Your first time sending one of your dolls off (for mods/faceups)~

I'm in a similar position at the moment, I suppose. I've just sent off my first head for a face up and I miss him already. Though you know, I know I'll get him back safe and sound and with everything in tact. But yeah, I suppose I am nervous about him being away and how I really want to play with him but can't. Hopefully it won't be too long before he's back~

But I think everyone is nervous when they first send their doll off to someone they don't know to be changed in a way that they have no direct control of. When you think about it, it really is quite scary, isn't it? You can make your request, but in the end, it is all down to interpretation of someone that is not you. And while you have sent them to someone you're confident that can do the job, there's that nagging in the back of your head that says it just might be a disappointment.

I don't know, I suppose the only thing one can do is have confidence in the person they chose to mod/paint their doll and hope for the best. ^__^;;;

 

Why/for what reason did you send them off? My first boy hadn't had a new faceup since I got him and his default was seriously chipping/rubbing off. also, there were some scars that he needed done that I just didn't feel like I could do.
Were you nervous? YES. I was pretty much terrified something was gong to happen to him en route to the faceup artist.
How did you cope with not having your doll around for the first time? I distracted myself with the rest of my crew, mostly.
When you got them back, was everything done as you had dreamed it? YES. I am so glad I sent him to the artist I did. she got him absolutely perfect and I love the scars. He looks even more like himself than he did before.
How did others close to you and/or your doll react to your wanting to send them off? *snort* They were kinda like "You're doing WHAT? You'd better hope he gets there safely."
My mother and grandmother weren't nearly as nervous or worried as I was, though.

 

Why/for what reason did you send them off?
I thought I could paint teeth and learned the hard way that I was wrong.

Were you nervous?
Terribly.

How did you cope with not having your doll around for the first time?
I don't remember honestly. I believe I tried to just think about other doll things and carry on like normal to try to forget my anxiety.

When you got them back, was everything done as you had dreamed it?
No, it came back smudged.

How did others close to you and/or your doll react to your wanting to send them off?
My mom reacted the same way yours did, trying to do every crazy thing other than mail the head off to someone who does face ups routinely. She even tried to look up porcelain doll painters in the yellow pages She offered to drive me three hours to a face up artist in our state that we'd never met before.

My very first time sending off a head was the most awful experience I've had with my dolls, and it really delayed my bonding with the doll. I had him for three years before I sent him off for a proper face up, and it was only when he came back that I was really happy with him.

My second time, however, was a breeze. I was still very anxious because of my horrid first time, but a friend generously pointed me in the direction of a very talented professional face up artist that was a good friend of hers. I didn't stop being anxious but I felt overall more safe. The head came back and was the most gorgeous thing I'd ever seen.

The third time I believe was with my first mini doll, and I only wanted a partial repaint, and since I had not bonded with her original face up, and knew how the process worked, I really didn't have much anxiety anymore.

After that I never thought twice about sending out dolls. I just sent off my newest head and I'm patiently waiting to get the first in progress photo, with no anxiety

 

Why/for what reason did you send them off?
I wanted him to have a new face up So he would look like a guy instead of a girl ha ha

Were you nervous?
Yeah I was! It felt like sending a baby through the mail :'D I was afraid I hadn't packed him well enough :C

How did you cope with not having your doll around for the first time?
I was actually really busy around that time. In fact I dropped him off at the post office on my way to summer school. So the two-three weeks he was gone flew by though I checked his progress on the artist's commission page everyday.

When you got them back, was everything done as you had dreamed it?
Yes! I was so happy when he came back T_T And he looked so perfect!

How did others close to you and/or your doll react to your wanting to send them off?
My mom actually asked me how things were going and whether I'd get his head back soon. Everyone else didn't much care though my dad asked to see him when he got back home ^^

 

Why/for what reason did you send them off?

To get a new better face-up. I was tired of the cruddy one I had done, and Rail deserves better...x.x

Were you nervous?

I am nervous! I only just sent him off for it last thursday. x.x Please be ok!

How did you cope with not having your doll around for the first time?

I have seven others to play with.. but its still hard seeing Rail's body without a head..

When you got them back, was everything done as you had dreamed it?

He isnt back yet. I will come back and finish this when he is all done.

How did others close to you and/or your doll react to your wanting to send them off?

No one around me cares. T_T Oh well.. Rail didnt protest.. since I told him he would be made all pretty and handsome. ^^'

 

I don't understand how the sending works. What if you send it to someone for a faceup and then they just KEEP the head and say they never got it?

 

That's what delivery confirmations and insurance are for, as well as police reports.

 

That has happened before to several people that I have read about.. It is the reason most are very weary of sending their dolls off.

When I picked the artist, I read through their feedback page, and looked to see how active they are on the forum. I doubt anyone would want to keep my Rail anyway...x.x

 

Why/for what reason did you send them off? A little 13 year old destroyed Tenshi's face up. He needed a new one
Were you nervous? Hell yes. I am nervous. Still am. He's being sent to the wrong place as we speak.
How did you cope with not having your doll around for the first time? I was updated frequently and the then she shipped him back and he people at the post office got the area code wrng. Tenshi has only been gone for about four days and today he was shipped to the wrong zip code.
When you got them back, was everything done as you had dreamed it? He's not home yet
How did others close to you and/or your doll react to your wanting to send them off? They don't care that much because they think my hobby is stupid. And Tenshi was actually glad to get a face up he deserves.

but I am sad that he may be gone for a long time.

 

Why/for what reason did you send them off?
Both my DoC boys were sent off at the same time, they each needed a set of claws modded onto them, and one of them needed his first round of being dyed gray (a first of many later airbrushings from a different artist as I would later find out).

Were you nervous?
Absolutely, I think after I handed them over to the artist (luckily I didn't have to send them through the post as we met directly) I ended up crying later. In defense though this was at the end of an anime convention when all this happened, so I was very tired, dealing with some other things and wasn't exactly feeling up to not seeing my first doll and favorite doll for so long.

How did you cope with not having your doll around for the first time?
By bombarding the modifier with questions. Honestly, just having that open communication (and being so relieved that she was just lovely and didn't get annoyed with me), really helped to calm down my worries and know they were in good care.

When you got them back, was everything done as you had dreamed it?
I absolutely adore their claws to absolute bits As it turned out the dyed boy would have to be airbrushed over to accomodate some mods on him later, and I find I like the airbrush effects to be much smoother than dye, but that's really just the nature of the beast.

How did others close to you and/or your doll react to your wanting to send them off?
I don't normally tell others when I send my boys off for something. I've been fortunate that 90% of the time I am able to meet with the artist in person, to see and actually speak with them so it's really not that bad. I'm pretty certain though that if ever came the need to send anything more than just a head (I don't see why this would be, but just saying) through the mail, I would be advised for overnight shipping and insurance, which I'm certain I would do anyway.

 

Why/for what reason did you send them off?
i knew when i ordered him he'd get a new face eventually. and i was even more noobish than the normal noob cause i had never heard of DOA for my first doll, so his faceup was not taken good care of. at all.

the artist (1000 Cranes) was local and i was at her house...and just on the spur of the moment, decided this was the time. she had to remove the head because it was too disturbing for me...and i cried. *lame*

Were you nervous?
not really, i trusted her completely...i was a little afraid of how id react to him having a new face since i had never seen another one with out the default, so i didnt know what to expect...but other than that i just really missed him while he was gone.

How did you cope with not having your doll around for the first time?
i didnt. i went totally insane. at first i wrapped the body up in a cloak that i started calling the shroud, refusing to even look at it. then i started letting his "headless corpse" (or just The Corpse) sit on my lap just cause i missed his weight...i felt so guilty i bought him a ton of clothes i couldnt even let him wear because it wasnt the same without the head. then i bought him a second head, but the damn thing took forever to get to me, so i ended up still getting his original head back first. i had to sit on my hands so i didnt email the artist every day and ask her when he'd be done. i whined about it all the time, to my friends and OL. the only thing that allowed me to survive was Wyn. i had gotten him the day before Alex went off to get a new face and i think the only reason i bonded with Wyn like i did is cause Alex wasnt around to distract me.

When you got them back, was everything done as you had dreamed it?
absolutely!! i was (and still am) enormously happy with him
every time i look at him im grateful i left him in her hands.

How did others close to you and/or your doll react to your wanting to send them off?
pretty much everyone i knew that i complained to were surprisingly supportive. i have good friends

 

I am in the process of my first commission experience with my first and only doll Aria (DF-H Ella Elf). I am super nervous about trusting a stranger with my girl but her work is amazing and I hope she does a great job on my girl. I'm having my work done by Stabbie and she seems really nice, friendly and informative.

Aria will be getting her elf ears made human and her earlobes pierced. She will also be getting a custom face up, body blushing, and french mani/pedi.

I'm sort of jealous she gets to go to the "spa" and I don't :p

I'm feel a little guilty because I just got her on Saturday and she's already leaving me, but I figured a separation would be easier if it happened sooner rather than later after I get attached.

How did you guys feel about sending your precious babies off to have work done?

 

Why/for what reason did you send them off?
I've sent a lot of my dolls off to different artists for faceups. The reason is that even though I know how to do faceups myself, and have done a few, I'm never satisfied with anything I do. I have no real artistic talent and I don't know how to translate my vision into reality, and I'm willing to admit that. There are lots of very talented people out there who can create the looks I want for my dolls, so I trust them to do what I can't do on my own.

Were you nervous?
The first time I sent a doll out for a faceup I wasn't all that nervous, surprisingly. The time I really was nervous was when I sent my favourite little guy, Tyler, to get his face worked on. My anxiety was due more to the potential of his package getting lost on the way to/from the artist rather than anything to do with the artist herself. She'd painted other dolls of mine and I knew my boy would look awesome when I got him back.

How did you cope with not having your doll around for the first time?
The first time wasn't that bad (see above) because I had other dolls around to keep me company. Sending Tyler was harder. He's my favourite and I missed him like crazy. The only way to cope with it was to try not to think about it.

When you got them back, was everything done as you had dreamed it?
Yes! The first doll I ever sent for a faceup came back looking even better than I'd imagined. Also, I'm happy to say that I've never yet had a bad experience with an artist who I've paid to work on one of my dolls. I currently have 5 heads away from home for faceups and, according to the preview photos, so far so good!

How did others close to you and/or your doll react to your wanting to send them off?
Nobody in my life really cares about my dolls, except for my grandmother, who just wanted to know when they'd be back.

 

Why/for what reason did you send them off?
I sent Bitter for a faceup... So far she's the only one I've had to send out for customization, I really need to get faceups for my two boys but I don't have the money for that right now >w>;

Were you nervous?
I was, but at the same time not really... I was more nervous that I'd package or ship her head wrong since it was my first time packaging and mailing a dolly related thing, but once she was with the faceup artist I was much less nervous. We kept good communication and she sent pictures and all was well!

How did you cope with not having your doll around for the first time?
Well, during the time that she was away I ended up getting a lot of stuff... I bought my Aphan head, Pan's body arrived, and I bought an OT volks dollfie... So I had plenty of arrivals to distract me while she was gone >w>

When you got them back, was everything done as you had dreamed it?
Absolutely! Her faceup was beautiful and finally having her complete was wonderful! Very much worth the wait and any nervousness.

How did others close to you and/or your doll react to your wanting to send them off?
Actually I had a similar experience with my family as OP... My mother didn't understand why I wanted to send her off to be painted and insisted that I should just keep her here and paint her myself... in the end I got her sent out because there was no way I would have been able to do her faceup myself, especially not back then...

 

Why/for what reason did you send them off?
I sent my IMPLdoll Aimee for a faceup b/c IMPl forgot to give her one lol.

Were you nervous?
A little. I bought a head from the the artist before that she did a faceup on before sending it. I was more nervous about the postal service and my packaging than anything on the artist's end.

How did you cope with not having your doll around for the first time?
She was an event doll that I got with an IMPL Dorisy soo I had her to keep me busy. Plus I have like 13 dolls and a life.

When you got them back, was everything done as you had dreamed it?
Yep. Raesha is an awesome artist

How did others close to you and/or your doll react to your wanting to send them off?
I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who knew about it

 

Why/for what reason did you send them off?
She needed a custom face-up for the character to work well.

Were you nervous?
I was a little bit. I am a LOT more nervous now than I was the first time I sent heads out. This is because the second time I sent two heads out they were both lost in the mail. It took me a full year to get the refund.

How did you cope with not having your doll around for the first time?
I played with my other dolls.

When you got them back, was everything done as you had dreamed it?
It was great. I still think I have one the most awesomely unique versions of that mold out there.

How did others close to you and/or your doll react to your wanting to send them off?
I think the only person that knew I did it was the guy I was dating at the time, four years ago. I don't suspect he cared a whole lot.

 

Why/for what reason did you send them off?
I didn't want the company face up for him, even though it was beautifully done; I wanted something else so I commissioned someone.

Were you nervous?
Heck yea! In fact I sent two heads off to an artist at the same time. And these heads I can't easily replace. I almost thought about just telling the artist, never mind and letting them keep the money because I didn't want to be a flake. I insured the heck out them, padded them like crazy, took "packing pictures" and included a packing slip and then tracked the box. So yep, I was nervous.

How did you cope with not having your doll around for the first time?
I hated it. Right after I sent them off, I spent a ton of money on fancy pastels and supplies so I could paint them myself. But I also had another doll with me at the time, so it wasn't as bad as not having a doll around at all.

When you got them back, was everything done as you had dreamed it?
Yes and no. The work was lovely but they were damaged on the way back to me so I had to send them back out again for a total repaint.

How did others close to you and/or your doll react to your wanting to send them off?
No one cares…my mother wanted to know so she could see the final product but that was it.

 

Why/for what reason did you send them off?
I sent my Soom Amber head (which I bought blank and secondhand) back to Soom to have her original MD face-up added to her.

Were you nervous?
A little bit. Honestly, it helped that I was mailing her back to the original company who made her, because I just kind of assumed that if anything happened to her in transit, Soom would be willing to replace her. It also helped in that I was really confident she'd be packaged safely on her return trip to me (I actually had them package her with a doll I'd ordered from them). I didn't have to worry about an artist who might, not realising how delicate her ears are, sending her back to me packaged unsafely.

How did you cope with not having your doll around for the first time?
It really wasn't a problem. I don't enjoy blank dolls (I only bought Amber blank because she was so rare. Even blank heads barely ever came up, and face-upped heads were generally bundled with a body in the $1500+ price range). So, because she was blank and I just stored her away and never really did anything with her, there really wasn't much to 'miss' while she was making her way to Soom and back again.

When you got them back, was everything done as you had dreamed it?
Yes! I mean, it was her default face-up, so I knew what to expect based on company and owner photos, but it was still exactly what I'd been hoping for. Definitely worth the $100 I spent ($50 on shipping her to Soom, $50 for the face-up).

How did others close to you and/or your doll react to your wanting to send them off?
I didn't tell anyone else (my parents/boyfriend are happy to listen to my doll hobby stuff in a general sense, but something like this wouldn't interest them at all). And, as I touched on briefly above, I hadn't really formed any attachment to the doll herself, because she was blank, so there were no strong feelings coming from her either way either