The MLP Arena

Pony Talk => Off Topic => The Dollhouse => Topic started by: MightyRose on January 21, 2018, 05:16:11 PM

Title: Questions about BJD from a beginner
Post by: MightyRose on January 21, 2018, 05:16:11 PM

Hi all, I have been wanting to get into dolls for awhile, specifically BJDs. I have some monster high dolls and some barbie dolls but I've never really felt satisfied with the cookie cutter dolls. I feel like I do not have the money to invest in a BJD right now so I was thinking I would test my interest by taking a fashionista barbie doll I really like (2017 release) and modifying her by putting her head on an articulated barbie body (from a previous line) (which sounds so graphic, I know 🙈). Unfortunately it seems like it will be so hard to match skin tones so the body and head look natural together. I am contemplating giving in and just buying a BJD! 😭 They seem so expensive though and I'm not sure where to start.
How did you acquire your first BJD? Was it an expensive purchase? Thanks so much for any guidance :)

Title: Re: Questions about BJD from a beginner
Post by: Kikwifluff on January 21, 2018, 05:29:13 PM

I got my first bjd direct from the company :) The thing with the bjd hobby is that it's expensive- dolls, clothing, etc. if you do buy a doll, please be careful to avoid recasts, which are essentially stolen sculpts that are sold for much less than the real thing. I won't go further into that here, but if you do have any questions about that you can send me a message :heart:

On the lighter side, there's tons of independent artists who sculpt dolls and companies who do as well. My favorites are Dearmine, and Cuarto, (who sculpts dragons!) and Fairyland. Each company has their own style, so I'd recommend looking around to see what you like  ^.^ I can recommend companies if you have any specific styles dolls you're looking for :heart:


They're such beautiful dolls, and it's a great creative outlet.
Hopefully this helps!

Title: Re: Questions about BJD from a beginner
Post by: Uninu on January 22, 2018, 05:04:59 AM

Some companies also accept layaway/paying in installments. Several of my dolls were bought using that. :)

My first BJD was a Minifee Shiwoo back in 2006. I found it expensive when buying, but when I got him home I was so happy and so amazed by the quality and how lovely the sculpting was and how nice the material felt.

Have you checked out the BJD's for under $300 list? Here is a link in case you haven't: klick (http://bluekitsune.tumblr.com/post/102369161240/dolls-for-300-or-less)

There are so many sizes available that it may be confusing at first. I recommend taking your time looking through different options. I find MSD to be on the easier side to handle when it comes to size, and even though I have more SD than MSD sized dolls now I don't regret getting a Minifee as my first doll.

Title: Re: Questions about BJD from a beginner
Post by: kCherry on January 22, 2018, 08:22:16 AM

My first resin baby was a Bobobie tiny named "Erin" and I paid less than $100 for her. Resin BJD are so different from other types of dolls, she was a very good "tester doll" for me. :)
 I recommend that you do As Much research on the subject as you can stand before making a final decision. There is a Lot of good info out there and the more you know the happier you'll be when you finally take the leap. GL!!

Title: Re: Questions about BJD from a beginner
Post by: Noxxbunny on January 22, 2018, 10:40:55 AM

The BJD under $300 list is great. I have a Resinsoul Autumn who I got for $140, which is pretty great for a centaur doll. I also have a Hujoo Freya who only clocks in at $60. Resinsoul will do tons of custom stuff for you as well! Such as custom color, headswaps, I've even heard ear swap is something they can do for you.

I hope you find a doll that appeals to you. :) Under $300 isn't tough with a little patience and people to help guide you to some deals. All of my dolls are $300 or less. And I collect Dollfie Dreams almost exclusively(they're SD size or 60cm size dolls.) With the exception of my only fullset Dollfie Dream lol. I'm more well versed in vinyl BJD than resin, but feel free to ask for any help if you need it. I'm all about hunting the deal  :lol:

Edit: forgot to mention my first lol. My first doll was my Dollfie Dream and Obitsu/Parabox body hybrid boy. Body was $180 total with shipping and all that, head was $60 with shipping and all. I painted him myself.  :) My second and third are the same type of hybrid for around the same cost, just in the smaller/shorter MSD(40-45cm) height. My fourth and fifth were gotten in a weird sorta trade deal, so their values may technically not count lol.

Title: Re: Questions about BJD from a beginner
Post by: Taxel on January 23, 2018, 12:39:38 AM

If you're not sure if you want to make the jump straight into resin there are other options before diving that far in! :)

For a couple years I was totally obsessed with Liv dolls. They're not BJDs by any stretch but they're the closest playline dolls have ever gotten. They have really excellent posing abilities, have inset eyes you can swap, and wear wigs. You could see if you can find one secondhand as a bit of a test to see how much you like the BJD-like features. They can even fit into Barbie clothes so if you already have Barbies you don't need to worry about that.

There's also ABS BJDs, which are just BJDs made of a different material. They're not allowed on some BJD forums but they're an excellent, affordable alternative to resin. All three of my BJDs (two Jun Planning Ai and a Hujoo Freya) are ABS. I've had all three for years and absolutely love them. If you can find an ABS doll you like that could be another step before you decide to make the leap into resin.

Title: Re: Questions about BJD from a beginner
Post by: Flitter on January 24, 2018, 03:45:39 PM

I got my first BJD directly from the company (Dream of Doll, which is now shut down) way back in 2006. I think the fullset was around $550.
I currently have 2 dolls both made by Volks and a pet cat bjd made by Aileen Doll. BJDs can be expensive and the hobby can require a lot of patience at times but I think they are great and it's worth it.  :satisfied:

I'd say reading Den of Angel's Wiki (https://denofangels.com/doawiki/index.php?title=Main_Page), and joining the forum there is a good way to start gathering information, getting familiar with the jargon and learning about what's out there.

Title: Re: Questions about BJD from a beginner
Post by: Galactica on January 24, 2018, 04:46:50 PM

If you are ready for something more fancy than Barbie but not nearly as pricey as a BJD-

I really like dolls by Integrity- I've really fallen in love with a lot of them- and their BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL clothes-  plus their jointed bodies look thousands of times better than the "made to move" Barbie bodies.

Here's their site- www.integritytoys.com
although most dolls are sold through doll dealers, much like BJDs.  https://fabricfriendsdolls.com/

The price of a higher end doll is usually $135 and some of the more budget dolls (rarely sold) are $90-$120

Or you can sometimes get a nude one and dress her yourself in Barbie stuff (not everything fits)

Title: Re: Questions about BJD from a beginner
Post by: NoDivision on January 25, 2018, 08:43:45 AM

Another thing to consider if you're just wanting to get your toes wet with customization would be an Obitsu. They are vinyl bodied like barbie (and the 27cm size can wear a lot of barbie clothes) but are very articulated. There are 2 kinds of head otions for them. You can either do a blank vinyl head (again like barbie) that you'd have to paint all the features on, or you can do a head with eye holes that you would fit removable eyes into (closer to the look of a BJD.) They're very affordable - the bodies range from $18-$30 ish for the 27cm size and heads are generally around $15-$20.

My first BJD was my soom teenie centaur and she was right around $400 if I remember correctly. I remember freaking out about how much money that was. I've bought a lot of dolls since - some cheaper, some a lot more expensive. It's still a lot of money to justify spending, but I enjoy it so I feel it's worth it.

Title: Re: Questions about BJD from a beginner
Post by: MightyRose on January 25, 2018, 11:03:29 AM

Thank you guys all so much for the advice! I will definitely keep researching BJDs as they are an investment, I am looking into Obitsu dolls as well! Is there a reputable, well known website to purchase them from?
I think that I will also purchase a MTM Barbie until I decide on an Obitsu that I like and want to invest in.
I loved hearing about all of your first BJDs, it was really inspiring. I am hoping I can save for one someday soon! I have several models that I love but they are in the $200 range so I will have to wait.

Title: Re: Questions about BJD from a beginner
Post by: Uninu on January 25, 2018, 11:10:15 AM

I have bought Obitsu parts from Parabox and Hobby Link Japan. I love the 24cm body: it has nice smooth lines, great poseability, is affordable and there are so many cute heads available for it. I have had some other Obitsu bodies but the 24cm one is definitely my favorite of the ones for sale at the moment.

Title: Re: Questions about BJD from a beginner
Post by: Noxxbunny on January 25, 2018, 11:14:08 AM

If you're looking for a US seller, Junkyspot carries many Obitsu products, but some of them are a bit older.

When I go Obitsu, I go to Parabox. The shipping is a little pricey at $20, so I'd save and just stock up on everything you wanna get in one go. But they have the newest versions of the 1/6 Obitsu dolls. I think Junkyspot is still selling the old ones. I've gotten all my 1/3 scale and 1/4 scale vinyl dollsl bodies from them.  ^.^ technically speaking the larger ones are "paradoll", but Obitsu manufactures those too. I'm always secretly happy to see someone go Obitsu. They're great dolls and deserve more love lol. You'll probably have a lot of fun with the magnets in the feet. Not only is it great for posing, but you can stick them to things.  :lol:

Title: Re: Questions about BJD from a beginner
Post by: tulagirl on February 02, 2018, 07:44:35 AM

I really had the same problem with BJD's when I first wanted to collect them.  So, what I did was pick a tiny one that wasn't  as expensive.  I found that I didn't like BJD's because of all the money you spend on them and then they just turn yellow so fast.  To me I felt like this was ruining my fun and I was no longer interested in collecting these.  They are so beautiful and fun to photograph, but there are other things out there I like more that seem to hold their color a whole lot longer. I have not explored all the different types of BJD's, I sure enjoy looking at the sites and there are plenty of sites that offer lay away plans that are affordable.  I just wouldn't buy more than one at first.  It is easy to go nuts at first and buy more than one wig, several tyes, tons of clothes.  You can spend hundreds on all of that stuff and it doesn't even include the doll.  My advice is to not fall into that trap until you know for sure you are going to love your dolls forever and collecting them is exactly what you want to do.  There is just so much to BJDs from wigs, eyes, face up, clothing...I found it overwhelming.  That is just me though.  Certainly not suggesting you would feel like I did.

This is the first time I have ever heard of a vinyl BJD, chances are if I had known about those I may have gone that route.  I didn't really have the time to research everything so I agree know your stuff before you purchase.  They are such lovely dolls, and fun.  I still enjoy other people's pictures of them.  I tend to gravitate to the animal dolls a bit more.