Huguette Clark's Doll Collection "Empty Mansions"

http://emptymansionsbook.com/

Little could entice copper mining heiress Huguette Clark out of her solitary life in a vast Fifth Avenue apartment, except her love of dolls.
The recluse, who died childless at the age of 104, had a collection of china dolls, and perfectly scaled houses and accessories for them, believed to be worth more than $2 million.
And, although she was seldom seen in public, Ms Clark would come out of her lavish apartment if it meant adding to the collection. 
In their book, Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune, Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell Jr. reveal how the heiress attended a Christian Dior fashion show - to search for doll's clothes.

Madrid Fashion Doll Exclusive JamieShow "TOREADORA" Grace

A most beautiful Jamieshow Grace was presented in Madrid at the Fashion Doll event. She is LE 25 and is priced at $450.
I love the gold eye shadow,  red lips and raven hair.  It looks like the wig cap is a long pony tail. It's an excellent look for this resin BJD.

 

Available at Jamieshow Doll

No Surprise Here: IDEX 2014 is Cancelled

Those who have been involved or who have attended IDEX received this letter today:

IDEX 2014 CANCELED

The collectible doll and teddy bear trade show IDEX Premiere has been canceled for 2014 and will discontinue all show operations moving forward. While we have enjoyed working with the doll and teddy bear industry over the last decade, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the show and all of its related events and workshops.

 

IDEX, a trade show dedicated to the celebration of dolls, teddy bears, toys and collectible playthings, ran without interruption for twenty-two years. Held in cities all over the country, most recently in Orlando, Florida, IDEX was for many years the premiere place to see what trends and developments were to come in the industry, meet and mingle with fellow collectors, and learn crafting skills at a myriad of workshops. While we are sad to see IDEX come to an end, we have a wealth of great memories and personal friendships that will stay with us for a lifetime. 

 

In closing, we would like to thank all of the artists, exhibitors, manufacturers, buyers and collectors who made IDEX a vibrant and exciting environment for more than two decades. We wish you all the best.

 

Sincerely,

 

Susan Fitzgerald

Vice President, IDEX

 

What we saw last April, was a huge decrease in attendance of larger manufacturers such as Madame Alexander.  I had not attended the prior two years but three years ago, the showroom floor was a bustling area with more than one could take in in a day. This time it was downright boring. Except for 4 or 5 booths, little was worth the time and/or effort to look at. 

It is entirely possible that part of the demise of IDEX is due to the changed date from winter to spring. February is Toy Fair in New York. January has been the month to attend IDEX. And the hotel change was a mistake as well. I loved the Rosen Shingle Creek. In a blog post created on 9/26/10, I describe the hotel.

Soon all business will be conducted without talking to a real human in person. That's what's 'trending.'