Question 'bout Pullips
Here's the story: Actually I'm a figure collecting type and not into dolls. Tbh some dolls scare me a little... heh. Although some Volks' Dollfie Dream look stunning to me and I'd buy them in a flash if it wasn't 'bout the huge amount of cash, oh well. I also know that there are other dolls out there like Azone, Blythe, etc. however they didn't appeal me. And now I found this hot examples: Dolls in Steampunk outfits...!
You get me so easily with steampunk stuff. I'm particulary interested into the girl with the wing (maybe the others as well...). They're cheaper than Dollfies ands, but I know absolutely NOTHING about Pullips. So I ask you, who may already own some of them:
What can you tell me about them? How do they feel? Anything important regarding handling one? Are they worth the money or should I just wait and get a Dollfie someday?
My sister has one
1.What do you wnat to know about them?
2.They just have a regular plastic feel
3.It matters what you prefer,a dollfie is much much larger also made of a softer material, but Ero(the ones with the wings) is very lovely I'm hoping to get her one day ^^
Ah, thanks for offering to answer my questions =3 I'll just go ahead and ask. XD
Is their skin actually shiny or just like pictures (without gloss)? Is it that regular plastic feel of a barbie or how do I have to imagine it?
How durable are they, do they break easily? I'm afraid that the neck will break or the joints. ;^;
Are they heavy or rather a lightweight? I'm a tad worried that they'll fall over with such a big head... heh.
The body is sorta shiney but the head isn't(I'm gussing because of the face up).
I guess it's more of a water bottle feel if that makes sence. ^^;
My sister has had her for a few monthes but as far as I can tell they're very durable.
They're very light wieght,the head won't let her stand without a base though. ^^;
Ah, okay. Thanks for answering my questions. |Db
Your welcome ^o^
The Pullip you're smitten with is Eos. You can find her for sale at PullipStyle:
http://pullipstyle.com/pullipstyle/product_info.php?cPath=21_60&products_id=560
She's actually one of the most expensive Pullips to come out (the ones that you see on Pullipstyle for over $150 are usually Limited Editions from previous years). The general price is right at $100 for one doll.
They're made of much lighter, hard plastic, not vinyl like DDs. They're about 11" tall, about Barbie size. They can wear some Barbie clothes, but not all. Their bodies are articulated, though a LOT of collector's trade out their stock bodies for Obitsu 27cm models, as the Obitsus are quite a bit sturdier and more poseable. You can customize them by changing out their eyechips (requires taking the head apart) and wigs (size 8-9 just like DD). Some collector's even sand off their original face-ups and repaint them. You do have to watch out for staining, just like DDs, and I find they're a bit more fragile, being hard plastic.
As for the other characters: TaeYang is her "boyfriend", while Dal is Tae's little sister, and Byul is Dal's BFF (or so the story goes).
Here are some sites you should visit:
http://www.pullipstyle.com/ (check out the forums)
http://community.livejournal.com/pullips/
http://requiemart.com/blog/
http://www.pullip.net/
As to the question of are they worth the price tag... yes and no. The body quality isn't that great. But the highly customizable heads, along with some stunning costumes, plus the larger availability of clothing make for a really fun doll. I have a few, some that were brand new and others that were second hand. To be honest, I think I'm having more fun with the second hand ones as I'm not so scared to ruin a "mint" doll, plus I paid less because they came without their stock outfits ($60 - $75 is normal).
In all, I think they're a good "starter" doll. I enjoy my DDs more, but the price is restrictive. I'm able to do more with the Pullips and have a larger collection and wardrobe that doesn't kill my wallet (thrift store Barbie stuff!).
Wow. Thanks a lot for so much info and links, I appreciate it! ♫
Hm, well if she's some LE doll how hard is it to get them months after the release? Do you think I can I hold on to buy her for a few months or will it be difficult really to find one? Does the price usually increase by a lot or is it easier to wait and get her second hand for a lower price?
Is it really better to buy some Obitsu body instead of using her usual body? You said they're not great but can I handle them without an Obitsu still quite allright? Like, doing some poses for photographs and position her somewhere for display.
It depends. Pullipstyle (if that's who you decide to buy from) only gets a certain number of each doll. Sometimes they can acquire more if they run out, but sometimes not. Eos was limited to 2000, which really isn't that small a number when dealing with Pullips (there are lots of Pullips that were limited to 300, like the SDCC Lala and Oren). To give you an idea: Pullipstyle was able to get a small shipment of Sala, who was a limited edition of 300 and sold at ComicWorld Hong Kong as an exclusive. She sold out at the site within hours of being posted. Eos was scheduled as the June Pullip, and though limited and highly anticipated, is still available (though I don't know for how long).
But Pullips generally keep their value, so you're more likely to see an aftermarket price hike once she's sold out. My honest advice is to buy her, new, as soon as you can afford her. That way you know you have the doll, with all her clothing and accessories brand new, and probably at the best price. The dolls that you see for sale secondhand at cheaper prices are usually without their "stock" (original outfits and accessories). And let's face it, Eos' stock is her main attraction.
As for the body, you definitely can keep Eos on her original body. They're not THAT delicate, but they are fragile. In fact, there have been a few issues with some Pullips being broken right out of the box, as a manufacturer's defect (Pullipstyle will work with you to exchange the doll, unless there is a big warning on their site beforehand, like with Rida).
Most of my Pullips are still on their original bodies, and they're great fun to pose and handle. You just have to be careful, especially with the joints. The Obitsus really are more for poseability and durability. If you know you're going to be posing your girl a LOT, and want her to have a larger range of motion, then Obitsu is the way to go.
Something else I forgot to mention that's really cool about Pullips: Their eyes move and can close. They have a lever in the back of their heads that allow you to move their eyes from side to side to look in a certain direction. They also have two "buttons" that you can push to make them wink or close their eyes. The more recent ones have buttons that stay when pushed, so you don't have to jerry-rig them for pics.
To answer your other questions: Pullip's faces are matte. The first Pullips were shiny, but not anymore. The plastic itself it more like Volk's Dollfies (27cm types). Joints are the most delicate part about the doll. They're surprisingly heavy, and top heavy because of their heads, so you have to be careful when posing, or they will take a tumble. They can stand on their own, but it's not easy and takes practice. Stands are recommended if you want to display your dolls standing (stands come with the dolls).
Oh my gosh, I'm so glad that you invested some time to answer my questions ;w;
Thanks for giving your input regarding when to get her. I'd love to order from Pullipstyle since they some to work great, but taxes are a real pain here. @@ I'll do some research on European shops. `3´/
Oh by the way, could you tell me something about the wigs? From what I've seen you can costumise your Pullip. I know some issues with wigs for cosplay. I'm mostly interested in the fact if they're soft or not. |D; Do you maybe have some recommendation for shops which sell some nice wigs, which are not too pricey?
Ah, I didn't know that they can do that with their eyes..! That definitely sounds super awesome.
I'll deliberate it thoroughly if I'll buy her and where. And maybe even getting a Obitsu body. Thanks a lot, again. |3
You're very welcome. ^_^
I looked around a teeny bit, and one shop I found for Europe was PlasticPop:
http://www.plasticpop.de/
Unfortunately, they're sold out of Eos... but it might be a good reference in the future. I know you say that import taxes are high, but with the exchange rate between the dollar and Euro, it still might be cheaper to buy from Pullipstyle. (PlasticPop Eos' is 139.90Euro = $180.40 USD, where Pullipstyle wants $142.95 USD *before shipping on both*)
This group might be able to help you:
Pullips in Europe
As for wigs... the dolls come with wigs that are styled. They're actually glued to the head, but from experience the glue is just around the edges, and the wigs come off pretty easily (there are tutorials on RequiemArt's site and on Youtube). The stock wigs can be a little dry, and if you're not careful, can get frizzy/tangled/messy somewhat easily, especially the super curly ones (like Sfoglia).
A lot of people buy new wigs for their dolls, as customization lends to "bonding" and making them your own. The general size is 8-9, like DDs, but you can sometimes go with a 9-10 size if you put velcro, wigstopper, or a wig cap on the doll. And like any other doll wig, size can differ a little bit by company. Some of the community's favorite wig companies are:
Luts
CanCan
Leeke World
All sell really nice wigs that are soft and manageable. I also like these wigs:
Mandarake Himekazura
But they can get a bit pricey, so wait for a sale.
Like DDs, Pullips can get stained by wigs and clothes... so it's important to be careful about leaving dark clothing on them for extended periods of time. Unlike DDs, though, I'm not sure Removezit will get the stains out. ;_; Most people resort to sanding if it's on the facial area.
You're such a big and great help to me. |D Even going out to provide me more links. ;^; Man, I'd have taken days for me to figure this all out by myself... heh.
It's a real pity that you have to watch out carefully for stains, though. Makes me kinda afraid to go with dark clothing. Or always put something light-coloured underneath.
Anyway, a super big thanks again for everything! I'm quite curious now and might get one of those dolls before getting my hands on a DD (somewhere in the future maybe?) to see if I'm really a dollperson or more a figure one. `_´v Thankies~!
I just bought this doll tonight ^.^ I will post when I get her and let you know what she's like!
Ohhhh steampunk, you expensive hobby you >< I love these pulips, prefer them to Blythes. Hopefully, one day i'll have a doll steampunk army in my bedroom, to make me tea and change channels on the tv *Evil laugh crescendo and then cough*
I only managed to get one of these. But actually I'm tempted to get all of them only because of their steampunk theme, sigh. Maybe I should dress up my big girl into steampunk wear once in a while.
I've planned to make a steampunk dollfie called Maggie at one point, after I found these really awsome eyes http://www.denverdoll.com/eyescreamsoda.php I don't know if they'd suit DDs though, for shame DX