Doll Company Photos, What Makes You Nervous?

I do find that sometimes the company photos do not show the doll completely…the lighting is too dark, they only photograph at certain angles, or half of the face is covered by the wig…etc. I just wish that the companies can pose a clear shot of the doll at all different angels under bright light, but it's surprising how many companies don't do that. It's really hard to purchase a doll that way when I'm not sure how the doll will look without all the fancy lighting and hairstyle.

 

I agree so much!

I'm really interested in this one doll, but all the company photos are from the same angle. The only one that is shot from the side is more "artsy" and concentrates on the lace, with the doll blurred out in the background. Why??? I can't find any owner pictures of it or anything either, so I put him off to the back of the want list.


The "fancy" company photos are nice but I would really like it if all the companies also included photos of the face from different angles (especially the nose shot from the side!), a blank head, and body shots (although those can sometimes be found in the body section of the website).

 

Well, I like several company photos and would not mind getting my dolls with the default face up, except reading here on DOA, I realize someone ordering the same doll I wanted with the same face up ended up with something not close to it. We are talking about 70 bucks here and an uncooperative company. And I get pissed when I don't see the doll I like with the face up I like in a skin tone I prefer. I prefer normal skin, but Lahela was shown in light brown and ebony. How can I commit 70 dollars to something I am unsure of?
I don't know if the company retouched the photo, but I heard someone was very displeased with one of her dolls with default face up. I don't know if is photography skills on retouching.

 

My LE Asura from Dollzone was shown in an extremely photoshopped setting. The whole background was completely photoshopped in, there was a ton of color changing, the doll was in complete armor, the lighting was adjusted so it was dark, and they even photoshopped him in to water. Of course, upon receiving him he looked very different from the official photos because there had been so much editing. It never really made me that nervous though, I figure whatever it is; its close to what the doll looks like. Though it would be nice if companies would do shots from various angles, especially with the head. A lot of dolls can look extremely different depending on how their head his angled in photos. With that said, it's a smart idea to look up photos of the doll you want before ordering. Browse other owner shots of the doll where it is in a different setting, lighting, poses, etc. because companies like to pretty-up their photos.

 

Washed out photos are one of my biggest peeves. It's one of those cheap tactics that male things look a lot nicer than they probably really are. It's a huge red flag for me. Why would I want to buy a doll when the promotion photos are so washed out I can't even see it's features?

I also hate when the company doesn't give you shots of the blank head and I've been seeing that more and more frequently. I know most will send them if you ask, but you shouldn't need to ask when ordering it blank is an option. It should be there, no excuses.

 

I came across really cute doll pictures on a company's site but when I went to see owner pictures I really didn't like the body. Also I like to see how well the body can pose, so pictures with just the doll standing/sitting aren't really helping.
It's really nice if the doll has been out for some time and I can look at owner pictures, but I also bought dolls and didn't really care too much if they could really pose that well or not. I improved that myself when needed. But I always care about the body, so I will always want pictures of their dolls naked. I never came across bad face pictures, though.

 

I am never nervous about doll company photos, never frustrated, and never really ever gave this topic much of a thought. After all, dolls are big ticket items, and I just do what I do for everything I intend too spend a large chunk of money on: research. I always thought it was a given that one should browse and lurk on DoA extensively before committing to a purchase, because it is incomprehensible to me that I would just trust all the information from a single source, even if the doll company does provide it.

Of course it's easier to decide on dolls and sculpts when you can see them blank from many angles, but I don't believe that doll companies owe it to me to read my mind and automatically provide these pictures, since sometimes, seeing a sudden naked doll at the end of a series of nice, artistic shots is rather disconcerting. It's always better to do your own research, get opinions and reviews from many voices, rather than just relying on company shots, no matter how comprehensive or stripped down, because it'll still be biased. /shrug

 

No matter what you're buying, everything looks better on the Internet when you first see it. But that doesn't mean that it won't look fantastic in person either. I always get nervous about buying things online, whether it be a super cute shirt from Korea that looked so amazing on the model (Asians in general are pretty darn cute) or going to buy a doll from LUTS. That's why you should always look at owner's pictures of dolls first before deciding to buy. And if you can't find any photos, then you should take the plunge anyway. Because if you end up loving the doll, it will be totally worth it.

 

It's always hard to tell from company photos, since I know they are taken professionally. I love being able to see owner photos first. I haven't been disappointed yet with any dolls in person. I think all so far I've been pleasantly surprised at how nice they are in person.

It's still always hard to make that leap to purchase!

 

Hi guys,

Lately I've been come across several dolls I'm interested in that for whatever reason don't have any owner pictures available. Not only that, but the company photos are of the frustrating washed-out, single angle, hair in the face variety (I asked for blank pics but they didn't have any). But from what I can tell, I love the sculpt and the way I see it, someone's got to be the guinea pig. So here are my questions:

Have you ever bought a doll that only had company photos available, such as limiteds, new sculpts, or unpopular/overlooked dolls?

If so, was the doll what you expected?

Do you find it exciting or nerve-wracking to be one of the first to order a new/unpopular sculpt?

Any advice for taking the plunge?

Thanks! Oh, and I thought a thread like this might already exist but couldn't find it...please show me the way if it does!

 

Have you ever bought a doll that only had company photos available, such as limiteds, new sculpts, or unpopular/overlooked dolls?

Yep, I have. I seem to do that quite a bit in spite of my reflexive urge to research things to death.

If so, was the doll what you expected?

The dolls I got were:

Tanned Hound IM from Tensiya --> Faceup was exactly the same as company pictures. Significant discolouration of the joints that was not shown in company pictures, but warned about in the doll description due to his dark colouring. Was mostly what I expected, but I was initially a bit shocked at the discolouration.

Brown Tan Chalco from Soom --> Blank face sculpt turned me off initially when I opened the box, but after a faceup, he started looking like the company pictures again. Once more, there was discolouration at the joints, but far less extensive than my Hound, so I was pretty happy with it.

Crobidoll L.J. --> the company photos don't reflect how utterly flat his face is in the area under the eyes. I'm still not sure if I'm happy with him. :\

So it's been a little hit and miss for me...

Do you find it exciting or nerve-wracking to be one of the first to order a new/unpopular sculpt?

No, not really. People get excited for you. XD Generally, if I can get one face-on shot, one 3/4 view shot and one profile shot within the company's photos, I would feel reasonably comfortable shelling out.

Any advice for taking the plunge?

Trust your gut. If something feels a little off about the sculpt in professionally taken and posed company photos, it might mean something is quite a bit off about the sculpt itself. There have been many times when I skipped a doll out of gut feel to be proven right about my suspicions when I see owner pics. Sometimes, I do ignore it... end I will end up selling the doll. =A= I hope this is not the case for my new L.J.......

 

Have you ever bought a doll that only had company photos available, such as limiteds, new sculpts, or unpopular/overlooked dolls?

Yes, I have. A lot. I have a lot of limiteds and also dolls that aren't limited, but that were not released to anyone before I bought one--Or were rare or unpopular or whatever--so I hadn't seen one before I got one.

If so, was the doll what you expected?

Yes. I've never had a problem with the doll looking very different from company photos. --The dolls usually look pretty much as I expected.

Do you find it exciting or nerve-wracking to be one of the first to order a new/unpopular sculpt?

Not exciting. A little nerve-wracking. But I'm used to it. I got into BJDs when people almost never saw a doll in-person before buying it, and rarely saw anything but company photos before buying.

Any advice for taking the plunge?

Check out comments of other buyers from the same company to see if they are surprised and if there are big differences between what they saw on the website and what they got. Look at photos of previous dolls to see if they look like the official photos. There are ways to research this to make sure you aren't surprised.

It's also good to see the same company's dolls in-person if you can, and to ask questions of the owners. Check out the company's feedback on DoA. Etc.

 

Have you ever bought a doll that only had company photos available, such as limiteds, new sculpts, or unpopular/overlooked dolls?

Several times, in all three categories. Some companies, like FL and Iplehouse go great lengths with good lighting and built a whole scenery. Other companies like Resinsoul seem to try and take the crappiest pics they can, blurry with bad lighting, hiar going everywhere etc.

Always feel that if resinsoul would use the same photo style as say Iple the dolls would be much more popular.

If so, was the doll what you expected?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. For instance the aidolls on the site have a much pinker color as the real life dolls. The aidolls new normal skin is almost similar to white skin from other companies and they dont mention the color change anywhere on their site. Resinsoul dolls are much better compared to their trashy cheap mugshots. The Iples are always amazing.

Do you find it exciting or nerve-wracking to be one of the first to order a new/unpopular sculpt?
Happily excited yes. Loved being one of the first who got a Fairyland puki for example.

Had a more nerve wracking experience when I was the last to recieve a doll from a dying company. Alas the Wishel never came.

Any advice for taking the plunge?
If you really want to see a pic first, dont look on DOA alone, try other doll sites, flickr etc. Post a pic request in the picture request thread. Some dolls are hard to search due to two or three letter names (Ni, Hid etc), but once you find the right thread, sometimes there are a lot of said dolls.
Be prepared to take a loss when reselling.

 

Yes, most of them.
- Luken was my first doll, a Unidoll Ark. I saw him and knew I had to have him.
- Next came little Cassie - a Cherishdoll Cynical Baby Cathy. She was a limited and she reminded me of Anne of Green Gables (in a very bad mood), so I had to have her, too.
- Morgan, my IH Akando, was another "Ooooo - wanna!" when I saw him on Iplehouse's website.
- And so was Lil' Loki, my Realpuki Soso. Again, the limited fullset. Didn't get him, then, but I managed to get all the fullset stuff together.

Was I disappointed or were the dolls different than I expected?
No and yes. Never been disappointed with any of my boys (or the girl). But I really didn't expect Luken or Morgan to be so big or Lil' Loki to be so tiny. *gg* No matter how often you take your tape-measure to see what size they are - you won't be able to properly imagine it until you finally got the doll.

 

Have you ever bought a doll that only had company photos available, such as limiteds, new sculpts, or unpopular/overlooked dolls?
Yes. When i bought my Resinsoul Chun i couldn't find any owner pictures of her. She's not particularly popular.

If so, was the doll what you expected?
She was better...as with all my Resinsoul dolls the company photos don't do them justice at all.

Do you find it exciting or nerve-wracking to be one of the first to order a new/unpopular sculpt?
Not really... was very certain when i bought her that she would be right.

Any advice for taking the plunge?
If you really love the doll, go ahead. In a worst case scenario where you end up absolutely hating the doll, then selling is always there as an option.

 

Have you ever bought a doll that only had company photos available, such as limiteds, new sculpts, or unpopular/overlooked dolls?
Yup, every time a new sculpt is released, someone has to be the first. I bought my Souldoll Shaun in sandy brown the day he was released and still no one has seen the sandy brown skin.

If so, was the doll what you expected?
N/A haven't gotten him yet

Do you find it exciting or nerve-wracking to be one of the first to order a new/unpopular sculpt?
I'm excited and worried. Even though I have not seen any owner photos (because there are none), I still think I will believe he's a beautiful sculpt because Souldoll does so well, I have confidence in them.

Any advice for taking the plunge?
If you think you'll like it, buy it. If anything, ask for blank photos.

 

Have you ever bought a doll that only had company photos available, such as limiteds, new sculpts, or unpopular/overlooked dolls?

I've bought several limiteds, new sculpts, and unpopular dolls.

If so, was the doll what you expected?

Almost all of them were exactly like their photos and some were even better. I discovered that I didn't like one or two of them as much when I saw them in person and sold them right away.

Do you find it exciting or nerve-wracking to be one of the first to order a new/unpopular sculpt?

I think it's fun and exciting to order new dolls. Lots of my favorite dolls are "unpopular", so I don't quite see what that has to do with buying them. I wouldn't buy them in the first place if I wasn't crazy about them.

Any advice for taking the plunge?

If you want a limited doll at the original price, better jump on it when it's available. I would rather have the doll in hand and take the slight risk that I will change my mind, than take the larger risk that I might not ever be able to find another one at a good price.

 

Have you ever bought a doll that only had company photos available, such as limiteds, new sculpts, or unpopular/overlooked dolls?
Yes - I bought my HDF Candy before I had even joined DoA. My DHS Bunko was a limited doll from a brand new company. My Irreal Ringo head was a pre-release cast, so I was one of the first to have her. Have also bought an IH ltd and a Soom monthly but didn't keep them.

If so, was the doll what you expected?
Yes, they are/were all amazing. The reasons I didn't keep the IH/Soom girls was because my doll plans changed and they didn't fit.

Do you find it exciting or nerve-wracking to be one of the first to order a new/unpopular sculpt?
Exciting, for sure!

Any advice for taking the plunge?
Go for it I plan on buying another HDF that I have seen no owner pics of, although Luts default photos are pretty good and I already know their dolls are amazing, so its not much of a gamble!

 

Have you ever bought a doll that only had company photos available, such as limiteds, new sculpts, or unpopular/overlooked dolls?
Yes. And not just at one time. But those weren't washed out pictures. although I second the mostly one-angled shots.
If so, was the doll what you expected?
Yes, they were mostly. But I always expect new dolls to be bigger/smaller than they are, especially their heads. ^^
Do you find it exciting or nerve-wracking to be one of the first to order a new/unpopular sculpt?
Yes. ^^ Because I don't know exactly what I'm going to end up with.
Any advice for taking the plunge?
Don't be mad at yourself, when it's not what you expected. You couldn't have known under the circumstances.

 

Have you ever bought a doll that only had company photos available, such as limiteds, new sculpts, or unpopular/overlooked dolls?
Yes, some because there were no others on DoA due to being a new sculpt OR being unpopular, more because I dove into the hobby without researching anything properly.

If so, was the doll what you expected?
some yes, some no. I'm going to attempt to list all here....

AE Adzuki Bean - I bought the first one on DoA! he is SO cute, so perfect, better than the pix!

Only-Doll YiFeng - I was in the first batch with MoC, but the company pix were pretty good, even showing a blank head. He's even better irl.

Ringdoll Shao and Valo- totally didn't research, but love them!

IslandDoll Kevin - did not research, very happy with the head, didn't care for the chubby body

DragonDoll Cheng - hated him. I got him right after he was released, company pix were gorgeous....actual doll's face looked mashed, squinty eyes, unsculpted feet.....he was one of the first I ever sold.

AoD Min - looked younger and more feminine than I expected, but was cute. I got him right after he was released.

AoD Hun Dong - got him right after his release, didn't like him. his face was much thinner and longer than he looked, his forehead looked "pinched", he had a big nose and the head looked too small for the body. Sold him within months.

AoD Hun Ji - I really only bought him for the body, caught him on sale on JS. He was a lot cuter than I expected. I really didn't like the sculpt in pix. I considered keeping him, but didn't.

RS Lu - she was listed as Bobobie on JunkySpot, so I assumed her body was the same as my Pixie's. I was shocked at him tiny she was and her faceup was crap. after some modding and a new faceup, I love her.

There are probably more, but these are the ones that come to mind.


Do you find it exciting or nerve-wracking to be one of the first to order a new/unpopular sculpt?
I think it's exciting to get to be the first to show off, but it's scary too, not knowing if it will be what you expected.


Any advice for taking the plunge? Be brave. Expect the worst so you'll be happy when it's good, instead of expecting the best and being horribly disappointed. lol