#picking out the sculpt/wig/clothes etc

[fulgurbugs]

Hey just wanted to let you know I don't really comment on the doll posts because it's not really my field of expertise (transmasc and tend to avoid that stuff due to bad memories of people getting me dolls and other stereotypically "girl" stuff as a kid) but I still read through them when you post them because I love the way you "review" everything. For this last one, you imply that the eyeballs not being in the doll initially is a fairly common thing with large dolls? I'm curious why is that, do you know? Are the eyes something that could get damaged in transportation? (Also how do you even handle putting the eyeballs in the doll's head that is so disturbing hehe...)

so im not actually huuuuuge into bjds, they tend to have their own sort of community from like playline barbies and monster highs and everything set of collectors, but its to my understanding that basically most large ball-jointed dolls focus far more on their customization aspects than these little blind boxes do.

basically, a high end bjd can be pretty costly, and there’s a ton of different artists/studios out there making custom sculpts for collectors. typically, these are bought as a nude doll with no sort of clothes or wig or anything, and the person who’s buying that doll will buy those separately. part of this customization can be custom eyes, which you put in with putty (and you can use this to do things like give them a side glance, etc)

afaik most of these dolls will include their own set of eyes, but people like to swap out the eye chips for different colors and styles as they please, so the inside of the head is basically empty with eye holes to swap out the eyes

larger dolls usually have something like this instead of the faceplates that the mini ones i have do.

but even then, it’s popular to switch out the eyes of the little dolls too! for some of them on kikagoods i’ve seen additional eye chips etc that you can get.

some of the other little ones i have actually have little paper slips inside instead, and theres already a clear layer on the head so they look like more standard inset eyes

i also have a few more standard fashion dolls that have inset eyes as well! rainbow/shadow high dolls also have them, but they instead use eye “chips” that go in the front, since they aren’t meant to be swapped out like bjd eyes. of course, customizers still find a way, but i just find it interesting that there’s so many different approaches to getting the inset eye look.

as for why i don’t have any problem putting them in, you get desensitized to the “creepy” factor of dissassembled dolls pretty quickly, especially if you like to do customization. i’ve had disembodied parts everywhere, dolls with hair drying left out around sinks with their hands removed, blank faces from taking the paint off. i think at this point i can’t really find dolls creepy anymore. sure, my family will still get jumpscared by the occasional project doll left drying in an unexpected place, but im used to it lol

[marzipanandminutiae]

I don't go here but can you explain the post about art theft and stuff in the doll community? Niche drama fascinates me

Hoo boy. Gather ye round, friends, and let Marzi tell you a very long tale. A tale of counterfeiting and people being very selective with their definitions of “art theft.”

So BJDs. Ball-Jointed Dolls(TM). For the purposes of modern collecting, these are dolls primarily made of polyurethane resin, strung with elastic cord, customizable, and highly articulated.They stemmed from a combination of anime model kits + the aesthetics and jointing of some 19th-century European dolls, The first ones were made by the Volks company in the 1990s. 

Nowadays there are dozens of legit companies out there, mostly in Japan, South Korea, and China, and even more individual BJD artists all over the world. And that’s not even counting the artists who sell goods and services for BJDs: wigs, clothes, eyes, faceups (basically, the painting on the doll’s face), furniture, accessories, etc. It’s quite a large community at this point. 

These are dolls for adults. They’re usually made in very small batches or to order, and the term “company” can be deceiving. Often, it means something like “12 people in a rented studio in Seoul.” The materials have to be purchased. The artists have to be paid. There are bills and other overhead costs, and the product isn’t something that sells in high volumes. Basically it’s a quality over quantity operation, for most companies, and that means the dolls are expensive. Very basic “budget” BJDs start around $150, and it can get all the way into the thousands for very exclusive, OOAK dolls.

Enter recasters.

Recasting is basically bootlegging BJDs. Plain and simple. Recasters, usually factory owners in countries where production costs can be very low, either buy a legit doll or have it sent to them. They take a cast of the parts and start using the molds to produce copies of the doll. Those copies sell for a fraction of the legit dolls’ prices, because of course it’s easier to just crank out products when you don’t have to go through the development and sculpting processes. And when you can get away with paying your workers peanuts, using inferior materials, spending less time on the finishing work, skirting safety rules, etc.

Obviously, if the market is flooded with cheaper copies of an expensive doll, a lot of people will buy the cheap version without realizing it’s a knock-off. And that can drive legit companies out of business. Recasts, especially in recent years, have gotten VERY good at aping the look and feel of the original doll, so if you don’t know it’s a problem it can be very hard to tell the difference.

Or if you just don’t care.

Because, you see, there are people out there who are totally okay with this. A lot of them claim it’s a “more accessible” way to join the hobby, and that people who are against recasts (commonly called “pro-artist”) are just elitist snobs. Instead of, you know...decent human beings who don’t support art theft.

There are multiple lists of less-expensive legit BJDs out there, that people have taken considerable time and effort to compile. The most common argument from the pro-recast side that I’ve seen about this is basically “Well, if people want a specific higher-end doll, they shouldn’t have to settle for something ‘lesser!’ “ So even though a lot of work has gone into finding the most budget-friendly dolls in the hobby, apparently that’s still elitist. Somehow.

You can probably tell from my tone where I stand on this. I think it’s flatly absurd that people are driving small, artist-run companies or individual artists to bankruptcy because they feel they’re entitled to a certain luxury hobby item. And entitled to it right now, without even saving up or doing a layway.

(So many companies and secondhand sellers have layaways. Most BJD collectors are not rich. I’m banging my head against the wall thinking about just how many ways there are to make this hobby work on a budget that the pro-recast crowd just ignores or shoots down.)

Anyway now there’s the problem that sales pages for recasts tend to dominate generic searches like “BJD for sale,” and people from outside the community often know BJDs are a thing before they understand about recasts. If you see a doll for like $100 and the same doll for like $300 elsewhere, you might pick the cheaper option without stopping to think about it. Because you don’t know you need to think about it.

 Once somebody clues these people in to what they’ve done, there are all too many pro-recast forums and blogs waiting to tell them that pro-artist collectors are just “mean, elitist bullies” and that recasts are totally fine. Which is probably what you’d want to hear if you just got this doll you really like, so people are ready to believe it. And thus the problem continues.

Honestly, it always surprises me a bit how angry I get about recasts. I’m not primarily a BJD collector. My main focus is antique and vintage dolls. I have three resin BJDs, all legit, and I’m mostly in it to have dolls I can actually take places without the risk of damaging a historical artifact.

I just. I hate the idea of artists getting ripped off, and people falling for scams that put them into bad situations because they don’t know any better. And ESPECIALLY other people who think artists’ ability to support themselves doesn’t matter.

So anyway, that’s a very long-winded explanation of the recast issue. Hope it was interesting and informative.

[cupiditity]

Heya, I saw you were doing match-ups, and I thought I'd give it a go.(I'd like match-ups for Haikyuu, Mystic Messenger, and Obey Me. If thats too much I'd be ok with just one)

I'm female, although I do have a tendency to cross-dress from time to time. I have tanned skin, brown eyes, and dyed platinum-blonde hair(it goes from dark brown to blonde). Im also 5"2.5 and I have a slight hourglass figure, I'm kinda muscular. My friends say I have a casual, but "elegant" style, but i do enjoy jumping from aesthetic to aesthetic I.e: I'll dress in full goth attire one day then switch to soft cottagecore the next day.

Personality wise, I'm a INTJ personality and am mostly ambiverted(it largely depends on who I'm with). Usually with strangers, I'm quiet, curtious, and I don't tend to smile, which dosent help my RBF(resting b*tch face). When I'm comfortable with people & friends I tend to be bombastic, teasing, headstrong, optimistic, and I like to make people laugh with me(my specialties are puns and pick-up lines). However, I also care very deeply for those close to me, and I devote a good portion of myself to those I see fit(making sure they're feeling good, listening to thier thoughts, giving them little gifts, etc.). My friends say I'm "unpredictable", "a little unhinged", and "misleading". Probably due to how I look v.s. how I actually am.

Interest-wise, I have A LOT of interests. For sports, I do competitive swimming, dance(mainly waltz and ballet), jogging/running, and figure skating. I enjoy learning about world-wide mythology, cryptids, and history. I ADORE all animals: sea slugs, whip scorpions, foxes, cows, snakes, I love studying them all! Although, i do have an affinity for deep sea creatures and aqua-life in general. Speaking of which, I enjoy aquarium keeping and aquascaping(like landscaping but in an aquarium). Along the lines of pets, I like dog training and dog grooming. I'm also quiet artistic, I can play the piano, flute, and I can sing. I can and enjoy acting, regular and costume make-up, sewing, embroidery, crocheting, baking, cooking, painting, sculpting, drawing, writing, and weaving(just to name a few). Another thing i should mention, I have quite a few obscure hobbies as well, like; collecting amd cleaning animal skulls, feather collecting, tea making, poison plant research, and I also enjoy the horror genre in general. I also enjoy otome games, anime(horror, mystery, and shojo animes mostly)

Alrightly, thank you if you read all that. Please don't feel the need to rush this and if you feel like ignoring this one, that's cool too. i hope you have a good day/evening :).

I feel like a good match with you would be 707 from mystic messenger!

You mention how your looks are misleading from how your personality and how you cross-dress and dress with different styles time to time. I think you and seven would have a grand time borrowing eachothers clothes every now and then! You mention that you like history, world-wide mythology and cryptids and history and i think Seven would be willing to get into that and discuss theories with you on those topics! Seven is also an animal lover-- mostly cat but i doubt he has any sense of hatred towards anything cute ! I can see you singing for him while he attempts to make a drum-tap beat on the counter and dance around with you; obviously you'd be better than him but he'd dance to make you laugh and happy! He would definitely play horror games with you and try to bake things to impress you-- most likely make a prank out of them most of the time though! For some reason I see you putting him in cosplay and helping him with the wig and makeup, or maybe you'd both go to anime conventions together !!

But most importantly, you also said you like making jokes and puns so i see scenarios in which you both would have daily pick-up line battles !

[bjdlog]

*blows out dust*

I haven't been active here in aaaaaaaages...

Minor(ended up kind of longish) update: -My Frappzilla Delphini ("Telereuthe") will be shipping soon according to the artist's Instagram, I'm hoping I won't be hit with too expensive shipping but I've seen some ppl's examples and am prepared -I have two saving-for/in progress projects to be dolls of Jinx from Arcane: one is a DollZone Rory on a girl body and might be modded a bit if I can work up the courage to send her out; unfortunately, that has been put on the backburner for a bit until I find out how stable their new WS is via owner pics, or if Rory is at risk of discontinuation. -The other is a more-elaborate-than-before attempt to make Felis into Jinx full-time, rather than a cosplay as initially planned. This involves commissioning a wig (which I am still saving for, I was quoted $150 at one place), and possibly getting the Adyka Doll Flex body IF I can save up before it sells out in DD Flesh (which matches SMD milk and I've heard will be more compatible than I had thought), not to mention outfits and the like. I will not be altering her faceup. -Other thing to note there is I have found for sale a Jinx temp tattoo template for cosplay purposes and plan to contact the seller to find out if I can scale it down for my 2 personal doll projects! (This in the process of working on a cosplay of my own-- but that's non doll related shh) -All other doll projects involving new dolls are very vague thoughts atm (either no sculpt picked or sticking to current projects atm). Vriska is still on the back-burner unfortunately. I was hoping I had found a sculpt that would suit a mini-me/self-insert to go with my minis but the sculpt turned out to be 1/3 scale so no go there unless I can see it looking good with my Smart Dolls. Once Jinx in her forms are done I will be working on a mini-me, then Vriska, then other projects I've placed on the back burner. This does not include Telereuthe (who I will be working on in tandem w/ Jinx(x2) starting from when she arrives from Frappzilla) and Moira's customs which may be started before Vriska. Not to mention clothes for my current crew, new outfits and shoes, and whatever else I can fit in when I'm not saving for Big Things like the Flex body etc.

I'll also be aiming to get a new laptop at some point so that affects some things.