Doll Review: Dexter Charming and Nina Thumbell

It’s a challenge I suppose every collector faces:

How to nab that special trinket without spending an arm and a leg.

The closer I come to completing my Ever After High collection, the more I find myself encountering this particular situation.

So far, I’ve managed to get:

Yes, I am still working on the Ever After High castle!  Besides the stairs, all that’s left to paint are some of the smaller accessories, like the locker, couch, cafeteria counter, and Raven Queen’s “throne”.  But that’s for another post.

Today I’d like to show you two of my most recent acquisitions: the costliest purchase and biggest score yet during my hunt for Ever After High.

Dexter Charming:

I’ve been watching eBay and Amazon for a Dexter Charming doll FOREVER.  The only thing stopping me from buying him has been that he’s so darn expensive!

“Just wait a while”, I thought, “surely the price will drop”.  But it never did.  In fact, it seemed like the longer I waited the more expensive he became.  Even used ones on eBay were selling for over $50!

So, I finally gave in and paid the ridiculous price Amazon was charging.

Here is Dexter with his accessories:

He comes with:

1. A doll stand
2. A pair of glasses
3. A black backpack
4. An outfit (jacket, shirt, and pants)
5. A pair of shoes
6. A scarf
7. A crown

Sorry I didn’t get any photos of the box.  I was feeling particularly weak the day he arrived (the fatigue and migraines have ramped up lately) and forgot to take pictures before unboxing him?.

However, even in my discombobulated state, I was struck by how well-made Dexter is.

I know I use the term “well-made” way too often in my reviews, but quality matters and it irks me that a beautiful line like Ever After High is being replaced with something as mediocre as Enchantimals.  A small wave of sadness washed over me as I opened Dexter and remembered there is basically zero chance of us seeing anymore Ever After High characters.

Yet, we did have a few years (albeit brief ones) of Ever After High and several “charming” dollies to enjoy–which brings me back to Dexter.

Dexter Charming (aka Dexterous Charming) is a Royal at Ever After High.  He is the younger brother of Daring Charming (also a Royal) and older twin of Darling Charming (a Rebel).   According to his profile on the Ever After High wiki, Dexter’s story is “every fairytale where a Prince Charming comes to the rescue.”

Blue eyes must be a strong gene in the Charming family since Daring, Dexter, and Darling all have blue eyes.  The fact that all three siblings share this trait is neat.  I love little details like this and think they are often overlooked when making doll families.

While his older brother and younger sister are blonde, Dexter’s hair is auburn brown.  His hair is rooted (awesome?) and heavily gelled to make it lay flat.

Dexter’s gold crown comes attached to his head with plastic ties.  I haven’t cut the ties yet, so you can probably see them in the pictures (there’s one on each side and one in the back).  I do intend to clip them, though, so Dexter can be casual if he’d like.

As far as pose-ability goes, it’s their awesome articulation that makes the Ever After High boys really shine!

Dexter Charming can move his head to look left, right, up, and down.

He can lift his arms at the shoulders, bend his elbows, and rotate his wrists:

This isn’t the best image showing off Dexter’s shoulders because the jacket is interfering with his range of motion.  When I take it off, you’ll see he is able to raise his shoulders much higher than this.

When it comes to hips and knees, Dexter’s got them plus ankle joints!

Yes, Dexter Charming can lift and rotate his hips, bend his knees, and has ankles which means his feet can tilt!  Right now, the only other male character I have who can do this is Iron Man!

Okay, so we’ve established that Dexter is one flexible dude.  Now let’s take a look at his outfit and accessories!

First up is his jacket:

The jacket is sewn from blue checked fabric with gold trim around the edges.  There is a small gold pin on one of the lapels which I believe is his family crest.

Under the jacket, Dexter wears a grey and gold shirt.

I noticed the product description says he is wearing a T-shirt, but this looks more like a tank top to me.

The shirt is sleeveless and made from a stretchy, grey fabric.  It has the Charming family crest printed on the front and closes in the back with Velcro.

Let’s stop for a second, though, and check out Dexter’s mighty muscles!

Yep, take his jacket off and Dexter is ready to lift some weights and move those shoulders!  If I remember the webisodes correctly, Dexter wasn’t all that athletic; however, this doll looks pretty brawny if you ask me.

Next, we have his pants:

His pants are dark grey and fasten with Velcro.  There is a small gold chain sewn to one side.  I’m not sure what is on the chain though?  Are they keys?  Charms?  More of the family crest?  I seriously can’t make it out!

Dexter finishes off his outfit with a pair of high top sneakers and an infinity scarf:

The sneakers are navy and white with lots of detail.  It looks like there are lines of stitching running up the outer front of the shoe and around the heel.  The laces are also clearly defined.

Then, for neckwear, Dexter sports a blue and white striped infinity scarf.  The scarf comes attached to his shirt with tiny plastic ties which must be snipped before it can be removed.

Finally, we have Dexter’s accessories which are a backpack and a pair of glasses.

The backpack is plastic and completely black, but, like the shoes, has a ton of detail.   There is a strap in the back that is wide enough to loop over Dexter’s arm or shoulder so he can carry the bag.  The backpack is so intricate with so many cool things molded on it that I wish it had a little more color so the details would stand.  Alas, it doesn’t.  So, I’m thinking about taking my metallic leafing pens and sprucing it up by coloring the buckles silver.

Dexter also comes with a pair of cute, black glasses.

Unfortunately, Dexter may lose his glasses because I have several dolls (including Tink) asking for a pair to wear when I take those literary looking pictures.

Like this one:

Final Thoughts:

Do I think Dexter Charming is totally awesome?  Yes!  Am I happy with the amount I spent on him?  No.

Still, I am glad I got him as he will most likely be the only Ever After High boy I get.  I don’t know why, but I’m just not that into Alistair or Hunter Huntsman.

While I did pay a pretty penny for this young prince, I’ve also found a few hidden gems while hunting for Ever After High dolls–the latest one being Nina Thumbell!

Nina Thumbell:

Dexter Charming may be my “Prince of Great Price”, but Nina Thumbell is a completely different story!

Our nearest HEB had Nina Thumbell in stock for several months, which led me to believe I had plenty of time to pick her up.  Foolish me!  I went to buy her last week and, of course, she was gone.  So much for having plenty of time?.

I decided to check the nearby Tuesday Morning and thrift shop before giving up, but their shelves were bare too.  Not a single Ever After High doll in sight.  Feeling defeated, sapped of energy, and battling some serious brain fog due to stopping by three different stores, I headed home to collapse in my bed.  Needless to say, I had no intention of checking Amazon.  Yet, something told me I ought to look before giving up.

I mustered up the strength to open my tablet and, lo-and-behold, there was Nina Thumbell listed under the Recommended for You section–for only $6 with Prime shipping!

Was I was hallucinating?  Deals like that just don’t happen for me.  I’m the person who buys something at full price only to find it 50% off the next day.

I pinched myself.

*Ouch*

Nope, I’m awake and this was my lucky day!  Amazon had Nina Thumbell marked down to $6, and all I had to do was hit the Buy It Now button–which I did!

There was a catch though.  This doll was one of Amazon’s Warehouse Deals and that is why she was priced so low.  According to the description, Nina’s box was damaged, but the doll was in “like new” condition.  My experiences with Amazon’s Warehouse Deals have been good though (the Ever After High castle I’m repainting was also a Warehouse Deal), so I figured that the doll would be okay even if her box was a little beaten up.

Nina arrived two days later in a plain, brown box.

Nina and her purse were tied to the back of her original packaging; however, when I picked up the box, the plastic front fell off immediately.  It was unattached and provided no protection.

After untwisting the ties, I checked Nina to see if she suffered any damage during shipping.

I am pleased to report that she is perfectly fine?.

Nina Thumbell is a gorgeous doll!  She has wavy blonde hair, light blue eyes, and a copper-colored skin tone.

Her makeup is very faint.  There is just a hint of shimmery eyeshadow above her eyes, and she wears a light pink lipstick.

Nina’s light blonde hair is styled into loose curls in the back.  Except for one tendril left to hang free, the sides of her hair are pulled back into a small ponytail.

Several of my Ever After High dolls came with hair loaded with styling gel or glue.  While Nina did have flat “box” hair, it was goo-free.  No need for a wash here!

I have a feeling you guys already know how well articulated these dolls are, so let’s skip the pics showing off Nina’s joints and take a peek at her lovely outfit instead.

Nina Thumbell wears a floral printed dress to complement her nature-oriented personality.

The dress is fairly simple.  It is one piece and closes with a strip of Velcro.  The top is green and has a lattice pattern with vines and flowers printed on it.

The skirt is a sparkling, yellow material that is slightly transparent.  I think it may be organza.  Then, on top of the skirt are two reddish-orange flower petals.

For shoes Nina sports a pair of adorable, knee-high, tulip boots.

I love these shoes!  They give me “fairy vibes”.  I so badly want to make a tiny pair for Tinkerbell!

Nina’s accessories include:

1. A pink flower necklace.
2. A pink flower belt.
3. A hot pink and yellow flower crown.
4. A light green purse with pink tulips.

She doesn’t come with a lot of extras like some of the other dolls, but the few items she does have are very cute.  I especially like her purse.

Also, the fact that her belt and necklace are solid pink doesn’t bother me at all.  I know I can add a splash of paint to those little flowers and make them look like they belong to a beautiful fairy princess!

Lastly, we have the little card with Nina’s story on the back:

Aw, her story is so sweet!  I love the part that says, “even the smallest person can make a big difference.”  It reminds of Dr. Seuss’s quote, “a person’s a person, no matter how small”.

I read that Nina had a shorter body (like the Wonderland dolls) but wanted to see for myself.  So, I brought out Madeline Hatter for a quick size comparison.

Nina is definitely short!  In fact, Maddy looks a bit taller!  But I think this is because her hair is puffy (she’s still waiting for her appointment with the hairstylist–aka me?).

Since Nina is part of the Ever After High cheerhexing squad, I asked her and head cheerhexer Faybelle Thorn to do a little cheer for us before wrapping things up.

Seriously, I ask for a cheer and you girls use it to request pom-poms!  Oh well, I’ll just add it to my list of things to make.

Actually, pom-poms might be a fun craft.  They’d be simple, easy to store, and cute!  Yes, I’ll be sure to add those to the list.  Thanks, girls!

Final Thoughts:

Right now, Nina Thumbell holds the record for being my biggest dolly bargain; a title I’m certain she’s going to keep considering I’ve only got three or four more dolls left to get.

Whether you’re a collector of dolls, Breyer horses, vintage books, or trading cards, I suppose there will always be moments when you feel you overpaid.

On the flip side, though, there’s the thrill of finding that special something at a time and place where you’d least expect it.

For me, Dexter Charming and Nina Thumbell sum up the highs and lows of collecting perfectly.  Both are wonderful and will always be treasured; however, one came with a stiff price tag while other was obtained by a stroke of good luck.

Now it’s your turn!  What’s your greatest dolly score or most outrageous purchase?  Share your collecting experience in the comment section below and be sure to like or pin this post!