What do you think about Hybrids?

She didn't even know my AR doll was a hybrid until I mentioned it. Before that she liked him which confuses me XD

I love the customizations I see here so it's sad when others try to put down hybrids and such [especially those who are new to the hobby].

 

After reading through more than half of this thread 10 minutes after waking up this morning, I'll groggily add my 2 cents. ^^;

In my opinion, what I think people opposed to hybrids are forgetting, or completely overlooking is that although these are beautiful, valueable dolls which the sculptors have put extreme hours into creating which can then certainly be collected and treasured for 'completeness' and the such, they also still remain as resin figure kits. I emphasize the word kit. I have always loved how Unoa calls their dolls kits, even though I know they sell them complete in their own brand, the project sense of their doll remains, if that is the doll owner's intention.

To me, the BJD hobby is a customization work in progress for the owner. I think it can be argued that resin hobby kits existed before the complex resin ball jointed doll that we love now (I can't really say this as a concrete fact, but you get the idea) and as a base material, resin is highly customizable and refinable. I don't know much about action figures, but I don't get the feeling that they are too customizable past surface painting. GI Joe is a GI Joe and Barbie (even though I've had my share of love for her in childhood) is still always a Barbie. If BJD were not modeled after resin kits in customizability (making up words?) to look however you want them to, I think a different material would have been used, like plastic or porcelain. (I know BJD would/should never be plastic, please don't jump on me for that ^^)

I'm going to own my first hybrid hopefully next week, MNM head on SSDF body (whee!) and I'm totally psyched. Of course resin match is important to me, but there is a scale of personal aesthetic value within your own doll. To me, the physique of the body is more important than 100% resin match. To carefully select your parts potentially from different brands (and sand, scar, pierce, paint etc) or even have a one-brand doll and truly love everything about your own cherished doll is a wonderful feeling! That, to me, is true bonding with your doll, and you can breathe your life and vision into them.

So who is anyone to shun a non-exact resin match or size match, regardless of prior dislike of hybrids? I won't even entertain the idea of hybrids compromising the original artistic integrity or company profit until someone is making recasts. Then we'll have a real problem, but otherwise it's a phooey idea to me. Don't pull these "ethics" into a debate where it has no business being. Every hybrid is made up of legal purchases. The steep price tag of Ball Jointed Dolls does not in any way justify elitism. Each and every doll is hard-earned. I don't really want to get too much into the monetary aspect of hybrids but anyway... iiiiin conclusion, which has certainly been said before...

This is an extremely multifaceted hobby. If it's not your doll, then how it looks is simply not your choice to be made. Just don't look if you'll turn up your nose and have something hurtful to say.

 

I don't have anything against hybrids (as I, myself, own one).

I can understand how some people (Volks-lovers, Soom-lovers, etc.) don't exactly want others putting the expensive and rare heads on an uber-affordable body and being in the same 'league', I guess. But I mean, variety is the spice of life, right?

 

It almost sounds like we were contacted by the same person XD
I buy FDoll bodies for my more feminine characters because... Well.. They arer thinner bodies, have nice shape, and pose WAY better than B&G(they can sit for one). My Lishe boy is on one and I love it... And believe me... He is usually the target of those sort of people him being a female head as a male and whatnot. The point is.... As long as YOU love them, others opinions really dont matter. As most people are seeing here... There is no real debate. No one is stating their opinion of the matter "why hate them?" as it is just us asking the question more ways than one lol.(If I am rambling incoherently just dont look too deep into it.lol) I doubt many people will come forward about hating on hybrids and why they do it and so on.

 

See my take on that is people with a Volks head or a Volks body aren't in the same league as someone with a 100% Volks doll. Now, before I get lynched... I believe people who have hybrids belong to a more diverse group/league, which is neither superior nor inferior to the 100% company league.

There are bound to be more hybrids out there than 100% company ones by virtue of the customisation part of this hobby, so those of you with Volks heads or Soom hands or Luts feet or Domuya legs, don't hide your dolls in shame or act like *insert company here*'s poor relation. Your dolls belong to a huge, diverse, interesting group that typifies the BJD hobby in a way no other group really can.

 

You know...I really wouldn't doubt it XD

I personally like the Volks body better then AR for SIX but not for his twin, Koby, who is supposed to be thinner. So...they both work out just fine for the characters. Lishes make sexy boys [I have one planned] :'D

 

Wow, that's mind bogglingly ridiculous. I suppose some people do things like that to make themselves feel better or more important, but the irony is that it just comes of as incredibly silly.

 

I'm with the folks who do hybrids because of aesthetics. I won't name company names, but I saw a girl doll recently whose head I really, really liked. But the body-the breasts were totally anatomically incorrect, kind of stuck together in the center of the chest like little marbles with the nipples in the wrong place, jutting straight forward like little gun muzzles. It drove me crazy! I can't remember if they only offered heads, but if I had had the money for that doll, I would have spent a little more to find a different body for her.

Personally, I am in awe of folks who have such encyclopedic knowledge of all these different doll companies and the different colors of resin that they can successfully make a good match between head and body!

 

I can't imagine someone shunning the owner of a hybrid doll!

It would be kinda like:Hey! You're not allowed to customize that much!!!

In a hobby like this, that's just crazy!

 

Basically seconding what Wolfmammy said.

I decided to get a different body for my CP Juri 06 head because of money and aesthetic reasons. I have never been a fan of the CP 60cm body, and I wanted a body that I could modify easily to the look I wanted. Weros is about two years old now, and I am still 100% happy with my decision.

 

If I ever find a strong masculine body with BROAD shoulders that will look good with my Wang Zi head, his current body will be HISTORY.

Screw what anyone else thinks, this is about ME!

 

So, I've read about 80 percent of everything written here... and I remain confused...

There are haters in almost every aspect of life (some people just hate themselves so much that it spills out into everything they are a part of...).

I agree with what everyone is saying though, do what you want, go hybrids, yay!

Is there actually anyone here (in this thread, on this board) that is saying "This is wrong, I disagree, boo Hybrids"?

I've noticed in tooling around DoA for about 2 months straight now that there seems to be TONS of Hybrids... We seem to be talking about hypothetical people or people from other forums... am I correct?

I would just be shocked to find someone here who was that close minded. One of the things I love about DoA is the open-mindedness and acceptance that is promoted and prevelant amongst our community. So many people here do interesting, innovative and unique things to and with their dolls, it's inspiring to see such creativity!

It's a fracking H-O-B-B-Y. Live and let live, no?

(*cough*ahem*cough* --->)

*peeks around corner* come out come out wherever you are.... (but I don't think there's any of 'those' people here... and that makes me even more fond of DoA).

To everyone who has had a bad experience with harassing via AIM or Yahoo or MSN or another forum... I'm also sorry you had to go through that. Those people FEED on making others feel small, less important, or wrong just so they can deal with their own feelings of inadequecy (sp?). It really stinks that you had to waste any of your time even reading their crap...






Boo... but Happy Holidays to everyone regardless!

 

If you read the end of the "Elitism in the BJD world" debate you will find an actual, non-hypothetical person on DoA that doesn't like hybrids.

 

I could see why a doll company said it in the first place, maybe: if they go and tell people that their doll's head fits on a cheaper/in any way more appealing to any of their market body, then they lose money. They're a company. Whatever other issues there are, like a lot of people have raised, they exist as a buisness and buisnesses need cashflow.

But from a customer's point of view.... One of the main 'points' to BJD is that they're fully customisable, right? And part of that is choosing a body and head that you like, and that fit together in a way you like. So you pick a skinny or a muscled or a whatever body; you pick one which is pale for your indoorsy character; you pick a childish body for your young character. It's a major part of the customisation if you have the money for it. I personally don't, but if I was better off - I would have no qualms hunting around for the 'perfect body' to complete my 'perfect, ideal, dream ball-jointed doll'.

 

I guess everyone's entitled to their opinion... it just stinks that it has to be portrayed in ways to make others feel bad sometimes... I have no sympathy for companies (they can try to dictate non-hybrids, company pride, etc... but bottom line, they make the money regardless), but I feel for the people who are picked on or harassed...

Thanks for the direction ghilie, I almost wish I hadn't seen it though x_x!

 

While I think hybrids are perfectly cool, they were hypothetical to me until the other day. I saw a head on a female doll that I really liked, but I thought it was almost too masculine. Then I realized that it would be perfect for a male character I had in mind. The company doesn't currently offer the head by itself (drat!), though they have actually used that head on a male body for a limited doll. So I don't know if that actually counts as a true hybrid...

 

I marvel at how this correlates to your siggy! xD

I do think it's more of a differing preference for aesthetic value versus monetary value. Some collectors aren't phased by their doll's resin mismatching where as others cringe in horror..Some hybrids are also spot on matches. It's all opinionated. I personally like hybrids for the thrill of the head/body hunting~!!

I for one am all on board for hybrids as being an economical alternative and as an aesthetic preference.

 

Would you walk up to someone and tell them "I think your car is hideous" or "That dress makes you look like a hooker"? So whatever gives people the idea they can say rude things about someone's doll and it's perfectly acceptable?

 

I don't know, and it boggles my mind. Maybe they were never taught basic manners.

And Topazrain, I agree with you about it being more an aesthetic than a financial issue to many people. My point was that IF one's aesthetic preferences allow for using a less expensive part (head, body or other) then who are the rest of us to say nay?

Unfortunately, lots of people back along in the thread were doing just that - pooh-poohing the idea of using a less expensive body simply on the basis of its cost.

I just find that kind of response unnecessarily rude.

I operate on the Bill and Ted philosophy of life, generally. That is: "Be excellent to each other." Alternatively we could call it the "Thumper" theory: "if you cain't say nothin' nice, don't say nothin' at all!" I've gotten "told" about this in all sorts of different settings, hobbies and work alike, called naive and simplistic and what have you. Well heck, I'm too old to care any more; I've earned the right to be the village idiot if I like

 

I've never personally seen anyone "hating" on hybrids bigtime anywhere. Terrible that it happens, but it seems to be a twisted minority.

I love the idea of hybrids--especially for some special characters, transgender dolls, and re-creating "real life" people or film characters--my Hedwig, for example, is a Unidoll Jace head but will get the AOD body as it's closer to how the actor looked...he was certainly not nearly as ripped as the uni-real body! And my beloved Kazuya is a boy DIM head. I just recently got her, and I've pretty much picked a mix and match to make her "perfect". She will be on a modded girl body from a different company, and will have hands (also modded) and feet from two additional different companies--FRANKENDOLLY!

It's been said time and time again: the best thing about this hobby is Svengali appeal. If one is determined enough, one can find or rig up pretty much anything one wants. Your money. Your time. Your energy. Your toys. Have fun.