Huge Obsession For Tiny Things
CHICAGO — Moments before 10 a.m., a security guard thanked the crowd for being cooperative.
When the clock struck the hour, it became clear why: The doors of the Marriott Chicago O’Hare conference center opened, and hundreds of attendees, most over the age of 60, moved as fast as they could to the booths.
The Chicago International Miniatures Show touts itself as “the World’s No. 1 Dollhouse Miniatures Show,” but there are not many actual dollhouses. Attendees instead sift through thousands of tiny objects that fill these tiny homes: miniature sponges, chocolate fondue fountains, rocking chairs, barbecue sets or fly swatters.
The Tom Bishop show, as many attendees call it, is considered by its founder, Mr. Bishop, to be the largest dollhouse miniatures event in the world. Numbers appear to support that claim. This year, over 250 vendors traveled from 21 countries and 35 U.S. states. More than 3,000 people attended, filling three large conference rooms.
The weeklong event included workshops with themes like “Lobsterfest” (focused on making miniature lobster boil accouterments); trade shows; and three days of ticketed shopping for the public.
“The largest miniature dollhouse convention” may sound like a silly distinction to some, but it is no joke for the sellers. For many, the show is where they hope to make the bulk of their annual sales.
Teri, 77, of Teri’s Mini Workshop, who declined to give her last name, showcased her miniature nacho cheese machines, plates of gefilte fish and medical supplies (about $10). She hoped her low prices would attract customers — at some tables, pieces can go for hundreds of dollars.
If a collector wants something rare, it might sell out on the first day, said Becky Evert, 68, a customer who had traveled from Denver, Colorado, with friends. “Did I come with a budget? Yes,” she said. “Did I stay to it? No.”
Margie Criner, 53, of Chicago’s Itty Bitty Mini Mart, makes miniatures as part of her full-time fine art practice (she is currently on display at the traveling show “Small is Beautiful”). Her tiny items, which include records from the rock band Television and translucent Jell-O, are inspired by items she had growing up.
Ms. Criner is part of a new generation of miniature makers, following in the footsteps of artists like Laurie Simmons, bringing the genre out from the home, into the gallery — with designs more modern and cheeky than the antiquarian selections that once came to define the miniature world.
Nearly everyone at the convention described the world of miniature selling and buying as collaborative and joyful, and there are many reasons people have become obsessive collectors and makers.
Morgan Cressey, 30, was one of the convention’s youngest adult customers. Ms. Cressey, who works as a nanny and a server, had traveled from Spokane, Washington, to stock up for her collection, a pastime she became fascinated with through her mother’s childhood miniatures.
A sense of community is also a huge draw. Veronica Morales of Vero’s Miniatures, based in Mexico City, sold miniatures — which she makes with her whole family — of an ofrenda, an altar for deceased relatives, and piñatas, among other items.
The current state of the miniature scene is encouraging, said Barbara Davis, 76, the director of the school for the International Guild of Miniature Artisans in Castine, Maine, where many of the convention’s makers had either taken courses or taught.
“There’s a surge of people doing such a variety of creative miniatures,” said Ms. Davis, who attributed the change to younger and more diverse makers entering the industry.
Mr. Bishop said that as he prepared for this year’s convention, he recalled telling his wife that he “hardly knows all the attendees anymore. They’re all new,” he said. “It’s growing again.”
One tiny item at a time.