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Dolls vs Figures

Feb 22, 2017

    1. I'm not an avid figure collector, but I feel as though I've collected enough to maybe have thought about this before, lol. I know that for me, the biggest thing that separates figures and dolls is fandom and original characters. Dolls are interactive and they pull from my creativity and allow me to have a special kind of real-life access to my characters, whereas with figures I only purchase them when they're of a character I love and I kind of just want to show my appreciation by having it as decor because there's nothing I want to add on into those characters when they don't belong to me. I also notice that with dolls I have fewer limits when it comes to money because I find what I can do with them more vast, but with figures, I'll reel myself back in, and think "Yep, that's just a pretty thing sitting on a shelf." I can't bring myself to pay larger amounts of money for figures, haha.
       
    2. Both are interesting pieces of art, I like to have figures of my favorite characters and I like bjd cause I can make my own character.
       
    3. I adore those Figma statues, I used to have all of the Sailor Senshi. Moved and had to sell them to a friend. I'm kinda torn on what I like better, there are pros and cons to both. Dolls I can play with and redress, but statues/figures seem more durable to me and really are quite beautiful and easy to display. Hmmm, I have to think on this one.
       
    4. I basically quit the figure collecting for BJDs I have only bought like a few small figures since.... God I am weak for the Yuri On Ice nedoroids. Also bought a Wonder Woman one.

      Though I want a lot of fantasy BJDs as figures. I tend not to do anything with fantasy themed BJDs and end up selling them because I feel like I ought to do something with them to warrant keeping them.
       
    5. I'm a long-time Hot Toys sixth scale figure collector, and I have some smaller Nenderoids/Figma/other brand figures too. I just took the plunge into BJDs recently, and for me, the appeal is that I get all of the best features of high-end figures (detailed costumes/clothing, good poseability) with the ability to customize even further and "skin" characters that don't have good figures IMO. :) I'm definitely using BJDs both for characters that have existing figures and for original characters.

      (I did sell all but 3 of my sixth-scale figures, though -- I found that I was happier with the larger 1/3 BJDs.)
       
    6. I prefer to have existing characters as figures
       
    7. For me, it´s all about the character. I have nendoroids, but I also have off-topic dolls based on anime characters or Vocaloids. It depends on a single question: would I like the character to have their original outfit and be recognizable at all times, or do I prefer to recreate more outfits or even give them custom ones? Poseability is still a thing (not so much if I consider Figmas, but I usually don´t like those), and if my love for a character is biiiig, I may want to have all the poses I can get with one doll rather than the static sculpt of a figure.

      For OCs it´s a no-brainer: just choose dolls! xD
       
    8. I have both figures and bjds. The only line I draw is: whatever works! :3nodding:
       
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    9. I am a bit of a hardcore figure collector, I tend to keep most of my "scale" figures in their boxes I mostly collect (a lot) Japanese video game and anime related toys.
      I usually only unbox them if I get multiples and pretty much only get multiples if it's a figure of my favorite character or if it's an articulated figure, or one I would like to customize.
      I collect Hot Toys and other 1:6 scale figures as well, I always unbox those because I love customizing and just playing with them even if I don't actually customize them;
      I'm just a huge fan of 1:6 scale toys, mostly the more realistic ones but I also have some based on anime or just less realistic Japanese brand ones (like Volks, Obitsu, Azone, etc.).
      To me the only difference between figure and these dolls is that I wouldn't purchase licensed BJD based on characters I love, because they are never close enough to the character.
      There is always something off about licensed BJD based on existing characters. Like the Black Butler licensed ones by two different BJD companies, not only their proportions but their faces are really off (IMHO).
      I love Sebastian and own many scale figures and the Medicom RAH, but I was never even slightly tempted by the BJD versions, or the Ken Kaneki BJD. Same thing with Lelouch and the OT Smartdoll version,
      or Kagamine Ren/Len and Volks' version of him. They look more like DD cosplaying the characters then the actual characters.

       
    10. It's simple for me: existing characters = figures, any other = dolls. I love to create characters and backgrounds for my dolls and if a character already has a complex story of their own, I feel reluctant to change it.
       
    11. I liked figures, nendoroids especially miku. I already bought them around 40 then I stop to buy them.
      Now, I buy dolls only. If I buy dolls and figures I think I don't have enough money to buy them.
       
    12. My husband likes to collect super-hero figures and statues, although he's slowed down on that a bit for lack of room to display them. I've got a number of the Kotobukiya bishoujo statues. Unlike my dolls, I do display them, but still in their boxes. (Me and boxes, I don't know, it's a thing...).
       
    13. I was a figure collector for years before getting into dolls (I think the "giant action figure" style of a lot of BJDs is actually what drew me in), so the dolls are a direct offshoot of the figures for me. I tend to look at most dolls as more of a blank slate and most figures as character stand-ins, so that accounts for the differences in what I buy.

      That said, I've found that over the last few years I've come to realize that I actually appreciate statues and non-poseable figures more than I do dolls and action figures. It's been a bit of a strange thing to get my head around, but it's actually made me pause and really think about what I want from my collection.
       
    14. I started with anime figures and have maybe 30-40. (Well let me back up. I started with Star Wars in about 1979.) Then went to seamless 1/6 like Phicen but have only a few. Matching body and head skin tones is quite frustrating. Then went to BJD. I haven't gotten any PVC or latex since but it's only been a few months. I like 1/3 BJD so the size may be a big part of it for me.
       
    15. I own figures and bjds. To me, bjds offer more versatility and personality. A figure can range from more statute like to many points of articulation. Alot of my figures, however, don't offer the option to change clothes or looks. I own a couple of super hero figures and tv characters and all they offer is interchangable limbs. Also, bjds can be wiped and turned into a completely different character. Figures are often sold presculpted into a set design. I definitely love both and enjoy having each take up a spot in my collection, but if I ever had to chose I'd go with bjds.
       
    16. Cool topic!

      In my case there's a mixture of reasons for maintaining both of my main collections (1/6 scale action figures and bjds). Primarily it boils down to how easy it is to get pre-existing figures of characters I enjoy, and what the quality is like.

      The action figures are almost entirely as-made-at-the-company representations of characters from numerous properties, Iron Man, Marvel, Monty Python and Star Wars being key parts of my action figure group. I also really appreciate the near photorealistic approach the manufacturers tend to take these days. (Often macro shots of these things can be mistsken for real people.) However, I've also got a few stylised figures in there too.

      I've got a few 'kitbashes' in my action figure group - aka put together figures of characters that no one's bothered to license yet. These tend to be of characters/properties that are of a piece with the rest of the action figure group or... That would benefit from the unrivalled ability to hold a pose available at this scale.

      The BJDs are a mixture of my own OCs, and characters who've either never had a company create an action figure representation (such as existing due to novels/books), or characters that mean a great deal to me. Like everyone else it seems, I really appreciate the sheer ability to customise BJDs. Moreso even than the action figure kitbashing - which is a rather different form of customising.

      The one example of overlap in my two groups rather highlights the above actually - I've got versions of David Bowie in both action figure and BJD forms in the works.
       
    17. I usually get Negroids or S.H. Figuarts, they are possible and come with assessors.

      Funko Pops too!
       
      #57 Hdtqw, Mar 4, 2018
      Last edited by a moderator: Mar 5, 2018
    18. I personally don't have actual statue figures myself because I enjoy the poseability of action figures much more.

      However, I can entirely understand the desire for figures. These are usually characters from shows or Mangas that people already love and know about. They are usually more for display purposes, as there really isn't much more you can do with them outside of that. One of my personal reasons as to why I never really got into them. I like to pose figures and use my imagination. Though the idea sounds fun in my head even as an adult, I don't ever play with my figures like I did with my brother as a kid. The idea that they are there for that at anytime always sat well with me though. I have this same perspective with BJDs. They can do anything you want them to do. You could have an adventure with them and pose them for pictures. Take them hiking and have them looking off into the sunset. This is all a fantasy idea in my head and not a reality I've lived yet, but still. You really can't enjoy a statue figure in the same way. A statue figure is an art piece that you don't really remove from your shelf or your display case. It is there to enjoy the artistic creation and effort that went into it. Both can be enjoyed. Just in different ways.
       
    19. I think for me I like collecting movable figures that are not static. I prefer bjds and dolls over figures, but for some things I'm fine with it being a figure. This is hard. I'm not sure how I define the line as well. I would prefer the figures I sometimes buy to be bjds if not I buy it as a figure. If I like the look, but don't want to spend money I will buy a figure because it's cheaper than my bjds. If i want a deeper connection to that character if it's not a random character I bought because it's pretty then i want a bjd because it feels more real. If I want a lesser connection than a figure. For example, I love BTS, so I am going to spend the money to make a bjd to customize as BTS. I like Sailor Moon, but I don't love it like to the extent I love BTS. Therefore, I'm fine getting a figure or something even cheaper a funko. I love Rozen Maiden, so I bought the doll even though there is a figure option. I could have saved money buying a pretty figure, but I wanted more for this character. I wanted her to feel real.

      I guess dollls feel more real to me while looking like an art piece. While figures seem more like a capture of a moment in time for that character and I can't connect to it due to it looking like a statue. I guess because a doll feels like a friend/or family while figures feel like merchandise to me.
       
      #59 Forever We Are Young, Aug 10, 2023
      Last edited: Aug 10, 2023
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    20. I used to have a lot of figures (mostly figmas, play arts kai and nendoroids) but I never got around to doing anything with them and never felt like displaying them, so I started selling them off for bjd money.
      The only figures I've kept are static ones in dynamic poses and my revoltech Jehuty collection.
      For me, the customisation and poseability of bjds is more enjoyable than character figures, with a few exceptions for games and anime I really love.
       
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