Your view on 'Grail Dolls'

Have you ever had one, or not?

Yes, I have. DZ Binli. She sold out at a time I couldn't afford to get her.

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

Yes, I found a customized one on the MP almost a year later.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?

I'm careful with all my dolls, but I might worry slightly more about making sure nothing damages her faceup. (First non default faceup I've owned.) She gets the same amount of attention as the others though.

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

No. My Grail doll is my least expensive doll. She was hard to get though, because she's a discontinued uncommon sculpt. On top of that she's modded with a OOAK faceup. Rarity trumps price.

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

Nope. Not disappointed in the slightest.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?

I've had a couple, but as I have looked at lots of owner photos (and in one case the actual doll) I've changed my mind as I learned more about the dolls and their quirks from other owners. That said, if someone gave me 2000 dollars with instructions that I had to buy a doll with it, I'd look for a fullset Galena, even though I know the bodies aren't very posable, and they are tall and heavy.

I also have a couple of Dream Dolls that I have no intention of buying, because it's all about the site photography..there is a photo of DoD's Code 2 in a blonde wig and a sweater that I go back and drool over every now and then, but I know it's the wig, that particular faceup, that particular sweater and pose that I love, and that the real doll has a slightly funky profile, ridiculous ears, and a awkward, sit-resistant body.

I have had special heads I have wanted, and as I only buy second-hand I am always thrilled to find one "on my list".

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
I did finally get a DiM Elf head that I wanted, and he is awesome. Heads never disappoint me!



Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
No, I abuse him like everyone else, though I have held off getting him a faceup until I could have it professionally done.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
Not for me personally--it's more a particular customization of a doll that I like, so it's rarity, not cost, that makes me excited. I love event heads for that reason, too.


Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
No head has ever disappointed me, but bodies are always a problem. I have yet to find the perfect combination straight from a factory; I always have to rig bodies and heads together, and even then it's not ideal. I do have a Resinsoul/Lahoo combo that is darn near perfect, though. But I'll update this when I get my Galena

Oh, in Creamy White.

 

Have you ever had one, or not? Yes. My Unidoll Jace. I have loved Jace forever it seems.

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

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls? Yes.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls? No. When Jace was available, he was just your average unlimited mold. That didn't affect how much I loved the doll. When he was discontinued, I knew I had to stop pining for one and do something about it. I first bought a head on the MP, then saw a full doll, and bought that.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it? No. If he has faults, I don't see them.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
I have quite a few as most of mine more or less, have all been grail dolls ^^
Soom Beryl Never Ending Dream, Unoss Aika, Limwha For You, Unoa Lights, Unoa White Skin Demon Versions, Volks Dollfie Dream Tamaki, Volks SD16 Ami Ayase

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Yep, some with greater effort than others.
Beryl was a puzzle to get to full set but managed after hunting around for parts for a couple of months. Good fun.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
Nope, they are just part of the crowd

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
Nope.
I consider rare out of production, old sculpts, grail dolls, however, this often means they can be quite expensive as well plus hard to find without modifications, which I don't particularly like as often poorly done.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
Never.
They always have been everything I imagined they would be or better.

 

I'm going to hold with the concept that a Grail Doll is one that is very nearly or most probably unobtainable by me for a variety of reasons, so in that spirit -
Have you ever had one, or not? Volks Williams. I know I'll be one lucky lady who won the lottery if I can ever have a Williams.
If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection? I do have dolls that I consider special because it is by pure luck and hunting that I found them. La Petite Prince (Mudoll) and Orient Gunun (Souldoll) being such.
Do you treat it differently to your other dolls? Yes, I do treat these two differently, they have dust free display cases, and I admire them, but do not play with them. I would never consider altering their appearance or having their faces done differently. All my other dolls are subject to refacing, redressing, and rearranging on a regular basis.
Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls? Definately not, but my Grail doll does tend to be offered at a very high price, if available at all.
Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it? Nope.

 

Have you had one?
Yeah... I had a few when iciest started the hobby..

If you have one were you able to add it to your collection?
Yeah...well they are currently being added. Chaim is on layaway and kalix will be paid off in a week or two

Do you treat it differently than your other dolls?
As of now kalix is getting a little extra treatment. I'm making him a coffin case and I'm commissioning an outfit for him. It's not that he gets these things cause he's my Grail doll, it's more I have a set character for him.

Do you only consider very expensive dolls Grail dolls?
No...I could see less expensive dolls Grail dolls...I think many people might think either expensive or rare dolls to be Grail but it's up to the person and they're preferences

Have you gotten your Grail doll and be disappointed?
Well I haven't been disappointed so far. My dolls haven't arrived yet but I haven't been disappointed with any of my dolls...except resinsoul/bobobie it's not that those dolls aren't great dolls they're just not very good at posing(in my opinion) [\COLOR]

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Yes. Though, I had a dream doll and a grail doll. Which somehow were two different things for me.
Grail doll was the one I had wanted so much, but simply thought was ridiculously-priced. The unattainable.
And dream doll was just the perfect doll, the most perfect sculpt I ever saw. Perfect everything from head to toe.

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
I have both my dream doll and grail doll.
Dream doll - Volks Ryoya
Grail doll - Volks Williams

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?

Somehow yes. Just knowing how much I paid to get them, already makes me treat them different.
I am very careful handling them. Just thinking about any part chipping or breaking scares the hey out of me.
(Then again, I think I'm very careful with all my dolls in general) O_o ;
But LOVING is a different thing -- my favorite is still my first doll, my Migidoll Ryu.
I am most attached to him. ^_^

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
Not really?
It could also be a sculpt that's discontinued, a very old rare one, an OOAK, a particular artists' work, or even a common doll - but a special doll worth everything to you, personally.
Any doll can be a grail doll. As long as you're obsessed about it, pining after it, stalking it and thinking you NEED it - it's a grail doll to me. =))

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

Only because his body's stringing is poor. Apart from that, I have no complaints.
He's gorgeous to me.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Yes, my first ever doll was my grail doll. Once I got into BJDs and starting researching, I fell in love with several, but I couldn't take my eyes off of the Lati Green Lea.
If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
She was the first doll I ever bought. I'm so happy to this day to still have her.
Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
I didn't think so at first, but upon answering this question, I guess I do. She has more stuff than any other doll, she's had custom pieces made for her, and if I go anywhere (big trips) she's the one I don't even have to question weather or not I'm bringing. I always like to have her with me!
Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
Not at all. When I started researching ABJDs I was in a place in my life that wasn't so good. They allowed me to take my mind off of everything else around me (reading through DoA, planning, dreaming), but I never thought I'd be financially in a place to buy a doll that costs hundreds of dollars. So ordering her was a big triumph for me. She isn't SUPER expensive or anything, but she symbolizes me turning my life around and having the means to do things for myself again!
Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
The only disappointment has been the limited posing of the Lati Green body (which I never noticed until I bought dolls from other companies). I wish she could do more, but I'm not unhappy with her. It's really just the one thing I would change. I'll never let her go though...

 

I personally do not have a grail doll, I have dolls that I want, but nothing so much as a grail...but I guess that is because I change my mind a lot when it comes to decisions...unless I have a long period of time to think about it. So never impulsivly did I have a doll I just had to have.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
REISNER!!!! *falls to knees dramatically* Yes. Yes I do have one.

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Not yet but I certainly hope to someday.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
I am sure that I will treat him just as carefully as I treat the others.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
I generally think of it more in terms of 'obtainability' than 'expense'. While price is certainly a factor in the difficulty of getting my holy grail doll it is also a challenge because a lot of people want him and few people sell him.
Another holy grail of mine, excuse the OT doll, is a second dollti tinman. They weren't very expensive when I got my first one but because the company has shut down it is near impossible to get them now. He is a holy grail only because of how difficult it is going to be to find one!

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
I nope not!

 

I have a couple of dolls who are my Grail dolls, but they didn't start out that way. They grew slowly into my heart to become the jewels of my collection. My original dream/grail doll was Customhouse Sram.

I fell in love with him in CH's golden age, around 04'-05. But CH switched management in '06, and they drastically changed their business plan, faceup style, resin quality, and the bodies and sculpts. I waited a year for them to restock Sram, and when they finally did I bought him right away. But when he came, the spark wasn't there. He was beautiful, but never had that 'certain something' that I had been dreaming of seeing. Sram was an impossible dream for me, and there was no way the actual doll could measure up to the expectations in my mind. I sold him, and don't regret it at all.

I've stopped pursuing dream/grail dolls. I realized it's just not the way I collect. I buy dolls that I love, then work with them, customize them, and slowly make them into tangible dream dolls. My SD16 Reisner girl, and my BW SD10 F-10(the old discontinued head) are dreams for me, because they transcend their sculpt name, company, and defaults to become their own totally original dolls. Sometimes I look at my Reisner and think "...oh yeah, that's right, she is a Reisner head and was originally a boy! I forgot!" She's so very much my own that I forget her sculpt and past. My Reisner girl is now my favorite of all my dolls. I can safely say that if I had to pick just one doll to keep, it would be her. Runner up is my SD F-10, since he is also so unique. Finding the old Volks heads at all is a challenge, but finding them in good condition and BW is even harder! I got very lucky finding him. He's got the most expression and life out of all my dolls, hands down!

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Yup, two. One, I got now: my Minimee of Celaran. Ok, he's between bodies at the moment, cos the old one's a bit too small and I can't afford the new one just yet but - I got the head. Everything else is just a question of time.
The second one's a Volks FCS doll and if I'm lucky, I might be able to save up enough money to get one, one day ...

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
Erm, not really, no.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
Nope. Celaran wasn't really all that much more expensive than my two basic guys I got. But I really, really, REALLY wanted him.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
No. Celaran's absolutely perfect. Well, he will be, once I get his new body for him. *grin* I'll never forget when I first saw the sculpt Denny had done. I was so overwhelmed. He looked EXACTLY what I had imagined him to look like. Absolutely stunning. And I'm still stunned when I look at him.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Yes, I actually do.

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Yes I have. A Volks Sasha and Kurt.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
Not really, as each doll is special to me.
However, because she is an old Volks doll and cannot sit nor stand too well, I actually did end up buying a Stand just for her.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
More like "if the doll is out of stock" than expensive.
One example from my collection was "Kurt" after he got sold out.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
Not really. Dream dolls and Grail dolls are very different to me and my Grail dolls haven`t failed me yet.

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Well, I suppose yes. The first doll I fell in love with was a Resin Soul Mu. I know he's cheap and not limited but it didn't matter to me, he was still my grail.

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Oh yeah! He's my first and only.

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
N/A at this point, but when I get my second he'll be treated just the same.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
Heck no, It's how bad you want it, not how much it costs. Even the cheapest doll is unbuyable for some people.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
Oh no, I love him! And he has the extra distinction of being my first.

 

Yes, I did (do?), but I own him -- for nearly six years now! He doesn't get treated any differently than the others; they're all precious to me! In my instance my "grail" is the most expensive doll I own. No disappointments whatsoever! I remember his homecoming with fondness and he's still a dream come true!

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Yes! The first doll I fell in love with instantly was CP Chiwoo when he first came out.

If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Not yet, but taxes are coming.....

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
I don't know about a grail doll yet but I know about my others. Every time I get a new doll I tend to carry him/her around with me for a couple weeks.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
I personally think a grail doll does not have to cost an arm and a leg. If it captures you and you feel you MUST HAVE it, that's enough for me.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
Not yet but I sure hope it doesn't happen to me!

 

Have you ever had one, or not?
Yes.
If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection?
Yes, I got my Soom Chrom last Christmas. ♥

Do you treat it differently to your other dolls?
I'm a bit more careful with him, seeing as he was much more expensive, but I do not value him above my other dolls. My first doll is still my love, and I care for him more than any other, even giving his circumstances. My grail doll is special because he was my grail doll, but other than that, he's just another member of my family. After aquiring a "grail doll", I make myself a new new one right away (right now it's either Volks Suisuseki or Williams xD HA!), so it's always there for me.

Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls?
Sort of. I mean, to me, the harder it is to obtain, the more I want it. Typically this entails rarity which equals larger sums of money (not always, but most of the time). So I suppose yes; expensive = grail for me.

Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it?
Not at all. I am never dissapointed with anything I know for a fact I will love. And I only love things that I know I will appreciate. So it's hard to be dissapointed with it haha. I never have like, a "character" set up before I get the doll, so I think that helps with the dissapointment factor.

 

actually Duncan - a DOT Homme Ducan - is my "grail" doll. the DOD Ducans were one of the first dolls shown to me and pretty much what sparked my interest in bjds. originally i wanted the elf version but when they came out with the human version that was him. that was the doll i just had to have. it took me over two years to save for him, but he never once lost his shine and still hasn't. in fact his name is due to the fact that i misread the mold name as Duncan instead of Ducan and so i'd go like every day and drool at him and go "i'm getting Duncan!" and by the time he came home there really was nothing else that suited him! XD;; and after owning him for two years he still is amazing to me. don't think he'll ever loose his shine.

 

Have you ever had one, or not? Yes!
If you have, have you finally managed to have it in your collection? Hopefully next week I can order her!!! (Volks Charlotte)
Do you treat it differently to your other dolls? I don't think I'll take her out as much, for fear of hurting her
Do you only consider the very expensive dolls as Grail dolls? Well, she's not horribly expensive... but, I think a grail doll that you want badly that is difficult to attain for any reason
Have you managed to buy your Grail doll, but then been disappointed in some way with it? She's not here yet, but I hope not!