Dolls on Crack

[Requiem]

Edit: The website's all fixed, so the people who were interested in the dolls can go look.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/dgrequiem/vertigo01.jpg (http://www.requiemart.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=12)
(clicking this picture takes you to the doll galleries)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/dgrequiem/lamp.jpg (http://www.requiemart.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=7)
(clicking this picture takes you to the dollhouses, where you can find such thing as a prison, armory, mad science lab, porn studio...)

The website is www.requiemart.com/pullip/

These aren't standard dolls--I actually hated dolls when I was a kid, still do. They're kinda like puppets. They're big-headed, but generally barbie doll sized otherwise. They're super-articulated, most action figures don't even come close to poseability and customizing uses. If you want an entertaining read, I have sort of a photo-webcomic that uses them (All My Pullips) off of the website.

[Soli]

Those actually look pretty cool. Don't people design/make not only the doll's clothes, but also the makeup, hair, and eyes?

[Eddie Echoplex]

Are those Bratz?.

[Soli]

Not at all. I don't know much about them, but know they aren't like Bratz at all, other then possibly appearence.

From what I read/saw about them awhile ago, they're more for professional use and not as commonly toys. You buy special parts, such as different eyes, heads, hair, or even bodies. They can make the clothes/makeup and basicly create different dolls.

I guess a lot of people create the dolls then take pictures, as a kind of art. All the work they put into making the doll is shown, and also lighting and such for the picture.

It seems to be more of an adult hobby then kids toys.

[Requiem]

Not bratz. These things are, unfortunately, pretty darn hard to find in stores outside Japan, and pretty expensive. They're about $100 USD new, with shipping. Custom dolls max out at around $350 in the US, $1000+ in Japan; and most of the expensive ones in japan are pretty mediocre compared to the better US ones.

Hair, eyes, faces, you can even give them different bodies. You can pretty much customize anything about them, right down to breast size. I've even carved the heads and used apoxie-sculpt to build up features as well.

I like them because they're so much fun to pose.

http://www.requiemart.com/nfront.jpg

Amusingly, they're produced by the same people who make the breast plushies.

[Eddie Echoplex]

Ahh, I've heard about these dolls. Yup, the prices are the ones that are insane.

... Is that doll with a shovel burying a G.I Joe!?

[Requiem]

I think some of you guys are thinking of the super dollfies. They're about 2'/60cm tall and they start at around $300 for the smaller 'kid sized' ones and only go up. like... www.eluts.com They're ceramic, and very lifelike.

Eddie Echoplex: Oh no, they just steal GI Joe's clothes...and weapons (http://www.requiemart.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=3197). That's another pullip she's burying. I figure any doll that has eyes that can follow you around a room and pose convincingly with an axe (http://www.requiemart.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=3197) is obviously evil, so I just sort of went with that. :D

Once you get over the fact that they're, y'know, dolls, they're quite fun. I took a couple down to Washington DC so I could get pictures of one stealing the hope diamond (it's in the smithstonian natural history museum). I even had little crowbar props. So they had the bag search when you go in and the security guard is looking at me, the doll, the crowbar, and going "WTF?" quietly to himself. Then the other security guards noticed, came over, and were sort of sneakily playing with them and asked me where they could get them for their kids/grandkids. We hit another museum the same day and the guards there X-rayed my bag twice (the second time for humor value, they let me watch) because little plastic X-ray skeletons...well I wish I got a picture, but my camera was in the bag.

Making them is fun too, but I don't get any good stories from that. Mostly I get good stories from when I take them places to practice photography. Since you can pose them like people (even the eyes move) and they sit still they're very good for that.

*shrugs* It's a hobby. It sort of combines my interest in making things with my interest in photography and my rather twisted sense of humor.

[SlickWilly440]

Nice pictures by the way, they look so awesome.

I think some of you guys are thinking of the super dollfies. They're about 2'/60cm tall and they start at around $300 for the smaller 'kid sized' ones and only go up. like... www.eluts.com They're ceramic, and very lifelike.

Yes, I started to think Super Dollfies because I remember that Japanorama show hosted by BBC Johnathan Ross, where there was a segment about those dolls.

So do you have any pictures of custom dolls that represent actual people?

On average how long does it take you to make one of those dolls?

[Requiem]

Yeah I figured. Pullips are getting extremely popular, but for more than a couple of people to have heard of them, I figured they meant super dollfies.

Familiar with Frank N Furter (http://www.requiemart.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=3481) from the Rocky Horror picture show? He's one of my fave's. I even made him his own room (http://www.requiemart.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=5651) with a lip-shaped couch, mirror on the ceiling above the bed, and artistic partial nudes of naked man parts on the walls.

Harry Potter (http://www.requiemart.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=761) & Draco Malfoy (http://www.requiemart.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1168&g2_serialNumber=4) (don't worry, I didn't take pictures of them in gay sex poses)

Ren (http://www.requiemart.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=2001) from DearS
Chii (http://www.requiemart.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=694) from Chobits
Hinoto (http://www.requiemart.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=2057) from X

I've done some off of actual people (a coworker's daughter, my little cousin) but I don't post pictures of them online to compare with the dolls. A basic face job (new face, new eyes, new hair) takes about 5 hours. If I'm carving the head or building it up with apoxie as well to change the shape, double that. If costumes are involved...god knows. That one I did of Ren took almost 20 hours just for the outfit because I had to figure out how to keep it looking like the anime and NOT fall off her painfully large breasts. I went through around a dozen attempts of various designs :knockout:

And this is the result of several years. I generally just have time to work on them a few hours a week, some night or weekend.

[Eddie Echoplex]

Harry Potter looks more Edward Scissorhands as a doll.

[nanashi]

The pink haired doll is so cute. Frank N Furter has to be my favorite out of those. XD And I like that those are less expensive than super dollfies. You do a really good job on the details and outfits!

Although tbh I'd probably never own one myself because if set in front of me dolls with big heads creep me out.

[Soli]

That Draco Malfoy one is awesome (as are the others)! My sister would die if I showed her the Draco one, she loves him.

[RoxFontaine]

So you resell these things? I'm a bit confused as to what you wanted to use Yahoo! Japan for....

[japanat]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but...

With all those shortcuts, this almost looks like spam in disguise.

[Requiem]

RoxFontaine-
Custom dolls max out at around $350 in the US, $1000+ in Japan; and most of the expensive ones in japan are pretty mediocre compared to the better US ones.

The Chii one sold for ~$300, Ren was a $500 commission. My last 2 were a lolita styled doll that sold for $250 and a Vampire that sold for $350 on ebay. Before that I had a bunch that sold with BINs at $300. Yahoo! Japan though, is another thing entirely. There's a much bigger collector base, and they pay much higher sums for customs of much lower quality than mine, and by lower quality I mean doll dresses taken off of fashion dolls, splotchy makeup, or only modified face makeup and maybe a wig change of a 'stock' doll you could buy off the shelf.

I'm just curious. I don't sell more than 3-4 a year.

[Requiem]

japanat-
Uh-huh. Except I'm not selling anything, here or on my website and I only made this post because I was asked about 'em in another thread.

The lack of FREEPENISENLARGINGPORN!!1!!! might also be a hint.

Sorry. I only had 2 links in my original post, and elaborated with examples in my explanations when asked because there was a bit of confusion involved.

[japanat]

japanat-
Uh-huh. Except I'm not selling anything, here or on my website and I only made this post because I was asked about 'em in another thread.

The lack of FREEPENISENLARGINGPORN!!1!!! might also be a hint.

Sorry. I only had 2 links in my original post, and elaborated with examples in my explanations when asked because there was a bit of confusion involved.
Yeah. I just found the thread where people actually asked you to post this info. Sorry, I screwed up on this one.:meh:

[Requiem]

No problem. I know, I'm posting, who the hell am I and where have I been since February 06? 2/06 was the first time I found a need to post. I think I've posted twice since then not counting this stuff. After people stop asking questions here I'll disappear again. I usually only post if I have something interesting to add or a question I can't answer with the 'search' button.

[Beowulf]

This has "Bizarre 4chanian internet fetish" written all over it.

[Urameshi YuSooKey]

I thought the same thing but then I remembered that btards dont have actual hobbies other than anime and fapping, so I reconsidered.

[Requiem]

Paranoid bunch, aren't ya? Gosh, I wish people waited a year and a half on MY forum before spamming. It would make modding soooooo much easier! <--sarcasm. obviously.

The part that I don't get is that 2 other people roll with it it, AFTER japanat said he realized he made a mistake. It sort of kills any of the wittiness that might possibly have been scored.

Anyway, if I do do the Y!Japan thing, I'd give Az first crack at it, or do it in collaboration with him and someone else if he doesn't have Y!Japan experience. The doll thing is, like I said, a hobby. I'm not terribly dependent on the money it brings in, it just goes to other hobby stuff. So curiosity isn't generally worth the hassle, but curiosity + a generously paid Az, when I've been enjoying his editorials for a few years seems like a perfectly good reason. I've given my website, and there's a 'contact me' link at the bottom of practically every page, so I'm good. For that, or anything else I offered to help out with.