The Cable Doll Shows
Dateline: 06/17/98
Watching the cable TV shopping channel doll shows can be interesting, instructive, and expensive -- but always fun for us doll "junkies"! I have three stations available in my area with shows of varying quality and interest and I am a regular watcher.
Value Vision, connected with Montgomery Wards, is a small station in the midwest. Their regular doll show hostess is Carmela Richards and she has designed her own line of dolls under the logo "Carmela Collection". Artist Ann Dolan also has a new line out exclusive to Value Vision called "Destiny Dolls". Both of these collections are done in relatively small editions, at fairly reasonable prices. Their dolls are showcased periodically and you can even catch them on sale at times.
Each show generally has one artist or company representative with their line of dolls and the variety is getting much better lately. Fritz Wolfe, the artist and owner of Wimbledon Dolls, is a regular, as is Chris Miller of Pittsburgh Originals. The new owners of Effanbee Co. have been on several times and done exclusive dolls for the station. Jackie Austin's Diva Dolls, all handmade individually, are very unusual and always sell out. Recently, Sigikids and Lepp dolls, in very small editions and rather expensive, have added a new dimension to the shows with real quality. And occasionally they have a whole show of Repro Crafters' Victorian buggies, benches, rocking horses, and carts at good prices.
One thing I really like about Value Vision is that Carmela is not a high pressure salesperson. She generally chats with the guest and has a very relaxed presentation of the product. And she really knows and loves dolls, which adds a lot to the show. Their regular show is Sunday evening at 6 p.m. Eastern time, with an occasional weekday special show and a few late night clearance sales. They do have a web site , too, but don't expect too much. Products available there are very limited. But they do have the show on live with sound, so if you don't have them on cable, you can follow the shows on your computer.
QVC, one of the largest shopping channels, has a class act and a class product -- as far as it goes. Their own line of dolls, Camelot, is just OK and they have a limited number of artists. Lots of Seymore Mann, Bette Ball, and Precious Moments. Lloyd Middleton, Marie Osmand, and Pauline do show up occasionally, though, along with a few really high class artists like Maryse Nichole and Wendy Lawton.
But QVC has no regular doll show schedule, so it makes it hard to catch the good shows. They do have Mary Beth Roe to host most of the shows, though, and she is such a sweet, low-key lady that the shows are vastly enjoyable when you do see them. And they certainly deserve high marks for having the best Web site around. Anything you see on their show is available on the net, with pics and descriptions and on-line ordering.
And then there is Home Shopping Network, with regularly scheduled shows, a tremendous list of regular artists, and undeniably the best prices around. With eight hours a week to show dolls -- Tues. afternoon from 3 p.m.to 5 p.m., Fri. night from 9 p.m. to midnight, and Sat. night/Sunday morning from 1 a.m. to 4 p.m. (all times Eastern) and that doesn't count the special shows!-- they do cover the spectrum thoroughly. Heavy on porcelains, but a good many vinyls, an occasional wood or cloth, and even Barbie. (Lately, they have been doing Beanie Babies, which I don't really feel belong on a doll show. However, the little critters seem to have invaded the universe, so can't fault the station too much!)
Artists appear with some regularity, but are generally there with a few dolls for part of a show. If you like variety, these shows are full of all types in every show. This is where you can find Fayzah Spanos, Thelma Resch, Linda Steele, Janis Berard, Christine Orange, William Tung, and Rustie -- just to name a few. Prices are very reasonable, too, with dolls in just about every price range.
If you are primarily interested in learning, the duo of Tina Berry and Alice Cleveland are about the most knowledgeable hostesses on the air. Their styles are very different and you get more of the high pressure sales pitch here then on the other stations, but they both know there subject and incorporate much info and detail into their presentations. The only website HSN has is called First Auction and it is only so-so. Products are available only as they put them up for auction and there aren't many dolls. But, if you enjoy this format, you can have fun there. And Tina does have a new website that may prove interesting.
I am sure that many of you will not totally agree with my assessment of these shows. So let us know what you think about them. And if there are any others of which I am unaware, please write up your assessment and give us as much info as possible.
