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Company Faceups vs Original Faceups : Which is "better"?

Apr 12, 2012

    1. Hey guys, I'm not saying I only want a doll to get attention from others. I'm using myself as an example for the situation. I just wanted to spark a debate with a genuine question about faceups, I wasn't trying to get any "reassurance" from anyone. Please stop reading me the wrong way > <;

      Looking at a lot of doll photos and such over the past couple years, I can't help but wonder sometimes. "Would my doll be more likeable if I gave him an "original" faceup?"
      Most of the time I'm perfectly happy with the natural looking faceups that most doll companies have to offer, I'm never really looking for anything too far out of the ordinary. Bluefairy's faceups are pretty to me, but I've seen such extreme and decorative faceups that it makes me wonder if the generally more experienced in the doll community find them boring because they are so neutral.

      Is it still possible to make a doll unique with a company faceup? Or is it a lost cause?

      Do I need to do my own faceup or commission a faceup artist to do it in order to make my doll "interesting" to look at?

      I tend to hear of instances where doll owners turn their noses up at company faceups. Is this true?
       
    2. Like most stuff, it's entirely a matter of preference. I've known people who won't buy second-hand dolls unless they have the company faceup, for whatever reason, and I'm one of those who doesn't ever want the company default. But, if I saw a default faceup that was absolutely perfect for the character I had in mind, I'd buy it rather than try and recreate it myself.
       
    3. I guess its different when I really don't have a particular character in mind when buying a doll. Is that a necessity as well? Is it silly of me to buy a doll without a character to relate it to already?
       
    4. It's true that some companies don't offer very good face-ups, and that's definitely a case where an artist's face-up is preferred.

      I think a doll can be unique whether it's default or not. There are many ways to customize a doll. Give them a good look, and a story/personality and they're golden.

      I'm not going to name names, but I know of a girl who has (and had, in some cases) many popular, unique dolls with default face-ups. The defining points are her amazing photographs, the doll's personal styles, and the love she obviously pours into it.

      There are people who are snobbish about default face-ups, and even people who are snobbish about face-ups done by anybody but the owner, but they're not very common. A lot of people prefer one over the other, but your opinion matters more.



      And you don't need a character for a doll at all. Ever. It can just be a doll. That's absolutely fine.
       
    5. Er...why does it matter what "the doll community" likes? You aren't buying your dolls for us, you're buying them for yourself. It is very much possible to make your doll unique with a factory/company faceup; clothes, wigs, eyes, and accessories are just as important as the faceup in creating a personalised doll. No, you do not need a custom faceup to make your doll "interesting" to look at if you are able to put together a look for it that YOU like. If YOU are not finding your doll "interesting" to look at, then maybe a custom faceup (by you or someone else) would be the way to go, if you think a change of faceup would help. If you are finding it interesting, then you don't need one. I have never really heard of people actively disliking factory faceups, except in cases where they were not particularly good, to be honest. Many people don't actually care enough to feel one way or the other about them, and if they do have a preference, it's generally limited to what they like on their own dolls, not on those belonging to others. Some people may feel that they make a doll less personal or 'unique", but that's nobody's problem but theirs. There are people who snub custom faceups or amateur, faceups done by the doll's owner. People who want to be petty and stupid will always find something to find fault with

      There's no "better" when it comes to company VS original, except to an individual owner. If a custom faceup will better fit what you want for a doll, then it is better. If a default company faceup is what you really like/want for your doll, or if you don't want to go to the extra trouble or expense of getting a custom one, then it is better. It's all a matter of perspective and what you as an owner want.

      As for your other questions, if you don't mind me answering them: no, it's not a necessity to have a character in mind before buying. People play with their dolls differently, and plenty of them don't have characters for their dolls. Some don't even have names, because they don't relate to the dolls that way. No particular way is "better" or "right", so if you see a doll you like and wish to buy, then buy it-don't worry about whether you have any kind of character planned. I don't usually come up with characters for my dolls until after I get them, and some of them aren't much deeper than: "This is X. He's a (insert creature here). He likes _ and _, and doesn't like_."

      I'm going to be honest: many of us do not particularly care about most, if any other people's dolls in terms of their faceups and the clothing they're wearing. I do not worry about whether someone else will find my dolls interesting, because I find them interesting, and that's all I care about. Is it nice when others like them? Of course, but I do not spend time actively worrying about whether my doll is "interesting" enough for anyone else. It wouldn't matter if I found someone else's doll the most boring thing ever, so long as they enjoyed it, and vise versa. After all, in the immortal words of Dr. Frank N. Furter, "I didn't make him for you."
       
    6. Is it still possible to make a doll unique with a company faceup? Or is it a lost cause?
      Of course it's possible. It's all about how you style and present your doll, default faceup or not. I've seen dolls of the same sculpt, with the company faceup, that looked completely different from each other and that's because of how their owners styled them.

      Do I need to do my own faceup or commission a faceup artist to do it in order to make my doll "interesting" to look at?
      Nope. My first answer pretty much covers this one. Wigs, eyes, clothes, and overall presentation are all parts of what makes a doll "interesting". Even blank dolls can be interesting.

      I tend to hear of instances where doll owners turn their noses up at company faceups. Is this true?
      It happens with company faceups, custom faceups, and no faceups.

      Honestly, it's your doll, do what makes you happy and what you find interesting, don't cater to what other people think. People like different things. Some people will find Company A's faceups amazing, some people will think they're garbage and prefer Company B's. Some people will think Customizer Y is the most awesome thing in the universe and some people will cringe at the sight of a doll with their faceup, claiming that Customizer Z is the very best. It's all about personal preference.

      So, if you like Company A's faceups and your doll has one, great. If you feel your doll isn't unique, in your eyes, try some new things with them. It's amazing what a different wig or eyes will do.

      In regards to not having a character in mind, so what? At the end of the day, dolls are dolls. It doesn't matter if they have a character before being bought, after, or never have one at all. As long as you enjoy your doll, that's all that matters.
       
    7. Dmitra is a DOD E-An and she still has her company default face. Honestly? I love it! I don't think that if i got a more "original" faceup that she would be better. More like a piece of her would be missing; would she even still be Dmitra? Other than touch up purposes, i'm not gonna mess with her face lol.

      Lia on the other hand, I have messed with her face more times than i can count. she is still Lia no matter what i have done with her face ^^
       
    8. :lol: In a nutshell! Dr. Frank had such a perfect way of putting things. That IS what it all boils down to.

      Everything depends on what you personally want for each individual doll. Get each doll the faceup you think works best for it. Don't live your life according to what you think a bunch of strangers on the internet might prefer.
       
    9. I agree with the others above - it doesn't matter whether it's a company default or a custom job, as long as the outcome fits your vision for your doll, then that's the important thing. And as LupusDarkmoon said, sometimes you don't even need a face up to have an interesting doll.
       
    10. Well, as much as I agree with all of you, I would like to take my boy to RL meetups without having some snobby doll owner turn their nose up at him. Hah. I guess you can still call me an anxious newbie. lol.

      I agree with all of you, and thanks for your input. I know my doll is supposed to be for me, but I want others to be able to appreciate him as well. Is that strange?
      I look around the gallery and admire those beautiful dolls I see, and I want my boy to have to same impression. I really would like to have one of those gorgeous dolls that everyone flocks to at live meets. I was just trying to figure out if a custom faceup was necessary for that. Its not a necessity by any means, but it would be a nice feeling. Am I wrong? Or is wanting my doll to have attention just a recipe for drama and disaster?
       
    11. There's no one way of doing it that's going to impress everyone all the time. It's a matter of taste, and tastes vary - that's just life.

      If you know what you like in someone else's doll and strive to achieve the same qualities with your own, then people who share your tastes will probably be drawn to yours just like you were to theirs. So if that's what you're looking for, then that's your answer - if you're admiring a certain company's default, buy it! If you admire a certain artist's work, commission them! If you like some character, paint them (or hire someone to do it for you)! :)
       
    12. My honest opinion? Yes, actually, it is. And I'll go over why. (And this is about to get wordy because I do not know the meaning of the word 'brevity'.)

      Everyone's tastes are different. You can't ever predict what doll will get scads of attention at a meetup, and which one will be passed over. I think you will find that at most meetups there isn't a tremendous emphasis on who has the prettiest faceup, or who has the most expensive clothes; meetups aren't competitions. I tend to use meetups as a way to meet dolly owners and see all the stuff I don't own myself, not wait for people to see mine. If you go with the expectation or desire to have everyone flocking to your doll, with wanting to attract all kinds of attention instead of just meeting others, I can practically guarantee you that the meetup will be a disappointing experience.

      That said, the odds of some 'snobby doll owner' turning their nose up at a factory faceup is practically nil. Like Hominivorax said, most doll owners really don't care one way or the other. There's also another point -- nobody is going to know whether the faceup is custom or default unless you tell them. I will never forget the first doll that I truly had grabby hands over, the I want this doll SO BAD grabby hands. He...had a default company faceup. That didn't matter in the least. (And you can ask anyone in Oly about this and they will probably laugh out loud.) Most of my dolls have custom faceups, but I didn't get them with the intention of having some gloriously pretty thing people would fawn over. I got them because they are perfect for the characters those dolls embody, because I have an awesome friend who does them for me, and I think they're amazing. As long as I like them, then that's all that matters. If someone else likes them, that's gravy. Hell, my oldest doll still has his factory faceup, five years down the road, and he STILL gets omg-cute comments when I take him out. He's not custom at all. (Which reminds me, he needs a new wig soon...)

      Design and complete your doll for you. Not for everyone else. How you choose to do that is entirely up to you, but the only opinion you ought to be considering as you decide whether you want to go factory or custom is yours. Aspiring to beauty is fine; admirable, even. However, you need to aspire to what you find beautiful, not what you think everyone else finds beautiful. You will find yourself infinitely more pleased with the hobby if you aim to please yourself rather than attract the accolades of others.
       
    13. Well, now I know. :3 Thanks for putting things into perspective for me.
      I love this hobby, but there are still a barrage of things I don't understand about it. On one hand, elitism seems to exist, and on the other hand, it seems to be swept under the carpet.

      We all know there are trends within any community that are more "popular" than others. I'm just the type that gets bitter when I see them. lol.

      I just wanted to know from other perspectives what the take on said trends are. This is a learning experience for me. :3
       
    14. If I love the default faceup, I buy the doll with it. If I don't, I buy the doll without it and paint it myself, or pay someone to paint what I want. I don't care what anyone else thinks or consider resale value. That's it. I cannot even wrap my brain around the concept of buying a doll based on what other people may find attractive.
       
    15. If a company face up for a doll works for me, you bet I'll get it! I got the company faceup on Isar and I'm planning to get the company face up on the next doll I order. It's just one less hassle to deal with if I don't have to send the doll out to a face up artist. On the other hand, if I LOVE the doll, but the company face ups won't work for me (Iplehouse Felix comes to mind), I would get it blank and have an artist do it.
       
    16. I'll be honest, there is a LOT less 'elitism' around here than people like to think there is. A LOT less. I'm five years into this hobby and I've met exactly ONE snobby elitist. That's it. Go check out the 'elitism' debate thread if you want to know some other opinions on the matter. :>

      Here's the thing about dolly trends -- they change. Sometimes a LOT, and sometimes quickly, and this is an EXPENSIVE hobby to try and keep up with trends in. When I got the lion's share of my collection, Delfs were seriously, seriously in. Nowadays, Delfs are definitely not nearly as 'in' as they were back then...heck, you can't even GET them anymore, not new. The trend has gone more realistic, and to be honest, that doesn't appeal to me. I'm happy with what I have; there's not a doll in my collection I've owned less than four years (discounting the one I just got that's being faceupped). And that's what's important -- be happy with what YOU have. Focus on that, not on what everyone else thinks. Like I said, my dolls aren't on trend. But I don't care. I'm happy with 'em, trendy or not. :3

      And seriously, nobody's going to know if you've got a default faceup or not unless you say something. There are SO many styles out there and SO many artists. A natural faceup isn't restricted to defaults, after all, and not every doll is suited to a more fantastical faceup.
       
    17. The "better" one is the one that looks good [to you]. You want to be happy with your doll. As a fellow collector, I could not care any less (that is to say, I'm at the absolute minimum of caring) if your doll had a company faceup or if it was custom- chances are I'm not going to be able to tell the difference either way. If a doll snob is gonna snub you, they're gonna snub you regardless of where your faceup came from. And honestly, I've not seen too many, if any, of these infamous snobs that everyone talks about. They're far far less common than people make them out to be.

      As others have said, make the doll to your liking. So what if it doesn't get oggled and drooled over when you bring it to a meet? Just means a less likely chance that it'd get dirty/damaged from all that handling and/or drool. :lol: Tastes differ from person to person, and it's near impossible to make something that will interest everyone.

      Let me tell you something, I have a dollfie dream. I think she's the bee's knees. I thought she'd be the "it" thing when I brought her to my local meet because I don't know many people who own dollfie dreams. Yes she turned out to be the only one there, however she was pretty much shrugged off and ignored in favor of my little soom fairy. She got some looks from a couple of people who'd never seen one before, and got groped because DD's are a softer plastic than resin so she's a bit squishy, but was otherwise largely ignored. Turns out Dollfie Dreams aren't their thing. They aren't most people's thing. But I still like them, and will still bring her to meets because I think she's awesome.
       
    18. Is it still possible to make a doll unique with a company face up? Or is it a lost cause?
      I think it is definitely possible to have a unique doll from a company face up.

      Both my dolls have company face ups, and to me, the face up encompasses only so much of the complete doll. There're also clothes, eyes, and wigs to consider. Three people who all own the same doll with company face ups can make drastically different-looking dolls because each of them had their own image in mind when they decided to buy the doll that way.

      I saw someone with the same doll I had, also with a company face up, and it took me a little while to notice she had the same face up as my doll. But the doll looked completely different.

      Do I need to do my own face up or commission a face up artist to do it in order to make my doll "interesting" to look at?
      Most dolls, all by themselves, are interesting to look at - at least I think so. Some default face ups are pretty nice to look at; DM did a great face up on my DM Kid. I also like my BBB Apollo's face up, though many don't like BBB face ups. He doesn't have 'real' eyelashes, which was interesting to me; it also is one less thing to fret over when changing clothes.

      I tend to hear of instances where doll owners turn their noses up at company face ups. Is this true?
      I have heard people talk about this, but it's very rare (as in I might've encountered it once, briefly, in the entire time I've been on DoA) and I don't think they intend to sound rude. The way some people talk, they do seem like they can't seem to wrap their minds around it. It's like the same bewilderment that some people have when they see someone with many lower-priced BJDs like BBB/RS, and wonder why they own so many. The answers to both are probably the same.

      I actually buy dolls based on the face ups because I'm not skilled enough to try it myself, and I don't want to have to send my doll to someone right after it arrives. If someone genuinely doesn't like the face up my dolls have, for whatever reason, that's OK; there are a lot of default face ups that I'm not into, so I could understand why they wouldn't like them from an aesthetics perspective.

      (To answer the other questions asked within the thread by the OP):


      I guess its different when I really don't have a particular character in mind when buying a doll. Is that a necessity as well? Is it silly of me to buy a doll without a character to relate it to already?
      A lot of owners of these dolls happen to be artists or writers. I used to write, even. My first doll's character was thought up after she arrived; I couldn't get it before that. My second doll's character came from one of her photostories, so he wasn't so up-in-the-air. Depending on how much of a stickler you are for detail, you might be better off with a character pre-planned, but you might not.

      Or is wanting my doll to have attention just a recipe for drama and disaster?
      (you=general)
      It's not just a recipe for drama and disaster, it's a recipe for discontentment and can lead to you resenting you fellow hobbyists. I said this somewhere else but after the meet up disbands, after DoA slows down for the night, what are you left with? A doll; a doll you have to put onto your shelf and look at 24/7. What good is owning a BJD if you can't look at it with some sense of pride in your decisions?

      Wanting your doll to have attention is going to backfire so badly. You may think that you're doing the 'right' things, like getting a super unique face up (that you don't love), dressing it in a $100 outfit from a popular company (that you thought was too expensive), and having a character pre-planned (that you don't really care about, and can't remember the details for).

      But what happens if no one pays your doll any attention? Likely, you'd be confused and upset, and angry at the other doll owners for not noticing your doll because you think you did all the 'right' things. There really is no 'right' thing in this hobby. Sure, some things are prevalent, and some people might mistake that prevalence for something you have to do. Everyone's going to have their own opinions, too, but it doesn't mean they are trying to dictate how you handle/dress/design your doll. You need to expect that not everyone is going to like you, or your doll...

      All that DOES matter, at the end of the day, is that you like your doll.
       
    19. Speaking for myself, I find custom face-ups to be "better" than company face-ups. I am not bothered when I see other dolls in default company face-ups, nor do I think the owners any less creative for choosing it, but it sort of gives me a little extra pleasure to know that a face-up is custom, and much more if done by the owner himself.

      This is mainly because I am in love with the customization aspect of this hobby, with the face-up being a considerable part. I am yet to find a face-up that makes me want to buy it default, because more often than not I find myself at war with the company's eyebrows. :sweat
       
    20. Most doll owners I've met have been pretty friendly. However, it doesn't matter if there are snobby people or not, who are you buying the doll for? Who has to look at the doll everyday? You. It doesn't make sense to do something just to please other people you don't know. You'll just drive yourself nuts as you can't please everyone anyway. The only person who counts in this situation is you.

      It's not strange, but I don't think it's the best thing to strive for, either. You can't predict other people and what the like. Also, I know the hobby (DoA especially for some reason) can have a reputation for elitism, but that's very unfounded. Basically, you're better off going into things not assuming that people aren't going to like you or your doll, because often times the assumption is not correct. However, if that's what you look for, it will start to color every interaction you have.

      I think it's a recipe for disappointment, because of what I've already outlined above. Do the best you can do to make the doll the way you want it and don't sweat the rest. Having gorgeous gallery pics also takes a lot of practice - it's not really a matter of whether you have a custom or default faceup. I'm not a great photographer myself, and it shows, lol.