Creators that you can't find anymore.

Does anyone else remember Gumdrop eyes? I managed to snag a set in one of the last preorders they had and remember that there were issues with the orders getting filled. Even with that though, I would so totally get a pair of root beer or java frost eyes if I could. I just did a quick google search but it looks like they might be gone for good?

 

There was one artist on DeviantArt that I used to follow several years back- hiritai? It seemed like one day I signed in and she was just gone. I had followed her for quite a few years, through account moves and such, and I really miss her work. She's one of the main reasons I even got into the hobby. I don't know if she left the hobby or moved accounts again, or if something happened in her home life, but whatever happened, I really hope she's doing well.

 

Did she say where or when? I've been looking for a good eye source.

 

Mio the seamstress back in 2000s. She would make such cute clothes and outfits for Unoa dolls. I was lucky enough to find a denim jacket by her. Her casual wear was awesome.

 

Yes I followed Anne and Sarah regularly. I miss them. There are other YouTubers that had disappeared too. COME BACK!

 

Lunarmare_d from ig. I chance upon her while looking for an outfit that I really love made by her. But she's no longer active since 2017.

 

There was a doll seamstress on Etsy that I used to be a big fan of, because she made a lot of really gorgeous steampunk and gothic victorian style outfits. I'd only managed to buy one item from her, and the quality was pretty nice. After a while though her shop suddenly disappeared and I couldn't find any info on her anywhere, and it's been like that ever since.

This was before I was into BJD; her stuff was more for playscale dolls but her creations were a huge inspiration to me and to be honest were probably a large influence in me trying my hand at sewing for dolls too.

I'd love to be able to see her creations again even if just to see the beautiful craftsmanship, since I don't really collect playscale dolls anymore since moving to BJD.

 

Yeah, and then one day, after a period of lying to us, she simply disappeared with unfulfilled orders worth thousands of dollars, mine and my friend's among them. The thread is still in problem transactions, if I remember correctly. Definitely don't miss that one. Though the things she made before becoming a scammer were gorgeous, granted.

 

While I never owned any of their sculpts, I really miss Unidoll.

 

Atelier Soda was a seamstress who made stunning doll-sized versions of high fashion gowns and historical pieces, but their website is gone and I have no idea why they stopped making clothes If anyone knows, or knows how to contact them, let me know!

 

I miss PinotNoirlceCreamBar on YouTube she used to make some really good funny bjd videos and had awesome style but sadly her last video was in 2020 and hasnt uploaded anything since then.
Does anyone know what happened to her she just seemed to disappeared I really hope she is ok?

 

I was just watching some of her videos recently. I hope she's doing well.

 

I also enjoyed her videos too, I went back and rewatched a couple a few months back. She also had great taste in bjds and styling

 

Yeah I go back and rewatch some of her videos sometimes every now and then and yes I loved the way she styled her bjds.

 

I didn’t realize the BJD community was in such a drought as far as YouTube went. I like a few Japanese creators on there but they’re hard for me to find also. Has everything moved to tiktok? (I am not on there….)

 

I miss Sejong Studio, a lovely Etsy shop that sold basic patterns for Yo-SD to 70 cm dolls. They just vanished. In fact, most businesses just vanish. Maybe the owners told whoever happened to be in shop that day. Or customers turned up only to find the place empty.

My 2 cents as someone who's run and Etsy shop and has a YouTube channel: Covid is a convenient hook to hang it on but is likely not the cause. As other's mentioned people come and go from this hobby all the time. Tastes change. There is a wider variety of all types of dolls and doll clothes available today. Creators probably gave Etsy and YouTube a go as a way to make some money from their hobby.

Etsy & YouTube regularly tweak their algorithm to maximize search results and profits as well as make improvements to the interface, which means creators have to regularly crank out new content/product and spend time learning the new features.

Ultimately, it boils down to: time & effort expended for net profit by turning a hobby into a business. About 5% of Etsy sellers are Star Sellers out of over 7 million shops. That doesn't mean they're making a profit: it means they sell product and respond within 24 hours (7 days a week) to messages. The chances of a shop taking off and turning a profit are pretty low. Let's not forget about trolls, copycats and people who steal Etsy listing photos and pass them off as their own. At some point, shop owners have to work their numbers to determine if their venture is worth the effort vs the return on investment. Sounds cold but some times the choice is buy materials to restock the shop or pay bills and buy groceries.

Fall into the rabbit hole of Etsy Forums some time. It's a fascinating glimpse into the seller's world.

 

There are sooooooooo many that I loved that I can't even remember the names.

 

There was a shop on Etsy based in Hongkong called Ospirit. I never did buy anything from them which makes me very sad, I don't know if they sell anywhere but have been off Etsy a long time. Back when I was learning to sew I admired their very cool, whimsical outfits so much. There has never been another designer quite like them in my opinion. Mixing cute and old things, out of scale elements and patterns and textures. They influenced me a lot and I still hope they will return someday.

 

I've lost a lot of Etsy sellers I loved due to the absolutely cruel and arbitrary decision to kick Russian sellers off Etsy, as if that is helping anything at all.

 

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