Jump to content

puxlavoix

Politely Nefarious

AnnaNeko

Xiongmao

Mandie

BeyondTime

DesertPhantom51

F-15

sunlightandtea

ateliervanilla

The Ecchizonans

Zoom Meetup

Tierparkzone

Frollywog

Veravey

MagicalRozen

Baldylox

Ui-

[NSFW—doll nudity] Finally... my dream doll. Rem!!

Recommended Posts

Ui-

I was about to pay over a thousand dollars to customize a Rem doll, and double it for Ram (whom I am still searching for desperately). Then Volks announced a DDS... I was blown away

I missed the click war by 4 hours because I accidentally fell asleep 30 minutes before. They were all sold out by then. 😩 
 

Thanks to the lovely site you all introduced me to, Mandarake, I was able to find her with only an “extremely damaged box” (lol there’s a small dent it, barely...) I only had to pay 88,000 yen for it, and let me tell you, I NEVER in my whole life would have imagined one in the reseller market for that low. She was just sitting in a store on a shelf! Blows me away!! Thank you to everyone who recommended Mandarake to me. You’re forever in my debt. <3 Now, onto the box opening!!653403AF-AAA7-41E2-A7B8-9B0AE3514DC3.jpeg.a6b460a25c3854fbfa56b4149e99592b.jpeg

Here you can see the damage to the box that resulted in the reduced price (LOL perfectionists. :] )

980DE7DC-C126-4CE8-857D-B37B2564AE40.jpeg.87b763526c75a318136bb77b99988922.jpeg

Here she is all laid out. Absolutely stunning face up. There are little spots of opaque white on her cheeks to make it seem like they’re gleaming. Amazing job! A lot more effort was put into this faceup than on Towa. Towa is still gorgeous thigh lol. 
1A060708-F506-40C7-8907-11EC2D458F87.jpeg.9afb058cc84fd10329d2426df3b7ad54.jpeg

Obligatory box and cute pose. Poor Ram, even Subaru noticed how much smaller your bust is!

8AB4A9DA-E6BB-4891-A14C-5C503CBD341E.jpeg.eba585bb756c318f138450680458b18f.jpeg
Now, this is the only easy part of getting her clothes on. I’ll continue in my next post since I’m size limited. The next piece requires her entire top half from the bust to be removed. Her bust size is simply far too large. 

  • Like 3

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Ui-

E7656F2E-F57B-4C50-A567-22F903BE3590.jpeg.d65a62c97de792fd75044f05cb290dce.jpeg
This piece is absolutely adorable. But it can’t fit over her hips or over her bust. It was no issue taking her apart (I love the new f3 frame).

525A12F8-43A7-4C6C-9307-3C9EE3BB0CE9.jpeg.1f1b8bdc6607bec6ab734d27948f6a2e.jpeg
Here she is all dressed up!! That X hairband is a PAIN to get on lol. Amazing outfit. It’s stunningly beautiful. I can’t believe how well done Volks clothes are. I honestly am amazed beyond words. 
 

And here’s a surprise for later; I am still working on the heads (and waiting for custom eyes):

EF10A41A-EA6B-4398-84EF-C11D5010C463.jpeg.93361e509760245d2322d2ae0dabea37.jpeg
Delivery from Volks and Mandarake today. :) Best day ever. Base body for DDS and MDD with larger bust sizes, and MDD clothes. DDS I’m having custom made. She’s a surprise hehe. 😄

 

Thanks for reading. I’m elated!

  • Like 5

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
cfx

Congratulations.

32 minutes ago, Ui- said:

That X hairband is a PAIN to get on lol.

You're not alone. I think everyone with Rem or Ram has said this.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Ui-
14 minutes ago, cfx said:

Congratulations.

You're not alone. I think everyone with Rem or Ram has said this.

I figured a quick way to put it on. Try to spread it while holding the end of her bangs out taut with your pinkie and finger next to it so you can use your thumbs and forefinger. 
 

When hair gets stuck above the barrette, use your fingers to move it so as you slide it on, it goes under. It takes a minute or so but it works. 
 

And makes me want to GLUE that sucker in place!!! and thank you for the congratulations. I’m sooo happy today. Feels like Christmas + my birthday haha. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Gallye

Ooh, congratulations! Your Rem is just super cute. 😄

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Ui-
Just now, Gallye said:

Ooh, congratulations! Your Rem is just super cute. 😄

Thank you. :) I’m really happy. She was my dream doll. I always hoped she’d get a DD and right before I paid way too much for customs, she comes into existence. I missed out originally, but at last I got her. Happy day. Thanks again!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Beani

Congrats on Rem! She is adorable. Hope you can find Ram as well. I believe she is the rarer of the two for sure. 

Agreed that the X clip is about the worst thing ever to get on.

I’m surprised you had to pull her apart for the black top though. Were your snaps at the front defective? 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Ui-
Just now, Beani said:

Congrats on Rem! She is adorable. Hope you can find Ram as well. I believe she is the rarer of the two for sure. 

Agreed that the X clip is about the worst thing ever to get on.

I’m surprised you had to pull her apart for the black top though. Were your snaps at the front defective? 

I couldn’t find any snaps. I might’ve not looked hard enough... I’ll check later. Either way, it wasn’t a hassle at all. Pretty quick. 
 

cheapest Ram is on eBay for $1599.95. Crazy. I’ll wait and keep checking Mandarake. I set a few terms that they’ll email me for too. Thank you so much. I really want Ram, but Rem is my favorite. It’s just I need bothhh the sisters. :( haha. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Beani

@Ui- I see. The snaps are well hidden otherwise it would look really ugly. Should be on the dolls right side under the flap next to the little bows. They are black. 

Never, ever pay Ebay prices. For Ram your best bet is likely Yahoo Auctions but the listing that ended last week went for 120,000 yen.. She was sub 100k for awhile though. Maybe it will go back down again. For those overseas Mandarake is far more accessible though and I believe you don’t pay JP sales tax either. 

  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
cfx
1 hour ago, Beani said:

For those overseas Mandarake is far more accessible though and I believe you don’t pay JP sales tax either. 

This is correct, no tax. It used to be more blatantly obvious because if you switched an item page from English to Japanese language, the price changed. Now the price stays the same but says "+ 税 " (+ tax) on the Japanese page.

This is a pretty rough comparison and it greatly depends on the proxy used since fees vary a lot, but I found you need the price of a doll on Yahoo Japan to be 5000 - 10000 yen less than the Mandarake price to break even on the cost after fees are included for Y!J.

They don't currently have a Ram either, but Jungle is another store to consider, with a couple of caveats:

  • They charge an extra 5% on every order for a handling fee so factor that into their prices. It used to be a Paypal fee but now it's always there.
  • They don't list DDs as unused, only grade A, which as far as I can tell doesn't distinguish between unused and used-but-excellent condition. On outfits they have a "sealed" grade which is clearly new. I think the problem is DD boxes aren't sealed from Volks, so they can't truly say something is new.

I haven't bought a doll from Jungle, but I have bought shoes and outfits. Service is good and packaging was excellent, almost overdone. If I wanted to buy a doll they have, I'd just email and ask for some clarification on the condition.

1 hour ago, Beani said:

Never, ever pay Ebay prices.

Indeed. I have dubbed it "baka gaijin pricing" especially with all the Japanese sellers with the prices that look like 1.5x to 2x what they should be.

@onion9@

To add something: Yahoo Japan is fine, just be very careful with what you are buying, and how much you are paying. All the proxies are, in my opinion, less than honest on the fees they charge because they hide part of them in things like using a yen/dollar exchange rate that is worse than the real one, or seemingly a different small fee charged for every little thing that all add up and if you don't read the FAQs very carefully you'll miss something.

I may well just be stupid, but I've used two Japan proxies for Y!J, and one Taobao one, and in every case I ended up paying more than I expected to due to how fees were handled and in the case of the Taobao agent, so much that had I known the reality I'd have never ordered at all.

Also on Yahoo Japan, as with ebay, check descriptions very carefully. I was looking at a Ranko auction that had a buyout price that made zero sense, 18K yen I think it was. Pictures were all the ones from the Volks site, including the one that shows all the contents you get. This auction was actually only for her wig. And of course those descriptions are in Japanese, so be very sure if you're using machine translation that it is working fairly accurately.

I don't want to scare anyone away from Yahoo Japan auctions, but I also don't want anyone to get hurt so I just want to emphasize things to pay attention to.

Edited by cfx
  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
nettle_tea

Congratulations on your Rem!! I didn't go for the twins, partially because I knew if I had one I'd HAVE to get the other and I wanted to put my money towards other things. Buuut, a little part of me still regrets not getting them to go with my Emilia and complete the Re:Zero set. Plus I absolutely love their cute little faces <3 I'm always happy to see owner pictures of them!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Ui-
5 hours ago, Beani said:

@Ui- I see. The snaps are well hidden otherwise it would look really ugly. Should be on the dolls right side under the flap next to the little bows. They are black. 

Never, ever pay Ebay prices. For Ram your best bet is likely Yahoo Auctions but the listing that ended last week went for 120,000 yen.. She was sub 100k for awhile though. Maybe it will go back down again. For those overseas Mandarake is far more accessible though and I believe you don’t pay JP sales tax either. 

Thanks so much. :) That’ll be easier. I know some clothes you have to take apart pieces so I just figured. I didn’t look too terribly hard. Impresses me even more how well made it is. And a full set too. :)

I will never buy from eBay. I give them legitimate offers and get turned down. Oh well. Their reply signatures are resell toy shops. *shrug* Sucks that people use limited edition items that people actually want keep as a way to make profit. Makes business sense, just not moral sense... 

Thanks everyone. I’ll wait for a bit to buy Ram I suppose. I’ll get her eventually :)

Edited by Ui-

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
BeyondTime
15 hours ago, Ui- said:

Here you can see the damage to the box that resulted in the reduced price (LOL perfectionists. :] )

It's because collectors want stuff that is in mint condition.

Congrats on your Rem.


The difference between Dollfie Dreams and Heroin? Heroin is illegal, Dollfie Dreams probably should be.

“Empty wallets, full hearts.” That’s probably an apt description for the effects of DD addiction

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
cfx
57 minutes ago, BeyondTime said:
16 hours ago, Ui- said:

Here you can see the damage to the box that resulted in the reduced price (LOL perfectionists. :] )

It's because collectors want stuff that is in mint condition.

True, but it's just funny in the case of these particular boxes. If these new white boxes are as flimsy as the previous yellow ones, it's difficult to get one that doesn't show something like that. Even with Mandarake's good packaging, these boxes are likely to pick up small dents like that in being shipped. I think if I don't pick one of them up the right way they get damaged.

What I like about this though is if sellers are this willing to show and deduct for box damage like that, I can be pretty sure they would also indicate any issues with the doll.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Ylse

Congratulations on getting Rem! Good you got to find her for a reasonable price! I saw both Rem and Ram at the dollpoint before the release at Dollpa and also thought they look very cute! 😍

The ''damaged box'' thing still amazes me sometimes. I got a nendoroid for reduced price at the mandarake store because it said ''damaged box''. I asked if I could see it and the nendoroid was perfect and unopened: there were only 2 teeny dents in the box. I went ''wut'' and bought it 😂

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Ui-
7 hours ago, BeyondTime said:

It's because collectors want stuff that is in mint condition.

Congrats on your Rem.

Yeah I know. She is in mint condition. It’s just the box has a minor dent. All it is to me is funny. I’m not judging anyone. 
 

I collect too, I just don’t leave them in their box.

Thank you. :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Ui-
4 hours ago, Ylse said:

Congratulations on getting Rem! Good you got to find her for a reasonable price! I saw both Rem and Ram at the dollpoint before the release at Dollpa and also thought they look very cute! 😍

The ''damaged box'' thing still amazes me sometimes. I got a nendoroid for reduced price at the mandarake store because it said ''damaged box''. I asked if I could see it and the nendoroid was perfect and unopened: there were only 2 teeny dents in the box. I went ''wut'' and bought it 😂

Hahahaha that story is funny. But hey, saves us money in the long run lol. Congrats on that Nendroid haha

 

And thank you. I’m jealous of Ram owners haha. Rem was my dream but now that I have her, she misses her sister. 😂 

Oh, I finished my MDD (L bust). All Volks clothes, shoes, and wig (SD size wig, or whatever their biggest is), and custom Dollce A faceup, with custom eyes:

0D90685B-E0B8-4158-8A0D-846B6BDE907A.jpeg.c6c7935b7eb35e7ab10955561028d683.jpegCDA55030-80CE-4636-A60C-D7A69A64D9BC.jpeg.066c9ae89ff5a5a860d899aea3efbef0.jpeg85603D76-CC52-460A-A3D0-13ACF8A4E8BF.jpeg.257f81168bde80d5110daaa113db19dc.jpeg

I need to fix all those scrapes in my floor lol. 
 

I’m going to make a stick of cotton candy as a prop for her, so she’ll be drooling over it. I also tried her on a DDS base body and it works perfectly (which is lucky, since I’m making a custom Jibril on a DDS L bust body).

MDDs look surprisingly good with a L size bust. I almost thought it would’ve been too much, on such a small frame. Nope. Looks fantastic. I’m really happy with her. Still think up a name. Might name her Cotton. :) 
 

@cfx These boxes are FLIMSY. Say it tips over on the shelf. *dent* But everything else is fine. Or even during shipping, the outside cardboard could look fine but if something fell on it, it could very well damage the box. It’s THAT flimsy. Having said that, I honestly don’t care about the box. I save all boxes from all figures and dolls. But a dent like that definitely won’t detract me from the product inside. And so far everything I’ve gotten from Mandarake has been excellent. Great packaging and they’re, as far as I can tell, completely upfront and honest about the item’s condition. 

Edited by Ui-
  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Ui-

I was able to get Ram today. Well, still waiting for them to check availability but I doubt anyone snagged her up that quickly. 
 

Woot :) Well.. sorta woot. Wasn’t planning on this 😂 Sort of needed to save... oh well xD

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Singer Yuna
4 hours ago, Ui- said:

I was able to get Ram today. Well, still waiting for them to check availability but I doubt anyone snagged her up that quickly. 
 

Woot :) Well.. sorta woot. Wasn’t planning on this 😂 Sort of needed to save... oh well xD

Congratulations on the grail twins! Yaaaay!

  • Like 1

image.png.cbc1e19648277386a02b21f041664ca5.png

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Ui-
1 hour ago, Singer Yuna said:

Congratulations on the grail twins! Yaaaay!

Thank you! Can’t wait to take pictures with both :) I’m really excited.

Am not thrilled about having to put ANOTHER barrette on, but I guess that can be summed up to a “first world problem.” lol 😂

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Gallye

Oh, man, gratz! You are gonna have the cutest household. 😚

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Ui-
24 minutes ago, Gallye said:

Oh, man, gratz! You are gonna have the cutest household. 😚

^_^ Thank you. She’ll mark my 5th Dollfie (two have Dollce heads though). I’ll do a family photo soon. Sadly I only have one DDS outfit and it will take a while to finish my custom Jibril outfit and eyes, and she’s another DDS. Just naked and headless right now haha. I got her Dollce head on Etsy, and custom eyes too. Still waiting on them however. I tested my other Dollce A head on the DDS body and proportions look just fine. 

Can’t for my last two girls to be done/here. :)

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
nettle_tea

That's awesome! Hooray for your Ram GET! Did you snag the one that popped up on mandarake the other day? I thought of your post when I spotted her. I look forward to seeing pics when she arrives <3 let me live vicariously through you!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Ui-
3 hours ago, nettle_tea said:

That's awesome! Hooray for your Ram GET! Did you snag the one that popped up on mandarake the other day? I thought of your post when I spotted her. I look forward to seeing pics when she arrives <3 let me live vicariously through you!

Yes, actually haha. I’m excited. :)

 

I took this one today lmao:

 

Rem:

”Are you trying to steal my job?”

and then being laughed at. 😂

130FD4B4-FAC9-49B8-9A24-FE1FB0CFDDC5.jpeg.7cd5c077baa0816da10fc3f49181759c.jpeg
 

Also, I got a PM with a link to that doll from another member six hours before I got it. Then I checked it and laughed and smiled. I got the notice email from Mandarake and and the PM notice but clicked the notification one and got it right away haha.

Edited by Ui-
  • Haha 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Ui-

Yessss Mandarake Ram GET! Got the invoice much quicker than I did with Rem. Oh boy am I excited. 

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy.