A Day of Ennui with Robert Tonner and Ellowyne...sigh.

Today I attended a luncheon at the Wiltwyck Country Club which is only 13 miles from my home. I love that I live so close to the Tonner hub. Who knew when I moved to Woodstock that I would be collecting dolls? It's really a big coincidence...or is it?
Anyway...it was fun. Everyone looked great. There were the usual fantastic raffle prizes none of which came home with me. I consider the cost of my 80 tickets a donation. There were competition dolls and all of them looked like winners to me.
Upon arrival we were greeted with a cute canvas tote inside of  which was an Ellowyne item of clothing or outfit, a book of Ellowyne poetry, some postcards and a catalog.
There was a big bowl of lovely mood rings at the registration table. Mine didn't change color until I put it inside my bra for a while. Hey, a table full of women usually gets a little raunchy.
Dessert was good and I would have been happy to have eaten just that. It was a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on a puff pastry shell drizzled with either chocolate sauce or strawberry sauce. And then the server brought a trough of whipped cream to the table. Heaven. I love whipped cream.
The centerpiece was Prudence:

The event souvenir was Ellowyne "A Day of Ennui" (of course):

The companion doll was Amber, "No Ennui, Just Me!" I didn't even know this character existed! I love her snooty face.

All the dolls have inset eyes and applied lashes. I think that makes them even more special. The additional dolls were $150. plus NYS tax which is 8%, give or take a fraction, bringing the total to $162.
After the event those who wished to purchase additional dolls did just that. There were plenty of dolls to buy. I'm guessing the extras will be offered through the Tonner Store so if you are interested, keep an eye out for announcements at the Tonner Direct website.
We were invited back to the store after lunch to have dolls signed and to spend more money. Everything in the store (except event dolls) was available to us for 20% off the current price. Dealers do not carry Wilde Imagination products so there is no discount unless they go on sale directly from WI.  I made up my mind before I left the luncheon that I would buy the Wilde Rose Vanity and Stool I have been eyeing for two years.

Image property of Wilde Imagination

Yes, I had controlled that impulse for so long (while ignoring others and letting them run rampant.) But I broke down and ordered it. After all it was a bargain at 20% off.  I wanted it-emphasis on the word wanted.
Do you notice how effectively I have stopped buying dolls larger than 12 inches tall? Now that I have Ellowyne dolls again, they need a little furniture, right?

Fashion Night Out at Bergdorf Goodman accompanied by a Jason Wu doll!

It won't go on sale until Friday, September 10 but the W Club and Bergdorf's has released the information and pictures of a new doll inspired by Jason's Resort Collection.

The price of the doll is $150. Will you be ordering one or more?

Read about Fashion Night Out in the New York Times.

Disturbingly Low Prices on Dolls on Sale ;-)

Today Maddies Dolls (Canada) announced a sale on Gene Marshall, Fashion Royalty, Avantguard and some Mattel dolls. The  Avantguard doll, "No Exaggeration" is on sale for $140.  Is anyone else gagging?  It seems that everyone is trying to dump the last three Avantguard dolls. Perhaps the next release will take into consideration the desires of collectors. That would be nice.
I say 'disturbingly low' only because I paid full retail for some of these dolls and it wasn't even that long ago.
I'm used to this happening with Tonner dolls but not with Integrity dolls. Ugh.
It also seems that the ITBE line is so unpopular, they can barely give them away. That's what happens when you call an inexpensive doll an "entry level collectible." My Monster High dolls, at retail, cost less and come with cute accessories and trendy/funky clothes.
Here is the link for Maddies Dolls. They do ship internationally.

Great Sale on Gene Marshall Items at Integrity Toys Direct

Madra Lord "The Jeweled Cat" is on sale for $139.99. That is a bargain at 1/2 of retail. Many, many more dolls and fashions at very good prices. Go!

Integrity Toys



Added on August 18th:
There are other items on sale, too. But as Uriah commented below, none of us was notified by email or announcement that there was going to be a sale. I think they're afraid we'll crash the server - we've done it. Hehe. More power to the collectors!

Canon 7D vs. Barbie Video Girl

Picture of the Week Award ~ Al Gudka

I came upon this stunning photograph of the new Mini Avantguard doll Androgyny on the W Club board.

 Property of Al Gudka

Al's photography is  a favorite of mine. He's a master of composition. You will come across his posts not only on the W board but also on Doll Divas and BC.Com.

Here are the answers Al sent to my questionnaire:

-This gorgeous doll is the Mini-Clone Androgyny AvantGuards with her original wig

-No changes were made to the doll itself, but I did release the wig's ponytail

-She is wearing the Barbie by Jonathan Adler dress; corset and stockings from Aerodynamic Vanessa; shoes from last year's W Club Eugenia; jewelry from Flight Pattern Kyori

-The Hows:

• The camera I used was a 15 megapixel Canon Powershot G10
• For the backdrop I used a white foam-filled poster board; doll is leaning against it
• The only prop was a little desk fan that doubled as a large industrial fan in 1/6th scale
• For lighting I used a cluster of three 35 watt daylight florescent bulbs placed directly in front of, and slightly above the doll, at approx 6 ft away.  I hung a large sheet of tracing paper 2 feet in front of the lamps.  This diffused the light and made it look like natural light.

-My inspiration for this shot was some behind the scenes footage of model Gisele Bundchen during a photo shoot.

-The biggest suggestion I would give to budding photographers is to get acquainted with Photoshop.  It can transform a dull, lifeless photo into a brilliant, high contrast eye-catcher. It is also indispensible when it comes to white balancing your photos if your camera can't do it properly.  I see so many beautiful photos that have been unintentionally marred by green or yellow color casts. 

__________

Thanks for sharing your expertise with us, Al. 

Instant Gratification Dolls

Every now and then you just need to have a new doll immediately. At 9:30 PM tonight I found myself in that situation and off to Walmart I went. I live in nowheresville and 9 miles away is a slightly larger nowheresville called Kingston, NY. We have dollar stores and CVS by the dozen. Our Walmart and Toys R Us are not mega stores so the pickings are usually quite slim. The Barbie fraction of an aisle was kind of barren as I expected. The aisle over had lots of big head Livs and Moxies and tiny pet thingies. But I spied some Monster High dolls and snatched up the two that I wanted. I almost ordered these several weeks ago but stopped at the last minute.

Four individual characters were there but I chose the two without fangs. They are Lagoona Blue , Daughter of the Sea Monster, and Frankie Stein, Daughter of Frankenstein (Duh.)

At under $38. for both (that includes NY tax), I got a kick out of them. They're more articulated than any Barbie doll ever made! Dressed in their platform heels, they measure 11". Add another 1/4 inch with the stand. Each girl has a pet. Lagoona Blue's pet is a piranha that goes inside her fishbowl handbag. So cute. Frankie Stein's pet is a dog who is stitched together, just like his owner. He also has angel wings. Does that mean he is dead and risen? 
The little details on their outfits are hilarious like the lightning bolt on Frankie's belt. Lagoona has webbed hands and lovely aqua streaks in her hair.
Their forearms are removable. These dolls are skinny with giant heads but it works and it's fun and now I want the Deuce Gorgon and Cleo de Nile gift set. It never ends.

Did I mention they're made by Mattel?

Integrity Toys Announces New Dynamite Girls for Fall/Winter

Three Dynamite Girls were announced yesterday. They are all LE 300 and the SRP is $54.99. The last wave of DG dolls were $40 each.

 From left to right they are:  Aria, Eltin, Neve,  Dressed in cute cold weather fashions they will be available at dealers late September/early October.  I wonder if the cute chair will be an item for sale. I like it.

It was also announced that there will be lower shipping rates. In their email Integrity says, "Integrity has been able to negotiate special online rates with both UPS and USPS, so you should see reduced shipping fees across the board on every order." I didn't know one could negotiate with the United States Postal Service.  I'm going to have to find out about that one. USPS and UPS have always had commercial rates.  What I think is more likely is that the service/handling charges have been added to the product prices so they won't show up in the shipping.

I ship cartons and packages all the time and I've shipped hundreds of items. I haven't negotiated lower rates.  When I weigh packages from Integrity they are always under the weight charged for. Last month (July) I received a carton containing 5 Gene Marshall replacement bodies. The carton weighed exactly 4.5 pounds although it said 6 pounds.  Via Priority Mail with $150. worth of insurance, the cost would be between $11.50 and $12.40 total. I was charged $23.95 for shipping.

Just to check, I logged into the Integrity store. The Gene Marshall (16") bodies are no longer available but the Fashion Royalty bodies are. Of course they weigh 25% less since they are for 12" dolls. I ordered 5 bodies and the USPS shipping came to $17.15. That's still way too high IMO.

However, it sounds like they are listening to the customers on this issue and it's a good sign that they are attempting to address the issue.

Tonner Fall/Winter 2010 Line ~ Part 4

There are many more new releases in the Fall/Winter Tonner line than I will post on my blog. In this final installment, I will just post some of the more notable ones.
Unfortunately there are no pictures yet of the "Vintage Revlon Collection - 10.5" Little Miss Revlon." Is the Tiny Kitty/Simone Rouge line done? I hope not.
Two great-looking male dolls have been added to the team.
From Firefly - Jayne Cobb, LE 1000,  $179.99 

Jayne Cobb/Adam Baldwin Head Sculpt; 17" Male Athletic Body w/ Blue Eyes and Brunette Wigged Hair

From Lord of the Rings - Legolas Greenleaf, LE 1500, $159.99

17" Matt Body, Pale Blonde Hair Hair/Blue Eyes

Orlando Bloom Head Sculpt w/ 17" Matt O'Neill™ Body

To the already fabulous Wizard of Oz line, Tonner has added three fantastic characters with a new interpretation: "Beauty and Brains" LE500,  $199.99

DeeAnna Denton™ Head Sculpt scaled to the 16" Antoinette™ Body w/ Brown Eyes and Cameo Skintone 

She looks like Lorena from True Blood.

"Heart on My Sleeve" LE500, $189.99

Duchess Head Sculpt and 16" Antoinette™ Body w/ Grey Eyes and Cameo Skintone 

I want this doll!

 "Hear Me Roar!" LE500, $199.99

Antoinette™ Head/Body Sculpt and Brown Eyes and Honey Skintone 

Wow! These are imaginative and creative and would be so much fun to have and display. I'd like to see them side by side with their 16" counterparts from 2007. 

All of the images in this post are the property of Tonner Doll Co. The last image is a combination of three.

Tonner Fall/Winter 2010 Line ~ Part 3

Robert Tonner continues to expand the beautiful old Hollywood theme with the introduction of "Gowns by Anne Harper" Collection. This collection consists of two new sculpts on two basic dolls and three dressed dolls. There are four separate fashions. The 'vintage' styling and period detailing truly bring out the best of Tonner as his Theatre de la Mode collection did previously.  All dolls have Tyler Wentworth's body.

Carol Barrie (Basic) LE500; $89.99 and Anne Harper (Basic) LE500; $89.99

Anne Harper LE 250, $174.99

Star Power (Carol Barrie) LE 250, $204.99

Hollywood Treasure (Carol Barrie) LE 250, $184.99

Outfit Only: Fresh Take LE500 $114.99

Outfit Only: The Angel's Deception LE500 $114.99

 

 

 The images of two additional outfits were not ready at press time. "A Sensible Notion" and "Venus Rising." Both are priced at $114.99.

I think this is a stunning collection with fabulous fashions. The sculpts are lovely. Bravo Mr. Tonner on these new additions.

Tonner Fall/Winter 2010 Line ~ Part 2

The Antoinette Line has several new entries.
First up a wigged, blue-eyed gal with Bloom skintone. She is called "Glowing Muse Basic: Bloom." She comes dressed in a cute pink teddy with lace panties and black pumps. LE 1000; $124.99

Tonner Doll Co.

Tonner Doll Co.

There is no mention of pre-ordering with this new batch of Antoinette items. I wonder how that went.

 
I like the next two dressed dolls very much but there is no way I'm going to spend that much money on a doll at this time.

"Charmant"  LE150 $209.99

16" Antoinette™ Body w/ Lavender Eyes and Bloom Skintone; Dark red hair.

Glowing shantung top with blouson detailing, paired with a frothy embroidered lace flared skirt. Beaded floral jewelry, pantyhose, faux leather high-heeled shoes, and matching veiled hat also included. Includes display stand.

Tonner Doll Co.

 

"Jolie" LE150 $199.99

16" Antoinette™ Body w/ Green Eyes and Cameo Skintone; Light brunette hair.

Lithe chiffon gown under a finely tailored jacket trimmed with plush fur trim. Beaded jewelry, pantyhose, faux leather shoes, and matching feather trimmed hat also included. Includes display stand.

Tonner Doll Co.

Both of these gals are a bit on the overdressed side. I think that Jolie has enough going on with just the beautiful dusty rose gown, the jewelry and her hair. The hat and the jacket will make another wonderful outfit over a simple fashion. I definitely would love to have this doll!

There are four new blank faced mannequins and for the first time there is a black Antoinette. The color is called onyx. The listing says she has blonde hair but obviously that's an error.  LE 500; $49.99

Tonner Doll Co.

Two separate fashions round out the new collection. 

"Precocious" LE250 $109.99

Tonner Doll Co.

 

 

 

"Tantalizing" LE250 $99.99

Gladiator-type shoes are so over.  

Tonner Fall/Winter 2010 Line ~ Part 1

I'll begin with the doll that I think is the worst of the lot. That would be the new 13" Supergirl. LE 1000 $139.99

Property of Tonner Doll Company

Why wasn't her hair combed properly for her photo debut? What is the lump at the crown of her head?  I have the feeling that Storm Photo, Tonner's professional photographer, did not take this picture.

OMG. Her face is so large, I can't believe it.  She ties with the event exclusive Little Miss Revlon for the huge jaw look I find quite unattractive.

It's a shame because the 16" Supergirl shown below is my absolute favorite female sculpt of Tonner's to-date!

 ______________________________________________________________________

As part of the Cami & Jon Collection there is now a male named Andy Mills, Event Planner. This is an adorable young man with a cool nerdy look.

Tonner Doll Co.

His description states that he's got the 17" Matt O'Neill Body, blue eyes and wigged brunette hair. 

LE 500; Retail Price is  $179.99. 

Who's That Lady?

Tonner's New 2010 Fall/Holiday Line Goes Live at 5PM Today

Stay Tuned

Tonner Direct Introduces Ultra Basic Male Dolls in New Skin Tones

Matt and Russell have been released in new skin tones. Matt is a sickly pale cameo shade and Russell has been whitewashed to a Jac skintone. Both have long hair pulled  back into a pony tail. They are 17" tall and do not come with a stand. Each is an edition of 300 and retails for $59.99. If you purchase both at Tonner Direct your cost will be $109.99.

Television's "MadMen" Roger Sterling Silkstone Doll

 It was pretty cool getting a Silkstone doll box that looked like this:
 

 Inside was Roger Sterling. I knew from the promo pictures that Mattel still has not figured out how to make a man's suit that fits and sits properly on a doll but I wanted this doll anyway.

He's staying in the box. I have no other male Silkstones as Ken does not appeal to me. Honestly, this one doesn't either but it's unique so it's here.

W Club Mini Androgyny - Aphrodisiac Giftset

A nice sized box arrived the other day. It looked exactly like an Avantguard doll box. Opening it and peering inside at the two dolls was a really satisfying feeling. You know how it is when your expectations of a doll are met. It just makes you feel happy.

It is amazing that these two, who sport the Monogram sculpt, looked just like their bigger sisters. Actually, this mini Androgyny is prettier than the larger version. The outfits are almost exactly the same as well. I had heard that there was an issue with Andro being stained but mine did not have a mark on her. The pant suit is very, very tight and the fabric looked a little shaggy. The wigs, which are not shown, fit very well.  Each wig came packaged in its own teeny hatbox. The stands have the AG symbol on them - again exactly the same as the maxi AGs.

The new packaging sports little green rectangles here and there which are the moisture protectors being used now instead of the silica packets. Although there are a few packets amongst the accessories.

I decided that I didn't need to duplicate the outfits in miniature so I have redressed these dolls.
Androgyny is wearing a Kio wig, the outfit from Incandescent Monogram and carrying a Purse of the Month pink leather bag. Her diamond pin is from a Gene Marshall fashion. I have removed the hooks from the jacket as I like it better open and the hooks didn't look good.

I thought Aphrodisiac's exaggerated makeup would work with the outfit from Mina, Bride of Dracula. She is wearing a wig made for Puki Puki dolls. The pin on her lapel is from Facets. It attaches by means of a small magnetic disc.

I love these two dolls redressed. Because they are wigged gals, there are so many play possibilities. The giftset earns a 9 out of 10.  It's a winner.