How much modding is too much?

It might be considered too much by some, but if you see your doll in that sculpt, I say go for it.

Too many mods is really in the eye of the beholder. Someone who dyes their doll, or gives them scars, or turns their doll into robots, etc ... may be considered too much modification to some. But part of what I love about these dolls is that they are so customizable. I have seen molds and thought. 'Wow, I could make this doll into ...' sometimes it is nearly the whole head that makes me see it, sometimes it is only a feature of the head that is spot on.

 

I see this is something of a 'hot topic', so if you're going to quote me and argue with me, please do the favor of reading my post entirely instead of finding one line in my post and running with that... Context is everything. XD;

I am firmly of the belief that if it's your doll, you can do whatever you like with it. Even mess it up entirely (which means even you decide it's messed up).

I am whole-heartedly in support of whatever modifications you'd like to give a standard doll. I really love seeing them, in fact.

But the purist/preserver/collector in me cringes a little at altering a limited edition. The more it's modified, the more I cringe. I don't even have to like the doll. (And, considering I'm quite picky about what sorts of dolls I 'like', in many cases I don't like the doll - so there's no "jealousy" involved here motivating the cringing.) I actually have no intentions of owning a limited edition doll as the likelihood of me seeing a LE doll I "must have" and having the money to purchase it and being able to purchase it before some lightning-fingered person is pretty low.

That said, I don't sit here and wish unfortunate things to happen to someone who does modify a LE doll. Even a one-of-a-kind (though I really don't see the point in heavily modding a ooak doll - if you liked it enough to buy it, why change it drastically?). It's none of my business. And, in fact, I'm sure I've seen modded LEs before and really liked the doll.

In short: Do what you like. If you do it well, I'll applaud you. Maybe even be inspired by your work. But I still think it's a shame to heavily modify something that was rare. And it has nothing to do with the bjd world - it's just the preserver in me. The same bit of me that would have liked to have been an archeologist. The same bit of me that has left a Barbie (not even a LE!) and an Animal Crossing clock still in their boxes because the packaging seemed to be as much a part of the object as the object itself. >_>;

 

I don't think I've ever seen a heavily modded doll I didn't like. Most of the time, it's the "slight" mods I dislike. I think heavy mods are such an art object, and really only dislike them if I feel like the modder wasn't as talented as they should be to be showing the mod off (and I mean, you have to have a few fail mods before you get good, just like someone learning to draw or paint!). I think that's when it's aesthetically ruined for me. But if someone mods the doll and I can't even tell where the doll came from? I think that's GREAT! It's awesome.

 

I, too, cringe at modding LE dolls, not because of jealousy per se, but because there's a little voice in my head that says "this person could have done that to the regular doll and somebody who worshipped the LE specifically could have had that one, but now they're sold out."
other than that, im totally fascinated by extensive mods. i think it takes a creative and brave(very brave!!) person to go all out for a character and its a wonderful expressive act.

 

I'm all for modding, but if you can't even tell what the original mold is, then why not just get a MNM right?

 

It is cheaper for me to, say, mod a bobobie apollo into something extreme than spend $500+ on a minimee head that no one else would have an interest in (cheaper to get MNM as a group order) and might not come out anything like what you want

 

Modding helps create what your mind's eye can create. The possibilities can be nearly endless. In any case, go for it! There is never too much modding. It's your doll, you can do what you please with it. By all means, share your creativity within the doll community! [and then some]

 

I would say you should be able to mod as much as you want, but like with people and piercing and gauging, there's a point where enough is enough. However, I have yet to see someone with an "overdone" bjd, and what is and isn't too much varies with opinion. :3

 

I really love mods, but I also feel that people who mod tend to do it in a very tasteful way. If I saw an over-modded doll, I feel like I would giggle to myself. But even if a doll had piercings, horns, wings, crazy hair, crazy wig and a outrageous outfit and really unique face-up there's a large chance the doll will still look amazing.

 

I still remember that awesome/freakish succubus mod of an BBB Isabella. The head and body had so much paint and apoxy on that the only semblance to the original doll was her joints! Literally being the first mod I had ever seen, I think it left pretty desensitized to the whole thing.

I don't plan on modding any dolls either in my possession or in the future, but if you have the stones to do it, go to town.

 

Before there were Minimees I remember once going to an Asian website where they had documented the mods they had done to their dolls. For one of them they had actually sawed off the lower part of the face and then reattached it using epoxy in order to make a different face shape.

For me there really isn't such a thing as too much modding as long as the person starts off with a goal in mind, knows what they're doing, and the end product is what they want then I really don't see a problem with it.

 

I think it's probably too much modding, when you can no longer stand to look at your own doll, because you've destroyed it. LOL Other than that, all's fair in love and doll collecting. If you buy it, do as you wish. Don't let morons tell you what to do with it, or what is 'ok'. you bought it. If they want to tell you what is ok, or not ok, or what is too much, then they can go buy their own doll, and do what they wish to THAT.

 

Like many said, as long as the owner is happy I'm pretty much open to modding. I'm another who has to cringe at LE mods though for the reason that someone else who really loved that doll could have had them... but at the same time it might have needed to be that LE doll to mod into the perfect doll the modder wants too! Still, I feel sad if its mods that will appeal only to a small audience and its an LE that is very well loved. I just know the sorrow of wishing haha, but still don't hold anything against those who do mod LE's.

 

I've just caught up with this thread again and just want to add that as an artist I love the idea that people are getting so into this hobby and realising their creative potential. I'm sure some excellent modders would never have thought of doing a sculpture course at Art College because they didn't see themselves as an "arty type", but guess what, through this hobby you are all becoming artists in a truly organic way and that in itself is beautiful )

 

I don't think that a doll gets ruined by a lot of modding. If a doll is modded to the point that the mold can't be recognised then it's pretty much like a whole new doll and I might be even more drawn to it. I love the idea of modding dolls espescially when the mods are really well done. Some mods look so amazing! I would never say that someone can change a doll too much.

 

i think it is ok aslong as you dont get crazy with it

 

As someone who is commissioned regularily to do extreme mods, it doesn't bother me at all, its not my doll and I'm not spending the money to have it done.
I am currently taking a Soom Amber body and carving into it with my dremel, because the owner has specific ideas for this doll... and I extremely modded a Dollmore Bella Auden, with nails through her forearm, large pentagram carved into her abdomen, "glass" shards coming out of her shoulders, cheek, forehead and more..and the owner was thrilled with it...not something I would do to my dolls..but that's me...and I was happy the owner was happy..that's why I am working on their Amber now.

I can just feel the purists cringing! LOL

the only modding that has really ever bothered me to even look at was Soom Kyrie head that was so modded, it was grotesque..and not in a good way...{I didn't do it, but I've seen it around a while ago} it doesn't even resemble a Kyrie head anymore...it looks like some poor deformed thing..it was scary.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...when you buy a doll its yours..to do with what you want..who is to say how much is too much?

 

i barely moded my sd doll
becasue i found her nose and ears to pointy (they werent suposed to be fairy ears)
and i shaped her chin and forehead
i like it better even though its not that different from before to some people. lol

 

For there, one reason I can give is that perhaps it's more the body you're looking for and the face only barely matches what you had in mind. For instance, I have a Euclase I plan on shaving the nose down on and making the ears pointed, and he still won't look quite like my character. But what are my chances of finding another Grey skinned doll with Bird feet? What are even my chances of finding a grey head that matches the character more that also matches the resin color?

 

One of the things I love about these dolls is the ability to modify and the fact that once the doll is purchased, it becomes the owner's original work of art with limitless possibilities (with the obvious exception of structural integrity.) I love just looking around and seeing the interesting and yes, sometimes weird modifications. It really gets my imagination going.
The first time I saw someone modify a scar on their doll, I thought "Why?" but now that I've seen more and become more familiar with the idea, I say "Why not?" and "That's pretty neat!"