What do you think about Hybrids?

As other people have said, you pay your money, you can do what you want with the goods. Doll company doesn't like it? Too bad for them. Particular doll collector doesn't like it? He or she doesn't have to own hybrids then.

I'm sure every company would love it if you only bought their heads, their bodies, their clothes, their wigs and whatever else it is they sell, just like a designer of an entire clothing, jewelry and fragrance line would love it if you just went around in everything they sold all day long and nothing else. Fortunately, life allows us to pick and choose.

 

They didn't invent it, they took an already existing doll type from 17th century France and Germany and made their own version. That's a whole 'nother can of worms that can probably have it's own debate thread, however...

But this is yet another reason. A company, [or any company], can't control a universal idea, so they can't stop if someone else wants to make something that works with it and allows the consumer to mix match the parts as long as it's not a direct copyright violation. After-market modification exists in every hobby. I'm honestly curious if anyone can think of a single hobby where any form of modification of the original product is completely taboo. [of course, now that I say that, there will be something blatantly obvious...]

 

No, but if you go into the store and start saying "Look at these Levis! My GAPs are so much better, look at the stitching, feel the denim... *superior face*" you might not get thrown out, but you won't be made to feel very welcome. Likewise if you go into a KFC and start talking about how much you prefer the MacDonalds over the road! That is essentially what you are doing if you bring a non-Volks product into a Volks store, you're rubbing it in their faces that you didn't buy their product.

I think it is ok to bring a hybrid doll to a Volks store or a Volks event, particularly if your doll is clothed head to foot...who's going to know unless you tell them? But I think it is very rude to bring a non-Volks doll to a Volks store or event. You're forcing Volks to accept a product they don't make, a product that takes customers away from them, which isn't particularly fair on any company and wouldn't be accepted by other companies either. If you went to a show specifically for Dyson vacuum cleaners and started praising your Hoover I doubt you'd be welcomed back.

I wouldn't take my Souldolls to a Volks event, and if Souldoll did events I wouldn't take my Volks dolls! I don't think this is conceit at thinking you're the only company worthy of making BJDs, but events run by Volks are for their products and services...I don't think it's unreasonable that they don't want to promote someone else's products and services. Volks spend a lot of money on Dolpas and it would be essentially free advertising for another company's products if we could bring whichever dolls we wanted with us. The other companies wouldn't have to spend a penny on advertising, which I feel is unfair.

 

I think a more accurate metaphor is that you can't walk into a KFC with your bag of McDonald's and sit down and eat. They'd kick you out! And the same is true if you walked into McDonald's with a box of KFC and sat down to eat it there.

So it's the same with bringing a non-Volks doll to a Volks store or event. They've purchased/rented that space for the explicit purpose of promoting THEIR OWN products. So of course they don't want you promoting other products in their space.

 

Ultimately, I shouldn't think the people at Volks would care who you bring to the Dolpa as long as you buy products from them while you are there while not drawing attention to hybrids or whatever. Also I'm in the "you buy it, its yours, do whatever you want with it camp."

 

just so you know, this has never happened to me and my freinds ever. we go pick up food at lot;s of different fast joints to make everyone happy and go sit at one of them to eat. no one has ever siad a word to us.

when i worked at olive garden poeple would come in all the time with happy meals and kids meals from other fast food joints all the time so the kids could eat what they wanted. and mommy and daddy got real food.

and there's a big difference in just bring the doll, or wearing the item in, and then rubing it into peoples faces. bringing non-volks doll into store not so bad. bringing non volks doll in and walking up to host and going look at my doll from whatever company is rude. as long as you are going to also be purchasing their products it shouldn't matter, you buying the other doll didn't make them loose a sale. your still buying from them anyway.

 

The whole bringing a non-Volks doll to a Dolpa is respect.

Do you respect the company enough to abide by the wishes that non-Volks dolls not attend the event? I do, and I don't care for most of the Volks sculpts. But should I attend a Dolpa, I would leave my non-Volks dolls at home.

But that's not the subject of this thread, so perhaps moving back to topic of hybrids is wiser, hm?

Own all the hybrids you want. Put AR hands on a Mythdoll body and then put a Volks head on it. Who cares, as long as the owner of the doll is happy?

 

i was COMPARING the hybrid case to the non-volks doll case. as in, you know, comparison.

and the argument yet stands. is it disrespectful to go to a gap store in Levis jeans or the other way around?

my point is I have absolutely no care what the companies want. They make a product, I buy it. Their insight on what the heck I do with my doll stops right there to me. I think doll companies are disrespectful to their clients in trying to limit them.

 

Combining the two (non-volks + dolpa), how about bringing a hybrid to a dolpa? The most prominient feature, being the volks head atop another body, perhaps?

I completely undersatnd how it could be rather disrespectful to bring a completley non-volks doll into a dolpa or sumika or something, and how a hyrbid might be just as bad, but i can also see it as a bit more respectful, even...but i might be trying to twist it to make myself feel better about potentiality on my part ^^;


Now how about this, coming back to the jeans and different stores comment, for example, someone bringing another msd sized doll into a sumika because they love the volks clothes and want to buy some for their doll? Couldnt that be respectful as well? Like, even though someon emight not like volks dolls too much, they really like the clothes, or wigs, or eyes or whatnot and wish to have them for a non-volks doll?

 

Agreed. The way some companies go on, it's as if I should feel privileged to give them my money.

Then again, from a business-perspective, making their products elitist and exclusive seems to work for them; so hey, all the more power to them. If you 'romance the product' well enough, many people will bend over backwards to buy from you. There'll always be a subset of people who are turned off your product because of it, but you can't please everybody - and obviously, the more elitist and exclusive your product is, the more you can charge.

 

If I had no Volks dolls, I wouldn't bring any of my dolls to Sumika or a Dolpa...but if I had a Volks hybrid, (AnyCompany body + Volks head) I would bring it to Sumika only. The part most people would recognise is the head, and since you can't physically try on the clothes in Sumika, you can only hold next to your doll for approximation, I don't see this as a problem. With a Dolpa, I think there are so many people wandering around with their dolls asking questions and there's Volks staff checking out the dolls, I think I would feel awkward, but that's just me

 

These are a few interesting points. Hybrids can be a bit problematic in that regard...I'm guessing there would be less of an issue about a Volks head on another body rather than the other way around. The clothed body wouldn't be immediately spotted as not belonging, but a non-Volks head would be.

And I believe it would still be disrespectful to bring a non-Volks doll to Volks store, even if you were shopping for it. You can't try the clothes, wigs, and shoes on the doll, so really...there's no need to bring it to the store. In all of these Dolpa/ Sumika cases, the issue is that Volks has expressly asked that people not bring non-Volks dolls to their events and stores. It didn't used to be like that, more of an unspoken rule, but lately I've spotted it popping up on entry info for Dolpa and contests and such. So by not complying, the disrespect is already there, regardless of your intent. I ask you not to smoke in my house. No health issues, I just don't like it. If you smoke in my house, even if you really like to smoke and you plan on using my lighter, you've definitely disrespected me. (And yes, I realize that the health implications and lingering smell make this a different situation, I was just trying to establish a scenario of 'house rules.')

As for hybrids themselves, I have no problem with them in most cases. Artist heads demand them! For myself, I try to keep a doll as single-company as possible, but I won't deny myself if a different body is needed. I see hybrids as falling into several categories:

1) The company only produces heads, thereby necessitating the hybrid. No problems there!

2) The character the doll is representing is very specific and makes Frankenstein-ing another necessity.

3) A company makes beautiful heads, but the bodies are little nightmares to pose. Heck yes, hybrid necessity.

4) Here's the one I'm less fond of. Nicer, maybe pricier head, and the owner gets a 'cheaper' body to pop it onto to make up the cost difference. This I'm not as keen on; I believe if you find a perfect head, you should try to match it with the perfect body.

 

I've never tried it, so I can't comment on whether it's allowed or not. But if you kick a potential customer out of your fast food restaurant because they're eating another company's fast food, there's a real risk that the customer will leave and say, 'wow, that restaurant sure are snotty, I'm not going to eat at one of their franchises again'. And voila, you've lost yourself business.

 

Actually, it's not really the same thing, and here's why:

Hybridizing and customization in general happen after you buy the doll. It is your property now, and the company has no say in what you do. You are with in your rights to put that head on whatever body you want.

However, when it comes to bringing a doll to a store or event, you are bringing a doll onto property that belongs to the company. It is not a public space, therefore the company does get a say in what you can bring into their space (just as you get final say over what happens to your doll).

I can see the benefit in allowing people to bring whatever dolls in to look at clothes, wigs, accessories, etc. BUT I can also understand why a company wants to keep their stores and events exclusive for their dolls as well so they can celebrate what they've created and the owners that have bought dolls from them. Like everything else, there are pros and cons both ways, and it's impossible to make everybody happy. I can see why a hybrid owner might feel somewhat stuck in the middle. I have a Volks Megu hybrid, and I personally wouldn't feel comfortable taking her into a Volks store or event (not that there's anything like that near me anyway *sigh*).

 

If I did that I'd expect some sort of kick-back from the company. Yes, it would look snotty and I'd be less likely to go there, but if I'm on their premises promoting someone else's food, I'm being rude if nothing else If I ran a restaurant and regularly let other people eat their own food in there, what kind of a message am I giving out about my menu? People will start to think that the venue is very nice, but the food must be awful. Pretty soon, I'd stop making a profit because people would continue to turn up with their own food and I'd just be providing a place to sit and eat free of charge! That isn't anyone's idea of a successful business plan.

In Cineworld cinema chains they are perfectly within their rights to bar entry to anyone caught bringing their own food and drink into the cinema. They sell their own food and own drinks and people are regularly ejected from my local cinema for going against the house rules. I'm just surprised when people are so shocked when it happens to them!

When did this become about food?

I've got no personal issues with hybrids, I've been tempted to hybridize one or two of my dolls, but the resin match would have been awful, and I'm one of those people that like to keep things as default as possible anyway, but I won't look away in horror if I see a hybrid, the same way I wouldn't like gore mods on my dolls, but I'll have a peek at someone else's and appreciate that it was well done.

 

Then don't go to Sumika or Dolpha. Its like wearing a scifi costume to a Renaissance Faire. It happens, but its just in bad taste. If you don't like it then don't dress up, don't go, don't take your not Volks doll to the store. Just go there and don't whine and make a big deal about it. Volks doesn't have to sell you their stuff and you don't have to buy it. Volks is asking people not to. Its their store and their convention and they don't want you bringing other dolls in. They aren't forcing your doll to wear Volks clothes into the store. Volks doesn't have to have a store at all. Most doll companies don't. If more did would they have similar rules? Maybe. Does Gap or Levi say no to wearing other jeans in the store? No. But they *could*. It is their store and their product and if they don't care about possibly alienating some people then they can do what they want. Its not like they are saying no people of this race can come in and shop. They are just saying don't bring other companies dolls into *their* store or *their* event. Its that simple. Its not 'we're better than everyone else' conceit or anything like that. Its just how they choose to do business. Honestly all their strange and crazy quirks make people talk! Sure people may say its weird or they don't like it, but they still know Volks.

Now on the subject of hybrids at Sumika or Dolpha. I personally wouldn't. It is bad manners to me. I like hybrids I have nothing against them. Just stop feeling like Volks owes *you* (generic you) since you bought a head from them.

 

Well, I still think it's a risk. Some customers will shrug it off, apologise, and continue to buy your products without ill-feeling, while others will leave quietly, then tell all their friends that your business sucks and that they're never buying from it again.

I think it depends upon what you, as a restaurant, can get away with. If you're a five-star restaurant with a selective clientele, no-one's going to bat an eyelid if you kick out some dork for trying to eat a Big Mac at one of your tables. However, if you're a franchise restaurant that sells cheap food, then you'll probably have to tread a lot more carefully.

Volks probably view themselves as that aforementioned five-star restaurant, although it's quite clear that a portion of the BJD fandom doesn't hold them in quite such high esteem. I guess that Volks are probably like Marmite (hooray, more food metaphors). Almost everyone seems to have an opinion on them.

 

This is not true of the Volks LA store. I don't know if it's a cultural difference or what, but if the employees there know you own Volks dolls and appreciate the Volks aesthetic, they don't seem to mind one bit if you happen to have/bring in a different brand of doll.
I agree that it would be disrespectful to bring a non-Volks doll to a dolpa, but it really doesn't seem like a big deal in the US store. The store is a retail outlet, while the dolpa is an event thrown specifically to appreciate one company's product. To me, the distinction is very clear and makes perfect sense. Volks's 'elitism' is way overinflated by the BJD community, imho.

If DollZone held a DollZone event in the states, I'm sure they would have the same restrictions.

I also believe that hybrids have been allowed to dolpas when the head is Volks...? I think that's a case of out of sight, out of mind though.

 

Yes, I don't exactly see how Volks not wanting other company's dolls at Dolpha is really that bad. =) I would probably take a hybrid there if it had a Volks head, as it is still showing that I appreciate their work. I would probably buy another doll while there, as well. I wouldn't take a hybrid that's not a Volks head though, and I'm not quite sure why I feel that way, but I think it falls into the 'out of sight, out of mind' category that was mentioned just before.

I don't think Volks sees themselves as that much of the 'five star restraunt' as more as a 'family'. Dolpha is more like a 'family reunion' for the Volks dolls - which is why other dolls are out of place there. Not because they're 'better', but because they're part of the family.

Hybrids with Volks heads are kind of like the in-laws that show up but might not feel as integrated with the rest of the family. xP

 

I agree with the idea that if you're wanting to go on about Artistic Integrity then you might as well insist that the doll keep it's factory face-up and only wear the default eyes and wig they sent it with because anything else would ruin the way the artist envisioned the dolls.
If you can't change the company vision by giving a doll with a childish body a more adult one to fit the character then why should it be okay to give their sweet and innocent doll an angry gothic faceup? Why should it be okay to make elf ears for a human doll? Isn't that seriously deviating from the company vision too?
If the company was that desperate for thier dolls to only be sold according to thier own vision why do they make it so easy to get the head off, remove the faceup, have hair that isn't attatched?


Also I have a Migidoll head that I will be putting on a Fantasy Doll body, why? Because Migi doesn't make bodies and does Fantasy Doll really lose out somewhere? I wouldn't buy from them at all if I had to have the head and body because the heads are not to my taste.