Finding your grail doll

For me a grail is a doll that sparks a creative passion deep in my soul, and I simply must have it! With most dolls, I am searching to shell a pre-conceived character; or with others, a character presents itself the moment I see them; but with a grail, it seems it is the sculpt itself that grabs me hard and won’t let go and their character comes afterwards (which is very strange for me since I have a strict rule of “no character, no doll.”) But grails break all my rules, and I can’t stop yearning for it because I just know it belongs here. I’ve been quite fortunate to obtain all my grails in one way or another throughout my long years in this hobby. Some grails initially seemed impossible due to a lack of funds at the time of their initial release. A couple took over 5 years of searching: Luts limited Baby Delf Daisy Elf (it was those ears that got me!) and the re-released Dollzone Sawarieda (their limited huge mermaid doll.) And one took over a decade to find: Dollzone’s recently re-released flower boy, Moment (as the male counterpart to the doll in my avatar.) Speaking of which, she was what I’d call an “instant grail”, who I’d have done absolutely anything to bring home the minute I laid eyes on her all those years ago.

 

I found both my grail dolls by pure accident.

The first one, an Angel Region Ren, I found when exploring the hobby for the first time, looking at pictures of all the beautiful dolls. When I got to the Angel Region site and saw all the Rens, I got hung up on them and pretty much knew at that moment that this would be my first doll. I went back to the site over and over just to look at them, for months. Maybe that's what makes a grail to me, a doll you just can't get out of your head, that feels more like a need than a want. Like I know they're dolls and none of them are technically a "need", but it sure does feel like it.

My second grail I think I first saw on DeviantArt, in someone's photo of their own. This was a Sweet Gale Cyril, and it was so beautiful to me that I stopped everything to just keep looking at it. Once again I came back to this doll over and over, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. Even over a period of years I continued to come back to it, until I eventually managed to get one. Maybe that's it? Something where you never get to the point at which you could take it or leave it, that you always find captivating.

Basically I don't know what or why a "grail doll" is, and I think it's different for everyone, but I know I've felt it twice, and never on purpose.

 

I have or had 2 grails!

The first one is Dollzone Jeremy, i saw him when i first started out (so about 8 years ago) I loved how unique he was, even for a harpy-esque doll the style is something ive just never seen before and ive been inlove ever since. Sadly theres rarely any pictures of him online so i doubt ill ever be able to aquire him.. but one can have dreams!

The second one was a DreamValley Chaos, i missed out on the first sale due to funds lol. Theres been a few sales but all are like a month long. The last sale they made clear they woulndt sell him anymore after that so i knew it was my moment. Ive still got him on layaway now! (but seeing that dreamvalleys wait times are long thats not a big deal)
Om so exited to get him!

A grail doll for me is a doll thats not easy to aquire, wheter thats due to funds or it being discontinued ect

 

I rarely ever have grails because I tend to shop for characters over general bjd sculpts when it comes to what comprises of my crew. I have a character in mind (either an OC or an existing character I want to shell), and then I usually go and seek out a sculpt that works best for them.

With that in mind, the closest I can claim to be a grail in my books was when I first stumbled across Dollshe's King Corey (note: do NOT seek dolls out directly from Dollshe, as he's become a notorious scammer at this point and secondhand is your safest bet). I was captivated by him at first sight, and knew I had to obtain him. Thankfully this was during a time when Dollshe was still putting out orders at a reasonable rate (King Corey took around 7 months), and I had a discount from a previous order that I could use for his order. So, I placed the order, and he arrived in beautiful condition several months later. He's still one of my prized boys, and hopefully never have to part with him.

 

All my dolls are my grail dolls. I only select and keep the ones that are most meaningful to me. What makes them special is their sculpt and how I feel drawn to them.

 

I tend to think of a grail as something you search for and may never obtain (like the Holy Grail). I can't say I really have any atm because I'm not constantly searching for a specific doll. Specific outfits? Yes. But not a doll. I've been able to obtain all the dolls I've wanted...I suppose the only doll I could consider a grail would be from Creature Doll...but that's because I like to look at my friend's Creature Doll dolls haha. I'm not actively searching for them so I can't say it's a grail.

 

I recently got a grail of mine (I know she's a grail for a lot of people), a Dust of Dolls Roze Heln in chocolate. It was such a wild experience because I have admired her since the moment I saw her, something about her face really spoke to me, but I never in a million years thought I would own one. I would look at her hashtag on insta all the time and dream about having one of my own but I just figured I'd never see one up for sale that wouldn't get snatched up before I got to it or I wouldn't be able to swing paying for her. One day, on a whim I decided to make an instagram story putting out a WTB for a roze heln not expecting anything. Within an hour someone messaged me with a link to one on facebook. I happened to have most of the money but the seller wasnt doing layaway so I looked at how pretty she was and went to close the page but then I though, I could ask if they get no interest (unlikely) to keep me in mind should they choose to do a layaway. Low and behold the seller was more than happy to do a layaway and was super nice. It all felt too good to be true but as I type this my beautiful Roze is sitting next to my computer being the perfect little doll. Everytime I look at her I still can't believe she is mine and that it all happened so quickly.

 

my grail when i first entered the hobby was Volks hewitt (the 3rd version with h.naoto outfit). I got a hewitt 2nd version 2nd hand from korea but i still longed for the 3rd. I now have one on the way! In terms of like...rare, unobtainable dolls though that would be Fairyland Minifee Kyle in tan. Kyle was my first doll and favorite sculpt but I was never able to order him in tan before he got discontinued due to being out of the hobby and financial issues. I've only ever seen 3 tan kyles...im holding out hope for a rerelease someday though.

 

I actually just recently found one of my grail dolls. A Volks SD13 Jun T.

The story: I was at work (I work from home) and it was a slow night. Basically no one was contacting us and I was sitting bored browsing the forum (like one does when they have money to spend in their account). Around 3am I clicked on the larger dolls forum and there she was. Posted 18 minuets ago. I clicked and immediately sent the message. I didnt care about the cost or location. I HAD TO HAVE HER. The seller messaged back the next day and she was mine. Currently she is sitting about 4 hours from me waiting to be shipped and I am obsessively stalking the tracking to see when she is sent my direction.

As for grails and what they mean to me? Some grails come and go for me. But others have withstand the test of time. I have been obsessed with Jun T since I got into the hobby in 2006. Grails never leave my wish list. They are stuck in my head and I have already developed a character around them despite not owning them. I know that I want them in my heart and I know that they will make me happy when they are finally in my care.

 

My grail is a Volks Lieselotte! Not terribly hard to find because Volks releases her from time to time in a lottery or as a one-off. For me I never had the luck of winning her and the secondhand prices were far to high for my budget. I was finally able to bring her home when Volks did a pre-order for her! I was so happy as were many others. I consider myself lucky. A lot of companies don't re-release their dolls making them very hard and expensive to find. My other grail is an Imda Modigli in choco resin. I was able to get her as well because Imda is great about releasing their dolls.

I actually don't have any other dolls I would consider as grails. I'm not chasing down anything. I am waiting patiently for Imda to re-release a particular 4.3cm girl. I know she will be and it's only a matter of time. I don’t of her as a grail..just a doll I want.

 

I have quite the list of grail dolls that I have yet to get. However, my top three are a FallinDoll Force Fox, Pipos Charlotte III 2021, and Pipos Deer Rudy (27 cm). I love the detail across the entire doll and the faces. Although the faces are blank expressions, I actually see more expression than I thought I would. Force has a stern boredom type of blank expression, Charlotte has a kind and happy type of blank expression, and Rudy has a timid curiousness type of blank expression. Of course, someone could say something else about how they interpret the expressions. That's just how I interpret them and I love them.