The FedEx guy dropped her off about an hour ago (I forgot they do home delivery on Saturdays). First impresssion - the pictures don't really do her justice. I'm really happy with what I saw when I removed her from the box, and I think I'll be even happier when I get a chance to... um, examine her further.
She is definitely a small doll - I measured her at about 44" from top of head to bottom of feet; about 24" from top of head to crotch, so her legs are short (sorry, Bill), but she seems pretty much proportional to me, or at least not that you'd really notice otherwise. Weight is about 10 lbs, so you won't be wrestling with her in the bed...
It's too bad she doesn't have an oral insert, because those lips are very inviting, but I guess it would be impractical given the size of her head. Someone (Aire tam storm?) mentioned in another thread that there is a seam on her face that wasn't visible in the pictures. I think that was intended to simulate cheek bones, but there are a number of seams - which is to be expected on a plush doll. Overall, I don't think they detract from the way she looks, but if you're expecting a seamless doll you might be disappointed.
Dave and Jenni include a 4 page care and maintenance manual that is quite useful, giving you everything you need to know about cleaning the doll, removing and washing the wig, installing and removing the velour insert, using other inserts, etc. The surpise gift, as mentioned earlier, is a pair of latex nipples that you can use in place of the plush nipples. Minor surgery is involved to install them, and it's a permanent modification to the doll. I had to search through the plastic packing peanuts to find the little package that cpontained them, so don't toss the packing right away.
I will try to take pictures later today or tomorrow, but I'm sure there will be a lot of them posted by others over the next few days.
Overall, I think Dave and Jenni did a great job, and I hope they continue to sell and improve on what they've already delivered.
Lisa has arrived
Congrats on getting Lisa, enjoy!
Tracking says my TB is on the truck, due for delivery today. Still patiently waiting...
Tracking says my TB is on the truck, due for delivery today. Still patiently waiting...
Teddy Babe Katherine [url=http://www.dollalbum.com/dollgallery/index.php?cat=10317]Kat's Pics[/url]<br />[url=http://www.dollforum.com/matrix/public_html/matrix_teddybabes/katherine_tina_passport.htm]Kat on the Matrix![/url]
I just remeasured her, to make sure that I didn't read it wrong. This time I straightened her leg and her foot as much as possible, and measured from top of head to bottom of heel - it's just shy of 46", which is a bit taller than I originally said, but still less than what it says on the web site.
A number of people have commented on the seams. Some of the photos on the web site do show a hint of a seam, others show definite seams if you look closely, and some don't show seams at all where I know they exist in the final product. I personally think that's a design change from prototype to production; I don't know anything about mass-producing plush figures, so there may be very good reasons why it HAD to be done that way. Whether the pictures on the web site were retouched to remove the seams is beyond my ability to determine (and probably impossible to prove); I do know that the seams are more prominent in a harsh light, and taking photos with a flash is about as harsh as you're going to get if you don't bounce the flash or filter it.
The other thing I noticed is that the pictures of the insert on the web site show 4 metal snaps. There are only two, and they are clear plastic, so that was obviously a design change from proto to production. Someone (BopTop?) mentioned that he had four snaps on the doll body and only two on the insert; my doll has only two on both body and insert. I don't understand why there should be a difference between the two dolls. The insert DOES stay in place with the snaps - but you have to make sure it's in properly, and that takes a little practice. The first couple of times I tried it, I thought it was snapped in but it came loose at the touch of a finger. The distance from the edge of the insert to the snap is different on one side than on the other - maybe there should be a "this end up" sticker on it...
I hope Dave and Jenni will weigh in on these issues at some point. None of them make much of a difference to me personally, but they do seem to be important to some people and it would be nice to see them addressed.
A number of people have commented on the seams. Some of the photos on the web site do show a hint of a seam, others show definite seams if you look closely, and some don't show seams at all where I know they exist in the final product. I personally think that's a design change from prototype to production; I don't know anything about mass-producing plush figures, so there may be very good reasons why it HAD to be done that way. Whether the pictures on the web site were retouched to remove the seams is beyond my ability to determine (and probably impossible to prove); I do know that the seams are more prominent in a harsh light, and taking photos with a flash is about as harsh as you're going to get if you don't bounce the flash or filter it.
The other thing I noticed is that the pictures of the insert on the web site show 4 metal snaps. There are only two, and they are clear plastic, so that was obviously a design change from proto to production. Someone (BopTop?) mentioned that he had four snaps on the doll body and only two on the insert; my doll has only two on both body and insert. I don't understand why there should be a difference between the two dolls. The insert DOES stay in place with the snaps - but you have to make sure it's in properly, and that takes a little practice. The first couple of times I tried it, I thought it was snapped in but it came loose at the touch of a finger. The distance from the edge of the insert to the snap is different on one side than on the other - maybe there should be a "this end up" sticker on it...
I hope Dave and Jenni will weigh in on these issues at some point. None of them make much of a difference to me personally, but they do seem to be important to some people and it would be nice to see them addressed.
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TeddyBabes
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Clocks,
Thanks for re-measuring. I think our discrepency is because we are measuring from head to toe, not to the bottom of the heel. As I just said in another thread, we see our Teddy Babes as reclining characters designed to lie with you in bed, etc., and did not focus on their precise height when standing erect, something which can vary slightly from doll to doll because that is the nature of material pattern making and stuffing a plush character. This was probably poor communication on our part; but we were certainly not trying to misrepresent the product in any way, nor does the discrepency change the experience of the doll or take away from its advertised size. We are confident that the new owners will agree with this once they have their Teddy Babes in their possession.
In regard to seams, as I responded to Looksgood on the other thread, "two things: It is possible that our original prototypes have seams that are a little less prominent than those of our factory models, but certainly not to any significant degree. It is also true that the pics on our website have been slightly touched up to avoid any hot spots and the like, but no more than McDonalds or Coca Cola do to make their products a bit more attractive. We CERTAINLY had no intention of deceiving anyone, nor did we change the product's appearance in any significant way. The pics that have recently been posted by customers use flash photography, and (as the owners can attest) the flash makes the seams appear A LOT more prominent than they are in reality. Looksgood, when your Teddy Babe arrives, I'm confident that you will see this for yourself. Again, we are very sorry if it appeared as if we were trying to "pull a fast one" on anybody in regard to seams. But, Teddy Babes are plush toys, and all plush toys have seams. It is part of the nature of the product. But, again, we are very confident that this will not interfere with anyone's enjoyment of their dolls. They are not prominent in reality, assuming that one accepts the medium (a plush toy) that they are. "
As for the snaps around the insert, we noticed a potential design flaw half way through production. Because patterns vary a bit, the snaps on the side could potentially "pinch" certain owners unless they took care to avoid them. Because of this, we chose to go with only two snaps, which works just as well provided that you make sure that they are snapped together carefully. Also, the insert is supposed to go inside your Teddy Babe with the insert seam part facing down (toward her rear-end). Perhaps we could have been a little clearer about that in our written instructions. Sorry if this caused any confusion.
Thanks
DTJ
Thanks for re-measuring. I think our discrepency is because we are measuring from head to toe, not to the bottom of the heel. As I just said in another thread, we see our Teddy Babes as reclining characters designed to lie with you in bed, etc., and did not focus on their precise height when standing erect, something which can vary slightly from doll to doll because that is the nature of material pattern making and stuffing a plush character. This was probably poor communication on our part; but we were certainly not trying to misrepresent the product in any way, nor does the discrepency change the experience of the doll or take away from its advertised size. We are confident that the new owners will agree with this once they have their Teddy Babes in their possession.
In regard to seams, as I responded to Looksgood on the other thread, "two things: It is possible that our original prototypes have seams that are a little less prominent than those of our factory models, but certainly not to any significant degree. It is also true that the pics on our website have been slightly touched up to avoid any hot spots and the like, but no more than McDonalds or Coca Cola do to make their products a bit more attractive. We CERTAINLY had no intention of deceiving anyone, nor did we change the product's appearance in any significant way. The pics that have recently been posted by customers use flash photography, and (as the owners can attest) the flash makes the seams appear A LOT more prominent than they are in reality. Looksgood, when your Teddy Babe arrives, I'm confident that you will see this for yourself. Again, we are very sorry if it appeared as if we were trying to "pull a fast one" on anybody in regard to seams. But, Teddy Babes are plush toys, and all plush toys have seams. It is part of the nature of the product. But, again, we are very confident that this will not interfere with anyone's enjoyment of their dolls. They are not prominent in reality, assuming that one accepts the medium (a plush toy) that they are. "
As for the snaps around the insert, we noticed a potential design flaw half way through production. Because patterns vary a bit, the snaps on the side could potentially "pinch" certain owners unless they took care to avoid them. Because of this, we chose to go with only two snaps, which works just as well provided that you make sure that they are snapped together carefully. Also, the insert is supposed to go inside your Teddy Babe with the insert seam part facing down (toward her rear-end). Perhaps we could have been a little clearer about that in our written instructions. Sorry if this caused any confusion.
Thanks
DTJ
Dave T. Jones
Teddy Babes
www.teddy-babes.com
Teddy Babes
www.teddy-babes.com
Dave,
Thanks for clarifying about the height vs. reclining length thing. In fairness, I think the confusion may really be because the wording on the web site says "standing just about 4 1/2 feet tall" - which implies height, and is probably what caused some people to question the statement. Perhaps you should have added the phrase "on her tip-toes"
As I said, I don't personally find that any of these issues are a problem or detract from the way the doll looks - I think you've done an outstanding job, both on the doll itself and on the way you've conducted business.
The only minor quibble I have is with the fingernails - they really are potentially dangerous. Can they be removed safely, or would you recommend just trimming them?
Thanks for clarifying about the height vs. reclining length thing. In fairness, I think the confusion may really be because the wording on the web site says "standing just about 4 1/2 feet tall" - which implies height, and is probably what caused some people to question the statement. Perhaps you should have added the phrase "on her tip-toes"
As I said, I don't personally find that any of these issues are a problem or detract from the way the doll looks - I think you've done an outstanding job, both on the doll itself and on the way you've conducted business.
The only minor quibble I have is with the fingernails - they really are potentially dangerous. Can they be removed safely, or would you recommend just trimming them?
I'm not sure why so many seem to have an issue with this, maybe I'll understand better once I receive mine.clocks wrote:Dave,
The only minor quibble I have is with the fingernails - they really are potentially dangerous. Can they be removed safely, or would you recommend just trimming them?
If it really is an issue though, perhaps this will help. http://www.folica.com/Just_For_Nails__d822.html
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TeddyBabes
- Manufacturer
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clocks,
Thanks for pointing out that line on our site. It does seem misleading and we will get our web guy to change it so we don't create any confusion in the future. We're sorry if anyone was confused by it. Also, another member wrote us last night and suggested that some Teddy Babes may have gotten a little 'compressed' in the shipping. He said that he felt inside the legs of his Teddy Babe and found that the wires were a little bent. This may account for the size discrepency. So, you may want to check that.
In regard to the fingernails, it has come to our attention that some of the nails used for Lisa and Akiko are not as blunt as they should be, and some people may find them uncomfortable because of this. But, if you use a file or emory board (or just simple sand paper) and gently file the edges of the nails, they will be fine. We are making sure that no new Teddy Babes go out without filed fingernails, and so this will not be a problem in the future. Sorry if it created any discomfort for anyone.
Thanks
Dave
Thanks for pointing out that line on our site. It does seem misleading and we will get our web guy to change it so we don't create any confusion in the future. We're sorry if anyone was confused by it. Also, another member wrote us last night and suggested that some Teddy Babes may have gotten a little 'compressed' in the shipping. He said that he felt inside the legs of his Teddy Babe and found that the wires were a little bent. This may account for the size discrepency. So, you may want to check that.
In regard to the fingernails, it has come to our attention that some of the nails used for Lisa and Akiko are not as blunt as they should be, and some people may find them uncomfortable because of this. But, if you use a file or emory board (or just simple sand paper) and gently file the edges of the nails, they will be fine. We are making sure that no new Teddy Babes go out without filed fingernails, and so this will not be a problem in the future. Sorry if it created any discomfort for anyone.
Thanks
Dave
Dave T. Jones
Teddy Babes
www.teddy-babes.com
Teddy Babes
www.teddy-babes.com
OK, will give that a try. Thanks for the quick reply; hope things are finally settling down for you and Jenni after the mad rush of shipping all the dolls...In regard to the fingernails, it has come to our attention that some of the nails used for Lisa and Akiko are not as blunt as they should be, and some people may find them uncomfortable because of this. But, if you use a file or emory board (or just simple sand paper) and gently file the edges of the nails, they will be fine.
