Tensiya releases Dollshe Tan SA Bermann Il Milione

Instead of ranting at Tensiya, why don't the 989 disappointed people write a petition to Dollshe vowing to purchase a Bermann if he is re-released? Dollshe is the one who stopped selling Bermann for whatever reason.

Nine hundred eighty-nine times whatever Dollshe would price them?

Money talks... sometimes.

 

Hmmmm.....I hesitate to cast my mind back over the last few "Bermann Release Threads" in order to remember the posts I've had to make telling members to calm down because then it proves it's a pattern and we've obviously worn a tired groove into the thing.

There are things being said in this thread - openly and veiled - that just really aren't appropriate. Everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion regarding the doll, Dollshe, Anu, tensiya, approaches to homing limited releases, prospective owners, current owners, past owners and the price of tea - however, I urge folks to take a deep breath before replying.

I, personally, can hear the pain that is being masked as bravado and outrage. It's unbelievably frustrating that this doll is so limited that not everyone who wants him is able to bring him home at the price they are comfortable spending, but I'm just not seeing how criticizing Anu or those members who have chosen to focus their collection on the mold changes any of that. It's hurtful and not productive.

Congratulations to those who will be bringing home this new boy. Good luck to those who will try for the last release.

 

Agreed, completely. Yes, I think that, *in hindsight*, some of the Bermann releases could have been handled better -- but I think that the changes that have been made show a willingness to attempt to find a fair and balanced way of pairing Bermanns and owners.

For every recent Bermann release, there have been complaints, so TensiYa has tried to change their ordering system to accommodate the demand. It hasn't worked perfectly every time, but I at least see them *trying* different things with an eye towards working out a good solution.

I'm really happy for the DoA members who won in this round, and good luck to those planning to enter for the next release, whenever it is!

-- A

 

Again, congratulations to all those that were lucky enough to bring home this gorgeous boy. To the 989 people that didn't win, good luck on the next release if you decide to try for him. I really hope you get your dream dolls.

I've started a waiting thread for all of those interested in settling in for the wait, however long it is. Thanks to thesaraghina for her mad skills on letting us all know about Il Milione's release in the first place. And thanks to our wonderful mod, Zagzagael for her words of perspective.

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=151258

 

I never wanted a Bermann, and the dolls I want are all unlimited. But, even if I did own a limited sculpt, I wouldn't see a need to own more then one, I like variety. :shrugs:

SDink, both- I'd say the same thing in a thread about Woosoos or whatever is a popular Volks mould. I really don't understand why people seem to want more then one of the same thing just because it's their "dream doll". I'd rather work on making that one doll absolutely perfect, hence dream doll and not dream dollS.

Frankly, I think having a specific release date then a first come, first served works the best. Seems like Luts, DOD and so on have all done that and no one can say it was terribly unfair since everyone starts with an equal chance. Money and connections have no say.

Yes, they are Anu's creations to do with as she will, I respect that, but that doesn't mean I (or anyone) can't question how she sells. She runs a bussniess and is a bussiness woman.

 

Ok...someone asked for this info a little while back, so I am not 100% sure if this is right.

Here are the winners:

Chemicalstar (new owner)
SummerBreeze (new owner)
Julia (new Owner)
Pris84 (has)
Petiteballerine (has)
Bunnydots (has)
accidental_subjects (has)

The "has" means they have at least one doll, new owner means they don't own any Bermanns at all. Hopefully this answers your question.

If I missed anyone or have the wrong info, I apologize. I went back through the thread and read the info on the messages to get this info. If people mentioned they had a previous Bermann, or I happened to know, I added the info.

 

kokoryta the reason Anu doesn't do first come first served is her server can't handle the traffic. The server crashed on Heimdal and that's why there was a problem then. The orders over shot by over a dozen people on that doll.

It was first come, first served for the Fogg/Manu/L'Estranger release (via emails), but people complained about THAT release as well because they allowed people to buy one of each doll. Not just one Bermann. See, Anu saw each as a different doll because they each are a different doll to her like Luts, Volks or DOD would place it as.

And we come right back to the same comment a few of us said before, "No matter what happens, people will still complain."

Edit: BTW, we can speculate and question how any business is run all we want, but when we don't know how a company is being run to begin with, it's rather pointless and frustrating. It's only prolonging bad feelings and misinformation. I totally agree with discussing company policies when everything is clear and upfront, but in this case, it's really not clear. And of course, we can talk about it, but that doesn't mean anything will come of it other than a semi- interesting dialog. The company has every right to do as they want. They can listen or not. Up to them.

Sabriell, it would be really nice if you actually explained what Sherry told you how everyone was picked. I'm sure we'd love to hear it.

 

I know a few people would like that carrot.

 

I never said that no one can question how a person runs a business. But the posts on this thread, which was originally suppose to be about a new doll and for people to be happy for those who got a chance to get this doll has turned into a slamfest. With unfounded allegations and accusations of collusion. That is why I suggested those not happy or having questions about how TensiYa does their business to contact TensiYa instead of dragging this down into the muck.

As for more than one of a certain doll, some people like certain molds. Companies do different face-ups, different resin colors, so even within a specific face mold there can be great variety. In regard to whether a person gets more than one, or choses not to, to each his own. Who are we to judge another person based on the dolls they buy? I suggest if you really want to discuss this, as Janne previously suggested, the debate forum would be a good place for that.

And as for posting who doesn't have a Bermann and who does and got the new doll, I do not see the purpose of this, unless one is to post all the people who have Bermanns. Clearly it shows there was not a chosing of only Bermann owners. Frankly, given the tone of some posts on this thread, the original request was to single out people, and I believe no one replied out of respect for the new owners.

I appreciate the responses of the mods on this thread and others. This thread was suppose to be to provide information about dolls going up for sale and to allow people to be able to express their appreciation for these dolls. Yet, once again, people let their emotions get the better of them.

I respectfully hope that if people wish to discuss other matters they can post in the debate forum, or at other boards or groups on the internet. Or send their comments to the company they are unhappy with. Rather than take it out on your fellow doll collectors, who are just trying to enjoy what they love.

And I say as a person who cares about people, not because of anything else.

 

It's interesting to see that 4/7 winners listed so far already have Bermann. I honestly find the odds intriguing, because it goes against all logic to me. If there are only 88 Bermann of the re-release out already, and then 77 of the originals and however many others were released in Korea (which I'm assuming most stayed in Korea), the odds are against people who already have a Bermann of winning one again. (Especially if there were 1000 people who tried for this release. At most I'm thinking only 4/10 of them could already own Bermann, without taking into account those who own multiple.)

Yet... it keeps happening. I'm not questioning Anu, or even the owners themselves. I'm just curious about the odd coincidences of the outcomes, and wonder why with this certain doll the logistics are funny. Though, I'm not sure I'll ever find an answer, or even how to come about the answer. ^^'

 

I don't know why people have so harad time admitting that beauty inspires greed. There's no need to call or disguise it as 'love', or 'focus'. Sometimes is a urgent need to posses and have, and it is also a human feeling. Human we are, arn't we? But there's a greed factor in the multiple possesion of extremely rare objects, or dolls in this case (and I admitt I have been and I am overcomed for that many times; I do own several very limited sculptures more than once). Of course, it is a right, and nobody can make legal accusations about that. On the 'ethics', or 'opinion' part, ah, that is different. But a bit of self reflection and sincerity is not bad. There's no need to hide, but also there's no need to pretend that others have to like it.

I had the luck to get my Bermann in the Fogg release, and my interest was more on the curious side. But I can totally imagine how would I feel if I would be an utter Bermann lover still Bermannless, watching other people's collections grow up to 2, 3, 4... please, emphatize. Put yourselves in that place. And then, as Zag said, breathe ;^)

 

this is my first bermann, but to be honest i would feel as happy and guilt-free if he was my 5th. if i get the chance to provide a space in my doll collection to some more of my favorite doll sculpt, something i consider a work of art, i can easily say i would not hesitate. this is not a charity case, this is a hobby, something that you should take pleasure in. if you take pleasure in owning multiple bermanns, then good for you, go for it, since noone has a right to judge what you take pleasure in. it's personal.

before applying for this bermann, i had no contact with neither Anu or Sherry, neither did i 'embellish' my mail, I just felt the need to provide reasons to my arguments or not selling the doll and being able to wait; anyone could do that if you so choose. It was just common sense, and how I am brought up. I give reasons to arguments.

I can see why some people are angry, however, pointing a finger at the buyers or the sellers will not get you a bermann, only waiting around and being patient will. in the end of the day, that's what all of us did. maybe anu's way of selling her creations is not perfect but then again with limited or ooak dolls, what ever is? let's take a very basic example; luts' limited dolls. even though they sell it thru their website, people with faster internet connections and newer computers has an 'unfair' advantage over those who don't. some systems are not perfect, nor can ever be perfected completely.

 

As much as I'd really like to address all individual comments, I just can't. I've already spent most of today and yesterday on this thread, and since I have a four-year-old child and an upcomming trip at the end of the week, I just don't have the time to fully defend my position as much as I'd like. Sorry. I'll try to summarize.

1) For those who don't know me, and apparently have not looked at my signature or avatar pic -- I already own a Bermann, in fact he's an Original 77 that I bought for a grand total of $775, long before Anu decided to revive the Bermann mold. So I'm NOT whining that I don't have a Bermann or fear I never will.

2) Despite what everybody seems to think, my intent here is NOT to condemn the winners, but to DRAW ATTENTION to the REPEATED UNFAIRNESS that has resulted in some shape or form, to one degree or another, in nearly EVERY ONE of Anu's Bermann releases... something that Anu continues to remain totally unaccountable for, and that Anu "adherents" continue to vehemently turn a blind eye to. I saw what I perceived as a continued injustice and the BJD version of the "Emperor's New Clothes" syndrome and have been trying to wake people up so maybe... just maybe... it doesn't continue to happen. Silly me for trying to alter the status quo.

3) As some have suggested, I now see no point in contacting Anu myself because there's only one release left and the damage is already done. Nor have I contacted Anu in the past in regard to her methods because a) I was under the impression that other people had already done so, and that Anu is already somewhat aware of the gossip about her and her dolls via DoA and other sources, and b) I have not had very positive experiences dealing directly with Korean BJD companies in general because of the language barrier, especially with issues that are more in-depth or abstract. And, as someone also pointed out, Anu doesn't owe me anything, much less a detailed explanation of her release methods.

4) I honestly have no problem with people owning multiple Bermanns, I myself would like to own more. In fact, I barely bat an eye when I see them go to Bermann owners via eBay or private exchanges. My problem is with HOW they were, and continued to be, acquired through Anu, and I want to know WHY it keeps happening. I don't blame SDink for winning all three Bermanns -- I blame Anu for allowing that sort of thing to happen in the first place, and for not having the sense to see the problem when it happened and correct it, BEFORE any winners were announced.

5) Oh and Karma is NOT the cosmic punishment/reward system that many westerners believe it be. What most people call "karma" is only a modern adapted cross-over from the Judeo-Christian belief that if you please God you're prayers will be answered, you reap what you sow, good things come to good people, etc. Karma is, in fact, a balancing mechinism that keeps both positive and negative energies in check, best illustrated by Newton's law that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. That means an amount of positive energy will always be met with any equal amount of negative energy. You cannot create positive results using only positive energy, no more than you can negate a negative event using negativity (i.e. an eye for an eye). Therefore karma can not translate into people winning dolls (a positive) just because they're good people (also a positive).

I could go on and on... but it's 4:00am and my Ambien is kicking in so I'm throwin' in the towel. When so many people gang up on one person, there's just no way that person's ever gonna come out on top. So there's really no point in me going any further with this. Your reactions have been... disheartening. Honestly, it makes this BJD hermit want to become even more of a hermit... so I think I'll phase out for a while and pursure other things I've been neglecting.

 

I don't think it's for me to explain how she did it, because I KNOW that some people here in this thread, that didn't win a Bermann will take it the wrong way.

I already requested from the people here to NOT mail Sherry when they feel the need to rant about their frustrations for not winning one. And I'm glad it did help somewhat.
But I'm afraid that if I do this, people will start mailing her.

This does not mean she used a "shady" methode, because she didn't.
I think the way Sherry handled this, was the MOST fair of all, and this comes from me, who also entered, has a Bermann already and did NOT win one.

So if you REALLY want to know how she did it, mail and ask her, and give her the choice to share it with you, or not.

I hope you will understand.

Sabriell

 

Well, according to your definition, karma certainly happened on this thread. The positive energy from people who won the dolls was quickly met with negativity about how the process was handled or who got the dolls. I am not surprised since it is well known that where people don't understand the process for detemining the winner in a contest, they will be more likely to see the process as unfair. I think in this case no one, winner and loser alike, understood or had any idea how the winners would be chosen based on the rather cryptic instructions we received, so it is understandable that people would be even more displeased with the results.

Regarding the post about greed, let me say this. I appreciate that nanyalin has maintained a level of civility throughout the debate on this thread, which is why I am attempting to respond in kind, although I understand that it's likely that popular opinion will be more on her side due to the large number of people who, for whatever reason, really, really desire a Bermann and for whatever reason have not been able to get one. Whether someone is greedy in their approach to collecting is a judgment. As one goes through life, one's behavior is judged by many people, not only in relation to purchasing dolls and other things, but also in relation to other areas of life - handling relationships and that sort of thing. Basically, you will always run into people who disagree with something you are doing or would do it differently if it were themselves. In the end you have to do what feels right to you and not be overly influenced by other people's judgments. Sure, there are some behaviors that are generally accepted as morally wrong - for example, if you grabbed someone's Bermann at a doll meet and ran off with it and stole it, most people would condemn that as wrong no matter how much you acted out of your love for the doll. But when the situation is a person using hard-earned money to purchase dolls, I think it is much less clear, and there is room for a variety of viewpoints.

nanyalin could say that people like me who have multiple Bermanns are greedy because we somehow took those dolls away from other people who truly wanted one. This is assuming that my secondary market Bermanns would have been sold to those other people for the price that they wished to pay which in many cases, based on the reported entries to this Tensiya contest, were far less than what the seller was willing to give up the Bermann for. I could just as easily say that nanyalin's buying a Bermann out of mere curiosity was wrong because in doing so, she took that Bermann away from someone who wanted it much, much more. (Please note, that is not how I feel, I am just making that point for the sake of argument.)

In the end we're all entitled to an opinion and we all have to do what feels right to ourselves. Not to the guy up the street, not to the next poster on DoA or any other forum, but to our own selves. There will always be someone who disapproves of whatever you do, or would have done it differently if it were them. That's life - people are different. And, especially when it concerns something as non-critical to existence as an artist doll (as opposed to food, shelter etc.), people should not, and do not, have to justify or explain their personal choices to other people. And that is my final word on this thread.

 

But maybe I'll have lots of cash together for the last one. Yeah right.

 

Bunnydots explained her point very clear. I am sure that each person is different, and I can not divinate each person's motivations, I can only talk for my own experience. In my case, I admitt that I feel the bug. I am not ashamed of the dolls I own, and for my repeated molds, it happens that most times I need to see them different and with different customizations, but I love the characters they developed too much to change. Please, have in mind that any other speculation about greed, need of notoriety fashion- riding the wave or whatever is just that: mere speculation, and not directed to anyone in specific, but moreso an 'essay' based on my own feelings and conclusions.

 

If you were never going to offer an explination for the things that you list as "facts" (1000 emails, 100 people offering 2000$, knowing details of how the winners were chosen, etc.) why mention it at all? Seems like it'd only breed ill will in the thread, I mean if it was really the fairest method of choosing winners, why not explain how it was done and let others decide for themselves.

I'm sure if people were to email Anu, they'd do it in either case.

 

This has certainly turned into an interesting duscussion. I think alot of really good points have been made by several people. I agree with alot of the points made by bunnydots, Mercy, Nanylin and Kim.

I don't think the Tensiya methods of selling these highly coveted dolls has been the best. The Heimdal release was a disaster, and subsequent releases have been problematic as well, Kim listed those reasons quite well IMHO. I completely understand the frustration, angst and even downright anger that these ineffective, and seemingly unfair methods have caused.

At the same time, I absolutely don't think that there has been any maliciousness on the part of Anu, nor necessarily any intent at favoritism. I honestly think the worst that can be said is perhaps, Anu is just not the greatest businessperson, and perhaps someone who had a better business sense might have been able to select a consistent method that would have worked better. I also agree with Kim that a blind lottery, just like Volks runs, seems the obvious answer, but for whatever reason, Anu didn't choose that method, and that IS her perogative.

I personally have absolutely no issue with somone wanting, or having more than one Bermann (or any other sculpt for that matter). All the people who have more than one, or are trying for more than one, have had to put up with the same flawed sales system as everyone else, and likely, have had to spend some serious amounts of cash to have more than one. Those people have just as much right to buy as those who don't have any, and I get a little tired of the anger and hostility that gets directed towards those people.

I myself am quite content to have one Bermann. I would have liked to have added a DO to my family, but for me, the hassle and high emotions of dealing with the methods that the new release Bermann's are sold under, is just too stressful. I don't need that in my life. More power to those who are willing to deal with it, and are lucky enough to get another one, and no one should berate those people for it.

And to those who have missed out getting one, numerous times, I will say it again, I DO understand. I was there for a very, very long time. But, to those people, even if you miss out on the last release, wonderful things CAN and DO happen with this doll, and one might well find it's way to you, when you least expect it.

A hearty congrats again to those that won a "B" boy this time. And I feel for those that didn't.

 

It would be nice to see everyone talking in a balanced way about all the things Anu does beautifully... and I was very impressed that her staff was able to contact the people who didn't win one first. Imagine emailing 990 people out of courtesy to let them know before the winners were announced. I think that was such a lovely gesture, and shows how much she cares about people who love her work.

I think it was very difficult for her to choose owners for her new line, and I'm sure she and Sherry agonized over it. In the end, she is doing her best and deserves credit for that.

Regarding the prices, if she can only complete 11 outfits per month, that means in the end you have hired one of the most talented doll artists in the world for approximately a whole week... if you include the 3 outfits, facepainting etc. Truly worth everything paid.

Catrina