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Characters for your dolls VS. dolls for your characters

Oct 29, 2010

    1. Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
      Characters for dolls, definitely. One of the most fun and infuriating things about doll collecting for me is slowly discovering the characters for my dolls, watching them evolve over time and finding out about their relationships, likes and dislikes. Trying to shunt a more or less fully formed character into a dolly body has brought me nothing but grief to date. I can barely start to write up their profiles before they arrive, because, when they do, they turn out to be pretty different from what I was hoping they would be.

      Also, I'm super, super picky about sculpts, and not having the 'but it looks like so-and-so!' excuse helps me not make aesthetically displeasing purchases. My characters will always be around, whether or not I buy a doll 'shell' for them, so why spend the money on a sculpt I don't quite like? If I'm shelling out over a thousand dollars (in my currency) for a doll, it'd better be the sculpt I love so much that I can't imagine reselling.

      Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?

      Everyone has their reasons for coming into the hobby, and no one person has better or worse reasons than any other. For me, who is very, very, very picky about sculpts, and who's more or less by now committed to only getting limiteds, characters for dolls makes much more sense than dolls for characters. But there are also those who joined the hobby just to see their treasured characters in the resin, so for them, dolls for characters makes more sense to them than the other way around.

      Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
      I had a brief phase where my imagination ran away with my current doll storyline and I spent months agonising over which sculpt I want to represent which character, but eventually, I took a step back and considered my resources, as well as my reasons for collecting.

      Any other thoughts on the matter?
      Eh. I like my dolls to develop their 'own' characters, otherwise I wouldn't know what to do with them. ^_^
       
    2. Dolls for characters all the way! That's part of what's really drawn me to this hobby. I've been practicing drawing for years but I just don't have a natural talent for it. The idea of making a representation of one of my characters is very exciting, like something in my heart has been given form. Of course, that's just my personal preference. I feel kind of lucky, because there's always lovely new dolls coming out, but if they don't fit someone for me then I won't be able to buy them. I don't think I could bond with her, regardless of how beautiful she was, if I just bought her because she was pretty.
       
    3. I hope to be able to do both, because some dolls I just love (mainly the female ones) don't fit with any of my characters that are guys. So far I only have to and they're characters of mine that I embodied into dolls. One thing I noticed is that though they are originally characters, having them in a doll is making me learn more about them.

      Like Lesley.. I had a specific hairstyle for him, but I can't find wigs to match.. in the right color. So I dyed a couple that are similar to his hairstyle or not exact. I found a wig for cheap in his hair color with the means to cut it to style.. but once I had the wig on him I realized the long hair suit him perfectly and I don't want to cut it.

      Jat.. I never envisioned him as feminine as he actually is. So.. I'm still learning about them and their personalities and stories even if they were made before I even got them as dolls!!

      I bought one girl, a tiny in hopes to have her create her own character.. didn't work out so well really, but I think it may be just because I just didn't like her as a tiny. I'm getting a practice head that I'll turn into a full doll one day, it is of a sculpt I loved from the beginning so hopefully she'll turn out. :)
       
    4. Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
      I'm definately a Dolls for characters. (so far) It's why i even thought to start the hobby. i have two highly prevalent characters in my mind that would just be adorable dolls.

      Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
      Noooo, i think this question is like the "would you rather be deaf or blind?" question. everyones going to have a different answer, and some of us are always going to want both (or in the case of deaf or blind, neither. :O )

      Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
      I'm starting my first two as dolls for characters, and if i'm not satisified with them (i probably won't be...) then i dunno. i've looked through molds and started to fall in love with some... that and i want a girl, but i dont have girl characters.
       
    5. Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?

      Dolls for characters. I didn't start out that way, but now I pretty much exclusively have dolls that represent preexisting characters.

      Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?

      No, it's a completely individual thing. Both can work fine -- it just depends on what you want to do, and what you find works best for you.

      Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?

      I started out buying dolls first -- my first two dolls had no connection to any characters of mine. Then I started wanting to buy bodies for some of my fictional characters from a story I had been working on when I was in college. So for a good while I did a mix of both with the preexisting characters narrowly outnumbering the others.

      Recently things started to change a bit for me. Being not as financially stable as I was, my doll buying slowed down a lot. This wasn't a bad thing, because it really gave me the chance to stop and think about where I wanted to go with my doll family. I started to feel like I had a lot of dolls, and while I wasn't quite done buying yet, I didn't want tons more. I also began to fully realize that I was more bonded to and spent more time with my story characters. On top of that, I started making some revisions to their story, cutting out some of the changes I had made since picking it up again with the dolls and returning it closer to it's original form (namely went back to it being non yaoi). This mean that I had more characters that needed bodies. With those things in mind, I decided to let go of the characters that had developed after I had gotten the dolls (the non preexisting ones), and use the bodies for some of the story characters that didn't have them yet. That way those dolls fit in better, and it saved me from having to add as many to the resin population later.

      So now I only have a five that are not from that story line -- two are fan dolls, two are from a web comic that I had worked on in the past (so they too are preexisting characters), and one was my first doll who has a lot of sentimental value. The other 18 are all from my main story line, and I have very few characters left that I want bodies for.

      Any other thoughts on the matter?

      None really -- I think that sums it up.
       
    6. Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
      Well I haven't gotten a doll yet but most of my wish list list is of dolls that are my characters. Although there are a few that aren't

      Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
      No. If you prefer characters for your dolls then that's how you like it. If you think the doll is pretty then that's your thoughts on that everyone has their own opinions. I think I can be a little mixed in my decisions.

      Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
      I switch in what I want/like all the time. My characters don't seem to change though.

      Any other thoughts on the matter?
      No not really I just think that my opinions may change when I get my first doll/s.
       
    7. Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
      I started out as strictly characters for dolls girl. I'd see a sculpt and suddenly an idea would spring on me- for example, the first time I saw the Lati Red boys, I read their story line and fell in love with the dynamic between them. I looked at the M sculpt and thought I bet he's the leader of the group... that pretty much set me off on a mad rampage to collect the entire red line. Yeah. Needless to say, it wasn't an inexpensive way to collect, but it worked for me. I have hundreds of characters that I've made up over the years, and some of them are represented by other dolls. Either way, they're very particularly represented- I couldn't necessarily get a doll for a character unless that character was made for the doll. In a convoluted kind of way, I do do that sometimes now. Chaii's character is at least partially based on a Tan DT Estella, and while I don't have the doll yet, the character has completely formed. Still, there are way fewer of these pre-formed characters in my gang.

      Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
      I don't think so, it really depends on the person. Making up characters is so easy for me, so all of my dolls have extensive backgrounds, back-stories, personalities and "voices". Getting all that first and then getting it crammed into a doll isn't going to work for me.

      Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
      I've pretty much always sorted out characters for sculpts I like. Either after I've purchased the doll, or just from pictures.

      Any other thoughts on the matter?
      I think it's interesting to look at from another perspective...
       
    8. Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?

      I think I'm both. Emma has no character, though I've tried, but now I've kind of stopped trying. Now, I've been thinking of characters, and also steadily saving up for another doll (and hoping my parents are willing to buy me it for Christmas) and I try to look for possible sculpts from companies I know of.

      Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?

      No - being that I've been on both sides of the matter, both sides have their difficulties. You might have a character in mind, but you can't find a good sculpt. If you have a doll and no character, then you might feel obligated to create a character for your doll.


      Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?

      Well, you can just look to the first question for an answer to this one (lol)
       
    9. Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
      A little bit of both, although mostly Characters for Dolls. It always starts with a sculpt. For the majority of my dolls, I'd find a sculpt I like enough that I'd instantly know what his/her name is and write their profile from there.

      Sometimes I'd find a sculpt that I like but a character hasn't sprung to mind, so I'd keep that doll in mind or put them on a wishlist and move on for the time being. Maybe a few weeks or months later I'd be writing about one of my on-hand dolls, and a new character would be interacting with that doll, and that's when I'd start thinking about that character for the sculpt that I put on a wishlist and from there their character profile will be further developed.

      Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
      It's really dependent on the collector. Whichever works for them is all good. There is no right and proper way to buying dolls. If they buy because they want to dollify all of the characters they've been writing about their whole lives, then that's fine. The other way is good too.

      Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
      If I did switch, it wasn't intentional. It was more that I was creating more characters, and I'd pick a doll that might suit that character from my wishlist. There had been times when I thought "I would like a doll that would have this name." And then when I find a sculpt that I thought would suit that name, then I start developing the character. The more I write about that doll, the more likely that I'd buy it to fully shell the character.
       
    10. Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
      I'm personally the character for dolls type. While I do think some dolls are really pretty/attractive if I don't have a character type in mind for them I don't see the point in getting one.

      Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
      I really think it matters to each person. Certainly having a personality for the doll feels like it should be essential, the way the doll receives that personality isn't. If I didn't think having a personality for my doll was important I'd be collecting something else like barbie dolls or porcelain dolls or you know model cars.

      Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
      I just recently for into the hobby thanks to my enabling friend, and whenever she got her doll and told me about his personality I was very intrigued. When she got her second set of dolls, twins, I had the idea of getting a doll of my own that would be attracted to the female twin. At the time I didn't have much of a personality fleshed out nor did I have a doll in mind. As I thought about it more, his personality started to form and before I knew it Tobi was alive and well in my head. Now I just had to find a body for him! The same goes for the other two dolls on my wish list. One is an original character that I'd love to see embodied and the other is a favorite character from a book series that would just be cool to have.
       
    11. Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?

      Definetly a character for dolls. When I was younger I wanted to go for dolls to give "life" to my OC, when I started collecting fashion dolls I tried to find dolls for OCs once or twice and the doll ended up getting her own personality. I found out that I like it better this way. Also, I don't feel like having my teenager characters anymore. I get doll for their sculpts and their face-up potential. Personality comes later.

      Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?

      I think is up to the owner. As writerm said, "both sides have their difficulties". I already got rid of dolls because couldn't find a personality for them so I couldn't dress them well, pose them well, make good sceneries for them... they turned into opaque pieces of plastic. Also, I believe it's not easy to choose a doll for an OC.

      Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
      Answered on #1.

      Any other thoughts on the matter?

      No matter how you give your dolls personality, it's nice to see a beautifully characterized doll that overflows with some sort of "life". For me this requires a special ability to say a lot with no words (or a very few). Congrats to everyone who can make unique dolls that talk for themselves.
       
    12. Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
      Dolls for characters, for sure.

      Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
      Either way is fine. It depends on the person, really.

      Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
      I've always been on the dolls-for-characters end of the spectrum. I started writing Yumeko's stories almost twelve years ago (when I was fifteen!), so you can imagine how excited I am to finally give her a physical form beyond that of just fanart by my readers (not that I'm against fanart!) and my imagination. I'm a writer, so I have to have an image of that character in my head first, write a story, flesh out that particular character. I myself can't see myself buying a doll and then trying to make a character from that. I personally prefer creating them in my head first, THEN trying to find the ideal mold for that doll. Maybe that makes me inflexible, but I prefer to work that way.

      Any other thoughts on the matter?
      People know what works for them, so stick with that :)
       
    13. Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
      I'm a dolls for character person and I only buy dolls that fit my mental image of characters in my head. That's actually how I ended up with my first doll, Moswen (AoD Chi). I never intended to by a doll and was just browsing sites to look at the pretty. The second I saw Moswen, I gave a very fangirl squee because that was the way I saw him in my head. I have facial recognition issues, so seeing one of my characters in resin was quite startling to me.

      For me, this helps keep the want-to-buy list lower than if it was just any pretty piece of resin that caught my eye. Lower doesn't necessarily mean smaller *laughs*. I currently have 8 dolls in-house (and a floating head) and plan to buy another char doll around Xmas. But, because they are all char dolls, the search for just the right one can be long and frustrating. The one I plan to buy soonest has been 2 years in the searching.

      Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
      I don't think any one way is better/more suited. People need to do what's right for them.

      Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
      I've always done this and can't see me changing my ways. I'm content with things this way.

      Any other thoughts on the matter?

      Nope.
       
    14. Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?

      I'd say I'm more of a "character for dolls" person. I have my characters for other things. They're seperate from my dolls.
      Though, if I found a doll I really liked that would work well for one of my characters, I'd maybe be tempted to use if for a character.

      Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?

      It depends on the owner. I don't think they're is any "better" way.

      Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?

      I only have one doll right now, so I can't really comment. But thus far, I've been sticking to the one way. ^^


      (I hope that all made sense...)
       
    15. I started with characters for my dolls; with my current group (my first 2 plus a faceplate), I just saw a pretty doll, ordered, then started figuring out who they were. I did the same thing with my incoming Ante. But I've got a mini planned who will be a character from a (badly written, barely started) story. So with me it can go either way; I just don't have many existing characters I want in doll form.
       
    16. Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
      Fascinating question!:) I'm a dolls for characters person. I figured out early on in this hobby that it would be way too easy for me to become lost in a sea of pretty resin. There were just far too many stunning dolls out there. And if I didn't limit myself within a certain framework, I might be caught up in perpetual longing...and broke...for a very long time! So I began focusing on a "managable" collection to tell my story. My passions became characters, cherished objects became doll displays, the way I saw the world became the way my dolls interacted within it. I imagined a slightly impoverished, extremely romantic and creative, ecclectic inner city neighborhood filled with great ethnic diversity...a sort of "urban fairytale" world. And I gave each character in it a unique backstory and perspective from which to view their place in the neighborhood. Then, and only then, did I go in search of the perfect sculpt to represent each one. I collected each doll from a different company, in a different fanciful skin tone to portray the desired diversity of the little world I created. The search for just the right one was very long and frustrating, but I stuck with it until that "eureka" moment would happen where it seemed more like a sudden recognition (that magical "It's you!") rather than just an intellectual choice.

      Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
      No, not at all. All people are different. They process things differently, including their doll choices. For me, I don't think I could keep a doll I couldn't bond with...and knowing their character from the beginning is part of that bond. For someone else, the doll comes first and that becomes the inspiration for a character further on down the road...that's how they bond.;)

      Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
      I began doing it the "dolls for characters" way from the very beginning in order to limit my choices so I wouldn't be overwhelmed by the mass of fabulous sculpts available. I needed some sort of boundries to make my collecting more comfortable, cohesive and enjoyable...so I have never deviated from that collecting principle.

      Any other thoughts on the matter?
      Only that diversity in collecting is what makes DoA such a fun and fascinating place to be. I love reading about all these differences of opinions as much as I adore seeing so many unique and creative interpretations of the dolls themselves.:)
       
    17. Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?

      I have always been a dolls for character type of person. When I first joined the hobby it didn't occur to me to do it any other way as I was so immersed in my characters, their stories, etc., and pretty much when I first started to seriously want to collect BJDs my thoughts were along the lines of, 'these will be perfect to make into my boys!' I always thought it strange when I saw posts in the GD asking if it was 'weird' to collect this way since I assumed that's what a good number of people did. I now know there is a great variety in the way people buy their dolls, but I still don't see one as 'weird'.

      Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?

      I think one way is better or more suited to it according to the individual. As I said, for me, the best way to to collect dolls is to seek out which sculpts draw me in because they have that special, beautiful spark in that that I feel represents my beloved characters. I only buy dolls I find absolutely beautiful, but say I had a choice between two equally gorgeous dolls then I'd choose the one that best fits my character. I read someone mentioning something about purchasing dolls one might not like as much just because it suits their character and I have to say, for me anyway, this isn't the case. I don't sit here sighing, wishing for another sculpt that I thought was prettir but won't buy because it doesn't suit a character. In all honesty, while I do find other dolls very beautiful, if they don't represent someone to me I lose interest in them relatively quickly and so don't pine over them. It's only those select sculpts that suit the look I want AND is gorgeous that I bring home. I got a little off topic there, but basically it boils down to this being the best method for me and it might not be the best method for someone else.

      Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?

      I'v always bought dolls with the intent for them to embody a character of mine and I highly doubt that'll change anytime soon. That said, I do have 1.5 dolls that ended up being the other way around. First would be Fiyero, my Angell-Studio Gus. When I first bought him he was meant to embody a character but over the years I realized his sculpting style was too simplistic for my tastes and his overall look wasn't meshing well as he's a slim mini which aren't to my preferance. For one reason or another I haven't sold him, but because of the previously mentioned reasons I was never able to assign a new character for him. So instead the doll has to 'give' me a character, which I can safely say has made me realize that this method is not for me. He only has a name, a very basic one-paragraph "story" and a loose personality. It's difficult for me to feel any real connection to him but as said, for some reason he's sticking around. My other doll would be a floating DiM Jullis head, but he was a free event head so I'd never planned for him to arrive and as such I'm not assigning any real personality to him and instead keeping him as a cute face-up practice head.
       
    18. Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
      Characters for dolls. I'm very picky about things if I have a vision of the finished product. If I can't get what I have to match that idea, I get frustrated and a terrible headache. I like figuring out a personality for a doll once it's here with me.

      Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
      Nope. :) Either way, the owner still customizes the doll and enjoys it. My way is best for me because I get to be happy this way.

      Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
      When I got Josslyn, I got the feeling that she has a brother. Once I decided that, I got a picture in my head. Searching for an elf that fits just irritates me when I try so he'll probably never come home. That's when I really decided that I should just get dolls I like and let their personality develop later.
       
    19. Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
      I'm a bit of both... I've brought home dolls that I like, who had no character until a few weeks (even months) later, but I've also brought home dolls to be "shelled" by pre-existing characters.

      Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
      Eh, I'm indifferent. It's whatever works for you.

      Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
      I'm going to sound more than a little odd for this... but I just try to "listen" to my dolls and figure out where they want to go, as far as storyline or characterization goes. At least, that's for dolls that I just bring home 'cause I want them.

      Any other thoughts on the matter?
      Nope.
       
    20. Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
      Both. I started wanting dolls for an already created fictional family, and when I see new dolls that I like that don't fit into any of these characters I create new ones for them.

      Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
      No. There's room for everyone here.

      Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
      See Number 1