.

My two Soom Petit Gem anthros I got this year have the can't-be-copied-by-a-recast tech feature. It said in the user guide that the micro chip or whatever the cellphone verifiable piece is, will last 20 years and can take fairly high temperatures. Meaning if you dye your doll (as I did one of mine) it will still work. Soom CoA's now have a authenticity verification QR code on them too. It would be great if more companies find or create ways to make their dolls and/or CoA's harder to copy.

As a rule, I prefer my inanimate objects not talk to me. While voice activated home systems are impressive, I do not want one. I watch TV shows on my computer and listen to music on my phone, but talking or moving dolls freak me out. No, I have not seen that horror movie or that Twilight Zone episode.

 

I think BJDs will move toward biodegradable options. There's already 3D printing filament that biodegrades, which can be used for 3D printed BJDs, and I'm sure eco-resins will develop and improve over time.

 

Great... Now I really want to add a squibbon and a flish to my collection of oddball little creatures. Dream Valley or DC or one of the other companies who love to sculpt strange creatures need to get on that.

(OT for dolls... but if you enjoyed Future is Wild, try to find copies of Dougal Dixon's After Man and Man After Man books. They're good fun and his creature designs are interesting.)

 

Self stringing dolls. Some sergers can do it. You stick the end of the thread in, hit the button, and a vacuum pulls it through. Or something similar

 

Affordable porcelain-like BJDs. XD (One can dream right? I love the material, but well it will stay a dream )

Perhaps the BJDs would be able to talk, move, react, a bit like some robots now...perhaps they would even be able to do some chores for me? XD

 

Electronically moving BJDs would mean more components prone to break and more difficulties in replacing/repairing. And I don't think it would move well enough to pass the simple stages of "arm -> raise", "finger -> flip" or "head -> tilt", not with the technology we have at the moment normally marketed to consumer.
Different materials would be a huge improvement, in my opinion, something lighter or more elastic, for example, but at the same time more stain resistant than the vinyl. I'm sure such material already exists but it's not cost effective. And I'd like to see a new kind of articulation skeleton based (I think the torso ball joints on the Dollfie DD-f3 is a great idea).

Hey, why not a new kind of locking-string system? Something that you move and it stays there like a rock, and then, if you want to move it again, you have to gently pull/rotate/somethinelse to free the strings again. I know that certain companies introduced ridges or notches as locking mechanism in their bodies, but I'm talking about trying to find a new synergy between resin and string.
But again, introducing complexity equals to introduce errors (read: more breakings).

However, stringed dolls are around since forever, and I don't think that's going to change too soon.

 

Have you seen Quarto's serpent? I can imagine a squiddy-thing with tentacles each made like the serpent's body. That would be pretty cool. Hard as heck to string, but... cool.

 

I might be in the minority, but I absolutely don't want technology in my dolls. I've never been a fan of toys that do stuff, not even as a kid. If it walks, talks, interacts, makes noise...that's a huge no from me. I really prefer to use my imagination for my dolls/toys, the idea of them doing things on their own is so unappealing to me, I'd probably never buy another doll if it got to this point.

One thing I really do worry about for the future is how long companies/artists can continue to make dolls. Labor is hard to find right now in many areas, materials keep getting more expensive, recasters take money straight from companies/artists, shipping has gotten so much more expensive and is taking months which has caused some companies/dealers to have issues with people filing charge backs...at what point does it cross the line to not being profitable to make dolls? So many artists are already working with a very thin profit, I can't imagine they'll continue to produce dolls if they're only breaking even--or worse, paying to make dolls. I hope I'm worrying over nothing, but this does seem like a very real possibility in my head.

 

One of the biggest things I would love to see is mobility joints in the upper arms, not just the thighs. Some dolls have a good range of motion because their elbow joints are well sculpted, but some.... aren't and don't. So it would be nice to have more arm pose-ability.

 

There’s so much out there that I can’t keep up, but I have a really good imagination so don’t need dolls that talk or walk, a little more cooperative when dressing would be nice, or willing to keep a wig on without me fighting. But I know there will always be dolls and things for dolls that suit me and actually am glad to see how creative and imaginative artists can be.
And yes, I do like any and all features that prevent recasting, and I am going to include scanning and then being able to use a 3-D printer to ‘clone’.

 

If all recasting was eliminated that would absolutely make my heart sing something seemingly simple I hope for is that they will find a way to make resin color permanent regardless of time, heat, or sunlight. No more yellowing or fading or anything like that

 

The pricing of the dolls will go up because they will require more work due to functions like movement that can be triggered via voice command or controller.

What do you think is the future of BJD dolls?

 

Volks has a resin like that, they call it Pureskin Bisque. Apparently it's extremely hard to produce, so they make only a handful of dolls each year with it and they're very exclusive. Also, their blushing and faceups are permanent.

Whatever formula or process they use, it's their secret and not widely commercially viable (at least not now).

 

I'm also not interested in dolls that are highly robotic in terms of walking, talking, etc. If technology advances that far though their creation will be inevitable I think considering all the robot pets/dolls on the toy market during the late 90s/early 2000s. But at that point is it really a doll anymore or a toy robot?

I think chipping to prevent recasting and assuring legitimacy in second hand sales is genious, don't know why it hasn't been a thing for a while considering we've been chipping dogs for decades. But if a phone becomes the primary vehicle for interacting with my dolls, I think it will be a sad day indeed. I spend soo much time on screens between leisure and work. Please don't take one of my only screen free hobbies!