Your view on 'Grail Dolls'

Have you ever had one, or not?
I've had two, actually. The first was Volks Isao, the second was Luts Ttori.

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Isao was the doll who first got me into BJDs, and I managed to get him... 2 years into being in the hobby.

Ttori was a doll I wanted for a while, but other dolls kept coming up that I would get first, and he just kept getting pushed to the side. I finally did buy him last year, though, and I couldn't be happier!

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
Not really... I think the most I do is I take him out more than I do my other dolls.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
Well, coming from me whose grail doll is a very basic Luts doll.... no. xD

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
With Isao... I was very happy to own him, but I could never get his look the way I wanted. He ended up just not working out for me, so I ended up selling him about a year after I finally managed to get him. xD

As for Ttori, the faceup is a little dark for my liking, but I may get it redone later on so I'm not concerned.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Mmmmyes. Volks Suigintou

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Not hardly! XD I'm pretty sure this is an unlikely dream at this point.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
Yes, conceptually- in that I don't save or REALLY plan for her, given the pricetag.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
Yes. Lower-priced dolls are attainable through careful saving and planning; I think that to say a doll is a 'grail' doll implies they are as hard to get as the Grail itself.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
No, but I don't think I would be. I've seen her in person, held her, and she made a very firm impression (I blame you, Rochelle of Kerbey Lane Doll Shoppe!). She's definitely a special girl.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Hmm, I guess so. The first time I started seriously looking at BJDs I ran across a Zaoll Luv on Dollmore. Because of the makeup though, I didn't really like her enough to buy her, but I knew if I was to get a Dollmore doll she was the only one I liked. After seeing pictures of other people's Luvs I came to realize how familiar I had made myself with seeing it (as a girl and a boy) and wanted to someday have my own.
If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Well, six dolls and two years passed and now I finally have my own. Man, was I a Zaoll stalker though.
Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
No not really, I like to sew for her a lot, but I think that's mostly because she's a girl and her character has such a diverse clothing style.
Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
No. The dolls I buy are always expensive but are basic editions. I don't buy limited dolls and I don't plan to. They are more expensive and I never have the money to buy them at the time. I would call my Zaoll a 'grail' doll because she took me so long to acquire and I felt like I really achieved something I had always wanted in my collection.
Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
Yes I bought her, and NO I have never been disappointed in her. She is...awesome

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
yes

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
not yet, I'm working on it.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
I don't know yet, I may do.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
no, I consider any doll a grail doll. It that one doll you have to own no matter what.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
having not bought my grail doll yet I can't really answer this, but I don't think I would be.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Yes, when I first got into the hobby I saw a list of unusual bjds, there were two on the list that really wanted. I got the first one easily, they had already stopped making the second one, though I think they're bringing him back.

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Not yet. I haven't even been able to see any user pictures of him, but I'll still hoping.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
I don't have him yet, but I doubt it.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
In this case he is quiet expensive for an msd anyway, but no I don't think only expensive dolls are grail dolls.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
I hope I won't be disappointed if I ever do manage to get him.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Since joining the hobby, there have been three dolls I consider grail dolls.

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
I have had one for almost two years now (wow, it doesn't seem that long), my Soom Beryl. I just got fortunate enough to purchase the second, a Vesuvia, which I am currently waiting on. The third is a Volks Hikaru Genji, and I am still searching for him. He is, admittedly, not as high of a priority for me than the other two. For now, I am content to observe him from afar.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
The one I currently have is definitely the most spoiled of my dolls, as far as outfits and wigs go. I want her to be glamorous. My incoming girl will no doubt be treated the same. In terms of display and handling, though, they are treated the same as any of my dolls.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
No. A grail doll is any doll you dream of owning, regardless of availability or price.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
No, she has been everything I hoped for and more. I anticipate that my incoming girl will be the same. That's why they are grail dolls, after all...you've longed for them for so long that you know they'll be perfect.

 

Ohhh~ I have a grail doll for sure. A SOOM Spinel is mine.

I don't think it's just an expense that can make a doll a grail doll. I think for some people it's a lack of availablity as well. And I also think it would be quite easy to feel disappointment in your grail doll if you got it too. Think of how many things in your life that your couldn't get or do right away, and you built them up in your mind so much over time that when you got to experience it, it just didn't live up. I think a grail doll would unfortunately be like that for me.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Yep, I had one : Hoshino Mitsuki from Glorydoll =3

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Yes, I have him *-*

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
Heam a little bit ^^" I don't want that but I have to admit, he is different for me. I thought I never get him that's why he is so special.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
No ! I think a grail doll is just a doll you fall in love with. Price don't matter.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
Nope, he is so fantastic ! I never be disappointed about him.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Yup. A Luts/CP/Fairyland Breakaway.

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
To my shock, yes I did. Luts re-released Breakaway, and I managed to get both a regular head and a vampire head.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
A little, but it's not due to the fact that they're limited dolls - it's just the fact that I got them in white skin, and I want to keep them from yellowing as much as possible. >.< Other than avoiding sun, though, I treat them like the rest of my dolls.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
Not really. For me, grail dolls are simply the ones which are harder to obtain, for whatever reason. Sometimes it's price, sometimes it's lack of availability, sometimes it's lack of funds, sometimes it's another reason altogether.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
Nope.

 

yes. I have had a few...My first one was a Luts Ethan. I saw him at the first meet I went to before I owned a bjd myself. The owner was gracious enough to let me hold him and play with him and I thought he was soooo pretty. Later, I was doing some browsing of bjd sites. I had forgotten what sculpt the doll was and was browsing the Luts site when I came across Ethan and loved him! XD I later found out they were the same sculpt and loved him even more...but Ethan is limited, so I ended up buying a Frey instead. Recently, Luts re-released the Ethan sculpt (again in a limited form) but I found that I don't really want to get him anymore because I love my Frey so much.The next doll that I fell in love with was the Gentle Akando, but again I fell in love with him after he was sold out...I have recently discovered the custom system where I can get him and am seriously considering getting him. Since I fell out of love with the Ethan I am doing lots of research on the Akando sculpt and looking at lots of owner pics as well as waiting before I buy him so that he doesn't end up as an impulse buy that I later regret.

And my final is A Yo-SD Kuuta and I am looking at lots of owner pics and I play with other people's Yos to make sure I like the size, etc...I don't really have plans to get him right now since I am saving for the Akando

I know I treat my Frey different from my other dolls. He was my first and currently the most expensive. Mainly I have a soft spot in my heart for his sad, tortured face *cuddles*

 

Have you ever had one, or not?

Yes, I have (Volks Lucas). I also have a couple of "semi-grails."

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?

Yes. When Volks USA opened and had the Black Cat Lucas lottery, I was lucky enough to get one.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?

No; he gets taken out, redressed, etc. just like my other dolls.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?

Yes and no. Sometimes it is about money. The reason I couldn't get a Lucas until he was re-released by Volks was both rarity and price; one would come up occasionally on Ebay, but would be well over $2,000, which I couldn't spend.

Sometimes, though, it's just about popularity. If you can't nab an LE on first issue, those that did may not be willing to sell. In that case, you just have to "stalk" Ebay and the sales thread here, hoping to get lucky. That's what I'm doing now with a couple of semi-grail dolls. (I call them semi-grails because they were dolls I liked, but dithered about until they were no longer available. Then, of course, I really, really wanted them.)

Sometimes, it may just be impossible. My ultimate grail is Souldoll's Knight Lune, but I think he may have been a OOAK or extremely limited. I don't think I would ever be able to find him, no matter what the price (at least, not in his original configuration, original face-up, etc.).

On the other hand, I have to admit I don't really consider non-limited dolls to be grails, since it's just a matter of saving up long enough to get one.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?

Nope. I love my Lucas. He's even better in person than in the pictures that first drew me to the BJD hobby in the first place.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Yes. It's an OT doll though.

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Yes. I was almost in tears as I made the purchase. Took years for me to find one and not have it be very pricey.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
No. I think part of me is still the little kid who thinks her dolls come alive at night because I actually feel guilt if I feel like I'm favouring one over the others...

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
No. I think price isn't really the factor when it comes to a "grail" object but rather how hard you've searched for it. Rarity of the doll is much more of a factor I would think.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
Not at all. She's beautiful and I love her though I can see where expectations can be set too high so when you finally do get your hands on that thing you've been tracking for so long, it's a bit of a let down. In the case of this particular doll there was no let down.

I wouldn't say this is a grail doll but I happened to see a SoulDoll tan Emilia for sale as someone had canceled an order. So I stared at her for awhile and then thought well, I think I will get her. It has happened that stock was listed that ended up not being in stock so I told myself I was ok with it if I didn't get her. Then as the hours ticked by while I waited for the invoice to be emailed I started being less and less ok with the idea of not getting her. I was so anxious by the time I got the invoice that I nearly jumped for joy.

Now I have to wait for her and it feels like torture. It's funny because I wasn't looking for her, so she wasn't a grail doll in that sense but when I decided to buy her she became so much more.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Absolutely -- Unoa Lusis 1.5 and Unoa Sist 1.5

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
I have two of each now. The first two were ridiculously expensive, the second pair less so. All four were worth every penny.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
Not really. They take turns getting new outfits and wigs, and posing for pictures, just like the other dolls. Perhaps I take a little more enjoyment in them than in the others. Just looking at a Unoa brings a smile to my lips.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
My Unoas would have been my Grail dolls whether they were expensive or not. It was love from the moment I first saw photos of them. What made them Grail dolls was the fact that they were very hard to find. Also, reading that they were sold only as kits really scared me when I was new to the hobby. It was a couple of years before I felt comfortable enough with bjds to even think of assembling a doll myself. Ultimately I didn't have to assemble the first 3 because I found them on ebay. By the time I got my fourth, I was eager to attempt a kit and bought her as one.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
I was slightly disappointed with the artist faceup on one of my girls. She photographed beautifully, but in person she looked like a little hoochie mama. I have since grown to appreciate her saucy little face.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
There are some dolls I would like to have that aren't available, but I'm not sure if I want them badly enough to label them as "grail dolls". For instance, I'd like a Crobidoll Ara, but I don't dwell on how much I want him.

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Soon I'll be getting a Luts LE Bory, which was a doll I wanted but never really expected to own. I also never expected to get a Crobidoll Daydream Lance, but Crobidoll recently released him as a limited and I bought him immediately.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
I don't like handling my limited dolls as well as the ones I know could be easily replaced.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
No, but I only consider dolls that aren't easily obtained as Grail dolls.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
No, I'm very pleased with my Daydream Lance. I did realize that I prefer my basic version Lance more, though.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
I keep looking around BJD stores and nope, doesn't exist for me. I seem to find something I love in many of them. Who knows... maybe some day it will happen and some new doll will just "click" with me.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
If it really was the perfect doll for me, from the face down to its toes, I probably would.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
Nope. I look at the body details, the nose shape, and everything else. It wouldn't matter if it came from an expensive/popular store as long as it worked with me.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Yes, I have several Grail Dolls I hope to own one day. A few of my Grail dolls are the Crobidoll Zack the Ripper, DOD Kalix, and DOD elf Ducan.
If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
I have not been able to add them to my dollie family yet, but I have hopes!
Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
I can't say for sure since I don't own one, but I probably would. Some of my dolls I'm a little more cautious with, like allowing people to hold them. My limiteds or more expensive dolls I'm more paranoid about letting others handle them.
Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
In my case, yes. The more expensive and limited dolls tend to be my Grail dolls because other dolls I can easily get don't really make a Grail doll. That's just me though.
Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
I dont know yet.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
I'm pretty new to the hobby and still waiting for my first doll to arrive - but so far: no, no grail doll in the sense of an unattainable one. But having ordered my first doll, I am actually aching to order my second XD. Not sure if that counts. I just feel those two belong together... I really, really, really want a DZ Aurora. I never really cared about Hal's body, but Aurora's looks just gorgeous.

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
N/A

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
I think I will end up treating No. 2 differently because 1) she'll be a woman and 2) she'll be an SD. I don't think it unlikely that I may end up preferring one doll to the other, in terms of handling or making clothes.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
No, because I'm only interested in dolls that can embody my characters. I also want them to go well together and look like family, so I think I'll end up sticking with one company, even. To me, the very expensive dolls are eye candy .

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
I'll let you know .

 

I went back and looked at what I posted in January and it's pretty funny--in fact, I did get a check that was pretty much a "buy what you want" with it...and I bought my husband a used car.

It was just at the time the NS Galena came out (my original "grail" doll)...and I looked at her for a looooonnnngg time...and decided that I was happy with the Coquina that I had instead. And then, by an even weirder coincidence, someone put an IoS G on the marketplace, that has been on my wishlist, but that I had thought was simply unobtainable-- and I got a second payout that covered him nicely on the next day. So I bought him. And he's more than fantastic!

So while I still have one doll on my current wishlist, I feel that the Dollie Gods have been very good to me..and I have enjoyed my homed "grail" dollies very much!

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
I have several "grail dolls"... :3 Not just one!

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Some of them yes, the others I have finally managed to wipe out from my wishlist... D: Too unobtainable... and some I don't like anymore (change in taste, I think?)...

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
I try to treat all my dolls equally, and if I don't treat a doll the same as the others, then it's an indication that she/he must go. >.> So no, I don't treat my "grail dolls" differently.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
Not necessarily, even though some of my "grail dolls" are indeed pricey! D:

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
Only once, with my Crobidoll Mikhail. D: I hate the M-Line body as soon as he arrived, and I didn't know better, because before him, I had never had any CB doll... >.< But I'm willing to try again! :3