Dollchemy is now open!

EMMA WATSON HAPPY DANCE TIME! Dollchemy forum is now open. I'm so excited to be able to share news of this dolly community; it's an awesome new board with a special focus on customisation, but it also has general chat, galleries, and a Buying/Selling/Trading section, and happens to be run by some of the loveliest ladies I have ever had the pleasure of meeting in the hobby.

Looking forward to seeing faces both old and new there!

Ten Things You Should Know About Tangkou

Many collectors know of the more established brands of Pullip and Blythe dolls, but have you heard yet about the cute new Chinese girl in town? Here are my top 10 things you should definitely know about Tangkou.

1.Best of Both Worlds

Your first few weeks and months in the doll hobby can be overwhelming, and you might be compiling a wishlist as long as your arm. You know you want one of these beautiful dollies, but there's Blythe, BJDs, Pullips...you've never owned one before so you don't know what's right for you. Enter Tangkou! With the colour-changing eye mechanism and shiny face of Blythe and the teenaged body and elfin features of Pullip, she's a wonderful doll line in her own right, but she's also a great gateway doll. My first ever 1/6 articulated collectible dolly was Tangkou Grace, and she enchanted me so much that I found myself with a Pullip 1 week later.

Langley & Gracie - my first 2 girls!

2. Forget About the Price Tag

Before spending the kind of money that some would use as a down payment on a car, you probably want to know if a collectible doll is for you. Tangkou, with her average price tag of £30/$50, is a great way to test the waters of the hobby without breaking the bank - another reason she's fabulous for beginners. You can buy 3 Tangkous for what 1 Pullip will set you back; she sure is value for money!

Tangkou has also made it to the UK market; something Pullip and Blythe have yet to really crack. Check out her official UK distributor here and keep your eyes peeled as they sometimes offer discount codes:

World of Tangkou.co.uk

3. Pretty as a Picture

One thing I've felt Pullips had originally but lost over the years is making the packaging as beautiful as the contents. Tangkous positively excel in this area - every girl comes with an artistic slipcase over her box which is so gorgeously designed you'll want to flatpack it and keep it. Check out Grace's:

Yes, it's holographic.

4. Because You're Worth It

Tangkou's hair is like a shampoo advertisement. Sweetly scented, soft and shiny, it beats the average Pullip's stock wig hands down and won't leave you gagging if you accidentally catch a whiff of it. The later Tangkou models have removable wigs, just like Pullip, but unlike Pullip you won't be inserting a butterknife under Tangkou's wig cap and wrenching it off - her wig is a handy elastic cap for easy removal and application. Also, no icky glue residue around her scalp!

Although I can only speak for Vampire and Grace, I've found that what Tangkous lack in quality of detailed faceup and daintiness of the body shape, they make up for in quality of wigs and clothes. Both their outfits are beautiful and very well-made, and Lucy's black dress and red socks haven't stained her body even a little. I find it baffling that these £30 dolls have lovely wigs and non-staining clothes that the £80+ Pullips lack. Sixth Sense's quality control kicks Groove's butt.

5. Share and Share Alike

With a much more mature body than Blythe and newer Pullip, Tangkou can share clothes with Barbie, Liv, and Takara Jenny, and Pullip types 1-2 (and sometimes 3, though it's a tight fit!). Her head is the size of Pullip's boyfriend Taeyang, meaning she can squeeze into their 8-9" sized wigs and hats but will do better with a 9-10". 

6. Her Stock Shoes Probably Won't Fit. 

Unfortunately, there are some cons to owning a Tangkou it would be remiss of me not to note. This is one of them, and a common problem with the Pullip family, too. On the one hand when Tangkou's foot pops off her ankle it's not a permanent break like Pullip & Co., because you can just pop it back on again. On the other, if it pops off inside her boot good luck getting it outta there. Oops.

7. Her Stand Doesn't Help her Stand

You might want to invest in a good doll stand, because Tangkou's isn't holding anyone or anything up. This is partly due to a crappy cheap stand, but also due to her...

8. Floppy Body Syndrome! 

Unlike Pullip, Tangkou doesn't like to stand up straight. I display my Pullips either on their stands, or sitting up on a shelf (assisted by their hands), legs dangling off the edge. My Tangkous I have to keep propped up against the wall because they like to pretend they have no spines :(

This can be fixed with a rebody. I stuck my Vampire Lucy on a Pullip Type 4 one night and it worked OK - it totally cured her floppiness and her head, being almost the same size as a Pullip, did not look too out of place. However Tangkou neck pegs are a little different to Pullip, and although you can rebody in seconds without any sanding etc be warned the Tangkou's neck will spin around 360 degrees like something out of The Exorcist! This might be fixed with some Teflon; I'll try it sometime with a picture tutorial.

9. Vampires and Fairies and College Students, oh my!

Although Tangkou is newer than her friends, just like Pullip and Blythe, there are growing number of her incarnations to choose from. Whether you're into Gothic Lolita, Rococo, or Audrey Hepburn, there is a Tangkou to suit you.

10. She's so darn adorable. What more do you need?

Ahh <3

Is there anything else we should know about Tangkou? Let me hear about it in the comments!

Today's Random Musing: Priorities

...or, 'where did all my money go?'

A tempting find on an older girl got me thinking today about my doll priorities. I find it really hard as a collector to maintain a wishlist with any kind of rating of what I want 'most', because that's something that can vary wildly day to day. My family and friends, subject to my pullip-related chatter, must think I have the attention span of a gnat, because I'm crazily saving for one purchase and then suddenly my funds are blown on something else. It's not only the practical stuff - like a curly wig tangling and justifying a rewigging, or a body breaking and needing a quick replacement - it's often the completely unnecessary that diverts my attention. Like the day I discovered CoolCat's treasure trove of freakishly adorable legwarmers. Have you seen them? Oh mercy, the pom-poms.

I could spend a terrifying amount on ensuring my families' little plastic legs are cosy.

Bargains are the number one thing to cause chaos and disruption amidst the ranks of my wishlist. Ever since the reveal of the obnoxiously beautiful hello Kitty/Tokidoki collaboration Pullip Violetta, I'm been saving for her. Or, trying to. Because she's a slightly expensive price of $170 shipped, and twice in the meantime I've found an older girl lower down my wishlist for a bargain price, and both times I convinced myself that it would be madness not to grab these sold out darlings while they're cheap. So I did, and Violetta inches ever further away.

I'm very conscious that being a triple collab she won't be in stock forever, and if I keep blowing my funds I might not get my hands on her until PS runs out and I'm suddenly stuck on Ebay at the mercy of the irritating scalpers.

No, that doll is not worth $600. Go away.

Gotta buckle down with the savings and get her soon!!

Anyone else have similar problems maintaining a wishlist?

Hi, y'all!

If you're reading this, hello! 

I'm known in the dolly world as Missy, and I plan for this to be a fun place where UK collectors (and all collectors, really) can come to find out about Pullips. I will do reviews (with photos) and talk a lot - a LOT - about these cute big-headed dollies. And anything else dolly related that might be interesting.

A little about me:

I first became active in the doll community in the spring of 2013, joining the (now non-existent) Disney Doll Trading Board. When my interest shifted to asian fashion dolls, specifically Tangkou and Pullip, I joined Pullip Style's forum and eventually Dolly Market under the same username of Missy_Crane. I have recently been honoured to be part of the opening of a new dolly community where I will be helping out as a member and moderator - I hope to offer news on this wonderful new place as soon as possible. I've made many friends on DM and have had only positive transactions, and here's to many more in future! I have some exciting plans for this blog :D

The biggest part of my collection is made up of Pullips, but I also collect her boyfriend Taeyang and his little sister Dal, and Pullip's little brother Isul. I don't have a Byul or Yeolume yet, but hope to in future! I'm not keen on Blythes but have a soft spot for Tangkous and may consider a BJD someday. I have a large Disney doll and anime plush collection, and recently began collecting Nendoroids and Monster High. I hope these collections will grow, except the Pullips always seem to force themselves to the top of the wishlist :)

Let's get this blog started, woo ~