For anything special it's usually easier to buy from the US because we can never be sure exactly what will turn up here or in what quantities.

I am not doing much collecting these days - just enjoying what I have and slowly weeding through my vintage dolls to make more space.

I got all my Gene's from the US but can now get stuff here through a friend who set up her own business.

Candi I got from the US, way back when Lizie was solvent and then from Suzanne.

Any Candi's I decided I didn't want sold like hotcakes here. Especially the old Mikelman baggies with the hair done up - that hair style alone guaranteed doll sales.

People just didn't want to have to do the hair themselves.

At least fashion doll collecting is acceptable now compared to when I started.

People especially other doll people thought we were really wierd.

Ah I remember the day I bought my first vintage Barbie ( which were very hard to find here in Brisbane cos there had been a bad flood in the'74 and most were washed or thrown away because of disease threats.

I was nearly incoherent with joy - and butterflies in my stomach - I paid $30 Australian for a brunette Swirl! Way back in 1987 I think.

Sorry for the long ramble!

Sandra who is still around but doesn't get much time to write!

From: Pat Hawkins jhawkins1320@charter.net Subject: Re: OT Australia Date: 21/07/2002 0:20:28 To: Lunar lunarwolfess@yahoo.com.au CC: Eugene Bradford ebradfrd@crosslink.net, CandiChat Candichat@dolls.de

How big is Barbie & Candi & such as Tyler Wentworth & Gene 'over there' in Australia & how available? Do you have any sort of discount stores such as our Walmarts? Where do you buy your dollies? You have doll shows a lot don't you? Can you just get CAndi thru the mail? I heard doll Collecting is big in your neck of the woods, but is it more so of the porcelein type dolls? Pat Hawkins

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