With the current reduced price on Amazon of Barbie Fashionistas #166 buy multiples if you frequently rebody non-articulated dolls.
The doll is also great as is. I particularly like the head sculpt used on #166 (the 2010 Skipper Dreamhouse sculpt), which Mattel has not overused to date on African American/Black dolls.
There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________
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I had seen Kahlil at Walmart on one occasion before I purchased my doll. I visited Walmart's website where I saw him first. Since his hair is so much like Malik's, the only original Fresh Squad doll that remains in my Fresh dolls collection, I had initially decided against adding Kahlil to my collection. But I relented the second time I saw him at Walmart because he was hidden in the back of about six Fresh fashion dolls and was the only male there. The top of his box was dinged up, so I brought him home, knowing that I would immediately debox him after taking the above photograph and the next with him still boxed.
Dr. Lisa, creator and founder of Fresh Dolls and CEO of World of EPI, is featured on the back of Kahlil's box.
The description from my Excel spreadsheet is copied below.
A new member of the Fresh Squad, Kahlil is an articulated 12-inch articulated male with a medium complexion, black microbraids, dark brown painted eyes, and a black painted mustache and goatee. Dressed in a white hoodie with turquoise, purple, and yellow long sleeves with the initials FS on the front right of the hoodie in the same colors as the sleeves; turquoise knee-length pants, and white high-top sneakers. Part of the Fresh Squad male fashion dolls, Kahlil uses the same head sculpt as the original Fresh Squad. His hair is styled similarly to Malik from Wave 1.
The $12.99 price and articulation helped in my decision to purchase Kahlil.
Kahlil is seen in a close-up photo.
He's a handsome doll. I'm glad I didn't leave him behind.
Kahlil and Colin Kaepernick
Kahlil favors Colin Kaepernick to me. Do you agree?
***
Rock the Bells Ebony and Anthony
Not part of my collection at this time, but just to inform readers, The World of EPI has collaborated with LL COOL J's fashion brand, Rock the Bells. Priced the same as Kahlil, Anthony and Ebony were available to order from Walmart at the time this post was published.
There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________
Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.
If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.
A headshot of Ruby Red Fashion Friends James is on the front of his box.
James had been here for at least two weeks before I opened the box. I ordered him from his exclusive seller, Happily.com (see the link below the video). This blog post contains James' Excel entry, his initial photos and captions, and a video that provides more details about this handsome boy. Enjoy!
This is a full view of James' box.
Excel spreadsheet entry
Ruby Red Fashion Friends James is a 14-inch vinyl doll with 9-joints, a curly brown removable wig, a silicone wig cap, inset light brown glass eyes with upper eyelashes, and a closed mouth. Arrived wearing only underpants with clothing separately packaged for the owner to dress. Clothing includes a dapper pin-striped blue and white button-down shirt, matching tan waistcoat and trousers, and beige slip-on shoes that the manufacturer describes as gray. His accessories include a rich brown tie, a black leather-look belt, and a gray felt trilby hat ringed with a brown ribbon. Includes a certificate of authenticity that is numbered 003.
Initial Photos In and Out of the Box
James arrived wearing his white underpants. All clothing items were individually packaged.
He has such an adorable face.
He wears all clothing items except his gray hat in this photo and the next.
James is a perfect model.
The gray felt hat adds the final touch to his dapper look.
Before the following video was recorded, James posed for the camera.
There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________
Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.
If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.
White and Black versions of Effanbee's 1968 Twinkie were part of New-York Historical Society's Black Dolls exhibition as seen in this photo courtesy of Romona Jennings.
My two 1968 Twinkies by Effanbee traveled to New York on December 28, 2021, for their inclusion in New-York Historical Society's Black Dolls exhibition. The exhibition ran from February 25, 2022, through June 5, 2022. The dolls' departure was documented in a separate post.
Black and White versions of Effanbee's 1968 Twinkie dolls are the last known dolls used by psychologists, Drs. Mamie and Kenneth Clark, in their famous Dolls Test which commenced during the late 1940s and extended into the early 1980s. The Clarks used identical dolls except for race to study the psychological effects of segregation and racial inequities on African American children.
It was an honor and pleasure to loan the dolls to the New-York Historical Society. Their return delivery occurred on October 13, 2022. The unpacking process was captured in the following photos.
The dolls traveled securely to and from the N-Y Historical Society in a shipping carton that was well-cushioned with black foam padding. An art handler cut cavities in the foam into which the dolls were placed and then covered with a foam top layer. The dolls were returned in the same well-cushioned carton.
During their return, the dolls were inside plastic bags inside their respective cavities.
The plastic bags were removed before this final photo of the dolls was taken prior to placing them back on display.
There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________
Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.
If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.
Ken #203 arrived the day after I ordered him from Amazon. His Excel spreadsheet description entry is copied below followed by additional photos.
12-inch ebony-complexioned Ken has sculpted twisted hair, light-brown painted eyes, a broad nose, and full closed-mouth, dark-painted lips. Dressed in an orange jersey with an orange, white, and royal blue Chevron design on the front and the letter K on the left front with blue denim-patterned knee-length pants, and white low-top sneakers. Presented in a plastic pink zippered package.
Ken #203 is featured on the back of the package insert along with the other dolls in this release.
He is a very handsome doll.
I was asked if the sculpted hair can be removed. It appears that it’s just a “hair hat,” which isn’t attached to his face. So, yes, I believe it can be removed.
Unfortunately, the articulation is limited to the usual five areas (the neck, shoulders, and where the legs join the body).
Ken #203 has a deeper complexion than Looks Ken #4.
A full-length complexion comparison between #203 and Looks Ken #4 (Jon) better illustrates their complexion difference.
Kendrick and Robyn are complexion matches.
In this collection, they are siblings.
If he were articulated with synthetic hair, Kendrick would be perfect!
There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________
Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.
If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.
Barbie Fashionista Ken #203 has a new head sculpt. This guy is available on Amazon.com. I love the hair (wish it were fibers and not sculpted, but sculpted hair will do). Shipping is free for Amazon Prime members. Also, check your local stores where Fashionistas are sold if you're not a Prime customer. He was a must-have x2 for me.
Take a close-up look and use the Shop Now link above to order. #ad #fashionista203
There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________
Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.
If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.
There is no mistaking that this Barbie Signature Collection doll represents Tina Turner.
The Tina Turner Barbie is available on Amazon now. Navigate to the buy page here.
Target also has the Tina Turner Barbie with $10 off through 10/14/22 if you activate the $10 off $50 offer. Spend $100 at Target and get $25 off your order when you activate that offer. If you're a Rakutan, member, navigate to Target through Rakutan to receive 1% cashback on your purchase. Register with Rakutan here or go directly to
There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________
Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.
If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever dolls Okoye, Nakia, and Shuri by World of EPI
Okoye, Nakia, and Shuri are the first in the Fresh Fierce line of vinyl articulated dolls representing Marvel Studios' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever characters. Dr. Lisa of World of EPI partnered with Marvel to bring the characters to three-dimensional 11-1/2-inch inanimate life. She is to be commended on this partnership and for producing dolls that bear a strong resemblance to actors Leticia Wright (Shuri), Danai Gurira (Okoye), and Lupita Nyong'o (Nakia). (Please do not confuse the 11-1/2 inch World of EPI dolls with the 6-inch action figures.)
Geared toward children ages 6 and up, many adult collectors scrambled to purchase the Target-exclusive dolls when they became available for sale at most Target stores and online on October 1, 2022. I attempted to order on October 1st but only one of the three was available online. After checking Target's website again in the early morning hours on October 2, 2022, all three were available to order. The dolls were delivered to my doorstep the next morning. (See the ordering links at the end of this post.)
An online description and my actual photos follow.
Each doll "features intricate costume designs and custom-blended skin tones. Kids can use each dolls’ various points of articulation to pose them for action and recreate scenes from the film. Every doll also comes with its own signature battle accessory, including Shuri with her helmet, Okoye with her vibranium spear, and Nakia with her ring blades (Toy Insider).
Shuri
Shuri wears a two-piece top and shirt costume of contrasting blues with white boots, and a silver beaded bracelet. She holds her silver helmet.
Shuri's eyes are painted brown. The brown rooted hair is short and curly on the top and painted brown around the sides and in the back.
This photo captures a closer look at the white ankle boots.
An illustration of Shuri along with her bio is on the back of the back.
Shuri and bio
Shuri's bio reads:
The princess of Wakanda and lead scientist of the Wakandan Design Group, Shuri will be forced to overcome the grief of losing her brother T'Challa when Wakanda's borders are breached by an unexpected threat.
Okoye
Okoye wears the Dora Milaje costume and holds a vibranium spear.
The entirety of Okoye's bald head has a patterned orange and brown tattoo. Her painted eyes are also brown.
She boldly holds a vibranium spear.
An illustration of Okoye and her bio are on the back of the box.
The bio
Okoye's bio reads:
The General of the Dora Milaje and leader of Wakanda's armies, Okoye is the nation's fiercest warrior. However, she will be challenged like never before when she battles both a foe beyond her strength and the very traditions of Wakanda itself.
Nakia
Nakia's lime green, blue, and gold patterned one-piece costume is worn with knee-high royal blue boots with attached knee pads. She holds two ring blades.
Nakia also has brown painted eyes (one, unfortunately, looks smaller than the other) as illustrated in the close-up photos.
The "droopiness" of one eye is more apparent in this photo.
Nakia's brown rooted locs extend below the waist.
The knee-high boots have built-in knee pads.
Nakia is also illustrated on the back of the box where her bio is included.
The bio
Nakia's bio reads:
The former War Dog has stayed true to her word after the events of Black Panther by helping those in need outside of Wakanda. Nakia will have to put her political differences aside and return to Wakanda when a new threat arises.
A recent @thefreshdolls Instagram post (seen below) is captioned, "We are very excited to announce that yesterday we were announced winners in the TOTYs awards in the Doll of the Year category!" (TOTY=Toys of the Year.)
There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________
Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.
If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.