How much modding is too much?

Thank you very much, acenit, and I agree with you one hundred percent.

That's not to say I do not beleive in constructive criticism, or the right to criticize what a person may dislike. But the reason why I brought psychology into the argument was to demonstrate, and to give others the opportunity to consider, why we have the dislike for modded limiteds when we do, if we do. But there is also a significant difference in saying 'I don't think that eye was opened very well' or 'those hamster feet mods look more like tree stumps to me' than, 'you don't have a right to modify that doll- why didn't you just go buy another one'.

I think another thing we need to consider and remind ourselves of (in this hobby, with emphasis) is that just because we have a 'dream' or 'grail' doll does not mean that there are alternatives to the model you are considering. We are lucky enough to be part of the hobby when we have as much diversity as we do. In having so much selection, many companies have dolls that look alike, both within thier own production lines and when compared to dolls from other retailers. When you look at that SuperLimitedPerfectDoll, that you are so angry to see being modified because that is one less doll that is just PERFECT for your character, there is often more than one option to consider when choosing 'molds' for your dolls. There's always more than one way to solve a problem.

What is it you actually LIKE about SuperLimitedPerfectDoll? Are you attracted to a doll because of the prestigeof it being a SuperLimitedPerfectDoll? Because if you're just attracted to the sheer difficulty of obtaining the doll, then by all logical assumptions, you should be jumping for joy when someone modifies that limited item, because it makes it that much more challenging to get what you want in its original condition. And if you think that your SuperLimitedPerfectDoll has a face that is just ~so unique~, I challenge you to list the actual features on the doll you like. Find out who the sculptor is, because often, an artist has a way of creating dolls (or characters) who look alike. Buy something simillar. Modify it, oh ironies of ironies, to look more like your ideal doll. Or wait for a re-release of SuperLimitedPerfectDoll (sometimes it happens) if you are just so staunchly convinced that you are in love.

Or, one could simply realize that in the future, you may find a DIFFERENT SuperLimitedPerfectDoll to grow obsessive over. Maybe that next doll will suit your purposes even more in the first place. When I missed out on Vampire Woosoo, and his price continued to sky rocket, I thought, 'no chance I'll get my Solace now, wahhhhh', and then I basically hated on others who modified theirs. (Even though, ironically, if I had been successful in obtaining a Woosoo, I myself would have opened his eyes and dyed him blue. Which makes myself, and others who hate on owners who modify limiteds or limited face-ups a bunch of hypocrites.)

The funny thing is, when they released Nanuri2007 some time later, the head was even more perfect for my purposes in the first place.

This hobby is all about flexibility. We can change the colour of our dolls' eyes, their hair. We order different skin tones. Why shouldn't we modify them, to better suit what we want, when the core value of our dolls seems to be the ability to change?

 

Then that "person who wanted it as-is" should've bought it first. There is no "but" involved, once that object belongs to somebody else. That ship has sailed.

Thank you very much Splinterhayde for bringing up the bugbear of jealousy, as it pertains to this context. Nobody likes to say its name out loud, but it's at the heart of this issue. Jealousy is an ugly thing with a thousand different forms, including this kind of twisted projection, e.g. "you don't deserve to have this object because I wanted to do something different with it". When you say it out loud, it sounds ludicrous; why should the owner of that object be made to care what you would've done with it? The time spent blaming other people (total strangers, no less) for one's own jealousy.... would be much better spent moving on with one's own life.

 

There are many things about the community that are positive, however, the lack of boundaries can indeed be really problematic. This idea that dolls are community property is fast becoming one of my bigger pet peeves, as well as a the more general issue of just sticking noses where they don't belong. Some things just have to be left up to the individual without people guilt tripping, strong-arming, bullying and just being plain obnoxious because some poor owner happens to do things differently. The fact that modding is a big part of the hobby anyway makes all the complaints even that much more out of place.

 

Even a single mod can ruin the doll for me - I see a lot of less than fantastic mods on Livejournal of dripping eyeliner, tears, tattoos, etc, but frankly, it's not my doll, and it doesn't really bother me. I don't LIKE it, but hey, that's why it's not mine, right?

 

This is a huge issue to me as well, and enough of one that I've almost thrown up my hands and walked away from the boards, if not the hobby, entirely. Particularly when it extends to bullying companies into doing -- or not doing -- certain things those particular users want. It essentially says 'not only are everyone else's dolls our property, your ability to create them is, too, because we're going to bully you until you create what we specifically want and nothing else'. The sense of entitlement is vastly out of control.

 

It all boils down to this: It is okay to have an opinion, but it is not okay to force that opinion down someone's throat.

I'll have an opinion when I see something I don't like, but my opinion does not matter that much when it concerns what other people do with their own doll/property. Unless it concerns something illegal or unethical. (Modding a rare doll to death is not illegal or unethical. Stealing a doll or wacking someone over the head with a doll so that person ends up in the hospital is.)

Regarding the original question in the title, I'll stick to something I've said way back in this thread: You have done too much modding when there's nothing left that's worth to keep. I've bought a modded LE head off the market place that was modded in such a way that some people would consider it damaged beyond repair. I modded it some more and I like that doll head. On the other hand I've seen people do mods that made me think the doll was ready for the trash can, but the owner was happy with it.

"Worthy of keeping" is something personal, just like liking artworks. One person may love a painting that is disliked by another. One person may dislike the fact that a painting was created by painting over an existing painting, while someone else may love it.
Things will remain interesting when we keep having different opinions.

 

Well I guess the breaking point would be like, first you got this dream doll but you didn't like the ears, or the character is an elf and you modded the ears. And that's okay! If you want the dreaming head to have open eyes it's okay! And even if you change the skin color (f/e white to gray) or you put some fantasy parts, you do their face up with scars and everything it's okay. But then you want the scars to have real depth and then, you grabed your tools and perforated the resin. It's okay if you want, and it wasn't enough for you and you decided to rip appart one part of the ears so it looks like some wild animal bited them, and you start to do things with the face/body that can't take off! I mean, face ups, painted scars, and stuff it's okay but when you do things that can't be undone and someday you need to sell your doll, would someone buy it?.

 

The above post takes for granted the fact that the doll will be sold, but I think it is more appropriate to look at the possible situation of a sale as an 'if', not 'when'. Given, many dolls who go home for the first time often end up being sold again later on, especially Limiteds, but not always. Those people who spend that much time synthesizing a bitten ear or deep gouge scars are not often the ones to sell those dolls on.

In the event that the greatly modified dolls do go, there are always buyers. Whether, in the case of a gored up doll, the new owner fancies such modifications, or, in the case of a doll that looks 'disfigured beyond repair', there are many users who would snap up a doll with that self-same description BECAUSE it is described that way - for the right price.

There's a lot more that I had wanted to say in response to this thread since my last post, but I'm feeling lazy. So I won't.

 

I say it is your doll, your property it is up to you what you do with it.

 

A mini-me would just be so... Boring I think that, and to mod a doll until you can't tell the original sculpt, that doesn't do anything, it just became a completely original doll.

 

As long as it still looks good it's okay, I think. With modifications your doll becomes unique ... it would be just bad when the doll loses it's nose or something like that because you made it too thin oder something like that ^^'

 

I have seen alot of beautifully modded dolls, however I have also seen a few mods that I personally did not consider beautiful.
I do enjoy seeing how a doll artist turns one doll into almost another doll completley, it's interesting and facinating to me. When I come accross the doll mods that make me cringe, I just say to myself,
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." ~ Plato

 

I am not a huge fan of modifications that, in my opinion, "deface" a doll~things such as large cuts or gashes on a doll, or a lot of the gory type mods out there. Those types of mods just make me uncomfortable since I view them as having such a destructive element. But having said that, it is entirely up to an owner as to what they wish to do with their doll.

 

^Same here, in part.

To me, I don't find it aesthetically pleasing to see a doll that I can tell has been modded. Even though I don't like gore mods at all, I can at least give credit to those who do a good job on them. I think I'm fine with even extreme mods if I can't particularly tell they've been modded to begin with - though most dolls I see, I never even knew what the original looked like. For me, it's got nothing to do with what doll's being modded, it's how it looks after.

 

Oh yes, this one annoys me a lot too. If a company is especially accommodating, some users think they're fair game. And who's to say the user requests are even good for the company's business model?

Regarding the original question, if the mod is really incompetent, it probably should not have been done at all.* But a skilled mod is worthwhile, even if it's not to my personal taste.

*Caveat: Unless it was done for practice?

 

I've just read through several pages of this, and so far the thing that's been sticking out to me is "only if the mods are done well"
That bums me out, personally I love seeing all mods done well or not. Unless the modder is putting their doll in the critic area asking for judgements on it, they haven't asked for it.
I don't think there is such a thing as too much modding, even on a limited. If you wanted that limited, but didn't get it and someone else it modding the heck out of theirs, too bad you missed out it's their doll now.

I guess that's just me though, my view has always been, if someone has that super limited one of the kind doll that everyone and their grandma is fighting to get and they decided to take it home and throw it on the bonfire, good for them.

 

I don't think there is such thing as too much modding. I mean, I'm perfectly willing to buy a cheap head and mod the hell out of it until it isn't even recognizable; it comes down to the fact that I bought that head, and as such, I am perfectly able to do whatever I want to it. Sure, it might make me cringe a little to see a poorly done mod, but hey, not my doll.

Of course, I would be hesitant to mod a limited, if only because 9/10 times they're super expensive and "omg what if I mess up?! D8" But if someone wants to mod their limited X, Y or Z, then that's their decision, not anyone else's, haha.

 

This is not such a difficult subject, seeing as you have no say in what someone does to their dolls. I personally love modded dolls very much, and plan to mod myself soon. But I can understand how some people may dislike seeing a rare doll modded, especially if it was a doll that they wanted for themselves but, didn't have the opportunity to obtain.

A good rule of thumb is that its not your doll! And while it may be a shame (to your perception) you should keep in mind that if you have nothing nice to say, its better left unsaid.

 

This was where I'm coming from. I mean, what you or I consider 'done well' is completely individual, but it sometimes irks me when I can see signs that it's been modded. Even if it's a doll I know, I'm perfectly content if someone mods them to look different than the original - just as long as I can't tell. I liked to be surprised.

I just don't like to see very visible traces that moderations took place. Like, seeing a different colored sculpty(?) stand out against the overall color of the original resin, even when blushed or painted over. Or noticeable marks where it's been filed down and not buffed to look consistent. I think it's the OCD in me, but I'm just a stickler for consistency.

For a beginner at modding, I wouldn't advise them using a limited doll head for it. Limiteds cost a lot of money, and if you make a mistake, you could be making a very pricey mistake. If I had an LE, I wouldn't mod them no matter how off-character (if that's why I bought it) they looked without it. I'd be way too scared I'd screw up big time, and there goes $900. Buying expensive stuff with my own money has taught me to be less risky about my possessions. I'd still advise they buy the doll, if that's what they wanted, but to practice on heads/bodies that weren't going to be as costly to replace.