What is your grail doll?

The instant I saw Souldoll's Rye sculpt, which looks exactly like the main character of my cast of characters (at this point, there are several main characters, but she was the first, and the inspiration for all the others as I developed the world she lives in), I knew I will have to get her some day.

I wouldn't say that she's the doll I would get, and then never get another doll though. Because I have many characters that need dolls for them so that I can photograph them together, and as I'm currently saving up for her, unless a limited comes out that fits another character better when I have the money to buy it, she will be my third doll. But she is definitely special, and I can't imagine putting off buying her for anything less than needing a limited sculpt for another character (she would actually be my second doll if Soom hadn't released Sabik as a special order in Super Gem size. I spent the money that would've bought her on him).

 

mine would be the limited ringdoll carlos : ) loved him since i saw him, and i have him on layaway so not to much longer!

though he is not going to be a pirate at all.

 

I luckily own one of my grails, a Lati Dragon Gabie~ >w<

"Impossible" grails? Yeah I've got a few of those on my wishlist, Dollti Tin Man Dong-E H-Set (with the grumpy face) or B-Set (with the cute headphones). Cutest little robot doll I have ever ever seen. Boy am I ever kicking myself for not buying one (or two) when they were still around... Enaibi (anything, but a Briséis or Satyne especially) and a Kinoko Juice Kiki; neither I'm likely to ever even see in person, let alone own; but I still want them, and hold a tiny flicker of hope that someday they might sell internationally...

And on the "Slightly more Possible to Obtain", Grail-List I'm looking out for a Dollfie Dream Nia Tepplin, and Mariko Sensei. And maybe way waay down the track I'll try to find myself a Suiseiseki or Lieselotte~ XD

 

..Michele is a boy? o.o

Grail doll? My best friend just snagged up mine for me till I can pay her back; MigiDoll Owen, who's out of production at the end of this month!

 

My grail doll, huh? Well, that probably would have been DZ Floy, since along with Joe I wanted one from me start in the hobby more than anything but never considered it as a reshelling backup as I did with Joe. Not an expensive or hard-to-come-by doll, but I really, really wanted one and have one now in the form of my Yuri. I'm really, really happy with him. He's perfect!

I cannot even begin to think about a doll I feel similarly about now, so I suppose he's my grail full-stop for the time being.

 

Hmm, I don't think I have any any more...! I have owned all the dolls so far that I've really wanted, or thought I did. Too often "grail" dolls don't end up staying with me. I think maybe I put too much hype and emotional angst on them and then they can never live up to it. ^^;; Oops.

 

For me a grail doll has to be that doll that is hard to get for some some reason (although in my case usually because he's no longer for sale and I have to hunt him down in the marketplace... I really like that part of the hobby).

Lucky for me, I own quite a few of them! My Volks SwD Lucas, my Volks Madoka and my Volks Williams. When my Williams got home I didn't feel the need to buy anything doll related for over a year; I was so happy I finally got him.

Today, I still have a few grail dolls that are on my wishlist: Kanon Louis especially. He is going to be a challenge. I've never seen him in the marketplace since I first joined the hobby and I know he's going to be expensive when he finally does end up for sale. But it would be fantastic to own him!

 

Well, I guess I have a few!

1) CP/Luts Soony, who I FINALLY HAVE! I love her even more in person than I ever thought I would.
2) Chibi Unoa, who I also have! Again, even more love in person.
3) Volks Pearl. I'm really unlikely to ever get her because even though I love her so much, I drift toward more cartoony, youthful sculpts and she's a little more sensual and mature looking.
4) DollTi Tinman. He's so cute and I want him so much. :C

 

i have a few, my big one for ages is a yoko littner DD, and a dollheart bloody alice, which sold last November and i didn't even know

the other was a luts mia, and she's mine

 

My grail is DC's Alberta, I fell in love with her sculpt the first time I saw her, then kind of fell out of the hobby and one day I was sitting in my room and I couldn't get her image out of my head. I remember searching up the site and when I saw her for the second time I knew she was the one. I plan on purchasing her as my first doll and getting the extra hip part so she can be two legged. I do like the Centaur type body but I fell in love with DC's girl body She's not too expensive, she's an extra $100 because of the centaur body so she's affordable for sure and I can always sell the centaur body if I like the human body better.

 

Mine are Luts Santa Lio and Doll in Mind Sugarbelle. I got into the hobby after they were sold out.

 

My first grail doll was Volks Madoka (Japanese version). I saw her on display but didn't know anything about ABJDs, only about Volks Century Models. It took me years of being a "Madoka stalker", but my longing for her was answered when Volks released Shizu for their first LA event. I wasn't able to attend the event, because I was teaching a class at another doll convention in another state. Luckily, I was able to get my (Madoka sculpt) Shizu here in the Marketplace shortly after her release, and I named her "Passion".

My second true grail doll would have to be Volks Ruby. I stupidly passed up the chance to get this doll because I didn't like the shade her lips were painted...duh, I know! It wasn't until my good friend repainted the lips on his Ruby, that I saw her true beauty. Then Volks displayed a prototype Ruby at the last NYC Dolpa, who's also pictured in the Another Yourself 2 book. I became obsessed wanting this doll. I wrote Volks in both Japan and here in the US. I started an online petition, gathering signatures for Ruby's re-release. But still no Ruby...until this past Fall...when another friend sold me his Ruby! I've named her Honore, and am so happy to have this lady, even if she isn't exactly like the model used in Another Yourself. I even like the lip color on this doll now! LOL!

Juli DC

 

I had three grail dolls. I own/ed all three, but sold the third due to his body and hands, which I absolutely hated, plus eventhough his face-up was pretty, it never was enough to bond.

So one of my two now is SSDF dreaming Abadon. I saw him at Luts and I think I also saw him in the Gallery on DoA at some point. He was already soldout a long time ago when I joined the hobby, so I almost gave up hope to ever own one. Plus it was a special option and one had to actually order the doll with that option or else it would be a normal Abadon head.
I found one on the MP, though on the SDF body. This year I ordered him a SSDF body and he looks so much better on that body :3. He also has still the fantastic original face-up. He is one of my favorites among all the dolls I have.

Second is my CW Sard . Yes, yes.. there are many Sards now, what do I care? I didn't want a Sard because he might be limited and expensive, owner prestige blabla.. I wanted one because I liked the mold.
I bought mine in pieces so to speak ^^;; Doll first and then I hunted for the fantasy parts. He also is one of my favorites and is also one that got out of the house more than others for photos.

 

Hmmm... I don't really have a 'grail' doll at the moment, I think because I did have one, and I got him, and I'm still marveling at my good luck two years later.

I do however have a few dolls where getting them is kind of surreal, like, I can't imagine owning something so perfectly perfect and wonky and weird and fantastic!

One of them is a Tan DZ Mo, who will be turned into one of my favourite characters. It's not a particularly odd sculpt or anything, an nearly everyone has got one, but what I want for mine will be really special.

The other is Supia boy hybrid- I want one of their female headsculpts in tan to hybrid into a boy. I don't normally like gender-play when it comes to my dolls, but once or twice I've found it works out alright (my AnS Mr. Hat is on a female to male modded Iplehouse body and although I'm a bit embarrassed about it, I had originally bought the body for a female head I have and it just hadn't worked out, so he got it. In the end, fair is fair I guess.) In this case, I just can't see a girl in the sculpt, but I know it would make an incredibly handsome boy, so there you go.

 

If I had a grail doll to name, it would be D.O.D's I-ra fullset! The sculpt, face-up and story behind her is just simply stunning!

I don't mind if she's mildly yellowed! But since I don't have marketplace access just yet, I hope to get her sometime in the future!

 

For me, I'd say I have a few, one of them being my Petsha which I have been wanting ever since I first saw her and knew she was the one for me.

The others are a Volks LE Elena and DIM Flowne. But I don't think if I got these I'd stop wanting new girls.

 

I've had a couple grails over the years, and got them. When I first started collecting, it was 2005 and much harder to collect secondhand unless you spoke Japanese or lived in Asia; finding a Volks Tsukasa or Isao v.2 was a very big deal and I didn't think they'd ever happen for me, but the eBay Fairies were with me well in those days. ^^ Having two DD-Anne Lotus Nears was a pipe-dream, too, until I actually managed to get both of them. I was in the right place at the time the dolls were released, so again it was lucky circumstance.

Right now, I am on hiatus from buying any dolls at all, till I get a new job.
But I suppose my Grail cross-hairs are still targeting the exquisite little Nanyalin tan Faun, who may or may not ever be available again (but that's OK for awhile until I get that job!).
And... if I ever found an original first-edition dark-brown-tan Lotus Near, the first one I fell in love with, I'd probably have to break down and get a triplet.

 

My Grail as of right now is a Doll Chateau Cyril. It's probably the closest i'll have to a grail for a while, till i fall for something more expensive/rare/imposible to find and make a bloody character for it.

 

I had three.
One; A perfect version of my OC Kevya. Working on him, but he's here, and I lurves him.

Two: Aoi Tuki Tukihime body. Lots of lurking with a WTB made that happen! She is wonderful.

Three: Volks Yukinojo head. It took a while and joining a split but they rereleased him so I didn't have to fight gigantic aftermarket markups, and now he's here too!

All in all I am quite happy with being able to finally have these dollies here, and I feel that for the most part my collection is complete.
It was worth the waiting and work.

 

My grail doll isn't that expensive or special either. I really want the original MD SOOM Kivi in WS. SOOM is having a free choice event soon, so I might be able to get her, but most likely not in WS. I'd also like a doll from Volks someday, no particular one though. They're expensive, but Volks was the first doll company I really liked when I first discovered the hobby when I was a kid, so I'd like to have one.