Is it okay to mod a rare head?

I think someone in this thread already mentioned it: because that rare mold could have a feature you need for the mod-project you have in mind. It could be the eyes, the lower lip, perhaps the right nostril, but that was EXACTLY what that person needed. I don't see anything wrong with it and I don't see this as a disrespect for the original sculpt. These dolls are meant to be customized; there are no rules as to how far you may take it.

As far as I see it, he bought it, so it's up to him to decide what he wants to do with it.

 

Ah sorry, I didn't read all 10 pages... I did think of that though, but I think it should be possible to find a similar, but less rare head if you really intend to go all the way with the modding (meaning no slight smile adjusts or piercings, but more the big-scratch-across-the-face kind of mod).

 

I value everyone's argument and I definitely would never hold it against someone because it is their money and their choice. Unfortunately, for me, I would just I suppose mourn for the loss of the original and rare sculpt. But maybe the right thing to do is to rejoice for the new, beautiful modification. When I see a rare doll that's been modded and either retains the same beauty or more than I will change my mind, but so far I have seen mods on rare sculpts, which, frankly, have made me a little upset to see such a beautiful, rare, face be ruined because someone took it too far.
But! Again, that's the thing about these dolls, isn't it? That they're just so personal to every person and everyone sees them the same.
I would love to see some people mod a rare sculpt (in a respectful way), because I WANT to be proved wrong.

That's a challenge! hehe

 

You know, I have a limited doll I bought directly from the company. If I would sell it, I would make about 50% of what I originally paid for it, because the doll type just isn't that popular. Some limiteds aren't that popular, but they might still be rare. I wonder if anyone would care if I modded this doll.
I'm certainly not going to sell it (I refuse to take such a financial loss), so if I could make this doll more to my liking by modding it, why not? Since it's not going back on the market (unless some dire financial situation forces me to do so), the "but someone else wants that doll" argument doesn't fly. I want this doll, but perhaps a little bit different. Surely people in this hobby can understand the desire to make your doll unique by customising it and customising may include mods.

Is it the nostalgia factor of "somewhere there's this pristine doll of mold X of which only Y were made"?
What if it's not a limited doll, but an (unpopular) discontinued doll? Some of those might be even rarer than some limited editions. Is it okay to mod a discontinued doll or only if it's an ugly mold you never cared for?

 

Muisje you make a very good point!

I'm just waiting to be proved wrong.
I come from an art world where if something is rare you keep it in pristine condition, so I'm definitely pre-programmed to think rare=untouchable.
I think you make a good point, Muisje​.

 

But why go with something similar when you already have something perfect. If the rare head has an aspect exactly how I need it, why go find something else that may be kind of like it. The search is over, why keep looking simple because the head I've found happens to be rare?

Perhaps someone has a character in mind that gets turned into a zombie, and the character looked exactly like a certain rare head before the person was turned, and for the sake of authenticity they decide to purchase said head and do a zombie gore mod, as the rare head would have the perfect underlying structure for what their character would look like after becoming a zombie.

These are customizable dolls meant to be adjusted to what the owner wants, even the limited ones. This isn't a shame, a waste, or disrespect toward the artist, because honestly if the artist really wanted to preserve something as an intact no mods needed/wanted piece of art there are other mediums of choice. Porcelain comes to mind, but I'm sure they're plenty of others.

(I now want to do a zombie gore mod on a Williams head. >_>)

 

Well, if it is Their doll, they have the right to do with it what they want. They are probably going to think of this and debate about it with themselves, "Oh, should I just get another head so I don't screw up this one?" Etc... O_o

 

(Oh sdrcow. What's creepy is I've been on your dA and youtube today and then you come along and post here o_O)

But yeah, I'm just waiting to see some respectful modding!

 

What is and isn't respectful is going to change from person to person. If you ask me a mod is a mod is a mod, and mods in themselves are neither respectful or disrespectful. Just because someone doesn't like or approve of the mod they see does not mean that the modder has disrespected the sculpt or the sculptor.

 

it depends on the mod.
I actually really like cloudedmind's idea of a zombie Williams!
but if the person bought a very rare head and changed the eye shape, sanded down the nose, jawline and cheeks, etc I'd be like: WHY THE HELL did you have to do this on a rare head???? it has nothing of the original anymore, you could have used absolutely ANY other head!!
this exemple is exagerated, I've never seen anyone do this.but in a case like this I'd be... kind of mad and insulted ôo
for only light mod I'm a bit like "oh no ;__; one less to go" but it's not worst than someone who bought it, never showed pics and never re-sell it.... so I won't make a big deal about it.

 

Sahoma! You helped me explain my point! Hehe!

 

Is it okay? Really?
If someone wants to mod a rare head, then, whatever. They paid for it.
It's kinda sad to see rare heads be modded but who are we to say if it's okay or not? It's not really an issue of morality, so who cares?
Their doll, their problem.

 

Well people who buy the doll own it..they can technically do what they want with it...

...but I personally would prefer to leave it as it is (especially if it's a one-of-a-kind beauty. Even if there are a handful, and it looks gorgeous, I wouldn't want to change it.

Now when it comes to things that have much larger numbers, I'm a little more open to it. For example, when I look through DD pictures, some re-face-upped character dolls look BETTER than their character face did (in my opinion). However, sometimes, it looks worse..especially when that original character face-up was so gorgeous ToT

 

I'm probably too new to really get emotional about this topic, now if it was a discontinued skein of Wollmeise (yarn) in a colour she would not create again and someone bought it for 3 x its original price (not that unusual) and then decided to overdye it, now that might get me a little ticked but I'd keep my four-letter words to myself ;-)

At the end of that day, it's the owner's choice to do what the heck he or she likes and whilst I might not like it, it's not really my job to point out the error of their ways, whatever I personally think.

 

It's a childish feeling that, but I cannot help but feel annoyed (and sometimes angry) when people mod their rare doll. For instance someone modded an off topic doll that I really really want but can't afford because of the price. When they modded it I wanted to cry because that doll was so beautiful to me and I wanted her so badly.

However, it was the owner's choice (and even though I dislike it) I can't stop her.

 

Honestly... Its up to the person. It is their money and they can mod is whatever they want.

 

But that doll would have never had become yours anyway. The original owner bought it for themselves to do what they wished with it. They were a little luckier and a little faster, and they would have never placed that doll back on the market - as demonstrated by the fact they modded the doll.

It baffles me that people (on one hand) can go "Oh, if I got that doll I would never sell it." and on the other say "That other owner still has that pristine doll! They'll sell it eventually, I'll just wait." You do not have any say or 'dibs' on another person's belongings. If that doll was never going to go back on the market, why do you only see it as a lost cause when the other owner mods the doll? The other owner wasn't going to sell in the first place.

The only time a doll is on the market is when it is on the market. All other times, the dolls are the possessions of their respective owners and are not up for sale. Acting like they are, and that they're part of the pool you can buy is the strangest attitude I have yet to come across in this hobby, imo.

 

Like what has been said before me, it's up to the person, it's their money. Though I'm sure their are similar and less valuable alternatives that one could work with rather than using a rare head. But ultimately, you buy it, you do whatever you want with it.

 

For the sake of conversation and evidence of 'rare doll modding', I found a good example of someone 'ruining' a limited sculpt by modifying every aspect of it.
And it looks amazingly beautiful. Here.

To say someone 'ruins' a doll by modifying it is a bit unfair. It's not their fault those who want the mold weren't around/had the money in time for it, and it doesn't mean we should shun them for it.

 

I don't actually think it's all that strange and it's certainly not unique to this hobby. In any collecting hobby where certain items are extremely rare, and hobbyists have an idea of what's in another person's collection, it's not unusual to see that kind of thought process, and it does make some sense.

Obviously, an item in a private collection that isn't for sale isn't something anyone should be trying to lay claim to, but as there is always a chance that a rare item will eventually come back onto the market, it may be comforting to those collectors to know that there is one out there, somewhere. How high a chance do they have at getting it? Not very high, but higher than if that item ceases to exist.

I can safely say that there are plenty of coin & stamp collectors who would get incredibly miffed if they found out that another collector bought an incredibly rare item and then destroyed it. As an animation cel collector, I've known people who've been positively enraged to find out that their "dream cel" was damaged due to poor handling or storage by its owner. Was it the right of that collector, as they'd bought the item fairly? Sure. But that doesn't mean that other people aren't going to be disappointed in knowing that they will never have even that slim chance of getting it.

So...I can see why doll collectors who take an interest in OOAK/very rare items would have the same kind of feelings. People like to hope and it's always hard to have those hopes crushed.

That said, I do agree with the obvious conclusion - if a person owns a really rare doll and wants to mod it, that's their choice and their right. For me, though, it would feel like a waste and I don't see a situation where I would personally want to do it.