First thing you do with a new doll?

I inspect for defects, take more photo's than my camera can hold, do a video, call my Mom (yes I call my Mommy, she is my best friend and she has the privilege of listening to me blab every time a new dolly comes in! ), and then I change the wigs and eyes a million times till I decide what I like best.

 

I normally purchase fullsets, so after inspecting my new doll throughly, I put on their wig and outfit. But in the case of my Volks Beast "Vincent", since I was picking him up during IDEX, I brought jeans and a t-shirt for him to wear while I was carrying him around. As a matter of fact Vincent still hasn't worn his Beast costume. And now my Volks Belle "Song" is following this same trend because she's been rockin' the Cheshire Cat costume from the last NYC Dolpa instead of the fullset costume she came with. I must get around to posting some pictures.

Oh and let me also say what a great idea Silverholly has about putting identification inside the doll's head is! I'm going to print up some labels and start installing them in my dolls this week!

Juli DC

 

- Inspect the doll for defects / damage / staining.
- Handle the doll and get to know the workings of its body and standing / posing capabilities.
- Make or buy a suitable outfit, if required.
- Photoshoots.

No customizing by me. Any doll I purchase will already have a body, face-up, eyes and wig that I am happy to leave as is.

Good thinking, silverholly.

 

It's so relaxing, you know? Just kind of puttering with them. And then everything comes in to place eventually. I like seeing how they'll look and go together with my other dolls, if at all.

 

I had my first box opening ever last saturday, and the first thing I did was to get my doll cleaned and ready for the opening as well as get some friends to skype with me. I had to take some sort of "manly" clothing from my girl (I feel so bad ) and I took a few pics. so he's wearing my girls clothes temporary until I either make a few basics for him or order some clothings for him

 

I like to take pictures of them with my existing dolls, and try on eyes, wigs, and clothing. I also try a variety of poses and tighten stringing if necessary (but I don't completely restring unless I have oodles of time). Then, I wash the face and prep it for a face-up.

 

Have an existing member around to welcome the new member. Ususally the one that is supposed to have a special relationship with the new doll, like a sibling, best friend, potential love interest.
Fawn over the hands and feet and sculptural details
Check for damages & look at the stringing engineering/jointing
See if they can stand
Go through eyes trial and error
Put the undies on
Fiddle with the posing
Dress them
Go through a wig trial
Take photos like crazy
Take group photos
Ship them off to an artist for a face up if they don't have one

 

First unbox the doll and see is there anything broken. Then I try some posings and examine joints, touch at the face and body's sculpt etc. When I've played with the doll for a little while, I start to make faceup. Try to get some clothes or make somekind of uglies on (so they don't have to be naked) and take photos.
That's my usual routine with a new doll. And while doing it, I'm just smiling stupidly..

 

I whip out the eyes and wig that probably already arrived much before the new doll did, and start assembling her look so that I may bond with her.

 

Well I got me very first doll last week and after opening the box I changed her eyes put on her wig. I then waited patiently to meet up with Karla-chan as she had some clothes for me. I'm still waiting for the ones I ordered to arrive but I've been making some for her.

 

It depends, I guess. If they are blank doll, I sometimes just sit and admire their lovely sculpt, but if they are ready to go, I'll play around with whatever wig, eyes, and clothes I have in their size range to see what suits them.

 

Wow. I've had bjds since 2004 and have never restrung any of them! (I have tied tighter knots YEARS after arrival, and have had others restring dolls for me--only a few, though!) I must not be very picky about stringing...!

I will--
* Faceup and/or do a bit of blushing and extra MSC-ing if needed.
* Put in eyelashes, if needed.
* Buy items--eyes, wigs, outfit, if needed.
* Do a photoshoot so I have better photos than the Box Opening photos.

 

If I have the ideas for the customizing all ready, it goes like this:

1) check for damage, put doll together, restring/tighten the strings if necessary
2) take off head, spray sealant, paint face-up, spray more sealant, ...repeat till face-up is done
3) apply gloss and eyelashes
4) try out different eyes till the right size and color are found
5) try out different wigs
6) dress them... in something... I usually don't have the full outfit in the first days and complete it gradually, but they always get at least a loincloth or such...
7) introduce them to the rest of the doll family
8) take LOTS of pictures
9) undress doll again and start on the body blushing (optional, not all of my dolls get a full blushing)

...and then it is usually already late at night and I have to put the doll aside till the next day xD

But sometimes I need more time to plan the customizing, then I just put the doll together (if they are unstrung, or parts of them are unstrung), and put them away for a day or two till I have a better idea how to do their face-up and blushing. The process is then basically the same, but a few days later.

 

I check them for damage then proceed to put them in their clothes and wigs and eyes and get to playing with them~
If they came blank their faceup gets absolute priority however as I don't like to have them sitting around faceless...
then pictures and more playing around~ and sewing them more clothes and all neat things~ C:

 

Take some pics of the box opening and then put some clothes on the poor naked dear. I usually leave the default eyes in for a while until they tell me who they are and what they want to look like, so I tend to go through a lot of clothing and wig changes for the first few weeks!

 

I'm only waiting for my first doll, but I already know what I'll do.
I'll get the package, check for damage from shipping, turn on the camera, put it to shoot the opening of the box, open the packaging, get everything out of the box and examine.
Carefully open boxes (and keep them because I like to collect the boxes ==), and begin to assemble the doll according to the instructions, insert eyes, put a wig and clothes.
After this I'm will put in different poses and play with her for many hours

 

As soon as I have them, I put clothes on. Then, they usually get carried around or set in front of me while I do things. Of course, I also immediately introduce them to the rest of my crew.

 

I Always clean the doll, as they tend to arrived very dirty. I like to disassemble and submerge in soapy water. I like get used to handle the new body, and tense it as I want. I always do first that!
All this after hallucinate and jump around like everyone else!! xD

 

I'll dress them (No doll of mine is naked for long after an opening! )
Find a wig and set of eyes that I feel fit
Do everything I normally do, like watch TV or do coursework, but with them. That's when I find a suitable name pops into my head :')
Fawn over their prettyness
Take more pics