Atlanta BJD meetup Nov 19th & 20th UPDATED

EDIT:

 

It is with MUCH sadness that I have to update this thread with this news.

 

I just got word from my GF that the people running the Atlanta BJD Convention have made an announcement on Facebook stating that they are now cancelling the convention. ALL OF IT. Here is their post about it:

 

https://www.facebook.com/AtlantaBallJointedDollConvention/

 

I'm really in many different mental states about this right now.... I'm mad, angry, upset, pissed off, sad and many other things. I'm not the only one either. I've been flooded with messages and emails since about 3:45pm from friends who also just heard of this and others asking if it's true or not. I've had to tell them all the same thing..... that I had NO IDEA this would happen and that I'm sorry that it did.

 

So in order to try and figure out a way for people who were flying in or that live locally or just wanted to visit for a day, a few of us who were helping out with panels and such are now asking for ideas on whether or not we should try and do a doll meet or something similar for at least that Saturday or maybe even for Sat and Sun. Atlanta is huge and there's so many places to go for cool doll photos and to hang out and talk shop that we might be able to figure something out so as not to waste peoples money for the rooms and airfare they may have already paid.

 

If anyone who planned to go still wants to go and has any ideas on what we could do and where, PLEASE post here about it so we can talk it over and try to have some type of event for this.

 

Again, I'm sorry to have to tell everyone of this but I figured I should let everyone know as soon as possible so that they can make adjustments or try to get refunds for things they might have paid for already. Make sure you read the Facebook post because they did say they will be refunding peoples money who already paid for con passes and such.

 

If enuff people want to do something that weekend maybe we can still pull something off. So let's hear from you guys and see what we can do!

 

 

 

Billy

I live in the Atlanta area and wouldn't mind being a local point of contact. I didn't go to the con last year because I really couldn't find much info about it. I've got a good-sized resin collection and three DDs.

I'm hoping I can attend this year as well. If anyone wants to room with me and split costs let me know. My initial partner had to back out.

I live in the Atlanta area and wouldn't mind being a local point of contact. I didn't go to the con last year because I really couldn't find much info about it. I've got a good-sized resin collection and three DDs.

 

Oh nice! I hope you can make it this year! I'll be sure to keep everyone updated here as well as on DoA and my GF will be updating Facebook and other social media sites too. We really want this to be a good time for anyone wanting to come so we're going to work hard to make sure people have all the info they need to decide whether to come or not. Of course, we hope they do come and have loads of fun!

 

I'm hoping I can attend this year as well. If anyone wants to room with me and split costs let me know. My initial partner had to back out.

 

It will be great to see you again! I hope you an come too. If I hear of anyone I know very well that wants to go and needs to split a room, I'll put them in contact with you.

 

 

 

Billy

Great, that would be awesome. And I look forward to seeing you all and the panels you put together too.

Ok this time I really want to make the drive down there. Especially to see a tan and boy smart doll! (...and all the awesome doll friends of course! ;D)

I'll join this year again and hopefully fix my sleep schedule so i can stay later than 4pm

I'll have to wait a bit to see what my work schedule shapes up to be, but I'm inking these dates in on my (MADh Vinyl) calendar. I hope Billy can get us an event schedule in advance!

Ok this time I really want to make the drive down there. Especially to see a tan and boy smart doll! (...and all the awesome doll friends of course! ;D)

 

Yay! It would be awesome to have you come to the con as either a vendor or just as a visitor! I do hope you can make it. I hope we get a ton of vinyl people showing up this year, it would be pretty awesome!

 

I'll join this year again and hopefully fix my sleep schedule so i can stay later than 4pm

 

Ha ha! Great to hear you'll be there!

 

I'll have to wait a bit to see what my work schedule shapes up to be, but I'm inking these dates in on my (MADh Vinyl) calendar. I hope Billy can get us an event schedule in advance!

 

We definitely hope to see you there sir! It was great having you and your girls at the panel for sure. Hopefully you can make it and for more than just half a day. And I will do my best to get everyone a schedule as soon as I possibly can! Whenever I get any info about the con, it'll be posted here first and then thru other channels like Facebook and DoA so we reach as many people as we can. And we aren't just wanting vinyl owners to come, we'd be happy to have ANY doll owners show up! The more the merrier for sure.

 

 

 

Billy

Ok, time for an update! Altho the main website hasn't updated with this info yet, I'm going to go ahead and list it here since it pertains to us in the DD realm directly.

 

Becca and I are doing our vinyl panel again this year! I'm also doing a Smartdoll panel as well! Here's the breakdown:

 

An Introduction to Vinyl Dolls.

 

This panel will go over all the main companies that make vinyl dolls nowadays.... Azone, Obitsu/Parabox, Volks, Angel Philia/VMF50 and Smartdoll. We'll do a short history of each company, show examples of dolls from each company ( photos and actual dolls you can check out in person ) and go over the major differences between vinyls and resins. We'll also cover where you can buy vinyls, their clothing and accessories, how to customize them and places you can go online to talk about them and share your experiences. A power point presentation will be made for about 45 minutes to an hour and then we'll have between 45 minutes to an hour to do a "meet and greet" as well as a question and answer period. PLEASE feel free to bring along your vinyl girls and guys for everyone to see! Photos are welcome and so is the handling of our display girls. I'll have lots of girls from my collection there so you can check out different types of bodies, busts ( yes, there WILL be Peach Pai! ) and heads.

 

Smartdolls.

 

The panel I am running is all about Smartdolls and how Danny came to design and make his own. We'll have a power point presentation about what kinds of dolls he makes, how they're different from other vinyls, their clothing and accessories and how to buy them along with a short video provided by Danny to show how his dolls are made. We will also have examples of Smartdolls there for people to see and hold including Mirai, Tan Chitose and an Eiji! We'll also have an internal Mirai frame so people can see one out of the shell and play with it to learn how they actually work and support the Smartdolls. I will also have a nice surprise for anyone attending...... you'll be able to see WHY the Smartdoll is called Smart. We'll also do some speculating on what Danny will be coming out with later on and have a question and answer session. PLEASE do bring along any Smartdolls you own or if you don't own one, come to check them out and bring whatever dollies you DO own! Everyone is welcome! This panel should last about an hour with the presentation being about 30 minutes and a Q&A and meet and greet for about the same amount of time.

 

Both of these panels are scheduled for Saturday, with Beccas Vinyl one at either 10am or 11am and my SD one being sometime after lunch, possibly 1pm or 2pm. I hope we see everyone there!

 

 

Also, they've announced one guest to appear at the con.... Peter S. Beagle! Here's some info on him.

 

The Atlanta BJD Convention is thrilled to be hosting world famous author Peter Beagle this year. He is best-known for A Fine and Private Place, I See By My Outfit, The Last Unicorn, The Innkeeper’s Song, and The Rhinoceros Who Quoted Nietzsche. During the last twenty-five years he has won many literary awards, including a World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2011. Peter has a new book coming out called Summerlong and will be signing copies at the convention.

 

 

We also have a list of vendors who will be there so far:

 

DreamyrDesigns : http://dreamyrdesigns.weebly.com/

 

Silverbeam Dolls : https://www.etsy.com/shop/Silverbeam

 

Sweetdolls ( I don't have a link but this is who I got that awesome chainsaw from! )

 

Nightengale Needles : https://www.etsy.com/shop/nightengaleneedles ( I'm super excited to see Emily again, she's so awesome! She's also a dollie doctor so any repairs or restringing you have, she can do it! )

 

Angeltoast : https://www.etsy.com/shop/nightengaleneedles ( She is sooooo cool! We met at Animazement and it's great to have her coming to this con! )

 

Azurielle's Grove : http://azuriellebjd.blogspot.com/p/about.html

 

Sinclair Jewelry: https://www.sinclairjewelry.com/ ( These guys made a replica of the Volks Sheryl Nome earring in metal for AsianEd and it is so friggin cool. )

 

 

 

That's all I have so far but as I get more details on events, vendors, artists and panels, I'll update with it here! Thanks for looking!

 

 

 

Billy

I hope I can go to this con! I'd love to meet angel toast and thank her in person for the awesome work she has done on my dolls

Oh man, I absolutely need to remember this con and try to go!

I can finally get a chance to show off my Alter!

I hope I can go to this con! I'd love to meet angel toast and thank her in person for the awesome work she has done on my dolls

 

I do hope you can come! Not only to meet Angeltoast but so that we can meet too! I'd love to see as many forum members as possible there so I really do hope you can make it!

 

Oh man, I absolutely need to remember this con and try to go! I can finally get a chance to show off my Alter!

 

Yes you do! I would LOVE to see an Alter in person, I've never seen one. Just keep checking back here for more info..... as soon as I get ANY I post it here so as we get closer to the dates, there will be more posts here.

 

 

Billy

I really wanted to go but my full time job won't allow me to ask for time off in November or December so maybe someday when I'm no longer bound by retail work lol

I hope I can go to this con! I'd love to meet angel toast and thank her in person for the awesome work she has done on my dolls

 

I do hope you can come! Not only to meet Angeltoast but so that we can meet too! I'd love to see as many forum members as possible there so I really do hope you can make it!

 

 

Billy

 

Yes, absolutely ! For being on this forum so long, I also know locals to NE Ohio, so meeting everyone else would be so awesome!

In case no one noticed the title change on this, I updated the first post with a TON of info! A big list of panels, guests and workshops is now up so make sure you check it all out! It looks like a pretty good grouping so far!

 

 

Billy

Thanks for the info. If all goes well I am making plans to be there and take my three girls with me. This will be the first time my girls have meet doll owners that live in the us. Plus it's one girls "Birthday" so hopefully fun will be had by all.

hmm interesting

I really want to attend it just depends on what schedule I end up with for the next 6 months. OMG so much fun stuff it looks like. I'm all about those sewing workshops.

Oh man, these sewing and faceup and eyemaking workshops sound so cool *__* and to see so many dolls IRL! *nerds out about pretty things*

I am actually thinking about going, I'm not sure if I will or not because I haven't been to any sort of a convention in six or seven years and it makes me a bit nervous as I'm unused to crowds, but it sounds super cool...

I don't have *any* resins, though, just a Smart doll boy and a Dollfie Dream girl, and I guess I'm also a bit worried because I keep hearing about how many resin owners look down on vinyl ://

I really want to attend it just depends on what schedule I end up with for the next 6 months. OMG so much fun stuff it looks like. I'm all about those sewing workshops.

 

I certainly hope you can go! Pull some strings or slap someone around so you can!

 

Oh man, these sewing and faceup and eyemaking workshops sound so cool *__* and to see so many dolls IRL! *nerds out about pretty things* I am actually thinking about going, I'm not sure if I will or not because I haven't been to any sort of a convention in six or seven years and it makes me a bit nervous as I'm unused to crowds, but it sounds super cool...

 

The panels are definitely fun and so are the workshops! And if you can come, by all means you should. This is a very small convention compared to most others so don't worry about crowds of any kind as there really won't be any. Seriously, if there's over 200 attendees there per day, I'll be both amazed and extremely happy. I don't know what the numbers were last year but they were nowhere near what some cons pull in. This isn't SDCC or AX at all so please don't feel intimidated by crowds as I think you will find this is much more of a gathering than a con.

 

I don't have *any* resins, though, just a Smart doll boy and a Dollfie Dream girl, and I guess I'm also a bit worried because I keep hearing about how many resin owners look down on vinyl ://

 

PLEASE don't be worried about not having any resin dolls! I don't have any either and I didn't get the vibe that anyone looked down on me at all for it. Yes, I *have* met some people in the past that own resins only and they *did* have an attitude about it but that's isolated for the most part and I didn't get that from anyone at the con.

 

When we held the "Introduction to Vinyl Dolls" panel last year, we had about 25 people attend it and all of them had nothing but compliments for us. And I was always getting approached by people in the halls and other areas by people asking about whatever DD or Smartdoll I had with me at the time, none were mean, rude or snobby to me. Danny Choo is actually VERY popular among resin owners it seems and last year I got tons of questions about my Mirai. And since I'll be doing a Smartdoll exclusive panel where I'll have a Mirai, Eiji and Tan Chitose for everyone to see and hold, people will be able to learn even more about them. So if you come, please bring your vinyls to the panles! We'd love to have as many show up as possible!

 

I'm telling everyone I know about this con so that more people get to see, feel and learn about the DDs and Smartdolls so that the correct info on them is passed on. With more people being able to see and touch them, I think that will help get vinyls higher in popularity and seen as equals to resins one day.

 

 

 

Billy

DONE DEAL!

No one day "in and out" this time. Friday-Sunday.

 

Now the tedious task of deciding who to bring....

DONE DEAL!

No one day "in and out" this time. Friday-Sunday.

 

Now the tedious task of deciding who to bring....

 

Oh nice! Glad to see you can actually make it for longer than a few hours! As for who to bring, make sure you have some VMF girls because I'd like to have one or two as models for the vinyl panel if possible.

 

 

Billy

Got my schedule >:D I'm so starting to plan now. Trying to arrange for Semibuns to bring her self on the trip too, if not I'll see what I can scrounge together for myself.

 

I really want to go and have fun at a con again.

Excited to bring my own Smartdoll this year!

Anyone looking for a room mate?