Fashion Dolls 101

  A group of colorful trolls got together to celebrate the end of summer with a troll party. They include a Russ troll, novelty trolls, sports trolls, an Applause troll, a Mattel troll, a mini troll and the Trump troll doll.  The Applause troll on the far right is the newest addition to the troll collection and was a thrift store find.  Related: Colorful Fall Trolls Dreamworld Trolls by Mattel Happy New Year, 2024! Send in the Trolls! Cute Little Jesus Figures Carry a Big Message  Gnome for the Fall Festivities  Barbie Micro Minis Celebrate Labor Day Barbie Micro Minis Enjoy Summer Break

 I started seeing these cute little Jesus figures a couple of years ago. People apparently leave them in retail stores like those little cruise ships ducks that show up in odd places on cruise ships. The small figures of Jesus  just randomly show up in stores and sometimes restaurants. I saw one behind the register of a Dollar Tree last week. I asked the clerk if someone gave it to him, and he said, “No. It just showed up.”  That was my experience at Michael’s twice. There was just one sitting on the counter. I asked the clerk about it and she told me people just leave them for others to find.  So far I have found two, and they are slightly different. One has a deep purple sash and one has a lighter purple with “Jesus ❤️ You” in it. In addition, the flesh tones are slightly different. Apparently they come with other variations. Oriental Trading Company has them in a variety of colors as does Walmart . I was hoping I could display them with the new mini “You Can Be A...

~ Cute seasonal gnomes are taking over for fall & Halloween decorating ~   Gnome for the Fall Festivities A few days ago I wrote about some of the cute new fall and Halloween gnomes showing up at Dollar Tree .  They have had quite the variety on their shelves this season. and each Dollar Tree I have visited has had a different group of gnomes.  I mentioned that I wanted to go back for the little trick-or-treating dog, and I did! But when I got there, they had added this handsome fellow to the assortment.  Of course I got both, so the little dog has a friend. See photo at top.  Which ones do you like best? Let me know in the comments below.  Related: Autumn Gnomes on Shelves at Walgreens, Dollar General  Halloween Gnomes & Critters at Dollar Tree Patriotic Gnomes at Walgreens A Very Minecraft Fall Michael’s: 4th of July & Pumpkins!  Patriotic Gnomes Celebrate July 4 with Groovy Girls Vanessa   Summer Gnomes

~ Comparing the new 3” Disney Princess Toddler dolls to Liddle Kiddles from 1965. ~   In my recent article about the new 3” mini Disney Princess Toddler dolls , I compared them to Liddle Kiddles from the 1960s. While I mentioned the Disney princesses were significantly larger, I decided a photo comparison was in order. On the left is Shirley Strawberry Cola Kiddle and on the right is Disney Princess Anna. Both are redheads with big blue eyes, and their heads are of a similar size, which is what reminded me of the Kiddles. But there the similarities end.  Shirley has fiber hair while Anna has plastic hair. Anna is roughly 1 1/2 times as tall as Shirley Kiddle and her dress is plastic whereas Shirley’s strawberry costume is made of fabric. Liddle Kiddles were first produced by  Mattel  in 1965  The little Disney Toddler princesses were released with a box date of  2024.  Both are cute as can be. Which do you prefer? Let me know in the comments....

  These little Princess figurines from Disney are just too adorable. The detail of the costumes is quite exceptional, and I never say that about plastic dolls. Here is a closeup of Anna, Aurora and Belle to give you an idea what I am talking about.  I thought they were all precious, but I especially like the costuming of the Frozen dolls. Here are three different versions of Anna. The are only a couple of inches tall. I wish I had snapped them up, but they were almost $9 each at the Dollar store.  Something about them reminded me of the Little Kiddles dolls made by Mattel in the 1960s although the Kiddles were significantly smaller.  Related: Barbie ‘You Can Be Anything’ Potential Doll House Barbie ‘You Can Be Anything’ Minis Out   Barbie Micro Minis Celebrate Labor Day Barbie Micro Minis an Annual Tradition Barbie Micro Minis Enjoy Summer Break Barbie Minis Celebrate Veterans Appreciation Month, Flag Day and July 4    

  Ok, I’ll be the first to admit this house is on the small size, but I think it will be suitable for dioramas for the tiny “You Can Be Anything “ minis from Mattel. Best of all, it is found at Dollar Tree where the little minis are found. It’s too bad the price on all the Dollar Tree toys has almost doubled in the past month, but for $1.75, they are still more or less a good price.  I still prefer the more elegant Barbie Macro Collection, but these little minis are growing on me. The more little props I find for them, the more I enjoy them! Related: Barbie ‘You Can Be Anything’ Minis Out   Barbie Micro Minis Celebrate Labor Day Barbie Micro Minis an Annual Tradition Barbie Micro Minis Enjoy Summer Break Barbie Minis Celebrate Veterans Appreciation Month, Flag Day and July 4   Micro Sports Barbies Are Having a Bal l

  The new Barbie “You Can Be Anything” minis are out on the shelves at various Dollar-type stores, and I must say they are cute but underwhelming. I hope these are not the replacement for the Micro Collection, because they are not as tall, shapely or collectible. These tiny little figurines are designed for ages three and up—definitely don’t get them if you have younger kids, because these small dolls have “choking hazard” written all over them. However, the blind packaging is child proof and requires scissors to open. The display box says there are 16 career figures available and lists 8 of them on each side.  The blind packaging shows all 16. I purchased 3 blind bags and got two identical cooks/homemakers and a skateboarder, the last two figures shown on the bottom right of the packaging. The receipt calls the minis “Barbie Blind Bag in Display.” At $1.75, they aren’t a terribly expensive addition to your collection, and if you like cute little minis, these might be for you....

~  Barbie minis enjoy the Labor Day Weekend ~  The Barbie Micro Collection of mini doll figures is celebrating Labor Day at their favorite cafe. The petite girls have dressed up for a get together on the unofficial end-of-summer holiday and are hoping it ushers in cooler weather and an early fall.  They are really hard to dress but I have tried my hand at a few simple wardrobe additions for some of them. I have ideas for costuming improvements! Have a Happy Labor Day from the Barbie Macro Collection!  Related: Barbie Micro Minis an Annual Tradition Barbie Micro Minis Enjoy Summer Break Barbie Minis Celebrate Veterans Appreciation Month, Flag Day and July 4   Micro Sports Barbies Are Having a Bal l Labor Day: Work, Rest & Purpose Labor Day Wellness Tips – Finish the Summer with Healthier Skin

  Dollar Tree has an unexpected selection of Gnomes and critters out for Halloween. Typically they issue two, maybe three and rarely four gnomes at a time, but this is an assortment of five little trick or treaters, made like their gnomes and Easter bunnies. While not exactly gnomes, they would definitely fit in with your fall gnome collection.  There is a ghost, a candy corn witch, a dog, a bat and a purple monster, available for $1.50 each. I may have to go back for that cute little dog!  Related: Patriotic Gnomes at Walgreens Halloween Gnomes & Critters at Dollar Tree Michael’s: 4th of July & Pumpkins! Patriotic Gnomes Celebrate July 4 with Groovy Girls Vanessa   Summer Gnomes A Very Minecraft Fall

 Little Autumn gnomes are popping up in stores! So far I have seen the little fall cuties in two different places: Walgreens and Dollar General Store. The first group of fall cuties came from Dollar General. At $1 each, I should have snapped up one of each.  The second group is equally cute and came from Walgreens. These little Halloween hobgoblin gnomes are ready for all the fall festivities, especially trick or treating. They come in grey flannel with grey beards and bats on their hats, and white beards with Jack-o-lanterns on their caps. The Walgreens fall gnomes are $3.99.  Hold the presses! Walgreens has added a little witch gnome since I wrote this article. Here she is with her buddies.  Fall is only a month away! Do you have your autumn gnomes yet? Better grab yours soon.  Also check out the Halloween trick or-treaters gnomes at Dollar Tree. Related: Patriotic Gnomes at Walgreens Summer Gnomes St. Patrick’s Day Gnomes vs. Leprechauns Gnome Sweet Gnome Gno...

~ Barbie mini sports figures a cute addition to your collection ~ Micro Sports Barbies Are Having a Ball Mattel’s little Macro collection of Barbie figures is just too cute to ignore, and they are popular enough to have been issued twice.   In 2019, the first two sports minis were released in bubble packs with a dark and light pink chevron background. The cartoon graphic art reflected the sport of each doll: soccer, and baseball, and there was also an illustration based on the doll itself   Each doll comes dressed in the appropriate sports uniform and with the appropriate ball. The little plastic dolls, sometimes used as cake toppers, are made in Viet Nam. The 2019 packaging doesn’t have any reference to the Macro Collection on the packaging.  It wasn’t until 2021 that Mattel released the 2nd set of little sports figures, and this time they were in bubble packs with a pale pink and white chevron background. The 2021 set was in packaging said “Macro Collection.”  Thi...

  Look what I found! I have been raving about what I called the Barbie Minis, but they are part of the Barbie Micro Collection, and I discovered I already had 3 from last year tucked away. Then I started looking and found more! There was a whole fantasy collection issued and other sports minis as well as a pop star, a chief, and others.   Apparently they might have originally been intended for cake toppers but now they have become miniature collectible icons! One season has the words “Micro Collection” on the packaging but that doesn’t seem to be on every years bubble pack   Here is this year’s collection. I can’t wait to see what comes out for 2025!  Related:  Barbie Micro Minis Enjoy Summer Break Barbie Minis Celebrate Veterans Appreciation Month, Flag Day and July 4  

~ The Barbie Micro Minis Enjoy Their Summer Break ~   The Barbie Micro Minis have had a busy summer:’birthday parties, 4th of July, fun in the sun. They may be small but they know how to enjoy the hot summer months.  The Barbie minis along with their cats and friends celebrate a summer birthday with a garden party.  Then they took an exciting trip to the Sunshine State to enjoy the tropical beauty.  And, of course, they all had a Happy 4th of July. Now they are looking forward to fall and the cooler weather, so the next time you see them, they will probably be celebrating pumpkin season.  The Barbie Minis were $1.25 at Dollar tree but this week they had jumped up to $1.75.  Related: Barbie Mini Tries to Find a Date Barbie Minis Prepare for the Semiqui ncentennial Barbie Micro Minis Enjoy Summer Break Barbie Micro Minis an Annual Tradition Barbie Minis Celebrate Veterans Appreciation Month, Flag Day and July 4   Barbie Minis at Dollar Tree