First thing you do with a new doll?

Ooh this is kind of a fun topic. I have a whole ritual I do with new dolls...

* Open and take pictures for box opening
* Try on wigs and eyes (even though I'll probably change my mind)
* Unstring and wash all the little resin-y pieces to get out extra dust etc
* Restring and play with posing while the head dries enough to seal for a faceup
* Introduce new addition to the existing dolls
* Generally freak out over how much I love them XD

 

First I have to do this thing where I dance around the box and freak out about the fact that my doll is here and waiting to be held in my arms. Then I usually wait until my best doll friend can come and open the box with me. After I get the doll out of the box I completely freak out about how the doll is sculpted, admire the body, and check for flaws. Then I usually dress the doll, change out eyes and wigs, and take the doll out to celebrate their first jaunt out of the box ^^

 

These are so cute! It's making me anxious for my doll to get here!

Can't wait to see what others post.

 

The first thing new members of my crew get is their proper set of eyes... I've rarely if ever keep the defaults.

Then they get their wig... and their outfit and jewelry.

And then I play around with them. ^_^

 

They get checked for damages and then dressed. Then I put a little slip of paper inside their head with their name, model name, and company name along with my name and phone number. After that they either get posed in their place on my shelf or carted about the house for a bit while I fiddle with them. That varies from doll to doll. I might just sit and marvel at them for a while. My mom was convinced I didn't like one of mine at first because I sat it at the other end of the couch and just looked instead of bouncing or holding it. It was more of a sit and marvel at the realism and fact that such a beautiful and perfect thing was actually mine moment.

 

I check if everything is where it should be, all resin parts present, then just enjoy looking him or her all over, before trying to find something to get him or her decently dressed, then eyes and hair :3
Shoes are optional.
If I have time, face-up is quickly to follow, as well as some shoots.

 

Try on wigs, eyes, and clothes.

 

I kiss them on the forehead and welcome them home. Then we put in eyes if needed (because no eyes in a doll's head and strings handing out the eye sockets creeps me out) and then we look at wigs, clothes etc to see what will fit them. Do a face up if needed, get them dressed, take pics, show them off, though it's not necessarily in that order after I kiss them. Sometimes I take a first pic to share before I put a face on them.

 

After I check for breakage, it's "try on every wig in the house" time, even if I already have one planned.Then I usually find them something basic to wear, and put on some socks (to keep their feet from knocking together, if they're loosely strung). If they came blank, I like to keep 'em that way for a week or two while I think about faceups. I also take lots of pictures and post them to the relevant forums, especially if it's a rare or unusual doll.

 

First things I always do is as someone else said, check them over for damages and then change the eyes. I always have the eyes ready if nothing else before hand. Since my first expensive doll, I then dress them, wig them if their wig is here and it usually is, and then take pictures. Once all that is done, I tend to just sit down staring at them and I tend to cuddle them in my arms for a while. Yeah really, I just sorta hold them and look at them and then finally after a while, I sit down and play about with them, see what poses they can do easily, what takes more work and what I simply can't get them to do so I get a true feel for the doll. XD

 

My very first thing is to do the faceup! I won't do anything with the doll until he has a proper faceup! Then eyes, then wig, then dress him and start taking pix like crazy, especially with my other dolls that will be his best friends or family.

 

For me it's cradle them, play with them posing, trying on clothing, making outfits ect, I usually do not have wigs at the ready so I'm either fiddling with eyes or just hugging them...With my MSD it was re-stringing time.

 

Well, first of all looking at the box and admiring it. Then unpacking and checking that everything is okay and complete. A bit of playing...and then restringing. Means to take the doll apart and to separate the main body string into two halves - one for each leg.

 

The first thing I do after opening the box? This might sound a little strange but priority number one is to get some underwear on the doll so he or she doesn't need to be all naked . After that it's picture time and saying hi to the new doll. Of course introducing him/her to the other dolls is very high on the to-do list. Once all of that is done I start by dissassembling and sanding anything that needs to be sanded before working furhter on how the doll should look

 

Pictures and check for defects. Restring if needed, then clothes, eyes, and a wig! (I would never leave her around naked! :O)

 

After they're unwrapped and all is well, I usually set about to just messing with them. Posing, putting on clothes, getting a feel for what they're really like. It's like a big playdate with a doll. I'm still doing this with my newest doll and I got her two weeks ago.

 

After checking to be sure my newest crew member has arrived in one piece, he gets whisked off to my craft table to get himself a face-up. ^.^ Finding eyes and wigs that suit him come after that, and things wind up with a quick photo shoot, to see how the camera takes to him. Of course, once that particular ritual is complete, it comes time to try a find him a spot to sit on my shelves - a feat that is becoming increasingly difficult with each new edition!

 

I try on wigs, eyes, clothes, shoes. Then l take a lot of pictures.

 

Excellent idea ! Especially if you travel a lot to conventions by plane. And if someone dares to steal it while on display, you can argue with security and prove the doll is yours. Brilliant !

 

I inspect for defects, take more photo's than my camera can hold, do a video, call my Mom (yes I call my Mommy, she is my best friend and she has the privilege of listening to me blab every time a new dolly comes in! ), and then I change the wigs and eyes a million times till I decide what I like best.

 

I normally purchase fullsets, so after inspecting my new doll throughly, I put on their wig and outfit. But in the case of my Volks Beast "Vincent", since I was picking him up during IDEX, I brought jeans and a t-shirt for him to wear while I was carrying him around. As a matter of fact Vincent still hasn't worn his Beast costume. And now my Volks Belle "Song" is following this same trend because she's been rockin' the Cheshire Cat costume from the last NYC Dolpa instead of the fullset costume she came with. I must get around to posting some pictures.

Oh and let me also say what a great idea Silverholly has about putting identification inside the doll's head is! I'm going to print up some labels and start installing them in my dolls this week!

Juli DC

 

- Inspect the doll for defects / damage / staining.
- Handle the doll and get to know the workings of its body and standing / posing capabilities.
- Make or buy a suitable outfit, if required.
- Photoshoots.

No customizing by me. Any doll I purchase will already have a body, face-up, eyes and wig that I am happy to leave as is.

Good thinking, silverholly.

 

It's so relaxing, you know? Just kind of puttering with them. And then everything comes in to place eventually. I like seeing how they'll look and go together with my other dolls, if at all.

 

I had my first box opening ever last saturday, and the first thing I did was to get my doll cleaned and ready for the opening as well as get some friends to skype with me. I had to take some sort of "manly" clothing from my girl (I feel so bad ) and I took a few pics. so he's wearing my girls clothes temporary until I either make a few basics for him or order some clothings for him

 

I like to take pictures of them with my existing dolls, and try on eyes, wigs, and clothing. I also try a variety of poses and tighten stringing if necessary (but I don't completely restring unless I have oodles of time). Then, I wash the face and prep it for a face-up.

 

Have an existing member around to welcome the new member. Ususally the one that is supposed to have a special relationship with the new doll, like a sibling, best friend, potential love interest.
Fawn over the hands and feet and sculptural details
Check for damages & look at the stringing engineering/jointing
See if they can stand
Go through eyes trial and error
Put the undies on
Fiddle with the posing
Dress them
Go through a wig trial
Take photos like crazy
Take group photos
Ship them off to an artist for a face up if they don't have one

 

First unbox the doll and see is there anything broken. Then I try some posings and examine joints, touch at the face and body's sculpt etc. When I've played with the doll for a little while, I start to make faceup. Try to get some clothes or make somekind of uglies on (so they don't have to be naked) and take photos.
That's my usual routine with a new doll. And while doing it, I'm just smiling stupidly..

 

I whip out the eyes and wig that probably already arrived much before the new doll did, and start assembling her look so that I may bond with her.

 

Well I got me very first doll last week and after opening the box I changed her eyes put on her wig. I then waited patiently to meet up with Karla-chan as she had some clothes for me. I'm still waiting for the ones I ordered to arrive but I've been making some for her.

 

It depends, I guess. If they are blank doll, I sometimes just sit and admire their lovely sculpt, but if they are ready to go, I'll play around with whatever wig, eyes, and clothes I have in their size range to see what suits them.

 

Wow. I've had bjds since 2004 and have never restrung any of them! (I have tied tighter knots YEARS after arrival, and have had others restring dolls for me--only a few, though!) I must not be very picky about stringing...!

I will--
* Faceup and/or do a bit of blushing and extra MSC-ing if needed.
* Put in eyelashes, if needed.
* Buy items--eyes, wigs, outfit, if needed.
* Do a photoshoot so I have better photos than the Box Opening photos.

 

If I have the ideas for the customizing all ready, it goes like this:

1) check for damage, put doll together, restring/tighten the strings if necessary
2) take off head, spray sealant, paint face-up, spray more sealant, ...repeat till face-up is done
3) apply gloss and eyelashes
4) try out different eyes till the right size and color are found
5) try out different wigs
6) dress them... in something... I usually don't have the full outfit in the first days and complete it gradually, but they always get at least a loincloth or such...
7) introduce them to the rest of the doll family
8) take LOTS of pictures
9) undress doll again and start on the body blushing (optional, not all of my dolls get a full blushing)

...and then it is usually already late at night and I have to put the doll aside till the next day xD

But sometimes I need more time to plan the customizing, then I just put the doll together (if they are unstrung, or parts of them are unstrung), and put them away for a day or two till I have a better idea how to do their face-up and blushing. The process is then basically the same, but a few days later.

 

I check them for damage then proceed to put them in their clothes and wigs and eyes and get to playing with them~
If they came blank their faceup gets absolute priority however as I don't like to have them sitting around faceless...
then pictures and more playing around~ and sewing them more clothes and all neat things~ C:

 

Take some pics of the box opening and then put some clothes on the poor naked dear. I usually leave the default eyes in for a while until they tell me who they are and what they want to look like, so I tend to go through a lot of clothing and wig changes for the first few weeks!

 

I'm only waiting for my first doll, but I already know what I'll do.
I'll get the package, check for damage from shipping, turn on the camera, put it to shoot the opening of the box, open the packaging, get everything out of the box and examine.
Carefully open boxes (and keep them because I like to collect the boxes ==), and begin to assemble the doll according to the instructions, insert eyes, put a wig and clothes.
After this I'm will put in different poses and play with her for many hours

 

As soon as I have them, I put clothes on. Then, they usually get carried around or set in front of me while I do things. Of course, I also immediately introduce them to the rest of my crew.

 

I Always clean the doll, as they tend to arrived very dirty. I like to disassemble and submerge in soapy water. I like get used to handle the new body, and tense it as I want. I always do first that!
All this after hallucinate and jump around like everyone else!! xD

 

I'll dress them (No doll of mine is naked for long after an opening! )
Find a wig and set of eyes that I feel fit
Do everything I normally do, like watch TV or do coursework, but with them. That's when I find a suitable name pops into my head :')
Fawn over their prettyness
Take more pics

 

Having your doll fresh out of the box is a very fun time! Even if they're not face-upped yet, I'll pull them out, dress them, put in their eyes and wigs to give me a feel for the character that the doll will have. Sometimes the character changes dramatically in those first few minutes once you finally have them in your hands!

 

First thing is panic attack, then I do a box opening video as I open my doll for the first time. I then check for damage and flaws very closely trying not to get uber attached instantly. Then the doll gets dressed, posed with and lastly stared at. I stare at my dolls also, just trying to intake the awesomeness I suppose!

 

First I obsessively check the tracking number. Then I am extremely jumpy at the sound of any truck outside my house. Finally, I rip the door off the hinges to greet the mail carrier man who is stunned to see me at the door before he even raised a hand to knock. I then sign my name as a scribble, and cradle the box with a crazed expression. Normally, I already have my doll-opening posse in my living room, all of us anxiously awaiting the arrival. Then, I snatch up the scissors and camera and get that bad boy open. I usually smile a lot while I'm opening the box and undoing the pillow, but then after bubble wrap mummy arm #3, I usually get a tad frustrated. I always save the face for last reveal. I take it off with extreme caution, and enjoy the collective gasp that surrounds the new beauty. I make sure the eyes are positioned as I like, and that there are no damages. Then I dress the doll with care and put the wig on, and then hold it and admire it for a while. I play pass the doll with my friends/admirers. I take a few pictures, stand the doll up, sit the doll down, keep it around by me for hours. Eventually, I take it in to my bedroom to place it with its brethren

 

After getting it out of the box? I dress them and set them with the rest of the crew. If they got a face sometimes they get shown off to a friend but mostly they don't get pictures taken.

 

I usually take a ton of pictures and dress up the doll and make sure all is good. Then take more pictures and tell the world that my new doll is home and so epic and pretty and then i get those people who think I should be locked up in a padded cell lol.

 

I like to have time to open their box, I have actually waited to another day if I didn't have time to open it straight away after post arrival. Having box opening photos is really good idea, in case of anything is chipped or something like that. I enjoy opening their bubblewraps, put aside the stuff and see their faces. Seeing all parts are OK is something I concider good to check out. Then go for the clothes and stuff if there's such ordered with the doll. ^^ After box opening it's wonderful to just handle the doll and see if it needs any sueding or other work. Find some clothes and try out few styles if anything I have works for them. If not, then draw few scetches for clothes.

 

The first thing I do with a new doll is dress them in an outfit that I like and try different wigs (possibly different eyes, too) on their head to see what I prefer~

 

First I dress them up and try different outfits on them and pose them in funny ways. Then I carry them around for most of the day so I can admire their cuteness.

 

First thing I do, after doing the whole taking pictures of the box and such, is clothe them, which to me is the most exciting part. I always get their clothes way ahead of the doll (I plan the doll out for months), so I'm sitting around with these cute clothes just adding to the suspense!

 

after the box opening i usually put them clothes on, trying some poses out, if in need i restring them and if they haven't got a face-up i do it then. and then i keep them around me moving their joints and awing about their appearance

 

I just squeeeee for a little while, look the doll over, hug the doll, rock, giggle and repeat until I dress the doll in something simple and available until I start making them something to wear

 

*check for any damages
*see if they can stand/do some poses
*do face-up if needed
*try out different eyes
*try out different wigs
*put some clothes on
*take more pictures

After that, I proceed to playing and staring at them XD
But when I do the faceup, it takes me days to do it, making this whole routine become a bit longer.

 

Pose it, I guess - unless the doll arrived eyeless, in which case I first put in eyes.

The posing session always takes place before I start putting clothes on the doll (if I have clothes for them), because I need to see how everything slides into place. All my dolls have different bodies, different bodies for each character being something about which I feel rather strongly. But the different bodies mean that each doll handles differently too, and I need to learn how each one behaves. I only really begin to enjoy a doll once I feel at ease with it, so this (always slightly awkward, because I'm terribly frightened of doing something wrong) exploration is rather important to me.

 

the very first thing after I check everthing is alright about the doll, I would change her eyes, I don't like the 'random eyes' given to dolls I buy and they are usually too big for her. after that I would start dressing the doll and try some wigs

 

I really like the idea of putting the provenance/ID information inside the head. I was going to make a paper list and an online document but this is a good third way to have proof if I ever needed it. Or maybe write it on the inside of the headcap with paint so it wouldn't be easily removed. Hmm..

 

When I first get a new BJD I open the box and unwrap the doll, then I take lots and lots of pictures lol lastly I put clothes and wigs on the doll.

 

The first thing is checking if everything is ok with the doll. Than just admiring and playing with the doll, posing and trying every wig on her. Dress is the very last thing for me because I like to see how my new doll is "moving".

 

I don't have the patience for box-opening photos, so the first thing would be to check to see if I like the face-up, then to see if there is any damage. On the few occasions where I bought a doll without a face-up, all other activities would then come to halt while the head was sent off, painted, and returned.
I then add, or change eyes, if necessary, and find a suitable wig from my stash.
Then, dress her/him up and start taking pictures! To me, the photography is at least 50% of the hobby.

 

I take them out, check them over to make sure everything is intact and all extras are included. I take a pic or 2 then they go back into their boxes and stored away. I have way way too many dolls and absolutely no room for displaying them in my small home. I look forward to the day when we get a larger house and i can finally have all of them out. But by then i would probably have amassed a few hundred, haha. I so need a doll room.

 

Video the box opening
Dress him or her
Take photos everywhere