Why are those convention dolls so darn expensive?

FR: Monogram Completist, from The Premiere convention

If you're like me, you might wonder why the heck those convention dolls go for sky-rocket prices, and why the [blank] collectors think they can charge so much for convention exclusive. Well, high demand aside, I thought I'd put together a simple cost analysis for those of you planning to attend convention yourselves next year, which, quite frankly, is the easiest (though not the cheapest!) way to obtain them yourselves.

Click to enlarge

As you can see, it cost me a little over $3000 to attend convention this year.  YIKES. I went with my daughter Kate, and roomed with her, but I'm not including her registration, or any of our outfits.

Convention registration is only 14% of the overall cost. It's $425 per person. I have only included the cost of my own registration, and not the cost of the W Club luncheon or workshops, which were optional. Historically, these can be good investments, if you can sign up before they sell out.

The hotel cost is steep. It's $169 per night, plus an additional 15% room tax. It was a beautiful hotel and a great location. This is typical of IT conventions, I have to say. The more you pay for a hotel, the more expensive on-site amenities. You can split your room up to four ways, if you dare--so keep this in mind, as this can cut expenses. I have to tell you that I have heard some horror stories about hotel room splits. If you are a sound sleeper, you should be fine. If you are picky about snoring, how cool or warm you like your hotel room, or if you are sensitive about gossip, this probably isn't a good option.

Travel was ideal for me this year, since the convention was in California. Parking, however--wow. But again, this is totally typical. Ride sharing helps. I sure did enjoy being able to drive this year! I really hope to see IT in California again.

Food--well, I eat on the cheap, and tend to bring some breakfast items with me. Except for coffee, which I can't seem to go without for too long. I probably over-estimated my food expenses on this chart, as I'm including any alcoholic beverages and incidentals as well.

Finally--the dolls. They were amazing. When you "win" the centerpiece, you actually win the right to purchase the centerpiece. (Unlike Barbie convention, where you are given the centerpiece.) You could also spend money on raffle tickets as well--I didn't include that in my estimate, either. And you could spend less on table gifts for your table mates, too. I didn't purchase every convention doll--about half of them. I came home with three of the bonus salesroom items (both ITBE specials and the bonus Poppy Parker doll).

All in all, it was an expensive convention. However--what did I actually get from the convention? Well--all in all--I came home with the 14 dolls I purchased, plus the 2 convention dolls, and then 3 additional dolls as well. (I'm not counting the W Club luncheon.) So if I received 19 dolls for $3000, that averages to about $158 per doll--that's not too shabby, right?

I'd say, overall, it's worth it to attend convention. I'd go again next year. You'll want to keep in mind a few other things before you go, too--the expense of costumes and outfits (yes, you'll want them), for example. Also, if you tend to be a little introverted, it can be taxing to go to an event like this for an extended period of time. But all in all, totally worth it--even if I were just keeping the dolls, which I really, really wish I could do!

My "first" attempt at a OOAK Barbie

Okay, so the "first" in quotations means that this is not actually the first one-of-a-kind Barbie that I've tried to re-paint. There is one very sad attempt that is hidden deep in a drawer somewhere in my my house. You will never see a picture of her and we will never speak of her again.

Now that that's cleared up, here are the before & after shots of the first OOAK Barbie that I'm not ashamed to share pictures of. She began as a "Celebrate, Disco Doll!" Barbie (2008) with an afro of short, sausage curls & glitter eye shadow. Cute in her own way, but ready for a different look.

Sock Tutorial: Cardigan & knee-highs for SD13 ball-jointed dolls

Materials:

2 ladies crew socks or 1 ladies knee sock (I recommend pre-washing socks to set colors and pre-shrink the fabric before sewing)

Pattern (scaled from the image included at the end of this post)


Scissors

Pins

Needle and thread

Display issues and fixes - vintage Barbie!

Vintage Barbie shelf, a photo by alington on Flickr.

I thought I'd share a photo of my doll display today, featuring my vintage Barbies. I use the Billy bookcase system from IKEA.

A fellow doll collector, Mario, suggested I use more of the space of the shelf with a riser of some sort, and I think his suggestion was fantastic. (I have to confess, I want all their stands to match now.)

I had my dear hubby cut a few of the extra shelves in half lengthwise (to half the depth of the shelf), and then use extra pieces to make 4" blocks for the new shelf to stand on. They match perfectly, since you can use the outside of the shelf.

Of course, a spice rack or wood block would work, too. And you might consider draping it in fabric or covering it with decorative paper, or just paint for some pizazz.

Now, my vintage girls have much more elbow room. For the curious, here's who is in this display. In the top row:

• 1965 blonde Swirl in #1660 Evening Gala
• 1694 Miss Barbie in Red Flare #939 and Silken Flame #977
• 1963 Fashion Queen in #987 Orange Blossom
• 1963 Bubble Cut in #947 Bride's Dream
• 1965 American Girl (blonde) in #1647 Golden Glamour
• 1966 Lemon Color Magic in #1635 Fashion Editor
• Walking Jamie (Sears exclusive)
• 1963 Midge in #983 Enchanted Evening

In the front row:

• #3 blond ponytail in #969 Suburban Shopper
• #4 blond ponytail in #1646 Magnificence
• #5 brunette ponytail in #1667 Benefit Performance
• 1968 Talking Julia in #1649 Lunch on the Terrace
• 1969 Marlo Flip TNT Barbie in #1456 Dreamy Blues
• 1970 Standard Barbie Ash blonde in #3404 Glowin' Out
• 1968 Talking PJ in her original outfit
• 1968 Talking Barbie in #1864 Close Ups

We're on Amazon!

We're on Amazon! Yay! For some of you, it may be cheaper to purchase our new book through Amazon.com than through my eStore. The Look Inside feature isn't up and running yet, but I'll let you know as soon as it's available.

Remember, the eStore code EXB3X2RR expires tomorrow, June 30, 2011 at midnight! Through then, you can save $10 off the $35 retail price!

Ball-Jointed Dolls for Beginners: it's published!

BJDs for Beginners, a photo by alington on Flickr.

Hooray! It's finished, and ready to be ordered!

You can order directly through the website here and have it shipped directly to you.

The listed retail price is $35, but use the code EXB3X2RR (upon checkout) for a special $10.00 off, valid only through the end of this month!

If you have any problems, please let me know. This title is for sale in the US and internationally. If you will be attending IFDC in Las Vegas, I will have these books for sale as well.

Also, I'm officially inviting you to the book's coordinating blog, BJDs for Beginners, which includes active links to all the reference sources I've used in the book, plus additional tidbits of information I've used. Please follow our new blog--we'd love to have you!

You can download a rather large Preview here.

BJDs for Beginners: book update!

Updated cover art--for better resolution photo.

Just a quick update for you...

I worked and worked (and worked) this weekend to get the proof of Ball-Jointed Dolls for Beginners formatted and finished. The manuscript is being uploaded and proofed for errors, and I'll be ordering a proof in the next 24 hours or so. It should arrive within a week. My editor, Melissa Metheney, and I will be making some changes and fixing color issues, and then... I think it will be a go! (Scary!)

Here's what we've got:

• 130+ full-color 8.5x11 pages
• Resources page for BJD-related shopping, information and further reading
• Index
• about 200 full-color photos
• 15 tutorials and projects, including restringing (yes, even you can do it!) and a full-size sewing pattern
• MSRP $30.00

The table of contents:

Ball-Jointed Dolls for Beginners

What is a BJD?

A brief history of the BJD

My take on the Resin versus Vinyl debate

Notes about sizes

Commonly used terms and abbreviations

BJD purchasing basics

How collecting ball-jointed dolls is different from other collections

A few words of caution

How to choose your BJD

Aesthetics: what’s important to you

Pricing and quality

Themes and customization

Handling your doll and aging BJDs

How to buy your BJD

To consider before your purchase

In person - at shows, meets and stores

Online

On the secondary market

How to care for your BJD

Supplies you will need

Regular maintenance

Basic customizing

Restringing

Enhancing projects

Joining the BJD Community

Netiquette

Getting connected online

Joining or creating a BJD meet-up in your area

Conventions

BJD resources

Photo credits

Index

I'm toying with the idea of releasing a digital copy for the iPad or other digital readers. This would include active links and possibly video tutorials, if I can find an assistant. Sometimes the techniques are easier to see in person than only in photos, but I think you'll like the photos, too.

I'm finally starting to feel a sense of accomplishment and relief!

If you plan to attend IFDC this year in Las Vegas, I will be there, and I will have copies of my book for sale at my dealers, details coming soon. Please feel free to ask me questions. I'm sure I'll be easy to spot--I'll keep you posted on my hair color--it will either be green or pink.

Ball-Jointed Dolls for Beginners, the book.

Preview of upcoming book... click the photo to enlarge!

Just a few notes about my upcoming book...

I've always wanted to write a book, and this is my version of a "vanity publication" on ball-jointed dolls, one of the many types of dolls in my eclectic collection. I just needed the perfect topic, and this is it.

My objective is to educate the reader in the history and anatomy of the ball-jointed doll, and assist him or her how to choose and purchase a BJD, how to provide its maintenance and care (with project ideas and photo tutorials), how to get connected to the blossoming community of global ball-jointed doll collectors, and provide a photo gallery with this full color book.

It's edited by Melissa Metheney, featuring dolls by Peak's Woods and fashions by JennyGrey and DollHeart (and company permission granted). It will be self-published, and available for sale from this website and directly from Amazon.com, plus I hope to get a few doll dealers interested in carrying it as well.

Here is the working table of contents:

Ball-Jointed Dolls for Beginners

What is a BJD?

A brief history of the BJD

My take on the Resin versus Vinyl debate

Notes about sizes of the BJD

Commonly used terms and abbreviations

The anatomy of the BJD purchase

How collecting ball-jointed dolls is different from other collections

A few words of caution

How to choose your BJD

Aesthetics: what’s important to you

Pricing and quality

Themes and customization

How to buy your BJD

To consider before your purchase

In person - at shows, meets and stores

Online

On the secondary market

How to care for your BJD

Supplies you will need

Regular maintenance

Basic customizing

Restringing

Enhancing projects

Joining the BJD Community

Netiquette

Getting connected online

Joining or creating a BJD meet-up in your area

Conventions

BJD sources

Index

My goal is to have it ready to ship by the end of June. I will be attending IFDC, and hopefully will have some for sale at that point as well. I'll keep you posted!

Paparazzi Bait Adele, restyled.

Paparazzi Bait Adele, originally uploaded by alington.

Since her first deboxing, Paparazzi Bait Adele has given me a hard time with her hair. Finally, I've had the guts to give her a spa day.

I'm not 100% satisfied with the results yet, but this is only the first try.

I shampooed her gelled hair with mild dishwashing soap and conditioned with Dove oil-free conditioner. I let it sit for about 5 minutes and rinsed with very hot tap water, which softened the curls a little.

Next, I combed through with a fine comb, straight on top and curly at the ends. I let it dry with a soft ponytail holder over her head, so the top of her head would stay smooth.

When dry, I used an alcohol-free gel to help the wisps, and finger styled the curls.

Next time, I think I'll boil perm slightly, to straighten the roots a little more. Also, I need to fix her eyelashes next.

You can see a few more photos of Adele on Flickr.

Restoring a 1950s Mattel couch

Poppy Parker, relaxing on her restored Mattel couch.

My friend, Kathie, recently acquired a wooden couch, made in the 1950s by Mattel (even before they started manufacturing our beloved Barbie). As you'd expect with something a half-century old, the foam inside the couch cushions had disintegrated into dust. The fabric was still intact, though, so we decided that all that needed to be done was replace the foam inserts. Here's how it was done:

Step 1: Find the end of each cushion that was hand-sewn closed and open it up with a seam ripper.

It's our honor...

It's our honor to have been selected to share the 2011 MTW Award, given out by Mini Treasures each year.

I'm proud to post the badge on our site. Thank you so much, and thanks for visiting their site, dear readers. And don't forget about the fantastic Wiki they have set up--learn how to do anything in miniature.

Other sites of interest:

1. jasminasnoussi.punt.nl 
2. poohbeers.eigenstart.nl
3. schifka.vuodatus.net
4. hannajaleijona.blogspot.com
5. a-miniature-life.blogspot.com 
6.theminifoodblog.blogspot.com
7. miniaturwelten.plusboard.de
8. nukketalo.vuodatus.net 
9.debbiestinytreasures.blogspot.com 
10. minifreunde-forum.de 
11. littleroomers.blogspot.com
12. adventkalender.punt.nl 
13. kurjenpolvi.blogspot.com 
14. doreensminiatures.blogspot.com 
15. foro.mundorecetas.com 
16. pubdolls.blogspot.com 
17. mustix.vuodatus.net 
18. lastanzadigiuggiola.blogspot.com 
19. tinytreasuresminilinks.blogspot.com 
20. inchscaled.com 
21. suomennukkeyhdistys.fi 
22. mysmallobsession.com 
23. nukketalo.org 
24. fashiondollreview.blogspot.com 
25. nasunnukkekoti.blogspot.com 

Sock tutorial PART 1: one-shoulder top for 16" doll

The finished project on Peak's Woods "Lottie."

There has been a trend in my local doll groups lately to make doll clothes from socks. So, I thought I'd challenge myself to see how many different garments/accessories I can make from a pair of socks. I'll show you the steps, in case you want to try them, too!

Sock size: women's size 6-9
Sock thickness: medium
Sock height: crew

Giving a new look to a BJD-sized wooden dresser

The finished dresser

I started with a $5 wooden doll dresser (about 10" high) from a garage sale. I think it might have been a jewelery box at one time, but it needed a little aesthetic help.

You don't need a fancy workshop for this project - the entire thing was done on the balcony of my apartment with things I already had, or picked up from Home Depot. Safety first, though - remember to protect your mouth and eyes from sawdust and paint fumes. Oh, and don't hammer your thumb, either.

The dresser: before

Step 1: Peel off yucky gold velvet lining from the inside of the drawers. Throw velvet in the trash and hope never to see it again.

Step 2: Remove hardware from drawer fronts. A flat screwdriver worked well for me, but feel free to use a crowbar if they're not cooperating.

Step 3: Sand old paint off. (In retrospect, I would have just spraypainted right over top of it to save time - and arm muscle.) Wipe off sawdust for a clean painting surface.

Step 4: Spray paint surfaces with white glossy spray paint, to give it a smooth coating. Let dry. (I know it's hard, but be patient and let it dry.)

Step 5: Spray paint over with matte black spray paint. Let dry. My paint crackled as it dried to reveal the white paint beneath, which I actually like. If you don't want this look, you'll have to ask somebody else because I don't know how this happened!

Step 6: Spray paint hardware. If you want to spray paint the nails, push them half-way in to a piece of styrofoam or corrugated cardboard to told them upright.

Step 7: Re-attach hardware to drawer fronts.

Some "before" shots:

The inside of the drawers, rid of their YUCKY velvet!

Before shot of the detail on the top.

The dresser without its drawers - oh my!

Back of the old dresser

Some "after" shots:

The beautiful carved edges.

A beautiful pattern that looks like it's stamped into the wood, but could be carved.

A close-up of the entirely unintentional (but delightful) "crackle-effect"

The original dresser had 2 drawer pulls the large drawers, but was missing a couple of them, so I moved the large drawer pulls to the center, so that I only needed one per drawer. One nail was missing, so I found a similarly-sized screw in my glasses repair it!

Showing the replacement screw.

 Now, it's ready for one of my BJDs to store their stuff, use as a photography prop, or a display. And all for less than $10!

Adding a French manicure or pedicure to your doll.

This technique works well with resin BJDs or vinyl dolls--I've done both. It's more permanent on vinyl, when you seal, so just be careful that you like the effect first. You'll want to start with a clean, blushed (if applicable) and sealed (with Mr Superclear, if she's resin) doll.

Supplies:

• Sharpened water color pencils (white, maybe pink or nude also)
• Very fine brush (#1)
• Liquitex gloss medium or Tamiya X-22 gloss

Technique:

1. If the doll is very small, you'll only need the white pencil. For larger dolls, you may need or want an additional shade.
2. Drag the side of the white pencil along the edge of the toenail for the perfect moon shape. To add more dimension on larger toes, you can add a tiny bit of pink or nude to the base of the nail.
3. For the hands, repeat the process. Use the sculpt of the hands and nails as your guide. Wipe off any excess with a paper towel. Remember, this is a watercolor pencil, so it will all wipe clean with water at this point. Add pink or nude to the base of the nail for larger hands, if desired.
4. When you're happy with your results, seal them with a thin coat (on the nails only) with the gloss medium. Wipe off the tip of the brush if you need to, first, so you don't drip on the rest of the doll's hands or feet.
5. Let dry. Vinyl usually takes longer to dry than resin, so don't rush.

Click on the photos to enlarge.

Clean, blushed feet, before the pedicure.

Clean, blushed hand, before the manicure.

Result of dragging the pencil across the left toenails.

Closer view of toes.

Fingers before adding Liquitex gloss.

Small brush with Liquitex sealer.

Finished toes, sealed.

Finished fingers, sealed.

Quick fix for a loose wig problem

If you have a wig that just won't stay on your doll's head because it's too big, here's a quick tutorial on how to make it hug her cranium.


What you will need:

• One ill-fitting wig
• Threaded needle
• Scissors
• 2" length of 1/4" elastic

BJD techniques made easy: sanding seam lines

Sky's hand, before sanding, originally uploaded by alington.

Some Asian BJDs come without their seam lines sanded. The first time I noticed a seam line on my doll, embarrassingly, I thought it was a crack, and I panicked.

Don't panic. Seam lines, or parting lines, are simply the lines between the top and bottom of the molds used to pour the resin, and are a normal part of making BJDs. Some companies give you the option of sanding seam lines. But if yours doesn't, you can follow these easy steps to sand your doll.

An important note before we start: If your doll is a tan or dyed resin, you will want to leave the seam lines alone. Many times, the colored resin used for BJDs is either tinted unevenly, or your doll might be dipped (so your sanding will leave marks). Either way, I don't recommend sanding dolls that are darker toned resin.

Supplies:

• Wet wash cloth
• Bowl of water
• Dry lap towel
• Face mask
• Jewelry grade sanding paper, 220, 440 and possibly 600 grit
• Mr Superclear UV Cut (optional)

BJD techniques made easy: body blushing

I love the realistic look of BJDs. Adding a body blush enhances a doll’s body sculpt and is an easy way to customize your doll and make her your own. The technique is straightforward: add several shades of pastels to the valleys of the body and blend.

Supplies:

• A resin sealer. I prefer Mr. Superclear for larger dolls. You can also use Testor’s DullCoat, but this attracts dirt pretty easily, and I prefer this for smaller surfaces (face-ups and smaller dolls).
• Chalk pastels. Most will do, but I don’t recommend square scrapbooking chalks. These are flaky and don’t blend well.
• Several brushes. I use a large round brush (size 6) and a small angled brush (size 1/8).
• Magic Eraser

Restringing tutorial, part II: the body

After reading the first part of my restringing tutorial on the torso, you should have recovered enough to restring the rest of your doll. (Please read that tutorial first.) There are lots of ways to restring a doll, and you can do it correctly many different ways. The way I will show you allows you to adjust the elastic cord tension after your doll is strung, if needed.

Supply list:

• Elastic cord
• Hemostats, at least one pair
• Chopsticks or two unsharpened pencils
• Stringing tool (available from Kemper Dolls for about $3) or pipe cleaner
• Glass of wine, or legally prescribed sedative, if needed

You should already have the restrung torso of the doll (with arms and hands attached). Make sure you have the legs in the right order and ready to go--be sure all the pieces fit together perfectly, and are on the proper sides of the doll before you start.

Restringing tutorial, part I: the torso

The perfect hand!, originally uploaded by alington.

This is the first in a series of two parts on how to restring your BJD. Every BJD owner needs to know how and be comfortable with restringing. It can be intimidating at first; but if you have the right tools, and some good instructions, you'll be able to do it on your own--even the first time. My model is a Jollyplus Jise.

Supplies. Click to enlarge.

Supply list:

• Elastic cord (1/4" or a little thinner - I buy mine in 10 yard lengths from Kemper Dolls. Mint on Card also carries elastic and S-hooks, and their shipping is much better than bulk orders from Kemper.)
• Hemostats, at least one pair
• Chopsticks
• Stringing tool or pipe cleaner (if needed)
• Glass of wine, legally prescribed Xanax or Valium (if needed--and I'm only partly kidding)

Start with an unstrung doll. It's wise to label the parts--or make sure you can identify the left and right pieces--so you don't have to restring the doll more than once. You can label each piece with a small L or R to identify them before unstringing the doll.