Yesterday I faced one of my biggest phobias at the 63rd Annual United Federation of Doll Clubs National Convention. I decided to push through the fear for two reasons. One, I'm considering starting up a line of paper dolls, and Two, vintage fashions!
Similar to Comic Con and other conventions, the event featured vendors from all over the country and around the world, selling dolls and all sorts of accessories and other paraphernalia. I had a marvelous time (despite my discomfort) and met some positively lovely people. The following photographs will do a much better job at describing the event than I could. If you're interested in any of the merchandise or vendors you see, click the images for contact information or websites.
This stall featured delightful doll-oriented miniatures:
Here's a set of vintage Barbie Collection Dolls dressed for Mardi Gras!
Here's a delightful spice cabinet featuring all sorts of miniatures perfect for any doll's house.
Yes, that is an original first-run Barbie Doll on the far left. Unfortunately, I seem to have misplaced this vendor's information. If any UFDC members recognize this stall, please let me know so I can properly credit the merchandise.
One booth featured a series of doll houses, including this French schoolhouse with an automaton teacher! Note the intricate detailing of the schoolbooks.
I actually considered buying these Art Deco cloth dolls. They are absolutely adorable!
A pair of Emma Clears. Very popular at the convention.
This is a very rare and unusual reclining doll. I meant to take a close-up picture of her body under her skirt, since she looks a bit odd without her dress on. The lounge chair is assumed to be from the 1920s or 30s.
I do love doll houses and miniatures, so this booth was right up my alley, featuring mini books (some fully printed), glass and table ware, and jewelry.
This booth was probably my favorite. After the vendor's mother passed, she and her family found these collections in her house. Along with a large variety of children's and doll's shoes, they also discovered an enormous collection of rare paper dolls. The one featured below is able to open and close its eyes thanks to an ingenious flap. The second paper doll is a reversible doll c. 1913.
Something I learned at the convention: A lot of antique dolls had removable wigs to be able to change their hair styles.
This doll has a story and an entire trousseau to go with it! This picture didn't come out that well, but you can see better photos on their website.
The last booth I visited had two of the most striking dolls I saw that day. This vendor asked to be credited as Jackie Allington of the Bahamas but didn't give any contact information. The doll on the left is an automaton and you can see her in motion below.
Sorry about the video quality on this. It's taken me close to an hour to get it uploading and I just don't have the patience to keep dealing with Google products today.
So I ultimately had a good time and was able to get past my anxieties. There is one doll that I omitted from this post for the simple reason that the photo I thought I took of her vanished from my phone. You can see The Merry Widow Allegra here. She's a rather funny, very unusual doll, so do check her out! If you're curious about the UFDC, you can visit their website here. Have a great weekend, readers!