Best way to move internationally with dollfie?

After many years of toying with the idea, I have finally purchased multiple dolls while in Japan.  Specifically, I have a first gen Miku, a MDD and shall also be getting a DDB.  
 

On the plus side, I love all my new dolls.  On the minus, they need to move thousands of miles when I go back to the US in September and so I’m interested to hear if anyone else has dealt with this, and/or has thoughts on the best ways to do it.  So far I’ve thought of a few options.

 

1. Have the moving company handle them - concern here is I’ll be shipping by boat I am not sure they’d do well with months in transit.  Though I will note that the moving company will have insurance for damages.

2. Carry them on my return flight - likely the safest option, but carryon space is at a premium.  Dedicating space for all three dolls might be tough  

3. Ship them via DHL/FedEx/UPS to my parents house and then ship them again to me - Likely the most expensive option, but would get me my dolls whole faster than option four.  Again risk of damage in transit but can also be insured. 

4. Carry on the heads and boy body parts, ship or let the moving company handle the rest - Currently I find myself leaning towards this as it has me keeping the parts that are difficult to replace but taking a risk on those that I can easily get again.

When I moved internationally, I packed my dolls securely in a box, and shipped them as well as the other stuff.

On the other hand, it didn't take months, but it was a matter of one/two weeks, so...

If I were you I'd go for option 3, due to a matter of space & the fact that once you get your dolls you'll probably want to dress them up and play a bit, which you wouldnt be able to do with option 4.

 

6 minutes ago, Bellatrix said:

When I moved internationally, I packed my dolls securely in a box, and shipped them as well as the other stuff.

On the other hand, it didn't take months, but it was a matter of one/two weeks, so...

If I were you I'd go for option 3, due to a matter of space & the fact that once you get your dolls you'll probably want to dress them up and play a bit, which you wouldnt be able to do with option 4.

 

Yeah, the months is because I’ll be using a moving company to pack up my apartment, put it on a boat and send it off around the globe, barring what I hold onto or ship separately like option 3.  Not the quickest, but good for moving the bulk of stuff.  Definitely agree the benefit is having them with me quicker, which I’ll definitely like.  Perhaps worthwhile to get a firmer reading on what’d it’d cost me.  I’d have a relative idea if it was EMS but seems like that isn’t opening back up to the US anytime soon. 

I had to do this a few years ago. I had 5 DDs and a MDD, a 1/4 resin, two 1/6 resins and a 1/12 resin at the time.

Two of the DDs, my Miku and Luka, I EMS’d to myself in the same box (Luka’s box, I don’t have Miku’s as she came to me as a head that I bought a second hand body for). I also fit a few clothing items in with them. One of the 1/6 resins I completely mummified in bubble wrap and also EMS’d to myself along with some 1/6 clothes. The other 1/6 resin I let stay with one of my friends a few months, and then he sent him back to me. I sent back some of the other doll boxes filled with doll clothes and various other things I owned by EMS, and at least one by sea.

All of the rest (3 DDs, 1 MDD be a 1/4 resin) I took with me in a carry-on suitcase. They were all wrapped in white towels and I had to Tetris them into some funny positions to get them all to fit. A few I had to take off their legs in order to fit better. Then my single MDD (and the 1/12 resin) fit into my backpack that I also had as carry-on.

I heard EMS between Japan and the US will be reopening this year, so EMS is an option, but you could also use Yamato International for extra security/speed. The only thing is that Yamato charges by volume rather than weight so you would need to dismember the dolls in order to get them into smaller boxes if you went that route.

5 minutes ago, Monty said:

I had to do this a few years ago. I had 5 DDs and a MDD, a 1/4 resin, two 1/6 resins and a 1/12 resin at the time.

Two of the DDs, my Miku and Luka, I EMS’d to myself in the same box (Luka’s box, I don’t have Miku’s as she came to me as a head that I bought a second hand body for). I also fit a few clothing items in with them. One of the 1/6 resins I completely mummified in bubble wrap and also EMS’d to myself along with some 1/6 clothes. The other 1/6 resin I let stay with one of my friends a few months, and then he sent him back to me. I sent back some of the other doll boxes filled with doll clothes and various other things I owned by EMS, and at least one by sea.

All of the rest (3 DDs, 1 MDD be a 1/4 resin) I took with me in a carry-on suitcase. They were all wrapped in white towels and I had to Tetris them into some funny positions to get them all to fit. A few I had to take off their legs in order to fit better. Then my single MDD (and the 1/12 resin) fit into my backpack that I also had as carry-on.

I heard EMS between Japan and the US will be reopening this year, so EMS is an option, but you could also use Yamato International for extra security/speed. The only thing is that Yamato charges by volume rather than weight so you would need to dismember the dolls in order to get them into smaller boxes if you went that route.

Impressive and funny side note, but I don’t have a miku box either - I got her out of box from dollteria at a discount with a few flaws that have been (mostly) addressed.  I’m still debating whether to replace her wig or accept the back as a bit messy. 
 

And yeah, definitely thinking the carryon process will be in pieces and more than a little tetrisy.  Good to know on ems.  I’d really like for it to open up before I go so I can ship out some stuff to friends that I’ve had now for almost a year ;-; I’ll definitely look into Yamato as well.  In pieces they would take up less space despite the copious bubble wrap I’d include haha

I carry one doll back to my home country once, I put body on luggage and I put the head on my backpack wrapped in blanket,sometimes the x ray teams did ask to open and check the body so better if it's wearing clothes XD

for your case i would say carry the heads by yourself and ship the rest

On 4/20/2021 at 4:23 PM, abs2891 said:

After many years of toying with the idea, I have finally purchased multiple dolls while in Japan.  Specifically, I have a first gen Miku, a MDD and shall also be getting a DDB.  
 

On the plus side, I love all my new dolls.  On the minus, they need to move thousands of miles when I go back to the US in September and so I’m interested to hear if anyone else has dealt with this, and/or has thoughts on the best ways to do it.  So far I’ve thought of a few options.

 

1. Have the moving company handle them - concern here is I’ll be shipping by boat I am not sure they’d do well with months in transit.  Though I will note that the moving company will have insurance for damages.

2. Carry them on my return flight - likely the safest option, but carryon space is at a premium.  Dedicating space for all three dolls might be tough  

3. Ship them via DHL/FedEx/UPS to my parents house and then ship them again to me - Likely the most expensive option, but would get me my dolls whole faster than option four.  Again risk of damage in transit but can also be insured. 

4. Carry on the heads and boy body parts, ship or let the moving company handle the rest - Currently I find myself leaning towards this as it has me keeping the parts that are difficult to replace but taking a risk on those that I can easily get again.

I am so glad I found this!

I'm moving from Tokyo to Hawaii in a few months!  We have four DDS and I know I can fit two in the Volks bag, but I had been considering taking them apart and wrapping in plastic wrap then put them in a ziplock back.  The head I was thinking of wrapping in a white towel then bubble wrap. I would store it in a ziplock bag, which will easily fit into my carry-on bag. I may spread them amongst my kids carry-on bags, but still debating. 

I don't think boat would be good for the dolls because depending on the weather it could damage them... boxes I'm not terribly worried about and will go that route.  I'm carrying their stuff with me to include their extra hands.

If EMS or DHL is good for transporting dolls, then do it!  I may consider that depending on if I buy more. 

Good luck and safe travels!

Yeah, I’ve since added to my doll collection so now I’m faced with even more bodies to transport lol I’m definitely thinking that I’ll keep the heads on me.  The bodies, we’ll see.  I should take some time and see how they Tetris into my bags but right now I’m dealing with thinning out my closet so it’ll just have to go on the to do list. 

DHL them. DHL is fast and the package arrived in good condition. That was how I got my package from Mandarake.

Edited May 18, 2021 by CaraOReilly

DHL for individuals is incredibly expensive, with most package quotes being hundreds of dollars.  Businesses have deals with DHL to offer cheaper shipping than what you would pay as an individual.

 

21 minutes ago, CaraOReilly said:

DHL them. DHL is fast and the package arrived in good condition. That was how I got my package from Mandarake.

 

17 minutes ago, OccultBeast said:

DHL for individuals is incredibly expensive, with most package quotes being hundreds of dollars.  Businesses have deals with DHL to offer cheaper shipping than what you would pay as an individual.

Yeah, was going to say, while I’ve only been able to try it with estimates and not exact weights and box shape, as an individual seems DHL would be minimum $350.  Wish I was a corporation lol (Or for EMS to return, can’t believe it’s been gone over a year ><) 

 

edited to note that as a shipping company, the things I’ve gotten via DHL have arrived the fastest and in the best condition when compared to other international shipping that I’ve used (fedex/EMS), just wish it was cheaper to use ><

Edited May 18, 2021 by abs2891

I didn't realize DHL was expensive, because here in the US I think it is on par with like UPS or FedEx, bbut  the last time I shipped anything I just used the regular Post Office (USPS) to ship it.

Yeah, for international when you can use a company that has the reduced rate arrangement it should come pretty close from what I remember when I lived stateside and used dhl a few times for things with batteries but if you don’t... dhl rates become major yikes - saw a GO and other friends who use warehouse shippers here get burned pretty bad.  It’s crazy to me that they’ve had ems closed for a year, but I guess the outbound plane traffic is just too low to start it up again with covid.

I’ve never compared DHL local rates in the US so not sure how that’d compare - something to look into once I’m back I guess. 

16 hours ago, abs2891 said:

(Or for EMS to return, can’t believe it’s been gone over a year ><) 

Oh, in case you didn't know: JapanPost is resuming EMS to the United States starting June 1st!

3 hours ago, OccultBeast said:

Oh, in case you didn't know: JapanPost is resuming EMS to the United States starting June 1st!

🥳🥳🥳 I had taken to checking around the first of each month so I hadn’t seen the update yet lol that will be helpful.  I’ve got things I can send to friends who’ve been waiting ^^ 

Just in case, you probably are wiser than I was, but buy lots of dessicant packs for your stuff for the boat transit. The most airtight plastic wrapping possible and dessicant packs all the way.

When home moving from the UK to California, I packed normally, like for usual home moving -we did that a lot...-, but our stuff travelled by boat and everything arrived with a terrible musty smell. This couldn't get off clothes after multiple washing, and even new books have an old library smell. And later, a white mold developed in my storage boxes containing craft items and such, so I've lost a lot of things due to the home moving. I'm super anxious about doing it again, and customs from the international to France are terrible so no sending parcels to my parents :/.

I was supposed to stick to one MDD to be sure she will fit in my carry-on luggage when we go back to France -a few months from now-, but, well two hugging each other should be fine, I guess? ^^' (tan DCH-20, you will join the family)

I had to move internationally before, I could bring 2 big suitcases with me and a backpack. I sent all my stuff and all my dolls' stuff with the shipping company like one month prior, the few clothes I kept I threw away, I put all my dolls in the suitcases and backpack. Even if I had to pay extra I would have paid them! it would have been cheaper to pay for 2 big suitcases than pay for EMS/DHL for 15 dolls (at the time) or even for 1 doll because the country I was going to charges customs fees and company taxes for every EMS/DHL package. My sis was charged like $150 for a very small box that cost only $25...she had to let it go, she didn't want to pay that much. Sending my dolls with the shipping company would have taken one month, even if it was one week I wouldn't have peace of mind knowing my dolls are inside a box probably surrounded by heat and humidity. My only choice was the suitcases. 

Edited June 28, 2021 by jazijaz

Indeed my current plan right now is, heads and resins in the carry on - vinyl bodies in a checked bag (with some heavy bubble wrap/padding) - I have unfortunately only grown my collection since this post (oops) but it still feels like this is the best plan.  I’ll update this when it’s all said and done 

So, a final update with how this all went down.  In the end, I did go through with my plan above, resin dolls, my obitsu 11’s, and DD heads in my carry-on and vinyl bodies in my checked back.  
 

The carry-on (there was a blanket on top which helped keep things more in place).  This is an under the seat size roller bag.  It “just” fits under airplane seats that aren’t super narrow - in my experience that means avoiding aisle seats. 
 

Spread out

 

I basically strategically bubble wrapped the resin and the heads were all face shielded - everything arrived safely though there were some dust specs and one of my resin babies needs restrung because he was seated so long that the elastic stretched and he is now a bit floppy, but that’s not a vinyl problem haha Now on to the even more chaotic bag…

 

 

 

 

Bag is a pretty typical checked bag size - unpleasant surprise was that second bags no longer fly free transpacific on delta so goodbye $100 but it wouldn’t have been cheaper to ship them so *welp* there’s definitely a better way to pack wigs and shoes but at some point I just ended up at get it all in.  Clothes are in that black and red cloth compression bag, a new purchase that I am really happy with - I think as my plastic compression bags fail I will switch over to these.  They don’t compress as much but it does enough to free up space.  
 

The bodies in their wrappings.  Everything got through the travels unscathed.  I also put small fragile parts and my manicured hands in boxes inside the suitcase and they arrived in perfect condition.  Personally, while I’d never suggest doing this on the regular, if you do need to put something fragile in a checked bag, putting it in another box in your suitcase seems a pretty good approach.  Beyond that, I didn’t insure my baggage, but apparently, you can, so something to look into if you are interested in more security.
 

Reassembly was a process - by the end, I was becoming very good at putting in legs lol

 

 

They are very happy to be out of the bags, but are very much in need of display shelves which are naturally on the list along with all the other furniture 😂

Edit: Forgot to mention, but I did use a TSA lock on my checked bag.  It’s not going to stop anyone who is ready to take the whole bag but it is something I guess.  Security did not comment on the contents of my carry-on (actually they did, but on the fact that I was running my own Best Buy with the personal laptop, the work computer, the external monitor (for work) and the iPad… the doll heads did not prompt a reaction XD)  

 

Edited September 26, 2021 by abs2891

53 minutes ago, abs2891 said:

the doll heads did not prompt a reaction XD)  

I got a funny reaction at security just once - I took Tilo (MDD) with me in my backpack when I went to Italy two years ago and we were transferring flights in Doha. From where I was standing, I was able to see the computer screen on the X-ray thing when my bag went through, and the MDD body with its giant head and visible ‘bones’ (Ie the frame) made him look like a baby alien. I saw the guy do a doubletake and then relax, likely realising it was a doll. I really want to know what he thought at that moment lol.

Anyway I’m glad it all went well, even with how much your doll family increased! I think this is the first time I’ve seen a group pic of everyone too.
edit: I don’t think 100 is too bad an extra fee to pay. I remember when I came back from an exchange trip in Japan I ended up having to pay 20,000 or so yen extra due to my bag being overweight from all the books I bought back with me, and like you said probably still cheaper than having them shipped.

Edited September 26, 2021 by Monty

16 minutes ago, Monty said:

I got a funny reaction at security just once - I took Tilo (MDD) with me in my backpack when I went to Italy two years ago and we were transferring flights in Doha. From where I was standing, I was able to see the computer screen on the X-ray thing when my bag went through, and the MDD body with its giant head and visible ‘bones’ (Ie the frame) made him look like a baby alien. I saw the guy do a doubletake and then relax, likely realising it was a doll. I really want to know what he thought at that moment lol.

Anyway I’m glad it all went well, even with how much doll family increased! I think this is the first time I’ve seen a group pic of everyone too.

I can only imagine what he thought haha 

 

It might actually be the first pic with them all… and the obitsu 11’s are still off somewhere 😅 I perhaps over embraced the build the collection while in Japan plan but at the same time I am now content to wait and not buy anything for a long while save a real body for my one miku body stealing boy (and maybe an Elsa SDGr…) in the meantime I am going to be taking a lot more pictures so hopefully more to come haha

 

Edit: would also agree on the bag fee - had I known before I got to the airport I still would have done the same thing - just a reminder to always double check baggage policies and not assume they are the same as two years ago lol 

Edited September 26, 2021 by abs2891

Even though the OP's move has already taken place and so this won't necessarily be useful to them personally, I thought I'd add another perspective for potential future readers.  I've moved internationally with dolls three times, and elected a different process each time. Each of them had their benefits.

1. Full: Took whole doll, wardrobe, and everything hers in a carry-on.  This was easy because I just had the one DD at the time. The movers took her box only, packed with other items. Technically I "cheated" airline policy with a second personal carry-on for this approach, but with a violin hardcase only the x-ray security officer knew there was a doll inside. No one else questioned it or cared.  She of course arrived in perfect condition.

2. Guillotine: The second time I removed all the doll heads and brought them with me in a carry-on. Had a lot more dolls this time, so no reasonable way to bring them whole. Just the heads. Bodies, clothes, boxes, all went with the movers - I made sure to fill the boxes and bubble wrap the outsides prior to the movers arriving. This was partially fine, but the floating heads stayed that way until my belongings arrived six weeks later. I was living in a hotel for most of that time, so I didn't unwrap them right away. The heads got some shiny spots from the bubble wrap, so the things I was trying to protect the most ended up being the parts that had a little small something happen to them.  Those spots came right off though with a little attention from a cloth.  All the rest of the doll stuff arrived just fine. I made sure to throw silica gel packets in just in case, but I don't think it actually mattered much since none of my stuff got humidity damage.

3. Complete abdication: movers took everything, complete dolls packed right in their boxes. I had both resins and vinyls by this point.  If shipping dolls by sea freight is good enough for VolksUSA to receive them without damage very regularly, I realized it was probably good enough for me too.  Sure enough, they all arrived perfectly fine six weeks later. I needn't have been so worried about it on the earlier moves.  Just prepped the dolls securely like they come from Volks and that was it.

If I were to move overseas again in the future, I'd likely go with option 3 again mostly - for everyone except one doll. The one exception would be the SD one-off, who by definition is irreplaceable. I didn't have her yet last time I moved overseas. It was just too convenient not to have to worry about these large dolls on top of things like finding a place to live.