Naming Our Little Boy Bjd

Much time has past since our newest little ball jointed doll arrived, and he has settled in for the most part.

Sakura and Yuna have grown particularly fond of him, and he of them.  Though it’s hard not to notice his particular fondness of Yuna (awww, it’s so cute).

Anyway, after much consideration Anna has finally decided upon an appropriate name for our only male 1/6 scale ball jointed doll.

So, please allow me to properly present…

Makoto.

The name is rather tricky to say, Anna frequently mispronounces it.  And I have no doubt that she got it from another anime or manga series.

That is correct Hikaru.  The name appears in several different series for a number of different characters, both male and female.  One in particular is Makoto Kino or Sailor Jupiter from the Sailor Moon franchise.  She is the tallest and strongest of the sailor scouts while still being among the most feminine.  Because being “girly” doesn’t mean you can’t be a strong super hero.

The word Makoto can mean sincerity and truth, among other things.   I think it is a perfect name for such a cute little boy, who occasionally get mistaken for a girl.  I could have gone with something more “macho” sounding, but it wouldn’t suit him.  It would be like saying there is something “wrong” with him being so pretty.

I agree, it is a lovely sounding name.  However, to name him after a female super heroine or all things.

However, I’m sure the children will love it.

“Is it really a boy’s name? You were named after a girl?  She is a super hero?!  Do you have super powers now? Can you fly?  Can I see?!  Why are you still wearing a dress?”

…….

“…Um, I like your new name, Makoto.  It’s very cute.”

“Thank you, Yuna. :)”

Well, now that that’s all settled, we can move on to more pressing needs, such as his clothing.  Anna still has yet to sew any new clothing for him.  He can’t continue wearing the “new doll” dress forever, it looks like sleepwear.

I will just have to continue to gently remind her until she comes through for us.

Until then, be at peace my dear readers.

Read More »

Doll Owner’s Corner: Bjd Events

First of the month, time for another Doll Owner’s Corner (after missing the last few months).  When I, the doll owner, talk about anything I want.

This month’s topic:

Events

The first time some people hear about an event for a doll company or dealer, they may wonder “what is an event?”  The short answer is that it’s a big sale.  We all know what that means when it’s a grocery store or department store.  The prices on some things go down for about a week to get people to come in the door.

The difference is that bjd events tend to last about a month, and sometimes longer.  I’ve seen ones that were extended an extra month.  Giving more time to make your choice.  :)

There are various ways for you to save on dolls during an event.  Some companies will reduce the price by about 10-12% or even more.  That’s how I got both Usagi and Sakura here (in this older photo). 

Mystic Kids was having an event for 10% off all their dolls, so I bought Sakura from the Junky Spot (check out her unboxing).

Doll Family A had an event that included 20% off their msd sized dolls plus a free gift!  So, I ended up ordering Usagi through Alice’s Collections (check out her unboxing).

Events occur throughout the year and usually coincide with holidays and seasons and such. 

For example, Misako was bought at nearly 50% off clearance as part of the Junky Spot’s annual Black Friday sale (check out her unboxing).  Several of my other dolls were purchased during Summer events. 

Other occasions for events include Christmas/Winter, Spring Festival (aka. Chinese New Year), New Year’s, and company anniversaries.

Now, in addition to dolls being “on sale” during events, you do sometimes get freebies with your purchase depending on the company. 

For example, Doll Love regularly has events where their dolls are about 10-15% off with a free face up.  That’s how I got Yuna here (check out her unboxing), with her adorable default face up.

Kids Sky has similar free face up events.  They were having one for Christmas, so I got Momoko (check out her unboxing).

Other things you might get for free are other dolls or doll parts. 

As some of you may remember, Yuki started out as just a floating head I got for free when I bought Usagi (that free gift I mentioned).  Some companies will give you free (or reduced price) jointed hands with a purchase, and some more (relatively) pricier companies will include small sized bjds as a gift.

One fun thing about bjd events is that it isn’t just the doll companies that have them, but also the dealers.  I mentioned before that Junky Spot has their Black Friday sale, but Alice’s Collections regularly has nice events.

For example, I’ve taken advantage several times of events at Alice’s Collections where you can order a pair of their glass dolls eyes for only $1 with qualifying purchases.

And for more fun, Alice’s Collections frequently have events to get cute pet dolls for super low prices with a qualifying purchase.  That’s how I got Shiro.

And the deals can usually be stacked.  For example, if a dealer is having an event where you can buy a cute pet doll for $1 if you buy a SD sized doll, and a particular company on their site is also having an event where you can get a free yosd sized doll with the purchase of a SD sized doll.  Then you can buy your SD doll, get the freebie doll and throw on that cute pet doll.  That’s what I call a great deal.

I’ve mostly been talking about dolls, but all those cute bjd accessories go on sale too.  

I bought all these doll wigs at 10% off with free shipping during an event from Alice’s Collections (man, I buy from them a lot).  They also have similar deals on clothing, usually on new styles.

I got these cute little yosd sized shoes for Sakura and Yuna when they were 10% off, they were shipped for free too.

And that’s just a small sample of the fun of bjd events.  Of course the best part is always after the event has ended.  When your order has shipped, and your package has arrived and is waiting for you to unbox your new doll!

Happy shopping everyone.

Read More »

Doll Owner’s Corner: Pros and Cons of Collecting

It’s the first of the month, time for another Doll Owner’s Corner.  When I, the doll owner, talk about anything at all.

This month’s topic:

The Pros and Cons of Collecting Ball Jointed Dolls

Pro - Dolls are so small and easy to collect, they take up so little space.

Con - One doll takes up very little space, but if you have several (plus accessories) they will take up all shelf/closet space in you room/home.

Pro - It’s fun to make and sew things for your dolls.

Con - If you aren’t good at sewing, trying to make doll clothes can be torture.

Pro - If you can’t sew doll clothes very well, there are tons of cute options for bjds from sites like Alice’s Collections and Dollmore.

Con - All those cute doll clothes sold online come with not so cute prices.  Imagine spending as much on your doll’s clothes as your own, and that’s assuming you can find clothes that fit your doll.

Pro - It can be easy and fun to shop for doll props and furniture in toy stores and such.

Con - It’s hard to tell your friends/family that your dolls “are not toys” if you shop for doll props at toy stores.

Pro - By carefully saving up for your doll purchases, you can learn so much about handling money responsibly.

Con - You could try to be responsible with your money, or you could just as easily spend your rent money on that must-have limited edition bjd.

Pro - You can actually earn money on the side selling your own handmade doll clothes or commissioning face ups and customization.

Con - To earn money making doll stuff, you first have to learn how to sew/paint/etc. and actually get good enough to earn something from it.

Pro - Doll collecting is an interesting hobby in general, and collecting bjds is particularly unique.

Con - Interesting hobby or not, it’s hard not to feel like you’re “that weirdo who collects creepy dolls” at times.

Pro - It’s fun to go places with your dolls and there are plenty of places to take them like conventions, meet ups, museums, etc.

Con - To take your dolls anywhere you first have to decide which ones to take, plus you have to pack them carefully to prevent any sort of damage on the way.  And that’s all assuming you are comfortable taking dolls out in public at all.

Pro - By buying from doll companies from other countries, you can learn fun and fascinating things about their culture.

Con - Dealing with language barriers.

Pro - All that time spent waiting for orders to be processed and your dolls to be shipped teaches the importance of patience.

Con - Waiting.  So much waiting.  Waiting for everything! 

Pro - The joy and excitement of receiving a package in the mail.  It’s your new doll and you can’t wait to unbox it.

Con - Getting your new doll in the mail and after wrestling through all the packaging to get the darn box open, suddenly getting hit with the strong smell of new resin (gag).

And that’s just a handful of the many fun and not so fun things about collecting bjds.  Have any more you would like to add?  Leave a comment below.

Read More »

Naming Dolls: Our Clover Doll Echo

Our newest bjd (Our Clover Doll Echo) has been with us for nearly four months.  My, where has the time gone.

She has since adjusted well to living among us, though something still puzzles me.  She still has yet to say even one word to anyone.  It is quite peculiar to say the least, however it is an almost refreshing change from the constant noise coming from many of the other dolls.

Anyway, since this doll has been with us so long, it is high time that we properly introduce her.  Anna has finally decided on a proper name for her.

So allow me to present…

Misako.

It has such a nice ring to it, but I am certain Anna got it from another anime series or something of that sort.

Yes and no.  I did first hear of this name from a manga series, Kodocha.  The character, Misako Kurata, is an eccentric novelist and mother to the main character.

However, in this case Misako comes from Misako Aoki, a model, President of the Japanese Lolita Association and an official Kawaii Ambassador for Japan.  She also works as a nurse.  That’s right Hikaru, I named our new doll after a real person.

Anyway, according to Wikipedia, the name Misako has several meanings depending on the characters used.  These include “beauty, blossom, child” and “truth, serene, skillful child”.  The fact that we all think this new doll is beautiful is hardly a secret here.  She could easily be a model like her namesake.  It is my hope that with this name, Misako will blossom into a very talented or “skillful” individual.   As soon as we get to know her better.

Well, now at least we know her name, but there is so much about her that is still a mystery.   How will we get to know her if she doesn’t properly speak to us?

“…Um, maybe she is just really shy.  And if we’re nice to her she won’t be so shy anymore...”

You may have a good point Yuna.

Maybe in time she will open up more.  For now let us enjoy a nice cup of tea together.  Tea is wonderful for bonding and harmony.

What is wrong, are you not enjoying your tea?

“…Um, I don’t think she has ever had tea before…”

Well Yuna, there is a first time for everything.  And new experiences will help with her development.  I still wish I knew what Misako was thinking.  Maybe someday.

But for now, be at peace my dear readers.

What Misako is thinking.

(The one with the white hair talks so much.  Why is she so noisy?  Would it be rude to tell her?)

Read More »

Doll Owner’s Corner: When Dolls Take Over Part 2

Beginning of the month, time for another Doll Owner’s Corner.  When I, the doll owner, talk about anything I want.

This month’s topic:

When Dolls Take Over Your Life

Continuing on from this post with more fun.

You know the dolls have taken over when:

• You realize it takes you more time to dress your doll than to dress yourself, but hey, it’s way more fun anyway.
• You plan trips to thrift shops, antique stores, flea markets, yard sales, etc. solely to look for furniture and props for your dolls.
• You regularly receive small items as gifts from friends and family members because they thought you could use them for your dolls.
• Most of the YouTube Channels you subscribe to are about dolls…
• …And so are several of the blogs you follow.
• Your dolls have more toys than your kids do…
• …And they have more clothes than you do.
• You frequently talk to your dolls, and catch your family doing the same.
• Just when you decide you have enough dolls already and it’s no more dolls for you, holiday sales hit.
• You spam your friends on social media with almost non-stop photos of your dolls, and dolls on you wish list, and doll tutorials, etc.
• You’re talking to someone about your new ball jointed doll and tell them it was “only $200”, and then you wonder why they seem so shocked.
• You find yourself learning more about holidays and customs of other countries because doll companies located in those countries have corresponding sales and events.  Happy Spring Festival.

And there will be more of these in the future as my dolls slowly infiltrate every part of my life, whether I like it or not.

Look forward to it.

Read More »

Doll Owner’s Corner: Buying Doll Props

This post may contain affiliate links, please check out my disclosures page for more info.  Thanks!

First of the month and the year (wow time flies!), time for another Doll Owner’s Corner.  When I, the doll owner, talk about what ever I want.

This month’s topic:

Doll Props

…Or where to buy them.  Doll props are those cute little items you buy or make for your dolls.  Little things that make “playtime” fun and make your doll photos come alive.

These include:

• Food, and tons of it
• Dishes (like Hikaru’s tea set)
• Doll sized furniture
• Toys and plushies :)
• Tools and fantasy weapons

And many other fun things.

The tricky part about them is finding them.  Not everything is easy to make (especially for the non-crafty) and when buying it can be difficult to find what you want in the right scale. 

Not to mention the cost.  Many of the stores that sell ball jointed dolls do carry super cute props for them at not so cute prices.

Luckily, if you look hard enough, and think outside of the box, you can find fun doll props in some pretty interesting places and with great prices. 

Here are a few of my favorites.

Thrift Stores

If the thrift shop posts haven’t already clued you in, thrift shops (like Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc.) are a good place to start looking for cheap doll props. 

Check out the toys for small useable items and maybe actual doll stuff, but don’t forget the household items too. 

You can find small dishes and knickknacks, tiny picture frames, jewelry boxes that look like small trunks and doll sized furniture, chairs (meant for teddy bears), even tiny picture frames.

Dollar or Discount Stores

Be it Dollar Tree, Family Dollar or (if you’re lucky to live near one) Daiso, you can find some pretty useful cheap stuff for dolls. 

Browse the toys for small items like figurines, tiny dishes, mini-puzzles and such. 

Also check out the stationary for cute food erasers, hair accessories for tiny clips and such, the party supplies for small items and the rest of the store for small novelties.  I’ve seen reading lights in electronics that look like table and desk lamps.

Oriental Trading Company

Oriental Trading Company is an online store known for selling bulk items for use for parties, classrooms and large families. 

You can find fun novelty key chains shaped like all kinds of useful things, small toys and books, and even holiday items.  I saw small Halloween pumpkin buckets intended for party favors that would be perfect for small dolls.

Party City

Party City and other party supply stores can be a brilliant source for doll sized goodies (see Finding Doll Props: At the Party Store?). 

They sell all kinds of party favors that are the perfect size for dolls, similar to some of the stuff at Oriental Trading Company. 

But unlike Oriental Trading Company, you can buy most of them in smaller amounts, even only one or two pieces for as little as 25 or 50 cents each.

Craft Stores

Joann, Michael’s, Hobby Lobby and the like can have great stuff for dolls. 

Look for doll house miniatures, “doll making” supplies, small wooden drawers and chairs, fun shaped charms and such in with jewelry supplies, small toys (obviously), and even seasonal items. 

And near the checkout at Joann and Michael’s you will find their cheap novelty area that sometimes holds doll sized treasures.

Target

I regularly browse around Target for doll sized props.  It’s my go to place for buying blind bags (see Finding Doll Props: Surprising Blind Bags) and other small toys found in the toy aisle as well as with the trading cards near the checkout. 

I also stop by their “dollar section” by the door.  You can frequently find cute items that would work for dolls like fun shaped erasers and lips glosses, small seasonal novelties, etc. 

But I still mainly check out the toy section for one specific reason…

18 Inch Doll Lines

Yep, I mean those 18 inch tall play dolls, the most well known one is American Girl with their $120 price tag, but others include Target’s own Our Generation dolls, Springfield Collection (available at Michaels and Joann), My Life As..(from Walmart), Journey Girls (from Toys R Us) and many others. 

Many items made for these dolls are the perfect or near perfect size for many ball jointed dolls.  Look out for furniture sets, food sets, instruments (seriously), storage and carrying cases, accessories, sometime even clothes depending on the piece.

Grocery Stores

Technically, most of the stuff you would find at a grocery store you can already find at any other store (like toys, tiny hair accessories, etc.).  This is part of that whole constantly looking out for doll props habit that many ball jointed doll collectors develop.

However, there is one thing that you normally only find at grocery stores.  Tiny toy and candy machines. 

You know, those little machines by the door that you put quarters in to buy little toys and gumballs.  Many of those itty bitty 25 and 50 cent toys are perfect for my dolls.  Which is why I’ve been saving quarters like mad lately.

And if you’re lucky enough to live near an Asian grocery store, see if they have any gachapon machines. 

These are like the Japanese version of the toy machines, only they are much nicer (check out this video about them).  The toys are better quality and super cool.

That’s it for the moment, I hope this has given you a few good resources for finding fun things for your dolls.  Feel free to share your own favorite sources for doll props.

And stay tuned for more fun with the dolls.

Read More »

Bjd Unboxing: Surprise Again, Clover Doll Echo

Continuing on from the previous post, Anna bought not just one, but two new ball jointed dolls from the Junky Spot Black Friday sale.

We have already unboxed the first darling doll, now let’s see what we have here.

Inside the shipping box is the doll box with an unfamiliar logo.

It’s for Clover Doll, a company that I’ve frankly never heard of before today.  But I’m sure their dolls are lovely just the same.

Upon opening the doll box, the first sight we see is a martial arts DVD?

“Cool, let’s watch it now!  Can we please, Miss Ghost Lady?”

No Sakura, it is too violent for children.  And we are in the middle of something important.

Anyway, let us see what other surprises await.

As we have learned from previous unboxings (see New Arrival: A Mystic Kids Doll Review), Junky Spot is known for including strange novelties in their packages.

This time, in addition to the DVD we received a card game, a couple of pieces of chocolate, an animal eraser, and…

…a fortune teller fish?

It’s a thin plastic fish that tells one’s fortune based on how it lays.

Simply lay it on the palm of your hand and observe.

Sorry Yuki, it doesn’t seem to work for dolls.

Here is the doll’s card, showing her sculpt name and the date she was cast by her doll company.  So she is a Clover Doll Echo.

Now that we’ve gotten her cushion out, let us see our new companion.

Here she is all bandaged up.

And now all unwrapped.  She is a lovely doll, but a bit of a mystery, so I will allow Anna to explain further.

I first saw this doll over a year ago I think at the Junky Spot, but I overlooked for one particular reason.  The product photos.

The photos were mostly beautiful, but the way her mouth looked in them bugged me.  It looked a little too pouty.  And I couldn’t find any owner photos, so no way of knowing what she would look like in real life.

Over time I realized a couple of things. 

First, the over-poutiness was mostly due to her face up.  And second, every single doll I have every gotten with the default company face up has arrived looking very different compared to the company photos.

I thought that odds were more likely than not that this new doll would not look like the company photo as well, and most likely not have the same problem with her mouth.

So when I saw her at the Black Friday sale, at half price, I took a leap of faith.

And here you can see she looks just fine.  Not at all over pouty.  She is a beautiful doll. 

And the freebie eyes are wonderful, I don’t even mind that I ended up with blue eyes, again.  So far, every bjd I ever gotten has come with either blue or pink eyes.  So much for being random colors. 

Anyway, these eyes look fantastic.  They are so shiny and realistic in person, but not in a creepy way.

She poses pretty well too.  Obviously she can touch her face, but also her legs can do things the others can’t do.  She actually reminds me of a ballet dancer.  She has a beautiful body.

Well now, her body may be beautiful to behold, but she still needs to get dressed.

Now to present the “new doll” dress to our newest doll.

Now doesn’t she look wonderful in the dress, and in natural lighting.

Anna is right about her face up, it is gorgeous.

Such a beautiful doll, however she is a very quiet doll.  And she seems fairly out of it.  I do hope the trip wasn’t too tiring for her.

“Where are you from?  Do you have a name?  Why do you look so sleepy?  Want to play now?”

“Go easy on her Sakura.  Our new friend is overwhelmed and needs to rest.”

Momoko is absolutely right.  Even the cat doll is concerned.

Speaking of which, our little feline has shown to be quite obedient and learns things rather quickly.  Anna taught it to sit nicely for us.

Anyway, we have noticed that although our newest doll is a msd sized or 1/4 scale doll like myself and Usagi, she is noticeably smaller in stature.

That’s not an unusual thing.  There are many different doll companies out there making loads of different dolls.  As such, ball jointed dolls tend to vary in height and proportions among other things.  It’s why one common complaint upon their owners is being unable to buy clothes to fit their dolls. 

And that is precisely why I am taller than the two of you.

“Don’t be silly, Hikaru.  It’s your shoes that make you so much taller. :)”

Well, these shoes add a negligible amount of height.  I am still taller!

No you’re not, you and Usagi are the same height.

Humph!

Anyway, our little doll family is becoming much larger than anticipated.  I suppose a large family is a blessing.  This means there will be much more to look forward in the future.

But for now, be at peace my dear readers.

Read More »