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Does OOAK exist?

Aug 13, 2007

    1. I suppose that OOAK when applied to fashion dolls IS applicable, as you're unlikely to wipe that certain face-up, or find one exactly like that again or even change the clothing, but with BJDs, since that is part of the whole hobby, the term OOAK to describe a doll is slighly redundant when used for face-ups and clothing.

      However, the term One of A Kind, still means One Of A Kind, and when something is truly OOAK, like a unique head-mold or only one doll of that kind was made, I think that it's perfectly acceptable. OOAK CAN be used to describe clothing as well because sometimes only one limited version of that outfit ever WAS released. As long as that term isn't used to describe the doll itself, I find no fault in it.

      Personally, I don't think that OOAK can be linked with face-ups, as any face-up that isn't default is, in my opinion, generally unique, making that term, like I said, redundant.
       
    2. Since pretty much the whole point of BJDs is to customize/personalize them, they are all OOAK... Wether I would buy a company one-off or a nice custom depends on the dolls and neither being a company one-off or an 'ooak' would really waver me in the least.

      I think I'm just putting into my own words what most people have posted... but I just wanted to put my 0.02$ nonetheless ^_^;
       
    3. In the artist doll world OOAK means exactly that .. the only doll of it's kind and never to be repeated.
      If more than one doll is produced from the mold none of them are truely OOAK.
      When I first discovered the BJD's I was surprised to see the term OOAK being used for dolls that were definately not OOAK.
      I don't believe clothing or faceups make a doll OOAK. The doll has to be the only one made from that mold.

      Before I discovered BJD's I had never heard the term "one off" but my understanding is it can be used to mean something a little different from OOAK. I could be wrong about this but it makes sense to me that for a doll to be "one off" it should be truely unique in some way .. for instance .. say 3 dolls are made from one mold but each doll is a different colour resin then each doll is unique but because more than one is cast from the mold none of them are truely OOAK so the term "one off" can be used to describe a doll that is unique but not the only one from the mold. Personally I believe for the doll to be "one off" the actual doll (not just clothing or faceup) has to be unique.
       
    4. When volks uses "one-off" it refers not to a unique mold but rather a doll with unique treatment from the rest of it's kind (doll of the same mold) It has a faceup by a name artist.It may have special wig. The finishing artist chooses eyes so it's not always zoukeimura eyes. Sometimes it has non standard special body for that mold (suwarikko). Name brand or known outfit maker as well. They include a Cert as well.

      "One-off" to me is more of a branded name used by volks to differentiate a limited to one doll of theirs. It's not trully a one of a kind in that the mold is not broken after one casting. It differs from their FCs in that the doll is premade by the company working with their artists while in FCS you can order a doll that is custom but being unique is not guaranteed
       
    5. I don´t like the term OOAK because it´s so over-used in the fashion doll world and on ebay - you can find dolls there described as "OOAK" when the owner has done nothing but change the hairstyle, and even factory dolls labeled "for OOAK". Most of the time, I don´t even look at anything labeled as "OOAK" any more.

      I don´t think a doll needs to be the only one made from a particular mold to qualify as OOAK - in my opinion, it´s enough to have a combination of face-up, eyes, hair color and style - and maybe outfit - that is truly unique.

      Since BJDs are hand painted, even with a standard factory face-up, no two dolls will truly look alike - since these dolls are actually designed to be each owner´s unique interpretation of that doll, I agree that the term is sort of redundant when applied to BJDs.

      It does apply to outfits, though, as long as they are the only one produced from a particular pattern (or in a particular pattern/fabric combination, but that´s already stretching the term).
       
    6. The term OOAK actually originated in the doll artist tradition. It was a piece hand sculpted, painted & costumed by the artist herself who plans never to make the same doll again. It crossed over to the fashion doll community with repaints & custom costuming. In the doll artist world the name has a strict meaning but it has become overused in the general doll world.

      No manufactured doll is truly OOAK. It can be a beautifully painted & costumed piece never to be produced again but the fact is that the basic doll exists in many incarnations. I think a better term is customized as that is what the doll actually is. The only problem with that is that OOAK is often used as a search term on Ebay & people will include it in their description simply to enable buyers to see their doll.
       
    7. I wanna be unique....just like everyone else.

      I think the term OOAK is widely over used, and abused. One of a kind really should be one of a kind. When dolls are made to be changed and customized
      they are still the doll under it all, a customized doll might be unique, just like everyone elses customized doll is unique.
      An "OOAK" face up could be wiped, its still the same doll, some sanding or mods, its ,modified yes but the base is still a doll that there are more than one of.

      In the ABJD world I think the acronym is best suited to things that are truely are one of a kind, as in there is only 1 of them, created fresh, not by just modifying something that already exists. Its most applicable to artist creations, one off sculpts, or one of a kind outfits.
       
    8. I agree with this viewpoint.

      I would argue BJD's are "customized" by organizations in editions of one to a thousand, "personalized" by collectors for their own use whether this includes a face-up or sanding portions of it and "artististically customized" by individual artists for resale... UNLESS the actual mold is truly the only one created. Then it is a OOAK (one of a kind).

      I don't particularly like the term "one-off" since I feel it is too close to "one of" which the Volks dolls are not. They are "customized", in my humble opinion.
       
    9. I think it would really depend on the level of the modifications done on the doll. I don't really think of faceups as making a doll "OOAK," but if there is permanent, extensive modification done to the body and/or face of a doll (Apoxy scarring, carving, extra articulations, etc) then I think it is possible to have a doll that could be called "OOAK." I also feel that a doll that comes with a completely unique outfit, set of accessories, or the like can be referred to as an "OOAK set," but that it should be clarified what about the set would be OOAK, and what is not.

      However, I do not feel that OOAK is truly an appropriate term to use in these circumstances. I do not know what would be better - "unique" is a good suggestion, but seems to be lacking something that I can't quite place.
       
    10. I don't think Volks originated or has any sort of hold on the term "one off". I have handmade artist bears that were sold as "one offs" more than 10 years ago.

      I've found it to be used more in Europe while US artists will sell, for instance, original bears as OOAK.

      Not that what you call it changes what it is, but the terms aren't only used in the doll world.
       
    11. I thought OOAK meant 'One of a kind', and if it does, then yes, there are OOAK dolls. Take the dolls I make myself. There's only one of them, and they won't be replicated.
       
    12. Holy crap. I totally didn't even know that OOAK meant "One of a kind" until I read it just now. I seriously thought it was some kind of a company *_*
       
    13. I think it depends on the context. Technically, any doll with a unique (read: "hand-painted" or "custom") face-up is a OOAK, since there isn't another doll anywhere in the world with that same exact face-up. That makes it one of a kind. But since these dolls are made to be customized, it is assumed that nearly all BJDs are OOAK (excluding unmodded, fullset dolls with default company face-ups, of course.) The term OOAK would still be the correct term, because there's not much difference (on a uniqueness scale) between a Barbie/Gene/Tyler with a custom face-up and a BJD with a custom face-up. But Barbies/Genes/Tylers are assumed to have a company face-up, so the term OOAK holds more merit in that particular doll community. Here, OOAK just means you're using the doll correctly, LOL.
       
    14. well, i'll start off by making people angry: i hate the term OOAK used in sales posts.

      i mean, really. if the doll was truly OOAK, then there is NO other one like it ever, right? so an OMGMODDED!chiwoo/el/whatever really isn't OOAK, because someone else could get the basic mold and do the same OMGMODS! to it. the sentiment that every doll is unique in its own way is nice and cute, but, they still aren't truly one-of-a-kind unless there is only ONE. things like fullsets that only have 10 or 20 pieces worldwide are rare and limited, but not one of a kind. on the other side, adding some handmade clothing/props to a doll package is nice, and i'm sure the unique faceup is nice, but the doll itself? it came from a mold, and probably looks a lot like others out there. Plus, if i were to buy a doll second-hand it would be because i felt that it would be cheaper/easier to obtain that particular mold that way. i wouldn't buy a doll just because of a faceup, which ISN'T permanent. if the part that makes the doll "OOAK" can be removed, then i would scarcely call the doll OOAK.

      i don't mean to offend anyone who uses the term "OOAK". because a lot of people use it flippantly nowadays and i don't see that it holds any special meaning anymore ;_; now "artist doll"... i think sometimes that could be a good substitute if a doll was a true one-off.
       
    15. Honestly, I think all dolls are OOAK. They all wear different clothes, have different eyes and wigs, have different faceups and personalities. Yes, there are dolls that are similar.. but these dolls are a lot like people. No two are EXACTLY the same. Yeah, there are a few exceptions, like your basic El with the default faceup + black wig + blue eyes + emo boy clothes.. but the dolls have personalities as well that make them all their own.
       
    16. I think major modifications applied to a pre-existant doll mold certainly qualify the resulting doll for OOAK unless you make a mold FROM the modified doll.

      Otherwise, good luck repeating it exactly. Chances are, it won't happen.

      As for faceups, those can definately be OOAK, but one should distinguish between the fact that the faceup is OOAK vs. the doll it's on. A faceup IS a work of art, and if a noted artist says "I'm doing this one faceup, ONCE, on this one doll, EVER" that certainly qualifies it for OOAK status. Granted, the doll itself achieves a certain OOAK stature... but not really so much as the makeup on it... the doll is more just lucky to have been selected as a permanent display for a beautiful work of art.

      As for outfits, I think they, themselves can be OOAK, but I don't think a OOAK outfit on a standard doll makes the doll OOAK... regardless of how it's advertised by the company.
       
    17. I personally wouldn't call a modified doll a OOAK. If I use the term, it's about the artist dolls that are "brain children" of the artist and are made from scratch, without the intention to recast.
       
    18. The term has been so overused with respect to every collectible that I basically ignore it.
      It does have some meaning when it's applied to artist items that are made one at a time by hand and not using a mold (unlike BJDs) or anything else. For example, if you sew an artist bear from a pattern, you can make 10 other bears from the same pattern and all using same material, but every bear will come out slightly different due to the hand made process. And, if you only had one piece of special material and made one bear from it and no more, then maybe it would be a little OOAK. But really, I understand that without needing to be told it, and experienced sellers understand that you understand it.

      The term is just noise.
       
    19. well depends. Most of the limited dolls i've seen are modified versions of a standard doll.

      If i have to say OOAK i personally reckon each doll itself is one of a kind. Using the example of clothing, all the clothes i make are one of a kind since i make them by hand for my personal doll. I also made two commission tops, both are one of a kind as i don't intend to make those designs ever again with that material.

      But i reckon once a doll is with it's owner, each doll is one of a kind because they are their owner's doll do you understand what i mean?

      Unless everything is default like from face up to eye colour to clothing then it's no longer a one of a kind. But after even slight customisation the doll is in my opinion OOAK

      As for people who customise dolls and sell then off as 'one of a kind' i don't agree with. At the end of the day the doll will be played with. Unless the purchaser is going to be a collector who does not alter anything at all then i see the reason to customise a doll to be OOAK. If not i prefer mine a blank canvas for me to design and for me to enjoy.
       
    20. *claps her hands*

      More or less my opinion too. To me a doll would need to be made from start to finish with out the use of purchased molds (molds made by the person making the doll then destroyed after that one doll was cast aren't counted here) to qualify as that horrid term OOAK. I personally despise the term as it is abused so much, in fact if looking for an item on say eBay I will avoid anything that has OOAK (or L@@K, or WOW)in it's description. Anyone who actually makes or has anything of quality doesn't need to resort to such cheap tacky tactics to sell their stuff.

      Most commercially purchased BJD do not to me qualify as OOAK as they are anything but, the face up or outfit or customisation may be unique to you but the actual doll isn't no matter what you think, so it isn't truly 100% one of a kind.