So I'm busy trying to do some work and be a grown up, when all of a sudden my friend texts me and says, "OMG! Did you see the new Jem doll?" Stupidly I first thought he meant the custom Jem dolls I put together from the Swappable Barbie line. (I'm a vain sad mess.) My reply was, "Huh? Don't play with me." So he proceeded to send this to me, "Legit! Integritytoys.com."
Alright dorky folk, drum roll please Integritytoys.com has announced a partnership with Hasbro to bring Jem fans highly detailed collectible Jem dolls! Go to the site now! Read the news, look at the gallery of pictures to see the new Hollywood Jem doll! She looks fantastic.
Ok, you have seen the site right? Now let's talk for real. I am happy about these new dolls and curious to see what Integrity Toys will do with this property, but damn are they going to be pricey! The rate of these new Jem dolls are close to the amount of what you can pay for a mint one on Ebay. Give or take a few hundred.
I am very curious to know what this line holds for Jem. Is this part of a master plan to release a new Jem cartoon? Will Hasbro create a more affordable Jem line for stores? These are some questions I have folks. I may be very happy about this new collectible Jem line, but mama's gotta eat. So $125.00 for each Jem doll is a bit much. I'll do my best to collect, but I will also be happy if Jem gets a shot at retail too.
Enough of that though, let's all take a moment to just jump and scream over the excitement that there will finally be some new Jem dolls out. This has been far too long in the making, I am glad it is happening.
I am also so excited that this line is going to take a page out of the cartoon and really make dolls that follow an animated based look. I love it. I want to see more, and I'm guessing more will be revealed at this year's SDCC. This is some truly outrageous news folks! (I am dying to see what they do with Pizzazz.)
So what say you about the new Jem dolls? Please feel free to leave some comments!
Interesting timing. I'm in the middle of watching the 3 season Jem box set and I've looked to ebay out of interest of what the dolls were going for--and yeah, a boxed original costs just as much as the new and sports the awesome box art (new art pending...right...)
ReplyDeleteAs nice as the new dolls or doll looks, I'd rather have one of the originals if I'm going to not pay a bill or so for a month. I just wonder if it'll fit in the glass front cabinet?
You are interested in Pizzazz and I guess I'm interested in Kimber--after all, she does write all the songs...
I do wonder what the box art will look like for these new dolls. From what I have read the toy company is really wanting to make these dolls for the fans, so I would hope the box art is close to the original.
DeleteI am interested in Pizzazz to see how they will interpret her. I would say out of the ones I will want to own for sure, it would be Jem, Pizzazz, and Kimber. Those were always my favorite. Of course in all reality I want them all, however with those prices I might have to be picking out my favorites. I'm really hoping the pricing is high for Hollywood Jem because of her being an SDCC exclusive and that the regular line up will be slightly less.
I also love the 3 season Jem box set. That show never gets old, I could watch it over and over.
How can you not want Stormer? She's my favorite. I hope they keep her big blue curls like the original doll. Mmmm, the price is high - but my positive spin on it is that, hopefully, the releases will be staggered enough so that all of us can collect them all one at a time (like a tacky artist-plate-of-the-month collection, only with fluffy pink hair). I dunno, a cheaper retail line would be fun - but it would also mean MORE. And the idea of criss-crossing town to every Target 'n Toys-R-Us just to try to get every single doll, fashion, and pair of pumps would be distressingly stressful... and so would finding space for it all. There are pros and cons to the new doll line. But - Jem is back, and she's still living in 1987, and for that I am extremely grateful. Don't let this be another Jem Toy Regret experience for you, Miss M. ^.~
ReplyDeletePS, don't spazz or nothin' - but I picked up a MOC Catra on ebay... and didn't break the bank. She's purrrfect.
Oh I like Stormer too. I loved it when Kimber and Stormer teamedp and formed their own band, and even a friendship. I always liked the idea of two opposing people coming together.
DeleteAnd you are right, this is truly nothing but a positive experience for Jem fans. I am with you in the hope that they spread the release of the dolls out. And I hope there won't be any fast sell outs of the dolls either. I want the line to do well, but I also don't want to be going crazy trying to pick one up. Because I will be getting some. This will not end up as some toy regret! I have a second chance now, so I am taking it for all it is worth. lol
This Integrity Toys company is actually really cool. They make some exquisite dolls, I had never heard of them before. Also after looking at the prices of their other dolls, I am wondering if the Jem dolls will have different price points. Maybe the $125 is just for the exclusive Jem. I dunno, but I am really happy that Jem is back. The way they sculpted and painted her face! My goodness this is the perfect Jem doll!
Having thought about it, I also agree with you on a retail line. As much as I would like that, it would be a mess. Going all over town and wasting gas and energy life levels would take a toll eventually. I mean there is already enough drama just trying to find Monster High stuff.
Anyways I am so happy for you that you picked up a MOC Catra! That is so exciting! All versions of Catra were always so beautiful, but the first release has always been something special. I am so happy for you! When I got my first Catra as a kid, I knew I was holding something so fun and cool. And it is nice reading from ya! I hope you are doing well.
You know I'm always out here, following along with your latest posts and wacky adventures. ^.~
DeleteI agree about Catra. Hard to pick a "prettiest" PoP figure, but the green eyes and black hair just grab me over all the other dolls. Plus there's something charming about the toy's villain being "jealous" of She-Ra. The cartoon version is a bit wickeder (is that a word?), but the toy lands on her feet somewhere between evil arch enemy and that snotty girl in school who always wants to show up everybody else. LOL. The 1st Catra was, in fact, the 1st PoP figure I bought as a kid. Went to K-Mart one springish, summerish day with my mom and there were all the new PoP figures. My memory about the timing of the figures' release and Secret of the Sword is a bit blurry - I did see the movie at the theater, and I feel like the figures came out afterwards but before the cartoon kicked in on weekday afternoons. Could that be right? Anyway, super duper long story short, of all the figures I liked Catra best and had to get her first, even before She-Ra herself. I'm weird like that. I can remember the order I got my Jem dolls as a kid and where I bought them too, hehe. And yes, the 1st Catra is still my favorite of all 3. I actually like all of the 1st wave figures best. As you pointed out, they each had their own color and I love that. Plus I didn't like the rolling heads some of the later ones had. Though Starburst She-Ra, to me, was cooler than the 1st She-Ra. Maybe she'll be my next one to get... if I have any money left once Jem comes back. Woohoo for Hollywood Jem! I'm so jazzed about her. I still prefer the originals, but that goes beyond nostalgia for me. 25 years later Jem is still impacting my life, yknow? But I love that the new doll is Hollywood Jem, one of the dolls that mighta been released in 1988 if Hasbro hadn't pulled the plug.
Stormer and Kimber are my faves, so the episode you mentioned is definitely on the top of my charts. One of these days I'm going to write a fanfic where they take a road trip together, LOL.
If you want more Jem fun, you should join the JemCon message board. I post over there as Milky Mixer. And come rock out with us at the convention in St. Louis in September! http://www.jemcon.org/index.php
- TJ
Ok you brought up so many things that I was just like, "Oh yeah!" She-Ra and Bow were my first POP toys to get and I got them around the time of the Secret of the Sword. So I think that is when everything was released. Catra was my next POP toy, and for a week I would meow to like everything. I wanted to be just like her. That all changed when Mermista came along of course, but I did love Catra. Now the one thing I loathed about series two were the bobble heads. My Peekablue's head snapped like a year after owning her. I hated those damn bobble heads.
DeleteAnd when you get to that Stormer and Kimber roadtrip fanfic you better let me know. I would love to read that.
And thanks for letting me know about jemcon.org, I kinda figured you were on there based on your Milky Mixer site, but I've been too nervous to join. I'm just like that with message boards. I need to join though, because I know I'd love the site.
Awww... my Mermista's head did the same as your Peekablue's. I used to have to shove it down on her neck but it always looked wrong that way. Ahhh, I am so glad someone else didn't like the rolly heads! Plus the other heads were more in keeping with the He-Man figures' poseability.
DeleteI'm going to have to do this fanfic... seriously, it's burning in my brain. The Kimber/Stormer thing is half the story, and there's another story involving Jem that is going on at the same time. Maybe once JemCon wraps up I can get involved in something like that. Right now I have so much to do before September. You should definitely join the message board. Even if you just want to lurk and not post. But after awhile, you will want to chime in. Everyone is really nice and open to new faces, too. And you do know that M was going to be the original name for Jem, right? You could still be Miss M and it would totally work, hehe! I have posted a couple of links to your blog in the past... I bet other people over there would get a kick out of it since many are '80s nuts.
Oh, and I'm with you and Sarah - can't wait to see the new Jem packaging! I wonder if they'll make 'em retro style with cool boxart paintings. Even just keeping the same colors, fonts, and graphics would be cool!
Oh, and... *meow!* >^.^<
DeleteYeah my Mermista's head broke off a couple years ago when I decided to wash their hair and make everything look nice. What I have done instead was just super glue the heads on. So they don't move but they also don't have that odd look of being shoved on. For years my Peekablue looked so goofy lookin.
DeleteAnd I am going to join the site. I will! I also did not know that about the original idea for Jem's name! That is so cool! How cute. I had no idea. I have always liked Jem, but there are some things that I do not know. I love that.
Anyways I will look for you on that site! And thank you for having posted links to my site in the past. That is so nice of you and it sounds like everyone is really fun and nice!
SDCC will be here before we know it, I can't wait to see what hasbro and Intebrity Toys has to show us!
125 bucks, yikes, that is alot of money, but I think I'd still like to collect them, lol, especially the Jem doll and then try to get as many as I can and this time not take them out of the box!!!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah I'll be sellin some internal organs for sure. lol I am gonna have to get some of these. I can't wait to see what the boxart and packaging will look like. I hope it is very similar to the old style.
DeleteYes, I always liked the old packaging, very colourful, I showed my mom the photo, and she was like, that's not Jem, what did they do to her! lol
ReplyDeleteYeah this new Jem does look different. It is like an updated cartoon version. I wonder if they'll do the face paint on some of the other characters. I am so interested to see what they do!
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