I wasn’t sure if I should post this under chicanery and foolishness or merchandise. I’ll let you all be the judge. Thanks to Gwen, a vigilant Michelle Obama Watcher, we’ve found out that the Danbury Mint may be trying to pull the old bait and switch. After 5 months of waiting to receive her Inaugural rendition of the First Lady all dolled up, she received a cheap imitation in a cheesy cheesecloth dress. This lack luster, pale imitation of the First Lady had the nerve to cost $149.00, not including taxes, shipping, and handling.
Shout out to the Black Doll Collecting Blog, for bringing this to our attention. Good looking out. Take a look at this…
To view more photos, like painted on shoes, click here. Can you believe this? I’ll let you all fill in the blanks.
To Danbury Mint’s credit, according to a comment from Terri Gold on the Black Doll Collecting Blog…
“I think the produced doll is terrible by comparison with the picture they used to get people to pre-order. I wrote to them and they did indeed confirm that it was an artist’s concept in the ad and not the actual doll.”
Let the buyer beware. Don’t pre-order, wait to see the actual doll. Now would someone please produce a true to life depiction of our First Lady. If you can do it for Princess Leia, from a galaxy far far away, surely you can do it for our First Lady here on earth. No wait, maybe that was Mattel. The Black Doll Collection has a poll where you can give the doll a thumbs up or thumbs down. Hurry the voting ends soon.
Posted by Robin McKnight
13 Comments, Comment or Ping
admin
I almost broke down and purchased one of these dolls. they had better be lucky I didn’t or it would have been ON!
Nov 6th, 2009
red
I would return it, for the doll looks nothing like Flotus!!
Nov 6th, 2009
GL
What the hell??
Nov 6th, 2009
Aminah Hanan
I’ve seen better dolls at Wal-Mart for $10. It’s sinful that the doll cost so much and is a cheap disgrace. I think it may be time to send a few emails to the Danbury Mint.
Maybe they should’ve let the Barbie Collector people handle this one. I think they could’ve done a better job. At least their Kimora Lee, Julia, and Lt Uhura dolls wear better quality garments and they cost less.
Nov 6th, 2009
rikyrah
this is no better than that plastic series a few weeks back – and it wouldn’t set you back $150. i would have been madder than a mutha to spend that kind of money and get this piece of garbage. hell no.
Nov 7th, 2009
Dee
What happened to the lovely dolly in the artist’s concept? If their mind could conceive it then surely Danbury Mint could have achieved it. I want to be able to order the beauty that was the dead stamp of the First Lady as seen by the artist.
Fancy parting with all that money, and then getting the non-lookalike imposter in a “cheesy, cheesecloth dress” …and with painted on shoes, to boot. Ooh…!!
Nov 7th, 2009
Rosebudd0328
First of all if I was FLOTUS I would be so upset because those arms do not even look let real arms, let alone her beautifully sculpted arms that she works so much on!! Spread the word, never buy a doll from Danbury Mint ever!!
Nov 7th, 2009
Robin
I Like The Doll On The Left and The Doll on The Right Looks Fake.
Nov 8th, 2009
Low01
How disappointing!!! Although I placed my order in late August, I just received a card from DM informing me that would receive my doll in a week. I have been so exciting awaiting the arrival. However, after seeing the doll actually being shipped by DM, I am upset.
Although the advertisement (as DM states) was the “artist’s conception” I am certain DM had some sort of agreement with the artist and approved the first few dolls before it when into production. No matter what DM knew these dolls look NOTHING like what was advertised.
This is OUR First Lady why does DM think it’s OK to mail out some “trash” like this, charge people “$149 (PLUS shipping)?
I don’t even want to open the package when it arrives. I do intend to return the “thing” and expect a full refund.
Question – Has anyone received their refund from DM? Has anyone spoken to DM?
Nov 8th, 2009
Aminah Hanan
@LOW01 Good question. I’m going to send them an email and I suggest any one who’s purchased the doll or is offended by the image should as well. Please pass the word. Let’s us Twitter and Facebook for good.
I will also shoot an email to Mattel, I believe they’re the manufacturers of Barbie. The holiday season is coming up and I’m sure that there are many moms that would like to buy their daughters a First Lady doll, that actually looks like her. Barbie dolls are plastic, but their collectables look really nice.
Imagine DNC Michelle O in Pinto, Inauguration Day in Toledo and Wu. So many possibilities. I would buy those.
Does any one know other doll manufacturers?
Nov 9th, 2009
AJ
WTF! The doll should be returned. It looks less like our Mrs. O and more like Mrs. O MY GOD.
AJ
Nov 9th, 2009
Mary
I opened the box with the doll enclosed about ten minutes ago and was totally insulted. I called customer service and expressed my disappointment. However, my disgust seems to be quite different from others on this site. I pulled the tag and saw “made in China for Danbury Mint” and was infuriated. As many Americans as we have laid off of jobs, struggling to make ends meet, and perfectly capable of constructing a quality product, why does the Danbury Mint need China to manufacture images of “our” First Lady? Every American should be upset at this, especially at this critical time. I am a collector and try to purchase items made in this country especially now. I have no issues with China, as a country, but I suggest we take a look at all of the sub-standard merchandise that we are bombarded with including this doll.
Nov 11th, 2009
Kendra
I don’t get it. If they can have the “artist rendering” look so great, why can’t they have it become th real thing? Last I checked, when there is an “artist rendering” of a mansion, it rarely comes out looking anything but! So why can the same not be done for our FIRST LADY??? It is a good thing I read this, I waiting for some cash to come in to order this and I was just about to place my order….all I have left to say is Danbury should thank you for putting them on blast because if that atrocity has showed up in my mail box it definitely would have been on!!!
Nov 13th, 2009