Marvelously Morose Sister Dreary in real life

Limited edition 150, this was one of the centerpiece dolls from the Halloween convention from 2008, and is my first Sister Dreary sculpt.  I love her freaky fuchsia eyes and gorgeous long black hair.  Her lampshade hat works well in my gothic collection as well--and she is, well, marvelously morose.

La Mode 1920s Bordeaux Tyler in real life

From the 2002 Paris Fashion Doll Festival, this is a limited edition doll of 250.  She's an original straight-arm Tyler, which makes her harder to pose than some of my other dolls.  I know I could update her body to a bendy-wrist style, but I don't know if I have the heart to do it.  

She's got gorgeous blue eyes and rooted, short curly hair. Original face-up, just like Tyler.  Her short flapper-style gown is perfect for my historical collection.  I just love the iridescent silk and beading.  This doll actually looks a lot like a friend of mine, Susan Drain, that I met when I lived in Pennsylvania.  (She's just as gorgeous.)

You can see her original promo shots here.



 

Surprise Engagement Daphne

Surprise Engagment is a limited edition of 210 dolls.  She was Pat Rooney's creation and submission and winner for the United Federation of Doll Club's submission for the annual convention this year.  You can read about it in Tonner's September newsletter.

Daphne is gorgeous with her blue eyes and complex mink updo.  She wears an elegant taupe gown with an oversized mint sash with a bow in the back, with mint shoes and mint crystal earrings and necklace.  I just love Daphne as a brunette!

Noel in real life

A Daphne sculpt, Noel is even more gorgeous in real life than in her promotional photographs.  She's very warm--the only cool color on this doll is blue, and only her eyes.  She has a very muted face-up, with lips that nearly blend in with the rest of her makeup.  She's very soft.  Her hair is a warm blonde, long and soft curls.

Her wings are made from feathers and are removable.  Her gown hangs beautifully and is very well made.  Her sandals are gold and are tie-lace style.  She did not include earrings, but her halo was included.

This doll was available as a premier dealer exclusive, LE 250.  I found her on sale from Still Plays with Dolls.  They may have sold out by now, but keep them bookmarked--they have great customer service and excellent prices--especially as a club member!

Check out her promo shots here.

Halloween Convention Items at Tonner Direct!

Quick! Get them while you can--Tonner Direct has posted a few left-over convention items, including the Dreary centerpiece dolls, Elvira, the American Model Wicked Witch, Wicked and other items, for sale at their online store. Only while supplies last, but the prices are better than what you'll see on Ebay and from convention attendees.

Also, they've listed a Kingston Hospital Vintage Nurse, from the Kingston Hospital fundraiser as well--a blue-eyed brunette Lana Lang sculpt for $125.

Photo courtesy Tonner Doll Company.

A response to my last blog entry...

I asked my husband to become my first "follower" of my blog (which is a new Blogger feature), and he sent me an email yesterday. I think it deserves its own post!

Top Ten Reasons you should not buy a doll.

1. You already have that one.
2. It gives your husband the willies to see more dolls in the dark of the night.
3. Your mailman asks your husband how he likes his new doll.
4. Your kids keep asking, when you die, can they have your dolls?
5. Your kids keep asking for food.
6. Your don't have any more space in the closet for another 16" x 6" x 4" box. [He must have measured, or taken a good look, I guess.]
7. Your friends refer to you as "that doll lady."
8. Your family refers to you as "that doll lady."
9. Your husband starts to refer to your collect as "the mutant fashion army" and mumbling about a preemtive strike.
10. Your husband comes up with what he thinks are ten good reasons why you don't need another doll.

When to buy a new doll...

Top ten reasons to add a doll to your collection:

1. A long-awaited release you've been waiting for finally arrives at your local doll shop
   
2. You find a great deal on Ebay
   
3. You find a great deal on a message board, online forum or doll club
   
4. You come across a grail at a great price
   
5. You discover a small inheritance
   
6. You get into an argument with a loved one and get really angry
7. You're in a shopping mood
8. You gain ten pounds unexpectedly
   
9. You lose ten pounds unexpectedly
   
10. Who needs a reason to add a new doll to your collection?  That's why it's called a collection, isn't it?

Tonner convention summary

For those of you who haven't been keepin up with the Tonner Halloween Convention, check out all the great promotional dolls. They had some great centerpieces, limited edition dolls, and debuts. I'll post a few of my favorites here. You can see the rest on the Tonner Doll blog.

• The souvenir doll, Ultra Basic Goth Tyler, complete with coffin bag and mini skull lapel pin. She'd actually be a fantastic Anne Boleyn!
• Surprising sweet-faced 22" Wicked Witch 22" American Model, LE 100 centerpiece. She was a purchase. Notice her new articulation!
• Wicked, a gorgeous Lana sculpt, LE 200 convention exclusive purchase
• Just another Year, Ellowyne Wilde with Sybil, LE 350 (convention debut)
• Evangeline Ghastly in Blue Moon (LE 300)
• From a Dreary Lunch: Agnes in Wretched Whimsy (LE 100), Viktor in Despondent Dandy (LE 50) and Sister Dreary in Marvelously Morose (LE 150)
• DeeAnna Denton debut--the first issue--Hostess with the Mostess, LE 50
• Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, special edition LE 300

Photos courtesy Tonner Doll Company.

Au Milieu de l'Hiver Tyler in real life

The newest glamour doll in my collection, this lovely Tyler has won over my heart.  I haven't been thrilled with her makeover till now.  She can do avant garde anytime, as far as I'm concerned.

This limited edition doll is one of 100 pieces.  She is a more macabre version of the Winter Solstice American Model, and she's just lovely.  Her bright face just read glamour and red carpet.  The silhouette of her gown is unique and lovely.    Her heavy faceup is balanced by dark red lips and nails.  And while some collectors wouldn't go for the over-the-top hat, I really like it.  It fits my style and the general feel of the doll as well.  

This Tyler has attitude!

Check out her promo shot here.

Anne Boleyn -- Au Naturel Ashleigh Raven in real life

I'm pleased to introduce Anne Boleyn to my collection of Henry VIII's wives.  She was Henry's second wife--and the first to lose her life to him.  She was beheaded.  She was also Elizabeth I's mother, and a proponent of the blossoming Protestant movement of the time.

Anne is an exclusive of Two Daydreamers, a limited edition 200 Au Naturel Ashleigh Raven.  She's wearing a handmade gown I found on Ebay, thought I'd prefer to see her in more opulent jewels and in green.

Doll Expo Store grand opening...

In my regular searches for hard-to-find dolls, I thought I'd share a link to the new online shop of the DollExpo in France.  If your French is a little rusty, be sure to click on the little Union Jack in the lower right corner (in the languages box) for a translation.

All prices are listed in Euros, but you can easily translate into your currency by entering your total into a standard Google search box like this: 90 Euro in USD (or whatever your currency is), and then clicking on search.

This store features Tonner dolls, including several hard-to-find dolls, such as a brunette Sweetheart doll, La Belle Mademoiselle Sydney, Mademoiselle a la Mode Tyler, Tyler Bordeaux, and others, and many other manufacturers also, including Ashton Drake, Barbie (many gorgeous ones), Effanbee, Wilde Imagination, Integrity, Kish & Co, Madame Alexander and more.  Plus, you can find books, accessories and patterns, too.

Shipping is a little steep, but the service is outstanding.  I live in California, and it takes about one week to 10 days to get an order.  (I've ordered twice before--this is my third order I've placed from this group.)  At this time, the only payment methods available are Paypal or a check/money order--just be aware of this when you shop here.  

Note: Right after you place your order, log back into your account and make sure your order has posted to  your order history--if it hasn't, your order will still be in your shopping cart.  Drop an email to the company with a summary of your order, just to make sure it went through.  I used the same database, OSCommerce, for my stamping business years ago, and it was a little unreliable when I first got started.

Rapunzel in Real Life

My exclusive FAO Rapunzel arrived today.  While she isn't exactly what I was expected, She has more than exceeded my expectations.  She's really gorgeous, and I deem her a must-have for fairy tale fans.  My girls have gone crazy over her as well.

I have more real life pictures posted in my gallery, if you'd like to check her out.  Get her while you can--she's a limited edition of 100 only, so she'll sell out quickly!  Sign up for FAO's mailing list in the month of October, and they will send you a coupon for 20% off your first order, as well.

Ultra Basic Shauna in real life

My Ultra Basic Shauna from Angelic Dreamz arrived today.  She looks prettier in person than in the promotional photos, I think.  I've decided to turn her into Katherine Parr, Henry VIII's sixth wife.  Her sculpt reads a little older, especially with her smoky eye makeup.  I think she's lovely.

In my photos, she is wearing Royal Portrait, from the Alice in Wonderland collection.  Eventually, I'd like to find a more unique period outfit for her, but she will have to be happy in red for now.  You can see a few more photos in my gallery.

Compare my shots to her promo shot here.

Better pictures of Goodness & Gossamer Glinda

I've taken a couple more pictures of Goodness and Gossamer Glinda, and thought I'd share them on my blog.  I just love her hair, and I didn't feel like her promotional pictures did her justice--nor did the last few photos I took, either.

You can see a couple more shots at my online gallery. Enjoy!

Compare these to her promotional shots on Tonner's website.

FAO Exclusive Tiny Kitty Fairy Ballerinas

They aren't in stock at FAO Schwarz yet, but they should be soon any day. Edition size isn't listed for the blonde, but my guess is that both dolls are limited editions of 500, since that is what is listed under the brunette doll. Both are reasonably priced at $50.

The blonde ballerina is the Dew Drop Fairy Ballerina, and the brunette is the Rose Petal Fairy Ballerina. They feature the standard Tiny Kitty sculpt, with straight arms and rare en pointe feet and bending knees. This doll would be a perfect gift for a beginning collector, or budding ballerina.

Photos courtesy Tonner Doll Company.

FAO Exclusive Rapunzel is on sale now!

This gorgeous FAO exclusive doll is available and in stock at FAO online. A limited edition of just 100 pieces, her suggested retail value is $200. Her gorgeous brown rooted hair is sure to make her a fabulous addition to my fairy tale collection. Her dress is shantung lilac with applied flowers. Rapunzel uses the Breathless sculpt.

You can save a little bit on shipping (I saved $21.95) with the code SHIPFALL8, which expires on October 7. And set yourself up with an Ebates account first--go through your Ebates link to get 6% cash back on your purchase (yes, this really does work)!

Photos courtesy Tonner Doll Company.

Goodness and Gossamer Glinda

One of my Fall/Winter pre-orders arrived today, Goodness and Gossamer Glinda. She's my first ever Glinda sculpt. I didn't realize what a happy sculpt Glinda is--she isn't quite smiling, but she is certainly cheerful. I really like her.

Her gown is gorgeous (great silhouette, silver thread shot through sky blue), though I didn't get any great shots of it, due to poor lighting issues. I grabbed a few quick snapshots of her before displaying her. But her hair is what I like best--it's an interesting shade of blonde, with curls, braids and ribbon.

I think she will be my Cinderella. She would be perfect for the part. She's what I imagine Cinderella looks like. I'll add her to my fairy tale display!

Ruby slippers

Ruby slippers, originally uploaded by titancia.

I was browsing on Flickr today, actually looking for a real-life picture of a Goodness and Gossamer Glinda, and I found this gorgeous photo of Blue Skies Glinda posted by Titancia.
I still have not purchased this doll--I have though about buying her forever, but I have wanted to find real-life pictures of her before actually buying her. Now, after looking through Titancia's photos, I probably do actually need to find this doll. In fact, I may even need to "exchange" Goodness for Blue Skies. I just have a think for weird colored hair. And she's just gorgeous.

New items at FAO Schwarz

In my regular browsing today, I discovered a few new items at FAO. (Nope, Rapunzel isn't listed yet!)

• Scarlett O'Hara. She's dressed in the famous gown she crafted out of her green drapes. She's listed at $350, LE 100, which stunned me at first glance. But she's apparently a larger doll, standing at 22". She's currently listed on backorder status, expected to ship by 11/11/08.
• Dorothy Gale. A beloved character from the Wizard of Oz, she stands 15" tall (which is taller than the other 12" Dorothy from the standard Tonner collection) with 15 points of articulated movement. This doll is based on actress Judy Garland. She's listed at $140, LE 500, also scheduled to ship on 11/11/08.
• Ellowyne Wilde Purple Rain. LE 350, this 16" doll is listed at $150 and is in stock. This doll has actually gotten rave reviews (5 out of 5 from 19 purchasers, which is fairly unusual), too.

Note: You can save 6% cash back when you shop at FAO Schwarz when you shop through Ebates.com. You just need to sign up with an account the Ebates site first, and then do a quick search for FAO. It will pop right up, along with any special coupons or promotions they are running. Then, with 24-48 hours of placing your order, Ebates will credit you 6% of your order subtotal back (not including shipping or sales tax). It's a great way to save a little bit here and there on all your internet shopping!

Photos courtesy Tonner Doll Company and Wilde Imagination.

Au Milieu de l’Hiver Tyler

The name of this gorgeous doll translates to, "In the middle of winter." She is a limited edition of just 100 pieces, and will be offered for Kathy Moreau's Boutique Museum in Paris, France for an Open Day luncheon on October 12, 2008. There are absentee packages available. To order, contact Kathy at kaemkathy@aol.com. She has great customer service, from my personal experience. Her orders ship quickly, via DHL, and you will receive your order within a week. You might want to check her other in-stock items, (click on the hot pink Archives button on the lower right once you enter) to see if there are any other items you "need." You will need to pay in Euros with Paypal or with a bank transfer. For more info, you can also check out Tonner's New Releases page.

The doll reminds me of a macabre version of the Doll of the Year American Model, Winter Solstice, only with Tyler 2.0 face. Keeping her platinum with gray-blue eyes and larger red lips has given her a true wintery feel. I love this doll's edgy, avant garde look, with the oversized hat and super curvaceous silhouette. She'd make a great addition to the Charles Dickens character trio, or just alone as a seasonal doll. I think I'll display her year-round in sunny San Diego.

Photos courtesy Tonner Doll Company.