Where do you get your props?

[claws]

I've been seeing some really cool props in peoples' photostories and all lately, and I've been meaning to ask you all where you get such awesome stuff for your dolls. I've been looking for books that are to scale with my 1/3 dolls; not just book-shaped props, but real, tiny books with text inside and everything. I found a few things on Ebay, but I'm not really sure where to look.
Do you guys get your props from Ebay, another shop, or vintage stores, or do you know someone who makes them? A lot of you guys come up with some really great finds and I'm really curious as to how you got them!

[Greyhaunt]

All of the above LOL.

I haunt thrift stores, hit Ebay (usually for specific things though), yard sale, craft and hobby stores like Michaels, Hobby Lobby, shop for American Girls and My Twinn props on their websites, and I've had some wonderful people make things for me as well.

Now NO ONE can compete with Cirquemom because she's been doll collecting forever and has every prop ever made practically >< Except a doll shopping cart (because she covets mine hahahahaha) that is. What you have to do though, is train yourself to look at things differently. Look at something and say "hey, wouldn't that make the perfect 1/3rd scale couch?" You'll be surprised at what can become a doll prop with little or no adaptation

[kurosu.chan]

You'll be surprised at what can become a doll prop with little or no adaptation

It is my undoing. >.<

[claws]

@Greyhaunt: I'm gonna have to make a habit of really looking whenever I go somewhere. Especially if I'm somewhere where everything is really cheap! XD I never even thought about the American Girls stuff...I know they're a little expensive but they do have some pretty good furniture and stuff, don't they? I used to totally covet all that stuff in the catalogs when I was younger.

Oh, man...I've seen some of Cirquemom's stuff! She's got an entire dolly world going...it's amazing. XD I'd be happy with a couch and some books, though... Thanks for the suggestions!!

@kurosu.chan: Really? How?

[kurosu.chan]

@kurosu.chan: Really? How?

I'm already the kind of person who'd rather make it myself, so when I got into dolls, I could use smaller things and waste less...but I see things and know I can modify them, so I buy them >.<

[Resu]

For lab glassware, 10mL seems to be just the right size for 1/3rd dolls. I have an Erlenmeyer flask, funnel, and a beaker so far. Perfume sampler vials also make great test tubes.



I'd like to add more to it eventually.

[Swan]

Also... my neighbors have learnt to PH34R me when they get a new appliance... I haunt them for the styrofoam forms inside the boxes! It's astonishing HOW many things you can make from oddly shaped styrofoam inserts!! Chairs, couches, tables, buildings.

Swan

[TheShadow]

Oh my goodness! Prop shopping (or just being on the look-out for an odd item) is a favorite pastime that I share with my husband (and half the garage gives testament to our *finds*....LOL!) We love second-hand shops, estate sales, yard sales, used office supply stores (for walls for some of our sets). There's just so many places to find things....party stores are another awesome place, too! When we're prop shopping, we usually have one or two dolls along with us to check for scale (nothing worse than coming home thinking you've found the most awesome piece only to be disappointed that the scale is off). It's kind of neat because a lot of times, folks will ask us about the dolls that we have along with us, so we also get the opportunity to *educate* them about BJD's. If you don't really feel like you'd like to be seen in the general public with a doll, then lay your doll on a sheet of paper and trace around it.....then cut out this shape of them and fold up and put it in your purse. Next time you see something that you think might work for them, pull out your *instant paper BJD* and voila! Check for scale with it! Here's a few pics of sets we use (walls are half height office dividers from a used office supply store).....

This first set is our Japanese restaurant (click to see it in bigger detail)....and one of us could fit inside to pose the dolls....



The set we use the most is our *Hunt and Lassiter* office set where our two private investigators take care of business......(view from outside the office)



View from inside.....





And the same walls reconfigured for our Southwestern Restaurant...



When it comes to props, we're absolute junkies! Some would say downright nuts! But we do enjoy our dolly play so much!

Props are everywhere! You just have to look at things in dolly perspective....for instance, you know those clear lids on hair care products? Perfect BJD drinking glasses! Who'd have thunk????

[solitary agent]

Antique stores are probably my favourite place to find props so far. It seems larger scale doll props used to be the norm, whereas now you mostly find stuff sized for 27cm or smaller dolls. I found a lot of tiny leatherbound books at one place recently. They weren't too cheap, so I only bought one at the time, but I may get more soon. Here's an old pic of my boy Justin with that book and other things I found at the antique shops, all in one day:



I don't think the chair is actually "antique," but a lot of antique malls have various vendors who just sell any old stuff.

And for other book options - you could always go to a used bookstore and pick up some of those tiny "gift books." The text won't usually be tiny, but you can easily make new covers for them to make them look like something else. I have a picture of the sort I'm talking about - they're with a 1/4 boy but they can work for 1/3 too. I only paid about $1 each.



Wow, these pics look terrible now...damn you, .jpg artifacts! This is why I need to remember to save in .png!

[arrowchild]

theshadow-those sets are amazing!!

I've randomly found a few things at flea markets etc...a couple of very cool finds on e-bay, (I've got 2 old brass beds that are perfect for my big guys...I really need to do a photoshoot with them one of these days). For 1/3 books, the tiny gift books you sometimes see at bookstores/department stores work pretty well