Although it is a bit hard to walk around IDEX without running into a reborn baby doll (or an entire nursery of them), today the edgier ball-jointed dolls took center stage, with not one but two ball-jointed doll ("BJD") events. The first was an American BJD Gathering hosted by Goodreau Doll LLC held in the afternoon, and the second was a BJD Mixer and Meet-Up held after the showroom closed, in the evening. Both BJD events were well attended, each with over 100 participants. At each event there were BJD contests, presentations, and doll giveaways. The best thing about both events was the opportunity to meet other avid BJD collectors, retailers and manufacturers.

I've had an impossibly busy first day at IDEX: I've literally been seeing, talking about, and having meetings about dolls from 6:30 a.m. this morning till nearly 10:00 p.m. tonight! My first impressions of the show are that it seems to be about the same size show as last year, perhaps with a larger contingent of reborn baby doll artists than prior years. Alice in Wonderland is everywhere (a nod to the soon-to-be released Alice movie by Tim Burton) and there are fantastic dolls nearly everywhere you look. I'll bring you full coverage, including doll photos and news, and the full list of DOTY (Doll of the Year) award winners this weekend, so stay tuned!

I'm on my way to IDEX, the first major doll show not only of 2010 but also of the new decade! Last year, I wrote about my nerves prior to the show due to the poor economy. I must admit that I'm also a bit nervous going into the show this year since the economy hasn't fully recovered yet, and we've already lost some dolls to company closures (Faith and Friends, for example ) and some independent doll companies to consolodation (for example, Adora Dolls being bought by Charisma brands). However, I'm optimistic that this year's IDEX will bring good things, and I'll be bringing you all the news from IDEX starting on Friday!

Finding dolls is easy--finding great dolls is hard. in Where to Find Dolls you'll find all my favorite places to buy modern, vintage and antique dolls.