Should limiteds or oneoffs be modified or split into pieces?

I doubt I would ever split or modify a LE/One Off. Being an anime statue/figure collector, I even keep original boxes or sometimes never take items out of the box.

Would be so sad to see such doll seperated into smaller pieces and different people owning them. I would always think to myself "I hope he/she is taking good care of that item". It makes me sad, so if I ever see a doll I love I would get it for myself as a whole with every single piece that comes with it.

 

As someone very new to the hobby, I'm not sure if my first 'real doll' (as in my first non-anthro) being a limited has something to do with my feelings on the topic or not, but I honestly feel very distressed about the idea of splitting up or in any was modding a limited doll. I have a Soom Amber MD on her way, and while in the Waiting Room for her I began to see something I didn't know happened... people were talking about taking her head, or hands or legs and hips, or making her into a boy. I found myself more and more disturbed by this, to the point that I became very protective of a doll not yet even in my house. As if they were talking about chopping up my cats for parts!

But then isn't it the same thing, to mod any doll? My anthro, a Pipos Bao, was bought for the sole purpose of being my mod tester, the whole reason I own her is because I'm going to mod her so heavily that hopefully one day no one will even be able to tell what she ever was before.

However, since Pipos is no longer making Baos like mine.... does that not make her special? Why does that not now make her to valuable to mod, now that she's become a doll you can't buy?

Strangely, I don't have a proper answer even with my deep feelings on it.

 

HMMMMMM, OF COURSE! It is all based on what makes you happy! If it's a limited or one-off, who cares? If you want it that way then go for it! The thing about dolls is that there isn't a limit! (Unless maybe the doll isn't yours, but that's another story xD) Point being you do what pleases you. Look at the Soom dolls, they get split up all over the place, nothing wrong with that.

 

I hate seeing LE sets being split. In some cases such as sleeping heads I see it as ok to Mod the head but other times like sanding noises and cheeks not really. I dont see why people dont just buy another doll thats more like what they are seeking.

BUT what people do with what they own is their own business and YES I have bought LE heads before that people have split off from sets.

 

I think it depends on the buyers and also the owners of that doll.
I love limited dolls, but sometime it just........

'I love only the LE head' (and yes I don't want body and also the outfit too, so I will find spliter for those items.)
and I don't think it unsuitable to do if I only want the head of that set.
I think if I get the full set LE doll, I'll sell other items that I don't want to keep and the result is the same.

EX. my Alian and Yukinojo, I split thier heads from other owner and 'make them as I want them to be, because they're my dolls'
I'd hybrid thier bodies and give them in other outfits to make them have new look and yes I'm vey happy with them too.

Many people may feel dislike when seeing LE doll or one off doll going in a split or modifed
I think its depend on 'what the owner want' too.

I just wonder...
if people have LE doll or oneoff doll and repaint the face with other artist out side.
Is it something that we shouldn't do to LE or one off model?
because that will destroy the LE face up and also oneoff face up, right?

sorry for my poor Eng.

 

I personally don't see an issue with splitting up a limited edition doll. As others have said you may not like the body that comes with the head or you may want to make it a different gender. The outfit does not appeal to you... all of these things are reasons why people go in and split limited edition dolls. Look in the marketplace and there are a ton of split threads for people who only want Beryl or Sard's hooves, or they want the fairy parts for amber. They want an ultra rare Volks head but they want a different body. Many things factor into why someone would want to split up a limited.

As far as modding a limited goes... I think it depends on the mods honestly, if you're going to buy a limited head and epoxy the heck out of it and make it look like something completely different that could have been achieved using a non limited doll head then I think in a situation like that maybe a different head should have been seen as a first option so that the person that truly loved that limited head as it was could have gotten a chance to own it. At the same time I would never be upset or angry with someone for doing that to their doll since they spent the money on it and can choose to do as they please.

Outfits in my opinion aren't a big deal, they're just clothes and your doll may not have the same style as the limited outfit that they come with (I remember when fairyland re-released breakaway a ton of folks went in for splits cause many only wanted the doll and not the clothing/wig/etc).

I suppose in the end I don't really think it's a problem to split up limited dolls. Everyone has a different dolly vision and who am I to judge someone for getting the doll they want and doing what they wish with it?

~Gio

 

Just out of curiosity, are your feelings on the matter only directed at LEs or dolls in general? I ask, because your last paragraph seemed like a more general statement. When dolls are split up, those parts go towards making other dolls that are just as special to their owners--in a hobby that is heavily about customization, people aren't going to leave their dolls as is, and it's not really what they're meant for (not that you can't leave them in their default state if you want to, of course). Obviously LE's are a little different from standard editions, however, with the culture of the bjd hobby being very oriented towards making changes to dolls (whether it be modding, hybridizing, selling off the clothes because the owner wants a different style etc), that it's not surprising that it happens with LEs as well. While collecting plays a definite part in the hobby, it's not strictly what it's about--very different than collecting other types of dolls or figures.

 

I don't see any problem with limiteds being split (unless of course this keeps me from getting a limited I want!). Although it may never be the whole package that was envisioned by the company, better that the individual pieces are used and enjoyed then just stuffed in a drawer somewhere because "I only wanted the head" or something similar.

Mods, though, I feel differently about, at least for heavy mods or those that render the sculpt unrecognizeable. Unless there is some compelling reason that the limited sculpt is what you need for your design, I would much rather a non-limited doll be used. There will be so many people who will fall in love with a limited as is but won't be able to get it due to the limited numbers. It seems a shame to prevent one of these people from getting the doll they want if you're going to change the limited to such an extent that you could have gotten the same effect with a non-limited sculpt. I don't think I'm explaining this too well.

Of course, it's your doll, you paid for it, you can do what you want with it, yadda yadda, but that's my opinion on the subject.

 

I don't have a problem with people modifying or splitting LE or one-off dolls.
However, I do think people should think very careful about doing so if they may be considering selling them.
I wouldn't buy a original LE doll second hand unless it's a full set with all the documentations, especially not in the current market infiltrated by recasts.
I wouldn't want to buy a modified LE doll unless the custom face-up or modification is amazing....

 

Most of the time it's so sad for me to see an LE that has been (poorly) modded, being sold in the marketplace...

However, I have seen a GORGEOUS Volks Genji around the boards that has been WONDERFULLY modded and is GORGEOUS!

 

Admittedly I always wince when I see LE's that have been poorly modded as well. I don't mind modding on LE dolls [I have a modded LE], but if you are going to mod it take the time to find and pay someone who knows what they're doing. It's one thing to mess up a doll that can be replaced, but it's always sad to see a doll go up in the MP that was once a valuable LE go to waste. This is just my opinion though, and this whole discussion goes into the the category of 'Your doll, your choice', but I as a collector feel it's a bit careless.

As for splitting up limited and oneoffs, this is another 'Your doll, your choice' issue, and I have no qualms with it. Yes, when they are one-offs its sad to see the pieces get sold especially if you were pining for that particular doll, but thats just a win some lose some situation. ^^ I would probably do the same if it saved me a bit of money to buy a fullset LE, and sell the clothes to someone who really wanted them rather than keeping them just for the sake of them staying a fullset.

 

I really don't see the problem with this issue; I mean as stated there are various reasons for not wanting to split something!
Say there was an LE10 and the outfit was perfect for a doll you had, but not the doll itself, would you not want to split for it with someone who only wants the doll? Its just a way, really to make more people happy rather than somebody having an LE doll and keeping the outfit boxed up in a cupboard.
Am I a bad person for only getting Heliot parts and not the whole thing? Fact of the matter was that I couldn't afford him as a fullset (student life; woohoo) and on top of that, the super Gem body is too bulky for the character it is set for. On top of that I will be completely removing the horn of the Romantic head. I don't see anything wrong with this, but I am sure people out there will think I am blaspheming or something ridiculous.
This hobby is all about customizing the doll to your taste, and why should it being an LE or not have anything to do with that? Whatever makes you happy in my eyes...

 

hmmmm well i see no issue with that, even if it's a limited, you might like 80% of the overall picture, but fix or twink the other 20% to make it into yuor own boy/girl, wouldn't that then make that lovely being who already a LE, into a OOAK? cuz i do it all the time, and i think it just a part of the hobby, because if we fear changes, we won't amount to nothing

 

I think closely to this, but in the other direction. If I was in a split for a LE, I'd really like to stay in contact with all the other owners and see what their dolls look like with the pieces on them.

I'm half and half as far as modifying LEs. Opening eyes, adding in general, I think is great. I always like to see what people do to make the dolls their own. However! To REMOVE and totally reformat seems a bit on the wrong side of my mind. If someone gets the piece because of it's uniqueness, should show it off and accentuate it, not tone it down. IE Sanding elf or odd shaped ears, sanding original eye modifications or shapes, sanding original arm or leg shapes (unless it's to make fit with other arm or leg shapes..) and such D:

I try to be open and love to see everyone's originality through their doll modifications, but I can't help but squeak in fear at some ideas, even though if I saw the result I'd probably love it XD

 

Their doll, they can do what they want, LE or not. Splits? Sure. They may not have the money to afford the entire doll right then and there, but maybe will gather the rest of the pieces later. Or not. Doesn't matter (my personal opinion).

Modding? Remember that it is limited and when it's modded, it's not worth as much if they decided to sell it. And I agree with chipr about complete modification: just make a hybrid! It's probably quicker and easier then modding and regret!

 

That may really depend on the quality of the mods, though. A mediocre mod job may well lower the price, but a really good mod job could make a head even more desirable--it just depends on the quality of the work and who happens to be searching the marketplace for a doll at any given time.

Another thing to remember--not everyone who buys LEs does so for the uniqueness/collectability factor. Some people (like myself) may buy a particular doll or head, because it happens to fit a character whether or not it's LE, standard, or modded. It doesn't matter how common or uncommon the doll is, it just has to work. In that case the point isn't necessarily to show off an unusual LE doll, it's to show off the character the doll represents.

 

I don't think modding a limited doll is wrong. Ok, the doll might loose his original value and such, but if you plan to keep the doll then I don't see a problem.

As for splitting dolls, I don't have a problem with that either.
When ordering a fullset and you don't want the clothes, you might make someone else very happy who doesn't want to have the doll but only the outfit.

For me, buying a doll is that I can turn the doll into a character in mind that I love. If it needs modifications, then I do it. I want to have a doll with I totally love, and not having a doll that I love for say 90% and dislike her at one or to points that could be easily modified but isn't allowed to do.

 

To be honest, I don't really like that "you wouldn't ruin (insert famous piece of art here)!" The Mona Lisa isn't just famous because it's a picture of a woman, it's also a piece of history that can't just be bought and sold. It's in a museum, watched by millions, used in art class books about art history. If someone ruined it, of course it would cause an uproar. A one-off doll isn't so world renowned.... I'm not saying they're not special, but it's like comparing that 7 foot hill in the park to Mt. Fuji.

Alright, to my opinion, yes, I believe people are free to do as they please to their dolls if they have the money. I do also believe that it's a little wasteful to get a one-off that's nothing more than unique clothes and accessories, with a special face up on a basic mold, just to mod it UNLESS you really wanted that outfit made by that particular person, and liked the doll but wanted some changes, like you wanted them tanned or you wanted them to have a unicorn horn or something. Otherwise, you could just get the basic for much less. As for limiteds, if it's the kind of mold that you can only get in limited form, and it comes with lots of things, by all means, sell the extras. Yeah, people might get upset because they wanted the full set, but if you only wanted the head, there's nothing they can do but maybe buy the other parts and look for someone selling the head. I guess that's why Soom does it the way they do it. Why buy extra stuff if all you want is the basic doll? Maybe they'll get down to the point where you can just buy the head? Heh, maybe not. But with one-offs, with unique features, like for example the DoD Black Elf Luke, you know, I feel like I wouldn't even be able to do anything with it because it's one of a kind, and if anything happens to it, you're screwed forever. Dolls like him are kind of.... display to me. I wouldn't be able to bring myself to even play with it with all the money I spent, and all of the unique features that can't be replaced, and then, what's the point of having it? Then again, I'm a functional kind of girl. I hate to buy things that just sit around and look pretty, and don't have any other purposes....

Yeah, there will always be someone upset that you changed a one off or limited doll that they really wanted fullset, but the thing about this hobby is the ability to customize these dolls and make them your own, whether that means simply wiping that extra fancy, one-of-a-kind face up from "Ms. Superamazingfaceupartist III" off, or adding on giant elf ears. It's not fair to tell an owner that they can't do anything to their own doll, or to shun them when they decide to. So what if that means that one-off you really wanted, you can now never have? Hey, who said they were ever planning to sell it anyway? You'll just have to sigh and wait for the next gotta-have doll on the market.

All of that being said, I say 'Mod Responsibly' no matter how many of a mold there is ^^

 

Hmm, it's interesting to see the different POV on this, since I've somehow come to own a limited head myself. When I bought it, I thought that the Fairyland Breakaway head wasn't going to be limited, and thusly, I would have no problems doing a few gentle mods on the head in order to make it look more like the character I want it to look like. But now... it's suddenly limited, and it's making me nervous to do the mods I want to do on it.
I was only able to get an open-eyed head, so I'll want to make his eyes a bit narrower, but keep the same sort of shape, his nose needs to have the tip sanded down a little (so it's not quite so long and pointy), and his chin needs to be rounded out a bit more (also too pointy for the character). His perfect mouth and cheeks I'm not going to touch. The head was blank when I bought it (the faceup had been done on the dreaming head), so I didn't have to worry about wiping off a limited faceup off to do my own (eventually).
I'm going to try to still have him look as much like a Breakaway as possible, and I'm also going to try to be as careful doing these mods as possible... (plan for days/weeks, and take possibly even longer to do them!) But saying that everybody who buys a limited sculpt should send it off to a customiser to have their mods done... Not everybody has the money. Also, even with a good customiser, there's still the chance they'll mess up.

Although I've learned through hard and painful lessons to try not to care what others think of me, I still worry that some are going to say that I 'ruined' my limited doll by modifying him.

Ultimately I think it's up to the individual doll owners on what they want to do with their limited dolls. And I agree with the above post. Mod responsibly!

 

I'm a firm believer in the "it's your doll, you can do what you want with it" philosophy. That said, my heart still seized up a little when I saw someone mention they planned to wipe the clockwork faceup from their Xi-Aleister. The Xi-Aleister is available blank, why wipe a limited faceup? That's probably just because I have one and love the faceup, though. Do what you want. I'm not sure why it bothered me so much, I mean it's not that expensive a doll, and not that rare, relatively speaking.

I have no problem with splitting outfits from the limited dolls, though. There's a limited right now I'd have bought a month ago if it wasn't so expensive due to the outfit I don't need. That said, I still haven't brought myself to sell off a couple pieces of Riddick's fullset outfit that I know I'll never use, I have the "collector gene" that makes me want to keep all the pieces together.

I think if I personally was lucky enough to have a one-of-a-kind doll (a major one, such as the Black Ducan or Luke), I'd feel a responsibility to keep it as pristine as possible and keep all it's fullset pieces with it. That doesn't mean I wouldn't change it's clothes or play with it or take photos or bring it to meets, but I would be extra-super-careful at all times.

I still think others can do whatever they want with their dolls, limited or not. Even if it makes me cringe.