Why do many people call DDs BJDs?

Sorry to rev a dead topic, but I just found this thread and it’s fascinating to me.

For the longest time, my idea of ball-jointed was the Obitsu body, and I don’t just mean because my first large doll was an Azone on an Obitsu body—I had this idea going back to the early 2000s when I first heard of them (before Dollfie even).

“People on the Internet” kept talking about Obitsu and I had no idea what they even looked like back then. All I knew was that they had ball-joints, and when I finally saw a picture of one I thought it looked ugly (I have since completely reformed my ways! I love the way the joints look now).

So when I finally got into larger dolls, I referred to all of them as BJDs, and it’s only recently that I’ve started to feel there was a distinction to be made between strung dolls and those with an internal frame.

Nowadays I wouldn’t call them BJDs, but I still use the term with my girls in mind when searching for stuff on Etsy 😆

On 10/2/2022 at 1:11 AM, ragnamuffin said:

Sorry to rev a dead topic, but I just found this thread and it’s fascinating to me.

For the longest time, my idea of ball-jointed was the Obitsu body, and I don’t just mean because my first large doll was an Azone on an Obitsu body—I had this idea going back to the early 2000s when I first heard of them (before Dollfie even).

“People on the Internet” kept talking about Obitsu and I had no idea what they even looked like back then. All I knew was that they had ball-joints, and when I finally saw a picture of one I thought it looked ugly (I have since completely reformed my ways! I love the way the joints look now).

So when I finally got into larger dolls, I referred to all of them as BJDs, and it’s only recently that I’ve started to feel there was a distinction to be made between strung dolls and those with an internal frame.

Nowadays I wouldn’t call them BJDs, but I still use the term with my girls in mind when searching for stuff on Etsy 😆

Interesting topic, never discovered it or even thought about it. I discovered Dollfie and later Smartdoll before I even knew about resin BJD’s. At that time both Dollfie and Smartdoll were referred to as BJD’s on the online community I participate with.

I am guilty about calling them BJD’s instead of Fashion dolls. I don’t like to group them with Barbie, Monster high etc. They are too different.
In my opinion a BJD has the following requirements:

-Ball joints 

-Changeable wigs (and eyes)

-Inner frame or stringed

-Anatomical correct for non hybrid human versions.

If the doll has those things I see them as BJD’s.

I actually group them into Vinyl BJD’s and Resin BJD’s.

 

On 10/1/2022 at 4:11 PM, ragnamuffin said:

Nowadays I wouldn’t call them BJDs, but I still use the term with my girls in mind when searching for stuff on Etsy 😆

I do that a lot, too! Because a lot of BJD clothing will have similar proportions to our vinyl dolls. 

I've been in a bjd panel last time and learned that Dollfie Dreams were "grandfathered" into BJDs because Volks is the company that owns Super Dollfies after all. I would refer to DDs/Smart Doll/Obitsu as anime vinyl dolls... TinyFox calls theirs as "MJD" or mechanical-jointed doll". 

2 hours ago, Rajke said:

I actually group them into Vinyl BJD’s and Resin BJD’s.

I'd say that, too! DD started with their first version as strung, after all. I also have an Ai 1/12 doll that is strung. I don't know what to call her since she's ABS and not vinyl. But I do get why we all just want to call them all BJDs. It's a mouthful to say the entire thing lol

I think it's a matter of personal opinion. Getting miffed over whether someone does/doesn't refer to them as BJDs is frankly stupid and a waste of time. To me, they have ball-shaped joints just like my SDs do. Would you refuse to call a strung resin doll that utilises primarily peanut joints a BJD? The answer is often no, because people are fine with peanut joints, they're just not fine with internal frames, even though frankly DD is more qualified (DD-f3 especially) on the basis of BALL joints than most modern BJDs are. Just look at companies like doll chateau, dream valley etc, lots of art dolls in general with hardly any SPHERES as joints and most often peanut-shaped joints. 

As for monster high, mtm barbies etc, they don't have any ball joints. There's a circular looking thing at the elbow, but there's no actual BALL. 😉 Same for American Girl. 

Edit for example:

Volks DearSD body. I love this body to death, but it only utilises one pair of actual "spheres", while the hands and feet lack the typical sphere mechanism of the other SD bodies. 

https://www.dollyteria.com/phone/product/299281

If this is still considered a BJD (and it is, tagged as such on Volks' official instagram- I'd certainly trust the company that literally founded the modern BJD hobby) despite only having one pair of BALL joints, then why exclude Dollfie Dream/etc who have more actual *sphere* joints (wrists, feet, elbows partially, basically the whole inner frame on the f3, which is part of the, ahem, joints.)

Edited October 6, 2022 by Emil
adding example

When I think about it, at first I would have considered vinyl dolls BJD adjacent. I found resin before I found vinyl, so I thought the doll had to be strung with elastic to count. After many many moons in the hobby, I don't consider it the same. There is still a ball joint.

As for other people calling them BJD's, I chalk it up to people are going to people. The only thing I don't count is anything with a hinge joint.