Phyn & Aero Says Goodbye
Just announced in his e-mail newsletter, Robert Tonner’s Phyn & Aero will cease operations as of March 31st, 2019. This is fresh off the heels of the closing of the Tonner Doll Company back in December 2018. Now, here’s the thing about Phyn & Aero– I personally was never a fan of any of the dolls they produced. They were, in my opinion, over priced and not my taste. It’s always sad, however, when a company closes down, because it means less dolls on the market to keep people interested the hobby.
My favorite Tonner dolls will always be those aimed at the younger set, like Maudlynne Macabre or his 18″ doll line My Imagination. I had a soft spot for Agatha Primrose, but she wasn’t out long enough for me to grab the doll or the fashions. (If I found one at a good price with some cute fashions, I would still pick one up! She appealed to the comic con, manga reading, pop culture fan in me.)
But, back to Phyn & Aero, here’s Tonner’s reasoning in his own words:
“As I stated back in January, the only thing you can count on is change, and I’m afraid I must change course yet again. As much as I’ve always loved manufacturing, on-going production issues have continued to wear me down, and as a result, Phyn & Aero will cease operating as of March 31st. Please know, when I refer to production issues, I’m referring to continuing rising costs and ever-growing lead times. I’ve always been proud of the fine work done by the factories—they care about the product every bit as much as I have—and the wonderful people we work with are as disappointed as I. Please know that this was not an easy decision for me or for us, nor a decision made lightly.
This decision, however, does create an opportunity for you to secure the last of any Phyn & Aero product. This includes Lila, Annora, Kadira and Nancy Ann—some of which have just arrived. Look for discounts on the product, but please note there will be no returns nor refunds. Also, should you order a Kadira item look for a little “freebee” in your box!
Please note, the Phyn & Aero website will be accessible through April but mainly to print off any images or descriptions you may want to retain.”
He goes on to say that while he’s saying goodbye, there’s still one new doll that will be hitting the market. That doll is Rayne. Sculpted by Tonner, Rayne is a 16” realistic fashion figure with 15 points of articulation. She’s made of the finest hard plastic and vinyl with rooted saran hair (or unrooted for wigs). Packaged wearing no more than sport underwear and shoes, she’s pretty basic. However, that’s where Tonner is stepping outside the box a bit.
Clothing patterns will be available to download for this doll on Tonner’s new site and you’ll be able to order 3D printed accessories, such as shoes, breastplates, cuffs, hats, sculpted wigs, jewelry, historical foundations and much more for your doll via Shapeways. Because Shapeways allows you to choose many different filament types, colors and has many other options to personalize the printing process, this means whatever you order for Rayne will be unique to your doll.
Finally, Tonner ends with a bit about what he’ll be up to in the future.
“So, you may ask, what the heck am I going to do now that I’ll be out of the doll business? Well, I may be out of manufacturing, but I’m certainly not leaving the doll world. I’m working with various companies on freelance projects—and I’ve even signed a deal to do human (not doll) handbags and jewelry. So, I’ll be around. Be sure to check out my new web-site and friend me on Instagram.
I can’t tell you all what a wonderful ride this has been. The events, the parties, Toy Fair, the Magazines, and mostly you—the collectors—have made this entire doll world experience more than I could have imagined it to be. I sincerely thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the fun, friendship and the mutual love of this hobby—doll collecting.”
His full message is below.
Having met Tonner personally before, I can say that this guy is an asset to the doll world. He’s passionate about dolls, the hobby and collectors. I’m happy to hear he’s still freelancing in the doll world and expect to see more great things from him in the future. What do you think of the closing of Phyn & Aero? Are you surprised? Let us know in the comment area!
Pop Up Barbie Shop at Old Orchard
Happy 60th Birthday, Barbie! Because she’s celebrating such a huge birthday, expect to see a lot of cool things happening around the line throughout 2019! This weekend, we went to Westfield Old Orchard Mall (Skokie, IL) to an Amazon sponsored pop up Barbie store! The glass store was decorated with cool Barbie graphics, making it hard to miss! Inside the store featured a life-size Barbie box and a variety of different Barbie dolls to purchase. Since it’s Barbie’s birthday today, it’s the perfect time to share a few of the photos I took at the Pop Up shop with you!
With Toys R Us gone, I haven’t really seen a good Barbie aisle in a while, so it was nice to see so many Barbies in one place!
It’s a shame they weren’t selling the t-shirts on display at the pop up. I would have bought one or two if they had! You can, of course, order these t-shirts on Amazon!
And, of course, to make the shop even more “instagram worthy”, they had a life-size Barbie box set up to pose in! Below is me being a Made To Move Barbie!
What are you doing to celebrate Barbie today or all year long in 2019? Let us know in the comment area!
Naperville Doll Show Haul/Loot- January 2019
This weekend, my mom and I went to the Naperville Doll Show. This is a bit of wildcard of a show, since you really never know what will be there! Held at the Marriott Hotel in Naperville, this is the smallest of the shows we attend with around 40 vendors selling.
To be honest, there was very little in the room that caught my eye. In fact, up until the very end, I had only picked up one item and hadn’t seen anything else that really tugged at me. That is, until I spotted a doll that has been following me around past doll shows for at least a year now. Enough with the teasing, though. Let’s get into the haul/loot from January’s Naperville Doll Show!
My first purchase was done out of impulse and curiosity more than anything else, because it was different and cute. It’s a knock off Ddung key chain doll. I love her cute anime style face! Also, the oddity of her having a huge key chain coming out of her head made this doll hard to pass up! I overpaid for her, but she’ll make great friends with my Kurhns and other anime dolls.
My mom picked up Tracy Trikediddle, a Skeddidle from Mattel, part of the Little Kiddle line. Tracy is one of the cutest skeddidles around with her vibrant orange hair!
Along with that, my mom found (courtesy of myself) a honey haired Sasha Baby. She’s been on the look out for a honey haired Sasha, so the baby is a good first step! She also picked up a cute dark brunette Barbie with high cheek color. One of my mom’s goals is to pick up more mod era Barbie’s and this fits the bill! Also, the Fashion Avenue outfit this doll wears goes really well with her dark brunette hair.
I have two more dolls to show off in this post and both of them are different than what we normally pick up. Or, I normally pick up, at least. Let’s start off with my second and final purchase of the day. Remember I told you about a doll that followed me around? Well, that doll was a bisque Nippon Era Hilda Look-a-like doll. Being a novice, I had no idea what Nippon was and assumed it was a manufacturer, but interestingly, it just stands for Japan. It wasn’t until 1920 that the United States said items from Japan must be labeled ‘Japan’ and not Nippon. Anywho, back to my story–I’ve seen her show after show and have always felt drawn to her. Unfortunately, she was also way out of my price range at $225.
After wandering around this show multiple times, I spotted this doll again and since I hadn’t bought anything else, I figured it was time to inquire about her. The vendor was very nice and knew much more about this doll than I did. All I knew was that she was bisque and had the most adorable face I’d ever seen on a doll of that kind. After going back and forth, the vendor said she’d reduce the price and with that, the doll was sold!
This Hilda Look-a-like doll was made sometime between 1915 and 1921 when the US no longer accepted imports from Germany due to World War I. Her body is made of composition, but her head is made of bisque. My Hilda has since had her hair washed to get over 80 years of dirt and grime out of the mohair! I also gave her face a quick cleaning. When I get my composition cleaner, I’ll be giving her a body cleaning, too! I’m not one who usually enjoys the look of bisque dolls, but, seriously, how cute is mine? Her expression is so pretty and being from the Nippon era, she was very affordable.
My mom also fell for a bisque doll at the Naperville Doll Show. She’s very pretty and has a unique body to the bisque dolls my mom currently has.
She’s by Simon & Halbig, a German bisque company, and was probably made between 1900 and 1920.
So, there you have it– the loot/haul from January’s Naperville Doll Show! What do you think of our purchases? Did you find anything fun at a local doll show recently? Let us know in the comment area!
2019 Dolly Goals
It’s nearly February already. Where did January go? Just like we set personal goals around the New Year to be fitter, make more time for family, read more books, whatever the case may be, it may not be a bad idea to take some time and evaluate what goals you have for your collection in 2019.
2018 wasn’t a great year for doll collecting, in my opinion. Having lost popular lines Monster High and Ever After High in 2017, I can’t say there’s been many interesting doll lines released in their absence. The sad demise of the only big box toy store, Toys R Us, didn’t help matters, making it even harder to experience and see new dolls in person; not to mention harder for smaller companies to find a home for their new dolls and toys. It was also the year that we saw Madame Alexander go dark (they’re back now, thankfully) and the Tonner Doll Company slow down production and eventually close down completely.
My mom and I also said goodbye to one of our local doll shops, Shirley’s Dollhouse. All in all, I can’t say anything really exciting happened in the doll world at all in 2018 from any of the major players in the doll world.
My favorite collection additions from this past year came from unexpected sources. The Life Size Baby Groot from Hot Toys is one of my favorite purchases of the year. I’ll share him here on the blog soon. Finding a Tintair Honey Doll in minty fresh shape was also a highlight of 2018.
I also added a beautiful Arrenbee from the 1950’s to my composition/hard plastic collection, seen 14 minutes into the video above. I ended the year on a high note, receiving my newest BJD, the adorable Kikipop Kinoko Juice.
One of my goals in 2019 is to save money, so I need to be extra careful about what I add to my collection this year. I am also running out of space. (Well, a more accurate statement would be I ran out of space years ago and ignored that fact, but I really can’t ignore it anymore!) So, the question needs to be asked– what do I want to concentrate on for 2019 in terms of adding or enhancing my doll collection?
1: Composition and Hard Plastic dolls from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s
I’d love to add one really good large composition or hard plastic doll to my collection in 2019 from Arranbee or Madame Alexander. Both companies have such pretty vintage dolls. Most likely I’ll end up with Arranbee, assuming dealers bring them to the doll shows in our area, since 18″ or taller Madame Alexanders tend to be very pricey.
2: More Anime Eye Skippers and Teen Skippers
I think I’ll definitely be concentrating on finding more of the Skipper dolls I’m missing from the late 80’s to early 2000’s. I’m not missing too many of them, so it can’t be that hard to close the gap this year! I’m also going to work on finding more outfits for all generations of Skipper dolls.
3: A Friend for my Kikipop Kinoko Juice
For sure, I am going to add another Kikipop to my collection, specifically one with a smile. They’re just too cute. I adore them!
4: More Kurhns
Kurhn dolls have always been one of my favorite brands of dolls. I want to add more to my collection in 2019. To be honest, if it came down to adding a Barbie to my collection or a Kurhn, I’d choose Kurhn. I think they’re so pretty and unique looking. Plus, I know the quality is there, since I own about 10 of them now and none have disappointed me.
5: Another Little Miss No Name
This is probably a pipe dream, but you never know! I’d love to find another Little Miss No Name to re-root. They’re my favorite kind of doll to give hair to, along with Giggles, but they can be hard to find at good prices. Just finding one good Little Miss No Name that was clean, unbroken and just in need of hair would make my day!
Those are my broad goals for 2019. I’m sure I’ll expand on them as time goes on, but if I can hit these targets by this time next year, I’ll be a happy collector! The space problem is still something I’m working out, so hopefully that will have been sorted by then, too. (Likely not, though!)
What are your goals to grow, expand or enhance your doll collection in 2019? Was 2018’s doll selection as disappointing to you as it was to me? Share your thoughts in the comment area!
Looking Back at the Madame Alexander Museum
Earlier, I posted about the super cool windows and mannequins put up for a month-long celebration of Barbie’s 50 years. During that same trip in 2009 to New York City, I ventured into Harlem to the Madame Alexander Museum and Doll Hospital, located at 615 West 131st St. Before you add this amazing place to your bucket list, I regret to inform you that it no longer exists.
Previous owners of the company Kahn Lucas Lancaster closed the Harlem headquarters, doll museum and doll hospital shortly after taking ownership. Initially, the website said the museum and hospital would reopen later, but that never came to be. Now under new ownership, I can only hope they consider opening another museum to showcase the almost 100 years of history that’s behind the iconic Madame Alexander Doll brand.
Historically, the building was so much more than just a museum and doll hospital. Madame Alexander herself moved her headquarters to the building in the 1950’s and manufactured some of the most influential Madame Alexander dolls ever created in that space.
Alongside that, she brought jobs to hundreds of people, as the company “evolved into one of Harlem’s largest private employers”. When production moved overseas in the 1990’s, the headquarters remained open for designers, seamstresses and other doll artisans.
At the time of its closing, one article spoke with a woman who was saddened by the closure of the space.
“Iman Issa, a grandmother of two 9-year-olds who manages the Studebaker Cafe on the ground floor of the old doll headquarters, said she was deeply saddened by the closure.
“I know the people who worked there,” said Issa, who bought her daughters Madame Alexander dolls, “amazing people who put their hearts and souls into the dolls. The amount of work put into those doll…it’s a shame.”
I may not have lived in the area or known the people who lost their jobs with the closure, but I have to agree with her sentiments. It is such a shame this amazing museum and doll hospital were closed, especially considering the history of the company in the building, the legacy of the company on doll collecting/manufacturing and the strength of the woman who went from immigrant to female founder her very own company before she was 30.
Now, let’s talk about the museum. Besides just being a wonderful place to see beautiful dolls, it also had a party room. If I lived in the area, having a party there, surrounded by so many pretty dolls, would have definitely been on the to-do! So, without further ado, let’s take a look inside the museum!
This is the party room. Lovely, right?
And here are some of the beauties on display. I kick myself every time I look at these photos. I wish I had had a better camera to really capture the atmosphere of this breathtaking museum properly.
How pretty is this Maggie face? To have this in my collection would be amazing!
My taste hasn’t changed much, judging by what I chose to photograph. Though, to be honest, I wasn’t as much of a Madame Alexander collector back in 2009 as I am now. That’s another reason I wish the museum was still open. I know I’d get so much more out of it today.
The bridesmaid, bride and groom in the second row are gorgeous! They look to be composition dolls or transitional dolls. Transitional dolls may be my favorite kind because of the mohair wigs.
I know she’s a later doll, but I love the pirate on the left!
There were over 600 dolls lining the halls when the museum was open. I tried looking high and low for videos from the museum, but had very little luck. Here’s a video shot during a doll hospital tour, which unfortunately, I didn’t take due to time.
The Madame Alexander Museum was truly a hidden gem in Harlem. A magical place for doll collectors of any kind, this museum held so much history within its walls. I am so happy to have had the courage to trek from Manhattan to Harlem via taxi on my own in an unfamiliar city to see the museum. Of all the things I’ve done in New York City, it’s one of my favorite adventures.
Did you get the chance to go to the Madame Alexander Museum while it was open? Do you think they should re-open the museum? Share your thoughts in the comment area!
Confessions of a Doll Collectors Daughter 