DOLLS

Running concurrently with the Modern Doll Collectors Convention in 2010, the 2010 Doll and Teddy Bear EXPO will be held Oct. 1-3, 2010, in Winston Salem, N.C. Click here for details.

At the 2009 Kish & Co. Collectors Conference & Convention—Third Time’s a Charm—May 1-3, 2009, held at The Oxford Hotel in Denver, Colo., a mystery was afoot. “Fauna” a special one-of-a-kind piece created by Helen Kish for auction was “stolen,” and Inspector Tony Holmes, played by Tony Iacono, tried to solve the case throughout the course of the weekend. Once Fauna was found, the auction proceeded, and Paulette Goodreau won the piece for $5,000. Proceeds will be donated to Marshall Mile’s, an organization dedicated to finding a cure for Spinal Muscular Atrophy. The full convention story, plus video footage, will be featured in the September issue of DOLLS.

The Third Time's a Charm convention doll, "Shea" stunned collectors at the Saturday-night banquet. She comes complete with three different-colored sashes and shoes.

During a candid question-and-answer session, dollmakers Maggie Iacono, Helen Kish and Robert Tonner discussed the ins and outs of competition in the doll industry, how they started dollmaking, what motivates them to continue creating, and their least and most favorite aspects of the field.

Paulette Goodreau of Goodreau Doll won "Fauna," the OOAK auction piece Helen Kish created for proceeds to be donated to Marshall's Miles.

After a good start with spring shows in Myrtle Beach and Concord, N.C., Knight Shows & Events prepares to head into the May 2, 2009, event to be held in Columbia, S.C.

The Kohler Doll & Bear Show, Oct. 11, 2008, in Kohler, Wis., was held at The American Club, a posh resort hotel, which boasts a renowned golf course. In fact, German dollmaker Hildegard Günzel, who attended the show, joked that she came for the golf.

In addition to Günzel, the show was also graced by the presence of dollmakers like Zofia and Henry Zawierusynski, Berdine Creedy, Maryann Oldenburg, Sandi McAslan and more. Collectors enjoyed interacting with the artists and shopping. One Milwaukee, Wis., doll collector came to the show to shop for her grand-daughter’s birthday, who had her eye on Oldenburg’s “Willow.”

Another collector, Patti Julius of Neenah, Wis., was drawn to the show because of the “enjoyment and excitement of everyone who is here.”

The artists shared in the energy, too. “This is the first year I could come to the Kohler Show,” said Creedy. “It’s very exciting. It’s the most beautiful place here.”

And in an almost poetic moment, Creedy, once a student of Günzel’s, held one of her new ball-jointed dolls and pointed out the inner workings of the joints to her former mentor. “The first seminar I attended was Hildegard Günzel’s, and she said a sentence that stayed in my mind: ‘Of all the people here, you’re the one who’ll make something of yourself.’ That gave me the confidence to go forward,” Creedy said.

Artist and collector alike, good times were enjoyed by all. Said Marge Voigt, owner of The Nursery Window and host of the show, “We’d love for you to visit us in October for our next show.”