Is there pressure to make your BJD the BEST?

The only pressure I have is self-induced. I have a sort of inner vision of how I want each one to look, but it takes a lot of time and effort and a good bit of cash to get them to look that way. I'm happy with the smaller ones, but I need to work on the big ones. They need new faceups all round, and I need to get busy and sew for them. I like looking at other people's elaborate fantasy dolls, but most of my crew are meant to be normal people. I admit having a huge weakness for period costumes and one day I may get around to it. I sometimes think that if I had more money, I would just commission all the work and get it done once and for all, but I also enjoy the process.

 

Agreed, While I am a fangirl admirer of sorts....My doll is the best he can (or will be) because he's MINE. If anything...I'd try and outdo myself , forget topping other people, I want to top MYSELF Though I am selling the head and getting diffrent one....any doll I own I'm proud to own (or owned). so yeah, default and blank don't bother me much cause I'mma gonna out do myself one day!

 

"Best" is subjective, really. Some people are the fantasy type, and they will be drawn more towards the "reincarnated elf queen from a faraway land" doll. Some people, believe it or not, don't like sci-fi and fantasy that much, and they will probably prefer a doll that is a well-crafted normal girl who dresses in a normal/modern style.

At any rate, I do get the feeling the fantasy dolls are more popular -- so, I can see why someone would feel like they'd have to go for the elaborate princess dresses if they wanted their doll to get more attention.

But... I don't think I'll feel "pressured" to do that when I get my own doll. Fantasy-style clothing just isn't my thing, and I don't think I could ever stray from my wishes and my plans for my doll, just to please others. They have their own dolls to dress in the stuff they like -- I'll dress mine in what I like.

 

In my own way, yes. But they only have to be perfect for me, not for anyone else. As long as "I" think they're perfect, I don't really care about what others think.

It's like getting a stylish haircut for my own pleasure... It's not to impress others but myself, if it makes any sense... LOL!

 

Is there pressure to make your BJD the BEST?

Mmmmm, nope. It all comes down to personal preference imo, what someone sees as "the best" may look "not the best" in another person's eyes.
As for my own kids, I think so far they look ab-fab. Granted there's three that are completely nakid, no face ups, no nothing while I get my commission work out of the road, but they're still fantastic in my eyes. I don't compare my kids to anyone else's, each one if unique. I can't seem to "peg" the best dolly out there, I hope my comment makes sense!

 

not on the site. they are too many dolls and poeple who are way more amazing for faceups, mods, fashion, and take amazing pictures. i know i could never beat THEM.
i just try to make my dolls the best at the meets XD i like when everyone is arround my boy. like: OMG, u dyed him?? u're so courageous i would've been so scared to do that!'' ''aww, hes so cute''.
last meet, there were poeple dressed up as anime who came to see us and a chii said she wanted to marry Aiden and she showed him to all her friend and said he was fraking hot and all. u could almost hear the triumph music behind me XDD
but no matter what, hes the cuttest to me (almost XD )

 

I don't think of my doll's character 'designs' to be bland, but I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder...? sometimes I'd see those amazing dolls with the epic outfits and face-ups and feel my dolls kind of shying away in shame *cause I can't afford those outfits. YET.*, but I still think my doll ideas are lovely. and I think it would ruin the hobby for me if every one was just vying for the no.1 position as top doll. It depends on what the user wants/can afford, is what I'm trying to say.

 

Ok, I will throw my hat in this arena:

I strive to have the most unique dolls out there..not to outshine anyone.. I just don't want to have what everyone else has...though some of mine are more "normal" looking my fantasy ones are above and beyond normal.

When I bought my Beryl, alot of people got her with the default faceup and her accessories...not me..I bought her blank and made her more unique than most..because that's what I like..I don't want someone to look at a post of my beryl and say "Oh she has the default faceup and looks like the rest"..I want her to stand out, you'll remember her if you see her once.

its the same with my Vesuvia..while she is still naked{haven't had time to make her an outfit} she has an awesome airbrushing {patting myself on my back here!} and because of her look, I've gotten some commissions from others who wanted their Vesuvia to stand out in their own way.

 

My dolls, both the ones I own and the ones on my wishlist are eventually going to be melded to the best of my ability to the characters I want them to be. They are a bit out there in a fantasy world, but not one of them ZOMFG EPIC, though one in particular is quite the badass. It's when I look at them and see the character I'm trying to make them into, that's when I'll be happy.

My dolls don't need to make someone's jaw drop for me to be happy with them.

 

The only pressure I feel is to improve my photography and my faceups. I have internal standards about how the dolls themselves should be, as they're my characters. But I don't feel a need to compete with other people in making my dolls more "unique" - that never works out well anyway. Just my opinion, but I think having epic god characters and the like is a simplistic way of achieving singularity. And my desire to improve my photography/faceups has more to do with wanting to be a better visual communicator than it has to do with competition.

 

I seldom think of any doll as "bland." The character may just be an everyday sort of person & so would look that way. While most of my dolls wear a lot of fantasy & EGA, there are times when I just put them in jeans & sweaters & love the look just as much.

Really, in the doll hobby, I no longer feel pressure to do anything. I buy what I love, play as much as I can, change around the doll's looks & simply please myself. If other people find my choices attractive, then so much the better. If not, I've still pleased myself. But, of course, I always do enjoy photos of those amazing, "perfect" dolls.

 

I'm kinda amused thinking about what I'd do if I wanted to make my dolls the OMFG BESTEST! because I'm pretty sure the twins could offended a lot of people on this forum if they wanted to. So maybe they are the best in that way! If I started posting photostories of them doing all the horrible things that's in their story to do then they very well may be the best druggie vampires evar. Ooor not. XD
I have to admit, as far as being bland compared to saving the world, they're in the middle. That sense of unwilling anti hero who'd rather deal with everyday issues? I suppose that'd be it.
I have my own pressure from myself to make sure the clothing I make them is up to my own standards. I also have a desire to improve the photos I take of them. Granted improving the camera I use would help but hey, details!
My dolls are working towards their own level of looking perfect for who they are. If everyone else thinks they're perfect or not. Well whatever. Awesome if they do! No skin off my back if they are offended and think they're horrible little critters. They're mine, they make me happy. Thats my standards.

 

This is very much me, but its really my approach to life in general. lmfao my dad always told me that even if i copped out and became a thief, I should be the best damn thief there ever was. Same applies for anything, even if i wanted to be a hobo lol 8V So I can't help but want the best for my dollies. I'm quiiiiite choosy [which is handy for saving myself from overpurchasing, haha 8D; ] but only for me. It's not a competition between me and other owners.

In fact, when I look at works by like...SDink, Hydra, bread, Izam etc... I feel rather inspired; all fired up! Makes me want to spend less time on school and more on dolls, but really I can't do that now, so it becomes a "one day i will be that awesome..." goal. :] I just really want to do my characters and dolls justice.

 

I've never been able to write about any kind of super powers for my characters without them sounding cheesy and cliche, so my dolls are always pretty average by default. x] I occasionally feel kinda lacking when compared to someone's creativity in writing awesome characters, or customizing their dolls, but not really the dolls themselves. As long as I like my dolls, I'm happy.

 

The only pressure I've ever felt has been to try and do something artistic, and to do things differently than I have already done. I don't have a lot of money to spend on fancy faceups so I do my own. I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on an outfit so I make my own. I don't want white-glove perfection so I try to make my stuff weird and quirky and ugly.
I've never been very competitive, and I have no desire to be 'best' in anything. I've always thought it's a silly idea: Somebody always has a bigger d*ck or more money, right? ^_~
So why worry about what others think?

Raven

 

Not the best, but...perfect in my eyes.

I have a specific idea for her look, personality, hobbies, etc. I want her and her pictures to mimic that. I plan on ordering a BEAUTIFUL corset + skirt from the most amazing clothing artist here, Sylphide's Gingerlime Designs!

She is a genius and I LOVE her work.

But I know she will make my dear's outfit perfect.

 

My boy came to me looking epic already. lmao I do tend to over spend on his clothes, not to make him look anymore epic than he already is, but--just because I do. o.o" lol Aside from that, I don't really try because in my eyes he looks the best anyway. LOL

 

Eh... I don't really get inspired by EPIC 14th century gods and goddesses etc. I'm not big on that sort of thing. It's cool to see really beautiful dolls and elaborate costumes, but I am far more attached to my dolls for what they represent to me, than for what they actually are- ie, the fact that other bjds look like this doesn't bother me, mine are the characters I created for them, end of story. That said, I like pretty dollies as much as anyone else around here, but I'm not gonna feel bad 'cuz my dollies are ordinary people.
Besides the fact, I put far too much work in developing a world where ordinary is being able to manipulate fire, and lifting a park bench isn't a big deal. Not gonna waste that on being jealous.

 

I dunno...my dolls are pretty out there by many people's standards, but that said I still consider them fairly tame by the standards of many dolls on the board, and I even baulk at times when I see things like: My doll was a werewolf hunter in medieval Spain, part of an elite monastic order, but after he was kidnapped and forced into a life of sexual slavery by a Vampire Master he realised he was secretly in love, they exchanged blood and he then became a vampire, but the magical vampiric blood awakened him to his true self, a demon secretly asleep for a thousand years trapped in a human body, and now whenever he has sex he becomes the demon...and he has continued on his journey for hundred of years through time to become a space pilot and bounty hunter tracking down and killing other demons/vampires/supernatural beings and searching for his long lost love/redemption/a good cup of coffee