UKBJDCon 2025 - May 17th

Wanted to ask about the car parking. The bin collectors are still on strike in Birmingham. Bags pile up and rats have a feast. What is the situation in this venue? Do they have private collection or do they have a mountain growing presumably in the car park? Because I have lived in area where I could see the effects of rats getting in cars under the covered parts. Chewing the electronics which would instantly kill a modern electronics dependent car; crawling in, getting stuck and die and stinking for ages under upholsteries or somewhere. Actually I’m hesitant bringing my car into Birmingham. I know a random animal could get in a car anywhere, out in the nature e.g. But with the population booming the chance is bigger.

 

We already checked this with the venue and they confirmed they have private collection so it has not affected them. On the main road there are mainly other businesses so they are also likely to have private collections, however there may be side roads that have been affected.

The car park has 150 spaces but they are first come first served, so you may want to make a back up plan

 

Thank you, that’s good then.
The 150 spaces that would be for how many people? Just trying to gauge the chances.

 

We have over 50 vendors which will arrive first but not all may be driving as we do have international guests staying in Birmingham. For attendees the numbers are over 200 but we are unable to predict how many will be driving

 

Screenshot_20250504-214603 by Sophie Dolan-Martin, on Flickr


Our floorplan has been posted!

Full list of vendors and tables is here:

1. Welcome table
2. Raffle table
3. A Maiden’s Kiss
4. A Maiden’s Kiss/ Fiend Dolls
5. Saphar BJD Tailoring
6. Noka&Co
7. ShortWhiskers
8. Forget Me Not Barn
9. DollyCircus19
10. Striped Green Threads
11. Striped Green Threads
12. Emilio’a Emporium/ Civilised Evil
13. Dolce Luce Dolls/ Walid Hawchar Clothing
14. Impldoll/Penny’s Box
15. Gem of Doll/ D Lace
16. Coral Reef/ Xiaopizaizi
17. Fatemoons
18. Dream Valley
19. Charity Stall
20. Ioridolls
21. DollyBird
22. BardoResearch
23. SewDolliteful
24. Bickymonster Custom Wigs/ Bonbonsassafras
25. Frostbitten
26. Frostbitten
27. Sackielc
28. Moridolls
29. ByRungGoods
30. Felice Dolls
31. Yumewear
32. Magpies Secret
33. Milklegs wigs
34. Strawberry Doll
35. Steph’s Custom Dolls
36) LEMONTEABEAN
37) Danidolls
38) Hanafubuki Dolls
39) GalaxySkieDesigns
40) Threads of Elysium
41) Shibui Closet
42) Anja Doll House
43) Nine9Style
44) HannahSu
45) HannahSu
46) LatiDoll
47) LatiDoll
48) LatiDoll/EnfantDoll
49) A.nique.matel. International
50) CII Workshop Dolce
51) BJD Bijou Boutique/Bella Crafter
52. Curvy Alien
53. Magic Mirror
54. Luts
55. Dr Krow
56. Cookie Commissions
57. Quadrigadolls
58. Photography contest
59. Costume contest
60. Costume contest
61. Photo box
62. Props/photo area
63. Props/photo area

 

We also have a programme designed by one of our team members available for you to download/save/print!

UKBJDCon 2025 programme.pdf

 

Fantastic vendors list! @eihpos29
My bank account just fainted….

 

I was thinking exactly the same! Is this convo bigger than the one in 2023?

 

Yes, bigger than 2023. From memory I believe we had approximately 30-35 vendors for that event

 

Oh my goodness!

 

Is there an overflow carpark arranged? We'r e driving from south of London on the day and don't want to get there only to find there's nowhewre to park and we have to drive back to London without getting to attend the event.

Teddy

 

Statistically speaking you might be fine: 150 spaces - 60 vendors = 90 spaces for guests and about 40% of event guests in UK use cars to get there, 40% out of 200 is 80 guest cars per 90 spaces.

 

Sadly it's now a moot point as our driver has been injured and can't drive for over a month.

EDITED TO ADD:
I'm considering giving up this point. The venue isn't good for travel by public transport and having to mess about getting busses from stations makes for too much faff for a one-day event. Besides, relying on a bus turning up to get you back to the station in time for a specific train does not make for a stress free experience.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that future venues are close to station.

Teddy

 

Oh. That’s sad. I decided to go by train + Uber. If you want I could share the uber with you. Not the price, just the ride. From the goodness of my heart. I plan to arrive quite early and don’t know what time I should go back home, that could be decided on spot. I normally want a big wiggle room between my modes of transport, there’s always some hassle finding my way in a station. Only been once in Birmingham New street, it was big, with stairs up and down.

 

im also going by train - with a pram - Happy to join any of you with the taxi ride + costs !

 

are you still going ? Hope so! Thankfully from Winchester to BNS I get a direct train and its only over 2hrs

 

Thank you - that's very generous of you, but I think I'll skip this year and avoid both the cost of return trainfare between London and Birmingham, AND the chance of coming hme having taken on a huge layaway like I did last time, at a time when I'm really too skint to be spending on dolls (plus, I'm supposed to be avoiding buying any more dolls as I'm now completely out of space to display them - the layawya doll I bought at the previous convention has been here for a year with nowhere to go, and she's not the only one).

Thanks - I've passed he info on to my travelling companion who migt still be going.

No I think the fates are trying to hint that I shouldn't this time around.

I don 't know if tickets for the convention are stll available or not, but if they're sold out and anyone knows of someone who couldn't get one, they can have mine.

Teddy

 

I truly believe this. And if you get many obstacles for 1 thing like this it’s wise to stop overcoming them.

Do you think we could fit 2 prams in 1 car, taxi or uber? One in the boot, one on the back seat next to one of us?

 

Oh yes I think it should be fine! Mine isn’t that big! Plus if is one of these big cars like van there’s plenty of space! What time is your train arriving ?

 

Oh pitty! I do believe in that sort of thing…how strange I’ve also been thinking of not going… but I think I’d still go - I also cannot buy any more dolls!

 

Fingers crossed for resisting temptatio n the n! you'll have to let us know how that goes.

Teddy

 

Sending you personal message

 

I remember this question was asked about the 2023 Con but not in this thread: Do vendors take cards? All/some? Based on experience at the previous event?

Checked the weather. All nice and sunny. Obviously it’s not a make or breake for an indoors event but still nice to travel and carry dolls without a shower.

 

My guesstimate would be some, but not all.

If I were you, I'd be prepared to use card, cash, and PayPal if you have the facility to do that, that way you have most of the bases covered.

Teddy

 

Have to go hunt some cash.

 

IIRC from the last con, many of them will take card or cash or paypal, but it's better to have at least some cash. The venue has wifi so at least the sellers with card readers or paypal won't have issues with that.

 

Good hunting!!

Teddy

 

Found out about this too late to go, are there pictures up online anywhere? Hope it went fantastically guys!

 

I didn't take any apart from the bjd I took pictures in the Con's diorama but there are now a few up in Instagram with the tag # ukbjdcon2025

 

Great! Thank you. Shall head over there immediately. Hope you had a fantastic time?

 

Thoroughly enjoyed it, double the stalls compared to the first one (2023), lots to see, the diorama set up was fab, lots of people with bjds to talk to, etc. Great vibe next one will be 2027 I believe, and perhaps a mini con in between. Definitely recommend you going to one of them

 

I haven't touched my poor dolls in years, but a Con might well bring me out! I used to go to meetups back in the day.

 

There used to be massive monthly meet ups in my city back in the day, definitely missed! Got to see my first Soom Supergem which changed my bjd collection thereon

Are you on Instagram? Their account is ukbjdcon, they are also on Facebook (I am not but assume the same name). Seeing so many different variety of bjds in completely different styles and customisations is very inspirational

 

Met you and your dragon! We talked about his new necklace.

Thank you, organisers @Muraki88 @eihpos29 ! That was a fantastic day!

 

Thanks to everyone who made my first UKBJDCon such an amazing experience. I just wish there were more events to go to in this country.

I was the guy with Dollfie Dream Kirika Towa Alma btw. She's pictured below in the fabulous diaorama. Later in the day we switched to our emergency red wig bought at the Hannasu vendor because Kirika's default blonde Volks wig started coming apart (!). That's Volks blonde wigs for you lol.

I'm glad I bought two of my Azone Pureneemo fashion dolls too (Yuzuha and Yuzuha are also in the photo below). I'm not sure if they're on topic or not. But anyway, a lot of people were really interested in them and I'm pretty sure I was the only person who brought any along.

Some highlights:

• The fantastic diaorama that was a perfect size for Kirika.
• OMG somebody brought my grail!!!! It was so good to see her irl.
• Spotting a few extremely awesome customs (especially the one with long onion green hair).
• Seeing so many SmartDolls together in one place. There was tremendous diversity too. I think the green one was my favourite. She looks incredible irl.
• Hannasu selling Dollfie wigs for amazing prices.
• Just sitting down and talking dolls with people.
• Kirika being able to visit her birthplace. Well obviously she wasn't born in Birmingham but 3 years ago I was made redundant from a company in Birmingham and the redundancy payment paid for her and her twin sister Kazuha.

So it was a really good day even though we were super exhausted at the end.

 

Yay! Sounds like you both had a great time.

I'm seeing lots of good post s about ity over on Instagram too.

Teddy