Help from bjd owners (new questions on page three)

[WeepingPiano]

Well... Things might be changing for me and I might beable to buy some dolls sooner than expected. I will update and let y'all know how it works out tonight. 

[okapishomapi]

Well... Things might be changing for me and I might beable to buy some dolls sooner than expected. I will update and let y'all know how it works out tonight. 

That's so exciting! I can't wait to see her/him!

[tehrin]

One option you can look into is dealers/companies that offer layaway. That's how I've gotten all of my dolls. I can never afford the full amount upfront, but paying it a chunk at a time is great.

http;//dollsoom.com <- Soom has lovely dolls and... well, when I bought mine a few years ago, they did have layaway. I donno if they still do though! $500+ and you divide it in 3 payments I think. The doll I bought from there was the doll I absolutely HAD to have, perfect sculpt for my character!

http://denverdoll.com <- They offer layaway too! They have a lot of dolls for sale there, but they don't offer some of the ones you're looking at, like Ipplehouse. But they do carry Fairyland, which is very high quality! There's also Dollzone and Leekeworld too which are good to great. As well as Resinsoul if you do decide to go with them.

[okapishomapi]

Knibitz, miss_tuneful, and renee_chan - thank you SOOOO much for all of your help. I appreciate it immensely..

*goes back to picking out a wig for her first BJD*

Post Merge: January 27, 2012, 05:52:43 PM

So, my suggestion to Okapishomapi, when it comes to the doll you've picked out, is that if you want that head, go for it, and try to find a SOOM body (for example) with hooves instead, as I doubt she's going to pose very well.

So if I did this, would I have to buy the complete dolls? Or just hope to find the body second-hand? Or do people buy just bodies from SOOM?

*total noob*

[WeepingPiano]

Ugh... I am torn between so many dolls... what do y'all think?
http://www.eluts.com/shop/step1.php?number=42
http://www.eluts.com/shop/step1.php?number=32
http://www.eluts.com/shop/step1.php?number=14
http://www.iplehouse.net/shop/step1.php?number=2037
http://www.iplehouse.net/shop/step1.php?number=1833
http://leekeworld.com/En/Product/p_view.asp?it_code=3160&B_catalog_num=19
http://leekeworld.com/En/Product/p_view.asp?it_code=3158&B_catalog_num=19
I am looking to get a male and a female (and that really is the extent of my BJD want) preferably from the same company, so that they would look like they go together (that makes sense in my head) The only thing that keeps me from immediatly picking the Iplehouse dolls is their size. I like the size of the Leekeworld dolls a little better, but I am not sure their faces are perfect of my characters. That leaves the Luts dolls, which are very lovely, but the size thing comes into play again. So if the Iplehouse dolls and the Luts dolls are similar in size, *sigh* y'all make this look so easy.
 
So, my big news I eluded to earlier is that I was planning on asking my boss for a promotion when I went into work today. I figure that would be a milestone to celebrate (and treat myself with dolls ^w^) and I would be making more money, so I could justify the price and have the avaliable funds faster. Ultimately, I did get the promotion, and (after a extra bit of training) it should be official by March 1st.

[Knibitz]

Knibitz, miss_tuneful, and renee_chan - thank you SOOOO much for all of your help. I appreciate it immensely..

*goes back to picking out a wig for her first BJD*

Post Merge: January 27, 2012, 05:52:43 PM

So, my suggestion to Okapishomapi, when it comes to the doll you've picked out, is that if you want that head, go for it, and try to find a SOOM body (for example) with hooves instead, as I doubt she's going to pose very well.

So if I did this, would I have to buy the complete dolls? Or just hope to find the body second-hand? Or do people buy just bodies from SOOM?

*total noob*

people do just about everything
but yep! they do buy just bodies, and then get heads later, or put heads of other companies on their bodies.




WeepingPiano - you picked out a lot of lovely dolls o3o and with your selection, you're extremely right, at least with the companies selected, they really go best separately. Iplehouse is a very realistic company in comparison with Luts who tends to be big bobbly heads.

I like all of your dolls you picked out, honestly. And if you lived anywhere near me I'd pack up my hoard of dolls and head your way so you could play with them .

I will say that my previous 70cm doll (the general size iplehouse dolls are) weighed 4 pounds.
Iplehouse resin is generally lighter than othe company resins, from my experience, but EIDs are still pretty heavy, SIDs are going to be smaller and lighter. Cherie probably won't be that bad, but EIDs really are huge dolls. And the boys at least I don't believe fit much clothing than what's sold by iplehouse, and then some specialty shops that do specific "iplehouse EID" clothing. Shoes HAVE to come from iplehouse for the EID males.

My vote would probably be fore the luts dolls. They're a fantastic "first company" They have great quality dolls and the senior delf is no exception. The bodies are solid and decent posers, not the best, but fine for the first time owner. you will shop for clothes generally sized for "SD13" rather than just SD, but most things just labeled "sd" will fit, just try to avoid things (mostly pants or things that don't stretch) labeled "sd10"

orientdoll are really cute dolls, but you aren't feeling their faces, and that's a hard thing to deal with in this hobby. You are more likely to get comfortable with their size before you accept a face you don't really love. And orientdoll is not a popular company, so in the event that you didn't like the doll and wanted to resell it, you would probably have a tough time.

[okapishomapi]

So, my big news I eluded to earlier is that I was planning on asking my boss for a promotion when I went into work today. I figure that would be a milestone to celebrate (and treat myself with dolls ^w^) and I would be making more money, so I could justify the price and have the avaliable funds faster. Ultimately, I did get the promotion, and (after a extra bit of training) it should be official by March 1st.

Congrats, WeepingPiano! That sounds like a great reason to reward yourself. I'm hoping to get a job in next few months (I'm graduating in June) and do that same thing

[WeepingPiano]

Rawr... now I have more questions. (First off, Yay I have good taste!!!) I think I have decided and I really want to go for http://www.eluts.com/shop/step1.php?number=32 for my girl and either http://www.eluts.com/shop/step1.php?number=14 or http://www.eluts.com/shop/step1.php?number=42 for my boy.
 
I am trying to decide whether the four inch difference between Annette and Landy is too much.

My new questions are: wigs. How do I know if it is going to fit? I found these two -  http://www.eluts.com/shop/step1.php?number=5622 http://www.eluts.com/shop/step1.php?number=3202 that I really like, but I have to be sure they are right.
 
Also, on the topic of wigs: The red one says not to leave the wig on the doll for long periods of time, because they might\will bleed on\stain the doll. Does that mean just the scalp? or anywhere the hair touches the doll? If it is just the scalp, that is not really a big deal, since I don't plan on switching the wigs out.
 
Eyes: The female says that the eyes it comes with are 18mm and the male says 16mm, but it says the eyes in the picture (for Landy) are 18mm. So when I go to buy the colors that I want (at a leter date) how do I know what size to get?
 
Clothes: Is it easy(ish) to find clothes for these size dolls?
 
A good place to find jewelry? (necklaces, rings, etc.)
 
Face up: aaaand, should I oder these dolls with face ups? Or should I A) do it myself later or B) find someone else to do it later?

[Knibitz]

Senior Delf pairing with Senior Delf will be fine, Senior delf paired with Super Senior delf isn't going to work that well.

Wig sizes are set up with #/# meaning they start at # of inches and can be stretched to an inch more circumference.  so an 8/9 wig starts at an 8in circumfrence, but can stretch to a 9in. Look at the doll's page and look for "girth/circumference of head". For example annette has an 8in head, she'll wear 8/9 wigs.
Always round up with the number (ie, if your head is an 8, get an 8/9 wig, not the 7/8, annette will not fit a 7/8)

It's mostly the wig cap that's going to stain the head, wherever the elastic cap touches the head is where the stains will be found. This may be covering the forehead some, depending on how you have your wigs positioned on your doll.
Honestly I would do your best to protect your doll from staining. It tends to damage their value, even if it's not a part of the doll you usually see.

when your dolls come to you, you'll see what they're eyes look like in them, then you can judge if you want to go down a size, or up a size. I would not recommend going up or down more than one size.  (if you haven't already noticed, sizes jump by two each time; ie 12 14 16, etc)

Senior delfs with wear SD13 clothes and they're pretty easy to shop for.
Supor Senior delfs will wear 70cm clothes and will be more difficult to shop for, but not impossible.

Etsy is a good place to look for jewelery (look for terms like "bjd jewelry" "bjd necklace"  "sd jewelry" etc

It's up to you if you want to order the face up or not. Luts does have really lovely face ups and will take some custom requests into consideration if you ask. (there may be a larger fee) If you do it yourself, realize the supplies to do it will cost you anywhere from 100+several hundred dollars depending on how high of quality products you buy.
You can commission someone for a lot cheaper than you pay luts to do it. However this means waiting a month to 3 months to get your doll from luts then turning around and shipping the heads to someone to paint them for you, and then you don't have your doll for yet another month or few.
However, this does allow you to get a more custom look for your doll.
Not all face up artists are cheaper, some cost more. For example, all of my dolls who have non company face ups (my delf Miyu and dollzone raphael are my only dolls with company faces right now) have all cost me 55$ and up to 80$.  But I am very specific with my face up requests and get exactly what I expect.

The best place to find artists to paint your doll is going to be the DenofAngels forum, when they open up registration again and you get marketplace access.

[WeepingPiano]

So maybe I could get a cap thingy of some sort to keep the wig from touching the resin?

and it looks like I am going to start saving for Annette and Howl
 
*edit* well... I was thinking about ordering the eyes later, but it sortof looks like I should get everything I want all at once. Shipping is soooooooo expensive! I am only getting dolls\wigeyes though, so I am going to have sad, nude dolls for some time.

[tehrin]

Wig caps can help, but the first wig I had on my girl (red one) actually stained her shoulder just a bit.   It's very faint and it doesn't bother me. But it's there.

Faceups: If you are good at painting/drawing etc, or at least have an interest in it, get your doll blank! I have had SO MUCH fun doing faceups on my dolls! The first were HIDEOUS, but now I'm good at it! If I might suggest some good beginner faceup supplies: watercolor pencils (one in the color of the wig, another a bit darker, white, and black), a few sticks of good quality chalk pastel (Winsdor and Newton is good, one color a bit pinker than your skintone, and some light browns are good, or however you'd like to do the eyes and lips! DO NOT USE OIL PASTEL. IT WILL STAIN!), Windsor and Newton brush cleaner (for wiping faceups, I also use it for cleaning ponies!), a sealant, Mr Super Flat is suggested, but I started buying the stuff from Volks which is actually just a bit cheaper than Mr. Super Flat after shipping. Also, Tamiya X-22 gloss, for the lips and around the eyes.  You'll also want a kneaded eraser too, which is super cheap. Honestly, I spent... probably $40-50 on my faceup supplies. And you can get a little here and there, and try different looks as often as you'd like. So it goes a LONG way.



You can eventually go to paint, but honestly, I do all my dolls in watercolor pencil and pastel, and I prefer it over paint! I have more control. I love my itsy bitsy brush, but I use it on my customs now. Paint is the killer on cost though. Artist grade acrylics, good brushes, and an airbrush will make your wallet weep. This is why I suggest pencils.

The upside to getting a faceup done is that it'll come back great.  The downside is that you're spending as much, if not more for basic supplies for a faceup... and if it gets rubbed, or your doll decides to take a plunge off the shelf and gets it's faceup ruined, you're out that money and you'll have to pay to get it done again. Which is why I went for doing my own faceups. (2 days after I got my boy, he nosedived into concrete.)

Clothes are pretty common for most dolls. I've made a lot of my own clothes too, but it depends on if you sew or not. Generally, the size difference in dolls of the same general size MSD, SD, SD17 etc are generally kind of the same. Although it can really flip flop with some of the smaller dolls.  If you're going with snug-fitting stuff, you might find difficulties. Usually buying items from the doll company means you are getting clothes specific for that type of doll.  But it also depends on the garment. I have SD17 leggings for my girl that fit wonderfully, but an SD17 tanktop that is really baggy and I had to take it in a bit to fit her. I couldn't fit SD size anythign on my boy cause he has a broad chest/shoulders and big legs. But SD17 fits him fine! I think the measurements for Volks SD17 and Soom's Supergem are only a half-centimeter or a centimeter off here or there. :p

[Knibitz]

you don't have to get the wig/eyes from the company, you can buy them anywhere.

Ebay is a fantastic place to find eyes

(google these names) Denver Doll Emporium, The Doll Market, Cancan Wigs, Jpop Wigs, Monique Wigs, Mint on Card are all good places to find wigs and eyes where most of them are in the US, and the only one that isn't, cancan, they ship cheaply.

Eyes and Wig sizes are consistent through companies.  (ie a 16mm eye from one place is going to be roughly the same as a 16mm eye from anywhere else, etc)

[FairyDust]

I have so many BJD doll questions also.  My first questions is trying to figure out the sizes in inches.  I have a few Tonners and a bunch of Gene Marshall dolls.  I was wondering if anybody knew what size (if any) might fit well so they can hang out with my other dolls.

Another question is that I've tried to find a doll that I liked but whenever I see one I like of like it's not a girl doll it's a boy doll.  I'm looking for a girl doll that isn't a typical BJD type doll.  I'm looking for one that has the strong features but also looks like a adult female.

I'm so confused of how to begin figuring this out.  The closest thing I can tell you what I'm looking for is a doll that was in the Feb 2008 Haute Doll Magazine.  The doll was called "Bewitching Hour Luchia" and I think she's a Fashion Royalty doll. (I was going to get this doll but I didn't get my magazine subscription in time to be eligable to get her. )  So think that doll but even more fierce looking in the eyes. lol  I want a doll that might look good standing next to my Tonner Professor Snape doll (I think he's 19" tall).

[WeepingPiano]

Oh you people! I went from not wanting to spend very much on this hobby to saving up for $1290.26 worth of doll stuff! And, that is 2 dolls + 2 wigs + 2 pairs of eyes O.O They are going to sit around my house /naked/ because I cannot find (or afford) clothes! (well, the right clothes for them and the period their characters are from) Sad, cold, nude little (little might be stretching it) dollies...

Two things though: Luts wigs are confounding me and I cannot locate their #/# measurements on the two I want >.<
Also, can someone explain to me how bjd eyes sit in their heads? I suppose it is a silly question, but inquiring minds (mine) want to know. Are they terribly difficult to swap out?

And I think that just about sums up my pestering. Until I buy them, that is.

[Knibitz]

http://eluts.com/shop/step_submain.php?b_code=B20101202054300  see the light blue menu under the banner those are your measurements, click those links and it will take you to those size wigs.


for eyes, it's crazy simple. you take your "eye putty" which if you get your eye putty from luts, it will have the consistency of sculpy. I personally just use generic white sticky tack.   but inside the head there are beveled pockets where the eyes sit in, you just roll and make a worm out of your eye putty, wrap it around the eye, put all that in eh socket and then mush the eye putty to the head till it sticks then push around the back of the eyes a bit to get them positioned how you want.


Youtube probably has some videos on "changing bjd eyes" if you want to go look
however, if you see a doll called a "hujoo", know that it's eyes are held in completely differently from a normal bjd, so disregard anything talking about them.