How Do Doll Sculpts Get So Popular?

When I look at the gallery posts, I skim through the pages looking for dolls I like, dolls from companies I like, and dolls that I have not seen before. These are the only posts I view. If I click on a post and see blurry photos, scary faceups, and messy clothes, I leave without posting a comment. I am not concerned with whose dolls they are or how expensive the doll was. These are my personal preferences and I have been doing this for the five years I have been a member of DOA. If I occasionally take a photo of my own dolls that I think is good enough to share, I post it for fun. If it gets a favorable comment, that's great. I don't take it personally. This forum is so huge with thousands of members that it is unrealistic to expect the kudos you would get in a small community of friends. There are some great photographers and artists on this forum and it's only natural that their work attracts attention. If I post photos of unattractive dolls and out-of-focus, or uninteresting photos, I know they will be ignored on this forum, so I don't do it. Perhaps the forum needs a special gallery for beginners in the hobby so they can work their way up to being "popular" if that is their desire.

 

It really is about initial visual impact... it's kind of like how it takes people 30 seconds or less to develop a first impression about another person.

Having an image that hooks me in visually will keep me around to read photostories, text, etc and follow what a particular person is doing, etc.

The only way I ever end up reading photostories with mediocre photos but that really are very funny is by having someone else point them out to me and say "read this"

I also think that, if you really are doing quality work with your photography or faceups or just overall doll assembly, the best way to really get people to see them is to post often.

 

So reward the person with the bigger checkbook? What kind of logic is that?

By your definition, my Woosoo doesn't deserve as much attention because I paid $250 for it as opposed to someone who paid $1500+ for theirs? The quality of my photography and aesthetic of my doll should have nothing to do with it? I don't care if someone buys the rarest mold on earth and spends the most money. If the pictures and the doll suck, then I'm sorry, they aren't worth my time. My B&G Sky gets a lot of attention, and he's my cheapest doll.

Limited does not equal quality doll/photography. I would rather pay attention to those who spend the time to work with their dolls to make them the best they can be, no matter what molds they happen to have.

 

I think if someone's depressed about not getting a lot of comments, or not being "popular" on a forum, then you're in a hobby or fandom for the wrong reasons, imho. What happened to buying dolls because, uh, you LIKED them? Does it really matter what other people think of them? I mean, yeah, comments are nice, but I'm not going to think it's the end of the world if I don't get many comments or hits.

 

Well said usamimi.

I think doll popularity(like other forms of it) depends a lot on how the doll is presented, how it looks and how often you post. You don't have to have all three of those things but it's certainly easier to get more comments when you either spam the hell out of the boards a lot or when you DO make a photoshoot you blow everyone out of the water. Many people are visual creatures and they want to see what is pretty(clearly. I mean, they have practically perfect resin "people" for god sakes!). But also when people who put a lot of work into their pictures and their dolls post, it shows. That's not to say that if you have a doll without a final face up or anything that you should hide it like the hunchback of notredame but People like perfection and even though everyone has to start out somewhere that's often forgotten.

All in all, I have to say-would you spend 100,000$ on a car that people liked but worked like crap or 10,000$ on a car that wasn't nice looking but worked well? Who cares what other people think, if you don't get comments you don't get comments, it's not the end of the world! If you get into a hobby just to get comments on it what kind of enjoyment are you getting out of it? Nothing, because it's all about everyone else and not about you! Hobbies are supposed to be fun, not things that make you feel bad.

 

I am saying in my opinion i get sick of seeing the more expensive dolls being pushed aside and all the cheaper ones getting more attention. And no the expensive dolls photography for some that are ignored are excellent, im not comparing picture quality here, im talking in general.

 

THANK YOU. That is what I wanted to say, but I didn't know how to put it succinctly and politely enough to not offend anyone. I agree with you completely.

 

getting attention is nice, but I find it a pain when one of the first comments before a group of photos says "sorry for the blurry/crappy/dark/light (insert whatever other photography negative term).....pictures." It makes me kinda not want to look, because if they're crap, I'm not going to comment because I don't want to be rude (and I'm kind of about to be). I don't care if it's a pic of a faced-up F16 by the most famous artist here, it's still a crap picture. Get a better camera, better lighting or a person with a steadier hand to take your pics. You might get more comments that way.

 

It doesn't matter how much something costs. If people like it, they like it. That's like asking why some people prefer fast food to thousand-dollar caviar. It all comes down to personal preference.

 

But picture quality really does have more to do with comments given than price. Trust me- I have been a member here for a long time, and the people who get the most comments are always either well known, regular posters, or people with amazing photography skills. And often, they are both.

Price really doesn't play a part in it.

 

Exactly. People should buy dolls because they like them, not because they feel the need to seek out validation through online communities.

 

Very well put. -nods-

 

I agree wholeheartedly with this.

 

So..um which dolls are popular? *this is a rhetorical question; it's not meant to be answer XD; *

IMO, popularity depends on perception. Does it really exist? To me, all this "popularity" is just a matter of tastes. If a lot of people have the same taste and prefer certain style of photography, certain style of clothes, certain style of faceups, then the doll who fits everybody's taste of photography, clothes, faceups will most likely get more attention. Those that don't, won't.

"How do dolls get popular?" Well, there are lots of reason why they'd get popular: friends, timing, presentations, etc. Most importantly, it's the viewer that makes them popular. If people believe dolls are popular then they can become popular. How? Thru friends, commenting, blogs, LJ, etc. I don't think the owner of these "popular" dolls think of themselves as "popular" either. So I think it's all matter of perception. XD;

Off topic, but kind of relevant since it was brought up. I'm bothered by this reasoning: it shouldn't matter if you're popular or not; what should matter is your love/appreciation for your doll. It bothers me because this logic assumes that everybody has the same reasons/motivation to get a doll, but that's not necessarily the case.

I think many people have different reasons to be in this hobby. Not all people come into this hobby because they love dolls. Some people come in to this hobby through other venues like anime, fashion, collectibles, friends etc. These are exterior factors that make certain people buy the dolls for certain reasons. People stay in the hobby because this hobby is a social network. There are social outings like meetups and conventions that allow others people to interact and make friends. To simply dismiss the social implications of having dolls and believe that you can be happy with your doll alone is too simple of a reason to dismiss depressed people/people who want to be popular. Obviously, these depressed/popular wannabes notice the social workings of this hobby. So I find statements that suggest these people to ignore being popular (or are depressed because they're not popular) kind of insensitive. Maybe the people who want to be popular are trying hard to be as good as the "popular" ones so they can makes friends? Feel accepted? Feed their egos? Who knows?

Also many people drop out of the hobby due to personal and financial reasons. If we were to really like and appreciate our dolls cuz it's ours, then we'd never drop out of this hobby, right? Or would we? Hm...

Well, I'm just throwing out other viewpoints to add onto this discussion to show the complexity of this hobby. With what I've glanced at, most people have agreed to one viewpoint/statement concerning their self as the viewer and I feel that overlook aspects that can occur between the hobby, the individual and the viewer.

 

I can understand what you're saying about the other aspects of this hobby, but I just don't feel that adequately addresses the issue. The bottom line is that people want others to validate their actions (i.e. the purchase of a doll). I can understand that. But I still don't think its right, and I don't think its insensitive to point this out. Wanting to belong to a group is one thing. Wanting a group of strangers to approve of you/your actions is something entirely different.

As a slight aside, maybe my reasons for getting into this hobby are very different than many others here (or not). I got into this because I love photography, and I found these dolls to be excellent subject matter. I was even introduced to them via a photography site (and an excellent photographer, Mercy! ) I don't post much overall on this forum or any other forums in this hobby. A few days I'll post a lot, then I fall off from posting a bit. As such, I don't make a ton of friends around here. But no biggie, I didn't actually come here to make a ton of friends/be inducted into the vast social network of ABJDs. (I hope that doesn't come across as me feeling like I don't want to make friends, btw! )

So when I decide to purchace a doll, it has nothing to do with how popular/socially acceptable the doll may be. Volks are hugely popular, but I really dislike their look as they don't fit into the style of photography I want, nor the aesthetic I generally prefer. I purchase them because I love the sculpt, and I don't see any rational reason why anyone else would do otherwise. (of course, i could be wrong...)

 

I think it has a lot to do with the popoularity of the company. You see a lot more of Luts, Volks and Bambicrony than you do, say Domadoll, Model Doll and B&G. I'm not saying this is a bad thing (I own dolls form both Luts and Dollmore/B&G xD). But I don't like most Volks molds, and some ridiculously popular dolls I would never dream of buying. O o I have to agree with Botflybaby. All the El's I've seen kinda blur into one. Same with all the stereotypical dolls. (ie: girly Shiwoos, demon Moons, uke Chiwoos, etc.)

 

That's easy. People get popular by Spamming the Gallery with their dolls and forming friends/fans and having them comment. That's pretty much it. I think photos have part to it but maybe not a huge one. I've seen wonderful photos and not comments but a bunch of views. *shrugs*

 

It's just a matter of preference. I cannot explain the sudden interest for a particular doll. In my case, if I notice a sweet or stunning doll then I can't resist to comment; it's a bit difficult to differentiate between some dolls cause some of them are equally amazing but if I have a No.1 doll then I'll try to make my comment more special.

 

Well, this is a discussion, isn't it? If we had to validate our points, then I think there won't be much of a discussion.

"Wanting to belong to a group is one thing. Wanting a group of strangers to approve of you/your actions is something entirely different." - Well, I think they're the same thing because the feelings are the same. It's wanting to be accepted and acknowledged by people. We're all human, so I think it's normal to feel that way. I just wanted to add that people can't help how they feel, consciously and subconsciously which can affect how they act and view popularity. ^^

But my main point about how dolls become be popular is all about tastes. If the majority likes it then, it'll become popular. Like someone said, C'est la vie~ XD

 

There are some dolls that it seems like there are a million of, and others that seems like they're almost non-existent.

Now, I'm trying to lean away from LE dolls in this topic and would like to focus more on the unlimited molds. I'll use my two dolls as examples.

My Katie.A came from Souldoll. Now, she was only released in November 2008, but I have seen precious few of this mold around DoA and other sites. I frequently search for more pictures which rarely turn up.

My other doll is a Luts Bory girl. While not as popular as her male counterpart, I certainly see a lot of them around. Granted, she's also been around for a bit longer to my understanding.

Now, what is it that makes one doll more popular than another? Is it the actual mold? Company reputation? Cost? Events going on at the time? A more anime-look? Posability?

I'm curious to know what the general consesus is.

Also, keep this subject to the more ordinary and unlimited molds. We all know that the Soom monthies are popular because of their unusualness.