Flaws, scratches, marks! Oh, no! But have they changed how you feel?

I can't stand damage of any kind. If it's not fixable, I'd get new parts as soon as possible. I just can't think of my doll having a broken finger or a scar and liking it because it makes her look "tough". I certainly wouldn't like it if there's a prominent scar on me. =/

 

Ive got a dot of super glue on my girls face up, it doesnt bother me as I cant see it unless Im really close up, and she also had a crack in her shoulder but I got that fixed. It doesnt bother me much I love her lots!

 

I dropped my Mac remote on my Rosy's arm, once I got over the initial FFFFFFFFFFF- moment and removed the dent, it didn't bother me. She has a small stress-spot from the dent which could almost be a tiny scar.

I'm with those who don't treat the dolls like cabinet babies. Small imperfections don't bother me, they just remind me that that doll is mine and the world has made its mark on them.

It's like ourselves you know, we bear the marks of age and stupid things we've done or accidents that have happened.

I can understand the mentality to want to 'keep your doll perfect'; we invest a lot of time and money in to them. But we can't keep them in perfect stasis forever, better to enjoy them as they age.

 

I, uh... My kids have to be PERFECT. Flawless to the most extreme.

When my KDF Hodoo's arm broke in two places (not my fault, hnnnnnng, I am still steamed about that) I felt that. I freakin' felt that. I became so detached to my little kid. He was like my baby, however weird that is for a father-like person to say. And after I failed to 'protect' him like that, I felt so detached... I couldn't stand looking at the damage. I didn't play with him for a while.

And then when my first kid's cheek blushings chipped, it irked me. It irked me so bad that I then couldn't stop fiddling with his face. I thought, I'll just scratch off ALL his cheek blushing because that one scratch made him look imperfect (but then I couldn't stand that I could see the different planes of sealant and then EVERYTHING came off). (Edit: And then with no faceup he was even MORE imperfect, and when I tried to do it, that was even worse, and then... Oh... well... I've sold him now.)

...And now my third doll, KDF Bory, got a spot next to his nose... I tried tos crub it off without scratching the faceup, but... Arghhhhhh it's a spot and I don't know what to do! I think I'll make it into a mole with a dot of paint. But that might make him look even more imperfect. What to doooooooo
I'm getting better with accepting little imperfections though! A body I got has a small colour defect and I kind of overlooked that, for a few weeks... My KDF Bory's wrist is starting to crack from frequent posing of his hands, and I'm accepting that, too. I guess I no longer feel estranged to them when I notice imperfections, unlike the past.

 

My poor Soom Heliot head...

The tip of his nose is cracked from an accident involving a brick walkway, an unstable body, and slow reflexes. Later on (maybe a week later), the cat jumped up on the entertainment center where I keep my dolls and knocked his head off, onto the floor. It chipped the tip of his right ear off.

The cat is still alive.

When it happened, I wanted to hit something. I had so much trouble getting a hold of that head (lost my job mid-transaction, with most of it paid off) and he's my dream boy, only to watch as he's damaged TWICE in freak accidents. I'm still pretty peeved about it, especially as both incidents could've been avoided.

The first was my fault, as I wasn't watching him as closely as I should have. The second... I was trying to teach our kitten not to jump up on the entertainment center, as it had our dolls (and other very expensive stuff) on it, but my boyfriend thought it was really cute and, rather than disciplining him, he'd cuddle him and tell him not to jump up there. So, in the middle of the night, the kitten jumped up and... Yeah, still peeved about that.

However, I'm getting used to his small flaws, and it does kinda work with his character design. And the cat no longer jumps up on that entertainment center. We all win... sorta.

 

I've seen it mentioned a few times, and I just don't understand: what makes people think that those who take care of/don't damage their dolls must leave them in a glass cabinet and never touch them? My dolls have never been in a cabinet, I handle them all the time, take them outside, take their pictures, sew for them, etc...I've never damaged one. It's really not hard to prevent damage to your dolls; I don't even think about it. Make sure you have a decent grip on them while carrying them, don't have them standing on a table/counter/etc...without a stand and randomly leave, etc...

 

Little bumps, smudges, scratches, etc., don't bother me. I'd rather see evidence that a doll is being played with and loved than a perfect doll who is never out of a glass case!

 

I say this as someone who doesn't yet have a BJD, but with my other dolls/possessions/etc my feelings on imperfections depend completely on the individual flaw. A lot of my geisha dolls are antique, and I like the fact that their clothes may have a little fading or their silk faces have yellowed a bit-- it actually makes them look more expensive in my eyes, because I know they've endured through time and have been well-loved. However, something like a black mark on the skin, missing fingers, or bent limbs drive me nuts.

Beauty is all in the eye of the beholder, I suppose. Just like some people find scars to be attractive and full of character, while other people will have a conniption fit over a skin blemish or one arm being slightly longer than the other. :P

I will say, however, that if I paid a lot for a custom face-up on a BJD I would freak out over any damage to it.

 

Not to pick on you, your quote is really just the shortest to use, and I know I have shared this same thought before, but I have never understood the mentality that something can only be seen as being loved if it is dirty and broken.

That has never been love to me, that's just plain inconsideration. I've always treated my toys and possessions with care, and yes, I do actually use them. I played with my Barbies just as much as my sister, but I actually took care of them whereas she did not. My Barbies looked just as nice after my play as they did when they first came out of the box. Hers...looked they had been run over by a car and then drug through dirt and then possibly set on fire after someone scribbled on their faces. My childhood blanket, that I still sleep with, is in excellent condition for a blanket that is almost 30 years old. I take really good care of it because I can't imagine life without it.

I don't keep my dolls in a glass cabinet - and really, with yellowing, a glass cabinet is a terrible place to keep them - and I do actually play with them. I take them to meetups and I take pictures of them. But you know, none of them have ever had a broken finger and I rarely have issues with faceup rubs or scratches because I take the time to handle them firmly but gently. I keep them safely stored in their boxes so nothing befalls them while I am away from home. They are going to remain beautiful and enrich my life for a much longer time because of the care I put into them.

 

I know I posted earlier, but I wanted to poke my head back in. I've seen a lot of beautiful dolls in gorgeous condition who get taken to meets and out on photo shoots etc, their owners are just super careful with them and everything, because they like them the way they are and don't want them to get scuffed or broken.

My poor boy has taken a bit of a beating, but I really don't mind. No, I don't consider it 'irresponsible' of me, or that I'm not taking care of my possessions. It just happens. It's been accidental- he lost his finger while standing right in front of me, I had just taken my hands away and was distracted, and he fell fast. Yes, I should have been paying more attention. But I thought about it, and you know... I like it. It suits him. It fit into his backstory easily. However, on some of the other dolls I'm planning on getting, things like that just would be so easy to brush off.

Little imperfections and stuff don't bother me, as long as it doesn't ruin the aesthetic and character I had in mind for the doll. I like to play with my dolls just like a lot of people, but I'm a bit less careful than I probablly should be somedays. But that's just me. I'm super careful with other peoples dolls, because I know that what I don't mind happening with my dolls is not the same as what other people mind with theirs.

 

When my FAVORITE doll, my Lati Yellow Coco Cat version, started to get all shiny, I sent her off to a faceup artist for a new one I still love her just as much, probably even more so now!

If I was however to buy a new doll and it arrived to me with lots of scratches or marks, yes then I think that would matter to me. Especially if it was on the face.

 

I don't know what it is; even if all they do is sit around on my desk or bookcase (which is the norm these days since their owner is so busy) whenever I pick them up to pose or do some sewing or maintenance, my boys' noses are always dirty. Always. Generally it doesn't bother me, unless I'm about to take them out somewhere, and then I feel rather like a finicky parent with spit and a handkerchief cleaning them up and complaining, "Honestly, why do you always have dirt on your face?"

The real story, though, is that about two weeks after I got Dev (my first) I was being inattentive and he took a faceplant off the dining room table onto a hardwood floor. It could have been a disaster, and in retrospect it's probably fortunate that only his thumb broke. I was so shocked at myself that I sat and cried for a little while before logging on to find out how to fix him. His thumb went back on with some superglue and I made a little bandaid to cover the seam, and I thought for a while that I'd get him a set of replacement hands... but after a while I suppose you could say I became attached to it. It's part of his history now, and serves as a constant reminder to me that I have to be extra careful, all the time.

Finally, after reading the conversations going on, I think it's important to remember that not all dolls that are pristine are kept in glass boxes, and that conversely, not all dolls that aren't pristine are being mistreated or irresponsibly cared for. I don't think the OP or anyone else here with stories of bumps and scratches were talking about serious damage or neglect. Accidents happen, bumps happen, dust happens--it's not indicative of an owner's responsibility (or lack thereof).

 

Is that all anyone else was getting from this guy's post? Cause it's all I got from it.

Seriously. High horse, get off it. I'm even somewhat on your side but the way you put it makes me want to jump ship just so I'm not associated with you.

 

For some weeks ago, I noticed a weird scratch on Light's left cheek. First off I paniced at began to sweat and everything...

Now it doesn't matter the slightest, though. He feels more as mine now I think, and it could actually look like a funny scar. On pictures, the scratch doesn't show though!

I bet the scratch comes from all the times I play with him I guess.

 

I knew this thread would turn into this, but still it's kind've irking when people who don't believe that a bit of a ding here or there is a clear and blazing sign of an irresponsible owner ask questions like this.

What makes you think those of us with damaged dolls don't take care of them?

Accidents can happen regardless of how careful you are with a doll, some of us have kids or pets who can cause mayhem, some of us have medical issues that cause shaking hands or clumsiness, some of us like owning second/third/fourth hand dolls who, having passed through multiple owners end up having some dings along the way, it's really not fair to assume that a damaged doll is owned by someone who doesn't love and care for them just as much as someone with an immaculate, intact one.

 

Why is it that people can't express their opinion without being subject to personal attacks? Having an opinion about something does not = elitism/being on a "high horse"/what have you

Anyhow, since my dolls pretty much *are* cabinet babies (they spend most of their time just hanging out on a shelf and looking pretty) I would be very upset if they were to get damaged. To me, their aesthetic is more important than their play-ability, so I would want to repair any faceup rubs or broken fingers straight away!

In addition, if one of my dolls were to get damaged, it would probably be my fault...so I'd want to erase any proof of my klutziness as soon as possible

 

Because this entire forum is babies

 

So then you're here because...?

 

Exactly! For instance, in my collection I have 2 unevenly yellowed (one more, another less) french resin dolls, that I bought secondhand. I'm not sure whether the original owners were selling them because they've yellowed and no longer were perfect, but I loved the molds and took a chance to adopt them in their already imperfect state. They're being cared for greatly here, but nothing will change the fact that they are in the eyes of the majority - far from perfect. Although to me it's not an issue at all.

Another example would be a doll that arrived to me from the company with very thin resin in wrists and ankles. I reinforced those with sculpey. She's not perfect, but was it my bad handling? Nope.

Yet another example. I bought a body from marketplace that's been terribly damaged being shipped to the previous owner. To go into details - half of the butt was plain missing. I believe the accident involved the package having been run over by some machine at the airport - I don't remember exactly anymore. I bought it to fix it. And I did. And I ordered a head for it and now it's one of my most cherished doll.

 

Oh god it's a joke leave me alone