Volks Dolpa - Dolls Party in LA 2015 - LAX Marriot (9/5/2015)

That's a relief! I had heard comments that made me think that it was just display, so I'm very glad they were actually conducting sales. That will be important if they begin being a part of other US conventions. Thanks for the info

 

Not to add salt to the wound, but I feel I must say this ^^; The harder Volks tries to keep their dolls away from the scalpers/resellers/international market the more this backfires on them. If they play it safe and just be cool and open in terms of market, the need to grab dolls by the chockfull and sell for extremely overpriced value would decrease drastically. Literally, the reason all this scalper business is happening is because Volks is making their product "hard to come by" and thus making it more and more limited/unique. They're trying to decrease the number of scalpers and resellers, but instead they're digging their own graves...

And I can see why they'd think its the foreign market's fault, but come on. It doesn't take a research and marketing genius to figure out that we're doing this because we simply would like to own their dolls, God forbid.

Why don't we see a Fairyland doll for $10k+ ? Simple. Because its available. And that doesn't decrease its value or quality (Fairyland's production issues aside..) especially with a large and more than capable company like Volks, they can do way WAY better! I'm not saying spew out SDs like Barbies, but just accessible enough that people won't find the need to do what they do - wait agonisingly long lines, become "scalpers", pay 10x the price for a Volks doll.

It just didn't sit well with me how we as a foreign market can be seen as the fault to this scalper business when its so obvious. Here I am trying to give my money to you and you won't take it



Something to lighten the mood lol.

 

I remember speaking with Mr. Shigeta at the San Diego BJD con last year too and I totally agree with you! I remember he said to me that his dream is to have a place here in the United States where owners can spend the day with their Super Dollfies (kind of like Tenshi no Sato maybe?). After I showed him my old F-07 girl I've had since I was 15 years old (I'm 28 now) he was almost moved to tears and said if Volks has another event in LA, to please bring her along. So maybe that was a hint for this Dolpa to come?

I know this event may not be like the previous ones but what I can say is that Mr. Shigeta really seems to be passionate about his duties at Volks USA and about Super Dollfies in general. I'm so excited to go show my support for this event and any future plans! By the way, if anyone sees me walking around with my old F-07, come say hi!

 

That is too sweet I love old dolly stories like this! My grail became a grail since I was 13 years old, and I can only hope to get her someday like your F-07

 

Aww! Thank you! I hope you get your grail doll someday!

 

While the foreign market does support resellers, the way to combat people buying and flipping dolls is to *make them more easily available* -- through online events as well as in-person ones.

I completely understand that Volks can't travel to every US event or put out limited dolls constantly -- but if they are planning a limited release, having online After Events (or allowing pre-orders!) would allow them to sell on the *primary* market to foreign collectors, rather than supporting a secondary market of scalpers and flippers.

Keeping a few dolls event-exclusive or Sato-exclusive is fine -- but when EVERY release is limited, and online options are reduced (no AE, no pre-orders, only using lotteries), that sets up a need for the secondary market, if anyone outside Japan (or people IN Japan who couldn't go to an event or didn't win the lottery) is going to be able to buy their dolls.

I really, really love Volks -- but my primary-market dollars tend to go to companies who have time-limited sales ("Doll X will be available from Aug 1-30"), rather than limited-number releases or lotteries. I find lotteries to be depressing and stressful, and I'm just a lot more likely to go for a "sure thing," if I'm committing my money and the emotional energy to try for a new doll.

I'm glad that I wound up getting a lovely recent release (Lovely Dress Tae), but I lost the lottery for her, and only managed to get her through the kindness of a friend who had won double on the lottery through a relative, and allowed me to take over their order. If that hadn't happened, I would have been looking for her on the secondary market!

I think many/most of us are in agreement on this -- "exclusivity" is less important than accessibility.

We want to give Volks our money, and things like the repeated disastrous releases of limited clothing on VolksUSA are frustrating letdowns. I tried three or four separate times to get the recent limited clothing releases, and got timed-out by the website every time. Someone at Volks headquarters *needs* to address VolksUSA site-traffic issues, because it's a known problem and it KEEPS happening, and it's a real turn-off for faithful customers.

If Volks wants to limit the secondary market and the abuses of scalpers, the best possible way to do so is to allow pre-orders and to hold online AEs, rather than restricting dolls to people with Japanese addresses.

-- A

 

I think one of the issues is that scarcity is important to a business like Volks, which is making luxury brand goods. u_u If Volks dolls were suddenly available, they might be seen as less desirable and fewer people would buy them. Obviously this doesn't go for most of us.

 

Sums it up pretty nicely.

The only way I see that happening is if they sell the dolls on an online catalog like most other doll companies do, which I agree, might hurt their business on the long run and ruin their "exclusive and unique" appeal that some people crave. But the key is to make it accessible "enough". Refer to what Ashbet said, through After Events and online lotteries, pre-orders, etc. Maybe keep a certain number available for the foreign market specifically instead of only giving us the leftovers which isn't always guaranteed.

That way, people have "hope" as cheesy as it sounds. Didn't win the Volks doll of your dreams? That's okay! Wait a little while for it to pop up in an online lottery or After Event or even a limited pre-order instead of paying 10x the price for it to a reseller. Jokes on them See? The scenario speaks for itself

 

I am first going to state, I'm glad to see that Momoko is still around and is popular. I still have one of my early Momokos and I love her.

Some non-Volks BJDS have had a strong presence in Japan for a decade+. LaTi and BlueFairy have had huge presences in Japan, in particularly BlueFairy for a long long long time. BF has had tons of Japanese only exclusives and has had Doll Show LE items.

Again, I am going to say that a lot of these issues are caused by FALSE SCARCITY. I am not in any way trying to say that Volks should dumb down their quality of their dolls, but I'd like to think everyone posting here can agree that Volks dolls from 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010... these dolls were also all high quality dolls as well! Volks doesn't have to cut quality to produce more dolls.

In 2007, my husband and I attended the Golden Week Tokyo Dolpa. At that event, my husband drew the best lottery # I've ever had at a non AE event, 421. When Volks came around dispensing vouchers, We were able to get a voucher for: The first release Reisner (for Archangel Raphael), the first release Shinn, the first release Linn (both for me), and I think Suiseiseki (or it could have been Souseiseki, I can not remember which one sold out first.) for Kellyhime. (I apologize now for not remembering which were the DDs released or how they sold. I only remember DDs from a few events.) My husband was not the last person to get vouchers. I think people even as far back as 800 were able to get Shinn.

My dear friend Kim has a friend who attended the 2015 Golden Week Tokyo Dolpa. She drew #400. Everything was gone by the time she made it to the vouchers.

This is not scalpers, this is Volks deciding to sell fewer dolls. This is false scarcity. This is why the Japanese market is annoyed as well. It's just not fun. I agree with Chamillia and Ashbet, if Volks wants to stop or cut down on Y!J scalpers and wants foreigners to buy directly from them, they need to release more dolls to the foreign market. I am sure plenty of flippers have a Japanese address at their disposal. Back when people were getting dolls from lottery via VolksUSA, We Love Dolls, and Kerbey Lane, people didn't need to use Y!J much. In fact, I would often see dolls languish on Y!J. If you didn't win that Yo you wanted in one lottery, well there was always next lottery and a different Yo. At least you had a good chance eventually. I don't know why Volks decided that scarcity would help them. Maybe it is a Kyoto thing, maybe it was economic, maybe it was because the elder Shigeta-san saw 2 clouds that looked like angels, maybe they thought it would make their dolls seem even more limited and in demand, it doesn't matter why in the end, the result is scalpers do well regardless of whether they are criminals and fans lose out.

The people buying 10, 20, 50 guidebooks and getting extra lottery #s has been an issue for at least a decade. It's a difficult situation because Volks makes money on every guidebook it sells. I suspect that is why nothing has been done about the situation before. When there is no false scarcity, it is easier to ignore. When dolls are running out before #400, it becomes an issue.

Again, I want to point to the fact that this thread says "LA Dolpa" not "LA Teaparty." I think if Volks had called this event a "TeaParty" there would have been a lot less hurt.

Why do I think people should get to complain even if Volks might see it, that's easy, because I like Volks. I think they make beautiful dolls. I think they sculpt wonderful and sturdy bodies. I think their dolls hold up beautifully (my oldest doll is nearly 13 years old!) But I think sometimes, an artist needs to have a little polite criticism. If all Volks hears is "Yes, yes yes!" they will think everything is fine and nothing will change, and there is room for improvement. I'm not saying Volks needs to starts having events in every major city in the US, that is not feasible. But this event could have been handled differently. Future events can take into account that the US is far bigger and harder to transverse than Japan, and that for some people just seeing friends is not enough. And while some people are happy with the clothing selection, others are not. And things like that don't change unless someone tells them. Volks aren't mind readers and we should not expect them to be.

I also think it is good to give people ability to share frustrations (as long as it is polite) because telling people, to just be quiet and accept whatever is bothering them pushes people away from the fandom. It tells people they are not welcome. It pushes those collectors to other hobbies or companies or boards. I'm glad so many people are happy with how things are going, but that doesn't negate the disappointments of those who are not.

 

Hear hear to everything [MENTION=2774]rkold[/MENTION] said, but especially this.

The other thing I think Volks needs to know is that, if the cost of production is increasing, and that's why fewer dolls are being made, it would be better for Volks to increase their prices. Foreign hobbyists already pay more when buying on the secondhand market; if that money went to Volks so that production numbers could be increased, I think that would be better for everyone overall, even if an increase in prices isn't really fun. I paid more than Volks retail for some of my dolls because I couldn't get them any other way. If Volks made more dolls and charged a little more for them, I'd happily pay it. It would be vastly preferable to the heartburn-inducing anxiety of trying to win Y!J auctions. I don't want Volks to think we're asking for something without giving anything in return. I'd give more money just to have peace of mind that I'd actually get what I wanted.

 

Lots of really interesting points being brought up again ...

[MENTION=2774]rkold[/MENTION] -- You are totally correct. If Volks had called this little shindig a "Tea Party" or some other name and not called it Dolpa, I think people would have had a completely different view going in. That word "Dolpa" just implies there will be a lottery/limited doll/outfits/shoes based on past history. Who knows, maybe at one point they thought they were going to bring dolls and then something changed? I guess we may never know.

[MENTION=42218]snowgray[/MENTION] -- Me too. I would happily pay more to get the doll directly from Volks instead of from YJ or eBay. And I would be willing to wait for it if it took longer than the average release.

Yeah … Dolpa 33 was a really hard Dolpa for everyone, I think. We had number 627. Both YoSDs, the Miku outfit were still available but the DD and Ami was gone. At 400, Ami should have been there. Sad. My friends had 400 at HT Kyoto Dolpa 11 and they had run out of Hijikata and Okita too. They were heartbroken.

What I would love to see is Volks doing pre-orders for a few high demand dolls (Lorina, Alice, insert handsome boy doll name here, etc …), for the international market. It could be through some event, or just offer it through the website. I know people were guaranteed to get the dolls from HT Kyoto Dolpa 11 if you attended the hotel event the night before but it would be really nice to see that opened to the international market, like we see with some of the Dollfie Dreams. I realize the production method of Super Dollfie vs Dollfie Dream is different, but I know I would be willing to wait for a doll I really wanted if Volks offered it for pre-order.

 

Volks did a pre-order for SDGou Yukinojo for the May 2012 Dolpa; I happily ordered him because I liked having a "sure thing." I do wonder why they haven't done it again; I suppose it depended on how many orders they got? (I'd like to know if he was not so popular.)

Maybe Volks is also concerned about being stuck with limited editions that don't sell out? Cyborg Isao and Chika, Devilman and Satan, Shizu Darling and Kondo are still available on the Volks Japan site. The old Standards seemed to languish at Volks USA before the store closure; maybe they did in Japan as well, hence the new Standards being doled out so sparingly.

 

But then, Volks' Dolpa credit card system wouldn't work with my foreign card, even though I had used it the day before at a Sumika to buy the guidebooks, so I wasn't even able to get the doll. Sometimes, Volks and technology just don't mix.

It seems like Volks is moving in a slightly different direction with the last Kyoto Dolpa. Lots of one-offs that could only be won by lottery, so not very appealing to scalpers and then the Dear SD, which while they were also sold by lottery to the attendees, Volks announced that they would be available in the future as coordinate models, so easier to acquire.

I do agree that limited time, international pre-orders would probably be the best route though to cut down on scalpers and please as many customers as possible, while still keeping their dolls fairly exclusive.

 

[MENTION=2774]rkold[/MENTION]

You bring up a lot of really good points! I don't know what you mean by false scarcity though. Isn't scarcity as a concept by luxury companies always false?

@_@; These dolls are scarce because Volks is making them scarce, for whatever reason. I totally had no idea that the scarcity had changed so much from 2007 until now though. u_u They do seem much more difficult to attain lately though.

And I think it's good to share potential ways that Volks could improve their customer experience, for sure. As a luxury good company, they need to take care that their customers feel valued & cared for.

 

Yeap, the joys and vagaries of using credit cards Internationally. I had to help Red Rosin at the BtSSB store in Kobe during the Kobe Cruise when her credit card didn't work either. >>;

But my point still stands, there is something wrong when people with #400 at a Dolpa can not get Ami or Hijikata or Okita. 400 at a Dolpa Should be a good #! It means at least 10% of people attending could get their doll. I'm not even saying there needs to be enough for 50% of people, but not having enough for 10%? That is a problem. This is not a Sato event, which gets ~1300 at the most or an AE. Dolpas easily get 4,000+

I think lots of One-Offs are also less appealing to buyers though. A lot of people like customizing their dolls, and it's one thing to wipe the default make-up on an Ami or Nagisa or Reisner, it's completely different with a One-Off where you are also partially paying for a name brand face up. (I am not trying to impinge on the quality of a default face-up but I think we can all agree they are not the same as a One Off.)

And in the case of this event, if you're not in the Tea Party, you're out of luck for One-Offs.

I'd love to see foreigners have the chance to apply to go on a cruise again. Even if just 2 or 3 spots were held for foreign applicants it would be nice. Not many people would go, it's expensive going to Japan (on top of the price of the cruise) and just like a Japanese fan you need to figure out how to get to your destination. But I think it would be nice. I don't feel like the spots Red Rosin and I took greatly hurt the Japanese fans and we did not receive or ask for any sort of tour guide or help.

Limited Time Order and Pre-orders are nice, because then Volks doesn't end up with leftovers. And yeah, there have always been Dolpa LEs that are flops. It's hard to figureThey only make what is required. And let's be fair, many foreign doll fans are extremely patient when waiting for items they want. LaTi generally has a 3-6 month delay for dolls. I waited 9 months for my Dollflowers and that is nothing compared to the wait people had recently. I agree with SnowGray, I think if prices went up foreigners would understand and would pay more.

These are luxury items not LUXURY items. This is like picking to have granite countertops and stainless steel appliances but this is not the even the equivalent of a Viking fridge. These dolls are not necessities but they are not beyond the pale of prices for adults.

I say this is a false scarcity because Volks is controlling how many dolls are produced and have the means and ability to produce more. They are just picking not to. There actually isn't a false scarcity on many luxury goods, except in that there are a limited # of people who can afford to buy them or if there is a natural limit. This is not a natural limit. Standards should be available so that when someone visits a Volks they have the chance to see one and buy one in person. Volks managed to do this in the past, and while their older standard SDs were not as nice as the newest ones IMHO, they weren't slouches either! Secretly, I rather like Mimi still.

 

I think there are a few different types of business models, but I think Volks definitely focuses on serving a smaller, higher quality crowd, rather than aiming to appease everyone with low prices. And one of the principles of selling when it comes to luxury goods is having a higher demand and scarce supply. I agree with you, there is definitely a false scarcity that has been created by the company, but I think that's definitely intentional and not accidental. It's probably part of Volks' business decisions, which are theirs to make ofc. LOL And ours/their customers' to critique.

I think we all feel that standards should be available to us, but in reality...it's their company. Their decisions are theirs to make, and if they never want to stock their standards....I mean, I guess that just means that even their standards are high in demand. @_@;; Diamonds are another good example of a false scarcity. It's a pretty common resource that's been monopolized. We're made to think it's rare & valuable.

I share your sentiment about one-offs. And about some standards. I really want a suntan Elena -- even though she doesn't normally come in that color, she's a standard mold. Haha. Mimi is adorable too.

 

I think those particular dolls are interesting examples. Chika is adorable so I have no idea why she's there... Did she have two releases before this? But the Devilman characters are pretty far away from the usual Volks cutesy aesthetic, and they didn't come with the SDMidi body that fits their heads better, so buyers had to go after a whole second doll for the body, which is a pain. Kondo is also pretty far away from Volks' usual guy look. He also came out at Kyoto 10, which had RG Okita (who sold out very quickly) and Saito Hajime (who was leftover for a short amount of time but eventually sold out too), so that particular Dolpa already had a lot of boy dolls going on. Shizu is really different from her original release, which was popular; the changes to her eyewells may be what is making her less popular.

Please help me remember, but it seems like Kyoto 10 was the last Dolpa with new original dolls before this year of rereleases? Maybe Volks thought they had a bad run with Dolpa 30 (which is where the Yos and Devilman dolls are from) and then Kyoto 10, when it was more like a few unpopular dolls in a row? :/

 

At the HT Dolpa Kyoto 11, a couple of people who actually did get their hands on Okita felt that his quality was not up to Volk's usual standards and that it seemed like a rush production. I wonder if Volks is having some sort of production issue and for some reason are not able to produce dolls in their normal quantities. If they are purposely limiting the number of dolls they produce, then I wouldn't expect to see quality issues since they would have more time to prepare each doll.

 

As with any other product, leftovers are inevitable. Its just that companies try to minimise them as much as possible. In general, it is bad for a business to generate a lot of surplus, but it is also bad for companies to have an undersupply of products, which leads to unsatisfied customers, and thats just dangerous waters from there. Its common business practice to create a balance between the two, and for a big multi-faceted company such as Volks, its very silly to think that they're afraid of having too many leftovers. I'm not saying your point is silly, I agree with you on that and think that it may be why they're doing the things they do, but its silly because they're capable of doing some level of market research and figure out how to create that balance. Figure out what people like and what people don't like and take appropriate measures. Remember, Volks is not just a doll company. Its a hobby company, and I think these leftover's costs can be manageable and covered by their many other products and sources of revenue if worse comes to worst.

I'm not saying this expecting Volks to just provide and churn out dolls that are appealing to the main audience and main audience only (i.e. cutesy, girl dolls) because I'm aware this hobby involves a lot of artistic ideology and freedom of expression is what I and a lot of other people love about it, whether that be from the artist/sculptor's perspective or the customer.

But what if there are leftovers? To that I say, so what? There's more than enough ways to make use of that, they're not playing their cards right.
1) After Event lotteries 2) Auction 3) Hold a contest/giveaway - This is an excellent marketing strategy and is sure to win them a lot of customer satisfaction because when a company does a giveaway, it generally 1) spreads awareness (not that Volks needs any "recognition" per se, but with the way things are and the issues in the past, they need it) 2) improves consumer loyalty because who doesn't love free stuff? 4) Hold contests regularly - The DWC is great, but its one huge event in a year with gaps in between (two year gap in between?). What I'm thinking of is like small fan art contests, maybe a naming contest or something along those lines, done in a couple of months intervals. This engages the consumers with the company on a higher level, makes them feel like their opinion/voices matters or that they're becoming a part of the dollfie production.

These are just things I could think of at the top of my head, but there could be more!

I was actually a little sad when I saw the DearSDs go up on Y!J so fast Why would you buy it if you're gonna sell it that evening?! Grrrrr. I do not like scalpers. :')

 

I do think it's normal for any company to create a surplus of products. It might be more of a hassle for them to ship LE dolls that don't sell out at the LA dolpa back to JP, so maybe that's partially why they're bringing less.

 

I've actually been wondering about this too, either that or if they are short staffed. My Mami arrived with scratches on her face for example. From the Dollfie Dream front, which should be easier to produce, they've had consistent delays in shipping over the last year or so. Which seemed to coincide with the reduction in the number of winners. There have also been structural issues with the Dollfie Dream III skeleton with the cracking shoulders/hips and I actually had a foot snap off recently. Nothing stressful had happened to the doll. She'd really only been sitting or in a stand, with her foot occasionally pointed down without twisting.

Though, I was talking about this thread with someone the other day and they said it has felt like there have been more events in general.

But, when I said I thought it might be staffing numbers, my main example is http://www.volks.co.jp/macrossf/special_development06/ where it looks like there are 4-5 people examining all of the items based on the number of chairs. Again here https://www.volks.co.jp/miku/special_development09/ it looks like there are about 5 people (counting from the pictures) assembling all of the Miku packs.

 

Hmm.....
[MENTION=62696]misskale[/MENTION] I have a friend who does production with factories, and he says that production quality varies wildly from factory to factory. It's possible that they switched factories and are trying to get everyone up to speed.

 

If they'd do pre-orders, they'd know exactly how many to bring.
But, ah, such logic is a mere flight of fancy. Nevah gonna happen.

 

THIS! Though in general, most surplus LEs sell out eventually. I remember Amakusa Shirou and Eden stuck around for a very long time, particularly in Sato, but eventually they did sell out. It was actually sort of nice because it gave buyers a chance to really see what a LE doll looked like in person so they could really think about the purchase.

I suspect Isao, Chika and even the Devilman Yos stuck around for a while because I've noticed Japanese fans tend to have a short memory when it comes to anime favorites. A character has to be truly beloved to last more than a year after their show stops airing in the NewType/Animage/Animedia polls. If instead they'd done Chiyo cosplaying Card Captor Sakura or Nausicaa, or Rei or Asuka, I suspect she would have sold better. I was recently going through old Anime magazines to donate and/or recycle and it was just amazing to see the differences in top characters between '05 and '09. If the mold really speaks to buyers that will overcome the lack of interest in older shows/characters, but Isao and Chika were both previously released and I agree with snowgray that the Devilman Yos would have been better as SDMidis.

I've not forgotten the discussion on false scarcity. I'm just trying to think about what I want to say. I do agree with some of your points OrangeDiscord, I just also think... unless an item is "LE" outside of diamonds there actually usually isn't false scarcity with luxury goods. I could go to BMW and buy myself a 50k car if I had the money or wanted to overwhelm myself in debt. Sometimes the wealthy must wait, I read in the NYTimes there has been quite a demand for private planes with the 1%ers making delays in production, but they can all buy them. Volks needs to take a page from DeBeer's playbook if they want to go this route and try to figure out how to convince us all that nothing says "High School Graduation" or write some songs about how SD-13s are an artist's best friend.

 

A couple of months ago when they were still revealing what they were bringing to this Dolpa I thought they would do a pre-order. Then Volks wouldn't have to worry about bringing too many dolls. Two weeks ago I also hoped/believed/prayed that they would release a surprise pre-order. Kind of a "but that's not all!!" feeling but maybe they will do something at the event itself.

 

Did anyone understand the line up info I'm lost so they pick a number this person goes to the front that's it. It lost me after that. Do we go in order of that person number or start from one onward.

 

I think that the way it works is that we get there between 9-9:30am and form a rough line. Vollks staff comes along that line and hands out numbers. Then, once all the numbers are handed out, they pulls a random number and we line up as if that number were #1. So, let's say that Volks hands out 200 numbers and pulls #156. We'd then line up starting at #156, going up from there and after #200, #1 would get behind them and then the rest through #155. It's a weird method, but I guess that it's cut down on the line chaos for them.

 

So, we line up, are given numbers in order, then they draw one number to "reset" the beginning of the line, but the order stays the same? Or they continue drawing random numbers and completely reform the line, but not in any numerical order? The first way doesn't really seem to allow equal opportunity/discourage a line, but the second way seems way convoluted.

It would seem simpler for people just to draw numbers randomly then line up in order by the number they drew, which is how I thought it worked (and achieves the same objectives), but whatever. Live and learn.

 

At the store opening in November 2005, everyone in line outside the store had to draw a number, and then the line was rearranged accordingly. That may be what they're trying to say now, but in typical Volksian speak, it's not coming across.

 

That's how they do it in Japan, correct? You draw a number, then get in line according to that number (like Southwest Airlines, in a manner of speaking). That makes sense.

I can't speak to the line getting in the vendor room in 2007, as I was already inside at a table...did they do the same thing? Or was it just a "first come/first served" line like it seemed?

 

In 2007 I just lined up at the very end since I was late (and didn't care about getting in first anyway!). Everyone seemed to get into the room pretty quickly, so it wasn't a big deal, I thought.

 

Kellyhime is correct. I've been to japanese dolpas where this has been done. It's easier than it sounds. Say 50 people are in line, and they are given numbers 1 - 50. A random number is drawn by the Volks staff to determine where the beginning of the line will start. Say the number 20 is drawn. What happens then is that numbers 1-19 are shuffled to the end of the line in order. So the line now starts with number 20,21,22...49,50,1,2,3,4,5,6...19. Does that make sense? It's actually a very clever thing to do because it keeps people from lining up too early and fighting about who's first in line. Technically, you really don't want to be first in line because odds are very very low that you'll end up staying first in line. Although oddly enough, I was at one Dolpa where the number drawn was something like three or four, so it was only the first couple people that ended up going to the back of the line and everybody else stayed where they were. It is very unusual to have that happen, though.

 

With my luck, I would get number 1, and number 2 would be the number they start the line with. Lol.

 

Just checked out the hotel parking rate, it's pretty high, but I guess that's LAX. I haven't been to LAX in some time, should I anticipate traffic that early on a Saturday morning coming in from Orange County? Are people car pooling for this?

 

I'm making sure to leave early to avoid any real traffic, even if Anaheim isn't too far. Goodness, just checked that parking fee, why Marriott, why?

On a more on topic note, I can't wait for Saturday. I've already packed my girl up, am so excited.

 

You should leave early as it's going to be Labor Day Weekend this weekend, so it's going to be a little more crazy than usual.

 

I am so exciting to join my first dolls party in LA!

 

Where are people finding the parking rate for the Marriot? I found a third party website that allows reservations for the Marriot parking lot, but they haven't answered my query as to if they allow in and out privileges... I won't be staying at the hotel, just driving in Saturday and Sunday.

 

Website says $34.10, which is insane, but I don't recall paying anywhere near that much during Gallifrey. It's possible the Dollpa has a reduced rate as well.

 

I found the daily parking rate on the hotel's site, the rate is pretty crazy, almost make it worth it to start a carpool thread for the people who will only be driving there for the Dolpa.

It would be nice if the Dolpa has a special parking rate, then we could spend more money on doll stuff

Thanks for the reminder about Labor Day weekend

 

I'm sorry, but how much is the parking fee? I'm seeing $8 USD on the website for self-parking at the Marriott.

 

There also might be this possibility for parking (I'm not sure if they require people to be flying in/out of LAX to use it). It's their "Airport Storage Rate." No in-and-out privileges, but it's a lot less expensive. From the site:

[h=3]If I'm a guest of the hotel, can I use this parking?
[/h]Yes, however, this is Marriott storage parking only and it does not allow in and out privileges.

 

Does anyone still have space for a roomate? My roomate, who had the reservation, is no longer able to attend.

 

It was "first come, first served" in 2007. I was towards the front of the line, and I don't remember them ever doing the tickets like they did at the '05 store opening.

 

Yea, I'm flabbergasted too. I have done several events at this hotel in past years (though not the last two), and parking was in the $8 to $15 range... so this is like WHAT???!!! in price. I don't understand at all.

 

There is a parking structure next to the hotel that I'll be using that charges $11 a day (plus taxes and fees if you buy it online for a total of about $14). It does NOT have in and out privileges though so this is a only good idea if you aren't planning on leaving the event.

Park Air Express
5757 W Century Blvd
http://lax.parkairexpress.com/

 

You are a lifesaver! Looks like that'll be the parking option I'm going with.

 

Just wanted to make sure you saw this!
Park Air Express
5757 W Century Blvd
http://lax.parkairexpress.com/

 

I made a reservation through the link Kiyokatari suggested, and it went pretty smoothly, and was a LOT cheaper. Chose the $10 per night for valet instead of the $8 self park because there is no elevator in the underground parking garage (as we sadly discovered during Gallifrey....).

Exactly my reaction. Hub says we paid about $12 per day at Gallifrey 2014, so $34 is a huge hike.

 

There's another convention taking place at the same time and their FB page mentioned asking for a special parking rate, but I'm not sure Volks negotiated one for the Dolpa attendees. Knowing that we'll probably leave at least once to go eat or shop makes me hesitate to book parking someplace without in/out privileges.

 

Does anyone know where we want to hold the meetups/swap meet/sales after the dolpa? ;u; I'd love to pick some stuff up for some dolls after the event from other members.

 

Sorry if this has been asked before bu does anyone know how big the Dollfie Dress up Box is? Is it suppose to work like a background for MSD or SD dolls?

 

OK... there's no pre-registration for just the Dolpa part, right? Only for the Tea Party, which is limited and costs to attend, right? We just show up and get numbers and then re-line up? And then go in for free?

Just checking to make sure I'm not missing anything!

I do hope the parking isn't over $30, but parking rates have just gone up and up it seems to me, so it wouldn't be surprising. Luckily, it looks like I'm carpooling, so that will help...!

 

Just discovered that my brother and his fiancee will be a few hundred feet down the road at the Hilton for Gateway (a tabletop gaming con) on Saturday, so I'll have to see if I can meet up with them before the tea party. Busy street! :P

...parking is almost $40? Gaaak. I paid $28 (valet) at the Anaheim Marriott last weekend, though, so I shouldn't be too surprised. But still~

 

For those that have been to this hotel before is there any place there to pick up some lighter-type foods for breakfast and lunch?