Dfotw's finds - Updated December 21: Roadster, and big Li'l Woodzeez playset

[dfotw]

I am very new to doll collecting (like, two weeks, maybe? ), but I seem to have lucked out with the second-hand toy store near my neighbourhood. They buy and sell clothes/toys/etc children have outgrown, but they also carry 'old stock' that means a whole shelf full of MH and EAH boxes from years-old collections, at half-price or less. They might look at me a little funny when I spend 20 minutes looking through each box, but I don't care!

The first time I went, I went a liiiiittle overboard (this is literally 5x as many dolls as I had when I was a child, you could say I'm overcompensating)




The second time, after looking through easily 100+ boxes, I came upon this beautiful little lady (no in-box pics because I tore into it as soon as I got home)...



... and a slightly (very) less put-together Lala, who is much better now.

Then on a supermarket I took a detour through the toy aisle while looking for marble wax, and I found the stunning Amanita Nightshade at 70% off... score!

And today I went back to the second-hand store because I remembered having seen a big black coffin-shaped box I'd dismissed as too bulky, and..



Draculocker *and* what looks like the Coffin Bean, sans sofa! Yay!

I hope I keep having this kind of good luck, there is one other second-hand store in the city I haven't checked out yet... in this country new in stores toys have a ridiculous mark-up (easily 3x as much as US prices), but these finds make collecting affordable and fun!

 

[dfotw]

Aaaaaah, supermarket clearances are awesome! Today I brought home with me Elle Eedee and Lorna McNessie for less than the 'normal' price of a single doll. (I had to leave Isi behind because she was full price *sob*)



And I found some surprisingly detailed ornaments that are the perfect scale for MH dolls... now, who do you think would play the sax? 



I also opened the Draculocker and put everyone's spare clothes in it, and it's so fun. The little drawers and cubbyholes appeal to the packrat in me!



(to the girl I met while I was on my knees going through every MH box in the toy aisle: nice to meet a fellow MH fan here! I promise I'm not mad! And I hope you got the dolls you wanted!  )

[KustomKara]

Can I just say! I totally understand! and WOW what great finds you have!! That locker's super cute. and Those dolls!!!

you have yourself quite a steal! I really hope you can get Isi.

I feel Lorna would play the sax. She's got a 'in your face' kinda attitude to me. lol

Congrats!!

[dfotw]

Thank you, CustomKara! I feel that I've been very lucky so far, though I've also scoured every supermarket, toy store and second-hand store in my part of the city. 
Today I found a few pieces of the Die-ner set: the sofa (which goes to replace the one missing from the Coffin Bean), the counter, and the tray and goblet.
I also saw some very questionable fakies in various dollar stores: 17 inch 'Crazy Girls' (!) Clawdeen and Frankie, and fakie Nova Stars packed in MH boxes (?). 

[dfotw]

More finds!

Today at the second-hand toy store... I only meant to get Vandala, but how could anyone resist Clawdia's smile (she's getting a spa day and new clothes pronto) or FF Ghoulia?



And I went to a toy store outlet to scour the super-clearance section and came back with this. My faves are the tiny skateboards, they're perfect for my ghouls!

[dfotw]

After weeks of debating whether she's creepy cute or just creepy to me, this ghoul came home with me today! The box is a little battered, but yay!

[mozekyto]

Aaaah~! Great haul dear!! I'm jealous of people who live in countries where these babies are cheaper/abundant!!

[ebmerc]

Congrats on all of your finds! Wydowna is great you won't regret it!

[dfotw]

Thanks, mozekyto! I have to laugh because MH aren't very abundant here and they DEFINITELY aren't cheap.  I've just done a lot of legwork to find clearances, old stock, and second-hand dolls.
Ebmerc, thanks, I can wait to unbox Wydonna (and her wardrobe!) 

[mozekyto]

Aaah I see! Then I am very impressed with your dedication omg!!
Enjoy your dolls dear!!

[Wild Wolf 88]

Hello, dfotw,

Congrats, especially with regards to Clawdia, Vandala, and Ghoulia! I have that Clawdia and that Ghoulia, and they are great! I want a Vandala doll someday.
 

[applejackgirl]

Wow there are a lot of great dolls coming home with you!  I'm glad you decided in favor of getting Wydowna, she's one of the coolest dolls and all those arms to pose is a bunch of fun. 

[dfotw]

Thank you, mozekyto! The 'hunt' is part of the fun.
WildWolf88, thanks! I do love my Clawdia and I'm happy to have rescued her, and Ghoulia is adorable. I hope you get Vandala one day, she is so beautiful.
Applejackgirl, yup, I've been very lucky so far! And you're right, Wydonna is so cool and her arms are indeed so much fun to pose!

Yesterday I went round some second-hand stores and saw some MH I don't know if I should regret not picking up: Gloom Beach Jackson, and DOTD, Gloom Beach and possibly Wave 1 Clawdeen?
What I did buy was this adorable ItsImagical locker. It's metal, perfectly in scale with my ghouls, and can store all their stuff so the Draculocker can hold only clothes+accessories.






ETA: also picked up a couple of Liv wigs which are being clearanced for less than a dollar each!

[dfotw]

Oh frabjous day!!!

I woke up today to see in the newspaper that the main (only?) toy store in the country is having a store-wide 30% off weekend, then remembered a supermarket is clearancing off the BYBY and ME lines... I went a bit crazy.



These are my first EAH (with the exception of a second-hand rescue Hunter); I love the DG accesories, and though I thought I wanted Cerise Hood, I liked Melody's face a look more! And Marisol was basically $7 and I had a voucher for $6 off, so I couldn't just leave her!

Also, I got these well-loved pretties all the way from Australia (just tossed in a bubble-wrap envelope, is that how you ship dolls, I expected at least a box or some cardboard). They urgently need a spa day and Venus has some 'surprise' teeth marks on her shoulder, but I'm very happy to add them to my collection!



I think this will be my last doll spree for a while, barring lucky finds or more Skelitas. I have pretty much all the 'characters' I want and my display space is at capacity. Now I want to focus on making clothes, props, and 'playing'!

[dfotw]

Haha, ok, I know I said 'no more doll sprees', but listen, all this was on clearance! And I never thought I'd see a Liv doll IRL!

[ebmerc]

Your finds are incredible! Congratulations!

[dfotw]

Thank you, ebmerc! I feel that I've been very lucky because I'm still a newbie and don't know what's 'valuable', but I've found a bunch of dolls I love and paid below retail for everything, so...

[dfotw]

Today's finds!
New but on clearance/discounted: Liv School's Out Sophie (I also saw the playsets, but didn't like them enough, though I might go back for the pet store) and the only Bratzillaz FP that didn't hurt my eyes.
From the second-hand toy store: Barbie wardrobe (it has shelves and bars and an extendable display inside) that came with a baggie of random stuff. So far I've seen a blonde Barbie, Bratz feet/shoes, Sig Venus 'canvas' bag, tiny hangers...  ngl, I'm really looking forwards to see what inside, I like surprises! :p



 

ETA: if you're curious, I took pics of the stuff in the bag and posted them here for ID help: http://mharena.com/index.php?topic=12282

[dfotw]

I went on an outlet run today, and found so much stuff I now need to crawl under a rock and hibernate...

Gloom&Bloom were on clearance for basically $7.50, compared with their usual price of $30. No sign of Venus or Cleo.



Liv stuff at 80% off...



MF Venus was on sale for $6, and Nefera for $12. Rochelle was full price, but I got her for trading.



Whew! Good deals, but still, no more buying for a while!

[dfotw]

... "no more buying for a while". Hehehe! 

Main toy store in the country have their anniversary 40% Off Toys sale this weekend (Fri-Mon). I went today, just a couple of hours after the stores opened, and it was already crazy! Grandmothers buying Xmas gifts in advance, salesladies from nearby stores taking a quick break to check out the sales, etc.
At the store near me I grabbed BB Blondie (love the blue hair!), but they didn't have much that was new, so I took a bus to a larger store... and bingo! They had the DC Superhero Girls! Must have been because I was wearing my lucky Batman t-shirt. I grabbed Poison Ivy and though I don't love Harley's painted thighs, I couldn't break them up, which was lucky, because afterwards a salesgirl and two other shoppers asked me where I'd found Harley, and it turned out she was the only one in the store! I got so many looks (particularly from the salesgirl, who was a fan of the Suicide Squad movie) that I started to fear I'd turn around and Harley would disappear from my cart!



I also found the Operetta fashion pack! It's a bit battered, but whole. I asked, but no one in the store had seen any more of them, and in fact they seemed a bit confused as to where this one came from. 
The two EAH Sigs I found clearanced for 70% off at the supermarket yesterday while I looked for a plunger for my dad.

OK, do you think the doll diet will stick this time? I'm running out of space (not to mention money)!