Headcap vs Faceplate style — does it matter to you?

I've only owned dolls with headcaps so far, but I'd love to see better engineered Faceplates to offer more variety in expressions with the same character.

I imagine it maybe isn't as big of a draw for some companies because once you have the back of the head, you could just stick with faceplates and get a variety of characters out of it. It would reduce the number of full heads, with only a potential increase in faceplate sales to make up for it (and thats not considering the ease of batching a full head in production which I don't known the price mechanics at play there). Not me trying to think like a business economist

 

All of mine are headcap styles, but I like the idea of faceplates... but also heard plenty of horror stories of faceplates falling everywhere. I think if/when I get a doll with faceplates, I'll likely try to swap the magnets or somehow reinforce the faceplate attachment to avoid anything falling if it's not attached well enough for me.

 

Aesthetically I prefer head caps but a a customizer of mini and tiny dolls, faceplates are so much better.

 

I see the advantages of both, but I do feel like the seam of a faceplate would bother me!

 

I would prefer headcaps over faceplate as they tend in my opinion to be more secure and easy to handle with. On the other hand, faceplate I could easily mistakenly drop it down although it's very easy to switch
But if I have a grail doll that having a faceplate, that wouldn't be a problem, just mean I will play with her less

 

The only time I have a preference is when I have one doll with two different expressions (If that makes sense). Then face plates all the way. So much easier to change a face plate then the entire head.

 

Unless it was a sculpt that I just cannot resist because it's a perfect fit for a specific character—I'd prefer to stay away from face-plates and instead go with headcaps. My reasons? I have a couple:

1. Weak magnets lead to the face falling off. Even if the magnets being used have a super strong magnetism, there's always that chance still that it could fall off. I'd prefer not having to worry about that happening, even if that chance is small. Small is more than none.
2.There's a seam running along the side of my head! My bjds represent OCs or favorite existing characters, and I don't really think of them as just being dolls. The seam line breaks the suspension of disbelief when I'm thinking of them interacting as their characters in story scenes. It also makes me think they're wearing a mask over their real face, and that can be—unsettling?
3. Faceups are more of a chore to do! When I'm working on faceups I usually have the head mounted on an old chopstick or thicker wooden skewer so I can rotate the head while applying the spray from different angles without directly having to touch the head.. A face-plate—I get the feeling you have to lay it flat on a surface to spray it, and it can't get certain areas covered in sealant if you can't angle it properly. I could just mount it on a board or something and rotate it, but there's always the chance the face-plate will fall off, get stuck, or have some of the board/surface adhere to the head (which would require a bit of clean-up that could damage the sealant layers). The head-cap version I can get mounted on something sturdier, and the chances of it slipping off or falling are extremely minimized by comparison.

I just see too many glaring cons to having face-plates that it would require something that I desperately desire and can't find in anything else that works to get me to purchase a face-plate.

So, yeah—headcaps all the way!

 

I like head caps as well! Aside from extra security, it’s pretty well hidden from everything with a wig on it.

 

The only doll i have that uses faceplates is currently taped together… When i first bought him i tried adjusting his head and it slid off like a damn hockey puck!!! I scrambled to pick it up off the floor and look for damages, and ever since it has been taped. Lol

 

I like headcaps. Faceplates have some major problems (in my opinion):
- Faceplate can fall on the floor because It usually doesn't have strong magnets
- when you try to open head, you touch the face, and it can damage makeup of your doll.

 

I like faceplates a bit more since it makes it easier to dress dolls. Just removing the faceplate is usually enough that I can put on whatever pullover garment I want without worrying about removing the whole head.
Personally I've never had a problem with loose faceplates... usually even if the magnets aren't strong, as long as the doll is wearing a wig (one that fits properly anyway haha) it won't come off. I understand the worry though, and I've been concerned about it mostly when my dolls' wigs are off and I'm dressing them or something, but for the most part it doesn't bother me!
I do prefer doing faceups on full heads though, faceplates are definitely not as easy to work with...
But overall it's not something that will influence my purchase if I like a doll! I have dolls with both headcaps and faceplates.