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getting a LE (Heath) at Dolpa 13

May 3, 2005

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    1. thank you so much! I've always wondered about this!

      I have to say, I'm curious though, you were there really early and there weren't many people there, right? But still the girls near you didnt even get to do a preorder? Is that just due to random selection by lottery...?

      So even if you are really early and know exactly where to go, you could still not get your doll (and still miss out on the other dolpa stuff too, huh?)

      I can see a lot now, why so many people pay someone to wait in the limited line for them. I think one of the biggest things I would have wanted to do a Dolpa would be to see all the booths and possibly buy something from one of them. Hopefully if I'm ever able to go, there will not be a limited doll I'm interested in, so I wont have to make such a hard choice.

      I feel really bad for those Arashi girls as well. All that excitement and waiting, and then to go away completely empty handed... by the time they found out they couldnt get the doll, it was too late to have fun doing other stuff at the Dolpa (sortof anyway). :(

      I'm so happy for you that you were able to get your Heath though, he is SO BEAUTIFUL! I really look forward to you getting him.
       
      #21 aimee, May 4, 2005
    2. Yes, that's right. The first person to arrive at Dolpa might well get the worst lottery ticket and have to stand too far back in the order line to get the doll she wants. I guess they're trying to prevent people from camping out overnight and it is a pretty good way to discourage that. I tried to arrive early because although I knew the lottery was going to scramble the line, I wanted to make sure I was in the right spot to get a lottery ticket in the first place. For all I knew there might have been 5000 people competing for 4000 lottery tickets, or I might have had to spend half an hour walking all around Big Sight to find the Dolpa entrance.

      It seemed like there were many more people once we were on line in the bus stop area. Perhaps Volks staff had already herded a bunch of them down there before I arrived so that they weren't hanging around the main entrance.

      StephG: I think it's a good idea to bring a friend. There was one gang who brought little chairs and a deck of cards to spend the morning playing "Go Fish".

      Rin: That's a good idea! I only need one doll to do it though, since it's a CG anyway. :grin:
       
      #22 inertia, May 4, 2005
    3. Hi inertia,

      I really appreciate your detailed report of this event. It still sounds very "catch as catch can" to me though, I'm mean as far as actually gettting to buy the doll you want. It almost seems as if Volks should allow purchase of limiteds or take preorders before or after the show itself (on the same day). There must be a better way to avoid all the angst of waiting in lines for so many hours, only to possibly come away empty handed. And it doesn't seem fair that you must choose between maybe getting to order a doll or buying goodies from the sales tables. Like almost everyone here, I'm hoping to visit Japan one day, but thanks to your report I think I know the reality of trying to buy during a Dolpa. Congrats on getting to order your lovely doll and I hope you get him soon! Can't wait to see pix. :D

      Hugs, Juli DC :)
       
      #23 julidc, May 4, 2005
    4. What a beautiful name!

      It really does sound stressful, but you've got stories now you can tell over and over and probably laugh at as soon as your boy arrives.
       
      #24 gothiclibrarian, May 4, 2005
    5. Hi :daisy

      Your story is truly interesting!
      I'm glad you got the doll you were looking for, and I hope those two Japanese girls will also have the possibility to find the doll of their dreams, sooner or later.
      BTW, who is Kamijo?
      Then, when and where did you purchase the guide to the Dollpa?
      Is it true that - if you don't have it - you can't participate in the Limited dolls lottery?
      Please, let me know, thanks! :daisy
       
      #25 Ladylovemark, May 4, 2005
    6. Hi Barbara. I bought the Dolpa guidebook at the Shinjuku Tenshi no Sumika. Volks began selling it in their stores on April 22nd, a week and a half before Dolpa. The guidebook is the admission pass to Dolpa so you need it to enter.

      If you want to get a limited doll, you need to buy the guide before Dolpa. Volks doesn't start selling it there until after the limited lines have begun.

      Kamijo is the vocalist of the Japanese band Lareine. They have a very extravagant and romantic image. I'm using a picture of him for my icon.
      http://www.lareine.jp
      I don't think it's going to be difficult to make Heath look like him... :love
       
      #26 inertia, May 4, 2005
    7. Thank you so much for your very kind reply, Inertia! :daisy :daisy
      BTW, that Japanese singer looks very handsome, indeed! :D
       
      #27 Ladylovemark, May 4, 2005
    8. Yeah. The first doll I fell in love with was Michael, young nobleman of darkness...
      And as I didn't have much knowledge on BJDs at the time, I had no clue that he'd be limited, and I was totally devastated.

      Kamijo is gorgeous! And has such a pretty voice...
      I keep meaning to scan all of the images of him that are in the GLB...
      And I think they once had pictures of Hakuei in the GLB too. <3
       
      #28 Astro, May 5, 2005
    9. OMG! I just got quesy reading your report. Maybe, it's the jetlag. I can't believe that we didn't see each other, because my husband and I got there at 6:30am too and went through the same frustrating process. He (did you happen to notice a 6'3" blond gaijin?) was also in the limited line to get Heath for a friend, but didn't get a lucky number and they wouldn't let us preorder him without an address in Japan. A very nice woman offered to have him shipped to her, but I didn't feel comfortable doing that with my friend's money.

      The ToS line was just as stressful and frustrating. We were shuffled around four different time and broken up into various configurations. Finally, between 9am and 9:30am, they let in the first 100, but I was #110, so got to stand out in the hall for another hour. However, once I got into the main hall, there were still people waiting in yet another ToS line. I did manage to get most everything I wanted, but by the time I got through the dealers area, a lot of things were sold out and some dealers were even packing up. Volks has a long way to go in making Dolpa more organized and pleasant, especially for non-Japanese speakers. I still had a great time though, although I am sorry that I didn't manage to run into any other DoA people.
       
      #29 Kellyhime, May 6, 2005
    10. :o You ppl are sooo lucky! I don't think ill ever have the chance to experience things like that soon. :(
       
      #30 tawn, May 8, 2005
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