Would you go to a physical BJD store?

Would you go to it? Hell yes!

What would you expect to find there? In an ideal world? Everything BJD from dolls to eyes to many, many outfits and accessories.

What would you want it to have? Dolls from lots of different companies.

Would you be fine with it having other hobbies in there too? No, all BJD and nothing else unless it's related to BJDs. Just imagine a huge shop with nothing but BJDs and all the accessories!

If you have been to a physical bjd store, how was it?? Unfortunately I haven't been to one.

 

Would you go to it?
I would love to go to a physical BJD store, if it's not too far away from my hometown.
That would be really cool!

What would you expect to find there?
Mostly the dolls from the companies that I like the most. (I know this is selfish.) Then I can take a closer look before buying there. Otherwise I would like to place an order for the dolls, that they don't have currently in stock.

What would you want it to have?
Some Visual Kei inspired clothes, angel wings, wigs, music instruments for a rock band, traditional inspired Japanese clothes, Yokai and fantasy accessories, etc. ...

Would you be fine with it having other hobbies in there too?
That would be no problem.

If you have been to a physical bjd store, how was it?
Sadly there is none in my area...

 

I would LOVE to go to a physical BJD store, however, COVID-19 (plus me being poor) has made it so that I will probably never be able to visit Japan, at least not in the near future. I believe there is Denver doll Emporium in Colorado, which I plan on visiting one day

 

I’m lucky that I live about 15 minutes from Fabric Friends and Dolls. It’s an amazing store and the owner is lovely. It’s definitely worth going to one!!

 

Would you go to it? Even if only to window shop, yes I would!

What would you expect to find there? A few popular sculpts on display, clothes, wigs, and supplies for face-up and maintenance.

What would you want it to have? Not necessarily dolls, but it’d be nice if they had resin samples for hybrid endeavours! Otherwise I’d love it if they have lots of wigs and clothing to choose from!

Would you be fine with it having other hobbies in there too? Yep, usually I find that BJDs are associated with anime and gaming which are other things I’m interested in. Though it’d kinda be sad if BJDs were only a very limited section of the store

If you have been to a physical bjd store, how was it?? I went to the Radio Kaikan in 2015. Not sure if we went to Azone or Volks (or both) but it was like a field trip There were a lot of anime character dolls on display and it was just fun to go around the store and see them. I was totally new to the hobby at the time and wasn’t sure how things would fit with my doll so I didn't end up buying anything... What a waste!

 

I have been to a physical BJD store a few times and it was a very nice place. The whole shop sold mostly BJDs but a few non-BJD items and plushies as well. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable about everything they sell. The doll group in my area used to meet there once a month before the pandemic began and I can't wait until we can go there again.

 

I live in Japan, so I have be to physical BJD stores, many times. They're fun to explore but I also never by anything. I know this doesnt really help much but, i'm picking about dlls and the ones I want are all still online haha Like you don't find and particularly interesting dolls there, they are all very poplar dolls that are easy to get anyways So ya I would want more variety.

 

I went to Tokyo last year and physical doll stores are A DREAM! I went to Dollyteria which was one small floor but it was filled with beautiful dollies and clothing and bought a Mamachapp girl as a special souvenir. I also went to the bjd floor in the Mandarake complex in Akihabra and spent well over an hour looking through all the clothing deciding what to buy! Was an amazing experience and would recommend it to anyone if you get the chance, even if you are with people who don’t understand it like me lol. I just knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity!

 

Would you go to it?
Of course I would go! Especially if they held dolls that were from brands that I'm personally a fan of such as LUTS, DollZone, RingDoll...

What would you expect to find there?
Dolls of course! I'd also expect the place to have doll accessories and tools like restringing tools, face masks, wigs, eyes, clothes, eye putty, etc!

What would you want it to have?
I'd definitely want it to have everything listed above as well as artist goods as well! Handcrafted goods made by independent artists to get their names out their somehow!

Would you be fine with it having other hobbies in there too?
Of course! I have tons of other hobbies that sometimes overlap with the BJD hobby (anime figure collecting, itabagging, etc) so it'd be nice to see those hobbies represented somewhere nearby.

If you have been to a physical bjd store, how was it??
I could only wish I've gone but I do plan on visiting a Volks JP store when I visit Japan next year! We'll see how that goes

 

Would you go to it?
Yes

What would you expect to find there?
Dolls, clothes, eyes, wigs, stands, props, maybe some space where people could host meet-ups.

What would you want it to have?
Mostly that^^^

Would you be fine with it having other hobbies in there too?
Sure.

If you have been to a physical bjd store, how was it??
Though I don't live particularly close to them, my friend does, so I had the chance to visit Fabric Friends and Dolls last year! It was wonderful- I bought a bunch of clothes and wigs, and ended up picking up a doll I would never have considered if I hadn't seen her in person. She was being displayed and sold as a fullset at an already good price, and then Iris ended up taking a little more off for me because her leg fell off while I was still shopping (Doll Leaves apparently strings their legs independent from the rest of the body, has them attached on pegs). They even provided me the tools and elastic to get her back together before my friends and I left. I can't wait to go back, but it may be a while with the pandemic situation. We were all very impressed

 

Would you go to it?
Yes please, especially if I could bring one of mine to help model things because I'm garbage at eyeballing sizes.

What would you expect to find there?
Dolls, clothes, wigs, the basics I guess?

What would you want it to have?
Would be nice to have access to eyes in different sizes, even if they're not terribly fancy. And tools, tools would be great. I actually went and recently ordered a little tool to help with removing heads because the whole using a ribbon thing makes me anxious. Oh, also secondhand things for lower prices might be a nice touch, like a little doll flea market sort of thing.

Would you be fine with it having other hobbies in there too?
Couldn't hurt, especially because a lot of the supplies cross over. Volks Doll Point and Hobby Square share a floor in Akihabara and it was nice to be able to wander over to look at masking fluid and brushes while contemplating faceup things.

If you have been to a physical bjd store, how was it??
[FONT=open sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]I wound up in Radio Kaikan in Akihabara this past spring and it was an adventure. Volks Doll Point, DOLK, Dolly Teria, and Azone are all in one (packed, vaguely swaying) building. Amusing to note, too, that floor 6--dedicated completely to a single hobby shop full of garage kits and trading cards iirc--only had a men's restroom whereas other floors had both. Volks and Azone were both set up very nicely with easily accessible displays and merchandise, and I wound up with a tiny off-topic doll because I wasn't quite prepared to take home something larger, but Dolk in particular felt kind of... I don't know, foreboding to me? They had loads of things to look at, but I didn't feel right crouching down to browse. Maybe it was the swaying. I'll chalk it up to that, I guess. I kept having trouble in the high rises over there, haha. ;;

On the same trip we were in Nakano Broadway repeatedly due to half of our planned excursions being cancelled last minute, so I got to wander around Mandarake's doll shops, too. Also tiny and cramped, but expected based on the location. There's one specifically for the dolls themselves which is all lit up with nice glass cases and easy to peer around, but then the one for accessories is more like a dark little hallway with baskets full of merchandise with the sizes marked on each. I actually bought a couple of things there, just a cheap wig and an adorable little fuzzy pink kigu that uh... I think it's supposed to be a winged rabbit? No clue, but one of my boys has been forced into it since the trip and I regret nothing.

Also, there's another Azone in Ikebukuro that we stumbled across on the way back to the hotel one night. I think I prefer the one in Radio Kaikan staff-wise, but it was extremely convenient either way.

Overall would love to go again and actually plan to provided things go well next year. I was unaware that Tenshi no Mado is in Harajuku and that I literally walked right by it apparently. Just found that out tonight and I'm lowkey salty about it. Definitely going if it's open. Might even actually bring home someone if there's space for them.[/FONT]

 

I live in Japan and have been to many stores many times. Actually I think they are one of the reasons that made it easier for me to get in the hobby. Even if you don’t buy anything, you can see how the dolls look in reality and that made it easier for me to find the brands I like.
I also prefer to buy wigs there, once you can see the quality and everything.
I would like them to collaborate more with small artists and have more doll variety though.

 

I would go only if I have money because I have it when I like a doll and cant afford it But otherwise I would lovee to go there and see different dolls I think it would be fun ^^

 

Being that I know someone that lives in Japan AND big plus, has encyclopedic knowledge of dolls in general was a great catalyst in my drive to a. go back as often I as I feasibly could (covid be damned), b. experience physical bjd shops more.

"If you had a physical store devoted to BJD in your area:"

1. Would you go to it?
YES! At least to see what's there!

2. What would you expect to find there?
Dolls, accessories, clothes, shoes, etc. Anything I could be looking for?

3. What would you want it to have?
A good stock of stuff! The more variety the better! It would give me such a better understanding of how some stuff works, looks etc.

4. Would you be fine with it having other hobbies in there too?
Yes. If anything that allows for a greater chance of it actually existing. Since BJD's are a extremely niche hobby.

5. If you have been to a physical bjd store, how was it??
I've been to a Volks section inside a large collection of shops. I've visited Mandarake and seen their doll display.
Both were a really great example of how dolls are treated in Japan.
I am looking forward to on my next trip visiting Dollyteria, DOLK, and maybe even the Volks Doll Museum!

 

Would you go to it?
Yeah. Even if I had to go to, dramatic shudder, London

What would you expect to find there?
dolls. It didn't even occur to me they would have clothes until I read others comments.

What would you want it to have?
Dolls, because I don't want to wait, and I need to see and experience a doll to know I like it. I had no idea how tiny MSDs would be! They're so tiny but only 3/4s the size of an SD. Confusing.
I'd also want eyes. Because again, different sizes of eye might FIT a doll but they look different. The way eyes look and feel in situ is real and unpredictable.
I honestly don't care about wigs so much cos they're relatively straightforward in size and in my limited experience, they look how they look in pictures online.
Face-up supplies like MSC, pastels, paint and water colour pencils in the right colours for various skin tones and make-up looks.
I have no interest in clothes, I have more time than money so it makes more sense to make my own. Shoes maybe.

Would you be fine with it having other hobbies in there too?
I'd actually be quite uncomfortable if there were more "masculine" hobbies there, arbitrary as that is, because I get insecure around other guys because I /wish/ I was into like wargames and stuff like that but I am more interested in dolls. I feel like I get on well with nerdy guys and fit in with them but I don't find the actual hobbies fun so I get this wanting to socialise but unable to bond with people issue.

If you have been to a physical bjd store, how was it??
Nah, there's no way this business would be viable in the UK.

 

Would you go to it? Sure, I would love it!

What would you expect to find there? In an ideal world? Everything a bjd should need: clothes, wigs, eyes, strings, hooks, painting material... Also, it would be ideal if there were services available such as re-stringing, sanding, cleaning, faceup...

What would you want it to have? Well, a lot of dolls from different companies If not for direct buy, at least displayed so you could compare between models, resin colours, sizes...

Would you be fine with it having other hobbies in there too? I wouldn't mind as long as they have a separate area only for BJD

If you have been to a physical bjd store, how was it? I went to a Volks store in Tokyo and it was wonderful, they had several showcases displaying full-set dolls and I remember it was like being in heaven for me, an amazing experience.

When I visited the Volks store in Tokyo, most of the customers were mature/senior men. I found it very curious because in my country it's mostly a girls hobby.

 

I would love it if there were other guys there for dolls. But again, the line between masculine and feminine interests is very cultural and here I don't see it happening.

Ariadhne mentioning services actually reminded me I wanted to mention... the coolest thing at a BJD store would be if there were evenings with workshops/classes on doing doll things. Like sewing, face ups, seam sanding etc.

 

That would be super cool indeed!!
Very useful for people like me, with no manual skills at all

 

Yes i would probably move in.