Asian Ball-Jointed Dolls

This is an asian ball-jointed doll

Spoiler:

I discovered ball-jointed dolls (AKA BJDs) around 2007 when I was fresh out of high school with practically a full time job and little to no friends to hang out with. This meant I had a lot of money to waste, which is practically essential in this hobby because it's almost obnoxiously expensive depending on what what size dolls you get.

Speaking of which, the cheapest BJD you can probably get new is around $100 dollars, though that's only for what's considered the 'tiny' range. That's right, a doll that stands at only 21cm (8 inches) will cost you $100, and that isn't even including clothes and what are called 'face-ups', which means having faces painted on them.

This is a face without a 'face-up', which usually runs you about $25-$60 if you want a quality one.

Spoiler:

'Tiny' was the range I usually bought dolls at because, as you get further up in size, things obviously get 'oh god my bank account' pricey. Dolls in the mini or 'MSD' (mini super dollfie) size range, which are about 43cm in height, can go for between $200-$400 while those in the large or 'SD' (super dollfie) range (which are generally about 60cm or larger) will cost you $500 and up. Let me remind you that this is usually for a blank doll without anything added, though eyes are usually included. Yes, these dolls are incredibly customizable, which also means spending more money!

You can buy your doll clothes, but it's likely that they'll be more expensive than your own. I'm not kidding. Even tiny dolls have clothes that will cost more than a decent pair of jeans for yourself. I'm not usually one to judge how much people spend on things when it's their hobby, but there's having a reasonable collection of these things and having 15+ dolls and eagerly maxing out your credit card for more.

Such people exist at the main forum for all your BJD needs, Den of Angels! On the surface, it looks like any other hobby forum, but there are some members that are either very stupid, strange, creepy, or all three. It's not uncommon for some people to refer to their BJDs as their 'children' and pretend that they have souls. In fact, some people pretend that their dolls talk to them ("She liked this outfit so much so I bought it for her!"). There's also a Gallery area where people can show off dozens of mediocre pictures of their equally mediocre dolls. Probably the most drama-filled area is the Marketplace section of the board, where you can buy and sell things with complete strangers. Unsurprisingly, problems do occur frequently with transactions.

There is a surprising amount of drama involved in this hobby, so much that it spawned Den of Demons (username and login required to view), which is the BJD equivalent to this place. Most members of DoA hate DoD with a fiery passion because they're so meeeean and how dare they have opinions of other people's dolls that aren't positive! However, even though a few members there can be bitchy, most of them are really nice if you aren't being an asshat. If you're at all interested in the drama surrounding the hobby, I highly suggest getting a username there because some of it is downright sad, fascinating, and hilarious.

Ahhhhh, Dollfies. Is that still going on, then? Aces.

Oh, have you mentioned the gay doll roleplay sex?

Yeah, it's kinda the adult equivalent of girls smashing their barbie and ken together to make them sex. With photos, backstories, and descriptive details of doll-rape.

I own one of these dolls. It was a very expensive special edition doll as a graduation present, and goddamnit, it sits on my shelf where it should. It's a doll. It's nice to look at. No, your doll cannot role-play-rape my doll.

Sakurelf wrote:

Oh, have you mentioned the gay doll roleplay sex?

You just reminded me that I didn't post Controversial Doll! Silly me!

Anyway, the above link is pretty much for posting doll erotica. SO SEXY.

Oh boy, BJDs. One of my favourite crazy subcultures. My friend got into them a few years ago, and I swear she gets a new one every year. She makes up names and histories for them, takes HEAPS of photos (though I will admit they are very good), and even written stories based of their characters. She's been self-teaching herself how to do face-ups too. Still, at least she hasn't gone and made an online journal for them... yet. And I am just a little jealous. I'd get one if only because a lot of them are very pretty. And I've had my eye on this one for ages... Too bad they're a heap of work to look after and downright expensive.

Oh also, here is the greatest Troll BJD of all time:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

EDIT: I forgot where I saw it, but there are places where you can buy, uh, "extra large" parts for your doll.

And I wish I could remember her name, but a few years ago there was a huge drama thing going on with this girl who liked to buy special edition dolls, sandpaper their faces off, and then redo them with sparkle paint and generally just desecrate them.

I admit, if I ever actually bought a dolfie, I would probably come up with a personality for it too. If it started telling me to buy it more expensive stuff, though, that would be a sign to get rid of it or get my head checked.

Raine wrote:

And I wish I could remember her name, but a few years ago there was a huge drama thing going on with this girl who liked to buy special edition dolls, sandpaper their faces off, and then redo them with sparkle paint and generally just desecrate them.

Maybe StellaMaris or MissAlly? I know they've done awful things to their dolls, but I can't be bothered to check who did what. While I don't think it's who you're thinking of, Vampireanneke needs to be mentioned just because she is so batshit.

Lurv wrote:

I admit, if I ever actually bought a dolfie, I would probably come up with a personality for it too. If it started telling me to buy it more expensive stuff, though, that would be a sign to get rid of it or get my head checked.

I don't think giving them a personality is awful, especially since a lot of people do model dolls after characters they've created, but there's definitely a point that should not be crossed.

Dr. Quinzel wrote:

Sakurelf wrote:

Oh, have you mentioned the gay doll roleplay sex?

You just reminded me that I didn't post Controversial Doll! Silly me!

Anyway, the above link is pretty much for posting doll erotica. SO SEXY.

I was doing okay with the categories right up till I hit Horror/Bizarre/Gore:

Posts that involve horror - either the genre standards or other supernatural elements - or the surreal and bizarre. Also, posts that contain copious amounts of blood and gore, including amputations, graphic wounds and scarring, or anything that one might generally consider grotesque.



Though this shouldn't surprise me. These ARE dolls made in Japan we're talking about. Of course there's going to be guro.

Also, I'm a bit confused by Weapons/Violence/Drugs. What if you want to write a horror story with lots of blood that involves drugs and the use of weapons? How do you know what category to post it in? Can you post it in both? I mean, the Rules and Guidelines Post is pretty strict (Due to the nature of this forum, breaking the rules may result in a permanent ban for the first offense, and ignorance is not a valid excuse!). I don't want to get banninated on my first posting.

I think I'll stick with writing slash about fictional characters. It's a lot less complicated.

Dr. Quinzel wrote:

Raine wrote:

And I wish I could remember her name, but a few years ago there was a huge drama thing going on with this girl who liked to buy special edition dolls, sandpaper their faces off, and then redo them with sparkle paint and generally just desecrate them.

Maybe StellaMaris or MissAlly? I know they've done awful things to their dolls, but I can't be bothered to check who did what. While I don't think it's who you're thinking of, Vampireanneke needs to be mentioned just because she is so batshit.

It'd probably be impossible to check now, but I remember whoever it was made most of her LJ private only to friends.

What is Vampireanneke infamous for, may I ask?

OK, question...

What, praytell, do people do with these dolls? It's not specified directly, but all I got was one collects these little abominations, dress them up and put them on display. If that wasn't enough, the collector assumes their doll as a persona to write dirty poorly-written squick-worthy ERP.

Did I, like, skip a post in skimming this thread over?

Still, though... I think I'm gonna have nightmares just from that head picture, Quin.

TheIan wrote:

OK, question...

What, praytell, do people do with these dolls? It's not specified directly, but all I got was one collects these little abominations, dress them up and put them on display. If that wasn't enough, the collector assumes their doll as a persona to write dirty poorly-written squick-worthy ERP.

Did I, like, skip a post in skimming this thread over?

Still, though... I think I'm gonna have nightmares just from that head picture, Quin.

What they're for really depends on your personality / sanity level / financial level.

For rich sane people: Buy them, impress friends, forget about them or sell, because it doesn't matter much, you used daddy's credit card. These people tend to also be up-sellers, who buy out limited edition dolls, play with them once to gloat, then resell them at a much higher price. They get dollykicks AND extra cash for more dolls. Not a bad deal if you don't mind being evil.

For poor sane people: The dolls are pretty, you buy one, possibly two, a starter and your dream doll. They sit on a shelf, you occasionally change their pose, and you intend to hand your pretty thing down as an heirloom. Take some pictures if you're more of a photographer and want an easy subject.

For rich insane people: Buy as many as fucking possible. Get customised accessories! (demon horns, a million eyes, elf ears, tails, whatever your fetish) Dress them up in fetish clothing! match them to your complete $1000+ lolita outfit (a must for any die-hard lolita lifestylist) Set up elaborate photoshoots with backstories and make them role-play! All photographed with your massively expensive SLR camera you bought but barely know how to use.

For poor insane people: all of the same as the above, but now you bitch online about how you have no car or food because you bought doll shit. Beg for money from people. Lie, cheat and prostitute yourself for more dolls. Don't forget scammers.

TheIan wrote:

OK, question...

What, praytell, do people do with these dolls? It's not specified directly, but all I got was one collects these little abominations, dress them up and put them on display. If that wasn't enough, the collector assumes their doll as a persona to write dirty poorly-written squick-worthy ERP.

Did I, like, skip a post in skimming this thread over?

Still, though... I think I'm gonna have nightmares just from that head picture, Quin.

You've basically got it. A lot of the more fanatic BJD owners will hide their dolls away in boxes and only bring them out for meets/photos since they can be subject to staining/yellowing (although I did see a girl get rather crazy last year at an anime convention because someone took a photo of her doll with the flash on). Most times if they want to touch the doll they'll do it with gloves on.

And I think Sakurelf pretty much covered the other types.

Moderate types would probably be more like my friends. They'll use them mostly for artistic means like photography or inspiration for drawing, or even practice in making clothes. One lady I know runs a BJD shop and imports stuff for the Australian market which is pretty cool.

Okay, I'm sorta vaguely aware of this whole thing, though I'm a little afraid to see just how deep the rabid insanity goes. For those who've seriously considered buying one or two of these, though, I have a question.

I do like doll customization, and it's fun to use a cheap toy or something similar to try and recreate a character concept. And I sewed a lot of doll clothes when I was younger, so the customization urge has always been with me. But some of these dolls are resin, right? Something that yellows in the sun. And they're insanely expensive for their size.

My question would be--why not go for something cheaper and sturdier (not to mention bigger)? A lot of 1/6 model dolls, like the CY Cool Girl model, are plastic and have pretty good joints, not to mention are more easily modded. And you can buy these things on eBay for, oh, twelve to fifteen bucks. You can even get anime-styled faces if that's your thing. So if you're planning on modding or playing, not just display, why shell out two hundred or more for something made of resin? For that price, I'd want Sideshow-level detail and accessories.

Tungsten Monk wrote:

Okay, I'm sorta vaguely aware of this whole thing, though I'm a little afraid to see just how deep the rabid insanity goes. For those who've seriously considered buying one or two of these, though, I have a question.

I do like doll customization, and it's fun to use a cheap toy or something similar to try and recreate a character concept. And I sewed a lot of doll clothes when I was younger, so the customization urge has always been with me. But some of these dolls are resin, right? Something that yellows in the sun. And they're insanely expensive for their size.

My question would be--why not go for something cheaper and sturdier (not to mention bigger)? A lot of 1/6 model dolls, like the CY Cool Girl model, are plastic and have pretty good joints, not to mention are more easily modded. And you can buy these things on eBay for, oh, twelve to fifteen bucks. You can even get anime-styled faces if that's your thing. So if you're planning on modding or playing, not just display, why shell out two hundred or more for something made of resin? For that price, I'd want Sideshow-level detail and accessories.

Do they ever do male versions? Because that's what most owners go for. Some of those dolls are rather pretty, but my guess is that they're not "pretty" enough and don't have enough of an exotic air? It might be how some people are obsessed with brand names when you could get the exact same sweater at a bargain place for a fraction of the cost.

I think those things are really ugly, which makes this whole insanity even more difficult to understand.

Oh my God, it lives.

Hmm, yeah. Dollfies are more ~pretty~. Though YMMV, of course. They are also kind of creepy.

Sort of like porcelain dolls.

Sakurelf wrote:

For poor insane people: all of the same as the above, but now you bitch online about how you have no car or food because you bought doll shit.

I'm going to Hell for laughing.

Yeah, but we're all long since booked for it, so we might as well. *goes back to thinking about Special Needs Man*

My dolls pretty much just sit around my room looking pretty. Sure they have personalities and backstories and stuff, but that's because I'm working on my own work of fiction, and I think it's neat that to have a physical representation of my characters. I like to think that people saying their dolls are alive or some such is just having a little fun with roleplaying, (it's fun to spice up your thread a little, no?) but yea, a good chunk of the people in DoA really are loopy.

Raine wrote:

It'd probably be impossible to check now, but I remember whoever it was made most of her LJ private only to friends.

What is Vampireanneke infamous for, may I ask?

Having an obsessively disturbing amount of dolls based off of characters from Harry Potter. None of them look good at all, the most nightmare fueling ones being Fenrir and a house elf. She also has photostories of her Lucius doll and Snape doll boning somewhere. Here's her main site.

She's also well known among Den of Demons because she'd often barge in there to tell us how we have no lives and how dare we mock things we dislike, etc. As for the person you were originally wondering about, nothing is coming to mind.

Also, here's the doll that vampireanneke modded into a 'meerkat'. I hope you weren't planning on sleeping tonight.

Raine wrote:

Do they ever do male versions? Because that's what most owners go for. Some of those dolls are rather pretty, but my guess is that they're not "pretty" enough and don't have enough of an exotic air? It might be how some people are obsessed with brand names when you could get the exact same sweater at a bargain place for a fraction of the cost.

As far as my reasons for having BJDs, I know one of the reasons is 'SO PRETTY HURR', but I think another fact that is often overlooked is that every doll can essentially be seen as a work of art. Every one of them is carefully made and put together by hand, and company photos (while sometimes containing a lot of photoshop ) can sometimes be seen as art in and of itself. There is a woman in China who sculpts, casts, and paints everything herself that I particularly like, so buying one of her creations is not so different than buying a piece of art from an artist. That's at least my point of view on things.

There are, however, people who think dolls from some companies are better than others. Volks is the biggest BJD company out there and might be the most popular as far as 'top of the line' goes.

I honestly haven't been keeping up with a lot of the current stuff happening in the BJD world, but some of the last drama stuff I was looking into was about an artist who traces photos of BJDs (and gets a lot of money for doing so) and a somewhat popular sculptor on Den of Angels who was caught blatantly copying another sculpt. Both have mile long threads here and here on Den of Demons, but you'll need to have a screen name and be logged in to see them.

Also, my apologies for the obnoxiously long post.

Quote :

As far as my reasons for having BJDs, I know one of the reasons is 'SO PRETTY HURR', but I think another fact that is often overlooked is that every doll can essentially be seen as a work of art. Every one of them is carefully made and put together by hand, and company photos (while sometimes containing a lot of photoshop ) can sometimes be seen as art in and of itself. There is a woman in China who sculpts, casts, and paints everything herself that I particularly like, so buying one of her creations is not so different than buying a piece of art from an artist. That's at least my point of view on things.

A big part of it for sane owners is the art aspect. When people ask "what does it do / what is the purpose?" You have to understand that you're buying is a 3D painting. A painting doesn't do anything, but you like it, and you're willing to spend money on something you like that isn't more than a decoration.

Whether or not you want to treat it like a toy rather than a statue is where the factor of "I have enough money to break it / I have enough creativity and skill to change it / I want my pretty, pretty underage dolls to have plastic buttsex" comes in.

Dr. Quinzel wrote:

NIGHTMARE FUEL

Oh god, why? If she wanted a centaur, she should have just gotten an unmodded SoulDoll one.

That doll looks nothing like a Meerkat (I don't recall any of the Meerkats on 'Meerkat Manor' having long white ratty hair or wearing cute little blue overalls).

Looks more like someone with a anthro fetish got hold of the poor thing.

Raine wrote:

Dr. Quinzel wrote:

NIGHTMARE FUEL

Oh god, why? If she wanted a centaur, she should have just gotten an unmodded SoulDoll one.

I have no idea what you were refering to in that post, but I went and looked up the souldoll centaur out of curiosity. Is it just me or does that horse body look malnourished-ly thin? I know long, lanky bishounen are the standard, but that horse end (especially the midsection) just looks weak.