12/23/2016

My Tonner Doll Retrospective Part I

Of course now, that we all know that Tonner's proprietary lines are retired, our older dolls become more precious. I'll be taking look-backs at some of my favorite photos. I don't remember the names of all the dolls and I have at a few thousand Tonner doll photos. This may take time.
Hope you enjoy as I enjoy looking through my archives.


Kit wearing Ghost of Christmas Present


Angelina


Antoinette - I could do an entire page on Antoinette!




Ava Gardner


Cami

Spring Flowers Ballet

That's it for now.

12/22/2016

Goodbye Tonner Doll Company; Hello Phyn & Aero!


A letter from Robert Tonner was sent out a few minutes ago. This is not a surprise to me. There has been so many changes made to staff and lines recently that I knew something was going to happen.  I am sure that other collectors as well and myself wish him huge success. It was Tonner's creations that set me on the path to doll collecting.

Tonner’s 25th Anniversary Year re-cap: 2016 has been, perhaps, the most momentous year of my life. Celebrating 25 years of creating dolls and accessories was really kind of humbling. Culling through photographs of past events and seeing the faces of people getting so much joy out of the dolls and events we’ve produced was truly heartwarming. It reminds me yet again of how lucky I’ve been to enjoy a hobby that turned into a career and a business.
I’ve frequently been asked what have been the greatest accomplishments of my last 25 years in this business and there are definitely some standouts:
-My first New York Toyfair, sitting at a single table in our tiny booth and selling out everything I brought in the first few hours.
-The first Tyler Wentworth dolls arriving at our warehouse and eventually shipping to retailers.
-The Betsy McCall and Mary Engelbreit licensed products that were so cherished and charming.
-Being the only company to produce Harry Potter dolls for six years.
-Ellowyne Wilde and the creation of Wilde Imagination, which allowed me to move in an entirely new direction.
-All of the employees who have supported me along the way, whether they believed in what I was doing, or not!
Currently, I’m spending a great deal of time learning (and hopefully mastering) some very new computer sculpting programs that, combined with state-of-the-art production capabilities, provide an entirely new method of creating dolls. I call it the “New Art of Doll Making™” and I’m really excited about what we’ll be doing in 2017 and beyond. It’s also awakened a pioneering spirit in me again and I’ve decided it’s time to completely re-think what we offer to collectors. Therefore, although Tonner will continue to make all of our established licensed products such as DC, Gone with the Wind, Outlander, etc., all of our proprietary lines, as well as those of Effanbee and Wilde Imagination, are being discontinued.
A new company is being launched and it’s called Phyn & Aero. We will be introducing three new lines in 2017 in collaboration with innovative (and incredibly talented) new designers. I really feel it’s time to broaden our perspectives and see what some fascinating (and younger!) designers create for our collectors. I believe the collector market needs a major shake-up and I’m quite sure this will be it!
As always, I’m so grateful for all the love and support you’ve shown to me over the years. I am also terrifically excited about the direction we’re heading in and hope you will join us along the way in this new, incredibly exciting adventure!



       To Robert: 
Thank you for all the beautiful dolls and clothes over the years. Thank you for being a kind and humble man. I wish you all good things.
 Most Sincerely,
Terri