2015's Last Doll Purchase is 2016's First Doll Arrival

Ava DuVernay Barbie, a Platinum Label doll, is limited to 999 dolls worldwide.

In the wee-wee hours (almost 4 a.m. CST to be exact) of December 29, 2015, I decided hesitantly to check personal email on my personal desktop computer before beginning my work day on the company's computer.  I was hesitant because the end of the month is always hectic and I only had one more working day in the year, having scheduled time off for the remaining days of 2015.  Well I threw caution to the wind and I am so-glad-I-did!

As I opened Outlook, an email filtered through from a fellow collector, whom I will refer to as TL. Her email informed that she had just ordered the Ava DuVernay Barbie from Amazon . com and just had to "let another black doll lover know." I am so grateful she chose me!  I could not navigate to Amazon . com fast enough to enter "Ava DuVernay Barbie" in the search box to see if quantities were still available.  There were and I hurriedly one-click shopped, which was followed by a huge sigh of relief.  I kept going back to the "status of your orders" page to double-check that the order had actually been placed.  An email confirmation from Amazon . com followed.  "Yes!"

I am sorry that I could not take the time to post the information about the doll in a blog post, but as indicated, I needed to begin my work day and I knew by the time I published the blog, the doll might be sold out resulting in unnecessary disappointment for those who desired it but again missed out.   I did share it with a few people in one of my Facebook groups who were as fortunate as I am, (thanks to TL), to successfully place an order.

Thank you, once again TL for the heads up.  By that afternoon, just as I assumed, all dolls had been sold.

I took several pictures of this difficult-to-own, super-limited Platinum Label doll which are shared below.

The first five photos were taken with the doll in the box.

The real Ava has dreadlocks.  The doll has double-strand twists, which extend almost to her waist.  She has beautiful brown eyes and lush, painted-on eyelashes.  Her hint of lip color is lined with a contrasting color.

Side view of the two-strand twists

Another in-the-box photo was taken at an angle to eliminate as much flash as possible.

Close-up in-box photo

Ava DuVernay Barbie comes with a personalized director's chair (lights, camera, sound!), an acrylic doll stand, and...

...a numbered certificate of authenticity, the front of which reads:  This certifies that your Ava DuVernay Barbie® was created through the collaborative efforts of designers and artists at Mattel.

In the next seven photos, the doll, still attached to the box liner, has been gingerly removed from the box to photograph.  The last of these were taken in natural light.

The graphics on the box liner create a perfect director's setting with cameras and lights that appear three-dimensional.

Ava wears a black long-sleeved turtleneck shirt...

...denim pants, and red and white sneakers for comfort.

Almost as stylish as the real Ava DuVernay, on one wrist, the doll wears a copper-tone chain bracelet with one disk-shaped charm.  On the other wrist...

...she wears a faux wood bangle.

Here's another look at the director's chair.

The back of the box has a beautiful portrait of Ava DuVernay and offers a brief bio, which I have copied below.

AVA

D            Nominated for two Academy Awards and four Golden

                Globes, writer/director Ava DuVernay’s most recent film

u             “Selma” chronicled the historic 1965 voting rights

                campaign led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  She won the

V            Best Director Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in

                2012 for her acclaimed feature “Middle of Nowhere.”

E             Her previous narrative and documentary work includes

                the feature film “I Will Follow” and the documentaries

R            “Venus vs.,” “My Mic Sounds Nice” and “This is the Life.”

                In 2010, she founded ARRAY, an independent film

N            distribution and resource organization for filmmakers of

                color and women filmmakers.  Prior to her directorial

A            career, DuVernay worked as a film marketer and

                publicist for more than 14 years through her company,

Y             the DuVernay Agency.  She was born, raised and loves

                life in Los Angeles, California.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Shortly after the first dolls sold out at TheBarbieCollector . com, this photo circulated on Facebook of the lovely actress Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder), posing with her daughter's Ava DuVernay doll.  I was happy Ms. Davis was able to get one for her daughter.

Marsai Martin and her Ava DuVernay doll

I was also excited to learn that my favorite child star, Marsai Martin, who plays Diane Johnson on Black-ish, snagged one of the first available Ava DuVernay dolls.  Go Diane... I mean Marsai! (I love her character on Black-ish).

Deb and her Ava DuVernay doll

Here I am, happy for myself, to now be the proud owner of an Ava DuVernay doll!


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The Presents in The Box

 

Like a kid on Christmas morning, I am always excited to receive the always beautifully wrapped presents (many of which contain doll-related gifts) that will be in the annual box I receive from my closest out-of-state doll friend, Debra Richardson.  We refer to one another as "bestest" doll friend.

This year's package arrived the week of Christmas and did not disappoint.  From what she has told me, the one I sent her did not either. Like I do for her, Debra probably shops all year for Christmas presents for me.  This package must have weighed 15 pounds!

I will focus only on the doll-related contents, which like a kid (again) are the packages I hunted for first after opening the shipping box on Christmas morning. I selected the ones I thought might contain something doll-related to open first.

Nicole Miller "Take Cover" Barbie-themed, fabric covered, two-doll case

The Nicole Miller Barbie case was one of the first presents I opened.  After unzipping it and saying to myself, "She found one!" I rifled through the contents and I took the following quick photos:

A dress for a one-of-a-kind (OOAK) doll I own, vintage Barbie separates, and a 1970s Barbie clone were inside!  The clone is the "she found one" that caused my excitement.

Here's another quick photo of the Barbie clone, Veronique.  A better photo follows.

Here is another photo of the dress for my OOAK doll that Debra made based on measurements I provided.  The doll models it later.

These are the vintage Barbie mix 'n' match separates that were inside the Barbie case:  red and white check body blouse, which is part of the Barbie picnic set #967 (1959-1961), white cat-eye sunglasses, and vintage Barbie-tagged orange pants from another 1960s Fashion Pak. (The body blouse looks orange and white but it really is red and white as seen here).

Veronique was possibly made for the European market only by Tov Toy.  She wears a navy blue print dress that matches the exterior colors of the Nicole Miller Barbie case.  Black mid-calf boots complete her fashion.  Veronique was offered by an eBay seller from the Netherlands.  I had seen this and other Veroniques on eBay but was not willing to pay the exorbitant shipping.  When Debra asked me for my "wish list" I told her I am always in the market for Black Barbie clones from the '60s and '70s, more specifically, dolls that actually look like #1 Barbie.  Veronique does.  Her legs are made of much thinner plastic than that used by Mattel, but I am thrilled to own her.

Veronique looks very similar to the head sculpt used for the original Barbie as illustrated in this close-up shot.

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In one of our November conversations, Debra asked, "Did you ever find the Beyoncé doll you've been wanting?"  My answer was, "No."  She instructed me to stop looking.  I knew what that meant.

Part of a three-doll set to represent the members of the former singing group, Destiny's Child.  This Beyoncé portrait doll, by Mattel with copyright year of 2005, looks more like the entertainer than any other doll produced to date.  From the three-doll set, I only wanted Beyoncé and now I have her thanks to my "bestest" doll friend, Debra.

A photo of a much younger Beyoncé appears on the back of the box along with a description of Destiny's Child.

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The dress made for my doll, Kizzy (an 8-inch pose-able, hand-carved doll by Kor January), is shown again above and below with the doll wearing it.  I tapered the bodice for a more snug fit and added two buttons to the front. 

Kizzy loves her new dress, which is worn over her original green and tan, sewn-on houndstooth dress.  She sits atop her hand carved stoop holding her two favorite books and her furry companion, Sam.


Here, Kizzy wears her original dress made by the artist which is sewn onto her body

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Because she knows I collect Barbie holiday ornaments, I can count on Debra to always include the current Barbie ornament in my Christmas package.  The 2015 ornament, that I will enjoy on my Barbie ornament Christmas tree next year, is shown above.

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"Presents for All" 10-inch Santa by Kurt Adler

Not exactly doll-related, but close enough for me to include in this post, is an African American "Presents for All" Santa by Kurt Adler.  Debra and I normally exchange Santa figurines, but this year I had asked that she not send a large Santa (10 inches is large) because I am running out of storage room for my Santa collection.  I believe she had already purchased this one prior to my request, which is the reason she sent him to me.  Just like there is always room for one more doll, I have found a place to store Santa and his box until I have the opportunity to enjoy him with the others I will display for Christmas 2016.

As you can see, I received some very nice doll-related items from my "bestest" doll friend, who is more like a sister than a friend, whose friendship I will forever treasure.  

dbg
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Happy New Year!

I wish you and your family a blessed, happy, healthy, prosperous New Year, one in which all your needs are met and your hearts are open to help those who are less fortunate.  

May all your dreams, goals, aspirations, and/or desires become your reality.  Do whatever it takes within your power and your means to make it happen!

Peace and love,

dbg

Check out my eBay listings here.