Tablemates Patricia and Alice

Lisa Steadman Staff Writer

Dear Diary,

The 2001 National Barbie® Doll Convention was a blast, and I can't wait for next year to do it all again! I met so many wonderful people, had a ball attending all of the workshops and events. Thanks to the Fashion Doll Club - Great Lakes Chapter for a job well done. I heard from numerous attendees that this was the best convention yet, and I'm inclined to agree. Looking back, here are a few of my favorite moments, and best-of-the-convention picks. Please note: views expressed in this article in no way reflect the opinions of management, or anyone affiliated with the convention, and are strictly my personal opinion.

Best of the Competition

This year marked a turning point in the Competition, as it was the first year in which entries were judged in two categories, professional and amateur doll artists. What a great way to allow entrants of all artistic levels to be judged fairly! As for the competition judges, I learned that they are not chosen - they volunteer. Many of them have been judging the competition for several years. Most are experts in a particular field of competition. This year, there were about 24 judges and apprentices, all overseen by competition co-chairs Leneda Maki and Jim Faraone.

As I discovered when walking through the competition room, many amazing dolls, products, and dioramas were submitted this year. It was a pleasure to see some of the rare dolls up close for the first time, and to admire the detailing that went into creating dioramas and scenarios like "Prom Night Mishaps" and "Getting Ready for the Prom." Congratulations to all who participated in the competition! And the winners are:

Best Vintage Barbie, Out of Box, Mint In Box, NRFB
Brunette High Color American Girl from 1966
Owner unknown

Best Vintage Ken, Out of Box, Mint In Box, NRFB
1^st Ken/Flock Hair Ken
Courtesy of Dwane Adle

Best Foreign Vintage Barbie, Out of Box, Mint In Box, NRFB, 1964-1972
Rare American Girl in swimsuit with long hair
Courtesy of Barbara Mitchell

Best Room Shopping

Before I attended this year's convention, the activity I heard the most about from my fellow collectors was "room shopping." It doesn't sound like much to get excited about, but seeing really is believing! Where else but at a Barbie convention would strangers open their hotel rooms up to one another to not only enter, but scour the place in search of doll treasures?! And while I scoured many fabulous rooms, my favorite by far was Michael Augustyniak's "Disco Sales Room." Complete with funkadelic animal print throws, psychedelic posters, and disco lights, Michael opened his room up to collectors and friends, many of whom found fabulous finds while visiting! It was such a pleasure to finally meet the author of so many great books on Barbie doll. Thank you Michael!

Best Find

Dwane Adle, Montgomery Ward's exclusive 1974 Mod Hair Ken.
Found in Michael Augustyniak's Disco Sales Room.
Missed earlier in the day by Jef Beck, Dwane's roommate who was beside himself because it's one of the few Ken dolls he still needs to complete his collection! With so many avid Ken collectors in attendance at this year's convention (Happy 40th Anniversary, Ken!), Ken dolls and accessories were in high demand. And while there were great bargains to be found throughout the sales room and via room shopping, some of the best Ken deals by far could be found in Michael Augustyniak's room. Dwane Adle happened upon this rare find, but it wasn't easy to spot. Jef Beck hadn't spotted it earlier in the day when he stopped by, much to his regret. Michael told us, "The doll came in a plain brown catalog mailer box so many collectors never picked it up to see what was inside. However, Dwane knew I had the good stuff in my room and spotted that Ken, brown box and all!" Then poor Jef had to look at what he missed out on for the rest of the convention in his own room! Sounds like there were lots of great finds in Michael's room!

Best Event I had so much fun throughout the convention, but if I had to pick a favorite event, it would be Prom. "An Evening Under The Stars" was a night to remember. People really celebrated the theme, going all out to re-capture, or re-create their prom. I danced, posed for photographs with new friends and old, and got to meet so many wonderful people. Needless to say, a good time was had by all!

Best Dressed, Fashion Show

With so many gorgeous gowns and guy get ups gracing the runway, it was tough to pick just one favorite. Vicky Lewis' Tango ensemble was breathtaking, and she modeled it beautifully. I was blown away by the sheer spectacle Brenda Blanchard created when she entered the room, dressed in a version of Bob Mackie's Fantasy Goddess of Africa™. Brenda always looks amazing, but she was mind-blowing in this ensemble. Not to mention the work that must have gone into creating this costume. Bravo on a job well done, Brenda!

Another incredible creation was Willena Nanton's hand-crocheted version of Byron Lars' Indigo Obsession™ Barbie® doll's ensemble. All I can say is wow! The detailing was exquisite, and Willena looked sensational. Way to go, Willena!

And who can forget Joy Frake, the woman who brought Lisette™ Barbie® doll to life? Her gorgeous gown, intricate accessories, and elegant hair style were flawless recreations of the doll. Designer Robert Best couldn't have envisioned her in more realistic detail if he tried!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the fashion show for their hard work, courage to walk the runway, and for putting up with all the flashing photographers! You all were terrific!

Best Dressed, Class Reunion

Without a doubt, the most festive and fabulous gals at the Class Reunion were two groovy girls that looked like they just stepped out of a 1960s yearbook, Rebecca Chulew and Heather Camden. Dressed in sparkling dresses with darling wigs, these two gals showed true school spirit. Way to go, girls!

Best Dressed Barbie Recreation, Prom

With a theme like "Queen of the Prom," what better dress to wear than "Senior Prom?" We saw numerous variations of the dress(me included!), but no one outshined Wendy Neiderhiser, who looked just like Barbie in her stunning prom gown. Isn't she gorgeous? It was great talking with you, Wendy!

Best Dressed Non-Barbie Creation, Prom

Melissa Windham is known in collecting circles for her spectacular one-of-a-kind designed dolls. However, not only is she incredibly talented, she's equally beautiful! Here's a picture of Melissa wearing a dress just like the one she created for the doll she donated to the live auction which fetched $7,000 for charity. You look mahvelous, Melissa!

Best Friend to Barbie

At the Class Reunion on closing night, former Mattel designer Carol Spencer awarded this very special award to Barbie® Bazaar publishers Karen Caviale and Marlene Mura for being such wonderful friends to Barbie. I had the pleasure of meeting Karen for the first time at the convention, and having been a longtime fan of Barbie Bazaar, I couldn't agree more with this prestigious honor! Congratulations, Karen and Marlene!

And because she's Barbie, she can have more than just one best friend! My personal favorite for this honor would be a charming gentleman I met for the first time at the convention, but whose name I've known for some time now. The adorable MiKelman, whose column Life With Barbie is one of the first features I turn to each month when my Barbie Bazaar arrives. MiKelman was such a sweetheart in person, and I might add, he's even cuter than his delightful byline photo! It was great to meet you, MiKelman, and keep up the great work as Barbie doll's best friend. Your column reminds me why I love Barbie so much - because she's just so darned much fun to dress and play with!

Best Friend To Ken

Ken has some great friends too, and we are so glad we got to meet some of them, especially Jef Beck the man behind http://www.manbehindthedoll.com (which he told us is a reference to Ken being behind Barbie doll's incredible success!) I must confess, while I'd never met Jef before the convention, I have been a huge fan of his website for quite some time. And to meet him in person - he's such a sweetie! And what a cutie, too! Not to mention his devotion to Ken. What more could you ask for in a best friend? YOU are the man behind the doll, Jef!

And Ken doll's other best friend would have to be Christopher Varaste, whom you all know from his incredibly talented writing and photography for Barbie Bazaar. He's an absolute doll, and a total kick to be around. And he's a terrific dancer, as evidenced by the prom pictures. Chris, thanks for being such a pal to all of us at BarbieCollector.com, as well as to your best bud Ken!

Best Convention Gift

One thing I can't stress enough about the convention - you get a lot of free stuff. This certainly shouldn't be the impetus for attending the festivities, but it surely is one of the many perks! I can't get over the generosity displayed by my tablemates, by Mattel, as well as KB Toys this year. I came home with a lot of loot. Above and beyond the many dolls, accessories, and other fun gifts, the best gift by far was the convention doll, the quintessential Queen of the Prom^SM. I did a little investigating to find out exactly how this doll gets designed, and you wouldn't believe the amount of thought and care that goes into this convention collectible! Here's what I discovered ...

Beginning very early in the planning phase (in this case, as early as last year's convention) the sponsoring doll club works with Mattel, providing all the specifications for the doll they want. These specifications include selecting the face mold, the body type, the skin color, the facial painting - lip and polish shade (Pantone 214), eye color, the accessories (tiara, jewelry, shoes), the hair type, color and style(sidepart Japanese American Girl-High Color complete with sample from a TNT). Once Mattel delivers the doll, it is then up to the doll club to dress and box the dolls. In this instance, convention co-chair Dorinda Balanecki made the dress pattern based upon designer Paul Bruce's specifications. Dorinda also created all of the dress samples, fabric(a French import originally spotted by co-chairs Dwane Adle and Norita Bergmann at Mattel's Design Center), and patterns that were then sent overseas to be produced. Finding a factory that could create the doll to the club's specifications was also a challenge, but after sampling and counter-sampling, the club finally agreed upon a factory in China. When the clothing was returned, club members gathered to dress and package every doll and fashion pack, adding the paper goods to the fashion packs as they went along. The box liner design and accessory pack boxes were also designed by Dorinda, printed and cut to match her concept. As you can see, a lot of hard work went into making this convention gift so spectacular. Thanks to everyone who was involved in the process. Everyone who attended the convention will cherish this doll for years to come. Just looking at it evokes fond memories of my time in Dearborn among my fellow collectors!

Looking back, I couldn't have asked for a more idyllic first convention experience. I had helpers like Steering Committee Member Julie Bronski and Convention Co-Chair Norita Bergmann to offer me lots of advice and support in advance of the event, and various other collectors guided me throughout my time at the convention. Thanks to everyone who made this year's festivities so special. A big round of applause to the Fashion Doll Club - Great Lakes Chapter, all the volunteers, and the Masons for a job well done.

And coming next year ... Rocky Mountain Mod in Denver, Colorado, June 5 - 8, 2002. Stay tuned for details on how to register! Here is a picture of the dress code for next year!