Haute Doll "Boutique" Closes September 15, 2010

The last orders for remaining merchandise in the Haute Doll store will be taken in the next few hours. There's not much left but what remains is seriously reduced in price. 

The "La Dolce Bambola" gift set was originally sold for $510.00 non-members/ $500.00 members  It is marked down to $300 now. This is a 1/6 scale French resin BJD of 29 cm or 11.4." Lingerie plus two resin wigs and two outfits makes this a fairly attractive package is you like the style of the doll. I think she'd be prettier with a different face-up and a non-resin wig.
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I don't know anything about this doll other than what the listing says: "NRFB 1990 Barbie Style Special Limited Edition collector doll #5315. $7.99
Anyone out there know something about this item?
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Miss Sydney World has been listed in the HD boutique for a very long time. She was originally listed for $160 non-members/$150 members and is now on sale for $79.99
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"Traveler Innoquii" is one of a series of four porcelain dolls from Superdoll.  This one was HD's exclusive and was so unpopular that they wound up including her for a very low price if one purchased another doll that was also hard to move.
I've been enabled by other collectors who were so excited at the sale price of $75., that their excitement was infectious and I ordered one. She's going to have to have that black eye removed to live here.

If any of my readers remembers her original price, please let me know. (Note: I've been advised that her original price was $300.)

There is one other doll available - literally. There's one Royal Red Jac Tonner doll. @$150.

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Those of us who had subscriptions to Haute Doll have been handed over to Doll Reader. I have been sent a link to the October 2010 issue. It's not exactly a magazine for which I would purchase a subscription. I have, of course, received an offer to pay for a subscription. I have no idea when my HD subscription was supposed to end.

When my pirate doll arrives I will discuss.

Vintage Reproduction Little Miss Revlon Dolls from Tonner

Anyone who knows anything about Robert Tonner knows he adores the vintage Miss Revlon doll from the 1950's.  It's not difficult to see why his reproductions of this favored series are so adorable and true to the original dolls.

They're so similar in fact, that they don't have the articulation we've come to love in more modern dolls. I wonder if and when these dolls become popular, will they evolve to a more articulated body.

I asked Tom Courtney why is the word "pink" in two of the doll's names. He replied, "it's a nod to the original pairings of names and cosmetics. In fact, one popular doll style was 'Kissing Pink'...and was even used if the outfit had no pink at all."
That's a cool factoid. So there was indeed a relationship between the cosmetics and the dolls if only in the name.

Photographs of the first three in the line have been released.

Frosted Pink

Perfectly Pink

Queen of Diamonds 

The MSRP is $124.99 and each is a limited edition of 500 dolls.

Has Gaga lost her sausages?

It was Fashion Week after all but I don't think we'll ever encounter this on the runway or on a doll although it would be pretty funny. A little minute steak, some heavy white thread, lots of rhinestone jewelry and voila! You have made a fashion statement and stinky doll. It would be a great doll for the Fashion Royalty travel doll competition. Dark Romance? Vampire meat lover?

One of Lady Gaga's costumes for last nights MTV awards was a dress made from raw meat. It was accessorized by a hat, purse and shoes made from meat as well. It looked quite fresh, too.

Writer Sharon Clott posted this comparison between Lady Gaga and a painting by Mark Ryden called Incarnation.
Has Gaga lost her sausages?

For more of Clott's article and pictures of other MTV fashion, click here.

Picture of the Week ~ Wilco Vreeburg

Our featured photo today was created by Wilco Vreeburg also known as Wilco in Holland or Wilco in the Netherlands on the doll boards. Wilco posts mainly on Prego, The Studio Commissary, ICOG and the Yahoo Avantguard groups.

His picture is of the Avantguard "No Exaggeration." No changes have been made to the doll - as they say on Prego, "she is factory."

She has a very 80's look with the short flippy style Monique wig and the saturated make-up palette. Her coat is Tonner's 2004 "Ashleigh" and the sweater is also a Tonner product from the 2003 Tyler "Suitably Pink" doll.

I asked Wilco to describe his set-up and camera. Here is his response in excellent English.

"I used a big board and a white fabric to make a set-up directed into [facing] the natural light of the windows."  Only natural light was used.  "I use an Olympus C-8080 Wide Zoom."

His suggestions regarding doll photography is to let one's own taste and creativity reflect in your pictures. "If you don't have a studio or lighting like me...make sure you  use natural daylight."

In my opinion, Wilco nailed the 80's look superbly. This image is one that might have been on the pages of a fashion magazine of that era. She also reminds me of the character from the series Dallas, Sue Ellen Ewing, played by American actress, Linda Gray. That show ran from 1978 through 1991.

Linda Ann Gray

Thanks to Wilco for allowing me to feature his photo! Great work.

Temporary Problems at Tonner and Effanbee Web Sites

There has been an attack virus (malware) installed on both the Tonner Doll Company and Effanbee websites.
Tonner has sent out a message informing collectors that they are working on this problem. Some joker blamed Mattel. Of course that was just a joke but this kind of activity is very frightening and happening more and more.
This is the warning I got when I went to the main Tonner website:

If that's not enough to scare the doll out of me, I don't know what would!
When arriving at the Effanbee site I don't get the same warning but the site is blocked with another warning:

Warning - visiting this web site may harm your computer!

A very interesting and informative page about this warning is posted by Google. If you are interested in learning more about malicious software, safe browsing and the warning, click here.

Tonner has informed us that Tonner Direct is NOT affected by the malware.

Not Doll Related BUT It's Jason Wu!

On the Bergdorf Goodman website there is a short video in which Jason answers five questions.

Click here for the link to 5 Questions for Jason Wu.

Did you get your Jason Wu Poppy?