What is your grail doll, and why is it your grail?

My grail is... shall we say nonexistent? It's a pair of FairyLand F60s (which are currently unavailable), El (who is at least listed) and Shiwoo (who is not). So that grail is magical in that it is wholly unattainable at this time, but the possibility still exists and I do hope that maybe someday, maybe, it'll happen!

 

The BJTales dolls are hard to come by. There never seems to be a preorder when I have money. I love them though - they remind me of Brian Froud's paintings.

Angel Region Lillica is discontinued.

 

I'm quite new to the hobby and dont really understand what is a Grail doll, and what makes a Grail a Grail. Could someone explain it to me please?

 

From my understanding, Holy Grail is something you absolutely want but you have a hard time getting it. (I'm so thinking of the Monty Python reference lol)
It can either be very expensive compare to what you usually am willing to afford or just not available.

 

My grail is an iplehouse Roger; as soon as I set eyes on him i knew i wanted him, he was perfect for turning one of my ocs into a doll. He's really pricey, but I'm totally okay with saving the money for him.

 

My grails are Soom Cheshire and Ringdoll Zombie Sol. For me they always seem to be out of reach. For me, grail dolls are dolls I really want and are not readily available. They're dolls that would make me search for a really long time and when I get them, I would be extremely excited about them. I have gotten of the limited parts of the Soom Cheshire and I got really excited just to have his feet, hands, ears and tail.

 

My grail doll is/was Volks Jun Tachibana (v1).

She was the very first doll I fell in love with at first sight. I loved her sweet face, fullset outfit, everything! I had major sticker shock at her full set price, though, and I couldn't figure out how to order her. I was so upset to find out AFTER the ordering period how easy it would have been to get her. And prior to that, I didn't realize she was a limited edition doll. So while she was available, it would have been easy. But since I missed that period of time, she was difficult to find at a reasonable cost.

It took a few years, but I was finally able to snag a full set second hand for very little mark up. She is still one of my absolute favorite dolls, and I don't regret getting her at all.

 

My grail doll is soom wolf the knight human ver. I love his expression...so magical for me.

 

About a year ago I was fortunate enough to be able to buy my (at the time) grail girl!

For me, "grail" meant that this particular doll is rare to find (esp. in good condition, as she is vintage) and is generally quite expensive. I also had an exact idea of the doll I wanted, even had a detailed dream about her...

Shortly after, as soon as I saw her for sale on a dolly forum, I had the strangest feeling, like it was exactly her that I had seen in my dream! So I went for it, never regretted it, not even the steep price tag. Now she has a special place in my dolly shelves, I smile every time I see her, best feeling ever!

 

Got two: Volks Williams and LLT Ludwig. Williams is very, very expensive and thus I'll probably never get him (but maybe I'll be able to afford that Yo-Midi Williams head one day that I crave). Ludwig still has to be released which might happen any time between next month and never. *lol*

 

I have two grails: Soom Ender and Volks F-16.

Ender was a grail because he was a monthly doll, and only available for about 2 weeks during his first release. I couldn't possibly come up with the money for him, and I also wasn't interested in the fullset or even the body. I just wanted the head, and a slimmer body. It took me two years to finally find just the head, in the right skin tone, at a price I could afford. Then it cost another $500 fr a body I liked, plus three months of work to make them match, plus another $300 on commissioned clothing and accessories because the look I wanted isn't readily available.....So the cost and difficulty was my struggle with him.

F-16 was a grail because I fell so hard for him 4 years ago, and despite my ever changing tastes in dolls, I never fell out of love with him. However, getting my hands on one was really difficult because of the price tag and how hard it is to buy one new. Just last month, I found his head on the MP at a price I could handle, and I traded for his body.

All in all, by piecing both grails together, I got them both for much less than their usual secondhand prices. I'm so happy to finally have both, and glad I didn't give up on the journey.

 

My Grail was a Volks F-32. She's very hard to get, because she's not a popular sculpt, and she was only available to order through FCS at Sato. I searched for years to find her. The first one I found for sale was so expensive there was no way I could get the funds together to buy her. The second one I found (and the only other I've ever seen for sale) was at Mandarake, a second hand shop online. She was a one off from a Valentine's Day event in 2011, but only came with her wig. And, she was well within my price range. She is now the most beloved doll in my collection, and a reminder that doll dreams do come true. I searched for her for about 5 years and never gave up hope

 

My Iplehouse Lisa hybrid doll was a grail doll, I suppose. I fell completely in love with her when they released her in the Addiction series. Her little face was the most beautiful child sculpt I'd ever seen, I loved the gray skin option and vampire theme, and she was the first doll I EVER showed my husband that got a "okay, now that one is actually cool" response. I absolutely did not have the money to buy her during the ordering period--- not even in her simplest form with no extras... but then I found her head, in gray, on the marketplace, a few months later. Which kicked off a huge project that took me months to complete and involved mods and custom-painting a body to match her gray resin for a hybrid. Now she is 100% perfect... she's everything I loved about the Addiction doll when I first saw the sales page, but she's got the elf ears of the vamp version with the closed mouth expression of the human head, which to me is the ideal combination, plus she is on a slightly chubbier 30cm body that I prefer to the more slender 34cm KID body. Definitely worth the work and probably my favorite doll.

 

I have two grail dolls. One I have and one I don't. The first is Volks kurumi (limited+Pricey) who I got lucky enough to do a long layaway with. Second is Volks Lieselotte. She is crazy expensive and also limited. While she is generally pretty easy to find, I can't find anyone who offers a long enough layaway for me to be able to afford her.

One day....

 

To me a grail doll is what I must have in my collection in order to feel satisfied. I always tell myself that once I acquire all my grails, I would stop collecting and just enjoy what I have. But I have a long way to go before I can afford all of them. So far I've got only two of my grails; Volks Shinku and Reisner. They both cost me a good penny because I had to get them second hand.

 

Soom Namu, DiM Lloyd, and a 60cm Saint. Namu because I missed the chance to own him when I was getting into the hobby due to lack of money, Llyod also due to money, and 60cm Saint because I sold one without a thought to hybrid him with another more suitable body for my taste. Never had any grail dolls in other sizes.

 

For me, a grail doll is one that you really, really want that is hard to obtain. A doll that for whatever reason is nearly impossible to get and is one of the dolls that you want most out of all the dolls out there. It is a very rare and precious thing, like the grail of legend. . . OK, not that extreme. But you get my point.

Usually, it is "the one that got away," a doll that was a limited and you missed getting. The reason why you missed it are varied: you joined the hobby after the doll was no longer available; the doll was released when you were dead broke; the official pictures were horrible but you later fell in love with the owner pics, etc., etc.

My grail was the Souldoll Jinwoo. He was released as a fullset in 2007. I LOVED the doll, but wasn't so interested in the fullset. So I thought, "I'll just wait for the basic to come out, or for them to put out another fullset." They NEVER released him again! Some sort of dispute with the sculptor, from what I'm told.

I was crushed. Not many were sold, so my chances were very small. I'd pretty much given up on the idea of ever getting him. But last year, I got really lucky and was able to snag him from the marketplace here. Took me about 7 years, but I finally got him!

 

My grail doll would be a Soom Epidia Queen of the Waterfalls and an iplehouse Aaliyah The Addiction. I love vampires, and they seem to be the perfect female vampires for my tastes.

 

one word: minifees, lol
I love me some minifees, mostly Celine and Karsh
also want a Dollmore Model Ha-Yarn Cho or Claudia Shield

the model dolls are just perfect for what i need them for, but i dont know if i'll ever be able to afford them. minifees, always the unattainable perfection, i have one, but i dont think i can persuade my boyfriend to let me get more

 

My grail doll is probably Dollshe's David Kuncci. I think he's just beautiful. In grey, he could easily pass as a classical sculpture. There's something about him that's different from any other doll I've ever seen, and I desperately want to own one.
One reason he's a "grail" is that he's so expensive. I have yet to spend more than $660 on a doll(Soom's Shale--Death Knight), and that wasextremely difficult for me. I don't know if I could do it again. And David Kuncci is a lot pricier than that.
The other reason is face-up. He looks great in every face-up I've seen on him, but I'm not confident enough yet in my face-up skill to try to do the face-up on my grail doll myself.
Someday, I'll probably own one . I'm just not sure how or when.

 

i managed to snag one of my grails a month or so ago. a unoa elder zest. i found a seller that had one brand new and took layaway, and it seemed like the stars were aligned and the timing was perfect. and i love him to death. i still can't believe he's mine, since he's so rare.

the others are soom ender with the jackal head and the complete outfit, a complete soom kivi, a unoa elder belia, the lati yellow pharaoh's curse set, and maybe a chibi unoa lilin. kivi, lilin, and belia might be the only ones i might get, i prefer msd sized dolls much more. i get overwhelmed with sd sized dolls, and i'm too afraid of breaking a tiny.

 

To me, a Grail doll is one that grabs you at first sight, shakes your sensibilities hard with it's perfection, and then never lets go! You simple must have it no matter what, and you'd move heaven and earth to bring it home. This happened to me the moment I laid eyes on Dollzone Anson. I remember being there at the beginning when Dollzone first announced her release in the DoA company news. I remember blinking when I first saw her, unable to believe I was seeing a sculpt this amazing and unique. And I remember being absolutely convinced that I'd just die, artistically speaking, if I didn't get one! I remember many people being enamoured of her, but because of her high price, they opted to just save up and get her later because she was a "basic". Not me...I moved heaven and earth to order her on layaway from Denverdoll the moment they offered her. I juggled finances, sold what I had to in order to make it happen, and placed that order within the hour. Good thing too, because she was suddenly canceled in record time by the company! She remains my very favorite doll to this day.

 

For me, a Grail doll is a doll that you do not feel complete without. Not just one that you'd one day like to own, it's the one that changes everything and you will do anything in your power to have it! That's exactly what happened to me. My ultimate grail is a Lillycat Cerisedoll Constantine in the Limited Chocolate Taupe skin. I had always thought that the Constantine was a doll that I really wanted to own one day, but while looking through Lillycat's sold out items I spotted her. I was head over heals. She was the one. The one I needed to own, but she had sold out long before I ever knew of her. I knew that I had to have her, and the long search began. Luckily over this past Christmas I found one on the marketplace here and she's now happily mine. I would not give her up for the world. Even if I had to one day sell all my dolls, she would be the one that I could never let go of. She will always be my favorite.~

I also believe that you can have more than one grail doll, I don't have one yet, but one day I'm sure I'll fall in love like that all over again.

 

I have to admit, I have two *grail* dolls. They're both grails because they were released before I was in the hobby, and extremely limited.

The first, Volks Isao, I was extremely fortunate to get my very first week on DoA. It was just his head and default eyes, and I had to play the "my birthday is coming" ploy, but I've had him nearly 10 years now and he still makes my heart beat faster. I would never let him go.

The other is Volks Tohya. While my ultimate dream is a version 1 fullset, I would be more than happy with a unmodded blank head at this point and track down a body later. He almost never comes up on the MP, he always is extremely pricey (not a huge issue, but it is when you're on a budget), and he inevitably gets snapped up by the time I have enough together to secure him. Strangely enough, his white-skinned twin Kohya does absolutely nothing for me.

 

You know, in the past I was saying that I didn't have a grail. But in all honesty, the Volks MSD F-37 is the sole MSD doll I want to have, be it hell or high water. The face is beyond perfect for the character I want her to be. Not to mention most of Volks' FCS sculpts are grails in both senses of the word - difficult to get AND pricey. Poor Runami may remain a pipe dream for me.

 

I have had 5 true Grail dolls - & I now own 2 of them. I really NEVER thought I'd have the chance to get Soom Hyperion because I didn't even know about him until his limited period was up, & I also never thought I'd be able to find or afford a Volks SdGr guy. Well, Soom did their Xmas special in 2013 & I managed to get Hyperion (in BRONZE no less!!!!).. Then Volks issued Ryoma & I saved enough to hope he'd show up on the market place (after I didn't win the lottery at Volks...) - sure enough, I snagged him!!! So that leaves a UNOA winking MSD, a FEMALE Volks SD16 (Ryo Nayasaki preferably) & a Souldoll Lee Jun Ki.
That Soul doll is definitely a grail because it's too small in scale (as far as MY dolly world) to be LJK - the actor is 6'1" - I could work something out however LOL if I EVER get the chance He's pricey, tho... Which is of course the problem w/the other 2. That UNOA - I really really want one :d She fits a character of mine SO WELL!!!
Grails are hard to find & hard to obtain

 

My grail is Soom Phonolus fantasy version, which I am very fortunate to now own . I just love his face/features, especially his full lips and soft eyes. I also think the fantasy ears are really cool along with his other fantasy parts. He was/is absolutely the most perfect sculpt for my demon character. That is what made him a must have.

 

I've had two grails. The first was a Dollfie Dream Saber. My fiancé and I are both big fans of the Fate series and knowing that volks made a doll for it got us really excited. Sadly the original saber is just too far out of our reach and I figured I'd just be happy if I could get the same sculpt even. But then one day Volks did something new and did preorders with a layaway option for two new versions of saber for the then new Fate/ Extra game. So now I have not one but two versions of my grail.

My second grail was less specific. I had to have a SOOM tiny with hooves. Preferably with the fantasy Ai head. I just loved the SOOM sculpts and their fantasy dolls, I just had to have at least one of their tinies. Then SOOM did a thing and now I got a little hooved floppy eared Ai. Oddly enough she's my least finished doll, she still needs a wig and a face.

As of now though... I don't really have a must have doll anymore. There are a few that I'd still like to have eventually but I'm not gonna fight to try to get them. I'm content with what I've got.

 

It seems so simple probably but my grail is a Soom Dia. Now seeing the romantic head they just released a bit ago, I definitely feel like I want both heads. The head sculpt is just so beautiful and I can never seem to not stop and stare whenever I see one! Pretty sure my Flickr favorites are cluttered with them too!

 

I wouldn't actually go so far as to call him a 'grail', but the only doll I've had a long term 'interest in' is a Delf Elf El (either original or the re-release, I'm not picky), and the main reason for this is because I love Els and don't have a pointy eared version of him! And that, really, is all there is to it. I don't 'need' him for a character or anything like that, and I won't really be all that bothered if I never get one, but at the same time he's as close to being a 'grail' as I've ever got.

 

Oh, I know what my Holy Grail is Kinoko Juice Kiki. Hard to get) And one of Fairytales Treasures dolls which is now sold-out.

 

I used to say that Soom Amber was my grail, but in reality it turned out to be Heliot. I bought my Amber as a fullset, and while she was expensive, limited, and rare, I didn't put in nearly as much effort into finding her as I did my Heliot God Master. It took me 2 years to piece him together, and was completely customized to fit my tastes. It is so satisfying to see him complete, and he holds a special place in my heart

 

Doll Chateau Kevin, because the wings, tattoos, his hair, the sculpt,my he hands, his feet, the fullset...

Yeah everything is my answer.

 

Right now my last upstanding grail doll that which by my standards can considered as such (hard to get because of specific reasons, limited, expensive) is a Cerisedolls Millie Choupie in dark tan. I might still get her if I find her in/if she is rereleased in another color I like but my "perfect"Millie Choupie is in dark skinned. I love everything about her sculpt... her hands, her body, there's not one single thing I would change.

I have prior grails that I've attained. Immortality of Soul Chaos, Fairyland MNF Nanuri 14, Dream High Studio Ossia, Kinoko Juice Kiki... All of them are irreplaceable, really special dolls to me. Chaos is the only sculpt that could possibly be my character, Bosschan, and the rest of them are absolutely beautiful yet incredibly hard to obtain...

 

I didn't choose it, it chose me. Haha but honestly I fell in love with its sculpt as soon as I saw it

 

My grail doll is a resin Enchanted Doll by Marina Bychkova. Her dolls are the reason I got into this hobby.

 

Two come to mind. I really want to get my hands on Volks Asakura Nemu Memorial Wedding ver and School Uniform ver.

I could arguably just get the same doll and buy one of the outfits separately, but I want to display both at the same time. I like the third one (The Y-shirt) but...it's a shirt and some socks. I could sew those myself without breaking the bank on a third doll...especially when it's not an outfit I'd display normally anyways.

Finding them is easy; I'm looking at them both right now from a store in Nakano, Japan.
The problem is the price. At the current exchange rate for both I'd be paying 1,000.88 in USD.
...I shudder at the idea of spending more than 400. I can wait and buy one or the other and save up for the 2nd, but I'm worried that one would sell (I have atrocious luck) and I'd be bummed out on missing the other.

...Not to mention, 1,000 dollars. I could do a lot with a thousand dollars! I want to go travel, I could put that to saving up for the trip. I'll get them someday (I hope), but the price puts them firmly on the high shelf and taunts me, knowing I can see them but they're just out of reach.

The reason I want them so badly is half nostalgia and half because I love the character. I watched the anime as a teenager it's part of the reason I'm hooked on the stuff- as well as the reason I'm a total sucker for the romance/drama genres and stories that intended to make you cry. It hit me right in the feelings and never let go. When I got older I played the original game (it's R-18) and the all ages editions that added new routes but removed the adult content (worth it for the new story lines.) I played the sequel and missed that Nemu wasn't in it (It's a sequel in the kind of 60 years later way, some characters show up as old people but Nemu died already...). I fell in love with her grandchildren and I'm biding my time for the third game to get released in English before I throw money at it too. Da Capo, it's called. An amazing visual novel series, beautiful music that tugs at your heartstrings and story lines that sucker punch you in the face and kick you in the gut while you're down.

Then it has the audacity to show you something sweet so you can smile through your tears.
....That's not hyperbole. Even the song that plays on the title menu can make you cry once you beat one of the hidden story routes, because they finally explain the significance of it, and makes you take another look at the things you take for granted. Namely friends and loved ones. Did I mention this game doesn't play fair? Cause it doesn't.

I loved every moment of the game and my favorite route and character was Nemu's. Loving someone no matter what others might say, what others will think...that's powerful stuff. Refusing to stop loving someone even though it will kill her (this game's setting has magic, and a tree that grants wishes is responsible. The tree will grant any wish...even subconscious ones. So when the local witch gets jealous, well...because she's a witch, the effects of the magic tree are stronger. So if she gets jealous and wants someone out of the way...the tree will take that literally...)
And powers through it anyways, willing to die for her feelings.

That takes a lot of courage. And it all works out in the end. (Unless you play one of the What-if side games that kill her off. That's right, she's so canon the only way to make another ending for a spin off is she has to die first.)

It's just a story and another character in it, but it left a large impression on my younger self. It made me reconsider what it means to care about other people, not just in terms of love, but caring for your friends and family as well. As the main heroine of the series and my favorite character, I want those dolls of Nemu as a reminder of those days.

Someday, when I get a better job and can afford to toss around more money, I'll go buy them. Someday, but for now, I have to prioritize my money in less frivolous ways.

...and I swear it will be the only time I EEEVVEEER drop that much money on what basically amounts to memorabilia. I own most of the games (except III, c'mon translation!) and several of the fan discs, drama cds and OSTs. I gotta draw a line somewhere.

But yeah. They're my grails because they're out of my price range, and have significant meaning to me because of the character they're based on.

...This is how the (anime and related fields) industry makes their money, I tell you what. Hitting fans in the gut and making so much merch you can't hold it all and still stand up!

Here's a sad rendition of the main series theme as it appears in Da Capo II.
The original is a music box version that plays on the first game's Title Screen.
https://youtu.be/yFCknAjAKSk
Tsumetai Namida and Too Alone are also really good, but sad songs.
A good cheerful one is Dream of the Cherry Tree from the first and 2nd game.

Honestly the only dolls I could ever want more at this point is if they ever made a resin bjd of Nanaca Kurosu and Taichi Kurosu. He'd be the only male BJD I'd buy, just so I can have him along with her.

 

My Tan Karsh was my grail. When I got into the hobby it was just a little too late for the first round of tan Cerberus Project dolls, and they hadn't quite nailed the face of a beloved character of mine enough for me to hunt one down second hand, but I was just so besotted with their sculpting I knew I was pretty much stuck until they decided to offer tan sculpts again. It took seven years for them to finally do another round of 60cm dolls with a tan option, and I'm really grateful they did. It's amazing to look at him and see a doll that matches the face I imagined, finally.

 

IMO, a grail is a doll that has obstacles in the way that keep you from picking it up easily and quickly. Money, availability of the doll itself, opportunity to buy it.

Ever since I first saw Dollzone Leslie's pictures on the website, I wanted him desperately. But I always seemed to have other BJD "priorities" over him, like another doll I was working on and wanted to complete, or another buying opportunity that came up sooner. Tan DZ Linlan was a "grail" doll who took precedence over Leslie, because I had wanted her longer and had to buy her new from DZ. Plus she was discontinued right after I bought her. So after I got her, I was reluctant to buy another DZ new so soon, and Leslie was impossible to find secondhand since almost no one had bought him! I kept putting him off because I had to get him new.

I had to get him in tan too, because the website pics had so totally sold me on him. Normal yellow, pink or white would NOT do for me. And THEN DZ changed their tan resin to a semi-translucent orangey color! So buying him new was no longer even an option. Another obstacle! Then one day, I saw a 2013 tan Leslie miraculously for sale here at DoA. He was the opportunity I thought would never come up. I pounced on him as soon as I had the money scraped together. I cannot thank that seller enough!!



I still want to get his fullset outfit.

Linda S.
galatia9

 

Elfdoll Viviene, something that's almost impossible to get new.
I spent a really long time looking for a sculpt that can play both a girl and boy. And when I first saw Vivien, she was a he and I mistook him for a Migidoll so I spent ages looking for another sculpt that would look crazily similar but not so young. In the end, I found out that the doll in question was a Vivien, who was a girl to begin with and would have been perfect as a girl OR boy coz I saw pictures of a mature looking Viviene.
The thing that really gets me is the company was still around when I first saw the owner pic but I saw it on tumbler so I never caught the name of the sculpt. urgh.

 

My MSdoll Drayton is my grail and I finally got him! Granted he still needs a lot of work! :3
I loved his sweet dreaming face. To me he just has a natural sweetness. It doesn't seem like a doll whose eyes were closed for an option head but really a cute sleeping or pouting boy. He was just too charming so I hunted for him for years!

 

I've had several grails over the years... CP's Elf Shiwoo, Volks' Sakaki and Okita... and in each case, it's been a matter of liking something about the sculpt itself *so* strongly that I didn't think my crew would be complete without them. A lot of sculpts appeal to me, but those were particularly attractive... Enough-so to justify the searching and hoop-jumping and expense that was involved in tracking them down.

 

A grail doll for me is not necessarily a doll you need time to get. ( In regards of money I just take way to loooong to even save up for non-limiteds) but a doll that hits me: A doll I just fall for deeply and madly and just can not get out of my mind and wishlist. I've got several dolls I would like to have and several dolls I will someday save up for but only One ever hit me that hard I could not even think of ever let go of that wish to hunt him down.
That would be Luts SDF Cian first version. When I came into the hobby he was already sold out and even his second version was sold out. But I was so hoocked on him, always came back to his site always studied his pictures. He was just perfect in my eyes and my plans.
Well he still is, about a year ago (about some 5years into the hobby) I bought him second hand from the marekt place here and I still can't believe it, adore him and am so thankfull.

The reason I went mad for him was simply that I searched for a shell for one of my characters and I considered several sculps, even nearly bought another one, for which I felt it's quite near. Then I randomly stumbled upon Luts and found Cian and these pictures just overwhelmed me with that feeling of that's exactly what I searched for all the time.

Then I got crazy about him....

I still have some dolls I desperately want to complete and get but none was/is as emotionaly stuffed up as him...

 

nabarro sumner I want him so baddddd

 

My grail doll is Fifth Motif Venitu. I had one for a couple of weeks but had to sell him. He's one of the most beautiful I've ever see. Next would be an Agatti Doll Misha just 'cause he's gorgeous.

 

Doll Chateau Barbara. She was one of the first dolls id seen and fell in love with her and the hobby. Some day I will own her!!

 

Tbh, I had more than one grail doll. All of my grail dolls are the ones that I thought would be impossible. That the chances of finding and obtaining them might never happen.
My newest grail doll is a doll idea that I NEVER thought would happen, but then it did!
I love mermaids, but more so the less human looking mermaid, the alien like mermaids. Then Dollzone's 10th anniversary event happened.
(Well done Dollzone... You made my ultimate grail dolls! )
Have to have at least one of them!! Preferably Frieda! Someday. Hubby doesn't "believe" in using layway so I have to save for a while... But SOMEDAY!!

 

Mine is an SD sized CP/Fairyland Dark Human/Dark Elf Soo... she was the first doll I wanted and fell in love withand she's just not available right now

I have a Soo special I finally got a body for and I'll likely get the Minifee version of Dark Elf Soo but it's just not the same.

I'll continue to scour the marketplace for her second-hand and Fairyland for if they ever decide to re-release her.

 

I don't know if this classifies as "grail" because I can get them but I refuse to get them.

My grail will always be Iplehouse Claude and Soom Dia.

I had Iplehouse Claude and had to sell him because...I don't really know...remorse maybe? I felt like he didn't belong with me. I was sad to say goodbye to such a beautiful doll, even if I can get him again I won't. I prefer to admire him from afar...he is one of those dolls I love but shouldn't be with me.

Soom Dia, the face is perfect, I have always loved this doll and Soom has released him A LOT of times but I let him go every time. I think he is in the same situation as Iplehouse Claude.

I have some other dolls that I want to get (my wishlist) they are limited and out of stock but they're not grail dolls so I am not sad if I don't get them.

 

A grail doll is not necessarily a doll that is rare, limited, long sold out, and/or expensive. For me, a grail doll is doll that you want more than all others, one that you maintain the love for and you're more willing to put in extra effort/money/time into obtaining them, and that very well may be a standard doll.

My grail doll is a YoSD Megu (preferably the original 2008 release completely default but that's seeming like an impossibility after all these years), I just absolutely love that face!
She is far from being the first BJD I ever saw and there were many dolls that I wanted before her but she was the first one that truly spoke to me and made me really want a BJD.
I don't have her but I'm still searching and hoping and the love has not faded one bit!

 

In terms of "obtainable" grail, as in the kind that I would go the extra mile for, I'd say it's always been Souldoll Paris. He was my first doll that I really did go through more than the usual trouble for, which was totally worth it - he's still here after ten years (omg).

If referring to the type of grail that is just kinda out of reach, that'd be that Scarface Cecil pirate fullset doll from Volks. He's got tanned skin and the best outfit ever (and lots of companion doll sets, nowadays) and while the sets turn up now and then, I just cannot afford it. Regular Cecil doesn't work either because I want the tanned version (and then would need to spend more money getting his closed, scarred eye modded open).

 

I have three grail dolls....one is Volks Williams, which is beyond my budget for the foreseeable future, and the other two, are unique dolls that were modded by their owners and sold on... I fell in love with the unique way these characters were formed, and could never create such a look myself, and so they are my grails....I always hope, one day...

 

This is what my grail dolls are for me. I own several now, and I'm currently paying off one more; all of them have been hard to find and in most cases, they are 'old' dolls (well... old for the hobby). That part of extremely limited, old dolls is what makes it the 'ultimate goal' for me. I like looking at my collection and seeing the history behind the sculpt.

In three cases, the grails that I own encouraged me to sculpt myself; because they showed me that you do not have to be a 'professional' with a degree in the arts to make dolls. These sculpts were made by 'amateur artists' as they were called then. Having them around is important to me, because it's part of my own journey to become a sculptor .

 

Hard to say, she was just sort of struck me as the doll I HAD to have. She's one of Soom's monthly limiteds, and not one of their most popular ones, so on top of that, she was also just plain hard to find. Though it makes owning her now all the more magical.

Still looking for those hooves, though.

 

My grail was an Elfdoll Ruru. I fell for her after she was no longer made -- but there is the marketplace, and now she lives at my place.

 

My grail doll is my Souldoll Chiron, the centaur one.
I love centaurs and he's the one who get me in BJD hobby, make me "wow I want that". It took me years to get him, but never regret the huge amount of money put on him. Even get him a leather armor made by professional costumer because I wanted him to be perfect in the character.
Even if I don't take pictures of him, because I'm not really interested in, plus he's damn massive, I'm so happy to have him and no longer wanting to buy other things in BJD domain.

 

My grail doll doesn't even exist yet, because it would definitely be Switch's Dojin in 1/4 scale (or any switch boy in msd size because have you seen them? oh my god.)

I've never had a MSD grail doll even though I feel far more comfortable with dolls in the 40cm range than with SD's but the sculpts available for larger dolls have always been my favourites.
Or maybe it's the other way around - it's always the sculpts I like most that just so happen to be HUGE.

 

My grail-doll is a Volks FCS F40 SDGrBoy, The Head mold is normally Sato-only which makes it my grail-doll because there are so many factors that keep me from being able to obtain it easily.

I've had other grails, but over time and with patience I've managed to bring them home. so with my current grail, it's only a matter of time.