Dollfie: A Generic or Specific Term?

It would probably take at least one full-time Volks employee doing nothing but monitoring ebay auctions to catch them all.

I think as people become more knowledeable, you will see the term used less and less as a generic term.

 

I'm not sure "let them" is quite how I'd put it. That's what they call the category where that sort of thing is listed. That's where I look. There isn't a category that's called "ABJD That Are Not Volks".

People list non-Barbies in the Barbie category, and Tonner dolls in the Gene category. They put cheap $10 grocery store dolls in the "Antique - 1930 and Before" category too. Most peole try to put their auctions in the proper categories, I'm sure, but sometimes you're kind of restriced in choice. How many ever look under the "Dolls> By Material> Resin" which would be the next most logical place? Probably not many - there are only 21 autions there currently, and not one is for anything remotely resembling a BJD.

It is possible to get eBay to change their categories, though. I remember when they put up the Gene one after much begging from users. There needs to be a certain amount of auctions before they will, though.

 

Another thing to bear in mind about eBay titles is ... only eBay.com has such specific groups for dolls. All the other eBay sites are much vaguer. In the UK there isn't even an OPTION for BJD or Dollfie - we have to list our resin-oriented products in "dolls - other".

 

bumping this thread cos its an interesting one!

personally if I saw an Ebay auction with 'super dollfie' in the title when it had nothing to do with Volks it would put me off bidding. it makes me think the seller is a bit deviant, they've already lied once what other little details might they lie about? of course, my theory is proved wrong by the fact that Gayle did it, and I know she isn't deviant!

I think it's better in China, BJDs are 1/3s and 1/4s, much easier than 'SD' and 'MSD' ^-^

 

That would be nice..no one calling them all 'dollfies' anymore since we all know Dollfies are 1/6 and Super Dollfies are 1/3.

 

Well, there's a brand specific search on ebay under Dollfie, refferring to all aisian-BJDs. I would say it's pretty generic if you're new to dolls, but specific if you're familiar with them.

 

My opinion? Simple.

I just call them dolls, but for the sake of the documentary I'm working on, I'll have to call them, "Asian Ball Jointed Dolls." A bit of a mouthful, but I'd rather be accurate if I'm doing a documentary.

It did annoy me when I was six years old (!) that my girl friends called all my dolls, "Barbies" - even the 6" Starr Model Agency dolls I had. Yup, even the Disney's, the Jem's, thoughout my whole life, I've had people refer to my dolls as "Barbies." It got annoying fast. I seriously wanted to smack this one guy who referred to my Glitter and Gold JEM as "Hooker Barbie." (It was 80s day at my high school and I went all out Jem)

As for other products, it's second nature for me. I come from a Filipino family, and we have the habit of referring to toothpaste as colgate. It goes to such extremes to refer to our cars by their brand name to show off our status. My brother's car is not a car, it's a "Mercedes Benz." Our SUV is not an SUV, it's a "Ford Explorer." That's how I grew up and it's instilled with me. I don't refer to our cars like that, but for simple things like cutex, q tips, and colgate.

 

To me a 'Dollfie' will always mean the Volks 1:6 size dolls. My FCS F-29 Volks boy is a 'Super Dollfie' and the Volks 1:6 dolls are 'Dollfies,' so I'd never just search for 'Dollfie.' After all, I don't collect 1:6 dolls so I don't want to have to sift through any of that stuff.

 

I always feel sorry for the actual Dolfie collectors who have to sift through OUR stuff!!

 

{Emphasis mine}

I think this hits the nail on the head, and it's why this debate irritates the crud out of me EVERY time. Nobody argues about the propriety of using the terms Xerox, Coke, Kleenex, or Q-tip generically, partly because there's no status involved in using those items. Nobody thinks, "Oh my God, you have a REAL Xerox machine instead of a Canon!? Wow! Can I come over and see it?" The only time people get twitchy about their brand names is when there's status (or perceived status) involved. There's something about getting all up at arms about calling all BJD Dollfies--despite, as someone pointed out, the fact that it's great advertising for Volks--of Volks' (and Volks' owners') belief that they really are far superior to other companies, and that having their dolls confers some kind of status on the consumer. And since I fully believe that no brand is superior to any other brand in this hobby, I think that fostering that kind of divisive thinking (despite how well it might work for Volks' bottom line) really stinks. Let the people call the products what they will, and take it as a sign of respect if they choose your name.

Luckily, the fandom will do what it pleases, and to get the best search results on eBay, you HAVE to search for 'dollfie.'

 

100% agree here with Darkwood and White Rose Assassin.

It's been expressed in this thread, some people who do not like volks doll abhor having them called "dollfies", not just because it is incorrect, but because of what the term stands for. It goes both ways.

I'm from a latin familly- our furniture isn't just any furniture, it's Ethan Allen. Our cars arent just any cars, theyre brand names. Our jewelery isnt wallmart, its DaBeers or Kay. My mother comes from a poor familly and denoting things that bring status by brand name.

I, however, don't particularly care. It's easier with non-doll collectors to say the that my dolls are "dollfies", and if they are interested in discussing furthur, i will go into brand names. For the casual passer by, it's simpler to just say "Dollfie" than "Asian Ball Jointed Doll.." then they give me a blank stare and i say, "You know.. like.. super dollfie?" And then the realization dawns.

Besides, like someone so aptly put on another forum, if I'm dropping up to $2000 on a doll, I will call it whatever I feel like.

As for on the business end, stay away from trademarked terms. Although it is tempting to use the term Dollfie, because yes, it does catch peoples attentions and I know i type in "dollfie" when i search for things on ebay (because if i typed narin i wouldnt get a hell of alot), Dollfie, no matter how you slice is, is trademarked to Volks.

How you use it in casual conversation is up to you- you can't get sued for it. However, using it in a business could get you into serious trouble.

 

Just a note as an Australian.. i've never heard anyone call sticky tape, durex here...
but then again we also do things entirely different just depending on what state you're in.
SA = fruit boxes
NSW = poppers
same thing differen't name because of popular brands.

honestly when i say Super Dollfie. I'm talking Volks and such.. when i say Dollfie i'm using it as a blanket term, but mostly i just say doll or ball joint doll.

unless i've abbrev. it. in which cause SD refer to bigger dolls. MSD to the smaller. Tinies for.. yeah you get the picture.

 

More like lack of respect when you apply someone else's name to something they didn't make.

 

Hmm...I really just don't see it that way. It means that their brand is the one you think of first--it's SO popular that it's the default. Since when is popularity disrespectful? Again, it isn't an insult to "go make a xerox," "pass me a kleenex," or "get me a coke" (meaning a Pepsi)--nobody worries about respecting these companies because they don't make brands that ask the consumer to identify heavily with the brand's image. I think this is more about PR for the owners than it is about respect for the artists, because the popularity to be the default brand IS a form of respect.

But then again, you have a beautiful Volks doll (one of my favorites!) and have very strong feelings about the company, so I can understand your feelings about this issue even if I don't agree with them.

It really would be interesting to see if the respective companies would get mad if we called all SDs delfs or all tinies nari-pons.

 

I suppose that's true enough, but it certainly doesn't change the way your average American uses the languge--they're still xerox copies for a large percentage of the population, and you certainly don't worry about offending your coworkers by saying it. I guess what I find interesting about this is that the control isn't coming directly from the legal branch of Volks; it's suggested by the company and taken up and enforced by the fans, which seems slightly different from a corporation protecting how its name is being used in advertising and legal documents.

I guess I sound overly argumentative and probably too invested. I'm mostly just curious, though, about why this matters so much. Americans seldom respect the wishes of companies--look at the number of illegal downloads of music, video games, movies, and TV shows that go on every week just as one stunningly awful example of our lack of respect for companies. It just strikes me that the 'respect the company's wishes' rhetoric is a red herring and masks something else, but maybe I'm too much of a linguistic conspiracy theorist for my own good.

 

lack of respect to Volks-because they don't want you to use the term for other dolls or lack of respect to other doll makers because you're giving Volks credit fot their dolls?

I completely agree with Darkwood here.

 

"Dollfie" (doll figure) was originally the product name for the Volks 1/6 customizable dolls.
Then they made Super Dollfie and Mini Super Dollfie.

It has become, via the internet an incorrect generic term for Asian-made customizable dolls.