tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45264145945512844962024-03-13T16:32:35.444-06:00Amaranth's CastawaysRecast vs legitimate doll comparisons, and random doll-related tutorials.
I am anti-recast, pro-owner. I will never bully or harass anyone, but I'm choosing not to support recasts any longer. This blog contains comparisons and information for helping to identify recasts sold on the secondhand market. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.comBlogger197125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-6769726659207973982016-12-12T20:19:00.000-07:002016-12-12T20:19:03.419-07:00How to Care for a BJD Wig- WIP<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <br />
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I'll update this as I get more photos and tutorials together, so I'm marking this as a WIP for my own memory. </div>
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<b>Products</b></div>
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Generally speaking, be cautious about what products you put on a wig. You'll want to know whether the fibers are natural or synthetic, and what products will work and won't work on the wig.</div>
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<ul>
<li>Volks makes a neutral wig wax <a href="http://www.dollfiedream.tokyo/en/dollfiedream/care_skin.html/">here.</a></li>
<li>Dollmore has a nice wig spray <a href="http://www.dollmore.net/shop/step1.php?number=3162">here.</a> </li>
<li>I've personally used a little human hair gel and a few other products to tame wild hairs.</li>
<li>Don't wash a bjd wig unless you know that it has been sewn and not glued. If you wash a glued wig it can fall apart!</li>
<li>Store your wigs in a wig net when not in use; this will protect them from damage.</li>
<li>Keep a ball of tissue or other paper inside the wig to help it hold its shape. </li>
<li>Be careful to avoid products with oils in them that might sit for too long on the doll's resin and stain or ruin that area.</li>
</ul>
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<b>Heat Styling</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>You can boil heat resistant fibers and scrunch them into curls. Don't use this method on non heat resistant synthetic fibers or on glued wigs. I've used this method on vinyl dolls and for Ginny Doll restoration and had great results. <br /></li>
<li>Flat Irons/Curling Irons should only be used on heat resistant fibers. You can use these on most natural fibers as well, but be sure to test all wigs underneathe where any damage won't be seen just in case.</li>
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<b>Wet Styling</b></div>
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<li>For most wigs, you can use a spray bottle to lightly wet the fibers of the wig and then wrap the sections around a tool, like a pencil or straw. When the hair dries you'll have a curl. <br /></li>
<li>You can use this to set most styles, not just curls.</li>
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Reminder though, if the hair is glued, be sure not to get the wig cap wet!</div>
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<b>Combing</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Don't brush curly wigs! You'll end up causing the curls to separate and end up with a fuzzy mess like this:<br /></li>
<li>If you must tidy a curly wig, boil the wig and scrunch the hair back up, or manually redo each section of curl with a wet styling method. <br /></li>
<li>Long wigs will tangle even when just sitting pretty. Comb them very gently with a wig comb, wire doll hair brush, or your fingers. Start at the ends and work your way up. Be as gentle as possible to minimize the loss of fibers. </li>
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<b>Removing Sheen</b></div>
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Got a synthetic wig with too much shine? Never fear! Follow these steps to reduce the shine and give it a more natural, and expensive look.</div>
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<ul>
<li>First, get yourself some hair spray. (I've been lazy and used MSC, but I don't recommend this as it's expensive. If you do use it, wear a respirator.)<br /></li>
<li>Remove the doll's wig and place it on something else, like a soda bottle.<br /></li>
<li>Spray the hair with a light mist of hair spray and sprinkle baby powder or talc on top. Comb it through gently. Comb and shake the wig to remove excess baby powder.<br /></li>
<li>Repeat as needed.<br /></li>
<li>The baby powder will stick to the fibers of the wig and reduce the shine. </li>
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This technique took this wig from Kemper:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://kemperdolls.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/650x650/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/p/d/pd_411_19_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://kemperdolls.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/650x650/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/p/d/pd_411_19_2.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://kemperdolls.com/wigs/modacrylic-wigs/althea-turquoise-modern-wig.html</td></tr>
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And turned it into this:<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/amaranthscastaways/16566135592/in/album-72157648694039168/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Brictom"><img alt="Brictom" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7358/16566135592_8ffa7a1793.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I hope this basic little guide is handy. If you want any more info or have any more questions about wigs, rooted hairs, or fibers, feel free to ask in the comments. </div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thanks for reading!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-35717834175368382082016-11-30T19:42:00.000-07:002016-11-30T20:23:46.483-07:00BJDs and Yellowing/Mellowing<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <br />
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Note: I plan to update this post when I can with some examples of yellowing from my personal collection. </div>
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You can't reverse yellowing. The <span style="color: magenta;">good news</span> is that yellowing is very, very gradual. You're not going to see severe yellowing in your doll just from walking to your car and back. They may mellow within a year or so, but you will not see severe yellowing for the most part until after many years of love and play.</div>
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Most people find they barely notice the yellowing, because it is something that happens so slowly you often don't notice until you compare the inside of a doll's headcap or a newer doll from the same company to an older one. </div>
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<u>Is Yellowing Damage?</u></div>
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In most cases, yellowing should not constitute damage. What yellowing can indicate in a newer doll is a lack of care and preservation for the doll itself. Blotchy yellowing, or the yellowing equivalent of a farmer's tan could be considered damage in most cases. You're obligated as an honest seller to disclose any yellowing. Personally, any doll at least a year or more I always note that it probably has some yellowing. </div>
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<u>Contributors Toward Yellowing</u></div>
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<b>Time:</b></div>
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Here's the deal, the thing we all know and dread: BJDs turn yellow overtime. </div>
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This is because red pigments are not very stable. This is why red hair dye doesn't last as long as most other colors, and why the brilliant reds in old paintings are often the first to go. With dolls and resin, the red pigments break down before the others, leaving behind a yellow (and in the case of very old Cerberus Project dolls and early Iplehouse tan even green) tint.</div>
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I'm not a chemist, so I cannot accurately translate what I've read regarding this pigment, but I can link anyone to more sources if they want. Reds pigments in all mediums are especially susceptible to fading or breaking down in sunlight.</div>
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For a little proof it isn't going to happen immediately, here is my original feeple 60 Miyu in white skin from 2014: </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/amaranthscastaways/26836068476/in/dateposted-public/" title="Just Aesthetics"><img alt="Just Aesthetics" height="500" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7014/26836068476_0f09c832df.jpg" width="454" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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And here, a newer MDR Fang on a 2014 NS Feeple:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/amaranthscastaways/28990494065/in/dateposted-public/" title="Persona"><img alt="Persona" height="500" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8325/28990494065_2569f1500c.jpg" width="341" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<b>Light:</b></div>
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Store BJDs away from constant sources of light and heat, especially sunlight. Just like books and old photos will turn yellow when left in sunlight for too long, so will your dolls. </div>
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Taking your dolls out for photos will not damage them, nor will the flash of a camera. The damage and hastening of yellowing occurs only from prolonged exposure. </div>
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<b>Oxygen:</b></div>
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Oxygen is another culprit that contributes toward yellowing. You can't avoid it, sadly, unless you've a vault built like the Vatican Archives. I personally don't stress over this one.</div>
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<b>Recasts:</b></div>
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In my experience, recast resin always yellows faster, especially recast white resin. I do not know if this is true for all people, nor do I have solid science behind me, but I also believe this is because they use cheaper and less stable pigments in their resin. Your experiences may vary.</div>
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<b>Smoke:</b></div>
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Cigarette smoke is a nasty beast that clings to everything it touches. Cigarettes yellow your teeth and the walls of your house, and it will contribute to your doll yellowing too. If you live with a smoker who does not wish to smoke outside, do your best to keep your dolls away from direct exposure to the smoke. </div>
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<b>Tan/White Resin:</b></div>
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White resin shows the effects of yellowing more quickly than pinker/peachier shades of resin. The same is true of tan dolls. Old Iplehouse tan often began to green overtime, but they seem to have stabilized it for the most part. </div>
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<u>An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure</u></div>
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<ul>
<li>Store your dolls in a cool (but not freezing!), mostly dark room. (This is also energy efficient. Don't leave lights on unnecessarily, and if you keep your windows open, make sure the dolls are not directly facing that window.)</li>
<li>You can cover<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>your dolls' shelf or display case with a curtain such as a blackout curtain to help to reduce sun exposure.</li>
<li>Keep the lights in your dolls' display cabinet, if any, off.</li>
<li>Avoid constant, direct exposure to sources of light, especially sunlight.</li>
<li>Avoid exposure to cigarette smoke and other sources of smoke.</li>
<li>Enjoy your doll. Yellowing is unavoidable, and should not stop you from enjoying your little resin friend. </li>
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<u>Reversing or Correcting Yellowing</u></div>
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<li>You can bathe the doll in Oxyclean and certain other products to help bleach out the yellow pigments and "remove" or lighten the effects of yellowing.</li>
<li>DD owners have a method for reducing yellowing or removing stains on their dolls detailed <a href="http://www.wolfheinrich.com/2010/11/25/dollfie-dream-stain-removal-process/">here</a>. Please understand I have not tested these methods on resin, and I cannot be certain they work. I'll give it a test on an old recast part I have lying around sometime next year.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "wingdings";"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span>Dye will cover yellowing.</li>
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These methods will often need to be repeated as the doll ages. </div>
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In my opinion, as doll making improves and we make advances in chemistry we will see more resilient and stronger shades of red and other pigments.</div>
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Nothing can be perfect forever. All we can do is love them for what they are. Perhaps there's some deep philosophical allegory that could be made here? Something about living in the present, the transience of beauty and material thingsā¦</div>
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Vintage toys and dolls will all show signs of wear, including fading colors and cracked plastics. We can't completely avoid yellowing and other signs of age in our toys, just like we can't avoid the effects of age on ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Thanks for reading, and as always happy collecting <3 </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-88163766620608936232016-09-19T13:33:00.000-06:002016-09-19T13:33:07.945-06:00Daughters and DollsMy daughter is turning two years old in December. She's a very smart little thing, very verbal. One of her first words was "dollie". She'd lay there, staring at the doll cabinet saying, "Hi Dollie. Pretty dollie. Hi!"<br />
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My desire is to have her choose her own way of being. I do not want to pressure her to be more girly or less girly, and honestly, she's chosen to be pretty darn girly. She likes having her hair done, and pretends to put make up on (which is sad because I literally cannot style hair at all haha). <br />
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She'll play with her brother's trucks and likes zombies and Pokemon (She says "poke-mon" and "Pi-chu" for Pikachu), but in the end she loves her baby dolls.<br />
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For my own nostalgia, I wanted to get her an American Girl doll or two, but in the end with the way she loves my dolls and how gentle she is with them, a BJD was definitely the way to go. After chatting with my bestie, I decided to go the ABS route, and if she does well with this, we will consider a resin girl when she's a little older, or possibly a Hujoo Dana.<br />
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Having done commissions on Hujoo Freya and Nano Freya, I feel confident I've made the right choice and can paint her little kitty to be a wonderful dollie for my daughter. I think this will help teach her responsibility and to take good care of her toys and special things, and this little kitty can be a good friend to her for many years. I hope it inspires her to be creative, to tell stories, to be artistic, and I hope it will help us bond and play together.<br />
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My plan is to make her very pink and glittery, just like Emmy always likes.<br />
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I've been working on customizing Disney toddler dolls and such (I get them for super cheap at my local thrift shops, touch up their paint and hair, make them simple dresses and voila, she's got a huge collection). I'm working on one now that will end being a Princess Leia doll, haha.<br />
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Here's to our future doll collectors. <3<br />
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I'll be doing a review of this doll when she arrives, as well as a clothing and a posing post, with plenty of help from Emmy. <br />
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(And just an aside here, my son has zero interest in dolls of any kind. I've tried, even offering to buy him one of his own, and he just laughed and, "No mom, I like zombies." He occasionally plays with my dragons, but quickly grows bored and goes back to zombies and minecraft.)<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-37670444755165506992016-09-04T11:24:00.000-06:002016-09-04T11:24:53.736-06:00Scammer Warning and a Note on ScamsSo this message has been circling around, and seemingly only to European collectors. There may have been some non-Europeans that have gotten the message, but so far this is all I've seen.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wVBUEm5H731Pw5JMeg_i5hK_4U-LXKl-Xf5xdJ5E7PX3fRfTYbzXVkV6DEAZaRWtZywT7AQSh-EQZPvkdjFT-NbUFmio_8R-92ekDnS_sKrC9py-Q4OC7ywp1AZLh5t7-qvkOtTUl3s/s1600/14218240_10207053815015023_94859320_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wVBUEm5H731Pw5JMeg_i5hK_4U-LXKl-Xf5xdJ5E7PX3fRfTYbzXVkV6DEAZaRWtZywT7AQSh-EQZPvkdjFT-NbUFmio_8R-92ekDnS_sKrC9py-Q4OC7ywp1AZLh5t7-qvkOtTUl3s/s400/14218240_10207053815015023_94859320_n.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screen shot from Etsy, via Issy BJD</td></tr>
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This is a good opportunity to discuss warning signs of scammers, especially because some of them are far less obvious than this. I've discussed Safe Buying and Selling practices many times on this blog, so I won't go into that, but you can read the posts relevant to this topic <a href="http://amaranthscastaways.blogspot.com/p/recast-information-posts.html">here. </a><br />
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<b>Name Dropping: </b>The scammer tries to associate themselves with someone with high popularity, followers, or fame. This could be a company (such as claiming to be a representative or employee) or a person (claiming to be a famous collector or in collaboration with a famous collector). This is to ease you into comfort with a name fo someone you "know" or are familiar with. It gives the scammer an air of legitimacy.<br />
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<b>Monetary Reward: </b>Offers an unrealistic amount of money for the object they're desiring. In this case, they're asking to "rent" a bjd for $100 plus more if you send extra things. They can purchase their own BJD for around $100, to be frank, so they've no business renting yours. They may offer a deposit of a ridiculous sum of money, but be unwilling to send it "Friends and Family" or only want to send you money after you send your portion.<br />
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<b>Method of Contact: </b>If they've contacted you on an account not openly related to BJDs, like your personal facebook or Etsy, find out how they got the information. Never give out your real life name or address to these people. If they are claiming to be from a company or a specific person, forward their message onto that company or person and see what they have to say.<br />
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<b>Google them.</b> Google any names or information they've used in their message. See if anything pops up. the vlogger mentioned in this message is demonstrably mentally troubled (no offense is meant by this, and I wasn't sure of a more delicate way to address this. My mother is mentally unsound as well, so I have nothing but empathy and compassion for this person), but may not even be aware this person is using her name.<br />
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This person will prey upon the desperate and the new, and hopefully no one actually thinks this is legit. Pass this information around. Protect your community! Safe collecting everyone. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-39408518955089434542016-08-14T10:05:00.000-06:002016-08-14T10:05:38.620-06:00BJD Photography Tips and Tricks Part 1: Basics<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Upcoming: </span></div>
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Part 2: Editing Photos</div>
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Part 3: Working with a Cell Phone Camera </div>
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My photography has improved over the years I've been in this hobby. Witness this monstrosity from early in my doll collecting career vs this more recent photo:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fotor.com/Share/show?linkId=ff1ccd4d15c146169ea22900f60efb11" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img height="356" src="//img.haozhaopian.net/share/1471190005627bVj.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the left is a photo of my first doll, Poe. On the right is Peregrine, who I acquired last year.</td></tr>
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So what improved? How can you kick your photography up a notch? What if you only have a cell phone to work with?</div>
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Well, read below for help editing photos in general. A follow up post regarding tips and tricks for cell phone photography is upcoming.</div>
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<b>Editing- Ethical or No?</b></div>
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Yes and No. If you are selling a doll, please don't use edited pictures, beyond color correction. This is dishonest and rude to your potential buyers, and could land you in trouble.</div>
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However, editing for your own personal use is more than okay. Magazines, movies, professional photographers edit their pictures to improve lighting, color, and composition. I don't view editing a photo as lying. Usually it's highly obvious when someone has over edited a photo. The trick is to stay classy and keep it simple.I'll be doing a post in a couple weeks on editing tricks and suggestions. </div>
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<b>Lighting:</b></div>
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Lighting is the most important part of a good photo, no matter what you're using to take that photo with. You want good, natural light. A camera's flash will bounce of the doll's face and wash out areas you need to focus on and overly brighten their pale skin. Flash isn't as harsh on lovely tan colors, but in my experience it does wash out the intensity of tan color. </div>
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So what can you do? You can either diffuse the light from a camera flash (such as by holding a piece of paper in front of the flash a few inches to bounce the light and create a softer effect), use lamps carefully arranged to produce a bright area, use big bright windows, or take your precious resins outside. I prefer outdoor photography, especially in an overcast day.</div>
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You can usually edit an overly dark photo, but it will always have a slightly grainy quality unless you're reeeeally good at editing (which I'm not haha). It is very hard fix an overexposed photo (such as one created with flash). A light box and lighting set up can kick your photos up a notch as well, and I'm hoping to invest in some of these myself next year!</div>
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The day this photo was taken it was raining:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/amaranthscastaways/26264531744/in/dateposted-public/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Witch in the Woods"><img alt="Witch in the Woods" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7675/26264531744_180dc0c9ef.jpg" width="338" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rain created a beautiful gloomy lighting that suits the mood of this photo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This day I was in my house and used my cellphone's camera:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/amaranthscastaways/23738521604/in/dateposted-public/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="powerlift"><img alt="powerlift" height="338" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/2/1538/23738521604_973344d9fc.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indoors in not very good lighting with my cell camera. </td></tr>
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This day was overcast but not raining, and I used my cellphone camera:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/amaranthscastaways/20507097083/in/dateposted-public/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="break in the clouds"><img alt="break in the clouds" height="500" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5658/20507097083_acebee32c6.jpg" width="433" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outdoors in fantastic lighting with a cellphone camera.</td></tr>
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<b>Backgrounds: </b></div>
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You don't have to have the expensive backdrops and dioramas unless you want to for your photos. You can get creative with interesting textures found around your house, like this weathered wood here:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLphuOsfWmTHJ_KxQKkOe3_cPznYJAwqXwCNRPq4BxFC8xOoDAL9fiQSSvCFex5oyY0eN5Nye3_BvgMfUNSJDJ3s-AomhYQYIaMAvFWxcT4dDf2bIys6fmR-NppB5xZ_dbvNeKFhPaFU/s1600/cute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLphuOsfWmTHJ_KxQKkOe3_cPznYJAwqXwCNRPq4BxFC8xOoDAL9fiQSSvCFex5oyY0eN5Nye3_BvgMfUNSJDJ3s-AomhYQYIaMAvFWxcT4dDf2bIys6fmR-NppB5xZ_dbvNeKFhPaFU/s400/cute.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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You can use a sheet or piece of scrap book paper or other interesting prints behind your doll to give it a soft but interesting background. By slightly blurring the backgrounds you'll get a very nice effect. The most important thing is that your background be clean. Tidy up the space. Remove objects that shouldn't be in the photo, make sure there is no trash or pet hair on the ground around your doll. It only takes a few minutes and really improves the look of the photo. </div>
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I prefer going outside. Usually the lighting is great, plus there's super interesting things to use for background images. Pay attention to <b>proportions and angles</b>. </div>
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<b>Proportion and Angle:</b></div>
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To make your doll look more in scale with their surrounding environment, angle and proportions are key. If you take a photo with a human size shoe in the background, your doll is going to look small. If you get down low below the doll's line of sight, you'll make the horizon look farther away and your doll taller and more human-like. It depends on what your goal for the photo is, whether to make your doll seem like a small person dwelling in a giant world, or a normal human in a normal sized world. </div>
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Don't be afraid to get down and dirty and contort into strange positions for the sake of a good photo! Have fun and be creative. You never know when you might snag THE shot.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/amaranthscastaways/27198383661/in/dateposted-public/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="New Junko"><img alt="New Junko" height="400" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7255/27198383661_20d7459231_z.jpg" width="289" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See how she looks so tall and human like?</td></tr>
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<b>Posing:</b></div>
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Posing is tricky and probably deserves a post all to itself. Those who know me and photography know that I'm damn good with posing dolls to make them do crazy stunts and look pretty realistic. </div>
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If you pose your doll stiff-limbed and awkward, they're not going to look very realistic. Humans rarely stand stiff and straight. A knee or elbow may be bent, hips cocked to one side. Work with your doll and the feeling you want your photo to convey. </div>
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My advice is to study pictures of real people and see how they're posing. When you go to pose your doll, work from the inside out. This mean, get the torso and hips how you want them. Then, lock the legs and feet until they're standing or sitting correctly. Then begin to focus on the shoulders, arms, and head. You'll have to tweak the feet and limbs a bit to ensure good balance, but generally I can get all my dolls to pose as you see in the photos without falling and without a dollie catcher. If you have the good luck to have someone who can be right nearby to catch your resin baby before it falls, take advantage of their help! I wish I had more people to come take photos with me! </div>
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Eye and Wig placement falls under this as well. Make sure the wig is positioned naturally, and that the eyes are positioned better. I have a <a href="http://amaranthscastaways.blogspot.com/2013/07/on-doll-eyes-and-eye-positioning.html">post here </a>on eye positions that might help (as a note to myself, I'm going to update this now that I've gotten even better at it!). Tidy flyaways so your doll looks natural and not electrocuted. It doesn't have to be slicked down and perfect- even humans have a little fuzz.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/amaranthscastaways/25870404211/in/dateposted-public/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Silly"><img alt="Silly" height="500" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/2/1506/25870404211_d7391351eb.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While a normal person wouldn't pose like this, it looks as if Elliot here was caught in motion, bending slightly,<br />
looking for something. </td></tr>
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<b>Props:</b></div>
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Props aren't necessary but can really help. Just don't overdo them. Too many props that may not fit the mood can ruin an otherwise good photo. Have fun, just pay attention to the composition of the photo.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/amaranthscastaways/19175410992/in/dateposted-public/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Staring off into space..."><img alt="Staring off into space..." height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/364/19175410992_7881171dca.jpg" width="355" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good use of props. Just enough to convey the scene and contribute to the verisimilitude.</td></tr>
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<b>The 2/3 Rule:</b></div>
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The general photography rule is that the main subject of the photo should take up Two-Thirds of the photo frame. Iphone cameras have a built-in grid that really helps with this, and you can put a grid in most editing software to help you crop the photo so it looks right. </div>
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For an example, in this photo Elliot takes up two thirds of the photo, and the dog takes up a bottom portion. He's not the main subject, and because Elliot only uses up two third your eye is drawn to her.</div>
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I'm sure there are exceptions to this rule, but I've found that my composition really improved when I started paying more attention to this. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/amaranthscastaways/24091240383/in/dateposted-public/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="A Quick Walk"><img alt="A Quick Walk" height="500" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/2/1534/24091240383_db84f6604c.jpg" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Two-Thirds Example, plus another view of good angles and posing. </td></tr>
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Okay, so those are my super basic, general tips for taking photos. I'm not an expert, but I think it's obvious how much I've improved, so I hope that by sharing the things that I have learned you'll be able to improve too! </div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the next installments! Happy collecting, friends. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-43202997600525319612016-08-01T12:14:00.000-06:002016-08-01T12:14:00.213-06:00iDyepoly Review<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><br />
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Having now dyed a doll with both iDye and RIT I can confidently say I prefer iDye for most BJD applications. </div>
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The colors are less accurate, but deeper and richer than you'd think. I was not able to make blue actually come out blue, which seems to be a common problem based on my internet research. </div>
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I've never tried to get blue from RIT, but I know it can be done. </div>
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RIT dye is easier to work with. It's less temperamental, takes more dunks to get a deep rich color so you can more easily control the shade you're going to end up with, and while warm you can kind of blend the color together before the piece dries and the color sets.</div>
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However, RIT dye rubs off pretty easily. I've gotten the majority of RIT off a resin piece with little more than a Magic Eraser sponge with some acetone.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhVMBhi0OoxdQwJOzp-QhCPRKYxfykqYoaxT_Ncq65ebbRgv9_GKHe37xhe_YEMI6LPs0MA2DgJpS1QNpP9RVnRe0yOWLRd1lPpS1E0bb1kdyN-FAbeNHLY5WN9cQThdaQPTtRhvJP6T4/s1600/all+done.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhVMBhi0OoxdQwJOzp-QhCPRKYxfykqYoaxT_Ncq65ebbRgv9_GKHe37xhe_YEMI6LPs0MA2DgJpS1QNpP9RVnRe0yOWLRd1lPpS1E0bb1kdyN-FAbeNHLY5WN9cQThdaQPTtRhvJP6T4/s400/all+done.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink RIT powder dye on Recast Aileen Doll Ashes (Minion)</td></tr>
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iDye poly is more particular to work with, especially if you use the color enhancer it comes with. You can get a deep, rich color almost instantly, and it's harder to control the exact shade you're going to get. I was not able to blend the dye to cover a couple awkward spots the way I could with RIT.</div>
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It does. not. come. off. I can't get it off. So far, no scuffing on the joints or scratching from play. I haven't taken any acetone to it since I don't actually have any on hand, but I'll update when I get a chance to check it out. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VmUcLvws8yrOA4OZ8t27rRjNA-g0VWH8BJ0A6E2E6Y9hq25ZKu7FbaEJUxaQ7R9F9FlQ63h9WV0GPcTsezKJDbPExM61069qjp_Fr-SGyLsqcac-J3nZ2OvSkdG8F4TpS3i3Qc_3_vI/s1600/preview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VmUcLvws8yrOA4OZ8t27rRjNA-g0VWH8BJ0A6E2E6Y9hq25ZKu7FbaEJUxaQ7R9F9FlQ63h9WV0GPcTsezKJDbPExM61069qjp_Fr-SGyLsqcac-J3nZ2OvSkdG8F4TpS3i3Qc_3_vI/s400/preview.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iplehouse Bianca dyed purple and airbrushed with Blue iDyepoly (powder).</td></tr>
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<b>Should you choose iDye or RIT for your doll dyeing project?</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Do you want the ability to remove the color should you change your mind, or you <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>have less experience with modding and dyeing? Go with RIT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "wingdings";"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Do you want a greater predictability of color and the ability to more accurately <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>control the shade? Go with RIT until you get more practice. Then give iDye a shot.<br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "wingdings";"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Do you want to dye a doll part that will be frequently moved, scuffed, or handled? <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Choose iDye. (This is literally the best thing about idye. XD)<br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "wingdings";"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span>Do you want a deep, rich color? Choose iDye. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: "wingdings";"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>You can airbrush over the top of either dye to even the color. Airbrushed colors and <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>sealants will scuff and wear down overtime. </li>
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<b>A couple posts on this blog regarding dyeing that might be useful to you:</b></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://amaranthscastaways.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-mostly-text-bjd-dyeing-tutorial.html">BJD Dye Tutorial #1 (features a recast)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://amaranthscastaways.blogspot.com/2013/12/dyeingtutorial2.html">BJD Dye Tutorial #2 (features a recast)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://amaranthscastaways.blogspot.com/2014/09/when-dye-jobs-go-wrong.html">My Dye Removal Experience (RIT)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://amaranthscastaways.blogspot.com/2014/09/when-dye-jobs-go-wrong.html">When Dye Jobs Go Wrong </a></li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-49799565530396294532016-07-18T13:08:00.000-06:002016-07-18T13:08:01.529-06:00Clothing a Zaoll- In ProgressZaoll are very tiny and a bit oddly sized. Here's a few things I've been learning about what they can and can't wear:<br />
<br />
<b>Shoes:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Most SD13 shoes, especially heels, are too narrow for their feet. </li>
<li>SD16 heels all seem to fit, including these ones from Snake Eye BJD.</li>
</ul>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1FqxPomDl7gX7BNSzYVsoXj4dYjdjEbTSTuX4GugnMckwFaiOLpLDMIR3sjTWs61BAlqn7ZQcTxL1qrvMYggJPiR97aqLRNHZOaZmozg6g3eJkuBHZDSkjl477QhOIG2AeRH120f1OE/s1600/shoe+post+%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1FqxPomDl7gX7BNSzYVsoXj4dYjdjEbTSTuX4GugnMckwFaiOLpLDMIR3sjTWs61BAlqn7ZQcTxL1qrvMYggJPiR97aqLRNHZOaZmozg6g3eJkuBHZDSkjl477QhOIG2AeRH120f1OE/s320/shoe+post+%25231.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#3, the Snake Eye shoes fit, so most of these should fit pretty similarly since Moe also has wide feet.</td></tr>
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<b>Tops:</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Stretchy MSD tops seem to work great. I've tried MSD tops from rRabbit and nine9style and have had success. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjSfYmgESymjRwft0XhWei_I0e1XJ6R1M8GFBcYkfCe7Nq_7-m8CgEzT8ILwIn2ScUCmLYEUCNn85eGXlTkhX4MVSaLN6Y0Q_9ckpndKb_P2okmE67LMBU16pOSKYlKGssd-2ULrpGv8/s1600/quick+arrival.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjSfYmgESymjRwft0XhWei_I0e1XJ6R1M8GFBcYkfCe7Nq_7-m8CgEzT8ILwIn2ScUCmLYEUCNn85eGXlTkhX4MVSaLN6Y0Q_9ckpndKb_P2okmE67LMBU16pOSKYlKGssd-2ULrpGv8/s320/quick+arrival.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;">rRabbit MSD tank top, SD sweater, and Tree Design SD Shorts (too big)</span></span></td></tr>
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</li>
<li>SD13 tops are slouchy, which works if you're going for an oversized, comfy look.</li>
<li>SD10 tops, like this one from MVS on taobao, should fit I think, but I can't find it in my stash to confirm. It was snug on my larger SD girls' shoulders, so I think it would fit the slimness of the Zaoll body. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwyJFleyxlzq-bnl9DJMWb7VIrDF_h_ksnnP0Z966DGiDBQTiM8AwxnBPK1TEjDeX5hy9WRghckIUdb8uBjMCxQswV1e8PVQP5WOf9ZOqs6xXJYf2RaQxCrwfU45bcfUE7KDbB1CvZ-I/s1600/bo+008.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwyJFleyxlzq-bnl9DJMWb7VIrDF_h_ksnnP0Z966DGiDBQTiM8AwxnBPK1TEjDeX5hy9WRghckIUdb8uBjMCxQswV1e8PVQP5WOf9ZOqs6xXJYf2RaQxCrwfU45bcfUE7KDbB1CvZ-I/s320/bo+008.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;">MVS top- a little snug on this SDgr recast b<span style="color: #0000ee;">ody. Missing from my stash so I can't <span style="color: #0000ee;">confirm</span>. </span><u><br /></u></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Especially since this MVS SD10/13 jacket that runs snug on my Feeples fits her much better. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwicHVy25480nLQ48SEZ2qA2IKl6L0qQdC4w9M10U59JZeyA1fjrjsckL4bTRStoZx5sOAsOatlfDaco986K4IoH8sWRFCf5NSGJMiwXMiW9fsfs94E6_IIm0nG_LjJ9Z3WcKZgMgj5jQ/s1600/mvs+jacket.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwicHVy25480nLQ48SEZ2qA2IKl6L0qQdC4w9M10U59JZeyA1fjrjsckL4bTRStoZx5sOAsOatlfDaco986K4IoH8sWRFCf5NSGJMiwXMiW9fsfs94E6_IIm0nG_LjJ9Z3WcKZgMgj5jQ/s320/mvs+jacket.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MVS Jacket</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
<li>SD 16 will drown them. Avoid. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Bottoms:</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Every pair of SD bottoms I've tried has been too big. They'll work for photo's sake, but they fall off very easily. </li>
<li>Skirts with elastic waists fit nicely in SD size. I haven't tried any MSD elastic waistband skirts. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Stockings:</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>So far no problems really. I can stretch some MSD size pantyhose on her, and SD pantyhose run baggy at the crotch, just like SD pants do. </li>
</ul>
<br />
Thanks for reading. I'll update this as I test more things out in the future! <3 Thanks for reading as always, and sorry this one wasn't as useful as usual! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-45460800892691407542016-07-04T12:19:00.000-06:002016-07-04T12:19:00.154-06:00Zaoll Body Posing<b>Disclaimer:</b><br />
<br />
In these photos she has the Feeple 60 double jointed arms. Zaoll default arms are single jointed and cannot do much. Also all these pics were taken at night in those precious hours when the spawn are asleep so pardon the crap quality and the flash. XD I take my moments where I can get them. <br />
<br />
She has also been sueded and will soon be wired to help with her posing.<br />
<br />
As I mentioned in the <a href="http://amaranthscastaways.blogspot.com/2016/06/review-time-dollmore-zaoll-dreaming-luv.html">review </a>on her when I initially got her, she is single jointed. This does affect the posing ability.<br />
<br />
There are several different modifications and such that you can do to improve upon this, including sueding and wiring, as well as poseability modifications to the joints themselves. I'm going to be attempting some on the arms soon and will post when I get around to that. For now, here is what I was able to get her to do.<br />
<br />
It is more than I thought I'd be able to do, and I should note that I can *almost* get her to balance on one leg. She needs ankle support and then I think she'd be able to do it.<br />
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First, here is the body with Feeple 60 Moe WS arms attached:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiHmJ77KGUtkxOX5fBvKZJbIxK4wqZDYkAKjyVdLc3eU5jfja_HLwziJudpLv1y5HOfwaSWwwBiVY0l6d6cg-IpGd3stSxUIGgooE-E4PJ6YM6e3gZvf_3QPOgaanS3ddw1JFA6W0sWo/s1600/arms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiHmJ77KGUtkxOX5fBvKZJbIxK4wqZDYkAKjyVdLc3eU5jfja_HLwziJudpLv1y5HOfwaSWwwBiVY0l6d6cg-IpGd3stSxUIGgooE-E4PJ6YM6e3gZvf_3QPOgaanS3ddw1JFA6W0sWo/s400/arms.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Here's a quick comparison with the Feeple 60 Moe torso:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMUtrrg6jtWEr7Fo4lnbE8CpgKrJCuTzSgQIdUEvREv8eYOdEByKcMHEvbVKrXMNt7MzS0NGQQyTV3Bn28vFrEhEjq1iyHkv7vxuUSYjPPLUArzg5vVt8jJGdNFHz4kcQ8eMW0syWhEg/s1600/body+comparison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMUtrrg6jtWEr7Fo4lnbE8CpgKrJCuTzSgQIdUEvREv8eYOdEByKcMHEvbVKrXMNt7MzS0NGQQyTV3Bn28vFrEhEjq1iyHkv7vxuUSYjPPLUArzg5vVt8jJGdNFHz4kcQ8eMW0syWhEg/s400/body+comparison.jpg" width="351" /></a></div>
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And onto some poses!<br />
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She has a really great range of upper body movement. She looks very natural, and can turn and slouch easily. With the addition of the moe 60 arms, the posing ability of the upper body is definitely improved.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNAW1BzO42jzi8Xf5EJj-qTMx6NrNLGHUju4QsGPBVyEIUawo2HZV2dmAP-1vSeDVY_p0AED7-AMLIf_7w4SkEBi81zoBuuW2zrvqA4Zbg71SKWfw0UF9szy6pkWrMAo7s6fVaHw8ta80/s1600/sitting+and+leaning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNAW1BzO42jzi8Xf5EJj-qTMx6NrNLGHUju4QsGPBVyEIUawo2HZV2dmAP-1vSeDVY_p0AED7-AMLIf_7w4SkEBi81zoBuuW2zrvqA4Zbg71SKWfw0UF9szy6pkWrMAo7s6fVaHw8ta80/s400/sitting+and+leaning.jpg" width="321" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYSKunThuk593V_CCYnhux2EyuOHYHNqDd5NJlFUnD-WbejOCKj4Wu-00xIoHYwkxt70KQV6UiKCKc-RNPqsUe1U7XfJGmyJCt6Qz-hATAOVbumqvJVwCEE0cGyCYJDFv1gddqWVRkBM/s1600/sitting+one+leg+up+side+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYSKunThuk593V_CCYnhux2EyuOHYHNqDd5NJlFUnD-WbejOCKj4Wu-00xIoHYwkxt70KQV6UiKCKc-RNPqsUe1U7XfJGmyJCt6Qz-hATAOVbumqvJVwCEE0cGyCYJDFv1gddqWVRkBM/s400/sitting+one+leg+up+side+view.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5GJQU8-yjZ08JW40apW5eQvkx_Jfs8fGSlbNXv7gM1FbPU639clg-KJaDFPLWprvbxzLaeA5uzQ7lvMtj58_jScXYtnJ8ZJ6tFFW9lyCNmXXylPZWGu2IgxIA8ktkLsxHON2NQTAFho/s1600/sitting+pose+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5GJQU8-yjZ08JW40apW5eQvkx_Jfs8fGSlbNXv7gM1FbPU639clg-KJaDFPLWprvbxzLaeA5uzQ7lvMtj58_jScXYtnJ8ZJ6tFFW9lyCNmXXylPZWGu2IgxIA8ktkLsxHON2NQTAFho/s400/sitting+pose+1.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aeNhTAfScSQTK2qPWfYnSxJ-AxjNRBpyxpeCPo63g06kDWvAKE9qVBENGSGpnJ6WZq7h2iU1JuHRzeYKQJZdfz1E8EVtbp8xeVDtTC3i0i8lJ4GzRtUrWv4NI48SDXxppHW_gaGoo10/s1600/sitting+pose+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aeNhTAfScSQTK2qPWfYnSxJ-AxjNRBpyxpeCPo63g06kDWvAKE9qVBENGSGpnJ6WZq7h2iU1JuHRzeYKQJZdfz1E8EVtbp8xeVDtTC3i0i8lJ4GzRtUrWv4NI48SDXxppHW_gaGoo10/s400/sitting+pose+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88HyMi8cMqAMBsnZTF2BkfmyG8vkgvkadZ57_EYrKxLGIpsoMLTxdOewBsD07g0D4-_L-hINOxmr5qWuZYjQVoIT5xYW30uZyZdmjEflJ2b05lqahkWLcKU5Z1StvuopIrBs31pJ4DMw/s1600/sitting+pose+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88HyMi8cMqAMBsnZTF2BkfmyG8vkgvkadZ57_EYrKxLGIpsoMLTxdOewBsD07g0D4-_L-hINOxmr5qWuZYjQVoIT5xYW30uZyZdmjEflJ2b05lqahkWLcKU5Z1StvuopIrBs31pJ4DMw/s400/sitting+pose+3.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Sueding her leg sockets made a huge difference in her ability to stand, but did not seem to affect her ability to hold her legs up and balance when standing. I'll let you be the judge here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMxzpxVWoNeaMc0HWURV4k5ARaBZvgwLehdFkP9enYTcFLpqvHoFpO35kLK1jCKTj8nNS8hKd8KFvo4KMsqoiHgT6AViT2W18yP_W0thLCe3NLcupuHF_vRzNpEDy7PaZv8GfrSysNDo/s1600/standing+and+leaning+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMxzpxVWoNeaMc0HWURV4k5ARaBZvgwLehdFkP9enYTcFLpqvHoFpO35kLK1jCKTj8nNS8hKd8KFvo4KMsqoiHgT6AViT2W18yP_W0thLCe3NLcupuHF_vRzNpEDy7PaZv8GfrSysNDo/s400/standing+and+leaning+back.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjno6cRBoxyixHQxiFFLy9JOSS1BDKyAO2HCpQwj9pmVlIlhtOFUmFe9vt33n6oxYqqcGyqyLln4rz_J2oVlVQzVjl8zw8sW7QIERBCYrPZyjXATCvUHd17D3q33MiJvdI8R8mqWtBW0Ps/s1600/standing+and+leaning+forweard+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjno6cRBoxyixHQxiFFLy9JOSS1BDKyAO2HCpQwj9pmVlIlhtOFUmFe9vt33n6oxYqqcGyqyLln4rz_J2oVlVQzVjl8zw8sW7QIERBCYrPZyjXATCvUHd17D3q33MiJvdI8R8mqWtBW0Ps/s400/standing+and+leaning+forweard+2.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNJjfSxl4GaeO7tux8REsrDgbXGMQ-pRflmDa7d_lhYSNld0E9KGmaXPATBOsSEzzzzfNHvYEeiHbZIc69ZABRaSSUyZbqKXYhR3hMfyhCvsvKApNrKu6VIrGe05dgi4h_L0NjEn-jW8/s1600/standing+graceful.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNJjfSxl4GaeO7tux8REsrDgbXGMQ-pRflmDa7d_lhYSNld0E9KGmaXPATBOsSEzzzzfNHvYEeiHbZIc69ZABRaSSUyZbqKXYhR3hMfyhCvsvKApNrKu6VIrGe05dgi4h_L0NjEn-jW8/s640/standing+graceful.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGybxI5ojWo9HecLFYbYvGOJ756d6H8tGYkU1WGmcCC1hoAnYt1Wq_OzIL5sbpS0UyaADwZ-kU8UpUzc8UG8BrgAzJwZlKfKcWynUWDXfp01vIIlF54ObCTLI04hgiiJ7kOvV-gbF_4Dk/s1600/standing+leaning+forward.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGybxI5ojWo9HecLFYbYvGOJ756d6H8tGYkU1WGmcCC1hoAnYt1Wq_OzIL5sbpS0UyaADwZ-kU8UpUzc8UG8BrgAzJwZlKfKcWynUWDXfp01vIIlF54ObCTLI04hgiiJ7kOvV-gbF_4Dk/s400/standing+leaning+forward.jpg" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her face plate fell off here. XD It just needs a new magnet.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5g_Ypty54UGqtX0f2qpsVGOYNXPae5MfWhE2Gp7F10XxMVtA_yGmQCL2Uo83DIpPEwKKj0aHzeEkJ0Ekpu9gdUfuanggDjI1IrCrOGvUKdq_AF_il-vUyNm2pgMdWyYfnGx28If-py00/s1600/standing+pose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5g_Ypty54UGqtX0f2qpsVGOYNXPae5MfWhE2Gp7F10XxMVtA_yGmQCL2Uo83DIpPEwKKj0aHzeEkJ0Ekpu9gdUfuanggDjI1IrCrOGvUKdq_AF_il-vUyNm2pgMdWyYfnGx28If-py00/s400/standing+pose.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Thank you for reading and happy collecting. ^_^</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-32839021272079534302016-06-20T11:57:00.000-06:002016-06-20T11:57:05.828-06:00Review Time: Dollmore Zaoll Dreaming LuvI purchased this pretty little lady second hand from a friend, so I can really only give my opinion as to quality of the doll. I can relate my friend's experience with Dollmore and my own from ordering Dollmore clothes.<br />
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<b>Site: </b>Dollmore.com<br />
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<b>Ease of Ordering: </b>Always easy to order from, uses paypal to pay. Can't complain there.<br />
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<b>Speed:</b> Dollmore is always pretty quick on shipping things, even dolls (my friend who orders frequently says it usually takes around a month). I've never had an excessive wait from them. When they make mistakes they're pretty good about fixing them. <br />
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<b>Clothing: </b>The clothing is usually pretty well-made, with a variety of things to choose from. In my early days I preferred to shop there or Alice's Collections. So it's really a taste factor.<br />
<br />
Onto the doll herself!<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<b>Resin: </b>Literally the prettiest white skin I own (I have Fairyland and Supia white skin here). The color has a pinky undertone and it's really quite pretty. Fairyland resin is a little more yellow compared, worse with the older white resin, but nothing blushing or photoshop can't fix. XD I'll post a resin comparison sometime down the road.<br />
<br />
It has a great texture. It's not too smooth, and has a lovely toothy feel.<br />
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<b>Sculpting: </b>Quality sculpting, cute details. her eye wells are very shallow, so she will definitely need low dome eyes. Not one pair of my eye collection other than eyeco fit her. Zaoll use a faceplate system. <br />
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<b>Seam lines:</b> She's got quite a few pretty sharp seam lines on one side of her stomach and arms and legs. I sanded them mostly off and it looks and feels much better.<br />
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<b>Posing: </b>Sadly, she has a single jointed body, limiting her posing. She cannot touch her face or anything without mods. I ended up using my Feeple 60 body's white arms even though the match is off so she has prettier hands (Zaoll hands lack expression and look a little stiff and oversized for the body). I'll be attempting to mod the elbows to double joints soon (post most likely forthcoming this summer).<br />
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There will be a post in two weeks from today on her <a href="http://amaranthscastaways.blogspot.com/2016/04/zaoll-body-posing.html">posing abilities</a>. I'm still working on compiling pictures for it and trying to push the limits on what she can do. Except a post soon about what she <a href="http://amaranthscastaways.blogspot.com/2016/04/clothing-zaoll.html">can and can't wear</a>. <br />
<br />
Overall, she's the tiniest little SD girl I own. She has a very delicate, petite vibe about her without being thinner than I prefer. While she's a little difficult to clothe, I feel like it's part of her charm! I'm absolutely smitten with this little lady and can't recommend them enough. <br />
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As always, thank you for reading and happy collecting! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-76733467413890534322016-06-16T09:03:00.001-06:002016-06-16T09:03:59.256-06:00Recasts in Strange PlacesApparently the term "recast" isn't limited to dolls and bootleg toys. <div><br></div><div>A year or so ago I dived (hey, a pun!) into the world of mermaiding. It got me in shape and soon I began to research upgrades to my fabric tail. I soon learned there are people making molds of existing artists flukes and selling recast, literally recast, silicone mermaid tails. </div><div><br></div><div>Many of these were made with substandard materials that could literally kill you- by poisoning or drowning. </div><div><br></div><div>A mermaid tail of the silicone variety costs a minimum of $800 worth of materials to make. Factor in sculpting time, artist wage, etc and you're looking at upwards of $1300 for a tail depending on upgrades. </div><div><br></div><div>In this hobby, recast is even more tempting than dolls, but it literally directly hurts these small one or two woman/man studios and could potentially kill you. </div><div><br></div><div>Fast forward a bit, I'm hunting for a storm trooper armor kit for next year. Apparently recast armor is actually a thing! They literally buy a suit from a small company. No, Lucas Arts and Disney are not making 501st grade armor, so scrap that big companies don't get hurt bullshit. After they've made molds from the armor they then sell inferior copies. </div><div><br></div><div>These copies are again made of substandard materials. They crack, the don't hold up to sanding and painting, they aren't tough enough for trooping in. They lack detail, which often means the difference in getting a 501st acceptance. </div><div><br></div><div>These are not just boot leg copies, like a MLP fake. A cheap version of storm trooper armor isn't going to kill you, but it's not going to hold up. It's substandard and you won't get in. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dcq0UVW35Dgyh3olyGXFxydS1L1085ZSYE6zneMUT_azg_OgOfrNeNnwxFV1DwxPdgx6KGK_oMufn_zNj_FbVetk5jpJl0nzXXOHTjdTlD4V1Vq9aaPt8-m8gJpwZi_6luhtt3GSUis/s640/blogger-image-962261231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dcq0UVW35Dgyh3olyGXFxydS1L1085ZSYE6zneMUT_azg_OgOfrNeNnwxFV1DwxPdgx6KGK_oMufn_zNj_FbVetk5jpJl0nzXXOHTjdTlD4V1Vq9aaPt8-m8gJpwZi_6luhtt3GSUis/s640/blogger-image-962261231.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Storm trooper armor is made by small companies often with few employees. Each piece is hand sculpted before cast and processed through vacuforming. These aren't made in big factories in assembly lines. In fact, you just receive an unfinished kit and have to sand and assemble it yourself!</div><div><br></div><div>This truly makes me question the materials recast dolls are made of. My recast always yellowed faster, always ended up with cracks and breaks and weak spots. We know that early recasts were made with inferior and possibly more toxic than usual materials. But overtime they did seem to improve. This doesn't take away from the impact they have on the individual artists and small companies. </div><div><br></div><div>The more aware of recasting I've become the more I see it everywhere and the greater the impact it really seems to have. No, dolls aren't going to kill you unless this a modern version of the Puppet Master, but it's very clear how much artists depend on your business in these niche hobbies to survive. </div><div><br></div><div>Not much point to this post, but just something I noticed. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-70126839003905390272016-06-01T19:03:00.000-06:002016-06-01T19:03:50.648-06:00On Popularity, Shame, Perfectionism, and Internet Cruelty <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My life motto. (Brene Brown, I don't know who created the photo.)</td></tr>
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Today ladies and gentlemen and all others we're going to talk about Shame and Perfectionism and how this relates to popularity in the doll hobby. This will probably be another one of my possibly offensive and controversial posts, so I apologize in advance if I hurt your feelings. </div>
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You're probably wondering what perfectionism is doing on a doll blog. I've written about everything from confidence to honesty and economics on this blog, so why not this? With the proliferation of BJD Confession blogs full of snarky confessions about poor face ups and styling or photography to complaints about not being popular (enough), perfectionism is very much a part of our hobby. </div>
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I am not a person who is very open about my own struggles. Most of you know my teen brother died last August, and I've been grieving since then. This is on top of an anxiety disorder and cyclical depression and yes--- my perfectionism. </div>
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Through the therapy I've been attending for a few years, I've been learning how to deal with my anxieties and with my perfectionism. I've learned that perfectionism is based on something we call Shame. At the end of this piece I'm going to link my favorite Shame and perfectionism books and researchers, and I highly recommend checking these out!</div>
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<b>Disclaimer: I am not a licensed mental health professional. Do not take anything I say here as medical advice.</b></div>
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I am merely a humble world wise traveler, an anthropologist who specialized in subcultures and the supernatural in school, a Wiccan teacher, and someone who has been down and out homeless and mostly gotten back up. So take what I say with a grain of salt, and know that I have faith in you. I've overcome self injury, eating disorders, major depression, suicidal tendencies, and low self-esteem. I still struggle like any other person, and I have ups and downs, and that is why I hope I can help someone else. </div>
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First things first, lets define some terms.</div>
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<b>Vulnerability:</b></div>
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I define vulnerability to mean putting oneself in the position where there is risk. This can be physical vulnerability (walking alone in a dangerous neighborhood after dark), emotional vulnerability (omfg I just told her I think she's cute omfg what is she going to say?!), and any other situation in which we put some aspect of ourselves on display or for the judgment of others.</div>
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<b>Shame:</b></div>
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Shame is that nasty feeling that creeps up on you anytime you find yourself feeling vulnerable, afraid, or when you feel you've failed or might fail. It might be a physical sensation deep in your gut, a red flush across your cheeks, dizziness, or gut wrenching anxiety and all the symptoms that come with that. Brene Brown adds that shame is an "intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging ā something weāve experienced, done, or failed to do makes us unworthy of connection." (Yes, I quote her a lot, but bear with me. She's one of my heroes.)<br />
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In the doll hobby and the quest for attention and popularity, our lack thereof makes us feel shame, as if we are unworthy of belonging to and contributing to the hobby community. We've "failed" to become a super star, the pond's big fish, so we feel shame and unworthy. We feel we don't belong, that we don't deserve our dolls, that we'll never succeed, that we suck at photos or face ups or whatever. Chances are this isn't just the hobby<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you're feeling this in. I'd venture it's rearing its head in many other areas of your life, and you've just never had a name for it before. </div>
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<b>Guilt:</b></div>
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Guilt isn't always a negative. Guilt is the social construct that helps humans behave in a way their society finds appropriate. primates have a deep need to belong. Being alone usually meant death. Modern society may not automatically have that life or death struggle for the most part, and being the lone weirdo doesn't mean you're going to starve to death when you're kicked out of the cave come winter, but it does create mental anguish, anxiety, and intense feelings of shame and loneliness. </div>
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Brown says, "I believe that guilt is adaptive and helpful ā itās holding something weāve done or failed to do up against our values and feeling psychological discomfort." I agree with this, as an anthropologist. Guilt prevents you from robbing your neighbor because he's got a nicer TV. It makes you feel ashamed when you think about or actually do act on your impulses to seek vengeance for a perceived slight. Guilt keeps us striving to work to fulfill our own expectations of ourselves, but for perfectionists, guilt can get out of hand. It's a juggling act, and a difficult one. </div>
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<b>Superiority Complex:</b></div>
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A superiority complex is "an attitude of superiority that conceals actual feelings of inferiority and failure." (thanks Google Definitions). Basically, you act like an elitist ass because you feel the exact opposite of that. Someone with a superiority complex puts down others in an effort to seem more knowledgeable, experienced, or just "better" than others. It's pretty well known that intentionally shaming someone for their looks implies envy, shaming someone for the face up skills means you're better. </div>
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This DOES NOT mean you can't vent to your buddies. "Wtf why did this get more likes? My picture is better right?" And it might be. And having someone reinforce that for you can help us not to feel ashamed. This is isn't a superiority complex until it becomes pathological and internalized, and you begin to define your self-worth in terms of doing better than other people. </div>
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Using myself as a case example: I know I'm improving as a photographer. My technical skill has gotten worlds better than it was five years ago. However, less skilled photos often get more attention than mine. I don't immediately hate myself and my dolls because I don't have a superiority complex. I whine to my best doll friends about it, and I move on. Someone with a superiority complex will hate their dolls, hate the person, and probably send a bunch of shitty confessions bashing that person anonymously. One is a pretty normal (if kind of embarrassing) response and the other is symptomatic of deeper issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my experience and opinion, the superiority complex has you paranoid and believing everyone is copying you or out to get you. </div>
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<b>Inferiority Complex:</b></div>
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This is<b> "</b>an unrealistic feeling of general inadequacy caused by actual or supposed inferiority in one sphere, sometimes marked by aggressive behavior in compensation." Essentially, someone feels like they suck at life, dolls, and everything, so they become hyper critical, hyper aggressive, and downright petty in response. They constantly seek attention and butt pats, trying to find some sense of self-worth from this attention. Your shame makes you think "I'm not popular/I suck because I don't have or do X and only X is popular". Believing you're Inferior leads to copycats who borrow or depend on other people's ideas in an attempt to make themselves feel better. </div>
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<b> Perfectionism:</b> </div>
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Brene Brown, a personal hero of mine, defines perfectionism this way: āPerfectionism is a self-destructive and addictive belief system that fuels this primary thought: āIf I look perfect, live perfectly, and do everything perfectly, I can avoid or minimize the painful feelings of shame, judgment, and blame.ā</div>
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Perfectionists seek to minimize feelings of inadequacy and failure, the negative feelings of shame that increase anxiety, depression, and lack of satisfaction. We don't like to be wrong; we like to be respected because to be disrespected is to fail or be imperfect. We have deeply held standards of ourselves, created through our lifetime experiences and expectations others had of us. </div>
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I think all artists to some degree are perfectionists. We never view our work as perfect, and it is this need which drives us ever forward toward improvement. If the artist ever viewed their work as complete, they'd not have the need to explore and challenge themselves and their audience. They'd fail to try new things, to see room for improvement, and they'd thus fail to create. However, too much of this results in the opposite: a complete lack of creativity and a feeling of fear and stagnation preventing us from actually acting on our deep need to create. </div>
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Doll collectors are artists. We style our dolls. We paint them. We photograph them. We pose them. Play is an art, my friends, take it from any toddler. There is an art to play, and through art we play even as adults. </div>
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I'd venture a good majority of doll collectors, at least those most active in the social aspects of the doll hobby, are riddled with those struggles I've talked about above. We want to popular, to be noticed, to be seen as knowledgeable, expert, to be respected. We forever feel the sting of shame when we say, "I AM NOT GOOD ENOUGH". </div>
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I dare you to throw that aside and to say, "Today, I AM GOOD ENOUGH." There is no shame in not being noticed. There is no shame in lacking popularity.</div>
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There is no magic formula to it.</div>
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I'd venture that I am not a popular person in the hobby. Many people know me. I was once a proverbial Big Fish in the small recast pond, and I stood out there once upon a time before the pond grew and I eventually left for the ocean that is the rest of the BJD community. Yet, I have fewer than 50 instagram followers (and most of those are my relatives, which both amuses and pains me at the same time), and occasionally (though it's begun to occur more frequently than I EVER expected) earn more than 25 notes on tumblr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I've searched for the formula. I've owned the rarest of the rares, a Juri 08 and a Vampire Chloe. I've owned the most popular of populars, Minifee and Feeple 60 Chloes. I've owned the strange- DC Alberta and several hybrids there of. I've owned cute, I've owned creepy, human, anthro, elf, witch, hipster, artist, big eyed stylized, realistic. The doll you own is NOT the key to popularity. There's no Solomon's Key that'll magically unlock some ancient secret to BJD stardome. And if that's your sole reason for being in this hobby? Well, er, keep readingā¦.</div>
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I've taken terrible photos. I'm sad to say my most favorited photo on flickr is this one.</div>
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That's right. A shoe picture. Oh, my poor ego.</div>
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The worst reception I ever received on a photo on Facebook was this one, with a whopping 25 likes. </div>
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If I were to give into my feelings of shame and guilt, I'd rage quit the hobby. I felt ashamed, a little guilt,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a little sadness, my ego was bruised, but I picked myself up and moved forward, thinking of new ideas.</div>
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I don't say these things to seek asspats. I say them to show you the wide variance of reception. It is an unpredictable human element. We can shoot for the right time, the right group, the right day to share a photo, but that human element is an unpredictable one. When you figure out how to predict that human element with 100% accuracy, come join me in the anthropology department. We need you. </div>
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If you are in the hobby solely for outside approval, then this speaks to your shame. It speaks to more than just dolls, but to your personal bitter struggle with shame and perfectionism. It will take time, and you can learn to overcome these impulses. You can become stronger overtime, and the need to be fulfilled from external sources can be conquered and you can become a <b>whole-hearted*</b> person. </div>
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If you are unfulfilled and unsatisfied in your hobby, take a damn good look at why. What shame issues do you have surrounding this that you've yet to address? What can you work through to help find enjoyment again? You will never find happiness, fulfillment, or contentment if you only find it in others and not from within yourself. </div>
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I am always striving to improve. I love my dolls, even when a photo bombs. I think about quitting when I fail, but I am not a person who is able to quit. I pick myself up, I dust myself off, I mope to my dearest friends, and I always try again. </div>
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No more asshole comments on confession blogs, no more crude unasked for criticism. Treat all who share as you yourself would want to be treated when you allow yourself to be vulnerable and open to hurt. Those that most actively try to hurt, shame, or make others feel inferior are feeling that way about themselves. Sharing your doll takes vulnerability and openness, and even if we gossip and laugh in private with our friends, it is an entirely different thing to do it in a cruel, anonymous atmosphere, on Facebook, or in person. If criticism is asked for, learn to do it with gentleness. </div>
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I'm not an expert. I fail. I give in to feelings of shame and inadequacy and jealousy and envy as much as the next person. But I believe having a name for this beast and the tools to challenge it does worlds for own mental health and my outlook on life. Whether I'm squatting out reps of 186lbs or painting eyelashes on a pretty little doll, failure kicks my ass and then I get back up. I believe you have the strength to do this too. </div>
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So! If you take nothing else away from this, simply remember to always try again. The only true failure is to stop trying. Dare to be vulnerable, and be kind always. </div>
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<b>*See</b> Brene Brown's definition of the whole-hearted way of living. </div>
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<b>Reading List:</b></div>
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Brene Brown works: "The Gifts of Imperfection" and "I Thought it Was Just Me But It Wasn't" and "Daring Greatly" (All her works are worth reading.)</div>
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She has TED talks available on youtube, and you can see her site here: www.ordinarycourage.com</div>
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Sue Patton Thoele, "The Courage to Be Yourself"</div>
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Ann Smith, "Overcoming Perfectionism: Finding the Key to Balance and Self"</div>
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June Price Tangay, "Shame and Guilt"</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-54816267657259952582016-05-23T13:19:00.000-06:002016-05-23T13:19:06.930-06:00Rrabbit Clothing Review<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">[Note:</span></b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> At the time I took pics, I wasn't planning on a review so they're pretty bad quality, lol. Since then, everything has been mixed up in my doll stuff boxes, so eventually I'll take better pictures. You'll have to deal with these for now. XD<b> </b>I'm also having major format issues with Blogger today, so if anything's weird I apologize. <b>]</b></span><br />
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<b>English Site:</b> <a href="http://rrabit.com/rrabitstore/rrabitshop/"> http://rrabit.com/rrabitstore/rrabitshop/</a></div>
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I ordered during Chinese New Year, so I'm a little shocked this shipped when it did. Here are a few pics of the items I ordered:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZb7oq0CLobcGgQsAV_bUiQX_fL1h5IYuFmtNWY2esYECrsmyhzF9QtSFGTvABspQ-s6qcr6XuqwUIFcjK36nzPG-znOFo5LDvViHFJaMpyljtkjGQRlMm4CavzV5Y89B0avrKPzYHjiA/s1600/IMG_5016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZb7oq0CLobcGgQsAV_bUiQX_fL1h5IYuFmtNWY2esYECrsmyhzF9QtSFGTvABspQ-s6qcr6XuqwUIFcjK36nzPG-znOFo5LDvViHFJaMpyljtkjGQRlMm4CavzV5Y89B0avrKPzYHjiA/s320/IMG_5016.JPG" width="180" /></a></div>
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Everything, down to the perfectly scaled little buttons, is PERFECT. I will definitely be ordering from them again. It's a shame their stuff sells out so quickly. It's all perfect for my crew of Mori girls. </div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The SD stuff fits my SD13 range girls (Feeple 60s Moe and Regular) perfectly. I haven't tried anything on my larger girls (Supia and Iplehouse). I'm thinking of their larger boy stuff might fit my Iplehouse EID woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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Note that most of their MSD stuff is going to be a bit big on the slim minis like minifee. It's better suited for the larger MSDs unless you get something stretchy or with an elastic waistband. It will work if you don't mind fiddling with stuff. A friend of mine, for example, tacks the clothing behind the doll's back so it fits better from other views. She just doesn't take pics from those angles. If you're creative or good with sewing it'll work for them. <br />
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Even with the cheapest option, the stuff arrived quickly. I don't know if I got a shipping notice or not, as I never check my email and it just showed up at my door one day. I vaguely recall seeing an email, and there is a tracking number on my order history page. XD<br />
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I recommend this shop and will definitely order again. Their pricing is fair, and consistent both on their English site and taobao site which is uncommon (I'm looking at you, Sunnys World and Tatas).<br /><br />I've reviewed a few random things from the order below with links and pictures. For the most part, you'll just have spend some time exploring the site. Things do sell out quickly, so most of what I bought is already sold out. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcf-L9mw3s3U3MdfXWjmWMSpjJUGR-WJrLhJlCG0nvvT-y10oaqmQ6XZ8PVsRv5pVDZAQ47RNwyhQlqLEqHT2w50bm0Eb6xmfPF_0nSeX2EselWV5fdR5UipsH4GkSYRNqLw77-SlLwk/s320/IMG_5021.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crap cell phone pic of one of the skirts and a sweater from this order.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">These
skirts are just darling. The pictures are from rRabbit, so copyright
goes to them. I have them layered up to create an awesome floofy
petticoat look. Definitely give them a shot if you have girls that need
extra floof. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://rrabit.com/rrabitstore/rrabitshop/index.php/1-3-hl023-1402.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpXVFHbLdmG0NZ9zULv7lZyLHOwqA0eh36e0hDka-LMah9MKLs92xvWqjKr4QmwWEEjiGBGZPjIjboziBmX9rBIagyGLWDomtri7Aw_gb4K4rgeUaefWgvdPsubtQbwafOpIMXjA0AUE/s200/cowl+dress.jpg" width="141" /></a> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /><br /><br /><br />This sweater has a deep cowl neck which doubles as a hood. It is a little big on my Feeples. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">These adorable little sweaters are now sold out, but they're super cute and worth every penny:</span><a href="http://rrabit.com/rrabitstore/rrabitshop/index.php/1-3-hl030-1604.html"><img alt="http://rrabit.com/rrabitstore/rrabitshop/index.php/1-3-hl030-1604.html" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipspxpMGprRV9ONrJWxTHb7khs8jBpnEv2x5jSgkUnedUpC-I4-8_89l6YmsiJ6CpcOYTnmIOrYSkjyQdi412zWq5hJ_wGjlgjxJcn2Y6iYbswjUYDZNMSDELeFNVLiM1f8C7ZHTFl6Ic/s200/sweater+1.jpg" width="160" /></a> <a href="http://rrabit.com/rrabitstore/rrabitshop/index.php/1-3-kc020-1514.html"><img alt="http://rrabit.com/rrabitstore/rrabitshop/index.php/1-3-kc020-1514.html" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGiemfAeR2f4HvtTpY-zUufcNCpzILj1JdSXybKFpMwUowcPt7QrJ-q1ll3mQlrrVPQy5VF8kWfG_y9BFAFWHPwg7w6UlWUYlAgX8ZcnwumXJYCI72bupeQRiEsV1aGaztmp8tXJlg7A/s200/sweater+2.jpg" width="159" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGiemfAeR2f4HvtTpY-zUufcNCpzILj1JdSXybKFpMwUowcPt7QrJ-q1ll3mQlrrVPQy5VF8kWfG_y9BFAFWHPwg7w6UlWUYlAgX8ZcnwumXJYCI72bupeQRiEsV1aGaztmp8tXJlg7A/s1600/sweater+2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jvpcKaANdwGVtwCwjenpxYTVudSHjC98N5rqY44Wz8n1Ui6jjxX12vE-HnaKcyFAlZiaSHruLVKd3_X6E4Ry3V4hY8bWTfQfiqhi2AuYQxuXIroQDmhCvMna6zpwv2JIFS_oXiR9VXM/s1600/blurry+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jvpcKaANdwGVtwCwjenpxYTVudSHjC98N5rqY44Wz8n1Ui6jjxX12vE-HnaKcyFAlZiaSHruLVKd3_X6E4Ry3V4hY8bWTfQfiqhi2AuYQxuXIroQDmhCvMna6zpwv2JIFS_oXiR9VXM/s320/blurry+2.jpg" width="207" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Unedited cellphone pic of Peregrine modeling a few of the items from above. Peregrine is a Feeple 60 Miyu.</span></td></tr>
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I hope you enjoyed this quick review. Thanks for reading and happy collecting! <3</span><br />
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Omake: Pile of Floof. (I'm oddly satisfied by this picture.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYpTXz_4p6QdxOVucbToIrE5WiX6Da9c4KxqzFMatuj4_Oxk-xNhaMlQ_9Lc7oU2GCTeyWjjLypK46Bbs8QutwcgRs9oc78UPP4GbodM1QKthSzH-vgYM6SYF9K4ldw4gvDc9FyTBj94/s1600/IMG_5019.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYpTXz_4p6QdxOVucbToIrE5WiX6Da9c4KxqzFMatuj4_Oxk-xNhaMlQ_9Lc7oU2GCTeyWjjLypK46Bbs8QutwcgRs9oc78UPP4GbodM1QKthSzH-vgYM6SYF9K4ldw4gvDc9FyTBj94/s400/IMG_5019.JPG" width="400" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-49466763447040228622016-05-09T19:32:00.000-06:002016-05-09T19:32:08.370-06:00The Dangerous Decline of the Secondhand Market- What that means for the future of the hobby.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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There has been a decided decrease in the purchasing power of
the average BJD hobbyist thanks to the decline of the secondhand market. We can
no longer purchase a doll knowing we cannot recoup most of our costs and turn
around and reinvest the money from that doll back into the market.
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The large majority of doll collectors, I'd wager, do not
have the financial freedom to just purchase full cost dolls willy-nilly. Sure
there are some people, perhaps those with large incomes and/or no dependents to
care for who can buy several full-price mid or high range dolls a month, but
they're uncommon. I'm not qualifying this or saying those with more purchasing
power are better or worse than someone with less.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's simply a fact. It's a fact that most of the doll collectors
I know depend on their ability to sell a doll to buy a new doll. I know only 3
doll collectors on a personal basis that do NOT have to sell to buy. They may
choose to do so, but they're not required to do it. The point is they're
honestly a minority. This piece is concerned with the purchasing power of the
average doll collector and what the reduction of that power is doing to the
market and thus the future of the hobby.</div>
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There is this sense of haggling and deal making in this
hobby that has gone beyond respectable. People are wanting top of the line
dolls for Walmart prices- and they're wanting them now. No one wants to pay
$450 for a minifee, so they begin to search secondhand. They hope that they can
snag a good deal- maybe $350 with no long wait timeā¦.. then they begin to
search for one for $250 because it's not mint in it's boxā¦ because another
human touched itā¦. because how dare the original owner hope to get $400 for
that minifee?</div>
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I've seen $850 Iplehouse dolls dropping to a sad $450. And
they're not selling even then. This is simply not fair, and frankly it's not
sustainable. They often blame scalping but frankly- it's not scalping to expect
an investment return. And scalping alone is not to blame for the decline in the
market. It's people who believe that asking $285 for an Iplehouse JID or $350
for a minifee is too much. They're the reason there is no more money to
reinvest. </div>
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It's getting to a point where people are less willing to
take a chance with a new company and a new sculpt because they'll simply be
unable to part with it and reinvest that money back into the hobby. I myself
simply can't risk paying $$$ for a Lilycat doll I'd love to try owning because
I know I cannot resell her. There's six on DoA for less than the Artist herself
is asking right now.</div>
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One cannot get $500 for an Iplehouse EID woman doll that can
only be bought via their custom system for nearly $300 more than the seller is
asking. This isn't to ask for pity- it's a statement of fact. Without the
ability to sell, most of us, myself included, cannot buy. I am not the only
one. I am watching Latidolls barely fetching $200, Feeple 60s with expensive
artist faceups like SDink are going for $400. The only things fetching higher
prices are the extraordinarily rare popular sculpts like Volks Alice/Lorina and
Fairyland's Juri 08 and Nanuri 10. With the over-saturation of the market,
minifees, despite their popularity, are going for record low prices. </div>
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I remember back in the days when I first entered the hobby
that one could, if one wanted, earn a profit on a secondhand minifee due to the
then ridiculously long wait times. While I don't mourn the fact that's no
longer possible, I do regret that one can't even earn back 75% of what one
spent- and that's not even counting fees and shipping costs which I don't
believe should ever be accounted for in a resale anyway. So I do see the other
side of the argument- people who want to recoup Paypal fees and shipping costs,
people who want to make a profit, people who are scalping. </div>
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There must be reasonable expectations on both sides. $550
for a blank minifee (just to keep beating a dead horse) that is not rare with
no extras is unreasonable. $100 for a blank minifee is unreasonable. It has be
somewhere in the middle. Without that middle, the whole system will collapse. <br />
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It's not over-saturation that is to blame either, in my opinion. Yes there are
thousands of sculpts out there now. It's harder to stand out and compete both
as a hobbyist and as a doll maker. But saturation is a good thing. It means
there is a thriving primary market. It means people are willing to take a risk
on an expensive item, support a smaller company, and contribute directly to the
ability of artists to produce a wider variety of sculpts than we saw back in
the first days of the hobby. Saturation is proof that the thriving secondhand
market, the ability to sell to buy, resulted in this plethora of options. <br />
<br />
But perhaps the biggest risk of an over-saturated market is that people are
only buying what's popular. Right now, that's Fairyland dolls. Specifically
their minifee line. This is great for Fairyland, but it's making people wary
and unwilling to try something new because they want in on the trend for
whatever reason. Iplehouse isn't selling because they can't top the Fairyland
fad. A few years ago everyone and their dog owned a Soom. Before that it was
Luts. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
People are much more wary to purchase secondhand now because
of the risk of recasts. Older doll with no headplate or paper work? Too bad.
Not going to sell for a legit price. Newer doll that's commonly recasted? Too
bad. Not going to sell. Fake boxes and paperwork and headplates are simply NOT
helping the situation, and thank heavens for the Master List. People dog it,
but lets be honest here- without it we would have no up to date list of what
sculpts to even be wary of. So my personal feelings aside- thanks to whoever is
still maintaining it. No, we shouldn't have to have it, but in my opinion,
they're here so we might as well treat it like a resource. Without digressing
furtherā¦.. <br />
<br />
All of that aside, essentially what is happening is that money is <b>not being
reinvested back into the market.</b> Fewer dolls will be purchased. More
recasts will be purchased. After all, if you're going to be stuck with a doll
and unable to sell it you might as well buy the fake right? <br />
<br />
<b>A thriving secondhand economy ensures a constant ability to buy and sell. </b>It
ensures there will be a certain amount of investment, risk taking, and
compensation. I read several college papers on secondhand shops in regards to
the retail world. One of the things discussed was that these shops helped with
environmental sustainability. The ability to purchase something secondhand
means no more resources need to be spent, no more pollutants produced, to
create a new one. Let's not kid ourselves- most resin is hardly environmentally
friendly. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just like you want a healthy middle class in any economy,
you MUST have a healthy secondhand market in niche hobbies if you want to keep
it alive. I mean hell, Italy had a secondhand shop guild as early 1230! They
understood the importance of this middle market 300 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it's true that niche hobbies like
dolls or antique watch collecting cannot be directly compared to consignment
shops, the idea is still the same. <b>The ability to resell what is of no use
to you any longer allows the person more financial freedom and extra funds to
reinvest into something new or different. </b><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With no money to invest, no new dolls can be bought.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The average hobbyist will not be able to continue. They'll
have to sell their collection for 10% of the dolls' value to even leave the
hobby, or else keep what they have and purchase fewer or no more dolls. One
might say they could purchase cheaper dolls but even that can be a challenge
for some people. The real cost of dolls is not the issue here. The real issue
is reinvestment of funds, whether that's the small cost of a Bobobie or the
high cost of a Soom. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The hobby will be left to the recast buyers and those
wealthy enough to continue to buy with no need for reinvestment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Granted, I am no economist. I'm an anthropologist. Most of my time was spent in
museums with dead things and occasionally talking to other people about dead
things. I hope this piece at least triggers some conversation and reexamination
of the expectations on part of both buyers and sellers in this hobby. <br />
<br />
You won't find a Gucci purse at Walmart, but<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>you might find it on eBay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <br /><br />Thank you for reading my ramblings, and happy continued collecting. <3</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-51971290360557688082016-04-25T17:23:00.000-06:002016-04-25T17:23:13.549-06:00A Short Review: Vings Eyes <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4hEMf-ZQ0p7DsCVhQK0Eur-0zPkI2FU0Q6Vr76YGacp7EZlpso0q0DXiZw9ALVXBMHFSFAlHVj_ypBifahULmPaJhzNTWAqWHwkTO__aVRuRcgBTby8ZMg337Pt5N1JAnNO9e0HZEJc/s1600/10717503_10203476102076409_1466250554_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4hEMf-ZQ0p7DsCVhQK0Eur-0zPkI2FU0Q6Vr76YGacp7EZlpso0q0DXiZw9ALVXBMHFSFAlHVj_ypBifahULmPaJhzNTWAqWHwkTO__aVRuRcgBTby8ZMg337Pt5N1JAnNO9e0HZEJc/s320/10717503_10203476102076409_1466250554_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unedited Vings in my kitchen they day they arrived! <3</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Let me preface this with the fact I completely forgot to write this post last
year. I even looked to see if I could find an older draft, and nothing. That
said, I won't be able to get into details about arrival times and stuff because
it's been so long. I'm also not sure exactly which shade of green I ordered either. I know they were about 18mm and teal. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Around the time I ordered, Vings was having issue after
issue. A lot seemed like they were just making stuff up, but for you dear
readers, I elected not to get a refund and waited something like 6-8 months?
for them to arrive so I could review them for you.<br />
<br />
We ordered from their taobao to save a little money (the pricing difference on
the large eyes was enough we decided to go with that instead of their direct
site). I believe my eyes were approximately $60 + shipping. I paid more than
average because I had to get giant eyes because Soony has giant eyes. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyone who has been following my posts and photography will
have seen them, as Junko generally wears them. <br />
<br />
These eyes are gorgeous. They are my favorite urethane eyes that I own. The
color is crisp, bright, and very accurate to their sample photo. They are even
with no bubbling, irises and pupils are the same size. <br />
<br />
The catch the light in an absolutely magical way, and rarely require any
editing at all, unless it's in low-light conditions. <br />
<br />
Vings are definitely worth the money. They've aged well in the year or two that
I've had them, as in, no noticeable<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>yellowing or anything as I've heard urethane eyes can do overtime, just
like the dolls themselves. <br />
<br />
So basically, if you're on the fence about them, get them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Here are some pics for you so you can judge yourself.
I've noted where I've used editing and to what extent.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading as always, and happy collecting! </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwu8c8e_tU6YZautK91CxD7vio0IGdEkRW29__qJ75VkgUHYFxXqu85hyphenhyphenTNpkCdgi6AZhZcdgysf1PcV40_1fiBqnzOp4HXvoB-W9bweyVEg_FLDAtuAjza7EUciAvZMnQxf4rudCS7dA/s1600/Callas.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwu8c8e_tU6YZautK91CxD7vio0IGdEkRW29__qJ75VkgUHYFxXqu85hyphenhyphenTNpkCdgi6AZhZcdgysf1PcV40_1fiBqnzOp4HXvoB-W9bweyVEg_FLDAtuAjza7EUciAvZMnQxf4rudCS7dA/s640/Callas.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very, very little editing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquipUiOqBg-94RF6LCyhgXmRjKUD6dPhlz8DjtfVGFBIfFA5U8BVrEKFfvMIdwMXDfzjRhxNlNR54WvWt4k6WAzElFzdl5Rya11Q2faI0z6X_Io0FmVk2ywqelvaWQbjiNepDt4U4JX0/s1600/Come+Hither.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquipUiOqBg-94RF6LCyhgXmRjKUD6dPhlz8DjtfVGFBIfFA5U8BVrEKFfvMIdwMXDfzjRhxNlNR54WvWt4k6WAzElFzdl5Rya11Q2faI0z6X_Io0FmVk2ywqelvaWQbjiNepDt4U4JX0/s640/Come+Hither.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brightened a bit because of the severe lowlight.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6HgBFZDlRmKni3NSB4STDwrS9bFFI6MIwfpHGDC38aRpFLIyiAI4yIFV2ol4IBAFqp_Ph-NSdPg5gIYtWwK4BluSjRtWhSC8QRhbIsn1WxzjwyOIKeIGpkLZ9TUqZoygdcsI4FRFcqg/s1600/winter+girl.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6HgBFZDlRmKni3NSB4STDwrS9bFFI6MIwfpHGDC38aRpFLIyiAI4yIFV2ol4IBAFqp_Ph-NSdPg5gIYtWwK4BluSjRtWhSC8QRhbIsn1WxzjwyOIKeIGpkLZ9TUqZoygdcsI4FRFcqg/s640/winter+girl.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All I did here was edit the eye shine and desaturate the image.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-19568414673309541942016-04-20T20:21:00.001-06:002016-04-20T20:21:48.812-06:00Eyeco Eyes and Yellowing<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>So I got new eyeco today and noticed a huge comparison. The larger pair were purchased in late 2014--- and you can see a notable difference in yellowing. <div><br></div><div>No flash: <br><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqL9gDN6SU42cGPDqt1hIBJxTVfDAagNktzeA39JyN8V9ZN59Xkj05BM6CyuqmZjF4mkZDAA4YnQP6G4h1MLDQZf9F9LPPpv6J7uclVsGHl18FNqoyGF_NDbbVd1wcyBKQ9rmM3b1Uztc/s640/blogger-image-1141741004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqL9gDN6SU42cGPDqt1hIBJxTVfDAagNktzeA39JyN8V9ZN59Xkj05BM6CyuqmZjF4mkZDAA4YnQP6G4h1MLDQZf9F9LPPpv6J7uclVsGHl18FNqoyGF_NDbbVd1wcyBKQ9rmM3b1Uztc/s640/blogger-image-1141741004.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Flash:</div><div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVyRpMkr3CgJLoZ0KmQj7Xk7HaWHFKW839dQUzVvP0BUqFoY0yYLudiilz2lZONHNa0mPUVNDgleNk-L8IuF4CE_lzL3Tb3Sbp0HoVb20d9Rnh4zl9Oo0e5_mGlW70nlzM2FBguxA6_k/s640/blogger-image-1226541203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVyRpMkr3CgJLoZ0KmQj7Xk7HaWHFKW839dQUzVvP0BUqFoY0yYLudiilz2lZONHNa0mPUVNDgleNk-L8IuF4CE_lzL3Tb3Sbp0HoVb20d9Rnh4zl9Oo0e5_mGlW70nlzM2FBguxA6_k/s640/blogger-image-1226541203.jpg"></a></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-7699158444944323712016-04-11T16:46:00.000-06:002016-04-11T16:46:02.722-06:00Why You Should Go Outside: Confidence, Fuck it All, and Dirty Knees<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Doll photography can be painful.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not in the visually unappealing sense (though that happens
on occasion), but rather in the physical sense.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Trying to achieve interesting angles and proper scale
usually means we look a bit like this:<br />
<br />
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0ijDv4hKyjVIFF_Yh8nhnxmCGmNjxNj_M4J7VyNqqyJCFd0Xe6xXaJ92tBfq6XVofjqqxQNt4w5Cl_InR3J1R98qHzAxH7RHnXmGa10WnUnfF8dl3KdoGAhhyphenhyphenbW8sxOOvGWDHdmbDdI/s320/stock-photo-eight-angle-pose-astavakrasana-yoga-229549336.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In awkward poses but with a camera. We must suffer for the art.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
And our backs ache.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And we get our knees dirty. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes we drown our cameras. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_97KKq8y3qo25XAGuEJcKaTYAz925BEgKpv4_14JtWpuiBL9Le73tUjBCjMdq1KBlMLWaa4Bi-c6kKvdwhziNhbGmZRhOZczdkfSP9_ZfK5kCAfxfTx10K9mnA7EnHv7QRAhMrVbMf_s/s1600/last+thing+my+camera+saw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_97KKq8y3qo25XAGuEJcKaTYAz925BEgKpv4_14JtWpuiBL9Le73tUjBCjMdq1KBlMLWaa4Bi-c6kKvdwhziNhbGmZRhOZczdkfSP9_ZfK5kCAfxfTx10K9mnA7EnHv7QRAhMrVbMf_s/s320/last+thing+my+camera+saw.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the last thing my old Canon Rebel ever saw. Read about it here:<br />
http://amaranthscastaways.tumblr.com/post/125028357502/ok-so-i-had-a-fiasco-today-i-got-a-great-idea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think most of the doll people I talk to express
trepidation at the thought of going outside- not in the basement dweller who
can't stand sunlight way- with their dolls. Why? Because by and large we're
scared of being judged.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From judgment can come rude comments, scathing looks,
pointing, laughing, and on the rarest of occasions physical confrontation. <br />
<br />
I'm about an unsocial as the rest of the BJD hobby. Even now I have no idea
what to do when someone asks too many questions. I mostly just stand there
awkwardly, mumble a bit, and then fight-or-flight kicks in and I run away back
to the safety of <s>burrow</s> home. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Yet, I still go outside. I like my yard mostly because I have trees and cool
aging things that make neat backgrounds. I like to challenge myself to make the
same areas look different. Plus my neighborhood is used to me by now. <br />
<br />
All of that aside howeverā¦ā¦</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are reasons why going outside in general is damn good
for you:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Sunlight
produces vitamin D. We need vitamin D to survive.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Being
in nature is proven to improve mood and help alleviate depression.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Walking
is good exercise.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Yoga
is also good exercise. And you will be doing yoga poses trying to take
photos of your dolls.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Grounding
is an excellent way to relieve yourself of negative energies. There's few
better ways to ground than, you know, getting your knees and feet in dirt.
Real dirt.<br />
<br />
Artistic endeavors, like photography, also raise your good mood. They get
positive, creative juices flowing. Combine that with the energies of grass
and trees and it's a recipe for Good Vibes. </li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hear you--- It's dangerous to go out. People
will beat me up. What if someone asks to hold my doll? What if they steal it?
I'm scared of dirt. I'm allergic to sunlight. I am allergic to people. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Here's the deal. I have like, 0 confidence most of the time, but I've taught
women's self-defense classes and I'm a huge proponent of the Fake it Till You
Make it school of thought. There's a few things you can do to make yourself
feel more confident:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">Hold
your head up.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">Walk
with long, powerful strides.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">Square
your shoulders.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">Fake
it. Faking confidence is the quickest way to actually building it.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">Know
that it only takes about 10lbs of pressure to break a trachea. ;) Take a
self-defense class. It'll make you feel like a badass. It'll make you
safer. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">JUST
DO IT. </li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="https://38.media.tumblr.com/cd1da38e194459c94685c7e967fab996/tumblr_inline_o2f6553kXe1sit5r2_500.gif" class="transparent" src="https://38.media.tumblr.com/cd1da38e194459c94685c7e967fab996/tumblr_inline_o2f6553kXe1sit5r2_500.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://38.media.tumblr.com/cd1da38e194459c94685c7e967fab996/tumblr_inline_o2f6553kXe1sit5r2_500.gif</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Generally speaking, the average thug is just like a mountain lion or a bear. If
you seem big and threatening, they're going to leave you alone. <br />
<br />
You can also mitigate these fears by taking your doll to a decently public
place, where there are people around so you don't get mugged or whatever. Time your visits
around less busy times of the day, when there is less chance of heavy foot
traffic. In my area, this is pretty much all day on Sunday and the hours
between 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM, and then from about 7:00 PM onward. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I've never actually had anyone other than some school kids point at me when I
was out and about with my doll. And in all fairness, I would have stared too.
After all, it was January and I was hiking up a snowy hillside from a river.
The kids were on the bridge, coming back from school. I must have been a pretty
funny sight. <br />
<br />
Here's the truth:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most people are so afraid other people are looking at and
judging them that they don't have time to look at or judge you. <br />
<br />
Instead of thinking of the worst case, think of the good what-ifs. What if you
inspire someone else to get out there and do what they dream of doing? What if
you make a new friend?<br />
<br />
So get out there. Get some nature. Play with some crazy doll angles. Use some
trees. Use some playground equipment. </div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Get your knees dirty. You can do it!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-79043927038912426552016-03-28T23:34:00.000-06:002016-03-28T23:34:06.942-06:00Iplehouse B.I.D Review and PosingHi again everyone! I realized I never did a post on my lovely little BID Anne, Pearl Kingston. (I made the little lady a DoA doll profile though!)<br />
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<b>Basic Review:</b><br />
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I purchased her last year on impulse. I wanted a little YoSD and fell in love with her because A) my name is Ann, and B) teefs. I love dolls with teeth! I bought her in their white skin, which is a lovely rosey-pink white that almost looks like a very, very pale normal skin.<br />
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She shipped very quickly, and arrived in what's probably the cutest doll box I've ever owned. Thankfully, it was spared along with her paperwork when my basement flooded.<br />
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As far as criticisms, sad to say but her acrylic eyes sent with her from Iplehouse cracked, so I never ended up using them. I'm not a fan of lower-end acrylic eyes, so I swapped her out with some blue Makos I had laying around. I'd much prefer more realistic eyes in her, but I'm lazy and have yet to do so. <br /><br />Also, she does have rough seam lines, nothing I couldn't fix myself, but they keep collecting dirt and color from her stockings which is a little inconvenient.<br />
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All in all,<b> 10/10 </b>for quality and service.<br /><br /><b>Info: </b>Though she calls for 14mm eyes, I prefer 12 or 10mm for more realisim. Her head is a little smaller than a 6-7, so I'd guess she's almost a 6" exactly. <br />
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<b>Clothing:</b><br />
The little chubby thing is big, like all Iplehouse dolls are, and a lot of YoSD clothing runs small. Any YoSD shoes I've tried fit her fine. I can force a lot of stuff onto her body, but then her limbs have reduced movement. Promise of the World clothing is the worst offender. It's cut really, really small. Some of the more generic stuff on taobao fits her as long as it has a little stretch, and she's never without this little bear jacket:<br />
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<b>Posing:</b><br />
Note that she has not been sueded, and has not been restrung so she's like ridiculously floppy. Most of these pics were taken at night by lamplight when my kids were asleep, so pardon the gross flash. <br />
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First let's start with some head movement. The head has limited range of mobility for up and down movement. You have to use the torso joint to really give the illusion of more movement than is there. This is due partly to the way they sculpted the slope of the BID neck as well as the way the faceplate and head back meet.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />The head has difficulty tilting to the side, as in bringing the ear to the shoulder, but it can turn and swivel just fine in its entirety.<br />
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<br />Next up, let's look at hand and arm range of motion. The elbow joints on this doll are fabulous. They are pretty, sturdy, and allow her to touch her lips and the top of her head, among other things. <br />
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The wrists can move fine as well.<br />
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<br />Torso movement is excellent. She can go almost all the way over backwards if you're okay with the joint being dislocated.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhga1mACRO7ohbRBK0Gi6AgdaVjwlDzulRllg6lOngH0Rs0L_6KF0_kp9xpiKUAzEACFZwSF3t2QnyytAOZMFTeMp928csCGeqDcyUgw4bFgpuM1HyVHnP4rATrDBw8hyphenhyphen-UfuTONVh_Zzg/s1600/6+torso+range+of+motion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhga1mACRO7ohbRBK0Gi6AgdaVjwlDzulRllg6lOngH0Rs0L_6KF0_kp9xpiKUAzEACFZwSF3t2QnyytAOZMFTeMp928csCGeqDcyUgw4bFgpuM1HyVHnP4rATrDBw8hyphenhyphen-UfuTONVh_Zzg/s400/6+torso+range+of+motion.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side to side range of motion is just as good.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhem2aavRvuegDNJjBEyJR-9xUR7BsU5dAHXZj35oxRAN0QQFuZDSE9yBa8iF2oUawUsltLh1iDlwyH4nRmSmEZp5hA_9S_zLNIoAZCEScUxLjru8H0o8SCjqCXkDjsOZJQhQfv6CzuHB0/s1600/blurry+touching+toes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhem2aavRvuegDNJjBEyJR-9xUR7BsU5dAHXZj35oxRAN0QQFuZDSE9yBa8iF2oUawUsltLh1iDlwyH4nRmSmEZp5hA_9S_zLNIoAZCEScUxLjru8H0o8SCjqCXkDjsOZJQhQfv6CzuHB0/s400/blurry+touching+toes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She can touch her toes, if you allow her butt joint to pop out and slightly over-bend her torso.</td></tr>
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Now let's look at the legs. The locking mechanism in the leg socket will be familiar to people with pukifees. It's similar in concept, with the little peg clicking into each slot to help hold poses. It would work much better if she were strung tighter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Xsd4QcZZZ26flfHo0AkNgBjt0nP5sLVuH3RljJFmefDSJd1LOaeD3ZUCWqcggGO74K8U4UIe1X5B4QMkHjX1jORV1LC-ksVzh5cfAx3-gNeQEDCLMuQOorK2MWokftaQZMqIp-LSu9w/s1600/12+locking+mechanism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Xsd4QcZZZ26flfHo0AkNgBjt0nP5sLVuH3RljJFmefDSJd1LOaeD3ZUCWqcggGO74K8U4UIe1X5B4QMkHjX1jORV1LC-ksVzh5cfAx3-gNeQEDCLMuQOorK2MWokftaQZMqIp-LSu9w/s320/12+locking+mechanism.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>
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It allows her to lock into positions like this, which is almost a full squat. Her knees are bent and she is leaning forward, but she is sturdy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsux7poEbXqpiyFzEGXzygBpnkmkbA-0Hw8uZoRVRpQkz9_zf_5n54WJAGak5XzbCGeF2tANckXq_lFXq7YALSzO4ULKn2UYx2KJJtrw6g8D5Mc8vqzqZI316ys7RCxk3rVmJFda2lQc/s1600/cutie+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsux7poEbXqpiyFzEGXzygBpnkmkbA-0Hw8uZoRVRpQkz9_zf_5n54WJAGak5XzbCGeF2tANckXq_lFXq7YALSzO4ULKn2UYx2KJJtrw6g8D5Mc8vqzqZI316ys7RCxk3rVmJFda2lQc/s320/cutie+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Okay, here are some other poses using her mobility joint, the locks in her knees and elbows, etc.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_LYbLy_5SPwVOrilaioXgyLka7yZIoJ_Mj6C_vTOoTh84tQaku3wbbadKHqe_WLx2OJb_RJy8lqUCV27l_HlQp8f2j6MnmgasqI6v-WSNCZastainqow_HuDM9oEPZJRGsD5Hf6L7Zo/s1600/11+touch+your+toes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_LYbLy_5SPwVOrilaioXgyLka7yZIoJ_Mj6C_vTOoTh84tQaku3wbbadKHqe_WLx2OJb_RJy8lqUCV27l_HlQp8f2j6MnmgasqI6v-WSNCZastainqow_HuDM9oEPZJRGsD5Hf6L7Zo/s400/11+touch+your+toes.jpg" width="397" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've used her mobility to joint plus a bend in the torso to pull off this pose. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYE75SjHfgjmHuTaMM40QMLSvFYwIc5pzvM5376iwaZmXrch8q4GO__oHqG25idrGJ-NWkwoXmK3ArsRsX0dX4cOT3D6xLwuQkuNidzoyu7F58PM-A0bCt7wdYGTEg7fPAqXn5ONCozs/s1600/13+one+leg+standing+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYE75SjHfgjmHuTaMM40QMLSvFYwIc5pzvM5376iwaZmXrch8q4GO__oHqG25idrGJ-NWkwoXmK3ArsRsX0dX4cOT3D6xLwuQkuNidzoyu7F58PM-A0bCt7wdYGTEg7fPAqXn5ONCozs/s400/13+one+leg+standing+2.jpg" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, that's an Iplehouse doll standing on one leg.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWA8jg7K1w00FV-PMvagKwhOjrUnnhlPSyP_S4FvfF6y6nraAWpeb1nycz4WYF3P3hyHZuI2Aiev6BWIsMGzZMobs5Gf34wiR0VMbzP5GTyCOU_SBU-qcBIP_C7iGEEIC2SSwzpITN5LM/s1600/14+ballerina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWA8jg7K1w00FV-PMvagKwhOjrUnnhlPSyP_S4FvfF6y6nraAWpeb1nycz4WYF3P3hyHZuI2Aiev6BWIsMGzZMobs5Gf34wiR0VMbzP5GTyCOU_SBU-qcBIP_C7iGEEIC2SSwzpITN5LM/s400/14+ballerina.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graceful little pose.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Ad71wVW085YA1g1W2a0B-_4iiLBNj7i9tEbijww1V7qr4MrpFaW8P8M99gt7Klael6kKLl9Rj6gkuIPfDwW0V_BoYJKfpZ5XC_KKk3ikcCxI5gJEMNtGg7rkZ-kanm11piFn4ncL1us/s1600/15+graceful.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Ad71wVW085YA1g1W2a0B-_4iiLBNj7i9tEbijww1V7qr4MrpFaW8P8M99gt7Klael6kKLl9Rj6gkuIPfDwW0V_BoYJKfpZ5XC_KKk3ikcCxI5gJEMNtGg7rkZ-kanm11piFn4ncL1us/s400/15+graceful.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing with one leg bent and slightly leaning. </td></tr>
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Next up, some various laying down/kneeling type poses:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXPRzmMK1C8gu-gQ4dl1KBrZ1WGVKP-n8M-JHclCdfw23dvR6l0_em2_URf9TgTGDbTYqYAFhLDd0EWNYbzXxDo-59nqrWb1E-pJ8Rs6AxW_5Y_HAj9R04zp6lej1d9NqPtuwO3RYC5E/s1600/9+kneeling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXPRzmMK1C8gu-gQ4dl1KBrZ1WGVKP-n8M-JHclCdfw23dvR6l0_em2_URf9TgTGDbTYqYAFhLDd0EWNYbzXxDo-59nqrWb1E-pJ8Rs6AxW_5Y_HAj9R04zp6lej1d9NqPtuwO3RYC5E/s400/9+kneeling.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The knee joints are actually quite pretty, and are well hidden in the calf. You pull them up and <br />lock them into place to hold the knee in various positions. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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And there you have it! She's an excellent little poser, and very affordable and sturdy for a YoSD. Thank you for looking, and do let me know if this helps you decide whether or not to adopt your own little Iplehouse BID! <br /><br />Thanks for reading as always, and happy collecting. <br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-23474545756690752382016-03-14T19:37:00.000-06:002016-03-14T19:37:06.288-06:00Iplehouse EID Woman Review and Poses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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[As an additional note, Lahela is for sale. If you're interested in adopting her shoot me a messaged on facebook or tumblr. Due to her damage and Iplehouse's shittastic resale value, I'm asking $600 plus shipping.]</div>
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<b>Mold:</b> Iplehouse Lahela, Light Brown Skin, large bust option, no mobility legs</div>
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<b>Note</b>: Lahela is only available through Iplehouse's Full Custom System, which is available the first ten days of each month I think. </div>
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<b>Site:</b> www.iplehouse.com, however I received her in a trade.</div>
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<b>Clothing Options:<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </b></div>
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The Iplehouse stereotype is that they all end up dressed like "sluts" (I hate this word) or look like Barbie dolls. That's a sad circumstance largely based on the fact that there is very, very little in the way of custom clothing for these dolls unless you want fantasy or evening gowns. Casual wear in the affordable price range is hard to find, and mostly only on Iplehouse's site itself.</div>
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I am working on a What Fits thread which will be <b>here</b> when I get it done. </div>
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<b>Slightly Offensive Theory Coming, Plus Resale Advice:</b> <br />
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Iplehouse owners tend to be similar to the collectable fashion doll crowd. They tend to prefer mint condition dolls with default face ups, and require paperwork and proof of purchase. Consider this when selling an Iplehouse doll second hand. (I say tend because not everyone feels this way. <b><i><u>They don't</u></i></b>. So if I've offended, please just gloss over this part and get to the actual meat of this post. You can rip me a new one in the comments. XD I'm thinking especially of people who do stuff like that insanely incredible Viking set up with all the Iplehouse dolls. Holy hell do I admire that.) <br />
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Additionally, Iplehouse rarely fetches close to its value on the second hand market because, according to my theory, like fashion dolls, Iplehouse is considered to lose its value once out of the box or no longer mint. It doesn't help the entire second hand market is basically dead. <br />
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As an additional second hand sales note, you may be accused of selling a recast as legit if you have no paperwork or headplate, even if the doll is not on the recast master list and is known to not be available for recast or if the recasters cannot mimic the skin tone of the doll. So, please, if you're going to resell an Iplehouse doll make sure to keep a damn good hold on these parts. I lose my shit constantly. I reeeeeally need to work on this. <br />
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<b>Resin and Skin Tone:</b></div>
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The tan is fabulous. It's beautiful, even, with seam lines that aren't super noticeable in my opinion. However, when she was damaged on her leg here, you can see how odd the tan is. It doesn't actually seem to be all the way through the resin. You can see the pale bits in this picture below.</div>
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I haven't messed with it any more than that because I don't want to damage her further, and tan skin scares me. I imagine it could be buffed out and would be a solid color again. <br /><br />
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<b>Sculpting:</b></div>
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Her face, hands, and body are gorgeous. She's basically a gorgeous brick. I love everything about her face. If I could put her on a better posing body I would, and were she not tan I'd hybrid her for sure. The detailing in her cheekbones and lips is among the best of any doll I've owned. If you want a beautiful doll, you cannot go wrong with Iplehouse. <br />
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<b>Posing:</b> <br />
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I'll preface this by referring you to my post <b>here on JID girl posing</b>. My JID girl had mobility thighs and could do considerably more than my EID without them. I will be doing a comparison of her body against some other SDs I have <b>here</b> in a few months. Also, as a warning, most of these photos are pretty bad. XD I took them at night quickly in between my kid's night feedings. I'll try to make time to retake them in better lighting. I did the best I could for now! These photos have like no editing other than lighting corrections so what you're seeing is what she actually looks like. :3<br />
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Also, these are done with her heeled feet, making them even more impressive, imo. <br />
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With some clever angles you can avoid some of the awkwardness of the joints when you force them out of their usual positions. For example, here I have her crossing her legs:</div>
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What you can't see is that, due to the lack of mobility joint, I had to pop the joint out at the hip so there is a large gap. Clever angling makes all the difference!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrRLrNotlJvzM8pyF8hQqQDXjXQmYjByTeeH0G0ntVOtGjUAmigFFMfz3QDT_EGI2n-mGSA6-up9ygoaIvDDTlpFacGOncgfcQ3OZyuTOpGXJD31cFDKzlmwOpdZeMgyJ_-Cb7z2W50U/s1600/sitting+down+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrRLrNotlJvzM8pyF8hQqQDXjXQmYjByTeeH0G0ntVOtGjUAmigFFMfz3QDT_EGI2n-mGSA6-up9ygoaIvDDTlpFacGOncgfcQ3OZyuTOpGXJD31cFDKzlmwOpdZeMgyJ_-Cb7z2W50U/s640/sitting+down+1.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dfNgwf9A5ffhKmMOYuKoOFmm_m0gK16bte8O0DhFJCbNGUXbP-KgqzNlnaBWRj5fAoWG2g0snI_bE9bvohcvYG_XyrRbCfB7RAXaL873zeKFJjs6__9yJSH4iYPmpXw-_6FcSNaSoog/s1600/touch+her+face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dfNgwf9A5ffhKmMOYuKoOFmm_m0gK16bte8O0DhFJCbNGUXbP-KgqzNlnaBWRj5fAoWG2g0snI_bE9bvohcvYG_XyrRbCfB7RAXaL873zeKFJjs6__9yJSH4iYPmpXw-_6FcSNaSoog/s400/touch+her+face.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She can touch her face.</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-29372671446942877352016-03-03T12:27:00.000-07:002016-03-03T12:27:01.050-07:00Updates: I'm Back!It's been about 6 months since my brother died. I can't say I'm really much better, but I'm coping better. I haven't written anything really since he died, and it feels good to be getting my spark back.<br />
<br />
There for awhile, I'd gotten a bit soured by the BJD community and started feeling burnt out and overwhelmed again.<br />
<br />
While I still feel a little bored and overwhelmed, I think that is starting to abate.<br />
<br />
I'm going to resume posting doll-related stuff here, some of which is likely to ruffle some feathers/offend people. I like writing so it's good for me to keep at it, and dolls provide lots of inspiration.<br />
<br />
I'm going to start with a 2 times per month schedule, posting on Mondays. This week's post is an Artist head review on KKeRRin dolls. Please check her out and give the artist some love! <br />
<br />
Some upcoming post ideas I have:<br />
<ul>
<li>EID Woman Review and Posing Pics</li>
<li>Zaoll Review and Posing Pics</li>
<li>Modding a Single Joint Elbow to a Double</li>
<li>Some clothing and Prop Reviews</li>
<li>The Decline of the Second Hand Market (and what that might mean for the future of the hobby)</li>
<li>Confession Blogs and Why They Suck</li>
<li>Why You Should Go Outside (With your dolls!)</li>
<li>Dolls and the Grief Process</li>
<li>What fits a Zaoll</li>
<li>What fits an EID Woman </li>
<li>And possibly a guest post on different types of fibers for wig making</li>
</ul>
I've updated a bunch of the pages to link to more posts. There's a still a bunch of unclassified posts, but I''ll get to them eventually. I'm trying to do a few at a time and make sure everything worthwhile is easily referenced.<br /><br />
As usual, I hope this blog continues to be a good source of information. Chances are I've written about your question before, so feel free to search the blog. If I haven't answered it yet in the past, I'm always interested in new topics and ideas. No matter how dumb you think a question is, feel free to ask away. I always answer the best I can. Check out the archive- I've written probably a hundred posts since this blog's been active. <br />
<br />
I'm considering changing to a website instead of the blog, though I'm not yet sure about that. Anyone have any thoughts? Would that be better for you than a blog? I know websites are a bit easier to search for info, but my HTML is limited. <br />
<br />
Regarding Emails: Please, if I haven't responded to an email know I'm just really lazy and hate checking email. It's best to comment directly on a post, especially one like this. XD Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-72299620839922491682016-03-02T12:07:00.000-07:002016-03-02T12:08:22.362-07:00KKerrin Doll Mae Review<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <br />
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I stumbled across this sculpt on Flickr awhile ago and forgot about her. She resurfaced on my feed, and I fell in love. I purchased her from the artist's etsy at the beginning of February.</div>
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The artist is based in Russia. It took approximately four weeks from the time I ordered to arrive at my door, accounting for 2 weeks in transit.<br />
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The artist is quick to respond, and her English is good. She answered all my questions and was very nice to chat with. </div>
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This doll is currently not on topic for Den of Angels, because according the mods she has not properly submitted the doll for topicality. Hopefully <b>Kkerrin </b>will do this soon!<br />
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<b>Artist Etsy<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/100315645@N02/">Artist Flickr</a></b> </div>
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<u><b>Info:</b></u></div>
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The head is MSD size, but very small MSD, with realistic proportions. She fits in a 6-7 wig, though all my 6-7s slide off her head. I think she's closer to a 6" wig. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1xaB5WnsnFhBtV3LLdBO__mVBA_TZ5Cvjf5DkIP4vAa093wMpBAhRmltaB9ARtB0AJnHmUP7U3dATVbhstPXANb1byUPYcJdPHzkBOAXgiwi0gKCy4vrTz0SBIPJgAuMhfI-BSzJUik/s1600/IMG_5148%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1xaB5WnsnFhBtV3LLdBO__mVBA_TZ5Cvjf5DkIP4vAa093wMpBAhRmltaB9ARtB0AJnHmUP7U3dATVbhstPXANb1byUPYcJdPHzkBOAXgiwi0gKCy4vrTz0SBIPJgAuMhfI-BSzJUik/s320/IMG_5148%255B1%255D.JPG" width="180" /></a></div>
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5mm pupils work best in her, but they gap on the side. I'm currently on the hunt for the right size of eyes for her. (Just ignore the gaping in the photos for now.) The artist suggested 6mm-8mm fish eye style eyes. <br />
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She arrived in the cutest little box with a certificate of authenticity. </div>
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<u><b>Resin:</b></u><br />
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The resin appears to be French resin. It's slightly translucent, but thick and has great texture. There was the tiniest bit of flashing in the mouth around the teeth, but absolutely nothing bad. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWP_OYrcaDiR80p_dSIZrPNzNkbFSfw9GuPuyQ3QcBX9WPSUFhzsGjXKJApihhKEZWhDnsfUVSl9w_mjF05Rg0MJNJwazB_3b8hSVIeBRHgS2l7CxlLycvjhgI8DeSPCp3pp3FtgQxNpI/s1600/IMG_5150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWP_OYrcaDiR80p_dSIZrPNzNkbFSfw9GuPuyQ3QcBX9WPSUFhzsGjXKJApihhKEZWhDnsfUVSl9w_mjF05Rg0MJNJwazB_3b8hSVIeBRHgS2l7CxlLycvjhgI8DeSPCp3pp3FtgQxNpI/s320/IMG_5150.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="180" /></a></div>
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It most closely matches Fairyland and Supia normal skin resin. Here is a picture of her head cap against some resins I have: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZtz139x1oysdYACh3v544u4lPPpPPhu2kLd_68iS07_jdrWm9n4xTRtP2Qub5Xp2p126767Lwb8dl7MUwWlYfqTSoXDfK8qN2w1gZdrGoioBvijfaD-WbTEG-CZehiQ9FINCAKrQphs/s1600/IMG_5188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZtz139x1oysdYACh3v544u4lPPpPPhu2kLd_68iS07_jdrWm9n4xTRtP2Qub5Xp2p126767Lwb8dl7MUwWlYfqTSoXDfK8qN2w1gZdrGoioBvijfaD-WbTEG-CZehiQ9FINCAKrQphs/s320/IMG_5188.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxXOGw0OrY46UDh0FBohUSjRIu8ryKyVXcYftrjBtlBbgG51EV6Va3ktEFZ6VW6jF-HF7v27cxIiLOb3lAjiBHUVuWZ-OpvXIUGlWDV0FpuWCY2urwGPGkQw70DaQ-dW91uIlibthEsg/s1600/IMG_5187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxXOGw0OrY46UDh0FBohUSjRIu8ryKyVXcYftrjBtlBbgG51EV6Va3ktEFZ6VW6jF-HF7v27cxIiLOb3lAjiBHUVuWZ-OpvXIUGlWDV0FpuWCY2urwGPGkQw70DaQ-dW91uIlibthEsg/s320/IMG_5187.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ear is Supia Normal Skin, Fairyland White is to the left, and Fairyland normal skin is the blushed hand. <br />
In real life, the Supia Normal Skin is the closest match.</td></tr>
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<u><b>Headcap:</b></u> </div>
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This doll is technically a faceplate with a head back. There are no magnets to hold the faceplate on, but I've had no issues with the faceplate falling off due to the way she's sculpted the pieces. They fit together nicely. When I got her, she had a bit of hot glue assisting the faceplate. I will be using a bit of eye putty for that in the future. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMvrnS2Lou-oSaqN6Yw4FXhqk_m9ITsrWcKYDGx-okft77jgz-CdTLp-OQPdJgPJVka5wTZS-KKPyjREab35aUTpTlYPOq2WXUeeMM8IErTrc3f-91gLOIq1Fh-Kb7ewc0QxuldXoUDbw/s1600/IMG_5152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMvrnS2Lou-oSaqN6Yw4FXhqk_m9ITsrWcKYDGx-okft77jgz-CdTLp-OQPdJgPJVka5wTZS-KKPyjREab35aUTpTlYPOq2WXUeeMM8IErTrc3f-91gLOIq1Fh-Kb7ewc0QxuldXoUDbw/s320/IMG_5152.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1qGDempta-2TwhlPO7LhnrSGzRSh4tuN_kASUhRdDb3zrwKCuN-Q-p-SLPSI_umhoLAG-K-DdkBV0aNw4Hy_ErxrmfGFz161uc8eS5EFcjQ6wZ57gHTRRFdXkQYzGbXZ3BEyDeEShEY/s1600/IMG_5153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1qGDempta-2TwhlPO7LhnrSGzRSh4tuN_kASUhRdDb3zrwKCuN-Q-p-SLPSI_umhoLAG-K-DdkBV0aNw4Hy_ErxrmfGFz161uc8eS5EFcjQ6wZ57gHTRRFdXkQYzGbXZ3BEyDeEShEY/s320/IMG_5153.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<u><b>Summary:</b></u></div>
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Over all, I LOVE her. She makes me love MSDs again, and I'm looking forward to affording a body for her. She was worth every penny spent, and I cannot recommend her enough.</div>
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Go follow her flickr and go ogle her face ups too. Kkerrin is a very under appreciated artist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Enjoy some other pics of her below, and thank you for reading! <3<br />
</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-67509531298097624132015-11-12T08:28:00.004-07:002015-11-12T08:28:55.157-07:00Updates, kinda....Hello kind readers! I have been away for awhile, mostly focusing on getting through the grief process and pretty much ignoring my dolls at the moment. I have some ideas for posts in the next month or so, but it's going to be a little slow for awhile.<br />
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I'm toying with the idea of leaving this blog up, but inactive, at least for awhile so I can focus on my family and such through this process. We have had 9 deaths in the last two years of people very close to us, so we've a lot of grieving to do. We'll see what I end up doing.<br />
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I am venturing into mature 1/6 size dolls and have plans to purchase a couple of them next year, so expect reviews of that, plus clothing help. I've dived back into Azones and hoping to purchase a Blythe next year as well, so there might be a teensy bit of non-bjd stuff on here occassionally.<br />
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As a non-doll related distraction, I've been blogging over at mamagoth.blogspot.com, so you can find me over there whilst I think of some more doll related stuff to write about here. I haven't been on DoA in sometime nor on tumblr, but I'm alive, haha.<br />
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My main distraction though, and my main method of healing through my grief, is swimming. I'm still saving up for that awesome silicone mermaid tail, so I might not be buying much in the way of bjd stuff for awhile to make that happen. Money tree, why you no exist?<br />
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(Big hugs to everyone) I'll keep you posted. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-16069363075137392682015-09-26T22:32:00.000-06:002015-09-26T22:32:06.046-06:00Taobao Agent Review: Final NotesI absolutely cannot recomend Taobao Ring enough. They are my agent of choice from now on. My order arrived quickly (as quickly as possible once the USPS got ahold of it anyway) and shipped quickly from China. Everything was accurate, or as much as I cared.<br />
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There was one mistake: the rose leggings were supposed to be 1/3 but the seller sent 1.6. It wasn't worth arguing, as I'll just do it again for the larger size too because they're that cute.<br />
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When your order arrives, there is an option to click "arrived" and move the order to your past orders list. They also immediately ask you to provide feedback on the order, which I did.<br />
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So, there you have it! Taobao Ring is safe, professional, kind, cheerful, and pretty darned accurate. I had less problems with them than I ever had with Taobao Trends. With Taobao Trends no longer accepting paypal, Taobao Ring is a great alternative. Happy Taobao shopping!<br />
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Here are a few pics of the items I received. Most are from Endless BJD, others are from random shops around. MVS disappointed me this time. They're one of my favorite shops, but they never list things as sold out. They simply tell the agent the item is not available and leave it at that after you've already paid. Keep that in mind if ordering from them. This doesn't show the necklace and SD white boots I bought though.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-55220350791734846912015-09-09T11:07:00.001-06:002015-09-09T11:07:17.912-06:00Taobao Agent Review: Taobao Ring, Part 3Okay, here is Part 3 of my experience with Taobao Ring. I'm being detailed with this and doing so many posts on this because ordering from Taobao can be stressful, and so can be finding a new, trustworthy agent. Feel free to ask any questions I haven't answered so far.<br />
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Note: This post was done by checking out their mobile site, so things might look slightly different on desktop.<br />Additional Note: Taobao Ring will not knowingly purchase fake or bootleg goods on your behalf. This applies to recast dolls, parts, and replica Lolita items, among other things. <br />
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A few things seem to be missing from my order, and I'll update when these get fixed! They're very friendly and accommodating, so I'm honestly not too worried at this point.<br />
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First, they updated me to let me know via email that they'd ordered my items. When I check on my account screen, I see this cool notification:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFje5JXFi9M0ni4evC84KlxkjdURu9BoV_Qbrfal32wnc5bf5UNsv09LumiQkuCL9mE1690ffi2tc8lF-I6HW4qTxZZLT5x3eh5Ut8Pbz0CkdlAJA5Fhxx1g2UlQuJKFdELqmVIJwr8vA/s1600/items+are+on+their+way+to+agent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFje5JXFi9M0ni4evC84KlxkjdURu9BoV_Qbrfal32wnc5bf5UNsv09LumiQkuCL9mE1690ffi2tc8lF-I6HW4qTxZZLT5x3eh5Ut8Pbz0CkdlAJA5Fhxx1g2UlQuJKFdELqmVIJwr8vA/s400/items+are+on+their+way+to+agent.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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You can click on multple orders to see their status and to see which items they're still waiting on.<br />
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Next, I got an email saying everything had arrived, and they asked me to check the picture to confirm everything was correct. They also remind you to confirm your shipping information is correct, which I like!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAJUijBhhnl1zHs4QVNIacCMN7kI1umztRkBZSEDs7OJPU92Z-3415t4OB_xI2M-p0xR2bSL_Gq-rdHF5RDKXZvhPvdLacTFOT9FMLlusftIh4iINcp6vQdqQqdV23zO2GG9LRy3Mfnc/s1600/order+has+arrived+email.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAJUijBhhnl1zHs4QVNIacCMN7kI1umztRkBZSEDs7OJPU92Z-3415t4OB_xI2M-p0xR2bSL_Gq-rdHF5RDKXZvhPvdLacTFOT9FMLlusftIh4iINcp6vQdqQqdV23zO2GG9LRy3Mfnc/s320/order+has+arrived+email.jpg" width="220" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChHglokjk9e437JpDw7YDH0cYVnm164p50W-CpI5MMW1-I-nE50AbZCxFzP0TQRzQ5JOtrVb-9zo18rrwW7kLNDiuS7I-upyW5jgY10RP5NtpBJ1tsLHEpVZ0UyrDWRGacz5oGt8gwUw/s1600/order+has+arrived+email+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChHglokjk9e437JpDw7YDH0cYVnm164p50W-CpI5MMW1-I-nE50AbZCxFzP0TQRzQ5JOtrVb-9zo18rrwW7kLNDiuS7I-upyW5jgY10RP5NtpBJ1tsLHEpVZ0UyrDWRGacz5oGt8gwUw/s320/order+has+arrived+email+2.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJNn3tOAbVAI9CD-UyrfTNWEapQBPfBvGjP8iq92uORA-Vp26Q8By1GkBLFrTJWwbp2wDpjVDLq8TojbOiOsiuClstvVwBvDgTwxgU_Hgz3tX_PRNmW2tDMY-nY17lxY2my30pFDQzHc/s1600/confirming+everything+is+there.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a> <br />I love the little ego pat, lol. "You've made such a great choice!" I think that is such a cute, personal nod to the buyer. Well done, Taobao Ring! So, as they requested I popped over to my order screen to see what's what.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJNn3tOAbVAI9CD-UyrfTNWEapQBPfBvGjP8iq92uORA-Vp26Q8By1GkBLFrTJWwbp2wDpjVDLq8TojbOiOsiuClstvVwBvDgTwxgU_Hgz3tX_PRNmW2tDMY-nY17lxY2my30pFDQzHc/s1600/confirming+everything+is+there.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJNn3tOAbVAI9CD-UyrfTNWEapQBPfBvGjP8iq92uORA-Vp26Q8By1GkBLFrTJWwbp2wDpjVDLq8TojbOiOsiuClstvVwBvDgTwxgU_Hgz3tX_PRNmW2tDMY-nY17lxY2my30pFDQzHc/s1600/confirming+everything+is+there.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJNn3tOAbVAI9CD-UyrfTNWEapQBPfBvGjP8iq92uORA-Vp26Q8By1GkBLFrTJWwbp2wDpjVDLq8TojbOiOsiuClstvVwBvDgTwxgU_Hgz3tX_PRNmW2tDMY-nY17lxY2my30pFDQzHc/s400/confirming+everything+is+there.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Notice that it says "Arrived, Awaiting 2nd Payment." It's letting me know they're waiting on me!</span></td></tr>
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I double checked the order list against this picture here: <br />
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It appears that the flower leggings from Endless are in the wrong size, which will be fine, but I'd prefer them in the larger size, and it also looks like one small necklace is missing.<br />
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In this last picture, you can see that one item was out of stock after I paid for it. Sad day, as Junko would have rocked this shirt. They carefully explain the refund to me in the email they sent and subtracted the amount from what I would have paid for shipping, so I'll only end up paying about $16 to ship this EMS. Pretty exciting! As I said, I'll update once they've looked into the two small errors and what they decided to do about it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin0ga0ZMpCGPsO7jxPgr0y2DwfyPxStDu_tPfWtXHhBvhTDS4QAEg2dR0pzh9-RZ9dDHpU_v3Ssu3b1gCefOAsZ9fXxSSPiGd0tLT5OirQajFjG8vEDEw_oCxpksh2S2dsH4-ELB0lA78/s1600/thisis+what+sold+out+items+look+like+on+your+order+history.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin0ga0ZMpCGPsO7jxPgr0y2DwfyPxStDu_tPfWtXHhBvhTDS4QAEg2dR0pzh9-RZ9dDHpU_v3Ssu3b1gCefOAsZ9fXxSSPiGd0tLT5OirQajFjG8vEDEw_oCxpksh2S2dsH4-ELB0lA78/s400/thisis+what+sold+out+items+look+like+on+your+order+history.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>
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Again, I'm still very pleased. I can see myself using Taobao Ring in the future. See the other articles on Taobao Ring here:<br /><br />
<a href="http://amaranthscastaways.blogspot.com/2015/08/taobao-agent-review-taobao-ring.html"> Part 1</a><br />
<a href="http://amaranthscastaways.blogspot.com/2015/08/taobao-agent-review-taobao-ring-part-2.html"> Part 2</a><br />
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On a related note, I'm still waiting on Promise of the World and Taobao Trends. TB Trends says they've been trying to get in touch with them but have had no response. I've elected to wait at least one more week- Promise of the World stuff is incredible, I hear, plus it's literally perfect for Pearl. I've not found anything else as close to what I want as from PotW. I'll keep everyone updated on that front.<br />
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As always, I hope this is helpful, and happy collecting! If you're trying to reach me via email, I'm having an anxiety thing regarding email again so I'm not checking it at present. Message me on Flickr, Tumblr, or post a comment here on the blog, and I'll go check <3 Also, I still have a few more serious posts in mind that I've begun working on, so everything should be back on schedule very soon. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-64966073350745931952015-08-22T10:20:00.003-06:002015-09-09T11:08:07.494-06:00Taobao Agent Review: Taobao Ring Part 2Holy crap, that's all I have to say. They've already confirmed my order so I sent my first payment. Here are a few more screenshots of their process with some commentary. Basically, I LOVE their system. You can view each item in your cart, and it will show you a "yes" or "no" that the item is in stock and then when it ships. Each item also has an estimated shipping time. So far, so good.<br />
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They do charge paypal fees, which I don't recall Taobao Trends doing, but to me this is like when you send money for a group order- they're doing you a favor, a service, and making very little in the way of actual profit in my opinion, so I'm not bothered by it.<br />
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Taobao Agent Review: Taobao Ring Part 1 <a href="http://amaranthscastaways.blogspot.com/2015/08/taobao-agent-review-taobao-ring.html"> here </a> .<br />
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So first up, here's an example of the email they send with a status update. This one was letting me know the boots won't ship until next week to them. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNKELwWjJlzK76Fe-syEE2i0u__a2cHOSjt3I1CbHPU4lJn2Ilv3HGHDPzTtUCN1wxIWfaMxiqk9QUkMXr11du0BzyFKYLmQmX9F2FStEgJNtO5BGzu3wBgpl4gZaz2BcqHg3jGRYqy0/s1600/notification+of+status+email.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNKELwWjJlzK76Fe-syEE2i0u__a2cHOSjt3I1CbHPU4lJn2Ilv3HGHDPzTtUCN1wxIWfaMxiqk9QUkMXr11du0BzyFKYLmQmX9F2FStEgJNtO5BGzu3wBgpl4gZaz2BcqHg3jGRYqy0/s640/notification+of+status+email.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This one is showing me they're ready for me to pay.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKp6dhjq61hyhDvy9to2qVc009CAVSvn63pUvjfUx9bmY0iDXmjn41thhsqWB_SVsKUn2KuK9lSF1_j5EZQFYR86e6I2a1NbnTbeUw1mZp1q6zgaSMTAmuw5dA_mWjn59FBHBQbRQdME/s1600/order+confirmation+email.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKp6dhjq61hyhDvy9to2qVc009CAVSvn63pUvjfUx9bmY0iDXmjn41thhsqWB_SVsKUn2KuK9lSF1_j5EZQFYR86e6I2a1NbnTbeUw1mZp1q6zgaSMTAmuw5dA_mWjn59FBHBQbRQdME/s640/order+confirmation+email.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's part of my order (lookit all the cute YoSD stuff) and what is in and out of stock so far. If more is out of stock when they actually go to order, I'll be seeing if I can get them to order some other things instead.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIU9Goa8lcvg_waQ3rFFAIN22mNDHcQHDdloeI5N8v4d5eHosvlxzuUMmDaupClViOVUnGZaDq3JZ3Gy0cIz2amzUs6XQLW0GCBhDgCRVeTC73AUwX04uPwlWr-N18p0gdihu3TnZXz4o/s1600/out+of+stock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIU9Goa8lcvg_waQ3rFFAIN22mNDHcQHDdloeI5N8v4d5eHosvlxzuUMmDaupClViOVUnGZaDq3JZ3Gy0cIz2amzUs6XQLW0GCBhDgCRVeTC73AUwX04uPwlWr-N18p0gdihu3TnZXz4o/s640/out+of+stock.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I chose paypal to pay, and it lets you know what it'll be with the paypal fee charge:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKJWCJ8a3iGINza0PoywaRED8JeX3oLs803yy3O03rig7zxSsJPtwNbsKDUbyjUQ3wgYjP9WINhYjQ2wsmFyhQW_d-yb46e9AUtO8ilIzmlHHDl4jg0BDpWPo9o-oWzKGia5SzfGeWgs/s1600/paypal+fees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKJWCJ8a3iGINza0PoywaRED8JeX3oLs803yy3O03rig7zxSsJPtwNbsKDUbyjUQ3wgYjP9WINhYjQ2wsmFyhQW_d-yb46e9AUtO8ilIzmlHHDl4jg0BDpWPo9o-oWzKGia5SzfGeWgs/s640/paypal+fees.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Payment confirmation screen on Taobao Ring account page (they also sent me a confirmation email):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFJAHCwonW2vVbwQ8FY03MIxukvN6VASx_2zH_PUHxdcwdFtOW8oNZwmZjym1q7jwzEuLBhAEZtPD8lMkVGn650aMAcAs8pMCMT90Fl72F4N98H2pE1sEYj90CmYyS9GtV0DT6PbzPwI/s1600/proof+of+payment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFJAHCwonW2vVbwQ8FY03MIxukvN6VASx_2zH_PUHxdcwdFtOW8oNZwmZjym1q7jwzEuLBhAEZtPD8lMkVGn650aMAcAs8pMCMT90Fl72F4N98H2pE1sEYj90CmYyS9GtV0DT6PbzPwI/s640/proof+of+payment.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There you have it so far. I'll be sure to keep updating with my experiences. So far, they seem like a very good replacement for Taobao Trends.<br />
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Happy shopping. :3 Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526414594551284496.post-48169771614505279382015-08-21T19:24:00.000-06:002015-08-22T10:21:28.367-06:00Taobao Agent Review: Taobao Ring<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <br />
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With Taobao Trends now asking for Western Union and having repeated issues with their shopping cart system, I decided to be brave and try a new company. I placed an order for about $122 worth of stuff. Unlike Taobao Trends, they do not calculate their commission, nor domestic shipping in the total. </div>
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Their process is pretty much the same.</div>
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You input the items you want in the cart, select any options, confirm your address, choose your shipping option, and then submit your order.</div>
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They will confirm if the items are in stock, allow you to make any substitutions if not, and then ask you to send the payment for the items plus domestic shipping.</div>
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Once everything arrives, you'll receive a second charge for overseas shipping to you.</div>
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<a href="http://amaranthscastaways.blogspot.com/2015/08/taobao-agent-review-taobao-ring.html">Part 2 is here </a>.<br />
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So far their customer service has been great, their English skill is good, </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">I love the layout of their site. They have some great menu options, which I'll discuss below. You can also have multiple carts at a time, without submitting them as orders. It's pretty spiffy. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7KFChp5qZIbAPvNCFaWzpheoFrO_USvkjpQtLHcpjmGu0RHf447wux9B-PDp5WtnvQr_qBnVkUHrCmaebmjutoBKkHAxsK08Dgec_rH-K_GVv3bmPzGs4cH6ol5WZSttOzKL3EKq52w/s1600/cart+screen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7KFChp5qZIbAPvNCFaWzpheoFrO_USvkjpQtLHcpjmGu0RHf447wux9B-PDp5WtnvQr_qBnVkUHrCmaebmjutoBKkHAxsK08Dgec_rH-K_GVv3bmPzGs4cH6ol5WZSttOzKL3EKq52w/s640/cart+screen.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Add Stuff To Your Cart Screen</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_3cA3nFq6pxJppmXelRW-ut-HS_I-stzP_NL7m7lGvqh2jK6CoSpeKQQ9ShdBPOffYuIZeogt1wMP_yLEvhfzZrouMHa35OpvD5FAIz7SsryhN5CvIyTJTHXrRV5Po9I2iHgKy19WPI/s1600/confirm+address.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_3cA3nFq6pxJppmXelRW-ut-HS_I-stzP_NL7m7lGvqh2jK6CoSpeKQQ9ShdBPOffYuIZeogt1wMP_yLEvhfzZrouMHa35OpvD5FAIz7SsryhN5CvIyTJTHXrRV5Po9I2iHgKy19WPI/s640/confirm+address.jpg" width="548" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reminder to confirm your address and to choose shippign. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBMHl5YUMWgb0IEMPeykFK_55uzfGLJp-9JF8u3Un1kc2NOBY1gKKjqvljCWDZM1B61kAyQYjnx6A9JwZ30HTBoU5A5AUp3UH5tHFYGGILhPRW4HIBNBmmwmbz2DrC9G_Btv_67xWUfc/s1600/my+first+order.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBMHl5YUMWgb0IEMPeykFK_55uzfGLJp-9JF8u3Un1kc2NOBY1gKKjqvljCWDZM1B61kAyQYjnx6A9JwZ30HTBoU5A5AUp3UH5tHFYGGILhPRW4HIBNBmmwmbz2DrC9G_Btv_67xWUfc/s640/my+first+order.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your past orders screen. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6oKc-8WaQaMjojr7LIORG3M6u4rl2xm5mWIcH_OifCKLZ70pRYPS1yNvpKQW7dbbSUZ2g2NkvMGg8A5HvJS_sFtkYohyphenhyphen_W4VIUOjH327IheZXry59JxEP4Q9n6hcCJhogQ1pd13LXtUs/s1600/sort+button.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6oKc-8WaQaMjojr7LIORG3M6u4rl2xm5mWIcH_OifCKLZ70pRYPS1yNvpKQW7dbbSUZ2g2NkvMGg8A5HvJS_sFtkYohyphenhyphen_W4VIUOjH327IheZXry59JxEP4Q9n6hcCJhogQ1pd13LXtUs/s640/sort+button.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can sort orders by their status. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWQdxEOc4CBhhoyFcV5LPuF_L3mKVcVZcqVrf8I90oCd4n1NtnKX1Z9tRQbKvMW12rOBSSCZqyErubZ6ZAM7zcx7Bh-b5e6fYLhXu-rPqG4XBa7K_YmGGnV3c7d8fKcOVXJ2htvOsfVA/s1600/my+first+order.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2HDwUvUi1IvthQgdP55SukA7QE_vxtJm-zfeBhNdekvidgduajpM7dC4mE1rkyZDryPtR-mYQFNXpkQgF1sf1JBEjpP9SBCLgl4UP0JYuQN9qo9rl0l76095WgM0DxbpNxda6kNnE7s/s1600/status+explanations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2HDwUvUi1IvthQgdP55SukA7QE_vxtJm-zfeBhNdekvidgduajpM7dC4mE1rkyZDryPtR-mYQFNXpkQgF1sf1JBEjpP9SBCLgl4UP0JYuQN9qo9rl0l76095WgM0DxbpNxda6kNnE7s/s640/status+explanations.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at this cool explanation of statuses (statusi?)!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> Anyway, I'll update when I learn more. Hopefully these guys will be a good replacement for Taobao Trends. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Happy collecting!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823364370708760753noreply@blogger.com0