A few of us on this list have met Helena. I should think that Suzanne has met her. And probably Louise Fritsch (spelling). Ms. Hamilton appeared as a guest speaker at the Charm City Dolling Club's first mega-hit luncheon in 2000 in Hunt Valley, Maryland. On the surface, she has a "flashy" appearance--designer jewelry and clothing and dressed to the nines. Her persona is the kind that when she walks in a room she seems like celebrity. When I spoke with her, she accorded herself all the privacy and distance that was possible. That's not a bad thing, just someone who seemed to want to keep me guessing about what was fact or fiction.

As an aside, there was a matter of her paying me for an article I wrote for the never-distributed publication she was creating to go with the Rocky & Bullwinkle movie campaign. I bleated and blatted and kvetched on this list about not getting paid. I didn't want to create bad blood with her, but I did want her to own up to obligations. And she did--at least with me. I did receive payment. I wish it hadn't been so difficult, but she did pull through. Sometimes I wonder if this isn't someone who is so completely guarded that it's an impossibility to get to "know" her. Well, why would she want to get to know collectors anyway? Better she should keep us at a distance and remain impartial about her dealings with her Candi doll rights. To say the least, she's an enigma. Regards, Pat Brown