Lammily Doll First Edition Wheelchair

A couple of years back I pledged to a Kickstarter for a Lammily doll sized wheelchair. I have wanted a 1/6th Sized wheelchair for some time, but they were as rare as hen's teeth to find... 

http://legendsrevealed.com

I tried to get my hands on "Share a Smile Becky" (Barbie's friend) from 1996, a few times but, well you know Ebay, it's not always easy, especially when they item you are after is very very sought after. 

There is another version of this doll (character), this time Becky is the School Photographer - she was released in 1998.... And again, isn't easy to come by.

Amazon.com

Again, she isn't that easy to get hold of and to be honest, I don't really want the doll, just her wheelchair, which unfortunately wasn't available to buy on it's own and the time of these dolls' releases.

Until 2016, that is, when Lammily announced their Kickstarter campaign for the Lammily wheelchair, of course I headed straight over and pledged. 

kickstarter.com

The unfortunate thing was it took ages to arrive. 

I had not received an invoice for the shipping fee so had a bit of a chase to get shipping sorted out and the wheelchair on it's way to me.

Once that was sorted out the wheelchair arrives really quick though, so no big woop!

One thing I have to say I love whenever I've dealt with Nicolay Lamm, he has been so easy to deal with and very helpful, which in turn makes me happy to buy or recommend his dolls as even if there is a problem, he always does his best to help, politely and in a reasonable time period too,unlike a lot of companies nowadays, who seem to lose all interest in their customers once they have received their money!

I don't know why I was surprised to find it came in a quite thin, small box... 

Inside was a small sealed package, decorated with body positive imagery, which rattled like something was broken inside!

When I opened it up I found a bubble wrap bag with all the pieces inside, waiting to be put together.

Inside was a page of instructions, on good quality shiny paper, which were very easy to understand as it is designed to be put together by all ages.

It took less than 10 minutes to piece it all together and snap the parts in place. 

I was surprised to find how sturdy the finished article was once completed.

The funny thing is not long after I received my Lamily Wheelchair, Mattel announced that they were soon to be releasing one for Barbie as part of their Fashionistas Line.

metro.co.uk

The finally released her earlier this year. As well as the wheelchair she also has a ramp to make play negotating the doll easier, having released a Barbie with a prosthetic leg last year it seems the logical progression, however, it does seem a little iffy to me that her's is also blue.

smythstoys.com

These dolls are easy to get hold of at the moment and for around the same price as Lammily's is so I guess if you're interested in a doll wheelchair the choice is yours as to which one you go for. 

Barbie's comes with either a dark skinned or white doll whereas the Lammily one doesn't come with a doll, and instead of a hard backed plastic seat, you have a fabric one on Lammily's wheelchair, but the you do get the bonus of  supporting not only a really good small toy company but also 5% of the proceeds of the sale go to Ayita Wheelchair Dance and Big Dreams Children's Foundation both of which are very worthwhile causes.

 If you wish to purchase a Lammily Wheelchair, you can do so from their website, by clicking this link, I can't speak for the Mattel one, but I know the Lammily wheelchair fits Monster High, Barbie, Disney and many other dolls currently on the market at present.

Ok, that's me done for now...

Take care,

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1976 McDonaldLand Ronald McDonald and friends by Remco Toys.

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My first experience of McDonalds was going to a birthday party one of my class mates was having at the newly opened McDonalds in Walthamstow back when I was about 8 or 9.

I can't say I was massively impressed, even at that age... it was colourful and fun, and I was excited 'cos I was at a Birthday Party, and it was somewhere brand new where only a couple of us (20 or so children, who'd been invited) had been before, but I also found it a bit weird... 

Like it was trying too hard to appeal to children and the burgers were tiny and rubbery, nothing like my mum made at home... 

One thing I did discover was my love for root beer and anything flavoured with it, it's pretty elusive nowadays, especially in Wales, but if I can get my hands on it, I savour the rare treat!

Anyway, back in those days, a birthday at McDonalds meant accompanying McDonald things such as a plastic glove puppet of Ronald. 

agonybooth.com

A Frisbee with the clown spread-eagle in the centre... and even an appearance by the freaky bugger himself!

ebay

In those days (early 1980s) Ronald McDonald looked just like the one above, on adverts etc, but it wasn't always that way...

The first McDonald's restaurant opened their doors in 1948, becoming a franchise in 1955, although at this time there was no Ronald McDonald - he wouldn't come into being until the early 1960's.

famousclowns.org

In 1963, Willard Scott, who had been working on WRC-TV under the moniker Bozo The Clown was approached to record three television adverts for the food chain.

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In doing so he invented a disgustingly scary looking thing that was named "Ronald McDonald the Hamburger Happy Clown" who's outfit he cobbled together from the restaurant's food packaging, as you can see from the image above, the result was terrifying.

google

Clearly, McDonald's realised that the packaging covered Ronald was a terrifying freak of a mascot, and so the design was altered and became more like the Ronald my generation came to know.

Over time, Ronald gained a huge group of friends who all lived in McDonaldLand with him, several of which were even freakier looking than the clown himself, but I digress.

mashed.com

This eventually led to a line of toys, featuring the clown and his friends from McDonaldLand that were made by Remco Toys in the early to mid 1970's.

By 1976, Ronald McDonald, Big Mac, Mayor McCheese, Hamburglar, Captain Crook, The Professor and even Grimace had been made into 6 inch high figures which could be played with on their own or as part of the MacDonaldland Train Set.

popculture.mearsonlineauctions

The train set was pretty cool, it was approximately two by three feet in diameter and included not only a wind up train and track but also a passenger car and Hamburglar's Paddy Wagon; for taking him away in, once he'd been caught up to no good.

The train track had a decorated mat to rest on, with a folded side which when folded up forms a backdrop (11 inches high) both of which were decorated in the same style as the McDonaldLand Murals which used to adorn the walls of  McDonald's Restaurants.

In some restaurants you may even see a huge fibreglass Apple Pie Tree which occasionally doubled up as a swing along side other playground equipment they often had at the time.

mentalfloss.com

As well as a bridge, mini McDonald's Restaurant, complete with seating area and Apple Pie Tree swing, the set also came with a bridge which makes sense as there is a pond in the centre of the play mat and a pair of stilts which your McDonaldLand figures can wear, these are free standing due to the base, but honestly, I can't figure out why they are included in the set at all, I can't remember a time when I ever saw Ronald or his Friends / Bad guys wearing stilts, so I'm clueless as to their inclusion.

Another thing the box states is included is a stationary set, which is very kitsch and very cute but again, what has it got to do with anything else in the box...

If you'd like to see a picture of the stationary; click on the Mentalfloss link below the above picture and you'll be taken to a very interesting article about the train set as well as some legal bother McDonald's got into when they were sued by the creators of  H.R PufnStuf who felt some of the McDonaldLand characters were a bit to close to their own creation, it's a fascinating read.

So far, I've only managed to get my hands on 2 of the action figures; Ronald and Hamburglar...

Hamburglar is in storage so I unfortunately can't show you him right now, he's missing his cape anyway, but my Ronald did come out with me on my birthday a couple of years back when Creeping Stink Flesh got her name and The Hujoo's and Pendle Makie went sunbathing in Langland Bay in Swansea, so here's a picture of him from that day...

The only other pictures I have of him right now are from his Ebay listing, I bought him from an American Seller, which is as it should be, anyway, these are the images that made me want to give him a home...

As you can see he is in great condition, his outfit is in perfect condition and so his hair... you've probably also noticed that little round toggle thing in the middle of his back, it allows you to move his head up and down, side to side, do the scene from The Exorcist, etc

 Here he is sans clothes, in a photo  I lifted from another Ebay listing (for a nakie Ronald) while I was waiting for him to arrive.. as you can see his arms and legs are moulded in red plastic, his shoes are not removable as they are moulded onto his feet, his gloves are painted on and in terms of articulation, apart from the rotating head button, he is only able to move his limbs at the hips and shoulders, making him best suited for posing standing up.

The plastic he is made from is good quality so not likely to bend, warp or snap providing you don't go crazy, his hair is also good quality, rooted firmly to his head with no loose hairs that I've noticed, not bad for a doll which is now 43 years old!

Anyway, I've run out of things to say for now, so I'll bid you farewell,
Hugs,

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✯✯✯ David Bowie Gold Label Collection Barbie Doll ✯✯✯

/barbie.mattel.com

I was innocently doing some research on Amazon today, and came across a very interesting Barbie that intrigued me no end... It turns out that she was released this July, as a tribute to both Barbie and David Bowie in his iconic Ziggy Stardust incarnation.

There's not much I could find out about this doll, except she was released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" song, which is weird in a way cos Ziggy Stardust came out 3 years later, so why not wait 3 years or dress this one all in silver and give it a mullet... Yeah I know out of the two this one is more iconic so it makes sense really, just a little weird anyhoo, I digress... Back to Barbie..

amazon.co.uk

Her hair is slick back and poofed up, more of a bouffant than a mullet  - It looks similar but not quite, but then again it isn't supposed to be a Bowie replica, it's a tribute piece.

amazon.co.uk

Her make up is beautiful and themed to match the colours in her  jumpsuit, there is no red blush around her temples or cheekbones like Bowie wore but it's very pretty and immediately recognisable regardless, perhaps because she has the "Astral Circle" on her forehead, to match the one David Bowie wore, during this time.  

She's wearing big 70's style earrings depicting a star going through a circle, which again are not "Bowie" but fit in very well to the overall aesthetic of the piece.

amazon.co.uk

Her outfit is almost an exact replica of David Bowie's striped, metallic jumpsuit - As you can see from the picture below it is a really good likeness.

davidbowie.fandom.com

She also comes wearing the same patent looking platform boots as David Bowie wears as part of this outfit.

She is presented in a transparent box, against a background of multiple photographs of David Bowie in his many incarnations over his career.

She is already sold out on Amazon. uk, which is pretty crazy as she's only been out for a few weeks.

Oh well, that's it for now, catch ya later!

🍑 James and The Giant Peach - Grasshopper Doll 🍑

http://gonevadacounty.com

In 1996 Walt Disney Pictures got togtehr with Tim Burton to make a part live action, part animation version of one of my favourite books from childhood, James and the giant peach.

As my boy was one year old at the time and as I loved reading the book by Ronald Dahl as a child, I went out on a whim and bought him a copy of the film as soon as it was released on video.

To be honest, I was quite disappointed with the film, not so much the animation, although the centipede who was until that point one of my favourite characters in the book, is facially very weird... 

It was the live action bit at the start that really annoyed me. 

They used the same boy (Paul Terry), who would later show up in the BBC/Disney Channel's Microsoap and unfortunately made him sing... a lot, too much, far to much.

The bit with the Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge, (played by Joanna Lumley and Miriam Margoyles respectively), was great... No one does wicked adults quite like Ronald Dahl and the film captured the essence of the characters really well.

The problem for me is, with a lot of children's films, they always seem to feel the need to add awful repetitive songs and high pitched singing that really isn't necessary, unless of course the book you are adapting the story from contains a singing/Party scene. 

Anyway, long rant short, the boy loved it - except the "I'm James, James" song,  not surprising, he's a chip off the old block but anyway the animation bits were really good and were used to relate the story from the point when James enters the peach and meets the insects who will become his friends and begins his adventure.

The Old Green Grasshopper is not only the eldest but considered one of the wisest creatures amongst the peach dwelling invertebrates and became one of a line of Limited Edition Collectable Dolls released by Jun Planning Co. - the other doll in the range is the Centipede, who is the same size and comes in a similar box. 

The box opens like a book, held shut with a flat tiger's tooth shaped peg which slots into a tiny piece of ribbon on the side of the box.

Once open it reveals a large viewing pane which allows you to see the entire figure, without opening the box, if you don't wish to.

  

I opened his box carefully, from the top and was immediately greeted with the image above, I found it adorable that his little tail had to have it's own hole to slot inside, of course this helps him to stand better in the box and means he is less likely to be damaged in transit.

Once removed, he stands at 15 inches tall and is very posable, (within reason) all his arms move and his legs have 3 points of articulation, so he is pretty posable, however his shoes are moulded onto his feet and his outfit is not removable, so you have to be very careful when posing not to put him near anything that might mark it as if it does, you'll have to clean it on the doll which I'm sure would be blooming awkward!

The other thing of course, is his tail being an unmovable piece of hard plastic it might get in the way when attempting to pose him in different places or positions, and cannot be moved from side to side to give more posability in this area.

He also is able to stand up by himself, so that helps too, but to sit him down you are very limited in the poses and leg positions you place him in, although they remain true to the way he moved in the film, but due to his tail, he is quite stable in this position so it's good for photographing him.

He comes with his monocle attatched at one end to the pocket of his jacket (made of a thin velveteen type material) which he can hold easily in his right hand, so you can pose him holding it up to his eye, but if he isn't holding it, it will just hang down on it's chain and dangle at his leg until you decide to do something with it.

https://d23.com

As soon as I saw The Grasshopper doll, I wanted him, he looks exactly like his animated counterpart and he's also one of my favourite characters from the book.

I'm not sure about the Centipede doll, in terms of height or how many is in the run, but The Grasshopper doll was released in a Limited (never to be produced again) Edition of only 2000 pieces.

These dolls, understandably sold out within a few days of being available and so are now very hard to come by.

I was lucky enough to find mine on Ebay, still sealed and at a good price, but it took many years of searching to do so.

I'd recommend him if you are into the film, book or like quirky dolls, but be prepared to wait a while and search a lot to find him.

Anyhoo, that's all for now folks,

Hugs

The Munsters - Uncle Gilbert Action Figure by Diamond Select Toys

gify.com

I've always loved The Munsters and The Addams Family, ever since I was little, now I'm an adult, I don't laugh as much at the jokes and situations as I used to but there is something weirdly wholesome and sweet about they way both those families just accept anyone, no matter how weird they look except "normal looking folks" that is, except of course for Poor Marilyn Munster, who seems to have been brushed with the ugly stick by the family's standards!

the-reelgillman

One of my Favourite character's from The Munsters is Uncle Gilbert, played by Richard Hale, who only appears in one episode, "Love Comes to Mockingbird Heights" and only for a few minutes at the end.

midnitereviews.com

In the episode, poor unlucky in love Marilyn gets taken in by an opportunistic Bank Clerk who wants to get close to her to get even closer to the crate full of Gold Doubloons  Uncle Gilbert sends to the family to look after for him until he arrives.

Being The Creature from The Black Lagoon, he has collected this huge treasure (a total of $180,000) which he got from savaging shipwrecks etc

Lily doesn't feel good having that much money in the house and so decides it's safer to deposit it in the bank while they await Uncle Gilbert's arrival, and it is there that Marilyn meets a young gold digging bank clerk who takes an interest in her and more especially,  Uncle Gilbert's treasure.

That said it will come as no surprise that I was really pleased to discover that Diamond Select Toys produced a range of four Munsters action figures which included Uncle Gilbert as part of the range.

This was back in 2013 as you can see from the above picture which was a preview photo from the Diamond Toy Fair of that year, that the other three figures in this series were Hot Rod Herman, Race Way Lily, Hot Rod Grampa and of course Uncle Gilbert.

While I found it weird that they included Uncle Gilbert in this set as the theme was obviously The Munsters Hot Rod episode from 27th May 1965, but Love comes to Mockingbird Lane was aired on 22nd April 1965 and has nothing to do with Herman's stint as a Road Racer, I am very glad they released him as part of the set, I would just love to know why!

Anyway, I guess You want to see the figure itself now, so here he is... I had planned to get another so I could have him out of the package to display him as unfortunately he comes in on of those packages that will be completely destroyed during opening.

But sadly, I didn't manage to; he was the last one on Amazon when I purchased him for £17.70 and yesterday, I decided to look on Amazon to see if  he is now available for sale, the good thing he is, the bad thing is he now is listed for £91.33! 

So it's really not likely I'm going to get another one any time soon!

Anyhoo, as the previous picture of him in his package wasn't a close up... here's one so you can see his handsome face in more detail!

One thing I have to say, which should come as no surprise, if you've read any of my other posts and know that I have a thing for The Creature from The Black Lagoon,  is that I really love this sculpt.

The artist Jean St. Jean did such an awesome job on this figure and even though he is clothed in the style of his Munsters incarnation he is not only a very true likeness to that incarnation but also to the character Uncle Gilbert is based on.

I love the paint on his eyes too, they really do look similar to a toad or frog's eyes. I would love to be able to hold him and check out the rest of the sculpt in person but until I get another, and knowing it would set me back 91 quid to get one, I'm going to have to keep that wish to one side for now.

Amazon.co.uk

By the way, if you would like a little more information in the artist who came up with this sculpt, you can read an interview with him by clicking the link in the above paragraph.

I was happy enough with my Uncle Gilbert figure, and not being massively enamoured with the others in this run, I initially thought I'd leave it at that...

Until I received him and discovered that each figure comes with a section of The Munster's staircase and if you do get the rest of the figures, you can display them on an awesome diorama the staircase of The Munster House at 1313 Mockingbird Lane, Mockingbird Heights, California.

www.bigbadtoystore.com

I absolutely love this diorama set, and really want to have it so I could display a loose Uncle Gilbert or Herman walking down it, or as the above photograph shows, with a miniature version of Eddie Munster's pet "Spot" who lives under the stairs and comes complete with nasal flames as part of the finished piece.

But alas, that too will have to wait a while as they are all averaging at £42 on Amazon now, and like I said to remove them the packaging has to be destroyed, which will considerably lower their value so even if I did have them, I'd probably keep them in their packaging too and then try and find more of them loose or for cheaps so I can remove them form the package without feeling bad about it!

Anyway, I found a really good review of this and the other characters in the set, plus the diorama on mwctoys.com so if you want to check them all out, my advise is to click the link in the name.

Well, that's it for now,

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