New to vinyl and I have a few questions!

Hi everyone! I am pretty new to venturing into the vinyl side of the doll collecting community. I am not entirely new to my interest in vinyl dolls - I was heavily considering on getting some of the Azone Puella Puella Madoka Magica dolls before I ever got any resin ball-jointed dolls - but I am definitely inexperienced with them, outside of the 1/6 Dollfies and Obitsus. ^^; I've been considering on getting a dollfie dream, and I just have a few general questions:

1) Are elf ears easy to get from Volks? Worst case scenario I can always get some Parabox pixie ears until I get some elf ears I really like from maybe some sellers off of etsy or something, but I noticed there isn't any elf ears listed on the Volks USA store. Are they more of a specialty item? Or is this just a difference in Volks USA and Volks Japan?

2) How quickly does vinyl yellow? I know it does yellow overtime, but I've been considering on getting a Karin dollfie and I want to give her a smaller bust, so I was wondering if I should be particularly careful when ordering the bust piece if I get a secondhand Karin. I don't foresee myself getting a doll right away - I am thinking I might get my Dollfie once I get some of my weight milestones, as my boyfriend has agreed to help me buy a doll once I hit them (sidenote: 1/3 of the way there in two months already! 💖✊), so I think that might make the doll a bit more sentimental due to my personal accomplishments. I know Karin is "newer," I recall when her and Towa released, but I don't remember what year that was and... if frankly, this would be a concern for anytime soon? Or is this more of an issue if it's been say, 5+ years or if the vinyl has been in a particularly yellow discoloration-inducing environment (eg, cigarette smoke, UV light?)

3) I believe the DDS and DDP both use the same frame (DD-f3) but is there any noticeable posing differences between them? Or is getting suitable, well-fitting clothing difficult, particularly in regards to smaller busts? I like the DDP body a bit more aesthetically, but it seems I can't order Karin's head separately and/or chose the body, so it seems a lot easier to get her on her basic DDS body and just buy a smaller bust. I know most dollfies are well-endowed though so would it be hard to dress her?

Any help would be appreciated!

1. I’ve seen third party elf ears from time to time on yahoo auctions, but the only official ones from Volks are either ones that came with a limited sculpt (either their ears were already liked that or they clip over regular ears), or available as an extra via Dream Choice. The Dream Choice elf ears, though, are only compatible with heads DCH19 and DCH21. So custom ones would be your best best, or if you don’t mind modding the dolls head itself, using something like epoxy.

2. Most vinyl doesn’t yellow, at least not anywhere near the extent resin does. The exception is older white skin dolls, but this isn’t a skin tone Volks produces anymore anyway (and I still don’t think it’s comparable to resin yellowing). There  may be slight colour variation in vinyl batches overtime but not to the extent that it will throw off a match severely, especially with a release as recent as Karin.

3.They both pose well. I would go with DDS because there are more clothing options and I personally think DDP Karin may look slightly bobbleheaded, but that’s my personal opinion. I wouldnt worry about a smaller bust Karin having less options, though? My first DD was Kagamine Rin, who has the SS bust - almost nonexistent, and she still has the biggest wardrobe of all my dolls (because she looks good in everything). The only stuff that doesn’t work on her are things that are clearly intended to show cleavage, which I don’t have much of anyway. 

16 hours ago, Epona said:

I believe the DDS and DDP both use the same frame (DD-f3) but is there any noticeable posing differences between them?

DD, DDS & DDDy have a greater range of arm motion at the elbow than the DDP. DDP can bend their elbow to a right angle, and the others can go past that.

That said, as far as I know all DD have a second elbow joint that can be exposed by pulling the lower arm slightly out of the upper arm. Once you do that DDP can bend their arms to the same range as the others when they have the same joint exposed. It takes a good deal more strength to expose that second joint on DDP than it does on the others.

I don’t have any MDD, so I don’t know for sure if that joint is present on MDD. It’s there on all the others.

 

17 hours ago, Epona said:

Or is this more of an issue if it's been say, 5+ years or if the vinyl has been in a particularly yellow discoloration-inducing environment (eg, cigarette smoke, UV light?)

 

Smoke might cause yellowing to happen a lot quicker.

Hey there! Mind if I join?

As I still consider myself semi-new to vinyl - I was wondering if anyone could tell me the difference between a Volks body and an Obitsu one. 

I ask because I found a gorgeous sculpt that I would love to get - but it's almost $1,000 USD? Whereas an Obitsu doll is about $300 USD. 

I'm just wondering what accounts for the price difference. Is it because the Volks doll (on a SD16 body - wait - is that vinyl or resin?) is a character and comes with clothing? 

If I am confused, and the Volks doll is resin, I don't need an explanation. I'm from the BJD world. I get it. 

SD16 is resin, and I know you don't need an explanation, but for others unfamiliar...if she's $1k, I'd bet that she's one of the fancier Volks resins that were a limited release or are in high demand for other reasons. Volks resins can go for a LOT of money sometimes, but it really depends on the doll.

The only vinyl Volks produces is called Dollfie Dream. Some of them can go for $1k+ too, but usually only the licensed dolls or Dream Choice exclusives. Obitsu is still cheaper than even the base DDs, though, and I'd bet it has something to do with Obitsu being more than just a doll company - if I'm remembering right they do plastics manufacturing too, which probably lets them keep their doll prices low because they earn that lost money back elsewhere. Volks is dolls and hobby supplies exclusively, a much more niche market.

2 hours ago, MaleficentMrsofEvil said:

Hey there! Mind if I join?

As I still consider myself semi-new to vinyl - I was wondering if anyone could tell me the difference between a Volks body and an Obitsu one. 

I ask because I found a gorgeous sculpt that I would love to get - but it's almost $1,000 USD? Whereas an Obitsu doll is about $300 USD. 

I'm just wondering what accounts for the price difference. Is it because the Volks doll (on a SD16 body - wait - is that vinyl or resin?) is a character and comes with clothing?

 

Volks bodies and Obitsu bodies are designed differently. To add to confusion Volks does make both vinyls and resins, but DollfieDreams specifically are vinyls with a neat internal skeleton (unlike resins with their elastic strings)
Obitsu has a wider size range, those lil magnets in the feet, and includes boy bodies. Volks DDs boys are like... ONE and super exclusive ya gotta be at DreamPoint in Japan to get him
Base bodies & base heads are fairly fixed prices, but when you get to custom character collabs, thats when the prices S~O~A~R. like ToHeart2 Sasara is a collab Volks did a few years back and her price... for only the pretty head alone, is ridiculous!

Thank you both, @Oculae and @Chise - you were both very helpful. 

I think I'm going with my first instinct here - going to get a Visuadoll instead, cuz I'd get the realistic head sculpt without quite as much cost. 

Visuadolls are BEAUTIFUL, great choice @MaleficentMrsofEvil! I've wanted a Moegi Blanc for a while, but have yet to pull the trigger on her, so be sure to post pictures so I can live vicariously through you. 😂 Visuadoll uses the Obitsu frame as well, so if something breaks and you need a replacement, or you decide you wanna get extra parts for your girl, they'll be easy to find.

If you need any help with the frame in the future, let me know! I've learned a lot about Obitsu since joining the vinyl hobby and can probably find some answers for you if you need them. 😁