"Afraid" To Send Doll Out For Face-up?

I have never sent out a head for a faceup...

I don't have a HUGE fear, but sending heads away does make me worry. I don't want them to get lost (mine would be next to impossible to replace since they are mostly limiteds).

BUT, if I had a doll that I knew would be amazing with a certain artist--I would do it, I think.

So far, I either keep the default faceup or I do them myself. I'm not the greatest faceup artist ever, but I DO know what I like... so that helps. But I would think a good faceup artist would do a better job--so that part doesn't bother me. I just think I don't really want the extra worry of the head being out of my hands... AND I am not hating my own faceups, and I could use the practice... so...

 

I have had bad luck with many people I have commissioned in the past just for normal artwork. Having that type of streak, I don't even want to think about sending my expensive doll out to some stranger. I understand the fear and nervousness, but if the person has great reviews and keeps in contact, has a good terms of service and has everything laid out in clarity on their site or in their thread, then they should be trustworthy enough.

 

I actually am a little afraid to send my dolls out for a face up. I don't know any good places, and my friend whose been into BJDs longer than me always tells me stuff about parts going missing or having them not come back... I'd like to do my own face ups, but my artistic skill is at a minimum. ^^'

 

I understand this.

I want my new girl blushed and tattooed. I don't like the idea of sending her out because it freaks me out a little, and also shipping is so high (I'm not too worried about the package in transit, I'll pack it well and get it insured) but I want her to look good and I know I won't be able to get the results I want. So I've decided to just go ahead and do it.

I searched around a lot for a great artist who had the feedback to match their talent and I've found one. I'm not so worried anymore, and I'm sure it will work out beautifully when it comes time to send her out (I'm on a waiting list).

My one suggestion for anyone worried... Don't go for a cheaper alternative. Pay a little more for security and quality assurance.

 

Last month I sent a doll out for the first time. I knew she was in good hands, but I was still worried. She needed a new face up, and I was lucky enough to get a spot for a free one by arrowchild, so I went ahead with it. I was worried pretty much the entire time. But then again - I'm just a worrier. My RS Lan was completely safe though. ^_^ And I'm pretty much over my fear now!

 

I'm afraid of sending mine to someone in another country - I try not to even look at commissions threads from people not in the US. Dealing with lost packages is a nightmare since the USPS can be so incompetent and the tracking information isn't always accurate. (I didn't realize this until recently, but the tracking can be completely wrong and it's very frustrating!) I haven't completely ruled out sending a head overseas, but I'm not sure if the extra cost and worry would be worth it.

I worry somewhat about sending them off within the US, but usually items sent via Priority arrive within 2-3 days like they're supposed to. However, I would be really stressed if I sent a head off and then the face-up artist starting getting bad reviews. If you pay in advance and it takes the artist over 45 days, the head and the money could be lost permanently. Overall, I'd prefer to have a company face-up because it's cheaper and less stressful. Buying a doll second-hand with a custom face-up is also a good option.

I wouldn't miss the head while it's gone though. I don't feel any attachment for a blank head or a head with a bad face-up.

 

I would be totally afraid to send any doll head of mine in the mail back and forth. Insurance or not, even if you get your money back in case of loss, how are you going to buy a limited head sculpt again for the price it was originally sold for (because that is probably all insurance would pay, no more)? And sad but true, I don't trust the mail system enough. I had mail gone lost on me before, and really important things too. So I don't feel like making my doll travel in a shipping box by mail more often than needed to buy her in the first place (or sell, but that hasn't happened yet). No matter how wonderful the work done by the face-up artists is. Happily, I enjoy doing my (maybe amateur and bad quality, but painted with love) face-ups myself so much that my fear of sending my dolls away at least doesn't leave them blank or with a destroyed company face-up forever. I hope that my fear of sending the doll back and forth subsides one day though, so I can either commission someone to give my doll a beautiful face-up or offer somebody to do a face-up on their doll (the latter would mean sending the doll, though not mine, back and forth too, and that makes me equally afraid).

 

I was nervous the first couple of times, but now I feel confident that I know the artist, so it's not so much of a worry about whether I'll get the head back because I know I will and the doll will look a-mazing.

I do worry about the postal service though. The last head I sent out was uninsured and untracked, it was sent recorded delivery so I'd only get an update when it was signed for at the destination. I didn't want this option but the clerk at the post office misheard me and it was only when I got my receipt and checked it that I noticed it was wrong and my $350 head was out in the postal system at their mercy! Everything turned out fine though and she's on her way back to me with an amazing face-up and she definitely has tracking and insurance now!

I did my research and I will only commission artists in the UK. I doubt the people I've commissioned would ever steal so much as an eyelash, they're very trustworthy and have excellent feedback, but in case things do go wrong at least I'm dealing with one postal service rather than worrying about whether my package was scanned at the airport or fell into the wrong mailbag!

 

I was afraid too, but more so because I'm extremely picky about what I want and I don't want to waste my money. I was worried that I wouldn't like what the artist came up with, so before I just stuck to company faceups (and you don't have to pay for extra shipping charges, too) However recently I sent a head overseas as a last resort. I was going to sell the doll but I decided to take a chance and see if a new look would make me fall in love with it again..and it did. I realize I should put some more trust in others, because the one doing the faceup is probably more worried about making the faceup look right to suit your needs! I have yet to receive the head, but now that I saw the photos the artist gave me, I'm 10x more anxious/nervous about finally getting it back! But I realized from this that sending out heads to faceup artists is going to be a better option in my book now, because you can get something that's truly one of a kind.

 

I was a little hesitant, due to the risk of damage or loss, as well as the high cost of shipping ($15-$20 each way) on top of the face-up price.

I had a bad experience; chipped/scuffed paint in mail, meaning I had to repaint out of the box; complete waste of my money and time (4 weeks including shipping times). Now, I order pre-painted dolls or do the painting locally.

I'm not terrible at face-ups, so now I give my blank dolls temp face-ups until one of my (non-doll) artist friends has time to paint my dolls in exchange for homemade treats, or free as practice.

 

I have the fortune that one amazing face up artist lives just 30mins from where I stay and most of my dolls go to her and never once was I disppointed. I have a fear of sending my heads overseas, worrying they may get lost and if that happens, I may just go bonkers. Having them insured is going cost me a bomb too cos other than the insurance cost, its the custom fees I have to pay for both sides. The artist's custom and my own. Paying 7% more on a $1500 head on top of face up cost and shipping costs is expensive.

However, I did send 2 limited heads overseas when a korean artist opened her slots some time ago. Did not have insurance for both heads and they came back safely. And they are worth every penny and the paranoia I went through. XD

I guess I will still take the chance to send heads overseas if an artist I admire does open up their slots. XD

 

I have recently found my favourite faceup artist and as she´s in Germany I don´t have to worry too much about accidents during the shipping procedure (keeping my fingers crossed though)- and of course the shipping isn´t expensive ^^

I must say that I havn´t decided if I would send a really, really valuable head away for faceup and this is not because I don´t trust the customizer- it is just because, well, what do I do if it is lost by the post
office? Don´t want to take any risks as I bought some of these dolls second hand and it could get difficult for me to prove their value to the PO...
So either taking the risk or choosing a very expensive shipping method, where the chances that the head will be lost during transport should be minimized.

So, in a nutshell I would only be worried if I would send a very expensive head out for a faceup ^^;

 

I'm mostly afraid of losing his head in the mail as it was already hard to find him on the mp and the point of either not liking the face up or fear of messing up the face up because I like touching his face. (Terrible habit now) It's why I'm getting better at doing my own face-ups.

 

Well, I wasn't too much. I had never had an issue sending out heads for face-ups in the past, then I sent out two heads at once and they got lost in the mail.
I had to go through the fiasco of getting the insurance money for the heads from the post office, reordering the head, then sending them back out... It'll be about five months by the time I get my heads back. (I just got the pictures of the new face-ups two days ago! Yey!)

It will be a serious challenge to build up the courage to send out my heads again.

 

I think it's time I dredge this thread up from the depths, as I'm currently going through this exact experience and I'd like to read more about how people deal with this issue.

Personally, I'm attempting to rejoin the hobby, and as always my first goal is to give proper face-ups to my poor dolls that have been sitting around for years without. I have 4 in need (well, 3 in need and 1 who needs a dye job, additive mods, face-up, etc.), and I am having the worst time trying to convince myself to send them off. I'm fairly certain 3 of them are no longer made (and 1 was so unpopular I've yet to see anyone else who owns one), so the thought of losing one in the mail or some other unfortunate circumstance is really gnawing at me. Yet I've learned long ago that not only am I TERRIBLE at face-ups, but I gain absolutely no enjoyment out of practicing them. Eventually I will have to send the others out.

So, any other opinions on how to gather the courage to send your dolls out, aside from sticking within your own country?

 

I was nervous the first time I sent my doll off for a faceup, but I'm pretty comfortable with the idea now. I tend to commission artists in my country to keep shipping costs lower and to (hopefully) reduce the chance of any mishaps during shipping. I've sent a couple limited heads and parts off for work, and in the end it was worth it. They turned out way better than what I could have done and I love them even more now. I've become familiar and comfortable sending my heads to one faceup artist in the US and I will continue sending them to her as long as she stays open

 

I just sent my first doll out for a face-up in February so I just recently went through the roller coaster of emotions you are experiencing now. I won the doll I sent away a year ago from Souldoll. It took me until mid-January to finally work up the nerve to sit down and research a face-up artist. I think I looked at every open face-up shop here on DOA and read through thousands of feedback posts before I chose the girl I went with. So research any artist you fancy because it will pay off! I was confident in the artist and that really helped me through the time my girl was away from home.

Good luck InkyBear!

 

I'm too afraid to send my boy out for a face-up, even within the UK. Honestly, I don't know what to do about it, because at the same time, although I don't need anything drastic, he doesn't feel right without the small additions I do want. But I just can't bring myself to risk it. It doesn't matter how good the artist is with returning him. I've had stuff go missing in the guaranteed postal service more than once.

 

I would be okay risking it, because so far I can't even spray sealant correctly (although I do enjoy the pastel work--spray and wipe, spray and wipe, and I'm getting good at putting on the mask protection!). Except I am really bad at describing visuals. I have no idea how I would communicate to the poor faceup artist even a remote ballpark of what I have in mind. I suppose I could make a sketch, but while I enjoy sketching, I also suck at colors, which is what happens when you spend all your time sketching with a pen. If I could come up with any sort of description that would be a useful guideline to the artist, I might try it someday.

 

I wasn't worried since the artist who did my Avalon's face up is one of my friends in my meet up group and she's so nice. ^^ I was a little nervous at first because I had never been without him but I was glad to get him all fixed up.