Monster High goes on and on.

[leene_chan]

Taking advantage of reduced holiday prices/ free shipping, I snagged myself a few more Monster High dolls to add to my collection. I probably won't photograph any of them until after the holidays. I've only deboxed two of them so far, and I have to say that it's a much easier job than trying to remove a Lalaloopsy from its packaging!

Here's what I got:

Dead Tired Lagoona: Very pretty face on this one. I love her blue lips! I'm starting to think that even if Mattel were selling Lagoona dipped in black paint she still would be beautiful. It's a pity you can't get her without the Hydration Tank! I bought her on sale from Mattel, but really, I don't know where I'm supposed to put that thing. Her hair is a little frizzy, but short enough to keep out of the way. One of her elbows is too loose for my liking...but she's so pretty that if I broke her I'd probably buy another Lagoona and steal her body. XD

School's Out aka Second Debut Frankie Stein: I only saw a zoomed-out picture of her online before I ordered her. I loved her outfit in the picture and I love it in person...but damn, this girl has some heavy makeup! She looks like Taylor Momsen! :O I guess I will get used to her in time. I'm just shocked because the original Frankie I saw at Target didn't have nearly as garish makeup. Toh ho ho....she's still probably not as bad as the Dawn of the Dance version...

Draculaura and Clawd Set: I got this set because I found it cheap. In spite of not liking the first Draculaura doll I saw, I like Draculaura as a character and figured I'd have to get one of her eventually. Why not with her boyfriend? This version of Draculaura is actually really cute. Clawd is pretty hot for a boyfriend doll but his head is huge! His clothes leave much to be desired, though. Without the cap, he has this weird '70s gay cowboy thing going on. XD I think this is a nice set to have. I just hope I don't break anything when I debox them. I've heard that Draculaura's umbrella is fragile.

I can't believe the crap that's going on with Abbey Bominable online. Does she sell out in stores that fast, too? Of the newer characters, she's the only one I like, even if she does look like a man. I'm looking for the Skull Shores version, which doesn't fetch as high a price from scalpers as the original release. Still, I refuse to pay over $20 for that doll. I have a feeling that in a month she'll be all over the place. Apparently, the original Ghoulia had the same crazy scarcity when she first came out.

I have to say, those Classroom Dolls come with some very cute extras. I will not buy the whole set just to get the extras!

Comments

[merrycalliope.livejournal.com]

I feel lucky I found Abbey for so cheap. Also bad for tossing out her diary and mammoth. I'm a bad collector. :D

I can't find Lagoona at all outside of some sort of set. I want her to repaint so I don't need all the geegaws in a set. >_

[leene-chan.livejournal.com]

Oh, you did a bad thing! XD The booklets the dolls come with are the best part!

Actually, I've only read Ghoulia's guide to surviving Phys Dead, so I can't comment on the entertainment value of the diaries.

I'm hoping that Abbey will stop being so scarce soon. I'm sure it's easier to find her in person, but I can't go store-hopping every week! Paying more than retail for her is nuts, though. In a few months she'll probably be at Walmart for $16.99.

[merrycalliope.livejournal.com]

I read Abbey's diary and it was cute but I have so much random junk already I just can't save all the bits and pieces. Especially since I'll probably repaint her and she'll be a different character anyway. ^_^;

[leene-chan.livejournal.com]

Fair enough! :D I think that if you repaint her you'll do a great job. You can't get much better than a doll with blue skin!

I've got to find a box to put all my dolls' junk in. The books are nice, but some of the other stuff is a little too small for my liking, especially when you have a cat that likes to put things in his mouth.

[twotone]

I spotted Abbey Bominable at a local Wal-Mart (Manchester CT). She was in a big middle-of-the-aisle display with plenty of Skull Shores dolls, as well as the Toralei wave of School's Out.

She's something like $10 and change, which makes the Justice store price (and the scalper price!) all the more galling. I don't know how good or bad distribution is near you, but I'd imagine she'll show up within a week or so near you. Good luck!

[twotone]

Oh, wait... was $20 for the original release, or the Skull Shores version? $20 would be reasonable for the original Abbey, since she comes with the pet and the booklet and so forth. I am sad that the Skull Shores line doesn't come with diary entries... I'm half-tempted to go on the unofficial Monster High wiki just to catch up on all the diary entries I don't have due to passing on the dolls.

(But I HATE the official characterization for Lagoona, so I'm kind of torn on that note.)

[leene-chan.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure what the retail price is for either of the dolls. Toys R Us has the original release at $19.99, and the Skull Shores version at $16.99 (both out of stock). My sister managed to get the original release of Abbey for herself off Amazon during the 30 second period they had her listed for $17.99. The scalpers are selling Skull Shores Abbey for at least $25.00 now, and the original release for almost $50!

I haven't checked my local Walmart yet. I usually check in stores around Meriden, Wallingford and North Haven...they seem rather behind the times, and are carrying either first release or Classroom dolls. From the online banter it seems like people are getting ready to kill each other over those dolls. Ha ha ha...

What bothers you about Lagoona? The fake Australian thing? :D I actually found her a bit less annoying than the other characters on the show. Frankie tends to try my patience...

[leviosa8.livejournal.com]

My friend gave me two of hers to allow herself to buy new models with new complements. ;D

Abbey Bominable is one of the two, with Elektra that I actually saw on a shelf right after the store had put them out. One of each, only!

[twotone]

Oh, how strange! We visited the Meriden/Wallingford Walmart pretty frequently this summer, and at the time it was one of the first places I saw the newer Monster High dolls (Dawn of the Dance 3-pack, Draculaura/Clawd pack, etc).

Toy distribution patterns are *so* weird... our local Wal-Mart used to be really good for new toys when we were house-hunting here, but ever since we've actually moved here... *eyeroll*

Wow, that's some serious overpricing on TRU's part. The diary-less Spring/Summer Refresh dolls (Gloom Beach, Dead Tired, Skull Shores) are generally $10 to $13 at Wal-Mart/Target. The standard Fall release dolls with diary (School's Out, etc) are generally about $18, and I believe the Classroom dolls are about $24. I've noticed that Toys R Us seems to get in new Monster High stuff a little earlier than the other chains (so much so that I've wondered if they have a special distribution deal going on with Mattel) but sometimes I have to think long and hard whether I'm willing to pay a $2 to $4 premium just to get the dolls a little early.

Yeah, Lagoona's "Australian" thing and the whole surfer persona is kind of a turn-off for me. It's my fault for coming up with my own personification of her before actually watching any of the webisodes. It's tricky, because I don't want to miss out on any of the fun stuff (I probably would not love Abbey Bominable so much if I hadn't read her back-of-box bio with a Baroness accent).

I'm still debating whether I want to pick up the novels, which seem to take a more nuanced approach to Frankie (and possibly Jackson Jekyll). I've requested them on Paperback Swap, which means I'll probably get to read them in a few years. :p

[leene-chan.livejournal.com]

I haven't been checking very often. It's possible that the stock varies widely from week to week. I've been checking Target more often than Walmart, too. Maybe that's my folly!

I got Classroom Ghoulia at Target for $18.99, so I guess I lucked out there! I haven't seen the cheaper dolls in stores yet. I guess I should keep looking! I can't believe how expensive those Sweet 1600 dolls are. I saw ads for Sweet 1600 Ghoulia and Lagoona, but they only showed art. I wonder if they were real?

I had a knee-jerk bad reaction to Lagoona's accent, but I found she was one of the more likeable characters in the webisodes in spite of it. She seems less...shrill. Holt Hyde/Jackson Jekyll's voice is nuts, though. I really wish he weren't played by a woman. He sounds like Miley Cyrus impersonating Justin Bieber. :O

My problem with Frankie is that she suffers from Main Character Syndrome. She's like Alicia Silverstone's character in Clueless. XD

I like Abbey a lot too! But damn, she seems a lot more...mature than the other characters. I wonder if she's lying about her age?

[leene-chan.livejournal.com]

You're lucky! I really like the green lipstick on the version of Frankie Stein you have.

It's tough when the stores only stock a few dolls at once. I'm not sure I want to punch a kid in the eye to get the doll I want. XD

Success!

[leene-chan.livejournal.com]

Following for your advice, I had my sister check Wal-mart for Skull Shores Abbey when she was out, and she found her for $12! And Dead Tired Frankie for $10. Screw those scalpers. Screw 'em! :D