Soom Super Gem Discussion (Basic, Limited & Special Order) - Part 13

Maybe it's time to ask Soom! I think when newer sizes are introduced the emphasis switches to them. Maybe we need to remind Soom that we like the supergem size. Currently I have been into the new mature dolls in the less than SD size, mostly 47 to 52cm guys.

 

@jessholy some companies (Loongsoul? TD?) have even gone to 80cm boys as their new releases the last year or two. I know that forever ago Soom had the Mecha Angel line which was 80cm but whatever. I know there's other dolls that are even bigger than that (AoD has a 90cm line that's been long-standing, Luts & Dollmore recently came out with dolls over 100cm), but they're not for me.

Hopefully the size scale will swing back to (relatively) shorter SD's. I like the 60cm boys but they're getting harder and harder to come by *sigh*. Although truthfully, 50-ish cm boys are my current love affair and have been for a couple of years now.

 

@nancy_schroeder_ca We would ask via their...FAQ board? It's been a while since I have even ordered with them.

@Iron_Dog 100 cm is just too big!

Question for both of you: Which companies are making these smaller SD dolls? I want to see them! I think my B&G doll falls into that size category - he's smaller than my Super Gems.

 

I have a list of 50-ish cm boys because of course I do. Some are limited or from companies that don't exist anymore so the only way to get them is 2nd hand and that's often not very easy.

I have a B&G Afra Elf (2nd hand purchase) and I appreciate his "shorter" SD size. Funny enough, he's paired with a 65cm boy. I also miss the SoulDoll Double boys and wish they'd bring them back (I own 2).

 

That is true...I know Volks does SD13/SDGr/SD still...I forget how tall my Zidane is but I think my Kuja is SDGr so I got Zidane as SD...I was sold on a certain facial sculpt...now I gotta see if I can dye his wig the right shade of blonde. (Kuja is fine with his fluffy purple wig - works for me!)

I really like B&G doll! I got him I think just before the company stopped existing all together. =/

 

I think Finden (the B&G boy) is awesome. I got him 2nd hand as the company was looooong gone by the time I got him last year.

Rhyia is a Soom Euclase (1st release) and he always wears his fantasy bird feet which actually makes him just a little taller than he is with his human legs. I think he's... 67cm with his bird feet. I got him 2nd hand, too, as when he was first released I didn't have a hope of affording him.

Vasyl is a FtM Vesuvia on the Poison Kiss body but oddly I have him listed on my stats sheet as being 65cm. However that could also be because he's only got heeled feet and that's how I measured him? I would like to get him regular flat feet but just haven't got my lazy butt on that yet. His partners are Macian (Spirit Doll Dark 70cm) and Wae-Lan (MD Aseal head on 5Star body 64cm).

 

Unfortunately, unless the tastes of the Chinese market changes I don't see there being much of a swing back to the smaller guys for Soom, at least not any time soon. This is just from my own observance but it feels like China is now one of Sooms biggest markets, if perhaps not the biggest. And they seem to love ID's, and MSD's. I remember when you could reliably be able to purchase any Idealian during the ordering period. Now you practically have to jump as soon as their up for fear Soom will close the ordering period early because of demand.

Luts has basically abandoned their male Delf's because of lack of demand. While most of my dolls are in the 65 to 70cm range, I to miss the SD13 size. Thankfully, there's always Volks if you like their aesthetic, which I do.

 

I don't own any Soom but I like the 62cm-65cm height for my 1/3 dolls. 62-65cm boys are now becoming uncommon, this space is hollowing out noticeably. Companies -- especially Chinese ones for reasons mentioned by Cloudedmind -- are not prioritizing 62-65cm boy bodies for new bodies or updating, so we're stuck with what's been made before. And it's not just smaller male 1/3 bodies but also clothing variety for them. Volks continues to service this size because they still make SDB, SD13B and SD17, but I happen to not like the Volks aesthetic, so it's getting harder to find good variety of masculine clothing for 62-65cm size. (Girls are a different story: 57-64cm continues to be popular for girls and they're very well serviced by Chinese and Korean companies.)

And yeah, I don't think Soom will be releasing Super Gems or updating their bodies anytime soon. Their main market (China) isn't interested in them. You may have more luck finding 60-65cm dolls (especially males) being made by Korean companies than Chinese ones.

 

@Cloudedmind See that is ironic to me because that is where the Soom recasts originated (or so I believe). So let's cater to the market that also hijacks our dolls? But yeah you have zero chance getting any doll they release these days because they get snapped up within minutes.

Maybe the trend will swing back some day. My incoming dolls are taller than the SD13 so whoever gets to be Skywise will need to be SD17 or so. (especially considering the last arc of the comic)

 

Volks are not my taste so they're off the selection list for me. But I also have a fair bit of nostalgia for the older sculpts (like 10+ years older) and they generally were of the shorter variety so that's good in my books. But even if I was to go with an older body for a head, some of the Soom sculpts that I've liked recent-ish are ones that will only fit on the much taller bodies (like 72-75cm).

 

I don't think we should lump Chinese doll owners with the recast market. Yes, one of the biggest recasters out there is in China, but no one hates that fact more then legitimate Chinese doll owners. In the end Soom, and other companies as well, are catering to the market that spends the most money.

It will be interesting to see what happens over the next ten years.

Now if only someone would come up with a less muscular, less Dorito shaped 75 body, then I'll actually be in trouble.

 

Lol, one of my friends likes the Dorito shape. But she also prefers it in a smaller size (like 62-64cm or so; def not the 70cm+ variety).

 

That's true.

I like to eat Doritos but my dolls aren't edible. There was one brand whose large dudes had BL levels of pec. I was tempted but resin won't squish!

 

I saw those, too. Not my cuppa, but that's the nice thing about this hobby; there's usually some aesthetic that suits whatever yours happens to be. Now, whether you can afford that... completely different problem.

 

Even Luts has a 57cm guy! I even missed his release so I will have to pay full price. I will try to do a list tomorrow.

 

Sartoriaj has some beautiful 51cm boys if you’re in the market.

As for Soom, I miss the Super Gem boys too. One of my two original grails was Sard…. I was so happy when I got him that I almost cried. He’s still very beautiful to me, although his cream white has turned pretty green. I decided to lean into that by making his character a wood elf.

Sphaler has fared rather better in the color department, and Chrom, who is normal skin, looks fine.

 

@nancy_schroeder_ca I'm really curious about the Luts 50cm boy but I'd want him with an Abadon head and the pictures Luts shows on their site look like the different heads were just photoshopped on (and not overly well done) so I have my doubts about what it really looks like and whether it would be odd or not.

Impl also does a 57cm boy with their Model line. I have 2 of them because of course I do.

One of my friends has a Sphaler (WS) and he's a gorgeous boy. She also has a tan Ender and he's a thicc boy. I think she's about given up finding him a suit (or just pants really) that fits that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

I've also got a Chrom head on a FL65 body (2nd hand) and both were WS but a former owner dyed him to have vitiligo, which I think is just awesome looking. He was so picky on wigs though. I think I went through like 4 of them (and I made 2 of them!) before settling on the one he is now wearing (that I also made him). Weirdly he was easy for eyes and took basically the first pair I made (thank goodness). He still needs horns that I've yet to buy as the horns I have are not to his liking.

 

I was just talking to a friend about how long it's been since SOOM released a super gem. It makes me so bummed, because I used to be almost strictly a super gem girl!

I also find myself wondering what has gone on behind the scenes over the years. They just haven't released anything brand new in terms of sculpts in so, so long. I miss the aesthetic of the older dolls.

 

It does seem like they've been re-releasing a bunch of sculpts in the various sizes over the last while. it would be very cool if for these re-releases they brought back some of the way older sculpts. Like Vega or Spinel etc.

 

I do wonder if not releasing those has to do with artist rights, perhaps?

The company's overall focus has changed a lot from what it used to be. I understand needing to adjust to customer demand and the current popular trends though. Gotta keep the business afloat and all

Wistfully speaking, I wish BJD companies had a way for us to kind of get to know them a little more, if that makes sense? I would love to learn how their process works, I would really love to learn a bit about the sculptors and the whole art design teams and how they create their concepts. For example, every once in awhile I find a Fairyland video of the team behind the scenes with their dolls and I always enjoy them. It would also help in the event that artists leave etc, though I guess that could work against them too. Some people might follow that specific artist if that is their aesthetic after all.