~GoGaDoll 2009~ |
As resin ball-jointed dolls increased in popularity in the US, fans of BJDs shared their passion for these dolls at anime and general doll conventions. Thus, it is not surprising that BJD cons devoted solely to these unique dolls have begun to appear. In 2007, the first Dollectable convention devoted solely to BJDs was held in San Francisco. This year, the annual convention now has a new name, GoGaDoll. The name reflects the con’s location in San Francisco and refers to the emblematic Golden Gate Bridge. The three-day convention includes educational workshops, social events, and a sales floor filled with vendors from around the world. The con also features a raffle of donated items with the proceeds going to charity. In 2008, more than 300 BJD fans and over 30 vendors took part in the convention and even more are expected to attend this year.
Dollectable was founded by Elizabeth Dean who was the Chair for the first year. The following year, the con was moved to a new venue, the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway, and Kelly Haines and Elizabeth Dean were co-chairs of the event. This year, Dean left the organization and as the owner of the name Dollectable, she wanted to retain the name for a future enterprise. Kelly Haines is the sole chair for the 2009 event. Many of the original staff from the two previous conventions are still involved with the GoGaDoll Convention.
This year the festivities start off on Friday, June 19, with an opening ceremony and cocktail party. “The cocktail party will have food and some alcoholic and non-alcholic beverages. We call it a cocktail party so it is not mistaken for a dinner party. Light snacks will be provided. It is meant as an opportunity to mingle with other attendees and their dolls.” states PR Director Katie Adler. There will be three contests held during the weekend, the doll costume contest, the photography contest, and the doll video contest. The theme for the costume contest this year is ‘Wedding’ since the con is being held during the popular wedding month. All the contests will be decided by votes from the attendees. The Exhibition Hall will have more than 30 vendor booths and a limited space for an Artist Ally. There will be a swap-meet on Saturday, June 20. Applications for swap-meet spaces will be available Saturday morning at the information desk of the hotel. Both Saturday and Sunday include educational panels. There will also be a BJD Spa and a Tea Party. The BJD Spa provides materials for con goers to tidy up their dolls. The Tea provides another opportunity to meet others, and to drink tea, play trivia games, and display dolls. The final event on Sunday is the awards ceremony when the contest winners are announced, and door and raffle prizes given away.
GoGaDoll has always invited guests of honor to attend the event. Kelly Haines describes the role of special guests; “The guests are involved in the opening and closing ceremonies and also do one or two other panels, to meet their fans and discuss their business or creative process. Last year’s guests were Pasu Lau (DollHeart), Donn and Drew of Bishonen House, and Ms. Cholong of Elfdoll.” So far this year, one special guest has been announced, Charles Stephan of Charles’ Creature Cabinet. “He had contacted me from the Netherlands about coming to (last year’s) convention, but didn’t say exactly who he was, and we didn’t discover until he arrived that he was the designer of the adorable Elfdoll pigs. When he expressed an interest in coming to the convention again, we wanted to make sure to include him as a guest this time, so that he could properly meet his fans and share some of his experiences crafting dolls with them.” More guests will be announced on the GoGaDoll website soon.
An important part of the GoGaDoll Convention is the charitable fundraising events. Adler states “The charities are picked for a variety of reasons. The staff members discuss different possible charities that are either important to that staff member, or important to the bay area, or with some aspect of doll collecting. For example the charity Childs Play we picked last year was one which helped donate toys to children in hospitals. Since the convention is about enjoying the ball jointed doll hobby, this charity seemed a good choice since it helped to bring toys to children in need of cheering up.” Other charities last year include the Avon Foundation and OrchidMania. Items for raffles, auction, or give-away prizes are donated by businesses and individuals. Last year $3000 was raised for the charities. This year’s charity recipients will be announced soon.
GoGaDoll offers discount or free admission to volunteers depending on the hours worked. Convention goers can opt for attending all three days or for the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) events only. Children can attend most of the events and the entry fee for children is less or free depending on age. Haines and Adler hope that the GoGaDoll convention will continue to grow. They are always interested in feedback from BJD collectors on the con and on adding new events. “We are always open to suggestions for what attendees would like to see.”
Please consider donating new, or almost new, BJD related items to the convention. Your donations will be used as raffle prizes, auction and give-away items. Contact the Donation Team via the GoGaDoll Website (under Charities) if interested.
Photos by Golden Gate Ball Jointed Doll Association. Insert photo Courtesy of Charles Stephan.
Dolls at Cocktail Party
Display Room
Tea Party
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