Whole lotta newbie questions

Hi all, so I'm new to the whole doll fandom thing, and have ordered Harmony as my first doll. I've looked through the guides on Danny Choo's site as well as what else I've been able to find online, but I still have a ton of questions that I was hoping you guys might be able to help me with.

 

1) I understand that staining is just a thing that vinyl dolls do, though it seems that Smart Dolls clothes are fairly thoroughly tested to make sure they don't stain the doll. Should I be worried about clothes from other makers however? How likely are they to stain the doll, and what can I do to prevent it?

 

2) Speaking of other makers, where else can I get clothes and accessories besides the official Smart Doll store? I understand that Dollfie clothes are generally compatible, but does anyone know of any other manufacturers?

 

3) Related to question 2, what wigs are compatible with Smart Doll? I'm not super fond of any of the wigs offered on the official store. Also, would it be a good idea to get a heap cap thing to prevent stains? If so, which size should I get?

 

4) This is weirdly specific, but does anyone know where I can get doll sized shutter shades, bazooka and an American flag? I kinda want to dress her up as an over the top action hero at some point

 

5) Is there anything I should be aware of as a new doll owner? I'm really new to this and would welcome any and all advice!

3) Related to question 2, what wigs are compatible with Smart Doll? I'm not super fond of any of the wigs offered on the official store. Also, would it be a good idea to get a heap cap thing to prevent stains? If so, which size should I get?

Basically 8-9" wigs would be ok, but for some bigger ones you'd need a headcup. SmartDolls heads are a bit smaller than most of DDs, so I would suggest wigs more on a 8" side that 9". Do not use 9-10" - they will be too big.

From my experience Crobidoll 8" wigs are good - they sit quite nice without a wig cap (on the other hand when I tried a volks 8-9" wig I needed to put both sillicone and cotton wig caps for the wig to stay on).

Can't answer all your questions but I'll give it a go.

1) I understand that staining is just a thing that vinyl dolls do, though it seems that Smart Dolls clothes are fairly thoroughly tested to make sure they don't stain the doll. Should I be worried about clothes from other makers however? How likely are they to stain the doll, and what can I do to prevent it?

Staining is just something clothes do. All clothes, not just doll clothes. In the days before pre-washed jeans if you didn't wash your jeans before wearing them the first time you could turn your legs blue. All dolls can be stained not just vinyls. It just happens faster with vinyls because vinyl is more porous than resin and other doll materials. I don't know how thoroughly SD clothes are tested but except for the jeans it seems they've chosen materials and colors which are not crazy staining colors (like blacks, purples, reds). There are a lot of factors involved in staining from the type of material, the dyes used, heat, humidity, pressure, etc. There's a lot of information on this and other forums regarding staining, stain prevention, and what to do when the inevitable happens.

 

2) Speaking of other makers, where else can I get clothes and accessories besides the official Smart Doll store? I understand that Dollfie clothes are generally compatible, but does anyone know of any other manufacturers?

Most stuff listed that it will fit Dollfie Dreams will fit the Smart Doll. Most loose and stretchy stuff is pretty safe. You will have to watch the bust size. If your Harmony opts for a large or extra large bust you will want to look into clothes for large bust Dollfie Dreams.

 

4) This is weirdly specific, but does anyone know where I can get doll sized shutter shades, bazooka and an American flag? I kinda want to dress her up as an over the top action hero at some point

I haven't seen any bazookas out there, but there are tons of 1/3 scale hand guns, rifles, blades, and even a RPG or two to be found. You just have to keep your eyes open. Start with a google search, "1/3 scale guns".

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=1%2F3+scale+guns

One of your first hits will be Metalcraft by Blair. They have tons of stuff and prices vary.

http://www.metalcraftbyblair.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=10_220

 

5) Is there anything I should be aware of as a new doll owner? I'm really new to this and would welcome any and all advice!

Vinyls (Dollfie Dreams, 1/3 scale Obitsus, Smart Dolls) differ from most other dolls in that they have internal skeletons, whereas resins have elastic bands connecting their body parts and fashion dolls (Barbies, Pullips, Neemos, etc.) have the actual solid body parts hinged together. The internal skeleton is extremely flexible and can do many amazing things, but just like your body the joints only bend certain ways. So until you are completely familiar with your doll, move her joints slowly and gently, one part at a time. Smart Doll joints seem to be a bit stiffer than DDs, which is a plus and a minus. The plus is they will hold poses like you would not believe but the minus is it can take a bit more effort to move a joint. Just go slow and carefully and you girl will last for years.

if you're afraid if the clothes will stain, he includes a piece of the vinyl to test if other clothes will stain

if you're afraid if the clothes will stain, he includes a piece of the vinyl to test if other clothes will stain

 

ETA: I originally stated that there was no extra piece, but now I found it. Duh me.

Edited September 10, 2016 by Guest

hand wash the clothes at least twice before trying on your doll it helps with some loose dye on the fabric, and in case of emergency you can use Oxy10 for stain removal just be careful with it.

Hey guys, thanks a ton for all your answers. I'm looking forward to getting her (she's already at the airport, so if I'm lucky, maybe she'll arrive as early as next week!)

 

One more question, what are good stores for clothes and wigs? Besides the official store, the only ones I'm aware of are Volks and Nine9 style.

Here's a thread of DD size clothes:

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=14808

(edited to add link ^__^)

 

As far as wigs, popular sources are

LullabyPoem

Leeke / Leekeworld

Crobidoll

Miruya (selling on Yahoo Japan Auctions)

and I think Luts? But I'm not sure about that one.

 

As for stain testing, I leave the extra vinyl piece wrapped in the fabric with a rubber band (so that it's tight up to the cloth) for a week or so, then check. This has so far been successful. Try to make sure you wrap a piece near a seam, because sometimes thread stains even if the fabric does not.

 

As for American flags--if you're in the USA, convenience store chains and lots of grocery stores sell little flags for use as car, garden, etc. decorations; they're scaled such that they'd be a full size flag for a SmD, and sometimes smaller. If you're not in the USA, you should be able to find them online; try looking for 4th of July mini flags on eBay and similar.

 

For shutter shades--I have seen Blythe versions occasionally but not having a Blythe I have no idea if they'd fit SmD or DD. But it's something to look around for.

 

I hope this helps!

And also, your username is awesome

Thanks a ton, Ie Aster!

 

It was tough finding a list of of compatible stores, so your post is super helpful!

 

I'm looking forward to getting some new clothes and wigs for my doll in the upcoming months

Thanks a ton, Ie Aster!

 

It was tough finding a list of of compatible stores, so your post is super helpful!

 

I'm looking forward to getting some new clothes and wigs for my doll in the upcoming months

 

Glad to help! Have fun shopping for your Harmony!

Oh! One more question that just came to my head. Is there anything I should know about doll upkeep and maintenance? I know not to keep them under sunlight, but is there anything more I should know to keep these girls in good shape?

 

Like is it a bad idea to keep the same clothes and wig for long periods of time? Should I regularly wash and clean the doll and/or her clothes? Also, if I need to store her away for a bit, is there anything specific I should know about storage? Like should she be stored with her clothes and wig, or would it be best to remove them?

Sorry for the double post, but my doll just arrived today and I'm super excited! Firstly, holy crap, I had heard Smart Doll ships quickly, but this is next level! I made the order on Friday morning, and by Tuesday evening she had managed to make the trip all the way from Japan to my office in Sydney!

 

Really want to post pictures of her, but as a new user, I'm still not allowed to post images. So I'll just say she's very pretty and I like her. Also I'm counting down the days to my next pay day, because I really want to get some more clothes since the poor thing only has a bikini top, skirt and boots right now.

One bit of advice I can offer from experience is be careful with the wrist. The way the wrists are, they have a track (I guess that's the word?) where the wrist can move up and down. I was playing with my Mirai and not paying attention, and snapped her wrist. It was so easy to snap and happened so quickly.

Hurrah, congratulations!

 

(also, for storage, make sure all clothes are somewhere, like in plastic, where moths can't get to them)

Here's a thread of DD size clothes:

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=14808

(edited to add link ^__^)

 

As far as wigs, popular sources are

LullabyPoem

Leeke / Leekeworld

Crobidoll

Miruya (selling on Yahoo Japan Auctions)

and I think Luts? But I'm not sure about that one.

 

As for stain testing, I leave the extra vinyl piece wrapped in the fabric with a rubber band (so that it's tight up to the cloth) for a week or so, then check. This has so far been successful. Try to make sure you wrap a piece near a seam, because sometimes thread stains even if the fabric does not.

 

As for American flags--if you're in the USA, convenience store chains and lots of grocery stores sell little flags for use as car, garden, etc. decorations; they're scaled such that they'd be a full size flag for a SmD, and sometimes smaller. If you're not in the USA, you should be able to find them online; try looking for 4th of July mini flags on eBay and similar.

 

For shutter shades--I have seen Blythe versions occasionally but not having a Blythe I have no idea if they'd fit SmD or DD. But it's something to look around for.

 

I hope this helps!

And also, your username is awesome

 

So helpful! Thanks a ton! It'd be helpful if there was a place we could save all our favorite posts or somehting