Friday, April 18, 2014

So not worth $13., much less the MSRP !

Current Notes: Photo repeat. Sorry !




If you were slightly jealous of me buying the Winx ‘Stella Design Studio’ playset, well, have a laugh on me. I opened it today. If I’d have known some of what met my wondering gaze ahead of time, I’d have taken it back for a refund. First off, the ‘backdrop’ that goes behind the table ? Nice recycling idea, but they put an edge of it right where the box is glued shut. No way can anybody open it and not wreck part of the thing.


Second, the ‘Sewing machine makes real sewing sounds’ ? Don’t you believe it. Someone over at Jakks Pacific got the idea that kids are so weak, they can’t properly apply stickers to polyester, so they put a roller mechanism under the sewing machine. It’s supposedly to push down the stickers for better adhesion. Ok, fine, but in practice, it means the sewing machine doesn’t sit flat on the desk. Or anywhere. There’s no recess for it, it either falls forward or back, your choice. Kind of like if someone put a rolling pin under your sewing machine, and about as useful. I know I like to push my sewing machine back and forth while I’m using it, don’t you ?


As for the ‘real sound’ effects, well, you have your choice. A ‘rolling’ sound that pretty much sounds like any plastic free-wheeling car toy you’ve ever touched, or a snapping, cracking sound that would be very alarming coming out of your machine, for sure ! Beloved Hubby dug the roller piece out with minimal plastic damage, so mine at least sits flat now, and won’t make frightening snapping noises any more.


Not much else to the set. One polyester tube top. Stickers are very nice – two small sheets of pretty iridescent ones and four tiny Winx t-shirt designs, kind of like iron-ons, probably identical to kid-size designs on Mal-Wart tees. Table is kinda cute, even with the fairy-wing X legs. Just wish half of it wasn’t carved up for the rest of the set, which is mostly cardboard. Backdrop, coat hangers and thin cardboard chest-only dress forms. Wish they’d done something more than include four identical dress forms. A real dress-sized one would have been nice, and would have broken up the strict parallel pattern on the desk. Not sure what to do with cardboard coat hangers – there’s nowhere on the playset to hang them.


The Stella doll is a donation, for sure. I think I now know why Winx always wear such short clothing. Their legs are so long, they can’t help it. They buy a Barbie dress, and even after taking it in over an inch up the back, what was a knee-length dress on Babs is barely a tunic on them ! I was reminded of those old, rarely-seen Leggy dolls. Her shoes look great on Miss Rarity, though ! Her heels ride a bit past the shoes’ heels, but even that looks good.



Speaking of which, I’ll probably go to the thrift Sunday, so I’d best get my donations ready. 

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