Polyurethane Resin??

So resin is the same as plastic? I see why some BJD owners prefer to say "resin" than plastic!! They work really hard to save up for one doll, and they dont want to think that they used a lot of money for just plastic! In my openion, resin sounds softer.

 

the word "plastic" can easily link to plastic bags or something like that, that's why they feel offended

 

I usually tell people my dolls are made of polyurethane resin. People don't always understand that though and I elaborate saying it's a type of plastic, but don't be fooled. These dolls are expensive. I usually call it resin because I think it has a connotation of being semi-fragile and more pricy than what people think of when they think of plastic.

 

I wonder about that too... I've seen plenty of people correcting others that "It's not plastic, it's resin" but I've always thought resin IS plastic?
I can understand saying your doll is made of "Polyurethane Resin" and that's fine because it's true... but correcting people when they say "Is it plastic?" Isn't exactly right, since it is, actually, plastic... I guess it's just because the word "plastic" can have a negative connotation, such as "Why would you spend so much money on a plastic toy?"

Edit: @Khateerah, resin is indeed plastic, but it's very different from the kind of plastic used in your everyday children's toys. It's more fragile and pricey as Mirrin mentioned... So you don't personally have to be worried that you wasted your money on something made of a cheap and average material because it's not, but other people might get that false impression if you simply use the word "plastic"

 

Truth is BJD are plastic. Resin is a natural substance that comes from the sap of plants, primarily trees; think maple syrup. The fact that they are made of polyurethane is why they yellow so quickly in sunlight. Who wants to say they paid $500 on a plastic doll? Not me, so I will continue to say that they are resin. But it does make it sound like BJD are made from pine trees.

Side note: Many people, including Hugobopp, are allergic to polyurethane. Wear a face mask if you decide to sand your doll, as a trip to the emergency room is not fun.

 

It's funny, when I received my Holly, my friends were hanging around watching and one of them asked what she was made of and I said polyurethane resin. And he said, "oh, plastic," but he's an engineer who was taking materials science that semester.

When people ask me what she's made of, I tend to say polyurethane resin, but if they're confused, I'll add that it's a kind of plastic. If the person seems to assume that just because she's plastic, she's just like a barbie doll, I like to let the person touch and hold her if I can. We can go on and on about how they're really different from your typical plastic doll, but it really takes touching and holding to understand the difference. That's just my 0.02.

 

I don't mind calling my doll plastic, because it is, but when talking to someone who knows little about BJDs I will use the word resin first, THEN explain that it's a type of plastic.

 

I don't get offended personally, but I can understand why someone would, resin is more pricey and fragile than say a plastic barbie doll. I do know it is plastic, but there are so many types of plastic. I always say the dolls are resin.

 

The word plastic (never mind the physical composition) has become synonymous with "cheap", "fake" or "substitute". I don't think I'd want to refer to my dolls that way, thanks...

 

I call it resin, even though I know that resin is a type of plastic. Many people I know, know how much I spend on dolls and I think if they hear the word 'plastic' involved with such a hefty price tag, it brings up too many questions I can't be bothered to explain (like the quality of the plastic, how its not like cheaper dolls you can buy anywhere etc) if they persisted, I'd just say its high quality plastic, end of story. There's no reason to get worked up about it, essentially it is a plastic doll, just resin sounds fancier and attracts less probing from non bjd owners about how 'stupid i am to spend that much on a plastic doll' My mom makes porcelain dolls and really, its basically the same method as resin so who cares if its a plastic or not...I think everyone outside the bjd community just assumes that plastic dolls are cheap.

 

I agree with hannahnoface, I tell people it is resin. Plastic does have a negative connotation associated with it, especially with dolls or toys. It also sounds more collectible to refer to it as resin

 

My husband is forever saying my dolls are just expensive plastic, which really seems to get to me, i dont know why as i know they are plastic. I think it has something to do with th idea that i paid alot of money for my dolls and calling them plastic demeans them to cheap Barbie dolls IMO

 

To bjd owners, it's not so much the definition of resin as the connotation. When one thinks of plastic, one tends to think of pvc and the shiny, smooth material that is used to make children's toys. Mass produced, cheap, easy to replace. Bjds are none of those things, so it would be appropriate to use a different term. The most appropriate would be polyurethane resin, but some find it a long and arduous word to type, so I guess it was just shortened to resin.

Did you know the definition of the term "hacker" refers to individuals who write computer code. They "hacked out" computer code. Now, the definition has been replaced with the connotation, that hackers create viruses and hack into computers. I guess that's something like what has happened here with the term resin.

 

Very interesting! I didn't know this, but it makes perfect sense!