TOY FAIR COVERAGE:   Toy fair coverage on this site will be extensive. I will be at Toy Fair from the 12th through the 15th of February.  But, on the 10th and 11th I'll have links and information on some of the dolls that will be premiering via the Internet on those days!  I'll post news and updates here and on the The Toy Fair and IDEX Main Page and Photo Gallery.

Here are some handy links for your Toy Fair Coverage:

Toy Fair and IDEX Main Page and  Photo Gallery

Toy Fair and IDEX Links

SOME TOY FAIR 2001 INTERNET EVENTS:

2001 Gene to Debut at American International Toy Fair
This year's Gene Marshall Collection will be making its debut at American International TOY FAIR®, February 11-15, 2001 in New York City. Fans around the world will also be able to view the collection by logging on the collectiblestoday.com site beginning at 9:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, February 10.

Live Chat with Gene Creator Mel Odom on America Online
A Gene exclusive! America Online and collectiblestoday.com will present two live chat sessions with Mel Odom, creator of the Gene Marshall Collection, on February 10 and 12. Click here for details.
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Toy Fair In General: The 98th American International Toy Fair starts Thursday February 8 with pre-show activity.  The show officially runs starting Sunday, Feb 13, through Thursday, February 17th. 

• What is Toy Fair?  Toy Fair is the yearly trade show where over 1,500 manufacturers and  distributors of toys showcase their toys.  Looking at these toys are more than 20,000 buyers from over 100 countries and more than 1,000 international media outlets.  Toy Fair is the largest toy trade show in the Western hemisphere, and in some ways the main yearly event which shapes the $28 billion (yes, 28 billion dollar!) toy industry.
• Why is Toy Fair Important For Doll Collectors?  Toy fair matters because its at Toy Fair that all the major, modern players in the wold of dolls announce their product lines for the year.  By the end of the fair, you'll find out about all the new Barbies, Madame Alexanders, Genes, Tonners, American Girls, baby dolls, new dolls, and more that will be produced this year!  You will also likely find out all the new dolls and toys that children will be clamoring for this Christmas.  Don't miss ALL the new dolls announced at Toy Fair right here in About Dolls--check back often!  
• For  more information, see the Official Toy Fair site

CLEA BELLA DOLLS FINALLY SEEN!:   This new fashion doll will be officially unveiled at IDEX, but one of the community members at Vicky's Home On The Net posted some sneak preview pictures.  To see the doll, visit   http://www.xynadra.com/bbs/dolls/messages/2411.html 

GREAT PRINT-OUT FOR DOLL MEASUREMENTS:   While I was surfing around on Vicky's page, I also found this great link which has measurements for all 15"-18" fashion dolls for costuming!  The page is found at Look Of Joy.

CHRISTINA ST. CLAIR:   Another new fashion doll, sculpted by Helen Skinner, to be unveiled at IDEX this weekend!  Her clothes are said to fit Tyler Wentworth.  Designers for her clothes include Charles Josef, Mark Middendorf, and James Bogue.  To see a preview on Christina, visit Christina St. Clair

eBAY TO OFFER LIVE AUCTIONS VIA ICOLLECTOR:   MSNBC reports that eBay will offer LIVE bidding at auction showrooms, via a new alliance with Great Britain's iCollector.   iCollector allows online access to 300 independent auction houses such as London’s Phillips.  The service will let bidders bid in real-time for fine art, antiques and collectibles 24 hours a day, as the real auction takes place in the salesroom. The service will run on eBay’s Premier live auction site and will initially cover several of Icollector’s main auctioneers.  Sotheby’s and Christie’s, two of the world’s best-known auction houses, are not linked to Icollector.  They have their own Internet sites but do not at the moment allow real-time online bidding for live showroom auctions.

MORE ON THE TIGHT ONLINE TOY RETAILER MARKET--HE WHO HAS THE MOST TOYS DOESN'T NECESSARILY WIN:   This article, in ZDNet, gives a very interesting overview of the VERY tight toy market for mass toy retailers.  And, they don't see less competition in the future--they see MORE.  Get the FULL story from ZDNet:  Toy Sector Stalls In Sleep Mode

DOLL COSTUMING MAGAZINE A BIG SUCCESS--WILL GO TO BI-MONTHLY FORMAT:   This month's Doll Costuming Magazine announced that they have changed the magazine from a quarterly to a bi-monthly (6 times a year) because of the overwhelming positive response, with over 10,000 subscribers already.  Doll Costuming Magazine. 

CHAT ROOM:   The chat room is open 24 hours a day, and its free!  Just invite your friends in any time, or stop by to see who's there! And, don't miss our collectors chat every Tuesday at 6pm pacific time/9pm eastern. http://collectdolls.about.com/mpchat.htm. 

About Dolls Daily Archive:

January 18, 2001:  New, higher eBay listing fees; eBay keeps Buy It Now; eToys really struggling; Are smart toys making kids dumb?
January 12, 2001:  GENE gets a male companion; more Gene 2001 news; Theriaults Auction News and Review
January 6, 2001:    Update from Theriault's Auction Weekend:  Automata; Antiques Auction.
December 30, 2000: Theriaults Auction Weekend; History of Fashion Dolls in Barbie Bazaar Magazine warehouse.
December 16,2000:  2001 Fashion Model Barbie pictures; Treasure Trove Of Vintage Toys found in Government Warehouse; Kitt Kittredge sold out 
December 7,2000:  Ferrari Evening Barbie; Power Puff Girls BAD; new Clip Art; No Toy Home-Run for This Year's Holiday Season

Click HERE for the 2000 Doll News Archive  

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

Upcoming Doll Events

• Timeless Treasures: The Story of Dolls in Canada is on display now through  March 30, 2003 at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull, Quebec. For more information on this huge (over 400 dolls) landmark exhibit, visit http://www.civilisations.ca/cmc/cmceng/pr113aeng.html 
• Baton Rouge Doll Show:  February 10, 2001.  Ramada Inn and Convention Center, 1480 Nicholson Drive, from 9 am to 4 pm. Competitive and special exhibits, helpers, and door prizes. Proceeds to  benefit local charities such ads JC's Christmas programs for needy children and Easter and Thanksgiving programs for seniors and shut ins; and the UFDC. For additional information contact Pat Duncan pduncan@premier.net or George Orgeron at 504-386-4291 or orgeron@i-55.com.  Stop by and see your Guide; I'll have a table at this show!

Be a Roving Reporter!! Become a Roving Reporter and write a report on a doll event!  Or, do you have a doll event to promote, a new doll to announce, or an updated web site?  Please e-mail me at collectdolls.guide@about.com and put "Newsletter" in the subject line--For events, please give me 7 to 10 days advance notice (at minimum!) in order to have your event appear on time. Some events will also/alternatively appear in the Events Calendar.

Do You Have Dolls For Sale Or Trade? Did you know that you can place FREE classified ads for your dolls for sale or trade (or, dolls wanted) in the Doll Collecting Classified Forum?  Dealers, collectors, everyone welcome; feel free to link to your eBay auctions as well!  Visit the Dolls Forum to find out how to place your ad; if you are not yet a member, click on GUEST, but you will need a free Forum ID to place your ad.

 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!

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