Her wardrobe is amazing, even I must admit. No dressed dolls are available--only basics. One Jonquil, and three Camis (all Cameo skin tone with green eyes, with brunette, blonde or red hair) and all retail for $79.99.
Now, on to edition sizes. This line is Tonner's first line which will be "made to order." That means, these dolls have not yet been produced, and they won't be, until Tonner has orders from retailers. As soon as retailers place their orders, then Tonner will make the production run. That way, only retailers will be left with extra inventory. Hmm. That's an interesting concept. (Ooops, did I just gripe on my blog?)
On to the outfits. There are eight of them, plus one accessories pack, and photos aren't yet available for all the outfits. I hope Tonner isn't expecting dealers to rush to place orders before they have even seen the outfits. (Shoot, I just griped again.) The prices range from $79.99-99.99 (comparable to Antoinette). And they really are current fashion and lovely.
This being said--I am not a fan of the Cinderella sculpt. I think she usually looks cartoony. But I kind of like Cami. Especially the brunette version (her smokey eyes). And I adore the fashions. Plus, my ball-jointed doll Lan can share fashions with Antoinette, and I may need to order at least one of these.
Please pardon me--I make an effort to keep this blog as positive as possible, but I find this made-to-order thing a little irritating. If I were a doll company, I would try to do everything in my power to keep my working relationship with my dealers friendly. And truthfully, I have to admit, I didn't see any Tonner Exclusives advertised in the 2010 line. So that's a good thing.As a customer, who has recently switched over to cash only, this made-to-order irritates me, too. This means I will need to rely on pre-orders if I want one of these dolls, and that means I have to rely on a Tonner promotional photo to decide whether I want a doll or outfit. However, I understand also that the dolls and outfits may be more limited, so perhaps that will be something to consider. Maybe I can resell the doll or outfit if I don't like her later on: there may be some demand for them--for other collectors who see real-life photos and wish they had pre-ordered. It remains to be seen.
Photos are property of Tonner Doll Company.
I have decided to order two Camis: blonde and brunette... I am soooo happy there is another head on Antoinette's body finally...
ReplyDeleteI have preordered all three Camis and three outfits. I, too, was hesitant about preordering from pictures, but missed out on a basic Cameo skintone Antoinette last year and I'm not paying e-bay's inflated prices to get one. I think this "Made to Order" concept has both good and bad aspects. Dealers can order just what customers preorder or a few extra. Customers can't wait for a bargain. On the other hand, collectors willing to pay dealers' prices won't miss out on a wanted doll or outfit. For Tonner, it is a single production run and the company will know right away whether this line is a hit or not, thus saving money. The preorders should also prove immediate feedback as to which dolls/outfits are bigger sellers and which ones aren't, which if Tonner continues this line, will tell the "ideas" team, what collectors want to see.
ReplyDeleteAs I dress dolls mostly in historic costumes, the Antoinette body, cameo skintone, expression, and crimped hair of the Cami dolls really promises to enable me to create more authentic costumes.
Cindy
Cindy, you do have some good points.
ReplyDeleteAnd I do have to confess, I really like the new look Tonner has given Cinderella, who frankly wasn't ever a favorite of mine. I like her new eyes and neutral lips--in all the hair color combinations. And I like that Jon is also there (with the Jaq sculpt, as well).
Also, I have to admit that if the outfits are anywhere near the quality of the Antoinette line (at least the ones in my collection), I don't think collectors have to be worried about buying from a promotional photos. While there might be some color or slight pattern differences, I'm sure we won't have to worry about quality.
I do understand that everyone is in a budget crunch these days. But I think what might have been better is to do only open edition of dolls, if that was the concern. Sure--make them made-to-order. But instead of only doing one production run, why limit yourself? What if an sells really well after collectors see it in person?
Plus, I noticed some of these collections include more casual looks, which would suit some BJD collectors. There is a line of BJDs (Bobobie) who can wear Antoinette gowns. I wonder if they will also be able to get into these slim-cut jeans?