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When the Doll arrives... - [your regular activities?]

Jun 6, 2009

    1. My response to a new doll is pure excitement.
      I always promise myself: "This time I'm going to photograph the opening"

      .. but then I end up ripping off the paper and ripping off the bubble wrap and practically playing with her in the door way. X3
       
    2. Technically:
      1. Wash hands
      2. Open the outer box
      3. Remove doll from the inner box and bubblewrap
      4. Damage inspection
      5. Wig/eye/clothe and put it aside

      Emotionally:
      Not much tbh ^^;; I never order dolls with faceups anymore, so the squeeing only occurs after they have their faces done. :sweat I also don't take box opening pictures anymore either...:T
       
    3. Sticking to full dolls here and not just floating heads...

      Hmm... Well, with my Shoko and Mistral (DZ Shoyo and DoC Twing~Key) I had camera out, took pictures, dressed them up immediately, exct. Shoko was the first doll, so there was a lot of body inspecting and curiosity as to how everything worked (joints, S-hooks, the headcap, exct). And a little later came face-ups GALORE! And she slept in my bed every night.

      With Mistral it was just curiosity to see how she was different, I already knew how she worked lol. And then when she arrived there was more wig exchanging and trying on clothes. Eventually a new face-up there too as I tried to bond with a girl who was supposed to be sweet and innocent and turned evil on me.


      When my MNF Shushu (Nessie) arrived I was away at college. So my parents sent her a week later with a friend headed up my way to me. I went to meet friend after classes and we discovered that her car got towed with my doll in it. Days later she dropped Nessie off with me. It was late, really late.

      So... I went to bed, woke up next morning, went to class, was anxious to no end, and raced back to my dorm to open her and took extensive box opening pictures and played with her posing and played and played and played with her. Eventually she got as far as a wig and clothes too...
       
    4. 1. Technically - I unpack them carefully and check for any chips or breaks that might have happened during shipping. Then I start developing their character.

      2. Emotionally -
      I'm always so shaky and excited when I get the package I try my best to stay calm and not have an insane fangirl moment :sweat I connect with the doll and find the things I like about it and some of the things I don't.
       
    5. hmmm. when i get a new doll i think my first instinct is to put their eyes in and just look at them and enjoy the way they look. and usually the emotional part i tend to kiss their heads a lot and when i got my newest girl i sat her in my other girls lap. it was really nice.

      love getting new dolls!
       
    6. I squirrel the package up to my room, squeeing and bouncing the whole way,and then I open the box, taking pictures and inspecting and documenting everything, as slowly as I can stand to do it, then I try to get the doll into their proper eyes and decent clothes.
       
    7. Yeah. I've got a whole ritual that entails taking the day off from work (if possible...or at least a half day), cleaning house and setting up the area where the doll will sit with the other dollies. I try not to look like an insane fan girl but it is really difficult.

      I commonly have an outfit already sewn up for the doll before they get out of their box. I also try to time the ordering and arrival of a couple new wigs, some eyes and some shoes, so that these things arrive a day or so before the doll arrives home.

      The dollie gets home, I inspect the box thoroughly and then I break out an exacto blade and open the box with utmost care. The 2nd inspection begins when I reach the doll's "coffin". After 2nd inspection (which is just really a visual thing, making sure all the dolls parts are where they should be and nothings obviously broken/chipped/stained) I go wash my hands for the true "unboxing". Anyone else that happens to be home and wants to touch a new doll has to at least wipe their hands with a moist towlette or face my wrath.

      After the basic unboxing I test out the dolls basic posability and decide if I'm going to replace default eyes. I dress them pretty quickly and then decide on a suitable wig in the event that the one they came with just doesn't cut it. From there I usually set up a simple staging area to take the new arrival's homecoming portraits.

      It can definitely turn into an all day event, lol. And there's a party atmosphere that happens that I just looove like you wouldn't believe. Like your best birthday party times 10. I've totally been tempted to actually throw "homecoming parties" but as geeky as my friend base is I just think that inviting them to a doll's homecoming party would be one geek-out over the line. Even if I had a keg and yummy cupcakes I think everyone would be like, "We're really here to get drunk, eat really tasty cupcakes and welcome your newest Asian Ball Jointed Doll to it's new home?...Really?"

      Ahh. One day:)
       
    8. Technically: I opened the box, cleaned up the mess, and set it somewhere where it wouldn't get in the way.

      Emotionally: SQUEALING. Lots of it~ I dressed them up and started playing with them. And took pictures. x3~
       
    9. 1. Technically - do you take her/him out of the box, put to wash (as I've read some dollies have resin dust left and we all know, Safety First! ;O), prepare for customizing (if you're one for it)? Well usually I am in bed when they arrive and have to run downstairs in whatever hideous state of sleepiness and mess to answer the door and get them. After that I straightaway open the box. Often I end up not having any clothes or hair for them at first so usually I might just get them settled and plan for the faceup and coating.

      2. Emotionally - do you take her/him our of the box and hug? Greet? Put straightaway aside and get back to dinner? Do you dress her/him up and pose or put away?
      I am usually fairly quiet about it. But as I get the box open I start talking to whomever is inside to reassure them of their situation. After that I often might play with them a bit, posing them and touching them and complimenting this or that feature, haha. Usually they spend the first day with me which is always nice and special.
       
    10. Technically...
      I open the big brown box with a steak knife
      wash hands
      take the doll box out and place it on the dining table coz I need the space to spread stuff out
      carefully remove everything out of the doll box
      unwrap doll
      dress the doll with stock outfit
      put the wig on, style the wig, pose the doll, maybe try a different wig and outfit. pose the doll.
      lovingly stare at the doll for hours. pose the doll some more.
      Then I finally start taking photos.

      Emotionally, I'm squeeling like a little pig! Squeeeeee! THis de-boxing ritual usually happens in the afternoon when I get home from work and goes on over dinner time. Totally ignoring my cat wants attention and my Sweetie is ready for dinner! He now knows to fix/get his own dinner when there's a box waiting for me to open.
       
    11. 1. Technically
      I take the doll out of box, change eyes and wig for the "right ones" if it don't comes with them (usually they don't). Dress the doll.
      If doll needs restringing and/or Mr.Clear covering, I usually do it in 1-2 weeks after arrival, not right away.

      2. Emotionally

      I greet the doll and put her/him with others to feel newcomer as a part of team.
      Er... I guess it doesn't sound too emotional, but I love my dolls as a group, and so it's important to me to "feel" a group became bigger. ))
       
    12. Technically
      I first inspect the box for possible shipping damage, open box , wash hands before i handle mummied doll body, unwrap doll , examine for any signs of damage, chnage wig or eyes if needed , dress , then play with them for a couple hours........

      Emotionally
      When i know a doll will be arriving that day i wake up early and get everyone else ready for their arrival! (other dolls in the house :) ) I usually take tons of pics of all of them together then i work on the new dolls profile for their character!
       
    13. I'm getting my first doll soon so I'll be interested to see how I'll react. I'll probably just stare at it for a while and screech when anyone else tries to touch it :D
       
    14. I opened my dollie's box super-carefully so if I ever needed to ship her, I'd have the original packaging. Then I spent about half an our putting her clothes/wig/eyes/etc. on, and tested out her posing abilities. It took so long to figure out how to make her stand...My mom took pictures of the whole thing since it was a Christmas gift, but I think I will take pictures of all the dolls I get. Their box opening is kind of like their first birthday.

      Emotion wise, I didn't bond with her for a while, because it took so long to develop a "personality" for her in my head. Now I carry her around everywhere like she's my baby though. I don't think I've ever hugged her though; resin doesn't seem very huggable...
       
    15. Technically- Opened the box carefully, put away the bubblewrap, the pillows and papers. Inspect the doll to find any kind of damage, make it stand and then dressed him, put it the wig and eyes, taking pictures of the arrival in every step.

      Emotionally- I carried the doll around, keep the doll in my arms, posing him and tell him his name and sort of fill the story i created for him.
       
    16. i really loved reading this thread! i am in week 7 of waiting since ordering my FIRST bjd evar. my favorite pictures are the ones people take of when they get the doll out of the box! i hope to find another thread in the gallery section that has these kinds of photo "stories".
       
    17. technical wise, i get him/her out the box and check them over. play with the joints a bit, maybe stretch them out if they're tightly strung or kind of just play with them a little. i always remove the headcap, examine the eyes, check for any cracks, etc.

      emotional wise, i just take them out and have them sit next to me or around me, naked or with clothes, and i just..let them stay there. =w= they sort of just rest in my lap or i just play with them. i do freak out though when i see that box.
       
    18. Open box, check for everything, and a damage check

      all while squeeing, freaking out, and one step from hyperventilating. ^^;;;;
       
    19. technically - i open the box, take photos, remove dollie out of the box, give her wig and try few more :) dress her
      emotionally - got a lot of fun and smile
       
    20. Technically I had cleaned up my area and got it ready for picture taking. made sure the camera had batteries, cleared the momory card, had some stuf laid out and ready, got stuff around the house done, and then waited, and waited, and waited some more as UPS took it's own sweet time getting here...LOL

      Once she arived I had to hold back from rippinmg in to the box, so I could document and do a little photostory. Meticulously, almost excruciatingly slowly I documented every step of the way as I un-packed the eyes, optional head and chest pieces, and the Swag that the dealer so generously packs in orders. Finally ariving at that powdery blue box my pulse was racing and still I took it from the shipping box and again documented the opening and unwrapping.

      Thats when I saw her...and I was floored All I could do was stand there for like 5 minutes staring til I snapped out of it and continued to take pictures...it was all I had at that moment to hang on to. I think thats the moment I truely became a collector of BJDs....

      Anyway, somehow I managed to keep it all together well enough to function the rest of the day, but for the bulk of that time she was either in my lap or standing on the computer table next to me.