About BJDs (ENG)

Where to find everything about BJDs in English?
Follow these links!

Wikipedia Wikipedia is an openly editable encyclopaedia, anyone can edit it.
English BJD FAQ LJ user that decided to write as much as he/she could about BJDs
DoA Wiki Wiki /mostly/ openly editable by DoA users.

Communities:
Den of Angels DoA is the biggest international BJD community.

There are many other communities out there but this is the only one I could find that wasn’t on LJ, dA or too specific to consider.
If you think another forum/website/etc. should be added here please let us know!

If you want more links or your link to be added go here.

In summary, what’s a BJD?
BJD: Ball Jointed Doll.

They come in different sizes, shapes, materials and colors.
They are habitually strung with elastics, made of resin, stylized in a realistic and/or artistic way, anatomically correct and fully customizable.
There are some with a system instead of elastics, others in “cheaper” plastic and some that have no details at all.
To see exactly what is a BJD, simply Google it!
You will see the good as well as the really bad in this hobby. It is always best to know the two sides of a coin before getting in the game.

Knowing what is a BJD is great, but you need to know what each community prefers.

For MDolls (Maple Dolls) a BJD must:
1. be a Ball Jointed Doll (duh);
2. Be fully customizable;
3. Come from Asia (a second-hand doll was still created in Asia);
4. Be made of resin, ABS or vinyl.

Why be so specific?
1. So we do not end up with puppets;
2. Barbie dolls;
3. Living Dead Dolls;
4. Or your porcelain dolls.

The only exception to any of these would be Artist dolls, we ask you to use your common sense to know what is or isn’t accepted.

I'm interested, now what ?
Research!

You might know you want one, but finding the first one (even the second, third and all the others) is quite an adventure!
There are tons of different types of dolls to choose from and still many more are being created while you read this.
Finding a single one that is exactly what you want is going to be hard.

Ask questions, even the most "stupid" ones, look around, seeing some in real might help and do not forget to ask questions!
The best is to make a check list of what you want and what you do not want.

Here’s an example:
Do you want a small doll or a big one?
How much are you ready to give for one of them?
What material (Abs, vinyl, French resin, urethane resin, etc.) do you prefer?
Do you have any style preferences?
Do you really want a BJD?

Tough the real question, that encloses all of the above, is:
What kind of doll do you want?

What are the types of BJDs?
There are many.

Let's start with the questions written above :

Do you really want a bJD?
There exist many kinds of dolls in the world. You can find them in all sizes, materials, style and prices.
There is certainly one that will interest you, but you have to be sure and ready!

What material do you prefer ?
ABS? Vinyl? Resin? Other?
To know more about each one, google is your friend!
The most popular are vinyl and resin.
There are also many different colors to chose from. Some companies will let you chose from the colors of the rainbow, while others limit you to only one.

Do you want a small or big doll ?
They exist in all sizes, from less then 8cm to more then 90cm.
Read like that it doesn't say much, but looking at pictures of dolls and their owner, you'll see they are quite small/big!

Do you have a prefered style?
Do you like them for the Japanese comic/animation feel or for their realism ?
Big bright eyes or half-closed ones ?
Expressionless or smirking face ?
You'll certainly find a head you will like, but what about the body ?
Do you want something fantastic, anthropomorphic, magical ?
If you are really specific on the style, your search will be easier, but at the same time more difficult as not all companies will have what you want!

How much are you ready to give?
There are BJD at lower prices, as well as some that will cost almost as much as a car!
You must not forget that with the doll itself; there's the clothing, shoes, eyes, wigs, accessories, make-up/face-up, blushing/brushing, etc.
Be prepared to pay at least 100$ for smaller ones and 400$ for the bigger ones.
These prices are only exagerated estimations. Every company as theur own prices for their products. There are no norms.
Prepare yourself for a lot for a BJd of quality.

Here are less important question, but still pretty interesting ones:

Do you want it now or are you ready to wait ?
Some companies keep already made dolls in case someone buys them. Though the majority will ask you to pay before they start making it.
You can also find some dealers who have them in stock, and you can buy the dolls from the company through the dealer too, but the waiting time can be longer for a lower shipping and handling fee.

What do you want to receive?
Every company as their little ups and downs when you get the doll.
For the most basic one; some will send you : a pillow, a certificate, eyes (habitually acrylics, but sometimes glass), a wig, underwear.
Rare are those that will give you everything and most will only give you the doll itself.
Companies also do Fullsets that will come with: A complete outfit, shoes, faceup/blushing, eyes, wig, pillow, certificate.
This is an exemple as all fullsets are different.
Then comes the limiteds. Each one will depend on the company and the limited itself. It can be limited in, habitually, time, but also in quantity.
There are some that will also let you chose for an assembled doll or an unstringed one, but most will send them assembled.

In the End
Use what you found for your BJD to find the right one!
As there are many companies, it may happen that you do not find what you want right away, do not lose hope! You can always ask for help!

You did not chose anything special ?
Wouston, we have a problem!
If you really have no preferences, we would suggest that you nail your hat on and be prepared for a lot of shopping!
Good luck!

Where to go next ?

The best place you can go is on Community forums as websites are lacking in information or are biased by their subject.

Den of Angels (DOA)
DoA is the best *IMO* with it's growing community and it's bank of information. It is only in English but you can find members from all over the world. It may be hard to go through but if you know how forums work you should find what you are looking for.
Most people are intimidated by the "older" members and the drama, but every community as its ups and downs and this should not scare you away.

DoA Market Place (MP)
If you are looking for a cheaper, second hand or customized doll, DoA's MP might be where you will find it.
You will also find dolls that are overpriced or completely modified to the sellers liking, but everyone can find something interesting at a resonnable, as resonnable as BJD are, price.
You need to have been a member for a certain time and have a # of post before being able to access it.
You can also find anything and everything that is BJD related.

Materiel Celeste (MC)
MC is the French equivalent of DoA. It smaller as it's members are almost all in Europe and talk all mostly only french.
Like DoA, it as its older members and Drama, but that should not stop you.
It also has it's MP, but it is not as big as DoA's and it it quite expensive to ship from EUR to CAN, but you can still find a lot of great things.

Dealers
Dealers are small companies that order from doll companies for you.
Shipping is habitually lower but it takes more time to receive the product.
They also have events and more options then the company.
Canadian Dealers
Feather Fall
Luxour Academy
United States of America Dealers
JunkySpot
DenverDoll Emporium
Mint on Card

Companies
There are too many to list, but you can find a lot on companies website. Not only dolls, but information, clothing, accessories and services.
This is the first place you should look if you want a Doll. After communities where you will find the information about them, you should look for a doll that you like!

Questions ?

If you have any questions or suggestion about this or anything else, please contact us through the forum or by PM!