(Scroll down past the kvetching for the pics of what fits)
It was a black, black day in my house.
An extreme high from receiving the announcement of the convention collection, to a spiraling downward plummet of sadness and disbelief.
Integrity toys made the announcement to their subjects....I'm sorry... customers, that they will be retiring the Fashion Royalty body in favor of the Fashion Royalty Squared body (FR2) Body.
It is their attempt to "keep things fresh" for their subjects...SORRY customers.
So, If you are one of their loyal customers that enjoyed having BOTH or just preferred the fuller figure of the Fashion Royalty body
TOO BAD.
After a little over ten years the carpet was ripped from under you.
Have you ever heard of a company (especially a small business) lucky enough to produce a hit product that people clamor for, all of a sudden, on a whim, stop producing its winning product?
We were basically patted on the head and told: "It's for your own good".
It's like Coca-Cola decreeing they will no longer produce regular Coke, Just diet Coke, because after all its better for you and we want to keep things fresh.
Diet Coke fans won't care.
Regular Coke fans will just shrug, and move on to the competitors.
So, I've spoken to many people about the subject. I needed counseling. There are a few who prefer the FR2 body.
Most liked having both.
The biggest complaint has been the shoe size difference.
The announcement implied there was a "revamping" of the FR2 body which led Integrity's descamisados to speculate if the company made logical improvements and produced this "New FR2" body with the same shoe and bust size and the Fashion Royalty body.
They did not.
Where improvements necessary? YES
Did they make any "improvements"? NO, Not really
Not really improvements, just replacing the Fashion Royalty body with the FR2 body.
As you can see below with the fuller figured brunette being Fashion Royalty, and the red head on the right a FR2, its a completely different body and psychological composition.
Both of these products can and have existed a part, harmoniously.
A true blending would to have been to keep the breast shape, abdomen, arms, and legs of the FR2 while keeping the breast and foot size of the Fashion Royalty body.
That would have been blockbuster!
That would have been innovation!
That would have been a decision made with integrity.
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| Fashion Royalty and FR2 body |
No one complained.
No one asked for this.
If Fashion Royalty dolls didn't sell (Jet Set and Tropicalia Convention Collections) it was because of the clothes on their back NOT what was underneath!
If they wanted to give their disciples something Fresh and New how about offering products people have been pleading for:
Furniture
A coffee table book?
Replacement bodies?
Appearances of the Fashion Royalty characters on FR2 bodies?
OR
A New Fashion Royalty designer?
Finally,
People have given out many options for the future:
Rebody, trade FR2 bodies for FR bodies.
Stick with and invest with Mattel: Silkstones and Classic Superstar body era.
Shop cautiously with Integrity: too many "changes and inconsistencies", price point raises and offerings get smaller, body yellowing, and after all...they're going to "Come for Poppy" next!
This is just a marketing scheme and "Classic Fashion Royalty body" will be back next year.
All of this made me wonder: Why are Tonner people (collectors) so happy?
They're always skipping around laughing, clapping, not a care or complaint in the world!
Why are people so hostile toward Integrity?
Why does the relationship with their customers
Why does the relationship with their customers
have to be so volatile?
I don't understand?
When they have staff meetings, and say: "You know, people are going to freak out if we do x,y,z"
Is their response: "Who cares!? Do it anyway"?
Does Proctor and Gamble do that?
Does Pepsi Co. do that?
Does Mattel do that?
I'm going to try it out.
My podcast co-host Steven sent me a FR2 body to play with.
I don't like it.
But I'm still excited for the convention collection
It fits into more clothes and shoes than I thought it would have, but its just not as fantastic as the Fashion Royalty body.
It has an underwhelming breast size.
I have faith in Alain (though, you'd never get me to believe he liked the Jet Set and Tropicalia collection) as a packaging designer, story line writer, and hats off to him, he can throw a fierce convention.
The Fashion Royalty body is too special for me.
I came over from Barbie because Integrity offered a fuller body.
I love it clothed and I love it nude!
The "revamping" or "merging" would have been stupendous if it was done correctly.
Below are some items that I have in my FR collection that fit the FR2 body:
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| Dressmaker details did well and zipped right up, but its missing that pop from the bigger bust |
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| Ginny O did ok because its a lace back! |
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| This looked great except up top where the small FR2 bust couldn't fill the cups |
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| This fit perfectly! |
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| Skirt fit jacket AWFUL |
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| Silkstone dress fit perfectly just missing that POP a bigger bust would give |
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| This fit OK, a little pinning would do well |
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| Any of Fley's sets should work! |
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| Porcelain Beauty pants fit but didn't buckle |
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| Scene Stealer coat worked well |
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| More Ginny O looks GREAT! |
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| This fit like an absolute dream! |
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| This fit well too! |
This Dynamite Girls Sized Dress By Clear Lan also works well
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| Don't know who shoes their are but they worked, zipper back |
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| These shoes from a Asian eBay sell work perfect! |
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| Monogram shoes are good |
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| Style counsel Adele shoes worked |
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| Dania shoe's worked also! |
