Baldy's Old School Photo thread

Howdy! I suppose it's finally time for me to do one of these "in fashion" random photo threads like other people here have been doing. No time better than now to hop on the bandwagon right?

 

Except I'm doing this a little differently. Here's why....

 

I started the DD hobby back in June of 2010 by adopting Manami from the classifieds on Figurefm. That was *the* site for DD photos and for getting in touch with other DD owners at that time. I used to be very active over there until these forums came along. After kind of migrating over here permanently, I'd kind of quit posting over there at all. But I'm not one to forget where my roots are so I decided to give FFM a little praise and do a throwback style post where I share some of my first photos of my girls that I had on FFM but may not have put up here for people to see. I think it'll be fun for me going back thru older pics to see how my girls have evolved over the years and it should be fun for people here who already know me and my girls and for those who don't.

 

So my plan is to add pics to this thread a few times a week with old photos from way back when I only had Manami then going forward to where I added more girls.

 

This week I'll start off with my number one girl who got me into this hobby to begin with.... Manami. These are just random shots of her that I'll comment on with where she was, what she was wearing or any other notes I might find fun and interesting. I hope everyone has fun with this!

 

Here's Manami outside at my parents for the first time. These are also the first clothes she got besides the ones she came with when I adopted her. Poor girl didn't even have any shoes back then.

 

DSC02748 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Out at her first photo shoot that wasn't at my house or my parents. We went to Magnolia Cemetary and got lots of great pics!

 

DSC02963 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Manami modeling her first ever Puppy52 swimsuit! She was super excited about getting this from Chun.

 

DSC03043 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Cosplaying as Ryomou! I got this set from Chun too, it's the default outfit for Ryomou. This was WAY before I thought I'd ever own a Ryomou.... actually before I thought I'd own ANY other DD girls. Little did I know...

 

DSC03122 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

For my first birthday spent with her, Manami decides to make me some cookies.... wearing only an apron. Typical Manami.

 

DSC03147 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

The first time I ever tried a "click war" at Volks US site I was able to grab quite a few nice things! This was back before it was ever deemed a real war tho.... I got the awesome Gangster outfit along with that twintail wig. That wig went on to belong to Miyuki for a bit and now its Umi's.

 

DSC03298 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

I laughed when I saw this shot again! To think that Manami used to have only THAT much clothing and accessories! Back then I thought that was way too much! Now my DD clothing and accessories occupy a HUGE amount of space in large plastic containers.

 

DSC03311 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Hee hee, Manami literally rollin' in the dough. Back in September of 2010, I was preparing to go to Japan so I needed to get a good amount of cash to bring with me. I went to my bank and had them convert a bunch into yen and then I took a bunch more in US $$ to convert in Japan. Altho it doesn't look like it in this pic, Manami is laying on a bit over $4000 in cash.

 

DSC03431 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

After I came back from Japan, things were never the same for Manami and me. This is when I gave Manami her first two sisters.... Rei and Yoko. I took a series of photos of them once I got back home and received them in the mail, dressed up in brand new Volks clothing. I thought having three of these girls was just the most amazing thing ever and that there was NO WAY I'd ever have the money or room for any more of them. But I had no idea what was to come in the future.

 

DSC05101 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Among those first pics I took of the three girls, this one was and still is my favorite. I still can't figure out why this photo looks so nice and why it means so much to me but I simply adore it and the way all three of them look in it. Even tho I'm much better at photography now than I was when this was taken, this picture is still one of my top three best that I've ever taken.

 

DSC05103 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

That's all for now. More old school photos from way back when later this week!

 

 

 

Billy

I'm going to really enjoy your thread ^-^ you're such a big figure/name in the hobby, and have been in it for so long it's nice to get to know you from the beginning

I'm going to really enjoy your thread ^-^ you're such a big figure/name in the hobby, and have been in it for so long it's nice to get to know you from the beginning

 

Thank you very much! I don't think I'm a "big" name in this hobby at all altho I do tend to talk WAY too much to just about anyone and everyone. But I appreciate that you're looking forward to my older pics and such. I'll do my best to keep them interesting!

 

 

 

Billy

Ah!! This is a cool approach to the "random" thread. I remember seeing these on figurefm way back when. It's funny to think back, thinking you'll never manage more then one or two girls, fast forward to now...

 

I love that last photo too, it's a perfect shot.

 

I look forward to seeing what else you post here.

Ah!! This is a cool approach to the "random" thread. I remember seeing these on figurefm way back when. It's funny to think back, thinking you'll never manage more then one or two girls, fast forward to now...

 

Thanks! I figured why not try something a little different? And yes, had I known then what I know now, I'd be scared.

 

I love that last photo too, it's a perfect shot.

 

Thank you very much!

 

I look forward to seeing what else you post here.

 

Cool beans, I'll be sure to post some fun stuff!

 

 

 

Billy

I'll enjoy watching this thread unfold as well! It reminds me of my early figma pictures where they barely took up a shelf and could all fit in one shot. Now I have *counts* 87

 

But as far as DD stuff goes, I'm in these early stages like you were. Just one complete girl with another almost done, two pairs of shoes for both, only a few outfits and wigs. It's fun to watch things grow!

I'll enjoy watching this thread unfold as well!

 

Thanks!

 

It reminds me of my early figma pictures where they barely took up a shelf and could all fit in one shot. Now I have *counts* 87

 

Hee hee! I never got past about 15 Figmas.... shortly after I started collecting those I found DD's and away I went in that direction. 87 is an impressive number! Any pics of that group?

 

But as far as DD stuff goes, I'm in these early stages like you were. Just one complete girl with another almost done, two pairs of shoes for both, only a few outfits and wigs. It's fun to watch things grow!

 

We all have to start somewhere and I must admit that I sometimes wish I didn't have as many girls to pay attention to as I do. I really had fun when it was just me and Manami but adding girl after girl did add more fun and personality to my DD family and I don't regret adopting ANY of my girls. And I agree, it's really fun to see things grow!

 

 

 

Billy

Time for more Manami goodness! She's shown below in various outfits and outings.

 

Here she is wearing her first school uniform and having fun coloring.

 

DSC05326 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Manami showing off her new shimapan and acting all surprised at the fact her skirt flipped up....

 

DSC05535 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Wow, I kind of forgot how BIG the area on top of my dresser was without it being full of DD's. This is when I only had 3 girls and lots of room for them to spread out and relax. Manami is playing online next to the end table I made where family photos of her and her sisters are, along with a photo of their cousin Tsubaki ( my sisters DD ).

 

DSC06216 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Another shot of the dresser area with all 3 girls chilling out. Now there's like 20 DD's on there!

 

DSC06995 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

My first Christmas with her! She's helping put ornaments on the tree.

 

DSC06300 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Heh. Here's one of the many reasons why Manami really gets on Rei's last nerve. Rei was unpacking a gift sent to us by Mitsuki and of course, Manami's cookie sense was tingling. She snuck up and was trying to grab the cookies when Rei caught her.

 

DSC06501 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Of course Manami always presses her luck and nabbed the cookies anyway. Rei heads off in hot pursuit with her bat in hand....

 

DSC06507 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Modeling is always something Manami enjoys so anytime she can show off new outfits, she'll make me take pics of her in it.... and out of it.

 

DSC07105 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Kisses for me!

 

DSC07113 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Ah yes, family portrait pics! You've already seen the one with Rei, Yoko and Manami so here are the ones with girls # 4 and 5. First is Miyuki, my 04 girl. I got her from the same girl who made and sold me Manami.

 

DSC07031 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Number 5 was Mai Shiranui. I found her on Ebay and won her for what was then an extremely good price. There were some oddball cirbleepstances surrounding her purchase and shipping but once she arrived home I was super happy with her. Here she is with her new sisters.

 

DSC07207 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

More modeling from Manami. She got a nice housecoat and slippers and just HAD to show them off..... along with new undies and a VERY sheer and tight top!

 

DSC07446 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

DSC07455 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

 

That's all for now. Next time I think we'll do some Rei photos from her first photos I ever took to when she got her first Maid Brigade uniform!

 

 

 

Billy

This new batch is just as cute! I get a great sense of warmth and fun in their interactions~ You have a lot of great props too!

 

 

Hee hee! I never got past about 15 Figmas.... shortly after I started collecting those I found DD's and away I went in that direction. 87 is an impressive number! Any pics of that group?

 

DDs really are like giant figmas. With hair and clothes AND NEEDS lol.

It became 88 today...

As for pictures, actually no O_O' Everyone has been scattered around for a while, and I want to redo their space, so it's been a while since I've photographed my collection.

Here's one from 2013 though:

room 4 by Yami Usagi, on Flickr

 

We all have to start somewhere and I must admit that I sometimes wish I didn't have as many girls to pay attention to as I do. I really had fun when it was just me and Manami but adding girl after girl did add more fun and personality to my DD family and I don't regret adopting ANY of my girls. And I agree, it's really fun to see things grow!

 

I agree that there's charm to having a small family. I remember having a lot of fun with just a few figmas, and now I have a pile of them that I haven't had time play with. But I do love collecting them!

This new batch is just as cute! I get a great sense of warmth and fun in their interactions~ You have a lot of great props too!

 

Thank you so much! I'm always so happy when people say they can get some feeling from my photos! It means I'm doing my job correctly. And thanks about the props, I've been collecting those from day one and by now I've gotten a LOT of random stuff for day to day use. It helps when my Mom and sister also look for DD props whenever they go shopping.

 

DDs really are like giant figmas. With hair and clothes AND NEEDS lol.

 

I TOTALLY AGREE! That was the first thing thru my head when I saw DD's for the first time.... giant, pretty, customizable figures! And you are so right about their needs, they get more of my money than I do!

 

It became 88 today...

 

room 4 by Yami Usagi, on Flickr

 

Even if it's an old photo it still looks awesome! That's one big rack of Figmas! Here's a shot of my small bunch:

 

DSC_6083 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

I agree that there's charm to having a small family. I remember having a lot of fun with just a few figmas, and now I have a pile of them that I haven't had time play with. But I do love collecting them!

 

Yeah, things were simpler and easier for sure when it came to giving them time and attention as well as clothes and stuff. Ideas for stories also came more easily with fewer personalities. But like you, I enjoy adopting these girls and I just can't say no to a sweet face who needs a new home.

 

 

 

Billy

Nice Display of figures

Awesome Display of all the figures! And your lovely Dollfie family is absolutely lovely and quirky~ I love it. Your girls look like they have a ton of fun!

Nice Display of figures

 

Thank you very much!

 

Awesome Display of all the figures! And your lovely Dollfie family is absolutely lovely and quirky~ I love it. Your girls look like they have a ton of fun!

 

Thank you! I think my girls have plenty of fun too.

 

 

 

Billy

Time for another round of older pics! This time around I'll focus on my second girl Rei.

 

I bought Rei in person at a Mandarake store in Osaka Japan. She came with her school uniform and default swimsuit and I think she was about $300. A really good price back in 2010.... until I found out she was on the DD1 body. I was too new in the hobby to know they had a strung body and while looking at her in the store, I didn't notice that she was strung like a resin.

 

I had to ship her home along with Yoko and a bunch of other purchases because I couldn't very well carry all that onto the plane with me or risk getting stuff lost in luggage. A few days after I got home from the trip, the box with Rei and Yoko showed up. This was the first pic I took of her in her default outfit.

 

DSC05165 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

After about a month of dealing with her DD1 body, I made the decision to give her a DD2 body. She was extremely happy to be on her new body! She also made it clear that she wanted more attention too. Here she is wanting me to pick her up since she could now look up at me from the floor.

 

DSC05303 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

She really enjoys it when I take her photo, altho she won't actually say that. Here she is doing some posing for me in some really great natural light.

 

DSC05373 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

DSC05376 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Rei really takes her job as head maid seriously, she always has. She's always insisted on having a uniform too. I made sure to get one for her while I was in Japan but it was a very basic setup. This was made by Little Wonder and was her first maid set.

 

DSC05750 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Even tho Rei seems like a hardass all the time, she does have her fun side too. She really gets into Christmas and for her first one, she and her sisters made some fun little mosaics. But in her true style, she breaks out the measuring tape to make sure the buttons on her snowman are EXACTLY the same distance apart.

 

DSC06596 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Random pic of Rei with her mini self in Revoltech form.

 

DSC07002 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Modeling an outfit from Alices Collections.

 

DSC07120 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Sigh. Everytime I see these pics of Rei and the Saber Maid set, it makes me feel bad. Basically I had promised Rei a new maid uniform that was much nicer than her original. She got the Saber one in the mail before I got home and I walked in on her as she was about to open it. Unfortunately, I had seen HORRIBLE photos of stains left by having this outfit on girls for just 5 minutes. I couldn't give her the outfit and she was extremely upset with me. I showed her what had happened to other girls and while she understood, she was clearly upset and sad. She made me promise to get her something better soon and I did. You'll see that in a bit.

 

Here's a picture of her clutching her precious new Saber maid set before I took it away from her.

 

DSC08323 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Afterwards, I caught her in deep thought and she gave me one of the best photos I think I've taken:

 

DSC08334 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

To make it up to Rei, I went and got her THE most awesome maid uniform out there... a custom made set from Cool Cats S&K Secret Cat. This outfit cost me over $200 but it was worth every penny to see Rei just OWN it.

 

DSC_7163 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

DSC_7166 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Speaking of The Maid Brigade, here's the first group photo they had. WAYYYYY back when I only had 7 girls.

 

DSC_0592 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Here's the next group shot when I had 13 girls and one visiting Yukino V2.

 

DSC_7088 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

I didn't do any updates until I had 26 girls. O_o Here's a shot of Rei and the new cadets.

 

DSC_0450 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

And finally, Rei and the entire Maid Brigade as it sits now.

 

DSC_0457 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

I've still got to get about 3 or 4 more maid uniforms to catch up to having enuff for all my newer girls. So once I have those in hand, I'll do a proper Maid Brigade post on the new recruits.

 

I hope you enjoyed the new pics! More to come later this week.

 

 

 

Billy

Awww Reiiiiii Such a sweetie, I have such a soft spot for Rei.

 

That girl recruetes at the speed of light! lol!! Look out...

New pics wee! I love that maid kimono outfit. Kimono are my weakness

 

 

I TOTALLY AGREE! That was the first thing thru my head when I saw DD's for the first time.... giant, pretty, customizable figures! And you are so right about their needs, they get more of my money than I do!

My theory is that like magical girls and witches, figure collectors become DD collectors eventually XD

 

Even if it's an old photo it still looks awesome! That's one big rack of Figmas! Here's a shot of my small bunch:

 

DSC_6083 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

 

What's funny is that I can tell exactly when you were collecting based on the figures you have XD

I got into it a little after that around when K-on was getting popular.

Do you still keep track of the figure world, or are you 100% into DDs now?

Awww Reiiiiii Such a sweetie, I have such a soft spot for Rei.

That girl recruetes at the speed of light! lol!! Look out...

 

Hee hee, thank you very much! I'm really glad you like Rei so much. She is definitely one of my most favorite girls. And she does indeed do recruitments pretty quickly. But so far she hasn't made any mistakes with who she's chosen to induct.

 

 

New pics wee! I love that maid kimono outfit. Kimono are my weakness

 

Oh yeah, I love kimonos too! Especially when they're MAID UNIFORMS.

 

My theory is that like magical girls and witches, figure collectors become DD collectors eventually XD

 

Ha ha! That sounds like a good theory!

 

What's funny is that I can tell exactly when you were collecting based on the figures you have XD

I got into it a little after that around when K-on was getting popular.

Do you still keep track of the figure world, or are you 100% into DDs now?

 

Heh. I was buying them actively back in the late 2000's... like 2008-2010. But once I bougth Manami in June of 2010, my figure purchases pretty much ground to a halt. I really don't keep track of what's popular other than visiting sites daily like Tomopop and Japanator. So I see things that are coming out but I really don't think about purchasing any.

 

Really, the only figures I've purchased in the past year or two have been Nendoroids or Nendo Petites. I only have 2 Nendos ( mirai Suenaga and Hatsune Miku ) but I have a mini army of Nendo Petites. I mostly have the ones from the Fate/Stay Night lines, especially the maid ones. I just ordered a Saber Extra and Rin that should arrive within 2 weeks or so.

 

 

 

Billy

Thanks for a fun narrative with lots of good pictures.

 

Sorry to hear about Manami's poor origins. Sounds like that has all been fixed; so, the story has a happy ending.

Thanks for a fun narrative with lots of good pictures.

 

You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed them.

 

Sorry to hear about Manami's poor origins. Sounds like that has all been fixed; so, the story has a happy ending.

 

Ummm... you kinda lost me here. What do you mean about Manami's "poor origins"? I'm not really sure what you mean.

 

 

Billy

Now it's time for some Yoko goodness!

 

I bought Yoko in a second hand store in Osaka, Japan back in 2010. It was 2 days after I purchased Rei so that makes Yoko the younger sister. I had always seen her DD online and loved how she looked but her price was just so crazy at that time, I knew I'd never own one. But lo and behold, there she was in this store at a super good price. Once I saw her little face looking up at me from inside her box, I knew she was coming home with me. And after some wheeling and dealing with the guy behind the counter, I got another $50 off the price! My friend who was with me said he'd never actually seen anyone visibly shake with excitement before me. He said it was the funniest thing ever. I didn't care, I had a Yoko!

 

Now down to the pics.

 

Here's the first photo I took of her in her default outfit.

 

DSC05198 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Some pics of her doing some posing and being adorable.

 

DSC05447 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

DSC05661 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Here she is unboxing some handmade cookies from Mitsuki and her girls.

 

DSC06203 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

And at her first Christmas, happily decorating the tree.

 

DSC06293 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Here she meets my Shogun Warriors Godzilla. He's my original from back when I was like 7 or 8 years old. He's seen better days but he's still pretty cool.

 

DSC06516 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

This Volks outfit came with Manami and once Yoko found it, she was all over it.

 

DSC06910 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Yoko gets her kimono and uses a fan to accent it. The fan was a keychain I bought at Narita airport in Japan.

 

DSC07137 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Altho I like how she looks in her short wig, using her default wig made this outfit really pop. I love this photo of her.

 

DSC07143 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

And even tho Manami usually runs the roost when it comes to sexy pics, Yoko can hold her own quite well.

 

DSC07148 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

DSC07476 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

DSC07567 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

DSC07551 by balldylox, on Flickr

 

And finally, how can I do pics of Yoko without sharing her dressed as a sexy kitty girl playing in a bag?

 

Yoko still in bag by balldylox, on Flickr

 

Every time I look at Yoko I smile. She means a lot to me and I can't think of how my DD family would be without her.

 

 

 

Billy

I've just started following this thread. I was referring to one of the initial photos of Manami that said,

 

"Here's Manami outside at my parents for the first time. These are also the first clothes she got besides the ones she came with when I adopted her. Poor girl didn't even have any shoes back then."

 

If you get adopted and have clothes but no shoes, it sounds like neglect by the previous owner. That bothers me.

 

Not being critical of anyone. Just sayin' . . .

I've just started following this thread. I was referring to one of the initial photos of Manami that said,

 

"Here's Manami outside at my parents for the first time. These are also the first clothes she got besides the ones she came with when I adopted her. Poor girl didn't even have any shoes back then."

 

If you get adopted and have clothes but no shoes, it sounds like neglect by the previous owner. That bothers me.

 

Not being critical of anyone. Just sayin' . . .

 

 

Ahhh, okay. I get what you're saying now.... I was confused.

 

Her previous owner DID include an outfit with her when I adopted her but the shoes/boots that came with it are designed to ONLY go with that specific outfit. They would have looked really odd with the outfit she was wearing at my parents so I let her go barefoot instead. We grew up out in the country so barefoot was completely normal to us and still is.

 

So don't worry, her previous owner was very good to her and did include some shoes.... I just hadn't found a place to get her other styles of shoes yet.

 

 

 

Billy

I do love your girls and especially the last one, she is very cute, I love to see her and her lovely face!

That maid brigade is pure awesomeness, really nice! I might lift that idea at some point for my girls, hope you don't mind

I do love your girls and especially the last one, she is very cute, I love to see her and her lovely face!

 

Thank you very much! I really love Louise too, she's been on my want list for a long time so finally getting one home was a really great thing.

 

That maid brigade is pure awesomeness, really nice! I might lift that idea at some point for my girls, hope you don't mind

 

Thank you! I'm a HUGE maid fan and I love how cool maid uniforms can be. Since my favorite anime girl of all time ( Ryomou Shimei from Ikki Tousen ) is a maid, it only made sense for my girls to have their own maid uniforms. It's taken years to get ones I like and that suit my girls but the payoff is awesome.

 

Please feel free to use the idea of a Maid Brigade..... my Rei is always wanting to expand The Maid Brigade so adding more chapters is always a cool thing.

 

 

 

Billy