Volks Outfit Binder

In another thread I said something about having a binder with all my Volks outfits in it, and a couple others said they liked the idea, so here is some details of mine in case it may help others.

 

Once I had Miku and started buying outfits, I knew I needed to track it somehow. More so with Yaya and being Miku and Yaya had different busts so some things wouldn't fit both of them. So my binder idea was really a way for me to look at what I had that would fit each girl.

 

I got a 3 ring binder and some page protectors, some of which were tabbed. The tabbed ones would hold a page with info on the doll. Following the tab would be page protectors with printed pages of the outfits that would fit said doll. I put them in order of when I got the doll. So tab 1 is Miku and the pages after her would be all outfit that fit her. Tab 2 is Yaya, and following are pages of items that fit her. For items that fit both, I printed the item's page twice and put one behind each girl's tab. This works for me as I normally want to change a girl's outfit. If you are more of the type to get an outfit out and then pick a girl to put it on, then you'd have to set up your binder different. As for how to organize the pages, I did it in order you'd dress them. So bras and panties followed by tops and bottoms followed by socks then shoes and lastly hats and hair pins and accessories. And within each subset they are in alphabetical order.

 

Here is a photo of Yaya's tab.

 

 

And then randomly opened to a page after her tab.

 

 

And is a link to a PDF of part of my dobleepent I print from. It is set up in order I buy them, well now it is which is why Miku and Yaya are not at the beginning. It's an evolving dobleepent so I didn't plan on making pages for the girls at first, but decided to later. The top of the page is the item's name, then I list what dolls it'll fit, what's included in the outfit, and lastly the price I paid from Volks USA, or approximate MSRP if I bought it elsewhere. I then add a photo of a doll wearing it and of the outfit's parts. I think once I get my room organized and have my doll 'dresser' made, then I'll go edit the dobleepent and include location to help me find the items and reprint the pages. I hope this helps some of you and gives others ideas. I'll answer any other questions about the binder here.

You know, since you have the pages in page protectors, you could get a dry-erase marker, and write the location of the outfit on top of the page protector. That way, you don't have to re-print the whole thing every time you decide to reorganize.

True, but we have learned that the dry erase rubs off as the pages rub together in another application. My wife loves binders with page protectors. Watching her make a binder for something else gave me this idea. Luckily, I've been rather lazy, so my binder doesn't have much in it yet.

 

EDIT: I just had another idea. I could print a page with locations, cut it up and just tape or glue them to the pages I've already printed. Or find labels and print on those. Thanks for getting me thinking.

True, but we have learned that the dry erase rubs off as the pages rub together in another application. My wife loves binders with page protectors. Watching her make a binder for something else gave me this idea. Luckily, I've been rather lazy, so my binder doesn't have much in it yet.

 

EDIT: I just had another idea. I could print a page with locations, cut it up and just tape or glue them to the pages I've already printed. Or find labels and print on those. Thanks for getting me thinking.

 

Another idea would be to color code them! If you got little colored tabs you could organize it so that, for example, items with a pink tab are in the same place, items with a blue tab are in the same place, etcetera.

 

I totally love this binder idea, I will probably make one inspired by it now, haha. I love organizing, I love doing things I can apply my graphic design minor to, this is all a win for me.

Post it notes. Place them underneath the plastic.

There is a doll person on YouTube I watch who actually puts her clothing in the page protectors in the binders. I thought that was interesting, but I bet it would be easier if you didn't have that much clothing. Now that I think about it, I bet it is handy to keep a running tally of what you own. I haven't come across that yet because I have just one outfit so far, but I can see it becoming really handy in the future.

I've heard about the outfits in the binder thing, but it'd be hard to do since I have a lot, some of the dresses are too big, and then I couldn't have something in Miku's and Yaya's section at the same time. As for keeping a running tally, that idea comes from my other pricey hobby, O-gauge model trains. Have to keep track of all them trains to keep them running in tip top shape. Speaking of which, I need to slow down on the dolls so I have funds to finish my train layout...

 

Post it notes is a great idea.

I used to do something similar to this many, many years ago with Transformers.

 

I had a binder with tech specs (stat cards) for my G1 Transformers. Sometimes I'd cut the art from the boxes and include them as well.

 

It didn't serve any organizational or tracking purpose, but what it was for was as a reference manual for a game my best friend and I had. We kind of played something akin to a free form miniatures wargame with our Transformers with dice and vague rules.

 

We'd put gameplay notes with each Transformer page. Like the insecticon Bombshell had these special rules for his mind control shells. The Seeker Dirge had special rules for his fear inducing engine noise. Stuff like that.

 

The original version of it got used a lot, so none of the gameplay notes survived. I still have a lot of the spec cards and artwork in a successor to the binder, but it lacks all those cool game notes we made for our Transformer wars. I'm also missing some key tech specs.

 

Your binder has given me an idea though. I've been meaning to write some bios for my girls. Plus, there are quite a few outfits I need to take pictures of them wearing. Maybe I'll do something like "The Official Handbook of My Dollfie Universe." (if you read Marvel comics during the 80s, you should get the reference)

There is a doll person on YouTube I watch who actually puts her clothing in the page protectors in the binders. I thought that was interesting, but I bet it would be easier if you didn't have that much clothing. Now that I think about it, I bet it is handy to keep a running tally of what you own. I haven't come across that yet because I have just one outfit so far, but I can see it becoming really handy in the future.

 

Hm, this is an interesting thought. Many of the full outfits I have are too big/poofy for that, but it may be a good way to keep track of some of the floating mix-and-match pieces I have!

 

As for keeping a running tally, I mix-and-match on a whim so often that I end up totally excavating my doll clothes drawers pretty much every time I dress them. I am far, FAR more concerned about finding ways to store things so that the excavation process is: 1, less like an explosion, and 2, less likely to wrinke things when I put them back. Actually, as a bonus, 3: that are more compact storage options. Doll clothes are bulky.

I am far, FAR more concerned about finding ways to store things so that the excavation process is: 1, less like an explosion, and 2, less likely to wrinke things when I put them back. Actually, as a bonus, 3: that are more compact storage options. Doll clothes are bulky.

 

That makes two of us. I almost never put them in the full outfit after doing it once, but it's a nice way to look at what I have. It helps limit the explosion, sometimes. And for something so small, they do take up a lot of room.

Mygods, I LOVE this idea!! I have a bit of an obsession with creating databases, so maybe I'll try doing something similar via that, though having a physical book has more appeal, just because of the larger images.