DOLLS

I was lucky enough to spend the weekend in Orlando at the first annual Goodreau-Creedy Convention. Beautiful dolls, great people and fun events sum up the event in a nutshell. Besides hosts of the convention Paulette Goodreau of Goodreau Doll and Berdine Creedy of Berdine Creedy Originals, guest artists Greg Ortiz, Beverly Stoehr and Kimberly Lasher, among others, were in attendance.

Several months have passed since I redressed Paulette Goodreau's Mirror, the first American, dark skinned, BJD doll.  She underwent an extensive photo shoot for images submitted with the February 2009 DOLLS magazine article, "The Many Faces in My Mirror," pages 56-57.  At least one redress followed.

Are you a doll collector who needs intervention? Check out this handy list and see if you qualify...

Good morning to all!  I am in the last stages of getting ready to leave for the show in Portland this weekend.  I get really excited, even a bit giddy....every time I pack to go.  It isn't hard to describe why.  When I walk in to the room that we will be using for the show....it really is just a non-descript jumble of tables.  Throughout the set-up day, I love watching the exhibitors turn the plain room into wonderland of treasures waiting to be found.  Some displays are elaborate, some are plain, but each has it's own uniqueness and appeal.

At this time of year I develop what I call Sears Wish Book syndrome. As a little girl that catalog meant that Christmas was coming and I could prepare for my visit to Santa. Even though one year I got distracted and wondered why Santa needed to wear a wrist watch, I still remembered to tell him what was at the top of my list because I believed he had to at least honor that wish.

Because I enjoy manipulating my dolls without fear of damaging, of the various doll mediums, I prefer vinyl.  Its soft, warm, skin-like sensation and durability is favored over the cold, hard texture of porcelain or resin.  With the promise of more lifelike texture of silicone-vinyl (SV) in 2004/2005, I rushed to add dolls of this new, amazing medium to my collection.

About 2 weeks before every show that I produce, I get questions from people that have dolls they would like to sell from their personal collection.  Most simply ask if I know of someone that would like to buy...whatever they are ready to sell.  I can't always know why a person needs or wants to sell part of their collection, but I do know that as my tastes change, I sell so that I can buy something different.

Always on the hunt and chase for a particular doll, there is forever an elusive doll from the past that I NEED or a new doll scheduled for release that is running a little behind in getting to market.  Because of this, I am often in a state of limbo, waiting for a particular doll to arrive.  Usually while on the hunt and chase or playing the waiting game, nearly forgotten dolls surface when least expected.

Part of the beauty of doll collecting is that it can be interactive and in fact, encourages participation. Fine art—paintings, sculptures, photos—are beautiful to admire and of course, they inspire by virtue of their beauty, but that’s as far as they go.

Is your wish list is growing faster than your budget? Here are some tips on managing that list.