Shopping Doll shopping in Korea?

Ooh, I'm wondering this too. I'm going to Korea in the summer..
I do know that there's a doll convention/free market thing in April, though.

I think I read in another thread that CustomHouse had a small walk-in..

 

Yeah, I saw pics of the Custom House shop in a magazine article, it looks pretty cool. I have to say, I'm jealous, I'd love to go to Korea! Have fun!!

 

Oooo... does the doll free market event have a website? I would love to get more details on it.


Many BJD companies do not have a physical showroom you can walk into, but there's a Volks Tenshi no Sumika in Seoul (http://www.volkskorea.com/).

CustomHouse's showroom is Forest of Ai:
http://ainai.com/korean/include/company_map.htm

 

I'm thinking Dollmore has a physical store? But I'm not 100% sure?

 

dollheart has a store, not sure if its in korea tho

 

I think Dollheart has only one physical store, which is in Hong Kong, but I'm not entirely sure. Oh, and have fun in Seoul!

 

Happydoll has a doll cafe, how cool is that! Not sure where it is though ^^;

 

hi all

i had been to korea doll shop, why not try dollmore.....i had been to luts , dollmore and volks best and friendly is dollmore

 

Doll free market
http://www.dollfree.com/

Seoul's event just passed [4th march]
Pusan's next event is in 13th of May

There are normally a lot of big vendors like luts etc displaying their new wares/dolls.

hope that helps.
Judy

 

That's disapointing. I was hoping to send my mother-in-law to the Luts store when she visits Korea next month. But maybe it's better if she doesn't know how much my dolls cost

 

reviving an old thread since my mum is heading over to korea next month.

does anyone know the address for the dollmore, custom house and happydoll shops? i can't seem to find it on their websites X_x;;

 

The address for the Customhouse company (with the phone and fax numbers) is right at the bottom of the first page of the website! http://www.ainai.com/en/ Scroll all the way down, and you'll find it.

The address for the Dollmore company (with the customer-service phone number and fax number) is right at the bottom of the first page of the website! http://www.dollmore.net/ Scroll all the way down, and you'll find it.

The address for the Happydoll . . . oh, you know. http://www.happydollus.com/skin/shop.php

Company contact information is almost always at the bottom of the first page of any online shop--BJD-related and other kinds, too. These addresses don't guarantee that a shop will be right there, of course, but I'm sure those offices would direct your mother to the shops if they aren't on the premises.

 

X_x;; thank you so much for the advice, don't know why I didn't notice them sooner

 

I went to popular places in Korea but I didn't really like it that much ^^"

Thought I'd find a couple of stores but didn't, well I was in a goup tour thing but you know, we did go to popular shopping areas so I thought, and they didn't understand basic english so yeah >_>" Not everyone but wasn't a a pleasant trip for me...Hope it is for those who are going though ^^

 

I know about the Volks showroom but do any other company's besides Volks have a showroom or shop?
I know most company's have an office address on their site and I looked at other threads but didn't see any others confirm that there was actually a place you could visit.
I'm leaving for Korea in 2 days and don't know how much free time I'll have while I'm there but it would be nice to know if there are any showrooms around the places I'm going to be.

 

I am an American living in Seoul and I'd love to know too! I've been into BJD's for a while now, but now that my youngest is 3 I actually have time to pursue the hobby and get out and shop

 

I had a friend who went to the customhouse office and bought a doll lol.

 

Necroing this thread!

Help from Korean-speaking people on the board, please? The Dollfree Market website is in Korean, and I'm hopeless. It looks like the last event was on the 28th of January. Are they having another one this year? I honestly can't tell. The first time in this thread they mentioned they have it in April, but this thread is from 2007, so I have no idea if it's been moved to January or if it's something they have more than one time a year.

Also, since this thread is really old - will Dollmore still allow pickup at their warehouse? I probably won't do it, but it's nice to know the option is there if I want.

 

Edtel, the freemarket runs every 2~3 months, up to 5 times a year in Seoul. It seems like there was a freemarket not so long ago on February 16th. The next one might run either in May or June so you will have to keep a close eye on the doll freemarket websibte. These dates are closely followed and regularly notified only within the Korean bjd communities which are usually enclosed with complicated joining procedure. From what I've heard, it seems like it is definitely worth the effort if you happen to be in Korea since the market is relatively big and you will find quality clothing and accessories in one place.

Don't know about Dollmore but the best thing would be to email them directly.

 

Wow...that would be amazing, a BJD walk in doll room!...I was thinking none of that long waiting, but to be honest sometimes I think the waiting is all a part of the excitement!...well, and frustrating as well, lol!

 

Yeah, it would be great if I could hit on one! Since I'm going to be missing the Dolpa in Tokyo. I'll be in Seoul from April 6 to 14th, and Busan on the 15th and 16th. I'm guessing April will be too early for another one?

At the least, I'm going to hit up Bluefairy Cafe

 

Bummer this thread is so old, I was hoping to find info too but maybe new life can be breathed into it…It's too bad I won't be in Korea the same time as you - we could have at least hunted down doll stuff together. I'm going April 18-28. I suppose if either us find out any news we can add our findings here once we're back. I'm planning on contacting some of my favorite companies and see if they would allow a visitor...

On a side note - I remember seeing a notice recently about the Nine9 Style Cafe near Hongdae but have no idea if it's still there.

 

Hey, I wouldn't have even thought to look for that! I guess you mean this one?

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/s...e9-Style-New-clothes-and-open-a-shop-and-cafe

I wonder if it's still open. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be in that area anyway, so I can look for it. The subway stop seems familiar for something else I wanted to see.

I'm not sure about most companies, but I know Iplehouse has a showroom that you can go to. You can't buy anything there, but they've got a bunch of their dolls on display. I'm still deciding whether I want to go, since I get the impression I might not be able to find it easily. Google Street View is no help at all.

 

Yep that was the post, and I looked on the 9 nine style website and nothing says it's closed…but then again who knows. I'm hoping it's open as well. Guess we'll find out…lol

 

This is their blog>> NINE 9 STYLE

 

Cool…thank you

 

There is a show room at Iplehouse!

 

Just to give a little update… I just got back from Korea and I did go to the nine9 style store/cafe and spent a boat load of money. It's really easy to find (unlike the Blue Fairy cafe). I also was able to visit the Blue Fairy cafe & Volks. Although not open when I was there - when I enquired at Freedom Teller they informed me that they had plans to open a showroom/shop sometime in May. I didn't look into Iplehouse although I know there is the showroom there. I also asked Croibidoll and they let me know that their showroom shop was closed but they hoped to re-open at some point.

 

Thank you for confirming that the Crobidoll store/cafe is indeed closed. I tried to find it in early April when I was there, and found nothing but a half-empty building and a security guard who I was sure was telling me they had moved. I don't speak Korean at all (aside from kamsa hamnida), but I guess I'm not too bad at figuring out gestures and body language. At the least, the sign on the building was most certainly not there. It was implied elsewhere that I just didn't know what I was looking for and didn't know how to find it, so I decided to just leave it alone in case I had just had a particularly large fail in my attempt to find it. I've been to Asia several times, but sometimes I still take longer to find things then I care to admit.

To anyone looking at this thread from here on in - the Blue Fairy Cafe is no longer there, as of about a week ago. They have officially closed up shop I'm glad I got to it before it closed. And yeah, I had a hard time finding it, too. Mostly because I had a terrible map and wandered through the wrong neighbourhood for awhile. I actually ended up finding it by accident. I'm not perfect at finding things. I'm really not.

The day I was there Volks was closed, which made me sad. But I knew I'd be hitting up a bunch more Volks stores on my trip, so I didn't let it get to me. And they had that fantastic ice cream place across the street that made going there worth it. And the lady in Nine9 Style was really nice and let me try some things on my 11cm Obitsu, who was my traveling companion. Unfortunately the stuff didn't fit, but at least I got to find out before I bought it.

I skipped Iplehouse, too. It would have been really out of my way, and after wasting a day trying to find Crobidoll, I didn't want to potentially waste a second day not being able to find Iplehouse. Not all was bad about not finding Crobidoll, though. I found a tiny local farmer's market and looked around, and then took a walk over to Olympic Park.

 

So sad that Blue Fairy cafe is now closed. I'm glad I got to visit it once. It was adorable. And I thought I knew my landmarks really well...although when I went it was at night. I am glad that Freedom Teller has an offline store now but who knows how long it will last...hopefully until I get to visit again. Maybe by then Crobi will come back and maybe some other shops. :-)...I forget of Sadol has a shop but they are based in Busan so..more of an adventure to get there. :-)

 

Oh, Sadol is in Busan? I missed that. Oh well. I was only there for a full day and I had a full itinerary as it was. And Sadol was just at Doll North, so I had my chance to peruse their wares not too long ago, so I guess it worked out okay.

I'm not sure the next time I'll be on that side of the world, but I did a lot of doll related stuff while I was there and got my fill of it. I will be back since I missed a couple things I really want to see due to unforseen and unfortunate circumstances, but probably not for at least three more years. I wonder what will have changed in that time.

 

Well if you have any tips to share…please share away… Although I'm not sure when I'll be back I'm fairly certain I'll make another trip within the next year. I really should travel elsewhere but dangit…I like Korea. haha. So many shops come and go - so my plan is to always reach out to a few and see if they have a showroom or cafe of some sort. My fingers are crossed for Crobi re-opening a spot and that Freedom Teller sticks around until I can get back there.

 

Korea I'm not really much of an expert on. This was my first time there, and I really need to beef up on my Korean before going next time. As useful as 'thank you' is, a few more useful phrases would be good to know. The food is fantastic - the street food especially. The only downside being that I was a solo traveler, and it was next to impossible to find a Korean BBQ restaurant who would seat one, and I'm too shy to ask other foreigners if they'd be willing to share their seats with me. I know it's a cultural thing, but it was just really different than my usual experience. I need to find a group of friends to travel with who I wouldn't kill (or who wouldn't want to kill me) by the time the trip was over. I would seriously eat Korean BBQ every day.

It was a thrill to check out the whole doll cafe concept. Too bad it didn't work for Bluefairy and Crobidoll, but Nine9 Style was actually fairly busy when I was there. I know Elfdoll was talking about opening one back two updates to their website ago, but I don't think anything has come of that. It would be a must-see on my next trip for sure, if it were to happen. It would probably be in Daegu, since that's where they're headquartered. And Daegu is on my list of cities I want to see, so I'd likely be there, anyway.

I say the exact same thing about Japan that you do about Korea. I really should go other places, but I just love it. My family understands, but my co-workers are always, "Japan again?" Hey, it's usually Japan/somewhere else in the region, so they shouldn't judge.

 

Dang-it Edtel too bad our paths didn't cross while we were both there. I have friends there and studied Korean for a year…blah blah…off topic…but also was fortunate enough to meet a local Korean doll collector and we met up. Sooo fortunate on that. In any case…I'll keep the thread "alive" if I can on doll related shopping and maybe other DoA members who are from Korea can pipe in too. (But totally hear you about wanting to eat at a family restaurant and being a solo diner…doesn't work there…lol - so yeah for street food and jajangmyeon delivery!)

 

For the Doll Free Market, you must check http://cafe.naver.com/dollfree. This site is constantly update. So the next doll free market, ( 행사일 :2014년 7월 27&#51068 (July 27,2014).

 

Thanks fallenage31. I will check that blog.

 

I will be going to Korea this week and was researching doll shops to go to. So it looks like I might be going to Nine9 Style, Volks, and maybe Cafe Zephyers. Are there any other shops that I could check out that someone knows about? Shops to buy things, not interested in showrooms like Iplehouse/ Are the addresses correct on the Lonely Planet Map? ( http://www.denofangels.com/forums/s...-BJD-Planet-(Google-Map-Dollie-BJD-Shop-Guide ) I saw that Blue Fairy was closed, but it's still on the map. Is Cafe Zephyers nearby or in some other are - as I'm not familiar with Korea at all. Thanks in advance! I'm so excited!

 

i guess theres doll convention every months most famous thing is 'SWEET DOLL FAIR' and it located in seoul and other one is around Busan. my friend told me about this convention and most seller comes but hard to buy limited wear.

 

tears4dragons - I'm excited for your trip!

Freedom Teller opened a physical store. They recommend emailing them or posting on their QA ahead of time if you plan to visit. According to their website it's close to the metro green line 2 & Hongdae station…the area is relatively near Nine9 & Volks. A bit of walking for sure…but not way across town.

The other shop I learned about - Oscar Doll seems to have a physical shop according to their website. It might be a good idea to email them as well. Not so familiar with their location.

 

Well, I ended up only going to Nine9 Style. I tried to find Volks, but never did. That's ok, I spent way to much at Nine9 anyway XD

 

I'm thinking of taking a doll trip and while it is incredibly easy to find info on Volks stores in Japan, I'm having trouble finding information on physical stores in South Korea. Does anyone have any info?

 

I'm planning to go to Seoul, Korea this end of month and if possible really want to visit any BJD cafe, store or showroom in there.
As far as I know Nine9Style cafe, Freedom Teller, Blue Fairy open a BJD cafe near Hongdae, and Volks open a store in Hongdae too. And Iplehouse open showroom somewhere in Seoul. I try to find any information as much as possible since I dont know whether I'll be able to visit Seoul again.
Really appreciate if anyone had info or any experience visiting those place. Plase share any info, anything~

 

Dolls# (dollsshop.co.kr) have an offline shop that opens from time to time. Its closed at the moment though.

There is also Cafe Lemones, they have a mix of dolls and its used as a meet cafe Cafelemones - Seoul, South Korea - Cafe | Facebook

 

Several months ago a DoA member named "fish and chips" that got to visit the Iplehouse showroom and posted pictures here. This member had to set up an appointment to do this but Iplehouse was happy to oblige.

 

Thank you all for the info

 

I visited Nine9Style cafe October 2016. It's cozy place with pretty interior and big assortment of goods. It's like a paradise for doll collector

IMG_20161027_112605
You can use this link The Lonely BJD Planet to know location and open hours of cafes and showrooms

 

@Eirien ohh thx for the info. Can I ask did they sell a ready stock doll also aside from the outfits in nine9style?
And do you perhaps went to Volks store and Freedom Teller also? I will stay at Hongdae and if possible want to visit those places too

 

Yes, they sell also a ready dolls and you can buy choosing what displays in store.
Unfortunately I had a lack of time so I must to choose only one place.

 

Great! good to know that there is ready stock doll, i guess need prepare some cash in case one of the doll decide fit to be in my doll family .

 

Just want to updated this weeks I went to Nine9Style cafe, Freedom Teller store and Volks store in Hongdae, Korea. Those 3 place located near each other. Well for Freedom Teller and Nine9style is near actually, in 3-5 minute walk distance. Volks located more faraway, in the center of busy street Hongdae. Unfortunatelly I havent got time to find Zephyros cafe.
The shop staff of Nine9 Style and Freedom Teller really kind to allow me using the photo studio, altough I havent got any reservation prior coming. Overall I'm very satisfied visiting those place ;D and my boys are more than happy to got new clothes. lol

Nine9style cafe


Freedom Teller.
It feels my boy is in a Boutique for doll

 

Ah I wish I visited Nine9 Style while I was in Seoul in November!!

 

The Volks showroom is amazing in Hongdae. I went on a Sunday afternoon and it was completely empty, which gave me plenty of time to browse. It was a little hard to find since you have to look up. It was actually my husband who pointed it out, which is amazing because he's not in the doll hobby!

 

I went to the Volks showroom. It's nice and big! It's on one of the main roads so make sure you look up to find the sign!

 

Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but are there shops I can check out in Seoul? I'll be for a week!

I'm googling for myself as well, but any suggestions would be super welcome! TIA!

 

I know nine9style has a shop/cafe there that you can check out. ( 301 Gukil building, 449-43 Seogyo-dong Mapo-gu. Seoul) It should be close to hongdae station from what I've heard. Their adress should also be in their site. I heard that you can go in the shop freely but as for the cafe, you need to make a reservation but I am not to sure. I've never actually been to the shop but I heard some good things about it from the korean doll community site. (Mainly they sell clothes and some dolls, they also have like a doll photo shoot set up booth where you can take your dolls and take a picture