Goldie Wilson's New Book "This Is Me"

"This Is Me" by Goldie Wilson

A Note from Goldie Wilson about her second book:

MY NEW BOOK

“THIS IS ME”

ORIGINAL BLACK DOLLS

By

Goldie Wilson

I am happy to announce the publication of my second book to complete the two-volume book series. My new book is an autobiographical journey into the black-doll world chapter by chapter with pictures to emphasize each chapter. This is my journey toward the doll world and my art dolls. It includes step by step my journey from DIY crafts to present-day art dolls.

This book is a First Printing/First Edition, QUANTITY LIMITED.

I will begin shipping on May 5, 2023.

Procedure for payment- PAYPAL $65 to: dolls by goldie or use my email address: goldiewil@msn.com

You may also mail a check or money order for $65 (books are sold on a first-come, first-served basis).
Email me for the address to mail payments.

Email: goldiewil@msn.com

Price: $65.00

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

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 Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time.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.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!

Ariel, Barbie Fashionista 207, and Barbie Fashionista 210

The Little Mermaid (Ariel), Barbie Fashionista 210 and 207

The Little Mermaid (Ariel) on Land (as a human with legs) and Barbie Fashionistas 207 (pink-streaked hair) and #210 (bun hairstyle and yellow sunglasses) arrived recently. 

The Little Mermaid on Land, Arial

Even though she only has the usual five points of articulation, I love Ariel. Mattel captured Halle Bailey's likeness to perfection.  The noticeable difference between the doll and the actress/singer is that all of the doll's hair is not twisted (loc'd). Only the top layer is twisted and the rest hangs loose. Otherwise, the doll actually looks like Halle. 

This close-up illustrates Ariel's lovely head sculpt.

The untwisted (loose) hair should be visible in this photo and the one immediately above.

Arial wears a light-blue dress with a ruffled collar. 

The skirt of the dress mimics crepe. Brown sandals cover her flat feet.

Barbie Fashionista #207 arrived first. I was on the fence about keeping this doll because she doesn't look exactly like the prototype image to me.

Barbie Fashionista #207

Barbie Fashionista #207 is a pink-streaked brunette. There is a visible mole beneath the lower lip on the doll's left, and she has brown-painted eyes. This doll uses the Curvy Barbie body and wears a heart-print sweater dress and lavender wedge-soled crocs. 

The heart-print sweater dress is visible in this photo.

The lavender crocs have cutouts of stars and hearts.

Barbie Fashionista #207 (the prototype and the produced doll)

I think Barbie Fashionista #207 is a lovely doll, but she doesn't look exactly like the prototype in my opinion. What do you think?

Barbie Fashionista 210

Barbie Fashionista #210  has a deeper complexion than #207, which I like.  She appears to use the Tall Barbie body.  Like Ariel and #207, #210 has the usual five points of articulation. 

Her dark brown hair is styled in a bun with two tendrils in front.

She wears a faux-crocheted halter dress with yellow sandals on her flat feet.

The sandals

This is a comparison between the prototype doll and the produced doll.

The doll in the prototype image looks more sophisticated than the produced doll. Maybe that's because the produced doll is not wearing the sunglasses on her face and her hair is not styled exactly like the prototype doll's. I like her a lot better than I do #207, but by far, Arial is my favorite of these three.

Ariel, Fashionistas #210 and #207

I ordered all three from Amazon.

Ariel

Barbie Fashionista 210

Barbie Fashionista 207

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

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.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!

Children's Book Review: Lauryn That's Me

Lauryn That's Me by Lauryn Rose Teixeira

I met the mother of young author, Lauryn Rose Teixeira, on Instagram last year. Cristina Cabral and I have communicated about the importance of Black children (globally) seeing themselves in their playthings as a significant tool to help develop cultural awareness, self-esteem, and acceptance of self. Cristina is doing a remarkable job with her children as her oldest child, Lauryn, at age 9 wrote a children's book about her "journey as a powerful African girl," Lauryn That's Me. Now 10, Lauryn's book has been published and is available on Amazon. 

I read the book and wrote the following Amazon review.

Lauryn, who resides in London, England, was recently interviewed by BBC World News Focus on Africa. The Instagram post about this interview is embedded next. (Click or tap the play arrow.)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lauryn That's me (@lauryn.thatsme)

As indicated in my Amazon review, Lauryn's book will appeal to readers of all ages and backgrounds and particularly to children of African descent who will either relate to her story or be inspired by it. 

And yes, a passage about black dolls is included in the book. 

I've added the Amazon buy link below. #ad

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

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.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!

Little Mermaid Ariel with Legs!

Disney The Little Mermaid Ariel Fashion Doll on Land in Signature Blue Dress, Inspired by Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Photo from the Internet)

Earlier today (04/23/23) I saw pictures circulating online of Disney's Little Mermaid Ariel on land (with legs) dressed in a pink dress. I had planned to order it later. By the time I attempted to place my order, the Amazon order page was no longer up. 

I kept searching and found another Ariel with legs dressed in blue that I ordered. I've included the Amazon buy link below. Hurry before they remove this page, too.

The one in the blue dress is priced $2 more than the one in pink (for some odd reason). Maybe there was an error on the buy page for the doll in pink.

-----

Update 12:50 a.m. 04/24/23: The buy page for the doll in pink is back up, but a purchase price from Amazon directly is not available.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

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.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!

More Friends Forever Club -- Updated

Additional Friends Forever Club dolls

I returned to Dollar Tree and purchased the above Friends Forever Club dolls and the purple wardrobe. The additional items are described in the following video.

My original post about Friends Forever Club dolls included the flaw/con about Carina's painted-blue arms. I noticed that Alanis' upper arms (to represent short sleeves) are also painted. If desired, the arms can be repainted to match the dolls' complexions or, you can try removing the paint. However, this is not an option for me because I'm afraid the color of the dolls' skin tone will be removed, too. I won't paint their arms either, at least not for now.

Here is the link to my first post about Friends Forever Club dolls.

Addendum... later the same day, I opened up the wardrobe and recorded the following video.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

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.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!

Friends Forever Club Dolls at Dollar Tree

The faint blue rectangle marks the Friends Forever Club Dolls seen at Dollar Tree.

In a recent Doll Chat Club Zoom meeting, two members shared their Dollar-Tree-found Friends Forever Club dolls. I had seen one online a few weeks ago, which prompted a visit to Dollar Tree, but the dolls were not in stock at that time.

 

After the Doll Chat Club meeting, I returned to Dollar Tree last week. Lo and behold, the racks were well stocked with four different dolls, four different fashions, and a purple wardrobe. I was told about a playground for the dolls, but it was not in stock at the time of my visit.

The dolls' backstory, from the back of the blister card reads:

On a field trip to the Science Center, a group of incredible girls becomes best friends. While discovering their uniqueness and celebrating their special connection, they create a bond that will last a lifetime. Whether at summer camp, attending school, playing sports, or relaxing at home, this gifted friend group embraces all aspects of life with each other by their side. Join the adventures of Alanis, Viera, Carina, and Iha as they become the Friends Forever Club. 

The first picture in this post and the next five were taken at Dollar Tree. Photos of the things I purchased for $1.25 each are then followed by an examination of an unboxed doll, a size comparison with another doll, and finally redressing.

More Photos Taken at Dollar Tree:

Alanis (top) and Carina (below) are in this photo taken at Dollar Tree.

Alanis' blister card reads: Alanis has a passion for technology! She loves playing video games, building toy robots and drones, and playing soccer. When she grows up she dreams of becoming a Computer Engineer and maybe an online influencer. 

Carina's bio reads: Carina has a passion for Space! She loves stargazing and studying Astrology. When she grows up she dreams of becoming an Astronaut and exploring the galaxy.

This is Iha. 

The front of Iha's blister card reads: Iha has a passion for the sea. She loves fishing, collecting seashells, and trinkets at the beach, and baking cookies. When she grows up she dreams of becoming a Marine Biologist so she can learn everything about the ocean.

Pink-haired Viera's blister-card bio reads as follows:

Viera has a passion for crystals and gemstones! She loves making art, being outdoors, and adding more crystals and gemstones to her growing collection. When she grows up she dreams of becoming a Mineralogist and Geologist. 

These are the four separately packaged fashions that I saw at Dollar Tree.

Finally, at Dollar Tree, I saw this purple wardrobe. Made of vinyl, both front sides open. There are four storage compartments inside with room to store at least one doll and a few clothes and accessories.

Attributes:

Made of soft but firm vinyl, the dolls are 4 inches tall and jointed in the usual five places (head, upper arms, and upper legs at the hip). They have detachable vinyl wigs, vinyl clothing and shoes, and large painted eyes. Carina's glasses are removable. The separately-sold fashions are made of fabric. 

What I Purchased:

I purchased two Carinas, one Alanis, and the four different fashions. (I thought I put two Alanis dolls in my cart, but there was only one when I arrived home.)

Closer, full-view photo of Carina and Alanis

The back of each doll's blister card includes an illustrated headshot of each doll, a description of how the doll characters met, and a collectible card about the doll to cut out, collect, and share.

The four fashions are shown above.

The fashions include:

• A pink/white/and green plaid suspender skirt and white blouse
• A dress with a purple skirt and pink heart-print bodice
• A lacy yellow strapless sundress
• A pink satin strapless dress with gold netting overlay on the skirt

None of the packaged fashions included shoes or other accessories.

I deboxed one of the Carina dolls to examine her more closely.

A Closer Look At Carina

Carina can stand alone without the assistance of a doll stand. She and the other dolls have gripper hands. The clothes, as mentioned are vinyl and removable.

Carina's black-frame eyeglasses are removable.

Her purple Converse-style high-top sneakers are removable.

The two-piece vinyl top snaps closed in the back. The shorts have a back slit to aid in putting on and taking off.

In this picture, Carina's brown sculpted two-Afro-puff wig that has sculpted "baby hair" has been removed.

A hole in the top of the head, where the crown would normally be, accommodates a raised circular connector underneath the wig.

I believe the dolls can swap wigs. They can swap clothes and shoes (and for that reason alone, it's worth purchasing the entire set of four—silly me).

All removable parts have been removed.

Con: The manufacturer chose to paint Carina's arms blue to match the color of her clothes, which will look odd when the doll is dressed in one of the extra fashions. This is illustrated in a photo later. If the collector desires, painting the arms to match the doll's complexion is an option. 

Height Comparisons, Clothes Swapping, and Redressing

Carina is slightly shorter than 5-1/2-inch Tamika (friend of Kelly).

Carina can wear Tamika's dress and shoes. Do you see how strange the blue-painted arms look when the doll wears other short-sleeved clothes? Tamika can wear one of the extra fashions that I purchased, and she can wear Carina's sneakers.

Tamika cannot wear Carina's vinyl fashion.

The vinyl top does not fully snap closed in the back and the shorts cannot extend above Tamika's butt or waist.

Carina and card

Carina is shown in the final photo above with the front of the bio card visible. The doll's bio is on the flip side of the card.

Black Doll Collecting/dbg

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.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!

Barbie Fashionista 206 with Moles/Freckles

Barbie Fashionista #206 (close-up)

My two Barbie Fashionista #206 dolls arrived. I wanted one to keep in the box and one to debox. The doll's complexion is paler than I imagined. Her moles/freckles are faint, and her hair is not as crimped as in the prototype photo. 

Prototype

Barbie Fashionista #206 (full-view)—the freckles/moles are so faint that they are barely visible in most of my photographs.

After taking photos of both dolls in the box, I deboxed one as planned and took the following photos.

The spattering of freckles/moles appears to be different across each doll's face. The deboxed doll has a larger, better visible mole below her mouth on the doll's right. It can be seen better in the first photo and in the close-up pictures below. Most of the boxed doll's moles appear to be evenly colored, yet faint.

Deboxed

The hair crimping is faint, too.

The doll's complexion is compared with Artsy Fashionista (the very first Black Fashionista) and with So In Style Marisa. #206 has a lighter skin tone than these two.

Close-up complexion comparison. Marisa represents a Latina. #206's ethnicity is ambiguous. She can be whatever you want her to be including biracial.

Another complexion comparison between #206's hand and Marisa's hand

This profile headshot captures the more visible mole under her lip. My other doll doesn't have this mole.

Another headshot without the flash

A spattering of moles/freckles covers the doll's legs, arms, and body. The heels of her clear turquoise shoes are triangular.

A couple of people I know were so displeased with the production doll that they said they would or did return her. She adds diversity to my collection and I do have options regarding her appearance, which I explain below.

After Marisa returned to her display shelf, I left these two in the photo area where #206 continued to stand (almost) unassisted.

Overall Assessment:

• #206 uses the Shani head sculpt.
• She has brown-painted eyes and light-brown crimped hair that is straighter or not as texturized as I imagined.
• The complexion is paler than the prototype doll.
• Her moles/freckles cover her face and body but most are barely visible.
• It appears that the facial moles differ from doll to doll.
• She wears a simple off-shoulder turquoise and pink abstract patterned dress that is piped in dark blue with clear turquoise sandals that have a triangular heel. She holds a dark pink B-logo'd purse.

Remedies

• If I were bothered enough by the faintness of the moles/freckles, I could easily remedy this by darkening some with a sharpened brown eyebrow pencil (or something else that could be wiped off in case the darkening doesn't please me). A more skilled person might want to use acrylic paint and a sealer to darken the moles/freckles or a freckle pen.
• To add texture to the hair, I could apply setting lotion (or gel) and braid small sections of hair; allow the setting lotion or gel to dry, remove the braids, and finger comb or comb with the end of a rattail comb. 

But I am not that bothered by either of these two things. She will remain as she is. 

If you want her, please use the Amazon buy link below. 

#ad

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

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.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!