Calling All BLACK BJD Collectors, Are You Out There?

*raises hand* Here! Sadly, I don't really know *anyone* save two people from college that are into this hobby. They aren't black though, but that doesn't really make me feel left out or odd or anything.

As for availability of Non-Asian/Caucasian dolls, I have to say that I do hope other companies follow Iplehouse's example. While companies do offer brown/ebony skin, Iplehouse captures... facial structure present in blacks, making them realistic. I've fallen in love with every black doll they've released because they are just so beautiful, and I hope to get one for myself, since I have a character of African decent that I want to make into a doll.

 

I'm half black...but culturally white...ish.

I'm not really concerned about the availability of multi-ethnic featured dolls (since they tend to look more realistic and I prefer less realistic dolls), but I'd love if companies gave a regular option for tan/dark tan dolls Because some of them just look sooo good, it's a shame they aren't available. I don't have any dark skinned dolls, and I'm not sure what I may get in the future, but in the mean time I appreciate other people's beautiful dolls.

By the way, I love the resin of Kaye Wigg's tan dolls. The resin is more transparent, so it looks so soft and luminous. I admit, I don't like when darker skinned dolls look shiny and plasticy.

 

I agree! Shiny and plasticy is such a no no. When I see tanned or darker skinned dolls like that it just makes me wanna cringe.

 

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

I am Haitian and a mix of other things and I know of maybe 6 or so black collectors.

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 will love Iplehouse & Soom till my dying day because they made it possible to get a doll who I can relate to. I plan to have dolls from many ethnic backgrounds so hopefully other companies jump on the wagon and make darker dolls the norm.

 

I don't have any really dark ones, but I do have a tan one, and so far it's been difficult finding parts for him. I'm sad there aren't more. I've always liked tan to darker skin tones, being super pale myself.

 

I am a Black doll collector and I am in Cincinnati Ohio and you are not alone I am a black female BJD collector!

 

I'm a black doll collector too, out here in California. Bay Area ^.6
I'm happy that more companies are making dolls with more 'black' and 'latino' features.
Only problem is they are only eye candy for me.
Iplehouse Ashanti and Zera, I'm vying for ya'll
As for the doll community, I'm not too actively involved sadly so I don't know anyone remotely into dolls.
I get the looks (o,o) when I carry Bryen! Oh, how Bryen and I love Walmart!

 

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

Yes, I'm black (with Creole & Indian blood). I also know a few black bjd collectors - some personally but most in passing.


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 think its great!! I like to collect mostly ethnic/tan and fantasy dolls so the fact that more and more sculpts and skintones are becoming availiable is very exciting.

 

I'm not marginalizing your question, I'm saying how it works for me. Just because you have a problem with this, doesn't mean I have to as wel; it doesn't make this issue any less important.

Like I said, I do wish there were more non-caucasian sculpts out there - and I believe more will come in the future - but when I'm talking to someone I don't think about what he/she might look like. In most cases I don't even know how old someone is.

This is true. My (real skin) IH Kamau's character is of Hawaiian descent and it looks fine.

The main reason why I don't buy tanned dolls is because I had one in the past, but hardly played with her because I was scared to damage her. A scratch isn't as visible when the doll is NS, but it is in tan. Perhaps that's the main reason why companies are reluctant to sell tanned dolls (aside from the fact that darker dolls are more difficult to cast): if potential buyers are like me and are nervous of damaging their dolls, companies won't sell as much tanned dolls as they'd like.

 

I am not black myself, and have not met a black collector. But I'm still fairly new to this hobby and have never met another BJD owner in person anyways.

As for the dolls, I actually wish these companies WOULD make more black dolls. Well, I wish they'd be more culturally diverse in general. I have seen a few companies that sell them and I happen to think they're gorgeous.

 

Are you, or do you know of many black collectors in the BJD hobby?
I'm black (and who knows what else), but as Silk said, I don't see the point in bringing up the skin color of the members. I don't actually notice it, at meets. I'm not sure what cultural differences there could be as it relates to BJDs. It's just my personal belief that if someone looks at you strangely with a doll just because you're black, they're going to look at you strangely whether it's a doll or a box of muffins. If someone stares at me, I automatically assume it's because I'm a tall, serious looking 17 year old holding a large doll and a camera pulling a rolling backpack getting onto the city bus.

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?
It only bothers me if the sculpt doesn’t look ambiguous. I actually dislike sculpts that look like one race or the other because it seems like my freedom is limited. My characters don’t really have races at all, even if they might not look the same.

 

Despite being black, I really can't say what other black people think of my dolls, since I don't know many others, and they don't know about my dolls. They all think I'm crazy no matter what I do. My mom, sister, and non-blood brother are okay with them, though. They don't think any differently of them than my Asian and Caucasian family does. In fact, they all have the same opinion: They're nice, but stop buying them. o~o;;

 

Is there a "Black Culture"? I grew up in a very racially diverse area where people tended to group by countries of origin rather than by skin color so I admit I don't know.
I also don't quite see what skin color has to do with BJDs and owning them. In my own experience so far I am given to understand that lots of people all around the world collect these dolls...

 

@Rosslyn: I can't say whether there's a "black culture" or not. I'm not very in tune to things like that. I do notice people grouping like that at school, but I'm not a part of it. Maybe I'm just dense. o-o

 

I'm a mix of asian and black my stepdad is caucasian and so is my hubby.
I was raised by my mom who's Indonesian and I never hung much with my black side of the family. I don't know any other black bjd collectors in the Netherlands there probably is another somewhere but we have never met >_<.

I like the kind of bjd's where ye can't really tell a specific race. The more realistic bjd's are gorgeous but I usually won't buy them although I seriously fear Iplehouse cause they have gorgeous dolls and come in various tan .

Honestly I am not bothered much by lack of various skin colors offered but I luv tan cause it takes my resin yellowing stress away. Tan resin that yellows a bit looks really nice compared to white or ns turning to yellow ye know.
I just forget it takes years for the doll to get fear yellow so my stressing out about the yellowing is a bit on the stupid side :s.

I do know black bjd collectors online not many. I like the one's I know. But a lot of the black peeps I meet wouldn't understand why ye would splurge on dolls. Are not very interested in a lot of stuff but usually more interested in clothes and hair ....
And one must not forget I'm a geeky chubby black girl who makes anime sounds...I don't know any people who get me when I end nya, gyabo, kya, kuku etc.. to my sentences. I'm plenty otaku but not trailor camp otaku ye know the ones who forget to shower, only wear tshirt and jeans and incapable of talking normal to non asian lovers. Anyways.

I would luv to meet more different kind of people just to see if we connect through our hobby regardless of what our racial background is.



ps:And I do wish I will meet more well mannered bjd fans in the future. Yes long story *rolls eyes*.

 

Um, well I am a black collector, but other than that, I haven't noticed anything that really distinguishes me from any other BJD collector besides the fact that I would rather call "tan" resin brown, and have "normal" changed to "fair" or something (since I have brown skin and that's perfectly "normal" so it's kind of weird, but I just assume they mean "normal for Asians"... ) I think more than anything that's really where any difference might lie - I would like to see more "black" features represented the way Iplehouse does, but that's about it.

For BJD people, I think it's just enough to see someone else crazy enough to have one of these darn things, don't forget that this is still a very small hobby, so divisiveness hasn't really set in amoung the people themselves.Volks vs. Resin Soul? Absolutely. But race of collectors isn't really something that many of us are even prepared to deal with at this point. I understand that there's definitely a "black" and a "white" culture in the US, and I personally refuse to fall completely into either one because I HATE having my skin colour be the deciding factor for anything really. I do get some quizzical looks from both groups at times, but then again, I've always been a black sheep pretty much everywhere (no pun intended).

 

Well the reason for the darker skin tones on dolls is they might cast twn full dolls and get ONE piece that's usuable. The resin likes to marble or something like that when they cast dark colors so it's more expensive since they can't grind up the unusuable parts and recast. Those are trashed.

And there is a couple of black ladies in the Lower SC group. Might be more, but we have not met up with them in a long time since it's too far a drive usually.