What You Love About Large Dolls (---or not!)

[april]

You've all got Large dolls--or are interested in them! But what is it that you Like about the Large Dolls, exactly? Why Large and not Mini or Tiny?

Is it just the size? And why that size? Or the clothing for Large Dolls? Or Something else? The weight? The feel? The sculpts available? The age-range?

And what DON'T you like so much about Large-sized Dolls?

For me, I like the size... They are impressive to look at, but not TOO huge to cart about and dress and pose. The size allows for a lot of detail in the clothes. I also like older-looking dolls and the size helps with the impression of being older. Also, when I first bought my doll, there was more clothing and styles available for the larger-sized dolls. The larger dolls looked older than the smaller dolls. There weren't smaller-sizes in more slender, older proportions. I might have gone smaller if there had been. Large dolls are a LOT to haul about! Heavier, bulkier... But they still look great. And there's still a huge amount of clothes and wigs and shoes available for the large size...

[Stella Maris]

I like doing faceups on larger dolls because there is just more face to work with.

[Malice Librarian]

I prefer the clothes that are available in that size range, and I prefer the mature-looking sculpts (you'll never see me with a tiny. :|) And as previously mentioned, it's easier to do faceups on the bigger dolls.

[Vega]

This may be odd, but I really like the weight of the big boys. That can be a bit of a double-edged knife there, but most of the time, I enjoy how heavy they are. Gives 'em substance. ^_~
-V

[kawaii_mon]

I like the mature scuplts mostly. But now I'm so used to the size that MSDs are just odd to me (and I have one! XD) I also like how they sit in the crook of my arm so perfectly.

[FunnyLori]

I love the weight, I love the sculpts, I love the versatile larger bodies. What I don't like is trying to find clothes and shoes that fit and still work into my style. Finding nice dress shoes that aren't platforms (seriously, the doll is already tall, he doesn't need the extra height!). Clothes are either more formal, or are very specific fantasy styles. I want some good ole' down home comfy clothes that look great for my taller boys!

[MieAga]

I love the scuplts and I enjoy sewing for the larger dolls more than the tinies. There is little that is as impressive as a 2 1/2ft doll looking back at you. It gets me every time :)

I don't care for the standability of the larger dolls. They do take longer to pose and need more babysiting than my Tinies. But carrying them isn't that bad as long as it's not all day at a Con:)

[Brightfires]

I prefer the sculpts to most of the smaller dolls', they have better wardrobe choices, they're better photography subjects, and they're perfectly "cuddle-sized". :D

On the down side, there is such a thing as "too big"... The bigger guys can get too heavy to carry pretty fast (I'm looking at you Mecha Angels, Dollshes, and Volks SD16/17s-). Even the long-legged SD13s are quite a handful to lug around after awhile. Also, they take up more space than smaller dolls. 'Not just the dolls themselves, but also their larger-scale props, their wardrobes and all the rest.

[lyrajean]

60cm dolls are the perfect size to dress. You don't have to be too picky finding trims and prints in the right scale, and things aren't so small that you have to sew by hand all the time.

If I could design all BJD I would honestly make them all the size of my AR Kai at 58cm he's just a tab smaller than most, but he's lighter and easier to pack and carry than my SD13 boys, but still a dream to dress. Although the sculpt of the SD13 boy body is probably the best in terms of aesthetic qualities and posability.

[Osaka]

I've always been about bigger dolls my entire life. ^^; Quite literally, my doll collection kept getting larger in every way. When I started with BJDs, there was no way I was going to go after a mini if a bigger size was available! I don't know what it is about them that appeals to me so much. I think it's just the sheer size. I love sewing for them. I complain and whine whenever I have to sew stuff for minis!

My one gripe about the big dolls is that in can be very difficult to find some props and furniture for them, particularly food items. But it's only a minor gripe. ^^

[MelWong]

I love everything about Tomoe-chan except her weight. For some reason Volks resin is denser than other companies' stuff. It's seen as a plus point by some (she is really resilient), but my god, she starts to get heavy when I carry her for a while.

Things are really going to get arm-sore when I get my long-legged SD13 boys...

- Mel

[nakitama]

They're very comforting to hold. When I'm feeling down and need cheering up, I always reach for one of my SD size ones. Their big enough to hug you back when you pick them up too :3

[EilonwyG]

I'm in total agreement, Nakitama. As much as I love my other, littler dolls, none of them hug as great as an SD. They really are great pick-me-ups. Plus, they looks so cute in the seat of a shopping cart!

[Karhys]

Oh, I totally agree with the hugability. :D Along the same lines -- I really like the size of their hands because they're just the right size to hold on to one of your fingers. Maybe that sounds like an odd reason to like them, but I like that not only can I hug them, I can also have them cling to me too. MSD/Tiny sized hands are just too small. :XD

I do also really love how weighty they are -- sure, they can be a bitch to carry but it makes them feel more real to me somehow. My MSD/Tinies feel lightweight in comparison - like they're going to blow away or something. :doh

Also I guess when I got into the hobby there was only really large size so I never even considered the possibility of other sizes! I was never into dolls before BJD (actually, I hated dolls *sheepish laugh*) so to me, since that was the only size they came in, it just sort of 'made sense'. Now it still makes the most sense to me, even though other sizes intrigue me.

[MelWong]

To be frank I'm a bit afraid of hugging my doll too much for fear of skin oils removing her faceup. She is just the right size for it, though, and sometimes when I'm feeling really bad I put her face protector on and then tuck her into bed with me. (At least, until my husband gets home - our bed isn't big enough for me, him, and a 60cm SD.)

- Mel

[Letizia]

I like other sizes too, I don't prefer larger dolls over the others, but when I bought my first ABJ doll, I wanted a large one because they were so different from any of my fashion dolls that I had before. Large dolls are somehow more 'impressive'. I also tend to prefer the more realistic and mature head scuplts. I think my SD sized dolls as young adults, and the minis (even though they are all so called mature minis) as teenagers.

I sew for my dolls, but I actually find sewing in SD size more difficult than MSD size! Of course, it's possible to make more detailed outfits for larger dolls, but I am used to sewing in small scale and large dolls are a bit difficult to handle when taking measurements and trying on clothes .

[verilens]

I like the bigger dolls because...well, they do tend to look older than the smaller dolls. There are mature smaller dolls out there, but I don't like to mix and match sizes unless there IS an age difference. Personally I'd find it very strange to have 60cm and 43cm dolls that were supposed to be the same age and interact with each other.
Otherwise...I just like how substantial the larger dolls are. The smaller dolls are a more "normal" doll size. The larger dolls are, in my opinion, all the more impressive for their size!

[ArcaneMuse]

I love that it is easier to sew for them! And I like the weight of a bigger doll. I know after a day of carrying one or two around your arms will ache. But so does carrying a child and I still enjoying carrying my 8 yr. old when she lets me. I also like the older looking sculpts and they tend to be the larger sculpts.

[Janne]

Like Karhys, when I started the hobby, 60cm was the only size available.

And I'm pretty sure that size was one of the main factors in their appeal to me. They were substantial, heavy, large enough to really draw my attention, and their beauty hard to ignore.

I still see this reaction on visitors' faces when they see my dolls - they have real presence. And it is a fun size to make-up and sew for.

I love my smaller dolls, certainly, but probably not the same way.

[Bern]

I agree with all the points! ^_^ They're substantial enough to carry around and feel it [though oh god can you feel it after a while], and to have a presence. I also really like the way fabrics drape on the 60cm dolls; even heavier fabrics don't seem too bulky on them.

[Tereya Chan]

I love that they're big enough that I won't lose track of them. Seriously, it's a big deal for me *laughs* I also like how sturdy they feel. I also agree, I like the feel of the weight when I hold them.

[yiesha]

At first, I wanted msd size to be my first doll. but then, the face I really really interest in is somehow keep being 'sd' size, thus, I buy sd size with that reason.

In the end, I never regret having big boys. I love the choice of clothings they are having and I really love how huggable they are. I love hugging my dolls (especially when I feels sad or lonely that I need something less-pillow-like-looking to hug), that make the smaller ones gets me the feelings of 'too much hug space' xD

Though, I envy how easy to hide the small ones, and how light they are >o<

[derilan85]

It's the hugs I can give my larger size dolls I love the most, they seem to smile at me when I do that;)

[Rosella]

yup, I definitely agree with april! The size allows for more detail in clothing, definitely a plus!
They definitely have a presence too which I find appealing :)

[Chibi_Fluffy]

At first I wanted a MSD, I had never seen a BJD before... but when I saw my first one, it was a 60cm and men did I fall in love >w<

I could compare it to its "sister", a MSD, and really it was way better!!
I could not leave him alone and kept him on my knees all the time I had him >w<

I love the size and the clothing and about everything =3
It is so muc heasier to make clothe for something so big, compared to my only tiny =B

Oh! And the shoes are just so cool XD


The bad side would also be the size... its like a double sided blade.... for now I only have a head, but I can imagine what will happen when he gets is body =P
Where will I put him O____o
The sixe is great when you have him in your arm.... but when you want to put him down.... it takes places =O
And the accessories too =P

[verbatim]

I keep seeing this thread and I can't think of a good answer, honestly. I'd like to think it's their size that makes them more relateable as "people" but I know many tiny owners would immediately dispute that. Hmm.

[sakurafubuki]

Their wigs/eyes/shoes/accessories are the easiest to find out of all the doll sizes. The clothes are easier to make as well (I make my own doll clothes).

(As for comparison, my SDC is driving me nuts as it's insanely difficult to find wigs/shoes for her. I've purchased two wigs for her but none of them fit her, even though they claim to fit SDC :tantrum)

The scale of the dolls is just right for taking photos.

Unfortunately they are a bit heavy to carry around. I can only take my girl to a local park for taking photos as I don't have the strength to carry her outside my town. :o

[Paladia]

Big dolls are heavy and hard to store. I have three and they are taking over my room. My goal is about fifteen eventually so I just kind of bug at the amount of space I'll be needing.
I like them big because they are more visually arresting... I think bigger dolls have more presence.

[Tygati]

I love their presence. I tried Minis, and there.. just isnt' enough doll there. I like the fact that I can easily cradle them in the crook of my arm, though carrying more than one starts to get awkward. I love the fact that most of them look like little people rather than traditional 'dolls' or children.

[toshirodragon]

I guess it's presence too that I like. It's hard to put into words, how I felt the first time my new 70 cm boy looked out the window from a standing position on the floor. Suddenly a whole new area of fun opened up with a doll that wasn't so out of scale with EVERYTHING around it.

And maybe it harkened back to the fun I had carrying my new born baby around, but without the dirty diapers and the spit up :D

[Kyrenea]

And maybe it harkened back to the fun I had carrying my new born baby around, but without the dirty diapers and the spit up :D

lol...considering that Sammy was only 18 inches and barely weighed 6 lbs, yup, an SD is about that size. And while you don't have the dirty diapers and spit up, they do still get dirty as all get out, and trust me, cleaning a doll and changing clothing/shoes is almost harder than dealing w/a toddler. I accuse Kaele of taking lessons at the Sammy School of Undressing While Dressing on a regular basis.

While it is hard to carry more than 1 SD at a time, I think they are easier to tote at a convention. There is a solid weight in your arms and they are less fragile if you get bumped. But they get heavy, very fast. They are also easy to cuddle when you need to curl up with a favorite pillow and blankie and just hold something...and the toddler is tucked safely in bed.

For me, I find it easier to find and make clothing for the bigger boys. They are also easier for me to photograph.

[rainydaylovers]

I wish I could say there's on concrete thing I love about large sized dolls but there just isn't really. I do love their size but size alone won't stop me from buying a doll if I like the sculpt! I do find myself drawn to large dolls much mor ethan any other size, though! I think it's because there is so much variety in sculpts and companies. Of course having a larger selection of clothing and wigs help too ^_~

I do really love cuddling with my big dolls, though.They're the perfect size for it, and I don't have to worry about squishing their eyelashes (like I do with my MD Hati). I also love just having them in the room with me. They have such an amazing prescence! I never feel alone when I have a doll with me (as weird as that sounds haha!)

[dh7_xie]

Their size is just nice for you to hold them on your arms ^_^ I also like SD dolls because they look mature. I'm not a big fan of kid dolls so SDs are the way to go for me. I'm not really fond of larger dolls such as hounds or even bigger SDS (SD 17) though.. 58 cm - 62 cm is the way to go for me ^^;;

The bad thing about large dolls is the space they take up. And also, it's kind of attention seeking to carry them out without a doll carrier. I'd love to take my doll wherever I go, but it's abit bulky and troublesome to do so with larger dolls =~=

[yukifrein]

they're big enough to carry around, and sewing clothes for large dolls is easier than of smaller dolls.

[giodrakes]

I love the large dolls. I wasn't even going to get an EID girl, but I fell in love with Iplehouse Carina and had to have her, and I'm glad!
I love the size, the mature body shape, the weight, the curvyness, and it's great sewing for her -once you figure out how to fit the huge boobs- I love the SD and EID shoes, too. They are stylish and oh so cute at that size!
For my SD girl, it's easy to find clothes and things for her, too, and she's great to sew for, with her medium bust.
I've carried both of them around at different times and it's not bad.

Only problem I have with the big ones? I am going to have to get a dedicated doll cabinet made so the big ones can have a room to sit in, which will be redecorated as different rooms for photo shoots. They would need a lot more space if I want them to have a "doll house". But if I had the space, I DEFINITELY would make a whole SD dollhouse, complete with kitchen, dining room, and even a bathroom :D *dreams*

[ChibiJaime]

The first doll to suit a character I wanted was an SD girl, though she's from the old Souldoll line, so her proportions are ridiculous... much as I love her, she's impossible to shop and sew for. XD But that aside, I now tend to lean more towards bigger dolls over the smaller ones just out of point of preference. They seem more sturdy, I guess. Carrying her can get weary on the arms, though!

[lylesenpai]

Hi There! Newbie Here

About the topic, i would love the way it is, cause it's too big! It's pretty unique for me, and im sure most idiots wont call me gay when holding a male doll that big right!? lol

[designermix]

The clothes... well, I have to say -- they're hard to buy for some of my SD boys - like Unidoll Jace and Limhwa Mano - they both have bigger hips so it's a bit of a problem. I guess it's easier for me to customize and sew stuff for them because they're larger in size and I can add a lot of details to their outfits without straining my eyes! xD

I like the larger dolls mainly because they look older. I'm not always attracted to cute looking dolls and a lot of the MSD and YOSD dolls are way too cute for my taste. I have 6 SD boys and only one MSD and even then, it's a Limho Mono that's been customized to look serious-ish. I have a cute boy coming home though -- a LittleFee Bisou. He's going to be the only cute one in the resin family.

I also like larger dolls because they're so much fun to photograph. The MSD dolls are just too small for me and I don't feel they're as much fun to pose and work with as compared to my SD boys. I'm pretty sure I'm just bias though.

What I don't like about the larger boys -- well, I already said it -- I have problems purchasing clothes for some of my boys. But that can be fixed by sewing my own stuff for them. The other thing is... I keep my dolls in their respective boxes to avoid them being exposed to sunlight and dust? So having all these large boxes in the house -- well, it takes up a lot of space! @_@

That's pretty much it.

[Teleri]

I love the bigger dolls because they are adults! I want a range of ages in my dolls, but most of my characters need to be grown up, & I find the mature looking dolls in the SD/EID dolls. I do have some MSD/tinies (a few) but not very many.
I agree about the hugability of the bigger dolls as well, & that they can hold your hand (so sweet). My fav thing, tho, has to be sewing for them - I can do realistic, well-draped clothing for them fairly easily, & then they photograph beautifully wearing said clothing :D

[Sethrea]

I only own one larger doll, Super Gem female Galena and i must say she is totally not my size...
I find her too big, too heavy and too attention-consuming, especially when she has her fantasy parts on (and she has her bird feet on 99% of the time)... It takes me roughly an hour to change her more complicated ensembles! O.o
Thus she is mostly neglected and I focus on my MSD girls: I find my Rosettes the perfect size for me :)

[RaChEltheRabidRabbit]

It is a little odd but I love the feeling of carrying them around. I love how they are heavy but not too heavy. I also like the fact that they would be easier to make clothing for than smaller dolls are. SDs are just my favorite size of all BJDs.

[Deehellseven]

It is a little odd but I love the feeling of carrying them around. I love how they are heavy but not too heavy.

That's exactly how I feel too! I love SD sized dolls because they rest snugly in between my elbows :D

I also prefer SD to MSDs because I'm not extremely fond of baby / kiddish looking dolls. I prefer dolls that look in between 17 - 28. I personally feel that I can come up with more backstories for SDs compared to MSDs.

[supervamp78]

It's something about the fact that they are usually almost a yard tall its so amazing to me i can't help but want one.

[cian]

They're just a nice size to do faceups for, make clothing for, make jewelry for etc. Large enough for details but not too large that it's hard to bring them out if you want to. They also sit nicely in the crook of my elbow when I'm holding him and walking around (e.g. at conventions) and they're not too light like MSDs. I didn't really like that I could hold a whole MSD in my palm, while he's sitting.

[Kideme]

Bigger is just better! I love being able to hold a doll with some weight and length to it! Making clothes for my girls are a blast, the wig shopping, and they command more of a presence. If I wanted an MSD, I'll buy another Tonner doll, if I wanted a tiny, I'll get a Barbie, too small, not enough detail!

[Andronikos]

I love the mature face sculpts that come in this size, and I also find it easier to make clothing for SD sized dolls. There's a lot more "canvas" to work with which means more details can be added to the clothing, accessories, faceup, etc.

But there are a few drawbacks too- I can never seem to find "cutesy" clothing for SD+ size dolls. A lot of dresses with sweet, floral patterns only come in MSD sizes or smaller. My 70+ cm dolls tend to be too heavy and uncooperative at times. And cute props like ReMent and doll furniture aren't really available in bigger sizes.

[Erlif]

I like their mighty looks and gorgeous sculptures ))) They look like topmodels, you know. They are perfect in every single detail. It doesn't matter is it SOOM Mecha Angel or Dollshe Hound. They are so beautiful!!! And to take photos of them you don't need very special furniture or dishes.

[kcurry9]

As others have mentioned, the larger size makes face-ups and making clothing easier, but it also allows more detail. It is possible to knit garments "in scale" with a wider variety of yarn weights, and in-scale prints and plaids are easier to find for sewn garments. Many construction features such as zippers, pockets, collars, pleats, waistbands, and buttons, just to name a few, are possible on SD clothes that would be too bulky for smaller dolls, if possible at all.

[Shailara]

I like the sculpts available for bigger dolls but I much prefer smaller sized ones really xD;;; But, most of my dolls represent characters and SD sized ones are the older ones in the story, so...
What I don't like...I guess the size! I'm a person who likes small things (and always did, I had a HUGE collection of small erasers...i don't even know...). When I got my first SD(10) boy, I was SHOCKED. I had a hard time bonding with him also! I did get used to him after a while though, but it's so hard to pose them and I'm a little afraid since they weight so much. But I must admit doing face-ups on them is much easier than smaller heads!