Pat wrote:

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?

Greetings Pat and Candichatters,

I've been with Candi from the start. I had recently moved and had no friends and needed something to do with my spare time. I saw a newspaper ad for Paul David's and went to check it out. There was Candi, just the first 3 and China Candi. I was hooked. At the time I was a very passive collector. Just went to an occasional Barbie show but almost never bought anything. Candi turned me into a rabid doll collector. I couldn't wait for each Paul David open house to see the new Candis. Do I miss those days. I can remember his place packed with Candi. Nirvana.

Sadly I haven't collected many Candis since his parting with HDS. I need to get some of the newer ones.

There might even be a few CandiChatters who can tell what this List was like before Anja took it under her supervision

I was on the list when it had a 'previous owner'. Ouch, I'm sticking to my happy memories - lol.

Thanks for bringing up the topic Pat, gave me warm fuzzies to take a trip down memory lane.

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I have one of the early Candi dolls by Hamilton Toys, I think it was "The Look 94". She is an African American doll with brunette hair. I think she came in a two piece suit with a white jacket and orange skirt. She's been redressed, so I don't remember. Her arms are bent at the elbow. I didn't have too much luck afterwards getting Candi because of the problems Hamilton Toys ran into (don't remember the details).

My collecting picked up with the Mikelman involvement with Integrity Toys. I have the "Gold Dusted AA doll", and the AA "Santa Baby" doll.

My collecting of Integrity toys dolls started with the open mouth Janay doll. I have the first Royal Heritage Wedding set. Collecting of Integrity dolls picked up considerably with Jason Wu's involvement. I like working with the playline dolls for customizing because of the price and quality.

Harriett ----- Original Message ----- From: Pat Brown To: Candi Chat List Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2002 10:05 AM Subject: Memorable Candi Collecting Moments

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