How Did You Decide Size?

SD! I find their larger size more awe-inspiring and it's easier to make clothes and paint faceups when you have more space to work with.

 

Right now I guess I go more for the MSD range.

It all started with my Makies, which are around 24cm. Minifees are of course slightly bigger, and my Asella dolls are right between. So, MSD tends to be universal across the group.

 

I like MSDs. My friend has and SD doll he's like 73cms and she's always complaining about how hard it is for her to buy thing for him and make furniture and travel with him. I have 3 MSDs and I love them. But I won't lie I have been thinking of getting an SD boy. I'm just a little intimidated by them still but I find them to be so pretty.

 

As a newcomer, my initial impression is that I prefer the more manageable size of the MSDs, even if its harder to make clothes for them.

But, I am not completely enamored with the one SD that I do have, but my uncertainty about her really doesn't have to do with her size. So I might be a bit biased here.

 

I'd say buy both. I have 16cm to 70cm BJDs and I wouldn't part with any of them.
The smaller size BJDs are great because you can create a quick dollhouse out of a normal shelving system and still display them in the common room without them taking too much space. If you like sewing miniature clothes, they are perfect and there are plenty of people out there ready to sell you what they make.
The bigger size BJDs are fantastic if you want more realistic sculpts and are fond of customizing and making things. I couldn't part with my SDs. When I talk about my 'kids', I am talking about my SDs, when I am mentioning 'the family', I am referring to the smaller size. 'The/my crew' is the lot of them.

 

I prefer the MSDs because they're more sturdy and easier to manage and pose. I really don't like the SDs ( and I have 7 SDs!) because they're too big for me and I find that I struggle more with them when it comes to posing. The reason why I have more SDs than MSDs (I only have 4 MSDs) is because SDs have a huge variety of sculpts and bodies and look more mature whereas MSDs have more childlike sculpts and don't have a wide variety of sculpts and bodies(and I don't dig the childish face with a muscular body). I love all my dolls, I love my SD sculpts especially...but if I could downside them all to the MSD size without changing their faces and bodies, I would do it in a blink of an eye.

I guess it would depend on what you want. Do you want a mature doll that's in their 17s-30s(SDs are good for those ages, it depends on the sculpt of course) or do you want a teenager or younger looking doll? (MSDs make good teens)

 

I have had SD and MSD sized dolls, but I prefer SD between the two options. I like their presence, size, and weight better. I also prefer tinies to MSD, for that matter. I got a MSD first, then a SD, and I liked everything about her size so much more that had I known how much more I'd like her, I think I would have just gone straight for the SD. Of course, you can't know what is right for you until you finally get one, so it is hard to say if it would be the same.

 

Having both in my collection... and having sewn for and photographed both quite a bit... I have to admit that I'm more a fan of the larger dolls, myself. They are definitely easier to sew for than their smaller cousins, and I like the physical presence they have. Carting one around all day can definitely turn into an arm-busting experience, but if you get a good carry-bag they're not so hard to deal with, and they seem to fit a lot more naturally into outdoor surroundings when you're posing them for pictures. I always ran into more "scale issues" with the smaller dolls than I did with my SDs.

 

After looking through so many dolls and such, I have honestly just found myself gravitating towards SD dolls and some that are honestly enormous (80+cm). What I've noticed for me is that I like the look of the dolls that look more realistic/mature/older I guess. MSD dolls and smaller look too young for me, granted they are adorable, but just not my style. And of course I just prefer the idea of having a sturdier doll in general, the super fragile tiny ones make me so nervous!

 

So I only have msds, but I've fallen head over heels for a doll thats 60cm. I'm nervous I wont personally be able to bond with her size, but she's $550 so it's a big risk. Also I'd have to start wardrobe building from scratch. How do you tell if you are ready for the size change?

 

Good question! I only have one doll, so I'm not sure I can give you advice on knowing if you're ready, but if you've really fallen for the doll, I say go for it! My doll is 60cm, and I adore him. He's heavy, and takes up quite a bit of space, but since space isn't an issue for me I don't mind it. If you have enough room you should be fine. And I've heard many people say that clothes for large dolls are easier to make than clothes for smaller dolls.

 

I absolutely adore her literally every picture makes my heart skip. Do you carry him with you places? Another one of my concerns is I have to travel alot and I'm afraid with her being larger she'll be more easily hurt/dropped

 

I haven't gotten brave enough to take him out of the house yet But I do know they make some really high quality and sturdy cases for larger dolls that will keep them safe and easy to carry! I'm planning to get one myself since I want to take my boy with me on trips!

 

I have a mix of sizes. It's a pain at first to get a stock of clothes, but eventually I make a couple outfits for each doll and it isn't an issue. I have traveled with a bunch of 60cm+ dolls in the trunk of the car by wrapping them up in pillow burritos and packing them into 1 large suite case. Some times I carry my big boys with me places for kicks and giggles. I even strap them into the baby seat in shopping carts (I get a lot of strange looks there...) If you really love a doll, you will get used to the size difference. Just make sure everything else about the doll is what you want (face sculpt, body ect...) Hope this helps

 

If you have fallen hard enough, you just have to do it, I think! I started with 60cm dolls and didn't want to go smaller or larger, but over time I kept falling hard for a particular doll in a new size and I just HAD to go along! If you're very unsure, then maybe you aren't ready for another size. And it IS possible that you might not like the larger size...

As with all dolls, you have to decide to take the risk or not! If you really want that larger doll, then that should be enough to push you over the edge. If the doll is tempting, but not enough to take the leap, then you know it isn't the right time. You pretty much have to go with your gut/instincts/deepest desires/whatever!

 

The size of a doll doesn't usually matter all that much to me. My dolls range in size from Realpuki to 75cm, so ... I usually go by whether I like/want a doll enough that I'm willing to shell out the money.

 

I started out with 60cm boys and ended up realising they were by and large a lot to handle, I still have one of them though because he's so precious when I swapped to mini sized dolls I scoured eBay and here for clothes and got a lot for not a lot of money

 

I started with a 60+ boy and had the same concerns about getting an MSD, but how well I bonded ended up coming down to the doll itself rather than the size specifically. As for taking bigger dolls places, it's definitely not as easy, but it's totally doable--especially if it's just one doll! I personally got a second-hand violin case and modified it slightly, and it's the perfect way to carry a single large doll safely and inconspicuously (since I'm a little too self-conscious to strap mine into shopping carts, haha).

 

In theory it can look daunting bu I have about 50/50 SDs and MSDs and they all look great together and I've had several photo shoots with peoples dolls of varying sizes and with a few tricks they can all look roughly the same size. While the SD rarely can share anything with your current collection that shouldn't stop you either

Get the doll if you love it, keep it around and make it fit in to your plan.
I had my Unoss for 3 years before i knew what to to with her. She looks very different in terms of size and aesthetics (she is old school japanese volksand quite large) and my collection is all modern korean dolls.

I love her the same tho and I dont regret a thing and I spent a bit over 1000 usd on her (crazy I know)

 

I am getting a MSD, but I would love to hear how other people decided between sizes. What drew you to that particular size. Did you fall in love with a particular sculpt and had to get it regardless of size or did you choose a size first?