The Tonner Sale

Yesterday my husband, dog and I traveled to Kingston, NY. We checked into the Hampton Inn and then met our daughter for a bite. On the way back to the hotel I suggested that we drive past the Tonner building on Wall St. to find out when the parade was taking place. Guess what? We arrived 10 minutes before the parade. That was a surprise and also the reason I didn't have my camera as it was back at the hotel. It was raining and very cold but we saw costumed Tonner staff leading the parade to the sound of bagpipes which scared the living daylights out of Rudy (the loud bagpipes scared him, not the Tonner staff.)  And when he saw the Cat in Hat in front of the store today, he wasn't too happy either.

The one smiling is my husband. Look at Rudy and the way he's looking at the costumed guy. Too funny.

Back to the sale.

This morning was the big sale at the Holiday Inn. The usual suspects were in attendance...those of us collectors from the tri-state area and now, Pennsylvania, a few Canadians and I guess the rest were locals. The ballroom had big round tables piled high with bagged, dressed dolls. In cartons around the room were bagged outfits and some boxed props. Those in the know practiced the grab and look later technique. One collector actually had her entire family outfitted with large bags into which they were instructed to take everything they could. It was fun and I am very happy with my gets. There were a few things I was disappointed to find out wouldn't fit any of my dolls - such as DeeAnna Denton's outfits, but I can sell those.
One doll I was happy to find was Neo Tokyo. I went knowing that I would be looking for him. I guess he wasn't that popular because there were many of him available.

I also got a beautiful Antoinette. I didn't even know she was Antoinette at first. I love her.

I've redressed her in one of the outfits I got.

In the background you can see one of my older Antoinettes wearing another new fashion.
I found a 13" Simone Rouge who is very pretty in person and will be the only other 13" companion my Bana Migdal has.

I picked up a bunch of Tyler Boutique tops and a bunch of NuMood tops and skirts.

Back at the store after the sale, collectors were invited to have Robert (as handsome as ever) sign their dolls and view the new Dr. Seuss dolls.  The rest of the Tonner staff was there to chat and help collectors in their pursuit of wonderful dolls.

I took a few pictures of the displays while Rudy was licking as many faces as possible.
There were many willing victims.

 I want the Reflections of Beauty Mirror. Please send me one.

 Woefully Romantic Ellowyne. Love her outfit!!!

 Have you seen the new bed in the Ellowyne line? It's divine and called Ennui Dreams. 

One of the packages waiting for me when I arrived home contained the Bugged collection from Superfrock.

 

A good dolly weekend? Yes. 

Happy Hanukkah!

 

Pomp & Circumstance Tulabelle

This is the new FR16 doll from Integrity Toys. She will be available for pre-order from your favorite dealer.  Information on pricing is not available until January, 2013.
Her name is Pomp & Circumstance Tulabelle. What her name has to do with the actual doll is a mystery to me. Tulabelle? Okay. Whatever.  The definition of Pomp and Circumstance is "formal ceremony." It is also the name of a famous march, part of which is often played at graduation ceremonies. The designers must have had a private thing going on with this doll to have named her thus.
With that little pinched nose and puckered lips, she must be a cousin of Poppy Parker. P&S T looks very young - almost child-like, as in a 10-year-old with make-up and mommy's clothes. Mommy's clothes are very cute.

On another FR16 note, it was revealed that having blended facial screening has become too expensive for Integrity Toys to use on it's dolls. David Butt posted information in a thread in which a few people expressed their preference for a softer, more blended look. He stated that "Airbrushing (the blended look you speak of) has become cost and labor prohibitive, so we no longer can do this on our dolls." 

The face on the left is that of Goldmine, an early edition Avantguard doll. The one on the right is the recently offered W Club doll, Saskia Tate. You can see the difference in screening styles. Many prefer the earlier airbrushed look including yours truly. These may be the same sculpt but the results are profoundly different. I don't collect their 16" dolls anymore.

The W Club is really changing. There is a big variety of dolls being offered now as opposed to when it started. It was all Fashion Royalty at that time. Pretty much every doll offered was a keeper and extremely special. Now there are lines offered that many do not collect at all. It certainly makes sense for IT to cater to all of it's collectors. But some of us are still waiting for the truly special ones to show up.

Believe it or not, not everyone collects Poppy Parker. GASP. We don't want all of our dolls to look like her.

Happy Holidays Sale at Cherished Friends

 
Just in case you need more dolls, both the PA and NJ branches of Cherished Friends are having sales:

PA store sale:

http://www.cherishedfriends.com/WeeklySaleHappyHolidays.html

NJ store sale:

http://www.cherishedfriends.com/ClearanceSaleNJ.html

The Epitome of Barbie-ness

I ordered this doll back in August and she is finally here. The Blonds Blond Diamond Barbie Doll is the epitome of Barbie-ness. The hair, the smile, the rhinestones, the body and the bling. It almost hurts to look at her. :P

I'm really surprised that I'm thinking about keeping her. The entire box came well tissued. It had a solid cover which opened to reveal a plastic lid, perfect for displaying the doll in the box.
She has nice applied lashes and her hair looks beautiful - that's a surprise. Why can't they get Silkstone doll hair to look like that?

If you are considering buying - do it now. She is a knockout. Just change the body to an articulated one and she's good to go.

Comical and Colorful Dr. Seuss

I was able to get two of the three Tonner Dr. Seuss fashions. They're colorful and outrageous. If you stare at them for too long, your eyes will hurt. :-)

Three BJDs Get Camera Time

In between decorating for the holidays and ordering stuff on-line I managed to get some picture taking done...finally!

First up is Jamieshow Alejandro. I need a really cool wig for him but for now, he's bald and still looks pretty good. He is my only male BJD and probably will always be the only one. His jacket and jeans are Jamieshow items as are the shoes.  I might need another outfit or two...

Next...Domina. This doll is just gorgeous. She is wearing Rosa Gloriosa, a SybMonde exclusive fashion. I have de-wigged all of my Sybarites but Domina is staying original. I think she is just perfect.

Last we have Neurotica. She is wearing Meeow. I forgot the name of the wig but it was a gift from a lovely friend in Portugal.

Meeow is a very strange and wonderful outfit but doesn't fit the new body perfectly. I think that in parts, it will be better than all together as it is now. The sweater has to go.

Barbie Adores Adam Lambert

I saw this a few minutes ago on Rebecca Berry's blog, Inside the Fashion Doll Studio, and had to share it here.

Barbie® Adores Adam Lambert

This doll is called "Barbie Adores Adam Lambert" and is up for auction on Charitybuzz.
Here is the text that describes the doll:

This show-stopping, spot-on likeness of Grammy-nominated Adam Lambert is the ultimate fan must-have! You’ll definitely want this original-one-of-kind “Trespassing” in your collection! Inspired by Adam’s performance with Queen at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, Mattel designer Carlyle Nuera meticulously recreated every detail of Adam’s concert look, right down to the spiked epaulettes on his leather jacket! Yes, Adam doll is wearing a real leather jacket; leather-look pants, gloves and boots are all rock-star worthy!

The Adam Lambert doll features a hand-painted face in Adam’s likeness and his signature tousled hairstyle. His mic is fully embellished with Swarovski crystals.

Your original one-of-a-kind collectible comes with a certificate of authenticity, a rockin’ display case, the bejeweled mic and mic stand shown.

Designed by Mattel designer Carlyle Nuera.

Terms: In condition as donated. Additional shipping charges may apply based upon the location of the winner. Cannot be returned or exchanged. Cannot be resold or re-auctioned.

Shipping and Handling The minimum shipping, handling and applicable insurance for this item is $39.95. Additional shipping charges may apply based upon the location of the winner. Hard copies of tickets, travel certificates and merchandise are shipped via FedEx or professional shipping service. Detailed redemption information for non-tangible items will be emailed to the winning bidder.
Donated by: Mattel

There are several Barbie themed auctions - not all of them are items I'd want in my collection.
For example:

Barbie™ Locks of Light Chandelier by Chris March

"Turn your home into a dream house with this truly one-of-a-kind chandelier. It was originally hand-crafted for the real-life Barbie™ Dream House 50th anniversary event in Malibu.

Designed by Project Runway finalist Chris March, the chandelier is made from flowing locks of Barbie hair and yes, it really works! "

Dimensions: 26” x 32”

About Charitybuzz

Seen on Facebook

Posted on Facebook by Mel Parker-Reeves:

The full version of "Taurus" by Cholo Ayuyao, wig by Patta Art, doll of course by Paul Pham. (repaint by ToyZoo...James in FL)

Jamieshow Holiday Collection

The centerpiece of the collection that Angelic Dreamz debuted today is the character Ginny as "Revelry." LE50  $475.00 She is available for pre-order and is expected to ship in December.

Description:

Ginny makes her debut as our Holiday 2012 doll Revelry. Dressed in red silk charmeuse.  Dress designed by Madeline Rose Couture.  With a new red bee-hive rooted wig cap and red bowed fabric shoes. This Ginny comes with hooked hands that are interchangeable but fixed.  Replacement and alternate hands are available in the Angelica Skin Tone and new style pop off hands are available and sold separately.

The furniture collection: a spectacular sofa, a chair and a gold coffee table.

The four wig caps are bee hive style in different colors.

Click HERE to go to Angelic Dreamz Holiday 2012 Collection

Sybarites and a Lazy Photographer

I'm the lazy one. Here are three of my girls with their stands showing. I am so back-logged with my picture taking, I just don't have the patience to do a whole thing with each shot.

Toxica, Talc and Geometry wearing Venetian, Summer and Basique Deux.

The pink and green wigs are from Sour Grapes. The Blonde wig is from Champ Pac.

Something Old and Something Even Older

I first saw Tonner's version of Marvel's Black Cat character figure at the store in Kingston. She was masked and I didn't look further. A few months later I saw her without the mask and I knew I had to have her. This doll is just gorgeous and I adore the Breathless head sculpt. She arrived last week. I plan to restyle her hair and redress her in something elegant.

A doll that I have wanted for years has finally joined the tribe. She is "Ghost of Christmas Future," the most popular of the three re-imagined Christmas Carol character figures from Tonner. I am so happy to finally have her. I was fortunate to get one whose owner never removed the protective body plastic so she is just like a new doll in spite of the fact that she was released in 2003! Here is the link to Tonner's archived page describing the three doll set:
Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol Collection

Each of the three ghosts used a different sculpt. Future's is the Emilie head sculpt.

Not Doll Related At All

Every now and then there is something so profound and moving that I feel very strongly about that I just have to post it on my blog. If you can't deal with this video which openly defines what is really underneath what is happening in the Middle East right now, leave now.

There are no pictures other than Glenn Beck talking. It's the message.

_______________________________________________

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“First they came…” is a famous statement attributed to pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) about the inactivity of German intellectuals following the Nazi rise to power and the purging of their chosen targets, group after group. There is some disagreement over the exact wording of the quotation and when it was created; the content of the quotation may have been presented differently by Niemöller on different occasions.<sup>[1]

One version:</sup>

First they came for the socialists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak for me.

Will anyone buy this? Really?

Even the title of the doll cracks me up: "Brazilian Banana Bonanza" Barbie Doll by Bob Mackie. Say that quickly 3 times.

She is listed at $150. That's $140. for the long name and $10 for the bananas.  

Here's the promo copy from Mattel:

Designed by: Robert Best

Release Date: 11/15/2012

Product Code: W3515

She’s a glamazon from the Amazon, a Latin bombshell as hot and steamy as Rio. This tutti fruitti beauty celebrates the vibrant rhythms of Brazil: the sultry samba, the bossa nova. And while performing in her tropical wonderland, the perfect, jazzy fashion fantasy is festooned with brilliant yellow bananas!
Bob Mackie draws inspiration from a South American paradise. Brazilian Banana Bonanza™ Barbie® wears an exuberant, white-and-lime striped sarong. The dramatic skirt is edged with a bounty of “bananas.” Her basket headpiece holds “fruit” and hibiscus “blossoms.” Lace up platform sandals and colorful earrings and bangles complete her look. The final pièce de résistance is her favorite companion— an exotic “feathered” friend.

Good grief.

BTW  It's spelled tutti frutti, not tutti fruitti.

Tonner Launches Dr. Seuss Collection

Image courtesy Tonner Doll Company, Inc. Photography ©ernestopadrocampos. ©Tonner Doll Company, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Cat's hat

LE 500

$189.99

Truffula

LE 500

$189.99

 Sam I Am 

 LE 500 

$189.99

If you have a passion for fashion,

And colors galore,

You'll love this new Dr. Seuss line - 

Just wait and see what's in store!

Never a dull moment at the Tonner Doll Company! This is quite the unexpected offering, isn't it?
All dolls use the Monica Merrill head sculpt on the Tyler BW body.

They have some of that Wilde Imagination vibe going on with their intense colors and mixing of style. I like the fashions and I can visualize lots of mixing possibilities.
Although I'm not a fan of Monica Merrill's cartoonish sculpt, I think she is perfect for these dolls.

All dolls are available to order and ship now.

Antique Doll Fetches $25,100 on eBay

James Massey sent me this piece in the hopes that it might be of interest to my readers. I thought it was fascinating. The video clip reminds me of what you see when you watch Pawn Stars...old stuff with interesting history. The doll that gets sold for $3000 is not a restored doll as was the one in the eBay auction

Source: WhatSellsBest.com

 An extremely rare Thomas Edison Talking Doll has fetched $25,100 on eBay. A pretty good price for an item many considered to be a huge flop (for Edison), back in the day.

**See more photos on eBay

The seller stated (in the eBay listing) that they had purchased the doll at an auction, which was selling the contents of a midwest Phonograph Museum.
They also described the dolls condition as being exceptional, stating; "Due to the amazing condition of the doll we assume that the she has undergone a complete professional restoration at some time." The talking mechanism (minus the cylinder) was also intact.

Why's It Rare?

According to historians, Edison invented the talking doll in 1877. He then spent several years developing the doll before introducing it to the marketplace in 1890. Unfortunately for Edison, the doll was a huge flop. Apparently the hand-cranked mechanism was too fragile to be used by children. This often led to them breaking and being returned.
On the Science Channel in an 'Oddities' episode which featured an Edison Talking Doll (video below) it was stated that only a few hundred were sold before the doll was discontinued. Because of this, originals in good condition with the talking mechanism, are extremely rare.
The $25,000 price, places the Edison Doll among some of the top earning dolls we've followed on eBay thus far. (See: Ten Top Dolls previously sold on eBay)

Auction Data & Statistics

The Edison Doll received 81 bids from 14 bidders over the course of 10 days. The opening bid on November 8th, was $99. The final bid was $25,100. The eBay view-counter recorded over 1,300 visitors to the listing. The auction ended on Sunday, November 18 (2012), at 5:01pm Pacific Standard Time.
For more information and close-up photos of the doll see; **eBay auction listing; #230879180702 (auction links may expire after 90 days).

Ajuma is in the House!

Ajuma, Paul Pham's newest Numina (LE50) has arrived in time for the holidays. She has definitely cheered me up.

Her hard cap made by Chewin is beyond unique.

I've had several Numina and always wound up trading them for other dolls due to the difficulty I had with the knee joint. But a little birdie told me I could wire the knees which will firm them up and give me the stability I desire in a BJD. I'm going to have to do the same with my Ficon Leonie.

Pants pockets are trimmed with zipper teeth.

 I love the colors she is wearing.

Pink Suede Boots

 Numina have the largest feet of all my BJDs.

Fooling around with Photoshop.

Link: Paul Pham @ Dollcis

Nigel Chia's "DeMuse Doll"

 

The LE 5 debut DeMuse doll may be sold out but you can check Nigel Chia's website for a fascinating selection of photographs of the creation of the doll and more. 

Here is the link: http://www.demusedoll.blogspot.com/p/about-us.html

And in other good news, Ajuma has arrived. She will have plenty of camera time soon.

Paulette Goodreau Announces Her Retirement

Paulette of Goodreau Doll  has announced that she and Annette are retiring from the doll manufacturing business.  Here is the copy of her post on Facebook:

Annette and i have decided that we are retiring from the doll manufacturing business. I am still going to be a doll artist but it will be ooaks, designs for other companys, and perhaps some small runs of resin and vinyl for my charity projects.

As a lot of you know my Mom has alzeheimers and her health has declined. I want to be able to help my sister Mary with her care. We are also in limbo with a move to the east, 4 super old dogs, and 3 young pups! I want to take care of them and the doll companys just take so much of my time. They have been very profitable for us and allowed us to give back, but sometimes money is not everything. Sometimes time is much important.

The remainder of Goodreau Doll merchandise is moving to Toona Roona, we hope to make the transition in the next three weeks. Till then my goodreau doll website is down, you will be redirected to the toona roona website, and hopefully be able to order sometime in Dec. I am working

as fast as I can to pack the goodreau stock up.

I will still be at modern doll and i will be mentoring a few more artists this year. So i am still around and I still am working on what I would like to do with MIM, sell it, or close it down. Annette has encouraged me to start writing so perhaps after i sort MIM out I will finishthe 4 books i am working on!!!!

We have done so much in the last 7 years i feel so very fortunate. Annette and i with the help of all of you have built successful companys and we have been able to help generate or directly give tens of thousands of dollars to charity. We will continue to do many charitable projects and continue to give what we can to a world that has given us so much. Love you all Paulette

Second 2012 W Club Exclusive FR Doll

"Out Sass" Vanessa Perrin is dressed in a stunning mix of color and styles.

Out Sass
Vanessa Perrin Dressed Doll
Fall 2012 FR W Club Exclusive
Suggested Retail Price: $125

Limited Edition: TBA 

Special W Club Member Pricing: $125.00

Approximate Ship Date: Late Winter/Early Spring 2013

 IT calls it retro-chic; I call it talent. It's plain to see that the person who designed this outfit is not the same one who designed some of the convention collection's outfits (e.g. Veronique, Kyori, Vanessa.) The handbag is the only missed note of the entire fashion. It should have either been bigger or made to be a cool clutch.

I can only hope that it fits well because it looks like something is going on with the pleat at the back of the skirt.

Why is posing pigeon-toed so popular?

 This is Vanessa Redux 3 although in this photo, she looks like an awfully close relative of Poppy Parker.

Dior Noël au Printemps - Windows

At Le Printemps department store in Paris, the Dior window display is wonderful.