In October 2006, Marie Osmond debuted the Baby Donny limited-edition porcelain doll that was sculpted by artist and friend Karen Scott, to appear in the likeness of Marie’s own brother Donny as a child.

The Baby Donny doll had been in the works for years, with the goal of its introduction to commemorate Marie’s 15th year of doll making.  

In Marie’s opinion, sculpting male dolls in general is a difficult undertaking. “Boy dolls … don’t sell as well, because I don’t think they really look like boys,” she explains. “They look more like cute, feminine faces that they put boy hair on and clothes. So to do a really good boy doll you have to really sculpt it right.” This particular sculpture for the Baby Donny doll took over a year to complete in order to make it look just right.

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Beautiful Collectible Dolls

There’s no age barrier when it comes to collecting dolls! If beautiful collectible dolls fascinate you, then here are some interesting facts for all you doll lovers.

With the variety of dolls that are flooding the markets, young girls as well as avid collectors are definitely having a tough time selecting these for their collection. I can never forget the ecstasy of having my first Barbie doll! This was like a dream come true; the clothes and the accessories were the ‘in’ thing during those days and owning a Barbie doll was almost like a status symbol. Beautiful collectible dolls have always caught my fancy and it is something that can be an obsession for quite few, where age hardly matters. So what are the types of beautiful collectible dolls available? If you are seriously interested in the collection of dolls then there are plenty of websites that can interest you. Besides, scrounge through the yard sales and this may give you unexpected results!

Types of Beautiful Collectible Dolls:
Collectible dolls can be pure antiques, porcelain, belonging to a particular theme or era or mass produced kinds. Various collection of dolls such as the Barbie and the Ken dolls, Kewpie dolls, Strawberry Shortcake and Friends, Ginny Dolls (Vogue dolls) etc are some of the most popular kinds. These are made from various types of materials. Here are a few kinds of collectible dolls.

Porcelain Dolls:
These have their origins in the 1800s and are among the most popular of collectible dolls. Available in varied shapes and sizes, their designs also differ as per the land they come from. These fine ceramic dolls are made by firing pure clay. It is the translucence of the materials that gives these dolls an elegant look. The porcelain dolls that are made today are quite lifelike in their appearance.

Bisque Dolls:
Such beautiful collectible dolls are made of tinted and unglazed porcelain. The color is added by the doll maker only prior to the firing. Some of them go through multiple firing processes for the warm and rich look. These were an innovation in the late 1860s. The bisque dolls gave the doll maker the scope to give it a very realistic skin tone. The French doll firms are said to be the first ones to make such dolls. Bisque dolls generally have bodies of cloth. Most bisque dolls are not made entirely from bisque because of the great weight and the fragility such a doll would have.

Cloth Dolls/Rag Dolls:
Mothers made rag dolls since the ancient days, for their children. These dolls refer to any kind of dolls that are made of fabric. The English and the American manufacturers first introduced such dolls in the market in the 1850s. Rag dolls or cloth dolls may not have the sophistication of the beautiful collectible dolls mentioned above, but these were greatly loved as they were often handmade and also amongst the first toys any child could have. Raggedy Anne, created by freelance artist, Johnny Gruelle became a rage worldwide.

Plastic Dolls:
Such beautiful collectible dolls are made from flesh toned, painted, hard plastic. Plastic dolls became very popular in the mid 1940s to the 1950s. A famous plastic doll I would like to mention here is the Ginny doll. These were the most sought after until the arrival of the svelte Barbie dolls. The founder of the Vogue Doll Company created the Ginny doll.

Vinyl Dolls:
Vinyl dolls are made of soft plastic. These took over the hard plastic dolls in the early 1960s. These are the more modern and mass produced dolls. The usage of vinyl allowed more freedom in doll making. Here, the doll makers could root the hair to the head rather than using the wigs or painting the head area. Vinyl dolls became popular when fashion dolls started gaining prominence. The most famous of the vinyl dolls has been the Barbie dolls with her sister Skipper and boyfriend Ken.

Wood Dolls:
These are obviously primitive and such beautiful collectible dolls are made of highly carved wood and often are a part of folk art. This is the earliest known substance that was used to make dolls. The earliest dolls made were used for ceremonies and had a symbolic meaning. Most wood dolls were made by artists and manufactured by small cottage industries. The most popular wood doll was the Hitty doll.

China Dolls:
The material porcelain is used generically to refer to both, the china as well as the bisque dolls. As mentioned before, bisque is unglazed where as china is glazed. This is what gives such beautiful collectible china dolls the shiny appearance. These were manufactured approximately in the late 1930s. The French ‘Bebe’ was known to be a famous china doll in the 1850s. The bebes were usually sold with very exquisite fashionable outfits and were available for a premium price.

If you are a serious collector of such beautiful collectible dolls, then do remember to check the condition of the dolls before purchase. Look carefully at the detailing. Many times, you may come across doll clothes that are as beautiful as the haute couture for women. Such items are also very important for collectors. Do in-depth research before purchasing any particular kind of collectible dolls.

Famous Beautiful Collectible Dolls:

• Adora
• Raggedy Anne
• Barbie doll and Ken
• Cabbage Patch Dolls
• Ginny
• Lee Middleton
• Madame Alexander
• Kitty Collier
• Kewpie Dolls
• Strawberry Shortcake and Friends

Vinyl Collectible Dolls

If you collect dolls or are interested in collecting them, it is important that you educate yourself about them as much as possible. Learning how to properly take care of your collectible dolls will safeguard your investment. 

The Philadelphia Doll Museum

Whiteman wrote the introduction for Black Dolls: Proud, Bold and Beautiful, Nayda Rondon’s book centering on selected collectible dolls and those who created them. Whiteman’s essay, however, is an illuminating history of black dolls/small … International dolls; Dolls with bisque heads; Dolls made by American companies; Dolls of famous Americans made since 1950, including Academy Award-winning actress Hattie McDaniel and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. 

Kewpie Dolls

Of all the dolls in dolly land, the Kewpie is one that has most successfully retained its impish image and lovable reputation, almost the definition of the word cute. For while most collectible dolls gaze out through icy blue-glass eyes, or slightly warmer brown ones, … The successful applicant was a Pratt Art Institute student named Joseph Kallus, who modeled the original bisque and celluloid doll, which was accepted and manufactured by Borgfeldt in 1913.

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The king of doll and doll collecting is the Barbie Doll which has continued to be the largest selling doll since it was introduced in the late 1950s.

All About Barbie Doll Collecting – Why Is Barbie So Popular?

Have you ever asked yourself why Barbie doll collecting is so popular? What drives tens of thousands of people to snap up every type of Barbie doll imaginable?

Barbie Was Brilliantly Marketed

Mattel learned early on exactly how to market the Barbie doll. No other doll maker has come close to her. Barbie has been seen on TV commercials since the early 1960’s. With over 40 years of continuous television exposure you can’t help but see the ads throughout your childhood and into adulthood. This exposure has led Barbie to being one of the most popular toys in history.

Barbie Dolls Are Nostalgic

If you are a woman under the age of 60 then you most likely owned a Barbie when you were a kid. Just like baseball cards, if you collected Barbies’s when you were young, the chances are good that you enjoy it now.

Many people still have their original dolls from their childhood and it almost has become an obsession to collect each and every Barbie doll there is.

Barbie Is Not A Fad

You know that when you buy a Barbie doll that you will always be able to buy new clothes and accessories for her. She is not here today, gone tomorrow. No other doll can say that.

The Internet Has Fueled Barbie Doll Collecting

That’s right, the online world has helped promote Barbie doll collecting to the next level. You can find all sorts of Barbie doll forums as well as websites to purchase Barbie’s. Ebay is a great example of this. Both advertisers and collectors alike can get together and discuss anything and everything to do with Barbie, as well as buy and sell.

What does the future hold in store for Barbie doll collecting? No one can say for sure, but if it is anything like the past, you can expect some really great things to take place.

All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active and do not edit the article in any way.

Author: Terry Edwards

By the way, you can find out much more about Barbie Doll Collecting as well as more information on everything to do with Barbie on our website at http://www.Barbie.InfoFromA-z.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_Edwards

Barbie Doll Collectibles

I remember, when I was just a little girl my mom would buy me many barbie dolls and I paired barbie to Kent her partner. Believe it or not I used to play dolls almost everyday. Thinking of it right now makes me want to collect barbie dolls.

My Barbie Dolls Collection

I  love your collection!! A sweet friend of mine gave me my first Barbie doll last year for my birthday…Can’t believe that I had to become a grown woman before I got my first Barbie! Thanks for sharing your collection!

Miniature Design For Barbie

But, once I gained experience and word of mouth travelled, I became quite well known in the doll world as a professional doll restorer. midcentury furniture for barbie. Finally, tell us about your customers. 

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Many collectors of Marie dolls got started just as is described in this article about how to get started in doll collecting.

If you like dolls and having them around then you might try starting your own doll collection. You can look on the internet to start as there are many clubs and chat rooms specifically for doll collectors.

There are also magazines and books to help you get you started. In many areas there are also doll stores which will probably know quite a bit about dolls. The most important thing is to make the collection something you will be happy with not just for the worth or how popular they are.

You should start by deciding what kind of dolls you want to collect. You can have dolls from different countries, or only by exclusive doll makers, or a collection of totally different dolls. It’s all up to you.

If you pick a certain type of doll you can do some research on it to learn about the dolls history or value because if you collect a certain type you should be an expert. In learning about the doll other aspects of the doll that should be known are the materials the doll is made of, the clothes and the doll. The more you are an expert on the dolls that you have the better off you’ll be when you want to buy a doll that can be worth something.

A nice aspect of collecting dolls is that it can be a financial investment and profitable over time. Dolls, like other collectibles, increase in value over time. This is a good and bad thing when collecting as a doll you would really like but perhaps too expensive but on the other hand a doll that can be reasonable now could be worth a lot later.

You can start a doll collection anywhere from a second hand store to an antique doll store. You can pick whatever collection you would like whether it is a fancy valuable collection or a personalized one where the dolls have more sentimental value. Whatever you choose, doll collecting is a great hobby for young and old alike, and will bring you countless hours of pleasure.

Technorati Tags: antique, collectibles, Doll Collecting, doll collection

Doll Collecting – A Worldwide Passion
 by: Darwin C Vickers 

Although fashion dolls have possibly been around since ancient times there’s no doubt that the introduction of the Barbie Doll at the American Toy Fair in New York back in 1959 set doll collecting on a new course. At first, the slender blond plastic fashion conscious young lady was meant for children to dress and undress and occasionally change hairstyles. However, when the collectors started to take an interest in Barbie she began to move from the toy box to the shelves of the china cabinet and display case.

It’s also no doubt that Marie Osmond introducing her dolls on QVC has stirred the coals on doll collecting.

Today we find a whole range of new and more expensive dolls on the market with price tags that make them out of reach for most children. In addition to Mattel’s Barbie Silkstone, a heavy vinyl collectable, many other chic and curvaceous models have appeared on the scene such as Tyler Wentworth, Cissy and Fashion Royalty. Dollfie, who is more of a young teenager, is also in big demand in spite of having a starting price of five hundred dollars and going up to well over a thousand.

Passionate collectors from all over the world, both men and women, often spend as much on new outfits for their dolls as they spend on their own clothes. At any one time you can see over 6000 items listed under doll’s fashions on eBay where prices range from a few dollars to hundreds. On the Internet you will also find those who specialize in repainting them, some of who have become artists in their own right.

I would venture to say that Fashion Royalty by designer Jason Wu is one of the most popular fashion dolls at this time. You’ll find enthusiasts for this glamorous 12" icon every-where. There are forums, message boards, photo galleries and news groups dedicated to her. People travel across the world to attend conventions held specifically to show off her many forms, her moods, outfits and accessories.

To gain possession of certain limited editions devotees have to enter a lottery and the winner then willingly coughs up several hundred dollars for the privilege of ownership. Many of these sought after special releases will then appear on eBay at several times the amount the seller originally paid.

Whether dolls can be a sound investment is questionable as collectors frequently switch their loyalties as new designs appear on the market. However, many have no intention of parting with their precious collections or the haute couture they have assembled on their behalf.

This is not so much of a hobby as a sub culture with owners speaking of their dolls in the most endearing terms. And there seems to be no end in sight as more and more people discover the joy of owning something beautiful that doesn’t answer you back or wet on the carpet.

http://www.angelfire.com/folk/for_fashion_royalty

About The Author

Darwin C Vickers has spent most of his long life as a journalist and broadcaster. British by birth, Canadian by nationality, he currently lives in the Philippines. His wife, a Filipina, creates outfits for fashion dolls, which she sells to customers all over the world.

Interesting Facts About Barbie

1999 was the first year that a family member of the Barbie doll was introduced into the line as a large-scale doll, Cuddly Soft(TM) Kelly. Doll collecting is second only to stamp collecting as the most popular collecting hobby in the world.

Learn To Collect Dolls

But nowadays, dolls are more than just a young girl’s play thing. It can also be a source of joy for an adult. And adults, which may seem really odd but true, collect dolls to look at them in their display cabinets.

Antique Dolls

If our guide to antique toys sparked your interest–and you liked the suggestion about finding a niche–it may be that you’ve chosen collecting antique dolls.
 

Technorati Tags: Doll Collecting, doll collection, marie dolls

Here is a brief history of the woman who created .

Marie Osmond

Olive Marie Osmond, immortalized with the pop ballad ‘Paper Roses’, was not just a singer and actress, but a doll designer and an heir to the famous show-biz family The Osmonds!

Marie Osmond was the only sister to eight brothers. She hails from Utah and was christened Olive Marie Osmond. She was born on the 13th of October, 1959. The Osmonds were a family singing group, but Marie went on to make a niche for herself within the music industry as a solo country music artist and reigned the 1970s and 1980s. Her early exposure came with the popular 1976 Donny and Marie show, where she teamed up with her singer brother Donny Osmond. Olive Marie Osmond was spectator to her brothers’ performances in show business, singing on national television. She did debut in the Andy Williams Show when she was just three, but never really performed with her brothers, as part of the group.

It was only when in 1970, Marie’s brother Donny gained success as a solo artist and became a teen idol that Marie tried her hand at show-biz as well. She signed on the dotted line with MGM Records and started off with concerts. Marie Osmond was influenced by country music and flaunted a style that was very different from that of her brothers’. In 1973, Paper Roses, her first single, became a country hit and a grosser at the Bill Board charts. Armed with this major crossover success and the Gold Record Award for the song and album of the same name, Osmond went on to release ‘In My Little Corner of the World’, again a grosser at the Bill Board Top 40 in 1974. ‘This Is The Way That I Feel’, ‘I’m Leaving It All Up to You’ and ‘Morning Side of the Mountain’ established Marie Osmond as a winner in her experiment with country music.

In 1978, the brother-sister duo released ‘Goin’ Coconuts’, their film together. Marie also starred in a sitcom titled ‘Marie’ and her own variety show on NBC. In the 1980s, Marie’s fans craved for more of the magic, as she briefly retired and pursued a career in acting. The role Olivia Newton John played in Grease, that of Sandy, was first offered to Marie and subsequently turned down on the basis of disapproval of the moral content of her role. Marie Osmond also appeared in TV movies and took up challenging voice-over work for cartoons. Her duet with Dan Seals ‘Meet Me In Montana’ in 1985 became Numero Uno that year.

Her follow-up numbers like ‘There’s No Stopping Your Heart’, ‘Read My Lips’, ‘You’re Still New to Me’, ‘I Only Wanted You’, ‘I’m In Love And He’s In Dallas’ and the 1990 hit single ‘Like a Hurricane’ are all Marie Osmond music industry greats. Marie co-starred with Timothy Bottoms in the movie ‘The Gift Of Love’ and gave her fans something to muse about – her first on-screen kiss! Osmond introduced travel and discovery based segments based on the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. She set the theatres ablaze with her experiments in ‘Side By Side’, ‘I Married Wyatt Earp’ and ‘Inside the Osmonds’ and Broadway’s ‘The King And I’ and ‘The Sound Of Music’. In ‘Inside the Osmonds’ she bared all – the family ego, her father’s (mis)management skills and the family’s dream to build a multimedia empire.

Marie Osmond appeared as ‘celebrity contestant’ on the 2004 US Rising Star Latin Champion. However, during the show, Marie’s father, George Osmond, died at the ripe old age of 90. Marie continued with the show in her father’s memory. Despite the lowest judges’ scores on her card, she was the oldest woman to have made it to the finals. Marie finished in third position, on Dancing with the Stars. In 1991, Marie Osmond launched her exclusive doll line. The distribution is planned via retail stores and Internet sales, besides direct response from fans and genuine customers from every part of the world.

Her first doll design was a toddler doll, who she named after her mother, Olive May. Her doll line includes ‘Remember Me’, ‘Baby Adora Belle’, ‘Vote For Me’ and ‘Adora Belle’. Marie’s doll collection has bagged nominations to the ‘Trendsetter of the Year’ and the ‘Award of Excellence’, by the Doll’s Magazine. Osmond’s personal life comprises two divorces and eight children. Her first husband was Stephen Craig, a basketball player and Brian Blosil, a record producer.

Celebrity author Osmond

A house fire burned through 30 years of Marie Osmond’s journals, so her latest book is based on memory alone. While trying to poke fun at herself, her large and famous family and her career, Osmond talks about growing up in show  business.

Marie Osmond and Mary Hart Talk ‘Baby Mary’

Marie Osmond and Mary Hart Talk ‘Baby Mary’. Posted by admin under. Marie Osmond is visiting ET again and she’s talking with our Mary Hart about a special project they’re working on together. Marie designed a doll that looks like Mary Hart.

Marie Osmond Tiny Tots

Marie Osmond makes no excuses for being absolutely in love with her youngest daughter, Abigail, and couldn’t help making the original Baby Abby into a cute as they come tiny tot. Baby Abby tiny tot is truly a collectible doll by today’s  standards.

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Are You A Doll Lover?

One thing is certainly true about doll lovers — for some reason most doll lovers eventually become doll collectors as well. Perhaps it is the case that a love of dolls naturally brings forth a desire to collect them. It may also be true that doll collecting serves to increase one’s appreciation for them as well. Whatever the case, doll collecting and doll loving seem to exist in a kind of symbiotic relationship, each one feeding the other.

When it comes to doll collecting many people think of porcelain collectible dolls. These dolls are usually quite delicate (not the thing for children) and very beautiful. And they hearken back to a bygone era, a time when sophistication and refinement were highly valued. As well, miniature porcelain doll kits are valued — not only by collectors, but also those who make clothing and accessories for their dolls.

Did I mention doll accessories? Well here’s another area for doll collectors– collecting doll houses. Some folk go all out and make their own doll house, as doll house plans are widely available today. It is even possible to use the capabilities of a PC to draw up plans for a doll house — and this will save you the time and expense involved in actually constructing them, until you find a design that you like.

Speaking of nostalgia — and there’s certainly nothing wrong with being nostalgic — Amish doll furniture is highly sought after by doll collectors today. Nice furniture pieces are usually very simply made, yet the high quality of the workmanship makes these pieces truly elegant, and very sought after by collectors.

Speaking of collecting dolls, one of the most collectible dolls of all time are Franklin mint dolls. You’ve probably seen these advertised from time to time — they have a great many different types, usually featuring in the face and body of a famous film, TV, movie or other important person. Franklin mint dolls are highly collectible — sometimes they increase in value many times over, as the years pass.

And when it comes to nostalgia, do you see all of the fuss that is being made about Betsy McCall dolls and accessories? These dolls are not even a century old — not old at all by doll collecting standards — and yet these dolls are highly sought after. The explanation? Again — nostalgia. Many women first remember seeing these dolls pictured on the cover of McCall’s Magazine (from hence the name), so they easily relate to them.

The American Girl Company is making it easy for little girls to relate to their dolls. This innovative company manufactures a line of doll clothing and accessories that match an identical set of clothing for girls. This means that your granddaughter or niece could pretend they have a "little sister" — or better yet, a twin sister — which they can carry with them at all times.

Marie Dolls are another doll worth collecting.  These porcelain dolls carry the beauty mark the has touched the face of Marie herself.

Of final area where you might want to begin collecting is that of primitive dolls. These resemble the kinds of dolls carried by children during the pioneer days. They are not sophisticated dolls at all, being made with the simplest of fabrics — they really communicate a sense of history, history that you can hold in your hands.

So whatever your interests you are sure to find an area of doll collecting which will interest you. And here’s an extra bonus — years from now, when you’re old and gray, you can sit down with that special young girl in your life and explain to them what it is all about. Who knows — they too made be a future doll collector…

By: Jason Harris

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

This article provided courtesy of www.total-dolls.com/

Technorati Tags: american girl, Doll Collecting, doll house, primitive dolls

There is nothing like the hobby of doll collecting.  This starts when girls are young and continues. Do you ever wonder ….

Collecting Dolls And Why It’s So Popular

Doll collecting is a hobby that is widely misunderstood by many people. One may assume that doll collectors are just old ladies with nothing else better to do. They picture bizarre looking dolls with plastic bodies, and old crocheted hand made clothing smelling of moth balls, that are tucked neatly away into old stale closets. Also, many people just presume that only young girls are fascinated with such a hobby. These are common erroneous beliefs, and may not be entirely false. The fact is that many different people collect many different kind of dolls. Don’t be fooled; the reason for this is not because they have no alternative to entertaining themselves. Doll collecting can actually be quite a rewarding experience.

Your average collector today has a myriad of choices, from vintage to up to date, small and large. Robert Tonner’s 8-inch Tiny Betsy McCall captures the real meaning of McCall’s paper dolls of the 1960s with in depth fashions and the wide-eyed purity and innocence of a little girl playing grownup. More in recent times, Wilde Imagination introduced the moody Ellowyne Wilde, a beautifully rendered 16-inch doll with fashions any woman would welcome to her closet.

And then Barbie, the Queen of all Fashion Dolls, comes along! Introduced at Toy Fair in 1959, Barbie has remained an iconic symbol of twentieth century play time even in this new millennium. Her ponytail and handsomely accessorized outfits allowed little girls to let their imaginations run wild and even imitate what they might be someday. Barbie was a lot of things; a flight attendant, a nurse and a sorority sister in her early years and she went on to become an astronaut, a doctor and a presidential candidate. And so, it is this imagination and imitation that adult collectors are drawn to today.

Many collectors are drawn to antique dolls like the German and French dolls that usually cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. Still others try to find the little girl dolls like Vogue’s Ginny or American Character’s Tiny Tears because with those, they are reminded of another time, when life was simpler. There is pretty much one word for all of this; nostalgia.

Adult life is very difficult and complicated under the best of circumstances and the doll’s world is quite simply fun. When a collector is hindered in a moment of play, he or she is in their own little world. But, that’s okay. Their little dollies know them.

By: Victor Epand

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about kids toys, stuffed animals, and dolls. You will find the best marketplace for kids toys, stuffed animals, and dolls at these sites for kids toys, stuffed animals, and collectible dolls.

Kentucky Derby Barbie

In addition to the Kentucky Derby Barbie doll, Churchill Downs and Mattel will give Barbie enthusiasts and collectors a chance to own their very own life-sized Kentucky Derby Barbie replica hat. … “We are so pleased to work with Mattel to create the Kentucky Derby Barbie as part of the Pink Label Collection and even happier that we were able to extend the project to include the replica hats that Barbie collectors and enthusiasts can proudly own and wear.” 

Barbie is 50

Matell estimates that there are over 100000 adult Barbie doll collectors. The majority of these are women averaging 40 years of age. They each purchase at least 20 Barbies per annum. More than half of them spend over $1000 per year on their collection. 8. Matell has made nearly one billion different fashion outfits for Barbie and her associates. They have also made more than one billion pairs of shoes.

The Art of Dressing Barbie

But mom’s special talent — or at least the one I valued most when I was a child — was Barbie doll clothes. My sisters and I had the most fashionable Barbies in town, outfitted in exquisite hand-sequined gowns, sleek satin sheaths, and hand-knit sweaters fastened with buttons no bigger than … (I got rid of my Barbies years ago, so my nieces gave me one from their vast collection to model the dress, which, like most of the other clothes, is now sadly worse for the wear.

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