Why are Bobobie dolls so cheap?

because there awsome like that (not biased at all) >.>

 

Smushy Reason= Dennis wanted to introduce a cheaper alternative to those of us who loved BJDs but couldn't afford it. Also, he strove to not be in a corrupt company ever since he used to work for Mythdoll and wanted to keep costs low. Hence why we get crap company pics and websaite, but the dolls are wellmade...

Economcal reason= It's made in China and production costs are always much lower than a bjd made on Korea and Japan.

I weep at the fact bobobies are always targeted as cheap bjds, when dolls like Abio Angels and such are cheaper than Bobobie... :/

 

The main reason is that they're made in China and have lower production costs. Also the company is relatively new compared to a lot of Japanese/Korean companies. The cost might go up as the years go by, but who knows.(this has happened before with other companies, so if you want one, sooner is better) Plus the bodies so far are less refined than their Japanese/Korean counterparts. (another result of being a new company, they haven't had a chance to work out all the kinks yet)

 

I thought I heard someone say that Bobobie dolls had thinner resin...? Don't quote me on this one though!

But the fact that they're made in China means that there are low-paid workers making these dolls, which keeps the costs of production cheap and hence rich Westerners like us can afford to buy them. :p

 

I believe it's just the fact that the dolls are cheaper to produce. I have a Bobobie Sprite and she's just great. The resin is no thinner than any other doll that I have. Bobobie was a quiet achiever for a while there, but now I'm seeing them more and more.

 

I've always wondered how much it really costs to run a doll company.

I don't know about cheap Chinese labour, but I imagine that they do save a heck of a lot of money on website design and photography.

For comparison, look at the quality of the photos on websites like luts and Soom. Unless one of their staff is taking the photos at a discount price because they want to build up a resume, then that's some serious time and money being thrown around, there.

 

My Bobobie doll has thin resin, but the smoothness is beautiful. I do prefer my dolls to have a bit of tooth to the resin, but on Alaw, it just seems right her skin is ultra-smooth.

The doll's articulation isn't as advanced as other companies, but I'm sure that will come with time and with more experiments. It can only go up for Bobobie from here Their sculpts are generally all attractive, which is a good sign, and I think any doll that is loved will look awesome, it's the Velveteen Bunny thing

Resin isn't a cheap material, but I imagine the costs are offset by the cheaper production costs, Chinese companies can pay their workers less for their time, whereas the cost of living in Korea and Japan pretty much demands that their wages are higher, not to mention companies based in Korea and Japan are quite established.

 

I also believe that Bobobie might save money on a translater since Dennis is quite good at English. Perhaps the person making the sculpts isn't an established artist and doesn't get paied as much as some of the other companies pay for their sculpts.

I have Sprite twins and I think they do not have quite as nice a body as my DollZone and my Custom House girls but they are just as good as my older Lati doll. They actually pose better than her.

I believe that Bobobie has a policy that they'd rather sell more dolls for a lower profit. Dennis is super nice and helpful. You can always switch bodies around and stuff like that no problem.



Dustbunnie

 

Not cheap... inexpensive!

 

Well to be quite honest I think dishing out £100-£250 on a doll is still pretty expensive.

 

All the reasons stated above.

Also: their packaging is cheaper...I personally love the Elfdoll packaging, but the box, printing, and the nice foam they used is definitely something that adds to the cost. I'm not sure if customers would want to pay around $10ish more or so for nicer packaging...especially as most people keep their dolls out of the box, lol.

When I started carrying Bobobie, one of the suggestions I gave them was that they at least get their own printed boxes (rather than just the nondescript yellow and blue boxes), which is why the 43-44cm dolls now have printed Bobobie boxes now. I also asked them to switch their eye putty to white to prevent staining, and to move to magnetic headcaps instead of using putty to hold the caps down. I really appreciated the fact that they were able to do this without increasing the costs to the retailers and customers...even though these are simple changes/additions, they more than likely added to the production costs somewhat.

The articulation of the hands and feet doesn't have quite the full range of motion of some other brands, due to using one piece hands and wrist rather than 2 seperate pieces...I'm thinking it was another cost saving design...less molds = more savings. In case anyone's wondering and really wants a 2 piece system, I replaced the hands on one of my own with DZ 2-piece hands and wrists. That added to the range of motion a little bit...but it wasn't like "ZOMG so much better!"...but it did improve it a little bit.

Dennis has always provided great customer service, and it seems that a lot of Bobobie's success can be attributed directly to his love of the dolls. It almost feels like a one man show, although I'm sure it's not. But I'm sure that the fact that he appears to at least be the one man running the show contributes to the reduction in overhead.

The one down side to this is that their production times are taking longer than they used to, primarily due to the increased demand.

 

Agreed.

But I have been looking at these dolls as a newbie to the purchasing part of the hobby and while I am learning about the bjd hobby these dolls would be great for me to start with. They are very pretty and have a special flare to them. Its nice that someone feels for those that can't afford to spend a lot but still want to play.

 

Have we met before, miss mouse1996? :3

And this is the very reason why I love bobobie and their lower prices... It's such a great way to bring more people into the hobby...

(And I can attest to the fact bobobies are godly posers once restrung... It's like another way to initiate newbs to the hobby... Attempt to dismantle your dolly then rebuild it! MUAHAHA! *cuddles bobobie hybrid*)

 

I applaud the Bobobie rationale and I love several of their head sculpts, the bodies I'm sure will get better in time but does it matter too much when they are clothed? I would buy a doll expensive or inexpensive, it doesn't matter, as long as I like it!

p.s. I know it saves costings, but I would like to see multiple pics of the dolls - before I ordered my Sprite I did most of my research for her on Junkyspot's website as they always have great multiple shots there

 

It's definitely a good way to get into the collecting phase by only dipping your toe in the expensive waters. Just keep in mind that every doll company's products are different, and if there's something you love/hate about any doll you get first, other dolls may differ.

 

lol my thought exactly!! i love my inexpensive tiny X3

 

isnt this like the same arguement with AoD and B&G dolls just to name a few other companies? We all tend to get a bit freaked out when we see a MSD hovering at 200 USD instead of more XP

 

I love Bobobie! My Sprite was my first doll and she's so beautiful! Her resin is smooth, and not really any thinner than any of my other dolls. Bobobie dolls may not cost as much as other companies, but don't let that fool you! The quality and customer service is great.

 

I will add another item that affects cost that I didn't really see expressed above.

Brand Name.

Volks, Soom, Luts, etc. are all vying to be brand names and anything with a brand name increases cost as you are also paying for the label as well.

The Chinese companies are not in it to create a brand name yet, thus no extra cost to own something with the name.

You could also basically say as well, in addition to the cost of production in Korea and Japan. They also overprice their goods.

 

I have heard that sometimes Bobobi dolls need to be restrung, but other than that, they seem to be good inexpensive dolls.

I myself purchased a 'cheap' doll for my first bjd (back in 2004, Dream of Doll was the 'cheap' doll on the block.) I wanted something that I wasn't afraid to touch and play with (you will be a lot less nervous to restring your first doll if it didn't cost you $1000.00!)

Four years later, I still love Dream of Doll (and I still have and love my first doll, Dio, my Tender Too!)

If you like the Bobobi sculpts, go for it... 'cheap' in the bjd world is still expensive, so the only advice I have is to pick something you like, and then look around the forum for owner pictures and check out the Unpainted Heads thread

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3850914

to get a better idea of what you will be getting.

 

well, now im a huge fan of soom. but at first i really loved doll zone. and then i read a few comments on this forum about dollzone being one of the cheaper doll companys. and then i started to discover some of the expensive companys.

to this day i dont look at doll zone and bobobie dolls "cheap" i like to think those are the right prices and the other companys are just expensive, rather than see the expensive companys as "just right" as far as price goes, and the other companies as "cheap" (not that there is anything wrong with the expensive companys, if they can get away with it why not? like i said i love soom! i do wish they didnt cost so much but who doesnt?)

sorry if this is making no sence, im having quite a time trying to explain things clearly today =]

 

You should check out the Bobobie forum. There's a link on their site. Both the Gallery and the section with pictures for the photo contest have some really nice pictures.

One thing I love about Bobobie is their very basic face-ups. They are just perfect for enhancing.



Dustbunnie

 

They're site is so slooooooow.

 

oh just as a quick note, i did update the junkyspot.com website with some quick pics i took of some of the newer models today from bobobie/resinsoul...in their stock pictures, for example, you could baaarely tell Mei had elf ears, lol. not the hottest pics, as i'm not a great photographer or anything either, but hopefully they'll help!

 

Oh haha! I was thinking this the other day as I was slaving away sanding my 560.00 Dollstown girl. Her resin is not as good and her seams were awful. I thought... "Now if this were a Bobobie..." lol

Raven

 

Raven ... I had a very similar experience. Sometimes price is not always reflected in the quality. ~Gus

 

I love my Bobobie/ResinSoul doll. They might not be quite as poseable as other dolls in the wrists and arms, but with a little tinkering it can be improved a lot. Poseability overall definitely improved after tightening the stringing as well. A great first doll if you want to see if you would enjoy the more customising side of the hobby. The face sculpts are really quite versatile, don't let the very simple company faceup fool you! They also will do a custom faceup as well if asked (at least RS does so I assume BBB does as well) and they turn out beautifully for example this faceup.

 

And another advantage to Bobobie: ALL their dolls are offered in ALL their resin colors at a very tiny additional charge for the "specials." So you can get Normal and White at the base price or the very luscious Dark Tan, Pink, Lilac, Blue or Green!

I have a Blue Elena, a Normal Sprite and Ariel, and a Pink Nissa. I love all of them. They tend to come strung loosely to avoid chipping in transit, but really it's no big deal to tighten the strings. My next project is to try silicon sheet and hot glue sueding which I am told vastly improves them, but the fact that they are not a zillion dollars makes me feel quite cheerful about all manner of experiments.

 

"Cheap" is such a derogative term. I like to think of the dollies of Bobobie, Dollzone, Angel of Dream, etc. as fairly priced. Certainly, when you pay more, you are receiving more, though you may not notice it as it goes to the things we take for granted: silk pillows, thicker boxes, lovely certificates, face protectors, packing materials, foam, and glossy lettering. Not to mention, every name brand is going to be expensive. If you want Prada, you’re going to pay for Prada, even if the quality of a knock-off is just as good, if not better. Paying for a label hikes the price sky-high.

But, really, have you seen the new Resinsoul bodies?! People cite Bobobie as not being particularly anatomically accurate, but if you take a gander at the Resinsoul girls, you'll be amazed at how pretty their new body sculpts are. They really have improved in leaps and bounds and they really can only keep getting better. The price is a steal compared to the improvements that are slowly coming to fruition.

And really, Dennis comes off as doing this for the love of the hobby. He wants to include people and make them happy, not take their money. Some big companies are so disconnected from their buyers because of all profits they make, but Bobobie and Resinsoul have kept humble. Yeah, the site lags like hell, but at least they answer your emails and do everything possible to get you a good doll for a good price that you can enjoy without regret.

 

My tan sprite, Flora is the only large BJD that I have (the rest are tinies) and I just love her!! Mr. Dennis did a wonderful job to assure that Flora came home in the exact specifications that I asked for. True, the wait seemed to be forever but in the end it was worth it. The resin does not seem thin and all in all, Bobobie's customer service is great.

 

I have noticed that there are some owners pics that have poped up on Bobobies website in the store, aybe we could all itch in to Dennis and contribute to a ompany we love so much

I think its all been said, but again Dennis is sourcing within his company to get things done rather than paying large amounts for others to do it That and he clearly has a passion for being in touch with his customers and knowing that more and more people are participating in the hobby...

 

DDDD: I would reccomend changing the elastic completely... I tightened up Lucas, which improved him slightly, but once restrung, WOW, Bobobie actually designed the body to be REALLY posable and it's well designed... The fact they use elastic with a little too much 'give' is kinda a strike against them, but the awesome prices can't be beat! *ish frighten of hot glue for some reason*

So yeah, use tighter Elastic, and your bobobie will pose beautifully. *Loves Elena's blueness tho*

 

The correct term for products is 'inexpensive.'

"cheap" implies a lack of quality and could be offensive to some owners.

 

i've been really tempted to get a Bobobie doll but i was always cautious because i hear and see the word 'cheap' whenever they're mentioned, which is a shame because it makes it seem as if they are less in quality when that clearly isn't true. i guess the real way to find out is to buy a doll for myself and compare to those i already have.

i do love their Demon Charisma face sculpt, so pretty and also smiling, which is unusual i think

 

I think what happens is that people look at the prices, and go: "Woah, compared to ________, that's a really cheap doll!"

But look at their loyal customers! I have never met anyone unsatisfied with Bobobie, and those that have them always seem to get more. I bought one because I liked the face, and was amazed, and started getting more. I have so many now.... and all because they're gorgeous! I love their dolls!

 

I think that when people say "You get what you pay for", they don't always think through what they're paying for. From my perspective, things like glossy boxes, numbered certificates and satin pillows are worse than useless - I have enough clutter, so they hang around for ages and then get recycled or become landfill. I really prefer not to pay for them in the first place. And those who mention that you're paying for labels and prestige have it right down to the ground. People will pay a fortune for a handbag made in the same sweatshop as the £15 one in Chinatown, because they feel reassured that if they've paid a lot and it's a recognisable brand name it will be of higher quality, but I tend to think that's slightly naive. (Although if it makes them happy, that's their call - so long as they don't sneer at people who choose otherwise.)

I've dealt directly with Chinese companies for things other than dolls, and I do sometimes suspect the "it's cheap Chinese rubbish" assumption is deeply racist. And, ironically, it's the same assumption of cheap+nasty that used to be made about Korean goods... and before that, Japanese.

Yes, there have been quality issues with some Chinese goods, but they tend to be produced at high pressure from greedy Western companies who push the margins closer and closer and don't care about the Chinese lives they destroy in the process. The representatives of Chinese companies who sell their own goods directly have been, in my experience, extremely proud to be making inexpensive goods of high quality and sell them direct, and part of the pride is in producing beautifully made goods without extortionate prices attached. Bobobie seems no different - there seems such pride in both the beauty of the dolls and their (relatively) affordable price.

I always thought I wasn't the kind to become attached to any particular name or company (in everything, not just dolls!) but I do feel kind of emotionally invested in Bobobie, even though I only have one doll from them, my perfect blue Sprite (and I'm dithering over Pandora or Charisma or Elfkin as my next doll.) And many Bobobie fans seem to feel the same - I think the biggest proof is in the loyalty BBB owners seem to share. As Sparrow says, those who try BBB dolls always seem to get more. And want to fight their corner.

So, yeah... inexpensive or fairly priced rather than "cheap", in my opinion.

 

I have two Bobobie dolls, and five Sleeping Elf dolls that Bobobie sculpted & cast for tinybear, and they're all wonderful.

In addition, my Sprite has caused the sale of 3-5 other Sprites in this area, because Hippolyta is wonderful & everybody loves her.


Ann in CT

 

I agree with you
Perhaps because is a new company or a Chinese company, usually the Chinese companies are less expensive than the Korean companies. But are only assumptions.

 

I know what you mean--I got my first one last year and now have four, and there are more of their sculpts that I'd like to have To me, their sculpts have a lot of personality and that draws me to a doll more than anything else.

 

Taco, I agree
I love Bobobie sculpts!
So much charecter!!
I like it how mnay of the scuplts have elf ears. I am a fan of elf ears and such, so this drew me further to the scultps
I don't own one yet, but i soon will
[when the dollar exchange rate is better for us in the UK]

 

The resin quality feels lighter to me. ~Gus

 

I'm with Gus: The resin is alot lighter.
I "met" a Bobobie Weylan this weekend, and he weighed about half as much as my CP boy. His body is much thinner, but that would not contribute so much to the weight dfference!

 

Yes, it is lighter. To me, that's a plus. I don't want to carry a brick around, LOL.

 

One question I have always wondered about is the resin weight. Are Bobobie doll lighter in weight than some of the other "cheaper" brands from China like DZ and AOD which are actually quite heavy and substantial.

 

I was actually able to compare the BBB Weylan with a DZ Floy also! And the DZ was definitely heavier, tho still not quite as heavy as CP. Tho DZ was really close to CP.

 

They are lovely dolls, but there is a difference in resin quality, sculpt and general symmetry. The box is just one aspect of their quality as compared to other companies. ~Gus

 

This is true. In my Ariel head, it seems like the eyehole on one side is different than on the other. I love a project, though. Bobobies are wonderful project dolls. You can mod and sand the tan skin colors, reshape the fingers, learn to bevel eyes - and because you didn't pay $600 for it, you won't be frightened to jump in and learn. The modding process is a big factor in bonding - you will bond more quickly with a doll you have done things to than one that you haven't.

 

That is so true and they are a lot of fun to play with and learn! ~Gus

 

I have a BBB Pandora head that I bought earlier this year.
I had originally gone to the Bobobie site to find a decent, "cheap" doll head to practice face-ups on. What I got was an arrogant, pushy, needy, and absolutely wonderful doll. Arcana is an amazing girl!

While I can't say anything about the 1/3 body scuplt (as I've yet to play with one) their tinies are just perfect. I bought a blue Lucky girl from a girl here in the Marketplace about a month ago. I adore her. A perfect little girl.

Granted, I could be prejudice, as, again, I've yet to really play with any other bodies or company dolls. I had a Luts Delf for a little while--to be honest? I was a little disappointed in the articulation and movement.

I'm expecting a Bobobie 1/3 girls' body to arrive in the next couple of days. After I've played with her a little bit, I'll come back and spaz about how amazing I think that body is in comparison to the Delf. XD

 

I really do like the Pandora face sculpt. She does seem very opinionated! I hope I get a chance to paint one someday, too!

I definitely look forward to seeing what you think of the body, Teru!

 

I am currently looking for my next doll, a male SD size (I think I have decided or it might be MSD depending lol) I think I will go for a Bobobie as they seem very good for beginners, I would like a more masculine male though.

 

I can't say enough good things about Bobobie as well - I have a Sprite from the company, and love her! The face is really versatile and can look good with not only the standard faceup, but supercolorful or dark ones as well. I have Elfdoll and Limhwa resin to compare hers to, and while she is lighter I like the feel of her resin better than the more expensive Elfdoll - the Elfdoll is somehow more plastic-y. The Limhwa resin feels great but man she's heavy! The company also sands their dolls for free (like Elfdoll) which I think is a great extra touch even though some people prefer seams. I'd much rather have a sanded doll than a fancy box, considering resin is toxic and you have to take precautions if you want to sand dolls yourself. She is also the easiest to pose out of all my dolls. It took some getting used to even after tightening (I need to hot glue suede her), but she sits and stands easily unlike my other girls.

Honestly my only gripe with Bobobie is that a lot of their 43 cm sculpts look almost the same now - Song, Ju (Mei), and the Sprite look similar to me, and Ariel and Espree use the same face sculpt. I want them to come out with another head I fall in love with so that when I have more money I can buy another one! I've found I like the 43cm size better than the 60. But yes, if there's a sculpt you love on the site I wouldn't hesitate to buy him/her, especially from Junkyspot.com. Emory is great, supernice and ships fast!

 

Is it true that you'll have to restring bobobie dolls? I was told that my Mei would probably be incredibly floppy and I would have to restring her. I was told though that it was very inexpensive and very easy to do. Is this true of all bobobies?

 

It might be a good idea. I have had two different doll bodies from BBB and both of them were so floppy upon arrival that their legs were literally swinging away from their bodies. Also, the elastic used to string them was the same elastic that I use for my MSDs. They were immediately restrung tighter with thicker elastic and they posed alright after that (though not to my picky liking). I highly would recommend following your gut on how tight you think they should be. I know that even when the elastic was tightened up with the thinner stuff they were still too loose for my liking. Its all really about personal preference.

 

Some people like the floppiness. I abhor it. I don't want to hug my dolls; I want them to pose for pictures. I have restrung every Bobobie that has come my way. The resinsoul elastic is even worse. I bought a Bao, and stretched his arms out two feet. A Bao is a 27cm doll!

 

Some companies ship dolls strung loose to avoid chips and cracks in shipping. If you tighten the elastic, they'll pose better. Interestingly, even though my Bobobie guys and girls are on the floppy side, they stand very easily--not sure how that one works, but hey, fine with me

None of mine were completely restrung, they just had their excess elastic pulled up and reknotted and it helped a lot. The big guys could benefit from thicker elastic, but as you're talking about getting a Mei, you don't have to worry about that.

I have one 60cm girl that I got in pieces off the forum and put together myself--I do need to redo her. I'd like to try thicker elastic and also sueding just to see what the result would be.

 

Wow thanks for the great feed back. I heard that there are all sorts of Youtube videos and faqs on how to do this. The Denver Doll Lady Wendy said it was super easy! If I need to I will but Mei probably won't be in my arms until AFTER christmas.

 

Because they use cheap resin. It's much closer to a 'plastic' that we're used to seeing, than say the resin that DoD, or Volks (yes, I know all resin is a type of plastic, but I'm saying that it's closer to like.. a laundry basket plastic, than other resin is).

It's the same reason you pay $300 for a Leather jacket, and $50 for a Fleece jacket. It's the material they're made out of. Same thing goes for dolls.

Plus, it's made in China, blah blah blah. XD

And it's a new company and the faces/bodies aren't sculpted by someone famous for their talents in the BJD world.