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Ever owned a difficult to understand doll?

Aug 18, 2010

    1. In my case, When I bought my little one I try lots of clothes that suits the character I want her to be but then I have to admit that she suits none of them, so, I try a different style on her. Now she is completely different from what I have in mind but I still love her and happy for what she is ^^.
       
    2. My Ceylon is being a bit of a butt-head right now. I can't even get a faceup on her that I like. She's just being mean, IMO. She'll let me do something as soon as I have no time to do it of course.
       
    3. It is a General Discussion thread and open to be answered all members. Nefla stated an opinion on the matter, it does relate to the issue and I'm sure her point of view reflects a cross section of collectors in this hobby. Nothing wrong with that.

      I agree with her on one hand, if I have a problematic doll I will put them in whatever clothing I want to see them in until I figure it out. I'll try a few different looks that "don't suit them" while I'm thinking about it because they are my doll and I want to play with them. If I can't even play with them why own them at all? So indeed, they will wear what I put on them.

      I think what ends up stumping me most is when I find I have a doll/character who does not wear what I like or think is cute or cool or fashionable. Maybe the way they dress is no particular style at all. One of my dolls is the type that just finds whatever is clean and puts it on. And he is not a fashion guy to begin with. But I know I have his look right and I'm happy with the personification of the doll even though his clothing makes me cringe.
       
    4. WoW, Idrisfynn you just said what I thought.

      Until I figure out what kind of clothes I want for them, I'm more than happy to use hand-me-downs and clothe my doll in my other dolls' clothes, and I have no problems with using clothes that I KNOW would not fit their personality, as long as I think they look good in it.

      But there are just some dolls that look their most comfortable in clothes that I personally find...not so cool...or downright out of character! I have this one doll...I knew that he'll be the "as long as it's clean I can wear it" kind, but I never would have suspected that he'll always wear muscle shirts. You see...his character is almost painfully shy about his body, and would never take any clothes off in front of others. Now the doll fits the character, I'm very satisfied with him...but why on earth does he wear tank tops?! I've already given up finding anything that's a bit more body-covering...I'll just dress him in those muscle shirts anyway, because they feel right...

      So...I guess what I wanted to say, that sometimes it's worth experimenting with clothing that you'd never think to try, because it's just not to your tastes, you don't find it stylish, or just...OOC for the doll. You may be surprised :lol:
       
    5. Of course Nefla is entitled to her opinion and I do realize that not everyone views and interacts with their dolls in the exact same way. However, what Nefla gave was not an opinion. "Dress your doll however looks good, they don't care." This is not an opinion. This is telling the OP what to do with the direct implication that that OP, as well as anyone who may have ever felt similar, honestly believes that the doll is literally unhappy with the way it is dressed. And while Nefla and anyone else is entitled to say what they want on such matters, I don't see the point in being so needlessly rude in stating something everyone who posts in this thread likely already knows, that these dolls aren't physically unhappy with how they look and the point of the thread wasn't to discuss that but rather how odd it can be that despite our dolls looking good in something doesn't necessarily mean it feels right. (I didn't say Nefla shouldn't post, rather why bother?)

      If I came off as rash I apologize, but it's becoming common to assume that anyone who mentions their dolls 'personality' or if the doll is 'unhappy with its wig' or whatnot is delusional and honestly believes their dolls to be living, breathing creatures, rather than these phrases being used as simple play, and it grows irritating to be thought of as such.
       
    6. My BBB Apollo. I've bought fancy shirts for him, chained punk pants, casual jeans, and still nothing. I can't figure him out at all. I know who he is and what he's like, but I have no clue as to how to dress him. It bothers me a little bit, but I love him way too much to ever sell him for, say, a more agreeable doll. But then again, I guess that's one of the fun thing about collecting these dolls- dressing them! :D
       
    7. InvisibleWings, you may be right! I put Penelope in a head band today out of curiosity and I thought the last thing she wanted to be was a indie hippie chick, but that might be right up her alley! I haven't been so pleased by such a small change before! I'm going to start looking into some clothes :)
       
    8. I take back what I said about having two dolls I couldn't figure out and am selling -- I finally got one's look and character pinned down. After two years too, ha! I just made the mistake in assuming that she wouldn't be as versatile as she actually is, so I hadn't tried certain things, who knew that doing the complete opposite of what I've tried in the past would work so well. I'm glad this thread was posted -- it really did get me thinking again.
       
    9. That assumption is becoming common because an increasing number of doll owners seem to have gotten out of touch with reality. The "does your doll have a soul" thread is a prime example to me. I once saw a thread created by a girl who was basically throwing a fit because her doll wouldn't "talk" to her. If the OP's question had been "do you have trouble finding a wig and clothes that look perfect on your doll" rather than "does your doll not want to wear the clothes you give it" I would have answered differently. I can't tell through an internet post if someone is joking or if they're one of the many "out there" people this hobby seems to attract.

      Not being able to find the right outfit for a doll is because either:
      1)You have a specific look in mind but no one makes an outfit like it (although you could commission one)
      2)There are clothes you like for the doll but they are too expensive
      3)You're uninspired by the doll and nothing will really be up to par (I'd reccomend selling the doll in that case)
      4) You really don't KNOW what you want ( you could commission an artist to come up with character/outfit designs for you)


      I don't see how it's so extremely rude and offensive to respond literally to someone who is saying their doll is alive. :nowords:
       
    10. Brilliantly put, as usual.


      YES I have difficult dolls. I think my elves are the worst. Iruhi and Eyphan have settled on the "overwhelmingly gorgeous ancient Chinese emperor robes" look and it suits both of them beautifully. But as a general rule the others... just don't seem comfortable, entirely. Kimono work, so do pants, but... it's a constant search for something that says "Elf!" to me but isn't the stereotypical medieval England and/or D&D look. They want something ELSE! Will they tell me? Hell no.

      and now we know why the Baakay leans toward her character dolls. They're much easier to deal with in terms of their... characters. (I really don't buy resins with a particular personality in mind unless its to portray an existing character...and I no longer write. We therefore have a lot of nameless pretties.)
       
    11. This comes up frequently, and I have to agree with Inkybear. The problem, I think, is that people fail to recognize things like "but she won't 'talk' to me" as a kind of shorthand for a whole bunch of words that we all know.

      I am sure that there are lots of folks who literally believe their dolls are alive, and yeah, that's kind of out there. However, in the VAST majority of cases, as far as I'm able to tell, statements like the above are just an expression of frustration phrased in "playing with my dolls" language. What is rude and irritating about someone coming out and stating the obvious is that it really just spoils the fun for the person trying to suspend disbelief for a minute.

      It was pretty obvious to me that "have you ever had a difficult doll" is one of the questions phrased in just such a manner. I seriously don't believe most of these people are out of touch with reality. They're just trying to have some FUN.
       
    12. Im having the same problem too! And my doll's body isnt even here yet! :doh
      Its like I can picture her head on her body, really well. But with the outfit I have for her it doesn't seem like it works. I want to dress her in a cute retro way (I already have one of the outfits)...but when I look at her again it doesn't seem like that would go. So now im thinking about changing that and her wig color! *_*
       
    13. I do agree with you Baakay that most people in the hobby know we commonly use shorthand phrasing when talking about our dolls. So it would seem to me that responding with something literal shouldn't be too jarring. When you say other members should back it up to prevent killing their sense of "fun" I think two things: If an OP were to respond back to a literal response with a "No! My doll throws fits and won't speak to me." in all seriousness it sure takes the fun out of my hobby. And, when people say that not backing it up somehow implies I don't know how to have fun because I don't talk or play the exact same way also feels very negative.

      I think we should stay clear of commenting on the point of view differences of other members and stick to the OPs question. No need to derail her any further than we already have! There are certainly other threads for this part of the conversation. :thumbup
       
    14. Lol, nah, I'm enjoying the discussion. Sort of taking a backseat and watching.

      Penelope is a character. She wasn't someone I have written about or preconceived, but she is a character that I have worked on developing in my mind, and while yes, she is a doll, and yes, I could put her in whatever the hell I wanted to, I want it to fit the character she has developed to be. My problem, so far, has been figuring out what her character's personality would want to wear.

      I like to view my dolls as souls. I like to talk to them and treat them kindly, but no, I'm not some psycho that thinks they can talk and I don't think she stares at me and says "Mom, these clothes ain't gonna fly."

      When I get the right outfit for her, I'll know because -I- will be personally satisfied with her character.
       
    15. I'd like to add a thank you to those who have given me some advice! I tried some different looks on her and I think I have an idea of how her character wants to dress. Just made a clothes purchase so we'll see in a few days. Wish me luck!
       
    16. You are correct, in such a creative hobby, people need to be wary of taking everything everybody says literally. Maybe they believe there is some kind of spirit attached, maybe it's just play, or maybe they're trying to figure out the ins and outs of a character -- it doesn't really matter as all are valid, and I feel no need to assume the worst about my fellow hobbyists. And it is FUN, lots of FUN -- some people get heavily into modding, or faceups, or sewing, but I'm into embodying my characters in resin form. It does affect how I think about them, talk about them, and interact with them.

      **Edited to add** sorry I continued on in this vein -- I take too long to write things, and idrisfynn posted before I finished.
       
    17. Wow! You work a lot faster than I do. Kyuuya didn't have a correct style for almost a year, he's now a mild Host look or Onii Kei look. Bainbridge took me a few months before I could accept he was really into tracksuits and mismatched socks. Or pink bowties and plaid pants with sneakers. blarg.

      No worries, I am think I am one of the slowest typists around. The forum usually logs me out before I'm able to post most things.
       
    18. Idrisfynn: lol, yes, I am impatient, needy and ache for instant gratification. I tend to move very fast when I get an idea in my mind. Like, for example, owning four dolls only a few months into the hobby XD. Kyuuya's style sounds fun! I kind of wish that's the route Penelope would take, but no, she wants to be a hippie, I think!

      Baakay and Taco you've hit the nail on the head as for why I talk about my dolls in a fashion that they are people. Yes, I claim they have a soul. No, it's not a human soul. It's more of a doll soul, a personality, the character's soul. It's easier than constantly explaining "My Leekeworld Edgar's character Penelope's personality..." Suspending disbelief is half of the fun anyway :) Why dress up a piece of resin. I'd rather dress up a pretty little girl.
       
    19. OP- So this might sound like a cold or strange approach but...have you ever tried making a mood board? This is a fun method we use at work when we are trying to invent a concept or visual style for our work. I actually did this for some of my own dolls :) It is all about gathering reference and playing around with ideas.

      Here is what I do.

      I collect photos. For example I might think of "Prairie girl" and search images of prairies, girls in aprons, flowers, barn doors, pails of milk, flower prints, bonnets, gardens, old school houses, buggies, whatever. I just let my mind wander and gather images in a folder. Afterward I pick my favorites and start pasting them around an image of my doll. I see if these images work with my doll's look/personality. I just want to point out that I use images of clothes, textures, colors, landscapes, anything. Even models in certain poses that communicate an attitude. I just find cool stuff with a theme and paste it next to my doll in Photoshop. If that theme doesn't work I try another.

      This could be a fun way for you to explore different styles for your doll :) Good luck!
       
    20. Isenn, that actually sounds like a really good idea. I think I should make one for each of my future dolls too. What an excellent idea, thank you!