Inclusion on the forum is at the sole discretion of the moderators. The moderators use the criteria below to determine whether dolls are on topic for Den of Angels. Threads about new dolls may be locked while the doll is being evaluated. The decision to include a doll on the forum is not a product endorsement from the moderation staff; conversely, declaring a doll off-topic is not a negative judgment against the quality of a sculpt or reputation of a company.
Off-topic dolls (with the exception of bootlegs) are admissible in discussion or photography in conjunction with on-topic dolls. However, they may not be the focus of gallery or discussion threads and may not be bought, sold or traded in the Marketplace. Posts or threads intended to debate the inclusion of off-topic dolls will be removed.
All dolls posted on Den of Angels are evaluated with the following criteria and must meet
all of the following requirements.
Criteria
Construction- Made of resin
All dolls on Den of Angels must be cast in polyurethane resin.
- Strung with elastic
Dolls must be made of multiple hollow pieces strung together for tension using elastic or a similar material.
- Articulated using ball-and-socket joints, or a combination of ball-and-socket joints and hinge or sliding joints.
Dolls that are primarily articulated using pins or hinges, such as those found in a Barbie or action figure, may be considered off-topic.
- Highly poseable due to having many points of articulation
At a minimum, human dolls must be jointed in the following places: neck/head, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle.
- Have a 2+ part head with changeable eyes
It must be possible to open the head to insert eyes.
Exception: Sleeping/closed eyed sculpts
- Nude, without sculpted clothes or sculpted hair.
Exception: Certain sculpts may have optional headcaps with sculpted hair (i.e. Elfdoll Mir) or optional clothed parts (i.e. Unoa high heels).
- Must be partly or fully humanoid.
Cannot be 100% animal; must have some type of human quality, such as being bipedal or having human jointing.
Aesthetic and Intent- Intended by manufacturer for customization
Dolls must be customizable. Even if a doll comes with a faceup, it must be possible to remove it without damaging the doll itself. Wigs cannot be glued on as they come from the manufacturer; dolls cannot be sewn into clothing as they come from the manufacturer.
- Consistent with established or emerging Asian BJD styles.
- Emphasis on a fully rendered body sculpt.
The body must be more than just a vehicle to display clothing. Attention to anatomical detail is required, such as distinct fingers and toes, sculpted finger and toenails and muscular definition.
- High emphasis on quality and technical artistry.
Notes- Dolls/figures that have been customized to fit the criteria are still NOT admissible (i.e. A Volks Customize Kit that has been resculpted to have ball-joints and stringing, or Sybarites that have had their eyes cut open to accept glass eyes.)
- Being made by a company that makes BJDs doesn't automatically qualify a new doll as a BJD. Dolls with joints that are round in appearance are not necessarily ball-jointed dolls (i.e. Volks 27cm dolls' round ankle and wrist joints, or some articulated action figures.)
- Hybrid dolls made with off-topic bodies or heads are off-topic.
- Bootlegged or otherwise copied sculpts are not permitted on Den of Angels, even if they would otherwise be considered on topic.
Artist and Custom-manufactured Sculpts
If you have made a BJD or commissioned one in the Custom Manufacturing subforum, you will need to submit it for inclusion on Den of Angels. This includes heads, bodies or full dolls that you have designed or made yourself, or commissioned based on drawings, photographs or character descriptions.
If you would like to offer it for sale (either by yourself or through a company that has picked up the sculpt), or have it included on the forums individually as an on-topic doll, please post in
Ask the Moderators with the following information:
- Color photos showing the head from several angles as well as full body shots, if applicable. Doll artists submitting their own work must show completed dolls cast in resin. Organizers of custom orders must submit the final manufacturer's photographs of the finished sculpt before casting.
- For legal reasons, we would like to know that your doll is completely yours, and not a modified version of an existing product.
- Information on the distribution of the sculpt.
- The approximate number of sculpts that will be produced and the material(s) in which they will be cast.
- For custom manufactured dolls, links to the ordering and discussion threads.
If your doll is off-topic, you may not sell the doll on DoA or picture it in the galleries except in photos with an on-topic doll. If your doll is off-topic, it is not up for debate or drama elsewhere on the forum.
Please note that this must be done for each sculpt, even if you have had other sculpts approved in the past or it is in a line that is otherwise approved. Threads for dolls that are not approved for inclusion on the forum will be removed without notice.
Off-topic and banned dolls
Please visit the
wiki for information about off-topic and banned dolls.
Grandfathered sculpts
The following sculpts were allowed on the forum prior to the current criteria set and have been grandfathered as a courtesy to allow their owners to continue to share them here. Please note, these
specific sculpts and lines are allowed; it is not a blanket acceptance of all sculpts or lines similar to them.
- Alchemic Labo Unoa 2nd
- Baby Supia
- DBDOLL Ninan
- Dollfie Dream, Dollfie Dream Dynamite, Dollfie Dream Sister and Mini Dollfie Dream
- Kaye Wiggs Annabella, Mallory, Matilda, Maya, Nettle, Pepper, Pip, Poppy and Sage
- Obitsu 60, Obitsu 50 and Obitsu 40
- Volks Reitenshi
- Custom manufactured dolls ordered before June 2011 (DiM Minimee, Nobility)
Den of Angels Rules