I love mini Lalaloopsy. They're cute, they're freakish and they give me hope for the current state of children's toys. Just because I'm an adult and I collect toys doesn't mean that I'm only going to buy things branded as "collectible." I just collect what I like and I really like having something inexpensive and that I can find in a shop. Finding a new release on a shelf and taking it home that day is just fun, the super low price point is a nice bonus too, I unbox them without guilt, and when the cat knocks it over I can be like "c'est la vie."

I say all this because I now have to confess that I did a collector thing and bought this Lalaloopsy online, just like the last one, because I couldn't find one in person that wasn't severely damaged. You know, it was twice the price, but all the ones I saw on the shelves were so messed up and this way - oh wait! This one is jacked up too! It's hard to see in the photos because of the posing, but her little legs have a lot of paint chips, almost like an animal got at it, and there's a huge smear of teal paint coming up from her right shoe. It's a shame that the quality control on these is so bad because they're really innovative and fun. Jelly Wiggle Jiggle has a translucent body made of gelatin (that's just awesome) and the color scheme is stunning. I know I'm grousing a lot, but I seriously love these little rag dolls.

As you may have already read, my Lalaloopsy collection and my Nendoroid collection are now tied at seven pieces each. You can even see Lalaloopsy number seven, Cherry Crisp Crust, in the background of this photo! My newest Nendoroid is the adorable Haru-chan weather mascot, complete with koi wind sock (Tomopop review here)! I think of Nendoroids as being part of the "doll continuum." They aren't dolls strictly speaking, but they have a sort of doll-esque feel about them. You can call them play sets or dioramas all you like, but when I see their accessory environments I'll always think of them as doll houses. Speaking of my cat knocking things over, in the gallery you can see the Touhou Project Scarlet sister Nendoroids that he sent plummeting off my shelf. No damage to Flandre's wings is something I class as a small miracle.

Incidentally, my doll house is in its box in the closet, largely because I don't have anywhere to display it properly. I haven't bought any Re-Ment in ages because of the doll house's status, but this Hello Kitty Mogumogu Burger set, scheduled for release in September, is making me rethink that. I love Hello Kitty, of course, and the kitty head-shaped burgers are really fun. I think the drink machine might be the coolest part, sets #3, 5, 6, and 8 are my top picks. I'll confess that part of the reason I'm so excited about this set is because of a game called Burger Queen World that I played like crazy on my phone. In fact, I just downloaded the original Burger Queen after writing this. Phone game addict! Pre-order this Re-Ment set on eTraders Place for $42 USD.

In celebration of this year's London Olympics, Momiji has created Lilibet, a 500-piece limited edition Momiji doll that comes with a matching tote bag. I think of Momiji as being on the "doll continuum" as well, since they're modeled after kokeshi dolls, though you really wouldn't know it to look at this one. That doesn't detract a bit from how cute it is and I'm a sucker for turquoise hair (and limited editions). Lilibet will be shipped out on September 10 and is available for pre-order now in the Momiji store for $35 USD. (via Supahcute)

The August Groove releases will be coming out very soon and I'm most highly anticipating this Decoration Dream Sax Version outfit set. It's a collaboration with Angelic Pretty in conjunction with Gothic & Lolita Bible and fits Pullip, Dal, and Byul dolls. I love Angelic Pretty, but I'm a bit worried about the quality-to-cost ratio. With the outfit set clocking in around $70 USD, it may be one of the highest-priced outfit sets Groove has ever released. The dress comes up a bit short on Pullip, but should be the correct length on Dal and Byul (see gallery for comparison shots). The gloves look really bad, like frilly over mitts, and I cannot comprehend why Groove keeps making gloves for dolls when they always look farcical. On the upside, the shoes are distinctly Angelic Pretty and have the potential to be really cute in person as does the dress itself. Pre-orders are still available online at HobbyLink Japan and Plastic Pop for about $70 USD; look for the release to appear in late August.

I have a couple of really neat handmade finds this time around too. First, I have this absolutely beautiful Blythe dress by Mini Jijo on Etsy. At $29 USD, this dress is worth every cent! The cream colored lace is soft and gorgeous, the dress has snap closures and it includes both the dress and a double-layered petticoat. The shop was kind of sparse when I placed my order, but now it's fully stocked with clothes, petticoats, stockings and supplies. They also make clothes in Lati, YoSD and MSD doll sizes. I will definitely be placing another order soon. I'm saving this dress for a special photo shoot, but once it's done I will post the photos here so you can see this lovely dress in action.

Another super fun handmade find are these Monster High Family Portrait photo postcards by Kat Caro of Melancholy Kitties. The series of three photos includes Draculaura with Nosferatu (above), Frankie Stein with The Bride of Frankenstein and Lagoona Blue with The Creature from the Black Lagoon (view the others in the gallery). You can buy the postcards individually or as a set of three and they also come in sepia tone for that ye olde timey look. Melancholy Kitties happens to be the creator of some of the first handmade doll clothes I ever bought and I still own them all. Thank you to Kat for giving us permission to use her photos!

That's it for this time around! I hope you all enjoyed taking a doll break with me. As always any tips, ideas, or suggestions should be emailed to brig [at] tomopop [dot] com. I would love to hear about what you want to see in this column, so please don't be shy!