DOLLS

The two premiere publications covering doll collecting, DOLLS and Doll Reader, will merge into one title in 2012 published under the name DOLLS by Jones Publishing. The deal was announced Jan. 27 at the Debut of Dolls and DOTY Awards Banquet during the IDEX trade show in Orlando, Fla. Jones Publishing also presented its Lifetime Achievement award to Maggie Iacono at the same event.

On Jan. 26-29, 2012, the internationally acclaimed doll show—IDEX Premiere 2012—will be held at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld. The show offers something for doll collectors of all interests—from ball-jointed dolls to fashion dolls, classic collector favorites and more. Additionally, exciting events will roll out the Debut of Dolls, a Roaring ’20s BJD Extravaganza, Tiny Treasures Contest and Awards, and so much more. DOLLS magazine will also be in attendance to present Maggie Iacono with the Jones Publishing Lifetime Achievement Award. Make sure to pre-register for workshops and events before they are sold out. Click here to view a complete listing.

The Alexander Doll Company and well-known auction house Theriault’s hosted a gala reception at the Alexander company headquarters in New York Nov. 19 before Theriault’s auction of author and socialite Candy Spelling’s rare, vintage Madame Alexander doll collection at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York Nov. 20.

Maggie Iacono has been named the recipient of the 2012 Lifetime
Achievement Award by DOLLS magazine. Iacono, with 31 years of dedication
to the craft, raises the bar of excellence for the doll industry year
after year, making her an ideal pick for this year's winner.

Neva Dolls CEO and chief designer Stacia McDonough is putting a selection of her handcrafted Russian dolls on display at the Hillsborough Library in Hillsborough, N.J. Nov. 30 through Dec. 29, 2011.

The New Jersey-based company is known for its porcelain dolls designed to capture Russian history and folklore, with authentic costumes created from Russian furs and fabrics. “Neva Dolls pays homage to all Russian women through the centuries, from the peasant bride in the rural village to the courtly czarinas. The history of Russia's costumes is utterly fascinating,” McDonough said.

The Alexander Doll Company and Theriault’s auction house will host a reception from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at the Alexander Doll Company Heritage Museum in New York in advance of the highly anticipated auction of author and socialite Candy Spelling’s rare, vintage Madame Alexander doll collection that will take place on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011, at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York.

Online voting for the 2011 Colliii Awards opens Friday, Sept. 16 and will run through Sept. 30. All registered Colliii.com users can participate in the voting and everyone who votes will automatically be entered into a drawing for prizes donated by the award sponsors. Prizes this year include collector dolls from Schildkröt, reborn doll kits from Real Effect, and digital subscriptions to Dolls magazine. Prize winners will be announced after the voting is completed.

Colliii Award winners will be announced Oct. 24 on the Colliii.com website.

Join DOLLS publisher Joe Jones and the staff of DOLLS magazine for the official announcement of the winners of the 2011 DOLLS Awards of Excellence online Oct. 4, 2011, starting at 9 p.m. Eastern Time (8 p.m. Central, 6 p.m. Pacific). Go to www.dollsmagazine.com Oct. 4 and click the DOLLS Awards of Excellence link to join us.

Sign in at the premiere webcast for a chance to win fabulous door prizes and be among the first to find out which dolls were voted the best by DOLLS readers. We also have some extra video surprises in store!

Did the Confederate South use a child’s doll to smuggle drugs past the Northern blockade? The PBS series "History Detectives" will investigate a family legend about a drug-smuggling doll in its Aug. 30, 2011, episode.