...Essay The Eyes That Follow Jon Torres Porcelain dolls. Staring at me with unblinking eyes, surrounding me, and I can’t get away. My older sister, standing there laughing at me, a horror movie about killer dolls playing in the background. Me, 5 years old and strapped down to a chair. I still have the fear of dolls that I experienced that day, although it is not quite as severe. My older sister was a firm believer in tough love, and she was always picking on my brothers and me. It isn’t until I sit here, 17 years later, that I realize that it wasn’t just a prank, but her way of trying to toughen me up. I remember that day as one of horror and hurt, but it wasn’t as bad as a 5 year old mind can make it out to be. I woke up expecting the normal life of a kid, playing with toys and watching Tom and Jerry as I waited for my mom to take over with As the World Turns. Little did I know that my older sister was home as well, “sick” with one of those 24 hour stomach bugs. She decided it would be the perfect opportunity to teach her passive-aggressive younger brother to be tough and not cry. Boy did that backfire. She called me into the living room, and the first thing I noticed was the spinning desk chair in the middle of the room. I didn’t see my sister, so I sat down and looked at the television, expecting to see some commercial about a new cleaner or a toy that I would want. Instead, there is an inflated face of a porcelain doll, a movie that had been paused. In the blink of an...
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...Thomas Folsom 2/27/2015 Soc 1 Application 1 Toys and Socialization As I walk down the toy aisles in toys R Us, I notice that there is a large sign above the aisles saying boys. This aisle contains ninja turtles, WWE wrestlers, sports cars, dump trucks, motorcycles, and toy weapons of all sorts. The colors of blue, green, red, and yellow cover the aisles all darker shades of the color. All of the boy’s toys are very masculine. The next aisle I walk through is the girls section, this aisle is covered with dolls, princesses, cute animals, dresses, wands, small sized cleaning equipment and drawing boards. All of these toys are light blue, bright pinks all of these very feminine. The children in America learn stereotypes in gender roles through gender socialization. This is a sequence of adapting to the culture roles according to your sex, this starts at birth and will continue throughout life. Toys are very gender specific, because they teach and reinforce stereotypical gender roles for children. When we are first born children make an image of themselves as a boy or girl. We do this so we can fit in with society so we can interact with parents and teachers. Children pay close attention to the gender appropriateness of toys only after they get a firm grasp on the concept of gender constancy. Gender constancy alludes to a child's understanding that gender remains the same for the rest of his or her life. Children become aware of the fact that they will always be male or female...
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...I made a doll after I finished reading the entire Laura Ingalls series for the third time when I was eight years old. Sitting on my bedroom floor, I made her nice matching clothes, furniture for her “house” (shoebox), cooking utensils, everything. Eventually, I realized she was all alone so her family was created. Modeled after my own home, she gained two parents and a younger brother. I enjoyed making things for the family. When I grew tired of the old, floral print on the sofa, I made a new sofa cover using velvet fabric leftover from my mom’s sewing project. Within a few days, my doll family had a nice reupholstered living room set. I have always been creative. From the early days of preschool pinch pots, to making many of my own clothes...
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..."The Doll House" by Henrik Ibsen Eng/125 University of Phoenix In Dollhouse, the husband Torvald treated Nora as a child with no mind and intelligence. His pet names for her in the beginning demonstrates how he didn’t not treat her as his equal. His lack of accepting her as an equal was also demonstrated in his ability to see that Nora was a smart woman and could see and do things for her. Ibsen used many strategies to get this point across. In one of his strategies he takes a common housewife and made her secretly intelligent he uses metaphors and irony. In applying that Nora, was treated like a doll in her perfect Dollhouse was really stating that Nora was treated like a doll in her husband’s house. For example Torvalds used pet names for his wife giving her the appearance of a doll. In using irony Ibsen strategy was to state that what goes around comes around. For example the Irony of Krogstad and his forging of documents and that of Nora forging documents and the reality that both might lose their jobs, his being at the bank and hers being a mother and wife. The devices that Ibsen uses is that of the conventions of a marriage in the 1800’s, and the relationship of husband and wife. Women of this time were depended on their husbands. Most wives did not work, but instead stayed home with the children. Most women were not considered equal to the men of the family. And finally most women were considered simply-minded and lack schooling and understand the way the...
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...IBUS 402:002 Discovering the needs of your target segment is essential when developing a new product. Surveys and questionnaires would be the easiest way to go about discovering the needs of American parents and kids who might like this doll. E-mailing these forms would be easiest; although, in person you can choose your candidates better. Another possibility would be to research the most popular dolls sold to American parents and compare the similarities and differences from those dolls to this particular doll. Market testing would probably be the most efficient and conclusive way to discover your segment’s needs. Market testing is important because as Hornor states “everyone thinks their idea or product is perfect, so you need to test it with real potential customers so they can either tell you it is wonderful or open your eyes to potential issues with your product.” The biggest issue Americans have reported about their feelings towards toys manufactured in China, and sold in the U.S., is that they are unsafe and dangerous for their kids. These issues have come up because many toy manufacturing companies have had serious public issues. Mattel, the largest toy manufacturer, had to recall over 19 million toys. About half of those toys were distributed in the United States, and all were manufactured in China. (Story and Barboza) These toys were recalled because of problems such as small amounts of lead, which can be extremely harmful to kids. “According to the US Consumer...
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...We are developing a store called Toyssociates, and there were 8 different toys to choose from to be the product. Those toys were Dolls, Rocking Horses, Yoyos, Tinker Toys, Blocks, Hammocks, Painting Kits, and Teddy Bears. Our task was to find a combination of two toys that would make the most profit. With only 1000 feet of wood, 1000 yards of string, 400 pints of paint, 600 yards of fabric, and 720 work hours available, we had to optimize our usage of materials to get the most profit. From our work, we have found that by using hammocks and painting kits, the store can maximize its profit. To understand how we achieved this answer, you must first understand linear programming. Linear programming is the graphing of inequalities, or in another sense, graphing constraints to find all the possible combinations of the two variables....
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...Imagine this: A world where mental health isn’t a roadblock, where parents aren’t filled with the I-wish-I could’ve-done-something-to-save-them feeling, where teens aren’t mourning the death of their friends, and a world where suicide isn’t an option. Over the years, I have had many dolls that I’ve spent long hours playing with, but none have been as great as yours. Your company and the dolls that you sell are unlike any in the market today. I myself have two American Girl dolls, own several of the movies, and have read many of the stories that go along with each doll. American Girl’s overall mission is to create girls with strong character. This mission is especially important to me, because just like many other children, I have been bullied....
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...I own a really old Matryoshka doll ? belonged to my great-grandmother who died five years ago. ? Matryoshka doll or Russian doll was made in Russia in 1917. The doll is consisted of five figures made of wood and painted with high-quality color. Each figure is unique, special and different from others. They come in different sizes, from smallest to largest so you can separate them and have five dolls if you want. The form of the doll is cylindrical with a rounded top for the head and there are no arms or legs. This set represents ? mother with four children, which is the most common theme of Matryoshka dolls. My great-grandmother called it babushka and it reminds me of her every time I see it. Whenever I went to visit my great-grandmother...
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...technology can be used to custom manufacture dolls. Shortly after September 11, 2001, Vicale Corporation, BBC’s parent company, purchased an e-commerce toy company. Vicale’s first action figure was made to honor the heroes who emerged from that event. Using RPT, he crafted a doll with the head of George W. Bush and the body of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Other figures followed. This case is about a design firm that used exploratory research to define a niche in the action-figure business. www.herobuilders.com >The Scenario Used with permission of Pamela S. Schindler ©2004. Emil Vicale, president of HeroBuilders.com Corporation, thinks entrepreneurial. His industrial design company, BBC Design Group, has been operating for more than 20 years. One cornerstone of his design business is an innovative technology called rapid prototyping (RPT). RPT allows a designer to go from 3-D computer model to 3-D plastic or wax prototype in a matter of hours rather than the days, weeks, or months that prototypes using subtraction technology (carving) from wood, metal, or clay might take. As part of a growth strategy implemented shortly after September 11, 2001, Vicale finalized the purchase of an e-commerce toy company, ToyBuilders.com. This was his first venture into the manufacture of toys, although his design firm had done developmental work for toy companies in the past. Vicale made his first doll to honor an admired hero of 9/11. “The Our Hero doll (resembling George Bush) turned out great,...
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...New Heritage Doll Company Capital Budgeting Analysis The New Heritage Doll Company is a company that makes dolls for children between the ages 3 – 12 years. The company has revenues of 245 million USD and an operating profit of 24 million USD. The company has three major divisions – The Retailing division, the Licensing division and the Production division. The head of the production division has to choose between two capital intensive projects that have been presented to her - the “Make My Doll Clothing Extension” (MMDCE henceforth) and the “Design Your Own Doll” (DYOD henceforth). This paper will try and analyze some of the issues that may need to be taken into account by the division head before she chooses a project for final approval. Issue 1: Product Line Growth Rate vs Industry Growth Rate The doll segment in the US is slated to grow at 3% in 2013 and lasting franchise value for branded lines of dolls is considered rare – most doll lines lose their popularity within a few years of launch. Given this reality, the underlying assumption of the two brand managers for the two projects is, in my opinion, quite optimistic. The MMDCE line is expected to grow at 8% while the DYOD line is expected to grow at 6% - which is much higher than the expected rate of growth in the dolls segment. The production head must, in my opinion, do due diligence and consider if the growth rates for these product lines can exceed the average industry growth rate by such a large extent. Issue 2: Possibility...
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...allocating overhead as a percentage of direct labor cost, the margins of 9% and 34% in the Geoffrey doll and the specialty branded doll #106 respectively, do not reflect the true cost of manufacturing. When using the ABC system, we see that a tremendous misallocation in “Receiving and Production Control” and in “Packaging and Shipping” occurred using the previous system. These skewed allocations of costs also distorted the margins as shown below. Comparison of Alternative Costing Approaches | | | | | | Unit Overhead Cost | | Geoffrey Doll | | Specialty #106 | Volume-based | | $11.19 | | $13.99 | Activity-based | | 7.22 | | 25.01 | Difference | | $3.97 | | $11.02 | Unit Margin | | | | | Volume-based | | 1.81 | | $12.26 | Activity-based | | 5.78 | | 1.24 | Difference | | $3.97 | | $11.02 | Return on Sales | | | | | Volume-based | | 8.62% | | 34.06% | Activity-based | | 27.51% | | 3.43% | Difference | | 18.89% | | 30.62% | If G.G. can reduce the number of shipments and increase the size of the production runs of the #106 doll, the margin will increase dramatically. It may be a good idea to instate minimum orders. In the Springfield plant, the ABC system is unnecessary because all costs are allocated to the production of a single product. Holiday Doll Production In regards to producing the holiday reindeer dolls, it seems that...
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...Short Cycle | Short Cycle process | Who | Audrey Hausner, G.G.’s controller, David Morehouse, G.G.’s manufacturing manager and Robert Parker, President G.G. Toys. | What | Increase the margins of the Geoffrey Doll. | Why | The decline in margins on the Geoffrey Doll has become intolerable. | When | ASAP. | | | Case Difficulty | Analytische | Conceptuele | Presentatie | Problem ? Yes | Theory? | Structured? Yes, 7 pages | Solution? No | | | | Long Cycle Define the problem The decline of the margin on the Geoffrey Doll has become intolerable. The margin has to stop decreasing and should go up. They need to consider drastically shifting their production towards specialty dolls. Importance / Urgency | Low | High | Low | | Increase the margin on the Geoffrey Doll. | High | | Stop the decrease of the margin on the Geoffrey Doll. | Analyse the case We analysed the information of exhibit 1, 2, 3 and 4. Alternatives * Reduce the manufacturing costs * Produce the Romaine Doll * ABC-method for the Geoffrey Doll * Do nothing Criteria * Costs * Profit * Implementation time Asses the alternatives Alternatives | Decision Criteria | | | | | | Qualitative | | Quantitative | | | | Implementation time | | Costs | Margin | | 1. | | | | | | 2. | | | | | | 3. | | | | | | Select the best alternative We think that Develop an implementation plan | Develop an...
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...The Mansion Luna woke up in a large, coffin like box with a red velvet cushion under her and black wooden ceiling above her. She aggressively pushed up on the top of the coffin like thing. It easily came open and she saw a 17ft by 15ft room with black and white mid scale damask wallpaper as well as a metro silk hot pink area rug. The room was filled with an assortment of dolls, all of them had long and tousled pitch black hair, blood red eyes and black painted fingernails. They appeared to be about eighteen inches in height. The odd thing was that there was one doll that had something in her lap, the doll was to the left of the frame white hardboard door, which was located in the farthest right corner of the room. Luna started to move across...
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...2/28/2015 Dolls & Stuffed Animals, Barbie, Lalaloopsy, Monster High - Toys"R"Us Rewards"R"Us Email Sign Up Weekly Ad Info Center Choose My Store Find a Store Help Baby Registry Wish List Gift Cards Gift Finder My Account / Sign In SHOP BY Search for something fun! 0 Home | Dolls & Stuffed Animals Dolls & Stuffed Animals Narrow By: Category Dolls Doll Acce ssorie s Dollhouse s & Acce ssorie s Ce le brity & Fashion Dolls Ethnic Dolls Miniature Figure s & Play Se ts Prince ss & Fairy Dolls Horse & Pony Dolls Stuffe d Animals & Plush Toys Colle ctible Dolls Ele ctronic Pe ts Gender Boys Girls Featured Categories Age Birth-12 Months 12-24 Months 2 Ye ars 3 & 4 Ye ars 5-7 Ye ars 8-11 Ye ars More... Dolls My First Doll Ethnic Dolls Show All Doll Accessories Doll Furniture Doll Clothes Show All Brand 20th Ce ntury Fox Acce ssory Innov ations Adora Ale x Toys Animal Adv e nture Animal Alle y More... Dollhouses & Accessories Dollhouses Wooden Dollhouses Show All Character/Theme 1D Adv e nture Time Alice in Wonde rland http://www.toysrus.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=2255963 1/4 2/28/2015 Alv in & the Chipmunks Angry Birds Angry Birds Star Wars More... Dolls & Stuffed Animals, Barbie, Lalaloopsy, Monster High - Toys"R"Us Price unde r $10 $10 - $20 $20 - $30 $30 - $40 $40 - $50 $50 - $75 More... Celebrity & Fashion Dolls Celebrity Dolls Doll Play Sets Show All Ethnic Dolls Miniature...
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...G.G. Toys: Case study #2 G.G. Toys was a toy manufacturer facing problems with productivity and profitability. The company found a profitable product in their Geoffrey doll and Specialty branded doll #106. Retailers could customize to the specifications and buying habits of their customer base. On average, the Geoffrey Doll cost $19.19 to produce, and the #106 doll $23.74. To access in a study of their overhead cost for both of their plants, research showed that: 1. A setup was performed in the Chicago facility each time a modification to the dolls was made. Additionally, each time a specialty-branded doll was produced, a separate setup was required to process the raw materials to the required specifications. 2. Workers in the Chicago facility often operated several machines simultaneously once they were set up. Thus, machine-related expenses might relate more to the machine hours of a product than to its production-run labor hours. Because each retailer required slight alterations to the Geoffrey doll's overall appearance, a new setup and production run was required for each design change. Retailers were found to be conservative in their ordering patterns, ordering fewer units more frequently. Thus increasing the number of setups required, causing increased labor and material cost. The research done by the external group did show an area of opportunity. Because setup is time consuming, labor intensive, and costly, it would be within reason (at least with...
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