Word from the Collector's United doll collecting event in Nashville this weekend is that Tonner Dolls will no longer be producing the large size Kitty Collier fashion dolls after the 2007 releases. There has been no word on the continued future of Tiny Kitty Collier. I will try to confirm whether or not this is true with a representative of the company on Monday and also find out if there are any summer 2007 Kitty Collier releases or if the dolls in the current catalog are the final ones. Kitty Collier is an 18" fashion doll with set eyes which has been produced by Tonner Dolls since 2000.
Photo © 2007 Tonner Doll Company, Inc.
Comments
Someone on another board wrote to say she had asked Robert Tonner about Kitty Collier, and he replied, “She died.” Don’t know if that was what he meant to say, but she was rather bothered by it.
Rene
I think it’s such a shame that the l8″ Kitty Colliers are coming to an end as they have the most beautiful eyes. I was a latecomer to the Kitty “fan club”, but once I got one they became my fav Tonner doll. I think if more effort had been put into the line – more fashions AND some shoe sets, jewellery, etc. the dolls would have been more popular. Re Robert Tonner’s alleged comment about Kitty having died – well maybe he’s just disappointed that the collectors weren’t more supportive of the Kitty line.
Well, yes. When I once spoke to Gale Jarvis of Madame Alexander, about how much many people love the Alex line (my favorite fashion line), she agreed that Alex is a beautiful line, but said that no manufacturer can continue making dolls that don’t sell, however beautiful they may be.
Which, I suppose, is why the Alex line seems to be changing and becoming smaller.
I too am sorry to see Kitty Collier ending production. She is such a beautiful doll – quintessentially “Tonner”, and along with 14″ Betsy McCall I feel she best represents Tonner’s talent as a dollmaker. I’ll cherish the dolls I have and hope that independent designers will continue to create fashions for her.
It’s really a shame…Kitty is a gorgeous doll, but as a doll dealer I can tell you that she hasn’t sold well for me at all, either in store or online, whereas my other Tonner products fly out of the store…Poor Kitty needed some better marketing by Tonner.
I spoke with Glenn Mandeville at our Doll Club meeting last week. He speaks with Robert Tonner a lot and carries Kitty as well as other Tonner dolls. He says he has heard worse rumors. That Robert has not said anything to him about discontinuing Kitty. He stated that she is both Robert’s and his favorite–esp. the 50’s fashions–he would be very surprised if she is discontinued.