FR/DG Collectors Are Awesome People or Ode To My NEW BFF – Rebecca Berry!

This year I had the good fortune of returning for the 3^rd year in a row to the FR Convention in Chicago. Although, the first two years I went primarily for the dolls, this last convention I found that I was really looking forward to meeting up with old and new friends that I’ve made along the way. I also had the opportunity to teach a seminar this year on Re-Rooting Doll heads. I love teaching the classes. I think although I’ve made my career in marketing and design, my first love will always be teaching. There is something about sharing information with others that just gives me a RUSH.

This year I only had to teach 2 classes and I was able to see a lot of the people that came to my hairstyling seminar the year before. I felt that it was a great honor that my classes filled up so fast even though there was no “chase” workshop doll to acquire at my particular seminar.

Now, unfortunately, due to the class schedules and the timing of the luncheons this year, I was not able to get into the Dynamite Girl Design-A-Studio  until Saturday afternoon after Vaughn Sawyer’s seminar (and Lord knows that I was not going to miss that!). By the time I walked into the room with my 4 ticket vouchers the placed looked like a Thanksgiving Turkey carcass – picked over and bone dry! There was o only 2 dolls left and a couple of outfits. I was heartbroken. DG’s are my “thang” and here I was empty handed.  “Oh well,”  I thought to myself,”I’m sure they are going to have some extras when the doors of the sales room opens again after Saturday night’s gala dinner.”

After the dinner I stood and line for what seemed like an eternity, but once I got into the room – NO DGs! Ugh! My only alternative was to hunt them down on the secondary market or to beg (guilt) some of my friends to sell me theirs (which by the way my buddy Rich Benson did….another sweetheart of a man!) So, before I left back to Florida I was able to acquire 3 out of the 8 DGs. I felt better. But not great. The elusive Dani with the lavender eyes was out there and she was going for CRAZY money on eBay.

Dani haunted my dreams. I wanted her bad, but I just couldn’t justify some of the insane secondary market prices especially when I felt I could have gotten one at the convention for $20 nude. I continuously put ads up on the WClub forum to no avail.

Finally, after weeks and almost giving up, I received a PM from Rebecca Berry. “Rebecca Berry? I know that name…,” I thought to myself.  I read the message from Rebecca and in it she reminded me that she had attended one of my hair rooting seminars. She told me that she loved it and felt it was one of the best of the whole convention. She also thought I was a “hoot” and would attend any seminar that I would teach in the future…no matter what it was. She had also heard about my misfortune with the DGs and let me know that she would be happy to sell me her Dani! DANI! She said DANI!!! For considerably less than what she was going for on eBay. I immediately responded,”YES!!! Thank you Saint Rebecca! May the Doll Gods reward this kind act with good doll karma!”

I paid for my Dani and she immediately put it in the mail for me. Finally, 2 days ago I received her at my front door. I promised her that I would take a picture of her in an outfit and put it up for her to see on Flickr. I call this pic (above) "Cloudy Day In The City". Enjoy!  I wanted to share this story with everyone on my new blog to show people out there in the doll world that kind, generous, selfless collectors like Rich and Rebecca exist. Meeting people like them is what makes this collecting "gig" fun for me. And, I hope to be able to return the favor soon to them or to “pay it forward” to someone else if I get the opportunity.

Now…..if anyone has a Brunette Sooki or Jasper out there….my life would be complete. Anyone?  ;-)