My Top 5 Best Ever List

As my regular readers know, I am a doll collector. Recently, there was a thread on the W Club Forum asking for everyone's "Top 5 Best Ever List" for the Poppy Parker doll. It was a fun thread to read, and I learned a lot about the facial screenings of the dolls. It seems they're not all the same. The lists were as varied as the W Club members posting them! Some liked blondes, others, brunettes. There were so many different reasons for why a person chose these dolls over those. And, for some, it was a simple list of 7 or 9 or 12 dolls because they couldn't decide which ones were the "5 best ever." Some people posted beautiful photos, so it will come as no surprise that it took me quite a while to read through all the posts because I had to stop and drool over all the beautiful images of my favorite dolls.

So, in the spirit of all things fun, I posted my "Top 5 Best Ever List." I thought it would be fun to share my list here, with photos.

No. 1: Coney Island Saturday was my first Poppy Parker doll. She was part of the 2010 Mainline Collection when Poppy was still "new."  I bought her on clearance on Marl & B's web site and had her for about six months before I ever took her out of the box. Why I waited so long, I couldn't tell you. She was something new and I wasn't sure I was going to like her. I was apprehensive about the "Fashion Royalty" dolls so many of my doll friends collected. I really didn't have room in my life for anyone other than Barbie (and, Momoko, but that's another story!), so I wasn't in a rush. When I finally deboxed her, I redressed her in some Randall Craig fashions and took her picture. This is my first photo of her. When I saw it on the computer screen, it was over. I was in love!

No. 2: I Love How You Love Me 
(aka ILHYLM or 'Love Me') was a DOLLS magazine exclusive gift set offered in January 2011. She was limited to 300 sets and cost $150 for those lucky enough to purchase her. I was NOT one of those persons. :(

Today, as I write this blog entry, there is one for sale on ebay with 13 bids (so far) and the winning bid is currently $620. The auction closes in six hours.

Here's a closeup photo of her so you can see why I am so infatuated with her. (The photo is by JennFL on Flickr.)  According to knowledgeable folks on the W Club Forum, "To The Fair" has the same facial screening. I was lucky enough to get her and the link is to my photo of her! Still, I would love to have this beautiful girl at my house, even if it was just as a weekend guest. I would take lots of photos of her so I could say I had seen her in person.

{BIG SIGH}

No. 3: The Young Sophisticate
This beautiful girl was the 2013 W Club Member Exclusive. It is said she has the same facial screening as Bergdorf Goodman Fashion's Night Out, which was a small issue of 200 dolls, sold at Bergdorf's in September 2010. (Bergdorf is the holy grail of many Poppy collectors.)

You had to be a club member to be able to purchase The Young Sophisticate. I owe my doll friend, Randall Craig, a huge amount of gratitude for encouraging me to join W Club. It has been one of my most gratifying doll experiences since I joined in 2011. It is, without question, the best way to get Poppy. The secondary market is killer to any doll budget!

No. 4: She's Not There
This little honey pie was part of the 2012 Mainline Collection and was limited to 600 dolls and cost $99. I almost didn't get her. I really like her. A lot! She's one of my favorite dolls to redress. She came in a Mod fashion, but the red fishnet stockings bled onto the white boots, so I stashed those things away and she has since been my favorite model. I especially like her short hair. (Reminds me of me!)

No. 5: Joyful in Japan was part of the "Mainline Collection" of Poppy Parker. Issued in 2013, she was one of six dolls, with each doll reflecting a different country as would have been appropriate during the 1964 World's Fair. She was a limited edition of 750 dolls and sold for a mere $89. I could only afford one of the six dolls, and I'm so glad I got her. While the others are all beautiful in their own way, she appeals to my conservative side of being a "prim and proper lady!" She was, I believe, the last of the six dolls to sell out, too. I think it may have been the kimono that put collectors off. She came dressed in a lovely pink kimono which didn't have much fashion going for it. After all, Poppy was visiting Japan and that is what she would have worn. It took a while, but finally she sold out, and photos began to appear. Let me just say, Oh! Boy! Once collectors got her in hand, they realized how stunning she is! Her face, her hair, all perfectly aligned! And, no matter how you dress her, it suits her! Vintage or modern, doesn't matter. She is a really beautiful doll and the hundreds of photos on Flickr prove it!

I had the good fortune to attend the IT Convention in Los Angeles last November and I met David Buttry, the designer of Poppy Parker. He is a marvelous graphic designer whose favorite era of design was the 1960s. I think he was influenced by America's discovery of color TV because so much of who Poppy is can be linked to that generation of "The Jetsons" and "Laugh-In." David is a kind and gentle man and I'm thrilled beyond words that I had a chance to get to know him a little. I hope I get a chance to know him a little better next time!

So, there you have the Top 5 Best Ever Poppy Parker Dolls, according to me! Odds are the list will change over time, but, then, that's what collecting is all about, isn't it?