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| Weekend Hang TJ |
I decided to debox the Weekend Hang TJ that I received for Christmas. He has articulated knees only. He is dressed in his original outfit: black skull cap, black sleeveless shirt, green jogging pants, and white low-top sneakers with red stripes.
After deboxing, a comparison with my fully articulated Night Out TJ followed. I was surprised by their differences.
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| Weekend Hang is 1/2 inch taller than Night Out TJ |
Night Out (NO) TJ is a full one-half inch shorter than Weekend Hang (WH) TJ! Their bodies are completely different. The stock number stamped on their lower backs differs, which proves the company used different bodies for the two versions. NO's number is: 130615349186. WH's number is: 121008350199.
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| Night Out TJ and Everyday Dwayne |
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| TJ reminds me of Calvin Lockhart, best known for his role as "Biggie Smalls" in the 1975 movie, Let's Do It Again, with Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier. |
Back to where I was: The differences between TJ and Dwayne are Dwayne's reddish-brown complexion, sandy brown flocked hair, and their bodies differ, with again different stock numbers on their backs. Dwayne's number is 130615340916. Like Weekend Hang TJ, Everyday Dwayne's articulation is at the knees only.
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| Height comparison, Night Out TJ and Everyday Dwayne; as illustrated in this image and in their headshot above, Dwayne is the taller of the two. |
While Night Out TJ and Dwayne both measure 12 inches from head to toe with their shoes on, Dwayne is a smidgen taller than NO TJ but also shorter still than WH TJ. The following photo, where the guys style and profile, illustrates their differences in height.
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| L-R: The Kenya Fashion Madness Guys - Night Out TJ, Weekend Hang TJ, and Everyday Dwayne. WH TJ has borrowed NO TJ's shades because, "He's gotta wear shades." |
Issues, Issues, Issues and More Issues:
Weekend Hang TJ has better control of his knee joints than either doll. His knees only bend when manipulated. The one I received, like most of the dolls, did have issues. One of his eyebrows has a drop of brown paint on it. If the paint had been straight or angled onto his eyebrow and not round, it would almost look as though he shaved a portion of it. His head was loose, but for some reason difficult to turn. I pushed it down snugly to eliminate the looseness, but I have to almost use force to turn it from one side to the other. Even after pushing his head down onto his body, he's still taller than the others. So while many might crave full articulation, if these guys' over-sized heads is not a turn-off, those who prefer height, might opt for WH over NO TJ and Everyday Dwayne.
Dwayne did not arrive without issues. There are gaps in the seams on his feet; one foot is worse than the other. While his legs don't bow like NO TJ's, the knees do not lock in place when standing straight causing his lower leg to extend forward (hyperextend). This cannot be done, nor would I want to do it, with WH TJ's more sturdy legs.
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| If not positioned just right, Everyday Dwayne's legs tend to sway backward. |
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An assessment of the two Keyshia's I purchased will follow. In the meantime, the Fashion Madness Kenya line, playscale males and females, can be summed up as follows: Until you open the dolls' boxes, you won't know what you have. The chances of getting a doll without issues is slim. Flaws and inconsistencies from one doll to the next has been the norm for me. Am I unhappy that I purchased or received as gifts? No. Would I have preferred perfect dolls? Absolutely!
dbg
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Hola, gran comparacion, es muy guapo, ¿quien sera la afortunada ganadora de su corazon?
ReplyDeleteI think TJ is handsome, too, Lindaivette.
ReplyDeleteKenya will probably be paired with one of the TJs. I am not quite sure which lucky lady Dwayne will choose.
dbg
That seems so weird that they are different heights but I guess that just adds some variety.
ReplyDeleteI had heard about the size difference, but it was a little shocking to see how much they actually differ.
Deletedbg
Thanks for this comparison, Debbie. I wish that they would give different names to different versions. For example, my TJ is also Weekend Hang TJ, but there is a version with articulated arms and one without, and there are a few differences in the clothing (mine did not have a skull cap). I want to buy an articulated Dwayne, but how do I know which one to get? If someone tells me that their articulated Dwayne has a certain name, I could end up ordering it online and then be disappointed by a non-articulated doll.
ReplyDeleteHi Roxanne,
DeleteYou're welcome.
Different names would certainly help to better differentiate between the articulated and the non articulated versions or the articulated knees only version. The ones with knee-only articulation have outfits that look similar to the articulated dolls, but they will be minus a coat or something extra that was given to the articulated doll. Unfortunately, this is not always a key indicator. I had to ask the eBay seller if the TJ with the black and white coat was articulated before placing my best offer.
I do know that based on the images of the dolls in the Kenya Online Store, none of those are fully articulated.
I hope you're able to find an articulated Dwayne. I wonder if "our" eBay seller has any.
dbg
I can see the likeness to actor Calvin Lockhart better with Dwayne than with TJ. Because TJ is bald while Dwayne has a similar hairline to the actor. Good catch ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for this detailed report on the quality and height issues of these figures. I am not sure if I will get them, but it helps to read about them and to see them here.
For any help this post offered, you are welcome, D7ana.
Deletedbg
What an eye opening review. I almost bought that articulated TJ off of ebay, but they didn't like my best offer, so I passed. Personally, I like the height, but the shorter TJ seems to be more detailed in the face and his head seems a little smaller. I do see the resemblance of TJ to Calvin Lockhart. How does your articulated TJ compare to Barbie's height? Are they the same height or is he slightly taller.
ReplyDeleteHi Vanessa,
DeleteI used a So In Style Kara to answer your height question. Kara with heels on is only slightly shorter than TJ, so I would say most Barbies and TJ will be almost the same height with TJ slightly taller.
dbg
in reference to who pairs with dwayne, i have the pretty girls series. dahlia was the first to arrive. her and dwayne have been a couple ever since. tj and kenya are definitely a couple in our family. by the time denise arrived all my eligible males were taken she is secure with herself and enjoys being single in the crowd.
DeleteThank you for sharing Darlene. Dewayne has remained single. The TJ in the houndstooth coat is currently single. The other one, featured at the beginning of the post, pairs well with Princess of South Africa Barbie who has been redressed in a gold, form-fitting gown for quite some time. Even though TJ wears sweat pants and a black sleeveless shirt, they pair well together. Maybe he is seeing her off to an event that she is attending alone.
Deletedbg