Calling All BLACK BJD Collectors, Are You Out There?

I am an African American girl and I understand how hard it can be a lot of the time. I do also love a variety of brown/tan skin tones(I tend to like a fusion of anime and realistic though)! Unfortunately, some of my favorite companies don't sell the sculpts I love in these skin tones or the ones I do like are LEs and are completely sold out. I don't really have any black friends that are into this hobby... It is sad when I get excited about something bjd related and I know they are not really interested in hearing about it most of time. Also, it is double, if not more, weird when ppl see an African American girl that is not only dressing far from the stereotype(love Asian/80s colorful-ness fashion) but to also have this life-like looking 64cm doll who is also fashioned out to boot! BJDs, expanding the world's mind one resin creation at a time!lol

 

I'm not black but there is an amazing lady in our group here that is. She showed me her babies and I was really impressed. I'm not against dyeing a doll or painting it to resemble the color you desire, however I do wish that most companies offered an option. Tan isn't good enough and I know darker colors are harder to mold properly. Even if I had to pay 50USD more to get a dark brown doll I'd be super happy. I'd like to have one of those beautiful coco colored dolls. I love that IH has a nice line of them.

I find it funny that the Asian countries don't have much diversity, but most of the dolls created look European..... not Asian. Just a thought. Finding dolls to look a specific way is tough. I'm trying to recreate a friend of mine in doll form. He is half Native American half Russian. In other words he has alot of Anazasi blood line. It's impossible to find a doll to match his beauty. Quite sad actually.

 

Are you, or do you know of many black collectors in the BJD hobby?
I am not, and I can't say I would know any, but there ain't much black people in here to begin with. :/

If you are a black collector, how do you feel about the availability of non-Asian or Caucasian sculpts and/or skin tones, in the market?
I'm a bit pissed of really. :'D I'm married with asian guy, and just finding normal asian looking dollies (not overly pollised ones) is hard - not to meantion black ones. I'm currently utterly in love with Iple's Taregan, and truth is, I'll never have enough money in time to get him. ;_; With Superhero body, he would look like one of my OC's Phato, or atleast as far as it is possible with dolls.

I would love, love, love have a collection of dolls with different ethnic looks, just for kicks of it. I have always consired darker skin very beautiful, maybe it's the "exotic look" or something. This might have something to do with the fact that I'm finnish with naturally dark hair. In here, naturally dark hair is bis GASP, and I got it with snowhite effect of being very, very pale and having quite red lips. Sounds like a dream come true? Well, personaly, whole my childhood I thought I looked sicklish. I did not choose my hubby for his skin tone, but I have to admit, I'm attracted to darker skin tones. Just like some are attracted to eye colors or hair color, height or body shape - we all have these, they are odd, but nothing to be ashamed off. Thus I have always been attracted to tanned and other darker dolls. Ironically, my first doll is beautiful white. :'D

BAck to the subject, I do think that reason to small variety is not so much the demand at the moment. Darker resin is apparently harder to handle, so it is expensive. That said it would look kinda creepy to have white dolls with clearly "black" sculpt. That would just look... freaky. As the companies can more easily produce darker resin colors with less fees, I'm sure that amount of darker colored dolls on market will rise.

 

White girl here, although weirdly enough I can relate to this. I bought an Ebony Kamau when he first came out, and at the time lived in an apartment complex with several black neighbors. I did get the hairy eyeball a few times when I carried him out to go to a meetup or had him out on the porch taking pics. Part of it I'm sure was because he was so large and obvious, but I'm sure they wondered, and I admit I occasionally felt awkward.

 

You would think, but I found a picture of an IH Ashanti in pale white and she was actually stunning. Here's the link actually. x

 

Well black people can have blue eyes. It's not the norm but I have seen it and they weren't albino nor where they wearing contacts. So I don't think there was anything wrong with them sending him with blue eyes, then again I'm not you. I'm hoping my LB "I" from IH doesn't come with brown eyes because I don't want her to have brown eyes. I want her to have green eyes or blue eyes.

 

I've had the opposite experience. I'm white and I wanted to buy a beautiful black dolls from Iplehouse and when I showed her to my friends they all got "eeeh but she's black... you're white. why would you want a black doll? " so in the end I refrained buying her because I got afraid of what outsiders would think and I regret it.

but to answer the original question: I saw quiet a few black dolls owners either here on on DA. I couldn't name them, but they exist! xD you are not alone

 

Thank you and glad to share!=D YES on the "and this is exciting why?" face!XD You know the respond that follows after they give you that face, "WHY DID YOU PAY THAT MUCH FOR THIS(in a sassy voice of course XD) I could have brought [item(s)]...(but you are thinking in your head...the bjd is way BETTER than [item(s)] suggest by said person).

I am so very sorry that happen to you Sahoma that was so mean of them to do that!>_< It is perfectly fine for you to have a dark skin tone bjd! Sha is normal skin tone and I just love him!

 

Actually, there IS a American BJD company, Goodreau. They're the only one I know of, but they're considered OfT (Off Topic) here on DoA, thus many people don't know of them. I'm not exactly sure why They're OfT, whether its because they're made in America or some other reason. I guess if you go to the OfT doll list, it might be listed.

I don't know much about them other than they produce a vinyl doll that until I touched her, I thought was resin. A friend of mine had one. I also don't know if they produce dolls of color other than Asian either. I guess you could google them and find out.

Personally, I'd love a BJD with Native American features as well as a EID or two.

Ryu

 

Here in our area (San Francisco) we don't often get odd reactions when observers see a doll-owner of one race carrying a doll of a different race. At least, none that I've been witness to. Maybe because most locals' eyes are already used to looking at diversity around them. There are generally more Asian and Caucasian and Latino doll-collectors (and mixtures thereof), compared to most other demographics-- but we do come in all colors. Some meetups, we look like a Benetton ad.

Now that I think about it, I think I know more black male doll-collectors here than female... I have a few black female doll-friends online, but not so many locally. Could be San Francisco's particular cultural makeup, shall we say; there's a whole lot of male dollpeople in this town.

A black friend of mine has a white Ashanti (her character is an albino). He did get some head-scratchin' reactions from some people about her, mainly because people couldn't identify the sculpt. But she is gorgeous & looks far from "freaky". To me she looks like an albino black woman (as she should).

Many of the doll sculpts that people think are "clearly white" or "clearly black" are really ethnically ambiguous, underneath the styling..... you can give them an origin from anywhere in the world, depending on how you style them. I have met a Polynesian Lahela, and an albino Ashanti, and an Indian Soo Ri, and a North African Soo Ri, and a Native American Soo Ri, and an English Soo Ri, and an Arab Theo.... and oh, you should meet a NS/RS Cocori, who looks almost exactly like a young Leslie Caron. It's uncanny. ^^

 

I actually got the "What do you have HIM for!?" reaction when my Ebony Kamau arrived. I guess such a big, dark and outragous (mine is anyway, haha! Sparkly silver and tight trousers and dark eyeshadow aahh) guy doll looks weird in the arms of my short, pasty white self? Ah, well. Bowie can glitter all he likes; he's a faveorite doll of mine and all the odd reactions in the world won't change that

 

Are you, or do you know of many black collectors in the BJD hobby?

I am black. I've met 2 other black ladies that collect at two cons but I don't know any near me. It doesn't bother me. I figure people that are interested in the hobby will be attracted to it, regardless of their race.

If you are a black collector, how do you feel about the availability of non-Asian or Caucasian sculpts and/or skin tones, in the market?

My first doll was a chocolate Bobobie March and I was estatic to find her. The only dolls I'd seen were the paper pale ones. Either way, it is a little frustrating but I'm in love with Iplehouse for that. I'd rather see a well done sculpt than a poor one. :p Perhaps if a more stable formula for making colored resin (all colors, not just natural tans, browns, and ebonies) can be found then more companies would be willing to experiment. If the market makes enough of a demand for it, I'm sure the companies will take note.


I have not gotten any strange reactions for carrying around my normal tone dolls that were because of race. If anyone gives me an odd look it's because I'm a grown woman carrying a doll. XP However...if any of them ARE giving me a look because my doll and I don't match I probably block it. My husband is white so I'm used to all but the rudest of people. -shrug- I'm far more interested to see an increased presence for ethnic characters in starring/main roles for literature and other entertainment, ESPECIALLY if they don't follow the "norm." I didn't and don't have many black friends because our interests and backgrounds just don't match.

 

Goodreau and other dolls are off topic because they don't meet the criteria for DOA, which basically requires an asian asthetic (plus joints etc). Perhaps there aren't many black dolls on the forum for the same reason. I know there are some, and there might be more in production than make it on here. I'm sure this isn't a slur of any kind, just the that the forum has a particular asthetic.

 

Hello.

Are you, or do you know of many black collectors in the BJD hobby?
Yes I am black, African American. I have met about three or four other black BJD collectors but most of the BJD collectors I have met have been Caucasian or Asian, etc. whatever is not black. xD

If you are a black collector, how do you feel about the availability of non-Asian or Caucasian sculpts and/or skin tones, in the market?
I'm seeing a lot more companies open up their market to people that like tan-skin dolls and it makes me happy not only because... well... more diversity FTW, I also just like to have more skin options. It makes them more unique in my opinion. I'm not always a fan of companies that make dolls that look almost exclusively Asian, it's very limiting and (in my opinion) not the best choice if they wanna make money.

It also sucks when you have to pay like $50 more for a tanned doll or they're only limited edition. When DoD releases limited tan skin dolls it always makes me sad because they're so beautiful and I can never afford or catch them on time. xD I wish DoD released their normal sculpts with a tan option. But anyway. Yeah.
I only have one tan doll at the moment but I will have more in the future. Not because I'm black, I just like the way they look along with their uniqueness in the hobby.

 

This so much. After seeing several light brown Lahela's I thought, she'd make a great hispanic character. And so much of a dolls look is in the face-up and styling.

Anyway another black collector here, and I can also understand where you're coming from since I to am use to being either the only one or one of a handful of black people in many of the hobbies/activities I'm into.

As someone up thread mentioned, I can understand why at least at the moment companies may not be jumping on the bandwagon to make tan dolls available all the time. Resin can be fickle on a good day, tan/ebony resin even more so. Considering how young the hobby is, I think the diversity we have at the moment is nice. For dolls that come from countries that are pretty homogenous they've certainly done a lot when it comes to range of sculpts and color in just 10 years. Far more then some doll companies did in huge countries that -are- diverse. *coughs*21 years to make a black barbie*coughs* So I can only imagine that as the years past we'll see more.

However, I like that the dolls are rather ambiguous, and that who they are can change based on resin color, face-up and style, even many of the more realistic sculpts.

 

it's ot i know, but i had a lovely black barbie when i was young and that was in the 1960s or early 70s......

 

Meh, my ethnicity doesn't really matter much since I come from a mixed family. I am poi with a healthy layer of chocolate on top. Like may others, I guess I never really noticed the difference at meet-ups and such. I grew up in a culturally and racially diverse community and live in one most of the time. I don't blend in but no one comments on it so I don't either. I know and have met a few others here on DOA of similar ethnicity.


I give Iplehouse much kudos on seeming to corner the market on darker-skinned dolls. Not only did they tan them but ,they dipped them in dark chocolate. OMG YUM!!!!! Admittedly though it was Luts that first snagged my attention in my newer days into the hobby( still considers self a complete newb at this) . The tan Lishe was my dream doll. It took years but I finally got my dream. These days there are so many beautiful molds coming out in luscious tones , it's hard to choose just one company. And, while I can appreciate the limited number, sometimes the price is much too rich for me. So I watch and envy those that achieve that goal then live vicariously through them as I read their pic stories and look at their galleries. Although I don't always agree with it , I do like that some companies will later make the coveted mold available in other skin colors. I can always have that dyed in an attempt to reach the original and it is available for a longer time period. Sure, I'd love to see more diversity in the mold faces. Again much kudos to Iplehouse for starting to go there. Theirs are the closest I have seen to a break from completely asian/ caucasian features. I hope they continue and add other physicial beauties as they encounter and have time to see the differences .

Family and friends....hehehe my entire immediate family..husband and kids are a part of the collection frenzy. My Siblings ..well some think I am nuts and never grew up the rest of the family see dollar signs later in life. Almost all of them feel my dolls should be sitting behind glass * shudders*. Most of my friends are collectors or soon become collectors after meeting my crew. They gasp at the price then months later smile sheepishly and introduce me their first shelled soul. The rest are pretty creeped out and say "to each his own"