Why are the boxes different sizes?

I'm specifically asking about the full sized boxes with the fully illustrated slip covers.

Why aren't they all the same size? Meiko and Snow Miku's boxes are longer than Miku, Sakura Miku, Rin or Luka's boxes. It's not like Meiko or Snow Miku have that much more stuff than any of the others, right? 

It's messing up my storage setup.

It seems they just decided to change them - can someone confirm if Emilia and Caster are also like this?  

You’d think if it was for some kind of packing/shipping efficiency they get smaller not bigger…

Reminds me of my pain when book bindings for a series change in the middle, so annoying.

 

Edited September 1, 2021 by abs2891

　This image implies the box for Caster at least is pretty small/standard size.

It seems more like they changed the size of the special illustrated boxes because Meiko’s is obnoxiously big too. I don’t understand it either. There was so much empty space above her head, and yet her and her full set could probably easily fit into a box the size of Caster’s there.

Edited September 1, 2021 by Monty

27 minutes ago, Monty said:

This image implies the box for Caster at least is pretty small/standard size.

That white box with the gold lettering seems to be the replacement for the old yellow and pink boxes, since rena came in one of those. the body support cardboard having cuts for all the different heights.

29 minutes ago, Monty said:

It seems more like they changed the size of the special illustrated boxes because Meiko’s is obnoxiously big too.

I think there's always been some variation with the special boxes. there was a stretch of semi similar one's at one point, with at least V1 Ranko's and Nanoha's being the same (The silver box with the outer slip on shell) ... I think melty's might be the same style too... Original blue Saber's was its own thing with the futon, etc... almost makes me want to go fishing in my closets for all of the one's I have.

Might just be a thing about where the design team feels at that given day, or they just forgot to scale the artwork correctly.

Does anybody have an original Snow Miku box to measure? Just wondering if the reboot box is bigger or the same size.

1 hour ago, Mega Negi said:

Does anybody have an original Snow Miku box to measure? Just wondering if the reboot box is bigger or the same size.

Via Reddit:

I know the box for an Icon is incredibly different from vocaloids, but I was shocked at how much smaller my Icon's box was as opposed to my Meiko's. Shipping is still the same price, but the box and the shipping box are much smaller.

I don't like this new box size either...it really messed up my storage space too...😖 But it seems that Volks just trying to use one size box that fits all 1/3 dolls....

On 9/1/2021 at 1:13 AM, finnleo said:

That white box with the gold lettering seems to be the replacement for the old yellow and pink boxes, since rena came in one of those. the body support cardboard having cuts for all the different heights.

Yup.  Kizuna came in the same type of box, too.  Whit/gold vs. my older licensed and character dolls, which have the yellow boxes  Kizuna, Kyoko, Yumi, and Youmu were all the same size, however.  I'll have to dig out Miko's as it's folded up and stored away somewhere.

Since I was incubating the idea of stashing away some of my staff, I dug up all the boxes from their various hiding places around the house, and piled them up:

 

 

(for those keeping count, I do not have an Aoko, Estelle, nor yui -- just boxes the respective bodies came in, but on the other hand my Millhiore didnt have a box...)

There was some variances, although not as much as I had thought, probably due to the nature they have come in, and been stowed away.

anyways here are the findings in my collection:

DD Standard box, 160 x 140 x 600 mm (available in Orange, Yellow, and the current Pearl metallic White)

MDD Standard box, 160 x 140 x 470 mm (originally available in Pink, currently discontinued apart from separate body boxes)

Deluxe sleeve box, 220 x 160 x 650 mm (originally I believe launced with the K-on girls who had their instrument accessories)

Deluxe+ sleeve box 220 x 200 x 710 mm (slightly more porky sleeve box, I think were launched with the Alter-2 and Extra preorders?)

Deluxe-XL sleeve box 255 x 220 x 710 mm (the fat box, hilariously big considering the following....)

The one oddball, which is Original Sabers box, which I believe was a in-period Superdollfie box, with included futon. sized at 225 x 150 x 640 ... which is almost half the volume of new blue's box...

 

A bit of an observation of the deluxe sleeve boxes, as they seem to come in two distinct flavors, the vanilla, which are a basic white sleeve with a VS cutout, and silver inner box with stickers to show who's in it, and the full character print outer sleeved one's without any stickers at the ends.

 

Another interesting observation was that Beatrice and Emilia came in standard boxes, despite being what I would call Circus-tent models.

EDIT: probably should make some commentary about was the deluxe box treatment warranted or not starting from biggest to smallest.

The Deluxe-XL, no rational reason considering original blue came in half the size of box, and new blue only had a few extra hands, and a mantle.

Deluxe+ : Alter and Extra (Forgot Nero's big ass sword which barely even fits in this box..) I dont really see a reason for the porkier deluxe box, for the above reasons. Sinon's Hecate came in bits, and nothing else really pokes out, so I dont know why she didnt ship in the normal Deluxe box or even the standard box. Kos-Mos on the other hand probably needed this box.

in the Deluxe department, if I am honest this box seems most likely that the IP holder has requested the fancier box for one reason or another.  the few girls that I think actually needed this box size were Nanoha, Ranko and perhaps Yoko, though her rifle does come apart and not much of an outfit to speak of that wouldnt fit in the standard box... but preorder was preorder. An I guess Melty's hat was on the large side of things I suppose.

 

If anybody is curious about the graphics on the normal DD boxes, I have a suspicion that they are a nod towards UFO crop-circles, since in the original edge-lord lore of the things they supposedly were made from a substance that came from outer space ... but then they decided to get all mature with the concept and all, but sort of amusing they still are present in the current white box.

 

This concludes your unrequested public service announcement... carry on.

Edited September 10, 2021 by finnleo

7 hours ago, finnleo said:

The one oddball, which is Original Sabers box, which I believe was a in-period Superdollfie box, with included futon.

I don’t know about boxes for SD models other than SDGr & SD16, but those boxes are smaller in terms of height and width than the big DD boxes. The construction is more luxurious too. 

maybe they needed to make the newer boxes longer to accommodate future DD male releases who will actually make use of the increased length.

1 hour ago, BeyondTime said:

but those boxes are smaller in terms of height and width than the big DD boxes. The construction is more luxurious too. 

well original blue's box is about 1,5 liters smaller in volume than what I refer to as the deluxe box, it is the least deep of the boxes, but has the width and minor height benefit going against the standard box, but it just seems obviously smaller because of the lack of depth compared to the normal deluxe box.

if Im not totally mistaken since I dont actually own any, the common thing I remember with superdollfie boxes is their lid type construction, as is old Blue's -- I think Suigintou's box (the only one I've really wanted ... apart maybe for Cinderella lately) was the same dimensions.

I think the feeling of luxury probably comes from the expectation while opening since at least old blue's box is a tight fit and has that slow vaccuum release effect going for it, versus the floppy nature of the deluxe DD sleeve boxes. Since the cardboard used isnt that more special than say in the deluxe boxes although obviously more impressive than the standard boxes. ... and then there is the matress ... did I already mention the matress?

54 minutes ago, Mega Negi said:

longer to accommodate future DD male releases

hmmm? ... speculating Volks would throw their SD16/17 dude range under the bus for a 65cm DD-dude are we...?    (just poking a little fun, since Kirito already came in normal DD-dude in a deluxe box).

Edited September 10, 2021 by finnleo

27 minutes ago, finnleo said:

I think the feeling of luxury probably comes from the expectation while opening since at least old blue's box is a tight fit and has that slow vaccuum release effect going for it, versus the floppy nature of the deluxe DD sleeve boxes.

I think there is a lot of truth to that although to me the box top feels more like a lid to a container with weight and sturdiness as opposed to the sleeve that goes over the deluxe DD box. It would be pretty funny if Volks was incorporating psychology into their box design in order to make the same materials feel grander when you’re getting a resin out of the box.

I’m sure it was more along the lines of attention to detail in their flagship product though. 

Don’t have the box with me right now so can’t give measurements, but here’s a recent box for a SDGrB.  He also doesn’t need all the space in there so I assume SD17/GOU would also get this size box.  Can confirm the top is a lid.  SDM come in a smaller box but the construction is otherwise the same.

Can only compare to the Dream Choice Boxes I’ve gotten, but yeah, compared to those, an SD box feels very lux.  It’s sturdy and the colors etc. give it a old timey elegance.  The Choice boxes are rather flimsy in comparison though they get the job done.

20 minutes ago, abs2891 said:

but here’s a recent box for a SDGrB.

IIRC those are as big as an SD16, and the box looks the same size. The lower box is pretty much like the deluxe boxes for DD. I’m guessing SD17 uses the same box but without the spacer at the bottom. 

On 9/11/2021 at 12:44 AM, BeyondTime said:

It would be pretty funny if Volks was incorporating psychology into their box design in order to make the same materials feel grander when you’re getting a resin out of the box.

I wouldnt be surprised all things considered ... ?

I just recall a few different youtube videos (not that I remember any specific bits right off the bat though) where people were going on about japanese packaging and its presentation that has been a bit of a tradition in some places -- so in that sense a very hobbyist oriented company making sure when you are buying their top shelf stuff that you get a feeling you are dealing with something more special wouldnt surprise me at all.

If you really think about it, the DD deluxe box while looking pretty is absolutely silly in terms of design, since once its out of its bag, you need to be a bit aware that the contents will come spilling out if your not carefull with it... like no way you dont take that into account while at the same time putting cool VS cutouts on the vanilla versions of them... it seems more made with the idea of getting to the contents a lot faster... while my original saber box is like, "Yea bud, chill out and hold on for 10-15 seconds while I decompress..."

also as a semi random observation I was thinking maybe the DD deluxe inners were the same as the SD box lowers, but by the looks of it the corner folds seem to be different.

The Vocaloid boxes with full art on them are so cool. Even the Fate one that's just all black with the logo on it is snazzy compared to the standard ones.