Super Dollfie FAQ
NOTE: This FAQ is only one
of the many resources available. I'm also using the faq on Aimee's SD site, so please refer
to her for more information.
What are Super
Dollfie?
Super Dollfie (or SD) are made by Volks in Japan, a company that has
been making high quality models and resin figure kits for many years. They are
dolls, yes, and more. They combine the beauty of the Japanese aesthetic sense,
and the companionability of dolls with the resin figure finishing and painting
hobby to create something altogether new and wonderful.
Often referred
to as Precious Daughters and Sons by Volks, Super Dollfie are
individually cast and assembled from Volks molds in Japan, not made by machine
or in volume in foreign factories.
What are they made
of?
SD bodies are composed of polyurethane resin. This is a
heavy, sturdy material that can be subtly reshaped by gentle
sanding.
How many kinds of SD are
there?
There are currently 4 types.
Standard Super
Dollfie come assembled with a non-jointed waist, or can be put together
from parts with an optional jointed waist and several optional heads, arms,
legs, hands and feet. They are said to represent children about ten years of
age.
The smaller
Mini-SD have thicker bodies, jointed waists and a child-like or
fairy-like demeanor.
SD13 have slightly more
grown-up looking faces, thinner waists, jointed torsos, and the girls have
larger busts, like a 13 year old child.
Andolrea U-Noss has a non-jointed waist, and a distinct, sexier body mold, as well as a mechanism that gives her poseable eyes. Andolrea U-Noss' parts are not interchangeable with the same-size Standard SD. U-Noss comes either as a blonde android type, Seina, or a brunette devil type with horns, Aika. Android parts and horns are removable.
For a look at the available kinds
of SD, a visit to the Volks website is in order. http://www.volks.co.jp/
Yes, it's a
Japanese site, but there is enough English there for most of us not fluent in
Japanese to find our way around.
How "finished" are
they?
SD, SD13, U-Noss and the 3 "Fairy
type" Mini-SD all come as half assembled goods, which basically means all
you have to do is put on their wig. (A wig is included.) Further customization
is completely up to you.
SD can also be created from parts, and any of the
Mini-SD come as unassembled kits. These need assembling and painting. Volks will
assemble a Mini-SD kit for you, for an extra fee.
How do
they come?
SD half-finished goods come in their own custom box
cushioned between satin-like pillows. They have a wig, and (usually) nothing
else. A very few come with outfits, but for the rest, you'll have to be
creative!
The wig falls off! What do I
do?
Many people fix stick-on Velcro to the top of their SD's
head to keep wigs on. It works very well. (Volks recommends
this.)
I don't see doll stands. Can they stand by
themselves?
Standard SD can stand, with some effort on your
part to balance and pose them. SD13, Mini-SD and U-Noss
stand more easily than Standard SD do. Even though they are made from sturdy
material and do not break easily, it is not recommended that you leave them
standing by themselves where they could fall.
To make them more steady
(and cure the naturally wobbly SD legs) they can also have their joints
lined with suede ("sueded") and strings tightened. You can do this yourself
(Volks sells a self-standing kit) or Volks will do it for you for an extra fee.
Please contact your buyer for further information. Club members with customizing
experience may be able to do this for you too.
Another standing and
posing aid is to insert rubber or vinyl coated wire into the arms and legs.
Jiyuujizai (vinyl coated aluminum wire) from Japan or any rubber coated wire
thin enough to insert through the limbs will do.
Tell me
about Customization.
Customization includes changing the wig,
or eyes, removing the seams (or parting lines) by sanding, and coating the parts
with a protective spray (such as Mr. Super Clear), repainting the face,
restringing and suedeing the joints for greater stability, exchanging standard
parts for optional ones, or any combination of these things. There is also a
form of customizing where the head and body are delicately shaded to give the
SD a more pleasing, realistic look. It appears to bring the body to life.
It can be done by hand with pastel dust, or make-up, or with an airbrush.
For details, I recommend you visit Den of Angels Links
section for the addresses of many of our talented members' websites, (many of
whom have kindly posted tutorials) or search the Group Messages for the topics
that most interest you.
What is
"Esthetic?"
Esthetic is the term used by Japanese SD owners to
refer collectively to seam removal, coating, suedeing or wiring, repainting the
face and often shading the body; in short, all the things you do when you first
get your SD, to make her look more pleasing to your eye.
Do I have to "finish" my SD?
Super Dollfie, SD13, and
half-assembled Mini-SD can be customized, or left just as they are from
the box if you prefer. Many people are particularly happy with the delicate
natural style paint that comes with the SD13. Others make an
artistic effort on every SD they own.
Mini-SD kits, or Standard
SD created from parts have to be assembled. The kits come with eyes and a
wig. When buying SD by the parts, you have to supply these yourself. Volks can
assemble and paint the Mini-SD kits for you for an extra fee. Volks will
also sand and coat your SD for you for a fee. You can request to have this done
when you order your doll, or you can mail your doll to them to have it
done.
I want to change eyes. What putty should I use to
fix the new eyes in place?
First consider if you want the
placement to be temporary or permanent. If you plan to change eyes occasionally,
you probably won't want to use a putty that hardens.
Various soft
putties and eye-setting waxes are available commercially. Even Volks has one.
Check Links section for Doll Supply companies for more information.
Some
customizers use Super Sculpey or kneaded rubber eraser to keep eyes in. Handy
if you have art supplies around.
How big are
they?
Standard SD are 22". For complete measurements, please
check out the Den of
Angels Group database. The moderators have made every effort to
provide accurate dimensions of all known SD.
What is the
Full Choice System?
As of this writing, the Full Choice
System is only available at "saloons" in Tokyo and Osaka, Tenshi no
Sumika (Den of Angels.) There you , or your shopping/buying service,
can order an SD created to your specifications from almost all available
options, in the Fresh/Normal color, or in Beautiful White. There are 3 exclusive
boy heads available. (More information
here.)
Cost: 76,800 yen + tax, shipping, and buyer's fee if
applicable. (See below)
Where can I buy
one?
At this writing, new SD can only be bought from
Doll and Hobby
Shop in USA, R&D in
Taiwan, Volks' online
store, or through "shopping services" in Japan. Many members
outside of Japan have requested SD through Buying Services. Our
two most frequently used buying services are Crescent Trading, and Frill
Frill. Both are completely dependable, and very professional,
although SD availability is beyond their control.
In fact popular SD can sometimes take months to acquire. Demand in Japan is sometimes high, causing delays for shopping services or other dealers. Please keep this in mind when ordering your doll.
Doll and Hobby Shop is a general doll shop/dealer in the USA. Every month or D&H so holds a "preorder" to get Volks Super Dollfie and accessories. Since Doll and Hobby is actually a "dealer" of Volks, they have the best prices! You must place a non-refundable deposit and have to wait about a month to get your doll though. Regularly carries 1/6 Volks dolls.
R&D Fashion Dolls and Collectibles - Rudi, the owner of R&D, is another general doll shop/dealer. (based in Taiwan, but ships internationally.) Can sometimes get requests, but also often has at least 5 or 6 different dolls in available for immediate sale. (Often rare ones!) Prices are the retail price. Also very timely on shipping and has many other unusual dolls as well. (Like Jenny and Momoko.) NOTE: Rudi can get Full Choice System!
Volks' online store - occasionally Volks offers dolls for sale in their online store. Sometimes even rare ones! You can buy the dolls ONLY (not the wigs or shoes) internationally using an "International Postal Money Order". Volks email from the store can converse in English and Japanese and possibly some other languages enough to get you through the order process. However, you may find the process difficult.
Crescent Trading is located in
Fukuoka, a large city on Kyushu -- the large, southernmost island of Japan.
Masamichi Kuge (Masamichi is his first name ^_^) is able to go to the Fukuoka
Volks nearly every day to look for your requests, and can call and reserve your
item quickly. Because he does so much business at Volks, he has a very good
relationship with the manager there. Crescent Trading accepts major credit
cards, International Money Orders (the pink ones) and Paypal. Please see his
site for more payment information.NOTE: Crescent Trading is probably the fastest
way to get your doll, and you can get accessories for your doll too while you
are at it. Once you pay for the doll and ask him to ship, it could get to you in
a few days!
Frill Frill
is run by Minako Adachi, a young professional woman of Tokyo. Minako can travel
to all the Volks stores in the Tokyo area and will do so to find your requests.
She does this after her full time job, so requests will take longer, but she
charges a lower fee (8.25%). Minako can take International Money Orders and
Paypal. (Please see her site for more payment details.)
Minako can
also order from the Full Choice System.
SD can also be
bought by auction on Yahoo!Japan and
sometimes on ebay.
How much do SD
cost?
SD run from approximately the $280+ range to the $1,000+
range depending on rates, size of doll and how rare the doll is. SD prices are
often in yen, and the cost depends somewhat on how your country's currency fares
against the yen at the time of purchase. For example, at the time of this
writing, 1 US$ equals about 125 yen. Currency fluctuates daily however, and you
should be aware that most Japanese businesses trade slightly in favor of the yen
due to these fluctuations. (In other words, your exchange rate on the day of
purchase will not be as favorable as that posted daily on such sites as http://www.xe.com/)You will also pay 5% sales
tax, a buying fee (if applicable) and shipping.
What
accessories are available?
Volks sells wigs and eyes, some in
fantasy colors not easily available elsewhere. They have SD clothes, boots and
shoes too. Ask your buying service for details. Volks accessories, custom-made
SD clothes, (and even SD) are also available through Yahoo!Japan auctions.
Clothing
can be purchased from Japanese doll clothes makers through their websites
sometimes too. This is rare though as most people either sell on Yahoo Japan or
at Dolpa (big doll conventions in Japan) and they often sell out almost
immediately. (but if you search around sometimes you'll get lucky!) Also many
Den Of Angels club members make SD clothing either for private sale or through
ebay.
Wigs, eyes, and shoes are also available through US doll supply
companies such as Global Dolls, Monique's, Miniworld and Tallina's. Please see
the Den of
Angels Bookmark Section for these (and other) websites.