Getting Ready for Convention

This is the post that I originally started in April. Then I got sidetracked. I've come back to it, but I'm still getting sidetracked. I've decided I better post it now, or it'll never get posted!

The National Barbie Doll Convention is being held in Garden Grove, CA, July 11 -15. One of the first things I learned about the convention is that "room selling" is a huge part of convention. Attendees will arrive to the convention hotel several days in advance of the convention start date and sell doll related items out of their hotel room. I am planning on taking full advantage of this time honored tradition by selling items from my own collection.  Luckily the convention is a 75 minute drive away from home so getting my wares there will be a little easier than if I had to fly.

The first thing on my list is to gather all the 1:6 scale doll clothing, try each and every piece on a fashion doll, and then place each piece either in the keep pile or the sell pile. I'm amazed by the quantity of clothing that I have amassed over the years. Some of the pieces have me scratching my head and wondering what I was thinking when I purchased the item.  Others I find looked better in the package than they did on the doll. And then with other pieces, I find I'm just tired of them. It's really a lot like going through my own closet every Spring.

I ended up choosing A Girl I Know, Holly Golightly from Integrity Toy's Breakfast at Tiffany's line to be my model. She was a perfect choice as her neutral coloring went with just about everything. The fact that her hands are removable made dressing and undressing a snap.

Holly in later Fashion Avenue outfit

Above is an example of an outfit I'm keeping. Funny, it's been a while since I first began composing this post and some of the clothing that I planned on keeping is now in the sell pile.  This outfit is not, but it's amazing what I'm learning I can live without.

The next category of items to sort is the furniture. This one's a little easier. I used to buy a lot of the plastic stuff, but ever since Maryann Roy and her Welcome Home line of furniture came on the scene, the plastic has taken a backseat. Occasionally I can work a piece of plastic in with the more realistic furniture, but not always. One thing I'm realizing at this point, I'm dusting the for sale doll-scale furniture more than I've ever dusted my human-scale furniture. That is a sad statement.

Lastly, I'm gathering dolls to sell, from never removed from box (NRFB) items to nude dolls. Some are duplicates, either because I forgot that I already had the doll or my logic told me that if I like the doll that much, I'd really love her if I have two. Although I will have to say that some dolls just look good for redressing purposes. That's probably why I just opened a cabinet and found four more Birthstone Beauties Model Muse dolls that I had redressed in Fashion Fever outfits. Really, I thought I had already found them all and finished pricing them. Oh well, more dolls to go in the doll bin and more outfits for the clothing bin. I'm even culling my Silkstone dolls. That's something I thought I would never do. I guess this downsizing thing is serious.

I'm hoping to have it all done before convention so that I can take everything that I want. But I suppose being done is a little nebulous. Regardless of where I am in this process, once the date to leave for the convention gets here, I'm done. Wish me luck!