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Dollfie Dream Lottery & Purchasing FAQ

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SakuraSylph

Current as of: July 2016

 

Welcome to the world of Dollfie Dream! One of the first learning opportunities a prospective DD owner is going to encounter is how to actually acquire these dolls. For most products in the world, when you want something you can simply walk into a store and buy it, but most of the time it is not so for DD. There are a few extra hoops involved to jump through, but it's totally doable to adopt one (or more, eventually). This FAQ covers all aspects of buying DD, from lotteries to preorders, clickwars to standards. It will help you learn where, when, and how to adopt your gal and her associated clothing.

 

Does Where I Live Matter?

 

Yes! The country in which you live will determine what methods of direct-from-Volks DD ownership are open to you. And consequently, it will also determine which parts of this FAQ you can use. Here's what you should look for. For each country in the list below, listed beside it are the sources residents of that country can use for DD items.

 

What is This "Lottery" People Speak of?

 

Dollfie Dreams are a limited commodity, in that there are far more people who want to own them than there is supply made by Volks. There has to be some way to decide who gets the right to purchase them! For most things in the United States this problem would be solved by first-come first-served, but Volks is not an American company. It is a Japanese one, and the most common solution to this same problem in Japan is to use a lottery system. This is true for concert tickets, event goods, and lots of other items; Volks didn't invent lotteries specifically for dollfies. They just use the same system.

 

Anyway, the lottery system is analagous to drawing names out of a hat. It costs nothing to enter, and if your name is drawn, then you win the right to give Volks your money and buy that DD. Sorry, you don't win the DD for free . You enter for each specific doll and outfit that you want, so it is not random drawing as to what doll you're going to get, don't worry. If your name is not drawn, then you miss out on the doll and your order is automatically cancelled without you needing to do anything else.

 

The chance of a win is directly correlated to the number of people who put their names in, as you would expect. This varies widely by individual doll so there's no telling in advance how likely a win is.

 

What Items are Sold by Lottery?

 

Dollfie Dream licensed character dolls, licensed clothes, and licensed accessories. So, any famous girls from anime or video games will certainly fall into this category, as will their associated items. Additionally, anything belonging to Volks' own self-made storyline called Afterschool Akihabara Girls will be. People talk about lotteries all the time because a lottery is the way to buy nearly every DD doll that gets made!

 

To be more technical about it, Volks classifies new-release items into two broad categories: "Sumika Items" and "Limited Items". It's a bit of a misnomer because the Sumika Items are very limited in quantity too, but let's ignore that fact. Anything listed as a Limited Item on the Volks websites is what will be sold by the lottery system.

 

Are All Lotteries the Same?

 

No, they aren't. For a single doll, there are three completely independent entry pools (separate lotteries): 1) Dolls Party event, 2) Volks Japanese stores + Japanese online, 3) Volks International. Of those 3 pools, you can submit an entry to as many of them as is allowed for your country -- see above. That means it is possible to win multiple dolls by winning once in each of more than one pool.

 

Be sure you actually don't mind if that happens, and have the money for it, if you enter in two or more pools. You can of course choose to enter in just one pool and not worry about it, too.

 

Can I Enter Into More Than One Lottery Pool for the Same Item?

 

Sure, if you want to, and you live in a country where this is an option. You'll have to pay for however many you win, though. In the general case there's no cancelling, so be aware of your financial commitments.

 

To be honest, entering into multiple pools is a lot less prevalent today than it used to be, so this question almost doesn't apply anymore. In years past, a person in the USA could enter in {VolksUSA, Volks International, Volks US Distributor} for a total of three shots; a person in Japan could try at {Dolpa, Volks physical store, Japanese online} also for a total of three shots. Today that's down to one shot for USA (Volks Int.) and two shots for Japan (Dolpa, store + online combined). Volks is really streamlining the rules to try to give a greater number of people the chance to buy. I'll talk more about those changes in the appropriate sections below.

 

Can I Enter More Than Once Into the Same Lottery Pool?

 

No; it's one entry per-pool per-person. Volks will cancel all of your entries and ban all of your accounts if you try to put in more than one entry in the same pool and they catch you. You don't want that.

 

It literally is per-person though, not per household, so if your husband or wife also likes dolls then you can both enter in the same lottery and that's OK. The operative thing is that the name on the order and the payment method (paypal account or credit card) must be different for every entry placed. Just remember you have to pay for everything that you win.

 

When Are the Lotteries Held?

 

This really depends on what event the Limited Items in question are part of. There will be announcements on Volks' different websites (Volks International, Twitter) and I'm sure there will be plenty of discussion in the News subforum of this site as well. Watch the websites! If the release is tied to a Dolls Party event, then online lottery entries will typically be open for a couple of weeks around the actual date of the event.

 

How Are Lottery Winners Determined, and What Can I Do to Maximize My Chances?

 

We don't know. Volks doesn't publish any information about how lottery results are determined, so the best you can do is enter and hope for the best.

 

There is a rumor among the fan community that, if a doll has an associated outfit in the same lottery (for example Rin Tohsaka and the Homurabara Academy Uniform), then entering for both will make you more likely to win than if you entered for doll-only. That's pure guess with no basis in facts though, so you can choose how much you believe that.

 

These statements apply to all Volks lotteries.

 

To be continued in part 2 below....

Edited by Guest

SakuraSylph

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SakuraSylph

How Do I Enter the Lottery with Volks International?

 

Volks International will post a page on their store website listing all the items and the entry time period for the lottery. All times are listed in Japan Standard Time, so please convert that to your local time. You are only allowed to enter during the few days the entry window is open, so don't miss it!

 

You will be creating an order in their online store as your lottery entry. Here's what you need to do to enter International:

 

  1. Create a user account at Volks International and store your address information.
  2. Sign in to that user account. You must be signed in before adding items to your cart for it to work. You will get signed out after 15-30 minutes of inactivity, so don't go take a lunch break until you're done with your entry.
  3. Browse to the overall lottery page. You will see that the dolls are separated out into Sheet A, Sheet B, and so on based upon which items go together. Each sheet will be a separate order with a separate shipping charge, so carefully consider what to enter for.
  4. Add your desired items to your cart then complete your order. Do this for as many sheets as needed.
  5. That's it! Now you wait. No payment info is entered at this time, so you only worry about that if you win.

 

How Do I Know if I Won with Volks International?

 

You will get an email confirmation telling you to go register payment details by PayPal or credit card. The whole cost is due right away, since the doll will be shipping direct from Japan to you. Sometimes these emails get stuck in your Spam folder, so please check there as well as your inbox once the results start coming out. The schedule for results announcements will be posted on the lottery page.

 

You can also check if you won by logging in to your Volks International account and going to Order History. If you won, the "status" column of your lottery entry will now contain a link to where you need to submit payment.

 

How Do I Know if I Lost with Volks International?

 

No news is bad news. People who lost the lottery don't get any email confirmations.

 

It can take 24 hours or more to send out all the notifications once they start going out, so if some folks report getting an email and you haven't yet, it doesn't necessarily mean anything - yet. Generally once a day has passed then no news is bad news.

 

You can also double-check online by logging in to your Volks International account and checking your Order History. If the "status" column says "Lottery", then either you didn't win or Volks has not processed your order yet. If the notification end time completely passes and your order still says Lottery, then you didn't win.

 

Anything Else I Should Know about Volks International?

 

There is a shipping delay of about two to three weeks after you pay with Volks International. That's before shipment, then of course you also need to wait a week or so for EMS to get the package to you. So some patience is required.

 

If, and only if, there are any leftovers from the lottery because not enough people entered or because some winners didn't pay, then these extra dolls will be sold on the website, fully advertised, first-come first-served. That's your second chance! They call it the cart system. There will be an announcement of the precise time in JST that each doll will go live for ordering, so you know exactly when to go shopping. If this event occurs, it will be a couple days after the end of the original lottery. Please see the "clickwar" section below for more on what to expect when this second chance comes up.

 

How Do I Enter the Lottery with Volks Hobby Tengoku?

 

This will be the Japanese domestic online lottery. It works just like Volks International, except in Japanese. See the previous set of questions for what to do.

 

You cannot enter this lottery if you live outside of Japan, but it's fair because people inside Japan can't enter the International lottery. The chance of winning is about the same for both lotteries, which I know from personal experience, so the Japanese don't get any advantages in terms of probability.

 

If you do enter the Japanese online side, make sure that you do NOT also enter via one of the Japanese physical stores. (Or vice versa). These two are considered the same pool nowadays. Volks JP does tell you this rule in the online directions, but it's definitely worth reiterating.

 

How Do I Enter the Lottery at Dolls Party?

 

It used to be that if you wanted to be the first in the world to own a new Dollfie Dream, this was where you did it. But these days Volks does not distribute dolls in person at Dolpa any more. Instead, you enter via a lottery form and get the doll mailed to you later if you win. This makes things harder for overseas participants.

 

The difficulty is that 1) a win at Dolpa is only allowed to be shipped domestically within Japan, and 2) it won't actually be mailed until a month or two after the date of the event. Any winner is going to need a stable Japanese address for that long, which means your hotel won't work unless it's extended-stay. In essence you'll need to use the address of a proxy forwarder like Tenso in order to collect your win. If you're going to try for a doll at Dolpa on vacation, you absolutely must prepare this address (sign up for service) in advance!

 

The benefit of entering at Dolpa is two-fold: first, it has a significantly higher probability of winning than the Hobby Tengoku Online method noted above. This is advertised and confirmed by Volks as a Dolpa perk. Second, you're allowed to enter at Dolpa and again in the store+online pool, meaning you can further up your chances by having an officially legal second entry.

 

To actually enter at Dolls Party, you must purchase both an entry ticket (allows you to get in) and the Dolpa Guidebook (allows you to do all the special events), and then go to the event in person in Japan. Once there, you will be able to request a lottery entry form to fill out. The Dolpa staff can speak multiple languages, so you can ask for help in English or Chinese for instance if needed in order to get the form.

 

How Do I Enter the Doll Lottery at a Japanese Volks Store?

 

Visit the checkout register in the doll section of the store and ask for an entry form. Fill out the form and hand it in to the cashier. Volks will keep half and return the other half to you, which you must keep to use later as a pickup receipt in the case that you win. You may elect to have Volks mail the doll to you or you may elect to pick it up in person at the store you entered at. If you pick it up, Volks will call you to let you know that you won and when to pick it up.

 

Mailing can only be done within Japan, so this physical-store method is only useful if you live in the country or if you have set up a forwarding arrangement with a proxy.

 

You can only enter once, and at one physical store. It is NOT permitted to enter at two or more different stores, or to enter at a store plus enter at Hobby Tengoku Online.

 

Anything Else I Should Know about the Japanese Stores?

 

A few weeks after the Dolls Party event takes place, the Japanese stores will hold something called the Dolls Party After-Event on one specific Saturday morning. The purpose of this event nowadays is to sell all the clothes from that Dolpa to the general public. I'll talk more about the AE below, but the operative point for this section is thus: lottery entry form submission is suspended (on purpose) during the hours of the After-Event. Thus you can't economize on trips by doing the AE and entering at the same time; you need to come back to the store after 3pm or so in order to put in your form.

 

They do this to minimize confusion during the very busy After-Event sales period.

 

How Do I Enter the Lottery at VolksUSA?

 

In general, VolksUSA doesn't get to hold doll lotteries these days, so you can't count on this store being a reliably-available method of entry. That's why I put it last in this post. However, that doesn't mean never.

 

On occasion for special events, VolksUSA is allowed to run a lottery for dolls, so depending on the DD it might be an available method for people in North America (US, Canada, Mexico). When it happens, you will place an online entry at the VolksUSA website, and then wait to hear back later by e-mail.

 

The specific rules may vary, so please be sure to read each event's information as it comes up at VolksUSA.

 

That's all for lotteries! But there are other ways to buy DDs and their clothes, which I will cover in part 3...

Edited by Guest

SakuraSylph

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SakuraSylph

Can I Buy a Dollfie Dream Without the Lottery?

 

Yes, sometimes you can. There are three instances that will let you get around lotteries.

 

First, if the doll you want is one of the Standard Models. These are currently DD3(L) Aoi (v2), DD3(M) Yukino (v2), DDS Mayu, DDdy Miiko, and MDD Rena. Standard models are freely available for sale at all stores and online, and when they sell out they'll be restocked.

 

Second, if Volks is offering a limited character model for preorder. This does happen every so often. When it does, the opportunity will be announced widely. Entering a preorder works very similarly to entering a lottery, as far as using the websites are concerned at least. However the results are different: the doll will be on open preorder, where anyone can place an order within about a four-week window, and all orders will be filled. Sometimes you can buy duplicate dolls, and other times it's one doll per person. Examples of dolls that have been done this way: Reimu & Marisa, Yuki Morikawa & Rina Ogata, Saber Alter II & Saber Extra. Being a preorder doll doesn't necessarily affect aftermarket prices.

 

That brings me to the third and final way to get a complete DD while avoiding the lottery: buying a doll second-hand. DDs almost always go up in value because of low supply and high demand, so this is not the most cost-effective way to get a doll. But sometimes it might be the only way possible, for instance if the doll is old or you lost the lottery for her. There are many places you can look for secondhand dolls. Some of them that you can access online are: the Marketplace on this forum, Den of Angels, figure.fm, flickr's DD group, myfigurecollection, eBay, Yahoo Auctions Japan, Mandarake, Jungle, Surugaya, and Dollyteria. If you actually go to Japan, there are secondhand figure stores all over the place that every so often will have a doll or two.

 

Is Buying Clothes Different from Buying Dolls?

 

Yes, it is. With the exception of clothes that go with a specific limited doll, all the rest of the Volks clothes fall under the "Sumika Items" label. You buy Sumika Items at the same places as you do the doll lotteries, but you may need to follow a slightly different procedure depending on the place. This is where the terms "After Event" and "clickwar" come into play.

 

What is a "Clickwar" All About?

 

A clickwar is the first-come first-served procedure used to purchase Sumika Items at the two most popular online locations, VolksUSA and Volks International. This is not an official Volks term, but is a name that Dollfie fans have given the process. The idea is that you're competing against other doll fans to get the same items, and whoever clicks their mouse fastest wins. So, it is a war of mouse clicks, or a clickwar.

 

How Do I Buy Sumika Items by Clickwar at VolksUSA?

 

You should be logged in to your VolksUSA account and ready to go slightly before 11AM PST on the day of the clickwar. Try to add the items you want to your cart as fast as you can. Once they're in your cart, they're reserved for you for about 30 minutes so be sure to check out soon.

 

Once your order goes through, it will be processed and shipped out in a few days like usual.

 

How Do I Buy Sumika Items at Volks International?

 

The International store offers the Sumika Items at approximately the same time as their doll lottery. Sumika Items are sold in a first-come clickwar style here too. Here's what you need to do.

 

First, you must have already registered an account in the system, and you must be logged in prior to the "opening bell" of when the items go up for sale. Go log in at least 15 minutes in advance in order to avoid trouble. What kind of trouble? Well, the denial-of-service kind actually. Volks International's website store is notorious for becoming extremely slow and erroring out frequently when the clickwar begins. Their servers just aren't built to handle the crush of people accessing it from all around the world -- including Japan. The Japanese clickwar is at the same time and hosted on the same servers as Volks International. So, be prepared to have patience even though it is a race.

 

The important point to remember about Volks International is that it's he who adds to cart first wins. The item is reserved for you as soon as you get it into your cart, so once you succeed at that there's no need to rush to check out. Items will stay reserved in your cart for between 8 and 12 hours before you lose them, so it's possible to do group orders for the reserved items or wait to check out until later if you missed something and want to see if it pops back up. Yes, this system also means that things that appear to be sold out will come back into stock later in the day as people's carts time out or they just plain change their mind! It pays to check back at Volks International.

 

Once you have all your items in your cart, you can check out like normal. There's usually a 2-3 week shipping delay before your order will be sent out.

 

How Do I Buy Sumika Items at Volks Hobby Tengoku Online?

 

It works exactly like Volks International, and is at the same time, just in Japanese. Please see above. Keep in mind that it will also be the same time as the events are being held in the physical stores around the country, so you can't do the in-person event and the online clickwar at the same time. (Japan only).

 

How Do I Buy Sumika Items at Dolls Party?

 

Buying Sumika Items here lets you be the first in the world to own them, but again you must go in person to the event to do this. When you go to Dolls Party and get there in the morning, you have three separate lines to choose from. The Sumika Items Line is a first-come queue which you can get in at any time and without drawing a number. There will be a person holding an enormous flag to let everyone know where the end of the line is, so you just need to look for this person in order to get into the line. The flag will have both English and Japanese on it, saying Tenshi-no-Sumika Items.

 

Once the Dolpa opening bell sounds, the line will be taken to the shop front area and people will be admitted in groups of around five at a time. Once inside you'll be able to buy one copy each of whatever is laying out. There will be a group of registers set up near the exit which is where you need to go when your basket is full. Note that the cash registers are shared between those people paying for Sumika Items and those people paying for Limited Dolls, so you may be waiting in line a while to check out.

 

Dolpa is well-attended and, even though everything sells out, they still make an effort to have somewhat reasonable stock. Before the start of sales last time, I counted 72 copies of one outfit on the shelf plus a large cardboard box underneath the shelf that presumably contained some amount more. Most of the outfits had that many, although some had less. You have a pretty good shot at getting whatever you want as long as you're in the Sumika Line by 8:30 or so.

 

How Do I Buy Sumika Items at Volks Japanese Stores?

 

The Sumika Items are released to the physical stores during Dolpa After Event, which is a few weeks after the actual Dolls Party itself. Each Japanese store has their own specific rules and times to follow, which are announced on the specific After Event webpage (Japanese only).

 

Some stores have everyone draw numbers from a box, and then line up in that order before going into the store to make a purchase. For stores where that is the case, one useful strategy is to bring a group of friends to all draw numbers, then give you the best one as you all congregate around waiting. There is an opportunity for people who didn't like their number to give that number back and go home, so the only cost to the group is a little time. The Japanese use this strategy frequently.

 

Other stores will have a line that is first-come first-lined-up, however they'll draw a random number to split the line and determine where the new head starts. Akihabara Dollpoint uses this one. I'm not sure if there are any strategies to help with this method, or if it's just luck. In any case, specific instructions for your store will be published online a few days before the AE.

 

Regardless of the method, once the shopping order has been determined, you'll be let into the store in order with the line. There will be a pre-defined path through the store that the line must follow, and the path walks you by baskets containing each Sumika Item then ends at the cash register. You pick up whatever you want as you pass by it, then check out in order. This process can take a couple of hours because their registers are slow.

 

It is permissible to go through the line multiple times in order to buy multiple copies of things. It's one copy per person at first, but once everyone has had their first go, it's opened up to as many as you want. Of course many things are sold out by the time the line's first pass is done, but on the off chance something isn't, it's worth a second look.

 

How Do I Buy Sumika Items Through Shopping Services?

 

Both on this forum as well as other doll forums, you will occasionally find people who offer a shopping service for the Sumika Items. Some folks do Volks International, and others do Volks Japan & Dolls Party. If you don't want to deal with clickwars or queue waiting, or if you want a backup way to get a favorite outfit, you can get someone else to try to do it for you.

 

Each person has their own rules and such that can vary per event, so there's not a lot to say here beyond the fact that this option exists.

 

I Occasionally See References to "VS/VIP". What is that?

 

The VS/VIP is the Volks Supporters Club, a Japanese membership program. It is a pay-for program that lets you earn extra points on your purchases and gain access to exclusive goodies that only VS/VIP members can buy. Like most stores in Japan, earned points can be redeemed for a small discount on a future purchase. You buy this on an annual basis for 1050 yen per year, and it is only open to people with a Japanese address.

 

The full suite of Volks points options is as follows:

 

  1. Point Card Membership. Free. Get 1pt per 100yen. Volks News is free to pickup in-store. Points can be redeemed anytime.
  2. VS Membership. Y1050/year. Get 3pt/Y100 when paying with credit or 5pt/Y100 with cash. Volks News is mailed directly to your house. Get access to member-only goods every now and then. Points can be redeemed anytime.
  3. VIP Membership. Free, but requires the Volks branded credit card. Same benefits as VS otherwise.

 

If you come to Japan on vacation you can use your hotel address to sign up for a card. It's even possible to do VS-level if you want, just select the "don't want" option (希望しない) for Volks News so they don't mail it to your hotel.

 

Anything Else I Should Know About Shopping at Volks in Japan?

 

If you come to the Tokyo area there are quite a few official stores you can browse: Akihabara Dollpoint in Radio Kaikan, Tenshi-no-Mado Harajuku, LaLaPort, Yokohama, and Tachikawa. There are stores in other areas of Japan too, but as you might expect the Tokyo area has the most all in one place.

 

If you present your passport at the Akihabara store (and only the Akiba one as far as I know), you can shop duty-free. That means you get to avoid the Japanese sales tax, which is 8% now but slated to jump to 10% in 2018 unless something changes. So, using your passport is as good or better than VS/VIP as long as you go to Akihabara.

 

Does VolksUSA Have a Membership Card?

 

No, they don't anymore. They used to, and it used to allow admission to Dolls Party USA when there was such a thing, but there has not been one of those for years now. You cannot use the old member card to get discounts VolksUSA, sadly.

 

That's all I can think of for now regarding shopping at Volks or otherwise buying Dollfie Dream and related accessories. I am open to editing / updating these posts over time as any new information comes to light, so please, discuss and ask questions.

Edited by Guest

SakuraSylph

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shinegamix

thanks for writing this. you have a higher chance of winning if you dont cheat. so dont ok


making my triumphant return

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SakuraSylph

All righty, that completes all the parts of the guide. As I mentioned at the end, comments and discussion are welcome as we refine our collective knowledge over time.


SakuraSylph

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DefectiveAngel
There is no pre-defined entry period; you can write to them at any time. There will not be a call for entries publicly announced anywhere, so don't wait around for that (unlike VolksUSA). There's also no such thing as "too early" to write in: you can send your email as soon as you decide you want a doll, even if US pricing hasn't been announced by VolksUSA yet. However, there IS such a thing as too late: all dealer entries must be made before the official VolksUSA entry period begins. More on why that is true is below.

 

I wish I would have known this earlier.

 

But this does confuse me slightly because for this upcoming event I received an email from WLD on (7/27/13) that they were now accepting wish list items and when the chance to send your list ended. Or is that email more like a reminder that the chance to get in your wish listed items is ending soon?

 

Does that mean I could have still written them ahead of time and still of had my entry accepted? I have never used them before so all of it is still new to me. I was just basing my previous experience with Kerbey Lane and waited for the email that they were accepting requests. Although I never did enter for a doll through Kerbey Lane, just clothing items. This worries me now that me waiting for an email from WLD has placed me very low on their list.

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KL was very consistent about sending out calls for entries when it was time to submit, and the results were decided by drawing names (for both clothes and dolls). I liked KL a lot and miss them. The same strategies that worked for KL aren't the best for WLD though.

 

WLD is inconsistent about who they email calls for entries to - I received them sometimes, but the vast majority of the time I didn't. It was a bit misleading for me to say that things "won't" be advertised I suppose; perhaps I should have said not to "expect" it to be advertised.

 

It is permissible to get in line as soon as Volks News hits the shelves in Japan if you want to, way before US availability or pricing is announced. If something doesn't come out in the US after all, then you've lost nothing. When it is close to lottery time, it wouldn't hurt to send a follow-up e-mail to WLD to remind them of when you wrote in originally and let them know that you are indeed still interested.

 

I think that, before now, it was probably OK to wait until that email came to enter. WLD and its exact entry procedures weren't well-known. But now that this FAQ is out there to clearly publicize things, waiting probably will hurt your chances for future items.

 

HUGE Disclaimer: WLD is an independent shop and can change their procedures at any time. This info is accurate as of the time I'm writing it, but there's no way to say whether the procedure will stay this way.


SakuraSylph

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Misheru

It was my understanding that you couldn't 'get on the wish list' until the email call when out from WLD (like it was with KL).

 

I have emailed before thinking I had missed the email and wanted enter and was told that the email had not gone out yet and to wait until then.

 

So I am not sure. I think that WLD is a smaller business than KLD ever was, so it is probably more difficult for one person to handle everything when it gets really busy.

 

Like SS said, policies can change at any time and I figure that WLD is probably having to modify some of their original ways of doing things now that they are the only dealer left. But it is my current understanding that you cannot go on the list until the email goes out. I could certainly be wrong.


~ Misheru...the *M* in H&M House of Vinyl ~ ℒℴѵℯ❤

( ͒ ु•·̫• ू ͒) ˚₊✩‧ All your dolliehs are belong to us! ✩‧₊˚ ( ͒ ु•·̫• ू ͒)

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DefectiveAngel

Thank you very much SakuraSylph and Misheru for your replies.

 

I think I have a better understanding how it works now with WLD. This has been such a new process for me with WLD since I can't afford to enter a lottery for a new girl everytime one rolls around. The last and only lottery I have ever entered since being in the hobby for 2yrs was back during DP24 for WS Alna and that was through Volks US.

 

So I very much appreciate the answers and help. ^_^ I think having this horrible long wait of not knowing if I won or not is multiplying my worry factor. That's why my heart sank some when I read I might have been able to write them sooner. If I had it my way they would have known day 1 I found out about Crimson Sakuya...lol! XD

 

That does make me feel a little better knowing that waiting for the email was the right thing to do. I just hope that policy has stayed the same. Especially since I sent my reply in within an hour of receiving it. Which that would have been even sooner if I hadn't of been at work that evening.

 

Anyway thank you again for the help. This is a wonderful guide and very helpful.

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Godzilla44566
How Do I Know if I Won with VolksUSA?

 

You will get a second e-mail later on telling you that you won. The winners are announced a few weeks after the entry period closes, usually, so please be patient. There will be a note on the lottery item's page telling you approxmiately when notices will go out.

 

People usually start talking about it on the forums when the winning emails start coming in, so you'll know about when to expect yours.

 

When you win, nothing happens right away, other than that e-mail, since VolksUSA does not have the lottery items right away. Your credit card will be automatically charged once the items arrive from Japan to the USA, and your item then ships out without you having to do anything else. After all, you already entered all the information VolksUSA needs to process your order.

[/i]

I have a question on this part, the Volks USA Lottery entry page for Sakuya says: The charge date for the winning entries will be about one week after the winning notice email. The schedule details will be mentioned in the winning notice email.

I thought that ment they would charge you a week after you received notice you won, does it actually work like you stated and you do not get charged until its time to ship the item out?

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bethykins
How Do I Know if I Won with VolksUSA?

 

You will get a second e-mail later on telling you that you won. The winners are announced a few weeks after the entry period closes, usually, so please be patient. There will be a note on the lottery item's page telling you approxmiately when notices will go out.

 

People usually start talking about it on the forums when the winning emails start coming in, so you'll know about when to expect yours.

 

When you win, nothing happens right away, other than that e-mail, since VolksUSA does not have the lottery items right away. Your credit card will be automatically charged once the items arrive from Japan to the USA, and your item then ships out without you having to do anything else. After all, you already entered all the information VolksUSA needs to process your order.

[/i]

I have a question on this part, the Volks USA Lottery entry page for Sakuya says: The charge date for the winning entries will be about one week after the winning notice email. The schedule details will be mentioned in the winning notice email.

I thought that ment they would charge you a week after you received notice you won, does it actually work like you stated and you do not get charged until its time to ship the item out?

 

 

Not quite, if you win you will be sent a winning email and then you have a week to pay


I have a gorgeous family of DD girls

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Leadcrow
How Do I Know if I Won with VolksUSA?

 

You will get a second e-mail later on telling you that you won. The winners are announced a few weeks after the entry period closes, usually, so please be patient. There will be a note on the lottery item's page telling you approxmiately when notices will go out.

 

People usually start talking about it on the forums when the winning emails start coming in, so you'll know about when to expect yours.

 

When you win, nothing happens right away, other than that e-mail, since VolksUSA does not have the lottery items right away. Your credit card will be automatically charged once the items arrive from Japan to the USA, and your item then ships out without you having to do anything else. After all, you already entered all the information VolksUSA needs to process your order.

[/i]

I have a question on this part, the Volks USA Lottery entry page for Sakuya says: The charge date for the winning entries will be about one week after the winning notice email. The schedule details will be mentioned in the winning notice email.

I thought that ment they would charge you a week after you received notice you won, does it actually work like you stated and you do not get charged until its time to ship the item out?

 

 

Yes, you are charged a week or so after the notice of winning. SakuraSylph should probably correct that part.

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Leadcrow
How Do I Know if I Won with VolksUSA?

 

You will get a second e-mail later on telling you that you won. The winners are announced a few weeks after the entry period closes, usually, so please be patient. There will be a note on the lottery item's page telling you approxmiately when notices will go out.

 

People usually start talking about it on the forums when the winning emails start coming in, so you'll know about when to expect yours.

 

When you win, nothing happens right away, other than that e-mail, since VolksUSA does not have the lottery items right away. Your credit card will be automatically charged once the items arrive from Japan to the USA, and your item then ships out without you having to do anything else. After all, you already entered all the information VolksUSA needs to process your order.

[/i]

I have a question on this part, the Volks USA Lottery entry page for Sakuya says: The charge date for the winning entries will be about one week after the winning notice email. The schedule details will be mentioned in the winning notice email.

I thought that ment they would charge you a week after you received notice you won, does it actually work like you stated and you do not get charged until its time to ship the item out?

 

 

Not quite, if you win you will be sent a winning email and then you have a week to pay

 

That sounds like your talking about Volks international. For Volks USA you have to put in your credit card number just to enter. Then they charge you automatically when you win.

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SakuraSylph
I have a question on this part, the Volks USA Lottery entry page for Sakuya says: The charge date for the winning entries will be about one week after the winning notice email. The schedule details will be mentioned in the winning notice email.

I thought that ment they would charge you a week after you received notice you won, does it actually work like you stated and you do not get charged until its time to ship the item out?

Excellent catch! You are correct on what VolksUSA means. I have edited the FAQ to reflect that winners will get charged shortly after winning e-mails go out. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

I wonder if that policy has changed since the last time I won a lottery with the USA store, which admittedly was 2009. Anyway, I'm glad to know that a fix was needed!


SakuraSylph

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mangaemi

I've got a question - since it was news to me that Volks Intl is a per entry per person thing, and not a per household situation.

 

In the event that myself and my husband both put in entries... if he won and I didn't, does his payment information need to have his name on everything? This question also applies for if I try to have all my friends enter too, they don't care too much if they got their accounts banned (b/c they're not into dolls, just me). but I'd not want Volks Intl to ban me if say my husband or friend won, and they used my paypal info or CC to pay for it.

 

I hope that makes sense... XD


♥ ★ ✮ ~ Amassing an army of Anime Cuties ~ ✮ ★ ♥

The Family: Sheryl, Ranka, Kirika, Arlex2, Yoko, Snow Miku, Haruka, Student Mariko, Prisma Illya, Akira, Maria, Cirno, Noumi, Asuna Titania, Sakuya

on the way: want: Sailor Moon, Miki, Yukiho

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SakuraSylph

Only Volks themselves can tell you what is "required", but...

 

My instinct suggests that it's better if each person is paying with their own CC or Paypal with their own name on it, even if they live in the same house as you. That way you have a clear dividing line and you can say it was indeed two separate people who entered. Avoiding the appearance of impropriety would be of utmost importance.


SakuraSylph

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Marq V

SakuraSylph, you are very knowledgeable in this area, so perhaps you can answer a question of mine:

 

Yesterday, I found out I was one of the winners of the USA lottery for Sakuya: Crimson. I see her Japanese lottery is not until August 24th. But, already on eBay I saw a listing for Sakuya for $1,350.00

 

How could someone list a doll that is not even available yet? Or does Volks pre-sell to some vendors they have a working relationship with? Am I missing something about the lottery?


Galfriends at home:

DD: Yoko, Yui, & Briana Rei

Resin: Tatiana, Leda, Miyoi, Tana,... & Gena<3

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Dollvari
SakuraSylph, you are very knowledgeable in this area, so perhaps you can answer a question of mine:

 

Yesterday, I found out I was one of the winners of the USA lottery for Sakuya: Crimson. I see her Japanese lottery is not until August 24th. But, already on eBay I saw a listing for Sakuya for $1,350.00

 

How could someone list a doll that is not even available yet? Or does Volks pre-sell to some vendors they have a working relationship with? Am I missing something about the lottery?

 

The Dolpa was on August 4th so Sakuya has been out since then. The after event is always after the Dolpa, so some of the dolls are already out by then.

Edited by Guest

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Marq V
SakuraSylph, you are very knowledgeable in this area, so perhaps you can answer a question of mine:

 

Yesterday, I found out I was one of the winners of the USA lottery for Sakuya: Crimson. I see her Japanese lottery is not until August 24th. But, already on eBay I saw a listing for Sakuya for $1,350.00

 

How could someone list a doll that is not even available yet? Or does Volks pre-sell to some vendors they have a working relationship with? Am I missing something about the lottery?

 

The Dolpa was on August 4th so Sakuya has been out since then. The after event is always after the Dolpa, so some of the dolls are already out by then.

 

 

Oh, I didn't realize there was something before the Hometown lottery. If I enter enough of them I'll probably figure it out...eventually.

 

Thank you for the answer, Dollvari


Galfriends at home:

DD: Yoko, Yui, & Briana Rei

Resin: Tatiana, Leda, Miyoi, Tana,... & Gena<3

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Dollvari

No problem The funny thing is if you win the lottery after event. You will get your doll before someone who entered the US lotteries.

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mangaemi
No problem The funny thing is if you win the lottery after event. You will get your doll before someone who entered the US lotteries.

 

I think it might be because Japan they just ship it out EMS and EMS is shipped by plane (since it's 3-5 business days) (or maybe it's a faster speed boat I dont know lol). I bet the shipment to VolksUSA is done by frieght/boat and that's what adds so much time to it.


♥ ★ ✮ ~ Amassing an army of Anime Cuties ~ ✮ ★ ♥

The Family: Sheryl, Ranka, Kirika, Arlex2, Yoko, Snow Miku, Haruka, Student Mariko, Prisma Illya, Akira, Maria, Cirno, Noumi, Asuna Titania, Sakuya

on the way: want: Sailor Moon, Miki, Yukiho

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jadepixel

I think it might be because Japan they just ship it out EMS and EMS is shipped by plane (since it's 3-5 business days) (or maybe it's a faster speed boat I dont know lol). I bet the shipment to VolksUSA is done by frieght/boat and that's what adds so much time to it.

 

Yup, exactly. I think they also try to group them with shipments of regular store items, which is why they usually restock around the time that new dolls arrive

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SakuraSylph
Yesterday, I found out I was one of the winners of the USA lottery for Sakuya: Crimson. I see her Japanese lottery is not until August 24th. But, already on eBay I saw a listing for Sakuya for $1,350.00

 

How could someone list a doll that is not even available yet? Or does Volks pre-sell to some vendors they have a working relationship with? Am I missing something about the lottery?

This eBay listing is probably an overseas reseller, probably from HK. Sakuya Crimson is already released, so here's how that is possible.

 

Dolls Party (8/4): Sakuya Crimson first release in the world. Take her home that day.

Japanese in-store AE (8/24): Take her home directly from a Volks store in Japan.

Japanese online lottery delivery (9/8): Deliveries if you won her online in Japan.

International lottery delivery (9/15): Deliveries if you won int'l lottery.

USA Lottery delivery (11/01): Approx delivery if you bought her from VolksUSA.

 

Thus, even though Sakuya Crimson isn't out yet even to most places in Japan, it was possible to get her if you went to Dolpa in Nagoya a few weeks ago. That's where the auction dolls (YJA and eBay) come from right now.


SakuraSylph

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Marq V
Yesterday, I found out I was one of the winners of the USA lottery for Sakuya: Crimson. I see her Japanese lottery is not until August 24th. But, already on eBay I saw a listing for Sakuya for $1,350.00

 

How could someone list a doll that is not even available yet? Or does Volks pre-sell to some vendors they have a working relationship with? Am I missing something about the lottery?

This eBay listing is probably an overseas reseller, probably from HK. Sakuya Crimson is already released, so here's how that is possible.

 

Dolls Party (8/4): Sakuya Crimson first release in the world. Take her home that day.

Japanese in-store AE (8/24): Take her home directly from a Volks store in Japan.

Japanese online lottery delivery (9/8): Deliveries if you won her online in Japan.

International lottery delivery (9/15): Deliveries if you won int'l lottery.

USA Lottery delivery (11/01): Approx delivery if you bought her from VolksUSA.

 

Thus, even though Sakuya Crimson isn't out yet even to most places in Japan, it was possible to get her if you went to Dolpa in Nagoya a few weeks ago. That's where the auction dolls (YJA and eBay) come from right now.

 

Thank you, SakuraSylph


Galfriends at home:

DD: Yoko, Yui, & Briana Rei

Resin: Tatiana, Leda, Miyoi, Tana,... & Gena<3

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ArthuriaPen

Very noob question. D:

How many people win the lottery, exactly? :o

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