Aversion to customization?

I sort of know how you feel. I really hate changing eyes. I think it's mainly the frustration of getting them straight and in place, but I really hate doing it. I'm also afraid of getting cutomized face-ups, just because I'm afraid they won't come out the way I imagine them to.

 

I love art, and I really want to get into doing face-ups when I get a practice head. But honestly, I had a big fear and dislike for the process as well. Mainly because when I got my first doll, she seemed so fragile...but when I got my SD, he seemed so much sturdier and I grew more comfy with them after I realized MSD and SD were the same, save for size and different company tweaks.

What really did it for me was popping open their heads and fiddling with them. I fear stringing and sanding, but face-ups appeal to me. I really didn't like changing their eyes, but I recently bought a NaNuRi 07 (whose whole as I bought him with a body) and I NEED to put in his eyes. That and a small finger crisis where I had to repair the snapped off fingers really did it for me.

I became happier and more 'into' the hobby. More bonded with the dolls, even if it just affected one of them. It's hilarious to think that a crisis situation would make me happier, but it did. I felt like they were mine, and that I could play with them and fix them if I had to. They weren't so fragile.

I think that changing the dolls leads to a better 'relationship' but that's just me. I was just as happy before without major changes, BUT I feel that's where the fun is. Making them yours by a process of learning.

But you don't have to do major changes to make them yours, or make yourself a good owner. If they bring you joy untouched, then what's the problem? You're happy and that's what's important. You do what you want. Just try to get over fears that may hinder you, since they'll usually make you feel more comfy.

 

A "good" doll owner? What is that, a moral judgement? What if you wanted to just have limiteds and never touch them as far as changing or anything else goes? Would that make you "bad"? Give me a break, that is just absurd. You don't have to want/need/be able to do anything to a doll to enjoy this hobby. Each person should feel happy to do whatever they want to without feeling guilty over being "bad".
As for myself I don't do stringing or anything that involves tools. That's not my thing. My husband does that for me because he likes to. I also am a crappy photographer. Any beautiful pictures of my dolls are taken by him. I buy, faceup, dress and play with my dolls.
Oh, and also I don't do eyes. I only buy them. Lashes I'm cool with, just no eyes.
Oooo I must be so bad!

 

I love seeing customization and taking part in it, on the whole.

However, when I see someone with a limited or one off and they're gone and done more than just superficial detailing I tend to think that the doll would have been better off had it just been left alone. I guess that is the snob in me talking...

 

Thanks!! That's really good advice

 

Thanks! I'm a newbie here

 

Mm, I feel the same way. I'm afraid to customize. It's not that I don't want to ruin the doll or I think I won't be able to do anything but...I KNOW I would screw it up somehow. I can't cut, draw, or trace a straight line. My hands are shaky, and they sweat like mad! So yeah...I think if I ever need any customizing done my babies'll be sent off to a proffessional! XD

 

I would never change any of my dolls by doing things other than face-ups. Face-ups are not as permanent as a nose job or a piercing, and you won't die of horror if you mess up a face-up compared to a botched or unsatisfactory sanding/drilling job. I say if you don't like x or y about a head mold, find another head that has those features or get a Minimee.

Besides, it seems very sad when I see Marketplace threads for dolls that have been heavily modified. What's the point when you're just going to sell it and go through the near impossible task of finding a buyer who will like it? I certainly wouldn't want a doll that's been modified to suit another person's tastes; I'd rather have the doll in it's original form.

 

I wanted to buy a blank doll because I wanted to do my own faceup. But because of a stock issue, I ended up with a default faceup. And it's beautiful. But it's not my doll. It's just wrong. But I know I prolly won't be able to do one that good, so I haven't done anything about it. ;_;

I also want to re-string him and make him looser, but I'm sooo scared I'll mess him up forever.

ahhh! it's so scary. ;__;

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't like customization. I actually like changing eyes and wigs; but I find restringing to be a necessary evil and wish faceups could be made permanent (especially LE faceups.) I wouldn't even think of modding my dolls and would never purchase one that's been modded. If I don't like a company's doll as is, I won't buy it.

 

I don't mind re-stringing my dolls, it's not that bad, but no way will I re-string my Hound, as for face up's I totally suck at it and I am looking for a excellent face-up artist to do my Eva when she comes. I would have had the Limwha artist do it, but I did not want to have a larger cc bill. If I can't find anyone to do it and if I don't bond with her I might sell her

 

The last two heads I bought don't have bodies, so they're just kind of sitting on my shelf (one is also wigless, poor thing. XD) and it bothers me just to have them sitting there. But I don't have the money to buy them bodies right now (and probably won't anytime soon) so I don't let it get to me. ^^;

I very rarely change their wigs, since I like to have them in a "default" look. But I play around with their eyes all the time.

I also don't change faceups on them (save for two. One I didn't order with a faceup originally, and the second one's faceup I couldn't stand), mostly because I'm not very good at it at all. ^^;

 

I think taking them apart and sanding them and such would squick me out too. It's like, these are my dolls, I don't want to take off their body parts. It's like taking your dog and cutting off its leg or something. *shudder* No thank you, not for me... The most I'd do is wig replacing and eye replacing, unless it really honestly did need other work.

 

I love doing faceups and all that, but I get really frustrated for having such a hard work and then not getting a perfect result. Other than that, I'm too scared to do major modifications or even sanding. Also... I can't leave the doll half finished either. I don't like looking at it when it's uncomplete or something is a bit off and needs fixing. It reminds of where my skills fall short. So I've felt negative things towards a doll too, simply because of my own lack of skills sometimes or because I'm simply too much of a perfectionist (which is a pain).

I'd get a pro to do modifications and faceups for me anytime, at least to see how it's done. So I get your point even though I enjoy doing most bjd things.

 

Before my first doll arrived, I thought that I'd really enjoy the customization process, but I can't even bring myself to change her eyes. I have this fear that she won't be the same doll if I do. Same with my second doll. His eye color isn't exactly what I was looking for, but I don't want to change it. He's who he is and I like that.

Now, I have a Unoa faceplate that I bought specifically to practice faceups on, so I'll see then how I feel about it. She's going to be a hybrid on a Serendipity body and I've already purchased eyes for her, so maybe, since she isn't coming to me complete, I'll be more open to customizing her.

 

Aversion to customization? Most certainly.

Stuff like restringing, basic cleaning, even changing the eyes I don't mind. It's the faceups and sanding and actual alteration of the doll which really puts me off.
I mean... the painting of the face in itself is not that bad. I enjoy that. It's the spraying which comes after any major alteration of the doll. I HATE it.
Srsly. I think I have a phobia >.>;;;

I wish I didn't though =__=; I love to draw, so to do my doll's face would just be pure awsome...

 

My dolls arrived so perfect that I'm terrified to do anything that might spoil them. I haven't taken any heads off, reputtied any eyes or unstrung anyone; the only thing I've done is changed clothes and wigs. I bought Minnaloushe a Vintage Ginny coat last weekend, and the sleeves are too narrow for her paws. I mentioned it to a friend, who I thought might tell me how to modify the coat (the seams are very small), and she said, "That's easy, just take her hands off." It hadn't occurred to me! Of course, my dolls are still new and I'm still a n00b, so I'm sure I'll get over the fear eventually. In the mean time, I'll stick to sewing and leave the sanding and faceups to the brave among us.

 

I personally don't have any aversion to it in the least. Or at least, the concept of it. I'm sending both of my boys out to be quite heavily modified, and I've done just a tiny bit myself on my first BJD. The only reason I'm sending them out is because I fear that if I do it myself I'll completely ruin the entire job and then I'll be up the creek without a paddle. But since I know my customizer won't mess them up, I have no problem with allowing her to do it. But I know I'd be more uncomfortable with my dolls if they didn't have these customizations, rather than if they did. Sure, I was nervous the first time I changed Fakia's eyes, but not because I thought it would ruin him or his character. He needed his red cat eyes, they're a part of who he is. I was just nervous since I was afraid I wouldn't be able to put them in at all and then he would be eyeless for the rest of forever.

So, I'm not really sure if it's the same as other people, or a little bit different, but that's pretty much how I feel about the whole subject ^_^;

 

I don't have an aversion like I did a few months ago. Eyes I had to learn to change because of the nature of some of the costumes I have planned the eyes just have to be changed. Faceups if I had that talent I would be doing it more believe me, it just easier to buy the doll with the face up. Restringing I had to learn how to do it cause well I can buy kits from companies and should the elastic ever snap (never heard that happening but it a possiblity) I know how to fix my own doll without having to run to someone.

Customizations I'm still on the fence. Because I am starting to like boy dolls with the tender look due to other aspects of their face. So now I'm thinking of getting a boy who face I like and opening the eyes a little more to get rid of the tender look, but I'm not sure if I could do it on my own.

 

I have absolutely no aversion to customization, and I never have.

My very first dolly, Bat, came without a faceup - I wanted to do it myself. I had no qualms at all about taking out his eyes, painting him up, so on. This summer, I took him apart for a proper cleaning and sanding.

I think I got my first doll with the expectation that I would be customizing him, and I have previous experience with arty bits. Now I'm working on a dolly rescue project, ongoing.

I probably wouldn't customize a fullset so much, though, simply because they're complete. If I buy a fullset, it'll be because I like the overall look and am by and large satisfied with it.

It depends on how best I'm going to bond with the doll - does the character need the doll to look a certain way, or is that fullset just fine? Right now, the only fullset I consistently want to buy is Nobility Doll Pink Nurse Rin - and I wouldn't really change anything about her. Maybe eye color, but maybe not.