Dim Minimee Update & Talk Part 1

lucky: Yeah that was the problem, the second pic, and I think your suggestion, as to thinning out the neck was what i was thinking would work as well. ^^

Paperbag: That's kinda sucky... I mean it would be ok if they weren't going for nearly the exact sculpt as what you were going for. if the expression were different or something... Best of luck with this.

 

I too am wondering about the susposed orginality of these sculpts. In some ways, I felt like when I named my son. I didnt want to tell people his name for fear that there would be a lot of little benny's in his class or something come kindergarten. I had to split the two heads with someone in order to afford it, but we decided to just do it between the two of us in the hopes of keeping it more "ours". I feel for you all who are doing the Jpop and Kpop people, because they seem to be the most popular.

 

It's ok for me. if I get one, which I plan to... It's gonna end up being an original character of mine. So... yeah... my two heads will be it, and i'll hiss at anyone else who tries to get my Cocoa... lol I loff my Cocoa-vampy-kun *squeezes crappy plush made of him*

 

I am sorry for speaking up my mind here, but I also have a kind of an opinion about similar celebrity minimee. I have seen at least two a bit different-looking MJ dolls, and I wanted one for myself long before that and was happy when I found this minimee project. I do not think that the same character needs to be forbidden for recast, this would just make me cry, and the result of this might be so that people who order similar dolls would just shut them away at home and never show them to anyone. That's what I would do. I don't really mind having similar doll of the kind that someone already has, even if it is supposed to be OOAK all over. Even if same celebrities are cast from the same mold, the result would still be slightly (if even slightly) different - the face-up, the wig, the general looks. I don't really have an ambition to own something really unique - I want the doll for myself, just for the pleasure of it, not for boasting around at doll forums. I know many people around here don't look at it the same way I do - they want to be sure that they have spent their money on something that cannot be made again, and I can understand that, but still, what should other people who also want dolls do?

If the first owners of the doll would give permission to recast some more from their own molds, I think people would agree to pay a portion of costs spent on the original mold, some kind of royalty or something. And I think that would be much easier for Denny and his team as they would not have to go through casting the same molds oveer and over again.

Please don't beat me I'm just trying to say what I am thinking of.

 

...haven't placed a mini-mee yet but is very very tempted....

...to be honest, who is anyone to deny someone else of what they want aslong as nothing wrong is done to obtain it? How fair would it be if someone didn't know about this hobby/project untill now and find they can't get their fave celeb because someone else has already got it? The person who paid to get a minimee paid to get a certain sculpt order made for them. Aslong as the same mold isn't used again, why is it unfair for someone to ask for the same person to be made? If it really bugs someone so much that someone may have a doll looking simmilar to theirs, a celeb mini mee isn't the best way to go, I think? A minimee of a real person is better as there is far less chance of someone thinking of making it simmilar. Infact, if thats the case all company sculpts unless total one off molds are not unique and you would have to make your own as there are tons of people out there in the world who have company face ups of the same doll as you- and unless you do heavy mods on a doll they can look quite simmilar. I do understand the wish for "OOAK" but I think it would be a bit silly to only limit a celeb to one person. If it was possible to do that, I think the price of a one of never casting again celeb should be much much more money as that is, potential business lost for Denny aswell. (As it is for anything that is totally OOAK and takes so much work and is popular)

I dunno, maybe it's because I think customisation>what mold it is and how unique it is....I've never been one for wanting someonething no one else has....

 

Thanks everyone for your views ^^

No worries, this is a discussion, I'm glad to have your opinion.

Well, with regards to the OOAK point... I guess it's not so much that I have to have an OOAK, it's more so the fact that a lot of the earlier orders were solo and um, it's kinda like buying a supposed limited and having it released as a standard later, if you get what I mean. I believe that even if we knew it was not going to be unique, we probably would still have gone ahead and gotten it (like the people in the group orders who know others will have the same thing), it's just a matter of slight disappointment that what you thought was OOAK is no longer so.

As for the royalties thing, that's kinda sticky I guess. But the thing I guess that upset (okay not really upset, but, for lack of a better word) me the most was just suddenly finding out that he was being remade in a large number It would have been nice, if as you said, someone had asked or I had known beforehand or something... though to be fair they probably didn't even know I had him already (hence the new list which Oracle12 created). I would honestly actually rather give permission for mine to be recast (espcially since the expression is supposed to be the same), than have 10+ other heads pretty much exactly the same running around and about, 100USD less per head than what I paid, x2 it's 200USD. guhh.

 

blackpaperbag: yeah I understand very well what you mean, there's a point for the first people who ordered their minimee with this project, they are getting sad that others order same dolls using the same pictures for reference.

As for me, I do not have any problem with that. When I finally order my MJ minimee, I shall try, of course, to ask permission of one of the previous MJ doll owners for a recast, (with respective refund of fees, of course), but I'll be ordering anyway, same or different mold, I think that with some fees to be paid to the first owner, the total price would still be the same, only going to different people. And I think that with all this stuff going around, I'll probably end up with not showing my doll anywhere, just keeping him for myself. Not to make other people sad

Oh, just saw that Denny has turned off the make-up option for this year. *crying*
This means I won't be able to order before the New Year.

 

Hello!

I'm considering a minimee of the NeoWho, David Tennant (10th Doctor), with some local friends of mine.

In doing research on this, I saw that D.I.M. is doing a special offer of resin matching with a Love (SD) male body. As a promotional, they'll include a third head (your two + some other noggin).

My question is, is this special resin matched body a limited time thing? Or is just the matched body + third head thing limited. Really, I'm far more interested in the perfect match more than a PotC head.

Since we couldn't even begin to consider our order until sometime Spring of next year, will we miss out on this awesome matching service? Cause that's bummertastic if so.

Thanks in advance!

 

Yeah I think it's unfair if different person cannot order the same celeb that other ppl already got.
And I really understand the dissapointment for the first person who ordered their minimee first, and afterwards their head suddenly becomes standard and ppl buy it with a cheaper price ^_^

And I talked to Denny before, I thought he said that although a different person orders the same celeb, they would make it again from scratch not using the first owner's mold.
And I bet although it's the same celeb, there will be a difference in the second mold.

 

Well….

I am in one mimimee group order. And I am glad that Denny has worked out all the kinks and his “test” batch is over and done with because now I can have a perfect doll.

Sorry to feel like I am sticking someone in the eye, but whenever a product if first introduced you should always expect an upgrade!!

If I knew about Minimee’s when they first arrived I would not have gotten one myself until I saw what others looks like! (but I thank each and every one of the first batch buyers! It is because of them that the project is still around!!)

On the question of it being OOAK… I don’t think anything in this hobby is OOAK unless you keep it to yourself. Your doll’s image is just bound to be emulated sooner or later once it’s been posted for the world to see!!

And for DIM… I think the group order is the best for their personal finances. They can make 10 of the same heads, and pretty much 9 of them will be straight profit! It makes them the best money, which allows them to have this project longer.

I don’t mind knowing that there will be 9 other looking “dolls” like mine because there are already 9 looking dolls like the one I have and mine looks nothing like them! My minimee will also looking nothing like theirs! My minimee is mine for me to love.

I honestly don’t see too many of the other doll owners minimee on the gallery section too much, and I don’t think when we all get our group order heads there will be a big burst of them!!! (but that is just my opinion!)

P.S. there is a debate asking if PMing an owner anout if they are willing to sell their doll is ok or not. Well, how uncomfortable would it be when one of us tries to ask if we can order a head from another person when they made their order with Denny.

I really wanted to make a head someone already placed an order for, I don’t need two of them so I figured I could ask her to make me one and I would pay! I would even pay more than $70 just to help this person out.
After reading that thread I felt very uncomfortable but asked anyways and got a “… maybe, I will think about it”

I believe for the financially conscious, the group order is the best thing without having to get on anyone’s toes!

{I am not targeting anyone, just putting in my two cents!}

 

Personally, I think asking is perfectly fine, and I would rather someone asked me to recast, then at least I'd get some money back in a sense... as opposed to someone starting a new group order and ending up with a bunch of the same thing for cheaper then I paid. But that's just me, and of course this only refers to heads that are going to end up looking the same (from same period of time, same expression, etc).

I'm sorry if this discussion makes anyone uncomfortable sharing their MiniMees or choosing to order, I didn't mean for that to happen at all. I mean, I'm not going to PM the other group order and tell them off for it, I did in fact make a post asking if anyone with a double would like to consider swapping it, should the heads turn out visibly different.

 

I am failing to understand the way this thread has turned. Last time I was on here everybodyw as having fun and now people are upset that people are getting the same celebrity as theirs? WTF? If someone wants a ooak, then really, getting a celebrity wasn't the way to go. How does anyone know that Denny's team when the group order for Gackt went out that wasn't like. Wow, isn't that the 5th one? I don't think Denny's team ONLY sells to DoA. I am planning on doing me my Dir En Grey group that I mentioned about 10 pages back. I am sorry if anyone is upset by that, but I am going to. I was planning on doing Kaoru with an open mouth, but now I feel like I am going to be upsetting someone who had the money first. I hadn't even noticed what she did before. In fact I mentioned getting one before it was ordered. Maybe if I had a well paying job and jumped first things would be different, and someone else would be getting the 'copy'. Instead of someone being upset that I am getting a copy. No one here own Dir En Grey or anyone. That's like saying, 'yo man, the artist has no right to protest, I mean his image is public domain, but now I don't want anyone else getting it, because that would be unfair to me.'
Besides Denny was one that worked this issue out fairly -yes fairly- and its disrespectful to him to be having a fit and having a ridiculous argument. It might encourage him to drop it. If he would never resculpt anything, that would be a definate diminish in business.

 

A celebrity is a celebrity precisely because they are popular -- so a lot of people are likely to want the same person.

Particularly when a lot of members here are into the same things.

And anyway, how would Denny keep track of who's been done? That's asking a lot. And I don't think I even mentioned the name of mine when I sent in my order. Are we supposed to?

 

Nobody is saying that just 1 can order that celeb, but Blackpaperbag wanted to know what we thought about this subject so we are just being honest, no problem there, right?

Sabriell

 

Well I apologize if my doll purchases are making people feel uncomfortable. Kazzii.. I cant wait to see your Kyo. It’s not like I am going to go an snatch it up and make my doll into yours, but I just have a sincere love for dolls! (my dolls, other people’s dolls, dolls in general!) There are a lot of doll things that make me uncomfortable, but I have been told to get over it essentially.. so I have (to an extent )!!

I wonder, what if there were no group order of minimee dolls? What if each person who ordered them, independently ordered him? There would still be a lot of the same {type} mold! Right? Would that still considered to be a copying problem?

Or is it just about how much money was spent to buy said dolls?

 

I agree with several others that said if you want an OOAK doll, then a celebrity is not the way to do it. ^^;; Having an original character or a cast of yourself made is more likely to be OOAK. XD
To be honest, if anyone else wanted a Yoshiki doll, go for it. I have my own sculpt and knowing that I was the first one to get him is just fine for me. XD; I like having him to myself but if other people would want him I'd feel just as happy knowing he was so well loved. XD;;;

I also have an original character being made but really only thought about making him a Minimee after I saw someone else's doll with horns. So am I completely original? Not really -- but I did ask that person if they'd be alright with me ordering a doll that was actually kinda similar to hers. (In the end they turned out really different from each other so that's a good thing).
So I dunno. I believe everyone has the right to order who/what they want, though asking someone else who already has it is always a good idea! XD;;

I hope that all makes sense. x.x; I'm super sick right now and my brain isn't functioning all that clearly. XD;;

 

Oh lol, I just read through all of this, and there your comment is, aangita XD Thank you - I know no one's looking to tread on toes here, so I'm not worried ^^

I have to say, blackpaperbag, thank you for mentioning all this and bringing the discussion forward. Because of course it's something I've thought about, since I'm in a similar position to you.

Now, when I ordered Kyo, it was because I've wanted a doll of him for some time, and this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. But I will admit that the 'limited' and 'OOAK' status of minimees did appeal to me as well! Because that's just the way I am. But it was only a fraction of the reason.

I was approached a while later, and asked if I'd be interested in doing a split on Kyo. By that point, I'd already spent so long searching for pictures, picking out the exact expression I wanted for him, and writing up my email to Denny that the idea didn't appeal to me. Splitting the cost was definitely something I would have loved to do, but the idea that someone else - no matter how wonderful and genuine they were - having the sculpt I'd risked so much for ('cause you never know how they're gonna turn out!) and put so much love into.. it wasn't what I wanted.

So I said no, but I was happy for them to go ahead and get their own Kyo! 'cause everyone has a right to the dolls they want.

As for similarities between molds, I'd planned for my Kyo to have bigger eyes than he ended up with, so now I am a bit worried that the sculpts will be too similar. But, I love the preview pics, and I'm sure I'll love him even more with his mods. So I'm sure I'll be a bit sad if the group order Kyo comes out looking like my boy, but probably mostly because of the difference in cost. I hope that makes sense and doesn't sound rude x_x;

But of course, there won't be any other Kyo dolls with open mouths like mine's, so I shouldn't be too concerned ^^;;

I just hope that, for instance, the sculptors don't see their Kyo photos and the specification for 'frowning', and immediately duplicate what they've done for my boy x_x; 'cause.. that's sort of as good as a recast, right? A partial one. I asked for some pretty specific mods, y'see..

Hokay, rambling now XD

 

don't panic guys XD
Although you order the same celeb, it won't turned out looking exactly the same as the other owners So there ya ago! Still have your OOAKness lol XD

So hehehe let's all get back to the happy discussion shall we?

 

But.. there isn't anything 'not happy' about this discussion XD We're just explaining our points of view, and there's nothing wrong with that. No one's getting up each others' backs ^^

In the end, it all depends on the sculptors. I trust that they'll work specifically from the photos, and not be tempted to redo things if they have do sculpt the same person twice. As I've said, I'm sure the other Kyo is gonna be different from mine, but still damn sexy! And if he is, I'll see if anyone wants to trade with me :3 *probably going to buy extra heads* 'cause that way, it could end up as a win-win situation for both.

 

No problem there, but I don't think its fair for someone to have to pick their expression around the feelings of others. When I order my dolls wether their the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 10th ordered, they'll will be ordered with how I want them done to fit in with my other dolls. Its more important to be happy with what one buys instead of worrying how upset someone whom you never met is upset that it has the same expression. I am sorry if anyone has a problem with that, but that's the way it is.

Also, people are worried it mihgt turn out like theirs and they would be disapointed, but what about their person/people ordering their own being disapointed about it looking to much like the first one. There is always that angle as well. Besides handmade items always have variations to them no matter how much people try to make then the same.