Yellowing: Is it "Natural" or does it constitute "Damage"?

I don't think yellowing is damage unless it's uneven. I have several white skinned dolls and most of them are yellow and it doesn't bother me - one is even green, but always has been since he's from one of those notorious greenish batches from Luts.

As for buying a yellow doll - well, there is a limit to how yellow i'd buy, and it would have to be made up for in the price.

 

I have learned to accept that yellowing will eventually happen to my dolls but I do NOT like it at all. The doll I have had the longest which I bought direct from the factory, about 3 years ago, has no sign of yellowing at all. Other younger" dolls I have bought second hand on the MP or Ebay do have slight yellowing and I can only conclude it is because the previous owners took them outside.

Early last year I bought a WS AOD body from the MP which the seller claimed had "no noticeable yellowing", I also had a WS body I had bought direct from AOD the previous year and the difference was startling. The "No noticeable yellowing" body was the colour of an overripe banana even before I compared it to my AOD. I consider that dishonest and unacceptable but was told by the seller that Yellowing is something you have to accept and it had never bothered her... this wound up being the only time I have ever left negative feedback on the MP!

So, yes, yellowing is an unfortunate aspect of the hobby you need to get your head around but keeping the dolls out of sunlight is a must if you want to slow that process down to a negligible level. If you are in the habit of taking your doll out of doors then you need to state that in your sales thread even if the doll does not look yellowed to you, because it WILL BE next to someone's doll that has been kept in the box or in a cabinet out of the light. When people come to sell on such expensive items, they have to realise that just because they have decided that yellowing looks OK, doesn't mean everyone feels the same.

 

- Do you feel that yellowing is just a natural feature of resin, or does it constitute a damaged doll? Is yellowing a sign of a well-loved doll, or is it a defect that signifies improper care?

I think yellowing is a natural process for resin, and it is normal for an older doll, and/or for one that was exposed to sunlight. to a certain degree. It is neither a sign of it being well-loved, nor of improper care. I do not consider it damage.

- When does yellowing cross the line between "acceptable" and "unacceptable"?

Generally, it is acceptable for me if the yellowing is more or less even. Also, different resin colours and different types of resin yellow differently. So a doll from company "A" that was originally normal pink might age better than a doll from company "B" in normal yellow, for example, and hence be more "accepttable" for me in terms of second-hand buying.

- Would you buy a very yellowed doll? If so, would you try to "fix" it? Why or why not?

It depends on what "very yellowed" means. I have bought a DoC second-hand that is much, much more yellow than my newer, directly from the company, DoC. So the second-hand one might be considered very yellowed... But actually I love her soft, natural-looking "yellowed" colour much more than the one of the light pink new doll and can't wait till the newer one mellows out into something similar. Her colour looks not far from the normal skin dolls from other companies now, and she can be photographed wonderfully with them. So I would never think about "fixing" the second-hand one in this case.

In other cases - really banana-yellow and green dolls - I would abstain from buying. Not because I think that the yellowing is damage, but because most of my dolls are newer (the above mentioned DoC is my oldest doll) and I wouldn't be able to photograph the yellowed one together with them.

 

Unless it's uneven i think it's ok? As long as they don't look like they have a different skintone on her head/body or stained... I would buy.

 

I don't consider yellowing damage, at least not in the same way as a chip in a joint or a glued on finger, but I would definitely take it into consideration as I make my decision to purchase the doll or not.

Whether or not the yellowing is acceptable depends on the price of the doll and if it is smooth or not.

 

- Do you feel that yellowing is just a natural feature of resin, or does it constitute a damaged doll? Is yellowing a sign of a well-loved doll, or is it a defect that signifies improper care?
​It's natural feature of resin, all dolls will get yellow with time ^ ^; Hm, it could mean either/nor meaning that someone who loves their dolls might want to play with it all day so take it out in broad daylight also, when someone else who loves their dolls as much might want to not play with it ever and just keep it in a shade in glasscase and just look at it being pretty. That being said, yellowing can't really tell you much about the owner/how much they loved their dolls ^ ^;
- When does yellowing cross the line between "acceptable" and "unacceptable"?
I haven't seen a yellowed doll yet, but from what I can suppose from my tastes, if it's not entirelly obvious, like head and body being a totally different color or a part of the body, I think I'll be fine with 'uneven' yellowing also...
- Would you buy a very yellowed doll? If so, would you try to "fix" it? Why or why not?
Very yellowed doll...yes, I might. If it's not banana yellow, I think I might.

 

I don't think I would buy a yellowed doll because I would consider it an imperfection - unnatural-looking on a doll just as on a human, even if it is considered 'natural' for resin. A jaundiced appearance isn't very attractive to me.

I haven't even received my first two dolls yet and am worried about them yellowing in 10-15 years or so. I would like to have my dolls for much longer than that, especially since they'll be my first two and are based on very special characters of mine. I figure that when the time comes, I can hopefully have a replica made of my FCS Volks, but since my other doll is a Luts limited edition, I don't know if there will be any hope of getting a new one just like her :C

In regards to crossing a line, I would just say that when the resin begins to look unnaturally yellow, it is 'unacceptable'. By 'unacceptable', I don't mean that the doll has necessarily been abused or needs to be got rid of; I am sure there are lots and lots of BJD owners who treasure their older dolls due to the strong attachments formed over the years. I myself wouldn't buy a doll that was yellow, but I would not judge an owner harshly because they had a yellowed doll since yellowing occurs naturally and is, to a great extent, inevitable. I would not try to 'fix' the doll because I wouldn't know how to... it would be fantastic if the dolls could be improved to prevent yellowing all-together. Maybe someday...

 

Do you feel that yellowing is just a natural feature of resin, or does it constitute a damaged doll? Is yellowing a sign of a well-loved doll, or is it a defect that signifies improper care?

I see yellowing as a completely natural process that is part of owning a resin doll. Resin will yellow over time, there's no way to prevent it from happening. One can take precautions and slow down the process, but one cannot prevent it.

To me, "damage" constitutes an occurrence that could have been prevented, such as breakage, staining, chipping, scratching, etc. Yellowing does not fall under this category. For example, I bought multiple pairs of extra hands with my Delfs when I purchased them in 2003-2004 period, just in case there's damage to their original hands. Thankfully, my Delfs' original hands are still intact, so the extra hands have been stored wrapped in original packaging inside my closet for years. The hands have literally never seen the light of day aside from the first day I received them and unpacked them to check for damage in transit. I recently unpacked the hands to see how they yellowed compared to my Delfs. The hands are perhaps a shade lighter, at most, than my Delfs, who have been displayed and played with ever since I bought them.

I have many dolls from 2003-2004 period and I do not see any of them as damaged. I got used to the yellowing over the years, as it happens gradually. Besides, none of my dolls are banana or neon yellow - they are still a natural color, just a bit darker


When does yellowing cross the line between "acceptable" and "unacceptable"?

I haven't seen a doll that I would consider "unacceptable" when it comes to yellowing. The yellowest doll in my collection is Bluefairy Pocket Fairy Yoko, from Bluefairy's first release of these tinies in 2004. She's very yellow due to aging and the original resin color being on a yellowish side to begin with. However, even this little girl remains a very natural shade. I haven't seen any doll yellower than my Yoko.

Would you buy a very yellowed doll? If so, would you try to "fix" it? Why or why not?

I don't buy on the secondary market, but if I did, I would certainly buy a yellowed doll and I would not try and fix her, unless she's very unevenly yellowed, in which case I would try and even out the resin by some means.

The good news about yellowing is that it does seem to have a saturation point, beyond which the doll doesn't yellow anymore. The Yoko I mentioned above has not yellowed any further in the past 2 years. She has reached her peak after about 5 years of gradual yellowing. I noticed the same with my other dolls from 2003-2004: they have all stopped yellowing any further a few years back. Ultimately it does depend on the resin used, and some dolls will yellow faster than others, but all will reach a point beyond which very little, if any, further color change will happen.

 

Anna, do you think maybe you could post a photo of your Yoko?
I would be interested in seeing what you mean, compared to, say, another one of your slightly yellowed dolls..?

 

Sure, I can do that Here is a picture of Yoko herself. I will take a picture of Yoko next to one of my Delfs, who are a bit less yellow, as soon as I can.


IMG_6574 by Anya0918, on Flickr

Edited to add that I took that picture outdoors on an overcast day without using flash. If this picture were taken indoors under artificial light and using flash, she would appear even yellower. This picture represents the extent of her yellowing pretty well. It will help to compare her face to the background, which is a mix of off-white and gray tones.

 

ooh, she doesn't look yellow to me at all! She's so cuuuuuute!!

 

I added a note to my post above about the conditions under which I took the picture for more information

And, I agree, she doesn't look unnaturally yellow at all, which is what many are afraid of happening to their beloved dolls. Yes, the resin will change, but it will not turn into some neon fantasy yellow color

Here is another picture which will perhaps show off yellow tones more. It was also taken outdoors on a cloudy day with no flash. She has white ruffles on her dress right next to her body, so you can see the contrast:


IMG_4472 by Anya0918, on Flickr

 

Aww, Yoko is so cute!

I think the fact the term is called 'yellowing' has a lot to do with why people don't understand it. I wouldn't even say many dolls change to a yellow shade so much as a different shade of peach or ivory depending on the original color. Creamy, and still looking like a skin tone that occurs in real people.

 

Thank you! I love her

And, I absolutely agree with what you said! Yellowing implies turning into some unnatural shade, while it's absolutely not true (at least for my dolls). Furthermore, I actually enjoy that resin matures over time - it gives nice variety in color in my collection. Just like people, my dolls come in a variety of "skin" tones I wouldn't give up my "yellowed" dolls from 2003-2004 for anything - part of their uniqueness is in how they aged over the years, and are, therefore, irreplaceable, even if identical molds are still available from the company.

 

Yep, to me that skin colour looks so pale compared to my normal winter paleness (so I don't think she looks yellowed at all, even compared to the white ruffle), which is kind of a tan(the colour)ned beige... XD when I was a kid, I'd go brown in the summertime
(OMG I just realised I'm a chamaleon).


that aside, thank you so much for these pictures! I feel I understand "yellowing" better now!

 

- Do you feel that yellowing is just a natural feature of resin, or does it constitute a damaged doll? Is yellowing a sign of a well-loved doll, or is it a defect that signifies improper care?
I have to be honest but my own doll is getting yellow since he sleeps next to me and sometimes I forget to move him out of the sun. It hasnt really detracted from his looks, just slightly odd compared to his body but I am sort of irked that I didn take care of him that well. But as yellowing is a natural process I wouldnt say you havent taken good care of your doll. Even if you hide your doll in a closet where it never sees light it will eventually yellow.

- When does yellowing cross the line between "acceptable" and "unacceptable"?
Personally I dont know HOW yellow a doll can get. Slight amounts I think are absolutely fine though unnacceptable proabably differs between people and their preferances.


- Would you buy a very yellowed doll? If so, would you try to "fix" it? Why or why not?
I have seen ways to un-yellow a doll which was the sanding method I saw but again, I have never seen a VERY yellow doll, but I think i would still buy it

 

i guess it can be called damage because it ca happen because of it being in derect sunlight or in a window and things like that but it can happen with age as well like anyother thing thats old and has yellowed

 

I have not read this thread because I wanted to give a true, heart-felt answer. I might skim here and there after I post.

- Do you feel that yellowing is just a natural feature of resin, or does it constitute a damaged doll?
I feel that it is a natural feature of resin. No matter what you do, it will eventually yellow. All someone can hope to do is slow the effect, but (from what I remember reading somewhere else on DoA a long time ago), resin yellows because of "exposure to sunlight and air/oxygen." So no matter what you do, unless you put your resinoyds in a air-tight, dark container, they will yellow. And even if you DID do that, it would only slow the yellowing effect.

- Is yellowing a sign of a well-loved doll, or is it a defect that signifies improper care?
I feel that it is a sign of a well-loved, often played with doll. Ryuichi (Delf Shiwoo) is very yellowed all over, and its pretty even from what I can tell. He goes with me nearly everywhere, and is recognized on sight by some of the people at local stores in my city that I frequent. I have taken him on long (4+ hours) car rides where he sat buckled in the passenger seat. I'd try to block the sun with the visor and a hat, but that doesn't always work so I'd often give up after a bit. He's a little battered but nothing that I can't wet-sand down. He is my favorite (shhh, don't tell the others!) and I spoil him like mad.

My other dolls are all Japanese or of Japanese decent so far, but there are a few I am very careful with when it comes to exposure to sunlight, since they are LEs or custom MNMs, but I still have a couple that I don't mind if they yellowed. Maybe they'd match their future body if they did!

- When does yellowing cross the line between "acceptable" and "unacceptable"?
I think that is a personal choice. Ryuichi's supposed to be Japanese, so him yellowing doesn't really matter much to me. If he was WS, then I'd be more worried, but I don't have any WS resinoyds (yet), so yellowing isn't a very big deal to me right now. My LEs and MNMs, I try to keep out of sunlight for the most part.

- Would you buy a very yellowed doll? If so, would you try to "fix" it? Why or why not?
I would buy one in a heartbeat, especially if the doll "tells" me if s/he is supposed to be Asian. I probably wouldn't change the yellowing unless it was uneven. Otherwise, if the doll is supposed to be European, then I might consider having it "fixed."

Now I'm going to go read and see what others have said.

Ryu

 

- Do you feel that yellowing is just a natural feature of resin, or does it constitute a damaged doll? Is yellowing a sign of a well-loved doll, or is it a defect that signifies improper care?

Yes, for me it is a natural feature of resin unless you really cared for it like spraying a couple of layers of MSC with UV Cut which slowens the yellowing process, for me it's not due to improper care, it's like a human, which ages or get's old, we can't stop the yellowing process just like aging, so I am trying to accept that soon, my daughters will show sign of yellowing.... sigh...


- When does yellowing cross the line between "acceptable" and "unacceptable"?

Acceptable in the fact that it still looks like a skin, or still looks natural and unaccpetable in the case that it becomes "highlighter yellow" I haven't seen alot of BJD with the high lighter skin issue due to aging, so I guess it's a rare occurrence on a BJD, unless really cared for.

- Would you buy a very yellowed doll? If so, would you try to "fix" it? Why or why not?

Depends, If the sculpt is really that good, limited edition or rare and the yellowing is not Highlighter yellow, I might buy it.

(Even my 1st Daughter is already 2 years old, she doesn't show sign of yellowing, maybe because I sprayed her 5 layer of MSC w/ UV Cut, and I always keep her on her box, and never displayed her for a really long time.)

So that's it

 

- Do you feel that yellowing is just a natural feature of resin, or does it constitute a damaged doll? Is yellowing a sign of a well-loved doll, or is it a defect that signifies improper care?
I think yellowing is a natural feature of resin and is inevitable.

- When does yellowing cross the line between "acceptable" and "unacceptable"?
I suppose if the doll were the color of a lemon or it was very uneven. Really "acceptable" and "unacceptable" are relative. Any yellowing at all may be unacceptable to some people.

- Would you buy a very yellowed doll? If so, would you try to "fix" it? Why or why not?
Yes, I would buy a very yellowed doll. I doubt I'd try to fix it unless it was very uneven. I think that yellowing adds a bit of character to a doll.