Forgiveness (do we forgive companies too easily or rather the opposite)

Silk, I'm with you there in wondering about that. I actually don't have any issue with the cross-inspirations going around personally -- but that's where my line is, and I know it's mine, and it isn't a universal (and I don't necessarily think it should be, either). I draw a hard line at any sort of recast, or 'I tried to copy this exactly' -- but I don't really see any of the examples as being that. Heavy inspirations, yes, in some cases, but not 'this could pass as a forgery even if it isn't actually a recast', in a sense. I can't really fault people for thinking differently about it than I do.

 

I suppose I should clarify the "refined eye" statement.

While reading the 14 pages of previous comments both for and against Leekeworld I saw people focusing on the head. But, the head was not really the issue with the Dust of Doll version. It was the body. By "refined eye" I meant people who took the opportunity to actually study BOTH bodies and really analyze the shape before forming an opinion.

Taco is absoultely correct that people will see different things. But, based on SOME of the arguments put forward, I'm not convinced that everyone actually compared the Leekeworld and Dust of Doll bodies side by side while ignoring the heads. That is what I meant by "refined eye" - people who took the opportunity to really analyze and form a solid opinion based not on emotion but on the actual body sculpts themselves. Of course, there will be those who love the Leekeworld body. Yay! And there will be those that love the Dust of Dolls body. Yay! And there will be varous preferences of the two.

In addition, by "refined eye" I also think anyone who looked at the two bodies side by side would clearly understand, even if they don't agree, why there are others who feel so strongly about the issue. There is a strong similarity and add to that the fact Leekeworld went to the France showed and DID photograph the Dust of Dolls doll with permission (at a DOLL show, NOT an art exhibition) and DID have the Dust of Dolls photos on the workbench, and it is clear there is an inspiration. But, individuals need to judge for themselves how they feel about this similarity and whether or not it is "too much" as Isenn pointed out above.

I must admit I have no idea where to start with this, but here is are my thoughts...

Doll collecting is a personal kind of thing. Very personal. There are things that we connect to. And things we can't. I see Leekeworld dolls as a little random as a collection and a little "empty of soul", but others will vehemently disagree - as they should if they love them.

My opinion is that there is no company style. Looking at the Season Limited selection, as an example. Irene looks like a creation based on Soom and the Volks F01 to my eyes. I think it's gorgeous as are the four fairies which also seem like a blend of Soom and Volks. The Lynn release, however, looks very European to me and as if it is done by a different company. The stark contrast in style signifies to me a confused vision for the future of Leekeworld's dolls. Where are they going? What is their vision? It is natural for companies to want to change and evolve, so the stylistic gap between their new dolls and standard dolls doesn't bother me, but I sense a lot of confusion right now with Leekeworld dolls. Or, perhaps a conflict between the business and artistic freedoms. Before, I noticed a blend of Luts/Volks, but only my perceptions. And I liked it, but I couldn't love it, because if I want Luts, I'll buy Luts. If I want Volks, I'll buy Volks. Now, however, the company seems to aspire to be a blend of Volks/Soom which produces a beautiful blend, but I feel an artist or perhaps artists are inspired by European influences as well. I don't see them, the company, taking the time to really permit the artist/artist(s) to hone and perfect an individual style that could define Leekeworld as a company. But, only MY perceptions and I respect those who disagree.

As for those you mentioned....

With Bimong, I do see a similarity to Unoa, but there is a delicateness in the face of a Narae that is not in the Unoa which tends to be more cute. Bimong has his own style. He isn't trying to recreate Unoa. He used that inspiration and transformed it and personalized it to his own style. When I see a Narae I don't see Unoa. I see Narae. In addition, his Nerferti sculpt is such a different direction from Unoa, but it is still his style.

Soom has recently transformed how dolls were made. Although their basics certainly shared similarities to Luts, it has been their fashion dolls that have a disctinctive and individualized look that really catapulted the company into the mainstream and made the popularity of the company simply explode in the BJD community. They dared to be different. And, it paid off. When people see their limiteds, they KNOW it is a Soom doll.

Dollmore dolls are not my cup of tea, admittedly, but I think with their Lusion doll they pushed the envelope. They didn't settle for ONLY recreating Dollshe's vision. They pushed the envelope and created various styles and really differentiated themselves with their ability to create affordable clothing and shoes and accessories. Stylistically, I see Dollshe at times, but their Lusion doll is something that is original to them.

What I'm saying is that the concept of BJDs can be shared and transformed to be personalized to a company/artist. But, it helps when a company knows where it is going and can hire artists to get them there by encouraging artist creativity rather than an adaptation of something that already exists. It's even better when they can find an artist, keep that artist and have that artist train others to produce a similar style that is innovative yet furthers the company's reputation, creativity and customer choices.

I don't think BJDs are created in a vacuum. I do think, however, there are those companies that copy more than they create. And, I think, right now, Leekeworld MAY be one of those trying to mimic success rather than innovatively create their own path towards it. I applaud Leekeworld's efforts to return to releasing dolls. I only wish they could find a stylistic "groove" that would launch them from "mimic" to "That's a Leekeworld doll! I'd recognize them anywhere!" kind of status. Right now, they aren't there, in my opinion. But, in their defense, they are trying and not all companies are as successful as Soom in creating their own BJD niche. (Ricky's Dolls, however, well... not even close. There is no effort for originality there, in my opinion. But, in the future, that could change.)

 

Thank you for clarifying, because refined eye doesn't seem to have anything to do with what body parts people are focusing on. I think there's two things going on here. One is the body one is the design of the doll. I have them separated here for a reason -- there are people upset that Leeke copied DDs design. Now to me, when you're talking about the design of the doll, you are talking about the whole doll in it's entirety, body, head, arms, legs, size, how it's put together etc., so while the body is certainly included in that discussion, you can't ignore the rest of the doll either. About the bodies specifically -- as I said before, there's no doubt that there's some serious inspiration that happened. I'm not denying it, and most people haven't been either -- there's room for argument because there isn't a clear line in the sand about what is too much inspiration. So you can certainly draw many similarities between the bodies, but you can see differences too. Depending on what details draw you to the doll, those differences can be a BIG deal. I like Leeke's body shape better, someone earlier preferred Puns body shape. Without differences, it's harder to have personal preferences about the body. Whether those differences are big enough to you or to others depends on the individual and what they focus on. It's not about seeing things better than someone else, it's about seeing things differently.

The more I looked at the side by side pictures the more different I thought the two dolls were *shrug*. As you said, people will have different feelings about both dolls. You just can't jump to the conclusion that people haven't looked. It's an easy way of writing off someone's opinion. I will also say that for people on both sides, it's difficult to cut emotion out of the picture, because a lot of hobbyists have a very real emotional investment in their dolls and often companies too (which fits back into the nature of this entire thread, really). Again, that is something that applies to both sides of the argument. Someone angry at Leeke and who loves DDs work, is capable of nonobjectivity too, remember.

I think that's what the vast majority of people are doing. However, that seeing the other side thing runs both ways, and there have been anti Leeke folks who have not displayed a lot of understanding either. Also some of the behavior of people trying to stick up for DD created a bit of a backlash, because when you're faced with boycott signs and people PMing you and going into the discussion thread about that doll to make their point they aren't letting you just decide for yourself. I don't like strong-arm tactics, and in general they tend not to go over well. It seems that things have calmed down quite a bit around here, but it wasn't like this last week.

I think that's easier to say now that there are many mature minis on the market. Perhaps if many more pear shaped dolls come out, people's reactions will be similar.

But it doesn't change the other dolls they made. I've always been able to tell a Soom is a Soom -- they've always had wonderfully distinct faces, especially with their older dolls IMO. But then with Pun and Mikhaila, you yourself said not to focus on the headsculpt I'm not doubting Soom's overall originality. However, Soom is a good example of a company that has been accused of the same thing in the past and very real similarities exist. When someone is ranting about how awful Leeke is and their siggy is full of Soom dolls or Soom hybrids, it does feel like a case of sometimes. Remember, Leeke has been around a long time and put out a lot of dolls, but people are calling a boycott because of one. For the record, I have nothing against Soom here, just the selective amnesia people seem to have about these kinds of accusations.

Same as above for Soom really.

When I first entered the hobby Leeke sold only little child dolls, and there weren't nearly as many companies doing that. When you look at their entire line you can make a case that they've pushed themselves since then putting out dolls in different sizes, ages, styles, etc. Of course all that you've written about other companies is your personal opinion, and that's fine. But it's worth re-examining how these other issues fit with the Leeke issue too.

 

I don't think i could forgive Leekeworld, since art theft is an important issue for me. I am far more likely to forgive a company if they made a genuine mistake and tried to correct this. Rather then a company that knowingly took a design from someone else.

 

It could very well be a size thing (or I could just be really lucky, though my luck tends not to be quite that good, lol). The mini wigs I bought from them I really like, but that's only been two wigs of that size -- all the others have been SD sized, so I really could've just lucked out in the mini department. Interesting... anyway, I don't doubt you if you say you've had problems. For whatever reason I've just had a better experience in that area.

I saw a Leeke tiny at the first dollmeet I ever went to back in 2005, and really liked her. I think it might have been a Honey?? I had considered getting one, but I never got heavily into tinies. Now I'm considering it again, as I want some friends for my Cutie Delf. I've always found their sculpts quite distinctive, personally.

Yup, yup. Same here.

 

Taking a step away from the inspiration VS copy debate, I'd like to focus more on something I've seen happen in the ABJD hobby several times. Not often, but often enough to take note of it.

When a company or seller makes a big mistake people become cautious. The best way to fix a bad reputation is to show you can do it right this time and get good feedback.
Now this is what I've noticed: some sellers continue their old ways of non-communication, not shipping out orders, making promises after promises they don't keep or ship out broken goods they refuse to refund for or replace, but at the same time they give excellent customer service to a few customers.
I've actually had this happen to me where I got excellent customer service from a doll company that went way beyond they should have to fix a small mistake while keeping good contact with me during the process. I was a happy and satisfied customer and I told others about my good experiences with this company, but what I didn't know at that time was that this company was already ignoring other customers and shipping faulty goods. My recommendations probably got a few extra people to place orders at this company thinking it would be okay.

I can't say people do this on purpose or not. It could be that a company tries to make at least a handful of customers happy, but I've seen a lot of people fall victim to scammers and shady businesses and I can see that this is also a method to get some extra money before running off with it. You cannot deny that a happy customer is good advertisement.

So when I see a company or seller with a bad reputation getting good feedback again, I will remain cautious and be aware that ordering from such a company or seller will mean taking a risk.

 

I see the differences in handling business and copyright understanding in Korea and China very different from what we are used to in Europe and USA. So, it happens sometimes that BJD companies are more likely to behave in a way we find awkward and not so transparent. Even if there are emotional reasons, it's about business. I can love a company and a its mold style with all my heart, anyway all BJD owners want to receive what they have paid for in a perfect shape. It should be worth the money you are paying for.
And this is, mostly, what I think. Purchasing a BJD can't be considered a fandom because there is money involved, and buying a doll is like a commercial transaction. So, even if some of us can have troubles during their experience with a certain company, I neither disregard them nor understimate the fact that the same would happen to other customers as well.
Some talk about loyalty and love, but I am more for a pragmatic approach. And I believe that transparency and real feedback are worth more than a strenuous defence towards a company who is being faulty to a customer.
That is not drama, it's a real problem that can happen to everyone of us purchasing from a company. That means: being less forgiving, and trying to feel empathy for someone who just wanted to purchase a doll but found that more difficult than anyone else.

About the Leeke case: It cannot be denied that Leeke has its bad records as well. However, if someone really wants to keep purchasing from them, it's his/her own choice and cannot be blamed because of this. Anyway, I would feel discomfort at buying again from them. I own some of the dolls that were listed as "heavily inspired" (such as Ariadoll Narvy and Dollzone Nina) but I didn't purchase them because of their supposed resemblance with the original. I was aware about the Unoa similiarities of Ariadoll, but not of Dollzone Nina's one with Volks Ken. It's true: maybe there aren't really original ideas, and new ones are simply a re-elaboration of something already existing.
However, I wanted Ariadoll, not Unoa. Maybe the ones who purchased Puns instead of Mihaila did the same.
I would see what happens next. If Leeke keeps on "being influenced" by some artist or doll company, it's possible to tell in the future if it can be blamed or not.

 

Hmmm, I know the topic is quite chewed over but in regards to Mikhaila vs Puns, I will definitely say although the sculpt is original, Mikhaila's concept was stolen from Puns. I didn't think so at first and didn't care until I saw the blank face Mikhailas vs Puns. The look is so similar that there is no way it's not an original copy of an existing doll. Leeke has stolen concepts witjout asking before.

Leeke is a huge company while Dust of Dolls is very small. If Dust had more money and had been able to produce their doll when the sculpt was done, the story would be different. Leeke has more power and money to quickly reproduce the dolls. This is great for collectors who can get their hands on a doll quickly, but this means that the real creative spirit gets crushed. Those who have orignial ideas but don't have the money will fail to sell their dolls because a bigger company steals their idea and is more famous and thus a farther reach. Those who actually created the idea end up not being able to support their work and will end up possibly not being able to create more work due to lack of funds....This is the part that really makes me sad. The copy cat makes the money but will have to steal ideas from others who end up not succeeding because of this theft.

 

Invie, I disagree with you. First of all, I think "stolen" is way too harsh a word, even if you believe that Leeke used Puns for inspiration/reference/whatever. You may see similarities in the face sculpt, but many, many others just don't see that. To me, they look incredibly different. They have a completely different aesthetic from each other. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the only thing that is alike is the body type. And you cannot say Leeke stole that because that body type does not belong to Dust of Dolls. You can say that it was heavily inspired by D.D Puns, and that may very well be true, but this isn't a clear cut case of theft.

Also, I feel compelled to point out that if a company like Dust of Dolls isn't selling dolls because they're just too poor to make them at all, they're already hurting themselves by not producing dolls. This situation cannot hurt them. If anything, it will help them because they will gain new customers that they did not have before. They've already gained SO much publicity and new customers because of this situation. If they ever do start producing dolls again, you can bet there'd be a heck of a lot more people who would buy from them now, due to this situation, than there would have been if they hadn't gotten all this publicity.

This situation may have actually saved them and enabled them to possibly start producing dolls again, thanks to a huge new customer base.

 

It is worth noting that even 'a huge company' in the BJD world may be 8 people. It would surprise me considerably if Leeke employs more than a dozen, and I would guess their actual company runs on about half that. Apologies for the tangent, and it's not relevant to the general right-or-wrong-ness of it all, but laying it out as though it's one small artist vs. a megacorp is simply not at all accurate. It's small company vs. tiny company more than anything else.

 

That's interesting, because aesthetically speaking they are quite different from each other -- especially when it comes to their faces. What they share is the body shape, but that's about it, and it of course raises the question about what things can and should be copyrighted. Since it's not a black and white issue, people will feel differently about this, but it is common for companies to take each others concepts and then make their own versions. What makes this stand out so much is that among modern abjds, there aren't yet a lot of dolls with this body type (however, it is not an uncommon body shape in art dolls), where as at this point there are many 70cm+ dolls, tinies, anthros, slim minis, etc etc etc.

I would argue about Leeke being a huge company. It's a well established company -- much more so than D.D. However, none of these bjd companies are big by any standards. Volks is the largest, but they have physical stores they have to staff and make other things besides abjds as well. This isn't a Mattel like corporation picking on the little ity bity artists.

As for the rest. Not everybody buying Mikhaila is doing so because she's easier to get than a Puns -- this is a misconception, and one that admittedly irks me. Perhaps this is harder for you to see, since you view the two dolls as being so nearly identical, but for some folks, Mikhaila is more appealing because Leeke has a different style that suits their tastes better than D.D's (and of course the opposite is true for other folks). When I bought a Mikhaila I was not spending money that would have gone to D.D. The issue with failing to sell dolls has little to nothing to do with Leeke and everything to do with their not being able to produce and sell in any kind of quantity, partly it seems due to government regulations--I know that they're working on this issue, but until it's resolved they won't be able to get dolls out there to expand their fan base. People who like D.D.s style will buy from them over other companies, but they can only do so if the dolls are actually obtainable.

Also look at it like this. For a long time Dollshe was the only company producing dolls that were 70cm. People liked them, and soon other companies were selling 70cm+ dolls too. It was obvious who started the trend, but that didn't mean there wasn't room for other companies to try their hand at a similar idea. However, while there might be more competition when it comes to larger scaled dolls, the people who like Dollshe's style have continued to buy from them. Should the concept of a 70cm doll been copyrighted with no other abjd company being able to use that concept without permission? I don't think so personally, part of how the hobby experiences growth and variety is through companies experimenting with the same concepts. I am firmly against recasting, and do respect the artists' work. However, it is also possible to become too protective of companies and concepts, which can in the end stifle the ability to create new dolls rather than encouraging it. You can also apply the above example to Iplehouse and their ethnically specific dolls, Pippos and the sudden boom in anthros, and Unoa and slim minis.

Again, read the above -- they can't sell their work, because of French regulations not because of Leeke. This argument is true for recasts, but this is not a recast situation -- the two dolls are not in anyway shape or form identical even if they do share some obvious traits.

 

I don't know. If I had a bad experience with a company, I probably wouldn't buy from them again regardless. I try to do my research on a company before buying from them, but that's not going to protect everyone, obviously. I noticed, for example, that Iplehouse got behind and took about 3 months to ship out some dolls [I'm not sure how standard- I've heard about a month/two months]. Had this happened to me the first time I bought from them? I MAY have been a little irked. However, my doll arrived to me within a week. Therefore, due to the positive experience, I would buy from them again.

But if it had arrived damaged/broken and they refused to replace the broken parts... I would never buy from them again no matter what. So no, I'm not quick to forgive company or a single person for damaged goods-- luckily, this has never happened to me... but there's always a first time.

About Mikhaila, I think that the outspoken nature of a lot of the people who felt angry or wronged was what made me like her. I thought it would be cool to own a controversial doll- people will remember her sculpt for better or for worse. It brought a LOT of publicity to both companies. Just adding, I never bought her, but I wouldn't buy the one from Dust of Dolls either. They're not my style. But still, I preferred her. I would never buy the Puns doll- I don't like it, plain and simple. Would I have bought Mikhaila? If I'd had the money to spend on her, yes. So DD didn't lose a customer with me.

I can definitely see the inspiration, but it's not like DD invented the pear shape. You can see that design in a lot of artwork, and while Leeke should have admitted to using Puns for inspiration, I don't believe they 'stole' it. Now, how they handled it DID make me disappointed in them, but I wouldn't refuse to buy from them for it.

 

Do we have a "dead horse with flogger" emoticon around here? We sure need one for that Leeke/DuD topic. For every person who thinks it's obvious that the two heads are identical, there is another person who thinks that the two heads look utterly nothing alike. And never the twain shall meet. It's obvious to ME that they're far far far from the same doll, but my opinion means as little as the rest of yours. So send in the next uproar, please!

Kids today are so spoiled! When I ordered my first LE from Iplehouse in 2006, he took 3 months to arrive. When I ordered my second LE from them in 2007, he took 3 months to arrive. When I ordered my third LE from them in 2008, he took 2-1/2 months to arrive, and I said to myself, "Wow, that was so fast!"

Nowadays people threaten to sue if they have to wait for a measly little 3-month stint. A "long wait time" is considered a crime. I'll repeat that, just to try to force myself to believe it: making a customer wait for their product to be finished is now seen as an unacceptable business practice. *Pfft*. Wow.

 

lol! I know what you mean. Although I do think that a line has to be drawn somewhere. Long wait times are acceptable as long as the company is communicative and open with WHY the wait times are long. I waited 8 months for my Custom House dolls and for much of that time they were not communicating at all with customers. For me, a 3 month wait seems pretty normal in the BJD world. I'd be willing to wait patiently (well, patiently for someone who is really impatient about everything ) for about 5-6 months for a doll. After that I start to get antsy, but if the company kept in good contact and explained the delays, I would have no problem waiting longer. I do have to say that a 12 month wait, even with a communicative company, is not really acceptable in my eyes. It's not unforgivable (again, with good communication), but it would make me irritated and upset. If the company had a really good excuse (for example: being affected by a natural disaster), I would be a lot more understanding, but it does not take 12 months to make a doll and since I gave that company my business, and my money, and have put my trust in them, I expect to receive my product in a reasonable time frame.

 

JennyNemesis, I guess I should have been clearer in my example. I understand that there are a lot of dolls than can take 3 or even 4 months to arrive. It's a long process and all that jazz. The point of the example was-- let's say I expected to wait 3 months for a doll. That's fine. But if three months passed and no sign of the doll shipping, I'd become a little worried-- unless the company had made an announcement. Yes, I'd be disappointed, but I wouldn't judge the company negatively for it. As long as I get my doll in good condition, I'm happy.

I suppose I made it sound like that the only reason I'd buy from them was because of the fast shipping. I was fortunate in that. But shipping times would, in no way, affect how I view the company so long as they don't disappear off the face of the earth (aka. if I have a question, they are still there to answer and other people are still getting their dolls).

Also, a lot of companies tell you upfront that is going to take time for them to ship it out. 35~40 days on most, though of course that can vary. But, I do appreciate that they say it up front. For my Mars doll, I was prepared to wait 2+ months for him to ship because he had gotten a custom face-up, and I assumed that would tack on to even normal wait time. His clothes, from another company, took longer to ship than he did! It was funny to me, but I never did get impatient and start whining about it.

I may have gotten spoiled for my first transaction, but I am more than prepared to face the 2-3 month wait times for a doll I want. If I can spend time saving the money for one, I can spend time waiting on one- besides, planning is most of the fun, anyways!

 

A lot of companies say that will ship in five weeks and they're lying through their teeth. I don't actually have a problem with that. My problem is when after 4 months, there's no signs of your doll and it looks likely that it will be months more before they arrive. If they then start shipping out people who have ordered months after you (ie customhouse) then I do have an issue with that. I find that people can be extremely tolerant of how long it takes companies to deliver dolls. And the tolerance seems to be growing because when I started in the hobby, 2 months was the longest wait for anything other than a unoa. Volks was the main doll and they were usually pretty quick. Nowadays, it seems like 3-4 months is getting to be more normal. But in fact, if you look at the business regulations for most countries including Korea, these companies are operating outside the regulations. My understanding is that after two months (and it may be less), companies are obliged to either ship the goods or offer the customer a refund. I know that I look at shipping times when I purchase. If the company takes longer than 2-3 months, I decide how much I really want the doll.

As for the Leekeworld/Puns issue, as far as I can tell, it's over. People have spoken with their wallets. Some people have bought Mikhaila, others will refuse to deal with Leekeworld again. Dust of Dolls got a great deal of publicity and so did Leekeworld.

 

I suppose it is how the company sets the expectations and perhaps makes it clear with regard to delays due to seasonal weather patterns - ie being too hot, cold, rainy can make it very difficult to produce a consistant quality of the resin. I have waited 3 months for my MD Soom Taco, for eg, and knew from past experience and Soom's pre-order information that it will take around that amount of time. But Taco is a limited and can only assume they start manufacturing when the order period closes as the numbers are then known, ie there is not a stock pile.

If the expectation is exceeded, say by another month I would be checking with the company to ensure that everything was ok with the order. And then again, there is the buyer's expectation that should there be any issues, the company should be in touch to reconfirm or explain/provide the current expectation as appropriate to the situation.

 

I think the BJD community is unfairly harsh, personally. Delays happen, and especially with pieces of art (especially especially with a substance as prone to faults as resin), I think we should be understanding. We can't control postage, nor can we control quality of a casting. Sometimes, a piece of resin will just crack in the casting. Personally, I'd rather wait 4-6 months for a high-quality product than get it in 2 weeks with TONS of flaws.

Now, if I wait 6 months and get it with tons of flaws, then we have a problem. The same thing applies if the company doesn't respond to posts/e-mails/etc. That is ridiculous.

So far, I'd say my BEST experience has been with Dollstol, a tiny company. They shipped out my doll quickly, with a gorgeous faceup, no flaws, and she poses like a charm (except her arms won't bend all the way, but that's not an issue with casting). But I've never really had a "bad" experience with a company. Every company I've dealt with has been extremely nice, and I've tried my best to be polite and not cause problems or be annoying, because I know what that's like, having to deal with "problem" customers.

But I've seen people in this hobby overreact to things, and just plain not be nice. It happens far more often than I'd like, but there's nothing to be accounted for people. I've also seen people rage over situations that made ME extremely frustrated. While some people expect perfection, some reasonable people don't even get competance. I think there ARE situations where anger at a company is justified, but I think there are some people who are unjustly angry at companies.

Just my two cents.

 

I wouldn't buy from someone, or a company, who was notorious for stiffing people, or giving them a hard time. There are enough companies out there with good reputations, and good rapports out there that I don't need to risk that. When I heard about the CCC fiasco going on, I knew I'd never consider buying from there.

If there was a temporary lull for a real issue (like a natural disaster, or something completely unforeseen) I could forgive them that - but only if I found proof that they were getting their stuff together, and fulfilling orders in a relatively prompt fashion. If they acted like the creator did in the CCC incident, I wouldn't buy from them.

Dollmore got me a little concerned the first time I ordered because the site had said it'd take 7-15 days; then I realized that this was before shipping. Since then, I think they've either clarified that sentence, or I just understand what they mean, now.