Yes, it's time for the Consignment Blues! The tags system for the big February sale (Spring 2010) closed today before I could go through my kids' shoes this afternoon and get some more pairs to add to the sale. The sale is already full at 33,000 items. I really hate having to have all the final, detailed tags written for a consignment sale that does not take place until February 20th. What happened to doing it at the last minute like you are supposed to?
I participate in this big Divine Consign sale twice a year, although I skipped it for two seasons this past year. Bliss not having to do it. Had plenty of other things to do that were more fun. Even doing it this year will be hard--I will have to drop off the night before, which I hate, because Girl Scout World Thinking Day, which is the day of the daytime drop off, is the 20th. Since I am in charge of that for our troop I guess I had better go to Thinking Day, huh?
I hate the night before drop off because a lot of the working people come then and it's pandemonium. Plus most of the stuff isn't there so you can't case the place to see if they have anything you want to come back and try to get. I prefer to drop off first thing in the morning at the morning drop off, but that is not happening this year. I could make my husband do it (others have) but he is probably going to have to go with me anyway the night before because I can't carry the damned Lego table. Believe me, in this economy, he will not be the only man there. And so I guess we will go together. We could make it a family affair but that's a bad idea because then the girls will want to pull their toys and other items out of the sale, so they have to be smuggled out of the house sometimes. They already decided they won't let me sell the damn Barbies!
Last season I just couldn't handle the stress of staying up half the night doing tags, ironing used clothes etc so I didn't participate in the big sale. (I guess I'd rather stay up half the night and blog). But the clothes, toys, shoes and miscellaneous crap piled up and up toward the ceiling of my husband's office, and it was time to say goodbye.
In the past I have done pretty well from this Consignment Sale (I mean, $500 to $600 for selling a bunch of used kids' toys, clothing and equipment, without having to have a garage sale here at the house). Well, I had to basically DUMP a lot of really nice winter things at Once Upon a Child this winter since I missed the fall sale, and I know I got ripped off, so this time I am determined to do the f****** sale, come hell or high water. I mean, OUaC gave me $2.50 for dresses they are selling for $10 each!! That sucks! I could have made $7 on those dresses through consignment and believe me, people, when you have twin girls it adds up.
Can you tell I'm cheap? Can you tell that I should be in retail?
Couldn't help it though. In August when it was time to get ready for the fall and winter sale, Amelia could still wear her winter clothes from the prior years. Go figure. And it's really hard to get kids to try on winter clothes when it is 100 degrees outside.
So now I am trying to do the Consignment Sale again to make a little extra money and get rid of all these clothes that Amelia has now outgrown. Miranda outgrows clothes first, then passes them to Amelia. We do Hand Me Ups to the Older Twin. Amelia has both new clothes and secondhand clothes, so for a tom boy who isn't that interested in clothes, she is a regular little clothes horse. Miranda usually only has secondhand clothes if they came that way to begin with, but I usually only buy secondhand clothes for Miranda, because Amelia will get them all eventually anyway.
Yes, having identical IVF twins who are two different sizes is interesting indeed. No one else has this issue. We are unique!!! The one pair of identical IVF twins that I have met in 10 years look identical and are the same size. What a concept. When we would take A and M out as babies people would say, "But one is bigger than the other!" Like we didn't know that already. My husband would look at them, act surprised and say, "But they were the same size when we left the house!!!"
(OK, he didn't really say that; he just wanted to. But he isn't as rude as all those other people were. Now they just say, "they're not twins, are they???" When I tell them that they are indeed twins, and even identical twins, they just look at me like I must be lying).
Oh, you twins parents out there will appreciate this one if you haven't already heard it: What do you say when you have boy-girl twins and a stranger asks if they are identical? "No, he has a penis!!!" My kids, at least, think this is hysterically roll-on-the-gound funny, but then any joke with the word "penis" or "balls" in it gets them going right now. It's fun to be 10.
Well, back to Consignment World. These consignors are SERIOUS. I mean, these ladies are the Nazis of the Consignment World. They are very nice in person but they have ice water in their veins. If you present them with any merchandise that has stains, rips, tears, etc. they can issue a strike against you. Three strikes and you are out!!! Then, no more Consignment for you! (doesn't this remind you of Seinfeld, seriously?) Since my eyesight is not so great any more, the only thing the strike system does for me is strike terror in my heart. If I get thrown out of the Big Consignment Sale, how else am I going to get top dollar for all my used crap???
And I would never, ever, ever try to get someone to buy something from me secondhand that isn't in perfect, pristine, like-new condition, as if the orginal tag were just removed and it was waiting all this time just for that one particular buyer who has come to visit the House of Liz, the designer store for barely used children's merchandise.
I mean, give me a break!
Well, I wouldn't try to pass off stained merchandise at this sale on purpose--the lighting is too good. I used to pass off all kinds of stained junk at the Lake Cities Mothers of Multiples Sale but that one was held in a parking garage. As far as I am concerned, everything is sold "as is, no refunds."
Everything for this Consignment Sale has to be washed, ironed, and hung a specific way on a wire hanger with the printed tags that have no written additions on them and are printed on a specific weight of WHITE cardstock. Don't you dare use any blue cardstock to make your crap stand out from everyone else's crap. And don't use a laser printer either--they don't like the way the bar codes come out. And Don't you dare put a battery operated toy in the sale without changing the batteries! They will check the batteries before the sale and if they find that your toy is not working, they will pull it. (It is beside the point that once the sale starts all the obnoxious kiddos playing with your toy will run the battery down, then it will get pulled and it will be coming back to your house! And if you want to sell it the next time you need to add--guess what?-NEW batteries!)
You would think we were selling precious metals or something at these sales. The competition for spaces in line to purchase is awesome. Shopping at it is extremely stressful--you just load up a laundry basket as quickly as you can and start going through the stuff more carefully on the side.
This year with so many people out of work, the breakdown shift (usually reserved for Dads and Strong People Who Can Break Down Clothing Racks Without Breaking a Sweat)--well, this shift filled up the FIRST day in a few hours. (If you or your hubby works Breakdown you get to shop FIRST at the sale--it's the only way in the past they could get anyone to do it because it is quite the job).
I volunteered a few years ago to get a pass so I could go in a bit earlier than the rank and file Consignors (sale opens to the public after the consignors have gone through it). Well, I had lots of fun organizing old baby toys and such and surreptitiously casing the joint for clothing for my older kids. I did go and shop and I did buy a bunch of used crap, most of which we are just now getting rid of. I am not sure that I am going to shop this year though--I find I do better if I just buy really nice brands at 40% off and then re-sell in Consignment. The used stuff that I get there is just too worn out by the time that I am done with it because of our Hand Me Up system.
So I am not volunteering. I am just trying to get psyched to iron a bunch of used clothing that I didn't ever iron when the kids were actually wearing it!!
So I wasted my time doing the Barbies (who still aren't completely done)--should have done shoes instead. I also abandoned the Beanie Babies but I found a place that will take Beanie Babies but is generally paying between fifty cents and a dollar for most of them, even the older ones. Interestingly, they are paying between $3 and $5 for the plush ones that I had years ago for the girls when they were babies (these were unloaded a long time ago). There are a few Beanie Babies worth more, but not many. I might have one that they are paying $60 for so I wonder if I could ebay it and turn it into college tuition? Also, I wonder if they would notice if I cut the wings off my Quackers (worth $1) to turn him into the wingless version (worth $200)???
Of course the Beanie option assumes that all the hangtags are attached and undamaged, so parents, don't ever take the tags off any stuffed animals that you buy!!! Especially TY products!!!
OK, hope I haven't bored you to tears today, but there's nothing all that funny about ironing used clothes for a consignment sale when you have a law degree. It's just pathetic. The things I do so I can be a stay at home mom!
Pleasant Valley Mom
Showing posts with label Barbie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barbie. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Super Bowl Chickens
OK, I did give in and watch the Super Bowl on Sunday. My husband has been waiting 43 years for this game. I was running late with the food so I missed the first 30 minutes and a lot of the commercials and let him be a couch potato (after all, 43 years is a long time).
I did note, however, a number of commercials involving Chickens!! So what is with the chickens anway? I wish I could tell you that I remember what they actually did in the commercials or what product they were actually advertising, but like I said, I was too busy being the Kitchen Wench.
What is it about the chickens?
IN fact, Chickens are the symbol of ADHD (in fact, there are shirts for ADHD people that say, "Look! A Chicken!") People who are ADHD and ADD are easily distracted, like by chickens on the side of the road. They move rapidly from one unfinished project to another. Come look at my house and you will get the idea.
One of our daughters is ADHD or at least ADD, but we have decided that we are actually ALL ADD or ADHD here in the Wilson home. It just manifests itself differently in all of us. Some of us are more competent than others at hiding their disorders; however, mine is in full view. There is a stack of fabric in the living room next to a big SCA pile of stuff for Ministry of Children and Gulf Wars. There is a pile of unfinished leatherwork in the bedroom (well, it used to be an unfinished kumihimo loom and a bunch of beebees and a scale, so things are improving). There is still a Barbie group on a table in the foyer although it is getting smaller. There are pieces of snowmen on the scrapbooking table that are starting to get dusty as they have been there for two weeks. There are scrapbook bags and things all over the dining room, which is also home to Girl Scout Thinking Day materials. There are bins of DI materials all over the family room and garage, which is also home to DI despite the cold and rain. There are bins of consignment materials in the downstairs office. The Beanie Baby bins just went back upstairs--I'm not dealing with them right now.
In other words, it looks like a bomb exploded and left crap all over the house instead of shrapnel. Other than the fact that it doesn't smell like cats, you walk in and say, "Oh, SCA house!" But then the SCA folks don't usually have all the consignment and kid crap and Destination Imagination and Scrapbooking and Scout Crap and....Yikes! It's actually WORSE than an SCA house. At least the toilets are clean. Well, at least the toilet that guests use is clean.
It's a good thing I can't afford a maid right now because I could never get the house picked up enough right now for her to clean it. If you are planning on visiting us, please give us at least 30 days notice. I'm not kidding. If you want us to entertain, 45 days notice would not be unreasonable.
This is not a scientific dianosis and I don't mean to make fun of those of you who have such a diagonsis. bu we really are an ADHD House. Well, Amelia actually has the diagnosis, but I wanted her to get it it so that she could get extra help and accomodations in school. It wasn't hard-I just filled out the questionnaire honestly, and about 50% of all kids could qualify. However, after reading about three or four books on ADHD as I usually do when I need to learn about something new, I have come to the following conclusions:
1. If you are very smart you are probably ADD or ADHD.
2. If you are very creative you are probably ADD or ADHD.
3. If you are productive sometimes and other times, it's just a CF (email me privately if you don't know what I mean), then you are probably ADD or ADHD.
4. If you have a lot of energy sometimes, and then you just don't, you are probably ADD or ADHD (unless you are manic-depressive, of course!)
5. If some days you are firing on all cylinders and on other days you can't remember your own name, you are probably ADD or ADHD.
6. If you are a perfectionist you also are probably ADD or ADHD but no one may ever know it, and you may be able to avoid being medicated. In other words, you overcompensate for your disorder.
So in other words, I expect that most of you reading this fall into one of the above categories, if not more than one. Welcome to the Chicken house!
We have not designed our devices for the SCA yet but we are thinking that my husband needs a Rooster on his (he is also born in the Chinese year of the Rooster) and then the girls and I need Chickens in some form or another. So he's the Rooster in the Henhouse, so to speak. (Of course if you are an official SCA hearald, please disregard this and believe that we would never pull such a foolish stunt on our official insignia, of course.)
So, here's to all you chickens and roosters out there! And if you can't be a chicken or rooster, hug one today!
I did note, however, a number of commercials involving Chickens!! So what is with the chickens anway? I wish I could tell you that I remember what they actually did in the commercials or what product they were actually advertising, but like I said, I was too busy being the Kitchen Wench.
What is it about the chickens?
IN fact, Chickens are the symbol of ADHD (in fact, there are shirts for ADHD people that say, "Look! A Chicken!") People who are ADHD and ADD are easily distracted, like by chickens on the side of the road. They move rapidly from one unfinished project to another. Come look at my house and you will get the idea.
One of our daughters is ADHD or at least ADD, but we have decided that we are actually ALL ADD or ADHD here in the Wilson home. It just manifests itself differently in all of us. Some of us are more competent than others at hiding their disorders; however, mine is in full view. There is a stack of fabric in the living room next to a big SCA pile of stuff for Ministry of Children and Gulf Wars. There is a pile of unfinished leatherwork in the bedroom (well, it used to be an unfinished kumihimo loom and a bunch of beebees and a scale, so things are improving). There is still a Barbie group on a table in the foyer although it is getting smaller. There are pieces of snowmen on the scrapbooking table that are starting to get dusty as they have been there for two weeks. There are scrapbook bags and things all over the dining room, which is also home to Girl Scout Thinking Day materials. There are bins of DI materials all over the family room and garage, which is also home to DI despite the cold and rain. There are bins of consignment materials in the downstairs office. The Beanie Baby bins just went back upstairs--I'm not dealing with them right now.
In other words, it looks like a bomb exploded and left crap all over the house instead of shrapnel. Other than the fact that it doesn't smell like cats, you walk in and say, "Oh, SCA house!" But then the SCA folks don't usually have all the consignment and kid crap and Destination Imagination and Scrapbooking and Scout Crap and....Yikes! It's actually WORSE than an SCA house. At least the toilets are clean. Well, at least the toilet that guests use is clean.
It's a good thing I can't afford a maid right now because I could never get the house picked up enough right now for her to clean it. If you are planning on visiting us, please give us at least 30 days notice. I'm not kidding. If you want us to entertain, 45 days notice would not be unreasonable.
This is not a scientific dianosis and I don't mean to make fun of those of you who have such a diagonsis. bu we really are an ADHD House. Well, Amelia actually has the diagnosis, but I wanted her to get it it so that she could get extra help and accomodations in school. It wasn't hard-I just filled out the questionnaire honestly, and about 50% of all kids could qualify. However, after reading about three or four books on ADHD as I usually do when I need to learn about something new, I have come to the following conclusions:
1. If you are very smart you are probably ADD or ADHD.
2. If you are very creative you are probably ADD or ADHD.
3. If you are productive sometimes and other times, it's just a CF (email me privately if you don't know what I mean), then you are probably ADD or ADHD.
4. If you have a lot of energy sometimes, and then you just don't, you are probably ADD or ADHD (unless you are manic-depressive, of course!)
5. If some days you are firing on all cylinders and on other days you can't remember your own name, you are probably ADD or ADHD.
6. If you are a perfectionist you also are probably ADD or ADHD but no one may ever know it, and you may be able to avoid being medicated. In other words, you overcompensate for your disorder.
So in other words, I expect that most of you reading this fall into one of the above categories, if not more than one. Welcome to the Chicken house!
We have not designed our devices for the SCA yet but we are thinking that my husband needs a Rooster on his (he is also born in the Chinese year of the Rooster) and then the girls and I need Chickens in some form or another. So he's the Rooster in the Henhouse, so to speak. (Of course if you are an official SCA hearald, please disregard this and believe that we would never pull such a foolish stunt on our official insignia, of course.)
So, here's to all you chickens and roosters out there! And if you can't be a chicken or rooster, hug one today!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
The Barbie Hierarchy
Well, I have survived Destination Imagination Overload Saturday only to find out about 9 pm tonight that I had a nasty note from the Divine Consign people. I had marked some generic tags for DVDs, kids' clothes, etc. and they were writing me to tell me that I had better be specific on my tags or else. Although this sale is not until the weekend of February 20th, we have to enter our tags early. Once they get to 33,000 items (and they wre at 27,000 on Thursday), that is IT. You cannot enter more items or change your tags. Now I don't know about you, but when I do a garage sale I don't tag everything three weeks ahead of time so this system puts me under considerable stress. Anyway, I went through the whole damn house and pulled some videos to sell, and made my kids try on a laundry basket of summer clothes before bedtimes (like it? hate it? Next!!!) I am pleased to say that although I got to spend NO time relaxing with my kids watching Robin Hood (and Robert was upstairs doing real work for which he does not get paid any overtimes--ah, the joys of a salaried position!)......
Well, anyway, I am pleased to say that I got all my tags completed tonight, although I did decide about midnight that I'm not going to deal with the Beanie Baby issue this time, so I pulled all those tags and I will be putting those bad boys back in the closet. (I could make some joke here about not knowing the sexual orientation of my Beanie Babies for sure, even though they spend a lot of time in the closet, but I won't).
So, then I came downstairs and started putting Barbies in Bags. In fact, maybe we will have Barbie in a Bag for dinner tomorrow night. Is that like Chicken in a Bag? No, it's SuperBowl Sunday so I think I will stick to the Brisket I had planned, and the cranberry/pecan/banana bread now that I actually have all the ingredients for, assembled in the kitchen together, after 5 days of trying. I hope the Bananas in the Bag have not gone moldy or it will be banana bread minus the bananas--maybe i can feed the Bananas in a Bag to the Barbies in the Bags.
By the way, the bags are ziplock bags and I am putting the Barbies that I have fixed up in the bags for storage. The kids don't want to sell them now that I have cleaned them up and worked on them all week; in fact, Miranda wants the Barbie MiniVan to stay and Amelia wants the whole Barbie mansion, so I guess we will be back in Barbie hell soon enough. And the moms who come in the door and see the big pile of Barbies (and a few Kens) say, "Why would you want to sell them??? They are so PRETTY!!!!!" Why indeed.
Only because I am drowning in CRAP in this house and have very little money and tons of stuff sitting around that is not being used (these Barbies spent the last year in my husband's office and the attic), but OK, why indeed would I want to sell anything?
Have you ever tried to dust a house full of Barbies?
Also, it occurred to me as I put the Barabies into Bags that there is a Barbie hierarchy that corresponds roughly to life. We actually have five kinds of Female Barbies. I'm not counting the Kens (men are definitely subordinate in the Barbie world) and I'm not counting the Kellys (the little girl dolls that represent the children, or the Tommys, the little boys that are subordinate to the Kellys). And let's not count the McDonalds Madame Alexander dolls or the dolls of many lands from Target, or the teenager doll that's left over from the carnival stuff that I sold years ago. Or even the "Disney Barbies," who look like Barbies but are cheaper, and have a larger Princess head on a Barbie body. They look a little deformed in truth. All of these others are dolls but they are all second fiddle or worse next to BARBIE.
A REAL Barbie will fit into one of five categories in our household. We have Princesses (especially those from the Barbie movies) who are the glamour girls, the non-working girls at the top. They are the movie stars, of course, and they are well known to fans of Barbie World. The movies that they come from include Swan Lake Barbie, Rapunzel Barbie, Twelve Dancing Princesses, Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus, and Princess and the Pauper. There are others such as Barbie Muskateer that came out this year and that we don't have, but we already have five or six of these movies and most of the dolls (I drew the line at buying all Twelve dancing princesses but I think we still have 4 of the dolls from that film, plus possibly the prince). The Barbie movies are great to put on and watch with the girls if you want to take a nap. In fact, I'm not selling these movies, and I may keep them until I have grandchildren! The plots are truly insipid and they play extremely bad versions of classical music. It's so bad and so bowlderized that they don't even credit the original composer sometimes except to say "Based on Tchaikovsky") (OK, know I mispelled that!)
I understand that in the Barbie Muskateer movie, which I have only seen part of, they actually sword fight with a rhythmic gymnastics ribbon. Someone gave it to one of the Rapier Dons that I know as a joke. I wish I could tell you this is the worst thing you will find in a Barbie movie, but that's not true. So, the Number 1 Barbies are Princesses and the stars of these movies.
I am not sure how to rank the others but the other categories are Fairytopia Barbies or Fairy Barbies (not intended as a slur on gay people, because these Barbies really ARE Fairies!) Also we have a few Ballerina Barbies and a few Mermaid or Mermaidia Barbies. Finally there are a few Modern Barbies such as Dr. Barbie.
The Fairy Barbies are the creative spirits and the wild children. They wear cool makeup and have lots of colors in their hair, and a few even light up (one of these is called Nuclear Barbie by my husband). They all have wings. Their hair is blue or pink or sparkly. They have tatoos and body paint, and scanty clothes. In fact, gentlemen, this is truly the Barbie of your dreams, and the one who would be most likely to grant you sexual favors if she could.
Ballerina Barbies are the Madonnas of the Barbie world. I don't mean Madonna the singer. They are sweet and pretty. They are on a pedestal. They would never say mean things about anybody. And they are kind of bland and boring, and of course, mostly blonde.
Mermaid Barbies are the opposite of the Ballerina Barbies. I don't want to call them whores because, like the rest of the Barbies, they are not anatomically correct and not responsible for their actions (since humans put them into whatever poses and positions they desire). However, the Mermaids are of course the Sirens. They would be the ones enticing men to their doom. One of my SCA friends sent around a great piece about, would you rather be a whale or a mermaid,and made a great case for being a whale because whales are universally loved and have great family groups, whereas Mermaids just kill men. Point taken.
Finally, there are the Barbie Modern Girls. They don't make very many of these but they are usually made for that parent like me who wants the girls to see themselves as "Career girls" through their dolls. Don't try to use Barbies like this--it doesn't work. Who wants to wear a working girl outfit like a vet or a doctor or a lawyer would wear when you can wear a ball gown? So we have Doctor Barbie (if they have made a Lawyer Barbie I haven't seen her yet). We had a Vet Barbie and we had a Midge who was pregnant and the belly could come off (I think we have lost the belly though so she's not pregnant any more.) She came with a husband, of course, because Barbies are NEVER unwed mothers. Shame, shame!!! In fact at the time she was controversial so I'm sorry that we have lost the belly--she might be worth something on Ebay some day. I think we also lost the kid that came with her and her Kenish husband, or maybe the kid is in the box of Kellys and Tommys. Oh well, she and Ken can adopt a few of those. Unlike in the real world, there are plenty of Kellys and Tommys available for adoption.
In fact, I can't remember which blonde Barbie even is Doctor Barbie, so Doctor Barbie is out there hidden in a ball gown with all the rest. It makes a difference because Doctor Barbie's little white pants are very tight and they just won't go on the ass of every single Barbie!!! Some of these Barbies must have been eating too many donuts down there in Dad's office! I tried to fit these pants on three or four of them and I finally gave up and used ball gowns instead. Easy to put on, easy to take off. Difficult to go to the bathroom in, but then remember, since they aren't anatomically correct, the Barbies NEVER have to go to the bathroom. And there is not ONE toilet in the Barbie house!!!
Well, anyway, I am pleased to say that I got all my tags completed tonight, although I did decide about midnight that I'm not going to deal with the Beanie Baby issue this time, so I pulled all those tags and I will be putting those bad boys back in the closet. (I could make some joke here about not knowing the sexual orientation of my Beanie Babies for sure, even though they spend a lot of time in the closet, but I won't).
So, then I came downstairs and started putting Barbies in Bags. In fact, maybe we will have Barbie in a Bag for dinner tomorrow night. Is that like Chicken in a Bag? No, it's SuperBowl Sunday so I think I will stick to the Brisket I had planned, and the cranberry/pecan/banana bread now that I actually have all the ingredients for, assembled in the kitchen together, after 5 days of trying. I hope the Bananas in the Bag have not gone moldy or it will be banana bread minus the bananas--maybe i can feed the Bananas in a Bag to the Barbies in the Bags.
By the way, the bags are ziplock bags and I am putting the Barbies that I have fixed up in the bags for storage. The kids don't want to sell them now that I have cleaned them up and worked on them all week; in fact, Miranda wants the Barbie MiniVan to stay and Amelia wants the whole Barbie mansion, so I guess we will be back in Barbie hell soon enough. And the moms who come in the door and see the big pile of Barbies (and a few Kens) say, "Why would you want to sell them??? They are so PRETTY!!!!!" Why indeed.
Only because I am drowning in CRAP in this house and have very little money and tons of stuff sitting around that is not being used (these Barbies spent the last year in my husband's office and the attic), but OK, why indeed would I want to sell anything?
Have you ever tried to dust a house full of Barbies?
Also, it occurred to me as I put the Barabies into Bags that there is a Barbie hierarchy that corresponds roughly to life. We actually have five kinds of Female Barbies. I'm not counting the Kens (men are definitely subordinate in the Barbie world) and I'm not counting the Kellys (the little girl dolls that represent the children, or the Tommys, the little boys that are subordinate to the Kellys). And let's not count the McDonalds Madame Alexander dolls or the dolls of many lands from Target, or the teenager doll that's left over from the carnival stuff that I sold years ago. Or even the "Disney Barbies," who look like Barbies but are cheaper, and have a larger Princess head on a Barbie body. They look a little deformed in truth. All of these others are dolls but they are all second fiddle or worse next to BARBIE.
A REAL Barbie will fit into one of five categories in our household. We have Princesses (especially those from the Barbie movies) who are the glamour girls, the non-working girls at the top. They are the movie stars, of course, and they are well known to fans of Barbie World. The movies that they come from include Swan Lake Barbie, Rapunzel Barbie, Twelve Dancing Princesses, Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus, and Princess and the Pauper. There are others such as Barbie Muskateer that came out this year and that we don't have, but we already have five or six of these movies and most of the dolls (I drew the line at buying all Twelve dancing princesses but I think we still have 4 of the dolls from that film, plus possibly the prince). The Barbie movies are great to put on and watch with the girls if you want to take a nap. In fact, I'm not selling these movies, and I may keep them until I have grandchildren! The plots are truly insipid and they play extremely bad versions of classical music. It's so bad and so bowlderized that they don't even credit the original composer sometimes except to say "Based on Tchaikovsky") (OK, know I mispelled that!)
I understand that in the Barbie Muskateer movie, which I have only seen part of, they actually sword fight with a rhythmic gymnastics ribbon. Someone gave it to one of the Rapier Dons that I know as a joke. I wish I could tell you this is the worst thing you will find in a Barbie movie, but that's not true. So, the Number 1 Barbies are Princesses and the stars of these movies.
I am not sure how to rank the others but the other categories are Fairytopia Barbies or Fairy Barbies (not intended as a slur on gay people, because these Barbies really ARE Fairies!) Also we have a few Ballerina Barbies and a few Mermaid or Mermaidia Barbies. Finally there are a few Modern Barbies such as Dr. Barbie.
The Fairy Barbies are the creative spirits and the wild children. They wear cool makeup and have lots of colors in their hair, and a few even light up (one of these is called Nuclear Barbie by my husband). They all have wings. Their hair is blue or pink or sparkly. They have tatoos and body paint, and scanty clothes. In fact, gentlemen, this is truly the Barbie of your dreams, and the one who would be most likely to grant you sexual favors if she could.
Ballerina Barbies are the Madonnas of the Barbie world. I don't mean Madonna the singer. They are sweet and pretty. They are on a pedestal. They would never say mean things about anybody. And they are kind of bland and boring, and of course, mostly blonde.
Mermaid Barbies are the opposite of the Ballerina Barbies. I don't want to call them whores because, like the rest of the Barbies, they are not anatomically correct and not responsible for their actions (since humans put them into whatever poses and positions they desire). However, the Mermaids are of course the Sirens. They would be the ones enticing men to their doom. One of my SCA friends sent around a great piece about, would you rather be a whale or a mermaid,and made a great case for being a whale because whales are universally loved and have great family groups, whereas Mermaids just kill men. Point taken.
Finally, there are the Barbie Modern Girls. They don't make very many of these but they are usually made for that parent like me who wants the girls to see themselves as "Career girls" through their dolls. Don't try to use Barbies like this--it doesn't work. Who wants to wear a working girl outfit like a vet or a doctor or a lawyer would wear when you can wear a ball gown? So we have Doctor Barbie (if they have made a Lawyer Barbie I haven't seen her yet). We had a Vet Barbie and we had a Midge who was pregnant and the belly could come off (I think we have lost the belly though so she's not pregnant any more.) She came with a husband, of course, because Barbies are NEVER unwed mothers. Shame, shame!!! In fact at the time she was controversial so I'm sorry that we have lost the belly--she might be worth something on Ebay some day. I think we also lost the kid that came with her and her Kenish husband, or maybe the kid is in the box of Kellys and Tommys. Oh well, she and Ken can adopt a few of those. Unlike in the real world, there are plenty of Kellys and Tommys available for adoption.
In fact, I can't remember which blonde Barbie even is Doctor Barbie, so Doctor Barbie is out there hidden in a ball gown with all the rest. It makes a difference because Doctor Barbie's little white pants are very tight and they just won't go on the ass of every single Barbie!!! Some of these Barbies must have been eating too many donuts down there in Dad's office! I tried to fit these pants on three or four of them and I finally gave up and used ball gowns instead. Easy to put on, easy to take off. Difficult to go to the bathroom in, but then remember, since they aren't anatomically correct, the Barbies NEVER have to go to the bathroom. And there is not ONE toilet in the Barbie house!!!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Texas Revolution in a Can, and Thoughts on Ken and Barbie
I am a former east coaster who has been transplanted to the great Republic of Texas, which as you may not know is almost it's own separate political entity. Or would like to be.
When I was in fourth or fifth grade I vaguely recall reading a few paragraphs about the Alamo and Sam Houston (anybody else remember that??) But now that I am in the Great State of Texas, the Alamo is a HUGE deal. Fortunately we saw it this summer when we were in San Antonio for an SCA event. And we saw it in detail, because that's the kind of people my husband and I are.
I mean, we spent three or four hours there. Who else does that? We took the tour, we saw the museum, we visited the tree,we saw and photographed the monuments, we read all the plaques, and we spent major bucks in the gift shop. We even counted up the number of Alamo soldiers who came from Scotland (oudr presumed ancestral home). Did you know there are remnants of original decoration in the buildings? Did you know that the church building was never finished (not until later when it became a memorial)? I even bought one of the books on the Alamo, signed by the author who was there at the gift shop that day. Although I admit I haven't read it yet. In fact, I wouldn't let anyone buy any cheap souveniers on the Riverwalk (well, almost none) because I wanted to wait and spend the money at the Alamo gift shop (the money supports the historical group that maintains it). I guess you would say we are hardcore when we visit historical sites.
Well, I'm so glad we did! The kids had to do TWO Alamo projects this week, an colored Alamo booklet shaped like the Alamo that opened up and had essays in it from the different characters, and Texas Revolution in a Can. I have to admit, this is a really cute little project, and it could be adapted for any type of historical event. I am thinking for my SCA reinactment and recreation group that "Norman Invasion in a Can"" or "Bayeaux Tapestry in a Can" (Which depicts the Norman Invasion) might be a really cool little project for the Ministry of Children to do. So I am going to start saving cans! I don't know if this will work at our Warlord event in May, where the kids are mostly outside, but we could possibly do it at our Artisan event in August (which is inside).
So, how do you make a Texas Revolution in a Can? Well, the kids had to create paper dolls representing several figures that they had studied, coloring them and writing information on the back (Sam Houston, Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, Santa Ana, Susannah What's her name). Remember I went to school when things were not so politically correct, so I didn't learn about her. They also had to write letters (which they even crumpled up and distressed) from actual or pretend Alamo soldiers. They decorated the can with paper, crayons and markers and they had a map of the major battles, colored and color-coded. All of it rolled up to fit inside a small can with a lid. So all you need is a can with a lid, white typing paper, crayons, pencils and markers. In other words, if you have kids, and maybe even if you don't, you probably have everything you need already. The smallest size coffee cans or even oatmeal boxes with plastic tops work well, and we also used a toffee can that was left over from Christmas. If you don't have one, buy an oatmeal box and dump the oatmeal into another container or ziplock bag.
So, the pithy and sarcastic comments about this project are just not forthcoming today! I thought it was a cute and creative idea for them to use to learn about history. And I don't even like their history and social studies teacher. But then it's probably in the general curriculum and not her personal idea.
Although yes, I am still washing Barbie hair and dressing naked Barbies. I have a Barbie assembly line on a table by my front door. But I have about 5 Barbies for every Ken. I hope my Kens are heterosexual. If so, they have got it made. And most of them are Princes, but like in the real world, lots of beautiful women are fighting over a few hot, sexy, fabulously wealthy Princes. Of course, how hot and sexy can Ken be? He is missing a few key pieces of anatomy.
And another thing. I know Barbie now sometimes wears little flesh colored underpants but she never wears a flesh-colored bra, even a strapless. A strapless would not show under her strapless gowns, so why not? She just has these big, nippleless breasts. Yes, that's right, Barbie has no nipples. I guess they would show through the clothes and the censors would get upset. I am OK with her having no nipples (after all, 2 year old girls play with Barbies and I don't think they need the anatomy lesson at that age). But why no bra? Amelia commented yesterday (hard not to notice with ten naked Barbies laying around) that "she sure has big breasts." I mentioned that in actuality, no one who is as thin and tall as Barbie has breasts that big in real life unless they have been cosmetically enhanced. It's true, guys, sorry!
Those of us who have had large breasts all our lives are either short (so it makes us look dumpy) or overweight (so we actually ARE dumpy). The one gal I have seen, in my whole life, who really looked like a living Barbie Doll was wearing a tight pink shirt advertising a plastic surgery clinic. Seriously. And she did look awesome, if you like those rounded boobs that don't bounce. Like Barbie's!!!
Most of our Barbies are blonde. I am not sure how this happened. They look like a Tri Delt convention. In fact, many of them have the same face. Oh, sorry, that's just like out here in the suburbs!!!
My daughter Miranda said I could get rid of the Barbie palace as long as I kept the Barbie minivan. Now that's one kid who has her head on straight. She knows that a lot of us may have to get rid of our palaces one day, but the minivan or SUV will be the last to go!
(We have a Barbie minivan because it seats more than the Barbie SUV; when you have more than 25 Barbies these things become important).
Signing off now. I really want to go read Tolkien (just finally got Children of Hurin) but I really ought to tag some clothing for consignment. I was going to sell these Barbies but they are just too damn much fun to mess with. Maybe I could do a display for Arts and Sciences in the SCA: Medieval fashion through the ages, Barbie style (I am thinking it would take a hell of a lot less fabric!) Of course, that would mean I have to learn to sew Barbie clothes but there are worse things in life.
I wouldn't win any awards but I would get some laughs.
Pleasant Valley Mom
When I was in fourth or fifth grade I vaguely recall reading a few paragraphs about the Alamo and Sam Houston (anybody else remember that??) But now that I am in the Great State of Texas, the Alamo is a HUGE deal. Fortunately we saw it this summer when we were in San Antonio for an SCA event. And we saw it in detail, because that's the kind of people my husband and I are.
I mean, we spent three or four hours there. Who else does that? We took the tour, we saw the museum, we visited the tree,we saw and photographed the monuments, we read all the plaques, and we spent major bucks in the gift shop. We even counted up the number of Alamo soldiers who came from Scotland (oudr presumed ancestral home). Did you know there are remnants of original decoration in the buildings? Did you know that the church building was never finished (not until later when it became a memorial)? I even bought one of the books on the Alamo, signed by the author who was there at the gift shop that day. Although I admit I haven't read it yet. In fact, I wouldn't let anyone buy any cheap souveniers on the Riverwalk (well, almost none) because I wanted to wait and spend the money at the Alamo gift shop (the money supports the historical group that maintains it). I guess you would say we are hardcore when we visit historical sites.
Well, I'm so glad we did! The kids had to do TWO Alamo projects this week, an colored Alamo booklet shaped like the Alamo that opened up and had essays in it from the different characters, and Texas Revolution in a Can. I have to admit, this is a really cute little project, and it could be adapted for any type of historical event. I am thinking for my SCA reinactment and recreation group that "Norman Invasion in a Can"" or "Bayeaux Tapestry in a Can" (Which depicts the Norman Invasion) might be a really cool little project for the Ministry of Children to do. So I am going to start saving cans! I don't know if this will work at our Warlord event in May, where the kids are mostly outside, but we could possibly do it at our Artisan event in August (which is inside).
So, how do you make a Texas Revolution in a Can? Well, the kids had to create paper dolls representing several figures that they had studied, coloring them and writing information on the back (Sam Houston, Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, Santa Ana, Susannah What's her name). Remember I went to school when things were not so politically correct, so I didn't learn about her. They also had to write letters (which they even crumpled up and distressed) from actual or pretend Alamo soldiers. They decorated the can with paper, crayons and markers and they had a map of the major battles, colored and color-coded. All of it rolled up to fit inside a small can with a lid. So all you need is a can with a lid, white typing paper, crayons, pencils and markers. In other words, if you have kids, and maybe even if you don't, you probably have everything you need already. The smallest size coffee cans or even oatmeal boxes with plastic tops work well, and we also used a toffee can that was left over from Christmas. If you don't have one, buy an oatmeal box and dump the oatmeal into another container or ziplock bag.
So, the pithy and sarcastic comments about this project are just not forthcoming today! I thought it was a cute and creative idea for them to use to learn about history. And I don't even like their history and social studies teacher. But then it's probably in the general curriculum and not her personal idea.
Although yes, I am still washing Barbie hair and dressing naked Barbies. I have a Barbie assembly line on a table by my front door. But I have about 5 Barbies for every Ken. I hope my Kens are heterosexual. If so, they have got it made. And most of them are Princes, but like in the real world, lots of beautiful women are fighting over a few hot, sexy, fabulously wealthy Princes. Of course, how hot and sexy can Ken be? He is missing a few key pieces of anatomy.
And another thing. I know Barbie now sometimes wears little flesh colored underpants but she never wears a flesh-colored bra, even a strapless. A strapless would not show under her strapless gowns, so why not? She just has these big, nippleless breasts. Yes, that's right, Barbie has no nipples. I guess they would show through the clothes and the censors would get upset. I am OK with her having no nipples (after all, 2 year old girls play with Barbies and I don't think they need the anatomy lesson at that age). But why no bra? Amelia commented yesterday (hard not to notice with ten naked Barbies laying around) that "she sure has big breasts." I mentioned that in actuality, no one who is as thin and tall as Barbie has breasts that big in real life unless they have been cosmetically enhanced. It's true, guys, sorry!
Those of us who have had large breasts all our lives are either short (so it makes us look dumpy) or overweight (so we actually ARE dumpy). The one gal I have seen, in my whole life, who really looked like a living Barbie Doll was wearing a tight pink shirt advertising a plastic surgery clinic. Seriously. And she did look awesome, if you like those rounded boobs that don't bounce. Like Barbie's!!!
Most of our Barbies are blonde. I am not sure how this happened. They look like a Tri Delt convention. In fact, many of them have the same face. Oh, sorry, that's just like out here in the suburbs!!!
My daughter Miranda said I could get rid of the Barbie palace as long as I kept the Barbie minivan. Now that's one kid who has her head on straight. She knows that a lot of us may have to get rid of our palaces one day, but the minivan or SUV will be the last to go!
(We have a Barbie minivan because it seats more than the Barbie SUV; when you have more than 25 Barbies these things become important).
Signing off now. I really want to go read Tolkien (just finally got Children of Hurin) but I really ought to tag some clothing for consignment. I was going to sell these Barbies but they are just too damn much fun to mess with. Maybe I could do a display for Arts and Sciences in the SCA: Medieval fashion through the ages, Barbie style (I am thinking it would take a hell of a lot less fabric!) Of course, that would mean I have to learn to sew Barbie clothes but there are worse things in life.
I wouldn't win any awards but I would get some laughs.
Pleasant Valley Mom
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Bad Hair Day Barbies
OK, so why am I such a fish out of water out here in Pleasant Valley? It's a nice enough place. Good schools, lots of churches. A little shopping, and even a few trees. What's wrong with that?
I think it's because I became a stay at home mom very suddenly, and didn't really mean at first to give up my career. So I spent the first six months telling anyone that I was introduced to that I was an attorney. This either intimidated or disgusted most of them, and of course I got the, "but you don't LOOK like an attorney!" exclamation that I have gotten all my life. Of course, it's hard to look like much of anything when there is baby spit up on your clothes or you haven't had a shower in two days (right, new moms?) Add to that being a twin mom of twins with some medical complications and no, I didn't look much like an attorney, did I???
I am overeducated for a mom, but so is half of Pleasant Valley, especially in my fancy neighborhood. We have former CPAs who serve as Girl Scout cookie moms. Former marketing executives run church luncheons and work on their kids' kindergarten projects (and sometimes their kids' high school projects too!) That kind of thing. But I was SOMEBODY academically. Great college, top grades. Top ten law school out of state. Phi Beta Kappa. In lots of honoraries with Greek Letters. Even as an attorney I am a pointy headed geek (this was one attorney's nickname for me). I am Detail-Oriented. I am told I am not a Big Picture Person (ever been told that at work)? I don't believe this--I just believe that because I am so Detail-Oriented and can't shut up about it, people THINK I'm not a Big Picture Person.
OK, so now here I am in Pleasant Valley, an attorney (I refuse to say "former attorney" because I AM still an attorney, just a non-practicing one). Guess what I did yesterday? I played with Bad Hair Day Barbies.
It is Consignment Sale time, and now I am regretting all the things that I dumped on charity for free in December. The truth is I am at heart a Scot and that mean's I'm cheap. I like giving to charity as long as it's something I can't wring any cash from. Well, in December I was desperate to move one of my daughters to her own room (so that at age 10 they could both learn to maintain rooms, put away clothes, etc. and I wouldn't have to do it all the time). So I got rid of LOTS of stuff in her room and in my husband's warehouse....excuse me, office. Stuff I should have held on to for Consignment.
We have a huge Consignment Sale here in Pleasant Valley called Divine Consign (yes, they had a competition for the name and some marketing executive mom probably won). I have made a lot of money from this sale in the past but it's a real pain in the tail to consign in. You have to type up tags that are run on a particular kind of cardstock, describing your lovely used items. Everything in like new, pristine condition. No stains, tears or rips, or you will get THREE STRIKES and be out of the consignment world forever. Working batteries in all your toys. You get the idea. It is a great sale to shop and it is great to get those checks, but getting ready for it is very labor intensive. The worst part is the part you have to do anyway if you have kids--clean out all the closets and find all the kid crap you can live without. And then tag it and secretly spirit it out of the house before the kids find out. I always tell them it's in the attic. And sometimes it really is, and I just THINK I sold it the last time.
Yes, that stupid Lego table that is impossible to lift is in fact STILL up there in the attic, and I guess I am going to have to bite the bullet and strain my back or break my ankle or something to take it to consignment and get rid of it. Maybe Once Upon a Child would take it? Then I could get my husband to take it! That's where I got it from. I got it years ago when I thought I was going to get my girls lots of Unisex toys so they could learn to use legos and become engineers and meet lots of guys (the best way to meet guys is to become an engineer or a computer geek. If you become a lawyer you also meet guys, but a higher percentage of them are jerks. And it requires more education to become a lawyer, so you meet even more jerks that way.)
Well, the legos didn't work out and so I turned the top upside down and for years they used it for Barbies. Now they have American Girl dolls and Zhu Zhu pets and, because they are in the 4th Grade, not any real time to actually play with anything, so the girls told me I could sell the Barbies. Even the Barbie house!!!
Getting the Barbie House and convincing my husband to buy it years ago was a major ordeal (original price was $120, got it for $80, this is the type of trivia my mind is cluttered with). He had to go and get it after work and he got the last one with a coupon. I got a second one from a friend a few years ago and for a while we had dueling Barbie homes( if you put them together then in the middle you had a Renaissance courtyard kind of thing going on), But they were huge, so we sold one of them at consignment the last time.
I am trying to decide if in this economy I dare put $50 on the Barbie House, because I only get 2/3 at Consignment. But it might still sell even though it is not Christmas. Some idiot will pay $50 for a used Barbie House in great shape; I would. After all, it would save you $30 to $60 long term, right? And then you can re-sell it in Consignment if your kids don't ruin it. This is the kind of trivia my mind is cluttered with.
Anyway, I am now sorting out the Barbies and the clothes, and most of them are having a Bad Hair Day. So when I can I am brushing and fixing up the hair and rinsing it out in water when it is straight, and I have about ten naked Barbie dolls on the drying rack in the downstairs bathroom. It looks like a Barbie Spa. Then, of course, because there are about a million of the little devils and about two million evening dresses (our Barbies were very fashionable), I can't finish in one day. So now the girls have seen them sitting out on a table, and now they are changing their minds about selling them. Plus I still have to buy big ziplocks to put them in, etc. etc. and iron some of the clothes and fix them up so that they look like new and I can charge more money for them. I would like to get them looking good enough that I could put $8 to $9 each on them without people laughing at me. Most of them cost $17 to $25 NIB (New in Box) and I want some of my money back.
So, Bad Hair Day Barbies. This is what my life is coming to. And I can tell you, Mattel makes really cheap hair. Some of these gals have barely been played with and spent most of their lives on plastic Barbie couches looking ornamental, and they still have the frizzies. My own Barbies from 30 to 40 years ago (some were antiques) look a whole lot better and they were played with a lot more.
My girls never really got into Barbies, other than acquiring them. But the LOVE the American Girl Dolls, which I am afraid is my secret (and not so secret) obsession too. I have had to quit my ebay addiction again. My mom sent me some money for my birthday for clothes and I did spend it on clothes--discontinued clothes for American Girl dolls! I am truly obsessed, and I really shouldn't be spending my money on such things, so I have had to quit for a while. But not before I got both Kaya's Jingle Dress and the Pow Wow Dress for Today. Ok, what's a bored lawyer to do? I used to collect Fostoria American glassware (want to buy some???) Now I collect doll clothes. For my kids to play with. How sick is that?????
So, back to my adventures with Bad Hair Day Barbies and Consignment Mania. See you soon! Let me know if anyone is out there reading or if I am just being self-indulgent as usual.
Pleasant Valley Mom
I think it's because I became a stay at home mom very suddenly, and didn't really mean at first to give up my career. So I spent the first six months telling anyone that I was introduced to that I was an attorney. This either intimidated or disgusted most of them, and of course I got the, "but you don't LOOK like an attorney!" exclamation that I have gotten all my life. Of course, it's hard to look like much of anything when there is baby spit up on your clothes or you haven't had a shower in two days (right, new moms?) Add to that being a twin mom of twins with some medical complications and no, I didn't look much like an attorney, did I???
I am overeducated for a mom, but so is half of Pleasant Valley, especially in my fancy neighborhood. We have former CPAs who serve as Girl Scout cookie moms. Former marketing executives run church luncheons and work on their kids' kindergarten projects (and sometimes their kids' high school projects too!) That kind of thing. But I was SOMEBODY academically. Great college, top grades. Top ten law school out of state. Phi Beta Kappa. In lots of honoraries with Greek Letters. Even as an attorney I am a pointy headed geek (this was one attorney's nickname for me). I am Detail-Oriented. I am told I am not a Big Picture Person (ever been told that at work)? I don't believe this--I just believe that because I am so Detail-Oriented and can't shut up about it, people THINK I'm not a Big Picture Person.
OK, so now here I am in Pleasant Valley, an attorney (I refuse to say "former attorney" because I AM still an attorney, just a non-practicing one). Guess what I did yesterday? I played with Bad Hair Day Barbies.
It is Consignment Sale time, and now I am regretting all the things that I dumped on charity for free in December. The truth is I am at heart a Scot and that mean's I'm cheap. I like giving to charity as long as it's something I can't wring any cash from. Well, in December I was desperate to move one of my daughters to her own room (so that at age 10 they could both learn to maintain rooms, put away clothes, etc. and I wouldn't have to do it all the time). So I got rid of LOTS of stuff in her room and in my husband's warehouse....excuse me, office. Stuff I should have held on to for Consignment.
We have a huge Consignment Sale here in Pleasant Valley called Divine Consign (yes, they had a competition for the name and some marketing executive mom probably won). I have made a lot of money from this sale in the past but it's a real pain in the tail to consign in. You have to type up tags that are run on a particular kind of cardstock, describing your lovely used items. Everything in like new, pristine condition. No stains, tears or rips, or you will get THREE STRIKES and be out of the consignment world forever. Working batteries in all your toys. You get the idea. It is a great sale to shop and it is great to get those checks, but getting ready for it is very labor intensive. The worst part is the part you have to do anyway if you have kids--clean out all the closets and find all the kid crap you can live without. And then tag it and secretly spirit it out of the house before the kids find out. I always tell them it's in the attic. And sometimes it really is, and I just THINK I sold it the last time.
Yes, that stupid Lego table that is impossible to lift is in fact STILL up there in the attic, and I guess I am going to have to bite the bullet and strain my back or break my ankle or something to take it to consignment and get rid of it. Maybe Once Upon a Child would take it? Then I could get my husband to take it! That's where I got it from. I got it years ago when I thought I was going to get my girls lots of Unisex toys so they could learn to use legos and become engineers and meet lots of guys (the best way to meet guys is to become an engineer or a computer geek. If you become a lawyer you also meet guys, but a higher percentage of them are jerks. And it requires more education to become a lawyer, so you meet even more jerks that way.)
Well, the legos didn't work out and so I turned the top upside down and for years they used it for Barbies. Now they have American Girl dolls and Zhu Zhu pets and, because they are in the 4th Grade, not any real time to actually play with anything, so the girls told me I could sell the Barbies. Even the Barbie house!!!
Getting the Barbie House and convincing my husband to buy it years ago was a major ordeal (original price was $120, got it for $80, this is the type of trivia my mind is cluttered with). He had to go and get it after work and he got the last one with a coupon. I got a second one from a friend a few years ago and for a while we had dueling Barbie homes( if you put them together then in the middle you had a Renaissance courtyard kind of thing going on), But they were huge, so we sold one of them at consignment the last time.
I am trying to decide if in this economy I dare put $50 on the Barbie House, because I only get 2/3 at Consignment. But it might still sell even though it is not Christmas. Some idiot will pay $50 for a used Barbie House in great shape; I would. After all, it would save you $30 to $60 long term, right? And then you can re-sell it in Consignment if your kids don't ruin it. This is the kind of trivia my mind is cluttered with.
Anyway, I am now sorting out the Barbies and the clothes, and most of them are having a Bad Hair Day. So when I can I am brushing and fixing up the hair and rinsing it out in water when it is straight, and I have about ten naked Barbie dolls on the drying rack in the downstairs bathroom. It looks like a Barbie Spa. Then, of course, because there are about a million of the little devils and about two million evening dresses (our Barbies were very fashionable), I can't finish in one day. So now the girls have seen them sitting out on a table, and now they are changing their minds about selling them. Plus I still have to buy big ziplocks to put them in, etc. etc. and iron some of the clothes and fix them up so that they look like new and I can charge more money for them. I would like to get them looking good enough that I could put $8 to $9 each on them without people laughing at me. Most of them cost $17 to $25 NIB (New in Box) and I want some of my money back.
So, Bad Hair Day Barbies. This is what my life is coming to. And I can tell you, Mattel makes really cheap hair. Some of these gals have barely been played with and spent most of their lives on plastic Barbie couches looking ornamental, and they still have the frizzies. My own Barbies from 30 to 40 years ago (some were antiques) look a whole lot better and they were played with a lot more.
My girls never really got into Barbies, other than acquiring them. But the LOVE the American Girl Dolls, which I am afraid is my secret (and not so secret) obsession too. I have had to quit my ebay addiction again. My mom sent me some money for my birthday for clothes and I did spend it on clothes--discontinued clothes for American Girl dolls! I am truly obsessed, and I really shouldn't be spending my money on such things, so I have had to quit for a while. But not before I got both Kaya's Jingle Dress and the Pow Wow Dress for Today. Ok, what's a bored lawyer to do? I used to collect Fostoria American glassware (want to buy some???) Now I collect doll clothes. For my kids to play with. How sick is that?????
So, back to my adventures with Bad Hair Day Barbies and Consignment Mania. See you soon! Let me know if anyone is out there reading or if I am just being self-indulgent as usual.
Pleasant Valley Mom
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