The Cost of Attending A Convention

I've been asked many times how much it costs to attend a doll convention. So I'm going to attempt to put together an outline. There are many  unknowns because each person's costs will vary according to what they buy and participate in.  I am taking the costs of the convention and the convention collection from the 2011 Wu Convention list.

Convention Attendance $380.  You get the souvenir doll and several other dolls and accessories.
Early Bird Welcome Cocktail (Optional) $15.
Transportation
-Airfare: This depends on where you're coming from.
-Taxi-Shuttle Service to and from hotel.
-Gasoline and Tolls if you are driving.
Hotel $139. plus tax per night for up to 4 guests. After taxes are added, the cost per night for a room is probably about $160. If you share, you can reduce your costs by a great deal. $320 +/-
Excursions away from the hotel. (Optional)
W Club Luncheon (Optional) $60.
Food  You get 4 meals. You may want to have other meals and drinks. $50 +/-
Tips (Bellhop, Housekeeping, Porters, etc.)$10 +/-
Table Gifts (Optional) $20 +/-
Lottery Tickets (Optional) $20 +/-
Room Shopping (Optional)   $200 +/-
Souvenir Store (Optional) $200 +/-
Souvenir T-Shirt (Optional) $18. - $20.
Convention Collection (Optional) $890.  Add 9.5% IL tax if buying at convention for $974.55. (Shipping about $20.)
Centerpieces (Optional) $125. - $150. each. No tax.  $300 +/-
Dynamite Girls Design A Doll:  $50. per doll.  Everyone gets to attend. No Lottery Required

Workshops  Workshops are free but attendance is via lottery.
Workshop Kits & Dolls are an Optional Purchase. $175 for 2? +/-
_Flocking
_Styling
_Doll Process
_Royal Hair
_Poppy's New Groove
_Back to Our Roots (Free Practice Kit)
_Fashion Illustration
Postage  If you are not driving, you will probably want to ship some items home.



I'll throw out a figure which doesn't include transportation or excursions away from the hotel: $2774.55.  It includes some of everything and 4 nights at the hotel sharing with one other person. It could go lower or higher depending upon how many centerpieces you buy and what you spend room shopping and in the store.
The numbers in red above are the numbers I used to get to that figure.

Optional Mudslide Workshop

Dolls Celebrate USA's Independence Day

There are so many excellent photographs being posted that it was hard to choose so I just let time be my guide.  I'm sure I missed some beauties. If you feel you have an amazing photo or know of one, please send me the link. I'll be happy to consider it for posting this week.

Auguste

Carin

Chaneldoll

JymmiI

laughon

Lori in RI

Meg in OR

Meg in OR

Paminaz

Patty in Hawaii

PeterUK

Dave

Sweets415

Reminder: You can click on any image to enlarge it.

Seen on Prego Today

Just one fabulous example of the Fourth of July themed photos that are being posted this week on the doll boards. This one is from Ann in Florida.

My Uncle Sam didn't look like that!

More later.

Taxes, Packing, Bad Websites and Blood

Many of you know that my husband and I have decided to relocate out of New York State.  Since this is not a political blog  (cough, cough) I won't get in to a discussion about taxes but it's gotten out of control.

Happy Independence Day USA

Let me look at this in a positive light. If we paid less taxes I'd have more dolls and it would be even more difficult to move. Ah...that's such a relief. Having to pay a huge tax bill has made it easier for me to pack.

What if, after a few months, I don't even miss the packed dolls?

So with that charming, albeit alarming, thought in mind I present you with this quickie picture of Marcella in her new fashion.

You  may have noticed that in most pictures of FDA dolls, they are not standing. That's because their legs are too thin (and they are weighty dolls) to support them without a serious doll stand.
A few weeks ago, FDA ran a sale and I scored this "Laine & Lezard" fashion that also comes with a beautiful pleated skirt and hosiery. I've wanted this outfit forever but it was too expensive. It fits beautifully and looks wonderful.  Everything from their early lines is now sold out. There are still some items from the Noir line and I want all of them but I want a lot of things I'm not getting. Sigh.

FDA Video, CHIC!

The video's soundtrack is annoying, but the dolls look great.


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The Doll Market sent out a notice that their new website was to be launched on July 1 and would be better with bigger pictures and all that jazz. However, if you had a password, it is now gone. So dumb.  I checked the site and indeed the pictures are bigger but the site is still ridiculous to navigate. The descriptions of the furniture are still missing dimensions and in order to see the 100's of items that have free summer shipping, you have to look through 1000's of items. All of them will be something you probably don't want.
Take a look at their sorting system. Everytime you pick an option you are presented with choices you don't want to sift through. The site is much worse than it was before. If they want people to shop, their link that says "Click Here to Shop" should be bigger and on the main landing page. This was definitely an amateur web job.
Spelling? So Truely Real Babies?? LOL

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Getting back to the topic of packing dolls. I've started with my 16" vinyl dolls. They are being packed nude, wrapped in tissue and standing up in appropriately sized boxes that hold 4 or 5 dolls each. I have about 30 dolls packed so far. Then the fashions need to be packed carefully. I don't know what's worse. So far I've only broken one earring off of it's post.
I'm writing the contents of each box on the outside and I'm also taking group shots of each doll that will be inside each box. Those pics will be pasted on the box. Complicated? Yes, but my dolls and their stuff is the most organized part of my life and shall continue thus.
I would lose my mind - what's left of it - if I had to pack hurriedly.


Gotta go now. It's almost time for Eric. Nom. Nom.

What's he packing?

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