A couple DD/Vinyl Doll questions.

So I had a couple questions about DDs and vinyl dolls in general that I was hoping people could answer for me! As a reference I have only had a Parabox Obitsu 21cms ( I believe it was ) and she was hard plastic for her body and a vinyl head. ( In short, not a whole lot of experience with vinyl dolls! )

 

1) How do DDs do with sunlight?

- I have BJDs and I know that if you take them out into the sun, the sun causes the doll to yellow. I also know they will yellow with time. Is there something similar that happens to DDs or will they never ever change color from the sun? Can the sun cause them to melt of something if left in direct sunlight for too long? Basically, is there caution of the sun? lol.

 

2) Will the doll age differently?

- Again, like I mentioned, BJDs yellow over time, is there something similar that happens to DDs as they get older?

 

3) How do DDs and water mix?

- When I had the obitsu, I did a semi-water shoot with her and there was no problems, and I didn't think there would be because her body is hard plastic. Do you have to be careful with DDs and water? Do they float? When you get BJDs wet you have to take them apart to let them dry, is that the same with DDs? Can you just dry them with a towel and leave them at that?

 

4) How do your dolls usually stay when your not playing with them?

- I know several people recommend using white body suits when not in use. Is it okay to have a suit on them and sit them on a dark colored shelf or is there a chance that dark color paints and get through the body suit?

 

5) Is there anything else you can recommend or any advice you wish you had gotten when you were a newbie in the DD hobby?

- I know about BJDs so I know the basics of not leaving them by themselves in fear they will fall over, not touching their faces as much as you can, if any at all, brushing their hair from the bottom of the wig to the top to reduce static and tangles, etc. So anything that you can think of that might be useful, I would really really appreciate!

 

Thank you so very much! ^w^

1.

DD do yellow, but at a much, much slower rate. I say treat them like BJD and just don't keep them out for extended periods of time. I've always treated all my dolls the same just as a precaution.

Also like BJD different skintones of DD can yellow differently. Such as WS is prone to going a very unpleasant yellow.

 

2.

NS DD just kinda get more yellowy. They can get more like a Volks SD which is just kinda looks natural, or be very, very obvious. As previous stated WS is terrifying when it yellows. Uneven yellowing seems to happen a lot without much of a reason on DD? I think oxidation on vinyl must just be a bit more random than it is on resin.

 

3.

There really aren't any problems. Vinyl takes it like a champ. I would say just in case make sure to take her apart afterwards and allow her the chance to dry completely off. They do have screws and I would take extra care about those just cause water and metal generally aren't a good idea when overly exposed. I have never heard of rust issues but better safe than sorry? I have zero clue about floating. I think I remember individual parts could but as a whole no clue.

 

4.

I honestly would keep in a white suit if the outfit required it, but otherwise just relaxing in a dark place. I placed them always not directly on my shelves just as a precaution personally. I've always had a thing for using the doll pillows as a cushion between them.

 

5.

That staining can be an immediate thing, and that WS is much more susceptible to staining than NS. I knew DD could stain, but weirdly enough it wasn't as emphasized on as I wish it had been. No one had equally warned me that if I wanted a WS doll that the staining chances were far higher just because of how the skin is. SWS from my experience is also this way, but I had to learn that with the rest of the world. Also that the skeletons can actually be pretty fragile. I've always been really careful, but I've watched people do a normal move to a doll and then heard the skeleton crack or break. Is the worst surprise because people like to tell you "well at least they don't break like BJD!" But they definitely do, just in another way. oTL; Usually this is a QC issue with Volks that leaves them so weak, but hey, figured I'd warn because I've seen it more times than I can count. ^^;;

 

Otherwise, pretty sure you are set. I honestly just take care like I would with a BJD. I've always liked being super careful with my dolls. If you know how to care for a BJD then you are pretty much have a solid understanding of care for a DD. Just assume everything could possibly stain and that's about it. XD

1) Sun is fine. In theory, it could bleach clothing and face-ups if you left them in direct sun for months or years.

 

2) They will yellow a little with time, but it's nothing compared to most resin. White skin seems to yellow more than other colors, but very old natural skin will discolor a little too.

 

3) Water is fine. They do not float. Be sure to dry off any metal bits (screws in the frame) or else they could rust -- you'll need to partially disassemble the doll to get to all the screws.

 

4) Mine hang out on metal shelves. I only keep bodysuits on the girls in dark-colored clothing; girls in light-colored clothing are fine without a bodysuit. It's possible to stain through a bodysuit but it takes a lot of pigment. If you're worried about your shelves (cheap paint or stained wood), just put a piece of thick cloth (or thin pillow) down between the shelf and the doll.

 

5) Vinyl stains more easily than resin, so just be extra careful -- especially with dark or intense colors (black and red seem especially troublesome). As Gunter said, staining can take place in seconds if you're not careful. Also, feel free to experiment. Swap heads, change busts or get a one-piece torso, get the optional hands, etc. DDs generally provide more options than resin dolls when it comes to optional body parts. Do get reinforcement parts (from CoolCat), especially if you have an older body. I'm pretty rough on my DDs and have not had any skeleton breaks, but they're all reinforced.

1) How do DDs do with sunlight?

The high amount of UV in sunlight will age just about everything. With time and constant exposure vinyls (and the exposed hard plastics) will dry, crack, and discolor. But this process doesn't happen over night and it is generally slower than with resins. Taking them outside to play in the sunlight will do negligible harm but storing them long term on a sunny window sill will not be good for them. The sunlight would have to be pretty intense or magnified through a glass to actually melt the hard plastic. Generally the vinyl just softens and becomes more pliable when heated.

Best advice is to store your vinyls in a cool, dark(ish) place, out of direct sunlight.

 

2) Will the doll age differently?

Yes and no. The aging process can take longer than it does with resins. You may notice that some vinyl parts on a doll may be a slightly different color and/or age differently. This can happen as there is no guarantee all the vinyls parts of any one doll came from the same batch of vinyl. Slight variances in color are normal.

 

3) How do DDs and water mix?

The larger Obitsus do quite well in water. I know several Obitsus who go to the beach and have taken the occasional dip in the pool and are none the worse for wear. The same care you would take with a resin face-up needs to be observed. There is some nickle plated hardware on the internal skeleton, which handle water well. Inside the feet there are small metal brackets which hold rare earth magnets. If you do full submersion it would be well to remove the screw on the bottom of the feet and dry them out as this metal plate will rust if left wet. As the doll is entirely hollow, care should be taken to thoroughly dry the doll, inside and out. If left moist on the inside, vinyl can be a fine medium for mold growth.

 

4) How do your dolls usually stay when your not playing with them?

The age old stain question.

Fabrics vary so much. I have some very dark (almost black) school girl uniforms that I have had on several dolls for months (18+) and they have never stained. Whereas there is this lovely evil black dress that stained the doll in a matter of just over an hour.

 

Staining will happen. It's just a matter of time. There are some things you can do to help prevent staining detailed at length in other areas of this forum.

 

It is good to remember bodysuits and head caps are barriers that will give you a warning that the staining process is occurring. These items will not stop staining from happening but will stain first before the dye migrates to the vinyl. You will still need to check these items regularly for the first signs of a stain.

 

When that first stain happens, I recommend Remove-Zit from Twin Pines of Maine. This product was engineered by a chemist specifically for vinyl dolls, not oily skin or grass stains. I have used it for over 6 years and have had no ill effects from its use. All the favored stain removing products use peroxides as an active ingredient, the effectiveness of which diminishes with time. When ordered directly from Twin Pines Remove-Zit is mixed when you order it and has a shelf life of about 12 months. With other products you have no idea how long they have been sitting on the shelf and may only have a couple of weeks left in them.

Thanks for all the info so far guys! It really helps!

 

The reason I asked about dark shelves is because I closed up my windows in my room and put shelves in them, so it's always dark in here. However, the shelves themselves are black in color (all of my trim is black so it seemed to be a good fit), and my BJDs sit on this shelf. I have never had a problem with them staining, and I wasn't sure how the vinyl and hard plastics will react. However it's good to know they tend to stain more easily. So I think I will go ahead and invest in a body suit that she can chill out in when I'm not playing with her. Either that, or as you have suggested, place a pillow or something down first. I'm sure it will be more comfortable for her anyway. C:

 

Now that I have decided I want to buy a body suit for her, where would be the best place to buy them? I know I can buy an SD wig cap and it should fit her, but is there a good place to buy a nude or white body suit?

 

Now that I have decided I want to buy a body suit for her, where would be the best place to buy them? I know I can buy an SD wig cap and it should fit her, but is there a good place to buy a nude or white body suit?

 

Either from Volks or Cool-Cats. ^^ Cool-Cats has a huge variety to check out, and Volks has their general standard selection though I'm unsure of their current stock. Cool-cats is more regularly stocked.

 

Now that I have decided I want to buy a body suit for her, where would be the best place to buy them? I know I can buy an SD wig cap and it should fit her, but is there a good place to buy a nude or white body suit?

 

Either from Volks or Cool-Cats. ^^ Cool-Cats has a huge variety to check out, and Volks has their general standard selection though I'm unsure of their current stock. Cool-cats is more regularly stocked.

 

I'll check both out, thank you! C:

 

Do you know if they will also fit a smart doll?

They are very, very similar in size so I believe so.

I'd go ask in the Smart Doll section just to be sure though.

The ones from Cool Cat will also fit Smart Doll! They are very stretchy, I don't even keep track of which ones are DDS vs DD, or M-bust versus L-bust, I've found they're all stretchy enough to fit whatever body you want to stick them in. Smart Doll is so similar in measurements to DD, there's definitely enough stretch to accommodate her without issue.

 

If it helps anyone, I've had my wee Marisa since 2011 and, being my favorite brat in the bunch, she's been displayed since she was first received. She's seen a ton of sunlight, including significant amounts of direct sunlight, and she's the same color as the Alisa v2 that I received NRFB in fall 2015. Sunlight appears to have done zero damage to her over the past 4+ years!

 

My older Rin Tohsaka girls HAVE discolored -- however, I bought them both second-hand, from two entirely different sellers, one from a hot / damp climate and one from a cold / dry climate, one who was clearly displayed for a long time and one who was clearly well-cared for and likely not on display, and they have the EXACT SAME amount of discoloration. Weirder still, their discoloration is almost in the EXACT SAME places. Based on that, I'd say discoloration is based on time only, and light and temperature very little or no influence.

The ones from Cool Cat will also fit Smart Doll! They are very stretchy, I don't even keep track of which ones are DDS vs DD, or M-bust versus L-bust, I've found they're all stretchy enough to fit whatever body you want to stick them in. Smart Doll is so similar in measurements to DD, there's definitely enough stretch to accommodate her without issue.

 

If it helps anyone, I've had my wee Marisa since 2011 and, being my favorite brat in the bunch, she's been displayed since she was first received. She's seen a ton of sunlight, including significant amounts of direct sunlight, and she's the same color as the Alisa v2 that I received NRFB in fall 2015. Sunlight appears to have done zero damage to her over the past 4+ years!

 

My older Rin Tohsaka girls HAVE discolored -- however, I bought them both second-hand, from two entirely different sellers, one from a hot / damp climate and one from a cold / dry climate, one who was clearly displayed for a long time and one who was clearly well-cared for and likely not on display, and they have the EXACT SAME amount of discoloration. Weirder still, their discoloration is almost in the EXACT SAME places. Based on that, I'd say discoloration is based on time only, and light and temperature very little or no influence.

That's good to know. C: I was looking into them, and I think those are the ones I will end up going with.

 

I really appreciate all the help guys! C:

 

So the age of the doll you think effects the discoloration more than the actual sunlight itself? To me, the sunlight effecting a vinyl doll seems strange. My mom and I collect reborn baby dolls that are made out of vinyl and we take them out in the sun on car rides and different places for meet ups and stuff, and never had a problem with them. I will note however that they are painted all over, so that could be why I never noticed a difference too. But, I didn't know how BJD vinyl would react, if it was the same or different. At the risk of not ruining a doll, someone should test it! lol. Put a piece of vinyl in the sun, and put another piece away and see what their discoloration is like. Then we shall know for sure.

My older Rin Tohsaka girls HAVE discolored -- however, I bought them both second-hand, from two entirely different sellers, one from a hot / damp climate and one from a cold / dry climate, one who was clearly displayed for a long time and one who was clearly well-cared for and likely not on display, and they have the EXACT SAME amount of discoloration. Weirder still, their discoloration is almost in the EXACT SAME places. Based on that, I'd say discoloration is based on time only, and light and temperature very little or no influence.

 

This sounds correct to me, actually. Before DDs I was a little into customizing My Little Pony toys, especially the G1s from the 80's; ponies are also made of vinyl. Older ponies do discolor, especially white, and it's interesting to note the discoloration goes all the way through the vinyl. (You can tell when customizing a pony because you have to slice their heads off to get their old hair out. XD) Seems to be just a natural, chemical breakdown of the plastic, rather than anything to do with UV. It's also worth noting that some ponies are more prone to the discoloration than others, so it seems to depend on what went in that batch of plastic.

I don't know about temperature or humidity but excessive exposure to light speeds the aging process. The vinyls used for many toys is generally thin and translucent enough that UV rays will penetrate all the way through.