Would you mod a grail doll?

I don't think I would. For me, a grail would be a doll that is perfect as-is. So I wouldn't feel the need to change it. I'd consider getting it a new faceup if the company one wasn't great, but I wouldn't modify the sculpt itself.

 

I would definitely do stuff like elf ears, ear piercing, scars, etc...but nothing that altered the actual facial features

 

I probably couldn't do more than just ear mods for a limited grail. If it's not limited I wouldn't mind because I can always get more than one head. Otherwise, no. I don't think I could.
Body wise, if it wasn't a fancy limited like with tattoos or something, I could see modding it as well since a new body can always be purchased. I'll probably get newer bodies anyway once I can get together others as I have ones I want to give scales and scars to.

 

Since I am extremely picky to the point that my grail needs to still have company face-up, wig, and full set outfit I don't think I could mod him if I ever got him, not even sure if I could bring myself to ever so much as put a different wig or outfit on him, the clothing could change before the wig but only if it fit within the same fashion aesthetic.
But I refuse to tell someone else what they can do with their own doll so if you want to mod then mod. It's your doll, do with it as you see fit, just make sure you really want the mods if they are permanent ones. I "modded" many a "toy" in my younger years and there are a few I wish I hadn't given in to impulsive ideas with and had instead given it a bit of thought first.

 

I would only go for a small mod like ear piercing. I love earrings on my dolls.

 

Only if I handed the doll over to a prestigious modder in our community. My dumb self attempted a mod on a limited grail kind of doll once and I botched it, sold it at cost to an experienced restorer just so it would look good as new again. I will never, ever attempt a mod after that.

 

I would assume that if the sculpt was your grail, you already thought of it as perfect. But since its your doll, you can customize it any way you see fit.

 

I have modified two of my grails. One of them didn't start as a grail; I own the full doll and loved the sculpt well enough, however over time I wanted to have the doll look closer to its intended character -- which originally didn't even come close, I only purchased the doll because I wanted to steal its body for another doll I own. The artist at the time didn't sell heads or bodies separately (and still doesn't), but I always thought I would get a separate head at one point, unmodified. That chance never arrived for me, so the doll (or just the head) I modified became a grail, at least the unmodified head sculpt which I'll never own now, because he was rather unpopular. I'm a bit of a bigger germaphobe now than when I was younger, to look for it second hand -- the few I have seen, have never been in the condition I would purchase them in, anyway (the weirdo in me, wouldn't allow myself to get it anyway because germs, bodily fluids, etc.).

The second doll has always been a grail to me, since the begging of time (since I played FFVII, the original game, back around 1997), is a custom Sephiroth doll. I paid DIM to sculpt the head for me back in the day, when they were making their Minimee. However, as I had fear the sculpt didn't turn out anything like what I had in my mind's eye, nor requested. I had to mod the head quite a bit to get it to look anything like what I had hoped, and I still have a long way to go. In contrast to my other grail I did modify, I do own a second head sculpt of Sephiroth that's unmodified, but I really wouldn't care if I didn't have a second unmodified one, because it doesn't look the way it was supposed to. The other grail, I just assumed would always be around and I would be able to get a second one someday. I still regret not having an unmodified version of that grail head-sculpt, but I don't mind having modified the one I own to death, and I will continue doing so, until I feel satisfied with how it looks. (:

 

I dont have the skills or the patience for modding so no...I dont think i would. my grail (Volks Hewitt) is already as I want him to be I just have to get him lol. Other people who are skilled at that sort of thing can because its their doll but I dont think its for me personally. Its hard enough trying to find him that if I ruined him with bad mods id be heartbroken. I do have a second grail in a way. He didnt start off as a grail but a doll my mother got me that i then sold and got reunited with recently so he has a special place in my heart and he is getting modded, or at least his body is but I'm letting someone much more experienced handle that lol

 

Here are a few before and after photos of my modified grails.

My custom Sephiroth, here with a psed wig, I'll never be able to make myself.

Spoiler: With a real crappy wig I made

My Limhwa Limho Mano

I also look forward to seeing others' grail mods.

 

Depends on the mod and if they suited what I wanted them for. I won't typically mod eyes or face. However, I do love elf ears so most of my dolls will get them unless it's for a human character. In most cases though, I will find a similar head or the same exact head and only do it if I have a secondary. A lot of my characters have disguises and don't always appear to be what they are so usually I try to hunt a second.

 

I'm not someone big into permanent additive/subtractive mods, so I probably wouldn't go that route with my grail regardless. That said, I'm gearing up to attempt some resin lightening on my older dolls, which may include my grail if all goes well, and I'd like to update her faceup. I won't be working on her anytime soon, though, since I want to do my experimenting on dolls that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg to replace (assuming I even managed to track down a replacement in the first place).

 

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Haha, that would pain me too much! I love even the company faceup to the degree that I wouldn't touch it more than giving it new clothes or hair. Everyone is different, though, and I can definitely see the appeal of taking something you already love and catering it to your tastes even more.

 

I would and I have! One of the first things I did when I got a Saint was take off his ears! Don't worry he got new ones. And my Old-type Souldoll human!Shiva got her ears made pointy. My favorite dolls have all been then ones I've modded a lot, and they've come out most like I wanted them to be.

This is Kevya. He's an Iplehouse Barron from 2009/2010. And I modded him almost beyond recognition to get my cherished character. He's even hybrided onto a different body! (Lost Angel, now Mirodoll, 60cm body) with AGAIN many many mods!

 

I'd commission someone to do that, absolutely! I'm the same way with lolita fashion; if a dream dress doesn't fit the way I want, I'll have it altered (even if it's a rare 20 year old one). I buy these dolls and dresses because they bring joy and meaning and beauty to my life; they're brought into my life to serve my happiness, and if modifying them increases that happiness, I'm going to do it!