Collectible of the Day 004 - Portrait Edition Dolls

[darthskellington]

Collectible of the Day​

Today’s collectible is a pair of 12-inch Star Wars figures by Hasbro. The Queen Amidala and Qui-Gon Jinn, 2000 Portrait Edition set, was originally an exclusive to FAO Schwartz. However, due to its high price, it was eventually available at online closeout sites and at wholesale retailers such as Big Lots. The Portrait Editions, including 4 other Amidalas and a Princess Leia, are among the better looking 12” figures available from that time. Each had elaborately made cloth costumes, came with doll stands, and came in attractive window boxes (literally, designed to resemble a Theed Palace window).

In this set, Amidala’s outfit is made out of a fine velvet-like material, with a satin lining and gold trim. Her synthetic hair is permanently styled to resemble Natalie Portman’s hairstyle from the Battle of Naboo. Qui-Gon is very similar to an individually packaged version released the previous year, but with a better face likeness, and other minor modifications to his outfit.

Overall, these Portrait Edition dolls are among the highlights of Hasbro’s 12” figure line. Equaled by few in quality and sculpt, they were clearly designed to cater to the collector market, and appeal to both male and female collector alike. While fairly expensive when first released, all the Portrait Edition dolls can be obtained relatively inexpensively if one shops around.



Discuss this collectible here.


If you have an item you'd like to have featured, please PM me and provide a detailed description and a link to a medium sized, relatively in-focus photo. ​

 

[wookiee_cookiee]

The Battle Of Naboo set has my favorite portrait collection dolls. I bought them on eBay, but the seller was a scam artist, but I told someone on a SW collecting board about what happened to me and they sold me one of their FAO sets! I was still out the money from the scammer, but I did get a set eventually. :hellokitty:

 

[Buzz Bumble]

Not many of these came to New Zealand (nor the 12" figures), but I have got a few in my collection ... being an adult male, you do feel a bit of an idiot going up to the toy store counter with dolls! But they're not to know that I don't actually have a young daughter to give them to.

Unfortunately at one point I was storing some of my collection in my car's boot / trunk, and the heat build-up caused the clear plastic "windows" in the dolls' boxes to warp (as well as destroying the electronics in one of my 3 3/4" scale vehicles).

An older woman I worked with used to collect dolls and make them and thir clothes, and she was impressed with the quality of the clothes, etc. when I showed her two of the Queen Amidala ones.

 

[darthskellington]

Yeah, the clothes are really well done on this series. I know about hot trunks too. Friend of mine picked me up a 12" Dooku as a gift and kept it in his trunk. The heat, combined with the rubber bands securing the lightsaber blade, means Dooku now weilds a lightsaber katana. Kinda neat in its own right.....

 

[wookiee_cookiee]

The clothes are really nice on these. I opened all of my Amidala dolls and the amount of detail is really amazing for the clearance price I paid!