Questions for owners of older dolls: 10+ years

I purchased a Minoruworld Jr. Leila from @Mr Bitterness that was made in 2009, and I think the resin has mellowed gently. I am a little nervous doing much with her head, because the resin seems thinner than the newer dolls that I own, and also because old Minoruworld dolls glued metal hooks into the resin. Those hooks have tendency to come unglued over time. On the other hand, I have a 10+ year old Angel of Dream body that was butter yellow, but let's be real - AoD bodies start yellow and just get yellower. I ordered heel feet for the AoD body and laughed like a fool when the resin matched almost perfectly.

I rebodied little Leila on a DF-H Xiao Chan body, because all of those hand options...


The AoD body was the first BJD I ever restrung, and my first victim for the dezombification serum (which I will forever sing the praises of). I credit (blame?) this body with my obsession with modding everything now.

That's a Dream Valley Z7 head on the AoD body, and no, I absolutely didn't plan that. It just worked out perfectly.
Editing to add: the AoD body is solid as a rock. You could probably use it as a hammer. It is not the slightest bit brittle, even after a bath in hot dye.

 

Were you the first owner of this doll?

Both of my dolls came directly from their respective companies. I am their original owner, in other words.

When did you purchase it?

Around 2005.

Do you believe in the fabled "radioactive green" that all resin supposedly turns into?

Never seen or heard about this from anybody I've talked to, so not sure.

How yellowed is the resin? How brittle?

They are both pretty yellow, my Soony more so. She also has staining on her legs.

If you have a newer doll, do you prefer the resin quality of the older or newer doll?

No newer dolls, sadly.

Do you take any extra steps in the care of this doll?

They both pretty much stay in their boxes, but I plan to display them soon-ish.

 

all my dolls and doll parts and stuff were bought before 2014 in fact between 2009-2014 some yellowed more some less some even some uneven , some got stained a bit due to many house movings, none got brittle they look nice and as expected from resin dolls after a decade very nice considered that I didn't particularly care for them or store them perfectly through the years , but bjd's they are difficult and tiresome to keep in very nice condition mine no exception I don't seek new dolls those will get old at some point to I think lesson learned is that this is a hobby demanding time and effort not only buy and look at something and I just wasn't cut for this

 

My two oldest dolls were made sometime around 2005 I believe. A Limhwa ForYou and a CP Delf Shiwoo.
I believe both were white skin originally, and they have both yellowed evenly quite a bit. But I love the color they have turned into! It's like a little badge of pride for them. A symbol of their age!

They were both purchased second hand, so I'm not super sure of their owner history.

I haven't noticed anything in terms of the resin becoming brittle. They're both in great shape. And as for greening, I can't say I've ever really seen a doll have that. Certainly not one I've ever owned.

In general I would say the engineering on newer dolls is technically better. BJDS have come a long way since '05! But that sort of thing isn't much of a concern to me. I appreciate the history of how things were made in the past.
I handle all of my dolls as carefully as possible, so the older ones don't really recieve special treatment in terms of how I display/move them.

 

My profile doll, Kyou, is a Dream Realm Crow. He's gone from omg blinding vampire literal sparkle white to a lovely ivory. His alternate ears (magnets) have been packed away and remain blinding white though. I did have a stupid moment with my Angles Doll, Chris. I redid his face up, and because he is a gorgeous tan, he's now 'olive skin'. I let sun get on him for a lousy ten minutes by accident! My natural skin girl had the same issue that day. Never face up outside on a spring day! Oddly, heat has never affected any of my over ten and younger dolls. Just sunshine.

 

I was about to be like "I've only got one doll that's 10+ years old" when I realized that quite a few of my dolls are now past that point
Time flies...anyway I'll answer regarding my oldest dolls: VOLKS old F-05(1999), Ian (2000), SDG Megu (2011), YoSD Megu (2012) and the SDGr body my SwD Megu is on (2012). I also own 2017-2019 VOLKS DearSDs and a 2023 PUYOODOLL to compare as the newer dolls.

Were you the first owner of this doll?
No, other than my SDG Megu which I got new and straight from VOLKS all mine have been second/third/fourth hand dolls.

When did you purchase it?
Old F-05 was gifted to me (I think her head came from Y!A and body from Mandarake) in 2019, YoSD Megu was also gifted (she came from DoA) in 2018, Ian and the SDGr body also came from DoA (2023 and 2021 respectively) and as previously mentioned SDG Megu was straight from VOLKS (2012).

Do you believe in the fabled "radioactive green" that all resin supposedly turns into?
I have seen dolls that have yellowed to crazy colors but don't expect my dolls to do that at this point. Oldskin NS usually mellows out to a nice color and even my old F-05 head which is BW has mellowed to a very nice, even color (close to NS, neither radioactive green nor banana).

How yellowed is the resin? How brittle?
I'd say that my YoSD Megu is visually the most yellowed of them all (even 2017/2018 hands do not match her well) with my SDG Megu being second (I find this depends on the lighting and which dolls she's photographed with) but it's nothing I can't live with. In terms of the resin becoming brittle, my oldest doesn't seem any more brittle than my newest, which is to say none of them have become brittle nor cracked ever and I do not see any signs that that could happen with any of them.
I will say though that the inside of some oldskin heads sure looks brittle but I have found that they are in actuality no less sturdy that more recent VOLKS resin.

If you have a newer doll, do you prefer the resin quality of the older or newer doll?
I hands down greatly prefer the resin quality of my oldest doll to my newer dolls. It's such a nice color and just feels so nice
VOLKS Oldskin all the way!

Do you take any extra steps in the care of this doll?
Not particularly, I am genrally careful with all my dolls the same way. Although due to posing limitations/differences in size/weight/etc I am less likely to try risky shots with my older girls than I am with my newer ones but I do still take the older girls out the same way I take the new ones out for pictures.

 

Were you the first owner of this doll?
Nope! I love second-hand shopping so a lot if my dolls are at least 10 years old. I think the oldest one is the dreaming vampire shiwoo from '04, tho I'm not entirely sure how old the yder is.

.....actually wait, yes, I got Hinoki back in.... 2010?

When did you purchase it?
Actually since a good portion of my dolls were bought in the early/mid 2010s I think there's several that qualify. How long have I been in this hobby again??

Well, the REALLY old ones are all second-hand at least.

Do you believe in the fabled "radioactive green" that all resin supposedly turns into?
I mean, given how fantasy resin is these days, some of them START that way.

That being said, the ws soom sphaler from '09 does have a bit of a green tint. It's only really noticeable next to pure white, so it doesn't bother me that much. I've seen photos of some of the infamous beauty green cp dolls and I think their color gives them a certain charm.

How yellowed is the resin? How brittle?
Some of the older dolls have a distinct Hint Of Butter (great band name) in certain lights, but I change colors when I've been exposed to sunlight for too long as well so I can't really hold it against them. Honestly, I either don't notice until I compare to a newer doll, or I never saw their original color to begin with, so eh.

You could still knock somebody out with those old-school delf thighs tho. No brittleness there!

If you have a newer doll, do you prefer the resin quality of the older or newer doll?
I do prefer the heft of an old school delf over the svelte airiness of a minifee, but it IS nice to be able to dress a doll without having it flop all over the place under it's own weight. Asa's a menace to society in general and me specifically.

Do you take any extra steps in the care of this doll?
Not particularly? By virtue of not having room for display space all of my dolls are kept in storage, in the dark, in a box away from light and dust and nosy cats. I still like to take them out for outfit changes, and photos, and just to have them around to look at and enjoy for a while before they go back in The Box. They'll keep aging regardless, and someday my "new" dolls will be "old" dolls as well. It might sound a bit silly, but I like to apply Skin Horse Philosophy to my things:

"But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

 

As to Yellowing: This is Pip, and Tilly. Pip, (a Fairyland pukipuki Pipi) Left, is from 2009. Tilly, Right, is a Cupid sculpt released a year or so after, and this doll is probably from that original release by her yellowing. They're close to the same age- nearly 14 years old.

The difference? Pip has been de-yellowed by dyeing pink tones back into her skin *very* subtly, and she's had her joints dip-dye-blushed. It is possible to restore a doll whose pinks have faded out, to some extent. Pip has been with me for years and traveled a lot, so she got the full spa treatment to restore her former peachy tones. Tilly is a new acquisition and hasn't had her body blushing yet. I may also use blushing on her faceplate to add pinks and cooler tones to her yellowed resin.
But you can see it's not a glaring difference, usually.

 

I have an old Volks FC-09 (Mimi) from 2005 that I bought from a member of DoA. She was originally bought off of Yahoo Japan from what I understand so I am not sure how many owners she had had. I've recently did a deep-clean for her, however. Just as well, I recently bought a Domuya doll from 2008 who had been kept in a box for all this time. I think it makes for an interesting comparison.

Were you the first owner of this doll?
For the Volks Mimi, no. For the Domuya Night, yes.

When did you purchase it?
Mimi, 2022. Night, 2023.

Do you believe in the fabled "radioactive green" that all resin supposedly turns into?
Oh, dear me, no. I have dolls from the '00's (05, 08), the '10's (13,15) and the '20's (20, 22) and no, I do not see radioactive green. However, I will have to say, I have seen a green tint in tan-skinned dolls. It has something to do with the red pigment being the first tint to fade. So if a resin colour is heavy in red, it may show up as greenish later in its life.

How yellowed is the resin? How brittle?
I find that my Volks is still solid and after a deep cleaning (dish soap, baking soda + toothpaste), she holds up very well. I don't have a more recent Volks to compare her to, but comparing her to my more recent dolls, she's not brittle at all. The Domuya is definitely more brittle. One of his more curvy body parts (a thigh cover) has already split and is in need of repair. However, neither one is what folks would call "banana yellow" or "lemon yellow". Both of them are considered "normal skin". Mimi has been played with a lot more and she is a little yellow-er than Night. But I wouldn't call either one of them "yellow-yellow."

If you have a newer doll, do you prefer the resin quality of the older or newer doll?
I do have newer dolls. What I find that the resin quality is more manufacture-dependent than age-dependent. Mimi still holds up nicely over the years. She's sturdy and can go head-to-head with a newer doll without an issue. The Domuya, on the other hand, does show his age (despite him being in a box for most of his life).

Do you take any extra steps in the care of this doll?
I'm kinda awful: I don't! I'm the type of person who doesn't even wear gloves when handling my dolls. I do keep them out of direct sunlight most of the time, however. And I keep them (clothed and with wigs on) in their boxes when they're in storage. So... while I am not the worst, I'm not great, either. I consider myself "middle of the way" sort of owner. And if that's how my dolls turn out... your mileage may vary?

 

Were you the first owner of this doll?
I was!

When did you purchase it?
Oh gosh... just 13 years ago! My little boy's growing up adjasdlkj

Do you believe in the fabled "radioactive green" that all resin supposedly turns into?
He's pretty mellow, honestly.

How yellowed is the resin? How brittle?
Not too bad-- he feels as sturdy as ever, though of course I'm careful with any place his resin is thin, and I do keep him out of the sun. Right now I don't have a good display setup so he's in a carrying bag most of the time.

If you have a newer doll, do you prefer the resin quality of the older or newer doll?
Hm... I don't think I have favorites for resin quality... none of my dolls are really bad on that front.

Do you take any extra steps in the care of this doll?
I'm cautious, but in pretty basic ways-- I don't leave him out in the sun or where he can fall over, but he's also... like, he's the doll who has traveled the most and who's the 'cuddly' one. He's been in my arms on the train and gone to the park and such, been on tables in coffee shops and diners... had to snatch him out of the way of a spilled coffee before, ONCE, but that's the most excitement he's ever really seen, he's never had a fall. He could use a serious spa day but he's in very good shape for his age.

 

Adding on to this as I now own another golden oldie, a 2000 Volks F-02/old F-04.

She's a little more delicate, and her resin is definitely lighter/thinner than my newer Volks girls (even my 04!). That being said, she still holds up quite well and stands nicely.

My girl is yellowed but not banana yellow. I purchased her from eBay from her first owner.

 

Were you the first owner of this doll?
I have a bunch ten years or older now. Most of them I bought second hand. I have a 10.5 year old loongsoul ChenXing that I was the first owner of.

When did you purchase it?
I joined the hobby in 2010 and have mostly second hand dolls I bought in 2011 and later

Do you believe in the fabled "radioactive green" that all resin supposedly turns into?
Well, you've already gotten plenty of answers on this one I don't "believe" in much, and resin dolls are not turning "radioactive green"
Very few of my dolls are unattractively colored from age as far as any yellowing goes.

How yellowed is the resin? How brittle?
The resins have all changed somewhat but overall very little in the last decade. My loongsoul has probably changed the most being "environmental" ( semi transparent) resin. But she is fine, just not bubblegum pink anymore.
The resin has not become more brittle for any of them .

If you have a newer doll, do you prefer the resin quality of the older or newer doll?
I prefer the matte eggshell feeling resin that some dolls have and some don't. I just think it's neat. But this depends on companies only.

Do you take any extra steps in the care of this doll?
Do I take more care for my older dolls? No, not really. If anything after I've had a doll more than a year I probably take less care because I adjusted to how they move and I feel I'm less likely to accidentally bonk them on something.

 

Were you the first owner of this doll?

Yes, I got him directly from Dollzone. He's a Dollzone Hid.

When did you purchase it?

2007

Do you believe in the fabled "radioactive green" that all resin supposedly turns into?

I don't think all resin turns this colour but I've definitely seen it online. I think it depends on the initial resin mixture.

How yellowed is the resin? How brittle?

My boy is naturally bannana yellow! I've dyed him to cover it up.

If you have a newer doll, do you prefer the resin quality of the older or newer doll?

I think newer resins are definitely a lot more stable and go yellow much slower. I have a Dollshe head from around 2014?ish? And it's not yellowed at all.

Do you take any extra steps in the care of this doll?

I probably should but I don't. I've kept all of my dolls on open display since I bought them.