You already know from the title of this blog (I hope!) that the discussion will be about dolls, dolls and more dolls, and much of it will be related to my activities as a doll collector, club member, museum volunteer, and researcher.
Currently I am the president of a smallish doll club that meets in the town of Paradise, California. Our club is affiliated with United Federation of Doll Clubs, which I believe is the most important doll related organization in the world! None of us consider ourselves experts in the field of doll collecting, but some of us are knowledgeable about specific types of dolls, and we have lots of fun sharing that knowledge. In fact, we have fun even when we're not talking about dolls, and extend an open invitation to visitors and potential members to join us at our meetings.
From time to time I travel to conventions, conferences and luncheons that are hosted by other clubs or UFDC (United Federation of Doll Clubs). UFDC sponsors a national convention every year, rotating the location of the convention around the country. Additionally, UFDC affiliated clubs sponsor regional conferences and special events and shows. I'm looking forward to sharing my experiences and photos from these events.
I also plan to share information and photos of the doll collection at the Gold Nugget Museum in Paradise, California. Our club formally sponsors the volunteer work we do there by donating our time and a portion of our money. While working there the other day I kept thinking how nice it would be to share these wonderful dolls with the doll collectors who never get to visit the museum. One thought led to another, and well...... here I am, hoping to somehow share some of the excitement we feel as we discover one wonderful doll after another in this collection. Eventually we hope to publish a photo gallery of dolls so we can showcase dolls worthy of attention, but in the meanwhile, I hope that you'll vicariously experience the thrill of discovery that our hands-on experience gives us. If you are ever in Paradise, California, please stop by the museum to see the dolls in person and leave us a note to let us know that you were there.
Comments, questions, corrections - always welcome.
