I attended the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Gene conventions (Newark, Newark, and Cherry Hill?) and Benita, the organizer, would have a charity auction where designers and collectors could donate a ooak doll to be auctioned off. I was young and broke back then, and the special dolls went for lots more money than I could afford.

I remember walking into the room where the dolls were all displayed in a row and zeroing in on that particular doll as the “if I had unlimited money this would be THE ONE,” but off she went never to be seen again by me and I didn’t really think that much about her after that, but she always sort of stayed in the back of my mind.

A year or two later, around 2000, I stopped collecting Gene altogether, but I didn’t get rid of anything. I still liked her but just wasn’t actively collecting her. It wasn’t until JamieShow announced a resin Gene and I sort of thought ok, maybe just one. I added Phoenix Gene to my collection and I was immediately enamored by her. I jumped back into Gene collecting as if I’d never said goodbye found so many items from the Integrity years to add to my increasing collection. A few more JamieShow dolls and I’m in it full force.

Fast forward to a few years ago Elaine was selling off her collection and I spotted a doll in a crisp tailored pink suit jacket with a black skirt and a matching pink wide-brimmed hat. I knew immediately that she was the ooak doll from years and years ago and she had to be mine and I contacted Elaine straight away with sweet success. It’s funny how things like that work out. Here’s this doll that I wanted so badly back in the 90’s and more than 20 years later here she is on the sale page.

I never knew Wayne, but I was always enthralled by his work. I never even knew Elaine, but boy what a collection! I wondered if she was the original owner of this ooak or if she had acquired it over the years. I’m so grateful that she decided to sell her collection, and I’m even more grateful that 20-something years later this doll finally came to me.

BTW, if anyone has a photo from back then of Wayne’s doll on the auction dolls table, I would love a photo. I do recall that there was one floating around, or perhaps it was in one of the Gene Scene magazines.