Coming and Going

COMING

I did it!! I placed the order for Angelsdoll 60cm girl full doll Flora and Yul head in normal skin yesterday! Apparently waiting time is around 15 working days at the moment, so I'm hoping in about a month I might have some new girls in my hands. I'm very excited to explore a new company (for me) and a different aesthetic. I love the sculpts so much and I'm hoping the body will come handy for variation for my various SD girl heads in the end too.

*photos by Angelsdoll

GOING

I'm selling off my Dollzone B70-003 body from my Raymond. It's been a nice body in many ways, but I do kind of prefer my skinny SD boys in the 65cm range. Raymond looks great on the Soom old SG body, even if there's a bit of a mismatch in the resin tone, but I prefer the look. So, DZ 70cm body is clearing out some space for the new girl body from Angelsdoll.

Some Mirodolls are also going. Going into a box. I've been somewhat displeased with this collaboration venture I've been engaged in with Mirodoll. The early interactions with them went relatively smoothly, but ever since last autumn already, it's been more or less frustrating. Then finally they asked me to help them make a brochure for them last April. I'm no pro at graphic design or running any kinds of such software, but being the the eager beaver that I am, I did endless hours of work and research and all but finished 3 versions of the brochure for them, with promotional postcards and leaflets on top too. I waited and waited for them to send the texts. And all the while, I received no commucations from them apart from "the name tags and logos are too big on top of the photos". Well, I fixed those and then NOTHING! Zero, zip, nada.

I find it rude of them to completely ignore me since May. No communication what so ever. I have taken body and blank sculpt photos of all their dolls, but they have not used them on their website. I've also taken several nice sets of photos of Lightning, Thunder, Hector and Winnie, that they are apparently not deeming worthy to use either. They also told me they were going to send me the smaller version Apollo and Hector heads with the 68cm body for photos already early spring, but they never did. In terms of styling/face-up design and such they never gave me any instructions or wishes about what they wanted, even though I asked every time. Only afterwards they might say, I made XM William look like a girl or told me Yaya doesn't sell as well as Lili because I made her a brunette instead of a blonde! For crying out loud!!! I'm pretty much up to my ears with their flaky communication and not following through on plans that have been agreed on. Already my closets are cluttered with their dolls, spaces I'd want to use for my own collection. I've been:

- taking their promo photos using my own doll wardrobe, props and backdrops to their benefit, even in the -40C temperatures in the winter (because they wanted outdoors photos instead of the indoors photos I'd taken!)

- designing new face-ups and using my own face-up equipment and materials for those promo dolls

- making their brochure and promotional materials after having taught myself how to do it

- paying the import taxes out of my own pocket on the dolls they sent me for the promos!!!

- actively advertising their dolls through all my channels: this website and blog, my Flickr and all it's groups, Den of Angels, you name it.

So, I don't feel like I'd deserve to be treated this way. Not fun! I'm not sure I want to collaborate with them anymore under these kind of circumstances. :( I've tried to talk to them about keeping schedules and answering mails promptly, but it seems to make no difference. Whatever...

I'll just start putting the excess Mirodolls to pieces and stashing them in a box somewhere. I'm too annoyed to play with their dolls right now. Mirodolls are not aesthetically something I would've bought for myself, apart from my own grey Rain, so I'm getting back to my own dolls, those that I've chosen for myself. I don't want to ruin this hobby for myself by letting anything negative like this into it. I'm sad it had to go this way. I was so excited and enthusiastic about working with Miro and tried to do my very best for them. I don't regret anything though. I enjoyed the early collaboration with Mirodoll. They were nice and good to communicate with back then. I enjoyed the opportunity to practice face-ups and take more professional photos and was proud to see my photos on a BJD company's website, but this kind of abuse of my time and willingness to help out is not cool. So OUT they go. I'm keeping a few of my favourites in my closet, like Iris for example, but the rest are moving to boxes out of my sight.

It's time for new fresh things! I'll give the old no further thought and I'm moving on!! :D