Tinoose's Other World: Thoughts and Pictures From My First Doll Convention

Well, I finally made it to my very first Doll Convention… not quite what I expected, and a surprising emotional and physical drain on introverted me. I learned a few important things:

Doll people can be very loud, weird, and sometimes very rude.

You need to bring more than $100 to spend at a 4-day dolly convention. A LOT more.
Winning the lottery at a Tonner Doll Convention means you get to BUY your prize.
Door Prizes are fun! Raffles are not.
“Gothic” means something different to Baby Boomers than it does to Gen X-Y-Z.
Some doll people are VERY, VERY weird.
There will always be people who outspend you by thousands and thousands of dollars when it comes to dolls.
It’s harder to party at 40 than it is at 20.
Bongie makes the PERFECT convention companion.
Next time, I should take an extra day or two off just to recuperate.
Oh, and Robert Tonner is much cuter in person than he is in his publicity photos!

First up, my convention doll Celebration, a one-time only sculpt. Tonner broke the mold after making these dolls for the Denver Convention to the great ire of collectors everywhere who could not go to the convention. This was a freebie. Some folks put them on eBay right away between $450 and $700 or thereabouts. Fools… I’m keeping mine!!

Some folks were vocally disconcerted by her gown, but I actually like it a lot. Sure, some things could be better, but overall, it's a beautiful dress and I for one am very happy to have it!

Aren't sequins purty?!

Tonner's Wilde Imagination Ellowyne Wilde doll debuted at the convention. We each got to take one home (for free). Again, seen on eBay with a Buy It Now option of “only” $1500! Again, I don't understand this because I love this doll! She's so super cool and elegant...

(This is the baby boomer definition of “gothic” by the way, and I think Tonner meant it in terms of Edward Gorey, not in terms of Marilyn Manson…Thank GOD!)

My door prize is 3rd from the right, called “Petulant Pink.” Flanking the dolls on either sides are the Chase Modeling Agency dolls, Sean was part of the centerpiece I “won” (but didn’t buy at $188!!!) and the Sydney was the companion piece. Buying those two cost significantly less so I was able to splurge after all... but it really is too bad I had to miss out on the very popular Jac and Angelina from the centerpiece.

On Sunday morning, it was the Wizard of Oz theme, and Tonner revealed a new doll in that series. We all got to take one home (for free), and she’s a strange one! I haven’t unboxed her because I’m not sure I WANT her… Other than Greenie, I don’t do Wizard of Oz! Although the Centerpiece from that morning WAS pretty cool!

The second special Convention doll was a rather strange little “We Welcome You to Munchkinland” from the Wizard of Oz. She looks like Dolly Parton (if she was a brunette) or a young Betty White. She's actually very cute, but strange, lol! She has a huge head on top of a Marley-sized body (with boobs). I notice that a lot of people are trying to sell their Munchkin doll without much luck... So, she'll be deboxed for some proper photos someday soon.

By the way, I also found that when you’re really bored at the tables because the noise level means you can’t hear a darn thing, candles are really pretty:

The desserts were fabulous, too! Here is Saturday night's treat:

And of course, no report will be complete without telling about my convention companion, Bongie, my elfdoll Tiny BJD (Bong Sun Hwa). She kept me very amused and drew the attention of quite a few curious souls in the pattern alteration class...