Background
For obvious reasons, one of Tonner Doll Company’s most popular Character Figure lines is based on the Harry Potter film series. As they continue to amass a comprehensive collection of characters, the latest offering – Professor Dumbledore - might be the most impressive Potter TCFs to date.
Wikipedia never lets me down when looking for a comprehensive background story:
Packaging
The piece comes packaged in Tonner’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire rectangular box. That box is basic black with the film logo on the front. Inside, Dumbledore is wearing a near human sized hairnet (for his beard and hair). All of the accessories come individually bagged and the TCF is secured with ribbons and Styrofoam.
The Figure
The Professor Dumbledore Tonner Character Figure stands approximately 19” in height and features 14 points of articulation (neck, shoulders, chest, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles). The piece is an authorized likeness of the late Richard Harris, who played the role of the wizard in the first two Potter films.
The TCF sports rooted white saran hair that measures about 14” long and an equally impressive 10” long white beard. The mustache, however, is sculpted as a part of the soft vinyl head.
With an outfit consisting of two ornate robes, Dumbledore is dressed in rather impressive style. The outer robe is a purplish-red shade and is trimmed in gold brocade pattern work. The inner robe has more of a pink hue with gold designs and features trim work on the bottom edge as well as gold orb buttons. In addition to the faux leather belt with a gemstone buckle, the figure includes a maroon velvet hat and brown velvet lace-up boots.
The figure, which includes a display stand, is limited to a run of 500 pieces.
Our Opinion
Well, the first thing to realize is that this Dumbledore sculpt is based on Richard Harris’ portrayal of the role; however, Harris didn’t play the character in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (which is on the box). Harris had already passed away, and Sir Michael Gambon had been cast as the character in that film.
When looking at Tonner produced figures, they usually fall into one of three categories – exemplified by their varying price points. The Professor Dumbledore piece is obviously in that high-grade category. It’s more limited than some in the Potter line, and that might also push the price toward that $250 mark.
It only takes one glimpse at the Dumbledore Tonner Character Figure to realize that a lot of work went into this piece. If I had to choose one word to describe his outfit, it would be “elegant”. You add in a strong face sculpt, even though it’s mostly covered by the wizard’s long white hair, and you understand why this piece is a true collectible.
You can pick one up at the following:
Tonner Direct: $249.99
Professor Dumbledore TCF Grades:
Quality: 10/10
Paint: 8/10
Packaging: 8/10
Durability: 8/10
Hype: 8/10
Fun Factor: 7/10
Value: 8/10
Overall: 9.2/10
What do you rate this figure?
