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What is your grail doll, and why is it your grail?

Feb 3, 2015

    1. My grail doll is a Soom Dia. The sculpt is perfect for me and I love the expression. The male body is cool to, hopefully it poses okay.
       
    2. I don't think I ever had a true grail doll in BJDs.... yes in other markets I have & I eventually got that doll.
      The 1st true bjd I bought after seeing his picture in a magazine is my boy Dollshe 70cm David Kunnci... I pondered & looked at him, felt the pain for what he cost & knew I had to have this boy in my doll collection, even if he was the only one I would ever have. I know own 10 bjd boys with 1 more arriving early next year. So if he was my grail then my pinning for him was very short!
       
    3. I was fortunate enough to get my grail although it seemed very unlikely, the head being made in 2005 in an edition of ten and then the later release being banned altogether because of a recast body (Phantomdoll Siamese). Then in 2010, Glorydoll, where the artist had gone, offered a tanskin Noel and I jumped at the chance! He's my favorite. I just love that face! And recently while searching the marketplace, I couldn't believe my eyes - there was one of the original Noel heads. He arrived a couple of weeks ago and for now I've been calling him Ol" Yeller. Finding the right body is going to take some time.

      And my other grail is a Hypermaniac Elliot, whom I'm lucky enough to now own. For years I had admired nolimenoscury's modded Elliot (first one I had seen) and then Gothland's Elliot - all her boys are gorgeous! When Gothland sold most of her Hyper collection, I couldn't afford him. But a couple of years of years later, he was in the marketplace and I was able to bring him home!

      Both of these dolls are ones I never expected to find and I'm not as proactive as some in searching so they are like a wish come true. I can't imagine ever parting with them.
       
    4. My grail is the Iplehouse Lonnie, which is tbh not as expensive as most people's grail xD
      She was the first BJD I saw that I love, and she dragged me into the neverending pit that is bjds xD
      I think it's because of her cute lips and how all three faceups just radiates completely different looks and feelings.
       
    5. My Grail doll is probably not impossible to get, but not easy at all either! It's a SoulDoll Amon from their Tarot card series. I didn't start the hobby until years after his release and it really makes me want to cry. I want him specifically with gray skin and all of his fantasy gargoyle parts... Is that too much to ask?! :drool
       
    6. My grail doesn't exist yet either. But I won't give up hope! I would love a F60 Pano. I'm sure they will eventually make a fairyline 60 satyr. Possibly even a boy (don't hold my breath). But will they ever make an SD sized RealFee? A sculpt with that same playful impishness? Probably not.
       
    7. I currently have two grails at the moment, and for different reasons.

      Asella Rhubarbe was the first doll I looked at and just knew I had to have her. Unfortunately she is no longer available new, but I hope to find her second-hand once we have the money together. I can't explain exactly why I want her, but it was just an instant click looking at her on jpop.
      Minifee Woosoo Vampire Elf Girl is my second grail. There are several Minifee sculpts I really want, but this one is a combination of two of my favourite 'mythical' creatures, plus is the perfect sculpt to shell my Second Life OC in (though will have to dye her if I want the exact same skin colour as I have a black demon skin on my SL OC), which is one of my top projects I want to do once I'm able to get going.
       
    8. My grail was a Magic Mirror Studios dol, which I have one on pre order now, YAY!
      I too want a NobleDolls Asella raspberry or rhubarb someday second hand, they are so cute! I will probably never get one but a girl can dream. I think they only made like 30...so yeah.
       
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    9. My grail is an Angel of Dream Skull, a head that AoD did during a Christmas event once. The Skull sculpt is my grail because it's a very unique sculpt. Indeed, I have not seen any other companies offer a skull head, for events or otherwise. I also like the sculpt because I once wanted to become a mortician and thus have a fascination with macabre items. And the Skull head is definitely macabre!
       
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    10. I know she made the regular skin of both and then got an accidental green batch which is what my Tumblr friend has of raspberry, and they were very limited but I'm not sure how many of the regular skin there were. I've been looking at a few on different second hand markets, mostly regular skin, and the markup is huge right now. Hopefully that will come down in time, and when I have money hehe
       
    11. I love hearing about people acquiring their grail. I always hope people go through as little heartache as possible trying to acquire their must-have dolls, but I know that's really rare. I wish I could say it was easy for me to get my grail doll, that it wasn't really a "holy grail" quest, but.... it kinda was.

      My first experience with BJDs in person was a full decade prior when I visited the Volks store in Torrance around 2006. I remember being so excited at how much prettier the dolls were in real life compared to just looking them on the internet, but still I thought "I wish these were BIGGER!" and I couldn't get over that. I never thought larger BJDs would come to exist, so resigned myself to the thought of never owning one and just admiring from afar. However, my dream came true four years later (2010) when I found out Dollmore released the 80cm Lusion Dahlia! Those chunky limbs, pouty face, and HUGE size were exactly what I always wished for!

      I wanted her for years - not a particular set, just a Lusion of my own. But it wasn't until 2015 that I was in a position to save enough hobby money to purchase one. I remember being so excited to finally have the funds and looking at all the limited fullsets on Dollmore's website. I wanted to buy her as a fullset because I wanted her to come "finished" on arrival, with a faceup and clothing and blushing. I wanted to make her box opening perfect and satisfying (no more waiting!) which is why I didn't just order a basic blank doll. Sometimes I wonder if I should have just bought a blank unpainted, unsanded, naked doll (literally would have saved hundreds of dollars) but I adore her limited outfit and would not have been happy with the stress of sending a head so huge to a faceup artist overseas and commissioning frilly clothing that fits her as perfectly as her limited outfit does. A separate issue was that after all the years of wanting a Lusion, now there were more than just the Dahlia sculpt in this size and I found myself really wanting the Daish sculpt. But since Dahlia was always the dream in my head for so long, I knew there would always be a part of me not entirely satisfied with having forgone Dahlia for a different sculpt, even though they're the same size and technically I like the look of Daish more.

      So in late 2015 I decided on the fullset I wanted, placed my order, and my Dahlia girl arrived in 2016! Total sanding, total body blushing, gorgeous faceup, and amazing outfit. I love her to bits. She's even more amazing in person than the stock pictures. Opening her box and unwrapping her was a similar feeling to seeing all those Volks dolls a decade ago, except so much more intensified because she's mine! And so large!! Sometimes I still can't believe I own her. It makes me happy to just look at her and remember I actually have a Lusion size doll. Weirdly, I don't get sticker shock any more because that girl cost me so damn much. I consider her and the matching Daish (both limited "Royal Floraison" with matching outfits in different colors) to both be my grail dolls. Even though I technically like the look of Daish more, Dahlia was my first dream and it would not have felt right to buy the Daish before Dahlia. And... I've recently decided to start layaway for the Daish :D It will take a long time, but I will eventually have both of them! :)

      To answer OP's question, I guess my grail is two dolls, and they are my grail pair because they're the most beautiful dolls I can imagine, and I can't see myself dedicating so much time and effort to acquiring any other BJDs as I have done with these girls. I love their face sculpts, body details, and limited outfits. Maybe one day in the far future I might get them new faceups by a local artist just to change things up, but there will be no more unfulfilled BJD dreams for me any more! I am done, and so happy :) I also hope I never have another grail doll again! I love my other dolls, but part of what I love about them is that they didn't stress me out to acquire! My grail dolls are my grail because for me, they're the ones that really represent something special to me in both my life and this hobby.
       
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    12. Okay, so, I've seen grail dolls range from limited edition 1,000$ beauties, to mine, a 270$ normal doll, not limited edition girl. Opinions? I've never really heard of hate towards what people pick as grail dolls, but worth seeing if anyone has thoughts.
       
    13. My grail is a Raccoon Doll Intimate Nana in sweet mocha skin! I suppose this doll is a grail for me not because it is necissarily hard to come across or hard to obtain, but because it fits my idea of beauty so nicely? :ablink: She's just such a beautiful doll, both in the scuplt of her face and body, and I just think that she would be such a perfect companion!
       
    14. I have a few actually ^^'

      The very first doll I ordered is actually one of them~! My minifee Mirwen, which I am going to turn into my OC Ariona when she arrives! After her, my other love is set on the Merry Doll Round Fang sculpt~ I love the face so much :blush
       
    15. My grail is a Rey Lewis by Dollshe. I love it because it reminds me of the 5th Motif Venitu.
       
    16. My grail is UNOSS and I have her. Originally I wanted her as Seina with the robot parts...and most important, lashes unsanded. I ended up finding an Aika full set, original faceup, signed box, all the Seina set items and 2 additional limited costumes (maid and pink cat). MORE than I hoped for. She's still my grail doll, and tied for favorite in my collection.
      To me, 'grail' has to be singular, somehow be elusive aside from just the cost, maybe hard to get for scarcity reasons, it was limited, it's old and hard to find etc.
      There needs to be some questing or special conditions or circumstances involved, maybe even the possibility of never finding it, not just a straightforward save up/buy the doll situation. That separates 'most wanted' or 'favorite' doll from a grail doll to me.
       
    17. I actually have my grail now, and he's an Iplehouse Vito in RealSkin with the default face-up. Way back when, RealSkin was a limited color, and the promo pictures for Vito in RS literally made me gasp the first time I saw them because I knew he was my Alexander, a very dear character to my heart. I was upset back then because I couldn't afford him before his limited run ended. Slowly, over time, Iplehouse started making my dream seem more and more possible- RS became a basic color, custom face-ups were made a thing, and eventually, the original limited face-up from Vito's RS release was made a basic option.

      Then they announced that Vito would be discontinued.

      Now, at this time, I didn't have a job, so the thought of buying a doll that would end up costing over $500 with shipping was, well, out of the question. But, lo and behold, within the window of time for final orders, I did get a job- and my first paycheck- which went into the down payment on my layaway, allowing me to order my grail with only days left to spare before he was gone forever (again).

      As if the anticipation to order him wasn't enough, I can also confidently call him my grail because he's the only doll that's ever made me shake and tear up doing a box opening. Thinking back, I remember having to pause and take deep breaths because I was so overwhelmed :whee:
       
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    18. My grail is a Dust of Dolls Doom Bomi...she's just absolutely gorgeous and fits my story beautifully. Unfortunately, she's been discontinued for quite some time now, so I doubt I'll ever get her :atremblin
       
    19. Soom snowhite in fantasy skintone, impossible to find any. Also lillycat ellana in grey purple skin - i missed one, and i have not seen any again
       
    20. My grail doll is Dream of Doll T. Shall, she was the first doll I fell in love with and the reason why I became interested in bjds. It's been what... almost 10 years now, and I haven't bought her yet. Now that the online store is closed, I fear I might not ever get her.