Aversion to customization?

Yeah... I find that in general, I like buying dolls that are already done up in a way that's aesthetically pleasing to me. When it comes to taking them apart, I'd rather have somebody else do it. And trying to decide what sort of faceup I want for a blank head took me forever to decide.

I've never changed the eyes in any of my dolls. Only a couple of them have gotten wig changes. I tend to find something I like and stick with it.

I guess I'm not terribly creative with my dolls...

 

I'm so busy, ... I just dont have time to do customization anymore! so I feel your pain. in most cases if something must be done, I would rather pay someone else to do it for me. I just dont have time...

 

I used to feel that way at first. I didn't want to see what was inside her head, and it would freak me out if one of my Takara Jenny or any other type of doll's head came off.

It seems like forever ago as I'm so comfortable with it now.

When I first received Violet, I didn't even want to take her pate off, I was terrified that I would destroy her. I'm not a very delicate or graceful type of person as you would see if you were to read my posts here >.> and I was scared to hurt her, as in real, physical pain.

I got over it by ordering an Unoa kit on the very first pre-order. Its not like I could afford to send her off to someone else to be put together so I had to do it. It immediately broke the ice for me and customization. Seeing all of Alyssa's body parts separate in a little bag wasn't as horrifying as I had thought it would be.

I started experimenting (my poor, oldskin SD10 body took a lot of damage in the trial and error process but I hated that thing anyway) and am now, 5 years later, completely comfortable with sanding, peircing, stringing, unstringing, modifying etc. etc. etc. Enough so that I'll even do it for other people.

 

I enjoyed customising Vlad but god sometimes I just wanted to give up!

It took me forever to sand his body(I think I officially hate sanding, but I bet I do it again). And the airbrushing problems and god knows what else I had problems with!

When it came to his legs(I painted those last) it looked like this giant hill I had to get over, I almost gave up! But I did it anyway, despite my brain ache xD

But in the end, it was totally worth it x3 so I look forward to that point. And I'm glad I stuck it through.

I also like restringing dolls xD I was too scared to at first, I had to get butterfly to do it for me, but once I realised how easy it is, I rather like it.

 

Ok, I have no doll yet, but I kinda understand what you mean. Usually I have no problems with the thought of a doll being seperated into parts, or anything less than a complete doll. But I was watching the anime Rozen Maiden a few days back, (it's about dolls, in case anyone didn't know) and there is a part where they show a shot of the workshop inside the doll shop, and the shelf full of neatly arranged doll parts... Somehow that made me feel slightly sick. Even though usually I'm fine with that sort of thing.

I would say, if you really don't like customizing your doll, it's not really as if it's completely necessary. However little or much your doll might be customized, it's still a unique doll, and has his/her own personality. And that's the most important part. Should you ever need your doll restrung or anything like that, I'd say just send it to someone else who enjoys doing it.

 

Although a part of me wants to try doing my own face-ups and customizations for my own dolls, I don't have the courage. At the time, I heard that MSC was kind of hard to obtain, so I steered clear of even thinking about doing a face-up myself. The last thing I want to do is mess up a doll. That's the main reason why I'm doing FCS. I should let someone who is skilled paint and string my doll for me, so when it arrives, I can just play with it. ^^ Things like taking out eyes or putting eye lashes on worry me especially. My hands are not steady at all. XD

If I could, I would have just bought an MSD kit and painted the face myself. However, after I found out about the Suwarikko legs, I decided to go along with it anyway, because they were only available at Sato. Of course now, I believe there's a tutorial that shows you how to make your own "sitting legs", however, I still wouldn't attempt it. I don't have the experience or the guts to do anything of the sort. I don't even want to string them myself, for fear of messing something up! @.@ These dolls cost a lot and I'd be very unhappy, not to mention mad, if I damaged these dolls in any way. Plus paying for extra parts doesn't sound like fun, that is, if I end up chipping or breaking it. I know eventually, I will have to learn to at least string a doll myself. I'm just glad most dolls come with directions. If I have a guide in my hands, I can just take my time.

All in all, my dolls probably won't require any major customizations. ^.^

 

I don't think I'll be doing too much customization when it comes to the face and body for Wynnie when he comes. I DO want to change his eyes to golden brown (but the eye color selection is random for him, so I might not even have to do that), and maybe add a bit of blush around them (or have someone else do it :3 ), but that's it.

I'm not really good with painting on 3D models, I really like the "natural" look that the original face-ups come with, and CERTAINLY don't think I'll have the courage to take sandpaper to him, let alone take him to pieces to restring. All my customizing will be in the hair and clothes, which is basically what I do to myself too, so I'm familiar with wigs and sewing :p

 

i want to do it myself but it's so time consuming and my doll will end up in parts for days on end x_X so that's why i rather let them be with their imperfections, i wouldnt drill or poke them with anything though

 

I had no interest in customizing, until I got tired of Koori's face being the way it was. So, I had to take his head off.
I had no interest in restringing...>.< Now I have to because he's like a rag doll. I liked his body the way it was. Oh well, have to give in sometimes, hm?

 

I understand. especially with limited edition doll that Ive bought since he came with face up, clothing, wig already done up it was just tempting for me to put him on a pedestal and not touch him.. even now Im still scared to remove his default face up!

 

I love to restring. I have modded dolls before, but I dunno if I could mod a head like I'd want. I did mod an Elf Yder Vampire head to get the eyes to sit up into the face better but that's it. I'm not sure if I can sand right!

 

It's reassuring that I'm not the only one who really doesn't like the idea of changing things around. I think there should be a database of people who really enjoy restringing, wiring, etc - because when I get my boy I'm going to be a nervous wreck trying to do it.

I think it's part feeling incompetant and part thinking of my doll as a character - I don't want to take his eyes out!!

 

Well a lot of people who do painting also do work like stringing and such. Once you get into the marketplace you'll find lots of people offereing those services.

 

I kind of disagree. When I first got Vaith I was excited to play with him, I immediately moved his eyes and took off his eyelashes, hacked at his hair... I'm terrified of taking him apart only because I wouldn't know what to do.

I think customizing dolls is the fun of it~

 

I won't go near any of my kids with a paintbrush because I am NOT artistic in the least and I know I'll screw it up. I also don't like restringing them (I asked darkawaii to restring on of my dolls 'cause I don't know how) but if it has to be done...

I think the only thing I refuse outright to do is pierce my dolls. Poking holes in their heads just seems wrong to me. Or maybe it's just wrong for my dolls' personalities.

 

If you ever need a doll restrung or help doing something, ask in a meetup thread for your area. We've had people bring stringing tools and do restrinings at the meet-ups.

 

I've had my El for about three months now but he spends most of his time in his box.
However this is because I yearn to customise him. I want to get rid of the luts face-up and redo it myself so that he'll have the personality that I imagine him having. Also, christmas is when he's getting his default outfit so, although I love him dearly and have had him a while, I have refrained from posting any pictures on DOA until he is how I imagine him to be.

I can understand people not wanting to restring though... that intimidates me a little and I hope he won't be needing it any time soon.

 

I only ever change my dolls eyes once. When they first arrive - they change from default eyes to the ones i've selected.
Wigs, most dolls dont ship with so I like to make sure their wig is around. While I like dolls keeping their one wig, I did change Elina's.
Apart from that, I leave their faceup they shipped with intact, and only change clothes.
I do not customise beyond that.

 

Hmm...i cant say ive ever felt this for all my dolls. Ninde has been taken to bits so many times ive lost count. I quite enjoyed doing his faceup. Hes not my first doll tho Lilith my E-an was. There is no way i could take her to bits, eye changing i can do and i took her head off once but never again...i just can bring myself to do it. My tiny katie i never plan on taking to bits (i shudder at the thought of restringing her shes dinky).

Im getting a tiny for xmas and the faceup artist that is gonna do his faceup (i dont think id get a natural faceup right - Ninde is definatly not normal) said she restring Lilith for me as shes really loose..

 

I don't find restringing that much of a problem. Apparently, the volks people have to put a lot of dolls together, so they decided printing "L" and "R" on the insides of the body part was a great plan. And it is! Makes my life so much easier! I take Remember's head off fairly often to swap her eyes out so I can get better angles to fight with the putty. Anyone who has ever seen me at a meet-up can probably confirm that I change her wig about once every half hour. (I'm getting better...!)
I shudder at the thought of face ups, because paint and I have just never gotten along. I may try once, cry at my awful attempt, and then send her off to someone who actually knows what they're doing. I do have a grand plan to take off her seams, but we'll see if I chicken out or not ^-^