#well they're collectors' dolls

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Ideas: Madness

tropes involving madness or insanity

Becoming the Mask: A façade permanently warps a personality.

Black Bug Room: The place inside a person's mind where all of their negative feelings dwell and fester.

Cabin Fever: Being stuck in a small place for too long a time.

Cast from Sanity: Magic or a superpower makes you lose sanity every time it's used.

Cutting Back to Reality: A character's insanity is illustrated by seeing a situation through their eyes, before cutting back to what's actually happening in the real world.

Damaged Soul: Death and resurrection has damaged a person.

Delusion Conclusion: Audience members believe that the supernatural elements of a story are due to delusions on the part of the viewpoint characters.

Devil Complex: A character believes themselves to be Satan and acts accordingly.

Happy Place: An imaginary space inside your head where everything is well.

In the Dreaming Stage of Grief: Devastated character copes by convincing themselves it is/was just a bad dream.

Living Doll Collector: Mere toys are not enough for this person.

Mad Dreamer: They reject your reality and substitute their own.

Mistaken for Insane: Someone who's sane, but is mistaken for being insane.

Mummies at the Dinner Table: A character is dead, but someone tries to pretend – and actually believe – that they are still alive.

Ocean Madness: Isolation while stuck on an uninhabited island or boat drives someone mad.

Restoration of Sanity: A character suffering from insanity regains their sanity by the story's end.

The Caligula: A ruler who is insane.

Treacherous Spirit Chase: A character is led into danger by a hallucination of loved one(s).

Went Crazy When They Left: A character becomes emotionally unstable when away from someone they're attached to.

Windmill Crusader: Being obsessed with attacking an enemy that doesn't exist.

Source ⚜ More: References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[imreadydollparts]

More Mattel Head Glue Mess.

So this was posted on X:

And it caused a lot of collectors/enthusiasts to be kind of mean to OP for trusting a tutorial by a well-known doll rehabber (keep in mind, well known doesn't mean they know what they're doing...) and trying that person's glue head removal method of saturating the hair in WD-40 then washing it, causing the hair to all fall out.

They were also saying she should have used L.A.'s Totally Awesome, because we all know that works well and is generally safe. Generally.

At first I was sure that the problem wasn't the oil because oil does degrade plastics, yes, but not THAT fast. I figured the glue being removed made the hair fall out in that removing the glue removes the hairs' anchor inside the head.

I thought this doll had Saran and tried WD-40 on a Barbie because I can't assume I know exactly what happened without having tried this method, but Barbie's hair was fine. WD-40 is very fast at removing the head glue (but difficult to wash out again, just like Goo Gone in our hard water), but still not recommended due to the way oils degrade plastics.

Then @oak23 told me this doll does NOT have Saran hair, she has a special hair fiber meant to hold a shape without heat.

That changes things!

So I ordered one of the same doll on eBay to test on and she got here yesterday.

Her hair is already breaking around the scalp and the hair texture looked weird, there.

That got me thinking the head glue is what's destroying the hair fiber, not the removal method, in this case, oil. That supports my earlier theory that applying oil didn't instantly destroy the hair.

I gave her a quick wash because she was dirty, chopped off some of her hair right up by the scalp so there was gluey and not-gluey hair, and soaked samples in T.A. and WD-40 for two hours.

I can't record while I'm working but after that 2 hour period I pulled the samples out, held it in both hands, and yanked on them hard.

I also yanked on the hair still attached to the head, which did not break any more than it had when I had combed it.

The WD-40 hair, when yanked, did not break. When I pulled specifically at the ends that had glue, though, just that area disintegrated!

The Totally Awesome soaked hair had the same results when yanked.

However, the hair broke apart even more at the glue end than the sample treated with WD-40!

This tells me that the head glue is what caused the hair to destabilize either by changing it's composition in some way or by integrating with the hair, and regardless of the glue removal method, once the glue was dissolved, the affected hair fell apart.

Link back to the post full of links to the other post about this issue:

[sleepytoycollection]

Well, I figured there's no point in not showing these off here, as you'll likely start to see them in the background of my future photos.

These prints were made to go with the Fluttershy/Discord SDCC exclusive from 2016. They're rough drafts of the artwork used on the box for the set. I stumbled across them not long after getting into MLP back in January, and after seven months of pining and selling some dolls, I bought them.

While I love fluttercord, and the figures in the set are neat, what I really adore about that set is the box art, and seeing there existed prints of just the art by itself (albeit in an unfinished state), I just fell in love with them.

There doesn't seem to be a lot of documentation about these prints online, and if you see an old ebay listing with them, that's probably just the seller I bought these from. Unfortunately they didn't have much info either. Considering how huge G4 fandom is, how big of an event SDCC is, and being tied into a toy set of a very popular ship, I'm very shocked I haven't seen these posted about anywhere else. I would imagine more collectors would show something like this off, even if they aren't selling it. Makes me wonder if these were available to the public, or were just made for design crew or something. That's just my speculation though, and I could be missing something, not being familiar with old MLP forums.

Either way, I'm delighted to have them, and bought a frame so they can hang over my desk.

[tht0nesimp]

indulgent Drabble…

Idea: so have any of you guys seen those AU things where it’s like being a Yandere is a normal thing, so if you’ve seen season four you know about the wrong timeline things so like what if they ended up in one of those or this was one or something, this is probably not very well written…

tw: spoilers but not like specific instances just like information,Yandere bcs…it’s my blog, kidnapping, non consensual…everything?, normalized stuff idefk , Five is inspired by a Yandere five fic I read once I won’t even lie

thinking of them all having their little darlings and how they treat them >.<

Luther’s darling is getting it probably some of the best, he pays, and he really wants them to love him! Really! He just…don’t get mad when he breaks all your stuff, he knows that you had an ex and that the object was important, but you can’t be mad! People see you two and are probably a little off put because likely you are dwarfed by him unless your a body builder or something, he doesn’t mind, just please don’t make him do anything….:(

Diego and a little spitfire, they’re likely someone Hellbent on fighting it, clawing and biting. Hair frazzled, likely to have a hole or tear in they're clothes—he doesn’t really mind, even when he has to drag you into the mansion, the others having some level of understanding of what he’s going through because…they’ve all done it, to varying degrees of lengths and extremities. He never felt healthy love before and it’s damn sure his dad don’t love ‘em so he truly doesn’t understand why you can’t just accept love?

Allison who makes sure her precious little mannequin is well known as hers, people envy you, an amazing actor with enough money to last a lifetime?! You might be able to run off and find a closet to huddle up in at home, but she won’t be patient with misbehavior in front of the media, you will find yourself on the wrong side of a chain if you try anything. Probably not a big fan of introducing you to people personally, she loves the flashy couples stuff; at least 2 dozen roses might make up for it? Right?

Klaus is barely making it, his other siblings likely pay for and/or babysit for him. He doesn’t snap very often like his siblings, he sees you as an angel! But, not a person. Truly, I think not only would the being forced to be around a very active addict but he won’t let you do anything outside of a hobby or two! He rarely leaves you alone, and to be honest he probably uses a chain or restraints all the time because even if he can come back, he’s not physically the strongest guy—but past that, he’s always eager to help you with bathing or eating or baking or drawing or writing or drinking or meditating or relaxing or sleeping or making the bed or cleaning up or driving or going outside(ofc with him, can’t have his little martyr running around! What if someone recognizes you as his and and and the debt collectors collect you!?) or any possible task, he’ll learn to cook or bake so you don’t have to! Just ignore the small white grains on his credit card….please! He won’t get angry commonly, if ever, but in the very rare chance he gets angry it’s best to just shut up and try not to make the voice begging him to tie you back up any louder.

Five and the little doll he carries around, always looking lost and glazed over, or maybe a girl who is eerily like him, either way, he’s dressing them up in whatever he wants. He likely drugs them pretty consistently, it makes him feel good to have someone who will thank him when he takes care of them, even if they don’t know what’s going on whatsoever. His siblings are surprised at the ice cream dates and picnics he sets up, people smile at him when he goes to get you a milkshake, the guy behind the bar laughing when five pours a little packet of powder into your drink and stirs it—happily accepting the man’s offer to top up your whipped cream, so you don’t get distressed about it—all in all, atleast his darling will never have to do anything for themselves…ever again

Viktor happily plays instruments for you, learning your favorites so he can serenade and impress you. He tries to be as accommodating as possible, so patient and okay with your panic that he succeeds in comforting you. He’ll even let you help him at the bar once you get settled in, people find it adorable when you and him work together you don’t really do anything

They probably don’t have playdates very often, but the most to least well behaved would probably go

Viktors darling—Viktors humanity pays off, and his darling likely comes to terms pretty quickly, asking him nicely for things and even letting him touch them willingly!

Luther’s darling—All in all, they probably don’t have all too much to complain about. They’re awkward, but the darling isn’t clawing at him or anything

Allison’s darling—no cameras? Her darling is probably playing a Nintendo switch on a couch somewhere in the mansion, avoiding the wackos

fives darling—He’s trying, and so are they, but they’re a little out of it most of the time. I won’t give them credit for behaving because they don’t even know they’re doing something good by clinging to torso they wake up on every morning or by not biting the hand that feeds them dinner every night

Klaus Darling—Trying to run like all hell, but klaus just pulls them into whatever room has been set up for the meetup and wraps a friendly arm around them for the rest of the event

Diego’s darling—Biting at him, breaking things, all hell will break loose and he will be chuckling at his siblings as his darling tries to stab him with a fork

—

Maybe I should write more in depth personal series about it??? Who would yall wanna see first??? All of them?? SEASON 4 IS STUPID AND I HATE IT >:(

[joleenjackalope]

So I have some Lenore thoughts, I like the idea of her a lot. But I don't think she's worth her price. So here are just some of my thoughts, as well as my doodling out some of those thoughts. I don't think she necessarily needs all these things, it's more that I let my internal rants about how she could be better guide me out of my art block these past couple days.

Part of why people pay more for collector dolls is because they have some type of attachment to them. Either being a Monster High character they already love, from an IP they love, or even the Off White had some brand recognition. (just not from me) And I felt like Lenore COULD have been the lady in white/weeping woman ghost story that just about every town has.

That being said- What is with the glitter tears?? If she had a unique sculpt that actually had a downturn on the brows and a sad face, and actually LOOKED like a weeping garden ghost, that alone would have made her more appealing!

Then why unpainted accessories? Why one big unpainted accessory her main focus? I like the vines (I didn't go very detailed here) but either paint them or make them smaller. (What I did) But if you want me to believe that the doll is WORTH $75 then you need to show that some actual care and effort went into her manufacturing and paint her damn accessories.

I just wanted an excuse to draw the spider. I don't like the human face but I only like a few of any of the MH pets anyway. so...

Put her damn hair up. Just like with the accessories, show me she is WORTH her price.

All of the above combined, the collector dolls stray further away from the High school aspect of MH and although Victorian/period fashion isn't necessarily my thing, I know a ton of collectors would have loved her looking like a ghost who's been haunting for a long time. And since she's not a character that's being portrayed in the high school - a collector doll would have been great! There's lots of adult/non-student characters.

Mini notes- I didn't draw patterns for her clothing, but the pattern on her dress as is would have still looked lovely on a bigger, fancier gown. I didn't do full body and I have no notes on shoes. They're not my specialty. And I would have appreciated her not having a full white sclera.

Also, line art for this piece is available here, tag me if you color it! I'd love to see. ♥♥♥

[piosplayhouse]

Scum villain account posting about breyers made me look twice haha I never see anyone talk about models on my tumblr only Facebook 😭

Who in scum villain do you think would collect model horses and do u think they would collect plastics/resins or clinkies?

Personally I think mobei jun would have a little secret room with shelves of $3000 ultra-rare ceramic and porcelain horses. He doesn’t tell anyone, not even sqh

I'm what you would call the number one scum villain breyer poster on this site (because I'm the only one) 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ they're not with me because I'm only staying in my current apartment temporarily but I actually got breyers and little cowboy boots for my bingqiu nendoroids to turn them into horse girls. Fun fact the classic scale figs are roughly proportional to nendoroids (1:12) so the dolls fit on the horses back perfectly

Ning Yingying is the easy answer but also the most boring I'll admit. But I do think she's a horse girlie at heart. I want to see Shen Jiu taking her to breyerfest and beefing with a ton of middle aged white women

I agree that mbj would be a great option as well though I don't think he would be *that* secretive about it since he really dgaf. Maybe while his uncle is still alive because he wouldn't be above breaking mbj's precious breyerfest live auction OOAK models but I don't think he would be embarrassed about his ponies. Because horses are objectively super cool and every lord needs them. Also I think he'd mostly collect unicorns and breyer winter decorators. I'm not sure if he'd be into the holiday horses though, probably depends on the year. I could see him fw celestine and snowbird and whatnot but probably not apres ski. These filigree decorators would definitely be in his collection with highly coveted winter gambler's choice models like the collectors club colored xaviers

Admittedly don't know a ton about clinkies (very shameful I know) but yeah mbj would be my top pick for those too. He'd probably have a bunch of Lladro sculptures now that I think about it. Unrelated to horses though I think the number one porcelain collector in cang qiong would probably be Yue Qingyuan, who is a Precious Moments Fiend

[onmyyan]

MONICA MY LOVE PLEASE TELL ME MORE

Monica is this wonderfully mysterious entity with a particular fascination with humans

And that's not just because they're her main food source either!! She thinks humans are absolutely adorable

Feeds on the worst of the worst of humanity

As stated previously her aesthetic is like a kinky croquette if there is such a thing, if it had to be summarized, bows frills and blood

Prefers night time to day, he food likes to come out at night after all

Speaking of she only eats men, will not harm a woman (think akaza from demon slayer)

Her tongue is 13 feet long and she can stretch and warp it at a whim, like an octopus tentacle

She can hum from the mouth in her neck

Her favorite color is pink! Specifically the shade her white bows get after a meal

A bit of a sadist but only towards those she deems ungirlypop

Love self care, she has an entire nearly thirty step routine that she does almost ritualistically

Her voice is like warm honey melting down a velvet spoon, very alluring and sweet

She's a collector of pretty things

So if she finds you pretty, you'll soon find yourself in a beautiful room surrounded by softness and beauty, trinkets and nick nacks

But don't worry! She treats all her things well

Will dress you up like her little doll

Absolutely dommy mommy

Has this uncanny ability to move around silently, you won't know she's there unless she wants you to

Bit of a predator prey thing going on for her, if you ever try to run away she sees it as a fun game of catch.

She's deceivingly strong, can haul you over her shoulder like it's nothing no matter your weight

Will give spanks if she feels you earned it

Will paint your nails and do your makeup regularly as dates

Fiercely protective

Obsessive/protective kind of yandere

If you have a serious problem with a woman or one threatens your relationship she won't break her rule for you, she'll just call her friend Enrique 😊

[tetsunabouquet]

I just saw that you also write about Diabolik Lovers??? Could I request headcanons about what it would be like to date Shuu, Kanato and Subaru? And also about what type of girl they're into? ::0

A/N: A request for my personal top 3 Sakamaki brothers? Of course, you've got great taste.

Shu -Considering he's the brother who's most prone to having pets, I feel like being an animal lovers is a trait he finds desirable in a partner as he would love to have a pet with you someday. -If you already have pets, they are a surefire tacic to wurm into this boy's heart. Sending him your endless collection of adorable snaps of your pets and you, etc, he eats it up. -Because he's incredibly lazy, he wouldn't like extremely tasking dates like a cute hiking trip. Shu's more of the type who'd get hold of your favorite movie or turn on Netflix with you in bed and getting Reiji to make your favorite snacks. -He also likes a girl who's a little playful but not completely hyper. Someone who energizes him a little more and makes him smile, but not one who pushes him too far. -The two of you exchange a lot of teasing comments and casually flirt with one another all the time. "Has someone ever told you that you look sexy when you snore, Shu?" Kanato -I feel like he's into maternal girls. Aside from his creepy thing for his mom, with his childlike tendencies and the dynamic with his brothers, you'd certainly need mother-of-several-young-children levels of patience to deal with the drama. -Kanato loves giving hugs when he's sleepy. He'll attach himself to you like you are his diabolical teddybear. -Surprisingly, he allows you to pick any sort of dating activities though if he doesn't likes it, he'll make you suggest something else. Kanato can be a little indecisive with this, you know? -Kanato also really likes girls that are a fellow 'kidult' like him and share his love for toys and sweets. I can totally see the two of you discussing doll lines, doing face-ups together and dressing up like your favorite dolls together. -The two of you will also go to every annual doll collector events and all the vintage markets. Kanato never expected to have a girl with whom he could go on shopping dates like these and he's excited for them every time. "I hate how we already spent our budget. That fish plushy looked SO cute!"

Subaru -Well, he'd like his girl to be at least be more sane then his mom. Not saying you need to be 100% mentally healthy 24/7, but having a stable sense of reality it necessary. -Bonus points if you actually know a bit about psychology and the consequences of being a KOPP (Dutch acronym meaning Kinderen van Ouders met Psychiatrische Problemen - the English translation is Children of Parents with Psychiatric Problems. So far, I've never encountered an English version of the acronym) -His choice of dates is surprisingly romantic but they're generally low-key. Like cute picnics, far away from everyone where he can just enjoy the serenity and simplicity of the way you make him feel. -He also really wants a girl who supports him, outside of his traumas and family too. Like a girl who encourages his talent for poetry and helps him come out of his shell and be confident in expressing himself outside of violent tantrums. -He loves writing about you, he really does. He actually, after a a sweet friendship, dared to confess with a love poem he sent through a xt message because he knew he'd snatch back the letter and chicken out if he actually wrote it down on real paper. "If only I weren't so craven, I'd tell you all there is resting in my soul, That your voice sounds like heaven And your smile makes me whole"

[mythosidhesdollhouse]

Teen Trends have arrived! Advance warning this is going to be another long post, there's a lot to go over--

The first thing I must report, unfortunately, is that they are not clean. Their limbs and faces have a slightly sticky, greasy film on them, and they both exude a scent akin to crayons with an undertone of something less savory that I can only characterize as 'well-aged child grime'. It is not pleasant. The good news is I suspect these conditions are due to long storage without prior cleaning after the dolls had been heavily played with, and a thorough cleaning should remediate both. Unfortunately the dolls' cases are equally grimy and unpleasant to handle, so I won't even bother trying to photograph them until I've had a chance to give them a once over with disinfectant wipes.

Kianna's Kanekalon hair is in markedly better condition that Gabby's (purportedly) curlable 'Memory' hair at the moment, but hopefully with a little tlc I'll be able to get them back in shape on that front as well.

Last thing to make note of on the condition front is that both have gone quite loose in their stringing, an issue I have seen reported frequently by other collectors. Once I get all their other problems dealt with I'll make a decision as to whether I want to restring them, find stands that fit them, or just figure out a good place for them to lounge XD

These dolls have such beautiful faces! Very reminiscent of some of the Barbies of the early 2000s, while staying distinct enough to be recognizable as their own thing. Would love to know which Mattel sculptor was responsible for them.

Aside from the dolls themselves there was lots of STUFF crammed into those cases--

First off we have Gabby & Kianna's pet dogs, which have had their bags switched. This amuses me a great deal and I have no intention of fixing it ;p

Next, we have been blessed with SHOES! All the shoes. I was so glad to find I needn't have worried on this account XD Only one pair is incomplete, and since the fashion it goes to is also not present I don't suppose its loss matters much.

We were also fortunate to end up with a great deal of clothing, though aside from Kianna's 'Night Out' fashion pack and the pj sets there are no complete looks here (thanks to the @dollect-net database I was easily able to determine what is missing from the various fits). Despite the losses there's more than enough here to give me good options for dressing them, especially if I augment it with handmade pieces.

There was also a fun bonus in the form of Courtney's complete unopened 'Goin' Glam' fashion pack in addition to the same set loose with the rest of the clothing.

Lastly there's a quantity of miscellaneous accessories I'm not inclined to handle until they've been cleaned. I'll update on anything of note once I go through it all.

___

So that's it for now! It always makes me happy to rescue dolls that were clearly a well-loved by their original owner. I admit it will be a bit of a challenge to clean all this up, but once the work is done I know they're going to be a wonderful addition to my collection.

[marzipanandminutiae]

I’m not a doll collector whatsoever, but I was at a local antiques fair and saw her and for $20 I just couldn’t resist,,,

Her name’s Madeleine, she has a 370 Armand Marseille head, 15” tall, and I’m absolutely besotted by her. Her hair and clothes aren’t original, but I still love the wig choice on her, and I’m currently making her more historically accurate clothing. I know she’s not like, super rare or anything, but I just think she’s the sweetest little thing, and that you’d appreciate her as well (:

CUTIE ALERT

I love her! Welcome home, Madeleine. AM 370s, like most popular things, were popular for a reason: they're adorable. Congrats on your find; enjoy her!

(give her a hug from me please)

[teecupangel]

Hiiii teecup!! How are you? Hope you're doing great, or ok at least :3c

Alrighty so I've been craving EziDes lately but I'm too busy to do anything and I have too many ideas so here it goes!

Childhood friends to lovers (god I'm such a massive sucker for this trope)

Now, I have a little bit of plot for this one, cuz this idea have been stuck in my head since 2023 🧍

Okok so it starts like usual. Desmond dies, isu bullshit, time travel, and he face plants right into Renaissance Italy. ALSO he got de-aged, maybe into his 6-7 year old self (I want them to meet pretty early in there lives :'3)

He wanders around for a while not really knowing what to do until a grumpy old lady sees him and how pathetic he looks and decides to hire him to work as her butler/caretaker (or something along those lines I don't really know at this point :'D)

And the lady's rich, not like filthy rich but rich enough. She's been living by herself for years and never got married or have any children (which I'm sure is frowned upon back then) and she's really grumpy, like 40 year old guy who just got home from a hard day of work kind of grumpy.

And most people find her very unpleasant and leaves her alone. So it was strange, downright disturbing to see a kid running around her estate doing chores and having conversations with her.

But anyways Desmond starts living with her, but he's plotting and scheming.... To save the Auditores and take care of the isu bs of course :D.

Desmond didnt plan on meeting with Ezio because he didn't want to mess up the timeline more than he already has...... and then Ezio come waltzing into life.

I don't have any clear idea of how the two would meet but it's I imagine it as extra cute :3c

Desmond is mature for his age..... A bit too mature and he's knows things that most children shouldn't,. All in all he's an odd kid.

Like mistress, like caretaker am I right ¯\_( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛)_/¯

Desmond cares about Ezio very much, everyone can see that, and he gets Ezio out of trouble. They're always together, rarely to be seen without the other.

On Desmond's busier days (when he have too many chores to go out) Ezio would come to the lady's estate to chat with him and even help him with some of his chores. He stays out of trouble when Desmond's not with him.... But sometimes he just can't help himself lol.

The lady and Desmond develop a parent child bond and judges people together.

And the rest is up to you because my brain is jelly. (You can name the lady. I don't have any ideas on it LMAO)

(You can also make her an important character or not, I just love her too much to cut her out of the plot)

(SHE ALSO HAD A GIRLFRIEND THAT SHE WANTED TO RUNAWAY WITH BUT SHE DIED AND NOW THAT'S WHY SHE'S GRUMPY ALL THE TIME. Do what you want with this info :3c)

(this turned from an EziDes ask to the lady lore dump, apologies)

I’m doing alright. It’s been a busier month than I expected hahahaha

So, for this one, I’m imagining Desmond’s mistress (as he likes to call her) / adoptive mother to be a collector of sort. Making her a collector of the art seems a bit too easy so we’ll pick something a bit eccentric.

She collects dolls.

Dolls aren’t all that popular during that time and, even when they were, the dolls that is more or less considered ‘acceptable’ are dolls describing the nativity and other religious centered dolls.

But she collects ‘strange’ dolls from foreign lands.

This gives us an excuse for Desmond to speak in other languages, sometimes talking on her behalf to foreign merchants who shows her dolls that she may purchase on a whim.

She knows how to speak some of the languages and it’s not like Desmond knows all the languages as well but she prefers to let Desmond do the talking with merchants she hasn’t dealt with before. (the whole “let’s see if they start talking shit about me because they think I don’t understand them” is a common setup between them)

She and Desmond also like to talk in foreign languages when they want to fuck with other people. They rarely badmouth anyone, talking about the most benign thing while their tone and body language can be misunderstood.

She also only speak in foreign languages when the Auditore boy visits. She calls him ‘Desmond’s boy toy’ or some other equivalent of that and Desmond can’t even tell her that he’s so wrong because then he’d have to explain why he knows that word in the first place.

Their home is filled with dolls of different origin and make. Some are even dolls so old Desmond feels like they should be in a museum in the future.

Ezio doesn’t really like entering their home because he feels like the dolls are watching his every move.

He’s pretty sure that the house is haunted.

Desmond doesn’t help the entire thing because, yeah, he also thinks the house is haunted.

To fuck with Ezio, he tells him that someone died in the house and she still haunts its hallways.

Desmond doesn’t know but someone did die in the house. The lady’s grandfather who used to make wooden dolls for her to play with. That’s where her fascination with dolls started.

She also commissions artists to make her dolls and no one knows where she got her money.

It became normal to see Ezio Auditore with the eccentric old lady’s ward(?)/adopted son(?)/secret grandchild(???) when he’s out for his chores. Ezio Auditore learning how to pick the best vegetables or meat was not something anyone had on their bingo card.

This is a super slow burn kind of deal for EziDes because Ezio started out as thinking of Desmond as his super smart and mature best friend while Desmond started out thinking of Ezio as someone he looks up to and wants to protect.

Really, the old lady is the one who clocked in that yeah, these two are gonna fall in love with one another because that was how her love life started.

Best friends to…

Well…

She just hoped his ending was a happy one.

(If you let me name her, Imma name her Renne and she'll spend most of her time teasing Desmond about his 'nonexistent' love life)

[hymnism]

release the list

i feel like i should mention these are all games ive personally played so if any of these make you go "why isn't [GAME] on here it's probably cuz i personally haven't played it. anyway

(obligatory mention to hades/disco elysium/omori since they're some of my favorite indie games but im sure everyone already knows about them. they are lovely games and you should play them 👍)

also ill use 🔸️ to indicate games that are still in early access so be warned that these games will probably be incomplete/buggy (but still worth playing imo)

darkest dungeon ($25) - turn based roguelike where you recruit mercenaries and send them on dungeon explorations and make sure they don't die of stress or starvation alongside the regular monster attacks. notoriously difficult. imagine bloodborne but turn based

ftl: faster than light ($10)- real time roguelike where you control a small crew and pilot a spaceship on the run from a rebel fleet. manage power and weapons on your own ship while targeting critical systems on the enemy

loop hero ($15)- a roguelike where your character will automatically walk in a loop while you use cards to add terrain with different effects such as spawning monsters to give you loot or increasing your healing. very unique with a beautiful pixel artstyle and banger soundtrack

moonlighter ($20)- a roguelike rpg where you go dungeon diving and try to bring back as much loot as you can so that you can sell it in your shop

🔸️shadows of doubt ($20)- a first person sandbox detective simulator where each case is procedurally generated. randomly generates a town with npcs that all have names and addresses and relationships. put together clues from a crime scene and try to catch a killer before they strike again. work odd jobs between cases to keep yourself fed and housed

ultrakill ($25) fast paced first person shooter with a style system ala devil may cry. you play as a robot fighting through the layers of hell. mankind is dead. blood is fuel. hell is full

crypt of the necrodancer ($15)- a rhythm based roguelike dungeon crawler where you and your enemies are only allowed to move on beat. banger soundtrack goes without saying

everhood ($10)- a rhythm based rpg where you play as a red doll who had their arm stolen and is trying to get it back. battles involve moving between 5 lanes to avoid enemy attacks. if you like undertale you'll like this

spiritfarer ($30)- management and adventure game where you play as a spiritfarer who needs to care for spirits on her boat before leading them into the afterlife. incredibly charming and touching game. you will cry

let's school ($20)- management sim where you build and manage a school and help students graduate by setting up different courses. addicting and has a very cute artstyle

let's build a zoo ($20)- management sim where you. well where you build a zoo. a very silly game that includes a morality system where you can choose to be eco friendly and help repopulate endangered species or you can exploit your animals for their meat and produce. also has an animal splicing mechanic. haven't you ever wanted to make a giraffe with a duck head

🔸️the wandering village ($25)- a city builder with the twist that you live on the back of a giant wandering beast named onbu. you help care for onbu as he wanders though different biomes that force you to adjust your resource production as some things become unavailable (such as water in a desert)

frostpunk ($30) a survival city builder where you build around a central core and try to prevent everyone from freezing to death in progressively colder temperatures

monster sanctuary ($20)- a metroidvania style creature collector with a unique combo meter that will continue to build and increase your damage based on the number of "hits" you can perform (healing buffs and shields also count as hits) and each monster has different skill trees that you can upgrade and customize

coral island ($30)- farming life sim with a unique underwater area where you can live and farm and raise aquatic plants and animals. you work to help restore the island after and oil spill ruined the surrounding ocean. i should mention that although this game is technically not in early access it is still unfinished and missing large chunks of gameplay/interactions/story. however there is still a healthy amount of content and is still a fun game as it is

apico ($20)- a beekeeping sim where you keep bees to make and sell honey while also breeding and releasing them to help restore their numbers in the wild

spirittea ($20)- a management and life sim where you manage a bathhouse for ghosts and help the townsfolk who think they're haunted (they're right). basically a cross between stardew valley and spirited away

🔸️cloud meadow ($20)- this is a porn game ⚠️ a farming sim where instead of regular animals you have anthro characters and you can breed them yourself or with each other and have them help in combat or on your farm. very cute artstyle and amazing animation work

[desertdollranch]

What a week it's been. Woke up to horrible political news on Wednesday, and had to take a social media blackout for a few days just to stop being sick to my stomach and reminded of what a nightmare we're all facing here in the USA. Then more than a foot of snow fell, and my electricity kept flickering on and off all night. So I'm trying to focus on the positive things in my life as best as I can and try not to let the stress overwhelm me.

So let's talk dolls.

Last weekend I attended the Albuquerque doll show not as a buyer, but for the first time as a vendor.

My mom came over with a huge carload of things to sell. We had two tables and still didn't have enough room for everything! Most of what we sold came from her and her sister's collections, since both of them are clearing out all their 18 inch doll stuff. They are only interested in Barbie these days and so everything else had to go. I don't share their interest in Barbie and am still thoroughly enjoying my 18 inch dolls, so I did get to have first dibs on their merchandise. I didn't end up picking anything besides a couple of American Girl books.

I actually didn't sell very much, but truly I didn't bring a whole lot of things to sell anyway. Mostly some extra wigs of various sizes, off-brand doll clothing that I priced at $1 per outfit, and a few thrift store dolls (of various brands) I bought and then decided not to keep. Now I have to list my leftovers for sale online, which is overwhelming to think about, considering how hard I worked to get everything ready before the show only to have to put in even MORE time and effort to get anything sold.

Overall, selling at the show was a tremendous amount of labor for not much financial reward, so my mom and I agreed that we're never doing this again. It's so much more fun just attending the show as a buyer. And selling online is by far easier and more profitable.

But I did meet a lot of very nice customers, and that was the best part. That's something that doesn't often happen online! Everyone I sold to was wonderful. Not one person I encountered was rude or unpleasant. The other vendors I talked to were lovely as well. There were a few sellers who make/buy/sell dolls and toys year-round and do it for a living, but a lot were collectors like me who were just selling parts of their collections to make room for new additions.

Speaking of new additions. The only thing I bought at the show was a Gotz doll.

She's an 18 inch Hannah doll from 2008. She was unbelievably inexpensive (they're around $100 or more brand new), so I was pretty surprised to see her and many other Gotz dolls at her vendor's table still for sale after closing time when I swung by. Her vendor was delighted to see Hannah go to a happy home.

I may or may not make a post advertising the stuff I'm selling. I usually do okay by just listing on Mercari and letting buyers come to me. I'll decide once I'm ready whether it's worth the extra effort posting them here too.

[sleepytoycollection]

So a funny thing happened today.

Today was the day of the local toycon, and I was very well behaved. I only bought things I'd already been on the look out for (not pictured, but I got replacement shoes for my Strawberry Shortcake dolls!), and no impulse purchases. Sadly a lot of the things I was hoping to find were not to be found, but oh well. Good for my wallet I guess. Still had a blast talking with other collectors. c:

One thing I've been hoping to thrift for a while is a Rainbow Brite doll (I know I could just buy one online, but where's the fun in that?) to go with her horse friend I thrifted a year ago:

But I hadn't had luck with that, so when I found one cheap at the toy fair, I bought her. (Got Rodger too, bc I've been wanting a small plush of him to go with my custom Jessica.)

Anyway, after leaving the con, my ride wanted to go by goodwill, and guess what I find there?

A Rainbow Brite, the exact same as I bought at the fair LMAO

Granted, the one from the fair is cleaner and in better condition, but there's a twist!

They're variants!

The one on the left (the goodwill one) is the Taiwan version, and the right (toy fair) is the Hong Kong version!

It's easier to see in person, but there's a lot of little differences between them despite being otherwise the same doll. Taiwan has more hair, but a blurrier face printing with lighter colors. The skin tones (and fabric skin tones) are different, and other such little details.

Goodwill had a lot of other 80's there toys too, I bought the 2 G1 MLP (I'll show them later), and another woman bought the Care Bears and Cabbage Patch dolls.

I can't believe I finally thrifted one the literal same day I finally decided to buy one elsewhere.

[copperbadge]

I bought this modular shelf almost a year ago; first I couldn't figure out where to hang it, then I wanted to adjust the fittings, and then I put it on my workbench to remind me to do something with it....then covered it with a cutting mat and forgot it was there.

So it is with herculean effort that I managed to excavate it, rearrange the dividers and glue them so they're stable, find a place to hang it, drill some mounting holes, and get it actually hung securely. But! Behold my shelf of trinkets!

Some will stay -- others I swap out when I get tired of looking at them, since they're cheapo Kinderegg or McDonalds toys. But I'm pleased to finally have the thing hung. I did some cleaning as well (scrubbed the KitchenAid and the toaster oven, plus the counters underneath them) but I'm most proud of this one today.

[ID: A wooden shelf resembling a deep printer's tray, hanging on my wall; it has tiny sections for things to be kept in, and some larger ones along the top for bigger objects. It is filled with plastic figurines, ranging from cheap Kinderegg blind box toys to Marvel McDonalds figures and one or two genuinely valuable collector's items and featuring, in the middle, a handmade BB-8 amigurumi doll.]

[olderthannetfic]

Reading the anon abt the doll hobby not having anti drama, and I just had to make sure it didn't mention the BJD hobby, because that one is filled with drama and anti drama. I'm probably more prone to look for drama, but some of it isn't hard to find.

Idk why but I almost wanna share some of my highlights, so I'll do that. Buckle up, this is a long one, and it's only scratching some of the dumb shit bullshit that's happened over the years.

People constantly let themselves be scammed. There are some well known people, and when you look up their seller names you can literally find people who keep up with their renaming because they're such notorious scammers. People still "take a chance" and then a few weeks later: Guys you won't believe this, I got scammed.

There was an entire thing surrounding a company (companies?) selling dolls in the tone oriental. People were using that name because that's what it's literally named, and other people got upset and started an entire discourse about it. Yeah, only that it was an Asian company that had named that tone, they had been made aware of some Western collectors being upset about it, and really didn't care. There are several instances of Asian sellers and companies from Asia using the terms oriental.

The discourse about one Chinese doll company who made a statement on their Eng twitter about supporting the CCP in attacking Hong Kong. People were rightfully upset at the company, which had previously been criticized in the Western hobby sphere for Nazi-themed dolls. Yeah, so people started defending the company, claiming that the only did it to not get hurt by the CCP. Except no other company did something that stupid. It took several Chinese hobbyists from China coming over and making it pretty clear that that company has a real bad reputation in the Chinese hobby to begin with, and to stop defending them especially for the HK thing because that was their choice.

The hobby is actually incredibly open for cultural exchanges, and appreciation. But every once in a while there are people who start bitching about cultural appropriation, and then everyone has to tell them to shut up because people love their dolls and just think it looks neat and want to share.

On the topic of cultural appropriation. Some times the people who bitch about it mess up and attack people of that culture. One such person made a red doll, put it in a qipao for Lunar New year some years ago, saying she's a dragon. Yeah, turns out the artist is Chinese, and the people angry about "White people take a red doll, put it in a qipao calling it a dragon are fucking racist cultural appropriators." Also, once that came out, even before that, a bunch of people once again came in and made fun of these people, especially those that culturally celebrate Lunar new year.

On the same wave though, lol, that artist who made the doll is infamous for her completely batshit doll pre-order, and then her trying to hide that she took the money of a bunch of people and ran. It's even a doll that a lot of doll ooak artist youtubers worked with. The entire story is fucking wild, beyond her trying to blame the company (one person?) who'd produce them, and then pretending it was some flaw with the system they used to let people order.

"If you use runes, I'm gonna view you as a white Supremacist until you prove otherwise." Scandinavians and even Scandinavian poc people told them to shut up (there were actually good arguments about how offensive that statement was, but it was a good dress down), and then clearly not Scandinavian nor Scandi poc decided to double down. Last I saw there was still a stalemate between the Scandi's, and people who're sensible, and the people who just wanna be racist about Nordic runes and call them all white supremacist and attacking Scandi poc.

Sex dolls aren't BJDs...

People are also bitching about "child coded" dolls being put in naughty stuff. The problem is that these dolls often are bobbleheaded anime looking mofos. Even in the cases where you have a child doll: It's still not child porn. It's a hunk of plastic, calm down.

Some doll companies, like VOLKS have raffles/lotteries to have a change to buy the doll. You heard that right, just to be able to buy it. There has been tons of discourse about how unfair it is that US people get to enter twice. Or how people who don't even want the dolls just the raffles.

Scalpers. Nuff said.

People who can't budget, and constantly make that everyone else's problem when they buy a new doll they can't afford and then start panicking.

Customs. By God the customs bitching.

Paypal friends&family. For the love of Christ, stop buying things from random people with F&F especially when you don't know them, or if they're a confirmed fucking scammer.

There's literally a guy who's doll at first glance have some of the best diversity and rep, but the guy is an absolute asshole, and part of the hobby don't really know how to handle it. Small list: Told a disabled person who got frustrated when they were completely unable to assemble it that his dolls aren't made for them. Constantly bans people from buying from him for the dumbest reasons, like 1) Guy asking how shipping would be handled during 2020. 2) Person who got a faulty product, and asked what to do with it.* 3) Assuming a buyer was another already banned person, when it was made clear they weren't he still kept the ban. 4) Basically anyone who critiques his dolls. *He claims "wabi sabi", even though some of the product issues are way beyond any wabi sabi aesthetic. He also calls his "haters" the "entitled" and once made a comic about "eradicating the entitled" and had a doll in a striking uniform salute with a flat hand. Yeah so a Jewish person mentioned how the wording and pic combined gave bad Nazi'esque image and that he should avoid it. He banned the Jewish person. (The Jewish person was very respectful about it, and explained why phrasing things like "eradicating the entitled" and some other stuff was not a good combination.)

--

I remember back in the 00s seeing endless wank over people's porny photoshoots with their multiple BJDs that were styled as a visual kei group.

Also everyone's favorite perpetual wank topic: "OMG, how do you have 5? That's my rent for months!"

To this day, I see the acronym "BJD" and think "Time for popcorn!" even though I rarely see the wank anymore.