Resin to vinyl preference?

*this is not a sales post*

we need a general vinyl discussion page  (unless I missed it.) as this isn’t entirely DD’s. 
 

I’ve been thinking heavily on doing a large downsizing of my collection. My collection is primarily resin. But I am always liking the vinyl dolls for various reasons. I think it’s because I’ve liked anime longer than I’ve liked bjd’s and bjd’s are like my dream figmas or whatever. 
 

I know there are people who have sold off all of their resin and transitioned to vinyl, and while I won’t be selling all of my resin, I have a feeling that my vinyl will likely stick and possibly grow (as their are a couple I really like at the moment.) 

im honestly not sure exactly what my question is. Just thinking out loud to help with my who to put on the chopping block. Like how do you feel being only vinyl or mainly a vinyl collector if you transitioned from resin? Do you find their easier to display, keep, etc vs resin? 
 

 

I hear this happens a lot - resin fans discover vinyl and can’t look back - but I’m the opposite, I started as a vinyl fan but now I mostly prefer resin. I still enjoy looking at other peoples photos of DDs and keeping up with DD news (I mean why else would I be here) but whenever I want to take a photo, unless it’s for a specific reason (ie Miku Day) it tends to be a resin doll I use. That or the nendoroid dolls.

This isn’t on purpose though and I wish I could still be as inspired by my DDs as I used to, so I hope I’ll be able to again eventually.

All that said it’s not like I want my collection to be one or the other and right now the numbers are pretty even (after selling 2 of my DDs despite the fact that previously I thought I’d never sell anyone) and I’m glad I don’t have to worry as much about keeping my DDs out of sunlight. I think both types of dolls have strengths and weaknesses that cancel the other out in the end. It’s just that the main strength of resin for me (aesthetics and sense of presence) currently matters more to me than the main strength of vinyl (cuteness and ease of posing/lightness).

But just because I’m not really doing much with my vinyl dolls lately doesn’t mean I no longer like them. I can’t say the same for your resins, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having dolls whose only job is to look nice on a shelf. Unless you really need the funds or space, I don’t think you need to urgently sell off a collection if you’re in two minds about it. When I sold the two I did, they were ones I packed up for a bit first to see if I missed them at all when I couldn’t see them - turns out I didn’t. But another one, I’m still unsure even after not seeing her for a while, so haven’t pulled the sales trigger yet.

Edited March 24, 2024 by Monty

33 minutes ago, Monty said:

I hear this happens a lot - resin fans discover vinyl and can’t look back - but I’m the opposite, I started as a vinyl fan but now I mostly prefer resin. I still enjoy looking at other peoples photos of DDs and keeping up with DD news (I mean why else would I be here) but whenever I want to take a photo, unless it’s for a specific reason (ie Miku Day) it tends to be a resin doll I use. That or the nendoroid dolls.

This isn’t on purpose though and I wish I could still be as inspired by my DDs as I used to, so I hope I’ll be able to again eventually.

All that said it’s not like I want my collection to be one or the other and right now the numbers are pretty even (after selling 2 of my DDs despite the fact that previously I thought I’d never sell anyone) and I’m glad I don’t have to worry as much about keeping my DDs out of sunlight. I think both types of dolls have strengths and weaknesses that cancel the other out in the end. It’s just that the main strength of resin for me (aesthetics and sense of presence) currently matters more to me than the main strength of vinyl (cuteness and ease of posing/lightness).

But just because I’m not really doing much with my vinyl dolls lately doesn’t mean I no longer like them. I can’t say the same for your resins, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having dolls whose only job is to look nice on a shelf. Unless you really need the funds or space, I don’t think you need to urgently sell off a collection if you’re in two minds about it. When I sold the two I did, they were ones I packed up for a bit first to see if I missed them at all when I couldn’t see them - turns out I didn’t. But another one, I’m still unsure even after not seeing her for a while, so haven’t pulled the sales trigger yet.

Yeah I have a very large collection and I don’t get to enjoy them as much as I’d like and have been thinking that maybe I just like buying dolls for the sake of buying sometimes. You make great points though. 

For me I have to say that I don't have a clear preference, as all my dolls, both vinyl and resin are strictly anime look there is no real difference in the optical department.

I like both of them for their individual qualities. My favourite point about resin is definitely that I don't have to worry about any stains. The (often) easier posing is a strong point for the vinyl ones, also that I don't have to worry about them mellowing.

Well, I am a "bad" resin owner in that regard, my boys are all out in a room that does get sunlight (even though they are not in spots where they are always super exposed to it directly), but I ... own these dolls to look at them and handle them, not to have them stored away most of the time, so well.

Almost all my tribe are vinyl but we have one resin (centre of our group photo). The vinyl dolls are kind of curious about her, and wonder what it's like to have real lashes.

Mytyl just sits on her shelf in the dark hallway, surrounded by Pureneemos.

I prefer the vinyls as they're tough and hard wearing. Also I'm mostly in it for the anime aspect.

I do like that 1:3 and 1:4 scales (but especially the 1:3) are so lifelike they feel like actual little people.

I'm not sure how large my collection will get. With DD in particular many look like kind of similar so there may be some kind of limit to how many will arrive. Who knows.

10 hours ago, MoiBakaDesu said:

For me I have to say that I don't have a clear preference, as all my dolls, both vinyl and resin are strictly anime look there is no real difference in the optical department.

I like both of them for their individual qualities. My favourite point about resin is definitely that I don't have to worry about any stains. The (often) easier posing is a strong point for the vinyl ones, also that I don't have to worry about them mellowing.

Well, I am a "bad" resin owner in that regard, my boys are all out in a room that does get sunlight (even though they are not in spots where they are always super exposed to it directly), but I ... own these dolls to look at them and handle them, not to have them stored away most of the time, so well.

I’m a bad resin owner too. Almost all my dolls are on display. They are meant to be played with and enjoyed.  you make great points 

1 hour ago, Xiongmao said:

Almost all my tribe are vinyl but we have one resin (centre of our group photo). The vinyl dolls are kind of curious about her, and wonder what it's like to have real lashes.

Mytyl just sits on her shelf in the dark hallway, surrounded by Pureneemos.

I prefer the vinyls as they're tough and hard wearing. Also I'm mostly in it for the anime aspect.

I do like that 1:3 and 1:4 scales (but especially the 1:3) are so lifelike they feel like actual little people.

I'm not sure how large my collection will get. With DD in particular many look like kind of similar so there may be some kind of limit to how many will arrive. Who knows.

Yeah I’m for sure enjoying the vinyl love. There’s lots of pros. I agree that some are similar looking so I try not to repeat looks too much. 

This may not be too much help, but I definitely fall heavily on the resin side for various reasons!

For me the major distinguishing factor is that resin dolls are easier to produce with a low budget and fewer resources, so as a result more small artists are able to produce dolls of all different styles. As much as I love vinyl dolls, stylistically they're very limited compared to resin. I'm not even talking about anime vs. realistic styles, even within resin anime style dolls there's a lot of stylistic variation.

I also admittedly just feel like vinyl dolls are super delicate and I don't trust their skeletons to last as long 😓 I've had my resin dolls fall 4+ feet onto hard ground with no damage, but I've accidentally snapped an ABS wrist joint trying to put hands on. Thankfully vinyl dolls' skeleton parts are usually pretty easy to replace, but they have to stop producing replacement parts someday you know?

I was introduced to dolls through vinyl anime dolls, so they’re all I’ve ever had. What has surprised me though is seeing myself move away from the anime style I thought I liked. I got the Nier dollfies not because i wanted a realistic styled doll, but because I like the characters and that’s what the dolls look like. They ended up being much prettier to me than any of the anime dolls I had before though. I got Len Kagamine a while after and while I think he’s beautiful for what he is, I don’t think I’ll be pursuing anime style dolls much further. 

You would think this would push me into resin, but I am wholly uninterested in it. Vinyl is what I am used to and has qualities I like. I started in action figures, so I want something similar to that. Vinyl dolls feel to me like an upgrade of action figures while resin dolls are an entirely different thing. I truly love anime too, so even if my dolls aren’t as anime styled, I feel there’s a connection to anime culture?

Theres probably a rebellious aspect to it too. Neither doll type is better than the other, but DDs were sort of sequestered into their own area in the beginning, and I’ve had resin doll owners say I should get a resin doll too. They didn’t mean to be mean or to discredit my dolls, but it sort of feels that way. Like “oh you like dolls! You should get a real doll next!” But why would I get one? I’m perfectly happy with what I have now. Maybe other people don’t have that baggage though and reads as a better suggestion to them ahaha 

13 hours ago, Kittywolf said:

I’m a bad resin owner too. Almost all my dolls are on display. They are meant to be played with and enjoyed.  you make great points 

Haha, exactly, personally I don't spend hundreds of dollars on something that I rarely get to have a look at or handle, so my resin boys are around me as much as my vinyl ones. And with only having my living/bedroom to display them, where I also have plants I can't have that shielded from sunlight (even without the plants, mentally I wouldn't do well without daylight either). All my reson dolls are also pretty new and made out of resin that has UV resistance, so I trust the fact that they will mellow not as fast and in a way that is still pleasant to look at.

As much as I like my MDD (and Volks' vinyls in general) I do have to admit that Volks tends to "play it safe" with their vinyl sculpts (the FF and Nier dolls being the main exception due to being more semi-real). That being said, I do have vinyl dolls from other companies like Tinyfox and Imomodoll, though I can argue the same "play it safe" thing applies to them too. Outside of the four vinyl dolls I have, the rest of my crew is resin (though I do intend for a vinyl/resin hybrid at some point hehe). I do admit that a factor could be the diversity in design with resin dolls could be a drawing point for me, but I have toyed with getting more MDDs at some point....

I'm quite sure that the next doll I get will be resin, not vinyl. I don't own a resin doll so I can't comment on material differences, beyond the fact that resin is heavier and I don't think I could comfortably handle anything larger than MSD.

Resin doll face ups tend to have much more detail than anime ones. Real lashes, eye-shadow, careful blushing, lips painted with small lines to mimic skin... It makes the doll feel so much more like a living, breathing being. Semi-real/realistic resin dolls feel much more artistic and refined than anime ones. Anime as an art style is great, and I love the anime dolls I own, but it usually can't support this level of detail.

Snow Miku was my first vinyl (not counting the Gene Marshall collection of fashion dolls). Since then, except for one exception (Volks Josephine March), all of my purchases have been vinyl (and so far all Volks Dollfie Dreams of various sizes, but I do have a TinyFox 1/6 on order). I still love the resins I have, especially the boys (which is what most of my resins are) and Josephine. But I really like the "ease of play/use" of vinyl, such as being able to remove the hands/heads to dress, changing out hands, swapping bodies, etc. And not having to tighten or redo elastics.  After having vinyl fashion dolls for years before getting into BJDs, I don't worry too much about staining, as long as it's not on the face and lower arms and hands. 

Also, as I'm older, I found overall easier to handle the vinyl dolls. They are lighter, don't "snap back," stand and pose more easily, and as noted above, easier to dress. The one downside is more basic and/or anime faceups. I generally prefer a more realistic look, but I don't really mind the anime looks of the DDs, especially the newer ones.

My ideal are the Icons; They have more naturalistic faceups and eyes, but the ease of vinyl. I have two, one in a fantasy color, and the other in the Tawny skin tone (Aisha). I'd like to get one more, in the Petal skin tone. And I'd really love it if they released a boy Icon. 

There's now really only two resin dolls that I would really love to get. One is a SD17 tan Shiro Tachibana. He's only available as a one-off, so very rare. The other resin I'd be tempted by is if Volks makes a Snow White doll as part of the Disney series. 

 

My first doll was vinyl, and my second was resin -- I just got it because I wanted to know the difference. I think they both have their pros and cons -- I actually like the feel of resin way better, as well as painting on it, but the internal skeleton of vinyl feels more user-friendly than strung tension of resin. I think I'm actually leaning slightly towards resin, but the only vinyl experience I've had is with Imomodolls, so I might feel differently about a more high-quality doll like a DD (if and when I finally get one...)

I've had both vinyl and resin . . . and keep going back to porcelain / bisque and clay dolls instead! 

My first BJD was resin, and I've had many types of resin dolls. Small / short foray into vinyl. 

But in between, I've been collecting other types of dolls. Resin dolls scare me a bit, due to the fragility of the make-up / yellowing over time. It is nice that there are many clothing options for dolls like SD. 

For some reason, I never did much with my vinyl dolls. They are easier to handle, lightweight, but I always worried about staining and make-up rubs as well. Clothing was hard to find for some dolls, especially with the different bust sizes. 

I keep going back to my bisque and clay dolls since I don't have to worry as much when I handle them. Some of them are very large, yet I am more comfortable knowing that they won't stain, get make-up flaws or show shine marks as easily, etc. I think it all comes down to personal preference.  

26 minutes ago, seraphicdolls said:

I've had both vinyl and resin . . . and keep going back to porcelain / bisque and clay dolls instead! 

I keep going back to my bisque and clay dolls since I don't have to worry as much when I handle them. Some of them are very large, yet I am more comfortable knowing that they won't stain, get make-up flaws or show shine marks as easily, etc. I think it all comes down to personal preference.  

Bisque never even crossed my mind during my time on this forum. Are they antiques or are there still companies like Volks which produce them for hobbyists? What style are their faces? Are they poseable? Sorry for derailing this thread, but I'm so curious about your dolls.

I've steadily maintained about a 50-50 balance between resin and vinyl in my doll collection. As someone else said upthread, they both have their benefits and drawbacks. Resin dolls feel sturdier to me and tend to develop more fleshed-out characters, but they're also fairly heavy and some of their upkeep is a pain (shakes fist at restringing). Vinyl dolls are lighter, which makes them easier to take to meets and events, I like the cute anime aesthetic, and I find the internal skeleton system to be a bit more user-friendly, but they tend to be fairly surface-level in terms of my connection to them (none of my vinyl girls even have last names!) and they feel a lot more fragile.

For some reason, I feel this need to be engaged with my resins in a way that I don't with my vinyls. My vinyl girls can just be cute girls who wear cute clothes and stand around looking cute. My resin dolls have to act as a creative outlet for me or they get put on the chopping block. They serve different needs for me.

we're not going to unpack my love affair with Blythe dolls here either

I started the bjd / doll collection life with resin bjds and Vinyl dolls have always made me nervous. Resin bjds while heavier are more sturdy and a lot less prone to staining. That being said I am FINALLY acquiring my first mdd and plan on saving up for a tan dream choice sometime this year. Both have their pros and cons and im excited if not a little nervous to compare them!  

Edited March 27, 2024 by HimboPrinceLuka

My first large doll was a dollfie dream, but I currently have more resin than vinyl dolls.

I think there are certain time periods when I prefer the looks of one type over the other, as recently I've been more interested in the vinyl anime types again than the more realistic resin dolls.

I like the sturdier feel of resin, but the elastic stringing sometimes gives me concerns since I'm not confident restringing dolls yet. The frame for vinyl dolls seems to hold poses better compared to large resin dolls especially.

I always seem to question which kind of doll is more "worth" it for the price, but I think both have many good qualities and it really just comes down to what I'm interested in at the time when deciding what type of doll to buy next.

everyone has such interesting thoughts on this topic. I’ve really enjoyed reading about all of them. All of which are completely valid responses! 

I was in the same situation you're in! I had quite a few resins when I got my first vinyl, and I spent a while trying to decide which I liked better. Vinyl won out in the end for its posability, and because I can always slap a resin head on there if I really wanted a certain sculpt, so I ended up selling all my resins except for the first doll I ever bought and my giant resin man, who i couldn't bear to get rid of bc he was too cool.

But recently, I've been getting back into the strung side of things! My favorite doll at the moment is my Whale Tower dragon, and she's nothing like my vinyls. I've bought a couple of the strung 1/12 blind box dolls too, and they're lots of fun.

All this rambling to say...I think mixed collections are not only just fine, they're more fun! Keep what makes you truly happy, figure out what doesn't and why and do what you gotta to make yourself happy with it! Whether that means selling just the body, selling the full doll, keeping everything, chucking the whole concept of the doll and remaking it in a better way... whatever works! As long as you end up with dolls you like sharing space with, it's all good. And exploring multiple sides of the hobby means you'll learn more about yourself and the hobby while you're at it!

On 3/26/2024 at 4:26 PM, meteorite said:

Bisque never even crossed my mind during my time on this forum. Are they antiques or are there still companies like Volks which produce them for hobbyists? What style are their faces? Are they poseable? Sorry for derailing this thread, but I'm so curious about your dolls.

I don't collect antiques personally. ☺️ But they are too considered bisque (usually bisque head on a composition body but there are all bisque antique dolls too).

Volks has a line of exclusive "bisque" (PS Bisque) dolls - but they aren't actually all or any bisque. Maybe some components? But still, thinking mostly resin since their color still yellows like resin dolls. I don't own them either.

Bisque / porcelain / clay dolls aren't typically produced by a company - usually singular artists. Since they are very, very time intensive to make. Bisque dolls are made using molds, kind of like resin (but they aren't produced blank, without make-up, like resin dolls are), fired in a kiln at high temperatures and assembled and painted by hand. Their make-up cannot be changed like a resin doll. Clay dolls are usually sculpted exclusively by hand, so each one varies a lot. The painting may be oil or gofun or acrylic, etc. 

There are artists all around the world who create these types of dolls. But I like Japanese art dolls best of all! 😊 But I do have dolls from Chinese, Canadian, Brazilian, and Russian artists.

Usually they are still considered BJD (though I own sculpture too that aren't jointed) - strung with either elastic or in rarer cases, with steel springs. Their faces are all totally different, depending on the artist's preference. Some are very cute and sweet, some are darker, some realistic, some gothic, etc. I don't want to spam the thread but I'll drop a few photo examples! The sizes range a lot too. From very tiny, miniatures to dolls of 100cm or greater. 

They are beautiful. I'll have to read up on them now. Thanks for sharing, @seraphicdolls!