Ball-Jointed Dolls

Ball-jointed dolls, also known as BJDs, are a type of doll from eastern Asia (specifically South Korea, Japan, and China). (Some people call them ABJDs: Asian ball-jointed dolls.) These dolls have elastic-strung ball joints instead of the hinge joints found on most other dolls. They're made for adult collectors, not for kids.

Most BJDs are made of polyurethane resin, which must be hand-cast. These dolls are made by small companies and are often quite expensive. A few less-expensive dolls are made of other plastics, such as ABS, which means they can be injection-molded by a machine. Purists often don't consider ABS dolls to be "real" BJDs, but I like them anyway.

BJDs range in size from 8cm tinies all the way up to 75cm dolls. Because resin is heavier than other plastics, these dolls feel a bit more "solid" than vinyl play dolls.

Most of my fall into the "tiny" range. My 30cm dolls are a Soom Teenie Gem named Lucrezia, and her twin brother Lukas, a Teenie Gem head on a Bambicrony body. Lukas's head and body colors don't match, but it doesn't look so bad with clothes. I'm working on a nice new wig for him, since my first attempt is...bad.

My 15cm-range dolls are all ABS except for a recently-acquired LaTi Yellow. Callie is a Hujoo Nano Freya. (She's missing her tail, but I don't mind.) Glory is a Jun Planning Ai. I have four Penny's Box dolls, which came in blind-box packaging: the rabbit girl from School Haunting, and two centaurs from the Dreamlike Tea Party series, and "Dawn" from the Tidal Secret Language series. I don't know their official names, because they're written in Chinese, which I can't read. I have a few other ABS babies, too.

My MSD-sized doll has arrived! (Pictures pending.) She is a Doll Leaves Teenage Dream Leilia. I've named my girl Aurelia, after my great-grandmother, and will be making her a Goth girl. Which means white body stockings to keep her precious body from staining.

BJDs are sometimes sold as a "full set," which is what most people think of when they think of dolls: a painted doll with eyes, a wig, and a full costume. However, most people who own BJDs prefer to customize them, which means that the dolls are often sold as a blank (unpainted) doll that might come with a random pair of eyes. The doll owner then buys or makes a wig, paints the doll, and sews or buys clothing for it to make their own unique character.

My favorite thing about customizing BJDs is making them fun outfits! I've sewn outfits in a variety of styles: casual modern, Lolita, Victorian, even Renaissance and medieval outfits! I plan to post more pictures of my dolls in different outfits soon.

The one thing I don't care for in the BJD world is recasts. A recast is a bootleg doll created by making a new mold out of an existing doll. Because BJD companies are so small (often a dozen people or fewer), this bootlegging can have a serious effect on their bottom line, to the point of getting some companies shut down. I don't judge people for buying recasts out of ignorance, but please, if you care about the hobby, do your research!

It's okay to have to wait and save up for months before you can own one of these special dolls. I guarantee that they are worth the wait!