THE CHANGING FACE OF KB TOYS: KB Toys, which has 6% of the $30 billion dollar US Toy Industry,  now stands on its own--its no longer a subsidiary company.   KB's managers, with the backing of a Boston-based venture capital firm, bought out the 1,300-store chain from Consolidated Stores Corp. for $300 million last December. The CEO of the company sees great benefits to the new arrangement:  "As a public company, if a store wasn't performing in a relatively short period of time, you'd say, 'Wait a second, we better close it and get out'," Glazer said.   Now, KB is freer to concentrate on its long-term goals."  KB will also be looking intently at its core business--toy stores in malls--and how the toy and entertainment mix of those stores perform.  Find out more in the Detroit News.

PHOTOPOINT:  THE PARTY'S OVER:  To the great dismay of many doll collectors, including many in our About Dolls Forum, PhotoPoint will be converting to a paid subscription service in mid-May. PhotoPoint is the No. 1 online photo company.  It announced this week that it will begin charging for its popular online photo sharing service, PhotoPoint.com. The paid service will provide all the existing features of PhotoPoint.com, plus added benefits including use of its Print at Home feature, express customer service, free photo prints and discounted MarketPlace prices for an annual fee.  Despite the added services, many long-time users are disgruntled to have to pay for a service that has been free for a long time.  The service will now cost $19.95 for one year (includes 25 free prints) or $9.95 with no prints included.  Current members who choose to not join can download their images, or purchase them on CD-ROM.  PhotoPoint will also offer a free trial membership to new users.  More and more pay-for-services moves by Internet companies are in inevitable given the current depressed climate for Internet advertising and  dot.com financing difficulties caused by low stock prices.  PhotoPoint has 35 million photos from 1.5 million members.   Read more from PhotoPoint's Press Release.  For alternatives to PhotoPoint, check out PhotoPoint Pulls a Fast One:  Now That You've Built   It, Pay Us!  from our Miniatures Guide, Lisa Vollrath.

MATTEL TELLS BARBI THAT HER WEB SITE IS A NO GO: A lady named Barbi has been informed by Mattel in a letter that her web site,  www.barbiis.com infringes on Mattel's trademark for the famous doll, and it must come down.  The web site  does deal with dolls--cartoon characters in different costumes that she makes available for free download--but they don't look like Mattel's Barbie.  "The issue here is that the domain she is using is the phonetic equivalent of Barbie," Mattel spokeswoman Lisa Marie Bongiovanni said. "Our brand names are an important asset, which is why we protect them so vigorously."  Read more about it in the St. Petersburg Times.

MATTEL LEAVES MURRAY, KY:   Mattel is closing down its last United States manufacturing plant, in Murray, KY, and moving it to Mexico.  For 30 years, the plant produced everything from Barbie playhouses to battery powered pickups.  This closing put 980 people out of work.   Seven Mattel  distribution centers will remain in the U.S.: in Hebron, Ky.; and in California, Texas and Wisconsin.  Find out more how this closure is affecting this town in the  Evansville Courier Press.

NEW CHAT ROOM--NEW CHAT TIME:   We have a NEW chat room--its lots of fun and easy to use!  The chat room allows for all sorts of fun things--sounds, emoticons, and easily adjustable chat fonts!  Come help us inaugurate the room.  The chat room is open 24 hours a day, and its free!  Just invite your friends in any time, or stop by to see who's there! Don't miss our NEW Official Chat Time--Wednesday nights at 8:00pm Pacific, which is 11pm Eastern, 10pm Central, 9pm Mountain.   http://collectdolls.about.com/mpchat.htm. 

New Jersey July "Christmas In July" Show:  The Delaware Valley Doll Club of NJ,  member UFDC, announces it's 23rd
edition of it's Doll Show "CHRISTMAS IN JULY", Sunday July 8th, 2001. 10 am to 4 pm. Angeloni's Cedar Gardens, Rt 33, Hamilton Square, NJ. Admission is $4.50.  For more info contact: Donna Rovner : mantua354@aol.com

TOY FAIR LINKS:  In case you missed last month's Special Toy Fair Edition of About Dolls Daily, with news on Harry Potter, Dawn Dolls revival, Shoezies. Cosmic Babies, Josie and The Pussycats, Elle dolls, Little Lady; Betty and Veronica and MORE, here is the link: Toy Fair Special Edition Of About Dolls Daily.  PLUS, new 4/10, More Toy Fair Coverage: Toy Fair News  contains news from Toy Fair organized by doll company. NEWLY expanded, TONS of companies covered with their doll and toy news for the year!!

Toy Fair and IDEX Main Page and  Photo Gallery

Toy Fair and IDEX Links

About Dolls Daily Archive:
April 4, 2001:  Barbie Fashion Model News; iDolls goes out of business; glasses for dolls and kids are IN! 
March 28, 2001:  Eminem dolls banned; Ken turns 40--a humorous look; Bobble Head Dolls are big; doll pattern charity program.
March 15, 2001:  Another Artist Folds, Spindles and Mutilates Barbie; The Over-Teching of Toys; toywhypayretail.com is gone.
March 7, 2001:  Tyler Wentworth and Barbie Fashion Model Sell-Outs; Theriaults Themed Ten2Go Auctions.
March 1, 2001:  Harry Potter Dolls Shown at Private Toy Fair; Naked Barbies; Japanese Dolls
February 21, 2001:  Barbie Nutcracker Movie; Twiggy Doll, MORE!
February 15, 2001:  About Dolls Daily from Toy Fair, Edition Two
February 13, 2001:  About Dolls Family from Toy Fair, Edition One (includes 2/5 Pre-Toy Fair Edition).
January 30, 2001:  Live IDEX update--news on all your favorite fashion doll lines and much more! 
January 23, 2001:  IDEX Preview--Clea Bella, Christina St. Clair and more!  Plus, site with sewing measurements for your favorite large fashion dolls. 
January 18, 2001:  New, higher eBay listing fees; eBay keeps Buy It Now; eToys really struggling; Are smart toys making kids dumb?
January 12, 2001:  GENE gets a male companion; more Gene 2001 news; Theriaults Auction News and Review
January 6, 2001:    Update from Theriault's Auction Weekend:  Automata; Antiques Auction.
December 30, 2000: Theriaults Auction Weekend; History of Fashion Dolls in Barbie Bazaar Magazine warehouse.
December 16,2000:  2001 Fashion Model Barbie pictures; Treasure Trove Of Vintage Toys found in Government Warehouse; Kitt Kittredge sold out 
December 7,2000:  Ferrari Evening Barbie; Power Puff Girls BAD; new Clip Art; No Toy Home-Run for This Year's Holiday Season

Click HERE for the 2000 Doll News Archive  

For all 1999 editions of "Dolls This Week" please go to the 1999 Dolls This Week Archives.

Be a Roving Reporter!! Become a Roving Reporter and write a report on a doll event!  Or, do you have a doll event to promote, a new doll to announce, or an updated web site?  Please e-mail me at collectdolls.guide@about.com and put "Newsletter" in the subject line--For events, please give me 7 to 10 days advance notice (at minimum!) in order to have your event appear on time. Some events will also/alternatively appear in the Events Calendar.

Do You Have Dolls For Sale Or Trade? Did you know that you can place FREE classified ads for your dolls for sale or trade (or, dolls wanted) in the Doll Collecting Classified Forum?  Dealers, collectors, everyone welcome; feel free to link to your eBay auctions as well!  Visit the Dolls Forum to find out how to place your ad; if you are not yet a member, click on GUEST, but you will need a free Forum ID to place your ad.

 Want to keep up to date on all the latest in the world of Dolls?    Sign up for the weekly About Dolls  Newsletter! It's free, and is delivered to your email address every week, full of links to new articles, new clip art, additions to the Doll Price Guide and Galleries, Forum Discussions and more!   Don't miss a single issue--- scroll to the end of this page to sign up now!

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