#WabiSalti

[wabi-salti]

I Want Off Mr. Choo's Wild Ride

I still like the dolls I have, but... the Smart Doll community is just miserable to watch anymore. The whole lootbox mechanic where you can only get new dolls if you literally gamble, all while Danny says the majority of his customers are apparently children, is just toxic. Then there's the fact that certain customers who can afford to drop $10000 dollars on dolls (seriously, they've got like 30 of them) get free bonus gifts, too. (Seriously, three old cocoa heads that you just got as a gift??) Meanwhile other people have to spend at least 500 dollars just to buy spare parts, because they have to be ~established customers~ to access them- which includes blank heads, which is hellaciously restrictive and is a major reason why the custom Smart Doll market is a drop in the bucket compared to the number of custom DD heads out there. And speaking of, there are all the "prototypes" floating around that people splurge thousands of dollars on, just, at the drop of a hat- like sometimes $2000, $3000 dollars for what amounts to a different faceup. It's not that I'm jealous, it's that I'm horrified that people are literally defending these hideous practices like they're financially or ethically sound. I see grown adults saying they have parents funding their hobby, that they borrowed money to get a doll, and I just- this is a luxury hobby and I too am a layaway bitch, but if you have to go into debt with someone to get something as frivolous as a doll, that scares me. That's not healthy, and while we all have our unhealthy coping mechanisms, I know first-hand how badly collecting hobbies can spiral out of control. But Danny encourages this behavior with how he releases things, pumping out doll after doll after doll with names and faces like afterthoughts, seriously, after Monday I can't even remember the new ones and they just keep coming. Even if the dolls from before all reused the same three molds, each doll at least used to feel different from the other. Now I literally can't tell them apart- and if I do see one I like, 9/10 it's some prototype or lootbox release that no one could directly buy to begin with. It feels like shit that even when you do want a doll these days, there's no chance you'll get it because there's like three of them in existence. It's worse than Volks' lottery system, and I HATE Volks' lottery system Danny Choo reminds me of the guy who peddled the SlapChop -- just full of sleaze to try and get you to buy the next thing he's shit out that's exactly like the last thing but maybe with an arched eyebrow this time, and all the while if you have actual problems with the products, he won't just ban you from buying them for daring to point it out, he'll publicly berate you for MONTHS after the fact, and he NEVER lets it go. He STILL mentions the shoe debacle, the wig debacle, he literally cannot get over it and he has to mention it on every single page of his site about "managing expectations" and only wanting "the right kind of customer" and lest we forget, his absolutely asinine interpretation of the meaning of wabi-sabi.  He portrays himself as this salt of the earth, humble little doll maker, while simultaneously using every predatory tactic in EA's playbook to leech money out of his customers, even to their detriment, all while crowing that he's the most ethical, the most unique, the most beyond reproach of all the doll companies out there. I don't like to get personal with my confessions, but how can I not? The man erased his company stamp on the back of his doll's heads so that they read DANNY CHOO instead of mirai. He's made himself as inextricable from his work as any artdoll creator, but without any of the authenticity home-casters bring to the table. I used to respect and admire this man. Now I just feel like a fool. This whole community feels like a slimy hype spiral of people spending dizzying amounts of money they don't have on things that fundamentally are not worth the price they're being charged, all to try and get noticed by their Doll Daddy and not because they actually like the products he's selling. And I think that's the crux of my issue, at the end of the day- with the whole blind box bullshit, the fact that you have to get approval to buy most things in his store, the knowledge that if you have problems you're shit out of luck because Danny can do no wrong, it feels like it's all the cult of Danny Choo and not the Smart Doll community anymore. It's stopped being about the dolls entirely. It's all Danny's way or the highway, and I miss being able to just collect dolls in peace without all the other bullshit heaped on top.  I can't be the only one that's fed up, can I?

-Anonymous

[wabi-salti]

To make a long story short, I've been following DC since Mirai was just a mascot (and a Dollfie Dream since he collected Dollfie Dreams at the time) and literally witnessed this dude's decent down Fuckery Lane in real time. His business practices, the way he treats his customers and the fact his fan base never hold him accountable for his actions's utterly mindblowing. And yet here I am... with this sudden urge to buy Cocoa Resilience after the doll crossed my IG feed. What can I say? I'm weak.

-Anonymous

[wabi-salti]

The fuck??

Legitimately what the fuck is wrong with him? And I doubt you have comments in your inbox crying, either. Post one. Literally just show me one. Daniel Shoes says a lot of shit, but he doesn’t back up a single thing.

And anyway, it’s their doll you weird little stalker, whether they sell the unwanted ones or shove them up their ass it’s their business, do you not have anything better to do? I’m so tired of seeing people simp for this grown-ass adult that tells his customers to bully complete strangers. He really is the Trump of the doll world.

-Anonymous

[wabi-salti]

Anyone who doesn’t believe Danny has built up a cult who will absolve him of anything and see him as Prince of Everything, this should put you to rights. Not to mention openly saying, “We designed this look for black characters but we’re going to try it on white characters first. If it’s good enough for white characters, we guess black characters can have it. Or if enough people prefer it on the white character, we won’t bother with the black character at all.”

Black people can’t even be first place in things supposedly made just for them. WOW.

[wabi-salti]

Bruh… is Shoe Child ok?? He seriously looks like he’s on a meth bender screaming “HELLO COMRADES!!!” at random passersby, like those people you see in subway stations screaming about the end times. 🤨 someone drag him to the psych ward if he ever looks at you like this…

-Anonymous

[wabi-salti]

I've been seriously wondering if those "Blind box" dolls are actually sorted to go to specific people. Years ago, in a different hobby, I remember being in an order list, I wasn't actually able to buy it bc so many wanted to, for blind bags from someone, and it turns out they'd made the blind bags so that the "special"/favorite people got the good stuff, and the "others" got just some random extras, and not as nice, or even expensive things. I'd just like to know what all the orderes got.

-Anonymous

[wabi-salti]

Someone tell Choo that just because he's Asian, doesn't mean he can't be racist. It's really embarrassing when people think just bc they're not white, they can't be racist. Pulling the minority card, or whatever he tried, is also just embarrassing, yeah, son of fashion designed with a silver spoon, definitely super oppressed, never seen anyone more oppressed. And it's totally fine to use racism in the US to promote your dolls, and compare your brand v other doll brands to racially inequality.

-Anonymous

Mod: Right? Yikes much, Danny?

[wabi-salti]

I hate the questioning about if someone has a SMD before they get to order something, or what their intentions are. It's none of his business, and incredibly disgustingly invasive. I know if I don't wanna deal with it, I shouldn't buy a SMD, but it seriously caught me by surprise, and it kinda felt like my privacy as a buyer had been violated. Imagine if every shop did that. Disgusting.

-Anonymous

[wabi-salti]

I think it's funny how you can't order the... chaos? pack if you haven't bought from Choo directly. 2nd? Gift? Nah, "sorry", we can't verify it's yours. Ey, perfect business model. Makes me think even more that it's just a vanity project, over him actually giving a shit.

-Anonymous

[wabi-salti]

Ugh, I can't stand when people tag SMD's as DolfieDream, and vice versa. Like, it's not even hard to know they're not the same, and with how much Ch00 hates DD, you'd think more people would be aware not to do that. Or people would get that SMD and DD have literally not the same.

-Anonymous

[wabi-salti]

I feel honest pity for the people who buy prototype sales garage dolls. Like you spent $3000 dollars on a faceup Daniel didn't think was good enough to sell. There's clearly something wrong with them as people for them to be so impulsive with that kind of money, and I can only hope they get some help for their dysfunctional spending. I'm not saying this as someone jealous and too broke to buy my own, either. I'm saying this as someone who used to have the same goddamn problems. Please get help.

-Anonymous

[wabi-salti]

Smartdolls being marketed at children is such a ridiculous thing. Should I buy 1 doll, that can't handle even mild play, breaking pretty quickly. OR should I buy 20 barbies for the same price, who actually come with clothes. Where you'd have to buy each outfit extra.

-Anonymous

[wabi-salti]

I hate the ebay sellers who have EVERYTHING up for auction. just set a price! I'll give you the money! Auctions are a PITA.

-Anonymous

[wabi-salti]

I don't even care about smartdoll, but I love the drama it causes. Like, wow, entertainment for days. Between Danny meltdowns, and his fans cultism, I'm just sitting here with my bucket of popcorn.

-Anonymous

[wabi-salti]

OmG, please tell me that “We make them in milk, before we make them brown.” Post is fake. I beg you. 

Like, ok, fine if it’s easier to see details on a lighter base type, whatever. Seeing the details of the sculpt. Or just some tests on where on the face the faceup should be placed.

But to post it, and then act a victim. That’s just pathetic. How about waiting to post the prototype pics until they actually have the finished brown doll? Too much effort? 

Also, just wanna point out, the smd brown, and the milk, have vastly different faceup visibility. You can barely see most blushes, and shadings on the brown dolls, so how is the “testing” of full faceups on the milk actually gonna help? I know it’s petty, but Shoe just seems to be begging to be called a racist. It’s almost kinda creepy how obsessed he seems to be with racecards, and calling HIMSELF a racist, even if it’s just to “mock” the haters.

-Anonymous

[wabi-salti]

bruh