australia or from
their American store (if shipped from Australia, that could have been the reason for the delay, I thought). That email went
unanswered. Panic and worry set in.
Long story short: After no word from the seller, I filed a Paypal
dispute that was later escalated to a claim.
Because the seller failed to answer Paypal’s inquiry about my purchase, they sided in my favor and issued a refund on September 29th
(the doll had been ordered on September 2nd, the claim filed on the
12th and escalated to a dispute on the 14th).
The day after Paypal
issued the refund, I found a nude OOAK repainted Twist 'N Shout Darla Daley waiting for me on eBay. The auction had been listed for several days with two more days to go. I wondered why no one had purchased it for the low, buy-it-now price with free shipping, a price that was less than what I paid for the one that never arrived. After emailing the seller with my routine questions to ensure I would be happy with the doll, I completed the buy it now and realized the seller had spelled Darla's surname incorrectly. I must have inadvertently spelled it "Dailey" like she had in my final eBay search for the doll.
After the postman rang my
doorbell this past Wednesday, I felt like twisting and shouting when I saw one
of two packages left on the porch. Based
on the size and shape of the smaller package, I knew it contained my original-sculpt
Darla Daley... at home at last.
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| Twist 'N Shout Darla Daley |
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| Twist 'N Shout is temporarily dressed in SIS Trichelle's dress and Top Model Nikki's extra shoes. |
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I am a big fan of Integrity's dolls of color. I am often disappointed that they do not seem to be more popular among AA collectors. Therefore, I am especially happy that your wrote about Darla.
ReplyDeleteI love the original sculpt and wonder if one day she will become the equivalent of Black Francie. However, I like the the new sculpt as well. I own all of the Darlas produced so far. The main difference between the sculpts to me is that the newer sculpt looks more realistic.
Congrats on your purchase. I hope you enjoy your Darla as much as I enjoy mine.
Hi Misty,
ReplyDeleteI wonder about the future demand for Darla's original sculpt, too. I wonder the same about the original Adele since her sculpt has changed, drastically.
I like the new Darla sculpt but the original is the one I fell in love with. It also reminds me of someone, which is why I wanted it, first at least. I may eventually buy one of the new Darlas later.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
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Wow, thanks for posting this! I always wondered what happened to the original fall-out-of-my-chair gorgeous sculpt. The original is just so insanely beautiful. I fell in love with her the first time I saw her photo. Congrats on getting such a great deal.
ReplyDeleteSucks you had to hassle with ebay, but glad it all worked out in your favor!
Hi Smidge Girl!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the congrats! It is a shame the original mold was destroyed.
My initial purchase was through an Australian merchant's website. A US eBay seller is how I eventually found my lovely girl.
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I had this beauty on my list of wants. No one had her at convention but I will find her. I love the new Darla and now own one. I'm not a fan of their semi flat feet but the faces are gorgeous. Glad you got her :O)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dollz4Moi. I was worried about the flat feet before she arrived, but was surprised to find she can fit some wide-width high-heel shoes.
DeleteGlad I got her too, finally. Hope you're able to find her.
I saw her online yesterday reduced to $74.95 at GiGi's Dolls. I have not done business with this merchant before, however.
Your enthusiasm for the doll is infectious and once I saw the photos, I could see why. Darla is stunning! Good that you persevered in the quest to buy her dispute the frustration you experienced with the first seller.
ReplyDeleteI do not have any Integrity toys although I do look at them in envy on Flickr. Congrats on getting this beauty.
ReplyDeleteEven though I have sold on Ebay, I have never bought anything because I was worried about getting stiffed.
Thank you, Limbe Dolls. The original Darla Daley has a very striking appearance to me. So much so that I found another one, NRFB, that I ordered yesterday. I think it was those fishnet stockings that enticed the order. They bring back 1970s memories.
ReplyDeleteMuff - I do not own very many Integrity Toys dolls, basically because of the price, but when I find and see one at a price I am willing to pay, it comes to live here.
I have had very few bad experiences with purchases on eBay. Probably so few that they can be counted on one hand with fingers left over. In eBay's defense, the seller who never sent the original Darla was not an eBay seller, or at least my purchase from her was not through eBay; it was through her website.
Through eBay or websites, we have to be very careful with online purchases. This is why I use Paypal when Paypal is a payment method. If something goes wrong with the purchase, Paypal's dispute and claim process are available. Unfortunately, Paypal may not always side with the buyer, particularly if the seller can produce proof that the item was mailed.
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