Business Starting Grants

Is it possible to have a business selling ball jointed dolls?

I was just wondering if it could be possible to have a business selling home made ball-jointed dolls. I have been interested in them for a while now, and maybe also if it was possible to make them at home? Like make them then sell them in my own store, would that be possible? Of course I'm not going to use cheap materials or anything I'm going to try to use good materials.

Public Comments

1. Yes you can have a good home based business making the Ball Jointed Dolls, you will need to take some doll making lessons plus get a kiln and the molds for the bodies and the heads. this is one of my favorite doll artist below, this should inspire you forward. I came across a Haute magazine containing dolls produced by Marina Bychkova. http://www.enchanteddoll.com/galleries/c… also... shown on http://www.flickr.com/photos/cisley/sets… You have to order in advance since she spends many hours 150 to 300 or more hours on these dolls Enjoy the website
2. As I understand it - Real BJDs are make with Urethane resin (a toxic substance). First a doll is sculpted and made functional. BJDs are all separate parts with ball or socket ends, all held together with elastic. It is not easy to design body parts which will pose well. Then molds are made for the body parts. The resin is poured into the molds and cast (no kiln). They are removed, sprue removed and at least some sanding done to seam joints (the dust is toxic). Then if you sell them with faceups (face paint) the face needs a cleaning, fine sanding, cleaning and thorough dry. Then a couple of light coats of particular fine clear matte lacquer spray (MR Super Clear is the standard spray to use). These sprays are toxic. Then the face must be painted artistically with diluted acrylics, chalk pastels. The face gets two fine coats of the matte lacquer again, this time to seal the faceup. Eyelashes are added, then eyes. Here is the best list of links to BJD making tutorials. However many may be for 1-off tutorials and not about making molds for manufacture. Many beginners like the Noah's Doll tutorial - however if I remember correctly, that doll's neck attachment may be backwards from all other BJDs I have ever seen. The neck should be an extension of the torso and a shaped hole in the bottom of the head should rest on and slightly around the rounded top of the neck. http://bjd-wtf.livejournal.com/1879.html Re whether you could make sell yours? I think that would depend on the quality of your materials and your sculpt, plus the functionality of your body. it will also depend on "the look". If your BJD is very Euro/American looking or too fashion-doll proportioned then it may not find many fans in large parts of the BJD-buying community and may actually be banned from some forums like Den of Angels. And unless your BJD is a tiny where fans expect sizes to vary. I think in the middle and large size ranges of BJD you would do best to stick to a size and measurements which would fit the clothes of other popular BJDs. Re making money - I think most US resin BJD makers who make multiple copies of each doll ahve found that the only cost-effective way to produce BJDs is to pay to have their molds made in China and pay to have the casting done in China. I think your sculpt needs to be functional for stringing and mold-ready to have this done. I am not sure but this may mean you have already cut your body parts into separately moldable halves of appropriate contours for molding. This requires knowledge of sculpting the pieces in such a way that each half will be pourable AND removable from the mold after it sets.