Doll Convention Fever!
Summer is the time for doll conventions! Major conventions are
held almost every month--the United Federation of Doll Clubs
Convention (August 1-7) the Seeley's Dollmaking
Convention (July) , the Modern Doll Collector's convention (Labor Day Weekend) and
the National Barbie Convention.(August 4-7) plus many more!
Conventions are attended by thousands of doll collectors and dollmakers each year. Why? Because there is nothing else like them! The best analogy might be that a doll convention is a like a doll eight-ring circus! For a long weekend, or an entire week in the case of the UFDC Convention, doll collectors and dollmakers meet with hundreds to thousands (for UFDC) of like-minded collectors. At the conventions, they buy, sell and trade dolls, take workshops and seminars, compete in doll competitions, go to special themed luncheons and dinners, see special exhibits, hold national meetings, and much more! Conventions are so popular that the Barbie, Gene and UFDC Conventions typically have more people wanting to attend than there are convention registrations for.
I will never forget my first UFDC National Doll Convention, in Anaheim, California, in 1997. I was overwhelmed! There was so much to do, and no way to do it all in one week. Every time I chose an event to attend, I felt like I was missing 5 others.
Here is a brief rundown of the components of a UFDC and most other doll conventions:
- Workshops: Hands-on workshops, usually about some aspect
of dollmaking, costuming, doll restoration, or doll customization, Participants make
something during the workshop.
- Seminars: Longer presentations on doll-related subjects of
interest. Participants do not make anything as in workshops, but instead listen to a
presentation and discuss a topic of interest with an expert.
- Salesroom: Usually filled with dealers offering the best
in dolls and dollmaking supplies for sale; usually ONLY open to convention participants
except for one "public day"!
- Competition: At doll collecting competitions, collectors share
the best dolls in their collection, have their dolls "judged" and compete for
ribbons. In dollmaking competitions, dollmakers enter their own dolls and have them
judged, for ribbons and trophies.
- Annual Meeting: The annual business meeting of the organization
holding the event.
- Lectures: Free lectures on dolls, open to all
registrants (as opposed to seminars and workshops, which are often for an extra fee).
- Themed Events: Lunches or Dinners created around a doll or
topic; this year, the UFDC convention includes themed Barbie, Gene, French Fashion Doll,
and Madame Alexander events. Most events have a special, limited souvenir doll.
- Banquet: Gala event usually held the last night; all
registrants attend, and there is a limited edition souvenir doll. Robert Tonner has
designed the 1999 UFDC National Convention Doll.
- Helpers/Auction: Donated dolls and doll-related items (called
"helpers") are raffled off to raise money for the organization and defray
convention expenses. Can be hundreds of items; silent or actual auctions are often
also held by the organization.
- Satellite Events: Other organizations hold doll auctions, doll shows, and other doll events at the same time as the main convention. NOT sponsored by the main convention, and somewhat controversial. Many attendees love them, since it provides more doll-related activities to do and even more of a reason to travel to one location for the convention; organizers tend not to like them because they take away from convention event attendance and sales in the main show room (hence the OTHER nickname for these events: "Parasite Events!"
Even with all the events that are planned at these events, the best thing about them is the chance to meet life-long friends who share your interest from all over the world.
Your Guide will be attending the UFDC Convention from August 1 to 7; there will be live UPDATES on this site from the event, as well as a live chat!! Look for the updates at this URL during the convention: http://collectdolls.about.com/library/weekly/blspecial.htm. Live chat times from convention will appear there as well; the FIRST chat will be 10:30 PM EST after the opening of the competitive exhibits. Don't miss all the fun, and if you are going, e-mail me at collectdolls.guide@about.com and let me know; I would love to meet you!
And, don't miss the special thread I have started on the Doll Bulletin Boards about the UFDC and other conventions--lets the community know about YOUR convention experiences!
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image courtesy of http://www.artoday.com
article by Denise Van Patten
