The first day of the Obsession 2021 convention ended with the W Club Event. This, as usual, was charged in addition to the main convention package and was available to all W Club members. The price was $155.00 and included one doll (souvenir), giving you also the right to purchase the centerpiece doll of the event. We already knew that the dolls would be part of the NU Face line, so after the previous reveal, these were going to be sports themed as well. Carol Roth hosted the live presentation, along with Alain Trembley. They also had all the Integrity Toys designers participate in a Q&A session, after each one presented himself. Which pretty much followed last years event.
What was new, was a condescending tone coming from both hosts against W Club members, about not reading their emails properly (sounded like a teacher scolding you about homework) and about not being understanding enough about the problems that plague doll manufacturing. Carol even prompted designers to tell what they felt collectors should know about doll manufacturing, but in a way that was more like “tell them what obstacles we face making these highly coveted collectable dolls so that they stop complaining about receiving them late or with faults or both”. And that left a sour taste in my mouth (and from what I have been seeing and reading in various forums and social media, to many other people as well). I would never dream of telling my clients off like this, ever, no matter what problems I face making their product (and trust me, I work in a design company making high end exhibit stands for companies so I’m familiar with the situation). You want people to read your emails? Maybe you should make them more condensed and make their layout better? Maybe Break down information about a variety of stuff in smaller emails instead of one big endless text email? Maybe use diagrams and pictures to convey part of the information? Don’t tell me you are doing this for the last 25 years, most of your collectors are doing similar things for as many if not more years as well. Don’t treat your customers like pre-schoolers. W Club has grown too much lately and growing pains are never easy, but people are paying you dearly for a high quality collectable doll. Their money is what give you your daily bread and also a job you love doing. Stop complaining about how your clients treat you and look into why they treat you the way they do. You are paid to give solutions to problems, not whine about it. And if that whole shebang was not enough, there came the dolls.
Item # 82153
MVP
Rayna Ahmadi™ Dressed Doll
The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession
W Club Event Event Centerpiece
Edition Size: TBD
Special Convention Price: $175.00
*Only for W Club Event Ticket Holders*
Head Sculpt: Rayna
Body Type: NF 3.0
Foot Sculpt: High-heeled and Flat Foot
Skin Tone: Japan
Hair Color: Copper
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied
Quickswitch: No
The centerpiece was presented early on in the event, as it would be the doll attendees would see decorating their tables in an in-person event. Rayna is always a popular sculpt and was missing last year from the convention. She was a centerpiece in the Fairytale convention (and a gorgeous doll). We have already gotten two Rayna dolls since last year’s event though. The doll is beautiful - I love her make up and the hairstyle is new for this line, a bit of Sailor Moon inspiration there. She did give me a very very slight vibe of the first Rayna (the IFDC Dorothy from Oz one) which I coveted for quite a long time (not that much anymore).
The outfit is a mess. The obsession for Rayna is American Football. She is probably auditioning for a quarterback? The vest/sleeveless jacket is supposed to remind us of the padded jersey the players wear but it does not even come close. It also riffs on the recent trend of oversized clothing, which might look good on a few models and celebrities (very few if any) but it does not translate wall on doll scale. Having the end seams unfinished helps to further make the look problematic. The colour combination is a bit weird but Jacquemus has been doing it recently (although I doubt Jessy had seen his latest collection before designing this, the timing does not match) and he also did an oversized sleeveless jacket.I like the bodysuit and the rugby shorts, but combining them with kitten heel slingbacks? So not sporty. Maybe she should have had a pair of bright orange combat boots with chunky soles to go with extra pair of flat feet. For this price (and being a made to order doll. unlike the rest of the centerpieces), she’s seriously lacking. Just look at last year’s magnificent Eugenia.
Item # 82154
Adrenaline Rush
Dominique Makéda™ Dressed Doll
The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession
W Club Event Event Souvenir
Edition Size: 2750
*Only for W Club Event Ticket Holders*
Head Sculpt: Dominique 2.0
Body Type: NF 3.0
Foot Sculpt: High-heeled
Skin Tone: Nubian
Hair Color: Soft Black Flocking
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied
Quickswitch: No
I have wanted to get a Dominique for ever, she’s a sculpt missing from my collection. And I am probably one of the few people who jumped with joy at seeing her appear as the souvenir doll of the event. She give me more super hero vibes than a sports obsessed lady (she’s supposedly a MotoCross enthusiast). If her flocked hair were platinum, she’d be a perfect Storm doll. I honestly did not understand why people complained about the flocked hair - some of the most coveted IT dolls have them: the Muse Adele, one of the Faces of Adele heads (the 1.0 sculpt),, Out Of Sight Nadja (who was a convention souvenir too), Urban Outfitting Nadja. And as for the white eye shadow (not an eyeliner, that is black), it looks good on Nubian skin (for me at least) and reminds me of Bionica Jordan,
The outfit would have been better if it had come with soft, ankle-high boots like the ones motor-cross riders are wearing, instead of the pumps. Then she would have had the extra pair of flat feet all other NU Face convention dolls have - and I bet they are not worth $20.00 (that’s the difference between her price and the other NU Face doll prices). Love the earrings, they are original and beautiful. The stirrup pant detail could have been omitted too - maybe adding a cap would have been better.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Prototypes shown, final product may vary. For adult collectors ages 15 and up only.
All text and information contained herein is copyrighted Integrity Toys, Inc. and Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC 2021 and may not be reprinted or disseminated without express written permission. NU. FACE and all other character marks followed by ™ or ® are trademarks of Integrity Toys, Inc. Chesapeake City MD USA 21915. All rights reserved. The W Club is a trademark of Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC. All rights reserved. Doll Photography by Bill Peck and Shaunessey Smith ; Layouts and graphics by Alain Tremblay, Marketing.