1. It has come to the attention of forum staff that Dollshe Craft has ceased communications with dealers and customers, has failed to provide promised refunds for the excessive waits, and now has wait times surpassing 5 years in some cases. Forum staff are also concerned as there are claims being put forth that Dollshe plans to close down their doll making company. Due to the instability of the company, the lack of communication, the lack of promised refunds, and the wait times now surpassing 5 years, we strongly urge members to research the current state of this company very carefully and thoroughly before deciding to place an order. For more information please see the Dollshe waiting room. Do not assume this cannot happen to you or that your order will be different.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Dollshe Craft and all dolls created by Dollshe, including any dolls created under his new or future companies, including Club Coco BJD are now banned from Den of Angels. Dollshe and the sculptor may not advertise his products on this forum. Sales may not be discussed, no news threads may be posted regarding new releases. This ban does not impact any dolls by Dollshe ordered by November 8, 2023. Any dolls ordered after November 8, 2023, regardless of the date the sculpt was released, are banned from this forum as are any dolls released under his new or future companies including but not limited to Club Coco BJD. This ban does not apply to other company dolls cast by Dollshe as part of a casting agreement between him and the actual sculpt or company and those dolls may still be discussed on the forum. Please come to Ask the Moderators if you have any questions.
    Dismiss Notice
Severe ongoing issues and concerns with Dollshe Dollshe Ban

Falling in love with a doll and it's unavailability

Jul 9, 2014

Page 1 of 10
    1. I found a picture on my Flickr and fell in love with the sculpt. I asked the photographer and she told me the sculpt was Emon from May... and that it is no longer available through the company and best bet would be second hand. The thing is that I can't find any information about the doll company or the doll. It is based in China but google has yielded no results on any front. Has anyone else had this happen? How did you get over it?
       
      #1 MaggieStorme, Jul 9, 2014
      • x 1
    2. Yes, for a long time (and still) getting an Unoa was a dream of mine. I also found out about Unoa through flickr and really wanted one. But when I found out they were really only released for preorders/lotteries I kind of dashed hope of ever really obtaining one.

      I didn't realize how easy they were to find using DoA's marketplace though. So now I have secured one of my dream girls!

      Hopefully you too will be able to obtain the doll you want!
       
      #2 animagic4u, Jul 9, 2014
    3. I remember looking at a particular sculpt a few years ago when I was 15... But y'know, it got taken off and the company no longer make the particular sculpt. I for some reason believe to think it was Doll Chateau (don't quote me on that), it most likely was, because their dolls are quite profound... But I haven't been able to remember the name of the doll. I've asked around to people who know me but apparently they can't remember either. I remember it looked a bit like another one of Doll Chateau's sculpts "Douglas", which I think is why I'm really interested in that doll.

      But yes, I went to research it and was unable to because it's been taken off.

      Being in that situation really sucks. :pout:
       
      #3 RachaelGrohl, Jul 9, 2014
    4. I've experienced falling in love with dolls which were already sold out. I saw one of their photos from my figure collection database and one from google. At that time, both of them were already sold out... But that must be the beginning of my hobby and I think, I maybe able to find them some days if I'm in DOA. ;)
       
      #4 Hallowie29, Jul 9, 2014
    5. I'm hopeful but it has been awhile since they made the doll but she is tippy toppy of my grail list.
       
      #5 MaggieStorme, Jul 9, 2014
    6. Welcome to the world of BJDs, where falling for a discontinued/limited sculpt is a way of life. It happens to everyone at some point. There's no "Getting over it"; if you want the doll badly enough you will find a way to get that doll. It might take a lot of searching; it might cost you more than it did new. That's just the way things work.

      My whole wishlist is discontinued/limited, I do believe. That's just the way the cookie crumbled, and that's what the Marketplace is for. I can't say I know anything about that doll/company, though. Did you find out what size the doll is?
       
      #6 Tez, Jul 10, 2014
    7. I always loved the "Dark Mia" look from Luts and was so sad she wasn't continued. :/
       
      #7 Scholar, Jul 10, 2014
    8. I have also fallen in love with a few beautiful dolls, then was unable to find out anything about who they are, who the artist is or how to get my hands on one. I am learning more everyday, but the research is hard. Maybe someone should write a guide for the hopeless like me.
       
      #8 Robin Fletcher, Jul 10, 2014
    9. Gotta agree with Tez: Welcome to the world of bjds! You're in the same boat as most everyone else. Most all dolls are limited in some way, even if they were basic for a while, they can stop being sold after a fairly short time period.

      Just keep searching the Marketplace for sales. I've found pretty much every limited I've ever wanted in the Marketplace or on Ebay (but you must be careful there--beware the Fairyland/Iplehouse/Soom recasts from China... there are a ton of them on ebay these days). You just need to put in the time checking for the dolls you want. It's not easy, but it's very possible to find things.

      Also--check to see if the company has any history at all of doing re-releases. That can happen. Or a sculpt can be re-released in a slightly different configuration. That's not all that rare in the bjd world... but it's also possible that the company won't do that, so you can never count on it...

      As for images... try and search DoA and flikr and google images. The company may have taken the page down, but people probably have images posted somewhere. Also ask in the size/company discussion threads for information... and keep asking every few months if you get no response, since someone may eventually see it and respond (and don't think people are ignoring you... people might not have any answers for you or they might not see the post).

      Anyway, I've bought a number of limited dolls second-hand.

      But it's always best to keep up with the News of doll releases AND to keep money saved up, so you can just get the dolls you want as they are sold. That saves a lot of time hunting a doll down! I know it's nearly impossible to save up for a doll you have no idea might be coming up for sale, but that's just how it goes...!
       
      #9 april, Jul 10, 2014
    10. #10 kita8, Jul 10, 2014
    11. It happened to me when I just started. I saw Glorydoll Louis Halloween version on one of the blogs and fell in love with the sculpt. But up to that moment the company already stopped so I could not order it. Once I saw it on some second-hand sale but could not afford the price. But then I found a lot more dolls and sculpts I really like so I'm a lot more patient now.
       
      #11 Takumi, Jul 10, 2014
    12. She said it is an SD sized doll and yeah I can't find anything about the company so I wonder if they went under or something.
       
      #12 MaggieStorme, Jul 10, 2014
    13. Soom soom and more soom dolls that I love but can't get and gant find in the 2nd hand market it's so annoying
       
      #13 Ghost8, Jul 10, 2014
      • x 1
    14. #14 MaggieStorme, Jul 10, 2014
    15. I have a habit of falling for dolls that have been sold out a while. Except for my IH Kamau, all the dolls I own now are bought second hand, because there was no other way to get them.

      Some of these dolls were quite easy to find (K-ss and Madoka both 'only' took me one year to find). Others I got through sheer luck (my Gomidoll Iru-HS). My Williams though took me five years to get and I still have a few on my wishlist whom I've never even seen in the marketplace.

      My advice to you is to place a WTB in the marketplace, post that link in your signature and keep searching for them. Most importantly, though; stay patient. I really believe that almost any doll could be found, it just takes time (and sometimes money) :).
       
      #15 Silk, Jul 10, 2014
    16. I hear you. Guess why my mind just played a trick on me and automatically translated "unavailability" into "unavoidability" :sweat.
       
      #16 Eolomea, Jul 10, 2014
    17. I always seem to fall in love with a LE release when I'm out of funds who are gone once I am in a position to buy a doll, never fails. But I do hope to find one or 2 of my grail dolls 2nd hand some day.
       
      #17 Windymoon, Jul 11, 2014
    18. I have a doll head from Ozin5, the Bellis sculpt. They offer new sculpts as a time limited pre-order, they then take half payment up front and then the rest plus shipping once casting is done. If you are hoping to make a girl doll, Bellis still seems to be for sale and was made to be a girl sculpt. Emon has a slightly larger head and was intended to be a boy. Not that you can't make a head sculpt whatever you want, but it's good to know when you are shopping for bodies.

      Keeping that in mind, in my decade of buying BJDs I have never seen a doll not come up for sale secondhand at some point! I have managed to track down all of my limited/rare/hard to find dream dolls, all it took was persistence and some time. For one of my dolls I bumped my WTB for almost a year before finding one, while another I posted a WTB for and got an offer in less than two weeks. If you think of it as a thrilling hunt, it's quite satisfying when you manage to land it. Just be ready to pounce at the right moment.

      I think once you get access to the Marketplace, you can find any doll you want. ^__^
       
      #18 idrisfynn, Jul 11, 2014
      • x 1
    19. It took me five years to get my Volks Michele, and then I got him. For retail price. Because I was willing to wait for him to turn up.

      Unless the doll was an actual one off casting or an incredibly low number for a rare independent artist.... never say never. Save your pennies and wait. The doll will eventually turn up. And even in the case of incredibly low numbers by a rare independent artist, I've seen people find their dolls after searching for quite some time.
       
      #19 Kim, Jul 11, 2014
    20. I've seen tons of sculpts and then look on the site and see that it is a limited and is sold out, but I have been able to find a place that sells them(haven't bought any dolls yet but I have a list of face sculpts growing that I want)

      Keep looking!
       
      #20 sevenfawm, Jul 11, 2014
Page 1 of 10