Christmas Parties 1999
Two members from different clubs describe their club Christmas parties
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Welcome
to the Belle Meade Plantation Belles Barbie® Club! The club was founded
by Kathryn E. Darden, a writer for Barbie Bazaar magazine, Millers
Fashion Doll magazine, and Millers Market Report, as well as
other periodicals. Through her work for these magazines, Kathryn found
that she had access to a great deal of information before the general public
and thought it would be fun to pass some of this information on. Also,
through standing in line at Toys "R" Us and Hallmark, she met several other
collectors who talked about the idea of pooling tips and information somehow.
Her first Barbie endeavor for local collectors, Tennessee Dolls,
is a statewide newsletter for Tennessee Barbie collectors that features
articles, a calendar of upcoming events, "Millicent's Gossip," and other
information for local collectors. 
While writing an article on the Kitty's Collectables Show at the Maxwell House Hotel, Kathryn met Donna Gorlier at one of the booths and shared her idea of starting a club for the Belle Meade/Bellevue area. Donna was enthusiastic and immediately began sharing her ideas. Dona and Kathryn chipped in $10 each and put the first announcement in the Westview newspaper. Lorena Anderson responded and the three formed the Belle Meade Plantation Belles steering committee. Becky Anderson joined the steering committee in October of 1997 when she agreed to be the club treasurer.
The idea for a special club doll, limited to only the first ten charter members of the club, was brought up at the first steering committee. A special Belle Meade Plantation Belle doll is being designed designed by club members. Already plans are underway for future special club dolls.
The
objectives of the Belle Meade Plantation Belles Barbie¨ Club are simple:
to provide each other with the latest Barbie news and information; to contact
each other when we find the hard-to-find dolls; to provide each other a
time to fellowship and have fun discussing our Barbie collections; to provide
a forum to trade and sell dolls to each other; to further the cause of
friendship. The club has fondly been called a "support group" for Barbie
collectors!
We will take part in many special events throughout the year. In September of 1997, we were invited to a Mattel reception to preview the Country Rose Barbie doll at Opryland. This was our first official club activity, and two of our members won the Country Rose Barbie. Excursions are planned to other doll and Barbie shows, as well as other parties and get-togethers.
For more information about joining, contact Kathryn at [email protected], or write to P.O. Box 210182, Nashville, TN 37221-0182.
The Belle Meade Plantation Belles Barbie¨ Club meets the first Thursday night of the month unless that night is a major holiday, in which case the club will meet the second Thursday night. The club meets at 7PM at Shoneys, Bellevue. Bring a doll and join us!
One
group had their unofficial beginning at a doll show. Last spring a group
of Internet collectors from Tennessee who had met each other posting on
Pink Chat, met at the Kitty's Collectibles Show. This was the beginning
of the Tennessee Pink Society (TIPS). Headed up by your truly, TIPS is
a fun way for Tennessee collectors to keep each other informed about sales
and shows in the state, as well as other Barbie news and gossip. Besides
the meeting last in May of '97, the club met again in February of this
year at a Collectors United show in Nashville and plans to "do lunch" in
May at Kitty's show and in the fall at Marl's show. A directory of members
is available to all members, and and the group is encouraged to scout for
bargains and keep each other informed about club meetings, conventions,
and other regional happenings. A web site is being set up for Tennessee
collectors, as well. 
Hailing from a small town in West Tennessee, Kathy Yates finds her association
with TIPS to be an ideal way to locate dolls not easily found in her small
community. "Although I was collecting Barbies before I got my computer,
I have found so much more information from my fellow collectors on the
net. I can keep up with the new dolls coming out, what's hot and what's
not, and how easy or hard to find a doll might be," says Kathy. "If I have
a question or need an idea, all I need to do is email members of the Internet
club and within a very short period of time I have many ideas and/or suggestions.
With different members living in both large and small communities, we can
all share new sightings or reduced prices." Kathy cites knowing the people
involved in sales transactions and finding out about local doll shows to
also be attractions of the Tennessee club. "I look forward to each doll
show I can attend. I know that not only will I be able to see and perhaps
even buy the dolls, but that I will be able to meet and put faces with
fellow club members who I talk with on the Internet all the time. I throughly
enjoy being a member of TIPS (and PCG) and value the friendships I have
made through the internet. Looking back to the days before I got my computer,
I sometimes wonder how I managed without all of my internet friends." I
think TIPS is great!" exclaims enthusiastic Leigh Anderson from Hendersonville,
who says several from the club have come to visit her at her booth in a
local flea market. "I have enjoyed meeting some of the members, and really
appreciate the warmth and sharing that goes on in our circle." Being a
regional club, TIPS has the advantage of having several occasions a year
to meet each other. Hopefully the coming year will provide us more opportunities
to band together as a club.
The Nashville Collector Club met Thursday, December 9 at Greg Marshalls lovely home. It was a wonderful gathering of 17. We all brought covered dishes, and had a great meal. Everybody raved over Jans "Red Velvet Cake!" YUM! Judy O'Neal brought xmas cards for all of us to sign and send to Paige Lane of Cookeville. She is the 4 yr. old who has cancer and requested xmas cards for her present this year. We all brought gifts and played the "Naughty Santa" exchange. Would like to say I had a great time and thank everyone for making this a great party. Merry Christmas to all!! -- Leigh
The Belle Meade Plantation Belles had
a Christmas party at the home of Lorena Anderson Thursday, December 2.
There were 12 of us there. We all brought finger foods and Lorena and Maxine
prepared some food -- it was quite a spread! Donna's mother fixed a "Red
Velvet" Doll Cake with a beautiful vintage clone as the centerpiece of
the cake. We all brought swap gifts and we had a "door prize" and a prize
for the best decorated Silk 'n Flame reproduction. Some of our members
did some beautiful work on their dolls and they were lots of fun to vote
on. We all brought Barbie dolls to donate to the Agape Services Christmas
party for foster children. Happy Holidays! -- Kathryn
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