First thing you do with a new doll?

Ooh this is kind of a fun topic. I have a whole ritual I do with new dolls...

* Open and take pictures for box opening
* Try on wigs and eyes (even though I'll probably change my mind)
* Unstring and wash all the little resin-y pieces to get out extra dust etc
* Restring and play with posing while the head dries enough to seal for a faceup
* Introduce new addition to the existing dolls
* Generally freak out over how much I love them XD

 

First I have to do this thing where I dance around the box and freak out about the fact that my doll is here and waiting to be held in my arms. Then I usually wait until my best doll friend can come and open the box with me. After I get the doll out of the box I completely freak out about how the doll is sculpted, admire the body, and check for flaws. Then I usually dress the doll, change out eyes and wigs, and take the doll out to celebrate their first jaunt out of the box ^^

 

These are so cute! It's making me anxious for my doll to get here!

Can't wait to see what others post.

 

The first thing new members of my crew get is their proper set of eyes... I've rarely if ever keep the defaults.

Then they get their wig... and their outfit and jewelry.

And then I play around with them. ^_^

 

They get checked for damages and then dressed. Then I put a little slip of paper inside their head with their name, model name, and company name along with my name and phone number. After that they either get posed in their place on my shelf or carted about the house for a bit while I fiddle with them. That varies from doll to doll. I might just sit and marvel at them for a while. My mom was convinced I didn't like one of mine at first because I sat it at the other end of the couch and just looked instead of bouncing or holding it. It was more of a sit and marvel at the realism and fact that such a beautiful and perfect thing was actually mine moment.

 

I check if everything is where it should be, all resin parts present, then just enjoy looking him or her all over, before trying to find something to get him or her decently dressed, then eyes and hair :3
Shoes are optional.
If I have time, face-up is quickly to follow, as well as some shoots.

 

Try on wigs, eyes, and clothes.

 

I kiss them on the forehead and welcome them home. Then we put in eyes if needed (because no eyes in a doll's head and strings handing out the eye sockets creeps me out) and then we look at wigs, clothes etc to see what will fit them. Do a face up if needed, get them dressed, take pics, show them off, though it's not necessarily in that order after I kiss them. Sometimes I take a first pic to share before I put a face on them.

 

After I check for breakage, it's "try on every wig in the house" time, even if I already have one planned.Then I usually find them something basic to wear, and put on some socks (to keep their feet from knocking together, if they're loosely strung). If they came blank, I like to keep 'em that way for a week or two while I think about faceups. I also take lots of pictures and post them to the relevant forums, especially if it's a rare or unusual doll.

 

First things I always do is as someone else said, check them over for damages and then change the eyes. I always have the eyes ready if nothing else before hand. Since my first expensive doll, I then dress them, wig them if their wig is here and it usually is, and then take pictures. Once all that is done, I tend to just sit down staring at them and I tend to cuddle them in my arms for a while. Yeah really, I just sorta hold them and look at them and then finally after a while, I sit down and play about with them, see what poses they can do easily, what takes more work and what I simply can't get them to do so I get a true feel for the doll. XD

 

My very first thing is to do the faceup! I won't do anything with the doll until he has a proper faceup! Then eyes, then wig, then dress him and start taking pix like crazy, especially with my other dolls that will be his best friends or family.

 

For me it's cradle them, play with them posing, trying on clothing, making outfits ect, I usually do not have wigs at the ready so I'm either fiddling with eyes or just hugging them...With my MSD it was re-stringing time.

 

Well, first of all looking at the box and admiring it. Then unpacking and checking that everything is okay and complete. A bit of playing...and then restringing. Means to take the doll apart and to separate the main body string into two halves - one for each leg.

 

The first thing I do after opening the box? This might sound a little strange but priority number one is to get some underwear on the doll so he or she doesn't need to be all naked . After that it's picture time and saying hi to the new doll. Of course introducing him/her to the other dolls is very high on the to-do list. Once all of that is done I start by dissassembling and sanding anything that needs to be sanded before working furhter on how the doll should look

 

Pictures and check for defects. Restring if needed, then clothes, eyes, and a wig! (I would never leave her around naked! :O)

 

After they're unwrapped and all is well, I usually set about to just messing with them. Posing, putting on clothes, getting a feel for what they're really like. It's like a big playdate with a doll. I'm still doing this with my newest doll and I got her two weeks ago.

 

After checking to be sure my newest crew member has arrived in one piece, he gets whisked off to my craft table to get himself a face-up. ^.^ Finding eyes and wigs that suit him come after that, and things wind up with a quick photo shoot, to see how the camera takes to him. Of course, once that particular ritual is complete, it comes time to try a find him a spot to sit on my shelves - a feat that is becoming increasingly difficult with each new edition!

 

I try on wigs, eyes, clothes, shoes. Then l take a lot of pictures.

 

Excellent idea ! Especially if you travel a lot to conventions by plane. And if someone dares to steal it while on display, you can argue with security and prove the doll is yours. Brilliant !