Sculpts you love vs. matching dolls?

Well, I think it depends on the person to be honest. Like, I actually tend to prefer one sort of look for my dolls. Not that they look the same, mind you, but the style their sculpt is is very similar. So them matching is actually pretty normal in my mind.
Some people like the variation though. I'm not sure though

 

For me, it's all about which one I fall in love with. I buy whichever doll just "calls out" to me, regardless of difference.

Actually, it's kind of the opposite. I love having dolls that look different, a wide variety of all shapes, sizes, aesthetics, body types, and resin tone. I have one anime-esque 60cm girl who has a 9.5" head and wears 20mm eyes, and I have a 60cm boy with more classical features, a 7-8" head and 12mm eyes. They look a little odd next to each other, but when you get the whole group together all the differences kind of make a strangely cohesive whole... no one really stands out because they're all different.

 

Hmm, I don't care if my dolls are from different companies.

It's the same in reality, we simply doesn't look all the same. It's weird for me to think about having only one company, all dolls with the same body and same face-aesthetics. That's just wrong in my opinion ^^'

Also it's a big problem when you actually need a different body style than your favorite company's style. As example: My first boy is a new DIM Boy, a Achernar. He's slightly muscled, but also thin.
My second boy/man is supposed to be very, very, very thin. He's supposed to look sick...a muscled body would just look weird ^^'

 

What's most important to me is that each doll's sculpt matches the character it's supposed to be, and that the ones that belong together in a group look somewhat like they belong together. Like one of mine was going to be a Lati Blue Rucas, but I was a little uncomfortable with the way they look next to DZ minis and MNFs, so I kept looking for something else. Which was good because I found another that works better for the character.

I'm sure I'll eventually get a DoD Ducan, though - he won't match the minis, but that's OK because he's not part of their "group" - he lives in a different universe than their storyline, if that makes sense. I'm sure he'll show up with them in out-of-storyline photos and photostories, though. I have no problem with my dolls going out-of-character occasionally, like actors.

I should add, also, that if I absolutely fall in love with a sculpt and can afford it, I'd get it whether it fits in or not.

 

I don't expect all my dolls to match, and I have pretty varied family. Though, I like to keep dolls from the same storyline more proportionate with each other if possible. If there's a doll I really really love but is too different in size or style, then they'll just be separate from the other story lines.

 

I don't mind if they are from different companies and I'm fine with a certain level of variation in style, but I have my limits on how much they can vary. For example, the fact that I got a SNG Javi first meant I ruled out Supia Rhoda, Latidoll Ruka, Soom Beryl, Sard and the like (all of which were dream sculpts for me at some point). I'm waiting on K-Doll Kill_U 1st and planning Volks SD F-16 and Liz later.

Actually, I'm not sure if Kill_U + Javi together will match enough - this is a case of love winning out over match, because I'd been in love in Kill_U 1st for too long and the opportunity was too rare for me to pass up. But at least they are in the same ballpark proportionally and stylistically. And with F16 or Liz (or perhaps a Crobidoll, Luts, or Volks sculpt) I think the group will be harmonious.

 

I was actually thinking rather carefully about this the other day- as I'm expecting my first two boys home in about two weeks, I was wondering how well they'd match up to the other sculpts I was interested in. My "dollie wishlist" has been completely revamped about three times now and only a certain type of sculpt has stayed on-

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I prefer certain things in dolls that I'd want to buy- so rather then buying a doll because I want it to "match" the others, I'd buy it becaue I absolutely love the sculpt, and the result is that they do match in a way, because my personal collection style is starting to surface a bit ^^ ((at least in list form DX))

I think it's hard for people to actually like two sculpts that have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in common- they might be different- even very different, but I think essentially, most people's dolls will have some common characteristics- be it a certain narrower eye style, or pouty lips (a favourite of mine) or big noses, or small mouths, these are the things that make our collections blend together.

I'm not saying that if you prefer a big nose and mouth, you'd never buy a doll with a small nose and mouth, but it's more likely that you'll get another doll with a big nose and mouth. Especially if you've been collecting for a while ^^

So there you have my two cents

 

I care a lot about the matchy-matchy, even though I have a doll family of one right now. Most of the dolls on my wishlist are fairly realistic in style - they'd take 14mm eyes or smaller, if that's any indication. I had qualms about migidoll ryu, even, because he is still fairly stylized, despite his little eyes. I love a lot of stylized sculpts, but they would look awfully alien-like next to more realistic ones. While some might go ahead and buy them anyway, most of my doll concepts are preexisting characters that need to look a certain way, and I can't justify buying a doll who would completely throw that off.

 

I thought I wanted all my dolls to 'match', since I am more interested in the realistic big sculpts.

But I am always finding that the dolls I gravitate to look good together whether or not they are sculpted in a similar style. I really did not expect that my AS Lucifer would 'fit in' with my SM Sard and very realistc DIM Mana MnM, since he is more of a traditional 'anime style' BJD. And yet when I dressed him properly, put on his right wig, and plopped him down for the big introduction... he seemed to just belong.

I also find my B&G Afra makes a stylistic bridge between my Lucifer and my Sard, since he possesses more anime-style eyes and face shape, but a more realistic nose, hands and 'gravitas'. I suspect my Heliot will act in much the same way when he comes... his sweetness and delicate features are very traditionally BJD, but his body sculpt and uniqueness belong more to the subgenre of realistic BJD.

So I always say not to limit yourself, and to collect what you love.... because they will somehow magically gel together all right if the love is there. Heehee, and here's some wine to go with that cheese.... *pour*

 

I don't care if my dolls match and I buy dolls that I love. If some of them look odd next to others, I just don't pose them together. I admire other people's collections where the dolls do match each other (all Volks, all Dollstown, etc.), but I wouldn't care to limit myself. I'm crazy about my oddball crew.

 

Me buying dolls that match each other would be just as likely as me fitting in at a party. Not likely.

I actually prefer the dolls to be different from each other. Even with siblings, I wouldn't buy them to match. Because... I've gotten comments that my brother and I don't look like we're related at all!

 

I would prefer it if my dolls matched but I don't think that's going to happen. I'm definitely not buying a BJD I like less just because it's from the same doll company as my first doll or because they look like a match, I'd regret it later. On the other hand, there is still a minimum level of matching that I need, for example, I wouldn't buy an ultra realistic sculpt or an MSD because I don't think they'd look good next to my Lahoo.

 

Funny to see a comment on not buying both DZ and Luts, as I'm gonna be putting my two (once I have both) BF Niky heads on... a DZ girl body and a Kid Delf boy body! Yes, they are twins. I think they'll look fine together. I think I'm actually more picky about hand sculpts than anything like two dolls matching. Though for the most part I do seem to be drawn to smaller eyes.

Actually, I realized as I put together my wishlist I am very rarely drawn to two dolls from the same company, let alone in their same size group (exceptions, Banjis and maybe MiniFees), so I suppose as my collection grows because there isn't a unifying theme in any group they'll wind up working together. Though, I really don't want anybody too childlike.

 

This is a really good point... I had to take a quick look at my collection. And with the exception of my DZ bunny, all of my dolls do have one thing in common: expressive lips. Some are smirky, some are pouty, most of them have a hint of a smile. But they are pretty much all sculpts with the lips as a prominent feature... regardless of what other differences they may have.

That really made me go "hmm..." Very interesting point!

 

I find it easy to like sculpts that have nothing in common. I like my SchoolHead B and I like my Limho Mano, even though I can't think of anything they have in common, visually. Besides both being made of resin.

If I required that all my dolls look the same proportion & style, my collection would pobably be much smaller. ^^ Instead, I use the Zen method of choosing sculpts: I just know it when I see it. It has to be True Love for ME-- I don't care how he'll fit into the rest of the collection, I just have to like looking at him. He's my doll, & I'm the only one who has to live with him.

If you've been collecting for awhile, the OPPOSITE may be true-- you're likely to find yourself branching out into different sculptural styles than you started with. Three years ago I started out exclusively with big-eyed wholesome Volks Tokyo Boys; these days I seem to have a population of more-realistic mature men, 2 Tinies, and a whole sub-population of Tans.

The longer I collect, the more my collection looks like the departure lounge at an Intergalactic Airport, with all these wildly-diverse creatures all crammed together in one place. But, I enjoy the sensation that my dolls are all travellers & fugitives from all different worlds-- and that they have all ended up HERE, to live with me. Each one has his own far-fetched story of how he eventually turned up here, no matter where he's from. I feel like I'm running a hostel, or at least a safe-house.

Of course, your overarching style may still prevail in different ways (i.e. the way you dress or paint them), so people will still be able to see clearly that those two dolls are both yours.
And if the observer is a friend, then there's even more intangibles that give you away. Friends know! "I don't know why I bought this doll, it's such a departure for me," you'll say. "Oh really? I can totally see that he's one of yours," your friend will say, thus rocking your world.

 

I'd have to agree with Jenny's doll collecting opinions. I personally go out of my way to make sure each doll is unique in my collection. My MSDoll Tely has no relation to my Sabik, who has not all that much in common with my Pipos Baha. All bought within weeks of each other.

I don't like dolls competing on the 'same level' for my affection. It forces me to choose a favorite. Variety has always made me feel closer to 'owning them all' if you know what I mean.

 

The sculpt is the most important thing to me, whether or not they fit with my other dolls. I started out with only realistic sculpts but along the way I fell in love with an Evenstar Choa & she started me on a whole group of big-eyed girls & boys. When displaying them, I tend to put like types together but not always. In my little universe there are all sorts of creatures & the big-eyed kids are faeries.

While I tend to stick to SD size, I also have a group of tinies that have almost nothing in common. Those have a different storyline & they all live in an enchanted wood where varirty is the norm.

So really I just buy what I love & figure out where they go once they get here.

 

I go with the Sculpt not how they match to each other. My boys do not usually pose together so it really does not matter to me that they do not match.

For my Tinies, they are from different companies and do not "match" but it does not bother me at all.