In May of 1972, a letter was sent to all of the UFDC Doll Clubs in the San Diego area asking them if anyone was interested in forming a miniature club. Many doll collectors are miniature collectors also. Seven people arrived at the home of Gloria Osborn to form a club. The group unanimously chose the name “San Diego Miniature Crafters” and within 6 months we had joined NAME and had our charter. This was also the year NAME was formed. We are proud that we are one of the oldest clubs in NAME, and perhaps the oldest. We have 3 charter members with us still.

 

Our second year, we decided to put on a miniature show and sale. We named the show “Nostalgia in Miniatures” which we have successfully had every year since then. We pride ourselves on the “show” part of the day, as we have a club project during the year and the members display their club projects plus many other exhibits at our show.

 

We have displayed exhibits at libraries, senior citizen centers, and retirement facilities. We have also provided workshops for members and others. We have taken bus trips to miniature museums in the surrounding areas for the benefit of our club members.

 

We support NAME in many ways. We have a philanthropic project each year and also have a project for children to make at our show.

 

In 1977, we stepped forward and hosted the National NAME Houseparty in San Diego called “Showcase 77”. “Alice Through the Looking Glass” was a Regional Houseparty in the early 1980’s hosted by San Diego Miniature Crafters. In the late 1980’s, we hosted  the National Houseparty; “Around the World”. This was a breakthrough for the ¼” scale rage. We had about 8 members who were “quarter- inchers” (cigar box houses) and we put on the very first theme luncheon for ¼” builders within our Houseparty. This was the beginning of the ¼” rage and it has grown continuously since then. In 1988 we were the home club for the National NAME Houseparty again in San Diego with the theme “No Place Like Home”. We have also put on three State Days in the area.

 

We continue to have a show every year with wonderful dealers. There are several dealers who have been with us for the entire 38 years we have produced our show. We are proud that our show, Nostalgia in Miniatures, is the oldest show in the West.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out what N.A.M.E. former president, Debbie Young, has to say about the San Diego Miniature Crafters in the Miniature Gazette!