Dollfie Dream from Scratch - Part 1 - Intro

I have recieved a couple of E-Mails from folks asking if there was a good source of information for putting together their own Dollfie Dream, thanks to a chance discussion with Mr. Alexander Shen, I found out he had done  a five part series of articles on building your own custom Dollfie Dream. He graciously agreed to allow me to reprint this series here on the site, so over the next week I will have the entire series up for readers to puruse and enjoy.

Reprinted by permission of the original creator Alexander Shen of www.alexandershen.com and creator of Gashapon Shop

Background

So, you're interested in building a Dollfie Dream from pieces? Then you've come to the right place! I'll introduce myself to start things off! My name is Alexander Shen (I also go by Mr. Shen) and I was once a non-believer in the world of Dollfies. I believe my first interaction was when I was tabling at the Alternative Press Expo in 2005. I saw a girl walking around with a two foot doll sitting on her forearm and immediately fell into judgement mode: "Whoa, that's weird." I soon found

out what they were, thanks to the internet, and brushed that off as a really strange part of "otaku culture" that I was never going to be a part of. Then I started reading Danny Choo's Blog in 2009.

What I had witnessed then was a Super Dollfie. That style just wasn't something I was into. However, I hadn't realized that there were so many different versions of the Dollfie. What really caused my jaw to drop and my shift was this post on Danny Choo's Blog. I already own a number of PVC and resin anime statues and this really was nothing more than just a larger, more beautiful, version of them. That's when I realized that I wanted to join the hobby.

Unfortunately, I couldn't justify going the Limited Edition route because of lack of pocket money. The non-Limited Edition ones were more reasonable in price... but there had to be an even more affordable solution. Oh, hey, you can buy the parts individually! My DIY personality took over and I decided to do some research.

Cost Breakdown

Let's do a quick side-by-side comparison of purchasing a non-Limited Edition version of a Dollfie Dream and building one yourself.

Yukino

Sculpted by: Zoukei-mura Inc.

Eyes: Acrylic Eye 22mm Animetic H-Type Anzu (Apricot)

Wig: W-121D-27 Shaggy Curl (Natural Gold), DD size

Body: DD Base Body II, Normal Skin, M Bust

Head: DDH-03 Head

Included Items: Slip, Shorts

Price: $418

Custom

Painted by: Yourself

Eyes: Acrylic Eye 22mm Animetic H-Type Anzu (Apricot) - $11

Wig: W-121D-27 Shaggy Curl (Natural Gold), DD size - $42

Body: DD Base Body II, Normal Skin, M Bust - $231

Head: DDH-03 Head - $42

Included Items: No clothes.
Price: $326


The difference between the two is roughly $92. The custom version, however, does not include the Slip, Shorts or Volks Make-Up job on the head. So as a reference, those three previously listed items is what makes up the $92 difference.

Personally, I liked the short bob (long in front) wig more than the default shaggy curl, so that was a savings of $6. Also, I have average painting skills (I've done a few kits back in the day), so I was confident that I could, at the very least, paint the eye areas relatively symmetrically. I could also, with the $92 I was saving, spend it on clothes that I actually wanted her to be wearing.

Be warned that if you don't have the confidence or skill to do the make-up yourself, I would recommend you find someone who can or just simply pony up the difference. There's nothing worse than using paint and messing up on the head, causing a bad case of Shannen Dougherty Syndrome.

Part 2 will be coming later this week, stay tuned!