Tonner Character Figures: Difference between revisions

'''{{PAGENAME}}''' were a series of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' and ''[[Torchwood (TV series)|Torchwood]]'' 16" - 17" tall dolls  squarely aimed at the collectible market.<ref>[http://www.tonnerdoll.com/doctorwho.htm Each page of the Tonner website] carries a message declaring that its products "are not toys; they are products intended for the adult collector ages 14 years and older"</ref> They had an average price of close to USD 200.  Some of the reasons for the expense were their dimensions and the unusual degree of attention taken on each doll's clothing — a particular forté of the prestigious [[wikipedia:Tonner Doll Company, Inc.|Tonner Doll Company]].

Along with each figure came an equally collectible box.  In the case of the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' figures, the box was in the [[regeneration]] colours of orange and gold. It featured [[Gallifrey]]an script and the [[RTD]]-era [[Doctor Who logo|logo]].

The ''Doctor Who'' figures were released in the summer of [[2010]]<ref name="TonnerPress">[http://www.tonnerdirect.com/t-td-newsletter.aspx Tonner Direct newsletter press release], dated 19 February 2010, indicates anticipated delivery "this summer"</ref> and were considered a part of Tonner's 2010 Collection.<ref>[http://www.tonnerdoll.com/2010collection.htm Tonner's 2010 Fashion Dolll and Character Figure Collection list]</ref> This was odd timing for a [[Series 3 (Doctor Who)|series 3]]-era [[Martha Jones]] figure to make her debut.  Indeed, given that it came out after the transmission of ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'', the [[Tenth Doctor]] figure would have been seen by initial purchasers as a ''past'' incarnation of [[the Doctor]].  However, prototype dolls were seen as early as [[January]] [[2009]] at the International Dolls Expo.<ref>[http://collectdolls.about.com/b/2009/01/31/tonner-dolls-unveils-new-doctor-who-line.htm  Report from the 2009 IDEX]</ref> This means that the dolls were under development no later than [[2008]] — when Jones and the Tenth Doctor were still very much active characters.  The reasons for the long delay are not well understood, but Tonner obliquely acknowledged the long development cycle in a 2010 press release, indicating the delay may have had to do with waiting for approvals to come through.<ref name=TonnerPress/>