1. It has come to the attention of forum staff that Dollshe Craft has ceased communications with dealers and customers, has failed to provide promised refunds for the excessive waits, and now has wait times surpassing 5 years in some cases. Forum staff are also concerned as there are claims being put forth that Dollshe plans to close down their doll making company. Due to the instability of the company, the lack of communication, the lack of promised refunds, and the wait times now surpassing 5 years, we strongly urge members to research the current state of this company very carefully and thoroughly before deciding to place an order. For more information please see the Dollshe waiting room. Do not assume this cannot happen to you or that your order will be different.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Dollshe Craft and all dolls created by Dollshe, including any dolls created under his new or future companies, including Club Coco BJD are now banned from Den of Angels. Dollshe and the sculptor may not advertise his products on this forum. Sales may not be discussed, no news threads may be posted regarding new releases. This ban does not impact any dolls by Dollshe ordered by November 8, 2023. Any dolls ordered after November 8, 2023, regardless of the date the sculpt was released, are banned from this forum as are any dolls released under his new or future companies including but not limited to Club Coco BJD. This ban does not apply to other company dolls cast by Dollshe as part of a casting agreement between him and the actual sculpt or company and those dolls may still be discussed on the forum. Please come to Ask the Moderators if you have any questions.
    Dismiss Notice

Personal security: microchip your doll?

May 3, 2010

    1. I saw this brought up in the copied dolls issue, and it has me thinking.

      I am getting married in June, and I would like at least one of my dolls there. They are very, very important to me, and I would like them to share in my and my fiancee's special day. It might be a little difficult at the ceremony, but I'm thinking that I'd like to have my Abigail sitting at the gift table and greeting people =D

      However, weddings can get crazy, and even if they don't, you don't always know everyone there especially when you're having a largish wedding (250 people).

      I've given one of my friends the job of looking over her and holding on to her once the dinner starts (to avoid drunk people being grabby at her). But still, there are children who might want to pick her up, stupid people being stupid, etc. (Maybe I could just have her at the head table, then? That sounds better...)

      Nonetheless, there is always the possibility she could get stolen, even if my or my friend's eyes are only away for a second.

      Which leads me to thinking, wouldn't be a great idea if we were able to microchip our dolls with GPS readiness? There could be an iPhone app or computer software that would enable her/him to be tracked so that a doll could be retrieved if stolen. Additionally, the doll's information and company information could be stored on it, i.e, when it was made, his/her specific physical details, the number of owners before you if applicable, etc.

      This software would be password locked, of course, so not just anyone would be able to access this information.

      What do you think? Would you microchip your doll for safety?

      Do you think this is something that's possible to do?
      I imagine that a third party would market the chips and software as opposed to any of the companies.

      Where would the chip be physically placed in the doll and how would it be secured?



      Thanks for listening to my babbling ;)
      ________
      EDIT

      Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.

      I wasn't thinking about chipping her for the wedding in particular, because I didn't expect to actually be able to do it. The idea just sort of had my mind running, that's all.

      If I'm able to find an affordable glass/durable plastic case in the next month, I'll definitely buy one. I like that idea best. Luckily, I do have a very reliable friend with many BJDs of her own who will be able to watch over her for me when I'm not able to. Because of this, I'm sure having my Abigail there won't make me a nervous wreck all day...at least for that specific reason, haha. I'm sure I'll have a bunch of other reasons to be a nervous wreck though.

      At any rate, I think chipping a doll would be amusing and potentially useful. However, the energy source is something I neglected to think of if you did want GPS capabilities as opposed to just information that can be scanned. (Now I have this hilarious picture in my head of a button on the side of her that when pushed would activate some kind of antenna, like Larien said. *giggles*)
       
    2. It's an interesting idea, though I doubt I would do it. I suppose there is always the offhand chance that something could happen, but really I just make sure to be very very careful when out in public. If I felt that my doll might be unsafe somewhere, I would rather just not bring the doll. And while a microchip might lead you to the doll eventually, it won't prevent damage from an accident or someone not knowing how to handle a bjd.

      I would imagine that it would be well within the realm of possibility, but I'm not sure how such a thing would be attached, as technology is not really my strong point, lol.
       
    3. I don't see this working honestly. When you chip an animal, and it runs away, someone can find it and people will always check for a chip. This is not so obvious with a doll. It would never occur to me to check for a chip.
      If your doll is stolen, I don't see the use. GPS, what are you going to do with that, steal the doll back once you located it? The chance of this actually working well is very slim.
      Instead, you could lock her to the table or something, or not bring her at all instead of going through so much (expensive) trouble for an idea that doesn't seem that plausible.
       
    4. If there's a good chance my doll would be stolen/broken I'd rather leave it at home. Besides, you'll spend the entire time wondering if your doll is alright. I doubt you'll enjoy yourself on your big day.
       
    5. I don't think I would do this...Several of my dolls have/will have permanent modifications, and all of them are LEs, so while it would take some searching they could be found. And I don't think the police would take a stolen doll that's been microchipped very seriously. >>;

      If you want to have your doll at your wedding, the best bet may be to get a glass or plastic display case and keep her in that. It'll make it obvious that she's there to be looked at, not touched, and if the case can be secured to the table or locked, even better.
       
    6. I dont think I would do it, maybe if I lived together with lots of people or traveled alot. But my doll dont really move that much, so I guess it would be a waste. So, I dont really think there would be a market for it. Besides, it probably creates a lot of CO2 and uses a lot of resources that could be used better.

      Apart from that, I might just buy it for the iphone app, I could easily picture myself sitting in some train with Chidori in my lap going all "Mwhaha, Chidoris moving 8D"
       
    7. With dolls, I would say embedding some kind of chip in the resin wouldn't really be practical if even possible. Even the tiniest GPS transmitters are over 2.5 inches long--the microchips people put in their pets are not GPS, and neither are most "child tracker" bracelets.

      However, if you wanted to do this and were willing to put the cash in, you could buy one of the really tiny GPS trackers and affix it, even temporarily, inside the doll. The head would probably be the best bet for transmission, though it might still lose some signal power.

      I would say it's probably the best bet to leave her at the head table, but if you want her out, it would probably be worth using a strong but thin cable (like a laptop lock) under her clothing securing her to the table. She still could get damaged, but at least someone won't carry her off (if she has magnetic hands, they could though...) And a small, polite, "don't touch me! I'm fragile" card would probably be in order as well.
       
    8. I agree with this.

      As for your doll being at your wedding, have you considered setting her up like a display piece in a glass case? That would prevent grabby hands, accidental spills, and possible theft. You could just have the case at the same table as your guest book or something and not have to worry so much about her.
       
    9. I don't know, I'd probably leave my dolls at home, at a safe place. It would be fun though to have my couple of SD's stand on top of the wedding cake dressed in wedding costumes :).
      A glass case should be a good option, or have someone guarding her.

      Or if you have invited friends who also own BJD's, ask them to bring theirs along so they can take turns dolly-sitting. That's how I might do it, have several friends who share this hobby.
       
    10. I agree with the glass case suggestion. Prettify it with flowers, have her wear a pretty dress and if you could give her a sculpture-type pose, I think it'd be a nice touch. :D
       
    11. I don't think I would take my doll to my wedding, too many people, too much things to divide your attention to ...
      I would need to do the reception in a store... and put one of those tags that make the alarm go off around my doll xD

      Tagging a doll is a rather strange things to do, as said before, people don't have the reflex to look for a chip. For any public or larger private event I would leave the dolls at home or make them never leave my side!

      Good luck on finding a way to have your doll at your wedding and congratulations! ^^
       
    12. I would probably have her in a glass lockable display case if you really want her to be there. People can be morons when it comes to BJD's. My roommate, who knows how expensive they are.... who i THOUGHT understood..... decided to handle one of my floating heads and get cheeto cheese dust all over it, now i cant clean it without getting her face-up redone.... and i've SPENT time telling her about the dolls.... so if she pretty much knows better... and did it.... 250 people arent going to understand. ESPECIALLY children.

      Glass display case or dont bring her, in my opinion... it will just break your heart if she gets hurt. AND resin is *EXTREMELY* toxic... so if one of her fingers broke off, and a child ate it (as children do sometimes) then you'd be dealing with a terrible situation all the way around.
      You can find some small cool glass display cases in most antique stores.... btw... I found one that will hold a single 60cm bjd and it is just fantastic... AND it locks.
       
    13. Perhaps this is a stupid question, but... aren't most basic microchips not terribly friendly with magnets? Particularly the rather powerful kind usually used in our dolls? I could be wrong here, but it could be a wasted investment for this reason.
       
    14. Would you microchip your doll for safety?
      No. I would get insurance in case it's stolen.

      Do you think this is something that's possible to do?

      Anything is possible.

      Where would the chip be physically placed in the doll and how would it be secured?
      I'm not an engineer.
       
    15. wow, um I don't think I'd take something valuable and leave it out in the open (even at my own wedding) at an event where many of the guests 1) won't recognize the item as *special* 2)MIGHT recognize item as EXPENSIVE 3) drinking alcohol.

      If I'd remarry, I think I wouldn't serve alcohol at all, but that's just me being quirky, and maybe not knowing all the guests very well.
      (how well would I know a fiancees 2nd cousin? )
       
    16. Not a stupid question at all! You're right - microchips and magnets aren't buddies, but most dolls are large enough that you could distance the chip from the magnet (anything over a puki, I should think). The best place to put a chip would be inside the body of the doll, not the head, because most headcaps have magnets. If your doll has magnets for the hands (MNF A-lines, ex), you'd want to keep them away from whichever part of the body your chip is in (hands away from the heart, ex) to avoid damanging or erasing the information on the chip. And if your doll has wings, or other magnet additions to the body, then perhaps the hip piece would be a safer bet.

      Personally, I don't think I'd chip my dolls, simply because it's something else you'd have to be careful about, and setting up a security network to track the thing seems like it would be an expensive (and tedious) process. I'd just as soon put them in a case within easy view, or hire/bribe someone to keep an eye on the case for the duration of the party.
       
    17. Or, take the magnets out of your doll's head. Older dolls use hooks & elastics, and get along magnet-free just fine. Newer dolls could be jerry-rigged to work without magnets, if you were really hellbent on putting that lowjack inside your doll.

      I would just get 1 trusted dedicated dolly-sitter to take responsibility for watching over your doll all day, a hired doll-wrangler. (Ideally, someone who doesn't drink. ^^) Personal alarms are only effective as deterrents while the crime's happening, & they have to be paired with vigilance and action otherwise they're useless. How many times do you see anybody actually rushing down the street to attend to a car-alarm, instead of everybody just glancing at it & wishing it would shut up? How many personal-alarms have been found beeping alone in a field somewhere after the abduction?
       
    18. In order to have a microchip you could actually track it would need a power source so it could actually broadcast. Things like the microchips put in pets don't broadcast -- they just respond if scanned. That doesn't require a power source (or it requires a very, very small one, I'm not super-familiar with it). Even if microchipping a doll was feasible, how would you get it stuck in there? A clever thief could just scrape out and abandon the chip and move along.

      Either way I think it's massive, massive overkill. I keep my dolls from being damaged or stolen by the simple expedient of not taking them anywhere I can't watch them, and that suits me fine. I don't take my laptop or camera anywhere it's going to be left unattended either.
       
    19. Honestly, I don't see the point... unless some 12 year old kid finds your doll alone and whimpering in a cardboard box under a bridge, and takes it to the vet, who scans for a microchip, and yay, reunited! xD

      Or if you put a GPS on it, not only do I then picture this big honkin' blinking thing with an antenna on the doll (you know, like on those wildlife documentaries) I also picture you walking into some creepy, dark abandoned warehouse where a bunch of thugs with tire irons are waiting to pummel you for trying to take back the doll.

      But in all seriousness, I wouldn't do it, I don't take my dolls out of my room. And if I did, I'd be careful. I insured my collection anyway, in case of accidental damage, so I'm not worried.
       
    20. Would you microchip your doll for safety?
      Absolutely never. I do not care at all for this kind of technology. Big Brother on steroids! D-: Big potential for abuse and tracking of private citizens.

      Do you think this is something that's possible to do? I imagine that a third party would market the chips and software as opposed to any of the companies. Oh there are any number of companies out there who'll be happy to take your money to do any crazy thing people think they want and only stop to consider the consequences or disadvantages of when it's way too late, sure! You want to hang yourself? They'll sell you the rope no problem.

      Raven