Did ye try to register, only to be stymied at the last moment?

There's been a flurry of activity over the last few weeks, with many a landlubber wantin' to join the crew.

As it happens, we've been thwarted by electronic troubles. The long and short of it is that we had to bury our treasure on a different island, and it seems that some of the fleet went astray and wound up in the Bermuda Triangle.

Never fear! We have a specialized team of ninjas, invisibly working hard as we speak. Their first mission is to untangle the electronic mishaps. Their second mission is to gather together the missing ships and crewmembers.

As a result, anyone who attempted to register before the deadline still gets the rate of $30! (Insert joyous pirate cheering here!)

So go forth and register now, me hearties! Your glass bottles are indeed getting through to us, messages intact. We just need to work out the right place for our booty.

Er, so to speak.

For those not well-versed in talkin' like a pirate, here's the less exciting version:

We switched from one payment system to another. There have been some issues, and we're trying to resolve them as quickly as possible. We do have your registrations, so as soon as we have a way to accept your payment, we will contact you. Anyone who "attempts" to register before September 1st (that's midnight tonight) will still get the earlier rate.


This year we re-vamped our registration prices to be more inclusive. The current membership rate is only $30!

However, that ticket price is about to go up. On September 1st, registration will go up to $40.

For those of you who are waiting to see what your schedule is like, or who decide at the last minute to attend, we will be selling memberships at the door for $50.

"But what does that new low-low price buy me?" I hear you ask.

Here's how it all works:

Your membership gets you access to our facilities for our event. It is your pass that lets you visit the dealer's room full of doll and doll accessory vendors. It gains you access to our discussion panels, doll spa room, Saturday afternoon tea, goody bags, and door prizes.
During the convention we will also have raffles to benefit the OBC Food Pantry, and Auctions to benefit the convention itself.

Since we have changed our format slightly this year, here is the general schedule for the event (keep in mind that the exact timing may shift slightly):

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13th:
Opening Ceremonies will take place at 10am, giving us a chance to gather everyone together and introduce our guests.
We will then have a series of hands-on workshops, discussion panels, demonstrations, and social gathering time until 6pm.
There will be a break scheduled for lunch, to let you take advantage of several amazing eateries in walking distance, and tons more in easy driving distance.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14th:
At 10 am, we will start again with even more panels, workshops, demos, and social time. In the afternoon, there will be a lovely Tea served in the foyer. The convention will have its closing ceremony around 5pm, with the event closing up by 6pm. Once again there will be a lunch break scheduled.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15th:
Every year, we host a "field trip" somewhere in the St. Louis area. This year we will be offering you a chance to vote on this year's field trip destination! Please sign up for our newsletter ASAP so that we can include you on the voting.

Your membership covers all of the above, EXCEPT:

• Certain hands-on workshops that will require an additional materials fee. Such workshops will be posted on the website as they come available. Kit fees will range in price. Previous kit fees have been between $10-$30.
• The Grand Banquet on Friday Night will require an additional $25 ticket. In previous years, we hosted the Banquet on Saturday night, at the end of the convention. However, this caused some logistical issues with our staff and location, and also prevented the merchants from attending the Banquet as they were breaking down while we were enjoying our food. This year, the Pirates and Ninjas have worked together to steal the Grand Banquet and host it on Friday Night! But wait, there's MORE: The Pirates have insisted that we recruit more scallywags to join in on the revelry; the Grand Banquet is open to non-convention-members as well! So if you wish to bring your significant other, child, parent, buddy, or best friend to the Banquet, simply purchase a ticket for them.