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

I wouldnt mind if they release a regular line using previous MD's sculpts. In fact, I would really like that. To me, the special thing about MD is the entire set (i.e. the special face-up, special skin colour, fantasy parts, limited outfit and shoes, limited wig and maybe even eyes) and for those who want a more "toned-down/regular" version of the MD can probably get it now if Soom starts to re-release them as regulars.

I dont think Soom told a lie when they said they wont re-release any of the MD. They probably wont re-release them complete with the extra parts (fantasy parts, LE outfits etc as mentioned above) but I'm not sure if they ever said they wont re-release the sculpts themselves. That said, Soom is running a business and if they see a way to raise profits, such as re-releasing popular sculpts even as regular line, then why not?

Anyways, I find the more people who get to own these lovely dolls, the merrier. I dont see this hobby as a way to make extra money (buying for re-selling purpose, works especially well for LE dolls) or to feel exclusive by owning LE dolls....basically, I buy the dolls because I love them. While I understand some might feel angry or cheated if Soom takes a step and make a regular line using the MD sculpts, I dont think we should make a "barrier" to those who want these dolls but couldnt buy/missed them when they were released as MD.

 

I can understand why some people are upset by this. After all, you were promise something limited and never to be re-released again in addition to paying such a high second market price for something. I believe it will lower the market price for the original limited edition as people can now settle for the basic edition. However, I also feel that bashing soom such as in the comment section for the newly released Beryl is uncalled for. Many companies that say that there dolls are limited are in fact rereleased again. A notorious one is Volks. It's limited alright but it's released again at some point. For ex. Ran, Mikuru, Ryoya, Suzune, Rengemaru...etc. In addition, soom doesn't include the fantasy parts for the basic edition.

 

Of course it's a choice to pay the price of whatever doll you might acquire. No one's being coerced, I'm sure, but the concern is more if they were deceived or will feel that they have been. Rightly or not, Soom may well lose some business from this because of lost trust from some of their customers. They'll probably gain some, too, of course. ^^

 

There's no information on how the "basic" Beryl will be released yet... she might not even be as a true "basic" (I.e., anyone can order her at any time). She might go to lottery, or there might be a limited number in this skin-colour, or anything...

I'm rather surprised at the venom of some of the comments on Soom's site! "Go to hell"?! That's just too rude...

 

Good point! If SOOM re-released 'Beryl, Never Ending Dream' , again, that would be going against what they have told people they would not do, but unless they specifically said 'we will never use the Beryl head again', there is no problem in my eyes.

p.s. Has anyone counted the number of messages asking for her to be re-stocked/re-issued under the original gal....? There are an awful lot and SOOM has maybe listened to our plea's! Just looking at those original photos of her again, she really was and still is very special and beautiful, no one can take that away from her.

Still original, still limited, still beautiful! ​

 

Oh ok, I got confused.. I'm sorry that's not actually irony, it's just a very large coincidence >_<. Although I guess irony means that these days to most people.

I wouldn't say Soom have deceived people. After all, it's not like they would have needed much planning to decide to release sculpts they have used on limited edition dolls. The molds are right there, all they would have to do is decide to sell them, and prepare to cast. So I highly doubt they have specifically lied (after all, there is nothing at all in it for them to do so - the only people who profit from Soom not releasing sculpts is people who are selling them for large amounts secondhand), they probably just started listening to all the requests they have gotten begging to release the sculpts they have used for limited editions.

So really, people who are saying they are lying, are more likely being ruder than they are claiming Soom to be. I'm sorry.

Most likely Soom decided to do something nice, and release sculpts people have wanted, and now they're getting accused of some horrendous things. It even looks like they are staying away from releasing the dolls in WS too, to keep the exclusivity of the original release.

by the way, if anyone wants to gush over this girl, and speculate on what exactly her resin colour is: http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?377443-Beryl-Love-me-or-die-Soom&p=6450341

Thanks (Just so I dont go offtopic in here and get yelled at!)

 

So, did SOOM say that the MDs would never be re-released? As in, with ALL fantasy parts and such? Technically they are not really lying, this Beryl is different to a MD.

 

I'm not 100% certain how to feel about this either. I mean I love the soom MD's and there are many I wish I had had the chance to get, Such as sard, but I think this is taking away from the original concept of the "Limited" doll.

Just because they release her in a new skin tone and potentially without fantasy parts [I dont think they are telling yet lol] doesnt make it feel different enough from the original, maybe if they changed the face just a little or something, half closing her eyes, giving her a small smile or something... it wouldnt be so bad?... I know I would be a tiny bit annoyed of they released basic versions of the dolls I worked hard to buy I would feel a little cheated, and I'm sure others would feel the same.

However to counterbalance these feelings it give people a chance to get the faces they loved but werent quite perfect due to the skin tone being wrong and so on...

 

The question is:
If Soom released the face sculpts as a basic line first, and the MD dolls next, would we be having this conversation? Most people would see the other way around as an addition to the doll, whereas here people seem to be seeing it as a detraction.

 

I don't see the problem here either; this is definetly different from the never Ending Dream release. Or do people already forget that Sard already exists as a standard? Him and dia are exactly same mold, save for the elvin ears. And that never detracted from the price of the Sard in the second hand market.

 

I'm pretty happy. There are some MDs I didn't realize I wanted until owner photos started showing up and I haven't been willing to pay secondhand prices for many of them. Also, most of the time I do only want a basic doll. I'd love to see Yrie and Beyla in NS With Yrie, I didn't realize how cute she was from their photos and then Beyla, who I own, I would just love her in another skintone. The one aftermarket Soom doll I've bought is Bygg, because I am head over heels in love with the sculpt, but I looked around for a good/very close to retail price for the head.

I think it's a bit unfair if Soom did tell people the sculpts were limited if they aren't, but I wouldn't fight them about it. I think they'll do their best to release them so that the original MDs still retain their unique properties. It looks like Beryl - love me or die will be some sort of lottery or limited edition. It says 'chance' for the heading. So not exactly a basic? I dunno, we'll have to see.

 

the more I sit here and think about it the more I'm liking the idea... after all this is a special release which in a way I suppose is its own limited seriese, and with the resin tone they are using maybe they are doing what iplehouse is doing and releasing special runs in realskin of previouse limited dolls minus the fantasy parts? I mean you can now get Iplehouses Luna Tamer in white skin and normal skin but they release her now and then in realskin, no chimera bits. the originals keep their values due to being that wonderful unique set, but these RS or altered releases for the people who dont want fantasy dolls but love the sculpt.

 

//joking// I think what so many people are missing in this thread, is that we should all have nocturneofsilence buy our lottery tickets from now on. Come on people, think "big picture" here! //joking//

In all seriousness though, I am one of those people who bought a seriously marked up Soom MD in various parts on the marketplace, spent way more on her than any other doll, but at the same time *had the chance to buy her modded in human form for WAY less and decided not to.* Someone had a modded Cuprit with human ears and a human-like faceup for far less than the fantasy head+MD faceup and I didn't even look twice at it.

If I hadn't already bought my Cuprit, and her human version came out again on Soom's site, I wouldn't buy her, no matter how much cheaper she was than the true MD version. Her big ol' new boobies wouldn't fit in her original MD costume, and Cuprit isn't Cuprit without the fantasy parts, including the pointed ears that are so very delicately painted and blushed as part of her MD faceup.

If I hadn't bought my Cuprit already, I'd still be hunting for her on the marketplace regardless of this "mortal" version.

 

I can honestly say that I wouldn't care. I bought a Madoka on the second hand market when - only a month later - Volks re-released her (as a Shizu). Tough luck, but I wasn't angry in the least. I bought her because I loved her face. That love hasn't changed now that she's been re-released and I still think she's worth every penny I paid for her.

Really, I don't understand what the fuss is about. You loved the doll enough to justify the price-tag, didn't you? You had a few years where you could enjoy her all by yourself. Now, others have that same chance.

 

Well, no, because the situation would be quite different. We might be having a different discussion, as not everyone is impressed by er, dolled up standards as LEs anyways (I am, I have an LE Abadon). If people were told that these sculpts - in a post above it says sculpts, which is not the same as fantasy parts, outfit, faceup, etc - would never be released again, I can see why they'd be ticked. Other companies have done it, annoyed some people, and moved on (both Iple and volks); I expect that's exactly what will happen here.

I guess I keep harping on this just because I think people aren't out of line to be annoyed by this. I don't think Soom's being evil or anything, although I can't say I think they handled this that well. I also wish that everyone who likes limited edition anything wasn't put into this box of "snobby elitist only out to make other people feel bad" in so many posts in this thread . . . OT, but I've seen so many "How dare you be angry/irritated/wondering aloud about something that a company did!" posts all over DoA lately that I also wish to defend the urge to complain about things you don't like . . . Something may not bother one person at all, but for somebody else could be infuriating.

Although I'm not sure what Soom is supposed to say to people complaining they paid more on the aftermarket when they were told it'd never be re-released . . . o_o

 

Actually imho that breakaway cannot really be compared to the previous two Luts breakaways. He looked pretty different. To me his main selling point was his 3/4 closed eyes >_> Or put in other words : My plans for a Luts '05/'08 breakaway cannot be substituted with the feeple breakaway. They're just not the same.

People and companies change their minds all the time, usually to adopt to changes or to respond to demands. Soom isn't the only one to have rereleased limiteds as basics. So many people forgive Iple because it's already their trend, but yet they shove the proverbial sword down Soom's throat for trying to follow the route that you guys don't mind Iple following!

Plus, Soom isn't the only ones to have given "Nononononono" answers and then suddenly went and do the opposite! Luts has done this countless times! Why? Well as I said before plans can be changed. Secondly, there's such thing as 'spoilers'. Sometimes a company believes that it has reasons to not release any information before the official date planned by the company!

And who is to say the people running the websites are the same people who plan and make the dolls? There could be misinformation in the company itself, or different views between the two parties, e.g. the planners say NO and the artists say YES. Maybe it's just time the people who said YES won't over the NO party. Not all artists are businessmen so it wouldn't be suprising at all if the company is run by people with different beliefs in sales strategy!!

Further more, what happened to the abused belief among members that said "My money my choice?" You are responsible for your choice right? You pay the amount you are willing to fork out for something. Sure you can get angry that you paid "more than you have to if you waited two years", but it gives no one any right to flame Soom for making the decisions they made on their products!

Sint, gwenithcoy, gelfling9uk, 1000014, candygears thanks so much for your posts. You guys brought up really good points.


EDIT - I just noticed some of the 'flamers' names on the Soom pages xD; Did I confuse some posts or something?
Just realised that the commenter's name is ABOVE their comments, not below xDD;;

 

Customers are responsible for their choices. They are not responsible for hypothetical internal company politics or misinformation. Plans can certainly be changed, which is why many companies in many industries are very careful about what information they give out. And it's not like nobody ever got angry at LUTS, Iplehouse, Volks, or anybody else.

Who's flaming Soom in this thread? Complaining and flaming are not the same thing. And most people are defending Soom anyways.

 

Agreeing with this. Volks does it all the time, releases "new" limiteds where the only difference from a previous limited is the faceup and clothing. I can't imagine they'd waste all those head sculpt molds on only one limited casting run, I'd always assumed that there would be a basic release or rerelease of the MDs eventually.