Volks Super Dollfie - SD, SD13, SD16, SD17, SDGr, SDGou & FCS - XXXIV

A long shot but does anyone have a pic of Murasaki and Maacha side by side? I love both girls and just can’t decide between the two!! (Or should I just try for Maacha during her lottery and if she doesn’t come home I go get a Murasaki from yj.. Let the dolls choose lol)

 

Tan SDGr girl would be awesome maybe Volks will consider making an Urd character doll as an introduction to tan SDGr girls line.

 

Jasmine is my most wanted Disney princess (after Ariel), I am always hoping for her!

 

Same! I'd give anything for an SDGr Jasmine or pretty tan SDGr girl. I live in fear of what I'd do to get her or Belle, haha. I do worry that we won't get any future Disney collabs, but I'm remaining hopeful. It just feels like that's been quiet for a bit.

I know it's a long shot, but I'd also love to see a Super Dollfie x Dandadan collab. I think Momo & Okarun would be an adorable/fun release, but I think the series is too new for a license like that (and it's shonen/not their usual wheelhouse)

Otherwise, I think I'm (mostly) safe from any re-releases, but I'm always excited for new molds.

 

I would love to see SDGr Jasmine but to tell the truth I’m unsure about the future of the Disney line in general, given that the SDxDisney official websites have been offline for some time. Whenever I try to access them I get a ‘page not found’ page, and it’s been that way at least 3 months (possibly more, that’s just when I noticed). It’s odd, because if the collab was over I wouldn’t expect them to have to pull those pages, so I wonder what happened if it isn’t just a weird bug…?

But on the topic of what I hope to see in 2025:
- The new SD standard models
- Winners of the SD rerelease polls

 

@Constance Not sure how I completely forgot Elizabeth and Williams have the same headcap I goofed that one! The small benefit is this will make them easier to replace if for some reason one breaks.

I'm out here wishing Volks doesn't come up with anything I want! It is about time for those standard models to appear, so I'll look forward to them and hope a boy makes it into the set. It's been horribly long if we aren't counting Haru. I'd like to see Volks also finish looking into GL member in person FCS. It shouldn't be this difficult to work out shipping!

 

Yeah, I'm also not sure that the Disney collab is still happening, since it has been quiet lately. But Moana 2 came out recently (haven't seen it), and there's a Moana live action coming up, and baby Moana is a canon chubby baby character... the DearSD opportunities are there!

 

The Disney collaboration may be done. For all the popularity of "Frozen", it seemed to me that line didn't do well. SD-size Elsa and Anna hung around the Japan online store for several months, and being available to only Japan address buyers didn't help. (Hey, I tried to buy Elsa, but the Universe and Volks saved me, lol.)

As for GL members ever getting to do in-person FCS, it's more than shipping issues. After all, the online store ships all around the world, all the time. I think it's language issues. During the pandemic lockdown, they didn't have to communicate directly with foreign visitors, and when I visited Japan in December 2022, it seemed as if everyone was very much out-of-practice with their English. Frankly I think they enjoyed that period of not dealing with foreigners, and it's excruciating (despite smartphone apps) to communicate the basics, let alone the details of an FCS order.

 

@beamlette I didn't even think of the language barrier being an issue. I assumed you were on your own trying to explain what you want and they would just pray that you did your research beforehand and already know what you want. That's a little too much to ask isn't it? I wouldn't dream of walking in without having a list of each specific part I want, but I'm sure there's also more than plenty who wouldn't have anything planned out beforehand. That'd be such a rough time for the staff.

 

@nyaaain, exactly! It'd be so stressful for the staff, let alone the customer. Volks tries to be polite and accommodating, but they may regret ever saying they'd offer FCS for GL members.

 

I mean they could always just hire someone who speaks fluent English (the other language they currently cater to most) and Japanese. Doesn't even have to be at every store, just whatever their big/main store is. Have all GL members make appointments months or weeks in advance, and fill out a form to help facilitate the process - something they may already do with regular FCS orders.

 

I've done multiple FCS orders, and my Japanese is quite bad. There is a binder that they walk you through, and nearly everything except the faceup can really be done with pointing and photos in the binder. I've seen Japanese people take literally two hours to do FCS, which is absolutely mind-boggling to me. Even when the staff member insists on getting out each body part/eye/wig that you've chosen and showing it to you (which, frankly, I think is not necessary for the level of fan who travels to Japan to do FCS), I don't think FCS needs to take more than an hour. Even with a fully custom faceup, my longest appointment took about 50 minutes. The area in Sato where FCS happens is currently set up to seat three customers at a time, but could easily be reorganized to seat four or five customers (slightly less luxuriously, but possible).

That said, I do agree that most of the staff in Kyoto do not speak solid English, and there is an expectation that customers are using Japanese generally. I think it would be the best of both worlds if Volks simply required GL members to make an appointment, charged a 'Global Members Additional Fee,' and used that to hire a per diem translator for the GL member's stated home language (or required GL members to affirm that they were bringing a translator along with them). But, I think that Volks hesitates to do after care for faceups. It seems like, generally, if you order a doll and you don't like the faceup, you're expected to sell or repaint the doll on your own, rather than trying to have Volks redo the faceup. Even if Volks required GL members to choose only from the pre-set faceup options, that would be better than the current nothing.

I think it is possible for Volks to have a fully online FCS system, with all options always available. They could charge more than they do now and still have customers who would pay. I just don't think they want to do that. Volks cultivates FOMO, and it seems like the onerous task of going to Kyoto for certain FCS sculpts is just part of the FOMO/dedication-to-the-brand that Volks wants and benefits from. The competition for limited sculpts, the buying of multiple guidebooks to gamble for a good entry number, the difficulty of obtaining bisque dolls: these all add to the perception of Volks as a luxury brand, and I think Volks wants that. When you win a good line number or a limited doll, you don't just feel good, you feel like you've beaten everyone else. Mother SD loves you. The flipside is that, when you don't get a good line number, or you watch the same whales win multiple limiteds and one-offs over and over again, you feel bad. I think Volks is betting that the good feelings outweigh the bad.

 

I also really, REALLY want to see the new SD standard models, which is why I'm so torn on whether or not to enter the lottery for BTSSB Macha.
I've never entered the lottery before and if I won she would cost a bit more than I'd normally be comfortable paying for a doll, but if I love one of the new standard models, I'd be just as happy buying one of them instead. On the other hand, if I don't enter the lottery and end up not liking any of the standard models, I'll feel like I missed my chance to get the collab doll of my dreams.

@snowgray is so right about Volks' FOMO, I feel like it's really gnawing at me now!

 

For me, the FCS issue is partially because of language barrier. The staff at tenshi no sato are not very good at speaking english. And while this might not bother us, the customer that much, it still intimidate them to some extent

I hope they will hire someone who fluent in english in future. But giving that Volks staff doesn't get that high of salary and the training time are also extremely long (To do the first real faceup, you have to train 5 years as apprentice in Kyoto... for example) this will take some time to happen.

In latest Dolpa they did announce about looking for some new staff to join their company though. I think among that are some position design for GL FCS, maybe? We gotta wait and see

For next year I wish to see...
- New SDC in white skin (Will never happen but I will also keep wishing every year )
- The winner of the best of the best poll
- More collaboration with new Anime or fashion brand

About disney, I wonder if they will do Snowwhite, since they also do Ariel on the last time that live action was on screen (?)

 

I have the belief that Volks will eventually have to release Belle and Jasmine, after all it would be weird that they released their Jewel pumps a while ago and not the dolls themselves, it's a matter of time IMO, I am very eager to see Jasmine too because it would most likely be in SDGR body and we will finally have a tan or bronze even SDGR girl body. As doll tax here is a picture of my Girls all dressed up for welcoming the new year

 

I'm also sad that it seems like the Volks x Disney collabs have come to an end. And here I was getting my hopes up that at least Volks USA might re-release the Frozen girls. But it's been a few years since their release and there's been plenty of movie tie-in possibilities that have passed by. It's not that another collab isn't impossible, just that it'll be more of a surprise and not guaranteed for 2025. I'm not sure what's on the horizon for 2025 except for the after party releases in Jan, but I'm optimistic for some fun releases. And who knows, maybe the results of the best of voting will surface and maybe a disney girl will win after all haha 8') either way, I hope we get to know who gets a re-release earlier in 2025 rather than later!

 

Maybe warner bros gave them more creative authority for harry potter and they saw that disney was (probably) a pain to work for. as a non-fan, the HP dolls beat those lackluster princesses by a landslide.

 

Not at all, it's just we haven't gotten one in over two years. Looks like the Frozen girls were the last ones and Volks USA's order period was 2022. I am crossing my fingers for a disney girl this year, even if it's a re-release, I just personally won't have my hopes up in 2025 like I did in 2024.

 

Regarding FCS for GL members at Sato, there actually was a blurb on the Sato page for a while that said that just before the pandemic, they had been in preparation to allow GL members to place FCS orders. But that they then had to put it on hold due to the events of 2020. They do still say on the website currently though that they're planning to allow GL members to participate in more special services soon.

I believe that this could be possible with the understanding of customers that they should have some basic Japanese knowledge to complete their order. As everyone has said, Sato staff don't speak much English, but they're very kind and accommodating as they can be. So it goes a long way to have some basic language skills to use when you visit.

That being said, at Dolls Point anyone can do Dream Choice, and obviously that process is much more simple than an FCS, but it's been working well with foreigners with limited Japanese.

I think Volks could also theoretically provide an English menu or guidance booklet to help in the process, or make a website that details all the things you could prepare in advance in order to smoothly place your order with Japanese staff.