"Hand-made" doll flaws

just to add, when I got my Nono, there was a a noticeable line on her knee inside, noticeable when the knee bent, it looked like a sanding tool slipped rather than a bubble- not exactly sure, but volks replaced the whole leg straight away ( not that I have had the courage to take her apart to replace it!)

 

how about leg hole drilling?

my yen on one bottom leg part the hole is off center.

on leto my moon however the leg is double drilled. I didn't notice this until i took him apart and looked into the leg part... looks lik ethey drilled once missed the proper place then drilled again. this lead to an area where the leg elastic can get stuck.

eventually i'm going to have a friend fill in this area with -something- it took 2 weeks to get the broken parts fixed.

but i honetsly think they should have scrapped the leg. it's not a big issue. but a bothersome one.

bubbles however should be taken care of more so bubbles aroun dthe face etc where blushing etc will be. same with cracks chips etc. too thin areas.

 

I think that some bubbles are okay, I had a doll once ho had them on the edges of the headcap and it wasn't like you could see it or it was problem-some.

I do think on the other hand that even though companies dont sand the seams that they should offer for it to be done for a price (like how volks does) because its more hasslesome to have to send it off to someone else to do it for you or to actually to do it yourself, I personally would like for it to be all done in one hit.

but then also if a doll is known to have problems (like weak points that are easily broken kind of like the volks sd-10 knee thing), I would think they would want to improve the doll model. Not only because its nice for buyers but also because I would think that people would be more interested in buying something because its new so good company wise as well.

 

I have mixed feelings on the 'seams as flaws' issue. On one hand, I can recognize the reason in the argument that at the price we're paying, a 'finished' doll makes sense. But at the same time, knowing the history of BJD, I am also bound to point out that part of what I love about these dolls is the fact that they don't arrive at my door complete.

Fullset limited dolls are something I will never own. Why? Because I don't like looking at the doll and seeing it as finished. I see every doll as the potential to be whatever I want it to become. I have only once bought a factory faceup, and that was because it wasn't a look I have the ability to mimic. It drives me batty to see dolls that owners have brought home that look exactly like they do in the company photos; not changed or personalized at all.

For example, DoT Shall. I think Shall is a very pretty doll. But for some reason, Shall owners rarely manage to make her look different from the standard. I have only found four on this board that are different enough to make me double-check it is indeed a Shall; otherwise, they all look the same to me. And that breaks my heart.

So while I understand wanting your doll not to have seams before you buy, I have to firmly disagree in that the more custom work I have to do to make her mine, the better. That's what I love about this hobby!

 

I don't know if this should be considered flaws or bad marksmenship so I'll just relay my personnal experience. Since a lot of people received the same body I had with no ill problems I shall not name the company.... but maybe my next statement might give people some clues. ^^;;

If a company does an event sale... should you expect a body of the same quality as if it wasn't on sale? when I received my body, some of the limbs would pop up and move incorrectly, some parts were drilled so badly the elastic catched on resin chunks. air bubbles were at some places on the doll and some parts of the resin were not of equal color. Fingers and foot had extra resin bulging as the mold probably moved while curing.

it took me a long time to get an answer from the company and it was just getting a hassle to try and get another body. (Major fault in my book) So with the help of my friend, we sanded the dolls, I had to sand all the elastic channels of the doll with either sandpaper or small files. One arm was so bad off it was drilled on an angle on one side and offset in the other part. I was able to file the inside of the channel and finally got the elactic to work with the arm.

I was very very disapointed with the quality of the worksmanship, the resin in itself I have no issues with (air bubbles do happen and seems well I sanded those so no biggie) But the way the doll was drilled, the extra chunks of resin impaired the dolls to be posed as it was intended. Quality control should have been there so that at least I should have had a workable doll when I received it. Even if it's a event sale, I think the compnies should make an effort to give you an as finished products than if you had paid full for the doll.

I found this practice unacceptable and I wil not buy from this company again. Nor will I direct my friends to it.

 

As for seems...I love them. They make my dolls look like dolls. It gives a very child-like, toy quality that I adore in my girls. Having owned other collectible dolls, I never saw seam lines in vinyl or plastic as flaws. They are part of the manufacturing process. In my mind it is what dolls and toys are supposed to have.

As for bubbles, it depends on the size of the bubble and where it is at. I received a doll from Volks that had a bubble right where the hand met the ball joint. I sent it back to them and they replaced it immediately. The bubble was noticeable and it was in a spot where I felt that more resin could have chipped off if I let it be. Now, I have received other dolls that have had small bubbles in the resin, but they didn't bother me because they were small and in a spot where I don't believe resin will chip and break off due to the bubble.

So, there are certain things that I do not feel are flaws at all. There are others that are flaws, but don't bother. But like all products, if there is a flaw that can affect the function or longevity of a product, then the company should repair that flaw for the customer.

 

There are two things going on in my mind when I think about BJDs and flaws. The first is: What are the processes used to make this doll and what does that mean for the finished product?

To me, this means thinking about molds, how they fit, and how they work together for a finished doll. Seam lines are one thing which will come up with just about every bjd purchased. It's not exactly a flaw, it's something which is consistent and constant with the dolls being made.

The second thing which crosses my mind is the price. These dolls are NOT cheap, even the least expensive ones are not cheap. This expense tells me that there are not a billion being made and that those being made are of a quality and rarity which is reflected in their price.

Looking at seam lines again. The lines themselves are part of the process, HOWEVER large tags of resin at those seams, produced with ill-fitted molds is a flaw. It shows a lack of quality and when the doll is expensive, severe mold overflow (which according to the process should be small lines) is not something I feel I should have to fix.

Seam splits and cracks are absolutely unacceptable. Unlike seams, which are a "take it or leave it" customizing option for the owner, splits and cracks need to be fixed. To me "Fixed" is not the same as "changed". When you're paying good money for a new doll, you shouldn't be paying for something which needs immediate repairs.

Bubbles, in my opinion, are both flaw and process. They are going to happen, it's true. But should the owner have to deal with them? In my opinion, no they should not. Again, it is not a customization to fill a bubble and sand it down, or to try to rebuild part of a hand which came "bubble crumbled". It is a repair. Being hand made, any of the people along the way who worked on the doll should see that and scrap the part. It's not like they're one piece of resin and the whole doll must be tossed- just an arm or a hand, or a foot. That is part of quality control and (to me) is associated with an expensive product.

Other serious flaws, like joints that don't fit together and move properly, misplaced string holes which don't allow the doll to pose properly, arms and legs which have differing lengths, rough resin finish indicative of a pooly cast mold... all these are FLAWS.

The doll you get may be unfinished, but a new doll should not need immediate repairs to work normally or look normal. If a company bills their doll to pose, move, and look a certain way, then that is how it should look and work. Anything which changes that ability should be considered a flaw and be fixed.

Ok, that's my 2.5 cents. =)

 

Most people have agreed that the money you spend should limit the amount of visible flaws to the doll's exterior.
It is not uncommon to have some flaws: Unsanded seams, small bubbles, discoloration in the resin. But lately, companies such as Bambicrony have experienced more than average flaws. One owner noted their Slate-Grey doll had visible 'scratch-like' discolorations on the body in multipul places. Other people have shown proof that their dolls were improperly cast, and have excess resin and missing resin in the hands (to name a few examples).
These flaws are obviously the result of improper business practices. THe demand for new dolls increases the orders and as a result, causes companies to struggle to meet the demand. In the end, it is the quality of the dolls which suffers, and the quality will reflect the company's care and sales in the end.
It is the company's job to ensure the satisfaction of the customer. The overall quality of hte product should never be compromised, nor should the customer service in dealing with issues which arise. There is a limit to what is considere acceptible, and what is not.

 

To me, a flaw is an unintended imperfection.

Seams are not a flaw, they are an unavoidable by-product of the casting process, IMO. Because these are -hobby- dolls, it's acceptable to receive one with seams and do a little sanding yourself ;3 (..unless you paid for seam removal; then you can complain)

I can accept some tiny air bubbles in my dolls' surfaces, as long as they aren't terribly noticable and don't interfere with the surface texture too much.
For example, one of my DOCs' back is about 80% covered with tiny little air bubbles, but I accept that, because you can't really notice until you put your nose right up to his spine and check out the texture.

However, large air bubbles that interfear with the dolls' a) structure and b) appearance are flaws that should be the responsibility of the company.
If, say, I received a doll and half her nose was gone due to an air bubble, I would want the company to replace her head due to lack of quality in the item I purchased.
I remember a friend mentioning someone who received a doll with an air bubble in one of the joints that caused the joint to break, then the company refused to replace the faulty part. This should also be a flaw the company should take responsibility for and replace the part.

 

The only thing I wish would be taken care of is the gate cuts. I was able to sort of pick them out with my nails, but they leave a sign that they were there. For my girl they were very promimant, and once I got the "left over" confused with a gash in the resin. Other than that I think things like seams are normal, and make them even more doll-like.

 

Seams I dont mind. But I do a lot of modding so I do like my dolls to be bubble free on and through the resin of the head, since while I am sanding- I dont want to discover a giant hole. I only mod large company heads though since 1 man (or woman ) company dolls- I feel are limited and I dont want to mod limiteds. On small companies like limhwa or twigling- I expect there will be a greater possibility of things not being absolutely perfect- or they would never sell a doll. Dolls like these are more like sculpture to me- you get what the artist makes. You wouldnt ask Picasso to change the expression of a face on a painting for you (ok that happened). So I wouldnt nit pick about seams or bubbles or even flaws in engineering in this case. I also would be less picky about delivery time- as long as I am well informed. Things happen when it is one person alone.

 

um, how did I become St. James? She wasn't the one logged in...

 

If it compromises the structural integrity and durability of the doll, its a flaw.

Considering seam-lines as a flaw in dolls is akin to considering belly-buttons a flaw in humans. They cannot be produced without this! Doll company is sorry!
But seriously, it is part of the manufacturing process, in both cases.

 

I totally agree with the above statement, and that is one of the reasons I like buying these dolls- it is just because it is one person that I am more allowing in what I consider flaws, or good service. But I do perfer dolls of this nature at this time. Also it seems there is a lot more tinkering in the engineering of the doll, and that can also delay shipment. I do think it is a labor of love for these people and I totally appreciate it.

 

Definitely agree with the above. It's really cool to see bjd-lovers take their hobby to the next level, becoming doll-makers. It seems so fun

But yeah, obviously, certain things might be different. The resin-quality might be better in companies (commercial grade vs. home-brew). On the other hand, one-man operations have the advantage of smaller batches, something which affects the quality of big companies on occasion. Also, cottage industries can have better quality control simply in terms of volume - 10 dolls a month is more manageable than 10,000. Not much chance of an extremely "flawed" doll falling through the cracks, as it were.

 

Hello, may I write some as an doll maker???

The resin quality might be defferent between SMALL companies.
These are casting companys/factorys in japan, R.C.Berg for example, who is thought to be one of the BEST factory in Japan, and producing shinydoll's thaasa.
I personally beleave, Unoa, RMS's, a little amout of VOLKS' in early stage are made by the same factory.
If the small company use such a factory, then the resin quality might be great. If it is home-made/home-casting, the quality might be differ from that.
(I am sorry for that I do not know what is happening out of JAPAN.)

When casted parts are delivered from R.C.Berg to shinydoll,
All parts are checked, and parts with bubbles or spots are refused.
So I believe it is hard to find bubbles and spots in shinydolls' parts.
(I have to say, some parts are casted by shinydoll itself with care.)

Uretan-regin parts are made by silicone-mold.
One silicone-mold can produce/cast only (around) 50 parts.
Then 50 is the number of one-lot, which does not differ between big company and smaller company/hand-made-doll-maker.
So there is not so much lot-advantage between the two.
Big company just produce many silicone mold, and produce 50parts from each of the silicone mold.

 

I don't mind seams too terribly much, unless, as has been mentioned they're from not properly lining up the mold halves, I do consider that flawed workmanship, but I don't know of any companies who'd agree with me to the point of replacing the part or doll.

Airbubbles are not a big deal if they're not on the face or some obvious place like that. I'd tolerate them more from small companies or artists, but I'd probably be pretty indignant if I got one from Luts or Volks with an air bubble in an obvious place. My Dollstown Soph has one on the tip of one ear. I wasn't happy about it, but I didn't say anything.

My biggest pet-peeve is *THIN SPOTS* in the resin casting. These show up as dark areas on your doll. I've seen dolls from most companies with this problem at least once, some worse than others. Eyelids and the temples are where it's usually seen, even from some of the best companies. For example, a late-model Hypermaniac I once owned had a head that was solid resin from just under her nose down... but her eyelids and temples were so thin that these areas had to be fragile. It seemed so inefficient... why couldn't they have designed the head to be more evenly cast? Of course one has to make room for the eyes, but... yeah.
Another doll I owned with this problem was by a small company/artist who was just starting out. the doll had random dark spots on her body. I didn't say anything then, either.

I guess I always feel that the artist is so talented and is working so hard I don't want to make things difficult for them... I've made dolls before (sculpting, molds, casting and so forth) so I know what a bothersome process it can be and one's time spent working does not usually have a 1:1 ratio of units produced per hour worked. That's just awful, and having experienced that I guess I didn't want to contribute to the artist's woes.

There are some companies whose dolls I will not buy, having seen them and the resin quality in person... until I hear that the resin is changed at least.

I don't know if it's okay to mention company names here, so I've tried to keep that to a minimum...

Raven