A Single Doll for Multiple Characters?

Not bad idea, if your focus is on photostories or photoshoots, and if the minor characters are so minor that the same body type doesn't bother you.

I have at the moment two (important) characters sharing body like that, and it's really annoying, as I'd like to take photos of them together, but I can't. xD

 

I have not done this myself, but I definitely have friends who do. Especially with the large EID Iplehouse dolls, whose bodies are heavy and take up a LOT of room.

I have tried to have my dolls share bodies, but just can't do it.

Linda S.
galatia9

 

I have two heads who are sharing a body now, but primarily because I can't find the body I want for the other head. It's definitely something to consider, especially if you have a large doll family or plan to travel with more than one doll. But I like to give my dolls different body types to match their personalities so body sharing is only a temporary solution for me.

 

There are definitely people who do that on this forum. Not me personally but long time collectors often seem to have a floating head collection they sometimes switch bodies with. It's definitely doable and a very economic idea. I think if you want to do a photostory with them both together, it would be a chance for you to show your skills in creating the illusion. ^^

 

Most certainly. I've got a crew of cosplayers (mind, each has his/her own character, but they COSPLAY a bunch of different ones) and then I've got the OLDER generation, who will be represented by heads that get aged face-ups, but will NOT get their own bodies. I'm getting or have got 4 bodies (2 female, 2 male) that will serve as the 'old' bodies, but if I need a group of more than 2 old guys together for a photoshoot other doll bodies will get grabbed as needed LOL I've also decided to make a 'fat suit' (don't hate on me) to fit on one of the female bodies, for a couple of my characters. Also, I've got 3 'ghosts' who will also borrow bodies instead of getting their own. I've got 40 dolls already - I sure don't want a full doll for characters who don't make too many appearances in my stories LOL

 

The idea is definitely interesting, though I don't think I could personnally do that. I only shell characters I deeply love (never the ones I just "need"), so having one doll for several characters and don't have them altogether at the same time just won't do, or at least I believe so. Never say never though !
But it sure is a nice way to have several minor characters that are supposed to meet and interact with your main characters ; and that also allows you to have several different styles with the same doll/body.

 

If it is the idea of having dolls as a model, I would think someone would use their doll for multiple characters. Sort of like an actor. It is fun to customize so changing a character would be worth it even with just one doll. I knew someone who used one doll for 4 different characters for 4 different stories. I wouldn't do that personally but it's interesting.

 

I've considered this many times, but it never works out for me. My dolls are OCs, and they have such a wide variety of body types, heights, resin colors, tattoos and other important distinguishing features that it never works. I know some people who are okay keeping bodies blank and only mentioning details in writing, but that doesn't work for me. A unique body is just as important as unique heads for my characters.

I have had some minor characters who were just floating heads that I would temporarily pop on a different doll's body for photos, but in the end, I realized if the character was minor enough to never need a body, I eventually wouldn't feel a need to keep the head either. My floating heads either end up completed, or they sit in a drawer until I convince myself to just get rid of them.

 

I don't think I would be able to do this. Sounds like it'd be really frustrating to me.

 

I've started to do this. I have 2 bodies that share 2 heads each. I'd rather have a body for each head but I have a low tolerance towards ''same-ity''. And I don't have much space. I bought my last doll with an extra head as well. I liked both sculpts and couldn't decide. It is annoying when I want the 2 sculpts to interact with each other, though it allows me to have 2 characters at a reduced cost.

 

I think it would be a completely plausible idea if things lined up in such a way to make it work, as in: you like a lot of sculpts from the same company, or in the same size range and of the same scale, or in the same or similar enough skintone, etc. I also think if dolls featuring face plate systems are able to interchange their face plates amongst dolls of the same size, then it would be a good way to have more options for expressions and such for different scenarios. Boxed heads can take up a lot less room than displayed full dolls, too, and it can be more budget-friendly as well. It might be prohibitive for people who like to do photo stories depending on what they gave themselves to work with, but it could work well for people who photograph single dolls.

While I can see the merit to the idea, and while I'm also not in the "my dolls are OC" camp, this practice isn't really something that works for my collection right now. I like different sizes, and styles, and I also really look at most of my dolls as individual entities (which might go a bit against me saying they aren't original characters) but when I got each doll, I was looking at getting the whole doll. If in the beginning I had decided that I only wanted Volks dolls, or something, I might have done something different and gone after heads when they popped up and just used one or two bodies for them. Maybe.

 

I haven't consciously done this...as in deliberatly having a few bodies and many heads to swap. I do have dolls that represent different characters depending on how I change their clothes, wigs and eyes but most are complete dolls. As it is I already have some boys that are sharing a body but this isn't by choice. One, I'm undecided on his body and the other, I keep missing the order period.

Personally I don't like putting some heads "away" or changing the heads out because I love seeing all of my dolls. I really miss them when I can't see them. But otherwise I do think it's a cool idea and would save money. I like the idea of having a rotating collection though.

 

The concept is a workable one, but a lot of owners tend to get attached to their dolls. I think as long as you treat the doll bodies with switchable heads as minor characters in your collection, then it'll be alright. Once you've set a name and/or a background for your doll, it might be problematic if you ever get really attached to that character.

 

In my story I have twin girls, of course they look alike, but there personalities are way different, you can say they are like night and day. I still in the process of saving up for them, but I do have there outfits and eyes so far, I am sooo looking forward to getting them this year sometime

 

There are instances where I think it's definitely handy-- and I could see myself doing it, definitely. I have an original character who only has a couple of real physical differences from how I envision an old favorite fictional character, things that a change in wig, clothes, and props would be sufficient for. So if I wanted to shell both of them, they could share not only a body, but a head, and it would probably be possible for other essential characters from both universes to have similar 'swap buddies', if I thought about it and perhaps put a little more work into how to make them different-- or for some of the original characters to double as characters from a third story, either fan- or original.

So far, I've only done the 'head-swapping' version, having let my floating head nab Vince's body for temporary jaunting, rather than buy him his own. It definitely saves on space, and it... kind of works for Moz to spend a lot of his time as a severed head, due to his own (admittedly quite weird) story. He really doesn't need a body of his own at this point, and might never really need one.

Actually, Moz is kind of his own multiple-character, but it's more that I'd created alternate universes for him, so aside from his 'regular' self, there's a somewhat cyberpunk sci-fi universe Moz and a very D&D fantasy universe Moz. Which obviously all share the same-- well, head. It's just a matter of deciding which universe I want him to spend some time in whenever he needs a new faceup, for the details that differ-- since at the moment, he has just one wig that's 'his'.

 

This was my intention with my first doll!! I specifically bought an androgynous head and a few different wigs & eye colours and a variety of outfits in case I end up wanting to use it for multiple characters - but more I talk about her, the more the doll feels like a singular character to me. It's nice having flexibility though! And of course if I end up liking the hobby enough I'll be more interested in investing in more dolls for any ideas that pop up