Things you DONT look for in dolls?

I guess I’m different from the majority in this thread, I only have childlike dolls, I grew up not trusting adults so I’m not drawn to mature dolls.

I also don’t look for fantasy bjd, pukifee elf ears is the extent of that.

I have a few odd size bjd but I typically don’t look for that because I like to find clothes and shoes easily.

 

this thread is interesting as an angelphilia/open mouth/teeth showing mold fan lol i do think there's something to be said about over exaggerated (x-rated?) expressions, the flexibility is pretty limited there.

for me, i love when a doll artist has a distinctive style, so what's on trend sometimes looks very repetitive to me. i've learned over time to avoid dolls with bad posing, and it's slowly made me want to collect less resin dolls. i just can't deal with restringing anymore! u_u;;;

 

I haven't thought about this much myself before, but reading others' comments has definitely made me put some thought into it!

I tend to avoid dolls with more joints than I think are necessary. Waist joints and neck joints tend to annoy me more than anything. Most of the dolls I've handled with those have been super kicky and fickle with posing, and they're not very aesthetically pleasing to me. I know that can be mitigated with restringing and sueding, but sometimes the doll just doesn't feel worth the effort.

I also can't handle dolls that have individually defined teeth. My Luts Sweety Bliss head is fine because his teeth are all smoothed out like in a cartoon. But having each and every individual tooth sculpted in detail creeps too far into the uncanny valley for me.

I also avoid dolls that have sad or grumpy looks on their faces. My dolls are here to make me happy, and I want them to be happy too! Thankfully some droopier mouth sculpts can be painted into a smile, or at least a neutral expression.

 

I can see that I'm in the minority when it comes to sleeping dolls... which I like more than the open-eyed ones lol

I read the whole thread before posting here and I love the versatility

Honestly, when it comes to dolls, there are two areas of aspects I'm not fond of: sculpting and styling.

As for the sculpting, I avoid dolls that are super skinny, super-long-legged, super muscled (both manly and girly-face-on-Arnold-Schwarzenegger body), overly-large breasted, overly voluptuous and tall (I only collect SDs, but they must be within the 55-62cm range). Also, all the super-unrealistic, small-nosed, huge eyed dolls. I used to have some e.g. Volks Myu/Sakura, but her nose was flat and her face animesque. I liked that. However, I don't like protruding AND thin, tiny noses.

As for styling, anything that's too weird, gloomy, demonic. I love goth, post-mortem like portraits that give the uncanny valley vibe, but I just don't like tacky halloween stuff on dolls. Also, I don't like long-haired boys (which I own myself), but I mean when they're super realistic eg. like the Venitu boys, but that's because of a personal bias: IRL all such men were usually super self-centred, so unless a doll boy is strictly feminine/effeminate/crossdressing, etc, I don't like the metalhead/headbanger-like look (as much as I appreciate all the effort that went into its realism). I don't like overly 'misty' or "airbrushed" makeup. I like more defined, sharp features, freckles, etc. When I have the feeling that everything is just pastel powder, e.g. no lines on the eyebrows, etc, I just avoid it. Besides, I don't like the old-fashioned lolita shoes... and I don't mean the platforms.

I honestly like "boring" dolls lol xD The sleepier, the more average-built, the more generic, the better xD

 

It is cool how a lot of us have different needs when it comes to our dolls. A friend of mine always tests if her dolls can stand on one leg! And yes. all 60+ dolls in her collection can do so You two would probably have fun tuning up your dolls together.
Personally my acceptance of posing flaws is more of a laziness than anything It takes a lot more patience to have more criterias, I think, so let me just applaud you right back, nay, let me give you a "standing" ovation

My eyes were first opened to the other side of this when my friend on the forum said open mouth dolls look like they're about to sneeze I can't unsee it, but I'm still team open mouth/teef.
I can see potential in the x-rated faces! I've seen them posed like the are singing, yawning, enjoying a snack, making a silly face for the camera So cute! But I don't collect dolls with o-face, because I don't want x-rated comments about my dolls, and I know some of my family members would totally tease me about it

I also agree about the style, when you look at them you wouldn't mistake them for any other maker. I think there's something special about that
That reminded me of something else I DON'T look for in a doll! I don't look for my dolls to match each other in any way. I don't need them to look like they live in the same universe, or to be of the same scale, or even share clothes.
And, maybe something I probably should look for but don't, is clothing availability I am trying to push myself to learn to sew and craft more, so if the shape is exaggerated too much to dress easily I really don't care! But since I don't look either way, sometimes I get dolls that are very easy to dress too

And something that's somewhat recently changed, I used to not consider dolls with fantasy feet. But when I realized you don't have to buy doll shoes for dolls with fantasy feet, I've become totally against buying dolls with animal features and human feet! When you can have paw or claw feet and never have to buy shoes for them ever, it seems like such a waste to give them human feet???

 

I’m cracking up. I specifically bought my first head because of his open mouth and optional mouth pieces, especially the tongue, and it seems like this is a common “heck no” for a lot of people. My next doll I’m waiting on also has eyes that aren’t completely open, which seems to be another thing most people aren’t on board with.

I personally find myself put off by the anime style dolls. Not that I don’t like them for other people. I still like seeing them, they’re just not something I would ever want in my collection. The too boyish faces on big hunky sculpts is also something I don’t quite understand. Though, as a newbie, I haven’t seen too many “mature” or truly “manly” faces. It seems they are a newer development. Though I may be wrong, I’m so new I don’t even own a complete doll yet.

I really love how this hobby even gives us all the chance to have such different aesthetics and preferences and still share a love for the dolls.

 

Personally, I don't like dolls that look too young, which can being a 1/4 size collector a little challenging at times! MNF + Souldoll are where it's at for me.

I stay away from creepy or disturbing sculpts. I also stay away from overly exaggerated bustlines.

I don't even really look for too much when it comes to posing - can she stand? can she sit? then we're good to go!

 

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I don't care much for sleeping sculpts, I would only consider one if it had an open-eye variant that I either own or like enough to buy. I prefer most pictures of my dolls to be awake; and while I would kinda like to have some sleeping pics I would not want to mod a head for them. But few companies do sleeping variants of their sculpts.
I do not like round faces that have no chin. Many of the smaller "babyish" looking dolls have really round faces, practically a sphere, and I don't find it particularly appealing, it's even worse if their cheeks are really pronounced, they look a like a chipmunk.
Bizarre or horror sculpts are a solid no. Some are kinda interesting looking, but I would never care to own one.
Teeth... I don't always mind open mouth, but I don't like the idea of always seeing a doll's full row of teeth.
Eyes too large for the doll's face. This takes out most anime style sculpts and some big-eyed yosd. I prefer eye size to lean to realistic rather than exaggerated.
As I prefer male dolls I mostly ignore female dolls unless the sculpt is on the androgynous side. Most female bodies don't appeal to me and the ones I do like are small chested.

 

Something I hadn't thought about during my first post that your response brought to mind, re: vinyl.

When I got into doll collecting, I started out with Pullip—many of whom were either on the vinyl type 2 body, or got hybrided with Obitsu soft-bust bodies. Honestly, I had my share of issues dealing with vinyl and the fragileness that comes with their internal skeletons, and I don't miss the woes of having them break and need to either be repaired or replaced. Often times it always seemed to be in the most inconvenient areas where it breaks too—like in a hard to reach spot in the back, or at the base of the legs. Plus, I'm not a big fan of how fragile and easily stainable vinyl tends to be. Vinyl's honestly on my "What I don't search for in a doll", with the minor exception of a Granado Vindoll, or other muscle vinyl boy, just for the sake of having a luscious squishy boy.

I'd probably treat them like they're delicate flowers if I ever do get my hands on one of those boys

 

Haha I loved reading your post @shelbert
I'm the exact opposite. I mainly collect msd and am repelled from sculpts that look too manga/anime like or have baby faces. I tend more towards mature faces which often have smaller eyes lol. But open mouth seems to much of a hassle for me aswell, so I stay away from that.

 

This thread is a very insteresting read, I saw listed some things that I thought was just me being overly picky, so I'm glad to see I'm not alone. In fact I was quite surprised even to see that generally a lot of people don't like the mouth slightly open with some teeth, I see so many sculpts like that that I assumed it was something the majority of people like. I don't personally hate it but I don't like it either, it's fine if the teeth are barely showing but it's a no-no if it's very obvious or can't be concealed, it feels very single expression doll in that case to me. Other things I avoid in my dolls are:

• Child faces in adult bodies or mature minis.
• Fixed expressions without versatility. I have nothing against sculpts with tongue out for example, as long as that's not the only expression they can do, if the tongue is a separate part or you get multiple faceplates then it's great but if it is the only expression they have then no. Same with sleeping faces and sad pouty ones. I had a sleeping faceplate for a doll once, I used it like 3 times in the many years I had the doll, it was a waste. I've had sad pouty dolls over the years and I found out they just make me sad so no. I don't include in this category smiling/smirking or angry/grumpy faces because for some reason I do like those a lot...
• Over perfected, hyper symmetrical dolls lacking of personality and soul.
  
• Lower joint in the neck. I find it very unappealing, as well as some lower hip joints that I find quite useless. I do like the waist joint though, I think it's the most natural place to have a torso joint in terms of realistic posability even if aesthetically the best would be a body torso without joints.
  
• Overly muscly bodies, six pack and also unrealistically/cartoonish big boobs and hips with tiny torso and shoulders.
  
• Horror dolls. I don't like horror films, video games or books so it makes sense.
• Bodies that are thin and overly sculpted and they end up looking like they haven't eaten in weeks, what I think it's more common to find among fashion doll sizes that I've seen so far.
  
• Big eyes, tiny nose and mouth, pointy chin. Makes the doll look like a classic alien, what is funny because my first doll was quite like that, and it's one of the main reasons I sold her too. One of those things you don't think about much when you get the doll and as time passes you notice it and then you can't unsee it

 

I don't have a ton of things I absolutely can't do, but I can't handle the sculpts with big, open-mouthed, creepy grins or AP dolls in general. The proportions, the "O" face...that's my biggest NOPE.

I also am not a fan of anime-style dolls - I enjoy seeing them, but they just don't vibe with my collection.

 

My Dolly No-go list:

-pierced ears (I hate it on me so why would I pay for a doll that has this)
-large bust (difficulty with clothes/just not my aesthetic)
-mature sculpts (I like seeing them in other people's collections but not something I'd personally like to own)
-face-ups that has too much of a "make-up" look (this is hard to describe and I don't think I'm getting it across super well but like when the sculpt is made to look totally different through the face-up)
-3-piece torsos (they don't look nice and the while theoretically the posing range it greater they're just too much hassle for me, solid torso all the way)

 

Generally:

- Child looking dolls. I don't really have any child characters, and a lot of them just are... eh.
- Six packs or extremely shredded bodies. Especially when the head itself is small.
- A lack of nose bridge, I like strong noses.
- While I do have a couple of dolls I like that do have open mouths, I tend to dislike them more on average.

 

Just glancing at the title of this thread, I understood it as "things you're not actively looking for". And my immediate thought was: posing. I know for a lot of people, having a posable doll is important. I have a friend who values posability as much as looks. I'm completely the other way. I'd rather have a doll that looks beautiful and elegant but with limited posing. I just want a doll that looks nice. I don't need it to be capable of doing dolly yoga.

 

It's interesting to read through the variety of things people have aversions to.
Things I avoid are:

-Extreme Bobble heads. I just find that look really off-putting. My only exception is the child/imp-like Fairyland Real Puki and Puki Puki dolls
-Anime-style sculpts. They just look too...basic? Plain? for my taste.
-More realistic sculpts. I have a couple of Granado mature tinies, but I prefer semi-stylized fantasy dolls.
-Extreme expressions. I like my dolls to be neutral to cheerful. A bit smirky or wistful is fine, but not more than that.

 

I don't like the "floating" kneecaps or elbows on some double jointed doll bodies. They put me off for some reason.

Also, I am not a fan of hyper-realistic head sculpts or faceups. I definitely lean toward the anime side.

Super-buff male doll bodies. I prefer my guys to be lean.

Linda S.
galatia9

 

Generally I don't look for:
-1/4 or smaller dolls
-Realistic proportions
-overly happy expressions.
-Girl dolls (for the most part)
-Single joints on the leg (I need my kneeling poses )

I'm a fan of gloomy men honestly. I really love exaggerated proportions on my male dolls. In either direction, so small and dainty they could easily be mistaken for a girl, or the dolls that are almost entirely muscles. As for girl dolls, I've always preferred male dolls so I generally don't look for them. The few that I want to buy....end up being modded into boys one way or another lol. I adore pictures of them though.
I'm also pretty particular about head sizes, I like them to be in the general ball park of my other dolls. But my ocs have such varied heights I don't get too concerned about it
I actually do really love open mouths too, like the slight lips parted...I think its really cute

 

I like other people's collections of realistic dolls. But it's not for me. I don't look for dolls with more realistic proportions. I like my bobble heads I won't deny that the faceups with textured skin and intricate bushing are beautiful, but again not for me. I guess I prefer a more cartoony look!

Lol I realized my love of stylized proportions goes way back to childhood. I loved my Bratz more than Barbie (Though I collected her too!)