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Basic info for Volks Dollfie Dream!

Aug 21, 2004

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    1. Another consideration with vinyl is that they do NOT like extremes in temperature. They won't do well when left in a car on a hot or sunny day, etc.

      And with the staining--they will even pick up certain types of inks off of paper. And stains are next to impossible to get out completely.

      And if for some reason they get pressed against a funny angle or some such, there's a good chance that they'll get a permanent dent or the like.
       
      #21 Osaka, Apr 10, 2005
    2. There's a lot more human labor involved in making a resin doll which is why they're a lot more expensive than a DD, the resin is hand poured into the molds. Vinyl molds are much more expensive to make than resin molds, but once the vinyl mold is made the doll can be "stamped out" by machine. I find it a bit annoying when people refer to a DD as a cheaper BJD, they're a completely different material to resin so you can't really compare the two to each other. Vinyl has very different properties than resin, the DDs are a very high quality vinyl doll.
       
      #22 dollfie63, Apr 10, 2005
    3. I love the vinyl bodies . but I would like it more if it was molded from an SD ,

      be fore you put an sd head on a DD you need to know that a DD is more skinny than a SD and some heads just look to big on them.(like really big)
       
      #23 cool scary guy, Apr 10, 2005
    4. I quite like the DD bodies, it makes almost any one of my girls look sexy... :) I really really like the sculpt, slightly more than I like CP's mature girl body.

      The staining can be quite a problem, I take care not to put any dark clothes on my DD coz i've seen the (unremovable) stains that others have gotten as a result of putting dark clothes or even stockings (that came with the doll btw)..XD

      Poseability is great, she can do really interesting and fun poses, not to mention her body look s great in skimpy/fitting clothes... tho SD clothes don't fit perfectly, its close enough that I can live with the fit.

      But as mentioned by Dezarii, resin heads (i've tried Volks & CH heads) on the DD body may not match the DD color exactly (DD body is darker), and its slightly heavy for the body, so it may tend to tilt. I usually have to prop my girl up since she has a big (4 sister) head. It looks big on the body, but I quite like the effect, some people may not. She can't really stand on her own, but that could be attributed to the stringing. Restringing a DDbody is supposedly a lot more difficult that restringing a regular Volks doll...

      Regarding the weight, I actually like it that my hybrid (SDhead on DD body) girl is much lighter, and thus is much easier to carry around, but she doesn't feel as 'satisfying' to cuddle as my resin babies.

      The fact that the DD body is much cheaper and more easily replaceable makes me less 'paranoid' about lugging it around, and the weight just adds to that portability... If i brought a travel doll, it would either be my MSD or my hybrid DD...:)

      I would guess that the DD body is actually less fragile, in that if you drop it, its not likely to break like resin would? They tend to get really dirty coz you can't clean them tho.... esp the hands.

      Cheers
      steph
       
      #24 evildolly, Apr 10, 2005
    5. You can actually buy vinyl cleaner, the American Girls company sells it for their dolls, and I used to have pretty good results with it.

      And yeah, vinyl is a lot less fragile than resin...that's why dolls for kids are most of the time vinyl. It'll put up with rougher handling.

      I've considered getting a DD, just to have someone to play with, and because I'm a doll fanatic. :D
       
      #25 Osaka, Apr 10, 2005
    6. Where do you by DD bodies? I've looked online and can't seem to find them.
       
      #26 daydreamer, Apr 10, 2005
    7. Have you been to the actual Volks site?
       
      #27 Osaka, Apr 10, 2005
    8. Right here. :)

      Thanks for all the information, everyone! I was a bit dissapointed when I heard they stain easily, but now that I know there's vinyl cleaner, I'm pretty set on getting a DD.
       
      #28 Magnavox, Apr 10, 2005
    9. Is that body the second body or the first? I've had a few people tell me to wiat for the second one, and that right now it's only available in limited quantities in Japan. Sorry if I confused anyone by asking where to find.
       
      #29 , Apr 11, 2005
    10. That last post was me...I don't know why I don't stay logged in, sorry.
       
      #30 daydreamer, Apr 11, 2005
    11. that link is for the version one body...this is the second version body

      http://www.volks.co.jp/en/dollfiedream/basebodys/02/index_02.aspx

      the internal framework in the second body makes it a lot more posable, and it will prevent the looseness than can occur in the version one body
       
      #31 Sable, Apr 11, 2005
    12. Also when you decide which version body ( one or two) The head attatched differntly. Volks has an adapter for putting a standard SD head type on the DD2 body.

      semirans
       
      #32 semirans, Apr 11, 2005
    13. :o they do? cool BEANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the second new body is really cool... poses like you would NOT believe, I got to see one in person at a meetup.
       
      #33 sher, Apr 11, 2005
    14. Thanks! You answered the question I was going to ask!

      I hope it won't be too long before the DD II bodies are more readily available.
       
      #34 The Elf Piper, Apr 11, 2005
    15. Do they really stain that bad? If I really WASH anything I make for her before putting it on her will it be okay? Also, are there normal vinyl cleaners you can get at normal stores that work on a DD? >_< *worried about staining...*

      I'm getting a DD Body 2 soon XD (Lucky me found one NIB on ebay) Why I'm curious.
       
      #35 Lithe-Fider, May 11, 2005
    16. AWESOME FAQ!!! ^__^ Thankies!

      (I'm getting a DD base body 2 soon so I am asking:)

      1.) When I use liqitex acrylics like as stated in the FAQ.... can you take them off with acetone safely like with the resin dolls? But doesn't the vinyl stain super easy (I've read this)? *_* I'm just worried. If not acetone, what can you use to take off the liqitex?

      2.) Since the DD base body 2 is ALL soft vinyl, how should I treat it differently as compared to a normal DD body? Can I paint tattoos on her safely?

      3.) Lastly, can I paint her with normal watercolors safely (no staining?)?

      Eee I must know these things before I even TOUCH my DD. I am an artist but I need to know what is safe to use.

      Waa...thanks so much....I am learning ^^
       
      #36 Lithe-Fider, May 12, 2005
    17. DD bodies do stain very easily. Your best bet is to coat the pieces in MSC (this will also give the vinyl the feeling of resin, which is kinda cool).

      As with resin, wash the vinyl immediately after using acetone on it, but I don't see a problem with acetone. Same goes with rubbing alchohol.

      Watercolors and Acrylics: Never tried watercolors, so I'm not sure how they will react. Acrylics work nicely. Again, coating is your best bet if you're afraid of stains.
       
      #37 Zevchan, Jun 1, 2005
    18. Thanks for the reply! ^^

      Now that I have her in front of me I can say that really like her soft feel, so MSC won't be needed. Also, she has clothes on to protect her from dirt and stuff (light fabric, or well- washed dark fabric).

      As for watercolors, I gave them a shot for painting her face. They bead up at first, but if you keep them dryish (not too much water) and keep layering them it gives a nice effect (and comes off with only water ^^ when you want!) I'd reccomend them for the vinyl heads:

      Here's a shot of at my first try with them:

      [​IMG]
       
      #38 Lithe-Fider, Jun 3, 2005
    19. I wonder if anyone has tried 99% alcohol as a solvent (to be used in place of acetone). It will dissolve most paints and glues but is not as caustic as acetone
       
      #39 Stella Maris, Nov 7, 2005
    20. Not a lot to add, but I usually look for dresses that tie in the back so I can adjust the waist, or that have an elastic waist. Shirts that have some kind of elastic work well, though she also looks good in loose shirts that don't need to fit precisely.

      The narrowness of her feet is rarely an issue, but her ankles are too slender for some of the shoes that have anklestraps; I solved the problem by adding an extra pair of socks to pad out the ankles a little.

      I have the 01 head which is a bit bigger than others; I tried some sd-sized glasses on her and they fit her head but looked awkward because they were so much smaller than her big eyes.

      Anyway, here are some old pics of my girl wearing standard SD clothes (Volks BTSSB):
      http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48628

      We're going to Hawaii next week so I will be posting more pics when I get back. ^-^

      I think DDs are good first dolls because they will give you a feel for the standard size, you can change their eyes and wigs, they pose beautifully and do not involve some of the annoying aspects of resin dolls such as sanding, coating, restringing, etc.

      I have to side with Quiet Queen though and say to make sure that she is a doll that you love. It took me ages to find a DD with a faceup I liked. Often as first dolls new owners use them to try out first faceup attempts, but the vinyl is less forgiving than resin and the lack of detail in the headmold means that it really takes skill to bring them to life. On a more realistic resin head, a beginner can carefully follow the lines of the lips or use the bone structure to guide placement for eyebrows or blushing, but with a DD there is nothing to go on. I think this is actually the main reason people don't bond with them well, the headmold is more genuinely blank. However, I think all the DD heads have a lot of potential and I always love seeing pictures of DDs that people have customized themselves.

      And one last thing: my doll doesn't wear a headcap, I just have a crumpled plastic bag filling her head. Wigs stay on just fine and you'd never know if I didn't mention it. Depending on which head you get, prying off DD headcaps can be utter misery, so at least consider alternatives.
       
      #40 Dezarii, Sep 25, 2006
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