"DAILY DIARY FROM THE UFDC DOLL COLLECTORS CONVENTION 2000" > Page 1, 2,
Diary of a Mad Doll Collector: Daily Diary From The UFDC Doll Collectors Convention 2000--Part I
This is my full convention diary from my wonderful week spent at the 51st National UFDC Convention, Fin du Millénaire, held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, which was attended by over 2,000 doll collectors from all over the United States and the world. If you attended, the diary will help you relive all the fun. If you've never been to a UFDC doll convention, the diary will give you a good feel for what a convention is like.
SATURDAY JULY 15, 2000
OK, I've really learned my lesson this time--next year I am flying to convention a day early on Friday instead of flying in on Saturday. For the second year in a row, I have hit massive delays at Chicago O'Hell (oops--O'Hare) airport and have missed the preview of the Rowbears "satellite" doll show. This year, my flight landed about 3 1/2 hours late. And, since I fly United, practically any trip takes me through O'Hare for a connection. If I had come in early I could have done some Saturday morning sightseeing (Chicago is a great city!) and I also could have gone to the preview. Instead, I get in at about 9pm. stand on a huge line to register (there are 3 conventions in town and the Hyatt Regency in downtown Chicago where the UFDC Convention is being held this year is HUGE) and drop into bed exhausted after greeting my roommate Pat (LAFRIEND and PLD1 to all of my Chat and Forum regulars, respectively!).
SUNDAY JULY 16, 2000
Up early, breakfast at the Hyatt Regency, then right to the registration line at 9am to get my
badge, event tickets, events timetable and souvenir book 
and goodies bag (did you
non-convention goers know that at these conventions you get a great souvenir tote bag
filled with little doll items and a fantastic hardcover souvenir book FILLED with doll
information? Then off to the courtesy shuttle to the Theriault's all-day,
bid-till-you drop (literally, ended about 11pm this year) back to-back auction marathon.
The first auction was a Marquis (catalogued) auction that consisted of amazing
top-quality antique and vintage dolls--the auction included Brus' Jumeaus, Steiners,
Sashas, Patsys and much, much more. Going to the auction preview is like visiting a
doll museum, and shouldn't be missed! The second auction consisted of a Discovery
Day (non-catalogued) auction, also of wonderful dolls and doll-related items. A bit
more vintage in this auction, and more doll-related items. Some of the dolls at this
auction were slightly damaged or without old clothes, so you could pick up a bargain if
you had a sharp eye. Also at this auction were some of the doll bonnets currently up
for auction online at the FIRST fully catalogued online dolls auction that I am aware of
"The Ribbon Is Free." I am very involved with doll costuming, so it was a
treat for me to see the hats in person. Look for a FULL auction report including
prices realized in related article. I attended the auction with PLD, and we
were joined by Chris (CWEATHER to my Chat and Forum regulars!) and also another non-online
friend of mine, Diane. We had a great time, and Diane, my off-line friend and I
stayed to the very end. After, we had the munchies and enjoyed a burger at the Hyatt
(nothing like having dinner at midnight after a hard day of bidding! And, yes, I DID
get some lovely dolls and doll ephemera--you'll have to keep a look out for them in the
Galleries and Clip Art Library!
For convention attendees not attending the auction there were lovely events including a full schedule of Dynamic Doll Dialogues (roundtable discussions facilitated by a moderator who has expertise in the topic).
MONDAY JULY 17, 2000
Convention goes into high gear! In the morning, I moderate two Dynamic Doll
Dialogues on Fashion Dolls Throughout The Ages. Well, never mind that I had to lead
the first one sitting on the floor because of a shortage of tables! The table
shortage righted itself by my second Dialogue, and I had 
a great group including Jim
Farrone (author of the Fashion Doll Makeover books--his first convention!) and a
product rep that works with Tonner and Madame Alexander dolls as well as others. The
interesting thing is that the group, like me, had interest in the entire continuum
of
fashion dolls from French Fashions to Tyler Wentworth! Several of the attendees
collect antique to modern, as I do, and it was fun to get their perspective. To
facilitate discussion, I had a Jumeau Fashion, a Gene and a Daisy (from Summers and Field)
in the middle of the table. We ALL agreed, however, that a fashion doll is an adult
female figure with wardrobes and accessories available (others have different
opinions--Beth Owens in this month's Doll Reader believes that Betsy McCall and Ginny and
other child/toddler dolls with large wardrobes are types of fashion dolls. My group
definitely disagreed with that).
In the afternoon I was privileged to attend the Robert Tonner seminar on Tyler
Wentworth! This was fantastic, as I have almost the entire Tyler line 
so far.
Robert shared wonderful stories about the development of Tyler, showed up
prototypes, and discussed how Tyler's fashions are designed and brought to life.
Look for a BIG Tyler article where I will share some of this information with you,
including what is HOT in Tyler's world right now, and some items in development at the
Robert Tonner Company.
After the Tyler seminar, a hasty dinner in the hotel cafe so that we wouldn't miss the convention opening ceremonies and Awards of Excellence. This is a major event, held in the Grand Ballroom of the convention hotels each year, and I think it is an eye-opener for first-time attendees. You walk into the room, and there are approximately 2,000 doll collectors!! All crazy about dolls--just like you! The Awards of Excellence are the major awards bestowed once a year by UFDC. This year, Here are the four awards and this year's well-deserving winners: Service Award: Elizabeth Zochi ("Brave Bears" program for children in trauma and difficult situations). Educational Endeavors: Lynne Dowler (UFDC Real Services & Educational Coordinator and the creator of the Dynamic Doll Dialogues). Exhibit of Dolls: Craig Montcastle (for his exhibits and lectures regarding China Dolls) and Lifetime Achievement (Meritorious Service): Rita Johnson (past UFDC President).
After the awards, there was a superb short program about the history of Raggedy Ann and Andy (very appropriate since Chicago is the birthplace of the dolls) given by Raggedy Ann expert Andrew Tabbat. The program was delightful, and entitled "Raggedy Ann Comes Home To Chicago" (did you know that Raggedy Ann has been in production form 85 years--the LONGEST of any American-made doll?). At the end of the program, the excitement was palpable in the room--the sales room was about to open! There are two strategies to approaching the sales room on the first night--try very hard to be polite, let the dealers out of the convention opener first, and then quickly line up as close to the show room as allowed. Quickly is the operative word. This strategy is followed by anyone wanting a popular item that might sell out or anyone looking for rare dolls that may sell before they can see them. The second strategy is to go get a cup of coffee after the convention opener, and come down after the general open-the-showroom melee has calmed down. LAST year, I tried the second strategy. THIS year, I wanted the limited edition Alex fashion doll by the Alexander Doll Company and I also wanted some Cathy Hansen items, so that meant throwing myself into the general fray and risking life and limb. I find the opening of the sales room most amusing--some of the older, generally mild-mannered UFDC members can really move when a special doll is on the line!
Having smartly positioned ourselves at the back of the ballroom near the door closest to the sales room, we were able to get prime positions in line. First, we ran over to the UFDC Sales Booth to get our special just-for UFDC Alexandra Fairchild Ford fashion dolls by Madame Alexander (my first Alex--she is lovely!). Lines got long immediately, as this doll was extremely popular (limited edition of 350). Right after, I joined the Cathy Hansen melee. Melee is the only word that can be used to describe a booth that year after year is swarmed right after opening by doll collectors anxious to get Cathy's petite, wonderful reproduction dolls, clothes and accessories. In prior years, I chose not to join the fray, and sure enough almost all the dolls and accessory sets were gone in the first few hours. This year, however, after not being able to get the Lilly Doll since I couldn't get a ticket to the Cathy Hansen lunch were she was a souvenir, I decided to "console" myself with one or two of the 8" fashion dolls. I joined the crowd, which was about 5 collectors deep. Couldn't even SEE the dolls on the table at first! My friend Diane, a died-in-the-wool antiques collector had also fallen under the charms of the dolls at the Lilly luncheon, and she was also there. She directed me to the area of the table where the fashion dolls were, and we "tossed" dolls back and forth until we both had dolls in hand that we wanted. I settled on a 8" leather body dressed miniature "poupee" with glass eyes, and a naked painted eye Huret reproduction. I intend to sew trousseaus for both dolls, and so also bought some lovely Louise Hedrick patterns and kits for the dolls. I think the worse part of convention for me was when I asked Cathy where her sister Corky was, and Cathy told me that she had passed away. This was very upsetting to me--Corky Patterson made lovely miniature doll accessories and presentations, and I admired her greatly. When I was just starting out in the early 90s with my miniature dolls and mini Victorian ribbonwork, Corky really encouraged me. She had told me that she loved my work--and that she admired that it was original and that I didn't copy other artists! Since I admired Corky's work so much, it was very meaningful to me and a compliment that I never forgot. My condolences to Cathy and her entire family--I will always treasure a miniature doll's sewing "kit" that Corky made that I purchased a few years ago.
After that, I spent the rest of the evening (the showroom was open until 11pm!) visiting with friends from all over the country, and buying my antique fashion dolls various accessories and articles of clothing. I also purchased some WONDERFUL vintage ephemera that I will be adding eventually to the clip art gallery here!
TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2000
This morning, I checked out the "satellite" National Doll Festival doll show
(widely known as the "Rowbear Show") across the river at the Sheraton hotel. This show is a very odd one--it seems to me
to go in cycles--really wonderful one year, then not so great the following year.
Last year in Washington DC the show was fantastic. 
This year, the show seemed small
and it also seemed that there weren't as many antique or vintage dolls as years
past. The show may have been fighting against a bad "space" as well--the
room had ugly concrete floors and very, very dim lighting. I bought only 2 Tyler
Wentworth outfits (Shakespeare in the Park and Champagne Bubble--both gorgeous!) and some old
1960s in-packaged doll accessories.
I was back at the Hyatt by 11:30am for my first ticketed event--the Accent on Accessories luncheon. As I am a nut for accessories, I was very excited to attend this luncheon. I had a great table--I got to sit next to CWEATHER, and I met lots of new friends as well. Our hostess was fabulous, and really sparked conversation at our table on how we displayed our dolls. The program was about displaying dolls with accessories and also in room boxes or small vignettes including furniture. I was inspired by the program, and I am looking forward to improving my doll displays with some of the suggestions from the program. The luncheon souvenir was a fabulous card of small accessories for a small fashion doll or all-bisque (perfect size for my new Cathy Hansen dolls--their trousseaus are started!) by Miniature Artist Mary E. Johnson.
After lunch, on line to sign up for camera and video time in the competition rooms and special exhibit rooms. Then, off to the sales room to further work on accessorizing my antique fashion dolls. I also spent time looking for more doll ephemera and out-of-print books. The only dolls I bought today were a few Liddle Kiddles. I then attended my Regional UFDC meeting. After, it was time to sign up for the Guided Tours of the competition rooms. Quick change back at the room, and then off with LAFRIEND to go to the Tyler Wentworth dinner!
The dinner was one of the highlights of the week--Robert Tonner presented real, live
fashion show of 20 of the Tyler Wentworth fashions on human fashion models! The
fashion show was very exciting--it was especially exciting to see how
well Tyler's
fashions translated into real fashions for women. Tyler's outfits are clearly
perfect, miniaturized representations of real clothing, which in my opinion is the epitome
of success for a fashion doll. The last "real" fashion to walk down the
runway was a full-sized version of Chicago Sophisticate, the outfit on the doll that was the
souvenir for the dinner!
After dinner, the evening wasn't yet over--the competition rooms were finally open!! I was especially nervous to see how my dolls did this year--traditionally, I have done better in the Modern competition than the Antique competition--the best antique ribbon I had ever gotten was 4th place (green), while I have gotten blues (first place) reds (second place) and whites (third place) in the Modern room. So, this year, up to a challenge, I decided to concentrate on the Antique competition and NOT enter any dolls at all in Modern. I only brought 7 dolls in total-- 2 pairs and 3 others. The first entry I checked was a battered but lovely Queen Anne wooden pair in the wooden antique pairs category. I got an Honorable Mention--a bit disappointing, but Honorable Mentions are usually given in difficult categories with MANY good dolls, so I was pleased. Then, I visited my poured wax entry--the largest of the was dolls from my Mystery Dolls article. 3rd place! Things were looking up!! Over next to my Papier Mache man and lady in the Papier Mache pairs category--and I was VERY excited to see my first blue--first place! I love this old pair (circa 1850, all-original regional outfits from L'Auvergne, France) and I was glad to see the judges loved them too! Next, my entry in the swivel-neck, glass eyed all bisques--4th place! Finally, my entry in the molded clothes all-bisques, and my little sitting girl with a molded chemise and holding a little ball (a Kestner) also took a First!! 5 entries and 5 ribbons--I definitely felt that concentrating on JUST the antique room was a winning strategy for me this year, and I think I will alternate my entries back and forth between Antique and Modern each year.
Then, I spent some time with friends just looking at the amazing dolls in both competition rooms. Truly, the competition rooms together are as good (or better) than the largest displays of dolls at museums--hundreds of top-quality dolls in hundreds of categories. THIS is the main point of the competitions--sure, winning ribbons is fun, but SEEING the competition rooms is an amazing experience. My PLEA is to all attendees--just bring ONE doll. I think that less than 25% of attendees that I talked to brought dolls for competition--if everyone brought at least one, the size of the competition exhibit would expand exponentially!
Off to bed--tomorrow I had my seminar on Dolls and the Internet 2000 to give!
Second Page > Daily Diary from the National UFDC Convention 2000--Part II Madame Alexander Dinner, Grand Banquet, Dolls and the Internet 2000, Doll Conservation Seminar and more! > Page 1, 2
Did you attend the UFDC National Convention? Did you wish you did? Have you attended any of the other doll conventions this summer--the Barbie convention, the Doll Artisan Guild Convention, or others? Lets discuss in the Dolls Forum!
How did it compare to last year? Read the 1999 Convention Diary
Back to the Doll Collecting Main Page
©Denise Van Patten 2000
All Rights Reserved.
Photo #1 of Bru doll (price realized $33,500)
courtesy of Theriault's
Photo #2 of Dynamic Doll Dialogue
Photo #3 of Robert Tonner with Tyler Wentworth dolls at the Tyler Wentworth
Seminar
Photo #4 of model at the Tyler Wentworth dinner wearing Gallery Soiree
Photo #5 of your Guide, Pat Duncan and a friend at the Tyler Wentworth Dinner
