Should dolls come with sanded seams?

I disagree that dolls should come sanded. As many have said before, this is meant to be a customizable object. And many people who say they'd want the seams sanded aren't willing to pay a lot for it. Because it is a time consuming process and some companies just don't have the time.

Just my two cents

 

the MAIN reason some companys dont sell their dolls sanded is because it will take a little bit off of the price. and because its relitively easy. will only cost you 6 to 12 bucks, and youll be able to do it for many many dolls. so.. youll only have to pay once , no matter how many dolls.. unlessy ou have like.. 30. then youll have to buy more sand paper

 

I do think sanding for dolls should come standard. I think it's an overall better service, it's safer for the customers for the sanding to be done by professionals with the right equipment. It also increases the chance that the buyer will be happy with the doll when it first arrives because it won't look as 'unfinished'. I don't think it should be extra money, but I guess I can understand why they could charge, it is time consuming. Alot of smaller companies, like Resinsoul and Illusion Spirit, sand the dolls for free as part of the service, it's not even mentioned on the website because it's just a given thing for them, like including a pair of laces when you buy sneakers. It's a small thing that you don't think about, and can get them for a small extra fee, but really? They should just be there.

 

The problem with this idea is that while the sandpaper is cheap, time is not. Minimum wage in the United States is over $7. If it takes one person, say, six hours to sand one doll to perfection, that's over $40. I have no idea what the basic pay is in the countries where the dolls are made, but this can give you an idea why it does cost quite a bit when the company offers the service. You also have to add in the cost of safety equipment to protect the employee's health.

I feel kind of weird for this, seeing how many people dislike them, but I actually prefer my dolls to have seams. My Heliot is on a Bobobie body and I hate the lack of seams. Seams to me are a mark that the doll has been hand made just for you, and I like the feel of them. While I wouldn't fuss a whole lot, I would be a little sad if every company sanded every one of their dolls.

 

Very well said. Also, you are not weird. Many of the people in this thread prefer to leave the seams. My 2 newer dolls both have the seams. I no longer sand unless there really is a very sharp edge.

 

Duplicate

 

Duplicate again. I have no idea what is going on .

 

You know, I've actually noticed quite a wide gap in this debate between people who entered the BJD fandom BEFORE seam sanding became common, and people who entered the BJD fandom AFTER seam sanding became common. I remember when it was a big shock that Dream of Doll was going to stop sanding their seam lines in order to reduce the wait time on a doll from them from 8 weeks down to 4-6 weeks. I remember what it was far rarer to find a fully sanded doll and you'd want longer. Now, people who have entered the fandom who don't have that historical perspective say "These newer dolls are all sanded. That's how they SHOULD be."

And I think the companies themselves have kind of held onto this viewpoint, from what I've seen- the ones that started out in the era of no-sand still generally don't, and the ones that started out in the era of sand do.

Personally, the seam lines on my older CP don't bother, but not having seams on my newer dolls is nicer looking, I'll admit.