SPECIAL online GINNY AUCTION at Theriault's this week!: There will be a special all-Ginny auction online at www.theriaults.com from May 26 to June 2. These are ALL vintage dolls, from the 1940s and 1950s. Don't miss it...it will be a real treat for all Ginny and vintage doll collectors!

Barbie's Missing Asian Face: You can get Barbie For President as a Caucasian doll, as an African-American doll and as a Latin-American doll. BUT, you can't get her as an ASIAN doll. Don't miss the FULL story at Boston Globe Online. The article says that "This snub from Mattel Inc., the nations largest toy maker, has angered many Asian-Americans, who already feel overlooked in many spheres of US life despite being the nation's third largest minority. It has also triggered soul-searching within the Asian-American community as to why there are so few Asian faces on doll store shelves. Aside from exotic-looking collectibles, such as Barbie's ''Fantasy Goddess of Asia,'' Asian-American features are rare among dolls, giving Asian-American girls few choices of dolls whose faces and clothing styles resemble theirs."

TOYSMART.COM Goes Out Of Business!: Can you believe it? This heavily-backed (by Disney!) online toy retailer has shut its doors. ("Good Toys For Good Kids..."). Basically, Toysmart couldn't compete effectively in the very crowded online toy retailer market. The following notice is posted on their site: "Thank You To Our Customers Toysmart.com is closing its operations. Orders will be fulfilled for customers who placed an order through midnight on Friday, May 19^th. Toysmart.com would like to thank our customers for your support and patronage and for joining us in our "good toy" crusade. We could have never done it without you. We wish you and your family the very best." Sadly, the 170 employees of Toysmart will be losing their jobs.

Mattel Picks NEW CEO! Mattel has announced that its board of directors had unanimously elected Robert A. Eckert as chairman and chief executive, ending a three-month search following the forced departure of Jill Barad.   Eckert is 45, and although he has had NO experience in the dolls/toys industries, he is known as a specialist in turning around companies.

GENE/Barbie Deliveries hit STORES!: So far, some toy and specialty stores have received some shipments of the following year 2000 Gene items: Dance With Me Gene, Its a Wrap, Table for Two, Love Letters, Shorts Story, Croquet Set, Dressing Screen, and the Chaise Lounge. FAO has also received its very limited Spotted In The Park. As for Barbie, some stores this week also received Fire Fairy Barbie and Bowling Champion Barbie. They also continue to get the Raggedy Ann and Andy set (Kelly and Tommy) and Harleys.

News On Antique Dolls Wanted!: Its EASY to find news on dolls currently in production and new doll releases, but not as easy to find news on antique dolls. Do you have some news? Have you been to a show or an auction you would like to report on? Do you have an antique doll event you want to promote? If so, please e-mail me at collectdolls.guide@about.com I am also ALWAYS looking for news on ALL the modern dolls as well! All contributors to Dolls This Week will be acknowledged and credited.

Upcoming Doll Events

• International Convention 2000 of the Doll Artisan Guild: June 28 to July 1 at the Hilton in Walt Disney World. Held every 2 years; I'll be attending so come say hello!
• National UFDC Convention: Fin Du Millenaire: Chicago, July 16-21 2000. The National Convention; over 2000 doll collectors, sale room, modern and antique doll competition rooms, classes, seminars (your Guide will be teaching a seminar) , meal events and much more! Go to www.ufdc.org for more information.
• National Doll Festival: Chicago, July 15-19, Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers. For information http://members.aol.com/natldoll/pub/
• National Gene Convention 2000 will be held Oct. 20-23 at the Arlington Heights Hilton in Arlington Heights, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago). Registration is $325 and limited to 700. For more information, contact genecon99@aol.com
• Fashion Doll Convention 2000 San Diego, California August 12 to 14 2000 at the DoubleTree Hotel. Convention dolls are Daisy and Willow. For more information, http://members.aol.com/fashiondollsd or e-mal fashiondollsd@aol.com

Want to keep up to date on all the latest in the world of Dolls? Sign up for the weekly About Dolls Newsletter! It's free, and is delivered to your email address every week, full of links to new articles, new clip art, additions to the Doll Price Guide and Galleries, Forum Discussions and more! . Don't miss a single issue--- scroll to the end of this page to sign up now!

2000 Past Editions of Dolls This Week:

January
Madame Alexander 16" Fashion Doll; Mattel Execs Leave *
Doll Costumer Guild Announces New Publication; *
Barbie PC; Barbie Auction *
February
Jill Barad Resigns From Mattel *
All The Toy Fair News! *
Toy Fair Recap; Toy Fair Toys are Technological *
March
New Theriault's Auctions; Dorothy Coleman Dies *
TRU Big Event, Virginia Graves Carlson Dies *
April
New Doll Books; New Barbie Releases in Stores *
Jill-Neimrow Nelson Resigns; Americana 2000 Projects; Fashion Doll Convention *
Barbie for President, Sign Language Barbie; Betty Spagetty and eBay Antique Dealers *
Special Online Doll Auctions; Pleasant Co. Toys For Boys, Cool Collecting Barbie*
May
Pleasant Company Founder Retires/Doll Discounts/Harley Ken HOT! *
Who's Brave Enough to Run Mattel/Hello Kitty Barbie/Barbies in stores now *

For all 1999 editions of "Dolls This Week" please go to the 1999 Dolls This Week Archives.