The Model Search

I wanted to get a mannequin to display my wares.

I had a few criteria:

• female
• happy-looking
• realistic (i.e. not stylized)
• whole body, all limbs
• standing
• arms to sides, not in front of torso (wouldn't display shirts well, if arms were blocking a design on front)
• preferably larger size than most

I started trolling eBay and looking at mannequin-makers sites, and I learned

• there's a lot of unhappy mannequins out there. Apparently, we'll take shopping more seriously if the mannequins look like the have a rob up their... oh, wait, they do...
• new mannequins are pricy. Not surprising, since they are sold to businesses that need them and use them for a long time (hopefully), so it's a real investment
• lots of amputeed cases on eBay - again not a surprise
• Plenty of cheaper stylized mannequins, and many, many never got past the 1980's.
• Plus-sized mannequins are very rare and you'll pay a pretty penny.

When I found the eBay listing for the mannequin who would be Avis, I was so excited. She was in tact, standing, arms at her sides, good price and the best part: she was smiling! It's rare to see a mannequin smiling, let alone showing teeth. She was to be mine.

Happily, I won the auction. I paid $120 for her. Not bad at all. So, she was shipped from Vegas (love that fact too). She came in a big ol' box and here's the pictures of her homecoming

Avis's Homecoming

This is what I saw looking into the box.	One leg out.
Her head and torso	Look at those gams!
She's surprising unphased by her lack of arms	Armed and ready.
She has the name Audrey written on the bottom of her torso. I like the name Audrey, and know a great Audrey, but she was going to have a new name. Only problem - The knuckle of her left thumb was missing. I emailed the seller and asked if that was a pre-existing condition. She said she didn't know. Thus, I had to search through the huge box filled with styrofoam peanuts for the knuckle. There it was, as expected, at the very bottom. A little super-glue-assisted surgery and she was back in the game.
Here she is pre-modification.	Here she is post-modification.

I made a couple cosmetic changes. She came with a so-so brown wig. I gave her a black bob. Her eyes are glass and gorgeous, but the general complextion was ho-hum. I used my favorite nail polish to polish her nails and paint her lips. I brightened her teeth and darkened her brows slightly.

She is taller and skinnier than me, but she wears my clothes just fine (with the help of some bulldog clips in the back) and she's made a delightful model for my work so far. When I photograph he with the flash, I get some pics that are surprisingly realistic. I've had a good number of folks think she is real.

And there's Avis!