I was curious about this for a bit now. If you own volks fcs system dolls or seen them do you consider them a limited edition? You can get skin colors and mold types only from the fcs system, yet you can get basic molds, and yet still molds can be discontinued, what are other peoples opinion on the classification of fcs dolls?
I'd consider them OOAK, more so. With LE dolls, you can only get them for a limited time, and that's it. With the FCS dolls, if you really wanted to, you could get a doll exactly like someone else's - so in theory OOAK doesn't fully fit, either, but it still makes more sense.
Very hard to get, yes, Limited, no. OOAK, absolutely not. If a BJD is defined as OOAK due to a unique faceup, then every single BJD out there is OOAK. If at any time someone were capable of ordering the same doll, same tone, same options, etc as another one, then it is not truly limited or OOAK. If the mold is later discontinued, it still isn't limited - it's just out of production. FCS is sort of its own little category of doll limited-ness.
I do not consider them limited at all. Not even the Sato-only sculpts. Really, I see them as almost being like standards - you just have to buy them in person (or through a service) to get them, but they're always available if you can get to a store and order them.
I consider them somewhat of a "standard" doll. Just a more difficult standard doll to purchase. It's not available online, but it is available to anyone who wishes to perhaps commission someone or use a service to purchase one.
This pretty much sums up my thoughts as well. Any standard sculpt can be discontinued, and it doesn't suddenly make it a limited edition -- it just means that there's now a finite quantity of them out there. It's the same general problem, but it's not the same thing. Heck, a company could go under tomorrow and none of their sculpts will ever be released again -- but they aren't suddenly limited editions either.
I consider them as "custom standard editions". Kind of like how some other companies will let you buy a standard doll with a custom face up, default face up or no face up. FCS isn't all that much different. It's just a standardly available doll which you can get customized directly from the company as far as I'm concerned.
Not in the least... "Difficult to buy if you're not in the right place" isn't the same as being a limited edition.
I also do not consider them to be limited edition or one-of-a-kind--I consider them to be FCS. In my mind, that's its own separate category.
Pricier regular additions with a few extras. But not limited. Every other doll Volks makes for Dolpas and things, those are limited.
I wouldn't consider them limited - the sculpts are available for a long time before they're discontinued or renewed. At the same time though, they're not exactly 'standard' and they're not quite like the custom systems offered by companies like Iplehouse and Fairyland either, since you're supposed to go and order it in person. So for someone who lives within reasonable traveling distance of a Volks store it's just an expensive standard edition with some extra features, but for someone who'd have to travel half way across the world to order one (or pay extra to have someone do it for you) it takes a bit of effort to get hold of.
They aren't limited. If anything, they're custom standard editions. Fairyland has a similar thing with their A La Carte option. Neither are limited by number or single ordering period, nor are they called 'Limited Editions' by the respective companies.
As a few others have stated, while they're a bit more difficult to obtain and a bit more expensive than standard dolls, they aren't limited in number such as other LEs. The fact that they can be discontinued at any time is the same risk that runs for ANY doll from any company. I think comparing them to Fairyland dolls is a good example in that there are many choices to make them more specialized for the owner, but it's not as though they're limited in number or design.
Not limited, I think there's likely a very personal value that would make them more valuable to the owner. Some people have exact ideas in mind of what they want and a FCS/A La Carte are the only way to get that exact combination.
Interesting question! I don't think of them as standards, because Volks has standards, and FCS is definitely something else...! They are just too customizable, picking the different parts and resins and all. And not quite limiteds, since they aren't a series of similar dolls being offered for a short time or in a certain number. I'd go with the "neither" category!
Definitely not limited. At any time, any company could discontinue a mold- it's the same thing with the FCS molds. They aren't even hard to get, given how many shopping services (or DoA members) will help you acquire them. They are more-customized versions of standard dolls, with a pricetag to match. 'Special' yes, limited no.
I don't consider them as limiteds. They're standards, available all the time if you go to the shop to buy them (or let someone else do it for you). They aren't hard to get, but the buying experience is just different from other dolls. Besides, only standards get discontinued. Limiteds will simply sell out and that's it.
They're only pricier and difficult to get a standard, that’s all. It's true that you can have some custom options, but with some other standards it's just the same. So limited? Not at all.
