Curiozities By The Book: February 2012

Friday, February 24, 2012

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Dolls Inspired By The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

It never ceases to amaze me that a children's book published over a hundred years ago in America can continue to captivate the imagination and be integrated seamlessly into current trends.

Ball-jointed dolls, especially resin, are the hot dolls right now. They've been gaining popularity for several years but it seems they exploded overnight. BJDs are made in a variety of sizes and mediums and allow for more poseability. You can read more details about BJDS here.

ShenZhen Red Society Toy Company Ltd. was the first to create ball-jointed dolls in China in 2005 under their Doll-Zone brand. Late last year Doll-Zone released dolls of Dorothy and the Scarecrow. Both resin dolls stand just over 17 1/2" tall and can be ordered in a variety of skin tones. Dorothy retails around $366 while the Scarecrow is slightly more expensive at $393.

More photos and information on Dorothy can be seen on Doll-Zone's website.

More photos and information on the Scarecrow can be seen here.

Hot on Doll-Zone's heels came Pipos in 2007. Also paying homage to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz late last year with their versions of Dorothy and the Tin Man. These resin BJDs stand around 10" - 10 1/2". The Limited Editions of Dorothy, light Tin Man, and dark Tin Man retail for $540.

The Gift Editions retail for $280

More information and photos of Pipos' Wonderful Wizard of Oz dolls can be seen on Pipos' website

Both Pipos and Doll-Zone displayed spectacular creativity with their re-interpretations of the Oz characters most especially in Dorothy's costuming.

Despite the popularity of BJDs, traditional doll makers are still holding their own. German doll artist Heidi Plusczok has over 30 years of doll design under her belt. She has won numerous awards and her dolls have graced the covers of doll magazines many times. She was inspired by her granddaughter's love of fables and so dubbed her 2012 line 'Read Me A Story'. She's created a charming Dorothy doll made of vinyl. Dorothy is an edition of 120. Her hair is mohair and human hair and her brown eyes are glass. The one setback to this delightful doll is her leather shoes are red instead of silver. She stands at 10 1/2" and retails just over $400.