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Robert serving drinks at "I want candy" con opener! |
Photo above has been snatched from the TD FB page.
News, reviews and photographs of Modern Fashion Dolls including Kingdom Doll, Fashion Royalty, Sybarite, Tonner Doll, Gene Marshall, Barbie and my own experiences as a doll collector.
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Robert serving drinks at "I want candy" con opener! |
Ten years ago, when my mother was in the throes of dementia, I left New York, bought a home in North Carolina near my brother, and moved her in with me.
Mama Jo, as she was known, was a hoarder who had been living in Virginia with a collection of more than 700 dolls that she referred to as her “little people.” So I turned the largest space in the house into the doll room: 400 square feet of floor-to-ceiling dolls that rendered most visitors speechless.After she died, a friend assured me that I’d get through the process of “liberating” those little people the same way I got through my mother’s harrowing decline.“With a lot of praying?” I asked.“No,” she replied. “With a lot of Ativan.”As a child, I went from dolls to ponies to boys. By the time I was an adult, I thought the dolls were creepy. But when Mama Jo died in 2006, I had become fond of them again. Still, I wasn’t what you might call a C.D.L., or Crazy Doll Lady.When a dealer offered me $35,000 for the collection, I turned it down and dismissed the idea that there was anything wrong with me. I needed to keep the dolls on hand while I wrote a memoir about my care giving adventure. Then my editor thought they might be useful in promoting the book, and when it was optioned to be a movie, the producer loved them. Unfortunately, the option vanished. But a new agent suggested I keep the dolls to promote the paperback. There was always a rational reason.Or not so rational. Mama Jo and I had been estranged for more than 30 years. It wasn’t until I became her full-time caregiver that we fell madly in love. The doll room was a shrine to her, the dolls an extension of her. And I wasn’t ready to let her go.Before she died, I videotaped her talking about her collection. “How do you feel about the dolls now?” I asked her.She beamed. “I hope they all stay together,” she said.Add that to the list of reasons to keep them.Six years after her death, they were still with me, and I was still in North Carolina.I had made countless trips to New York, staying several months at a time. I helped a beloved elderly aunt who lived there, saw good friends and hoped that a new love or job would appear to keep me there permanently. Back “home,” I felt like an interloping Yankee, and yet, unexpectedly, I discovered I was growing as attached to the South as I had to the dolls.I couldn’t seem to make a decision about anything. And when I did, I immediately regretted it and blamed the dolls (a k a “the damn dolls”). Everything would be fine if I could move back to New York, I told myself. But how do you sell a house with a room that resembles the set of a horror movie?“They’re holding me hostage!” I complained to anyone who would listen.The doll collection spanned four generations of my family.One of the dolls, a Ludwig Greiner, was made before the Civil War. There were antique bisque dolls and modern plastic ones, in various colors and nationalities. They ranged in size from one-inch Frozen Charlies to three-foot-tall Playpals.My plan was to hold onto the ones that had been made and costumed by gifted family members. I would keep a few that were made of wax (my great-aunt Gladys MacDowell was renowned for them) and cloth (my grandmother had made them during World War II when dolls stopped being produced), and some that had coconuts for heads (made by my great-grandmother).That seemed reasonable, didn’t it? After all, they were heirlooms. And maybe I’d keep a few more. Could I really let go of Sonny and Cher?I knew this was a ridiculous thing to agonize about when there was real suffering in the world. But when I mentioned it to others, I often heard echoes of my own dilemma. One man told me that after spending a long time grappling with what to do with the Hummel figurines he inherited from his mother, he had finally decided to display them. Someone else admitted that although she was desperately in need of money to care for her disabled husband, she couldn’t bear to sell her late father’s valuable tool collection. “I built a shed for them,” she told me.I watched “Antiques Roadshow” and wondered how many people ended up selling their valuable treasures, and how many more couldn’t bring themselves to part with something so special. How many marriages had been strained by the problem I was struggling with? (Sell it. Keep it. Sell it!)My memoir went out of print as I worked on three other books my agent couldn’t sell. I was living Hemingway’s famous words about going broke two ways, “gradually and then suddenly.” My I.R.A. was evaporating.And then one day I looked at the dolls and saw $35,000 flashing in bright green neon.Think again.Thanks to the recession, dealers and auction houses were no longer scooping up collections the way they had before. Not only that, but people tend to buy the toys of their youth in their 30s, 40s and 50s, and Mama Jo’s dolls, I was told, were “aging out.” Our local doll museum, like others across the country, was on the verge of collapse.One doll lover came for a look. “Honey, you should have taken that money,” he said. “You were standing on the edge of the ledge of the canyon.” He made a karate-chopping motion in the air with his hand.I prayed. I saw a therapist. I consulted an astrologer. Finally, after a shamanic healing, I became unstuck. Maybe I was just ready to let go of my grief.My first step on the road to recovery was to have the entire collection photographed. The dolls will stay together forever, Mama Jo — in four photo albums.I opened a shop (really more of an adoption service) on the collectibles site Ruby Lane and began listing the dolls one at a time. It was far more involved and emotional than I anticipated, but it also infused my life with a certain girly fun I hadn’t known was missing.The dolls are now scattered across the globe, from Russia to New Zealand. I’ve made a few bucks, but I am far richer for the new friendships I have formed. My brother has been selling some of the dolls on eBay, and we’ve grown closer too.And Mama Jo’s House of Dolls has its own Facebook page, where new “moms” post photos. So the dolls are staying together virtually.A year after my shamanic encounter, I’m too busy for long visits to Manhattan, much less to consider moving or to be confused. I have reissued my memoir under my own imprint, and suddenly it’s a Kindle best seller. More books are on the way. My I.R.A. is growing again.Once I’m free of most of the dolls, I hope a real person will take their place. One I can talk to, who won’t just stare back at me.But most surprising, I’ve joined the local doll club. I tell myself that would make Mama Jo even happier than if I had kept the dolls together.I had no idea how much more I would come to love her and learn from her after she was gone. And for that I have the dolls to thank.
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Terri and Robert Tonner at IDEX 2013 |
Mommie Dearest is a memoir and exposé written by Christina Crawford, the adopted daughter of actress Joan Crawford. The book, which depicts Christina's childhood and her relationship with her mother, was published in 1978.
In the book, Christina Crawford claims that she was a victim of child abuse during her mother's battle with alcoholism and that her mother was more concerned about her motion picture career than the well-being of her four children, suggesting she may have adopted them for publicity purposes. She also suggests that Joan had a long list of affairs with men whom Christina was required to call "Uncle" and rarely "Daddy", and claims Joan also had many affairs with women.
Christina recounts several evenings where Joan's behavior was unbalanced, and at least one encounter with her mother where Crawford attempted to strangle her. In another, Joan reportedly discovered Christina's clothes hanging in a closet on wire hangers, instead of higher-quality padded hangers, and launched into a violent tirade on the subject.
They note, however:...a new, ultra-convenient neck post that will allow collectors to switch between head sculpts without the need to pre-heat the vinyl first! Simply pull, switch and click on a new head for a dramatic new look!
How do you make something higher than room temperature without heating it?The QUICK SWITCH system will work best at room temperature or slightly higher. If you live in a colder climate, please wait until your doll has reached room temperature or slightly higher before attempting to switch heads.
Here are a bunch of positive and negative comments made by collectors. The negative outweighs the positive by far but some of the remarks are hilarious. (I highlighted my favorites in purple.)____________________________________________________
-the doll doesn't really look like Joan Crawford, either with blond hair or darker hair. She doesn't look like Faye Dunaway playing her either.
-the doll just doesn't seem right, its a bit off and I cant put my finger on it, perhaps its the face
-the extra head and the hanger is a riot.
-Not one single thing about her thrilled me - can't believe I'm saying it - but I'm going to pass as well. I didn't like her clothes, her shoes, her hair, the additional crazy head...nothing.
-I will pass on her too. Not buying any old movie thingies any more. I don't relate at all and worse, don't want to.
-love the new neck system
-wish it came with the can of Ajax and a Brillo pad
-I have no interest in the extra head, (the whole "Mommie Dearest" thing does nothing for me)
-LOVE Joan Crawford! Both the real actress and the character Faye Dunaway played.
-the whited faced face is actually the prettiest of the two
-Recently we got footspeak, we now have Headspeak!
-I guess as great as this series is I also want to recognize the characters. I want to see Joan with her iconic lips, why are they not there?
-I like the headless swap idea
-I am amused by the two heads, and actually prefer the head with the beauty mask, but still not buying her. I was surprised at the edition size of 800 dolls.
-if only her second face wasn't this white.
-I think I like her...but then the dolls don't capture the drama of the character.
-Interesting doll, but not my taste. Don't think she looks anything like Joan or Faye.
-it was Bon Ami powder...I will only clean my bathroom with it!!
-I will have to be with the "this doll is not for me at this time" camp. I was so excited about Sunset Boulevard and was completely let down. Although I can't wait to get my hands on the new "neck knob" mechanism in a body, the BOD/Victoire body is my least favorite and I have enough black suits already. The one thing about IT is that something else is "right around the corner".
-I am THRILLED with this set! It's a dream come true! I'm hoping the production doll doesn't disappoint me like the Sunset Blvd doll did... I ordered 2 sets so I can fully display both outfits and heads...
-I LOVE this doll! I love the movie Mommy Dearest -- unfortunately, I was raised by a woman just like this character.
-All I really want are the nude doll and yes, the white face head! Maybe she's recreating an Al Jolson movie -- Mammy Dearest?
-I'm waiting for a 'Mrs. Bates' gift set (dead and alive heads, a butcher knife, a little blood stained shower curtain and a gray wig) with a skinny Homme as 'NORMANNNN'...
-Love the Quick Switch head - yabadabadoo!!
-this doll should have been older OR in a scene from a younger years.
-I like the idea of interchangeable heads, though I have to say, the promo pic with the two of them looks creepy.LOL
-Went to You tube and watched some clips from the film... Gosh! It's awful, these wire hangers... Sorry, but this doll is a definite pass for me.
-NO MORE HEATING PADS!!!
-... So long as the new neck fits the previous/current heads. Plus I'd like to know what's up inside the new heads that can clip on. Will there be a new obstruction that will make rerooting a problem?
As to the doll. I love this head sculpt, but there are better choices this year for her. Plus I'm not into black outfits anymore. I have too many already, and I no longer display them. They look like shadows in my doll collection.
I'd prefer that IT committed to the Joan Crawford makeup on this face.
I'll be passing on her too.
- While I enjoy the movie as a camp classic, I don't have any interest in this doll not even for the head swap feature (Yes I'm going against the grain). I don't rebody my dolls unless it's a necessity...
-I´m a big fan of Faye, and believe me this doll is neither Joan nor Faye. If she would be I would buy her twice!
-She is pretty and I have to thank Integrity to realize a doll with character and a story which is not the typically "Doris Day" -Mr clean Image!
-I´m a big fan of Faye, and belive me this doll is neither Joan nor Faye. If she would be I would buy her twice!
She is pretty and I have to thank integrity to realize a doll with character and a story which is not the typically "Doris Day" - Mr. Clean Image! I think some dolls are, like eating to much sugary cake. Too much of Barbie-ish smile can cause sickness...I think this Joan doll will be like half bitter chocolate!
-What will we see next? I'm hoping for "boobswap." I can't keep track of all the bodies and I'd love an adjustable bust so ALL fashions fit. Something inflatable/deflatable. Come to think about it, I'd like that for me, too!
- Great to have on display as a conversation piece, but that's not really what my doll collecting is about.
-It might be a little funny but it is uber-tacky in my opinion.
-I think it is inappropriate and done in poor taste.
-She doesn't look anything like Crawford; more like Vera Miles... Tonner's Joan was spot on.
-Sorry to be negative, but she looks just like any other Integrity doll.
-So campy! I don't think it is meant to be taken seriously, it's fabulous!
-The movie was bad enough...the doll is even worse. The fact that they chose...where she beats the heck out of Christina is just plain wrong.
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Cocktail Dress Barbie |
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Mermaid Gown Barbie |