Lee-el : 90cm Dolls

Omg I was just checking in on this thread because I finally have money to get a Lee-El boy.... they never got better huh? This is horrible news


I just posted something to their Q&A section on their website saying I've heard of these problems and would like to know if they've fixed anything yet.

 

I hope you get an answer. Would really like to see this company come back.

 

Definitely! I waaaaant them to still be around and making dolls! Pleeease! *whimper*

 

I just want them to send out the dolls for people who have already paid for them and haven't been able to get their money back. I would have liked a Livan, but as of right now, I'd much rather see the people with unfulfilled orders receive their items.

Good luck on hearing anything from them. I sent them an email a few weeks ago, asking if they were still in business, and I still haven't gotten a response.

 

There are still folks with no doll and no refund? Ooooouch. I didn't realize that. That's definitely the priority then.

 

I know @Wotan definitely is one, and there may be others yet.

 

Sad to say....

 

70 cm dolls are already too heavy to carry , 90 cm will be more difficult to carry, but they should be more convenient to buy clothes, can buy some baby clothes

 

Naw, that's all relative. I have several dolls over 70cm, and love them all!
Some are heavier than others, but seriously, I would love more companies to make more of them.
In general, the tall dolls are too skinny for many baby clothes. Plus, the baby clothes look like... baby clothes.
I do manage to cut and re-sew some 12 month old shirts for my Granado Titan. He's beefy enough to fill most of the shirts.

 

I have several dolls in the 65-74cm range and I don't find them too heavy at all. This weekend I was at a doll meet and handled a Smart Doll and it was very light but I actually prefer the heft of resin.

 

Did the folks waiting for dolls get them? I just clicked on the Lee-el site and it is gone.

 

The Lee-el site really is gone, how very unfortunate...! Hopefully it went under only after providing dolls or refunds to people. I wish I had been able to buy some more accessories for my doll before the disappearance, I really regret not having the tall boots and an extra wig. Clothes can always be homemade, but shoes and hair are too much.

 

Man, I really am bummed that they have disappeared. I liked their dolls. And the clothes were nice.
I hope everyone got refunds.

 

Refunds, hahahahahahaha! Let me explain how bankruptcy works. Usually, you're already behind on bills and then whatever money comes in goes to pay off the most immediate creditors to keep going until finally the bank takes everything including the money. The bank gets paid first, then resin guys, cardboard box makers, pillow manufacturers and everyone else are standing in line with their hands out. Refunds....you crack me up.....

 

I'm sorry they've gone - I didn't have the big guys - but got the little tin man and lion.

Even worse is all those who have lost out financially. Apart from the older bigger companies - there alot springing up that we happily pay our money to - with no idea if they are going to be OK or go bust and we lose the lot

 

Yeah, refunds are a pipe dream, but it would have been nice for a change.

 

That's the thing, is that these smaller guys are trying to make a dent but it's hard to compete. It's not like those guys are bad or anything, they're just small business people and you can bet they lose big as well. I've seen other threads where people are calling them thieves etc but that's dumb. I would love to see those people try to setup a company, find out how many orders it really takes to pay the bills, interest on the startup loan etc and then see what they say. The worst you can say is that some of these companies were probably unrealistic in realizing the amount of sales needed to run the operation. But when they die there's no money left, that's why they go bankrupt. It's a bummer for all concerned but this is an ultra-marginal enterprise and the big players have evolved with marketing schemes to keep people in their eco-sphere. That's why the LE system has developed. Since I had plans for one of these dolls this year I'm lucky because losing that money would have sucked, big time. But I would have understood that it was a bet on a small player. I bet knowing the economics would be fascinating.

 

It is disgraceful though that they refused to answer repeated requests for information on orders, and give any sort of notice that they would be unable to fulfill pending orders, especially given the overall price of the 90 cm dolls, and I think that is where many hard feelings from customers come from. It's hard to not feel like one has been robbed when $1000 has been spent, and despite repeated assurances that there would be a doll, and then nothing, not even an apology. (It is also embittering when orders for the smaller-sized dolls were being fulfilled, even while people waiting for their bigger dolls were kept waiting.)

 

Yep, that's the shitty part. It would be better for them to just come out and say, "Hey, the resin guy refused to deliver cuz we're behind on payment and the bank just locked us out of the building and we're hosed, which means you're hosed, sorry!" Human nature being what it is the shame and embarrassment probably makes it easier to just shut off the email account and flee to a country with no extradition. I had a situation like this last year with a company that seemed to almost go under and has since come back. Luckily I was able to bully paypal into giving me my money back even though we were way past the due date. That's what sucks most about the doll enterprise is the whole "pay me and I'll build it" ethos. It makes the whole thing risky moreso with the paypal rules. It's also what makes it hard for the small doll maker to get traction. A few failures happen and people understandably don't want to try 'em out. If I were starting out, I wouldn't even do it without bankrolling a reserve of "dolls in stock". That way you could build a customer base and gain customer confidence over time.
And you have been robbed of your money but I'm sure these people don't intend that to be the outcome.

 

karlkai-04 by Kai Pirinen, on Flickr

Well. Lee-el might be gone, but the beautiful dolls they produced exist nevertheless. I'm really happy with mine~