Raise Your Hand if You Collect Dolls

Saturday Sewing –

Vintage Chatty Cathy and her cousins are getting a new wardrobe! Yes! Today begins a new and exciting focus at Lanetta’s Creations:
Creating handmade doll clothes for the adult Doll Collector! I did a Google search on “doll collectors” and got back over a million hits!

I knew I wasn’t the only one who collected dolls!

But it was news to me when I read what the United Federation of DollClubs, Inc. wrote on their home page: “Doll collecting is one of the three largest hobby groups in the world…” Their 63rd Annual Convention is scheduled for July 24th to July 27th, 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana! Would love to be there!

OH MY GOODNESS! I just did a Google search with “Who Made Chatty Cathy” … I thought it was Mattel, but wasn’t sure & wanted to confirm… anyway… on the FIRST page of results (out of “about 3,740,00 results”) has “Images for who made Chatty Cathy” and MY CHATTY is shown in her pretty red, white, and blue dress that I handmade! Cool!

The Complete Guide To American Girl Doll Collecting hasn’t been updated in a while, but the information it does have is worth a read.

I love the tagline found on the American Girl Playthings! website:

“Where little girls who play with dolls grow up and become collectors who still play with dolls!”

Join me, along with hundreds of others, in the different Yahoo!Groups of like-minded doll collectors!

Chatty Cathy’s Corner

18 inch Vinyl Dolls

All About Doll Clothes

Scenes-n-Things

Doll Clothes 4 Sale

Don’t be shy! Raise your hand if you collect dolls! You won’t be alone!

What to take?

This Saturday I'm doing my last arts and crafts show (for the year) INSIDE the County Courthouse in Lampasas. The space will be very limited, without the normal "booth" arrangment because many vendors are stationed along both sides of the wide hallway, along benches within the actual courtroom, and wherever else they can stash us. Of course, I have no idea where I'll be! Therefore, I know I won't have room for all my items. So, with this in mind, what do I take?

I sold more doll clothes for 18” dolls than anything else in the last arts and crafts show. They are going for sure.

I'm thinking, because the aprons were displayed on a garment rack & folks had to thumb through them to see, is maybe the why they didn't sell as well. I know models Ethel and Lucy won't be there Saturday to feature any aprons!

But, this is the only way I have to display them right now ~ plans are underway to create a better system for next year’s arts and crafts show in which I may participate!

Anyway, I'd like to offer my lovely aprons because stores like Dillard’s, Macy's, Sur La Table, Pier 1, Williams-Sonoma, Walmart, etc. only sell imported aprons. My prices are comparable ~ within range ~ and I’m always hoping more people will support Made in the USA – especially Handmade in Texas, by me!

Maybe this demographic area isn't the right market place for aprons... but I thoroughly enjoy creating them, so will continue!

I also have small priced items, perfect for stocking stuffers, that I don’t list in my ArtFire shop. I love it when children come into my “booth” and are able to buy something for mom or granny. Seeing their faces light up with the empowerment it brings them to buy on their own warms my heart. I must make room for these items, indeed!

Then there are my bags/totes
              and beaded bookmarks
                      and Christian Prayer Beads
                                  and the books I’ve written…

Nope, can’t take them all.

What are your thoughts? How would you decide?