What a great idea, Pat!
I personally discovered Candi during the Pink Anger movement (or whatever). Several years back, collectors were boycotting Mattel for a month because of the high prices we paid for collector Barbi*s that were later put on sale for very low prices & the way they were suing everyone who said or used the Barbi* name in any way. Anyway, I joined the moratorium on Barbi*. It was during that doll lull that I discovered the Candi doll on Paul David's website & ordered one redressed in a white box. She was gorgeous & I was hooked. I have followed the Hamilton/Mikelman/Paul David saga & have watched as Integrity has resurrected "our favorite girl". I even bought a couple Candi dolls from Lizee before her "fiasco" which I really know nothing about. I've met Helena in person at a doll luncheon & had one of her earlier dolls autographed. And along the way, I learned to order my Candi dolls from Suzanne at Doll Dreams instead of going to the source. I got to meet Jason at the 40th Anniversary Barbi* Convention in Pittsburgh. I don't remember when I discovered the CandiChat, but it has been quite awhile & I've enjoyed it all. I participated in a swap & the travelling box. I watched as we tried to organize a CandiChat doll/outfit. This is a great group of people & I expect it to carry on for a long time... Thanks, Anja & all for holding it together. Whew! Hope I didn't bore anyone! Melissa
Dear CandiChatters,
It occurred to me that every so often, this List gets new subscribers that may not be altogether familiar with how far the Candi doll has come to her current affiliation with Integrity and Jason Wu. As you may guess, Candi's saga certainly holds a fascination for me because I've seen the lasting commitment the doll receives from collectors. The business of doll collecting probably gives me more jollies than actually buying and collecting dolls. The Candi business is a story in itself--I only wish I could've been a fly on the boardroom walls...
I was wondering if there are any of you on this LIst who have stories you can recall in the early days when you began collecting Candi and if you'd share these reflections? There are many ways CandiCollectors remember Candi--why we started collecting the doll, how we came to this List, the personalities that have been involved with Candi's development (colorful, controversial and always creative) even what keeps this List still going after so many years. There might even be a few CandiChatters who can tell what this List was like before Anja took it under her supervision--how many years has this List been around, to be precise?
Just who is the longest (I didn't say oldest) subscribing member(s) to this List and what do you remember about the early days of CandiCollecting? Of you newer members, what had you heard of Candi before subscribing to the List?
Me, I've been with the List since 1996 and have enjoyed the people from this List most of all during my collecting days. Candi has been an excellent experience for me in many ways that go beyond simply collecting a doll. Regards, pat Brown