Dream of Doll: DoT and DoI - Part 7

There are vinyl repair kits you can buy that lets you essentially paint a new layer of vinyl on top and buff in to match. It's best for small repairs or damage, so if the whole thing is pealing it may not help. Also, it can be hard to color match. But I have a black kit I've been meaning to use to try and save some doll boots and a jacket I have. It's worth a shot anyway, in my opinion.

Also hi. I come with doll tax in the form of Pylith, my Delphine. ♥

 

Same for the lurking and also for wanting both Delphine and Kalix! My friend got the Delphine (who I recently adopted) and I have always regretted not getting a Kalix at the same time. My reasoning then was that I didn't like the body he came on...I don't think I would have minded it though... I've seen a few pop up on the MP over the years but have always let them go while sighing wistfully. lol

 

I think it was last year when a Kalix came up for sale in the uk and I was kicking myself for missing out on that sale I was second in line if the sale didn't go through.

 

@Jellehbean oooh he's beautiful! That bright cool lighting is actually really pretty too. I love the high contrast.

 

Storytime! I promise it's worth it

So, once upon a time I went to Japan. It was July 2007, and just that year this store had opened in Hiroshima, so of course it ended up on the itinerary - I'd only had my Bee-A since April so it was all very new and exciting!

(yes, this is my own photo!)​

I didn't know then how much this company would end up taking over my (hobby) life. I did know when I saw the display Lahoo I needed to own one.
As the time has rolled on past those days my collection has kept growing, even when the company disappeared 9 years ago this hallowe'en.
When they announced they were on hiatus to update their website I went and saved as much as I could - and I was glad I did. I ended up putting the images in a dropbox account for other fans to use as reference, but that was hard to navigate and was never my ultimate end goal.
That dropbox has now served it's purpose and I think it's time for it to retire.
In it's place, I've spent literal months typing web coding old school style, and now - other than a few photos I need to take - I think I'm finished.

So now, I offer up my love letter to DOD and artist creativity: www.dreamofdoll.co.uk.

There's definitely parts missing - older things I couldn't find, or have suffered link rot - but it's there and it's been a pleasure to work on

(Incidentally: does anyone know a) how much the 2010 Black Code 02 retailed for, and when they started with the certificates? my earliest is 2011...)

(eta: and now, bedtime. It's 3am where I am!!)

 

@Shido Oh i'm crying this is so beautiful! I can see the amount of love you put into this and it's amazing. It was DoD that got me into this hobby in the first place so this is so incredibly special to be able to look at this archive. Forever kicking myself for not ordering from them directly, but at least I ended up with 2 babies in the end.

Looking at the timeline is especially interesting to me. I remember vividly when Delphine and Kalix were released in gray skin but I was so certain that was in 2009 and not 2008. But it makes sense in a way, because I remember deciding not to order Kalix (again, kicking myself xD) but could not remember WHY specifically. Seeing the dates though...he was released before I had my first doll in hand. So uh, yeah. I held off because I was waiting on my first doll to arrive still.

 

@Shido what a lovely tribute! My first doll was a DOT Sha and I still have him and will never let him go. Browsing your site brought back memories of staring at these beautiful dolls for months and years before I brought my boy home. T. Shall was going to be my next doll but I never got her until it was too late, maybe one day she'll cross my path again. T. Shall definitely gave me my deep love of sleepy eyed dolls

 

@Shido a beautiful recreation of the original site! So many memories…and I always preferred it to the new site they put out later.The new one always felt a bit disingenuous for some reason. The original pastel site was so charming! I miss them so much one thing I’m glad I did though was email them out of the blue some year (don’t remember when), and thanked them for making DOT Camine, telling them that he was the most beautiful doll in the world, and I loved mine so much. They replied with kinds thanks, and that was that.

By certificates, do you mean that booklet version where they hand-wrote your name in? Because I got one back in 2006 when I ordered my Camine.

 

@Akai Okami The timeline surprised me a lot while compiling it! It's a lovely walk down memory lane.

@keara Tender Shall is so pretty! She's eluded me so far but I'm sure she'll arrive for both of us when it's the right time

@Insane-Chan The first one was so soft looking! Not that I don't love the things they did with their dolls (obviously... ) but I do wonder how they would have styled them if they'd kept that aesthetic longer!
Funnily enough I sent them a message expressing my adoration too mine was for Lahoo and Kalix, buttering them up a little to ask if I could buy a Twin-B head with my next order, which they did allow. Still got her, too
The certificates were later than the books, and look like this:

 

Wow @Shido thank you so much for putting this together! Can't appreciate the archiving enough with the "old" web slowly disappearing. The pastel site is so nostalgic to me as well - even though I actively got into the hobby nearly 2 decades later, I spent SO much time yearning on that site in my early teens and now sometimes lurk in this thread for nostalgia despite owning no DoD dolls (maybe one day a tender shall comes my way......)

 

WOW, @Shido, the site is absolutely amazing!!! What a true walk down memory lane!

I remember going to the original website often, and wishing I had a lot of money to buy many of the outfits for my two DODs, especially for Orrell (Dream of Doll Dream head ver.13 boy with a Dream of Teen boy New Body 2.) To this day, I have my eyes open for some of the more wilder DOT outfits for him, since so many of them are exactly his style.

And, of course there are quite a few dolls I wanted. I'm kicking myself for not getting a Camine when I could. He would have been perfect for my Seguchi Tohma's (Dream of Idol Luke) nephew Fujisaki Suguru (both from the series 'Gravitation.')

Thank you so much for your hard work on the website! Chances are, I'll be there often, if only to drool and remember.

Ryu

 

@cobaltconduct Gone doesn't have to mean forgotten, and all fans are welcome

@Ryuichi Sakuma 13 The outfits are so good! (and Camine would definitely suit Suguru!)

 

Hello everyone, nice to see this thread is still active. I like coming by and admiring photos of the DODs, so beautiful. Last time I came by was to reminisce as I packed away my 3 dolls for the time being (fullsets Shall, Lahoo, Camine.) I'm hoping next year I'll be able to bring them back out, after I find and move to a new place. It's nearly November and I'm kind of chomping at the bit to see next year come lol. It would be so nice to have a chance to take some new photos too.

Actually, after thinking about it for awhile, I just remembered again that I still have a floating head, one of the promotional Dream heads (unpainted.) I would get him a body, but probably just make a hybrid with some other brand. It's been so long since I've looked into that sort thing- my goodness. Another thing for the wishlist! xD

 

DOOOOOOOOO EEEEEEEEEETTTTTT!

Do you remember what sculpt he is? I can't wait to see him, even as a floating head!

Ryu

 

I just looked it up to be sure, and yeah it was the first "Dream Head" they had released. I always liked it, but I didn't care for the factory face-up they were offering. I had planned to buy a secondhand DOD, and I did, but in the end I liked the Lahoo so much in person. I didn't like his photos that much back then LOL. So secondhand Lahoo got to keep his own head instead of sharing, and Dream Head just stayed a blank head. I blame the fact that the next year later, I somehow came across a full original Shall from 2006, so by that point I wanted to complete the trio of characters, but it was awhile before I found a Camine, and then the outfit, from two separate sellers. I almost didn't see Camine come home, and I had missed all chances to just order a new one from the company. I'm very grateful the sale went through despite the circumstances. But yeah after all that, I decided I was just done with new bjds. Oh, dear Mr. Dream Head, we should talk next year about getting you a body!

 

I'm the one who sold Lahoo to you, all those years ago. I still remember our transaction (the DoA MP feedback we left each other is still there), and the pics you sent to me of him afterwards!

I've moved past Dream of Doll already, but I have fond memories of my Lahoo, especially that gorgeous, gorgeous default outfit. I'm beyond glad to hear that you still have him and his outfit! I hope you get a chance to display him (and Shall and Camine) again -- it's been so long since we last saw the fullsets.

Edited to add: Forgot to leave some doll tax



A photo I took back in 2009 of my "fullset" Lahoo. I put it in quotes because I bought the doll long after the outfit was sold out, and then found it secondhand on DoA MP, and assembled my own "fullset" doll. I sold this "fullset" to Lehst. ^^ I'm honestly beyond glad they still have this doll after all this time

I managed to save all these old photos from way back, you can see it on my BJD blog here.

 

@aihre ahhh! Hi!!! yeah I did remember the outfit was third or fourth-hand, but felt my post was already running on too long to mention it lol. those sales DMs are long gone so I forgot who sold the " fullset " lol. but yeah, to our dear readers, the Lahoo is the New body with double joints while both Shall and Camine are single joint. I like the girls old body since the torso joint works better for Shall, but I would've gotten Camine a New body if I could've. ah well, it's like a historical item now ig LOL. but yeah I really don't sell things and these three DOD are sort of my pride and joy. I still refer to them as the "infamous trio" and would love to do some photostory of an adventure. Even when I dress them in casual clothes they are inseparable, as if they're meant to travel dimensions or live alternate universes together. I remember your photography was awesome, I am def checking out that album when I get home!

 

@Lehst
I don't really think about the dolls I sold nor follow up with them/their new owners, and yeah I don't have our sales DMs anymore. But I was very touched when you sent me your pics of Lahoo, and that stuck in my head all these years. I think it's partly because he was also my first doll and gave me lots of pleasure when I had him, so I was thrilled to know someone else treasured him - and still does.
I love the idea of an inseparable trio of interdimensional travellers If you ever take pics of your dolls again, please please tag or DM me about it!

 

Oh wow, @Lehst and @aihre, that was such a great story about the Lahoo! *sniffle* Thank you both so much for sharing his story to the rest of us.

I too am interested in the interdimentional trio's tales!

Ryu

 

Does anyone know a good replacement or what dimensions for a DoD head magnet? My T. Sha head is so old one of the magnets peeled open and exposed what I can only describe as magnet fur, half of which is stuck to the other magnet.