Dolpa Kyoto3 : after event !

My assumption is that Volks produces as much as humanly possible while still maintaining their very high standard of quality. They're a business -- why would you assume otherwise? Either they keep their standards high, do all production by hand in Japan, and go over and over designs before releasing them... or they don't. If they do all the former, the dolls will be expensive and supply will not always meet demand. If they do the latter -- farm dolls out to China, spend much less time on face designs and body innovations, stop FCS and Zoukeimura eyes, etc etc -- then we can have Forever Doll quality SDs at Forever Doll prices. Does anybody actually want that? I'd much rather miss out of a few dolls than get every doll I try for but have them be of inferior quality.

I think we also forget that Volks is, for all intents and purposes, a brand new company. And, moreover, it's a brand new company with very high overhead and a labor-intensive product that has exploded in demand in the few short years that SDs have been around. I'm sure Volks is considering ways to either streamline production or increase their output *without* sacrificing any quality. This takes time, though. Often years and years. Volks will continue to grow as a company as long as their dolls remain popular, but like most things of this nature, supply will almost always fall some degree short of demand.

They're doing us a grand favor by offering any LEs for sale online at all. Those dolls are made for events that people pay to attend. Since they don't even have enough dolls to go around at those events, it's very considerate of them to even give us a shot with an international websale. Afterall, 9 out of 10 (or more) Japanese brands do not ship overseas at all.

I don't think Volks is beyond criticism, but I also don't think any of us are really qualified to be the ones doing the criticizing since we have no idea how the company is run, how production is managed, and how decisions are made.

 

Well, I kind of disagree that it's OT to discuss the mechanics of the supply amd demand Volks is engaging in with regard to the after event. I thought, since the title of the topic is "Dolpa Kyoto3 : after event," that it was more a "catch-all" thread, and that anything concerning the After Event was fair game for discussion, and I thought we had begun by discussing the selling techniques of the After Event.

I'm terribly sorry if what the thread has evolved into is considered OT, but I honestly find the debate and the ideas and arguments put forth very interesting.

:::ducks and runs away to hide:::

Lia

 

Actually, Volks isn't a new company. They've been producing model kits, then 1/6 doll kits for years before they started with SDs. They have been producing SDs for 5 years...maybe more.

Yes, Volks is a small company and yes, they are trying to increase the number of SDs they make by moving to a larger location to accomodate production. Please remember that while production is done by hand, Volks seriously can only make so many LE SDs in between each Doll Show and Dolpa event they have. January-Februrary is one of the busiest times for them because they are not only producing their own Hometown Doll Show events but they are going overseas to attend the various toy shows. Between the time they had the last Dolpa, which was in December...then they shut down for the holidays...about a week or two, then start production back up again in January...they have between then and the time the Hometown Kyoto Doll Show to produce as many LE SDs as they can.

You're right, we really aren't qualified to criticize how they do their business....they do it the japanese way which I think many people seem to forget! Why should westerners assume that the way business is conducted in their country is the way it's conducted outside of it?

 

Huh, that's interesting. I started collecting Barbies when I was 7 years old. It's actually pretty nice that one doesn't need a PhD. to read a doll magazine or blue book guide. One of the best things about doll collecting is that you really can pick it up at any age.

Back on track! Did anyone get that punky girl outfit for SD/SD13? I was sort of on the fence about it. It looks Jun-tastic.

 

This is SO true, nikita. I've been waiting for a while now for some answers to questions for an article I'm writing. When I was in Japan, I asked them if I could ask some extra questions, and they said "yes by all means, but we are SO busy these few months that it will take a long time" that sort of thing. They went to the Toy Fair in NY, they went to that European doll fair (I can't remember the name) They had the Kyoto Dolpa, which is an especially big dolpa (hometown dolpas are the biggest), and they ALSO had that Tenshi No Sato anniversary event, which actually was HUGE! (with all of those special doll give aways, and allowing people to order Hyuii and Madoka and Lucas FCS, etc, etc...!) They had new dolls for both the TnS even AND the Kyoto dolpa, and a new painting class.... so yeah. I totally agree with you there. They wanted to release the last Tokyo boy doll and the SDC boy sooner, but they haven't had enough time to finish them to their satisfaction enough to release.

 

I find that really laughable. I've been collecting-- yeah, you read that right-- dolls since I was 7 years old. I'm 27 now. Are you saying that one can only know the difference between playing and collecting after they pass age 18? Wow! How incredibly generalistic of you.

And sorry, the fact that you call them "dollfies" basically invalidates your *knowledge* right there. Anyone who has an inkling about Volks knows that SD and Dollfie aren't remotely the same.

Mara! I didn't get the outfit, but I did get all the V-Jeans I wanted. Amazing, evil Volks managed to release -something- right!

 

it does seem that pretty much everyone got the Vjeans they wanted! So that was pretty cool. like everyone else, I wish more of the new outfits (ie not jeans) had been more available.

 

I call them dollfies because I didn't wanted to specify that 14 are sds and 16 are sd13. I agree some people can collect stuff ever since they are kids, but I am talking about seriously collecting items were you are really into. I collected stuff when I was a kid: raimbow brite, my little pony, barbies, carebears, shera etc but some I kept mint in the box (specially duplicates ) and some not,. but I can't compare it to the way I collect things now. I got three rooms of my house just for dolls (well two fo rdolls and one is only for my little pony) plus all the dolls that are on my living room. I don't thing as a kid you get to that point. Specially back when I was a kid there was no ebay so some things were more difficult to get than now.


When I was a kid they were not Barbie Collectibles just the play line , so I thing kids now are having a differnt deal. A lot of toys for kids emphasize that they are limited items or collectibles, so in a way they inspire the kids to collect stuff. I don't remember that when I was a kid, I don't remeber something like a raimbow brite doll saying secial collector edition or anything like it but maybe its just me.

Pony Gery

 

Just one note...this whole talk of who has been "collecting" longer then who is rather irrelevent when it comes to BJD, especially Super Dollfie. Volks don't consider their dolls "collectibles"....they aren't made to be put away in some glass case. They are meant to be cherished, handled and customized and yes, "played" with. Volks consider these dolls like their precious children and wish for SD owners to do the same. So yeah, maybe Aimee was "playing" with dolls and not collecting in the true collector's sense, but frankly that just makes her more suited for BJD anyway.

 

To be OT for a moment, I think there has developed a "collector/non-collector" mentality in the greater doll-loving community. Some people consider anyone who plays with their dolls, no matter how gently, or who de-box a doll in order to display it to its best advantage, to automatically not be a "collector." I consider myself a lifelong collector, because I've taken excellent care of the dolls I have. I almost never keep things in their boxes, because I'm not collecting for that reason. I buy a doll to enjoy it. And for a lot of people in the fashion doll collecting community, that has become a legitimate form of collecting. And there are certainly companies that want you to play with their dolls, no matter how limited the production run is (some of them exist in this country, and are doing quite well.)

I guess what I'm trying to get at is this: it is up to the person doing the actual buying/enjoying of the dolls to determine whether or not they are collectors. If you're one who keeps the dolls in box or on display, that's fine if it is how you want to collect. If you are one who takes your dolls out, plays with them, customizes them, treats them like little people, that's fine too. People have different standards as to what they consider "collecting."

Back on topic, I'm glad for people who got what they wanted, sad for the people who didn't (including me), and hope for the best next time.

 

So I can clear up the subject I don't buy dolls for the value ($) I buy them because I enjoy the dolls as I am sure most here do and I rarely keep something on the box. I take good care of my dolls but all my stuff is out.

I understand some people started collecting when they were kids, but I thing someone misunderstood when I worte I started seriously collecting at 18., this is just my personal case. is not like I am generalizing, its just me.

 

Uhh, if you mean age-wise, then SD13's are not sixteen. They're supposedly thirteen (hence the SD13), while SDs and MSDs are even younger than that.

 

Sorry to be OT again but just had to stick something in here: Before you make sweeping statements like this... As someone who has done some serious resin casting, have you ever tried resin cast producing something in the quantities Volks does?

Resin is not cheap and theirs is a proprietary mix. Then you have to take into account how many molds it takes to make these and these are all 2 piece molds if not more. So they have to take apart the molds to get the last piece out, put them back together, sand down the piece, drill the hole, pour the next piece. The head is probably done as a slush mold which is really time consuming and a meticiulous procedure that takes an expert to do.

No matter how much practice you have casting, you are going to have a lot of failed/reject pieces. Molds also degrade over time as well. I'd guess they can only get 20 pulls before they have to throw out the mold and cast yet another from the original sculpt.

Not only is the process expensive, it is time consuming. Personally, as someone who has done projects that required 800+ pieces of resin casting (and that took 5 months), I understand that it is difficult (and expensive) to produce these dolls in mass quanities and am willing pay what Volks is asking for their dolls. I can't even begin to imagine how many pieces they need to produce to keep up with their demand.

OK,that concludes our lecture on resin casting. Back to your regulary scheduled programming. =)

 

no I think pony_gery ment that she owns 16 SD13's and 14 SD's not that, thats thwir ages...

 

Ah. Gotcha

 

I don't mean they are 16 yearsd of age, I mean I have 16 dolls sd13 type
Pony Gery

 

also, I think one of the members here had an SD's resin tested once, to see what kind of resin it was,.. and apparently its just about the most expensive resin you can get!

 

My stepfather who works in the fiberglass/resin industry was looking at a friends, and he also commented on the VERY high grade of resin and said it was something of an expensive amount BY THE QUART of liquidized/powder (can't remember which) resin.
Though he also said that for my DoD.

 

well, if you dont mind the prices heres a few on yJ

outfits:
http://page10.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/m13036187
http://page5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/e45565545
http://page7.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g33056739
http://page8.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/h25631501

wigs:
http://page6.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/f33938367

yo-tenshi dolls:
http://page11.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n15643206
http://page10.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/m12553122
http://page7.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g33060535
http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/76383003
http://page10.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/m12644756
http://page9.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k17511485
http://page9.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k17190809
http://page9.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k17317911

kurenai:
http://page6.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/f33776647
http://page7.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g31463216
http://page10.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/m12550910
http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/76321349
http://page13.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r10848654

cyndyII
http://page11.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n14799027
http://page13.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r10726956

I'm sure there are lots more too... I only looked through a few pages.

good luck!

 

Did anyone that was able to get a doll or anything else during the after-party get a confirmation email from Volks?

I got the confirmation from their website, but no email confirmation about payment or anything else (I've already paid in full). Was just wondering if I was supposed to or not.