Vinyl dolls VS Resin dolls -- Needing some advice

[Linsilee]

I love my dolls and that is why we are here. For as long as I can remember, I have always has dolls and they were either vinyl or plastic or a combination of some sorts. I am a doll collector that likes to play with her dolls, dress them up, take photos, do photo strips/stories and design rooms for them. For me one of my big needs in a doll is to be pose-able. That is why I was so glad when I discovered Obitsu and glad that some dolls in the US are making their dolls pose-able like Liv dolls, some Barbies and so forth.

Then I recently started to get into BJD. I love how pose-able they are. Love how you can customize them (change eyes, hair, even some body parts). I did do research on them before I purchased the two Littlefee dolls and the Pukipuki doll (which are both resin), but I am still learning more as I go and have hands on with them and kind of wish I knew what I do now before I spent the money on the dolls. I am not saying I regret getting the BJD resin dolls, I do like them a lot, but I think I wouldn't have gotten them if I had known more. Like the problems that resin dolls have with yellowing, chipping and so forth.

Yes I know that all dolls have their problems. Even a vinyl doll can yellow, break, have other issues just like anything. But it just seems to me that there are more cons to a resin doll now that I have been doing a lot more reading on forums and also from experience with my own dolls. My resin Littlefee dolls have magnets in them to hold on their hands and feet. I thought this was a really cool feature of this doll that you can change out their hands and feet when need be. But the first week of having Kaley...I was trying on a new top that her hand would not go through and had to remove her hands...and the magnet in the arm popped out with the hand that is suppose to keep her hand in place. I was able to get her hand back on but the magnet continues to slip out. I am gentle with my dolls, so it wasn't me being rough or forceful with her. I know I can glue it back in place but am concerned of me making a mistake like I read someone else had done. The glued the magnet in backwards with super glue and couldn't get it back out. I have actually read several cases of something like this happening with magnets but in different parts of the doll. I also read that some one was posing their dolls hand and part of the resin cracked and broke off and now the hand will not stay on.

Again....I am always careful with my dolls. I have accidentally broken a few vinyl dolls with doing head swapping and such, but for the most part I find they can go through a lot more abuse/handling then the resin dolls. Kirahfaye posted CustomHouse Vinyl Dolls on here and I so wish I had seen this before purchasing my resin dolls.

I would like to know what the rest of you feel about vinyl dolls vs resin dolls. What are your pros and cons about them? Maybe this could help me see more of the pros for resin and more of the cons for vinyl.

At the moment I am feeling a bit flustered with the flaws of my resin dolls, but I do love the resin dolls I have. I didn't buy them for investment, I got them cause I loved how they looked, they were pose-able and I wanted to be able to play with them. And now I am starting to feel more afraid to play/handle them so much like I do with my vinyl dolls. I am already starting to notice I am not handling them as much now. Should I just continue to play with them and risk doing more damage to them after paying that much for them or do I keep them for display only and limit my handling of them? Or resell the resin bodies to get some money back and just stick with vinyl dolls? I did spend a lot of money for them and my concern is that if I have to limit my handling of them, I don't want them just sitting there collecting dust and aging. Then the value of them will go down and if I did end up reselling them then I would not get as much for them. I just don't know what to do.

I am also freaking out how to glue the magnet back into my dolls arm. I so don't want to screw that up. What glue should you us for doing that?

[Greyhaunt]

Well I have both - vinyl and resin dolls and as said, both have pros and cons to them. Do I regret buying any of them - nope, not at all. The major cons for vinyl dolls is the lack of variety. For larger dolls you can go obitsu - which is the best for poseability (without a stand), or you can go Volks. That's it. Volks heads are pretty much all anime style for vinyl - I've never seen a different type. Obitsu has both, but there are still only about four heads to choose from so you aren't talking the kind of variety you get with resin where there are HUNDREDs of heads companies, etc... Oh, and did I mention that Obitsu is the only one that makes a vinyl boy? And he isn't even anatomically correct? That said you can put a resin head on a vinyl body BUT the color match isn't always good so you have to be prepared for that.

As for your concerns on your resin dolls - don't worry so much. Sure, some people break their dolls - but I think you'll find they are in the MINORITY rather than the majority of users. I've been buying resin dolls since 2006. I am not a gentle doll owner and at least one of my dolls took a fall off the top of my tv set and hit the wall on the way down. No chips. Not one. I haven't broken a finger, toe or anything. And if they do break - glue it back on! They are not unrepairable by any stretch and in some cases you can buy a replacement part from the maker. As for the magnet - here is how I do it. I stick the magnet to it's "partner", then I drip a drop of glue (I use Zap-a-gap) into the hole and put the magnet in, still attached to it's partner. Then I either use my fingernail, or something non-magnetic to slide the partner off the top while holding the other magnet down in it's glue then pull the partner away. MInd you sometimes the "partner" is attached to a hand or something, but no biggy - if you are careful, it will work

You should enjoy your dolls, not live in fear of harming them. And vinyl isn't perfect either. The inner joints can break (and be replaced, but its still a pain), they stain OMG how easily do they stain! And stains are such a pain in the butt to remove - or you have to live with a doll that has purple patches on their butt and legs and feet....(experience talking here).

I know I mentioned that Customhouse vinyls aren't the same as Obitsu and Dollfie Dreams - and they aren't. Basically they are the same structure as a resin doll - meaning heald together with elastic inside - not with an inner skeleton. Why Den of Angels considers them off-topic just because they are resin is beyond me - they are ball-jointed dolls. But then a lot of things Den of Angels does is beyond me.

As for yellowing resin - unless you have a white doll, it really isn't that bad. I mean, damned if I can tell if any of my dolls has yellowed - except for my two white ones. They are now "cream" colored. It's a fact of life that all resin owners must accepts. Personally, if I want them white again I'm thinking I'll airbrush them white and seal with that floor sealant that's been talked about - that'll keep'm white

Enjoy your minifees - they are some of the best posing resin dolls on the market so you make excellent choices there. Maybe add some variety with an obitsu or two or stick with resin - just don't feel restricted because of what MAY happen. I mean, look at it this way. If you drive a car you spend thousands on it and simply by driving down the road a rock can chip the windshield or scratch the paint. In a parking lot a shopping cart could scratch it or dent it. You wouldn't stop driving your car just to protect it from harm because that would defeat the purpose of owning it - but depending on how fussy you are about it's condition you would take precautions like parking in empty sections of lot or not driving on gravelly roads. Well, think of your dolls that way

[richila]

The majority of my dolls are resin and tan. I giggle when I think of all the people who are afraid of tan resin and the possibility of greening. (insert scary music here) I play with my dolls all the time.( I have even sanded my tan dolls; except for my brand new Benny) Poor Shriara gets touch ups every few weeks because she rides in my purse all the time. Because she is my travel doll, she gets handled a lot and has taken more than her fair share of dives, so far no chips although I do need to re-glue her eyelashes. Enjoy your dolls; it would be a shame to have all that pose-ability and not use it.

[Linsilee]

Thank you so much for the reply. This helps me feel better about my LittleFees. I really was getting upset at the thought of not being able to play with them or having to resell them. I have just been reading so much about issues and problems with resin dolls that it was starting to get to me.

I didn't realize that it was possible to get replacement parts from the company if something really bad happen. I will try what you suggested for gluing the magnet back in place, but it will be tricky getting her hand off to let it dry in place and not end up putting it back out again. It's right at the joint of her wrist. And I still have to go buy some of that glue. I should be able to get that at a hardware store right?

Oh yeah. I know vinyl is not perfect. *grins* I have has my fair share of some evil stains. Like on one of my Obitsu soft bodies. Got a red stain on her breast and don't know where the heck it came some. She wasn't wearing clothing at the time and I can't figure out where she got the red from. It took me a while to get it off too and can still see a faint hint of it that I hope will fade with time. But oy. *grins*

Oh you are going to get me started about DoA. When I first joined there which hasn't been all that long ago....I answered one of the approval questions that was something like 'What are your favorite dolls?' and I replied with Tinies and obitsu dolls. Then while I was waiting for my approval which did take a while to get...I read that Obitsu was in the banned list for discuss on the forum. I was starting to think they were not going to let me join because I had stated I liked Obitsu. But finally did get in. And then...I was reading a lot of the post and a pattern started to form for me that many people would start of in their post apologizing for something they might get in trouble for. *boggles* I did contact the mods about it and they were cool and tried to reassure me that I didn't have to worry about getting in trouble for posting in the wrong place or something like that. But still...I don't post much there now. But they are a good resource for information and it was how I found the people in my area that also are into dolls. And...I wouldn't have found this place is if wasn't for that. It was Llwynog that told me about here. Thank you for that Llwynog. *hugs*

Thankfully I got my LittleFees and Pukipuki in natural skin tone. That also puts my mind more at ease. I didn't know anything about yellowing problems before I purchased them. It was looking at the marketplace that I noticed people mentioning dolls not having yellowing or someone stating they didn't want a doll that was yellowing and I started to read up on that.

You are right and have a very good point. I will stop worrying about handling them and such and go back to what my main concern normally is.....getting Keely to stop pulling wig off. Kaley...I have no problem with and her hair is even longer. I have purchased 2 wig caps for them and waiting for them to get here by mail and I really hope this works. I have tried rubbers on the head and using glue dots that isn't super sticky. I have not tried velcro yet. The velcro will be my last resort...cause I know it will make it look like there is a lump on their head. But I swear the boy will not keep his wig on. And what is bad is I am starting to get use to him being bald. *boggles*

[Linsilee]

The majority of my dolls are resin and tan. I giggle when I think of all the people who are afraid of tan resin and the possibility of greening. (insert scary music here) I play with my dolls all the time.( I have even sanded my tan dolls; except for my brand new Benny) Poor Shriara gets touch ups every few weeks because she rides in my purse all the time. Because she is my travel doll, she gets handled a lot and has taken more than her fair share of dives, so far no chips although I do need to re-glue her eyelashes. Enjoy your dolls; it would be a shame to have all that pose-ability and not use it.

Okay...stupid question time here. *grins* Tan resin dolls will turn green instead of yellowing?

Oooo...see this is what I want to be able to do with my LittleFees and Pukipuki, be able to travel around with them. I even purchased little luggage for them to put in my suitcase for their clothing when I got to Conventions and such that we stay for like a weekend. They are actually little make-up cases but work well for what I need them for. What kind of glue do you use for the eyelashes?

[Resu]

What Greyhaunt said.

You can slow down the yellowing process by keeping the dolls out of direct sunlight, too.

For gluing magnets back in, I tend to hold the magnet pinched between my thumb and forefinger before bringing it close to the partner magnet to see which end to glue in. Then I put the magnet down with the side to be glued facing upwards. Dab the glue in the slot and put the magnet in. =D

For eyelashes, plain white glue works just fine.

[DollyKim]

I have lots of 1/6 scale plastic dolls some of whom go back 30 years. The oldest of my "custom" crew, a mix of Volks and Obistu, are 5 years and all are in one piece. The locals can tell you I put my dolls through a lot for my website and to their credit only one has ever broken on me, he was a Medicom RAH. They stay out of the sun, I keep clean hands around them, and have only stained a few fingers when something black accidentally rubbed on them. No one has discolored or suddenly become super fragile.

Of all my resins only one has gone a bit off color, the body of my one Dollzone mini beauty white is going a bit yellow-green. Hell be 4 this year. His head is fine, his wife who is also a beauty white is fine. Resin discoloration can vary from batch to batch, his head any body were from different ones.

By the time you notice any color change you'll love your doll too much for it to bother you. I don't notice my Darci has one hand, no hair, and oxidation.

[Greyhaunt]

Oh don't worry about velcro making a bulge - that only seems to happen on tinies LOL. I use velcro to hold wigs on, Cirque uses velcro, K2 uses velcro - it's cheap and easy And if you want really scary - both Cirque AND K2 use SUPERGLUE to attach the velcro to their doll's skullcaps I really tripped when I first heard that - but as I noticed one of my dolls has been getting a higher and higher hairline lately (stupid arizona heat ><) I think I will have to set aside my fears and do it too!

Also, if you are worried about bulging velcro - go on Ebay and search for the seller coolcat (or coolcats can't remember if it's plural). They sell the thinnest velcro I've EVER seen! The price and shipping are also really fair so I'd say get some of that to help hold wigs down!

LOL - I know all about red stains on vinyl - one of my girls got some red stain from a dress, but I thought it was really funny that it was her nipples that picked up the stain LOL. Made them nice and rosy

I've heard the "tan turns green" thing too, but so far none of my tan dolls (I have like, four or five myself) has done so - and I'm not worried Heck I have blue dolls, green dolls, red dolls - I LUV color resin!!!

As for DoA - it's not always the mods that are the problem - it's the little power freak members that often jump on your case for misposting or something. And actually ALL obitsu are not banned from there, only the 1/6 scale stuff. They kicked and screamed, but they do allow the 47cm - 60cm obitsu on there Mind you they had to because they allow the big Dollfie Dream dolls on there and they are of a similar construction concept. You'll find that most of us here are also members over at DoA, we just don't post a whole lot. It is a great place to see owner photos of dolls you are thinking of buying, a great place for new doll news and I do enjoy the Workshop area for sewing and faceup tips - but otherwise I don't hang out much.

[kiki-chan78]

I should clarify the bit about Obitsu being Off-Topic on DoA. The ones that are deemed un-postable are the 1:6 scale ones, since they are considered to be 'fashion' dolls and not true BJDs. The smaller Volks fall into this category as well. Actually, I've noticed that if dolls are specifically and openly geared towards being able to wear 'fashion-doll clothes', DoA tends to not like them. Meh, What-ev. ^.~

They DO allow 1:3 obitsus (47cm to 60cm) to be posted. Emphasis on allow because I think the only reason that obitsus snuck in there is because they are similar in nature to the Volks Dollfie Dreams. I haven't heard anything about the status of the 65cm ones yet... since I'm not personally interested in getting one, I haven't asked. But, if anyone was going to ask a mod, I'd suggest showing the images of her dolled up instead of the undressed ones, plus a remark about her being the perfect size and having the perfect look to be a 'companion' to *insert large EXPENSIVE doll here* wouldn't hurt.

As for the difference between vinyl and resin? Soft vinyl stains like a biyotch, but obitsus hold a pose like there's no tomorrow. Resin (depending on it's care) will pick up a 'golden' tone and start yellowing, but they will snuggle up to you.

I'm not particularly all that careful about how I *handle* my dolls... though, I do try my best to keep the lot of them out of harsh lighting conditions. They aren't porcelain dolls, they aren't going to shatter into a million pieces if they hit the floor. But, I also take measures to ensure that they aren't in 'danger' of leaping off a table. When unattended, resins are in stands, or sitting. I guess I should say, while I don't used 'kid-gloves' with my boys, I don't like taking unnecessary risks with them either.

So far in over three years of owning BJDs, I've had four of the infamous waist pieces break(two of this wasn't my fault), two obitsu wrists snap, two obistu shoulders fall off, one obitsu hip disintegrate, and one resin finger break. Most of the 'damage' was on Omi's side of things. XD

Boiling it all down... unless you make a conscious decision that there is a marked difference between the types of dolls? Then, they are all just dolls to be loved and played with. ^____^

<3

-Kiki-chan78.

[Linsilee]

Resu: I don't like being in direct sunlight either, me and heat do mix well together. *grins* So keeping them out of the sunlight shouldn't be hard. This method of gluing the magnet might work better for me due to the fact that once I have the hand back on I can't see the magnets anymore to get them separated.

DollyKim: I have had some of my vinyl/plastic does for a long time and they have held up very well. That is one of the reasons I like them so much and was wondering if they are better than resin. You are right about little imperfections that happen along the way, they just become part of that dolls traits. I have even written them into some of my dolls stories. That is why I was getting so flustered with my resin ones. I am already attached to them but didn't want to damage them with how much I got them for.

Greyhaunt: They super glue the velcro on???? Eh....hrm. I think I would have a really hard time going that route. We will have to see on that one. If Keely can figure out how to get his wig off with the wig cap, then the only choice I have is the velcro. I believe coolcat is the one I got the wig cap from. If it doesn't work I will check on the thin velcro cause now my Pukipuki is taking lessons from Keely.

*laughs at the rosey nipple stains* Well that was kind of what happened with mine but it was only one breast and I have no clue where the red came from. She has wearing nothing and I didn't see anything red that she was with. Really weird.

I have notices some members that are like that. It's one of the reasons I don't post much on there. Like you said....I got there for the information, to look up information on meet-ups in my area and the marketplace. Well for me the Obitsu ban on 1/6 is like saying all are banned cause that is all I have. I tend to stick with that scale as I am most comfortable with it. I was thinking of getting a MiniFee, but still not sure on that one. All the clothing for them is so expensive. I do pretty much the same. I don't hang out on DoA much now except to read up on stuff I need to know. I am mostly at another forum that allows me to talk about all my dolls too and on here. This place is great.