Should dolls come with sanded seams?

I think it's perfectly rational and reasonable that we expect a doll to come to us sanded.

Considering the dangers of resin dust, and the amount of money we pay, it should be a regular part of the process. I can understand that the extra step is time consuming, but I don't think too many would complain much is a company bumps up all their prices a little (when I say that, I mean like 10-20 dollars) becuase they sand ALL of their dolls now, instead of scalping the few who can't or won't try to do it on their own.

Both of my dolls came straight from Bobobie, one of the least expensive companies around, and they sand all of their dolls without question or extra cost. If they can do it and still turn over a profit, then ANY company can.

 

Not everyone necessarily wants a sanded doll- on some resin types, sanding can cause a discoloration, and harsh sanding can also deform the parts slighty (and yes, I've seen cases of dolls straight from the company with company-done sanding that have had discoloration AND were misshapen from the process).

Personally I don't mind seam lines- the dolls already have visible ball joints, so the seam line isn't going to destroy an illusion or anything. If it came free (two of my dolls seem to have been partially sanded for free and it's a pleasant surprise) then sure, I wouldn't mind. But it's a very effort intensive process and they'd likely have to increase the price on the dolls to make up for the extra hours of work (and hire more employees to get them all done on time), so I'd rather not have to pay extra for an option I might not entirely want. Wigs and eyes that come with a doll can be sold on if you don't like them, which can recoup some of the costs the company likely adds on to cover them. But you can't resell seam sanding if you didn't want it (short of reselling the doll).

 

If companies began to offer completely sanded dolls and added a markup to make up for the cost of sanding, everyone would complain. Oh, how they would complain.

I don't mind seam lines. I don't notice them. I wouldn't want to pay the added costs of sanding when I honestly don't care.

 

A doll doesn't actually need to be sanded, which is why I think most of them leave them. Look at Barbies, all of mine have seamlines, that's how they've always been so it's just expected and overlooked most of the time.

Even if it cost more I don't think that's the problem as much as the production time being increased greatly by it. Alot of companies, even big name companies have a considerably small staff for the amount of orders they take, that's why some companies can take 8 months to make and send a doll. I couldn't imagine having to wait another 2 just for sanded seams. Volks charges $55 to have seams sanded on an MSD and it can take about a month extra to ship because of that, but if I did it myself I could get it done in 3-4 days max.

Would I like all my dolls to come sanded? Yes. Do I want to wait the extra time? No. Do I want to pay more for it? No. That pretty much explains why they don't do it. The two cons outweigh the pro for most doll owners.

 

Well...

It has never been common practice to sand seam lines. And despite what you may feel, not everyone wants their doll sanded. Like others have stated, with certain tan dolls sanding can severely damage your doll, you end up with a giant discoloured line all through your doll. It seems to me that typically companies WILL sand a seam that is too rough or sharp, but it's perfectly normal for that parting line to be there. Some companies do send their dolls sanded out already, I've noticed these are smaller companies that may not have as high of a cost for labor or materials. I have only sanded one doll, it took quite a while and a lot of elbow grease.

So I suppose.. no I don't expect my doll to come sanded, I don't care of my doll has seam lines. Many people don't care if their dolls have seam lines...

~Gio

 

I don't really care either way. Super if it does come with sanding, fine if it doesn't. But I really don't want to pay for it, whether in an option or as an added cost.

Old school dolls, they didn't sand em. I think now-a-days (OMG I sound so old saying that, and I'm only 22) we have gotten away from the original spirit of the hobby: customization.

Not saying that you should like to customize, or should even try it (if you're uncoordinated like me) but to me, seam lines are how they've always came. I don't mind it.

And yes sanding does have its risks, but if you buy a mask to protect yourself, you'll be fine. It's really not a big deal to do yourself.

I'm loopy and probably make no sense, oops oh well.

 

I have...er, last time I counted, 14 dolls, from nearly as many different companies, in a pretty broad range of price and perceived as well as intrinsic quality. None of them have visible seams, that I've noticed (and I imagine I would, as many of them I have full-body painted as tigers!). So either I've been very lucky, or perhaps it is more common than you might think?

I hate sanding. hatehatehate sanding: on the 'top ten' of things I dislike doing, sanding is maybe not number one, but it's right up there. The material doesn't even matter: wood, stone, resin...even metal (metal isn't quite as bad, somehow - the emery sticks don't bug me as much ) The tactile sensation of it gives me the willies, and it always bothers me that I am never quite satisfied I sanded long enough. If I need to sand, I will, to the very best of my ability and not stopping until it's perfect, but it's a process I'd rather avoid if I could.

So, I guess I'd rather my doll didn't have seams, if given a choice. I just don't see sanding in any way as a satisfying aspect of customizing - just an irritating time-sink. I'm happy to make my own clothes, sew my own wigs, and paint my own dolls, even try to make eyes and shoes, but if I could continue to fob off seam-sanding on someone else? I'd do it in a heartbeat.

 

We've definitely had this discussion on the forum before, though I don't recall in what context -- as I recall there were three groups: People who think all dolls should have their seams sanded, period, people who don't care if their dolls have seams or like sanding the seams themselves and don't want to pay for it, and people who don't give a flip one way or the other.

Personally I don't care if my dolls have seams unless they're huge and awful, and I'm totally comfortable sanding the huge awful ones myself, so I don't want to pay an extra $15+ to have my doll sanded. Because if doll companies started sanding the seams on all dolls, that would be extra labor, and you're dreaming if you think that wouldn't be factored into the cost of the doll. I think allowing customers to pay for seam-sanding if they want it is the best possible solution; that way you only have to pay for it if it's a service you actually want.

 

To be honest, I wonder about Tan dolls or body blushed dolls not having sanding. To me, that's weird. Personally, you need those sanded before the body blushing/tanning occurs. You cannot do it after.
LE dolls, I think should automatically be sanded. Just because of the whole LE package thingy going on, it'd make it more special I think, and you're already paying retarded amounts without it being an option :P
Even though I can sand myself, I would happily pay 15 bucks to have someone else sand it for me. Can't say I've ever seen it that cheap, but if it was I would totally pay it. I do wish for some companies they would make it far easier to understand that the doll isn't sanded, and easier to get done (I'm looking at you, soom. Have it a drop down menu option!)

 

I, for one, do not want my dolls sanded. Ever. Sanding will lead to discolouration over time, and I am not going to pay extra for something that I do not want that is going to devalue them to me.

I pay a lot of money for perfect grade Gunpla and resin garage figure kits, and these come in plastic sprues and as a bag of parts with none of the extras removed. If I want them sanded, I do it myself because it is part of the customization process. Sanding is not a standard service, Volks - who come from a model and garage kit background - have never offered sanding for free for their dolls, and while many people do not like the fact, they are the creator of the ABJD as we know it and set the standard.

A lot of newer start up companies offer sanding for free no doubt as a way to entice people to buy from them.

 

Frankly, given the amount of time it takes between ordering a doll from a company and getting it shipped out, I'm just glad to have that doll arrive as soon as possible. Sanding might not feel like too much on one single doll, but if a company is sanding all the seam lines on each and every doll that it produces (and remember, even the biggest companies only really have a couple of employees in total) then that's a lot of extra time and effort. In fact, I remember a period some years ago when DOD sanded all its dolls before sending them out, and as I recall they had to stop doing it in the end since it was taking something like three, four months for dolls bought off the website to be shipped and people were complaining about that too.

 

I will not pay extra to have a doll sanded. If the little edges bother me when the doll arrives, I will do it myself. I tweak my dolls anyway by suedeing the joints and wiring them if necessary. Sometimes, I even restring them as soon as they arrive if the elastic is too flimsy for them to pose properly. Sanding them is just part of the customization I do on all my dolls.

 

I'm definitely in the second group... I don't mind having seams and I'd rather do the work myself if the seams are too bad. Companies charge $50 or more, and that's a fee I'd rather not pay if I can just do the work and save myself that money.

Most seam lines don't bother me, though one of my dolls arrived with some crazy seams that snagged on clothing and scratched my finger. Those I sanded because they had to be done. I have a variety of dolls (particularly bodies) from a myriad of companies, and it's mixed bag whether they have been sanded.

 

I can understand that sanding some resins, like the grays and lilacs and other colors can't be done without ruining the piece, but that aside with all that the doll companies charge for sanding, if the customer wants it and the resin will support it really should not be an additional charge. Like Ellanie

These companies are making decent amount for monies for their product and charging $100+ for sanding does not make any sense. It's price gouging. We (the collectors) strive for as much realisim in our dolls as possible, eyes, hair. face-ups even the clothes we dress them in look like shrunk down versions of our own. People do not come with seams, why should our dolls? Again unless the resin won't support sanding, these companies should do the sanding. There is nothing for me that is a bigger turn off then to see a GREAT, GORGEOUS, stop you in your tracks, drop dead magnificent, HUNKY male doll and then see the seams on the torso, arms, neck, legs. My 1st thought is this company does not think very highly of their product to let it leave the shop like that.
I also have 2 BOBOBIE dolls and there is not a seam 1 on them, smooth clean resin all the way. If they can do that for thier customers, why can't the others? Just have the option of sand or send out as is. I guess with some of these companies having to sand would be cutting into their production time and taking away from their bottom line. I'm sure sanding 1 doll would probably equal removing from mold, adding eyes, assembling (stringing) and boxing of 2 maybe 3 dolls. So the more dolls you spend time on sanding, the less time you have to make MORE. But this is just my pet peeve and it has been debated before.
Anyway... THANK YOU DENNIS/BOBOBIE FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO!

- ShadowHawke -

I'll get off my soapbox now.

 

I don't want my doll's seams sanded. This really is a recent development in the hobby, Volks never sanded their dolls nor did the other early companies that followed on their heels.
Sanding will absolutely lead to different aging on the part of the resin that's been sanded so I always leave the seam lines if they aren't snagging clothing or anything.
Others have already pointed out that the dolls would be more expensive if sanding were standard so I'm not going to do anything but add emphasis to that.

 

I don't like seamlines on my dolls and part of the reason I haven't bought a tanned doll yet is because I know you usually can't sand them unless the color is all the way through (it discolors them). My Chinese made dolls came without seams but I wouldn't have cared if they did, I've sanded all my dolls that had them and while time consuming its not that difficult. I wouldn't want to have to wait 3 more weeks to get a doll from a company because they were removing seams when I can have my doll in my hands that much sooner and simply take care of it myself (the exception being Volks sunlight because they spray to cover any discoloration).

Removing seamlines is extra work that some companies will do and charge you for, and while a few will do it for free its no different than being charged for a faceup (which some companies also do for free as an incentive to buy from them). You can choose to get a blank doll so you or someone else can do the faceup, you can choose to get a doll with unsanded seams to be removed (or not) at your leisure. ABJD are meant to be worked on and customized to become what we want them to be. Its simply the nature of this hobby.

 

As for me - sometimes I order sanding,sometimes not.It depends not only on money - I look thouroghly on promo pix and make a decision - will it be hard to do it myself or not))And what result I want to have at last.As for tan resin - I've invented how to sand them I suppose(tsssssss))))You just need to use curving instrument for the seam line - not to sand the whole leg/body/or smth -then take a buff for nails and polish - threre won'y be any whitening))I can't be sure on every tan,I tried it on Dollmore Mellow Cole - but I used Gloss MrSuperclear together with Flat then (I wanted my chocolate girl to be smooth and a little bit shiny))

 

I don't care if they come sanded or not. It costs extra from some companies (if the service is offered at all), because it takes time to do. The money we pay for dolls is for the doll itself, which is usually very basic in nature so they can be customized by their owners. Sanding seams is actually a part of that process. Also, sending all dolls out with sanded seams is very likely to slow down the production process, which then causes a lot of upset among buyers who are waiting for their dolls. You just can't have everything.

I realize that bjds are expensive. However, they are not intended to come to you as a finished doll--they are more akin to kits meant to be finished by their owners. There is also no reason why companies have to add in extras for the price--the prices are the prices. If they were to sand seams for everyone, they could very well go up. I would rather pay less and have seams. This way, we get a choice.

ETA: Yes, there are a few companies whose dolls do come with sanded seams. However, just because one company can offer that service, doesn't mean another is set up to do so. Companies are different from each other and won't all offer the same services--you can't expect things to be the same across the board, especially when you're talking about optional services usually handled by the owners.

 

I don't consider sanding seamlines part of customization at all, it's not changing the doll to look like you want it to me, it's fixing a problem. I haven't bothered to sand the seams on mine, but it does irritate me that my Resinsoul and Dollzones have no seamlines at all and you can't even tell where the seams were, while my more expensive dolls have glaringly obvious seamlines, and the expensive one the original owner paid to have sanded by the company has sanding marks, you can tell where the seams were, AND they missed some seamlines entirely.

It's not a huge enough bother for me to devote time to fixing it, and having seen the quality of some company's sanding, I won't pay a lot to have it done so I live with it. I still find it mildly annoying, though. And I doubt it takes a professional nearly as long to sand a doll as it would take us. The tan and colored dolls should come sanded already IMO - the company makes the dolls and can finish the whole doll in such a way that the sanding doesn't show, but an owner will almost never be able to do that.