Your opinion on Volks?

This! I had a volks Megu (f-01), Charlotte, DWC02 ... I sold them all within a couple of days of their arrival. Volks faces are very doll-like as opposed to the realistic ones like Iple or Granado sculpts. And I am ok with some normal assymetry, but some volks sculpts are ridiculously assymetrical for their high price. I looked at my Megu through a mirror for assymetry and out the door she went!
About the DD sculpts, their facial features vary from one another by about 2% ... I owned 18 of them at one point, all expensive limiteds, both my husband and my sister could not tell them apart.... and then I got my first resin SD girl and all my DDs just looked like oversized pvc anime figures next to her. These are just some of my experiences with volks dolls but i have respect for all the volks collectors out there. Every person has different taste and each collection is unique in its own way.

 

I love their dolls, they're the ones that got me looking everywhere for bjds in the first place. Their selection of eyes have been the best I've seen everywhere I looked too.

Wish they would take more photos though. They feel...sterile. Like...I get they're selling a product and that's exactly what their photos feel like. Something I'd see on amazon or something. While some other companies I see the dolls in (heavily photoshopped) poses and lounging around and otherwise showing off the poseability. I don't mind the way they take their photos, as it feels more direct, but having more showing what it can do would be great.

...They can take a flying leap with those clothing prices. Definitely pretty though.

 

You say that like a poseable 1/3 anime figure who clothes you can change... isn't a totally awesome thing in itself



My collection is like this: male resin dolls, female DDs. My male dolls are on the more stylized side (CP, Luts), and I think my DDs look nice next to them. My problem is I don't think I can manage to add a resin girl to the mix because they would look strange with the DDs. My mini sized dolls I'd count separately since I can't visually mix SD and MSD sizes either.
I worry that I won't be able to appreciate a female doll in the long run unless she's very anime styled, so I stick to Dollfie Dreams and my one SQ Lab girl. There are some other companies with anime style dolls now, but they aren't quite right to me, I guess I'm too used to Volks DD aesthetic and sculpting.

 

It's not in my top most favorite bjd companies but I would want to purchase their SD17 body one day! They make a nice body for hybrids

 

Hahaha ... Yeah that's totally awesome! But at that crazy high price for oversized vinyl "figure" ... I don't know lol
and the main thing that sticks out when a DD is next to my resin SD girl is how robot like their joints are! But I'm sure people get used to it

 

I like Volks. I have one full doll (old FCS F-14) and two hybrids (one with Volks head, one with Volks body) and several more of their dolls on my wishlist. To me, their sculpts are hit or miss, but that's how I feel about dolls from a variety of companies; I tend to fall hard for a couple and am only lukewarm about the rest of their catalog.

I will echo the fact that their heads run on the large size, but it doesn't bother me. I appreciate the variety in my collection, and don't care one hoot if they look odd standing next to some of my more pin-headed dolls.

Also I'm going to say that for bodies, I prefer Volks hands-down - and I own dolls from a lot of different places. They're just so well-crafted and I enjoy both their weight and simplicity.

 

I used to only like Korean companies and sculpt because I didn't had the chance to own Volks when I was still a student, the price on them was too hefty for a student but that was at least 8 years back then.

When I start to earn my own income and expand my collection and having different companies dolls to compare and contrast, I learn to appreciate and grow to love Volks.
It was their yo-sd that made me purchase my first Volks doll, when yo-sd Neon and Kanon got re-released. I love the sturdiness and weight of their resin and the chubbiness of the sculpt, there are also optional hands that we can purchase with the form (that's if you know abit of japanese and to use a japanese address proxy to get them). After which, I sold off 3 of my soom tinies because of the differences in quality. Then, this open doors to their SD series, I got my first SDgr boy, eventually a SD17. The bodies are the best so far that I've ever owe, it poses naturally and lock in well, the resin is smooth and heavy, color consistency also play a part. So much so that I won't want to get other bodies unless due to resin color differences. I do not fancy all of their sculpts, however those really classic ones like the 4 sisters and older FCS sculpts, are just timeless and expandable. They look very different in different owners' hands and sometimes make me want to challenge the look and see how it will look under my hands.

 

About Volks' photos:

I do agree that they are quite bland and down really show how beautiful the doll is. And I wish they would improve that. Compared to photoshopped pictures though, I prefer the more natural look. Every time I look at heavily photoshopped stock photos I'm wondering what the company has to hide. Not to mention that I'm often disappointed when I see the doll for real, because they don't look anything like in the pictures.

In that regard, I'd wish Volks would 'upgrade' their shoots, and companies that overproduce their photos 'downgrade'. Somewhere in the middle would be perfect! I really enjoy the way Dollmore Lusion and Trinity dolls are portrayed.

 

I order from Volks USA. I love the outfits for SDGR they fit my Volks girls perfectly. My Volks eyes are 20mm.

 

There are very far and few between Volks dolls I like. I find them kind of "generic" looking. They are beautiful dolls, I'm sure but I'm far more into the more glamour-esque dolls and fantasy ones. I'm extremely picky on what I like these days. I used to like any and all dolls but as I grew, I found my personal preference more refined and niche. I have a small collection, half of which I bought when I first got into dolls, and more recently things that really appeal to me and aren't just "oh that doll is cute, and I can afford it right this second so BUY". The only Volks I'd want to own are yo's and I have a special place in my heart for yo-tenshi Kasumi.

 

Seeing as it was a Volks doll that got me interested in BJDs years ago, and I have a few, I rather like them! Their resin is the most solid I've held; the quality is quite high. I like how for the price I get a faceup, simple outfit, eyes, and a wig. Compared to other companies I like, adding all that to a base doll makes the cost of a standard Volks doll cheap in comparison. Engineering...maybe not so high points. My poor SDG Kun's leg. The bottom right part of the thigh piece, right where the knee joint is, broke one day! I read that is a common problem and I wish they would fix it.

 

While their sculpts aren't really for me, I have the utmost respect for them as a company, because they basically founded the BJD hobby as we know it. Even the sizes that we use today (Yo-SD, MSD, SD) all come from Volks terms. Without them, there'd probably be no BJDs, or at least not as we think of them today. Whether people like them or not, it's important to recognize the great effect they've had on all of our lives.

 

They are my favorite company, but they become my least favorite come lottery time. I have six DDs, all purchased secondhand save for one body. Used to have a Volks Rose. My grail is an SD Kurumi. I am just a huge fan of their various sculptors' styles; they make exactly what I want! 95% of my doll wardrobe is Volks, but I usually try to score secondhand deals on them because $50 doll shoes is like whoa. Honestly, I've had some problems with the quality of clothes such as my DD Rise's outfit, some dress sets I had, etc. Otherwise, I think they are great. I've ordered via VolksUSA and WLD, otherwise I shop for volks secondhand.

 

I do love my Volks dolls quite a bit, and they are certainly the first BJDs I ever saw, when they first came out. I have other companies that I love every bit as much though. I do wish they still offered the MSDs in "kit" form, and did the same for the larger dolls. However, I do not find the standard prices unreasonable for what you get (face-up, eyes, wig, and some clothes), and I honestly have found very few dolls that are quite as ready-to-go straight out of the box like a Volks.

It also pleases me that they yellow in a fairly even fashion, which does not bother me one bit. It's when a doll yellows in an uneven way that it makes me a little crazy. XD

 

I wasn't a fan of Volks until I saw one in person. They have lovely sculpting but the default painting and website photos are really "meh". Now I have mostly Volks. I just love cute "doll-like" dolls and dressing them in adorable outfits. I get most of mine second-hand through Mandarake as FCS fixer-uppers, but I managed to get two like-new standard models as well.

The only one of my SD that takes HUGE eyes is Nono; she looks best in 24mm eyes, but she can go down to 22mm-20mm if the iris is dark enough (She also takes a size 10"-11" wig). My SD13 Syo triplets and my SD10 Nana came with 20mm-24mm eyes, but they look best wearing 18mm-20mm eyes.

Objective review: the construction is sturdy. Resin colour varies very little from batch to batch, which ensures replacement parts made within a few years of the doll will match the doll's resin. The Volks "One-Touch System" for changing hands and feet is well-engineered and proves quite useful when dressing dolls. The elastic channels have small ledges inside to prevent S-hooks from becoming lodged inside the channels. Sclupting is very good, Resin is consistent in colour and texture.

Subjective review: The only company I have ever seen in person who actually sculpted little folds of pudge/skin between the pectoral and the armpit; it's so cute I can't even. And the mischevious lip-pucker some of the MSD sculpts have... I just... so cute. I like how they're a bit thicker and have a bit of 'baby-fat' on the bodies. Sure, they can't pose exceptionally well, but when you hold one in the crook of your arm they just curl into you like they're giving you a hug and it's really comforting; I've had non-Volks people cuddle my Volks dolls for extended amounts of time, and I tend to fall asleep if I'm holding one while watching TV/movies. They're dolls enjoyed best in-person than in photos.

I think Volks dolls have a weird perception for being 'elite' because the of the retail price and the limited availability. But something to keep in mind is the Volks doll brand is a small sub-set of the larger Volks hobby company, which makes scale models, garage kits, action figures, hobby supplies, character goods, and has physical stores. Volks is different because it's not a small artisan doll workshop... it's a doll-hobby branch of a larger company that has a lot of overhead cost and other non-doll stock responsibilities.

 

I've wanted to add a Volks doll to my collection since I began collecting. I just haven't found the right one yet. All but one of my dolls are male...and because I prefer a more mature male aesthetic like SD17 or Sdgr boys; which correct me if I'm wrong are usually limiteds and don't come up often...so no Volks for me yet. Still waiting for the right boy to pop up.

 

I absolutely love Volks. The dolls are exceptionally high quality. They are my favorite company of all the dolls.

 

I'm not a fan of Volks because their sculpts are kind of on the child-like side. Even the guys who are supposed to be grown up have a child-like quality to their faces. However, I'm now able to recognize a Volks a mile away because of how distinct they look. They don't look bad or anything, coz there's definitely worse-looking sculpts out there IMO, but there's just something about their faces that's easily recognizable. Oh...and I think they're a tad on the expensive side, being Japanese and all that.

 

I wasn't a fan of Volks before but I have come to appreciate them more through the years.

The owners of Volks dolls customize their dolls so well I don't think I have seen an ugly Volks doll, they're always so elegant with perfect face ups etc. I don't have a full Volks doll because it is like impossible for me to find the sculpts I want at a not-so-outrageous price >_< but I have 2 Volks bodies and they make great hybrids. I must say, I am in love with the SDGr and SD17 bodies, they're elegant and pose well. Out of all the SD bodies I've had (Soom, Iplehouse, Fairyland etc) Volks' bodies are my favorite.