What attracts you to a doll mold?

[merlin]

Lips and Eyes catch my sight first.

[AmyAngel]

I have to be able to figure out how the doll will fit in with the others before I'll buy it, usually. I tend to prefer narrower eyes (not too big!) and lips that aren't too small. If the nose is too short or small or the profile is too flat I'm not interested... I have one I got without seeing the profile and he's on my "might sell list" and has been since I got him.

It really can't be ALWAYS smiling, either (smirks are great, happy smiles - not so much), and I prefer the lower lip not be super-puffy. Bodies I'm more forgiving on, but I have to be able to make it stand and pose relatively well, and it must not look too childish unless it's a tiny. Chubby baby hands and baby faces are a huge NO for me on minis, my mini dolls are all mature ones and are young adults.

[humblelulu]

Eyes are most intrueging to me, I love beautiful big eyes. but not anime big, they have to be unique looking aswell.
I look for face shape too. I like a good nose, but as you said, I'm quite forgiving of their nose or mouth, if their eyes are lovely.

[dh7_xie]

Eyes are number one for me! I am in love with dreaming and sleeping molds! ^_^

The second thing I would consider would be the lips and then the nose. I'd like a smirky doll, not one who's pouty >.< As for noses, I'm not really fond of big or flat noses; neither am I fond of extremely thin and longish ones ^^;;

[Patrice]

Although a good body sculpt helps, for me it's all about the face. I want mature faces with a shape I find appealing and eyes that are neither too big nor have what I can an animae dip to the lower eye lid.

[IamGears&Lace]

I like unusual molds-striking-I like artists bjds and mods. I like spooky and slanted eyes-mischevious grins and wide eyes-vampire teeth and cute little mouths.

[kalcia]

I suppose first thing is general shape of the face, then I look closer for eyes and nose, and I guess last are lips. And how it all fits together.

[Ms Kittys Closet]

I would have to say the shape of the eyes. That can make or break a character for me. Of course some eyeshapes can be more attractive with faceups. And I like nice full shaped lips, nothing pouty, childlike or sad. I use to be obessed over which mold head to get because the Resinsoul dolls have mostly fantasy elf ears and what not, but after see many photos of the dolls with wigs I realize that those can be hidden, so ears are no longer an issue for me.

[april]

Wow. Hard to say.

I like a wide range of things and am not trying to fit dolls to characters.

I know I have to like ALL the features of a doll to really fall for it. Everything needs to work well together and make for a whole that just hits me in a certain way. I do like sculpts with character and expression--that look alive and with a personality.

I sometimes like narrowed or partly closed eyes, as it gives more expression. But occasionally I do like the wide-eyed innocent look--mostly in cute little tinies, though! Otherwise I like more mature sculpts.

I guess I look at noses a lot since I find some just too thin (although I have some sculpts like that--they are the more fantasy look, though, so I can forgive it a little). Because they are rarer, I find I like dolls with a slightly wider, more realistic nose--but still very nicely shaped, of course.

I know I've nixed bodies that don't seem sculpted nicely or realistically, or proportionately, to me. Usually I'm not that worried, but I do notice weirdly sculpted abs and pecs and ribs in male chests... Or weird (unnaturally shaped) breasts for women.

The dolls I buy need to be as close to perfect in my eyes as possible. I have a wide range of dolls as I like a wide range of things... so, as long as things are well-sculpted, proportional and aesthetic... and more importantly appeal in some way to my personal aesthetic sense, they will appeal to me.

Yeah... very vague. I just can't seem to pin it down more than that!

[Hugobopp]

I liked the Elfdoll Mir mold because the doll is masculine and he has an intelligent expression. My other doll, Hazy, also has an intelligent expression but is more realistic than Mir.

[pake4pleasanton]

I like a doll to look more realistic and not anime. I'm Japanese American and I never liked the big saucer eyes.

[Insomniac_Comicker]

The eyes are a big factor for me (which is odd because if you talk to me face-to-face, I don't make eye contact, like, ever)-- but they have to work well with the rest of the face, and they can't be too huge.

I'm not a fan of big, round eyes, or at least I haven't fallen in love with a sculpt that has big, round eyes yet. ^^;; I like the faces to be somewhat expressive and enigmatic, whether slightly sad or with a mysterious "Mona Lisa"-type smile.

[pbellows]

I am in the process of looking for my first "real" BJD ^_^
So I look at a lot of characteristics. Mainly the ears, eyes and mouth.
I want the doll to be the centerpiece of my fairy collection, so it has to have pointy fairy ears :)
As for the eyes, the shape is not all really that important, just the fact that they are open. And the lips, I want to find a rather neutral expression or slightly smiling. Because when moving the eyes into different positions, that will give subtle expressions :)

[dollblue]

I always look at the head. Eye-shape (round or almond shaped, but mostly rather "open-eyed", with the exception of DOC Kirill whom I like despite narrow eyes), lips (well shaped, the fullness is optional), jaw line and whether the mold evokes a new character in my mind - or fits an existing one. The mold of the body is less important.

[Cheebee]

My tastes point me in the direction of looking for an elven/fantasy doll. So I look at the ears and the eyes. I don't want a typical elf doll. I like a doll that isn't so symmetrical and perfect, maybe her nose is a little big or the lips a little too full. A fantasy doll with imperfections and a sweet face is the perfect girl for me ^^

[jedimarajade2]

for my 1st doll, all i knew was i wanted a male 1/3 size, so i had to start narrowing it down, obviously :XD

i REALLY wanted one that looked very asian, but at the same time i had to find something that wouldn't make me broke, so i had a price limit. i eventually settled on a dragondoll di (who's discontinued now) who had the perfect narrow slanted eyes and crabby little facial features, lol.

for my girl, i wanted one that was young (something between 16-18 years old looking) but not so young that a large chest would be completely disturbing on her (anyone else sorta uncomfortable with dolls that look like they're 10-12 years old in the face but have D-size breasts?). also one that i thought would make a good lolita. and, again, i had a price limit. i looked around a lot and ended up at dragondoll again and am currently waiting on a Dai ^_^ i'm so excited!

[roxythekiller]

What attracts me to a doll mold? Hmm:


Posability (I prefer double-jointed, but it's not an absolute must)
Hands (although hands can be swapped, matching skintones is difficult. I prefer dolls that come with long parted fingers)
Eyes (I prefer small eyes to saucer eyes)
Nose (yes, laugh if you will. But I prefer large and defined noses to small, pointy anime-style ones. I'm not hung-up on that, the larger noses just look more realistic.)
Space between eyes and nose (if they're too close together, and the forehead is huge, then the doll looks too immature. That's cute for a Tiny, but for larger dolls like 1/3 and Hounds, it can look jarring... :o)
Sculpt definition (Defined muscles, veins, anatomical correctness. Male dolls that lack a penis, or have a poorly defined one, remind me of Ken dolls. :shifty)
Skin (I prefer soft pinks and deep tans to stark paper white. A rich skin tone also draws out parts of the mold, such as the shape of the eyes or the muscle ridges, especially when photographing a doll against a light background.)


However, I'm not rigid about these preferences. Sometimes a doll mold will break all these "rules," but will still be inherently appealing.

[ChibiJaime]

Hm.. hard to say. In my case, it depends on the dol itself and whether it fits a charcter in my head that is going to be part of my family. I tend to prefer female dolls over males, but I do have a boy I'm in the process of buying. I don't really have any particular features, but I do prefer a semi-realistic face over a more stylized one.

[SB91]

So far, I lean towards larger dolls with more 'realistic' proportions such as Iplehouse and Fairyland FeePle65.

Females: Eyes, and lips. I'm a sucker for some full pouty lips on girls. I'm a fan of big doe eyes (I have a pair of them myself XD), though smaller eyes sometimes have a mischievous or sultry look (Iplehouse Carina for instance) about them that make me swoon big time.

Males: Jaw lines. I think they can really define a doll between being masculine and feminine. Also their noses.

[yukifrein]

I do always check the mold of the eyes and nose..but I don't really have a specific like on those parts, or in the head mold..my mind would just process my thoughts if I like the mold or not..:D

[wordfiend]

I'm a sucker for cute noses and big eyes!

[Aquido]

honestly? Realism. I am getting a little tired of all the dolls in the industry having the 'bobble' head syndrome. ( have some myself, but am slowly weeding them out). I am an artist, dealing alot with anatomy, and musculature, etc. I like the dolls that are more proportionate. Iplehouse's EID line is pretty realistic, fairyland's chicline dolls, things like this. They tend to have a head that is much more realistic proportionately speaking. I also like eyes that are a regular, average size. I was never really into the "anime" eye thing. I love anime, but not on my dolls.

[sherri1993]

I kinda look for realistic molds. Like proportion wise as well as features.
Unfortunately for me, after trying out a few of the Iplehouse EID/SID dolls, I realised that they're too big for me and was really holding me back when i wanted to bring them out for a shoot.
So yeah, ended up having to sell them and now I've managed to find a smaller/lighter mature boy. The Souldoll Vito Line is perfect for those who don't really want a mega huge chunk to drag about on shoots but still want the realism that the EIDs/SIDs offer. I'm really happy with my boy.
I was actually attracted to this proportion at first. Then I fell in love with his lips. And now just everything about him. Haha.

[DollyGirl]

I seem to be drawn toward narrow eyes but anything unique grabs my attention. The doll that I'm saving up for now, Doll-Love Anona, has the cutest little duck lips (and narrow eyes lol) that I don't think I've seen on any other sculpt.

Oh, and I love Souldoll Vito Lester, sherri!!!! Sadly, I don't know if I have the patience to save up that kind of money.

[Teruchan]

For me, it's probably the features I like best about my own face that I find as attractive in BJDs: Large eyes (but not anime-large), full lips (no razor thin puckers please, nor those half invisible dots that some dolls seem to have for mouths) and a cohesiveness, or a certain realism about the sculpt (the last is not of course something that pertains to my own face XD) still, it's an interesting question! I find the same features attractive in fellow humans as well!

[designermix]

The doll's expression plays an important role as well as his features. I don't like SD dolls that are "cute". I prefer the ones with a serious expression. I think the eyes are the ones I tend to fuss over the most. But with a good faceup, dolls that aren't so impressive at first sight can turn out to be absolutely gorgeous. Sometimes I see a new doll out in the Market and even though I'm not impressed at first, I always go back to it to check out what owners have done with them and sometimes, I just end up liking the sculpt.

[aleksloves]

I'm super drawn to sculpts with cute noses and lips. I tend to gravitate towards "cute-sy" styles! They're alot more fun to dress up in my opinion!

[JessiFlakes]

I start with the head - mostly the expression. I don't like dolls that are REALLY sad looking. Eyes are usually first thing I look at. I never thought about it before, but recently I looked at my 5 girls and my next/first boy, and they either have very round wide eyes, or they have narrow-but OPEN- eyes of a particular, I don't want to say "Droopy" but that's close enough, shape. Then, I look down the nose and mouth- which I don't really have any particular preferences over; although I'm a little biased against very small, thin lips (having them does that to you).

Then I look at the body. It's difficult for me to find a body make/mold I don't like, but it took me awhile to decide to make my SoulDoll Miryu not a hybrid. The bodies looked weird to me at first, but they've grown on me (even though it'll be awhile before I can actually buy her one. ^^;; )

There are a few other things I look at generally in the face, but I don't really know how to explain them. ^^;

[ResinArmy]

Well firstly the face is important to me, It doesn't nessisarily have to suit a character just has to be nice and since i'm addicted to Soom, pretty much if the doll is on Soom MD list and its good looking, most likely i'll want it XD

[KnightJeran]

For me, its eye shape. I do not like very narrow eyes, or very weird shaped eyes, or even very open anime eyes. I like the eyes to be nice and open, but still have a soft expression to them. I see the allure of having narrow/almost closed eye sockets, for the mysteriousness and attitude or something, but I feel that my doll is more versatile with a very neutral and soft expression.

If the doll comes with a faceup, I don't want dark makeup, or anything extreme. As for a body, not too skinny (ie showin' ribs). This is in my humble, very beginner opinion however. So please don't take offense!

[Andronikos]

I've noticed I like realistic dolls with smaller eyes (doesn't always apply, but I do like half lidded eyes), full lower lips (but not like an uneven fish pout by any means), a well proportioned nose (I'm not a fan of tiny pointed ones), and facial symmetry. I also prefer passive looking faces to ones that are extremely expressive.

[lunarbreeze]

Eye shape is very important to me. If the eyes are too narrow or too big, I will end up disliking the doll quickly even if he/she has other good features. I also think the nose should be medium sized and not too pointy, or it sets the eyes off. A combination of both of these will decide if I get a doll or not.

[yarn_and_cake]

I like happy dolls over solemn or sad ones. There's many, many lovely solemn dolls out there and I admire them from an aesthetic point of view, but the ones that really make me go "I want that!" tend to be happy ones. On the other hand, the two dolls I own aren't exactly obviously happy, so . . .

I don't like overly large breasts on female dolls or itty bitty ones. Natural is good in that department. Again, just personal taste.

I prefer softer, less exagerated body sculpts in terms of muscle definition. The male dolls with lotsa muscley bumps all over the place? Not for me, thanks.

Exageratedly long narrow eyes aren't to my taste, either. Some of the eyes I like could probably be called anime-like, but a certain balance is important.

Pretty hands and feet make me happy. A hand scult with character really brings a doll to life.

I *love* dark-colored dolls that don't look accidental. That is, some dolls just look like they were randomly tanned while others look so natural and perfect with dark skin. Someday I would really like a beautiful dark-colored doll. I can't really say what makes one look natural and another look accidental; maybe it's just the overall composition of the doll in question.

[pianogirl000]

I guess it's my maternal (?) instinct but child-like faces! Little baby faces, with big eyes and tiny lips. :)

[rugdg13]

Hmm, I have to say it is in order of...

The Expression comes first. I like a neutral looking face myself.
Next, Nose. I love, love, button noses. (I Really want a Kaye Wiggs bjd sooooocute)

Ahem. Anyway. Next, the shape of the eye and overall face. (pointy chins are a no for me. XD)

However, I tend to over look those factors with how... how to say it... "Transformational" the sculpt can be? I mean I've seen the same sculpt in 2 different resin colors and different faceups and I would have never guessed they were the same doll without looking at the names. I find those dolls to have extreme potential. ^_^

[kiwibunnie]

The thing i look for first when shopping for a doll is their nose actually... or how their side profile shot looks. I'm extremely picky when it comes to this. Personally I like it when guys nose's are a little pointy or a little larger (but not wider) and the girls are more... just regular and smaller I guess.

[mumstheword]

I like smiles the best, when I consider buying a doll I want to know that its going to make me smile when I look at it. Its difficult because there are so many beautifully made dolls out there but so many look sad or traumatised which makes me wonder what the sculpter went through to be pumping out so many sad childrens faces :cry
Theres so many dolls I want but I will only actually buy the ones that are smiling or atleast have a hint of a smile. But thats just me ;)

[Shadow]

Eyes are a big thing to me. I tend to like narrower and shapely eyes. Eyes that look too round and childish aren't really my "type". I also like slimmer faces, as I think they look more mature than round faces.

I'm not a huge fan of pouty lips. I like straighter mouths with fuller lips.

[PChu]

Eyes for me have to be almond shaped. I'm just not a fan of the closed eyes or half closed. Maybe I'm too judgemental but I feel like they're high. :D

I also prefer the more asian looking dolls. Maybe it's because I'm Asian, maybe not. But I prefer the shallower nose bridge and smaller lips. But most importantly, I can't have a sad or pouty looking doll. She's got me, so she's supposed to be happy!

[julidc]

Other than liking girls to look feminine, and boys to look more boyish, what attracts me to a sculpt totally depends on what size doll I'm considering. The majority of my larger BJD are Volks, but I have a Custom House Petite Ai, and a Dollmore Narsha. In looking at my bunch, I can honestly say I want my YoSDs to look like little kids, but with facial features in proportion. My favorites among my Yos are Alice and the White Rabbit Boy, but Yo-Isao just came home, and I like that he looks a year or two older than my other Yos. Meanwhile, I want my SD13s and above to look mature. My favorite female sculpt of all time is Madoka, followed by Ruby, with Olivia coming in third. Topping my list of males are Heath, Yukinojo, Genji. Since his Volks debut and arrival at our "country home" soon thereafter, Heath has been my only big guy. But now, after a lengthy wait for a suitable guy's guy to join him, will come Yukinojo! I'm so excited Volks is making available on Pre-Order for all his fans like me! :kisses

Juli DC :)