Your view on 'Grail Dolls'

Yes, sure.

She is incoming now... so hopefully everything will go well and she will be part of my doll family soon.

No, I am a collector so all my dolls are treated with equal... care.... paranoia, whatever you want to call it.

No, but there is usually something that makes acquiring it more difficult for you- a goal to achieve or search for. I mean, let's face it expensive is a relative term here. It could be a 40 dollar doll or a 4000 dollar doll. I think searching for the doll is the most important part of a 'grail doll' not necessarily the expense.

Yes and not yet! *fingers crossed*

 

Have you ever had one, or not?

I have had many grail dolls.

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

Fortunately I have all of them in my collection now

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?

Not really everyone is equally spoiled. XD

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

Not at all, a grail doll is the one doll or dolls that you must have. It does not matter if it is expensive or not.

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

Never

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
I've had a couple.

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Not yet...

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
N/A

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
I don't think they have to be expensive compared to other BJDs. I don't have a lot of spare cash, so I'm going to have to save up for a while even if the doll I want is on the cheaper end of the BJD spectrum. So that makes it a grail to me, even though it might not be to someone else.

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

 

My "Grail Doll" is the Bichun from Iplehouse. When i saw him for the first time on the company website, i instantly fol in love with his face (even if it's not the first doll i've seen). Unfortunately I still have not enough money to have him in home... but I don't lose hope. However, I don't think I will treat him differently from my other dolls if he were at home... or maybe a little who knows ^^'.
Plus, the very expensive dolls are not necessarily "Grail dolls". I think it only depends on tastes of the person.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
I have one, but I know I'll never get it.

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Not yet.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
N/a

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
Nope. Cost may be a contributing factor, but it certainly isn't everything.

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

 

I don't think I've ever had a grail doll. I've been lucky in that all the dolls I've fallen for (so far) have been affordable and easily available as a regular, non-limited release.
Sometimes I think I like the idea of having a grail to search for, but at the same time I think my wallet is glad that I don't.

That being said, I have been increasingly admiring the tanned PeaksWoods Goldie who I know was a limited run, so that may change XD

 

I have one grail doll I will probably never get. I messaged a wig company to ask them the name of the doll modeling some of the wigs and they were nice enough to tell me, buuuut.... the company went out of business! I was pretty crushed.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
I did ages ago, a Bermann. Some of my friemds had one or more each, and he was so beautiful that everything hurt in a rather fantastic way. I wanted him more than anything else (except to travel lol)
If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
I haven't! I still want one (vaguely), but the cost is too high for a secondhand doll imo. I did buy a doll that looks somewhat similar, though, and I'm satisfied.
Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
N/A
Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
Supposedly grail dolls are the be-all-end-all dolls. They may or may not be expensive. I think, however, that they're more likely to be expensive.
Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
N/A. I did find some issues with Bermanns, but not enough to really be disappointing.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?

I have two dolls I am dying to own right now, not sure if they are my grail dolls but since I saw them I have been obsessed with owning them.

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

Nope, those dolls will cost me over £1000 to own and I want to buy them together (don't ask me why I just do).

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?

They will be more expensive than the doll I own now but I hope I love them all equally, the doll I have now is my first so she will always hold a special place in my heart,

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

I think that the grail doll is what you want it to be, I've seen more expensive dolls I've thought were quite ugly and the doll I have now is cheaper but lovely looking. In the end if the doll you desire is a cheaper one it will mean just as much as if it had been an expensive doll.

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

Nope, I hope when I get them I won't be but I won't know until I get them.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
For sure, the minute I saw Ringdolls LE Carlos I knew I had to have him

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
I do have him and I was so nervous waiting for him (will he look like the company pics, will there be any faults etc...).

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
I am a bit more careful with him for several reasons. Obviously because I'm a bit in awe of him and he's an LE. Also because he is so tall I have a fear of him falling. At first I was also worried about the tan resin being damaged but I now know that I'm not going to damage it so easily. I think his ornate outfit also makes me be a bit more careful as I don't want to damage that either. But after all this I took him to the last meetup I went to.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
For me the Grail doll thing is more about what I really want and not how much it cost. Although cost does come into it as the more expensive or rare then the harder it is to replace if you had to do so.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
No disappointment as he is identical to the company pictures.

 

I don't believe in grail dolls. If I love it, it's on a potential list. Whatever comes is when I have the money.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
yes, i own several. to me a grail doll is either a doll that is "extremely special" on an emotional level, or one that is so rare or expensive that it is unlikely i will ever own it, but there is always a chance.... so when i think of "grail dolls" those are my two intertwining definitions.

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
my 'ultimate grail dolls' that i own are my Dollfie Dream Nia Teppelin & 2004 Rei Ayanami. originally, i thought i wanted the 2008 edition Rei as my grail and purchased her first. i like her very much, but she turned out to be a 'false grail'. see last question for reasons why.

on the resin side, my most treasured doll is my first ever doll, an AoD Yuki. she is also probably one of the cheapest dolls i ever bought, unlike the expensive Dollfie Dreams. because she was my first doll, i didn't really think about the concept of "grail dolls" but given as she was my first choice as a BJD and remains my favorite to this day, it is safe to say i think she counts as being a grail doll.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?

i am a lot more cautious about taking my Nia/Rei/Yuki in public. they rarely leave my house for photoshoots and i take greater care in making sure they are not damaged. my Yuki is tan (AoD discontinued tan resin) so she is irreplacable (unless, worst case scenario, i tried to home-bake a pale skin Yuki...), and to replace Nia or Rei 04 would require both patience, luck, and several thousand dollars. so yes, i do treat them differently.

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

nope. while the DDs i own are rare and more expensive than most resin BJDs, my Yuki was comparatively cheap. if i had to give up 2 out of those 3 dolls i would give up my Dollfie Dreams.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
yes, as i mentioned i originally bought DD Rei '08 thinking she was a 'grail doll'. she has a much different sculpt, face-up and body to Rei '04. when i got her in person, i recognized that she was a lovely doll (and i do not plan on selling her, i like her very much) but she did not embody the character of the doll i wanted at all. somebody suggested that i buy the original '04 edition Rei and it was the best advice ever. i am happy with both dolls but i only consider one of them a grail, the other was a red herring.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Oh yeah, I have a couple in mind.

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Of the 7 that I want, I own 2! And I'm slowly working on getting the other 5, only 1 of my grail dolls isn't a widely available doll...at least, not anymore...Lots of saving searching to do for sure.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
Absolutely, I pick them up and play with them the most, as well as spoil them pretty hardcore.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
Yes, and no. While yes, most of them happen to be quite pricey, a grail doll to me is much more than that. As originally posted, it is a doll you instantly fall in love with, and 2 of my grail dolls are actually quite cheap in price. The only reason I haven't bought them yet is mostly because I have higher priorities for money.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
Yeah, I'm not gonna lie, my boy grail doll is amazing, I love him, and I'll never sell him, but if I'd gotten to handle him and see him in person first, I wouldn't have bought him. Perhaps it was my fault, since I fell in love with the company pictures and apparently, that's the worst thing to do. He comes off as looking very stout but muscular and quite masculine, but when I opened him at home, he was tall, lanky and with very stylized proportions, and his face is completely different.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?

I sure do....

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

Not yet, but boy oh boy I hope to someday! It is the perfect doll for me, The Ringdoll Zombie Sol. My only hope is that one comes out similar to it, but it will be even better because I am not sure I WILL ever own it...

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?

I would if I found it I am sure. I may feature it in some way... give it a special spot... or "put it on a pedestal"

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

Not necessarily... I don't even know how much my Grail doll costs... but I am attracted to different dolls from all price ranges....

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

Oh I would be so sad for the person who answers yes to this question. How horrible would that be???

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
I do actually have several that I would love to have... Hopefully some I'd be able to get but many you can't get anymore..(darn limited dolls )
If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Not yet but I hope to have at least ONE in my collection soon... I ordered him and he is on his way to me
Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
I think I will seeing as it is my first really big doll... and all I've had is MSDs and smaller... Also he is the only male so he'll get EXTRA special treatment! Also he has gigantic fantasy parts so that'll be totally fun!
Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
Nope I think that Grail dolls are the dolls that fit the person and make someone happy regardless of the pricetag... Most of the Grail dolls I want are dolls that are more expensive unfortunately... BUUUUTTTT I do have a Grail doll that I have to make myself and luckily the body I want to get for it is fairly inexpensive to this hobby's standards.... So one of my Grail Dolls would probably be classified as "cheap" to many in this hobby.
Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
Not so far... I think I'd be super stoked to get the one I am getting... I just hope that he doesn't come to me in pieces or with something wrong I'd be not only mortified but also probably cry...

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Yes, I have one - my Iplehouse Stella.

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Yes She was released one year ago today and I decided on her as my first doll (after quite a bit of research, hundreds of lovely dolls but no one that felt just right to be the first ...)

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
A little, yes. She just feels closer to my heart. She is the shell of one very old, very dear OC and she was my long-awaited first resin doll ... I try to spoil them all alike, but she does tend to get more attention. Whenever I need to hug a doll, it's always her.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
Naw. Three out of four dolls in my current crew are Iples, so they're all within the same price range. I guess a reason why so many "grail" dolls are among the more expensive is because they're harder to afford and people have to wait longer ... which adds to the "grail feeling".

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
No. I'm very happy with her and I love her to little resin pieces

 

Seeing my old post here I think I can give an update to the last question:
If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
I was finally able to get THE graildoll of my life. He was put on sale on the MP here and I could not help myself but to get him. Thanks to a super lovely seller he now is here. I'm not in the slightest disapointed, thought I need to give him other lashes. But I'm more than just happy with him.^^

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
I did! Just one - a Galena/Beryl hybrid in normal skin (with the Galena head and Beryl body).

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
I did! I managed to snag her during Soom's Free Choice event in... 2012? I think? It was the grouping with the oldest girls.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
Not by virtue of the fact that she was the grail, but it more fits into her personality as Pride - she all but demands decadent things anyway and wants to be spoiled as much as possible.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
Not at all! To me, the grail is the doll you don't think you'll ever get. I wanted Galena's head and Beryl's hoofed body, but in normal skin, not white. It would have been impossible for me to assemble one without dying it, which is something I didn't want to do. Then the Free Choice came along.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
The only thing I was disappointed with was that she came with "nubby" hands (meaning they didn't have the elegant, longer nails I was hoping for) but other than that, she's a dream come true!

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Yes, and for many years I thought I would never have him, or any other doll. (Luts El, by the way)

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Oh Yessssssss, and and I can never have enouth Els. I even got one as a Littlefee, just because you can not have enough.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
Yes and no. Yes I play a lot more with Loki (Littlefee Elf EL) but no, not because he is an El. My big one doesn't get half the attention... It's mainly because the littlefee is the easyest to carry around, play with and handle in general. (size, not sculp)

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
No, wich ever doll makes you fall in love at first sight, is a grail doll. Be it a doll-Family/bobobie/ insert economic brand here or a full set 72 Soom Idealian/Volks/whatever astronomically priced brand you prefere.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
In a way yes. I'm a stubborn little owner and he is a stubborn little diva. When I first got my El, I was in the middle of my letargic, no interest phase. Not only that, but there was no sparc, no OMG, no nothing. He was lying around in my living room for a month, and I had no connection to him at all. Even after starting face ups it was a hard time. (Well, the first few I messed up, blonds can be tricky^^)
But after a Halloween meet up where both of us got some pionters, we warmed up to each other.
Someday I'll mod his frustradingly inposable body, but for now, he is happy and I'm too^^.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Yes

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Yes! In fact, my grail doll is about to arrive. I just got her shipping notice today!

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
I don't know the answer to this question yet, as my grail won't be here till sometime next week at the earliest. I would like to say that I won't treat her any differently than my other dolls, because they're all pretty spoiled, but I may come back in a while and edit this.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
No, but in order for it to be a "grail doll" I think it does have to be difficult to obtain in some way, whether the reason is cost, rarity of the doll, resources and circumstances of the potential owner, etc. I mean, to me the whole point of a "grail" is that it's something which takes time, effort and resources to obtain. After all, a "grail" is something that is the object of a quest, and it wouldn't be a quest if it was quick or easy.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
I've bought her and she's shipped. I hope I won't be disappointed...