So how was the NYC Tea Party?

That party was so well done! Every detail was top flight, they did a great job. The Volks people were so humble and grateful it was heartwarming. They treat all dolfies with total reverence, yet they are playful and have great senses of humor. The whole vibe was wonderful. When I won the one-off I wanted to cry,(so did my husband when he realized how much I spent hehe) I've lusted after that head (she's an MSD F-06, or Phyllis I think) I was so ridiculously happy. Volks and FDQ thank you so much!

BTW Olivia is insanely beautiful. There was a one-off who looked just like Patti Smith. Sigh. Her body is beautiful, one of the most amazing sculpts. If you get her you won't be disappointed.

 

Everyone has given such great descriptions of the Tea Party! Was it ever wonderful!!! I didn't win anything, but just to meet all the Volks folks & other SD lovers was a treat!!

 

I really enjoyed it. The event itself was wonderful... the little "exclusive video" at the beginning was kinda corny, but it was very cute! I also really loved the president's little story about how Super Dollfie was created... the delivery and then play-by-play translations by Mikey were really pretty funny. I was happy to see their sense of humor and the love they put into their product. They are definitely a company, but they also seem to be true nerds to the core. I think Mr. Shigata might qualify as the Otaking.

The dolly doctor was sweet, and I learned that Rory's knee-joints didn't have any problems, but there's actually a 'right' way to bend the locking joints on the newer SD13 bodies. Bizarre.

I think the thing I enjoyed most was getting to meet so many DoA members and doll owners in general. And seeing the beautiful dolls! Thanks so much to all of you that I talked to for being such sweethearts - I loved meeting everyone!

Congrats to all the winners of Bingo, and the people who won the one-offs!

 

That sounds like it was awesome! Congrats to everyone and glad you all had a great time!

 

Zakath is on page 19, and is the sunlight skin F-19 in a Chinese outfit. He was a Sato One Off from October 2005. :

 

What is the right way? And is it for boys and girls? My F-15's right knee never bends properly..always pops out of the socket and I have to put it back in, but his left is fine..

 

My boyfriend's plans with his brother fell through, so he ended up accompanying me. Ran into some familiar faces, some old pals, and made some new ones, too! Everyone was so nice, and I had such a good feeling all day and into today. It's like everyone was there for the same reason, and there was nothing to do but enjoy yourself.

I was lucky enough to win $100 of cute MSD wigs in bingo. So many people... Sher, Lolly, Mercy, and I shared a table. I ran into a lot of people: there was dear Yuki, Ponygery, Julidc, Sarah and her mom, there was KeiCan_Ayan, rkold, Kim, Jibrille and her mom, Janne and her daughter, Armeleia, Celticgeekess, Bittenbefore, and Zalem... and then there were the New Englanders: Ivy4Mdvanii, susieq, and Lisianthus and Breck. There are so many more people, too. I talked to a very kind older lady in line who was lucky enough to leave with a Sei Tenshi. I know I talked to countless other folks at the party and every single person there was as kind, courteous, and warm as could be. What a good feeling! Thanks, everyone, for making this such a happy memory.

 

It was great!! I didn't get to meet all the DOA people I wanted to meet (thankfully I resisted the urge to climb up on a table and shout out that DOA peeps should come over and say HI) but I met TONS of lovely, lovely people, it just ROCKED!!

Lolly was the lucky stinker of the day (did I say stinker? i meant lovely soul) who won the one-off she wanted, and a sei tenshi. WOOOT!!

it REALLY was neat to see how many DOA people got the dolls they wanted, which means we'll get to SEE THEM HERE!! I hope to see LOTS of gallery threads with all the wonderful dolls people won!

 

My Report from the Tea​

Lolly and I got on a train bound for NYC on Saturday morning... arrived in NYC at 11ish, and walked to the Gershwin from Penn Station to meet up with Margie (magictoadstool) and her roommies to get some lunch before the name tag party was to start.

It's always so fun to meet people for the first time that you've only spoken to online... Margie and her friends were young enough to be our kids (literally) and adorable as all get-out. At one point I actually PINCHED Margie (sorry Margie...) and squee'ed right in her face when I noticed her wee freckly nose. I really couldn't help it. It's her own fault! No court in the world would convict me! She also insisted on dressing like a little Mio unoa, which really didn't help the squee factor any. ^__^

A LOT of people came to the name tag coloring party beforehand, and it was JUST so fun. Juniper was in her element, hogging all the attention until SOMEBODY placed a little latidoll white pury next to her, and I think my squee was probably heard from outer space. I'm still paying for that, as I've been bitten twice and I think she slid a juniper-sized cow patty under my pillow last night in retribution. I think my most embarrassing moment (aside from PINCHING Margie) was meeting Devon (aznbutterfly); I knew he had Anouk with him and I really went sort of batsh**t fangirl all over the poor guy. Um.

We all headed over to the tea and THANKFULLY they let us into the building, as we were all just dying of the heat... we had a bit of a wait in the hallway, where everybody kind of wandered in the line saying hi to people and squeeing over dolls held in arms, etc. There I saw my first Yukinojo in person and wow... WOW. He is incredibly beautiful! Then at last, we were allowed in! Mr. Shigeta and two other volks reps near the door asked to see Elijah Belle, and Mr. Shigeta said "Cyndy?" to me (!!) and I said "4 sisters" and they all went "ohhh....!" it was pretty cool. I didn't embarrass myself though, I was very good. (The embarrassment came later.)

They had a beautiful display of Olivia and Yukinojo, and a table with the Tokyo Boys on it, and then the one-offs were in the back. Everybody put their dolls on their tables and then we started! Mr. Shigeta learned a VERY long speech, phonetically, which was very touching, as I'm sure he practiced very hard. Mikey is JUST adorable, and they had a little DVD they played, and the doll hospital was very very busy, and then they drew for the one-offs, and then we played bingo. Even though they accidentally gave me 2 cards at the door, I suck so much that I couldn't even win off TWO cards!! At the very end, to ensure that everyone received SOMETHING, they gave those of us who didn't win at bingo a very lovely gift of a little SD ring (I LOVE rings!!) and a beautiful box of incense.

They clearly love their dolls very, very much, and are very proud of what they are doing and of their work. I hope they have more events like this in the future. It was just too wonderful.

THEN a bunch of us went back to the Gershwin for the pajama party. I had on the ugliest jammies ever, which I was later told looked like the fruit wallpaper from Willy Wonka (the FIRST one with good ol' gene wilder). I heard more than once, "Snozberry? Who ever heard of a SNOZBERRY?"

It was hot, and I do apologize but we didn't have a lot of room to really play, and some people had to leave early. Next time whoever organizes it (not me! cuz I think I sucked at it!) might find us a bigger room, lol... but it was fun anyway, and we blabbed and blabbed until Lolly and I were just too pooped and headed up to bed.

Sunday we met up with some other folks again and went to FAO Schwartz and then to check out the HUGE build a bear store, where we all stocked up on friends 2b made goodies for MSDs and the Unoas. Then it was time to head home, as I had to work today, and Lolly had a boy with chicken pox at home...

and I'm still pooped!

 

I had a tremendous time
Sher I am a Stinker ????!!! Well it was hot ..... lol
I posted way too many pics in my LJ, take a peek if you have the time and bandwidth-
http://www.livejournal.com/users/1olly/

 

What are the Olivia patterns like in the FDQ Special issue? I can't wait to get mine....

 

You're actually supposed to pull it out slightly as you bend it. It saves wear on the locking mechanisms in the legs too!

 

The Tea was AMAZING for lack of a better word... Just Phenomenal experience.... I wasn’t expecting the event to be how it was…. Since this was my first ever meet/convention I didn’t know what to expect really… I was just touched by the DOA members I met. Everyone was just so amazing kind and wonderful. the Shigetas and their staff where just angels….. Sweet as can be and just so loving…. And as if that weren’t enough of a magical evening I got to win the One off I put in for my Elliott (Cecil)…. He stole my heart with only one look into those gorgeous grey eyes….. I can’t wait for the next NYC Teaparty…. Ohhh I sure do hope they plan on doing another in NYC.
-Anthony

 

Interesting. I usually bend them down slowly but now I'll do it that way, thanks

 

I hope they change their mind too..one in Chicago or Detroit would be perfect for me.

 

i would sign on for a Chicago Tea in a HEARTBEAT - in fact i'd be willing to knock on doors, shake hands and kiss babies so everybody i know would sign that petition

 

Well, whatever we do maybe it should wait until at least after the next tea party and the hometown Dolpas..don't want to overwhelm them

 

I bought Kisho-Ryuu from another member of the TriState Angels, and he was just as welcome as he could be. The whole party was just amazing, and meeting each of the people whose name I'd heard on DoA, ZoZ and the Yahoo! groups was such a treat! Everyone got to go home with something, as VOLKS had chocolates or incense burners for every attendee - and they came with a SD-sized ring! Kisho-Ryuu got a black onyx one...

Sher - I'm so very sorry that I didn't get to meet you, or be the "nekkid guy" at the pajama party, but I stayed to help the other TriState Angels and the VOLKS folks clean up afterward. The cleanup went on 'til nearly nine o'clock, and by the time we were done, my wife was pretty well exhausted and beginning to fade out. Watching Shigeta san bale cardboard for recycling, and the VOLKS team working together in a way I've never seen before, I begin to understand the meaning of "Ganbatte". While we were tidying up the hall, Akari came up to me and addressed me by name - she said that she'd noticed that I had stayed to help and that she and her father wished to express their gratitude, and she, her father, Rose in NY and I had a lovely chat!!!

I've always felt that VOLKS dolls came with a little something "extra" that other dolls, as wonderful and lovely as they are, don't.

That something is VOLKS.

~Bruce

P.S. - you can find more of my impressions of the event - and a string of photos - here at Zone of Zen:

http://members.boardhost.com/ZoneofZenBJD/msg/1154242994.html