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Ball
Jointed Dolls
Introduction to Ball Jointed Dolls
- What are they?
Beginning the Journey - Guide to purchasing and caring for your Ball
Jointed Doll
Make you Blush - Guide
to your first Body Blushing
New! - Comparison Pictures
Comparison of Tinies
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These
wonderful pieces of resin, with hearts and lives of their own ........have
spoken to you.
How
do you select an Asian Ball Jointed Doll?
The
following information will help guide your path. |
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Wendy and Winky - Elf Doll tinies Special Christmas Set - 14
cm
This
is by far the simplest way to bring a doll into your Home
Open
the package and your new little person arrives ready to jump
out and join your family. If you want a "ready to go"
doll, make sure the eyes, wig, and faceup are included.
These 2 cuties at the left arrived just as you see them. They
are a special set which included 2 dolls with eyes, wigs,
faceups and even extra parts. (Different hands and feet I
can change.) As a bonus they came with clothes as well. I
wanted complete dolls, so this is the set I chose.
When shopping, read the descriptions carefully!! They will
state what is included. Wigs, eyes, faceups and outfits pictured
may not be included in the price.
If
these items are not included, you will have some decisions
to make in order to complete your doll.
Let's take a look at your options!
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Luts Juri Special LE edition head |
Faceup
or not - When buying from a company, you usually have a
choice of paying extra for a faceup. A faceup is the standard
facial makeup/painting done by artists at the company. Sometimes,
a company will allow custom face-up. If you write to them and
supply a picture or specific description, they will create a
custom faceup based on your request. A price for this service
will be quoted to you. Be aware that a language barrier may
exist. Some companies are more accustomed to the English buyer,
making it a bit easier.
If you do not order a faceup, you will have to either paint
it yourself, or send it to a artist to have it done. Unless
you have painting experience, I suggest choosing the faceup
option.
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Body blushing. Another option that may
be available is body blushing. Some companies offer it, some do
not.
Although it isn't seen as much as the faceup, body blushing adds
to the beauty and realism of your doll.
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Angel
Region Cien MSD size, wig by Karen Vail, Masterpiece eyes -
Thundercloud, Faceup and body blushing - Evenstar Design |
Some
doll artists on the secondary market will do this for you after
you own your doll. Or you can do this yourself. Much easier
to try than a faceup, this may be a nice way to get to know
your doll. Bottom line is you can always have it done/do it
later, but if it's offered and you can afford it, it is a nice
choice.
This
is an example of a very delicate body blushing. Shading is added
at the joints, belly button, breasts and prominent bones or
features.
Manicures can be added as shown above. Other styles can be quite
dark blushing. It is all a personal choice for your doll. |
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Without
eyes/wigs - Frequently, on the secondary market, people will sell
their doll or head without eyes or a wig. Should you buy one this
way? It's no problem, eyes are easy put in. Wigs are simple too.
*Note: It's easy to fall in love with a doll and not realize it is
the eyes and wig you love. Wigs and eyes can really change a doll.
So look carefully. Is it the face sculpt you love or the choice of
eyes and wig. You can ask exactly what eyes and wigs (company, color,
style) the doll is wearing and duplicate that for your doll. |
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Skin
color - white, natural and tan. These are the 3 basic categories
with many..many.. variations in each.
It is often helpful to ask for pictures of actual dolls on bulletin
boards before you decide. Many bulletin boards also have comparison
pictures to review. |
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If
you are up for a challenge buying a BJD as an Unfinished
Kit may be for you.
This means the doll is totally in pieces, unstrung and unpainted,
and must be finished by you. |
To
the left is a picture of an unfinished kit as it arrives.
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Unfinished
kits come with all the parts needed to construct a doll.
Kits are cheaper, but be prepared for a some work. |
A
BJD comes in many pieces, including the ball joints.The
parts are strung together by a thick elastic cord. This
stringing allows for the wonderful poseability of these
dolls.
Is it hard to string a doll? For beginners it can be difficult,
but not impossible. There is a stringing tool (below)
available that can help.
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In
the picture to the left you can see the thin resin still
present in the eye sockets.
This will have to be sanded.
Keep in mind the task of face painting
must also be done. |
Some people claim that this intimate knowledge of their
doll presents them with an opportunity to bond with their
new ward.
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If you are up to a challenge and low on funds this could
be an alternate way to go.
However, not for the mechanically challenged!
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| Sometimes,
you will stumble across a head you fall in love with. But it is just
that..only a head! Should I buy it? |
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Body
parts- In your travels, you will see heads without bodies and
bodies without heads. You may see just hands too. (Open, fists, pointing).
BE AWARE - There are many different variations between resin colors
from company to company. (Even within a company from year to year.)
Matching parts colorwise is not easy, even for seasoned veterans.
It can be tricky, especially when looking at colors on a computer
monitor and not in person. It takes a lot more work than buying a
complete doll.
Note: On company sites there is usually an area where you can buy
these main parts separately.
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Direct
from the Company - Dolls can be purchased from the creators
website. These purchases will normally involve overseas shipping.
There may be a long wait, anywhere from 1 week to months, while
they create the doll to your specifications.
Some take PayPal. Some require Wire Transfer of funds (banks
usually charge for this). Most do not accept credit card payments.
Recently the United States has been treated to a special opportunity.
The chance to shop in a real BJD store. Volks opened it's US
store at the end of 2005. It is located in Torrance, California.
This is in addition to their new Online
US website.
Note: If you buy inside of California, state tax is high. |
Foreign
ReSellers- There are overseas stores that carry more than
one type of doll. You will still have pay international shipping,
but one stop shopping is helpful to cut shipping costs.
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US
Official Sellers - Save on international shipping by buying
in the US. While the selection is limited presently, it is growing
super fast. I predict we will see many more brands represented
soon, and even more doll shops carrying Ball Jointed Dolls.
**There is no better place to buy Narin Dolls than from Catrina
at Dollfair.
Links at left. |
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Ebay
personal sellers There are many reputable sellers on Ebay,
but as we all know, there can be scammers. These dolls are
big ticket items. Be sure to check feedback. If in doubt,
ask on bulletin boards for opinions on the auction.
BJDs are currently holding their value well on the secondary
market. This means you probably aren't going to often find
a bargain on Ebay.
So what is the benefit?
- Finding
a doll that is no longer being produced.
- The
doll is in the seller's hand and you don't have to wait
the sometimes many weeks it takes to ship from Asia.
- You
will see exactly what the doll will look like in real life,
instead of the company promotion pictures (and we all know
how helpful that can be!).
Note:
Many sellers on the secondary market expect (in addition to
the purchase price) to be reimbursed for their original shipping
from Asia to them. They will add this to the price. On top of
that, it seems to be very common with this type of item to ask
for the PayPal fees to be paid by the buyer. Yes, this is not
allowed on Ebay, however I see it all the time. So if you think
you will save on shipping this way you probably won't. In fact
you will most likely pay the original shipping PLUS shipping
to you at auctions end. |
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Ebay
Stores - Some companies have opened Official Ebay Stores to connect
with the world for sales. Some are stores run by resellers.
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Den
of Angels (registration required)
Zone of
Zen (registration required)
dollfiebegin
( a nice group for beginners)
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Bulletin
boards - are another option. With the high cost of Ebay
fees many sellers are turning to bulletin boards to sell and
trade items. Same precautions apply as in Ebay sales, and maybe
more. There is no one to monitor good/bad sellers and certainly
no protection for them either. Most boards do have areas where
bad sellers are called out and good sellers recommended. Proceed
with caution, ask for references.
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Yahoo
Japan - Yahoo Japan Auctions is a source for many things
BJD. I am going to list this option because it exists, but I
don't recommend it for beginners unless you are fluent in Japanese.
The site is in Japanese. If you manage to find doll auctions,
find one you can't live without and you can't speak Japanese,
you can use a shopping service. They will bid for you, and charge
a fee. Registration is required for shopping services.
Shopping Yahoo Japan would be my last choice for anyone new
to BJDs. However there are many who use it, and it is a way
to purchase harder to find items. I myself haven't figured it
out yet! We will save that for a future article! |
Yahoo Japan
Rinkya Shopping Service
Crescent
Shop |
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Changing
the eyes on your doll is actually a lot easier then actually
deciding on a color and style!
There are so many different types (glass, plastic, silicon,
large pupils, small pupils, cats iris, and a myriad of colors)
that as I said, deciding is the hard part.
Changing them is simple!
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Open
the head cap. It is held on by elastic. Pull it over to one
side. You should have room to work. If you need more room, you
can take off the head cap. Make sure you take note of how it
goes back on. Some head caps need to be slid off due to notches
in the cap.
If there are eyes in already, remove the eye putty. Sometimes
it is soft and sticky, sometimes it's firm and pliable. If the
eye is held in with hot glue the task will be involve a bit
more work. Carefully work it out and take out the eyes.
Remove the eyes from the putty.
You can use the same putty, or replace it with Fun-Tac, adhesive
putty or official eye putty you can buy from BJD companies.
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Most times, you will have a body in that neck hole!
This demonstration is on a spare head with no neck. |
Here is the head with an 18mm eye |
Here is the same head with 16mm eye.
If you have trouble getting the eyes straight (called "wonky"
eyes by owners) try setting the eyes while looking in a mirror. |
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Your
head may look more like the picture to the left.
This is my MSD Cien's Head. Here you will see what the inside
of the head looks like when it is attached to a body. The head
cap is slid off to the back (but still attached by the elastic).
This configuration will vay slightly from company to company.
Hooks may be different, but the procedure of changing eyes is
the same.
Note: The moleskin that you see is something I put on the outside
of the head to keep wigs from slipping. It has nothing to do
with changing the eyes. Moleskin is a soft suede like material
that provides some friction to keep wigs from shifting on the
head.
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Restringing
is something that every BJD owner will probably have to face at some
point. If your doll doesn't stand, or it's legs kick uncontrollably,
your doll probably could benefit from restringing. Elastic may loosen
over time and may have to be tightened. There are tutorials available
to help.This is something you should be aware of.
Note: You may also hear of sueding joints (adding suede inside joints
to make them more sturdy) or wiring a doll (adding wires inside the
body to firm the joints). These are nice extras, but not necessary.
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Narin
60cm with no body blushing. |
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Most
new dolls will come to you without the seams sanded. Seams,
also called parting lines, are marks left from the molds where
they part when forming the doll pieces.
Do you have to sand these lines? No. Should you? It is a matter
of personal taste. Many people leave their seams. Some wouldn't
dare leave them!
If you are going to be sanding, you should wear a mask and
use very fine sandpaper. It is not hard to do, but does make
resin dust which can be messy (and unhealthy). Proper precautions
should be taken. Again, this is something that can be done
at any time and tutorials are available.
Seam shown at left is fairly pronounced. Many times seams
will be a slight thin line. Severity of seams will vary.
Note: some companies are now offering seam sanding as a service
option. Cost varies.
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Angel
Region Cien MSD size, wig Karen Vail, faceup Evenstar,
outfit Luts for Kid Delf - |
You
can return to the company you bought your doll from to purchase
clothes.
If this is your choice, it makes sense to buy the clothes when
you purchase your doll.
Shipping is expensive from Asia, so why pay twice.
You can purchase hand made clothing via bulletin boards, personal
websites, and Ebay.
There are also Ebay stores selling company made clothing.
As with all things BJD, proceed with care when purchasing clothes.
Body sizes, breast sizes, arm length, torso length, shoulder
width..
all vary from company to company for the same category doll
(MSD or SD).
If it doesn't say it fits your specific doll, it may not!
In the picture to the left Cien (MSD) is wearing a Luts outfit
made for Luts Kid (MSD)
Cien has chunkier thighs so the leggings didn't go all the way
up. All else fit.
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On
Ebay:
Alan Japan Toy Stores carries KK Workshop OUTFITs. I love
these outfits!
On the Web:
Dollheart
Cheery
Doll
Note: You can also commission a seamstress to make clothes for
you. There are many talented people sewing for BJDs
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This
is by no means a complete listing, just some sites to get you
started. |
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this information will help you in the search and care of your perfect
doll! .........Until next time! |
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Graphics,
Layout, Photography and Text by Karen Vail c2008 All right reserved
These
are in no way complete lists of resources or choices.
I am not responsible for transactions with any of the above sources.
I do try to give information that is to the best of my knowledge
reputable
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