The First/Best Advice You Ever Got

Well at first I thought that there was a certain type of doll you HAD to get if you wanted to be into the hobbie, so I asked around if the doll I was looking at was ok and they said 'if it makes you happy then its fine' and I was like 'wow! its that simple?' xD

 

The best advice I got was to buy what I love the first time... sadly I am so indecisive ^_^'

 

Don't touch the face. XD

 

"They're just being mean/nasty/jealous, ignore them." It covers some of the less than pleasant people i've met with dolls and the catcalls I've gotten from non-doll people when I'm carrying my dolls.

In general people are nice, but mean people are so dang loud and it just takes that one comment to ruin your day.

 

I've got that from Goth 20 something wannabee cools, shut them up totally when I stopped and said "This boy cost MORE than you make at Hot Topic in a month.... and that was just my spending cash."

No need to tell them I saved for several months to get him!

 

The first piece of "advice" I ever got was actually a gesture of kindness. Before I had a job, or knew anything about where to buy doll clothing a really sweet woman and her friend had sent me some clothing for my doll (I only had one at that time). So now, when ever I sell a doll or a doll head I try to include some free things for the person as well. I can't always do it, but if I have a wig or a pair of eyes or doll clothes that I don't use, then they always get sent with a doll head or a doll when they leave my home. So, I guess the best advice was a silent gesture of kindness that kinda showed me that anyone could be in the situation that I was in. So, helping people maybe? ~

Sorry if that was sappy, it was true. XD

 

Hmmm... for me, probably, "Have you coated the faceup?"

That brought me into the wonderful world that is Testors and MSC. XD

 

You're Welcome!

Get thee to the Workshop and READ the stickys in Painting, Customizing and Esthetics! Tons of info there on everything under the sun and very nicely organized.

 

My personal experience with Testors is that it's more inclined to attract dust and make my white skinned boy's bum gray Though to be fair I did spray outside in January... I don't think it was snowing but...

MSC seems to go on smoother, though some have trouble with it, so long as you spray at a distance of 8 to 12 inches from the doll part. That prevents bubbling and then you don't lose part of the painted surface as I did. (Like the boy better now but it was heart failure inducing)

MSC WILL give you a raging headache, so spray outside and down wind. Most people recommend a mask but I have claustrophobia real bad when my face is covered so I hold the doll part at arms length and spray.

 

I don't remember my first advice, as I didn't physically meet anyone until my first doll meet with my Nigel on the way. Perhaps it was 'Oh BJD? Here is my card, I'm on Den of Angels'. I researched and gleaned buckets of information from DoA. These below are personal wisdom I've picked up:

1.) 'Don't take the doll at face value' . AKA, if it has a bad or different photo don't let it turn you completly off. Look at the mold, without a face up if you can, and imagine your own designs there. I hate the SOOM photo's of Soom Namu, but when I saw the naked head mold I fell in love. These dolls are customizable for a reason, they don't have to look like the website pictures.

2.) When you buy a doll, have at least half of it's cost extra also. Money goes fast into customizations, clothing, supplies, everything, so there is much more to the cost of a doll then a cost of the doll.

3.) Know your abilities. I know a lot of people who give thier dolls face ups themselves, and I commend them, but I know I don't have the ability (hella shaky hands) nor the patience to give my dolls the finallity of character they need, and so I use pictures of the mold and liberal use of photoshop to make them look like what I want and find an artist that can do it. On the other hand while I did buy some foundation pieces I make all of their clothing that I can.

4.) Don't be afraid of 'Pre-Loved'. Sure, there probably is something special about knowing your doll was made practicly 'just for you' as it comes from the company, but there are so many possibilities lurking in the second hand market. Don't be afraid that there might be feelings or 'personality' left over from the last owner and you won't bond, if anything you might bond more as you go through the process of giving them a new life with you. Currently both my dolls, a third apparently arriving tomorrow, and a fourth on the way are all second or third hand. I have recieved and customized each in their own little way and despite the fact at one time they were someone elses they are now truly mine in every way.

 

Oh at least half! And I thought toddlers were expensive! Jeez, ONE of my resin boys drains my pocket faster than my teenaged son and his father together!

 

Definitely it's "learn to take them apart and put them back together." That was advice I got before I got my first one, and I needed it when she came..she needed to be put back together thanks to Customs >_<. Someone posted on DoA the trick about taking off a foot to get enough slack to get the head back on, and I used that to repair her.

 

1. Don't be afraid to mess with them! They're not porcelain, they won't break (easily). Learning how to move them around is part of the deal.

2. Dive right in and take them apart! I don't care if your doll has the most perfect eyes and wig EVAH. Practice taking out the eyes, taking off the head cap, and (most importantly) restringing it. While you may never have to change the eyes/wig/face, you're probably going to have to restring him/her at some point. This pairs up with #1.

3. Wait and save for what you really want! Don't blow your money on something you don't think you'll use but is "good enough". Be patient. The thing you really want will show up eventually. Some doll owners wait years before ordering and/or perfecting their doll.

 

Well, I personally like MSC better than Testors.

And I do agree that Testors enjoys attracting dust and crap.

MSC is nice and clear. Testors turned my BW boy a dark yellow/green. XP

 

Hum. Don't get a silicone wig cap, because it can discolour your head cap. Use a rubber band instead! Wrap it a couple times under where the wig will go and that sucker wont go anywhere!

Buy a sewing machine and take sewing lessons! Making your own clothes make cost more at the first outlay, but once you get cranking, it's a -lot- cheaper.

Don't be afraid of the fact that your collection is growing huge. Just more to love!

 

I first saw bjds at an anime con this past January, and everyone was so nice about answering all my questions! One girl even let me hold her darling girl! I got lots of great advice over the 3-day con, like 'Join den of angels;' 'Don't use anything with oil for the face ups;' 'Look, you can change their eyes! *popped head open before I could stop her*;' and, of course, 'Seriously, join den of angels.'

The most memorable thing from that con came right before I left Sunday, after talking to a very helpful girl (with a DZ hid) and guy (with some gorgeous Soom creation) They gave me a Junky Spot buisiness card that came with one of their orders, and as I was walking away I could hear them whispering to each other, 'Got another convert.' 'Yep, we're taking over the world, one doll lover at a time.'

 

Best advice I got was NOT to spray my newly painted face with anything that wasn't made for it. Well, I did, there was some ceramic matte sealing spray in the closet. It's not really matte. Her face has a definate sheen that no one wants. But that's OK 'cause I intend to change her face. But I will never do that again!