DDdy Miko or DDS Karin (DD-f3) for a new owner

Just as title states, I am looking at 2 dolls now. Which would be the better body/doll to go with for a new owner? I like both sculpts but can only afford one and own one only. SO maybe a current owner can give me advice on their own DDdy Miko or DDS Karin (DD-f3). And let me know about any pros and cons about these 2 girls.

 

Thanks as always for help.

DDdy Pros:
• Curvy shape

DDdy Cons:
• Miko is no longer sold directly from Volks, so you have to buy secondhand
• Can be hard to find bottoms that fit
• Hip joint often pops out of place and needs practice to re-seat properly
• Miko was on the DDdy III body, not the newest f3 body
• DDdy III parts are no longer made, so replacement parts are hard to find
• Default DDdy bust is not the best aesthetically, but can be replaced with a simple modification

DDS Pros:
• (Somewhat) easier to find clothing for
• Karin is still sold by Volks and can be bought direct
• Karin also comes on the newest f3 body, so replacement parts are readily available
• Has multiple bust sizes and styles available

DDS Cons:
• Clothing can be a tiny bit oversized on DDS depending on the piece

 

TLDR; I think for a first-time owner, the DDS Karin is probably the better choice.  It's easier to replace parts for, has more customization options (without needing to do modifications), and she comes on the newest f3 body.  That's not to say the DDdy body is a bad choice, as I love my DDdy girl!  The DDdy body is just very niche, in a way, and doesn't offer any stock options to easily adjust to your preference.  You can size-up Karin's bust size, but unless you're confident enough to modify a bust piece on your own, you can't downsize DDdy to a smaller one.

I hemmed and hawed over which doll to get for the longest time before I leapt.  Now, three dolls later, all of my dolls are DDS and I couldn't be happier with my choices.  Like OccultBeast said, clothing is more likely to be a little oversized compared to a regular DD, but I've found that clothes meant for SmartDolls fit DDS like a charm, and clothes that are too big can easily be pinned back to hide in photos.  

32 minutes ago, OccultBeast said:

TLDR; I think for a first-time owner, the DDS Karin is probably the better choice.

Thanks for all the detailed info. This makes me feel more at ease on buying her from volksJP. I tried looking at volksUS but the prices were pretty crazy for only a couple items. I was able to find tons of stuff including an outfit, hands, etc for around the price of the US doll and 2 pairs of eyes. 

 

35 minutes ago, OccultBeast said:

You can size-up Karin's bust size, but unless you're confident enough to modify a bust piece on your own, you can't downsize DDdy to a smaller one.

This is also good to know as I am trying to make a character that looks more mature. So thanks for this as well.

 

15 minutes ago, DesertPhantom51 said:

I've found that clothes meant for SmartDolls fit DDS like a charm, and clothes that are too big can easily be pinned back to hide in photos.  

Thank you for the info about the clothes. I have been trying to find stuff made just for the DDS only even on the volks pages. And the DDdy had fewer options  I can try to find smart doll clothes then and hope they fit better for the DDS then.

 

Thanks again to you both!

55 minutes ago, OccultBeast said:

• Miko is no longer sold directly from Volks, so you have to buy secondhand

It seems she’s still available on Volks JP, albeit in low stock.

https://dollfie.ec.volks.co.jp/item/4518992395234.html

@RozensMaidens, you should choose the one whose face you prefer. Although the extra cost might be a deterrent, you can easily switch out the body by buying one in the same skin tone.

My personal opinion is that the DDS body is the most aesthetically appealing body they sell, and the f3 frame is less prone to cracking compared to older models, so I agree that Karin might be the better choice for a first-time owner.

But I also think Miko’s face is adorable, so I can understand if you end up going for her in the end!

Whelp I did it! I ordered DDS Karin, hopefully she arrives pretty quickly from japan. Was able to save so much just on the doll alone that I was able to buy her an outfit too and some eyes. Totally excited 😄

 

Thanks everyone for your input

13 hours ago, ragnamuffin said:

It seems she’s still available on Volks JP, albeit in low stock.

Oop you're so right, I didn't thoroughly check once I saw she was on the DDdy III body!

26 minutes ago, RozensMaidens said:

Whelp I did it! I ordered DDS Karin, hopefully she arrives pretty quickly from japan. Was able to save so much just on the doll alone that I was able to buy her an outfit too and some eyes. Totally excited 😄

Congrats!  I think Karin has such a cute face (plus her wig is the only one in that pretty orange colour!!).  I hope you'll share photos of her once she makes it home~!

4 minutes ago, OccultBeast said:

Oop you're so right, I didn't thoroughly check once I saw she was on the DDdy III body!

It was a surprise for me too! My wallet is very unhappy about this discovery… 😅

19 hours ago, OccultBeast said:

DDdy III body

Is this a good body or something?

Also, how long does it take for volks jp to actually ship out the dolls?

19 minutes ago, RozensMaidens said:

Is this a good body or something?

III is the older model body; f3 is the current body. I mentioned it in my list of pros and cons because Volks no longer makes replacement parts for the III body, like if you crack an elbow or shoulder joint- both of which were common breaks in that body. The f3 body is an improved model that doesn't crack as easily and is also much more customizable in the tightness or looseness of all joints via tiny screws on the frame skeleton. The III body didn't have these.

I think Volks JP can take 2 to 4 weeks to ship out orders, depending on how busy they are at the time. Sometimes it's faster, but I've seen most people say to expect a few week's wait for international orders to ship.

32 minutes ago, OccultBeast said:

expect a few week's wait for international orders to ship

Eeeeeeeeeeeee, I was expecting a couple days. Holy cow....

 

33 minutes ago, OccultBeast said:

III is the older model body; f3 is the current body.

OOooh kk, thanks for this information. Still learning.

46 minutes ago, OccultBeast said:

expect a few week's wait for international orders to ship

I know this is a different company, does parabox ship faster than volks jp? I hate waiting long periods of time XD

I have made two orders from International in the past year. Just checked my emails. One took twelve days to ship out from hitting submit to doll-in-the-mail. The other took only three days! I think it depends how busy they are since the longer one was in the thick of Dolpa after event orders. My orders contained an in-stock body or entire DD so it’s a comparable situation.

So hope for the best, it could be significantly less than a couple weeks (and once she is in the mail both DHL and EMS are pretty fast, likely they will use one of those since iirc they pick it), and also, even 2-4 weeks is much less painful than waiting on a preorder!

Edited July 6, 2022 by ebil

13 minutes ago, ebil said:

2-4 weeks is much less painful than waiting on a preorder!

Noted...never preorder a doll. I assume it's just as bad as waiting for figure preorders with many pushbacks on the release dates.

 

15 minutes ago, ebil said:

One took twelve days to ship out from hitting submit to doll-in-the-mail. The other took only three days!

Wow, that's crazy!

On 7/6/2022 at 7:09 AM, Aurea_Arleigh said:

I know this is a different company, does parabox ship faster than volks jp? I hate waiting long periods of time XD

It depends upon whether you are purchasing a painted face or not. I love Parabox. I find them to be exceedingly fast when shipping. My custom Greta took two weeks from purchase to arrival at my home. They explained that the face-up artists work from home, which causes delay.

When I have purchased items that did not need custom hand painting, Parabox generally ships within a business day, and I received my order within 3 business days (to the US).