I've come into contact with several Robert Tonner dolls as part of my doll club and going to various doll shows. Just like any doll collector, there are several collectors out there who have an obsession with specific dolls from Robert Tonner's lines and enjoy fabulous large collections. One of the things that I enjoy very much about Robert Tonner's work is the fashion. As a lover of fashion myself, it is nice to see the effort and the detail that Robert Tonner put into his doll fashions which are very far from many inexpensive doll clothes on the market. There is a great deal of detail as to the scale of all the notions, the fabrics used, and the prints. It's a shame that Tonner Dolls closed in 2018 and many of his doll lines are no longer made. I haven't quite understood why selected projects have continued seemingly off grid - but Tonner continues to make drops on his Ellowyne Wilde doll line and Marie Grace doll line in tandem with Virtual Doll Convention but no other dolls seemingly survived.
A lot of the lines incorporate fashion dolls, but if you are thinking Barbie, think so much bigger. Many of the dolls go 16-18" rather than Barbie's 11.5" height but still incorporate that hourglass figure. Their outfits are red-carpet worthy with nods to some of the great fashion designers of all time. Ellowyne Wilde dolls enjoy a funky mismatch almost artistic approach to fashion and a more teen like figure that put her in the same realm of many 16" BJD's found today (but with a different body type). Both of these are clearly adult collector worthy as dolls range from $200-$500 on the new and second hand market which rival BJD pricing in the similar size range.
As a collector of both BJD and Tonner dolls, I do notice an issue long term with the plastic bodies on Tonner Dolls and you get things like broken hands, loose joints where the dolls aren't able to stand any more or maintain posture or hold their arms up. Because of their construction, it can be hard to repair since it's solid plastic and some collectors have resorted to a bit of makeshift repair. What is certain on all of these doll lines is the attention to fashion which tends to outlive the dolls. Since the company is no longer operating, all the dolls in all the collections are now limited edition which means they are available very randomly on the second hand market and command a higher price point or value now that no more are being made. Dolls are going anywhere from $80-$300, but the outfits are commanding $100-$130 on many occasions just for their detail and high quality.
I haven't been a huge collector of Tonner dolls, only because the plastic construction does bother me quite a bit, and many Tonner dolls do a painted eye which I'm just not a fan of as an adult collector. However Tonner has played with glass eyes on certain dolls in the past and I do now have several Ellowyne Wildes with glass eyes and Evangaline Ghastly with glass eyes as well.
Today I went to a doll show and was very happy to encounter some more interesting dolls by Tonner. An 18" Tonner My Imagination doll looked to be a slim 18" doll that would slip into the 18" doll category dominated by American Girl. It had a slim vinyl body that was head to toe and an appropriately proportionate head with larger than proportionate glass stationary eyes. It was fully wigged but not glued which is very unusual to see as children dominate industry for this size "baby dolls" and the fashion seemed like it was meant for an older audience even though it had a very toddler to child like face. And then....Kitty Collier.
My doll club has done a presentation on Kitty Collier, but a mini version. Apparently this doll was released in two sizes originally - a 10" doll called Tiny Kitty (example shown above) and an 18" tall version. I had previously only seen Tiny Kitty in person prior to today. Her fashion was absolutely stunning, but for me Tiny Kitty was just too tiny for me to sew for and I like to sew for my dolls. Today I say 18" Kitty, and I was absolutely in love at first sight. She had glass eyes, and rhinestone earrings that actually sparkled when they hit the light, and an absolutely stunning Peaches and Cream vintage style outfit. There were many things that excited me about this doll. As a collector of Gene Marshall strictly for the vintage fashion, I enjoyed that Kitty also had a vintage fashion look that reminded me of old Hollywood Glamour. Her face was absolutely stunning. She has a way of looking grown up but also a bit youthful at the same time. She had glass eyes, not painted and eyelashes. Her hair is rooted, but soft and stylable and she's large enough that I think sewing fashion for her in the future isn't unheard of for me.
I was lucky enough to snag someone's former collection so my Kitty came with many outfits, shoes, and accessories and I was also amazed to find a best friend (Another Kitty Doll with Auburn Hair) buried in her doll trunk under all kinds of clothing so I actually got 2 Kitty dolls for the price of 1. She's more of a vinyl doll than a hard plastic which I like and she has a very vintage feel. The fashion is absolutely beautiful and there were many outfits that I got with my purchase as well as the original receipt when the doll was purchased from FAO Schwartz.
Above is the Peaches and Cream set which is so lovely on. The fabrics used are luxurious and silky and so beautiful in person and especially on this doll.
Above, Lunch at the Ritz is a fuschia pink suit and is absolutely wonderful in person. There were also several outfits included that I couldn't find references too. eBay had very little in terms of outfits for sale or the dolls, so it is very limited.
Above, a reference to Kitty with painted eyes. I still think she looks glamorous and very Hollywood but I much prefer dolls with glass eyes as I enjoy the realism.
Kitty with glass eyes. In this particular picture she almost looks ballet with her hair pulled back and her very rich eyes and pink undertones. This is my favorite of the versions Robert Tonner did. She looks huge here, but she's very petite in person at 18" tall and very long legs. I will need to discover if her clothes fit other dolls and how tricky her size is to manage sewing wise, but I'm excited to now have two part of my collection and some original outfits.
Do you love Tonner dolls? Tell us more, we love the comments!