Guilty Pleasure?

I think a lot of people have the idea of me that I am kind of a badass (ok by me), or a tomboy (sometimes true, sometimes not), or cold and unfeeling (harsh!). And while I do obsess over things like clothes & hair & makeup, it's really in more of an androgynous, visual kei way. And I certainly do not cook, clean, or otherwise fill any kind of gender role. So it might surprise some people that I f***ing love dolls. I would probably have a "real doll" if they weren't so expensive, just because I totally dig a well made doll. As a kid, I had a lot of barbies, but they're quite trash by my standards. Nothing can compare to Elfdolls:

Elfdolls are ball-joint dolls made in Korea by an artist known as Rainman. And they totally look like people. But unfortunately, they are usually $3-500 each.

A lot of people like Volks' Super Dollfie, which typically look more like anime characters:

 

...but sometimes look like David Bowie...

 ...and sometimes look like they have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

I really wish I had an Elfdoll that looks like those above (not the Dollfies). I have 3, but they are all special limited editions, and therefore more unusual.

 This is Billy Cherryblossom (I didn't make up these names btw, lol). He is, clearly, an anthropomorphized pig. He's just a little bab! When he arrived, he was wearing a white rabbit outfit a la Alice in Wonderland, for some reason. I thought this autumn harvest outfit was more suitable.

 This is Yumi. She is "lovely" size, about 1.5 feet tall. She & her sister Dami (which I don't own) remind me of the movie "Janghwa and Hongryeon." Look at her little fists! She also has relaxed hands (ball-joint dolls are held together by elastic bands hooked onto the ends (balls) of their joints, so their hands, feet, even heads are removable/replaceable). Her dress is also incredibly well made. Much better quality than what most people wear.

 This is Sibara, who is "Rainy" size, about 2 feet tall. There were very few of these made. I have another wig and outfit for her, which people say makes her look like me, lol. BJDs also have removable eyes, but her red eyes complement her black lipstick, don't you think?

 Unlike most Elfdolls, mine are both unnaturally pale. Cool, but I'd like to have a one of the more...human looking dolls as well. Of course with the recession, there is no way I'll be getting another one of these anytime soon. They're like couture fashion or high art :/ 

My other favorite kind of dolls are Pullips. They are made by Jun Planning, the same company that has been making Blythe dolls since the '70s. I never cared for Blythe, but Pullips are so cute!

 

These are my 3: Pullip as Prunella, Dal as Phoebe, and Tae-yang as Horison (again, I did not make up the names; each doll has a name, and the the name of their character/outfit).

 

Here's "Prunella" Pullip. Her outfit is designed by H. Naoto! His clothing is so expensive, this is probably the only H. Noato outfit I will ever own, lol. 

 This is "Phoebe" Dal. Her outfit is made by Hellcat Punks, one of my favorite brands! The little stuffed animal she is holding is named Hell-P. Her entire outfit is available at the Hellcat Punks store, even her tiny necklace.

 And finally, "Horison" Tae-yang. His outfit, like Prunella's, is designed by H. Naoto. Oh, and both his and her outfits are made in human sizes too, like Phoebe's, but I don't think they are still available. And they are prohibitively expensive :(

These are "little Pullips," RIDa and Fanatica. They were also made in the normal size. Unlike the regular sized dolls, they can't move or close their eyes.

Pullips are a bit more affordable than Elfdolls, but there are so many more that I want! And they come in pretty much every theme imaginable, from lolita (this one's outfit is from Angelic Pretty):

To historical:

Of course, I tend to prefer the more punk/goth/visual kei looking dolls. Here are some more than I really want: