Hopefully this can help people out. There have been a lot of threads with a lot of similar BJD questions lately, so I'm here to compile a list of helpful information to hopefully be a quick reference for everyone.
If you have more generally questions, ask bellow, and I'll add them
What is a BJD?:A BJD, or ball jointed doll, is a doll, of any material (not just resin), that is articulated (jointed) and held together with elastic. These dolls can be anything from animals, to people, to fantasy creatures. In most cases, these dolls are interchangeable wigs and eyes. Their face paint are also removable and can be repainted.
What is an ABJD?:A ABJD, or Asian Ball Jointed Doll, are ball jointed dolls cast in Asian countries.
Are Pullips, Blythe, Barbie Fashionistas, Monster High, Jenny, etc BJDs?:No. All of these, and similar dolls who's joints are pieces that snap together, are all "Jointed Fashion Dolls" They are not strung primarily with elastic, which is key feature of BJDs.
What is DoA?:DoA, or DenofAngels, is, essentially, the hub of the online ABJD community. It contains "The Marketplace" where much of the secondhand buying/selling/and trading happens in the world of BJDs
How do I join DoA?:DoA is, most often, invitation only. Current members of DoA can send invites to whoever they wish, but they do have a limited number they can send.
They do occasionally have open registration, but I don't believe there is a pattern for when they do that.
(
Arena Note: there are several members of the arena that are also DoA members, many will give you an invite if you ask
[however- I, knibitz, am generally not one of them
Issues with people I've invited in the past put a bad taste in my mouth about inviting people I don't really know])
Are all BJDs welcome on DoA?No. There is very strict criteria for dolls to be considered "on topic" for DoA.
Please review the off topic information section of the DoA Wikipedia page for more information:
http://www.denofangels.com/doawiki/index.php?title=off-topicSome key requirements are: dolls must be resin, they have to conform to the "Asian aesthetic", they must be entirely jointed at at least 7 points (ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows, shoulders, and neck)
There are some situations where dolls were "grandfathered in" meaning that these dolls don't fit the general critieria, but were given special permission to be included. This includes Volks Dollfie Dreams and Obitsu dolls that are 43cm and larger.
How Big Are BJDs?BJD sizes are generally separated into several categories
Tinies - <25cm
YOSDs (Young Super Dollfies*) ~25cm tall (1/6 scale)
MSDs (Mini Super Dollfies*)- ~40cm tall (1/4 scale)
SDs (Super Dollfies*)- ~60cm tall (1/3 scale)
70cm, 80cm, 90cm+ - as stated
*the terms YOSD, MSD, and SD are Volks (www.volksusa.com) specific sizes. However the have been adopted as universal size categorization for ABJDs.Are BJDs fragile?This is a really relative term. These dolls are most often made of resin, and though stronger than glass, it has much less give than a plastic fashion doll. If you doll does fall, it will run the risk of breaking, but just how fragile your doll is really depends on how you view fragility.
How much are BJDs?BJDs costs are all relative depending on an endless amount of factors. Prices can range between 30$ to 3,500$ and beyond.
Where can you buy BJDs?Here is a fantastic list of BJD companies and dealers:
http://www.bjdcollectasy.com/bjd-companiesMost companies will sell their dolls through their website, however some companies, like DollZone, only go through dealers.
How do you size BJD Eyes/Wigs?go to the product page of the doll you are buying, they should point out at least eye size, if not both.
For wigs, the general rule of thumb is SD+ = 8-9 or 9-10, MSD = 7-8 or 6-7, YOSD = 6-7, anything under that size, you're going to want to look at the product page for your doll.
the numbers in the wig size mean it starts at #inches and can stretch to #inches (most wigs have elasticized wig caps) so an 8-9 wig is 8in in circumference, but can stretch to 9inches.
You're going to want to buy your doll a wig where it lands in the middle. (Ie: if you're doll has a 7.8in circumference head, then you should buy it a 7-8 wig.)
Where do you buy clothes/wigs/eyes?there are an endless amount of places where you can buy wigs/eyes/clothes/etc
Here are some lists from the DoA Wikipedia
Shops:
http://www.denofangels.com/doawiki/index.php?title=Independent_shopsOther "non bjd" shops that still sell things that work:
http://www.denofangels.com/doawiki/index.php?title=Non-BJD_shopsEbay (
www.ebay.com) is also an excellent resource for BJD items
Etsy (
www.etsy.com) is another great resource for BJD items, especially for those who are looking for handmade and unique items.
What is a Face Up?the term "Face Up" is derived from the term "Make up" and is the non-permanent painted on features of your BJDs face.
BJDs are blank when they are first made, and then they are "painted" by a person.
Here is a fantastic tutorial of how to do a "face up":
http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=§ion=&global=1&q=bjd+face+up+tutorial#/d2wa5gcHow to pack a BJD for shipping?There are a number of different ways you can pack a BJD for shipping.
In most cases, when a doll comes from a company, it will come fully assembled in a doll box where the doll is packed securely (either with pillows and bubblewrap, packing peanuts and bubble wrap, custom cut foam insert, and more) and then that boxed is placed in another box called a "shipper" which is the exterior box that is shipped.
When it comes time to ship your doll for any reason, you are going to need bubblewrap! and lots of it!
Make sure the bubble wrap is clean if you are reusing it! Bubblewrap can stain dolls if it has traces of left over dyes or paints from other things it's wrapped before (learn from my mistakes!).
Wrap the legs with just one layer individually, then wrap the torso, down to hte legs together. Make bubblewrap "mittens" to go over the dolls hands, then with the arms down at the side, wrap the dolls torso and legs once again using a generous amount of wrap, the finally wrap the head.
If your doll has a face up or eyelashes, use a face protector (either a doll face protector, or a bubble shaped drink lid also works) wrap your dolls head, around and under the chin, first with a bit of bubblewrap, then put the face mask on. Make sure it is not touching the face or the lashes. If the face mask has elastic with it, use that to hold it in place, or use a strip of bubble wrap taped to either side of the mask to hold it on. then bubble wrap a bit more around the head.
Lay your doll in the box, use the pillows it came with if you still have them, then close the box up, put it in a shipper, and you're ready to go.
Shipping a doll unstrung:an option many people do for shipping dolls they own is to completely unstring them. Most dolls will fit in a priority flat rate box this way, and it's a great way to ship a doll if you don't have the original box.
When doing this you generally have to be very careful that you don't mix up the left and right sides of the limbs.
Unstring your doll and leave it in anatomical position.
Wrap each piece individually and either label them as you go (just on a piece of masking tape or sticky note on the outside of each wrapped piece) or group them together at the end and label "left/right"
To keep track of the 5 loose S-hooks, I recommend using a little bit of tack/putty and sticking them to the inside of the head. However, some people put the elastic and the S-hooks in a baggy.
alternatively, you can just remove the legs from the doll, package those, tie the elastic at the "crotch" and then your doll will fit in a flat rate box.
Welcome to the MLP Arena! 
Guests: 631
Hidden: 0
Users: 4
