FAQ
– Do you make these dolls?
No, I do not. I buy them from their respective companies or second hand from other hobbyists.
– What are these dolls called?
Most of my dolls are Asian Ball-Jointed Dolls, ABJD (or BJD) for short. But I also have Azone dolls and vinyl dolls from Volks called Dollfie Dreams.
– Where can I get one?
From any of the dozens of companies or official dealers. For starters go browse the selection from dealers such as Alice’s Collections and/or google company names you’ve heard of. To be on the safe side, only order from official dealers and the official companies themselves. Other sources such as Ebay, Aliexpress and recast (bootleg) sites run the risk of bootlegs, inferior quality and getting scammed. If you want more inexpensive dolls, google “under $300 bjds” or similar. I’d also check out companies such as impldoll and resinsoul to start with. For second hand vinyl and azone dolls Mandarake is a good source (they often have BJDs as well).
– Where do you buy these dolls from?
My dolls are mostly bought straight from companies but I have bought a few second hand through doll forums and a few from dealers as well.
There are tons and tons of companies to get these dolls from.
– How much do they cost?
They can cost anything from $100 to $2000 and over, depending on the mold&make of the doll and whether it’s a standard doll, a limited or if it’s been painted/modified by someone popular. And even if you get a blank doll that you paint yourself, you’ll probably end up paying at least $60 more for a decent wig, eyes and shoes. Plus more for clothes.
– They’re so expensive! How do you afford them?
I’m not rich but I save up and compromise with my other interests to be able to afford them. I’m also in a perpetual state of “no money”. This is no different from collecting cars or playing hockey. Everything requires money and management is the key. Sometimes saving up can take months -maybe even years if other expenses come up.
– How big are they?
Their size varies anywhere from 5cm to 90cm and up. I have a few tiny ones (about 14cm) and the rest are 27cm, ~45cm, ~60cm, 65cm and 70cm tall.
– What are these dolls with hooves/horns/tails? Are they custom?
They’re SOOM monthly dolls www.dollsoom.com/, available only a couple of weeks per month and then never sold again. Each one comes with some special parts. As for them being custom; depends how you define the word. All my dolls are custom, because I order them blank and paint them myself. No defaults in my lot. But I haven’t made the hooves/wings/claws myself. Some of the horns though, are handmade.
– How does your Shiva have 6 arms instead of 4?
I drilled extra holes to her back and attached the human arms there. (4-arm shiva comes with two torsos: one with two arms and another with four.)
– Are you pro/anti-recast?
Anti. I do not tolerate recasts nor their owners. People who knowingly buy recasts do not belong in this hobby. If I find someone owning them (on purpose), they will be put on my ignore list. There are no excuses to buying recasts as they’re slowly destroying this hobby and putting artists out of business. I have a zero tolerance policy for both recasts and scammers in this hobby.
– What are recasts?
Recasts are bootlegged dolls. Basically a recaster buys an official, legit doll, makes molds of it, casts it and sells it for a fraction of the cost. They market their dolls as company X and Y products (using their photos, too) but in reality they’re illegal copies and not made by the original company. They don’t have the same level of quality control as legit dolls either. The community as a whole does not accept them and a recast owner can get shunned, banned and bullied out of communities/events. You can read more here.
– Did you paint _______ yourself?
Yes.
– May I draw ________?
Yes, you may. And do link me to the finished picture. :3
– Can I use your photo for my profile/character/layout?
No. Please do not use my photos for your own purposes.
– What camera do you use?
I had my Canon EOS 50D from May 2009 until Summer 2014, and used it for that time period. After that I’ve mostly been using my 7D. But that’s just the body; the lenses I use most often are Canon 50mm f/2.5 compact macro for most doll/macro photos and Canon 50mm f/1.8 for when I want more bokeh and/or fast autofocus.
– Will you give/sell your dolls to me?
No, unless I have listed it for sale on my blog or doll forums.
– Do you take clothing commissions?
Yes, see my sales/commissions info in my blog
