A Few Quick Questions

Okay, so I'm super close to getting my first DD, as in I hope to order it within the next 2 weeks. I do have a few questions first though, and I hope this is the right place to ask them.

1. Do normal MDD bodysuits work for Mochi Ashi MDD?

2. Is UV light bad for vinyl? (Or rather, what sort of light do I avoid to keep the doll nice?)

3. What's the best storage environment for a vinyl doll to help them last as long as possible?

4. Do white clothes stain?

5. Is there any other advice a first-time doll owner like myself could use?

Thank you very much!

Edited October 13, 2021 by Momomochi
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1. Bodysuits are stretchy, so it probably fits the newish mochiashi style. This is speculation on my part though since I don't own that exact setup, so you'll want to wait for a definitive answer from another member (or just ask VolksUSA, they're very nice).

2. Light is not much of a concern with vinyls. Anything will fade when exposed to sunlight long enough, but you can play outside with DDs for hours if you want just fine. Sometimes you might deliberately hit them with UV & heat from halogen bulbs (along with peroxide) in order to treat stains. You can be more casual about this than you need to be with resins.

3. You can't go wrong with the standard dark, cool, closet environment for storage. Works for most things. However you don't necessarily have to store them away when not in active use just to prolong their lifespan. You can feel free to leave all your girls dressed and on stands so they can come hang out with you at a moment's notice. They're rather hardy. My oldest DD is 12 years (good gravy now that I type that out, she's almost a teenager!!) and she looks brand new without having done anything in particular special, just taking normal care of her in day to day life. Clean when needed, destain when necessary, do not leave sitting in a windowsill any longer than you yourself are sitting in the windowsill.

4. I've never had white clothes stain, since it's excess dark dye from fabric or thread (watch the hems!) that does it. Other light colors are also fine. Dark colors can be fine with masking-tape taped hems, white lining, bodysuits, or other white underlayers. Or just for short durations. A few things stain on contact, but most clothes are good for a few hours if not a few weeks.

5. Learn how to destain vinyl, because it'll happen, it's just a fact of life. No prob. There's Remove-Zit from Twin Pines of Maine, Volks offers Dream Rescue, and there's an FAQ on the forums here about how to do it with over-the-counter acne cream and desk lamps.  It's only scary the first time. After that, it's just time-consuming.

Beyond that, there are lots of little pieces of knowledge out there from secondhand shopping, to how to buy from Volks, to wig care, to where to get your favorite style of clothing.. and all this stuff you can pick up as you go. For your first doll, play with her, let her hang out with you, pose the DD body in lots of ways and get used to the weight it can and can't hold. Try to treat her well, but don't worry if anything happens to her as she hangs out with you, because these dolls are restorable to new almost no matter what happens (spare parts and all).

Skipping ones where I have nothing to add haha
 

1. I can tell you that volks in Japan marks the DDP bodysuit as suitable for mochi ashi, which honestly kinda sucks bc the DDP body suit isn’t updated to the newer zippered version.  I don’t know if the V2 regular mdd has enough stretch to get away with it so hopefully someone else has given that a try.

 

3.  If you go the display route, opt for light clothes to help avoid staining as a result of the long wear.

 

 

Advice I wish I had was don't worry toooo much.

It's tempting for something this expensive but, depending on your personality, it can get to the point it's hard to even enjoy their company!

White doesn't stain as it's the excess dye that leaves the mark. You don't dye things white, they just are white or they've been bleached that way. This isn't even remotely common from what I've seen in doll clothes. Vinyl WILL stain eventually, unless you keep them in all white. A really nice thing about DD is you can get replacement parts though. You can also have one body for clothes that tends to or may stain, and another for everything else I suppose.

2 hours ago, Momomochi said:

2. Is UV light bad for vinyl? (Or rather, what sort of light do I avoid to keep the doll nice?)

Yes, same with any plastic. It's not instant murder but keep them away from exposure.

Really it's just UV & heat (hot lights) you have to be worried about.

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3. What's the best storage environment for a vinyl doll to help them last as long as possible?

I guess it depends on your climate but keeping them on my desk & other furniture has been good for eight years so far. I guess in my case it's not a dark or damp environment, and it's well ventilated. If you put them in the bottom of a closet you'd have to be worried about mold.

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5. Is there any other advice a first-time doll owner like myself could use?

Like the others said, staining isn't a big deal, it's just part of maintenance. Just be sure to make regular inspections if your dolls is wearing clothing where colored fabric touches the vinyl (especially if the color is rich in saturation or dark). If you're unsure if something might stain like some socks, put one sock on a spare part (like maybe an extra hand part) and see if it transfers any color after leaving it on for a day. If there's no trace of dye transferred, then it's likely to be safe to use for a day. If after a week there's still really no trace, it's a good bet that's it's going to be safe to wear for a longer period than that. Also while things that could cause stains, such as something really red, might seem safe to put on a doll because that part isn't touching the vinyl, if you touch it with your hands, the dye will transfer to your fingers and if you touch the doll you can stain it that way. So remember to keep your hands clean.

Most parts are replaceable, but the thing that makes a doll really special is the face. So if you're going to be careful about anything, make sure you're careful with that!

Also buy a saddle stand, like this,

https://dollfie.ec.volks.co.jp/category/D_DISPLAY/4518992368566.html

It makes it much easier to dress dolls and, well, just to put them somewhere without having to make them lean or sit on something.

 

Here's my take on your questions:

1. No personal experience here. But it seems @hellFlower got the MMD suit to work on a Mochi-Ashi without issue.

 

2. UV over very long periods will likely degrade the vinyl. So don't let your doll live on a windowsill all the time. But taking a vinyl doll out for a photoshoot is absolutely no issue in that regard - even if you're doing it regularly.

 

3. I keep mine out and about in the house and it doesn't seem to do them any harm. Play with them regularly so they don't accumulate dust and redress them every once in a while to check for stains and any other issues.

If you have to put your dolls away for a while, I'd say put them in the long plastic bags, they likely came with, throw in a couple of those small silica gel bags and otherwise keep them dry and dark.

 

4. White clothes should not be able to stain by themselves. However a tiny colored speck of dust can get stuck on the inside of any clothing item and then eventually cause a mystery stain.

So while white clothes are generally safe, many pastel colors usually are as well.  I've also come across quite a few clothing items in darker tones, that are perfectly safe. Unfortunately, with those you can't tell beforehand if they're fine. So stain testing as described above by @foo is something I can recommend.

 

5. Get one of those rocket blower like thingies to easily keep dust off your dolls. But I recommend getting one in a lighter color because with the darker ones, the pigment in the rubber can possibly transfer (invisibly) onto your hands and then stain the doll. - That's how I got my first stains.

Apart from that, have lots of fun with your future doll.

Regular "Oxy-10" (%10 Benzoyl Peroxide) acne cream works fairly well, You can use it without a lamp, but it'll take longer. I use Saran Wrap over the treated area to prevent it from drying too fast. My first Kiddo, Tana, had a horrifyingly bad experience with a set of purple and black stockings, her legs looked like a sick zebra explosively upchucked all over her. I took a few days, without using a light, because a friend of mine left her dolls head too close to a lamp, and blistered her face pretty badly. (She recovered it nicely, though, so good times for all!) So, I was a bit "paranoid".

"Canned" air, like those used to blow out crumbs and smuts from electronics and such works good (from a distance! Don't need it close enough to blow his/her wig off!) for light dust. 

If you ever need to clean the wig, like shampoo it or such, Baby shampoo, like Johnsons Baby No-Tear Formula Shampoo, works awesome! Wet the wig, put a small amount on, work it in then gently rinse/repeat (as often as needed) I go to my bathtub and swing the wig to get the majority of water off, then pat-dry and set on a close-to-DD head sized object to finish drying. 

To comb it, start from the bottom and work your way up, it makes it easier to deal with any tangles. Being male, with a long beard, I have a fine-tooth mustache comb that works awesome! (honestly, any fine tooth comb works for minor "touch-ups")

Edited October 13, 2021 by battrastard

Thank you so much for the advice! You guys are all so sweet to answer my questions so quickly and kindly! I've started the ordering process and hopefully I'll be bringing this girl home within the next 2 months. I'll keep you guys updated if you like, and thank you again!

Edited October 15, 2021 by Momomochi