He's A Doll (Part 2)

By Michael DeMartin

Despite some posters' questioning the Brian action figure, the collectible sold like hotcakes at Brian's show at UCLA last week. Because it's become such a hot item, the doll (being a limited edition) will be sold exclusively at Brian's shows, and not online as had been planned. Most likely, the Brian-signed boxed dolls will be sold out on the tour, but there may be un-signed boxes left to sell online after the tour. It's a bummer for fans not able to attend shows who want the autographed version, but it looks like the demand will more than meet the supply. Good news for those who will have purchased it, because it really does make it an instant collector's item. I wonder how much these will go for on eBay?

By the way, how cool would it be to have dolls from each facet of Brian's career. I'd love to have a 1976 doll myself...

P.S. The picture above is Brian signing 150 boxes last week. You gotta hand it to Brian: it's a lot to ask someone to do this leading up to a show, but then he's always been a gracious guy. This also authenticates the signed boxes!

He's A Doll

By Michael DeMartin

OK, at first I was skeptical ... a Brian Wilson 1966 doll? Why? Well, why not - if it's done right? Last week, we put up information about the doll - err - action figure on Brian's website and I was surprised by the reaction. Some people were happy to hear about it and ready to pony up $75 for the doll in a box and $150 for an autographed version. Sounds like a lot, but these are a very limited edition, and surely they'll be collectors items before long.

There were more than a few negative posts on Brian's message board about the doll: many wondered about preserving Brian's dignity, etc. And, of course, there was one wiseguy who wondered aloud when there would be a Taylor Mills blowup doll (Taylor, if you don't know, is the ridiculously beautiful singer in Brian's band). Plus, the composite photos on the site do not exactly reflect the quality of the product - which is actually beautifully crafted. If you're a fan of Pet Sounds and know the photos of Brian at the Zoo photo shoot with the other Beach Boys, you'll be impressed that Brian's coat and pants are perfectly accurate to those photos.

Fact is, it's a beautiful collectible, and I really would recommend it. People have been asking how they can buy it, and here's what's happening. We're in the process of setting up a shopping cart with PayPal, and this should be ready to go by very early next week. If there is still any doubt about its quality, we're having some professional photos that will put it to rest (the photo above is one I took in our office with a digital camera). We'll also have an address if you don't want to purchase it online.