1. It has come to the attention of forum staff that Dollshe Craft has ceased communications with dealers and customers, has failed to provide promised refunds for the excessive waits, and now has wait times surpassing 5 years in some cases. Forum staff are also concerned as there are claims being put forth that Dollshe plans to close down their doll making company. Due to the instability of the company, the lack of communication, the lack of promised refunds, and the wait times now surpassing 5 years, we strongly urge members to research the current state of this company very carefully and thoroughly before deciding to place an order. For more information please see the Dollshe waiting room. Do not assume this cannot happen to you or that your order will be different.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Dollshe Craft and all dolls created by Dollshe, including any dolls created under his new or future companies, including Club Coco BJD are now banned from Den of Angels. Dollshe and the sculptor may not advertise his products on this forum. Sales may not be discussed, no news threads may be posted regarding new releases. This ban does not impact any dolls by Dollshe ordered by November 8, 2023. Any dolls ordered after November 8, 2023, regardless of the date the sculpt was released, are banned from this forum as are any dolls released under his new or future companies including but not limited to Club Coco BJD. This ban does not apply to other company dolls cast by Dollshe as part of a casting agreement between him and the actual sculpt or company and those dolls may still be discussed on the forum. Please come to Ask the Moderators if you have any questions.
    Dismiss Notice

Pros and Cons of SD vs. MSD

Sep 4, 2005

    1. Hi all, I'm in the market to purchase my first ABJD. I want a boy since the majority of my other dolls are girls. So far I've seen several SDs, and SD 13s that I like, but today I saw a MSD that I REALLY like (price is a bit cheeper too). I'm not quite sold on the eyes. This one looks like he's 1/2 sleep/dreaming.

      So my quesiton is what are the pros vs cons of the 2 sizes? Is there any issues with having a collection with both sizes other than they can't wear each other's clothes.

      Thanks for your input.

      i9

      :roll:
       
    2. Well, it really comes down to a matter of taste. For me, a smaller, lighter weight doll is easier to carry around and play with. There are also a lot of MSD dolls whose face sculps I like, and the lower price is a nice bonus. There doesn't seem to be quite as much in the way of interesting MSD sized boy clothes as compared to SD dolls, however my roommate has made much of Hikaru's wardrobe, and I'm learning to sew as well, so it's really not a problem for me.

      Oh--one nice thing you can find for smaller dolls is in-scale inexpensive furniture. There's a lot of stuff put out for other doll brands that are about the same size. I have several chairs and a futon that fit my mini, and my roommate found a cool armoir cheap at Target (I don't know what it's actually supposed to be, but it fits the dolls great). At the dollar store today we found a tea set, blender, coffee maker, champagne glasses and a pool table as well :grin:
       
    3. The thing I like most about MSD is that they're nice and portable. I can take Ichii anywhere with me. However, because he's so small, he feels kinda fragile to me. Whether or not he actually is more or less fragile than a SD-sized doll, I don't know.
       
    4. SD's have MUCH more interesting clothes. I was searching for clothes for my MSD and I was drooling over some of the SD clothes and wishing they were MSD sized.

      MSD's are much cuter though!

      By the way, which MSD did you like and which SD's did you like? (Just because I'm nosy! ^^)
       
    5. I have both SD and MSD sized dolls, and obviously, I like them both :-).

      I do like the SD sized dolls for their sheer size, and for the fact that they're easier to sew for. On the whole, I do like the SD face sculpts more, too.

      But I love my MSDs. They're far more portable, there seems to be many more off the shelf items that fit them (like furniture), and some of the faces are adorable. My newest doll is a MSD FCS who I absolutely fell in love with - never before have I collected doll pictures!

      I've heard the clothes complaint from owners of both sizes of dolls - I think the bottom line is that it's difficult for everyone to find exactly what they have in mind. I solve the problem by making all my dolls' clothes :).

      Marcia.
       
    6. I only plan on having MSD sized dolls, but SD and MSD do fit together nicely. I don't like SD's because of their size, I really do wish there were more SD style face molds for MSD sized dolls.
       
    7. i big con i think is clothes. there are so many more sd clothes than msd clothes. i don't know why, because obviously there is a big demand for msd clothes!
       
    8. I like the MSD size a lot better. To me, the SDs and SD-13s are just too big.

      I woulg agree with all the earlier comments, I think finding cute MSD boy clothes is particularly more of a challenge than cute SD-13 boy clothes. (I think SD boy clothes can be a challenge too, most of the nice boy clothes seem to be SD-13 size.)

      For girls, there are lots of cute things in every size.

      Good luck deciding on a doll! :D
       
    9. Mini Pros -
      Smaller, easier to take place
      Lighter, easier to carry around for long periods
      Less expensive (usually)
      Younger looking (usually)
      Take up less space, in a house or when taking them places

      Mini Cons-
      Less clothing available
      Harder to sew for
      Movement is sometimes more restricted (depending on doll and sculpt, as an SDC owner I know this doesn't hold true for all minis)

      SD pros
      Larger, more tangible (too me)
      Easier to find clothes for
      Easier to make clothes for
      More females w/ mature bodies (I prefer them)
      A bit older looking (usually)
      Many have greater possability
      People notice them more (I love when people ask about my dolls, even if the questions end up being negative)


      SD cons
      Heavier - Harder to carry around for long periods
      Cost more (though you techinically are getting more, so its not really a fair con)
      Take up more space (only a real con if space is limited)


      Admittedly, I love my msds, but aside from River (Arashi) I prefer my SDs.
       
    10. I love both sizes, but my minis are so convenient to put in small places and to take with me. I think I enjoy having both, and they work well together, which I would not have expected. I'd say for you to start with whichever appeals most to you (gut level, here) and then you can decide whether or not to try both.
       
    11. A con on the SD size it the sheer awkwardness of redressing and holding them as they are heavy and harder to dress.

      This is my experience. Where as MSD size are a pleasure to hold and dress.
      And TOO cute!

      MSD neg is that its hard to find goth and more mature ready made clothing. Clothing tends to be cute.
       
    12. lol That is so true! But....it's a pro to me ^^; I know it sounds weird, but since there aren't that many good clothing for MSD-sized, I actually enjoy the challenge of sewing them new outfits, or customizing normal shirts and stuff into more interesting designs. It's taught me how to sew, being a MSD-collector :oops: So although it is frustrating to not be able to go out and buy whole outfits (which I probably couldn't afford anyway, even if I had an SD) I like making Alex and Caelan things :grin:

      ....although Alex tells me that this cheerful outlook will vanish next time I'm struggling through patterning out a shirt :oops:

      The biggest cons of having a MSD would be the clothing thing, though. I can't think of any other bad things....but I'm biased and love MSDs handy size and cuteness, so...don'tlisten to me :oops:
       
    13. Personally, I am not a fan of MSD size. I had two of them but I sold them because my heart yearned for an SD size doll, a yearning that my MSDs could not fill.

      Pros of MSD: the smaller size makes them easier to carry around, Less expensive in most cases

      The only general con that is unopinionated that I can think of is that there is far less available to buy for MSD size dolls. There aren't as many great shoes and clothes and wigs available (its mostly a clothes issue, though) The other cons I can think of are opinion only, so I won't mention those here.
       
    14. Hmmm I have a MSD (DOD) and a SD sized boy..

      Pros: Smaller, MUCH lighter, easier to carry around.

      Cons: Not very much in the way of clothing, harder to change eyes, harder to restring.

      Yeah... >_> Then again I have a real hard time finding clothing for either of em... -.-;;;
       
    15. I don't think the clothign is that big of a deal considering how many ppl on here would be happy to make clothing for you. shoes are a little more tricky though, but if you look hard enough you'll find something good. I like the msds because they are cheaper and take up less space in dorm rooms and I can prolly drag it everywhere
       
    16. The VulpesPraedatum short list of coolstuff between the two:

      MSD: Will stand easilly without crazy legs and are less likely to topple over.

      SD: Very impressive to carry around, and feel like something expensive and important to hold.


      I have yet to find clothing or shoes (or great eyes or wigs for that matter) to be an issue between the sizes.
       
    17. I was going to get a 1/4 but then I found Shall, shes 60 cm, which seems really big to me. I've never seen a 1/3 in person only the 1/4. I'm only 5 ft tall so its hard for me to see in my mind how big this doll is going to be. I want to be able to take her places with me and not have a big problem handling her. I knew that the 1/4 would be fine but now I'm a bit worried about the 1/3. So what is your opinion between the two, pros and cons, will a 60 cm look ok since I'm so short?
       
    18. I originally planned to have all msd sized dolls, because I was worried about the size/weight issue. However, once I got my first SD sized doll, I realized that it wasn't the problem I feared it would be. It is true that 60cm dolls are heavier, but it's something that's not hard to adjust to (at least it wasn't for me. Other people's experiences may be quite different). As for how one would look next to you--I personally don't think it would be strange, but it's not the sort of thing I think about much or notice--I'm used to how big they look, so I don't think twice about it.
       
    19. I have both and I would say there are pros and cons about both, but it all depends on your personal preferences and what you already have. I don't think there is a problem with having all the different sizes. It just depends on what you really like. If you like it, go for it:)

      I love the fact that MSDs are less expensive. I have a ton of clothes and patterns already from my vinyl days that fit them well so I don't really need to buy more and Friends2BMade clothes fit well and are cheap. They are easier to carry around, but then tinies are even easier.

      SDs are more expensive, but they are gorgeous. I make my own doll clothing so finding something to purchase doesn't really matter to me. I also have a ton of clothing patterns from my vinyl days for them so again the clothing doesn't matter to me. I like that since they are larger, they are easier to work on, change eyes, faceups, etc.

      So overall, I think it depends on your own personal preference and what you already have in your doll collection.
       
    20. Thanks for the help everyone. It makes me feel a little bit better about getting her, and she is my first