Now Playing: "Changes" - David Bowie, on local radio, amazingly.
Current Mood : Tired !
Current Image Notes : Like we needed another reason to like Ariel...
Not a lot going on today, either. Dearest Son and I hit Mal-Wart for a few forgotten groceries - he found a small Lego train kit, and I found Cars and Disney Princess comic collection books, for a buck each. Once I hit the ‘Ariel has dolls' image, I knew I was buying it. New Cars stories will encourage Dearest to read, too. If you'd like one, they were over by the Hot Wheels, in a red cardboard rack attached to the endcap, at our store. There's two Belle, two Ariel, one Jasmine, one Aurora, and one Cinderella story. Plots are pretty basic, with numerous continuity, anachronistic, and illustration errors, but I can't really whine about comic art I paid a buck for. Nice to know that Cinderella speaks in Comic Sans - that's worth the buck, right there. There was also a Tinkerbell ‘Disney Fairies' book, but I was already kinda splurging enough for one day.
They had acres of new Star Wars stuff in - giant Millennium Falcon ships, so much like the ones back in '78, but with new projectiles, sound effects and lights, and a medical bay I don't think the vintage one had. (sigh) All that can be yours for $140., which makes me wonder - was the original one about that price back then ? To the 1978 me, Princess Leia's $10. price was (giggle) astronomical - today, $10. for a new sixth-scale doll is about average, for one with a nice outfit. $20., though, is more often seen, especially if the doll is a licensed item. I have no idea how much a Falcon cost back in the day, as I never had one, but always drooled over how great a display it was. If it'd held my 12-inch Leia, I'd have saved for forever and traded in two years of birthday and Christmas gifts - and a couple months allowance - to get it. It would have been so cool...
Nearly everything was in white boxes with blue and sliver trim, labeled The Legacy Collection. Dozens of new action figures, including a rather sexy Han, but not one Leia in there. Grump. I should be grateful, neither Kenner nor Hasbro has ever made an attractive Leia action figure anyway. Heck, even the adorable Nancy Allen's "Marion" figure from Indiana Jones wasn't very good, either. However, the ‘Adventure Heroes' line - those kinda preschool-lookin' ones that only pose at the wrists - are sooo cute, I've nearly bought Leia and Marion...several times ! Only reason I've held off is because I'm broke, usually due to some (DPrincessdollscough) obsession, and I'll probably find ‘em sooner or later in a yard sale. Tossed in with the other Happy Meal toys, natch.
BTW - the ‘Galactic Heroes' figure of Leia's slave girl costume - complete with a huge axe and an R2-D2 with a drink tray - comes out August 15, according to Toysrus.com.
Wait a minute. I have access to the world's largest database of anything and everything, from metaphysics to old Christmas catalogs ! I even have a site bookmarked for those. Lesssee... in the Sears Christmas Wishbook 1979, the Millennium Falcon retailed for... $25. bucks. Huh. That's all ? It was sell-yer-soul desired in my circle of kids, and only one kid had it. For it being such a lusted-after toy, and the one that many thirty-to-fifty year old guys wax nostalgic over, I thought it was a bigger budget-buster. Well, with that tidbit of information, my wonder shifts to ponder how much is $25. 1979 dollars today ? Tom's Inflation Calculator - thanks, Google - tells me that a $25. item in 1979 would cost $79.50 today. Ya gotta love the internet. Still a lotta money, but not $140., either. Guess Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill's voices don't come cheap. Oh, and the new one's about six inches longer, too. I'm gonna keep my snark to m'self on that one.
Want a giggle ? Using the same calculator, my $10. 1978 Leia would cost $34.22 today. The $2. action figures I can so clearly remember would be $7.28 today, not far from the $7. you pay at TRU and Mal-Wart for the newest ones. I could play all day with that thing. http://www.halfhill.com/inflation.html
And, after a full day of thinking about a toy I never had and never will have, getting all the laundry put away, dishes done, Doll Diaries caught up, shopping trip finished, and making dinner, I still had time to knock out a pair of DPrincess shoes. Yup, a pair this time ! Black ones, ‘cause ya always need classic black, from cutaway twill from BIL's Robe 2.0. Goss knows I got plenty of that material ! They only take about an hour, from fabric cutting to final turning. These look pretty good, but I still have trouble on that sole to uppers seam, by the back upper seam. I may just hand-sew that, and avoid the problems I keep having. This successful trial means the pattern is good, and I can Fray-Check the next pair I make, actually employ the iron, and use good fabric. You'll get a photo of ‘em tomorrow.
Got a busy day Wednesday, too. Recyclers, thrift stores ( dropping off and maybe picking up !), more laundry, and some sewing. Whoo-hoo ! I'm hoping to squeeze in some vacuuming, too !
