the new school year and a fashion doll convention

The school year started in September. The blessed day arrived in October when my incredibly busy work summer schedule ended and I actually picked up some of "last year's" work projects. Yah! And this on top of my starting a course. Tells you how crazy it has been.

I'm off to a fashion doll convention (Fashion Royalty) to collect information for a paper I'm writing for the aforementioned course. Fashion dolls are a subset of dolls oriented towards the fashion industry in that the clothing for these dolls is couture. People collect and play with them. They are definitely a luxury item.

Why am I going? I'm insatiably curious: Why do fully grown adults purchase and then play with these fashion dolls?

I had to also ask myself: why do I like these fashion dolls? I picked up Haute Doll magazine out of curiousity and discovered this world by chance. I also discovered it is the fashions that interest me, even if though they are completely useless to me. So I've started making doll clothes for my niece's dolls and for my own pleasure.

What adventure shall come my way next?