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Obssession over props and in-scale objects.

Dec 29, 2009

    1. So we've all been guilty of it, i'm sure. You are in a store, and you find those perfectly size dish sets, or those little micro-sized hats, etc. But at what point do you have to say, Ok, ENOUGH is ENOUGH!!

      I find that alot of people sometimes, just 'settle' for things because they are small. not necessarily because they are accurately scaled. I myself had done that for a while, until the day i had to say no more. I was buying anything and everything that was just even remotely in scale with my dolls, wether they were something my dolls could use or not.

      I've seen tons of 'props' that people buy that really aren't even close to being a prop. Tupperware bowls that are 'furniture', or erasers that are food, yet they don't even look like anything realistic. just flat erasers.

      What about you? Is there just a cut-off for you when u have to say "i'm just TOO obssessed with in-scale items?

      When looking through the galleries here on DOA, or any other Forum, at what point does it just aggrivate you, or just look plain 'bad'?

      I once saw an individual who had a 'camera' for her doll, that was so big, it was nearly the size of the doll's torso. Yet, it was classified as an in-scale "prop". would this bother you?
       
    2. . . . er, maybe I need to make this one of my New Year's resolutions. :sweat

      In the last week, I've bought two tin mailboxes, a gumball machine, and a colander for my SD-sized dolls. The scale for each is close, so thankfully I'm not yet to the point of using Pyrex bowls as papasan-style patio furniture. Nevertheless, I'm beginning to notice that I spend too much time looking for props. So I guess that's a helpful indicator?
       
    3. For me personally, as my dolls' story is from a time period very different than our own, I'm really not so tempted into buying items that may be in scale but are pretty modern, which are mostly the kinds of items I run across. Not only that but I'm a complete cheapskate as well and as much as I'd love furniture and props and things that suit them, those types of extras really aren't my focus right now.

      I do admit however to the "erasor food" obsession, and realistic or not those are the one prop I love to collect, usually because they are so cheap and my one prop obsession since I simply think they're cute on their own. I am certainly trying to limit myself to the more realistic foods as of late however. As for the props that other people use-I do think it's a little tacky when I see an overabundance of props in one photoshoot that are completely out of scale, but that's really just my personal taste and if that person thinks it looks just fine, who am I to tell them they are doing something wrong? It's not as though I have to use that prop for my own dolls and unless someone is forcing something on me, I'll just leave them be (and ignore such pictures that I think look tacky).
       
    4. I don't have an awful lot of props for my dolls because I consider them to be dolls in a human-scale world. It bothers me a little when I see photoshoots crowded with props that aren't in scale when the dolls in the shoot are not considered dolls in a human-scale world & their surroundings *are* supposed to be their scale, but its a pet peeve rather than a huge annoyance.

      I don't really get the food erasers thing since they're intended to be erasers and are accidentally doll-scale, but I think the rement sets are sweet.

      If I was to buy my dolls props it would be a sofa or bunkbeds that I could sit them on while I wasn't playing with them rather than a prop specifically for photos.
       
    5. Fortunately, with my smallest in the 20cm range and my tallest nearly 80, just about any "small" thing will be in scale for SOMEONE.

      Additionally, as a person who has always liked tiny things for myself, I find tiny items for bigger dolls entirely plausible. But it always depends on what exactly it is. Some things will always look ridiculous if they're too big or too small. For example, the erasers. I have an eraser that looks like a chou cream. But I've totally seen mini chou creams in the convenience store, so if it were really small for someone ... well, who's to say it isn't a mini? But other things just look wrong or awkward. Like an SLR type of camera that was really small. That would be really weird.
       
    6. My dolls also live in human-scale worlds, as dolls, so as far as I remember the only "props" I got for them were plush toys. And maybe I'm not looking well, but I don't really see that many doll-scaled items out there to purchase. I've never even seen those food-erasers everyone's talking about ;)

      I few times I was tempted by doll furniture, but I know I neither have space to set up permanent rooms or storage to keep that stuff away when not played with. I've made them a few sofas myself, because it's practical to have them displayed sitting on it and doesn't take more space like that :)
       
    7. I'd prefer that people not use props at all, rather than use ones that are out of scale with each other. Though it can look alright if they are consistently out of scale with the doll, if it's not by too much. Otherwise, though, I think it just detracts too much from the dolls themselves.

      I plan on making all my own props for my dolls (since they come from a different time-period to us, and I doubt very much I'll be able to find anything fitting them made for anyone else), so I'm not tempted by mass-produced props.

      I did used to obsess over in-scale props for my Pullips, though - they used to drive me absolutely batty, because their bodies are 1/6 scale while their heads are 1/3 scale. Anything like food, that might sometimes be held in a hand and lifted next to a face, would always look absolutely ridiculous, no matter how carefully the scale was chosen :|
       
    8. I am a self admitted scale nazi. It drives me insane when things look out of scale with my dolls in a photo and I can and have thrown out entire shoots because something wasn't right.

      That said, what other people do with their dolls is their business and really, if it makes them happy, who am I to tell them that the VAST buttons on a jacket look ridiculous to my eyes, the bottom line remains that it's up to them to make their dolls look however they want. Who knows, maybe they LIKE the out of scale things that way.

      For me personally, I will hunt to the ends of the world for the things I need and when I can't find them, I'll make them in scale. I took great pains when building the sets I use in photo's to make sure that proportionally, everything looked RIGHT and believe me, once you've built a 1/3rd scale georgian window and fireplace, not much looks like a challenge anymore.

      Thankfully though, I don't have that thing where I must buy anything that looks vaguely right because like a few other people in the thread already, my "worlds" aren't modern, so there's less call for me to own in scale cheese graters and the like.
       
    9. Funny you mentioned buttons! I know a lot of people feel bothered by off-scale buttons! But I happen to be a person that LOVES big buttons on doll clothes :) Of course, I'm talking about clothes that are more "handmade craft cutsy", not something that's supposed to be an exact replica of some fashion period.
       
    10. I've not focused a whole lot on props in the past, because they need clothes and shoes more. I do think, though that I'm pickier about doll items now than I was at the beginning--they need to look realistic enough that they don't distract. Now that I finally have a camera, I'm going to need to start thinking about props more.
       
    11. I have to tell myself Re Ment is for Littles, my dollhouse will prove it. The only exception for the resins is for art supplies so they can be like mommy. There's the occasional exception like if there was a can of Spam in one of those toy food sets at the store but otherwise I stick to that rule. Otherwise I'd be a pack rat like my grandmother with nowhere to display my treasures. ~looks at Re Ment pile and already feels that way~
       
    12. I love doll props and have lots of them, but many were bought before I collected these dolls because I like miniatures. I dislike out of scale props and go to great lengths to find or make just the right thing. I admit to being obsessive, but don't really care what other people do. If a photo bothers me, I just look at something else.
       
    13. I like things better when they're in scale. There's so much horrid, out of scale furniture and just .. kind of trashy wicker furniture.. that it tempts me to start building to-scale stuff for BJD's. I used to make furniture for my other dolls, it's really not that hard, so I don't get why some people would settle for a piece of plastic crap that's not in scale at all..YMMV :)
      -Pere
       
    14. I LOVE props. I try to keep them as in-scale as possible, but am willing to fudge a little if necessary. I'd rather have a brick wall with slightly oversized bricks than no brick wall at all, for example. Lots of things for humans come in varied sizes, so most things can work acceptably if they're slightly small or slightly large. I've got some giant cupcakes for my mini size boys. I also almost bought a giant cupcake cake pan for me... I find that I already had a TON of in-scale stuff before I even heard of BJD's, since I just enjoy cute tiny things. I like the detailed eraser food, I think most of it works fine for my minis.

      I do try to only get things I think I will use at some point, since I just really don't have that much storage space.

      I really enjoy seeing photos or a photostory and sometime later realizing that it really looked like the dolls were living in their own scale world, and it was so seamless I didn't even realize it. Details really can add to a photo, for me.
       
    15. VAST <3 so OT but I love hearing them mentioned wherever, hehe.

      I am also insane about clothing being in scale. Out of scale zippers, pockets, and buttons, along with unrealistic fits on clothes send me into spasms. This means I usually end up spending a lot of money on the really expensive clothes because they're the only kind I can stand looking at.

      Beyond that, I actually don't collect doll props. I don't use them, so there's really no point to buying them.
       
    16. I never used to bother about props and such but now that I have four dolls i'm like... they need a sofa... then it just started getting worse from there.
      I actually went a little crazy at christmas dinner cause all the junk out of the christmas crackers was practically in scale with my SD's I was like OMG props! (playing cards, sketch book a compass... lol)

      This is one reason I'm glad I don't have a puki or I would end up spending all my money on sylvanian family stuff XD
       
    17. I wouldn't say I'm obssessed with props and scale when I make them but for me it's my hobby and potential career after I graduate in March (set fabricator for a stop motion company). I rarily buy props anymore because of this. I have made errors with props (making them too small or using the wrong colors) but as a part of my future job I have to correct the mistakes. I don't get frustrated, cry, or scream when I have to remake things because I know it will turn out better afterwards.:)

      I've seen tons of 'props' that people buy that really aren't even close to being a prop. Tupperware bowls that are 'furniture', or erasers that are food, yet they don't even look like anything realistic. just flat erasers.
      Personally I don't see why this should matter. Realistic or not if a person wants to sit their doll in a tupperware bowl and call it a chair then all power to them. You'd be surprised at what more someone can do with a tupperware bowl. I've seen people do great jobs making a couch or bed out of a shoe box to really make it work for them. It's the same with eraser, sculpy, or playdoh food.

      What about you? Is there just a cut-off for you when u have to say "i'm just TOO obssessed with in-scale items?
      When looking through the galleries here on DOA, or any other Forum, at what point does it just aggrivate you, or just look plain 'bad'?
      Personally, no. When I looking through galleries here or anywhere else I keep an open mind. I don't get annoyed if someone's props are too big or small next to their doll.

      I once saw an individual who had a 'camera' for her doll, that was so big, it was nearly the size of the doll's torso. Yet, it was classified as an in-scale "prop". would this bother you? Not at all. :)
      __________________
       
    18. Out-of-scale props are the least of what bugs me in photos. Bad lighting, awkward poses, ill-fitting wigs, household junk in the background, etc., are all much worse to my eye.
      As for my own pictures, I don't bother too much with props except for my Catsys. Since they are dollhouse scale and I already have a lot of quality dollhouse items that I used for a pre-bjd project, the Catsys were a natural choice for intricate, prop-heavy scenes.
      In general, I have more fun using props with my anthros. The bigger dolls may sit on a scale chair and hold one item, but that's usually about all.
       
    19. This is why I plan to make most things, and buy only when it's something properly in scale that costs less than the hassle it would require to make it. (I'm lookin' at you, suits with welt pockets.) I did fashion doll clothes for a while, so (somewhere) I have piles of in-scale findings, which is a help.

      As for actual props... I don't have as much a problem with having too many as I do with not having space for the very few I have. (A few books, a few glasses, a few jewelry boxes, and the ever-popular single-serving ice cream containers.) I have four brilliant furniture pieces for them, but they're simply too enormous for the shelves I have, so they tend to sit stored off to the side of the shelves for the time being. I tend to have zero luck finding props, and am luckily picky enough about the ones I do find that I've been able to keep them in theme for the characters I have. It's more the lack of finding certain things that is woeful. (I need to cook up a complete alchemist's lab some day, for example, which I would set aside new space for -- but really, that's... not gonna be easy at Mecha Angel scale. ;) )
       
    20. Since I have almost exclusively SD sized dolls, it's much more difficult for me to find 'in scale' props than for many others. I've looked wistfully at many adorable miniatures that would go wonderfully with a Mini or a Tiny, but if it's not at least reasonably close I'll bypass it.

      Still, I don't particularly mind out of scale props unless they're ridiculously out of scale. Things meant for Minis in the arms of SDs and vice versa, that's fine. I understand perfectly how hard it is to find things the 'right' size.

      But I won't buy something just because it's actually in scale for my boys. They appear to be rather picky. >.> And since I usually have one of them with me when I'm out shopping, well... I can easily get a feel for whether or not it will work right then and there. :)