SALE at Two Daydreamers

There are a few items that are really well-priced at Two Daydreamers. Click on the name of the doll to go to the page and see the picture and details.


Madame Alexander's 21" Lust Cissy   Regular price: $349.95Sale price: $184.95 

I won't bore you with the 10" Cissettes that are also on sale but there is a nice selection available. 


Tonner's 17.5" Heart Stopper Regular price: $209.99Sale price: $144.99

I like him but I think he'd scare my smaller dolls.

Tonner's 16" Noir #99 Regular price: $249.99 Sale price: $149.99

Don't ask me why I paid almost full retail price.

 Tonner's 16" Ferse  Regular price: $199.99 Sale price: $129.99

There are quite a few dolls available from the last Tonner Convention and the subsequent Halloween Convention. This is the time to get them!

Two Daydreamers has a Clearance Tab filled with goodies and I like browsing there. Just remember - check eBay and other sources before buying because you will find wildly varying prices. 
Unfortunately, the 21" 85th Anniversary Cissy will never be reduced to a price I am willing to pay.  Original retail price was $1,699.95. "Sale" price $749.99. Ridiculous. I'd rather spend it on a new Sybarite.

 

Royale #82, FDA Marcella, Sybarite Toxica

Royale #82 has arrived after a long delay. Her gown is stunning with it's fine pleating detail. It's a lovely miniature work of couture. This is the second new TDLM doll I have received whose hair looks quite different from the promotional photos.
Here's the promo:

Here's the actual:

The color is totally different. The curls on mine are rather haphazard - but I can fix that. I like the way the sculpt looks in my picture but it just looks different because of the lighting. I shot my picture outside with an iPhone in the cold winter sun just a few minutes ago.

Marcella got a hair makeover. I cut off all of her awful hair, which is something I should have done a long time ago, and styled a Monique wig to suit her. Much improved in my opinion.

Finally, my new beauty, Toxica, hasn't had any face time in front of a real camera yet. She waits patiently. It's not easy when one's doll room and photo studio are not on the same floor of a house.

Tonner's Theatre de la Mode Midnight #63

This is one of the three new TDLM releases from Robert Tonner. I did not purchase the dressed doll as I did  Noir #99. I thought they looked too much alike.
Here is the promotional image.

My model is Scintillating Ashleigh.

I'm sure you know how it is when you buy something because it's part of a collection even when you don't want it? That's what happened with Midnight. It's a pretty dress but it would be most suitable for an afternoon funeral. It has some nice shirring detail on the bodice and the fabric is lovely but beyond that it's blah. I couldn't get the feather headpiece to stay on Ashleigh's hair - I didn't try very hard. My dress has a construction defect in that the closure at the neck causes the bow to be off center. That actually creates some interest. Perhaps it's not a defect. I would LOVE to see the original TDLM dress from which this design was taken.

Do you remember Purely Platinum?

I still have this TDLM Tyler doll - but not the dress. I think Midnight and Platinum would look beautiful displayed next to each other.  I wonder why Royale #82 is taking so long. It should have been released in early December.

My Favorite Dolls of 2011

Last night I went through my 2011 doll database and pulled my favorites of this year.

From Integrity Toys I chose five dolls, four of whom are FR2 dolls and one, believe it or not, is Fauxnessa. You may ask why Fauxnessa made the list when I am one of those who loved the original Vanessa sculpt. Well, this is a gorgeous doll. The other Fauxnessa, Monaco Royale, is one of this year's losers but Dress Code, the first Fauxnessa, was a winner.
I wasn't exactly sure that Flawless Elise was a 2011 doll or a 2010 doll because she took months to arrive with the proper skin tone and a properly created hairstyle but I love her along with every other Elise that's been released. Dasha is a total winner in my book and Tatyana, whose sculpt I do not care for that much made the list for her overall package - hair, makeup, dress. I just have to get rid of those black lines at the outside crease of her lips.

Tatyana, Dasha, Elise, Elise & Fauxnessa.

Quite a few Barbies and a few Silkstone dolls were added to my collection but were not considered for this end-of-year list. I tire of Barbie dolls very quickly and the Silkies, although pretty to look at, just hang out looking fabulous. However, one Mattel doll did survive the cut—Klimpt Barbie. She made it because of the back story and she is pretty. She doesn't have that pasted on smile most Barbie dolls have and her hair is adorable. A bonus is that she's not on the Model Muse body.

Angelic Dreamz' JAMIEshow Grace was a winner. I have posted many photographs of her on this blog as she is wonderful in front of the camera.

These two Ellowynes from Wilde Imagination are among the winners: An Empty Thrill and Dark Shadows.

Among the other Tonner dolls is Heart on My Sleeve. She was produced prior to 2011 but I didn't get her until mid year. This doll is from the Wizard of OZ Reimagination line. She is a creative version of the Tin Man and I think she's fabulous.

The first of the new wave of Theatre de la Mode dolls was Noir #99. This doll has a stunning sculpt.  She, too, is a fabulous photo model. Sadly, the second new TDLM, Royale #82, has not arrived as of this writing.

From the Halloween Convention came the Red Queen, with another amazing sculpt. She is so wonderfully evil-looking.

Saving the best for last...

Devon, one of Paul Pham's Numina and an FDQ exclusive released in December 2010. I was thrilled to get her. If you have never held a Numina body or seen one without clothes, you are missing something excellent! And, I am expecting the newest Numina any day now.

Talc and Geometry. What can I say other than, who knew? If their bodies had not been redesigned to allow better positioning and posing I would have not taken the plunge.

Many more have come and many have gone. I've made a few impulsive buying mistakes for stupid little stuff.
My main focus has moved back to larger dolls again. I found it very easy to sell what some would consider 'grail' Fashion Royalty dolls in order to fund my other desires. However...this year I was able to add several Tiny Kitty dolls that I was never able to get. They are still safely NRFB waiting to move to a new home - we're all waiting for that day.

I'd love to hear from all of my readers about your favorite dolls of 2011.

Tonner Doll Co. November Product Release

It's so nice to have a juicy, doll-filled release compared to the mini releases we've had this past half year. I like it better this way.

The two new Theatre de la Mode dolls will make an appearance in my collection for sure. If you are familiar with the Theatre de la Mode Archive on the Tonnerdoll.com website, you will know that pictures of the original creations are posted as well as those of Robert's dolls. I hope to see the originals of these fashions, too. Robert has purchased 10. Now we've seen three.

ROYALE #82: $224.99 Retail
Royale is very reminiscent of the Gene Marshall style. I'm guessing that many Gene collectors will flock to this one. The gown has detailed pleating and draping and is floor-length. A full-length picture was not available on the Tonner blog, although there is a short video of Robert introducing her in which you can see the whole doll. Edition size not given.

MIDNIGHT #83 $199.99 Retail My first thought when I saw this dress was of a past TDLM release called Purely Platinum (see small picture-white dress.) The hairstyle looks similar as does the shape of the garment. Edition size not given.

The sculpt is being called the TDLM sculpt. That's awkward. She needs a name.  Will she be used for the rest of the new TDLM releases?  Will we get a separate fashion or two? That would be nice. It would cost nearly as much as the dressed doll as the bulk of the cost in producing a doll is the fashion.

 _____________________

Dazzling Tyler Wentworth  Retail $224.99  LE300
I absolutely adore the wigged hair. This is the original Tyler sculpt.

Click here to see the rest of the releases and two videos of Robert introducing dolls.

Many retailers will discount 15% off the retail prices now. Angelic Dreamz is offering free shipping as well for purchases over $100.

Fun Photoshoot

I had lots of fun taking pictures today. In the back of my mind I kept hearing "Believe in the power of play." I believe it.
First - my Portuguese shipping buddy bought two new Vanessas. Delivered here first, they had to be photographed with their twins.
Ignore the stand in the first picture. These dolls have such wobbly bodies and I was lazy. After all, it was play, not work. My Miami Shine is wearing one of Eugenia's 2011 convention gift set outfits. Her shoes and handbag are La Boutique POM. My Obisidian is wearing a dress made by SL Doll Fashions and her bag and shoes are also La Boutique POM. I never liked Obsidian's original outfit with the chest-baring jacket but I still love both dolls. They are beautiful.

When the Dolls in Oz Monogram exclusive doll was released, I did not buy her. Ultimately I did get the doll but it wasn't until the other day that I got the ensemble. I hated the oversized bow so I removed it and stuck it on Dreamscape's head. I'm thinking of attaching a little tulle to create a hat. I like the outfit much better now. I do not have a single doll outfit in this shocking pink color. The fabric is lush and the cape is enormous. I'm glad I waited until one came along at a good price.

Last but not least, I played with the Queen of Hearts and the most recent Theatre de la Mode doll. Both are wearing Antoinette fashions. The silver crown is a Franklin Mint item. The rest of the jewelry is from varied sources.
I have decided that they are sisters. I rarely give my dolls specific personae but these dolls have great sculpts with strong personalities. They both have wonderful high cheekbones and are fantastic to photograph. I am so happy that I got this centerpiece, not just for the doll which anyone could have purchased but also because I got the throne. It's a wonderful prop.

Noir #99 ~ Theatre de la Mode

I finally took a few pictures of this new Theatre de la Mode doll. I had to have her replaced because her hair top thing looked like a spaceship that had only partially landed. This is much better.

I need to rethink the background as there's not enough of a separation of tone. Sometimes I have to show the less successful images or you're liable to think I'm perfect.

Sale Alert: Theatre Da La Mode, NOIR #9

Tonner Doll Co., Theatre Da La Mode, NOIR #99
If you hesitated to purchase this doll because of her high price, original retail $240.99, you can buy her now for $169.99.  I should have waited as I paid $210 for mine. I was so excited that Robert continued the TDLM series, I had to pre-order. Never again. Famous last words.

Angelic Dreamz is having a sale on in stock Tonner items. Click on the photo to go to AD.

Theatre de La Mode "Noir #99"

After a long wait, Robert Tonner has given us a new Theatre de La Mode doll called Noir #99.  Mine arrived the other day and normally I wouldn't present a new doll with the plastic protective lining still on but since I'm in the midst of packing my dolls, this one is not getting displayed yet.
This was a high priced vinyl doll at $210. Full retail is near $249.99. Was she worth it? I hate that question but I have to answer, not really.

Take a look at the hair on the promo doll below,

...and the hair on my doll:

It looks like something has landed or is about to take off. This is not acceptable and I am considering bringing her to the doll doctor for reworking. I am very disappointed with this hair.

Her dress is lovely and looks exactly like the promo. The usual Tonner snaps have been replaced by a well inserted zipper. The black gloves come with nude liner gloves. The shoes are simple black pumps and the jewelry, besides the sewn on bauble, is rhinestone studs and 'tennis' bracelet.

In spite of being unsuccessfully executed, the hairstyle is daring.

Noir #99 has a new sculpt and Antoinette body with blue eyes, blonde hair and the cameo skin tone. I would have been happier if Tyler's sculpt and body were used instead.