Gene's Fifth Anniversary Heralds Banner Year for
AD
Year 2000 line promises to delight collectors -- March 10, 2000
ARTICLES
Gene's Fifth Anniversary Heralds Banner Year for
AD
Year 2000 line promises to delight collectors
-- March 10, 2000
Joan Greene Speaks at Nashville Dinner
Joan joins TIGGERS Club as special guest
-- August 5, 2000
Gene Cleaning
Tips on what works and what not to use
to clean Gene and her clothes
Hayley Puts on the Ritz
Hayley gets a new look - June 1999
REVIEWS
Reviews
TIGGERS members review the current dolls
and outfits
Gene’s
Fifth Anniversary Heralds Banner Year for Ashton-Drake
©2000 by Kathryn E. Darden
New dolls! New characters! New body styles! New costumes! New accessory packs! Retirements! These were the buzz words that combined to mark a memorable 5th anniversary celebration for Ashton-Drake’s Gene during the cornucopia of events that marked this year’s Toy Fair.
In celebration of Gene’s ground-breaking 5th anniversary, the Ashton-Drake Galleries’ all-new 2000 Fifth Anniversary Gene® collection was unveiled at Toy Fair. Collectors were excited to learn their favorite fictional heroin would star in a Western and a Roaring ‘20s film, as well as attend a Jazz concert, buy a house, travel the world and more. In addition, Ashton-Drake announced that all dolls in the 2000 line will have bendable knees like 1999's Simply Gene. This year’s Simply Gene will feature platinum blond hair which is supposedly easier to style as well as another innovation... a twist waist! Now Gene can really strike a pose!
Starring in a Western, Gene has the occasion to wear “Shooting Star”, a turquoise jacket with matching fringes skirt, western blouse, boots and cowboy hat, as well as “Don’t Fence Me In” which features jeans, boots, and a western shirt. The same movie has Gene appearing in three costumes with a markedly hispanic influence: “Hearts Afire,” “Bolero,” and “Hacienda.” Both “Hearts Afire” and “Hacienda” are full-length gowns while “Bolero” would look right at home in the movie Three Amigos.
For her Roaring 20's flick, Gene wears the breathtakingly sweet bride gown, “I Do” as well as the equally fetching “Will You Marry Me?” Other hits include “The Perfect Gift,” a smart kelly green suit, and “Jazz Note,” a sizzling black number.
Not only did Ashton-Drake unveil over two dozen exciting new Gene dolls and outfits, but in addition, new accessories have been added including furniture, four terrific hat and purse packs which are certain to be a hit with collectors, shoes and more. A new book by Mel Odum which tells Gene Marshall’s story was also touted during the festivities.
In an announcement which will worry some collectors as well as thrill others, Ashton-Drake also announced that all dolls and costumes will be limited to 5,000 pieces with the exception of some dealer exclusives, which will be even more limited. The other two exceptions are: the Ashton-Drake annual doll, Twilight Rhumba, which will not be limited except by the 2000 calendar year, and the new Simply Gene Platinum which will be an unlimited open edition.
Another announcement that peaked much curiosity was the news that Ashton-Drake is releasing a new character doll to step into Gene’s world, the infamous Madra Lord. Combining “Beauty, Talent and Temper,” Madra, although slightly taller than Gene, is the same scale, so their outfits will be interchangeable. However, there the similarities cease. Gene is sweet and innocent; Madra is bold and brassy, with just a hint of evil in her nature. If you don’t believe me, read the names of her costumes! Madra is a 15 3/4" doll inspired by the more flamboyant and temperamental divas of Hollywood’s golden age. To further pique collectors interest, Madra comes with bend knees and elbows, another first for the Gene collection, as well as her own provocative storyline.
Madra's "story" is of a hard working, self-assured woman who knew what she wanted from an early age - stardom - and she wasn't afraid to do whatever it took to get to the top. Growing up in Milwaukee during WWI, Mabel Lorkovic left the west coast of Lake Michigan for the West Coast, and somewhere between the pines of Wisconsin and the palms of California, Madra Lord was born. Once she hit Hollywood, she slowly worked her way to the top, using her beauty, brains, talent - and guts. Madra Lord reigned as one of the undisputed stars of Hollywood, consistently pleasing fans with her dynamic performances and giving directors ulcers with her volatile temper. But no one could disagree that Madra had what it took and was every inch a star. Who could blame her if Gene's sudden skyrocket to success left Madra green with envy - almost as green as her famous, flashing eyes.
The premiere Madra collection includes "First Encounter," a costumed doll wearing a sumptuous full-length white "mink" coat over a dramatic ball gown; six couture outfits - and a pair of beautifully sculpted white porcelain Saluki dogs (Madra would never own REAL dogs - they shed!). There will also be one limited-edition costumed Madra doll called “Black Widow” with an issue of 2,500 and one limited-edition costume produced, “Highland Fling”, limited to an issue of 3,500. Other ensembles which are not limited included: Heartless, Catwalk, Devil May Care, So Evil My Love, and Pink with Envy which was reportedly one of Mel's favorite dolls at the 1999 Gene convention competition. Intricate details, from lavish handbeading, fully lined dresses, right down to the seams on the back of her sheer stockings, all add to Madra's appeal.
During the fifth anniversary festivities at Toy Fair, two Gene dolls and three costumes were also retired. “Daughter of the Nile” from the 1998 collection and “Love, Paris” from the 1999 collection were retired along with “Picnic in the Country” (1999), “My Favorite Bow” (1998) and “El Morocco” (1996). Production of “Love, Paris” and all three costumes ceased at the time of the February announcement. As of May 1, 2000, twenty-two Gene dolls and costumes have been retired.
Within two weeks of Toy Fair, reports were already circulating that
most dealers have sold out of their “Black Widow” allotments and that many
of the 2000 collection Gene dolls and outfits are getting hard to find
as customers order quickly to avoid missing out. In addition, sales have
been brisk for the retired items. If you have your eye on a pretty Gene
or the sultry LE Madra, this is not the year to sit back and think for
very long. With their LE policy for the 2000 collection, Ashton-Drake
has insured high demand for Miss Marshall to commemorate her fifth anniversary.
| Joan Greene Speaks at Nashville Gene Club Dinner |  |
© 2000 by Kathryn E. Darden
On August 5 the members of the TIGGERS (Tennessee Internet Gene Group) Gene club hosted a very special guest, Joan Greene, the Director of the Ashton Drake Gene team, at a dinner for Gene collectors in Nashville. Joan filled the evening with enthusiasm, education and entertainment. She regaled us with humorous anecdotes about her hotel in Nashville (Vanderbilt Lowe’s Plaza) where she briefly interrupted history by trying to get her room upgraded only to discover that another V.I.P. commanded all the top rooms during her stay, V.P. Al Gore, in town to name his running mate. Joan also told us about her afternoon run to Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and her thrill upon learning the Secret Employee Exit which took her straight to the doughnuts.
Following these stories came some exciting Gene news. There will be three FAO exclusives this year and Marilu Henner (of “Taxi” and “Annie Get Your Gun” fame) will be appearing dressed as a glamorous Gene in an upcoming FAO catalogue! Joan would not tell us just which outfit would grace the slender Marilu, choosing instead to leave it to our vivid, calculating imaginations!
Joan brought a special guest, and in a move that was so appropriate in Music City, she had Sharon Forrest who helped record the 1999 Gene CD “Menu for Romance” sing three of the songs from the project: “Share the Dream,” “A Kiss to Build a Dream On,” and “Dream.” As she prepared to sing “Share the Dream” Sharon told us, “If you want to get to know Joan, what she is really like, listen to this song. This song comes from her heart.” It was a rare treat to meet and hear such a lovely lady singing straight off the CD and it makes the CD that much more special to those who attended the dinner to have met Sharon and learned her connection to Joan and “Menu for Romance.”
When Sharon finished the last song and the applause died down, Joan set up the slide projector which had been traveling with me since the wee morning hours and she showed us slide after slide of Gene’s development. We saw slides of a young Mel, of his early artwork and designs, the early prototypes of Gene, then the dolls and costumes, a panoply of history brought to us in living color on the restaurant walls! Joan also brought another “special guest” of the vinyl variety, a rather wicked looking diva dressed in white “mink,” Madra Lord. We all had the opportunity to examine her up close and personal, touch her hair, bend her elbows, admire her gown. We were just girls playing dolls, after all!
The most interesting aspect of Joan’s presentation was her first-hand knowledge and her enthusiasm for her product. To Joan, Gene is not merely a product. This is a woman who LOVES Gene, make no mistake about it. At times she could have been describing a close, personal friend.
Between slides Joan would frequently stop and draw a name as dolls and outfits disappeared from a very large box that had been quite a temptation in my home during its lengthy stay! Priceless, Song of Spain, Twilight Rumba, Gene books, outfits, and more were distributed. Another donor, VirtualDOLLS, had contributed an outfit, hat stands, and a dress form. Marl and B donated another outfit. Nearly everyone won something wonderful. And for those who didn’t win a door prize there were no regrets. Not only did we all share a wonderful evening, but Joan had brought a CD for each of us which she and Sharon signed, as well as a special Black Widow postcard which Joan signed, and everyone received a new hatbox and Twilight Rumba button.
The evening was wonderful, and we presented Joan with a unique wooden
box filled with Gene gifts our members had purchased or made. It was a
special evening full of fun and laughter and the sharing of gifts, and
we all left with the memories of a delightful dinner with a newfound friend.
Tank you, Joan Greene, for sharing the dream with us.
© 1998 by Kathryn E. Darden
Gene took the fashion doll world be storm when
Premiere, Red Venus and Blue Goddess appeared on the shelves of fine doll
and collectible stores, whisking collectors off on a whirlwind tour of
Hollywood glamor. However, as a few adventuresome collectors began to exchange
Premiere's lovely gown for some new ensembles, they made a heart-breaking
discovery. Premiere's dark gown had left its mark on Gene-- literally!
Other gowns, jackets, shoes, hose, gloves, and handbags also were found
to leave stains on Gene. A partial stain list includes: Night at Versailles
- gloves, Crescendo, Blonde Lace - trousers and shoes, Sparkling
Seduction, Midnight Romance, Embassy Luncheon - stole and gloves, El Morocco
- (later versions are lined in pink to avoid this, but although the pink
lining doesn't stain, the dark thread holding the outfit together has),
Tango, Good Bye New York - blouse, Pin Up, Crimson Sun - swimsuit
thread and gold shoes, all black pantyhose and shoes, Destiny - shoe ribbons,
Premier, Ransom In Red, and even Incognito reportedly produces a dark red
stain where her shoulder meets her torso and a vague red outline of the
low back of the dress. Joeanne Van Vranken AKA "Rocket J" is maintaining
a running tally of Gene items know to stain. Please contact her with any
staining news or tips: http://hometown.aol.com/joannee101/gene.htm
Marsha at "Jewels For Gene" says she
found a stain on the back of the hip of her Pin Up. "It’s grey-black, from
her teddy." Other than lining the teddy with white voile, Marsha says she
was afraid to try anything else yet. Linda Keenan reports, "The only one
of my dolls I have noticed has stains is Premiere. She has minor staining
on both arms - probably 1/8" to 1/4" long from the stripes on the inside
of her jacket. I have been afraid to clean her though for fear I
will harm her in some way. The stains are black. I have undressed
her to prevent further damage."
To be on the cautious side some people
give the outfits a vinegar rinse to set the dye before putting them on.
The "recipe" is 1 part white vinegar to 2 parts cool water. Soak the outfit
for a 1/2 hour and then let dry. Caution: the vinegar soak can actually
ruin certain fabrics and should be done with great care. If possible, test
it on a small swatch in an obscure place first.
Some collectors also discovered to their dismay
that Geneís earrings were starting to leave traces of that bane
of all Barbie collectors, green ear. Whether it is dark clothing or the
reaction of the vinyl with metal earrings, staining is obviously a concern
of Gene collectors.
Since Gene was only introduced in recent years
to collectors, these stains have only begun to show up recently. No treatment
methods have been fully tested yet on Gene. To gain some perspective on
the pros and cons of treating Gene, it is necessary to study the results
of different cleaning methods on her predecessor, Barbie®.
When I rediscovered the joys of fashion doll
collecting after most of my original childhood Barbie collection was stolen,
the first thing I did was to take stock of my remaining Barbies. One of
the dolls stored in my closet was a beautiful mint TNT, but to my horror,
I discovered I had left the earrings to one of her original outfits in
her ears, and while she had still had beautiful, thick eyelashes, lovely
mint makeup, shiny, mod hair, and even her original orange hair ribbon,
she also had large green spots on both sides of her head.
Soon afterwards I discovered Millers Fashion
Doll Magazine, and one of the first articles that caught my eye was
written by Nicholas Hill in Millers extolling the virtues
of using Remove-Zit on the problem called green ear. Eagerly I ordered
his products, and as soon as they arrived, I poured over the instruction
sheets provided as well as re-reading the article in Millers. I wanted
to make sure I did everything right to restore my beautiful girl to her
original glory. One thing that gave me confidence was Hill's claims
in the instruction sheet that Remove-Zit was safe and harmless to use,
even on synthetic hair:
REMOVE-ZIT will not harm or discolor human hair, mohair
or synthetic hair. As a matter
of fact, the product has been used successfully to remove
copper metal stains (from a bobby pin) from the hair of a blond Barbie®.
Another confidence builder was an article
in the Winter 1996 issue of Millers where writer Virginia Walker
says she successfully used Remove-Zit on a White Ginger bubblecut. However,
she did note that the doll must be protected against the fumes from Remove-Zit
damaging the eye paint, so I was careful not to get the chemical on Barbie's
paint.
Week after week I faithfully applied a small
amount of Remove-Zit to the affected area. Hill's literature did
say it might take several weeks to remove all the color, so I kept the
treatment up for more than three months. I tried to keep it out of
her hair as I didn't want to even have to wash her lovely locks for fear
of disturbing her all-original hair-do. However, occasionally over the
two months in which I applied the product, a small amount would get into
her hairline. I was not overly concerned; after all, the product was clearly
billed as safe for synthetic hair. A little more than three months after
the first application, I made a horrifying discovery; Barbie's hair had
become brittle and appeared to have dissolved at the hair line! My beautiful
girl was loosing hair behind her ears on both sides where I had applied
the Remove-Zit. In addition, not only had the treated area begun to bleach,
but the Remove-Zit was bleaching out areas of the dollís face BEYOND
the points where I had applied it!
Immediately I wrote Mr. Hill requesting an
explanation and asking if he backed his product up with any guarantee if
something did go wrong. He sent back this reply:
Dear Kathryn,
REMOVE-ZIT is an efficient stain remover...no
more no less. It does not damage natural or
synthetic fibers.
Even though the successful use of REMOVE-ZIT
to remove metal stains and oxidation from
natural and synthetic hair fibers is
documented in both Barbie magazines we have never recommended the product
for this use.
Sincerely,
Nicholas Hill
And although Hill's literature proclaims that his
products come with a "money back guarantee," I was offered no refund.Moreover,
even though I used Hill's other product 911, recommended to remove the
RZ as soon as I discovered the damage, the bleached area spread after I
discontinued the treatment.
From that point on I began a quest for a knowledge,
a quest to discover exactly what DOES work on treating stains on dolls
if not Remove-Zit. I began to poll people on the Internet, dealers, and
anyone else who would answer my surveys, and I made a startling discovery.
There is NO perfect cure for treating stains on dolls. Furthermore, people
were highly polarized, as you will discover, in two equally passionate
camps: those who recommend Remove-Zit and those who rave about TarnX. I
also discovered some interesting alternative stain solutions.
To first understand why treating stains
is so difficult, we need a brief lesson in the chemistry of staining.
The problem begins with a characteristic of the material used in making
vinyl dolls like Gene and Barbie. Polymers ("poly" means "many") exist
out of very huge chains of small parts called the monomers. If you have
a piece of plastic, it consists of very large ìmacroîmolecules,
which are 1,000,000 times larger then normal molecules like water or copper
(compare it with a mouse in the Empire State Building). The head
of a Barbie doll is made out of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and
is made from a melted form cooled down to a solid form (thermoplastic).
Gene is of similar vinyl construction.
On an electronmicroscopic level, Gene's vinyl
is very porous. There is a lot of space left for other small particles.
If you were the size of a water molecule -- or a copper molecule, you could
easily walk through your Gene's head! Inside the vinyl you would find the
particles that give the flesh color on the head. The manufacturers also
put in various other compounds like softeners or plasticizers to make the
vinyl flexible, or else the head and limbs would become brittle and
could break easily. In time the copper in Gene's earrings starts
to oxidize. This happens as it forms copper oxide in combination with the
oxygen in the air. This is the same process that causes tarnish on your
brass and silver. These small copper particles dissolve into the
plasticizer and penetrate very easily into the porous vinyl of the head,
especially of a TNT Barbie, and to a lesser degree into the other types
of vinyl used for torsos, arms and legs. Since the plasticizer "migrates"
through the vinyl, once it has absorbed a stain (such as green copper oxide),
the stain travels through the vinyl, too. When you give these particles
30 years to travel through the vinyl, they can find their way easily into
the head and go deeper and deeper into the surrounding material.
Riny Janszen does research at the University
of Twente in The Netherlands at the Department of Chemical Engineering
and studies the characteristics of macromolecules. "In this group
we study how to make new polymers and also study the behavior in all the
materials, topics like strength, lifetime, costs, influence from the environment
etc." Riny, whose job requires skill in mathematics, physics and
chemistry, says, "Most cleaning solutions are developed to clean
and polish only the surface of stiff materials, i.e. metal and not
really for cleaning the porous plastics. They all work on the same
kind of reaction: with the use of a solvent, the green colored copper oxide
is changed back into copper that is more or less yellow in small amounts.
It can also become any of a number of other copper compounds. Then the
loose particles have to be removed by polishing. Polishing is not possible
with our dolls, so we can only get out the particles on the surface easily,
and those which are in deep are nearly impossible to reach. That is why
it takes so long to work on green ear. Even if the particles are reached
eventually and reduced, they don't come out. So it is not so strange that
after some years these particles start to oxidize again and turn into green
again."
Riny explains that Tarn-X is based on ureum
in an acid environment (acidified thiourea). In acid methods the
(oxidized) metal particles become dissolved and turned into a salt compound.
"This is probably the white powder that comes out of the heads after a
while, but I'm not quite sure about this," says Riny. "It is also
not very aggressive to the plastic fibers but it might affect the color
tones."
The Remove-Zit label says it is made from
an organic peroxide. If there is any form of peroxide involved in a product,
it will also attack parts of the plastic chains in our doll heads, according
to Riny. "Peroxide is highly aggressive," she says. "Indeed this causes
swelling and it bleaches the colors!!"
In other words, the main problem is that most
products used to treat green ear and other stains are not made to do the
job and have too many unwanted side-effects. Furthermore, the formed compound
will stay in the vinyl and returns in its former state after time as the
different chemicals migrate in the plasticizer. The environment in
Geneís vinyl is more or less unstable because there are so many
particles and compounds present. Therefore, the green ear can be temporarily
shifted but not permanently solved and what will happen with other stains
is simply not known yet.
The good news is that the Gene stains we are
treating today are not 30-years-old like the problem with Barbie and green
ear. The bad news is we do not know what effect the treatments will have
in five, ten or 30 years time on Gene. Also, some collectors feel that
Geneís poly vinyl makeup has changed in the last couple of years
resulting in the phenomena knows as "gumby leg." This could mean what worked
on Gene two years ago may have a different chemical reaction this year.
Upon deciding to research this staining problem
I decided to first to call Ashton-Drake's
customer service line. I asked the operator who answered the phone what
methods they recommended for cleaning stains on Gene. She replied that
AD recommends the dolls be cleaned with mild soap and water. I asked her
what they recommended for the stains that came about as a result of her
dark outfits, and she seemed caught off guard and put me on hold. She came
back and told me that they recommend Removes-Zit. I inquired what results
collectors had experienced with RZ, and she responded that she didn't know.
When I asked how I could find out, I was told to call back in 1/2 hour
for Wendy Solomon.
Wendy graciously agreed to let me interview
her for the HLAYG newsletter. She said that she always recommends RZ for
stubborn stains. I asked her if she was aware that RZ had damaged many
Barbie dolls, and she responded that she had never heard that. She did
say that she always cautions people not to panic if they notice the area
around the stain getting paler as the stain is treated with RZ. Wendy claims
that this is just a temporary swelling caused by the action of RZ on the
stain and she says it goes away in a few days. She was surprised to learn
that in some Barbie dolls the swelling NEVER goes away. According to Wendy,
out of many times recommending RZ to Gene customers, no one has complained
yet about any side effects. I asked her if she had ever heard of anyone
using lemon juice or vinegar, treatments I had read about on the AD Gene
forum, and she chuckled and said she had not heard of these treatments
and doubted they would work.
To give us an idea of what cleaning agents
like RZ can do, positive and negative, I polled some Barbie restorationists,
dealers and collectors. Out of the twenty-five people who responded to
my request for green ear feedback, five favored Remove-Zit; ten recommended
TarnX; four mentioned Clearasil, Oxxy-10, and plain Hydrogen Peroxide;
two suggested TarniShield, two had mixed feelings, and a couple of other
methods were thrown in.
One defender of Remove-Zit was Ryan Karp who
does restorations for Kitty Stewart. While Ryan states Remove-Zit is "terribly
slow," he attests,"It seems the best thing to use." He follows that
up with a disclaimer; "I don't recommend it on TNT's. Nick Hill says it
bleaches the green ear out and then you can color it with those little
pens he mentioned in his article, but I don't even get that far. I've done
it for six months and never got it out enough where I could even try to
recolor it."
From Shawnee, Kansas, Jana LeBlanc tried brightening
a Barbie dollís lemon hair with Remove-Zit. ìI did not cover
the face or use vaseline and sure enough, the cream touched the brows and
they wiped off when I was removing the cream.î Jana also discovered
Remove-Zit was very hard to get out of the hair, and when she did finally
remove it after repeated washings, the dollís hair was never as
soft again; even after conditioning the dollís hair was limp and
lifeless. The roughness dulls the hair to the eye, so it is
visible." Jana's final treatment involved a NRFB Lemon Swirl with massive
green ear that she spent about four months treating at least every third
day. The green was very dark to begin with and paled considerably, but
was still visible and Jena noticed that the tan-toned area around the green
paled somewhat as well.
One restorationist stated, ìTo be honest,
I have tried Remove-Zit and I have not found that it lived up to my expectations.
I really think Remove-Zit came across as something everyone was waiting
for and I have yet to see it have good results. It makes the dollís
vinyl expand and makes her look puffy like she has mumps.î Respected
Barbie® doll dealer Marl Davidson also mentioned problems with Remove-Zitís
effects saying, ìMy experience with Remove-Zit has been unsuccessful!
Your doll parts swell and get bumpy when used on the body and it can change
the dollís eye color when you use it near the face."
An Internet site that is frequently visited
is Nancy Coogan's Beanies
and Barbies. Nancy, who has been collecting Barbie® dolls for
over seven years and dealing with the green ear problem for the same amount
of time, vehemently writes, "I STAY AWAY from Remove-Zit - it does nothing
but turn the ears brown." Penny Carenza from Fair Lawn, NJ, responded to
my survey on Pink Chat by telling me, "I remember a while back someone
did a story on green ears and it turned out to be a commercial for Remove-Zit.
I tried that stuff once and it made the doll's head and cheeks swell up
so that it looked like she had the mumps. Never will I use that product
again."
TarnX fared better in poling collectors, but
it did not escape criticism. While some contributors were enthusiastic,
as with Remove-Zit, most TarnX users offered cautionary notes. One collector
who gave TarnX her blessing was Marl Davidson. "I have been treating green
ears for over ten years now, and I can tell you this, I favor TarnX, and
persistence is everything!!!! I have tried every other product, but
TarnX seems to work the best for me." Nancy Coogan raves, "TarnX
works wonderful for me. I have used it for seven years and have only done
damage to two dolls - both due to my own stupidity. I have found the only
dolls that TarnX will not work on are, of course, TNT's (nothing works
on them yet) and the dark-faced, suntanned dolls from 1964-65."
Other disadvantages to TarnX were mentioned.
Ryan Karp says he bought his first bubblecut back when TarnX was the only
thing out there. "I treated her with the TarnX and completely removed the
green ear, and I put it in a showcase. In three years all the green ear
was back. I have a friend who bought a ponytail and the same thing happened.
I guess it is some sort of time thing, but the green ear seems to always
come back." Another restorationist who had some misgivings about TarnX
noted, "TarnX smells bad, and is wet and messy. If you treat a doll with
her original hairdo with green ear, you almost canít keep the hair
in the original wraps."
One product, TarniShield, left a white shadow. TarniShield for
copper is a flesh-tone cleaner. It eradicates the green, but every couple
of weeks it gets a white powder residue called ìthe white shadow."
One restorationist claimed,"I used TarnX and it didnít get all the
green out and then I used TarniShield and it brought all the green back!"
He cautions, however, "You don't want to mix your chemicals, although
supposedly you can use Remove-Zit after you use TarnX if you wash the head
first."
Clearasil earned high marks for ink spot removal.
Dab a little on the ink stain and lay it out on a window sill in the sun
which acts as a bleaching agent until the spot goes away. This might be
a matter of hours or a few days. Used this way, Clearasil has no bad effects.
Oxxy-10 was also recommended for ink spot removal, used basically the same
way as Clearasil. A combo treatment for green ear using Clearasil has been
used successfully by Marl Davidson. "In the very beginning, I sometimes
use Clearasil with a bright light focussed on the green area, then do the
TarnX treatment. I thought if I put Clearasil on the ears first and
then put the head under a bright light, it would help start the de-greening,
and it did. I left it overnight, checking it frequently. The next day I
applied the TarnX and did the usual treatment of applying TarnX to cotton
balls and placing this on the affected area. Try to change the cotton
everyday and apply a fresh application of TarnX daily. This system worked
quite well as all the green came out of the ears on this particular doll."
Other alternate treatments were mentioned including CLR, the Calcium-Lime-Rust
used to remove tub stains, and a product called DD7 available in the laundry
department at K-mart and other retailers.
Ultimately, a combination of chemicals may
be the best solution for treating green ear and any hard to treat stain.
The peroxide in Remove-Zit is absorbed by the polymers in the vinyl and
can expand vinyl as itís working, according to Riny. If left on
too long, Remove-Zit can leave a bulge or lump. Since Remove-Zit takes
so long to work, a combination method that allows you to get rid of the
green first through Tarn-X, and then remove the brown stain left by Tarn-X
through the slower-acting Remove-Zit, shows some promise. The premise is
using the Remove-Zit for a shorter time will keep the vinyl from swelling.
Chemical experts warn that this method might not be permanent, either,
and at some point a stain may still creep back. Important! Make sure
the Tarn-X and the Remove-Zit DO NOT TOUCH!
What about my problem with the dissolving
TNT hair? A number of people noted that treating a dollís hair with
Remove-Zit resulted in signs of hair damage: dryness, brittleness, dullness,
loss of texture, etc., and one collector, Donnie Tassey, found this product
dissolved the hair of a vintage Skipper he was cleaning.
If I may digress for a moment, there is a danger in letting the
manufacturer of a product also be the resident expert on the subject. Mr.
Hill cannot be called objective in his Millers articles on the Twin Pine
products since he apparently owns and/or runs the company. He also has
written some alarming articles on the damage caused by leaving dolls and
clothes in their boxes, and then he encourages his readers to purchase
special acid free papers... which, conveniently, he also sells. While I
have seen newspaper eventually turn brown and brittle due to the acids
in the wood products, I have yet to see a box that is such a vacuum that
any ìpaper fumesî cannot disperse. Any Barbie collector would
be thrilled to find a Barbie that has been stored in her box for the past
40 years. Rather than damaging the doll, the protection offered by her
box will ensure her value. I am a deboxer by nature because I enjoy my
dolls more that way, but if you enjoy leaving your dolls and clothes in
the box, enjoy! Just check periodically for disintegration of rubberbands
and the tape and twist ties that hold the doll or clothes in place, but
acid free papers wonít prevent this process. Unless you have an
exquisite heirloom made of a fragile, pale, gossamer fabric, I would not
worry about buying acid free papers.
In conclusion it is apparent that the porous
vinyl used to give Gene her beautiful porcelain appearance also absorbs
stains easily. With Gene we have the advantage of catching these stains
early before they have had a chance to migrate with the plasticizer. The
amount of plasticizer used to keep Gene from being brittle does not appear
to be as much as is used in Barbie, and it is my opinion the plasticizer
is one of the main culprits involved in making these dolls difficult to
treat. However, as AD continues to try new methods to manufacture Gene,
any new chemicals used such as the combination that produced ìgumby
legsî might produce a different effect when cleaning agents are applied.
Use extreme caution when using anything more volatile than mild soap and
water. Test any product first on a small, hidden area. Watch the treated
area closely, follow directions religiously, and remove the cleaning agent
frequently to see what is happening to the treated area. Donít use
anything strong or experimental on the face or hair. Keep reading publications
like the HLAYG newsletter, Barbie Bazaar and Miller's Fashion Magazine.
As more and more people work with these cleaning agents, we will become
more knowledgeable about the best methods to treat Gene and the stains
that plague her.
Perhaps the best treatment is simply prevention.
If you are storing your Gene for a lengthy period of time, take the precaution
of removing her earrings and dark clothing. If you are handy with a needle
and thread, perhaps lining the dark areas in a light fabric will eliminate
staining. Any time you find a stain, contact Ashton-Drake. While Wendy
was aware of the problem with Monaco, and AD has taken the precaution of
now lining the outfit in a light fabric, Wendy had never heard that the
dark thread might leave a stain. As AD learns from its customers which
outfits stain, they are taking measures to prevent the problem. Perhaps
they will also make changes in the composition of her vinyl.
As Miss Marshall evaluates her next role,
perhaps she will consider the theatre and a stint doing Shakespeare. She
would indeed make a wonderful Lady Macbeth as she wrings her hands and
cries-- with FEELING, "Out, out damn spot!"
Parts of this article have appeared in Barbie Bazaar and in the
HLAYG newsletter
Hayley
Puts on the Ritz
©1999 by Kathryn E. Darden
Hayley made her brief appearance in November of 1998
as the first clone of the extremely popular fashion doll, Gene. Although
Hayley moved slowly in the stores, after she was been pulled from the shelves
of Toys "R" Us (TRU) pending the results of a lawsuit filed by Ashton-Drake,
her value soared from $29 and $39 per doll to up to $140 for certain versions.
Gene collectors had various experiences with
Hayley who turned up as a test market in only a few TRU stores in the Eastern
United States. Most collecters who bought Hayley bought her to customize
or to use as a mannequin.
One person who has used Hayley for customizing
is designer Jonell
Belke. When Jonell is through with a Hayley, she rivals even Gene.
A designer of doll fashions most of her life, Jonell started sewing
clothes for her own dolls when she was young. This passion for design grew
into a business about six years ago as an outgrowth of friends wanting
her custom designs.
"I focused on Gene about a year and a half
ago because I like her 40's look and her scale," Jonell says. "My inspiration
comes from liking beautiful things and one expression of beauty is in fashion.
Fashion for Gene and other fashion dolls can become an art form." Jonell
says she gets her inspiration from many sources including movies, magazines
and books. "A piece of fabric can inspire me to create a beautiful
design or a piece of vintage jewelry."
When Jonell first heard about Hayley on the
Ashton-Drake Forum, she thought Hayley had possibilities if she was restyled
and re-painted. "She has a more contemporary look than Gene which is a
refreshing change." Jonell acquired some Hayleys through online sources
and the results are posted on her site for viewers to see.
This exotic Hayley was formerly a plain Leopard
Hayley, transformed into an aqua-eyed vixen, complete with eyelashes, shadow,
and luscious red parted lips that look very chic. Her hair has been restyled
into a modified French twist which can be easily taken down to reveal her
chin length hair in its original style. She comes with a wardrobe that
also fits Gene, and Jonell says she probably wouldn't mind sharing with
Gene.
The ensemble comes with the beautiful red
formal shown here with straight skirt and peplum halter top lined in gold
lame'. There is a red sequined hat to wear with the gown.
The boucle' suit is a very soft, nubby texture
and fully lined in gold lame'. It has shaded stripes of brown, taupe, gold,
cream, etc. There is a four-crystal lapel brooch on the jacket as well
as on the gown at the waist. The set includes "suede" slacks in brown/taupe
to wear with the jacket. There are multiple chanel type chains, earrings,
gold gloves, gold leather crystal embellished pumps, gold leather handbag,
and a dramatic feathered hat in beautiful brown and gold feathers. She
also has a matching pill box hat of the suit fabric, scarf that can be
tied around the head, neck, waist or held. The entire set is $285 and all
the ensembles also fit Gene!
Hayley is not the only doll benefiting from
Jonell's Pygmalion touch; Jonell does wonder with the already glamorous
Miss Marshall. To create Sirene Gene, which she calls "kind of an off beat
look for Gene," Jonell took a Sparkling Seduction Gene, popped on a wig,
and dressed her in a black lace spandex bra and pants. "The pants can be
pulled down for more of a hip hugger look and pushed up for a pedal pusher
look." The sheer netted gold gown is long sleeve with scoop neck and fitted
straight skirt. Jonell tops off the set with gold dangle earrings and two
double row crystal bracelets as well as black suede pumps.
Gene makes a grand entrance in "Spun Gold",
a designer gown/ensemble for Gene modeled by a restyled Destiny. The fabric
is vintage woven gold knit shot through with gold and silver metallic threads
in oval designs. "There is maximum sparkle on this very rich looking fabric,"
says Jonell. Fully lined in gold lameí, the gown features
an asymmetrical look with a long sleeve accented at the cuff with scalloped
clear glass and gold seed beads. One shoulder of the gown has a capped
sleeve accented with a sparkly crystal brooch.
Jonell's piece de resistance in the Gene remake
department is the incredible re-root she has aptly named Diva with her
mysterious off-the-shoulder black net overlay dress and fiery red tresses.
I want this doll!
You can find Jonell's work at the Just
Her Style web site or email her at JBelke7957@aol.com.
Stacey Macchia is another talented doll customizer
who has also selected Hayley as a palette. Claiming she is not a seamstress,
Stacey enjoys repainting, styling hair, making accessories and sculpting
much more than sewing. However, she admits, "Occasionally I will do a one
of a kind custom Gene that requires me to make a special outfit, but I
do not use patterns; I simply cut and drape." Stacey started customizing
shortly after she received her first Gene doll in February of 1998. She
is enthusiastic about Gene and owns close to 20 Genes as well as three
Hayleys. "I do not repaint my own Genes as a rule, but my Hayleys got make-overs
as soon as they arrived here!" Stacey claims that most people who visit
her home like her redone Hayleys better than Gene.
To give Hayley her glamorous look, Stacey
took a Blue Jersey Hayley and removed the original paint with acetone.
She then repainted Hayley's features using acrylic paint and a very fine
18/0 artist's brush. "I gave her brighter eyes, fuller luscious lips, darker
make up and feathered eyebrows. I love doing the hair on Hayley, especially
Blue Jersey; she has so much wonderful hair to work with!" Stacey washed
and conditioned the hair; then, using hair gel, end papers, drinking straws
cut to about an inch long, and bobby pins, rolled and set her hair. "I
then dipped her head in just-boiled water for about a minute. After her
hair cooled, I unrolled it, let it dry, and added a braid that I made out
synthetic hair in a matching color." Lashes were added last. Stacey used
human hair lashes that can be bought at any beauty supply store and glued
them on individually. She says Hayley's vinyl is much too hard to root
lashes on. "Although Hayley is a great doll in my opinion, she definitely
lacks something in the facial screening. Very bland. A little paint and
some drinking straw curlers can make a huge difference!"
You can see Stacey's work at the La
Petite Boutique's web site or email her at macchia1@mindspring.com
Within a couple of days after my first
Hayley article showed up in the April issue of Barbie Bazaar, Nashville
dealer Rai-Lynn Woods informed me a Barbie Bazaar reader had called
her trying to find the dolls I mentioned seeing in the Toys "R" Us here.
After readers see what a talented customizer can do with Hayley, Rai-Lynn
better install a second phone line. Better yet, cross your fingers with
Jonell, Stacey and me as we wish for a happy resolution to the lawsuit,
hoping that Hayley, even with modifications, will make her appearance again
soon on the shelves of Toys "R" Us.
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