Ellowyne Wilde Pattern Book

Doll Reader Magazine announced the opening of the pre-order period for the Ellowyne Wilde Pattern Book. If you order between December 1, 2011 and January 1, 2012 you will get a 25% discount off the regular price of $19.99 ($15.99.) Shipping is free in the U.S. and Canada. They do ship overseas for a fee. Click on the picture below to go to the Doll Reader promotional page.

Books will begin shipping January 15, 2012.

JAMIEshow Swan Lake Dolls

Angelic Dreamz presented their Halloween 2011 mini collection, Swan Lake. These dolls utilize the JAMIEshow Grace sculpt. The White Swan is a Doll Reader Exclusive. What follows is an article from their website by Toni Fitzgerald.

Ying and yang. Black and white. Good and bad. The push and pull of two complete opposites that are nonetheless connected has long fascinated George Gonzalez, who runs the Angelic Dreamz store in Canandaigua, N.Y. When Gonzalez was considering themes for his Halloween mini collection for the JAMIEshow line, he was intrigued by the idea of a doll taken from the same mold but representing two extremes. And that's what collectors get with Black Swan and White Swan, two different versions of the same doll.
Doll Reader is offering White Swan to readers as an exclusive limited edition of 50. The doll, available for purchase in October, is truly breathtaking. Like her sister doll Black Swan, which Angelic Dreamz is selling, White Swan is based on the ballet "Swan Lake."
"We chose 'Swan Lake' because of its beautiful story and dark undertones," says Gonzalez, who says he is a big fan of ballet, particularly modern. "We also chose 'Swan Lake' because it is a ballet and our dolls, with their incredible articulation, fine lines of design, and mobility, lent themselves perfectly for the grace that is ballet."
Indeed, White Swan looks as though she might dance right into your living room. Like other JAMIEshow designs, she is a 16-inch (41-cm) resin, ball-jointed doll with 19 points of articulation. But she also has some new innovations that doll collectors will really enjoy.
"An added new feature to these dolls is that they have interchangeable feet and come with two sets of feet, one on pointe and the second regular high-heel feet," says Gonzalez. "As a company we are always striving for perfection and design ingenuity. Having feet on pointe that can be interchanged is just one of our innovations. The dolls also wear our new interchangeable rooted wig caps and come with an additional hard cap for wigs. This design aspect is a patented trademark only we produce."
Though the two dolls have the same mold, they are otherwise opposites. As fans of the ballet (or the recent Natalie Portman movie "Black Swan") know, "Swan Lake" tells the story of Odette, a beautiful princess who has been kidnapped by an evil sorcerer, who turns her into a swan. In the ballet, the part of the fair and gentle Odette is danced by the same ballerina who plays the sorcerer's dark daughter, Odile. The vile Odile dresses up like Odette and steals a declaration of love from her suitor. Odette, of course, is the virtuous White Swan while Odile is the daring Black Swan.
“I’ve always enjoyed the story of ‘Swan Lake,’” says Doll Reader editor Kathryn Peck. “It wonderfully lends itself to interpretation, and the costumes are gorgeous. When George approached us with the opportunity to partner with him in offering these two amazing dolls, we jumped at the chance.”
"The way the two are represented in the doll is completely different," Gonzalez says. "The White Swan is dressed in white, which typically symbolizes goodness and purity, and her face-up is also light and soft. The Black Swan is dressed in black, and her dress made of black feathers is coarse. Her makeup is dark, and she has a completely different look than the White Swan."
Doll collectors will agree that these yin-and-yang dolls do have at least one other thing in common: They're both irresistible.

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HOW TO PURCHASE

White Swan, dressed doll. LE 50. $430 (USD). Free shipping for US orders only. An additional shipping charge will be applied to all international orders.

    White Swan comes with a certificate of authenticity that identifies her as a Doll Reader exclusive and and will be available for sale exclusively through Doll Reader starting at 12:00 pm (EST) October 3, 2011.

To pre-order the Black Swan, visit Angelic Dreamz.

Here is a lovely video which features the two dolls, the White Swan and the Black Swan:

http://youtu.be/3-LiD9xze0k

Doll Reader Announces its 2011 DOTY Public's Choice Winners

Text from Doll Reader's announcement:
Following the January announcement of the 2011 Doll of the Year® (DOTY®) Industry’s Choice® awards winners at IDEX Premiere in Orlando, Fla., 83 dolls went on to compete for the esteemed DOTY® Public’s Choice® awards. Over the last few months, readers and members of the collecting public were asked to select their favorite dolls from this pool of Industry’s Choice® winners. And so, Doll Reader proudly presents the 2011 Doll of the Year® Public’s Choice® award winners.

    Check out pictures of all this year's award winners in the August/September issue of Doll Reader magazine, and stay tuned for the October issue where interview each award winner about their prize-winning doll and what’s next for them.

 

Children’s Play Doll
Black Velvet - Adora, Charisma Brands

Collectible Baby Doll
Amy - Doris Stannat, MasterPiece Dolls

Collectible Fashion Doll
Ava Gardner Hearts Ablaze - Tonner Doll Company

Collectible Ball-Jointed Doll
Alice - Ashton-Drake Galleries

Collectible Vinyl/Plastic Doll, Less than $175
Little Red Riding Hood - Joanne Flitton, Heartstring Dolls

Collectible Vinyl/Plastic Doll, More than $175
Jethe - Heidi Plusczok

Collectible Porcelain Doll
Journey - Karen Alderson, Charisma Brands

Collectible Miniature Doll, 8 Inches or Less
Tiny Bundle - Camille Allen

Collectible Manufacturer's Artist Doll, Less than $250
Flame Blue Vanessa Perrin Dressed Doll - Jason Wu, Integrity Toys

Collectible Manufacturer's Artist Doll, More than $250
Victoria Rose - Luciana Miglioranzi, Babies N Bubbles

Artist Ball-Jointed Doll
Mia - Lorella Falconi, Lorella Falconi Dolls

Artist Baby Doll
Sweet AlyMarie - Lori Ivanovic, Silver Spoon Nursery

Artist Miniature Doll
Katherine - Anna Hardman, Anna Hardman Dolls

Artist Doll, Less than $1,250
Apolonia - Zawieruszynski Originals  

Artist Doll, More than $1,250 + BEST IN SHOW!
Little Red Riding Hood - Hildegard Gunzel

One-Of-A-Kind Doll, Less than $1,250
Karley - Annette Hermann Originals

One-Of-A-Kind Doll, More than $1,250
Little Apache - Lynn Cartwright

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You can see the images for the rest of the winners on-line by searching using the name of the doll and the manufacturer. It's easier than clicking on the links which take you to a non-specific page.

Congratulations to the winners!

Haute Doll Confirms: Ceasing Publication

Here is the full text of an email I just received from Haute Doll:

Dear Valued Partner:

We wanted you to be among the first to know that after many wonderful years of publishing Haute Doll, we have decided to turn the publication over to Madavor Media/Doll Reader. Our last issue will be July/August, 2010.

We have decided to retire and go on to new adventures.

We know that Doll Reader will provide a great home for Haute Doll and will continue publishing Haute Doll within the pages of Doll Reader as a special supplement. Doll Reader has a strong reputation and following within the world of dolls and has the largest circulation of any doll publication. Their editorial content is written by world-renowned experts, and they keep the doll enthusiast up-to-date with the latest happenings.

The first issue will be included in the October issue of Doll Reader. Madavor is committed to serving all current subscribers and will provide you with additional audience of passionate, enthusiastic and loyal doll subscribers within their Doll Reader to expand your reach.

Madavor Media publishes other titles and manages trade shows including IDEX – the premiere trade show for dolls, bears and other fine gifts. These publications and shows are No. 1 in their respective fields in the collectible, sports, music and enthusiast markets. Through its print and digital magazines, trade shows, Web sites, e-mail newsletters and other partnerships across the publishing industry, Madavor offers unique ways to communicate with passionate consumers who are eager to learn more about products and events that support their interests.

We thank you for your support of Haute Doll over the years and have enjoyed working with you. We are excited that through Doll Reader, Haute Doll will be able to continue to provide excellent content and beautiful photos of the most fashionable dolls in the industry. If you have any questions about your subscription, please contact Madavor Media’s subscription department at 1-800-437-5828 or 617-706-9110.

Warm Regards,

Marlene Mura and Karen Caviale

Publishers, Haute Doll

How Many Alices Are There in Wonderland?

 Has the Alice in Wonderland theme been overdone? Yes, it's been going on forever. It's the definition of a classic. The story is an ageless one that has enchanted children and adults alike since it was written in 1865.  The story embodies the battles of good vs. evil, apathy vs. involvement, greed vs. generosity and on and on. Who doesn't identify some opposing characteristics in their own personality?

When I saw the numerous Wonderland dolls at IDEX in January, I was impressed by how many different companies and individual doll artists chose to do Alice themed dolls this year. It was not that surprising due to the Alice in Wonderland movie but seemed rather odd that there were so many.

Has one company 'done it right' above all others? No. With the variety of Wonderland themed dolls out there, it's foolish to compare.

I understand that some collectors have an irrational loyalty (also known as ass-kissing) to some manufacturers and so their praise for that company is endless. These people need to become educated about what's out there.

I have already posted the new Integrity Alice.

Tonner has produced several Wonderland character dolls and stunning fashions. 

This is Mattel's latest Alice:

Some others that may be available at different sources on the internet:


Madame Alexander Cloth Alice

Madame Alexander Alice

Living Dead Doll - Alice

Vogue Marge Meisinger's Alice Vintage Repro Ginny Doll

 Azone's Sahra in Wonderland

Pullip Fantastic Alice  (12")

Gwen Stefani "Tick Tock Gwen"

This is just a small sampling of Alice in Wonderland dolls. I've not even touched on the fantastic OOAK and artist dolls which are gorgeous and very pricey such as Maggie Iacono's "Painting the Roses Red" for $1,695.00 or R. John Wrights "Alice in Wonderland for $1,180.

 Doll Reader magazine has published several issues with cover stories that depict artist dolls that are Alice themed. 

There's no comparing one with the other. But...if a company decides to do Alice, one hopes that it's different from any Alice that's been done before and not just another run of the mill blond in a blue dress with a white apron.