When people ask me what I do for a living and I explain DOLLS magazine, non-collectors don’t get it. Their immediate assumption is either the magazine is about the type of playthings seen at big box stores … or at most, they imagine cheap and trinket-y porcelain dolls that can be found at dollar stores across the country. But they don’t realize that dolls are art.
Ball-jointed doll (BJD) designers (and collectors) are famous for pushing boundaries and redefining norms in the doll world. One example of that is the facet of BJDs growing in popularity which are anthropomorphic in nature.
You say potato; I say potato. Banal, right? Doesn’t matter how you pronounce it. … The person on the receiving end of the communication will understand and that’s all that matters. Well, in light of the recent controversy over what it is exactly that one 3-year-old’s interpretation of what her new Hannah Montana doll is saying, the nuance of pronunciation matters after all.
Some folks are of the school of thought that doll collecting is going away. I happen to believe it’s just changing in a big way. One factor I believe has changed the timbre of doll collecting is pop culture.
I know I’ve been quiet for far too long. It’s been a crazy-busy stretch for me, but things are starting to sort of quiet down until IDEX. The last show DOLLS attended was the Modern Doll Collectors Convention held in mid-October in Albuquerque, N.M. A fun, diverse and incredibly organized event, a great time was had by all.
This weekend I was lucky enough to attend the Jason Wu Event VI: Iconic in Schaumburg, Ill. This was the sixth annual event put on by Integrity Toys and throughout the years, it has gained the reputation of being the "Cadillac of doll conventions." After attending one myself, I certainly wouldn't argue that statement. For breakout events, no extravagance is passed over: from the fine cuisine to the luxe table decor, live music (Chicago Catz), guest of honor (Jason Wu) and breakout dolls, the company brings nothing but the best to the table for their collectors.
Tomorrow I leave for The Jason Wu Event VI: Iconic, during which the fashion icon will celebrate a decade with Integrity Toys. Our next issue features coverage on the convention collection and will be released exclusively to collectors in attendance at the event this weekend in Schaumburg, Ill. The print and digital issues will be mailed to everyone else on Oct. 5.
This morning I jumped in my car on my way to work only to discover a box containing the dolls I had won at the UFDC 60th Annual Convention. What a delightful discovery.
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.
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.
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