What would you include in a BJD panel?

As a beginner, I would really love to hear about the history of BJD and the anatomy of BJD, I swear the many years ago when I stumbled upon this hobby it was so hard to find that I just gave up. Now there are more sources and videos, but it would actually be nice to know in detail -for example, why the arms kept snapping to a certain position and how to loosen it without actually taking it apart and restringing it, because as a newbie I am very scared of taking my doll apart despite its terrible posability.

Also, the great debate of recast and original needs to be brought up as well just to introduce why there is a controversy about this. I had to google a lot before actually finding more info about it -and someone finally kindly explain it on a youtube video about the whys after a famous youtuber was attacked about it.

There is also a question of, what is now considered as legit BJD?
Nowadays there are a lot of 3D printed BJDs, is this considered as legit? If it is not, why? And how about dolls made of PVC/non-resin materials but actually do have ball joints instead of the bend and snap joint, is this BJD too? If I buy any of these, will I get ostracized by the community?

 

Personally I would have liked to have known the mix and match possibilities with bjd's when I started collecting. Resin colour and scale allowing you aren't tied to a particular body and head combination. What's more you can customize the face-up, the eyes and hair.

 

This is an extremely interesting proposition! I, for one, would be super interested to hear about the history and evolution of dolls I think perhaps a audience participation portion could be done at the end of the panel, for an audience add-on session as well as a Q&A section?

As a suggestion, I would also love to see a short discussion on the different types of outfit aesthetics bjd owners tend to dress their dolls in, and perhaps recommendations of some prop/clothes makers of those different genres e.g. ancient Chinese aesthetics, steampunk, Victorian, modern etc.

 

I like the anatomy of a bjd idea! Maybe if you can find the resources it would be interesting to get some perspective on how they're made as well? Like starting from a design perspective. I haven't heard that addressed much at bjd panels so it might give folks some new information. Good luck!

 

I would love to hear a history of this community in particular and bjd communities in general.

I would also love to hear more about the different meanings bjds have in Asian and American cultures and how they interact with each other.

 

Just have to chime in and ask: why wouldn't they considered be legit? Legit just talks about the legitimacy in terms of "is it from a legit and authorized source, that means the actual artist, and/or follows his wish of redistribution". It has nothing to do with "legit BJD in terms of what is deemed by the community as BJD". If an artist sells 3D prints, or sold their files for own printing purposes, the physical doll is legit.

Most of the non-resin dolls tend to be not strung though. Even if their joint shape is vaguely round. I would agree the way it is engineered vs the final material matters more. So a strung vinyl doll that is pretty much exactly the same engineering wise like any regular resin BJD, is a BJD. Dolls with an internal skeleton are not. Dolls with hinge joints aren't either.
And you won't be "ostracized" by the community, people usually just won't care. It's like posting a Pullip in a Tonner forum, it's just the wrong place for it and the people aren't there for that type of doll
Just be aware that a lot of the cheap vinyl dolls on Amazon and co. are questionably sourced (some are definitely recasts).

Now back to the thread: if I would do something like this, I would ask myself one question "how and with what do I want people to leave this panel". Especially with recasts and people being too trigger happy with the buy button, there is a huge responsibility when you make such a panel. There will be a couple people who go out of it and head straight home to buy a BJD. You gotta have to make sure their impatient self doesn't do something stupid

So I would start with an explanation what BJDs are, their modern history, how they work (engineering-wise, that they are customizable etc.), how they are made (to hammer home the point it's mostly small artists and studios, not toy companies), and then a big chunk about how to get one and what recasts are. I'd probably print little leaflets for people to take, which mostly includes the latter part of the panel and some safe resources to buy from (like common dealers, a link to the BJD Collectasy company list).

I'd also mention the Big BJD FAQ:
https://denofangels.com/threads/the-big-bjd-faq-guide-for-newcomers.850259/
Probably add a scannable QR code for it on the leaflet.

 

To me the most interesting thing would be an artist/company showcase, maybe by country? It's always interesting to discover new styles, as a newbie or a seasoned collector. I can imagine this towards the end of a panel.

A really helpful thing, especially if you have dolls there in person, would be a size/scale comparison. That confused the hell out of me when I first started collecting, and it's very difficult to fully comprehend a doll's size through photos. Also the naming schemes for heights/scales in this hobby are generally very confusing and inconsistent... that's almost a panel in and of itself.

 

I think if you want to target beginners just a panel about what BJDs are would be nice, i.e. discuss companies, stringing, customization and care? As, you'll probably have a lot of non-bjd folks from the convention that have never seen a doll.

In regards to catering to people in the community a size comparison within the panel would be so nice, so I totally agree with Obsequi0us on that one. Otherwise maybe a panel about character development/ customization, you get really interactive with the audience and allow people to flesh out the characters of their dollies more?

Whatever you chose it might be a good idea to think about what you want to get from the panel? Such as how much audience interaction do you want to achieve, do you want it to be more educational, is it for beginners or people that have been in the hobby long term? Best of luck with planning!

 

For me the most confusing and frustrating thing was sizes. What does 1/3 mean? What is SD? What does Minifee mean? What is dollhouse scale? Are 1/4 youth dolls actually at 1/3 scale because youth are smaller than adults? 1/6 dolls that are babies aren't actually 1/6 scale, but mature 1/6 dolls are??? What about a 20cm mature doll? It was all so confusing and I struggle to this day to be absolutely certain that dolls will look the proper scale amongst each other and amongst props!

(I also very much agree with anatomy and damning recasts)

 

I love the idea. When I speak at a conference I first ask myself:

• What is my message?
• What do I want to share?
• What is the general purpose of the conference and what can I add as a unique value that people can take away?
• Who is my target audience?
• What do they already know about my topic?

If the audience is new to the BJD-fandom, there is no point in and sharing an in-depth analysis of a BJD-related topic. If they are already knowledgable, the niche topics might attract them more.

In the framework of an introductory panel, first I would like to know if BJDs are really 'my thing'. To learn what it takes. I borrowed this approach from pet care panels. The first thing to ask: Ok, I like pets, but do I have what it takes? Do I really want to own one? Am I able? Am I ready? Do I have the time and resources (not only money)? Is it safe in my circumstances? If you apply this to the BJD point of view, that is a solid message (responsibility and preparedness) and a big help for beginners (they will know what to consider).

What I wish I knew when I started?

• You never know what 'pre-order' means until you buy limited or custom made merch from the East Asian markets. I was absolutely not prepared for the long turnaround times.
• Dolls take maintenance and they do have maintenance cost.

 

I will ecco the things said about target audience and your goal with the panel.

The recast thing does need to be adressed, but if you want to keep the tone light and controversy low you could approach it as a side note in the more general topics. Having it being a thing that comes up casually several times in the context of why it causes damage instead of giving it a space of it's own may sound less harsh and gives less room for people to excuse it to themselves when listening.

You could include it in the topic of the importance of doing your own research in a hobby like this. You could include some tips for basic reseach strategies (a useful life skill regardless of interests) and mention things that can go wrong it you don't do it and include accidentally buying a recast among those reasons. (Along with unexpected wait times, sticker shock, dissapointment over dolls that didn't turn out as expected and so on)

It could be touched upon when talking about how most BJD are made by small companies and single artists. This could also be a good time to talk about costs. Undertanding why something is expensive and being prepared for it can minimize the impulse to immediety go and look for "a better deal".

Another possible topic is the one of how closely linked the community is with it's artists. Many doll artists are hobbyists and collectors in their own right. This is one of those things I have heard non doll people (as well as people in other doll hobbies) sometimes being realy surprized about. Stealing from a faceless company is easier then stealing from hobby-buddy after all.

On a lighter note I'd suggest you include a bit about the customizeability of these dolls. Mention that BJD are often sold blank and how that makes most BJD out there unique and how owners often use their dolls as an outlet for their own creativity. If you are giving a presentation with images then showing how different the same basic doll can look depending of the face up and styling could be cool. It's something that makes them more than just pretty dolls and in my opinion pehaps the main thing that makes them stand out compared to other doll hobbies.

 

I have been to a panel, and assisted with one. My main thing is know your stuff. Do your research, know the basics, because there will be questions. It was really painful watching a host who was nearly a newbie herself giving out so much wrong information, or calling on other audience members to answer for her.

I think for a BJD for Beginners panel, I'd want to see these things covered:
-What is a BJD?
-Why are they expensive?
-How to string/put in eyes
-Faceup options (buy from company, commission artist, do it yourself--plus very basic materials and safety precautions)
-Different sizes

And if you can, handing out basic info on paper would be great! Things like:
-Legit dollmakers/dealers
-Where to buy clothes/accessories
-Doll communities/websites
-restringing outline

 

A tools and materials section could be really helpful.
Possibly even broken down by faceups, joint sueding and basic subtractive modifications vs additive modifications and materials to make your own doll. That particular breakdown is split between the easier to reverse mods and the more permanent ones so the first set could be the beginner/general interest part and the second set could be the "202" section.
The information is out there, but it can be in lots of different places and some is on websites and personal blogs that may become inaccessible as time and the internet march on.
How to search for legit doll information and how to navigate different doll fansites including this one could also be a good thing to cover, but those could be a full talk all on their own.

 

Hmmm I would definitely attend BJD panel for the sense of community if nothing else. Espescially if people brought their dolls too.

Personally I would find discussion on the size, the wait times and customising/maintenance really interesting. And what made you choose bjd/audience member participation.