|
THE
BLACK DOLL-E-ZINE Vol. 5, Issue 1 May 2006 |
|
Doll Collecting News by Debbie Garrett |
|
|
|
This page contains several pictures, which may take a few seconds to load. Press your reload button if all pictures do not load. RECENTLY AND SOON-TO-BE RELEASED DOLLS AND DOLL NEWS
Janae by Laura Tuzio-Ross (above left) was available through MasterPiece Dolls' fifth Special Order Program. Several collectors have already received Janae and are quite pleased with her. Although she is sold out through MasterPiece Dolls, some doll dealers may have a few quantities available. So check around. MasterPiece Dolls' current and sixth Special Order Program is devoid of African American dolls; however, their August 2006 Special Order Program is slated to include an African American toddler by Monika Levenig, similar to Tessy (above right). Toddler lovers... stop... take some deep breaths to decrease your rapid breathing and dry your sweaty palms... Tessy is a doll that was only offered to the European market via Home Shopping Europe - HSE. She is not available in the US. However, let's keep hope alive for a Tessy-like doll to arrive in the states this summer.
Lorna
Miller-Sands fans are looking forward to the release of the new
LMS Ashton-Drake So Truly Real silicone/vinyl baby, Naomi. Naomi is the first doll in the "Sunday Best
Collection" and is approximately 20" long. This next photo shows sketches of the next two dolls in this series:
Ashton-Drake's Talia, by Julie Fischer is the second doll in "A Sister is a Hand to Hold" series. Her release date is uncertain as of this writing. Some collectors have received notification that Talia's "production has been delayed." Pictures of Talia are not available at the time of publication. Based on the sketches that I have seen of Talia, she does not appear to have her sister, Tasha's orthodontic and vision problems.
New from Mattel and Barbie are two dolls from Byron Lars: "Festival of the World" Kwanzaa Barbie (due in June) and Sugar from "The Chapeaux Collection." Sugar is a Barbie Collector Direct Exclusive (due in May).
The Bob Mackie Holiday Barbie is due in June and Robert Best's Pink Ribbon Barbie (a breast cancer awareness doll) is due in July. The Komen Foundation will receive a minimum of $100,000 from Mattel to support the fight against breast cancer.
Included
in their April 2006 releases, Middleton Dolls and award-winning artist, Reva
Schick, are offering "Blessings of Hope" in support of the
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. For each "Blessings of
Hope" doll sold, Middleton Dolls will donate 10% of the retail price to
the Komen Foundation in support of research and outreach. Middleton
Dolls will make a guaranteed minimum donation of $25,000. "Blessings
of Hope" retails for $250. Kudos to both Mattel and to Middleton
Dolls for being conscious of the battle against breast cancer.
Club dolls -- wouldn't it be grand if more doll manufacturers and artists would include AA dolls as club dolls? One manufacturer has done this. Vogue Ginny Club collectors have an option to purchase either a Caucasian or African American doll this year along with their new or renewed Ginny Club membership. The doll has the vintage-style Ginny face and wears a pink Ginny logo outfit. The Ginny Club Membership Kit is $85.00
Also from Vogue and Ginny is a vintage-style, AA Dress Me Ginny. Her retail is $39.99.
Helen Kish doll collectors await the estimated August 2006 arrival of Bitty Belle Magnifique. A limited edition doll of 750, with a retail of $180, Bitty Belle will be a quick sell out. Remaining on the diminutive doll front, a new playmate for Helen Kish's baby, Ellery, was unveiled at the Robert Tonner Convention, which was held May 4-7 in Denver, Colorado. Ellery's new playmate is 6-inch, AA Jessamyn. I saw a photo of her taken by a conventioneer; however, official photographs are not available at the time of this publication. Keep your eyes peeled for Jessamyn, who is an absolute cutie. Scheduled for release in the fall, she will be the 2006 Kish Collectors' Society Club Doll! If you are not already a member of the Kish Collectors' Society, perhaps you should join and/or renew your membership. Jessamyn is also supposed to get a big sister later on!
Have you been watching American Inventor on ABC? I channel surfed a few weeks ago and just happened to stop surfing as Ms. Darla Davenport-Powell was introducing her Here Comes Niya trilingual doll that she created over 20 years ago. Here Comes Niya (pictured above) speaks in English, Spanish, and Swahili and was profiled in the Summer 2002 "Dolls in the Spotlight" article of The BDE. On American Inventor, Ms. Davenport was 1 of 3 finalists chosen by Judge Mary Lou Quinlan. As a result of being a finalist, Ms. Davenport was awarded $50,000 and the original Here Comes Niya was re-designed and a host of multicultural friends comprise the revised Niya and Friends doll collection. Of Judge Quinlan's, 3 finalists, Ms. Davenport's revised invention did not win. I hope the revised doll and her multicultural friends are mass produced for the doll market soon. Links to photos of Ms. Davenport and the revised doll are included on the Resources page of this issue.
While these are obviously not all of the new dolls currently on the market or soon-to-be released, they are the ones selected for inclusion in this issue of The BDE. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UPCOMING DOLL SHOWS AND SALES May 27 - May 28, 2006 "Magical,
Mystical Dolls: The 19th Annual International Black Doll Show
and
Sale
The Pennsylvania Convention Center Philly Convention Doll Making Workshops Saturday, 11 am, "Cecilia, Princess of
Courage" $5.00
Sunday, 11 am, 7-in Angel Workshop $15
Registration required, ages 8 to
80-years-old
Please note that the Annual Philadelphia Doll Show and Sale occurs every year during Memorial Day weekend (the Saturday and Sunday before Memorial Day--so mark your calendars). Every Black-doll collector needs to attend this show at least once. Unless there is a Black-doll heaven, there's nothing better than being in a room full of Black dolls that are potential candidates to take home with you.
For this year's Philly Show, Lorna Miller-Sands is creating an exclusive,
limited edition of ten, 14-inch, silicone girls. Each girl will have a
different look, including custom-made, OOAK outfits, different
hairstyles and eyes, etc. Each doll will be hand-painted by Lorna.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ June 30 - July 2, 2006 IDEX Las Vegas Rio Suites Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, NV IDEX Las Vegas will include the DOTY &
TOBY Awards Celebration on Saturday, July 1st. The IDEX Reborn Convention,
incredible ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 9 - 14, 2006 "TELL ME A STORY" UFDC 57th National Convention Dallas, TX UFDC's 57th National Convention will be held July 9 -14, 2006 in Dallas, TX at the Adam's Mark Hotel. A host of workshops and other exciting doll events will take place including a tour of the "fabulous collection of Gail Cook... a chance to see rare and exquisite dolls in a beautiful museum-like setting." This year's convention souvenir doll is by Helen Kish. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For additional information regarding all of the doll shows listed, visit the Resource page of this issue for direct links to their websites. |
|
If you have Black-doll collecting news that you would like to share with the readers of The Black Doll-E-Zine, please contact, Deb at:
|
