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Post by thegenii on Nov 2, 2016 21:54:09 GMT -5
I wonder if my little red book is in box 4 and I missed it! Hmmm...
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Post by helenahandbasket on Nov 3, 2016 7:54:02 GMT -5
So, we've spent almost all of our time on this board with the puzzles, and some of the puzzles have been quite clever, but they add to the atmosphere more than they contribute information to the mystery at-hand. We really haven't been discussing the story or how to arrange the tableau for the murder. I think the story and the tableau are the heart of the thing, but maybe that's just me. Maybe we're far enough in for people to be coming up with theories. The reason my head exploded within about 3 minutes when I opened this box is because... ...well, have other people noticed anything about people's handwriting? Maybe it's something people don't notice any more because people don't write letters as much as they used to, but I could always tell who a letter was from without opening the envelope and regardless of whether or not the letter was signed by the sender. Thoughts? Theories? I'm not sure what to think any more, everything I was formulating got blown away! Also, it's worth looking into some of the places, names, and events because she did quite a bit of homework nestling her mystery in the real world.
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Post by tanders on Nov 6, 2016 9:12:11 GMT -5
So, we've spent almost all of our time on this board with the puzzles, and some of the puzzles have been quite clever, but they add to the atmosphere more than they contribute information to the mystery at-hand. We really haven't been discussing the story or how to arrange the tableau for the murder. I think the story and the tableau are the heart of the thing, but maybe that's just me. Maybe we're far enough in for people to be coming up with theories. The reason my head exploded within about 3 minutes when I opened this box is because... ...well, have other people noticed anything about people's handwriting? Maybe it's something people don't notice any more because people don't write letters as much as they used to, but I could always tell who a letter was from without opening the envelope and regardless of whether or not the letter was signed by the sender. Thoughts? Theories? I'm not sure what to think any more, everything I was formulating got blown away! Well, I noticed that the handwriting on the asylum admission paperwork was the exact same writing as in the letter her father sent her.
Was this a mistake or something done on purpose? Also, has anyone looked at her original spoiler page? I believe that Package 5 changed from being something about a fire to now just mentioning a letter.
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Post by amanda on Nov 6, 2016 11:33:37 GMT -5
I think very definitely that it is purposeful. But it does put a lot of previous assumptions on end, doesn't it? While I was mostly expecting papa to make comeback, what with the "presumed" in the telegram and the Shakespeare quote referring in the play to a drowned father that was actually still alive and well that certainly was not an artifact that I expected to be associated with him. Other handwriting is worth a closer look too.
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Post by helenahandbasket on Nov 6, 2016 12:15:39 GMT -5
Well, I noticed that the handwriting on the asylum admission paperwork was the exact same writing as in the letter her father sent her.
Was this a mistake or something done on purpose? Also, has anyone looked at her original spoiler page? I believe that Package 5 changed from being something about a fire to now just mentioning a letter.
Also, have you noticed that it's not just the father's handwriting to recognize, but that the signature/handwriting on the original asylum letter to "madame" also reappears after Box #1? I know these are handwriting fonts, etc., but she has used 5 different ones very consistently (which makes it seem pretty deliberate, in my mind). I've had to go back to square one -- but I'm not even sure where square one is at this point
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Post by thegenii on Nov 6, 2016 19:05:07 GMT -5
All will be revealed soon!
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Post by helenahandbasket on Nov 6, 2016 20:17:51 GMT -5
A large part of the fun of this -- for me at least -- has been formulating theories of the story/crime, then having the next box come and realizing I need to come up with a new theory. I don't want to wait for the solution to be given to me, I will most certainly put together my best theory before I look at the on-line dossier for the solution and walk-thru FWIW, in addition to the reference to Shakespeare that Amanda makes above, which directly applies to the father's situation, there are plenty more literary references throughout that suggest there is fake madness, a pretense to ferret out the truth, and escape followed by a life under an assumed name -- just to name a few I don't think there's anything in here that's a throwaway, not even what Clare writes on the dollhouse furniture pages. But I really am curious what other people are thinking at the moment. Like I said, speculating and changing my mind with every new piece of information is half the fun! The other half of the fun has been ferreting out the clues we're being given about the murder and correctly assembling the murder scene for ourselves. What kinds of theories are y'all coming up with?!
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Post by billfelty on Nov 7, 2016 5:18:43 GMT -5
i checked the website and The Haunted Dollhouse will be repeated in January (tell your friends!). but no word about any new mystery. i hope she creates another! this one is so much fun.
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Post by helenahandbasket on Nov 7, 2016 9:29:44 GMT -5
She said she's offering a new one in January, yay! This really has been a complete blast!
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Post by thegenii on Nov 7, 2016 11:12:40 GMT -5
Hasn't The Haunted Dollhouse been available continuously on her site? I noticed that the early bird price has gone away since a week ago and it's now $175 and, as H&H says, starting in January.
H&H: I didn't mean to infer that I was waiting for the online dossier, merely for all 5 boxes to arrive before digging in.
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Post by billfelty on Nov 7, 2016 11:24:57 GMT -5
Yes, i just meant it was announced with an official january starting date. and yes, no more early-bird pricing. i guess i was also hoping for some sort of announcement of a NEW mystery starting in January, as someone (Helena?) had mentioned.
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Post by helenahandbasket on Nov 7, 2016 13:08:32 GMT -5
Yes, i just meant it was announced with an official january starting date. and yes, no more early-bird pricing. i guess i was also hoping for some sort of announcement of a NEW mystery starting in January, as someone (Helena?) had mentioned. Yes -- Lady Delaney said she will be offering a NEW mystery in January. Dollhouse Redux will be shipping in January, and during January she will be taking orders for the NEW mystery. Lady Delaney has mentioned the January offering to a few people who wrote to ask if she was going to do another mystery. She will probably make the broader announcement in January, I'd guess, or when it's closer to going on sale. I also think it's ok that she raised the price. I think she underpriced Haunted Dollhouse at $125, especially given the amount of work that went into each box, and her original shipping rate was couldn't possibly have covered p&p on 4 boxes.
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Post by thegenii on Nov 7, 2016 13:22:15 GMT -5
She was, I think, establishing a new business for herself with The Haunted Dollhouse. It pays to under price slightly and suck up the postage in order to attract customers who will then hang around for forthcoming items.
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Post by billfelty on Nov 7, 2016 13:22:22 GMT -5
yay!!!!!!! but the original dollhouse we subscribed to is FIVE mailings, correct? plus an online solution? the new listing for january says 4 mailings.
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Post by helenahandbasket on Nov 7, 2016 13:54:07 GMT -5
We're getting 5 mailings total -- 4 packages and a final envelope with additional documents. According to the website description, the January people are getting the same thing, 4 packages and a final envelope with startling information (though I'm not sure what could be more startling than Box #4). So, nothing has changed in the experience, near as I can tell.
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