Four Great Doll Events Kick Off 2007 For Doll Collectors

The New Year is just around the corner, and that means that the 2007 doll year will shortly be in full swing! January and February are exciting months for modern doll collectors because that is when most doll companies announce their new doll releases. For antique doll collectors, the major doll auction houses often have special auctions to kick off the New Year. Here are some of the upcoming doll events that you should be aware of in early 2007:

Theriault’s Auction – Puppen & Spielzeug Museum – January 5th through 7th

Theriault’s is holding a 3 day auction weekend in Newport Beach, California January 5th through 7th. The auction is of the contents of the Puppen & Spielzeur Museum in Vienna, Austria. The museum was housed for three decades in an 18th century Viennese building where Mozart once lived, and has been on display to the public since 1989. The auction is of over 600 French and German antique dolls.

McMasters Harris - Vintage and Antique Doll Auctions – January 5th and 6th

Theriault’s isn’t the only doll auction house that has picked the first weekend of the year to hold multi-day auctions for doll collectors. McMasters Harris is holding an estate sale featuring Madame Alexander dolls from the 40s and 50s on January 5th, and an estate sale of antique dolls on January 6th. Both auctions will take place in Cambridge, Ohio. Both the Theriault’s and McMasters Harris auctions will also feature live Internet bidding.

IDEX - January 19th through 21st

IDEX kicks off the 2007 doll show year with their 2007 IDEX Premiere show in Orlando, Florida. Billed as “the 16th Annual Debut of the World’s Finest Collectibles…Dolls…Bears…Toys & More” the show takes place January 19th through 21st. In conjunction with the show there are classes, breakfasts, luncheons, and retailer and collector seminars. This year, I will be teaching two seminars at IDEX including one for retailers and one for collectors (on the history of Fashion dolls). Events include a Madame Alexander luncheon and a Marie Osmond luncheon (sold out). Finally, if you missed the two antique doll auctions mentioned above, Theriault’s will also hold an antique doll auction on the last day of the show.

Toy Fair – February 11th through 14th

Although Toy Fair has reduced the number of doll making their grand debuts at Toy Fair, there are still major doll manufacturers including Bratz and Barbie, as well as other doll artists and companies including Annette Himstedt still premiere their dolls at Toy Fair. This year Toy Fair will be held from February 11th thorough the 14th, and, as it has been for over 100 years, Toy Fair will be held in New York, New York.

I’ll be at three of these events (the Theriault’s auction, IDEX and Toy Fair) with reports from all three here at About.com. If you can make it to any (or all!) of these doll events, I would encourage you to do so—it would be a great way to kick-start your doll collecting for 2007.