Your local shelfwarmers

Y'all are probably familiar with 'em, items that linger on a shelf for months or even years.  Doesn't have to be dolls, it can be anything from a box of paperclips that was forgotten to a TV that's not the latest big shot model.  Now...on the Barbie subreddit I stumbled across a discussion of dolls as shelfwarmers, particularly Barbie.  In my neck of the woods Barbie tends to sell well, but some of the comments were eye-openers.  One person from the Phillipines noted that Fashionista #30 (named White and Pink Pizazz) was still on store shelves, a full nine years after her release!  #30 was one of my first tall Fashionistas.  The same person added that #84 and #102 are still hanging around as well.  This is what these three dolls look like; of course I'm including my own commentary, LOL.  Here's #30.

I own #30, but I only got her because she was the only tall Fashionista I could find at the time, and I thought that the new bodies would be sort of a flash-in-the-pan thing.  Yep, I truly thought that.  I never said it here that I know of, but I thought it.  Compared to some of the other tall dolls on shelves around then, #30 kinda faded into the background, and...well, she's kinda boring so I can understand why she'd be lingering.  Still, nine years is a long time to linger on store shelves.

#84 came with an extra outfit.  Remember that once upon a time Fashionistas had that perk.

Now this one is more visually stimulating.  I like this doll's hair, I like her clothes, I like her skin tone, which is a little oranger than white but not quite tan either.  Maybe the horizontal stripes doomed this doll to linger.  Not everyone looks good in horizontal stripes, and not everyone likes horizontal stripes.

Fashionista #102.

I'm not in love with that striped skirt, but I don't think that's why this doll doesn't sell, at least in the stores mentioned on Reddit.  The poor doll kinda gets lost against her packaging.

Or her second outfit does.  This one's kinda like #30, just...there.  Shame too, because she's got a pretty face.

Other Redditors chimed in with dolls from the movies Wish and Raya and the Last Dragon lingering in their locales, and I...I guess Malden is full of weirdos because our Wal-Mart doesn't have any of those dolls anymore.  I bought Sisu myself, mainly because I like her hair and her saucy expression.

Another redditor spoke of black dolls lingering, especially the very, very dark ones (the ones I like).  I sadly saw evidence of this when the basics were a thing, and the two darkest dolls were Models #4 and #10.  Both of them were on shelves for a looooong time.  I was on the fence about #10 (right), but #4 was and still is a favorite of mine. 

Ironically, #10 is now the one I own; she eventually got moved to the clearance wrack and I felt sorry for her.  Her name is Vivian.

That picture doesn't do her justice, but IRL she's really pretty.  Then when the jeans Basics arrived, Model #8 lingered.  Thus why I have her too...somewhere.

ALL of my Basics are somewhere, likely in my old room at Mama's old place.  But anyway Dani and Vivian were there at Dexter's Wal-Mart forever, and I thought they were pretty and felt sorry for them so I own them now.

Another user didn't give their location, and they mentioned Fashionistas #128 and #150.

I'm not in love with #128 either (her outfit isn't flattering) but I love #150.  Never once did I see her locally.

Here in Malden most of the fashion dolls available appear to be selling well.  The last time I saw shelfwarmers was last April, when the last of the Fidgie Friends were arriving...and staying...and staying!  Pizza Princess and Ramen Dream were the ones sticking around, for some reason, but the others were long gone.  Ramen Dream is my favorite of my three Fidgie Friends, though none of 'em are worth much in terms of play value...yeah, I can understand why no one wanted those dolls.  Kylie Jenner also stuck around, and come to think of it, the last time I crippled back to the toy area there were still some of those dolls hanging out, particularly the one that comes with the dog.  I guess the Jenners and the Kardashians are finally starting to falter in their relevance, or they never were relevant here in the Bootheel to begin with.  Most of us are working to middle class and don't have a lot of time for socialites and their nonsense.  I own Kylie, the one in the short black dress, but again it was because I thought she'd become hard to find...and her arms are jointed.  I love that.

So how about y'all?  Who are your local shelfwarmers?  Discuss.

Shelfwarming love,
RagingMoon1987