If Soom released their monthly dolls as a basic line next year, how would you feel?

To be honest, I don't see the big deal. Soom has proven in the past year that they are not really all that "creative" with the MD line. The first year of MDs were very creative, but ever since Amber they have been extremely lazy with the sculpting and the way they joint the fantasy parts. They've recycled so many parts and ideas at this point, to me it's just a natural progression that they would then release the same head molds only in NS for the MD's. The fact that they chose Beryl as the first makes me think that they are going to continue with Sard and the others.

For those that are complaining so hard about the secondary market prices - if the price bothers you THEN DO NOT PAY IT. Supply and demand is one of the most basic principals in an economic market. If you want something bad enough, you'll pay out the wazoo for it. Unfortunately, Beryl is one of the more rare MD sculpts, and because of that the price will be high. No one held a gun to anyone else's head (or at least I hope not) and forced them to pay the ridiculous second hand prices that Beryls are going for these days. Just because an NS version has come out also doesn't mean that the original Beryls will become obsolete or devalue them. Seriously, if the only reason you are in this hobby is for the "value" or these dolls, then you are probably in the wrong hobby. In the past five years that I have been collecting, I've watched the value of dolls steadily decrease to a point where they are not worth nearly as much as they used to be. Case in point: when I bought my El in 2005, he was roughly $700 from the company. Now you can buy the same Type 1 El for $400. His value has decreased almost by half.

I think that this all is just a sign of the entitlement and immaturity that seems to run rapmant at times through the BDJ hobby. In the end, Soom is welcome to release whatever they want, and people are going to sell their dolls for as much as they can reasonably get for them. If you have buyer's remorse for over-spending on a limited doll, then that's really your own problem. You paid that outrageous amount in the first place.

 

That's Soom's all-purpose doll header :P It says that on Dia's page too, for example. Besides, that definitely is the curvaceous Super Gem female body in the pic, not the younger-looking Gem girl body. Sorry to disappoint, a 60cm Beryl would have been pretty interesting ^^;

 

This is so true! I remember when Luts' prices were a lot higher, and dolls in general cost more just a few years ago... (although Volks' dolls still cost the same/more lol XD).

 

Mm, I think that it would be a nice idea, since I would snap up a few teenie gems myself

No seriously, the demand and supply is what gives this dollies their very inflated price, and if you're willing+able to pay for it, and now you're complaining because you paid that price, get over it. YOU PAID THAT PRICE BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT IT WAS WORTH IT. Besides, its not like they re-released Amber with her fantasy parts/limited faceup. If they did, you have every right to complain, but since they didn't, get over it. And even if you are unhappy, please do it civily. It makes me ashamed when people start being uncivil.

 

I think while many BJDs are valuable monetary-wise, they dont make very reliable investments due to many different issues (fragile, yellowing, uncertain market values and demands, esp considering that some LE may go down in prices while some Basics may suddenly raise in prices).

I understand that Beryl's sculpt is special as it is, because it IS Beryl (even without default makeup and fantasy parts etc) but even if there's a 1000 Beryls, every Beryl is unique (different faceup, different brush strokes, different eyes, dfferent wigs, different owners). I think by introducing a varied versions of the same mold may reduce the original after market values but it will also open up possibilities of trades and demands (WS vs NS, MD version vs Regular or other LE version, hunt for fantasy parts for the human Beryl, blank vs default makeup etc).

Anyways, as or the "lying" or "misinform" part, consider this situation (just a random situation, may or may not apply hehe):
I saw something I want from a store but didnt have enough money to buy it at the time. Next time I came to the store, the item was sold out. The store personnel told me that "It is impossible to re-stock the item, because once it's sold out, it's sold out for good". So I ended up buying the item on secondary market at double the price. When I visit the store again, voila! They re-stocked the item. The store personnel is probably happy to inform me that they re-stocked the item, even though they thought they wont, but due to high-demand, they bent their policies because they think it will benefit both the company and customers who want the item.
So now, should I tell the store personnel that she lied to me?( when chances are, she doesnt have anything to do with the re-stocking decisions) Or maybe I can say thank you for listening to the customers and I will continue giving my inputs? I may decide not to buy anything from the store ever again but I dont have to tell the world about it, nor do I feel the need to bash them. Bashing is only acceptable when the company is rude and seriously lacks customer service. But why bash then either? We should be better than them

 

Reading this discussion I feel that either I or other people have a misconception about what limited dolls are.

A limited doll is when the company decides the entire package, they decide on the hair and the dress. The makeup and the eyes. This total limited package is then sold to the client. Limited dolls are probably thought of by the company to more so than the basic counterparts remain as they were when purchased. Soom has allowed the buyers the privilege of buying the parts of the limited package that they want, but this doesn't change the fact that the true limited doll is the entire package.

I really do feel sorry for those who felt that Soom lied to them, but given the language barriers going around there might somewhere along the line have been a misunderstanding.

Looking at the fantasy Beryl and this new Beryl side by side I cannot say that it's the same doll. I fell head over heel in love with Monzo a couple of months back, but without the grey resin, the ears, the feet and the wings Monzo wouldn't be the same doll.

I have never heard anyone argue that if you wiped the faceup and took away the clothes of a limited Megu or Kira then it would be the same headmolds that are available as basics or through FCS, thus the dolls weren't really limited.

The fact that you stripped away the limitdness of a limited, by selling of the fantasy parts, changing the makeup, etc doesn't change the fact that what Soom originally offered was a limited edition.

Speaking of the second hand market. If many people went to a car dealership and bought cars. Then sold of the pieces making a profit and you then piece together a car after buying said pieces, how on earth is that the car dealerships fault? The fact that you payed more for basically the same car hasn't benefited the dealership one bit.

What some people seem to be arguing is that if you as a buyer remove everything limited about a doll, it should still be different. That I think is an unreasonable demand.

 

I kind of have to agree in the sense that a lot of the time I don't feel like my dolls are fully "limited" unless they have the faceups and blushing, which is why I generally always get those options.
The only time in my entire dolly life I haven't is with Shonki, and that was simply because I felt that the job Soom did on her/him was bad. It wasn't just that it wasn't my thing or anything.. it was poorly done in my opinion. But I liked the black resin and really wanted to support that venture, so I went for her blank!
I will never however consider her as limited as my other dolls because she lacks Soom's default faceup and blushing.

That is just my opinion on my own dolls and doesn't reflect on what I think about other people's dolly habits.
But I'll agree that with Beryl, I will not consider her the limited Beryl unless she is the original version with original faceup and blushing, with the correct ears and fantasy parts.

I think what has me so upset is just that this whole thing has reminded me how much I want Beryl, but just how much non fantasy dolls do not appeal to me.
I also have zero interest in normal skin tones, so this re-release has done nothing for me but remind me what I can't have. T_T

I still really don't like this method of doll sales though, and have always not been happy with the way Iplehouse runs things (which is why I stopped buying from them after my first doll).
But I'm glad others who really just want a human Beryl in a normal skin tone will get their chance at that all the same.

 

I can perfectly understand both the disappointed peoples and the happy ones.
The reasons why one purchase a doll are very unique and I cannot say "your reason is wrong, mine is right".
I dislike this way to run things about limiteds, cause the "limited" is always a interesting feature to me.
In my own opinion, saying that a doll is limited only for the dress or the make up or some fantasy part is quite funny. A real limited doll to me is a doll with a mold that has been casted in limited numbers and that will only be re-casted in exceptional situations.
So for my own opinion there is no real limited on the market right now, cause no company said "it is casted now, and than it will never be casted again, in any form".
And I agree too about the time: if I want a limited doll and I have the money, probably I would buy it immediatly, even if I like the mold only and even if I know that the company will recast the same mold in 2 years or such for a cheaper price.

... and I agree about the skin color too: it looks like it is the only limited thing in dolls, right now ^^ so buying only the strange color dolls from Soom can be a way to have them "limited" in some way =) Probably Soom will not release a Euclase in grey again (but maybe in normal or white skin), or a grey Onyx or a violet Vesuvia... so the only MD that can be affected by it are the normal ones (like the ones with no elven ears, no strange resin color, as Io, Bix, Topaz... and such).

In certain ways, I prefer the Iplehouse way, as you perfectly know that every limited will be released in few weeks in normal/white version, so you can decide if you prefer the ebony/grey/whatever color one or a standard release.

^^

 

^ actually Topaz was CW skin, just a note.

 

That is not a strange resin color at all

 

Hahaha that's what I was thinking!
CW is the closest resin Soom does to my own skin! xD

 

XD yeah ahah
Well anyway I probably used the wrong word: with normal ones I didn't mean normal skin, but I mean the normal and white resin ones, colors that are sold in standard editions too. I think Soom will allow people to buy super gem dolls in white skin again soon.
For unique or strange colors I mean the grey, violet, black, tan and so on

 

Well, Soom is discontinuing their CW option for standard releases, that's why I'm now conting it as a 'special' color. Only TG (and I think SG as well) that are CW are the MD dolls.

 

Well, I can understand why people who buy the dolls because they are limited, or who are collectors who take much of the enjoyment in the fact they have an 'exclusive' collection would get angry at this. Thing is, it's nothing new. Luts did this, many companies do this, and yes they do say one thing and do the other. It sucks, especially if you are the kind of collector who collects because of uniqueness of the release, but it happens and you can never really trust a doll company. Doesn't mean you can't be mad, or feel your doll is worth less now-you're totally within your rights to think this sucks.

However, what I don't get is some of the comments on Soom's page. Go to Hell? Really? Sueing Soom? Or that comment on how Soom 'killed' Olivine because she did not make enough money? Where does this sense of entitlement come from? Soom is a business, they are allowed to discontinue or release their dolls as they see fit. I remember(granny mode!)the community felt appreciative for doll companies, that we felt grateful for the dolls that they made for us to buy, that we saw them as artists, and thought it was okay they made money, too. Sure, if a company rereleases a limited doll, there was grumpyness but eventually you kind of figured 'well, you can never trust what they say!' and that was that-you don't tell them to go to hell! When has this changed so much, since when do the companies owe us everything, right now, and exclusively to you?

I'm not saying everyone is like this, of course not. But lately, it does seem as if the community is very..unsatisfied. Entitled. Not just with Soom, with other companies too, with events it's expected and people get angry if they don't get the free stuff they think they deserve. When a company does something you don't like, such as releasing a limited when they have a history of standards, or rereleasing, comments are so..poisonous. It's okay to be disapointed, it's okay to express that you're sad. But to say the kind of things that are being said lately..it's so different from how it once was, and in such a short time. We have more choice than ever, and this rerelease of Soom is so different from the original(much more different than let's say, the second release of Elf El and Lishe), and yet still apparently people feel compelled to tell Soom to go to Hell, and generally act so unsatisfied.

I just don't get it, I guess.

 

What Raouken said. Where does this rudeness come from? It's okay to feel disappointed and sad, but if you throw courtesy and politeness out of the window over a doll, it doesn't make you look good.
I'd rather have people save their outrage for causes that deserve it and keep their heads calm when talking about dolls.

 

I looked at the page to see the doll, and saw the comments when scrolling down to see if there were any new photos. The viciousness there is just... wow. Wow. It is downright depressing. I've had my reasons to be irritated with Soom from time to time, but really, that just... wow.

 

If they brought them out as basics I might actually buy some of them it'd be as shame if they stopped doing different resin colours though

 

This is exactly what I was thinking last night, but felt I had said enough already!
There are more serious injustices in the world to get angry about, than a dolls head....

 

I suppose most of the people already in a fury will "love" me for this one, but I really hope we'll see a NS Vesuvia. I loved her head sculpt, just had no need for the fantasy parts or anything purple. I loved her face sculpt to death, but really wanted her in NS or WS.

I like the NS Beryl. I don't know how feasible a purchase will be, though. If I had the cash, I would still love to get the MD version someday, however, absurd secondary market prices or not. This release would not deter me from pursuing the original with the same level of zeal, and certainly doesn't make me want that version less than I have for some time now. I liked her fantasy parts a great deal even though similar ones have appeared since that time, and loved her outfit and wig.

 

I like the idea, for the simple reason that the limited dolls always have thoses little bits that make them special, and the basics don't so in a way even though it's the same sculpt it's not the same doll like with the Pipos Charlotte, they first released the limited version which I missed (though they have now re-realsed it) and have now bought out a basic which I'm happy about as I love the sculpt so it means even though I won't get all the bits and bobs that make it limited (which I didn't want anyway I just wanted the doll) I can still have the doll I want =D