RainbowNanaki Posted March 26, 2019 The Smart Doll male dolls have recently been switched from being "main line" dolls to being released in small batches every 3 months. Apparently the next batch will be released in late June. Source: Danny Choo's Instagram ---- The reasoning behind this is that the male dolls do not sell very well, but as some others have commented on Instagram, it is hard to sell something that is not advertised much, not featured in promotions, and has a very small amount of official clothing/accessories. I am personally saddened by this, as the selection of male 1/3 vinyl dolls is already so small. I just hope I do not miss the ordering window in June, as the most recent batch seemed to have sold out in about 24hrs. I don't know about you, but I don't usually check my email extremely frequently, but I suppose come June I should start 😓 He/Him --- I like making stuff --- Please don't make sexual/lewd comments about my dolls, thank you! At Home: Tyler (Akira 2nd), Adrienne (Smart Doll Mirai Cortex), Bryan (Smart Doll Eiji, cinnamon ver.) Waiting For: Nothing atm Wishlist: Smart Doll Crimson Kai in tea skin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BottleStar Posted March 26, 2019 Yeah, this really killed me when I read it a while ago. I'm already having trouble obtaining specific types of dolls as is, I didn't wanna have to add the SmD boy to that list. I think I'll have better luck obtaining a older second hand boy than getting a fresh new one. Danny may have said that this change could be temporary if he can eventually expand production, but if it's more convenient, I'm not going to fault him for sticking with it permanently. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
20blackbags Posted March 26, 2019 This was really disheartening to hear about the seasonality of the male smart dolls. However I have hope that it won’t stay this way for long. The fact that the boys sold out fast is proof there is a market for them. Hopefully when Danny Choo releases the new coco boy he will provide new clothing options to get more people invested in the boys. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KonekoHigure Posted March 26, 2019 Well, there is a market for SmD boys. But the reasons why it doesn't sell as much as the girls are : 1. they are less advertised and featured like RainbowNanaki said 2. there are a lot of girls (even if some share the same make-up) against only one male mold with two make-up ? It doesn't surprise me. 2 At home: Ashura (DD Ruri) - Nova (DDS Alice Kuonji) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jemmilly Posted March 26, 2019 (edited) Hmmm, I have Eiji and when I post photos that are just of him on Instagram they always seem to get less likes than when he is with Starlight, so based on that it does seem to me that he is less popular. I’ve never thought that it was because of how he’s advertised, I’ve always assumed that some people are just not interested in boy dolls at all. Also, he’s cute in person but not so photogenic as the girls as he looks a bit grumpy. 😆 1 hour ago, KonekoHigure said: 2. there are a lot of girls (even if some share the same make-up) against only one male mold with two make-up ? It has always seemed strange to me that there isn’t a softer, more smiley face up using the Eiji/Crimson head, particularly when so many of the girls have the same head sculpt. Edited March 26, 2019 by jemmilly 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SisterKyoya Posted March 26, 2019 I find this frustrating, but not surprising. Initially he seemed excited to work on Eiji (his character, specifically) but seemed to find the boys in general to be more annoying than his beloved girls. Even just the email conversations I had with him when the SmDB was being developed he was seeming to loose patience towards the end. Boys are not his priority and it painfully shows. Wouldn't surprise me one bit if the limited release is in part due to him not wanting to deal with them. I quit following him on social media because the boys are almost never mentioned, seen, updated, anything and I got tired of getting more than an eyeful with the frankly skanky posing the girls often have. Even my Dakota seems to have more dignity in what she wears than his girls and she has worked in more than a couple strip clubs (backstory.) 😁 There are lots of ways to do sexy pics without triggering the 'eww...' factor. Just makes me feel bad for his girls. Personally it is hard for me to not feel like the SmDB are just a holdover from his "I can do all the things!" days... where he failed to do all the things he was so convinced he could do. I don't fault him for having lots of ideas, big dreams, and going after them. What irks me is the trail of crumbling sand castles he has left behind and pretends aren't there. Erasure by exclusion. And what of his assurance that the bodies could be bought without the heads? I think that would impact sales as well because not everyone wants the Eiji sculpt (which doesn't really match the body sculpt because Danny's weird ideals about head sculpts.) I may recall there has been 3 different versions of Eiji's head: Dev head., Original Eiji & Current Eiji but they all have their oddness and look nothing like any anime guy that I can think of. I know I was lucky that the original Eiji was close enough that I could mod him into Kyoya, but matches more of the odd drawings in the early manga rather than the anime. I have been frustrated for a long time that Danny has never released just the boy bodies (that I am aware of) but insists that the head and I think underwear is included, which jacks up the price. Maybe not by a lot, but it makes a difference when they are expensive as it is. And what of replacement body parts after the first year? I worry a lot about what to do when joints wear out, especially Ralph's Dev. body which was not perfect in the first place. I'm really irritated by all this because I still need about 5 SmDB bodies for characters I've already started and it makes me worry that I will never get them finished. ~SK 2 Forum Blog: Badger Pocket Tales (Family story from the beginning) | { Old Family story reboot: Start Here! } Follow me on Twitter, Flickr & Instagram Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yumeiro Posted March 27, 2019 8 hours ago, Sister Kyoya said: I have been frustrated for a long time that Danny has never released just the boy bodies They have been available for quite a while. Just hidden. But they have been sold out for a while, too. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SisterKyoya Posted March 27, 2019 Thanks for the link Yumeiro. I did not know he had posted them. Hiding things on the site is something else he does that frustrates me. Most anywhere else that I know of, if they plan to keep it in stock would just say 'out of stock' and not hide the darn page, confusing the customers. I know he has done the page hiding before and the pages mysteriously disappeared completely. How he does business and runs his site is so confusing. ~SK Forum Blog: Badger Pocket Tales (Family story from the beginning) | { Old Family story reboot: Start Here! } Follow me on Twitter, Flickr & Instagram Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freakie-oppa Posted March 28, 2019 It's almost dark comedy to me when he says he isn't sure why his character boys aren't selling well. Right in the kokoro LOL. He literally only has 2 shirts that fit the default bicep piece that is given with ALL purchases of Eiji Kai. 😥 And I have no intentions on downgrading to the slim bicep, the default ones compliment the new pectorals too well. But I'm pretty sure my doll would love some more shirts, plz k thnkx. 😖 I feel like his love for the boys went down the drain after Eiji's remake. He had so much love for the first version but I guess remaking the boys became a chore after his first boy fell through. It is true that when you love something so much only for it to be torn down, it can really take a blow on your creativity. And I'd assume the license boys sell well because, well, Lelouch is a popular character, especially now with the upcoming new season of Code Geass, and he just puts so much effort into the boy releases (new torso piece, additional head, NEW face molds, AND specialty vinyl protectors for him? Mind blown.) I dunno, I feel like if he bulks up his line of boys, puts a bit more variety into them and actually markets them through proper pictures and more clothing, they'd probably sell alot better. To me Eiji Kai's face is very lovely in almost every single angle. He just doesn't get much love from his creator. 😫 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AwkwardMango Posted March 28, 2019 I also hope he puts more variety into his smart doll boy line in the future since I really like them, and that the boys cortex version doesn't get released in small batches every 3 months too. 😥 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cirquemom Posted March 28, 2019 I think he feels like he can only spread himself so thin. He has so many irons on the fire, etc., it seems like boys are just not a priority. My Crimson was my second Smart Doll and I'm really happy I got him. I haven't had any trouble finding clothes for him on ebay, etsy, etc., he fits most of the SD sized clothing. The really hard thing is shoes- his feet are big and wide. I actually like them that way- but wish there were more shoe options. His passion is obviously with the girl dolls as he seems to put his energy into them. The only time I see a boy posed by Danny is when he releases a new clothing item (which is rare). But you never see him flying with a boy doll, or taking one around the country side, etc. It really surprises me that the boys aren't actually more popular because it seems like in the general BJD world boys are at least as popular if not more so than the girls. I looked for the perfect vinyl boy for years. I started with an Obitsu 60 with the male chest plate which just never worked for me (male chest but very feminine waist and hips, long thin legs, etc). Then got the 55 cm Obitsu boy with a Joshua head, which I really like, but is too short for my Obitsu Gretel (60cm). Then got a 65 cm Obitsu male- that body was a nightmare, broke immediately, had posing issues and I never really bonded with the head. So compared to all of those, the Smart Doll boys are great. I think maybe if Smart Doll boy owners started posting their pictures more, they would get more popular. I started a pinterest page for Smart Doll boys and there are some wonderful guys on there. Posting the link here- hope it's okay, if not I'll remove it. https://www.pinterest.com/cirquemom/smart-doll-boys/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Catzs101 Posted March 29, 2019 More variety in the boys would be nice since there would be more to choose from. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jazijaz Posted March 29, 2019 On 3/26/2019 at 7:10 PM, Sister Kyoya said: I find this frustrating, but not surprising. Initially he seemed excited to work on Eiji (his character, specifically) but seemed to find the boys in general to be more annoying than his beloved girls. Even just the email conversations I had with him when the SmDB was being developed he was seeming to loose patience towards the end. Boys are not his priority and it painfully shows. Wouldn't surprise me one bit if the limited release is in part due to him not wanting to deal with them. I think he mentioned once that boy dolls were not his thing, he did it because of demand. It shows that he doesn't like boy dolls, I always wanted one but I'm not too fond of the head molds. I wonder if Volks is going through the same thing, I don't see many boy dolls on this board. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
illori Posted March 29, 2019 My funds are in place and I am ready to pounce! I was worried when the boys dropped off the site for a few days, the aftermarket price is ridiculous. Does anyone know where to get eyes for the boys with a small iris? His default is grey, but I'm going to need green. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
20blackbags Posted March 30, 2019 2 hours ago, illori said: My funds are in place and I am ready to pounce! I was worried when the boys dropped off the site for a few days, the aftermarket price is ridiculous. Does anyone know where to get eyes for the boys with a small iris? His default is grey, but I'm going to need green. You most likely will have to commission someone to make you some eyes if you want a small iris. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NeeP Posted March 30, 2019 To be honest, I prefer the boys over the girls. I never really got into the vinyl doll hobby until I learned that boys were available. Then I started buying DD and SmD boys. Currently, I am still waiting for the release of the cocoa boy. Or the release of a boy from an anime that I enjoy. I am not familiar with the anime that Lelouch is from, but if he does a boy from One Peice like Zolo or Luffy, I would consider buying that. Or if for some crazy reason he secures a license for Dragonball Z and makes Trunks, I’d be purchasing that so fast, never mind the saving— I’d happily happily carry the debt load on my credit card for that one. Perhaps if Danny could get more folks hooked by selling licensed boys, maybe other folks will reconsider the other boys and Danny could have a reason to provide more clothes and other stuff for them. And maybe reconsider releasing more boys..? Niki P. Vinyl brood at home: Len, Noah, Kenji, Rinto, Kiri, Eiji, Anais, Rin, ‘Red’, Lenka, Kai, Midoriya, Marc, ‘Sue’, Terra, Night, Frankie, Anna and Chitose. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Laylian Posted March 30, 2019 I put my name in to be informed when they release, but I've got a feeling my chances of getting one are slim, haha. I was really sad to hear that they'll be released every three months, but I'm happy they're not going away entirely. I've got a feeling that I need to buy one sooner rather than later though, in case they get axed >< Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NeeP Posted March 31, 2019 On 3/29/2019 at 4:52 PM, illori said: My funds are in place and I am ready to pounce! I was worried when the boys dropped off the site for a few days, the aftermarket price is ridiculous. I would love to know where you go for aftermarket smart doll stuff. I am also interested in an old school Crimson, as well as an Eiji head. Niki P. Vinyl brood at home: Len, Noah, Kenji, Rinto, Kiri, Eiji, Anais, Rin, ‘Red’, Lenka, Kai, Midoriya, Marc, ‘Sue’, Terra, Night, Frankie, Anna and Chitose. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sato Posted April 2, 2019 Wow I'm gutted because Crimson sat at the top of my wish list for ages, I even requested one to purchase at Dokomi and when I went to collect him they'd sold him off to someone else because "they thought I wasn't coming". So I was extremely frustrated, but now knowing he's pretty much on the axe pile is starting to look like I'll never be able to grab one. It's especially difficult when his sales tend to go up either in the middle of the night or while I'm at work. I guess this crushes any cortex boys either. But is it any surprise the boys don't sell? He does no advertising for them, there's been no new head molds aside from lelouch and the redux. He's never really cared about the male line and I'm sure if he hired someone who would really promote them and engage in the community, creating essentially a sub brand for the boys, he'd get significantly more business for them. When you don't advertise you don't sell, this is basic business. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marishade Posted April 4, 2019 I am saddened by this as well. I want to bring Crimson home some day, will not be this year because of 2B and 9S (needy $$$ jerks, lol). But I was thinking I would finally be able to pick him up next year. As long as he continues to sell him, I guess I can deal with "scheduled releases" but it is still disappointing. I think it has to do with a couple of things. One, there is not a wide variety of boys like there are girls. Two, while I LOVE the bodies, I think there are a number of people who prefer a 'less macho/more boyish' body which is not available. Even the 'skinny arms' Lelouch has are muscular. Three, Danny literally sold like two complete outfits at a time for the guys. . . . and now he will be selling nothing (sorry that really annoys me. . . even though the majority of Smart Doll clothing is overpriced they fit the dolls the best). Three, I do not see as many 'flattering' photos of the girls as I do the guys. . . and half of those flattering photos have the guys dressed more femininely (which I am not into and I am sure there are some who feel the same). Four. . . this is more a shot in the dark, but it may be possible that there are quite a few male vinyl doll collectors? Who probably do not buy the guys because the are not attracted to them? IDK, just see a lot of half naked - large breasted vinyls ladies online that seem to be directed more at male audiences and get some of the most up-votes (nothing against it if you are into it - male or female - just making notes). IDK, honestly as long as I am able to buy Crimson when I want to then it will not bother me too much, but I do worry that this is Danny 'giving up' on the default guy line. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pihlajakoto Posted April 5, 2019 I want to buy Eiji this year. I had the email notification when he came back to stock and now I have it on again as I missed his sales this time (I put email notification for the new mystery guy too in case he might be interesting). I hope Eiji and Crimson come available as cortex when cortex is finally launched as I hope they'd be more available then 😕 I just don't seem to be able to grap dolls I want with one day warning... 2 My blog Pihlajakoto Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tira Posted April 6, 2019 Yeah, I'm really disappointed, too. Aside from a lack of funds, a big part of the reason I haven't gotten Crimson is that I've been hoping for more boy options. My main wish is that he'd offer an unpainted boy, since I'd give Archer a custom face-up anyway, but more variety of headmolds and maybe some buffer option parts would also be nice. He doesn't even sell Eiji's eyes separately anymore, though, so that seems unlikely. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pihlajakoto Posted April 8, 2019 Eiji came back to stock. That's nice but where is the option hand pack for milk guys! Not much love for the guys as no apparel available straight from the page and the given 'find apparel here' page shows only three options out of nine show worn by guys on that page. By going to product page you can find what those look worn by Eiji. My Eiji is going to be so naked because I'm only going to get jeans for him. And I do not like the ordering process where I have to have fluent english to figure out which of 'Get me outta here' or' I'm fine with this' is continue shopping after I wrote a long notice. Big plus on the other hand for free shipping 😄 My blog Pihlajakoto Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kalisha Posted April 8, 2019 I have order eiji, its the first time i order some thing from Smart Doll, Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
20blackbags Posted April 8, 2019 I hope crimson can magically restock too. Eiji is almost sold out 😩. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites