Back then and now...(Nostalgia Thread)

*proudly brandishes her Red* Kiyo was one of the last short boys made; they switched over to the long-leg body very shortly thereafter.

Elfdoll discontinued all their boys in...2011, I want to say? End of 2011, beginning of 2012? Which is a shame, because I ADORE their boys, and I adore homme skin as a resin color.

 

It feels more frequently the dolls I've come to own are now among the discontinued and nearly non-existent list. U.U My Elfdoll Red too, is one of these old short hommeskin boys.

The big things I remember happening when I first joined was the prevalence of CP sculpted dolls, DoD, and Volks. I remember Migidoll being in the mix too, but that might have come on later. My first was an Iple YiD Gentle Soori. lol~ forgive me for not wanting to jump on the El bandwagon at that time. XD;

My memory of those times is so fuzzy and distant anymore. But then people bring up a thread such as this and I am reminded of all that existed or didn't exist back then!! Sometimes I catch myself wanting to pursue what has now become rare favorites. Esthy Peroth?? Lol Guilty!

 

Funny, I remember the opposite. My first collecting phase in 2007 to 2009, every doll I bought new was stock on hand, limiteds and standard dolls both. I'd have them in just a few days to a couple of weeks depending on customs. This time around, having to get used to this pre-order thing that most companies seem to do has been a shift for me.

 

I feel the same! My earlier purchases never shipped within a week, but I remember getting my first doll from Luts in 2006 in less than a month after ordering, faceup included. But last year when I ordered a delf Nina, she took closer to three months to ship. The pre-order wait has gotten longer, but I suppose that's a good thing, since it implies a greater demand.

 

My most vivid memory was watching the Bermann Valentinos sit unsold on Tensiya's website for days! I liked him but thought I'd wait for an open eye version instead :P *hits self* I think he was like 500-600$?

 

*cries* I KNOWWWWWWW!!!!!

I was holding out for a DO Bermann, but for whatever reason, he never happened for me -- I wish I'd gone for the SA version.

I entered the lotteries (sometimes for friends), but just never got lucky for myself -- I think I may actually have won Mr. Fogg for Jola, IIRC, but I didn't have the money to enter for myself at the time. And I *refused* to pay the crazy secondary-market prices -- my thought has always been that if a doll is more than half again its purchase price, I'm enabling scalpers by buying that high. So, I never did . . . but never got my Bermann :/

-- A

 

One of the reasons why I wanted a Serendipity was that there weren't other slim minis around. Unoa and Narin/Narae came out later. (And minifees later had that weird one piece torso with the odd boobs, remember that?)
I remember the first Narin doll website where you had to order through their korean board, I don't know how english communication was as I didn't try to order there. They only had a couple pictures way too white to see any detail, I remember I thought they were ugly, but that was just because of the bad pictures XD

I remember when the Vampire Elf Woosoo was released on the Luts site, I don't regret not getting it because I'm still not a big Luts fan. I thought "how cute, but I'd prefer a female mini version"... in fact now I own a female minifee Vampire Elf Woosoo XD
Dream of Doll was one of the first doll sites I browsed but they only had four mini boys (and bee-a)...

Anyone remembers that awesome stop motion video X2 did to promote their dolls? How I wish I had saved it, please send it to me if you have it!

 

I remember when recasts were so extremely rare. When I first joined in 2007 no one even spoke of them as far as I was aware. A couple years later there was a couple suspicions of a few recasts here and there and it was a pretty big deal with a majority of the community clearly against them. Then I left for a few years. I'm only just now really getting back into the hobby and I'm absolutely flabbergasted at just how common they are-not to mention well received by a significant portion of the collectors.

 

Trust me, there are plenty of people who are still vocally anti-recast!

I'm still kicking myself for getting Soony-S instead of Woosoo during his sales period -- my first couple of dolls were secondhand, and I didn't really understand how "limiteds" worked. (Not that I regret getting Jessamine and Kitsuko... but that was my one chance at a retail-price Woosoo -- I should have bought him FIRST.)

-- A

 

I remember when Volks USA had MSD f-12 as a kit, and I kept putting off buying one even though I loved that weird little face. Then... bye bye f-12 kits, bye bye f-12 FCS, bye bye all standard MSDs! How I kicked myself back then! But I was finally able to find one on the second hand market and she is even more adorable in person.

 

I remember the Sard invasion and the Hounds taking over the world (along side the Els) but the thing I remember is the absolute "MUST HAVE" that the Fer outfits were for the longest time. I know people who sat on the website of whatever company sold them and bought multiples the second they were available JUST to resell them for stupid amounts of money later.

I never liked the outfit myself but I remember wondering how crazy someone had to be to actually do that (but hey, it was actually a really good way to make money, if you think about it).

 

I remember when Zoukeimura eyes were THE eyes to get! I couldn't wrap my head around paying as much for one pair of eyes as for a limited head or even an MSD-sized doll. Now it seems that the preference is for urethane eyes, with their vivid colors.

Oh, and NO short wigs for boys! If you wanted a short boy-cut wig, you were really in a fix.

And box-openings that turned into immediate sanding-sueding-restringing parties, even for full-set dolls. XD

I also remember the feeling of nervously taking kind of a stab in the dark with Hound, because there weren't a lot of pictures in those days, and then Haute Doll had their limited Hound just after I finished paying for mine, and I felt so much relief. And they are STILL even better in person!

Facial hair! No one did facial hair back in those days, and those of us who wanted it had to do it ourselves. Now it's an option on so many face-ups!

 

I remember Volks and Rasendou and after that all the other compagnies coming in. And the shock and horror of the bad quality of the forever dolls and then the even biger shock that they where copies of the Volks dolls. Also the introduction of the headplates in volks dolls in 2002 when i had to wait a few months to get my msd maggie from frill frill, the only japanese shopping service at that time (to my recollection), because Volks was putting in the headplates because of the copies that had been made.

Caelan the boy i bought after maggie was a fcs syo and he'll be turning 12 this year and still has the same face up that cherrystreet did on him in 2006, only 1 more year before he truly is an sd13.

 

Anyone remember this little statuette that Elfdoll gave to its' customers for ordering their dolls?

lmao

 

I was (and am) a proud member of the El army. Elf El was my first love, though I haven't had the chance to own him yet. I first found him when Lyria was the only source to order him, but I was a poor student at the time and couldn't afford one. By the time I had enough money, Luts had their site up and running, DoA was a forum, and I bought my first, an El, from Luts. I was around for the second release of Elf El, but again, I had just bought another doll so I was poor then, too

Most of my dolls back in the day were from CP. I still love Fairyland/CP sculpts, but the wait times have me really turned off. At the moment, all of my brood are from Luts (with one LTF Elf El on order with DDE). I think Luts has done a fantastic job since the split with CP, and they're super easy to work with.

I remember when Hound was THE big doll on the market, and how huge he seemed when I first saw one in person. Now they're getting even bigger! I can't even imagine it.

I took a hobby hiatus around 2010 and boy did things change while I was gone. When I had left, Fairyland had barely started its own site. I was surprised to find all the CP sculpts were pulled from Luts when I came back.

 

This made me laugh so hard XD I did not own an El but I did Own a DOD U. I remember all this, Man time has change and it's been beautiful to see the new and old. I do wonder what happens with the much older dolls, maybe I'm not looking right but I miss seeing them.
OH! I remember the photostories!! I wish I can go back to 2006 in my posts to see who else I loved following. Now I feel like I need to go to the photo story section and find new people to follow lol.

 

I remember when we thought those fantasy colors were unfeasible! "PSH! A purely black resin doll?!! NO WAY THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! THEY CAN'T POSSIBLY WORK WITH THAT WHAT."
LUTS Lishe and DELF Soonys. Everywhere.
DoD's teaser shots for Delphine and Kalix making everyone spazz out.
When Rosette dolls first came it and we gasped out the lovely lankiness.
The drama about LadySaiyuki.
When AOD totally ripped SOOM's monthly doll with Jarvis. Haha!
When VOLKS FCS system was *the epitome* of customization/choice.
Iplehouse making the most sought after muscular dolls.
Someone received their Customhouse dolls in a -completely smashed- box and made a rather hilarious video to it, with 'the girl from Ipanema' as a hilarious juxtaposition for bgm xDD
Nobilitydoll's Ryoma's frikking propellor peen and ejecto-nips. Let's be honest. More memorable than the fact he had a jointed NECK.
Folks waiting 9 months + for their Amber.
Someone taking a BIFFdoll's resin penis and sticking it onto their Heliot's forehead x_x
AoD having a working English website and tan option...
The only clothes easily available were from Junkyspot, so most had DollZone fullsets.
ZM powder/MSC instead of Dullcote, and before airbrushing faceups.
...DreamofDoll and DIMdoll still have many the same banner and such. Denverdoll, super 90s setup still!

 

I remember my friend showing me photos from Bluefairy back at 2004 and said she had ordered her doll via shopping service thing, she ordered another Tinyfairy and I hopped in her order. I remember she telling me that she paid with Credit Card, so I guess Bluefairy opened their international site, I think it was 2005-6ish? I bought my first Lin straight from them back then and she was a limited release. I refreshed the site forever to buy her. xD

Luts was big, fantastic shoes, accessories and dolls. Delf were super popular, I wanted a Miyu and I really loved the old style face up she had, she had those thin eyebrows. I ordered her without face up since I wanted to try face upping (which wasn't a big success for me xD) and totally forgot about the default hands she had, to my horror she had the "point and slap you" hands and I hadn't thought about that so I had to make another order soon as she had arrived. Her original hands are still packed in the little box I put them back at 2006. ^^ I hoovered around Yder Elf so long I was afraid they will sell out, but I managed to get him! Also, he had normal Yder's papers instead of the Elf Yder's own and I remember having a long email chat with Luts about it. They said they lost the original paper and sent me some other paper for him with my next order. I regretted a lot later on that I didn't buy tanning Dark Elf Soo and many others, I find they stopped selling the Delf quite quickly so I didn't have time to find finances to some dolls. I also bought a Kid Delf TTori Elf and asked Luts to assembly her on Minifee body then, and they did.

Angel Region was also a thing - they had a sculptor who had worked with Bluefairy so the basic girl and boy look much the same with both companies, and when the Little Fair (MSD) dolls were sold as KITS in an event, non assembled dolls they were considered as really bargain price of $200? Or something like that, it was a good price anyway!

Dream of Doll had the cutest MSD size dolls and everyone had a Twing-key (I bought mine from DOA Marketplace and I still have her), Si or Too and Bee-a. Shall, Lahoo and Camine were really popular dolls.

Soom sold silicone eyes and one of the first dolls they had was Namu! I found the name funny becouse "namu" in finnish means sweets. Some other funny names, or names which have meanings in finnish were Souldoll SEON-MUN (se = it, on = is, mun = mine). I remember we had fun with the names with our old gang. ^^ Hehee.

Wow, some good old times there. I try to think about more, this was fun.

 

Little walk down memory lane recently. I saw an outfit for sale on the Marketplace. The seller didn't know which company it was from, only posted it was for 70cm boys. I looked at the label - "Uni's - Unique look and feel". Ah, Unidoll, I really miss you ... XD Went to the Wayback Machine to make sure it was indeed a Unidoll outfit (comparing the label and slogan to their logo there and maybe see if there still were pics of that outfit). Some of the pics still are there when you look at the website. I kinda regret not getting Bess from their Uni High School line ... *sigh*

 

I'll be honest, I never even realized until I read this post that he had a jointed neck. But I can't ever forget his spring-loaded nipples.

The biggest thing I remember from when I got started was seeing Delf Shiwoo and El everywhere. And back then, I honestly couldn't see the appeal of them. There were so many around, after all, and they seemed like such a pain to try to get ahold of. And so expensive! And huge! (To be fair, I really only wanted elf-eared MSDs at the time anyway.) I appreciated that they were nice enough looking dolls, but I definitely never wanted to get one of them for myself!

As of last year, I have both.

The other thing I remember was the pre-launch for the LTF line, with its whole three sculpts to choose from! I look at those pages now and find it hard to believe that, when I got my first one, I had the choice of one girl or two boys and that was it. No gender swaps, no other faces, and the explosion of the still-popular Ante sculpt. And if you got the fullset, you'd get the Pukisha faceplate as a gift--but it might not be available later! Nothing at all like the huge selection of faceplates now, and definitely no sign of anything but BW and NS resins.