First Time BJD Owner - Advice Anyone?

[Nonnavlis]

Tomorrow my sister will be ordering a BJD from Dream of Doll (Anyone here deal with that site before?). Neither of us has ever had a BJD, or even seen one outside of photographs, so we don't know a thing about them, yet.

This is the doll she will be ordering.

Is there anything in particular that we should know as BJD caretakers? I'm sure like anything else there's a few does and don'ts.

All I know at the moment is not to leave him in dark-coloured clothes

If anyone knows where I might find BJD clothing patterns, that would also be a great help. Somehow my sister decided I will be sewing her doll an entire wardrobe .

[kaninchen]

i have a dream of doll, a tender bee-a, and i completely adore her. the turn around time from order to homecoming can be lengthy, but it's worth the wait. remember, these dolls are handcrafted.

the only obvious warnings i can think of are to not leave the doll sitting in a sunny spot longterm. sun will accelerate the yellowing of resin over time.

oh, and careful with the beautiful faces. too much touching can wear away the faceup. and remember, they are fragile but they are not made of delicate gossamer and morning dew.

[Nonnavlis]

Oh, I know Bee-A! She's a beautiful doll. I love her lips and little pink costume~ The wait should be fine. We're a little obsessed with ordering from Asia, so a few months or so is rather normal posting time.

Sun, gotch'ya. I've damaged a few ponies that way, so I'll be sure not to forget that!

It will wear off just from skin oils? Definitely wouldn't have guessed that one. Thanks muchly~

[kaninchen]

it will eventually. by it's not so dire. just don't overly fondle or turn the heads by the face if you can avoid it.

[Flaileigh]

I've ordered from DoD before to get my Tender Zen girl. The wait is agonizing, but so worth it! Twin-B is so cute, too! Since you're ordering from the company, he should also arrive with a carrying bag, extra hands, wig, eyes and a pamphlet and certificate. Make sure you get everything. When I ordered, they forgot to include the wig. 

My girl's resin has mellowed over time, as they all do. Old sealer can make the doll also look older or more dirty and may need to be cleaned off and re-done. If I put her extra hands next to her, you can see that they look white compared to her current colouring. It's all natural aging tho. Sun just speeds up the process, but it's not a big deal. You can use a UV protective spray, and just sand or carefully clean the parts in a bath. (Tutorials on Den of Angels)

Dark colouring and staining are annoying, but can be fixed, too. Practically everything is fixable in some regard, or can be replaced with parts. Some people are just overly paranoid and spend more time worrying than actually enjoying their doll(s).

...Yeah, try to move the head by the sides or the back if you don't want the face-up to come off. I don't care if it's a face-up I've done myself, but when spending 50$ on a face-up, you don't want it rubbing off from hand oils after a time. If you get the face-up from the company, they will include a face mask to protect it when not in play.

Don't get or leave the elastics wet. They can rot... Eyelashes falling out aren't the end of the world... Elmer's white glue and a toothpick can be your friend... Get comfortable with the idea of re-stringing... And I can't think of much else. Just treat them like any other doll, but just with a higher price tag and attached fussiness. 

[Uninu]

Hehe, I was about to write you but Flaleigh said just about everything I was about to say ^^
Sealing the body is a good option to prevent the resin from staining, I always seal the dolls who wear dark clothing. I had forgotten to seal my first Unoa's body and now she has dark stains from shoes on both of her legs and I have to sand them. Not nice job that sanding.

Restringing is not as bad as it may sound! It may take some strength and be a bit frustrating but it also helsp to understand how these dolls work and kcan also work as a bonding factor

[SuniMoon]

I can't tell you bout DoD, haven't ordered from them...

As people said, be careful with face ups. If you MUST touch them, for any reason, wash your hands, or wear gloves, and do it sparingly. When turning your dolls head, put your hands around their ears, over the wig, to do so. If you handle the chin every time you turn it, you can rub off oils.

Yellowing will occur when your doll is exposed to sunlight or heat for prolonged periods of time... You cannot do anything to prevent yellowing, only slow it. HOWEVER I have never seen a yellowed doll that ever got tooooo yellow. They don't exactly turn into bananas, so don't be too scared of it. Like, for instance, white dolls will just turn a creamy color over the years, but that's all. Yellowing is natural, part of how resin reacts, and not quite as scary as it sounds. Still, avoid sun and heat if you want to slow it down.

I recommend buying a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, if you don't already have one for ponies. Steer clear of face-ups and any possible body blushing, naturally, but otherwise... Clean away, just do it veeeeery gently, cause it won't take much. Some dolls require more cleaning that others... I have one who's just happy as a clam, fine and dandy, bright and clean... Another that I tend to wipe off aaalll the time, because he's just a darn dirt magnet.


A lot of this is gonna sound reeeaaally high maintenance, but I swear it's not as scary as it sounds. I agree with what everyone else has said, mostly...

Oh, and wig caps! This isn't too big a deal if they are going to be in a light wig, but anything darker or brighter should have a wig cap underneath.

[Nonnavlis]

Wow, thanks to the lot of you! You're posts have definitely provided a lot of new information for us. You all are brilliant

I've ordered from DoD before to get my Tender Zen girl. The wait is agonizing, but so worth it! Twin-B is so cute, too! Since you're ordering from the company, he should also arrive with a carrying bag, extra hands, wig, eyes and a pamphlet and certificate. Make sure you get everything. When I ordered, they forgot to include the wig. 

My girl's resin has mellowed over time, as they all do. Old sealer can make the doll also look older or more dirty and may need to be cleaned off and re-done. If I put her extra hands next to her, you can see that they look white compared to her current colouring. It's all natural aging tho. Sun just speeds up the process, but it's not a big deal. You can use a UV protective spray, and just sand or carefully clean the parts in a bath. (Tutorials on Den of Angels)

Dark colouring and staining are annoying, but can be fixed, too. Practically everything is fixable in some regard, or can be replaced with parts. Some people are just overly paranoid and spend more time worrying than actually enjoying their doll(s).

...Yeah, try to move the head by the sides or the back if you don't want the face-up to come off. I don't care if it's a face-up I've done myself, but when spending 50$ on a face-up, you don't want it rubbing off from hand oils after a time. If you get the face-up from the company, they will include a face mask to protect it when not in play.

Don't get or leave the elastics wet. They can rot... Eyelashes falling out aren't the end of the world... Elmer's white glue and a toothpick can be your friend... Get comfortable with the idea of re-stringing... And I can't think of much else. Just treat them like any other doll, but just with a higher price tag and attached fussiness. 

I'm very glad to know he will come with a bag! Once my sister's over the initial 'omg, no one can touch it EVER', I want to take him around. Should he be kept in that, or will the humidity of a closed bag be bad for his resin?

I have never heard of UV protection spray. Is this something specifically for the doll market? Or perhaps another term for suntan lotion? I'd love to know where to get it and how you should use it; it sounds important.

I'll admit I never would have thought of putting a mask on him. Doll people are brilliant. If I do have to touch his face, should I wash it off with a damp cloth?

I don't think he'll be going swimming, so the elastics should be fine . I'll remember that trick for the eyelashes.

Hehe, I was about to write you but Flaleigh said just about everything I was about to say ^^
Sealing the body is a good option to prevent the resin from staining, I always seal the dolls who wear dark clothing. I had forgotten to seal my first Unoa's body and now she has dark stains from shoes on both of her legs and I have to sand them. Not nice job that sanding.

Restringing is not as bad as it may sound! It may take some strength and be a bit frustrating but it also helsp to understand how these dolls work and kcan also work as a bonding factor

I have never heard of sealing a doll, I will admit. Is there a spray one uses?

I've had to re-string my sister's Barbie doll's before when she was younger, so I'm not actually terrified by the thought of re-stringing. Is there a general amount of time that will pass before a doll needs to be re-strung, or does it really depend on the doll and it's environment?

I can't tell you bout DoD, haven't ordered from them...

As people said, be careful with face ups. If you MUST touch them, for any reason, wash your hands, or wear gloves, and do it sparingly. When turning your dolls head, put your hands around their ears, over the wig, to do so. If you handle the chin every time you turn it, you can rub off oils.

Yellowing will occur when your doll is exposed to sunlight or heat for prolonged periods of time... You cannot do anything to prevent yellowing, only slow it. HOWEVER I have never seen a yellowed doll that ever got tooooo yellow. They don't exactly turn into bananas, so don't be too scared of it. Like, for instance, white dolls will just turn a creamy color over the years, but that's all. Yellowing is natural, part of how resin reacts, and not quite as scary as it sounds. Still, avoid sun and heat if you want to slow it down.

I recommend buying a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, if you don't already have one for ponies. Steer clear of face-ups and any possible body blushing, naturally, but otherwise... Clean away, just do it veeeeery gently, cause it won't take much. Some dolls require more cleaning that others... I have one who's just happy as a clam, fine and dandy, bright and clean... Another that I tend to wipe off aaalll the time, because he's just a darn dirt magnet.


A lot of this is gonna sound reeeaaally high maintenance, but I swear it's not as scary as it sounds. I agree with what everyone else has said, mostly...

Oh, and wig caps! This isn't too big a deal if they are going to be in a light wig, but anything darker or brighter should have a wig cap underneath.

Gloves! Brilliant! I wouldn't have thought of that. We'll keep some gloves near wherever we put him for handling purposes.

Will dampness or dryness effect the dolls? Cool and dark shouldn't be to much of a problem, I believe he is going to be stored in the closet (We have a lot of sun here), but we're about to install a humidifier in the bedroom, so it might make it sort of damp.

I've always got a magic eraser around. No problems there~ And I'm about the most high-maintenance as a girl can get, so having a high-maintenance doll around doesn't scare me any .

Ah, right! Sis and I are avid wiggers, so we were already planning to cap him. Is there a place where one can buy doll-size wig caps, or should I just make him one? Should they be made of material to try and block the colour, or is nylon still fine?

[little.fox]

Thats a very beautiful dolly you have picked!

Good luck and I do hope you enjoy the new family member!

[justkitter]

This is an incredibility helpful thread for those of us who are a little overwhelmed by BJDs.  Looking at other threads full of pictures of beautiful dolls, has me wanting to get one.  It's nice to have so much info in one place.

[Flaileigh]

CoolCat is a great place to get all sorts of bits and pieces. You can get KIPs, which are silicon disks to put in the joints so they don't rub together and they help with posing... And that's only if you don't want to use hot glue or pliver. They have both fabric and silicon wig caps, extra S-hooks, re-stringing kits, face masks, etc.

http://us.sk-coolcat.com/front/bin/home.phtml

If you check out Junky Spot http://junkyspot.com/ they have a BJD collector (AsenvaBJD) who reviews their items on youtube. Her videos really informative. She starts from the head and goes all the ways down to the toes!

I'd be careful with Mr. Clean Magic Erasers tho. People have complained that they accidentally sanded off their dolls nose or cheeks by scrubbing too hard. Just a wipe with one for simple cleaning will do.

SuniMoon -- I have seen dolls on DoA that have become extremely butter yellow! They were all French resin tho.

[Nonnavlis]

Thats a very beautiful dolly you have picked!

Good luck and I do hope you enjoy the new family member!

Thank you very much! I assure you he will be loved ^^

This is an incredibility helpful thread for those of us who are a little overwhelmed by BJDs.  Looking at other threads full of pictures of beautiful dolls, has me wanting to get one.  It's nice to have so much info in one place.

Hehe, I'm thinking the same thing. Seems people on here really know their stuff!

CoolCat is a great place to get all sorts of bits and pieces. You can get KIPs, which are silicon disks to put in the joints so they don't rub together and they help with posing... And that's only if you don't want to use hot glue or pliver. They have both fabric and silicon wig caps, extra S-hooks, re-stringing kits, face masks, etc.

http://us.sk-coolcat.com/front/bin/home.phtml

If you check out Junky Spot http://junkyspot.com/ they have a BJD collector (AsenvaBJD) who reviews their items on youtube. Her videos really informative. She starts from the head and goes all the ways down to the toes!

I'd be careful with Mr. Clean Magic Erasers tho. People have complained that they accidentally sanded off their dolls nose or cheeks by scrubbing too hard. Just a wipe with one for simple cleaning will do.

SuniMoon -- I have seen dolls on DoA that have become extremely butter yellow! They were all French resin tho.

Oh wow, that site has tons of stuff! That's great! Thank you! ^^

I'm familiar with Junkyspot (Well, a little bit), but I didn't know they had a personal reviewer. I will have to check that out~

Yikes! I'd hate to do that! I don't intend to put one to his face, though.