Johnston Original Art Dolls

Albuquerque, NM, or Santa Fe NM might be a good choice. There is an international airport, and the Rail Runner commuter train will extend to Santa Fe this December making it very easy to travel from Albuquerque to Taos. If the seminar is held in October folks could schedule time to go to the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque. Our State Fair is in September, another event worth attending. The Albuquerque Convention Center is in Downtown Albuquerque and is easy to get to. Dollmaking and major events to attend make for the perfect vacation!

Hi Joe, thanks for the news, it sounds like its going to be interesting. I am coming to the IDEX in January, my first time there. I am new to the doll world, I only started working in the branch in November but its ben fun so far. I hope that it works out well in the future. A lot has been happening this year with lots of newbies trying to get established so the shake up will leave an interesting pattern for the coming years. Ciao for now James

Joe Jones has been a great friend of mine for over 15 years. He is the first to support the doll makers with an honest and reasonable priced product to help us reach the public. I advertise in Doll Crafter and Dolls magazines as well as Contemporary Dolls and I always will. I've shown my doll at EXPO, IDEX and Toy Fair for eighteen years. I've seen shows come and go, but when Joe says he will be back in 2010 I know he will be. I think this respite from Washington, D.C. will be good for the industry. We all need a year to recover from the slow economy. For now, I'm giving more free online classes and reduced prices for supplies. We all have to work together to keep our industry whole. Along with Joe and the other publishers I want to help you in anyway I can. Your friend, Jack

We are very excited about the future of Expo and we plan to continue and expand the convention in three ways. 1. We plan to move the convention around the country to reach more people and create new enthusiasm for the doll and teddy bear community. 2. After polling the attendees and exhibitors as to the best dates for future shows, future Expos will be held in the fall, rather than the summer, preferably in September or October. 3. Joint organizations will be invited to join with Expo and we have tentatively agreed to a joint convention with Modern Doll for 2010. We are in negotiation with other organizations as well which will increase attendance and enthusiasm for both conventions. Because it is difficult to book this large a space less than a year out, we plan to hold the next convention in 2010. Sites under consideration for 2010 include Memphis, Milwaukee, Indianapolis. We encourage your suggestions for additional sites. Look for 2010 to be a VERY exciting event. As soon as a location and date are determined, we'll announce and begin the registration. Any thoughts, questions or feedback, call me at 715-445-5000 ext 117 or email me directly at joejones@jonespublishing.com. I guarantee a warm reception.

Thanks Jack , that will be great!

I will call tomorrow and have Joe make comments on our forum. I know he would like to keep in touch with the artists and keep you up to date. Thanks, Jack

Hi Jack, I have tried to contact him myself as I am doing an article on the www.colliii.com website, but he hasnt got back to me yet. If you could do that it would be wonderful :)

Jack, From vacationing in that area and attending the Wool Fest in Taos, NM, 2 years ago and that economy then wasn't hurting, of course like I said that was 2 years ago.

Jack the ones of us who use this forumn regularly do not doubt the information that you pass along to us, but it would be great if when Joes Jones has more information that he post a message here. Thanks for the offer.

I've personally spoken to Joe and it is not a rumor. Joe really feels like he need to find a better venue. The show in Washington D.C. was not profitable for the artists nor for Jones Publishing. Joe will have a show in 2010, but the location hasn't been chosen yet. He is leaning toward Chicago, Milwaukee, or one of the heartland cities. In any case, he will choose a City that does not have labor unions running the show and does have an International Airport. He is also trying to find one that has more favorable hotel and convention rates. He is very sensitive to all of our needs. If you would like, I will have him put a message on this forum, so we know his exact plans. Let me know if that would be of interest to you. Jack

Yeah, I know James, no real info given:( I just posted the letter because some people were asking if it were a rumor about Expo being cancelled. 2008 was the first year that I got to send my dolls to Expo and I was looking forward to being able to send them in 2009.

Hi Chris, I got exactly the same mail, to the word, it didnt really answer my question, but nice anyway :)

Here is a letter from Jones Publishing with a link which has some infomation about Expo 2009 and 2010. Just thought some of you might like to see it. To: jj52650@yahoo.com Hi Chris, I’m not sure if anyone responded to you yet, but I wanted to let you know that Expo will not be held in 2009. It will resume in 2010. We have no date or location yet for 2010, but we’ll update people once we know more. You can read more about it here: http://www.teddybearreview.com/. Sarah Sarah Gloystein Peterson Jones Publishing, Inc. N7450 Aanstad Road P.O. Box 5000 Iola, WI 54945-5000 (800) 331-0038, ext. 114

Jones Publications owns Doll Crafter, Dolls, and six other magazines. Joe Jones is the owner and President of the company. Joe called me recently and explained that he wanted to choose a new venue for the EXPO show that has been in Washington, D.C. Joe realizes that we may have saturated the market in the mid Eastern states. He is looking for a more favorable location in the heartland of America. He is looking at several different options for 2010. Once he has made his final choice he will announce it to the readers in his magazines and over the Internet. Joe and I have been close friends for over ten years, I will continue to support him in any of the shows that he chooses to do. Having had conversation with all of the major doll making companies and artists it is the consensus of opinion that moving to a new location is prudent. For now, the biggest show in the nation is the IDEX show in Orlando, Florida. As the CEO of the Professional Doll Makers Art Guild I've recommended we attend the Orlando show for 2009 and see where they move the EXPO show for 2010. Elizabeth Dye, the President of the Guild is currently working on a show location for the Guild in the Carolina's. Once that show is locked in we will announce it to the collectors and artists. Be assured there will be plenty of places to see dolls and to be seen in the coming years.

Hello Jack, Thats is really sad news! Is there an official statement to explain it, I tried the link but it doesnt work, do you mean www.jonespublishing.com I looked on that site too and there is no news there. Regards James

Hello Jack, Thats is really sad news! Is there an official statement to explain it, I tried the link but it doesnt work, do you mean www.jonespublishing.com I looked on that site too and there is no news there. Regards James

The expo show has been cancelled until 2010. Joe Jones was disappointed with the turn out in Washington, D.C., so he has decided to move it to a different venue. He plans to join with Robert Tonner and other fashion doll makers to have a show in Albuquerque New Mexico. You can read about the change of venue at www.jonespublication.com.

Yes, your right Jack, we need to keep on keeping on. There is always room in the world for art, no matter how slow the economy gets.

We have had very good success at the IDEX show in Orlando. We also hope the economy will improve around November for elections. It is a struggle for everyone right now to make a living, but we have to keep trying. When it comes back, those who made it through will be much stronger. Good luck, Jack

Thanks for the info Jack. Today I was on another doll site and also heard that that the shoppers were few. I do hope it gets back to normal soon! chris

yes, sales were down by 50 percent. The gas prices has realy hurt the doll shows. I hope as soon as we have the elections thugs will get back to normal .

Hi Jack, I was just wondering how was traffic and sales at Expo since the gasoline and some other prices have risen so much lately. Could you tell a difference in this year from the other years? thanks , chris