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I just learned that there will be a merger between 4 of our
industries most popular magazines. Dolls Magazine will be merging with Doll Reader magazine. Also Teddy Bear and Friends magazine will be merging with Teddy Bear Review. These magazines have been staples of the industry. After seeing Doll Crafter and Costuming Magazine end
its publishing in 2010 we artists need to support the remaining publications. Combining their individual strengths will
no doubt lead to a better stronger magazine that can give even greater support to the doll world. It is a merger I hope
leads to increased coverage of the overall doll and teddy bear artist communities and manufactured dolls as well. This site
www.ooakartdolls.com was built under the same principle, when we bring our collective talents together we can accomplish much more then as individuals.
It was pointed out to me by Susan and Terence Quinlan of the Susan Quinlan Doll & Teddy Bear Museum in PA, that this news while positive a way is also a rally cry to all of us artists that we need to support these magazines
as they are our biggest allies in supporting our art forms and promoting the doll industry during these rough economic times.
In an email I received Susan and Terence said, "The antique collectable world has the auction houses, price guides and their own publications to promote their
dolls and teddy bears. The major doll and teddy bear manufacturers have huge advertising budgets to promote their contemporary
collectable world. However, the doll and teddy bear artists, dealers, and show organizers have very few publications to promote
their world. Four of those publications will now be down to two. It is time that we support the merging publications as much
as possible, whether it be through advertising, subscriptions, article and picture submissions, creating links to their websites,
or promoting the magazines with your customers and friends. Magazine subscriptions make great gifts, door prizes, and raffle
donations. The price is a bargain compared to the alternatives. We are confident that if conditions improve enough for the
magazines, we will see improvements in their publications that will benefit all of us. We hope that in return the magazines
will not only be more open to suggestions from the artists, collectors and dealers but actually implement as many of their
suggestions as possible.
It is beyond the point of just pointing fingers, as we need to accept the fact that there
are forces at work that cannot be changed. It is now all about survival by stopping the retreat and taking a stand."
Susan and Terence continued by saying, "When any industry suffers from the economy or reduced demand, one of the two strategies is
to gain a larger share of the competitors’ markets, and those markets are made up of a lot of other types of collectibles
and art forms out there. The other strategy is to merge efforts, as the magazines have done. We also need to stop thinking
as individuals with concerns only about our shop, our show, our sales table, our web site, our customers, and our troubles.
If each of the major peer groups within the doll and teddy bear world would think and act as one collective force, the
synergy of the parts could far exceed the power of the whole. We intend to do our share to make a difference. We hope you
will join us. Our first task is to support these merging magazines in any way possible." Susan and Terence will be hosting a Convention in May of this year featuring many doll artists as well as Teddy artists. Check our home page for more information. I
have owned my own gift and collectibles business for over 15 years. In that time I have sold thousands of dolls and teddy
bears from many major manufactures. I have been creating my own ooak art dolls for over 3 years. From my perspective I
believe that with their combined resources and talents, the new entity these two mergers create, will no doubt result
in a much stronger magazine for both the doll world and the Teddy bear world. As Jack Johnston, who is one of our industries most talented and well know artists pointed out this morning on his facebook wall, "
From now on, we can depend on a growing magazine for our news, shows and information." pointing out that this merger
will make a stronger magazine as the two merge into stronger magazine. I for one look forward to the new magazine and will
be subscribing to it to ensure I have access to the premiere issues. I would like to wish congratulations to the Editors and
wish them huge success in there future endeavors.
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