tokidoki Barbie doll Black Label in the box My Black Label tokidoki Barbie doll arrived this past Thursday. I pre-ordered this doll from Doll Genie, a trusted dealer, so I knew that I would have my consolation prize even if I didn't find a Purple-haired Platinum Label tokidoki Barbie doll in the much-maligned "treasure hunt" staged by Barbie Collector on September 1st. I haven't given up on miss purple hair, but this pink-haired twin sure is a great consolation.
I got into collecting Barbie dolls because of the original tokidoki™ Barbie® from 2011. There was a news segment on TV about this tattooed Barbie doll that was commanding something in the range of $500 on eBay. The suggested retail price was $50, I believe. I found the doll very attractive, but I could not bring myself to spend that kind of money on a Barbie doll, so I wound up starting my collection with a Barbie Basics 2.0 Ken doll. Years later, I found myself still yearning for tokidoki Barbie, and I was able to get her on the secondary market for a more reasonable amount. That's what happens when a doll is no longer the "doll of the moment".
I finally found the time to de-box Black Label tokidoki Barbie earlier today, and I snapped some photos.
I got into collecting Barbie dolls because of the original tokidoki™ Barbie® from 2011. There was a news segment on TV about this tattooed Barbie doll that was commanding something in the range of $500 on eBay. The suggested retail price was $50, I believe. I found the doll very attractive, but I could not bring myself to spend that kind of money on a Barbie doll, so I wound up starting my collection with a Barbie Basics 2.0 Ken doll. Years later, I found myself still yearning for tokidoki Barbie, and I was able to get her on the secondary market for a more reasonable amount. That's what happens when a doll is no longer the "doll of the moment".
I finally found the time to de-box Black Label tokidoki Barbie earlier today, and I snapped some photos.
tokidoki Barbie doll out of the box For a Black Label doll, this one is brimming with attention to detail--from the 10th anniversary print skirt and the tattoos with characters that inhabit the tokidoki universe, to the tokidoki shopping bag, to the bracelet (on her right wrist) designed by Bill Greening, and her Cactus Friend named Polppetina. The belt that defines her waist has a tokidoki logo buckle. Not to mention, the box itself is loaded with colorful, whimsical tokidoki graphics. This doll will satisfy many NRFB-ers.
The doll itself is your typical model muse doll with both arms outstretched, and the left leg bent so that she's always standing contrapposto. The hair is once again sewn onto a patch of plastic meant to keep it in place, which when removed leaves a kink in her otherwise straight pink hair that falls nearly to the waist. She has bangs, and a section of her hair in the back--behind the neck--is rooted with blonde hair instead of pink. Again, another edgy touch.
tokidoki™ Barbie® doll uses the "Karl" face mold, which takes its name from the Karl Lagerfeld Barbie doll. Someone on the Barbie forums pointed out that her rather minimalist eye paint--blue eyeshadow and very pronounced dark eyeliner and mascara--hearkens back to the vintage Barbie dolls with the nostalgic face molds. Leave it to Barbie to add self-referential details! She really knows her brand. Of course, this one has glittery eyeshadow, and a glittery punk-rock-esque star painted under her left eye. And since we're on the subject of glitter, let's not forget her sparkly sequined top and glittery gladiator heels. The doll also comes with two silly but cute headbands--a donut headband (with sprinkles!) and a cactus headband.
Now, I am clearly impressed with this doll, but she is not perfect. There are the usual differences between the prototypes shown in promotional images and the production doll. In the images we've seen, the prototype's tulle underskirt is more visible than in the actual dolls. I know about the disclaimer Mattel always puts out that the actual dolls may vary, but this seems like such an easy thing to fix. I'm not a fan of the silvery clutch, either--the one that's been recycled from the Barbie Look line. It is just a shiny piece of plastic that doesn't open up or do anything. And lastly, I'm not sure if those yellow and pink bangle bracelets (also a recurring accessory) were included as a nod to Barbie, or if they were just another easy add-on. Let's not even get into how difficult it is to remove the dolls from the packaging.
In spite of my little gripes, it looks like this doll is another home run for Bill Greening and Simone Legno. I'm sure many collectors are very happy with their Black Label tokidoki Barbie dolls, too. This is one of the fastest selling Barbie Collector dolls in recent memory, and I can see why.
Check out my little photo gallery below for more images of Black Label tokidoki Barbie doll.
The doll itself is your typical model muse doll with both arms outstretched, and the left leg bent so that she's always standing contrapposto. The hair is once again sewn onto a patch of plastic meant to keep it in place, which when removed leaves a kink in her otherwise straight pink hair that falls nearly to the waist. She has bangs, and a section of her hair in the back--behind the neck--is rooted with blonde hair instead of pink. Again, another edgy touch.
tokidoki™ Barbie® doll uses the "Karl" face mold, which takes its name from the Karl Lagerfeld Barbie doll. Someone on the Barbie forums pointed out that her rather minimalist eye paint--blue eyeshadow and very pronounced dark eyeliner and mascara--hearkens back to the vintage Barbie dolls with the nostalgic face molds. Leave it to Barbie to add self-referential details! She really knows her brand. Of course, this one has glittery eyeshadow, and a glittery punk-rock-esque star painted under her left eye. And since we're on the subject of glitter, let's not forget her sparkly sequined top and glittery gladiator heels. The doll also comes with two silly but cute headbands--a donut headband (with sprinkles!) and a cactus headband.
Now, I am clearly impressed with this doll, but she is not perfect. There are the usual differences between the prototypes shown in promotional images and the production doll. In the images we've seen, the prototype's tulle underskirt is more visible than in the actual dolls. I know about the disclaimer Mattel always puts out that the actual dolls may vary, but this seems like such an easy thing to fix. I'm not a fan of the silvery clutch, either--the one that's been recycled from the Barbie Look line. It is just a shiny piece of plastic that doesn't open up or do anything. And lastly, I'm not sure if those yellow and pink bangle bracelets (also a recurring accessory) were included as a nod to Barbie, or if they were just another easy add-on. Let's not even get into how difficult it is to remove the dolls from the packaging.
In spite of my little gripes, it looks like this doll is another home run for Bill Greening and Simone Legno. I'm sure many collectors are very happy with their Black Label tokidoki Barbie dolls, too. This is one of the fastest selling Barbie Collector dolls in recent memory, and I can see why.
Check out my little photo gallery below for more images of Black Label tokidoki Barbie doll.
| Biggest Pro: Unique style and accessories galore! Biggest Con: Model muse body constraints My rating 3 / 5 stilettos  | Body Type: Model Muse straight Arms Skin Tone: Nostalgic Facial Sculpt: Karl Fashion Sewn On: No Eyelashes: Painted Included: Shoes, bracelet, pet, purse, doll stand Customizations: Painted fingers and toes MPN: CMV57 |
RSS Feed