B and C grade dolls...what do you like to do with them?

I've always dreamt of owning a cheaper version of a doll (for example due to casting flaws such as bubbles or some sort of chipping or a mismatched headcup or anything else that makes the doll unique ) But that never happened. Most companies I like have such quality control and a company policy that such a solution doesn't seem possible.

That being said, I have two dolls that have their faceup done by me and they serve as my sewing models. I know that if something happens to the face up, I can just redo it, no big deal. So they are my B-grade dolls, yet I love and feel attached to them as much as to my other dolls if not even more, since I painted them myself

 

I love accumulating "cheaper" dolls and the like. I'll pick up damaged bodies and damaged dolls to model for things. I used to gather more in the past, these days I just have a half dozen heads. I purchased an SD body (my first SD volks actually...) to model my random heads; as I make wigs, and sew for my own dolls. The scale's good enough for most of my needs. If there was more damage done on the body I wouldn't have had a problem, but it's only yellowed.

I am more likely to bring my replaceable or 'cheap' dolls out and about though. The more limited ones I keep.

 

Well I suppose whether my dolls are b grade or not is subjective I never think of it that way exactly but I think in the spirit of the question I'll contribute that i think for some of us, we find a lot to appreciate in something that is imperfect, perhaps even a bit damaged, I think often it's a bit of emotional transference but I'm sure other people just appreciate some savings if there's a good deal to be found. Kind of like the idea of b-grade I'm attracted to unpopular dolls, forgotten companies, and dolls who are aged from normal wear and tear or make a bit imperfect by design. There are things that would bother me too much with some types of b-grades such as excessively textured problems on the face or uneven coloring that comes across in an unpleasant way to me, but many of my dolls have their problems and it doesn't trouble me. I mostly am no more careful or precious with one doll over another. They were all expensive enough, and I love them very much, and I have enough experience by now to know what will reasonably harm them, so I avoid that, but I have plenty of fun. I have on rare occasions experienced a doll that I felt was so special (and expensive) I was intimidated by it and couldn't enjoy it enough, so in that case I think the answer is clear, maybe the old forgotten kind of undesirable dolls are the best fit for me

 

Generally I love a good B grade. I definitely don't mind a doll that's a little "rough around the edges"- I don't really care about perfection, so long as the doll still functions as intended. Even if I don't plan to do anything particularly risky with a doll, I like knowing that it's already not considered "perfect"... it just gives me less illogical anxiety about somehow spoiling/ruining it. Due to the high bar for perfection in the BJD hobby, though, a "B grade" part is usually basically perfect.

Recently (It might even still be ongoing when I post this) the Doll Chateau and Dollzone official taobao stores have been selling B-grade "lucky bags"- basically a randomly selected B-grade stock doll of a certain size category at a very reduced price. I wish more stores did this!

 

I remember when Unoa first started making B-grade kits available. It was a total game changer for availability for their dolls, and what they consider a B grade is really awfully close to A grade ^^; Mostly just the tiniest inclusions in casting and the like, or tiny bubbles in places that don't affect usability or aesthetics at all.

Iplehouse sometimes offers B grade dolls through their auctions too and it's an awesome way to get one-of-a-kind dolls from them, because sometimes they'll sell dolls that were miscast in colors that weren't normally available!

But those also tend to be a lot nicer than artist-made B and C casts, which I say lovingly, since my favorite doll in my collection is a C-grade OOAK cast ^^; He's OT though since he doesn't meet professional casting standards, so I won't talk about him here--but all that to add context when I say I definitely don't look down on them! Even "oopsies" with defects have their place in the hobby.

I personally find working on "imperfect" dolls really freeing, because when you can really let loose and not be restrained by what you think might hurt or damage an A-grade doll. Imperfect casts need a little TLC from the beginning, so you're looking at color imperfections, hiding inclusions, patching flaws with epoxy clays or filler putty, and that removes a lot of mental barriers. Why not go ahead and go crazy with mods and customization? Experiment with materials you wouldn't dare use on an A-grade doll that cost a lot of money? So many options and opportunities to really make it your own!

That's probably why I've kind of become a home for misfit/damaged dolls, lol. I adore working on them and fixing them up. It's definitely nice to have my "nice" dolls that are treated well and look stunning in photos, but gosh, it sure is fun to have some that let me play around without any concerns about damage or imperfection.

 

I call those "Project dolls"... They're fun.