You might remember that the Tonner Doll Company's Cinderella face is one of my
favorite doll faces of all time. The Tonner Doll Company, which got its start in the early 90s making porcelain dolls, has been making vinyl fashion dolls since
1993. By the time I started collecting Tonner fashion dolls in around 2005, the range of vinyl characters was extensive and included not only Tonner's signature character Tyler Wentworth, but also a range of Tyler's friends and some popular fiction characters like Harry Potter and Scarlett O'Hara. My beloved
Cinderella face was introduced in 2006. In 2007, Robert Tonner branched out into the resin ball jointed doll market with the introduction of 17" BJD Evangeline Ghastly. Evangeline is marketed through Tonner's other company, Wilde Imagination, which is the home of the woefully fashionable fictional character, Ellowyne Wilde.
One of the most exciting doll announcements of my collecting experience came in 2008. This was the year Robert Tonner declared that he would be making 16" resin ball jointed versions of some of his most popular fashion doll characters. Furthermore, the
very first 16" resin BJD was to have the Cinderella face. I practically leapt out of my skin with excitement. This would surely be the most amazing doll ever made. The only catch was that this doll would be limited to 125 pieces and would be sold exclusively at the Tonner convention....which I could not afford to attend. Panic!
Extreme panic! I have never wanted a doll this badly. I must have spent days glued to my computer, trying to find a way to buy this doll. I was rescued by a fellow collector (and convention attendee) whom I shall never forget (thank you, Jennifer!!). Not only did this dear person buy one of the resin dolls for me, but she knew to alert me when yet another Cinderella face was introduced at the convention (The Blue Fairy). So. I am a very lucky person, and the incomparable "Lady G" has graced my collection for the past 4 years:
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Resin Lady G by Robert Tonner |