Volks Super Dollfie : Macross F - Alto Saotome

Hi,

 

I hope this thread sits in the right forum category. If not, then please switch it where appropriate. Apologies in advanced.

 

So, i´m a totally newbie in this BJD dolls world. I could only see for years all those beautiful dolls with amazing dresses, and dream about some day getting one. Well then, dreams DO come true (if you work hard) and i have a Sheryl DD now.

 

BUT, i planned to make her an (ultra pampered) only child until i spot an Alto SD model at Dolpa 34.( I can not post links to other domains (whatever.... ), there´s more info in this thread from #537 https : // denofangels com / threads /volks-super-dollfie-sd-sd13-sd16-sd17-sdgr-sdgou-fcs-xvii 693025/page-27 )

 

As a newbie i have NO idea as how is the VOLKS planning process. For other collectible items, such as S.H.F and Figma, usually a prototype tends to end as an actual product.So i´m totally lost after seeing the Alto prototype. So in order to solve my Alto intrigue, and a whole lot of questions about DD´s i joined these forums.

 

Well then, please be kind and help me solve these:

 

- Does a prototype is guarantied to end as a product? (Any precedence??)

- Is there some time span to wait until it could be announced as an official release?

- Is there a way to contact VOLKS in order to get a, somewhat, valid answer? (Not complete sure but who knows)

 

If all the above is an imminent NO, as i´m diying to get Sheryl her companion (Actually i saw the Crimson Smart Doll and it capture me...but...offtopic sorry), which are your best suggestion in order to bring Alto to the BJD world? (Though i will love to have an SD, any other brand is welcome as well)

 

Pretty long but thank you in advanced for any answer.

 

Regards,

I recall that Alto SD. I think he was just a custom for display at the Dolpa. You would have to cutomize your own.

 

If all the above is an imminent NO, as i´m diying to get Sheryl her companion (Actually i saw the Crimson Smart Doll and it capture me...but...offtopic sorry), which are your best suggestion in order to bring Alto to the BJD world? (Though i will love to have an SD, any other brand is welcome as well)

 

Pretty long but thank you in advanced for any answer.

 

Regards,

 

Welcome to the world of DD. I started working on a custom Shion Uzuki using the Sheryl Nome head as a base late last year. She's a lovely sculpt, so congratulations on getting her.

 

For customization a lot depends on how far you want to go. If you want a custom doll + wig you can probably manage the project for a a few hundred dollars as long as your character can be made with standard parts. If you need a limited head then they can cost a lot more. Saber Lily heads go for around $1500.

 

Since you need a boy body you will most likely need an SD or vinyl male body from another doll maker. If you want a wildly stylistic outfit from an anime series made as a custom outfit by a professional tailor be prepared to spend a lot of money unless you know how to sew your own clothing. I'm looking at around $650 per outfit for my Shion, and that doesn't include shoes. Those outfits are often a lot more easily drawn than made from fabric. I am basically having to pay for a prototype outfit and all the costs associated with creating a pattern and choosing the right materials for ridiculously complex outfits.

 

For custom DD you can buy individual body parts and assemble to your specifications. For SD as far as I know you have to buy the full body, but you have a variety to choose from. The Volks online FCS will let you order a body with an unpainted head, and you can also pick the eyes/hands you want. Through VolksUSA they offer two body types per FCS period, and you are limited to a predetermined selection of heads. I wanted to get an SD16 the next time they offered them, but when they opened up SD16 orders in May they didn't offer the head I want so I am back to waiting.

 

If you choose a painted head you are given a limited choice of face-up options. If you want to make a specific character I would suggest getting it unpainted, so you can send it to a face-up artist and not have to pay them to remove the old face. I would also choose not to have the eyes glued in.

 

With both Vinyl and resin heads some physical mods are possible. When you contact a face-up artist they may have some suggestions on what head to use to best realize your character, and they may be able to customize the head to better fit your guy.

 

I've seen people on DoA make some great customs using a male head to create a female character and vice-versa. If your guy is a bishie then I would definitely look at female heads too.

 

The SD16s start around $750 though the FCS and can go up to around $1400.00 depending on the options you pick. Super Dollfie are awesome though, and very high quality. Males may be cheaper because you don't need two sets of legs, but to be honest I have never looked at the male dolls so there may be other add ons specific to males.

 

If I recall correctly you get no clothing and a randomly chosen wig through the FCS. The forum has plenty of face-up artists, but I haven't seen many wig makers.

 

One observation I would make is the look of the skin of SD's and DD's is pretty different, so you might be best choosing a vinyl boy to match with Sheryl.

Edited May 12, 2016 by Guest

Hi Wolf,

 

Thank you sou much for that wonderful answer, i really appreciate it.

 

Back to business, i searched and happens to be that the SD I need (Do i write need?...damn...) is an FCS SDGr with a F-57 head. (This just looks like a TCP/IP Protocol name ). Full info is here:

 

http : / / ameblo (.) jp / blog-dd / entry-12106155555 (.) html

 

So :

 

- In order to get a FCS SDGr I need to buy it at Tenshi-no-sato on Kyoto. But, if i where to travel to kyoto, does the Tenshi-no-sato, has staff who can speak english? If i manage to place my order, is it viable to set the delivery address of a proxy service?? (any precedence?)

 

- While researching i found only one dobleepented guide about the FCS Sato only options : http : // www(.)angelden(.)net / fcs / locations(.)html. Are there any other guides you can recommend?

 

- Also, i read that i can get extra wigs and hands with my order. So, as i´m guessing, i could offer them in the marketplace here, once i get access. Is this somehow, a regular transaction or quite a unique one?

 

The list :

 

Body type : SDGr

Head Type : F-57

Face Make-Up : (Actually, i´m supposed to ask if they could make him look like Alto, as part of the FCS order...supposed. Does anybody knows if that is possible??)

Dress Code Big question here, which cloth size does the SDGr body is compatible with?. When i search for clothes for Sheryl I search DD3 L bust, and it fits. What am i supposed to search for him?

 

As for apparel, suits kill me, so i´m gonna buy a certain item at Mandarake (If it do is compatible as I hope it is ). Apart for it, i´m only interested in his school uniform. Which is quite plane, so hopefully, would not be an issue. Well, once i get the market access, i could start to see real options.

On the Tenshi-no-sato site they specify that the FCS at that location is only available for customers living in Japan.

 

http://www.superdollfie.net/tenshinosato/about_en/

 

It's item number 3 under "visitors must make a reservation beforehand"

 

Your best bet for info about SD is Den of Angels. You can try the "Off-Topic" forum here, but you will find more people with resin experience over there, and some of them have been customizing for a very long time. The DoA people may know how you can get an FCS doll when you live in another country. I'm sure you can find them on Yahoo Japan Auctions, but with a markup.

 

As far as clothing you can look through the info on the Volks website to see what fits of clothing are grouped together like SD13 outfits tend to fit DIII and DDS. That won't be 100% accurate, and I have read that shoes can be very hit and miss in terms of equivalency. This may be more from DD shoes not being shaped for the high heeled feet you can get with SD Girls.

 

Oddly enough some of the SD16 male outfits are listed as fitting SD16 girls too. There is a men's suit they have that lists SD16 girl in the fit, and I would love to put my SD16 Girl in it, but i just can't believe the shirt or vest will fit her without being fit correctly for a woman's figure.

 

Some third party clothing sites like Dollheart have sections for each doll body their outfits are made for, but others just have a section for "1/3 BJD." SD16 sized clothing will probably be too long in the leg for DD. I have dresses I can share between my DD and SD, but an SD16 sized Kimono I have is about 2 inches too long for a DD to wear well. Dollheart makes a lot of clothing sized specifically for DIII M Bust and DDDy as well as a range of SD bodies and other dolls.

 

A lot of their clothing is very Avant Garde in my opinion. There is a Japanese band called ALI Project and their lead vocalist wears stuff like you see on the Dollheart site. She's very artistic in everything she does.

 

There has been some speculation that Volks may release a male DD body as a part of the Vocaloids series they are doing.

Edited May 12, 2016 by Guest

Wolf, you DO are a pond of knowledge. Thank you.

 

Actually, i do post this same topic on the DoA forum, quite hard to even get my account approved (That screamed weird for me, but, every human is an universe ). Some nice lady even told me i could order a FCS via their market. So, i´ll wait (post number and account age ) and see.

 

And it is true that Len may get a DD body...that would do it for me. But, i do want a SD . I really want to visit and experience Tenshi-No-Sato, but they only allowed SD. Don´t want to buy another doll, apart for Alto.(Must not, must not, must not... ).

Honestly I thought I would never get an SD, and then I saw one I had to have. I have the Tokyo 15 S/S version of this one: http://www.angelden.net/volks/sd16/ami.php

 

DD are great, especially if you are into anime, but SD are absolutely beautiful works of art. I think they are the kind of thing that wouldn't be out of place on display in an big city art museum.

 

DoA has had a few issues with people running scams in their marketplace. They had one person who kept creating new users whenever they got banned, and stole several dolls through trades that never got fulfilled. Given the amount of money this hobby moves around this represents a serious problem. It's probably a big part of why they make you jump through hoops to get in.

 

You will find tons of info for customizing your Sheryl Nome here on this forum. When you have marketplace access you will find lots of people selling clothing and usually at prices better than you will get on Ebay. Some of our members have their own custom shops for eyes, face-ups and clothing.

 

One note I would make is I think you have to buy your SD from Volks to qualify to get into Tenshi-no-sato. If you rely on someone else as a middle man your name won't be on the owners certificate. I think all the names have to match on the shipping and payment too, so you can't have a proxy give your name and then have it shipped to themselves.

I have not see any Super Dollfie face to face. Until i got Sheryl, neither a DD.

 

I live in Peru, in South America, and as far as i know there are not many BJD owners here. I have not spot any Doll Gathering here, neither any kind of event with BJD. Guess, when some Macross related event is held i could collaborate with Sheryl!

 

But, i do love to see doll images.In fact i do love art in general!

 

And for Sheryl, she will be part of my house decoration once i move with my fiancee . Actually he helped me A LOT in order to get her. Guess i will write all her story someplace in this forums, maybe it could help another future DD enthusiast at South America .

 

One thing i have learned, is that photos are accurate, when is a fan photo. Usually Promo photos, get certain angles and lighting, which in some cases do look awesome, and in others don´t. And the same goes to the item : Good promo photo, not so awesome (as you thought) item, and vice versa.

 

So every time i see a Figma/HT/SHF/ that i want,well.....if it DO is a must buy, ´cause it is gonna sell well -> Imminent must buy.

 

In any other case -> waiting for reviews or unboxing video.

 

 

For sheryl i did not hesitate. For Alto, luckily i have time, and customization options.

 

But, i have seen this guy : SDGr Date Masamune.

 

 

OMFG it so...so...perfect / dignified-awesome looking ...and he even resembles Alto with that pony tail. I´m even guessing his head mole is closer to F-57 !!!! Everything you share about DD´s...just got materialized!!!

 

https : // www(.)volks(.)co(.)jp/jp/htd_kobe/volks4(.)html/

 

https : // denofangels(.)com/doawiki/index(.)php?title=Super_Dollfie_Graffiti_Date_Masamune

 

https : / /myanimeshelf(.)com/figures/535765_Super_Dollfie:_Graffiti_Boy_Date_Masamune

 

Can i have your thoughts about him, and what i may or should get or copy from him.

 

Oh, and about Tenshi-no-sato, i may be able to visit, even if i do not own a SD, by the date i travel:

 

http : // www(.)superdollfie(.)net/tenshinosato/about_en/

Professionally done promo photo's aren't always a good reference point for a product. They sometimes alter things to make the photo work. On Mio Akiyama they removed a non-removable part of her Bass Guitar in order to make one of the photos look good. They also change out the hands for photos, so the hands you see in some of the promo photo's aren't going to be the ones you get. It's a good idea to read the specifications.

 

They may shoot some of the images with mock-ups too. For the original SD Ami Ayase they shot her promo's with 16mm eyes and then swapped them to 18mm for production, but to the best of my knowledge they did that to preserve the promo look as the result of a production difference in the eyes. At least according to 'Where Angels Lie.'

 

They also use wig wax and other products on the hair to get just the right look.

 

I can't really say anything about Date Masamune other than the limited edition SDs are pretty awesome in terms of style and quality. They can be really pricey after market though. You will probably find people on DoA who have him, and can tell you about him. Ami is a part of the Tokyo Boys Story Arc, and they really put a lot into the dolls they release in the various "story" series.

 

I posted an image of Ami with two of my DDs here.

 

Kos-Mos and Ami are both wearing heels meant for SD16 dolls, and Saber has heels made for a DD. Sabers are a bit shorter, but only 3 - 4 mm shorter.

 

Here is a link to a larger version of the same image, so you can see her up close, and compare her to some DDs. She's the only SD I have so I can't know how well she compares to any other SD. One drawback is she only came with high heeled legs. I believe the normal flat foot leg option allows for more articulation. I can only pose her with her feet facing forward and that limits her to less dynamic poses.

 

DD's have hinged joints as opposed to ball joints so while the ball joint may allow for a greater range of motion the hinged joint holds poses better.

 

I believe the SD16 and 17 boys are slightly taller than SD16 high heeled girls and they have flat feet. This should give you some idea as to how one of them would compare to Sheryl in size. There is a definite difference in skin texture between resin and vinyl, and you will find more details on the resin heads in my opinion. You will notice Ami has nostrils where Saber and Kos-Mos don't. This may simply be a difference between human realistic dolls vs. anime dolls. Wigs seem to fit DD very differently than resins too.

 

Most anime figures are female and are intended to appeal to male collectors, but with traditional dolls I think it's more typical for dolls to be both male and female and appeal more to female collectors. This may be why Volks has a wide range of male SD and only female DD so far. Granted that just an opinion on my part.

 

Pretty sure there are a lot of resin collectors who are male on DoA though.

Professionally done promo photo's aren't always a good reference point for a product. They sometimes alter things to make the photo work. On Mio Akiyama they removed a non-removable part of her Bass Guitar in order to make one of the photos look good. They also change out the hands for photos, so the hands you see in some of the promo photo's aren't going to be the ones you get. It's a good idea to read the specifications.

 

They may shoot some of the images with mock-ups too. For the original SD Ami Ayase they shot her promo's with 16mm eyes and then swapped them to 18mm for production, but to the best of my knowledge they did that to preserve the promo look as the result of a production difference in the eyes. At least according to 'Where Angels Lie.'

 

They also use wig wax and other products on the hair to get just the right look.

 

True, your Ami is gorgeous.Her skin looks "alive"(do not know how to describe it) rather than the DD. But saber is so cute . Thank you for the photos.

 

Most anime figures are female and are intended to appeal to male collectors, but with traditional dolls I think it's more typical for dolls to be both male and female and appeal more to female collectors. This may be why Volks has a wide range of male SD and only female DD so far. Granted that just an opinion on my part.

 

Pretty sure there are a lot of resin collectors who are male on DoA though.

 

Yes. That is actually a consensus about bjd. I have been reading about the possibility of having a Sailor Moon line, but as N.Takenouchi only focus on a female audience , it is supposed to be the one opposing the SM line, for it been manly focused to male audiences.

 

I do not agree wholly but, meh!

 

BTW the Eiji Smartdoll do have the kind of eyes of masamune and Alto. He is cheaper than a SD, so i´m totally thinking about going for the crimson version. Does Smartdoll can use the wardrobe and wigs of DD and SD?

 

Regards,

I have been reading about the possibility of having a Sailor Moon line, but as N.Takenouchi only focus on a female audience , it is supposed to be the one opposing the SM line, for it been manly focused to male audiences.

 

If Volks released the Sailor Moon characters as DD I would throw money at them so fast their collective heads would spin.

Jajaja

 

Yeah i´m totally sure a lot of us will do the same. I will feel a little sorry for my current Alto project, but if it DO happen...well...all my funds will end up there

 

Also, there are rumors about the DD Len Kagamine...if that happens...well, maybe Alto will have a chance in a DD body.