06 Sep 2012
Tonner Dolls

Tonner Fall/Holiday Release 2012

Where does the time go?  I had intended on doing regular blogs, and yet here it is almost fall of 2012!  I will try to be more regular now with posts.

Have you seen the new Tonner Fall/Holiday release?  What a wonderful line up of new dolls!  As usual Robert surprised and delighted collectors with a varied line of both fashion and pop culture character dolls.   There were many more items than expected this time.

Personally, the highlight of the release were the long awaited Hunger Games dolls.   Katniss is a wonderful likeness to Jennifer Lawrence, and her outfit is very detailed, right down to her bow and arrow set, and mockingjay pin.  Gale’s photo is up also, very handsome.  The Peeta photo is not available yet, but I’m sure he will be a hunk!

Hunger Games Katniss

 

The biggest hit of the early 2012 release was the new Precarious doll.  This beautiful doll has the Antoinette body, a gorgeous face with applied eyelashes, and very edgy fashions.  Simply Precarious has shipped now and collectors are delighted.  The Fall release offered up many more picks in this line too.  My personal favorite is Up All Night.  I love the added touch of the sunglasses!

Precarious Up All Night

 

Another wonderful doll is Patsy.  She is just adorable!  She looks like a baby Ellowyne Wilde, with her cute face and big inset eyes.  Child doll collectors are just loving this little one!

Patsy’s Best Dress

 

The Fall line gives us more Antoinette, more Cami, and some gorgeous new DeeAnna and Peggy dolls.  There is a new Scarlett O’Hara, some vintage looking Vampire Diaries, and Twilight Bella’s wedding gown, among others.  There is still time to place your pre-orders on anything in the line.  Some things are starting to ship right now too.

Well done, Robert!   Thank you for creating our favorite doll company!

 

Carol | No comments
28 Dec 2011
Tonner Dolls

Tonner Announces a Wonderful New Doll Sharing Site

The Tonner people unveiled a new web site today, and it is extremely fun!  It is called Doll Duels, and it is a grand way for collectors to share their Tonner doll photos, look at other collectors’ dolls and have a ball doing it.  The web site is here: Doll Duels.   Here’s a little screen shot of how it works:

When you are at the home page, you see photos of two dolls, generated randomly.  You decide which you like the best and click on it.  (There’s even a Draw button if you can’t decide.)   When you do, two more choices pop up so you can do it again.  It’s totally addictive, trust me!

There are many other great features on the site too.  For more information, read Tonner’s blog about it here.  Then go to Doll Duels and have fun!

Also, in case you haven’t heard, the new Tonner Doll web site will debut on Jan. 3, 2012.   That link is http://www.tonnerdoll.com, the same as it is now. The new site promises to be the greatest ever!   See you there!

Carol | No comments
10 Dec 2011
General Information

Treasure Dolls is the Newest Integrity Retailer

The newest retailer to carry the full line of Integrity dolls is Treasure Dolls, in Austin, Texas.  Treasure Dolls is owned by Evelyn Martinez.  Evelyn has carried the play line for Integrity for 7 years, including such dolls as Dynamite Girls and Poppy Parker, but now she will be carrying the entire line, including Avant Guards and Fashion Royalty dolls.  A new web site is in the works, but in the meantime you can email her at [email protected] .

Evelyn has been in the doll business for 20 years, first working out of her home, and then in a couple of Austin retail locations. The current store is at 2401 Bluebonnet Lane in Austin, where she has been for 6 years.  It is located just off the busy South Lamar street in “old” Austin, and is a quaint 900 square feet bright blue building that used to be a house.

Austin locals already know, but you might not be aware, that Treasure Dolls and Dreamcastle Dolls share the physical store in Austin.  The store is packed to the brim with dolls of every kind. Between us, we have licenses for Mattel, Monique Wigs, Integrity, Tonner, Horsman Ltd. and Madame Alexander.  In addition, both Evelyn and I take dolls on consignment, and occasionally buy collections, so you never know what you will find there.  There are dolls from Ashton Drake, Franklin Mint, and Bratz dolls, as well as reborns, porcelain dolls, and clothing and props for all sizes of dolls too. There are also parts and clothing for many sizes of BJD dolls as well.

We believe like Robert Tonner does, in the “power of play”.   There are shelves displaying all of the dolls of course, but more importantly, there are tables and chairs where you can sit down and chat with other doll enthusiasts, and try different outfits on a variety of dolls.  Sundays are always busy, with people bringing in their own collections to share too.  It is a happy place where anyone can come and relax in a “home” type setting.

You can even take a virtual tour of the store, courtesy of Google.  (But don’t shop the shelves, because these images were taken a year ago!)  Use the controls in the upper left corner, or click and drag your mouse.  Click on the white arrows on the bottom center to go from room to room.


View Larger Map

If you ever get to Austin, be sure to stop by and visit us!  As 2012 dawns, you should be seeing lots of new exciting dolls from both Treasure Dolls and Dreamcastle Dolls.

Carol | No comments
19 Nov 2011
People

The Doll Community Mourns the Loss of Paula Kagan

Paula Kagan, avid doll collector, passed away from cancer on Thursday November 17th, at the age of 82.  Paula was a familiar face at many doll conventions – Tonner, Paris, MetroDolls, Modern Doll, IDEX and more.  She organized many of the special exhibits at Tonner conventions, frequently lending dolls from her own impressive collection.

In addition to doll collecting, Paula was extremely talented at needlework, knitting and jewelry making.  She taught beading classes at a local shop in Maine and frequently gave friends exquisite jewelry pieces that she “whipped up” in her spare time, like this one:

Paula also had an extensive collection of Judith Leiber animal shaped purses, and brought many to the various functions she attended.   Here is an example of Leiber’s work:
A lot of people remember Paula bidding (and often winning) at charity doll auctions, including those at Tonner doll conventions.  She supported many charities, especially those helping animals and healthcare.  She also donated some of her creations to the auctions, including this knitted beaded gown from the 2010 MetroDolls auction:
Paula’s obituary from the Bangor Daily News is here.  If you would like to make a donation in her name, please donate to: Eastern Maine Healthcare Charities, P.O. Box 931, Bangor, ME 04402-0931.  They can be found online here.
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Many thanks to Marcia Friend (of Facets by Marcia), for writing the lovely tribute above.

Carol | 3 comments
10 Nov 2011
Tonner Dolls

Tonner to Debut New Products on Nov. 16, 2011

The next debut of Tonner dolls and outfits will be on Wednesday, November 16!  At that time, Tonner has stated that they will release info and pictures on all of the remaining product for 2011.  This debut is said to be predominantly in the fashion categories, which many people are very excited about.  The pop culture and character lines are very popular with many collectors, but the fashion line is what started it all, and there are many devoted fans.

Dreamcastle Dolls will debut the products at the same time Tonner does, and will start taking pre-orders then.  Some shipping dates will be available right away, but others may not have a firm date yet.  Don’t forget, purchases from Dreamcastle Dolls earn points in the Castle Club loyalty program, and those translate into future discounts on products.  You can use the “Visit Dreamcastle Dolls” link on the right to go directly to my web site.

In addition, Tonner has announced that they will go back to   the twice yearly debuts for items in the fashion categories in   January 2012, but will continue to release info on pop           culture and character categories as they see fit.

Here is a little sneak peek they posted on Facebook.  How     exciting!  Could it be a new man doll or clothes for one?  We will find out soon!

Carol | 5 comments
09 Nov 2011
General Information

Welcome to My New Blog!

Congratulations on finding the newest addition to the Dreamcastle Dolls web site!   I will be bringing you news and thoughts about fashion doll collecting from both a collector and a retailer standpoint.  I will also include updates about all things pertaining to Tonner Dolls, and occasionally add guest posts as well.   Please feel free to comment on any page, and offer suggestions as to what you would like to see here.

If you have subscribed via Constant Contact previously, please note that your subscription will not carry over here, and I will no longer be using that form of communication.  Please use the Subscribe link to the right to be sure that you get all the latest and greatest news!

Carol | No comments