Name one thing you wish was different in this hobby

Oh I don't mind the wait times at all, but I spent a good almost two years admiring dolls before I bought my first in 2009.

The thing I wish was different is shoe shopping! I hate shoe shopping. I'm a big stickler for, shoe must fit perfectly syndrome, and sometimes the outfits I design for my dolls, it's next to impossible to find a shoe I like to go with it.

 

Most of my dolls didn’t even wear shoes until this year - it’s the last thing I look for. It’s hard to find ones that fit right without looking too 2005 jrock chunky or the sneaker version of clown shoes.

 

Prices, we wouldnt even have to battle recast if bjds dolls didnt come out so expensive after all the process

 

IMO, the prices are fair -- they are the results of hardworking artists, who work with priceless amounts of time, effort, not to mention material costs. Art is expensive, and dolls are absolutely a luxury to have and not necessity. It's not the fault of the artists' pricing that recasts exist, it's the recasters who are in the wrong.

 

Yeah, and hey! That's another thing to wish was different, I wish they didn't exist (counterfeits). Or maybe it would be more productive to wish that copyright law and copyright enforcement was more accessible and well regulated for bjd artists.

 

No such thing as limited! Why must all the pretties be time limited?!

 

I'd probably just say that I wish things were more available internationally. I get why it's this way, but It's so sad too. Especially when you're new and tying to build out your doll inventory. I know there are shopping agents but they aren't the easiest to use all the time.

 

The wait time for me, but I understand why the wait time exists.

 

I wish dolls didn't yellow. And I wish people didn't use a lottery system to buy their products,

 

First thing: Id wish all the toxicity away.

Second: Id make it easier to find clothes and shoes in the particular brand of fantasy I like. ono' Mostly shoes because my last attempt to make any.. uhh yeah lets just not talk about it. Poor Ilya looks like he has booties made by a 5 year old. x.x'

 

I wish it was more normalized for guys, I guess. It can be somewhat intimidating to go to meets and chat in forums with a community that’s mostly female, especially when I collect guy dolls exclusively. I’ve gotten over it, but it’s still a lot.

The prices are very fair for it being a physical, handcrafted item. No regrets. And it’s not as if there’s not a doll out there for every budget. No shame in getting them secondhand either.

And I really wish there were more options for modern, stylish clothes for both genders.

I’m thinking of making a battle jacket for my little guy.

 

I really wish there was a more defined term for limited. like some things ive found out with time was limited can mean "only will ever be released this one time." or "this is the only order time for a little while, but it'll be back." main example being the dream valley dragon people. like don't get me wrong, I love them, but if i'd known that limited was referring to order time, and they would be available roughly every 10 months or so for ordering, I might have held off on it.

That and I really really wish that there were more diverse nose shapes on sculpts. so many dolls have those long, thin and pointy, and photos only show them in 3 quarter views, I can't see what they look like. it feels like a gamble if I'll dislike it cause I know 9/10 times I'll dislike the nose. Like I get it's a doll thing, but I just want stronger noses.

 

Seconded on the yellowing! I kinda disagree with the lottery system though, only because I feel like it makes it fairer for people living in different time zones and/or can't be awake to be the first one to "Add to Cart". First-come, first-served has always screwed me over, as someone who's almost always finds the perfect sculpt just a moment too late

I wish doll companies would release more clothing options for their dolls, not just the Limited Edition fullset that came out with the sculpt's release. I'm still trying to figure out what fits on my Dream Valley Glen and Aiden, since they're both too slim and slightly too long to fit in normal 1/6 scale clothes

 

I wish Dream of Doll was still around They had such amazing sculpts.

 

More physical BJD stores and doll conventions. And that we had places like Mandrake in the US so you could sell doll stuff you don't want to them instead of having to deal with online.

 

I think dealers should be doing more pre-orders for a few days. It gives people time to place orders. I'm only complaining because I know Volks lotteries pretty much exclusive to Japan and really inflate second hand prices.

 

My one thing I wish was different is new problem. In 2020 a new tax bill was passed in Illinois. Because of it I can no longer sell dolls at "used" prices like I have always in past. I always thought of the money I lost on a doll was like the testing it out fee. But now because of this new tax bill I can't think of my doll selling as part of my hobby, but as a business. So how do I justify selling a used doll for $25-50 more then it sold for? Usually I offer a full outfit, wig and eyes in hopes it softens the blow on a blank one especially. If doll has face up, I have to charge for that, but don't claim the cost on value. It's made it now a lot harder to sell for sure.
Before this law if I had been asked this question it would be doll companies taking my money and making me wait two years or longer for my doll.

 

@animemom From what I've read about what the tax does, it only affects people reselling items for profit or scalping items in secondhand market. I could be wrong but I think if you're just selling things for around the price you got them for or selling it at a price that meets secondhand market demand, you should be fine, since you're just selling something you don't want and not selling for profit

 

Ah, so many good ones I agree with!

I wish bjds was a more mainstream hobby, so stores were more common and diverse. Imagine something like the American girl store for BJDs, only miss of them; with built in clothing shops and restaurants and the whole area designed to accommodate dolls as well.
I just think it would be fun lol

 

I never said they arent fair, I do believe they are. But if the process was simplier and the prices were cheaper it would be a whole different world

 

Safer spray sealant would be nice! It's such a production for me to work on giving my dolls face-ups, some of them have been sitting around blank for years. If I could be good at it instantly that would be nice too...

 

Controversial, but I wish 3D printed resin BJDs were accepted as genuine BJDs. As long as the print has been finished well, uses quality resin, and has lines reduced as much as possible, I see no advantage to cast resin over 3Dp resin, especially because 3Dp dolls are actually easier to reproduce since you do not have to deal with the hell that is mold making/ finding a caster. This also would help with the cost issue since the reduction of labor would make it more cost effective to price dolls lower.

but yeah, I’m also annoyed by yellowing. I want my dolls to age better than me lol. Natalia Loseva uses resin that, so far as I know, has yet to show signs of yellowing even if the dolls are exposed to sunlight and not perpetually stored, so there’s definitely improvements made on the yellowing front.

and again, I fully agree that limited dolls are disappointing. I totally get why artists limit their sculpts (it’s more fun to make something new than it is to make endless copies of the same thing), but selfishly I wish they didn’t.

 

I agree with the other poster about yellowing. There is something sad about the impermanence of our dolls’ looks. Maybe they’re a bit like us, in that they don’t stay beautiful forever. But it would be so nice if there were more advancements in the making of non-yellowing resins.

Another thing is that I wish there were some relaxations about what counts as a BJD. I’ve seen very beautiful dolls that didn’t count because they didn’t have ankle joints (they were very tiny dolls), or ones that were considered off-topic because they didn’t have well-defined belly buttons. It seems a little arbitrary to me at times. >.<

 

Well if I had to wish for only one specific thing to be different it would obviously be to eliminate the problem of counterfeiting. But if we aren't addressing that and want to be a bit more broad I would say it would be nice if there was no elitism in the community/ people did not automatically assume elitism when it's not there in other situations.

 

@mohnblumendolls : I too wish for more 3D printed resin acceptance! It seems like such an interesting medium to use ! I've heard that 3D printed resin could be less expensive (and no storage costs) than cast resin, and it can be printed at very small size but could also be a bit more fragile so it's trickier to mod. But yeah, it would be nice to see it more "accepted" as it could encourage more artists to sculpt.

I wish for more diversity in sculpts, materials, outfits etc. but I know it's tricky on a business point of view. I think that the hobby diversified a lot from when I first saw BJD, but surely there are still roads to explore.

I also wish to have more talent, more time and more money to become really good at crafting doll stuff, but it's not exactly wishing what is different about the hobby, it's more me bemoaning about my lackings. XD

 

Sadly that is not how it works. If we don't want to be hit with certain issues I have to claim I am a business. If I lose money two years in a row I will be considered a hobby, but still need to file. Come 2023 all states will have a $600 limit or have to get a 1099-K.

 

This last part for me, especially. When I started in the hobby over a decade ago, there was this myth that Volks collectors were "elitist" or "snobs". Since I have grown my collection to include many (probably too many) Volks dolls, and have been engaged in the community...I have never felt more welcomed. It was all a bunch of nonsense, and I have no idea where it stemmed from.

I feel like a lot of times people see someone's collection and make some assumptions about what kind of person they are, and if they will be accepting of them. But I've found that 95% of people in this hobby are super friendly and just want to chat!

 

@animemom
Yeah, I saw your longer post about it in the Chitown forum earlier today too and read up on it, and man it's so disappointing...

This is a weird general thing but I wish resin casting itself was different; specifically, I wish it was easier to cast darker colours so that a woder variety of resin colours would be more accessible in the hobby.

 

Art is never simple, that's why it's so valuable!

 

That's really bizarre. Is it because you don't have a company? I mean, thrift stores aren't able to sell things at full price.
In so sorry they're putting you in a predicament.

 

That’s crazy. The Volks community has probably been the most friendliest mature community I’ve come across. I think it’s how Volks functions as a business that might come off as “snobby” with the limited and random releases. It attracts scalpers.

 

But its cheaper, so they arent necessarely excludents

 

I'll add my chip in to the "if only there were no counterfeits" pile!

Otherwise... I do wish some things were more easily accessible. Doll-sized notions. Patterns in varieties of sizes. MSC, pastels, and other art supplies.

Oh, and another one: more measurements on sites, and accurate ones. It'd help so much to have those measurements to get clothes ready before the doll arrives!

 

I wish I had more money.

Also, I wish some older defunct companies were still in business. I have a Notdoll Belladonna and a Dolkot Bera whom I love dearly, it's a shame they're no longer making dolls. There are also a few discontinued sculpts that I wish were still available.

 

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Elitism. The idea you have to spend THOUSANDS on a doll to be "really" in the hobby.

 

The idea that the community is inherently toxic! Maybe it's just where I frequent and who I speak to, but I've found my little corner of the doll world to be incredibly supportive and welcoming, so people claiming that the entire community is toxic and irredeemable is both sad and, in my experience, wrong. The community, like all others, is what you make of it.

 

@Thespian : Preach. I've met lots of lovely people on this hobby but there is always a judgemental / rude / unpleasant person who think that their opinion is law, just like in other corners of the Internet and IRL. Unfortunately, it does seem to me that the rare unpleasant ones in the BJD world can be more "vocal", which can regrettably scare off newcomers. That said we can just choose to ignore the trolls by simply tuning them off (unlike IRL XD).

The "Volks owner = elitist" thing is something I have a hard time wrapping my head around. Sure, Volks may be more on the expensive side, but surely there is also a lot of sculpts in the same price bracket (and still, it's nothing compared to porcelain BJD) and they are definitely not the only ones doing limited edition galore. They are not the only ones to limit releases to a part of the world either. I don't see anything that distinguish the "only Volks owner" from another "only-insert brand-owner", but I guess jerks have to be jerks. (As Volks is not really my aesthetic, I know next to nothing about how they conduct their business, but I doubt I would fundamentaly change my mind on that subject. XD)

 

I wish everyone would just decide to stop using Volks-specific terms to refer to doll sizes.

SD and MSD (literally referring to Volks dolls) are inaccurate, and at this point, totally obsolete in reference to current doll sizes. All it does is confuse new people (and people who've been around a while but only dabble) into thinking all dolls fit into specific size categories and make it hard to shop for wigs (1/4 dolls are not all 7/8, 1/3 dolls are not all 8/9), clothes, shoes and hybrid dolls.

 

If I could change only one thing? That's easy.
I would get rid of the insecurity that I see in so many of these conversations about "the hobby".

I would have each and every one of us be so confident in our own choices and so secure in our own preferences that no one gave a single flying flip what anyone else in the community thought about us or our dolls. That would end so much of the fear of judgement, the nervousness about potential "toxicity" and the pearl-clutching over potential elitists lurking behind every corner... We'd all be able to say "You know what? I collected these dolls FOR ME to enjoy. It doesn't matter if everyone else agrees with me. I'm happy over here."

 

For me, definitely the wait times! I'm currently about to go into a two-year waiting period for 3 Dollshe dolls. But it's not just the doll wait times - even the clothes and accessories usually take 2-4 months to arrive! It can get really frustrating because I may want the clothes, wigs, etc., for a particular shoot and once I receive them, the inspiration or motivation has already passed. It also makes it difficult because the dolls themselves seem to have specific styles and what I buy for them may not be what they want to wear. So even though I'm years into the hobby, I still have not one fully "complete" doll!

Second thing for me is I wish there were more collectors in my country and that there were more doll crafters and creators in Canada!

 

Yeah.. I do feel like there's a bit too much reliance on pre-orders throughout the hobby. Makes me wonder if it has always been this way across the dolls & accessories, or if because the dolls were ordered in this way, accessories and clothes-makers decided to do it as well. I know things like anime figures also come as pre-orders, but not much of my other hobby/collections do. I know it can seem enticing as a maker to create things that you are certain you'll be paid for (because you already are in a pre-order), but I do also feel like it's a bit tiring as a customer to not be able to shop and receive things relatively quickly. "In-Stock" feels like a big happy deal to see on a listing when I find something I like!

 

Add me to the "Waiting time is pain" club. I'm totally okay with paying the full price for a doll but, Goddess, I can't even imagine waiting for several months for having a doll produced. All the other doll-related stuff also takes an eternity to be produced unless it's in stock. And it's not only the declared timeframe, but it's also the additional delays caused by getting too many orders, delays caused by pandemic, delays caused by any other random thing that will surely happen unless the stars align, and here we are waiting for a year if we wait for a doll and 2-3 month if we order regular clothes... that's a torture for me.

 

@AlexEllery Yeah, for sure. I am now at the 4.5 month mark for an outfit I ordered.. and looking at the same for a wig. I know I agreed to the terms when I made those purchases... but definitely having delays added, and no one ever coming in on a shorter timeframe than quoted is causing me to rethink whether I'll even bother buying a lot of this stuff anymore. At first it really used to be my thought that since it always takes me forever to get around to doing my projects I could save myself some grief by purchasing from someone else... but now I'm pretty sure I would have gotten around to making the clothes for my dolls by now if that's what I had planned to do 4.5 months ago

 

The wait for my first doll was torture. XD

But once it was done, I found out I was not bothered with having to wait for other things, especially if they are custom accessories or complete dolls. Of course, I get that little jolt of excitement when the package is at my house, but since I have other projects to concentrate on, it does not bother me anymore. It will come when it will. Basically, I don't mind waiting for complex things.

But for stuff that is more "basic", like staples clothes, I like having them quickly.

 

@maxxxamillion Jesus Christ, 4.5 months for an outfit! I wish you all the patience in the world to get the desired stuff. >_> I would have made myself sick over that already

I search for a body for one of my dolls and I have a dilemma: should I order it from a dollmaker and wait for several months or should I look for it on a secondary market (which give me a chance to find it quickly or not find it at all and lose time)

 

This might upset some people but I don't like people posting "feelers" in sales. If you want to gauge price you can look into other sellers or ask the community how much they would be willing to pay. It is frustrating when you are looking for a doll and finally find it only for it to be a feeler and the seller never ends up selling it.

 

I would change one thing only since I joined this hobby late. Dolls are not to be limited and can be ordered anytime.
Most dolls I want are no longer available to be order. Or very hard to be found

 

The ridiculous size of the counterfeit apologist contingency. :d just can’t fathom it.

 

This!! Most of these are during holidays too so they expect you to be able to buy several LE dolls at a time! Becomes very frustrating.

I am seeing the apologist community growing on Tiktok and it makes me so frustrated. So many sculptors have spoken out against recasts and these people ignore it. I hate the cycle of apologists backtracking and pro artists having to prove them wrong.

 

Waiting times!

 

Something I really wish was different was how there is this sort of level of "secrecy" around making a BJD and how there isn't a lot of information readily available on the sculpting/jointing/casting process. Trial and error can get pretty expensive especially in the casting phase. And compared to things like faceups and making clothes there is almost no information available.

It's probably because BJD isn't a mainstream hobby and not everyone in the hobby can invest a large amount of time, effort, and money into making a doll. But it does make it a lot harder for people who want to make dolls especially if they don't have the money for a casting company or they want to start with at-home casting.

 

@vanillamarie Totally! I'm working on creating and casting a doll right now and the number of factors that I've had to consider to "get it right" are enormous.

I honestly think part of it may be that people who are doing all those things don't feel they have additional time to document the process well, and it's a tough ask, because posting all that kind of how-to information is a big undertaking (which leads to the inevitable issue of free resources being generally unavailable).

The total number of hours I've put into figuring out the process have actually taken a few months of dedicated focus, so I try to pay it forward when I can answer specific questions for people - feel free to DM if you wanna chat about sculpting or casting for sure. And personally, at least I try to document all the steps even if it's not a true "how-to" so that people can follow along and hopefully come up with specific questions if it relates to them.

This brings up a related thing I wish was a bit different too -- even though there are pretty good repositories here on DOA for questions and tutorials and projects, I feel a lot of the information around how to do mods, general making and making dolls is very disjoint if you look past DOA (so if you can't find it here - where do you go?), or you have to go look in other communities and figure out what other kinds of hobbies do similar processes so you can piece it all together. When I think of trying to create and post a tutorial, I truly don't know how to distribute it in the "most accessible" way. It's almost like my question ends up being: what would make information seem "readily available?" And I don't have a great answer for it yet.

 

Recasts. It really makes me sad that such talented artists are getting ripped off and getting their art/dolls stolen to sell for cheaper just because some people are too inconsiderate/ignorant/greedy to get the actual real doll. What worries me the most is that this will eventually kill the bjd hobby. I don't want artists to stop making their dolls because of the counterfeiting

 

I think part of the problem with recast sales continuing (other than the obvious... it's stealing a design/ counterfeiting/ selling) is the people who have never held a legit doll. They don't see the issues with recast quality. They think they got the same doll but saved $300. They think it's normal for a doll to be strung too loose or tight and it won't pose properly. For the feel of the body to be plastic-y and not so smooth.
When I held my first Fairyland doll (I think pukifee?) I could feel the quality in the touch of the skin on the body, in the joint movement, so easy and smooth. The way the head will hold in just the right position.
It was magic.

 

Other people may have said this too, but I wish the added fee for tan or grey resin was less extreme. A few companies offer it for only a modest amount extra, but it's often $50-$100 extra. I pay the extra fee for all the pretty shades of tan, but I wish it was lower!

 

Right??? I think the problem here is the community this one isn't nice at all. Sometimes I wonder if I'm just competing with others instead of sharing the love for dolls