Soom Super Gem Discussion (Basic, Limited & Special Order) - Part 13

Maybe it's time to ask Soom! I think when newer sizes are introduced the emphasis switches to them. Maybe we need to remind Soom that we like the supergem size. Currently I have been into the new mature dolls in the less than SD size, mostly 47 to 52cm guys.

 

@jessholy some companies (Loongsoul? TD?) have even gone to 80cm boys as their new releases the last year or two. I know that forever ago Soom had the Mecha Angel line which was 80cm but whatever. I know there's other dolls that are even bigger than that (AoD has a 90cm line that's been long-standing, Luts & Dollmore recently came out with dolls over 100cm), but they're not for me.

Hopefully the size scale will swing back to (relatively) shorter SD's. I like the 60cm boys but they're getting harder and harder to come by *sigh*. Although truthfully, 50-ish cm boys are my current love affair and have been for a couple of years now.

 

@nancy_schroeder_ca We would ask via their...FAQ board? It's been a while since I have even ordered with them.

@Iron_Dog 100 cm is just too big!

Question for both of you: Which companies are making these smaller SD dolls? I want to see them! I think my B&G doll falls into that size category - he's smaller than my Super Gems.

 

I have a list of 50-ish cm boys because of course I do. Some are limited or from companies that don't exist anymore so the only way to get them is 2nd hand and that's often not very easy.

I have a B&G Afra Elf (2nd hand purchase) and I appreciate his "shorter" SD size. Funny enough, he's paired with a 65cm boy. I also miss the SoulDoll Double boys and wish they'd bring them back (I own 2).

 

That is true...I know Volks does SD13/SDGr/SD still...I forget how tall my Zidane is but I think my Kuja is SDGr so I got Zidane as SD...I was sold on a certain facial sculpt...now I gotta see if I can dye his wig the right shade of blonde. (Kuja is fine with his fluffy purple wig - works for me!)

I really like B&G doll! I got him I think just before the company stopped existing all together. =/

 

I think Finden (the B&G boy) is awesome. I got him 2nd hand as the company was looooong gone by the time I got him last year.

Rhyia is a Soom Euclase (1st release) and he always wears his fantasy bird feet which actually makes him just a little taller than he is with his human legs. I think he's... 67cm with his bird feet. I got him 2nd hand, too, as when he was first released I didn't have a hope of affording him.

Vasyl is a FtM Vesuvia on the Poison Kiss body but oddly I have him listed on my stats sheet as being 65cm. However that could also be because he's only got heeled feet and that's how I measured him? I would like to get him regular flat feet but just haven't got my lazy butt on that yet. His partners are Macian (Spirit Doll Dark 70cm) and Wae-Lan (MD Aseal head on 5Star body 64cm).

 

Unfortunately, unless the tastes of the Chinese market changes I don't see there being much of a swing back to the smaller guys for Soom, at least not any time soon. This is just from my own observance but it feels like China is now one of Sooms biggest markets, if perhaps not the biggest. And they seem to love ID's, and MSD's. I remember when you could reliably be able to purchase any Idealian during the ordering period. Now you practically have to jump as soon as their up for fear Soom will close the ordering period early because of demand.

Luts has basically abandoned their male Delf's because of lack of demand. While most of my dolls are in the 65 to 70cm range, I to miss the SD13 size. Thankfully, there's always Volks if you like their aesthetic, which I do.

 

I don't own any Soom but I like the 62cm-65cm height for my 1/3 dolls. 62-65cm boys are now becoming uncommon, this space is hollowing out noticeably. Companies -- especially Chinese ones for reasons mentioned by Cloudedmind -- are not prioritizing 62-65cm boy bodies for new bodies or updating, so we're stuck with what's been made before. And it's not just smaller male 1/3 bodies but also clothing variety for them. Volks continues to service this size because they still make SDB, SD13B and SD17, but I happen to not like the Volks aesthetic, so it's getting harder to find good variety of masculine clothing for 62-65cm size. (Girls are a different story: 57-64cm continues to be popular for girls and they're very well serviced by Chinese and Korean companies.)

And yeah, I don't think Soom will be releasing Super Gems or updating their bodies anytime soon. Their main market (China) isn't interested in them. You may have more luck finding 60-65cm dolls (especially males) being made by Korean companies than Chinese ones.

 

@Cloudedmind See that is ironic to me because that is where the Soom recasts originated (or so I believe). So let's cater to the market that also hijacks our dolls? But yeah you have zero chance getting any doll they release these days because they get snapped up within minutes.

Maybe the trend will swing back some day. My incoming dolls are taller than the SD13 so whoever gets to be Skywise will need to be SD17 or so. (especially considering the last arc of the comic)

 

Volks are not my taste so they're off the selection list for me. But I also have a fair bit of nostalgia for the older sculpts (like 10+ years older) and they generally were of the shorter variety so that's good in my books. But even if I was to go with an older body for a head, some of the Soom sculpts that I've liked recent-ish are ones that will only fit on the much taller bodies (like 72-75cm).

 

I don't think we should lump Chinese doll owners with the recast market. Yes, one of the biggest recasters out there is in China, but no one hates that fact more then legitimate Chinese doll owners. In the end Soom, and other companies as well, are catering to the market that spends the most money.

It will be interesting to see what happens over the next ten years.

Now if only someone would come up with a less muscular, less Dorito shaped 75 body, then I'll actually be in trouble.

 

Lol, one of my friends likes the Dorito shape. But she also prefers it in a smaller size (like 62-64cm or so; def not the 70cm+ variety).

 

That's true.

I like to eat Doritos but my dolls aren't edible. There was one brand whose large dudes had BL levels of pec. I was tempted but resin won't squish!

 

I saw those, too. Not my cuppa, but that's the nice thing about this hobby; there's usually some aesthetic that suits whatever yours happens to be. Now, whether you can afford that... completely different problem.

 

Even Luts has a 57cm guy! I even missed his release so I will have to pay full price. I will try to do a list tomorrow.

 

Sartoriaj has some beautiful 51cm boys if you’re in the market.

As for Soom, I miss the Super Gem boys too. One of my two original grails was Sard…. I was so happy when I got him that I almost cried. He’s still very beautiful to me, although his cream white has turned pretty green. I decided to lean into that by making his character a wood elf.

Sphaler has fared rather better in the color department, and Chrom, who is normal skin, looks fine.

 

@nancy_schroeder_ca I'm really curious about the Luts 50cm boy but I'd want him with an Abadon head and the pictures Luts shows on their site look like the different heads were just photoshopped on (and not overly well done) so I have my doubts about what it really looks like and whether it would be odd or not.

Impl also does a 57cm boy with their Model line. I have 2 of them because of course I do.

One of my friends has a Sphaler (WS) and he's a gorgeous boy. She also has a tan Ender and he's a thicc boy. I think she's about given up finding him a suit (or just pants really) that fits that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

I've also got a Chrom head on a FL65 body (2nd hand) and both were WS but a former owner dyed him to have vitiligo, which I think is just awesome looking. He was so picky on wigs though. I think I went through like 4 of them (and I made 2 of them!) before settling on the one he is now wearing (that I also made him). Weirdly he was easy for eyes and took basically the first pair I made (thank goodness). He still needs horns that I've yet to buy as the horns I have are not to his liking.

 

I was just talking to a friend about how long it's been since SOOM released a super gem. It makes me so bummed, because I used to be almost strictly a super gem girl!

I also find myself wondering what has gone on behind the scenes over the years. They just haven't released anything brand new in terms of sculpts in so, so long. I miss the aesthetic of the older dolls.

 

It does seem like they've been re-releasing a bunch of sculpts in the various sizes over the last while. it would be very cool if for these re-releases they brought back some of the way older sculpts. Like Vega or Spinel etc.

 

I do wonder if not releasing those has to do with artist rights, perhaps?

The company's overall focus has changed a lot from what it used to be. I understand needing to adjust to customer demand and the current popular trends though. Gotta keep the business afloat and all

Wistfully speaking, I wish BJD companies had a way for us to kind of get to know them a little more, if that makes sense? I would love to learn how their process works, I would really love to learn a bit about the sculptors and the whole art design teams and how they create their concepts. For example, every once in awhile I find a Fairyland video of the team behind the scenes with their dolls and I always enjoy them. It would also help in the event that artists leave etc, though I guess that could work against them too. Some people might follow that specific artist if that is their aesthetic after all.

 

I 100% understand that some of the old original sculpts are likely very difficult to reproduce as they were then as moulds do have a shelf life and the master sculpts may no longer exist to create new moulds. That is one advantage of the 3D modelling over old school hands-on sculpting; you can have the master saved as a digital file which takes up no physical space (aside from the hard drive of the computer/server it's stored on) and will not physically degrade over time or possibly be damaged by handling/accidents.

I would think that any sculpt created by an artist employed by Soom during regular working hours using company resources would be considered the property of Soom but I suppose that would also depend on how contracts were written. There's also what the market demands of a company for what it makes. If buyers seem to want X aesthetic, then they'll produce that in order to continue as a company. Which is disappointing to those of us that would like to see a different aesthetic even if it was just for a release or two.

 

I remember a post many years ago that a conpany could no longer sell a certain sculptor's dolls because he left the company. The company's ownership of work may not be the same as it is here.

 

Darn. Well that could certainly put the brakes on some sculpts being released again if Soom doesn't have the rights to the sculpts. That's why I said it would depend entirely on how the contract was written between Soom and the artist of the time.

 

I like Doritos and big BL boobas every once in a while. But wouldn't want an all day buffet.

I would love a Bix re-release. But, he's only ever had one and wasn't that popular so no chance in hell.

 

Bix hits my weird love buttons so I'd be down for a re-release of him, too. I'd love for Soom to do a multi-arm boy in the more manageable (for me) size of 62-65cm. Probably never going to happen though.

 

Hand to God I would've bought that body in an instant if it hadn't been 80cm. Even 70cm is verging on too much doll, I only have so much space.

Man not even just the old fantasy lines (though I would do terrible things for the chance to get another sphaler head) but even their old basic gems they discontinued. Can't imagine how hard it would be to find em these days.

 

@Nasa I recently saw a WS Sphaler head for sale. But I'm not sure if it was here in the mp or on a group on FB.

 

@Nasa Exactly! They are too big for me.
@Cloudedmind That's true - I like them better in comic form anyway. But it was cool to see them brought to life!

I dunno if there is a sculpt I am really looking for...my Heliot needs a body but finding a resin match is going to be hard.

 

@St. James You and @overlordu are the only two people I know of who have him. It's nice to see a picture of yours.

 

Seeing him in his crab claw glory is a very rare shot.

 

My friend owns Bix in full set - but she rarely takes any photos since she moved from one country to another, but I certainly can ask her to do few shots of him! Very rare guy indeed, and handsome indeed!

oh folks you can’t imagine how much I miss old school Soom. I was sort of hoping that with mass Y2K nostalgia doll market will swing back to nostalgic trends but don’t see it much amongst the companies. That could be so cool if Soom would have released all their SG dolls in order exactly in the same shape like the og ones (with the correction that the bodies have changed but that I can live with).

 

I love seeing all the Soom fantasy dolls and I for one would love more pictures of them with their fantasy parts. +1 on I hope people post them.

Just chiming in here that there was a thread for shorter 1/3 scale SDs from a million years ago. So if you had more companies to add there that are newer it could help people search for that (now unpopular) size.

 

I randomly asked Soom if they had any plans to release Super Gems again, or if the line was discontinued, and they told me they had no plans to and can't promise anything in the future. So that's ominous :/ I hope they just mean no plans right now. I know the market is dominated by Little Gems, Idealians and the Chinese market, but it's disappointing they've just totally given into it. Here's to hoping we can get a SG release again someday.

 

@Littlebirdzoom Ah that is ominous...maybe one day the trend will swing back towards their size again.

 

I really hope so. I need the giant boy trend in particular to chill out lol (I say this as I have too many of them, but I'm over it)

 

The only thing I'll add to this is that I was at DollNorth one year and Soom was there and had a Q&A panel. I asked them if they would bring back the Azur Big Sea Sprite (I'd been unable to afford him when he was first released) and they said then that they didn't intend to re-release him. Several years later they did (and I missed his order period, lol).

So, just because they say now that they don't intend something doesn't necessarily mean it won't happen at some point down the road. If they see there is decent interest, they may consider it.

 

I agee! Customer input is very important. If you want super gems released again, ask them. Yes, you'll get a nebulous answer, but they do pay attention.

 

I asked Soom for a purple Beryl and they made her.

You can see her here (She is topless. I had not finished her corset.)

Orchid's Blog: Bliss

 

@nancy_schroeder_ca I took the plunge and asked them via Q&A!

@Iron_Dog Azur as in the mini gem? I had wanted him too! Then when they re-released him at the height of the Pandemic - that's when I finally got him! I still need his outfit (and original eyes) but I got his original wig at least and he got painted very nicely by a face up artist I use a lot. So you're right, it's not impossible just might take a while.

 

@jessholy Yes, that's the one. I wanted him with his mertail for a character. But after missing him twice and him not popping up that often with the tail, I ended up getting a DC Clemans to be the character and that sculpt fits Vaynabei rather well so it worked out in the end.

 

@Iron_Dog I'm glad Clemens worked out for you! I did get his tail - I need to figure out how to string it so he can lounge about in merman fashion.

I did get a reply back from Soom:

Thank you for your inquiry.
Unfortunately we don't have release plan for the dolls including the event now, but we will deliver your request to our planning team to review for the future release.
We're sorry for your inconvenience but your understanding would be highly appreciated.
Thank you always for your support and have a nice day.
SOOM CS

So while still a no, they will tell the planning team.

 

I'm at a total loss on what to do about my Heliot. he was a grail for so long and I finally get him in my hands and I can't stand him. It really feels like Soom didn't put any thought into this body. He's floppy in all the wrong ways, totally unstable, his hand magnets are so weak his hands just fall off, he collapses despite being tightened and wired, he can't lift his arms because of the little nub inside, his horn won't stay on despite being tacked. I just can't stand this doll, yet I don't feel like giving up just yet. He was a grail and the money and concept I put into him are important to me.

He's wired and it's not helping at all. Is there a way I can restring the horse legs to go up to his neck like any other doll to help? Has anyone tried this? I feel like I remember seeing someone mention it, but I can't remember. I don't mean to be negative but I'm so frustrated and discouraged. I'm not stranger to fixing dolls, but I think Soom SG is the worst case yet for me.

 

Oof. I feel for you here. I thankfully have the old 2008 God Master body with the S-hooks. The magnet bodies were just not a good idea and honestly I don’t think they should have been made.

I can look to see how i have his legs stung too cause I THINK you can string him the normal way!

 

Yeah… Heliot was a long time grail of mine too, I also got one at the last anniversary release. I had to tighten his stringing considerably, add poster tack into the hands as the magnets are really weak, and he’s still a mess.

I actually have my Heliot on a different body (from the Dream Valley Apocalypse Horseman), but the Heliot body is still in use by another head.
I do think the Heliot body can be strung “normally”, but I haven’t tried it yet. The discs in the hips would need to be removed and I think the elastic will need to be crossing in the groin to make it function. I might try that so he stops flopping.

Doll tax:

 

Has anyone tried sueding? It helps a lot. Suede has to be no more then 2mm thick and natural. Soom bodies are generally floppy, I have sueded Vesuvia and Onyx recently. Suede holds together even DT17 girl that has… ahem… well it’s own peculiar construction xD

 

I have an original release Euclase and Vesuvia (Poison Kiss body) and haven't noticed issues with them but they are older (I think Euclase was a 2008 release originally?) so.... I love the Heliot and Sard sculpts and would certainly like to bring them home one day (Sard a tiny bit sooner than Heliot if I'm being honest) but it's never worked out for me timing/money wise.

I hate mag parts with the fiery passion of 10,000 burning suns. I have a Chrom head on a FL65 body (2nd hand purchase) and I while FL does do mag parts fairly well, the mag arms of that body... I hate it and I ended up stringing him normally without the mag chest piece. I can't switch his body out for something else as he was dyed a deep chocolate brown with vitiligo (which makes him look awesomely unique).

One of my friends switched her Angelheim Zion from his original body (which could barely stand unaided) to a Soom Isha Breath of Life body and while it certainly stands/poses much better, the mag hands drive her crazy, too, because they're constantly falling off. Has anyone tried replacing the magnets with stronger ones? The magnets in my friends hands have fallen out and need to be re-glued so I was thinking it might be a decent opportunity to try. I know you can buy a very wide variety of sizes of neodymium on Amazon so it might be worth a try, right?

 

I have a question for any Cuprit owners: does the inside of your doll's head say 'cuprit' or 'cuprite'? I recently purchased a 2012 Cuprit head that says 'Cuprite' but my other Cuprit says 'Cuprit', so I was wondering if this is just a sign that they were different releases? Any info would be helpful!

 

I appreciate all the responses. They've actually made me just pull the trigger on him and probably part with him so he can go to someone who can handle him better than me. Or is more willing because he is truly worth it, but I simply am not that person. I do agree though that this body simply should not have been made.

I suede and wire all my dolls but it just can't help him with the problem is the entire body and stringing system. I thought about sanding off the stupid arm tube things, but the entire outer design isn't even made for upwards movement. Now that Soom is moving in an entirely different (and WEIRD) direction and the calendar has stopped updating, I'm not hopeful they will ever bother to fix it or release them again.

As far as the magnets go, it's nearly impossible to replace most magnets since they're superglued flush inside the resin. These ones are pretty small so I'm not sure how much I could do. I might have to take a Dremel to him to save him. It's funny though, I've never had problems with any other magnet parts. I have tons of Minifee new and old, Bimong, lots of magnetic pieces here and there and it's been fine.

Maybe the Dremel is my last shot, but I don't want to ruin him for the next owner if I give up anyway. Why Soom why If I end up doing this I'll document it all. Maybe it can help someone later on

 

Hello everyone, I have a question. I would like to put the Sabik's head (SG version) on Dollstown 17 body (old type). Do you think it will fit?

 

I would and it will but you must remember that Dollstown generally has short necks so you would need put a donut connector or use hot glue or any other means in order to make the neck longer.

 

Thank you!

 

I have a question:

Mia it possible to fit new SG female body hooves to an old SG Female body? I understand the fit wont be perfect, but maybe someone has any info? Or tried themselves?

 

It's been 3000 years; I had an OG Sard release that was severely damaged in a house fire, and just purchased the Eulogistic Honor release from a member here - am I insane or did Soom somehow make the most useless brick of a body in the history of dolls?

It's like someone on the team thought the body was going to have an internal skeleton and be made of plastic and vinyl, and straight-up copied the thigh/hip insertion pegs in Dollfie Dreams. Then hahaha oops never mind it's resin.

The legs can just move up and down? Why? why would soom do this awful thing oh my god

I get a Sard again in a color that seems like it won't turn solid lemon yellow in a year, and he cannot pose beyond standing, Soom whyyYyYyY

 

Yeah... Soom doesn't aim for good poseability... I have a Soom Heliot body from the Penetrates Cosmos release, and I had to tighten his stringing absurdly to get him to sit. My Heliot is on a DV body, but his body has been claimed by another head OT for this thread. I am very tempted to restring him again, and take the disks out and just... cross the elastic in the crotch instead.

 

I have a Euclase from the first release and having him do anything other than stand there is not much of a thing. This is with his bird legs/feet and I haven't tested him with his human parts as that's not who he is but I have the sneaking suspicion that it wouldn't be all that different.

 

Ah yes you see, that may be the case with the original bodies, but at least their legs can twist/rotate at the hip.

I was absolutely flabbergasted at these new bodies literally being "leg move up, leg move down, no splits allowed" like some dollar store 5 points of articulation knock-off

 

I have other Soom boys but they're OT for this thread and some of their posing is...not. One of my friends has an Ender (first release, I think?) and that boy be thicker than a Snicker and heavy AF. And not overly poseable from what I recall. But he's pretty so it's excused for the most part, lol.

Soom makes... "interesting" design choices at times.