First doll: WM 153 #85
First doll: WM 153 #85
On to the girl:
WM 153 #85 w/ Medium skin tone
Dark Brown eyes
Upgraded skeleton w/ shrugging shoulders
Standing feet
Wig 5 & 10
Timeline
Order was placed on December 20th. Payment made and the order was sent to WMDolls on December 21st.
Busied myself with work and celebrated an anxious Christmas and New Years.
Received her passport photos on January 4th.
Tickets in hand, she hopped on a plane. Tracking number received January 6th. (Expected delivery Jan 11)
Checked last night and she was last seen in Vancouver. Checked again this morning and she'd already hopped two planes, was on a truck, and on her way.
Knock at the door ~10AM.
They shaved 2 days off from the expected delivery and managed to deliver on my day off. So props to FedEx for a timely delivery.
Unboxing
Box is pretty nondescript. If someone were really nosy, the only hint they'd get would be digging the invoice out of the pouch on the side of the box: "Plastic Mannequins Used for Furnishings"
There was some damage to the box where it had been placed upright and the neck had punctured the box. Luckily no damage occurred to the doll that I could see. The manufacturers put a label on the side that says Fragile, with arrows pointing the direction it should face (on her back), but I think, given the shape of the box and the number of hands that pass the package along, a second set of arrows could be used to indicate an upright direction. Damage from being placed upright on the neck seems to be a common problem. Inside, the doll seems to be well packed. Foam lining, plastic wrap, foam on the hands, and even foam boots for her feet. All the contents were packaged separate and nothing seemed out of place. Overall, pretty satisfied with the packaging and shipping. It's almost like they've done it before.
The Doll
Absolutely love her. She's a tiny little thing, which made finding some basic clothes a bit difficult at the "Brick and Mortar" stores, but you can generally find just about anything online, so I'll be getting her some nicer outfits online soon.
--TPE Scent-- This wasn't that bad, honestly. I've seen this brought up a few times on the forum and was going in with the expectation that, yes, she would have an odor, but the scent wasn't that bad at all. I've heard that other manufacturers have a TPE blend that makes for an almost perfume-like scent, but WM's blend isn't that bad at all. I hardly noticed it when I opened the box, perhaps because I was bracing for something stronger. The only time the scent has hit me was when I went out for a while to buy her some supplies and simple clothes. I could definitely smell the TPE in the air when I walked back into the apartment and it was stronger in her room, but it's not a stinging chemical aroma. If I had to describe it: Mild plastic scent with hints of baby powder. Again, most owners say the scent dissipates over time anyway. But for me, the scent has been a non-issue. More to come as she settles into her room.
--The Joints-- As a first time owner, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect going in. I've seen videos of how to pick up a doll from a lying position, where you lift the legs vertically and then use them as a fulcrum to move her into a V position and lift from there. That said... those joints can be pretty stiff when she first arrives. It took quite a bit more effort than I was expecting to get the legs moved. I know that doll joints loosen over time, but these joints are pretty damn stiff. For a standing doll, this is a plus. For posing, it makes it a bit of a struggle to get her into the pose you want. Makes me a bit wary every time I went to move her and it takes a little getting used to. Not a complaint really, if anything, I'm hoping it means her joints will stay firm for a good long while, but we'll see how that plays out over time. While we're on the topic of getting her out of the box:
--The Weight-- Yeah. Let's talk about that weight. She's a stout little girl. I don't have a scale to weigh her on, but she's not light. Most websites list her around 68-69 lbs, and Jeff straight up mentioned her as 70 lbs the first time I brought up the 153. Now, I manage a produce department at a grocery store, so I literally throw around sacks of potatoes for a living. Those weight about 50 lbs a sack; dead weight with no handles, so I knew going in what to expect. She doesn't give me too much trouble to lift, but I do worry about the effects her own weight can have on her, especially with standing feet. For the time being, I'm going to be standing her up with great caution and very sparingly. Still trying to figure out the best way to move her from lying/sitting position to a standing position. So far, every time I've tried it, my heart stops as I try to grab her around the torso or under the armpits and feel the TPE sink in under her weight and then again as set her down on those standing screws. So if anyone has any tips, much appreciated! Again, the weight was expected; the 153 isn't a lightweight girl for her size and that wasn't a huge issue for me, but I can definitely see that being a major factor for others.
--The wigs-- It's winter. Humidity is low. Static is crazy. I shocked myself about 5 times touching her standing screws after trying to comb her hair... which was a losing battle. The static is pulling it everywhere and I can't keep it off her. I love the wigs I got, but I'm having a very difficult time keeping them neat and clean. This is another area where more experienced owners might share tips or tricks, or if it's something I'll just have to deal with until the dry air gives way to the sub-tropical humidity we're used to in my area for 3/4 of the year.
Not the End
Very pleased with the purchase and the process of ordering it through BCD. Again, Jeff was very pleasant to work with and will go through BCD again if given the chance. I don't have a name for her yet. Have one on the back burner, but I'm not sure how I feel about it, so I wanted to wait until she got here to see if she had a preference. Soon as I find out her name, I'll start her thread and start posting some pics. I'll also post more thoughts and comments here as they come to mind. For now, she's been cleaned up and is letting the mineral oil and Vaseline soak in.
While I'm on that topic, I did have a question about those products. I was really looking to find products that were unscented, just to avoid any potential harm that scented products might cause the TPE, but I couldn't seem to find anything that didn't have some scent added. So for now, I'm using Softsoap brand anti-bacterial hand soap (scented); Johnson's Baby Oil (can't seem to find plain old mineral oil that's not baby oil); Vaseline Petroleum Jelly (cocoa butter, they do make one that's baby powder scented). If anyone has advice on any of those products, if I should switch them, or if they shouldn't cause any issues, feel free to chime in.
For now, here are some of the unboxing pics:
Re: First doll: WM 153 #85
Congrats and enjoy your hot new lady friend.
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Dolls i have worked on. Real doll ,JM doll,teddybabes,Anime fabric doll,wm doll, d.s dolls, Diao shi, extravaganza air dolls, 1st pc, and candy8teen dolls.
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Re: First doll: WM 153 #85
You are between her legs.
Have the pink blanket under her.
You then pull her towards you and angle her down so feet are on the ground and she is pivoting on the bed.
I guess I should have Nyoko take a video of me doing this
Jeff
Re: First doll: WM 153 #85
If you need help with clothes sizes, let me know - I should have some clothes arriving for mine tomorrow, we shall see how they fit. The standing option is well worth it with a bit of practice (or with her leaning on something) - oh, and I got a static zap off her foot bolts too!
Lynne says Hello, by the way. She won't tell me how much she weighs, as apparently "that's not the sort of question to ask a lady"
Companion of the lovely Lyngheiður a.k.a Lynne - A WM153 #85 - now she has a Doll Album!
Say Hi to her on "Dolls Alive"! - Lynne's Page
Re: First doll: WM 153 #85
Her arrival: http://dollforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=267&t=80325
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Re: First doll: WM 153 #85
Re: First doll: WM 153 #85
Have fun, also be careful in moving her arms, fingers are delicate!
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Re: First doll: WM 153 #85
She's still getting settled in and hasn't really opened up much, but we're getting there.
After her first treatment (second cleaning and treatment is coming tomorrow), we had a few questions about some of the minutia that has come up in that first round. First, let's cover what we've done:
[[After writing this, I saw how long it was and decided highlight my questions in green at the end of each section to make it more clear what questions or concerns I'm having.]]
After getting her unboxed and settled, we gave her a bath that night. I used Jeff's handy tip of soap & water in a spray bottle. It works like a dream. Washed her down, wiped her with a soft sponge; though I'm not sure if I should get another kind. It's soft sponge, but it's a foam like material and I notice it tends to create quite a lot of friction as I wipe her down. Good for scrubbing away grime, but I worry it might scour too much. Should the foam sponge be okay, or is it preferable to use a sponge that's more like a traditional, yellow kitchen sponge with the holes all in it?
After the wash, I rinsed her off and dried her with a micro-fiber cloth. I let her air dry for a bit while I had some dinner, then repeated the cleaning process. Once more I let her air dry for a few minutes and then proceeded with her baby oil massage. I put this pretty much everywhere, including her holes. Is it necessary, not recommended, or really inconsequential to oil the insides?
Once I'd finished the baby oil, I used the Vaseline and put a pretty good amount around the recommended joints: Elbows, armpits, knees, hip joints, and went especially heavy around her groin. I know it's not recommended to over oil a doll, but as it was her first treatment, I went pretty heavy on both the baby oil and the Vaseline, I'll likely tone it down for future treatments. What is the typical amount that should be used? As someone who's never owned a doll, it's sort of hard to gauge. "Don't use too much" is a pretty subjective statement. Even "thin coat" can be pretty vague when you consider Vaseline is a jelly that can build up and collect in certain places unevenly. I guess the OCD in me is kicking in, wanting to do it "by the numbers."
I know that BCD's Newly wed guide also lists Nivea creme as part of the "care package." I somehow managed to overlook that item, so it wasn't in my package, also, given the joints have all be slathered in Vaseline, I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be used on top of the Vaseline, or as an alternative to Vaseline. Clarification here would be helpful.
I left her overnight and while I was at work the next day to let the oil/petro treatment soak in. When I came home that afternoon I gave her the powder treatment. I used a small, clean sock, put the powder in it, and used it like a powder puff, dabbing it onto her skin to keep from using too much. After I had some on her skin I rubbed it in until the tacky, friction feeling gave way to a silky, smooth feeling and then used a powder brush to clean up any excess. I still feel it was almost too much, as the powder still comes off on my clothes when I move her, though I personally tend to wear dark clothing, so that might be a contributing factor. Is it normal to leave some powder behind or have I used to much? Should I only be using sparing amounts and applying it completely with a makeup brush?
Finally, a few tiny details: I worry I might have caused a few abrasions to her skin when trying on her clothes (will be investing in more of those white gloves and a bodystocking). A small spot on her neck and one under her arm. I'll post a pic, though it might be hard to make out, since I couldn't get the camera much closer without completely losing the focus. It's hard to make out, but it has a slightly scaly appearance and stretches with her skin. It's only really noticeable as a result of the baby powder getting in and around the imperfections of the otherwise smooth TPE. I know abrasions are pretty much non-repairable, but does this look like an abrasion? If not, what else causes the powder to gather up and show up like this? Would some sort of blush or powdered make up cover it up are there other methods? I don't mind it too much, it's not even noticeable unless you're right on it, but as I make this journey into doll ownership, I'd like to learn as much as I can, no matter how small the detail might be.
One other tiny detail I noticed when cleaning her were these odd... flakes? Almost like specs of tacky that seemed to ball up but not come off. Is that part of production that needs a little more soapy treatment? More oil? Is it something I've done to damage the skin such as the wrong sponge or cleaning too hard? Or have I done a poor job describing it and you have no idea what I'm talking about? =P
Thanks again for all the comments and everyone's patience with a newbie owner who still manages to find more questions to ask.
Re: First doll: WM 153 #85
Still learning the ropes too, so will await replies to some of your questions too. Can entirely understand the OCD and doing things by the book!
Companion of the lovely Lyngheiður a.k.a Lynne - A WM153 #85 - now she has a Doll Album!
Say Hi to her on "Dolls Alive"! - Lynne's Page
Re: First doll: WM 153 #85
Great choice with face 85! Very beautiful one you have there!
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- Broven
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Re: First doll: WM 153 #85
For me, I spray her with soap/water mix and use my hand to kind of loosen up any dirt. Then I wipe that up with microfiber. I'm not sure if the sponge is good or bad, but anything that feels like it's creating friction is probably bad. One thing I've learned is that abrasions are easier to get than you might think.kojima wrote:Should the foam sponge be okay, or is it preferable to use a sponge that's more like a traditional, yellow kitchen sponge with the holes all in it?
I like using vaseline as a lube, so I figure that's enough. If you're using water based lube, then I think you should also oil her insides too.kojima wrote:Once more I let her air dry for a few minutes and then proceeded with her baby oil massage. I put this pretty much everywhere, including her holes. Is it necessary, not recommended, or really inconsequential to oil the insides?
I took it to mean instead of vaseline in certain areas. Ultimately, they both serve the same purpose. The Nivea is just absorbed a bit faster.kojima wrote:I know that BCD's Newly wed guide also lists Nivea creme as part of the "care package." I somehow managed to overlook that item, so it wasn't in my package, also, given the joints have all be slathered in Vaseline, I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be used on top of the Vaseline, or as an alternative to Vaseline. Clarification here would be helpful.
I haven't experienced this, but it may just be that I wasn't really looking for it. I love the idea of using a sock though! I'm gonna try that.kojima wrote:Is it normal to leave some powder behind or have I used to much? Should I only be using sparing amounts and applying it completely with a makeup brush?
That may be abrasions. I'm not sure about the "scales", but Anna Marie has areas that hold the powder and don't let it go. I think abrasions are actually repairable though. I've tried it with moderate success. If you have a more artistic touch than me, you might have better success. There's a heat gun method and the hot spoon method. You can search them out here, but I'm not qualified to give advice on that. Not yet anyway. lolkojima wrote:It's hard to make out, but it has a slightly scaly appearance and stretches with her skin. It's only really noticeable as a result of the baby powder getting in and around the imperfections of the otherwise smooth TPE. I know abrasions are pretty much non-repairable, but does this look like an abrasion? If not, what else causes the powder to gather up and show up like this? Would some sort of blush or powdered make up cover it up are there other methods? I don't mind it too much, it's not even noticeable unless you're right on it, but as I make this journey into doll ownership, I'd like to learn as much as I can, no matter how small the detail might be.
One other tiny detail I noticed when cleaning her were these odd... flakes? Almost like specs of tacky that seemed to ball up but not come off. Is that part of production that needs a little more soapy treatment? More oil? Is it something I've done to damage the skin such as the wrong sponge or cleaning too hard? Or have I done a poor job describing it and you have no idea what I'm talking about? =P
Thanks again for all the comments and everyone's patience with a newbie owner who still manages to find more questions to ask.
Hopefully that was helpful in some way...
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Re: First doll: WM 153 #85
Thanks for taking time to answer a few of my questions, Broven. I might be getting a repair kit soon just to have on hand. I saw that they have a "smoother" for abrasions which might be nice to have. Not sure how comfortable I feel about the heat methods (not to mention I have neither a heat gun nor a blow torch for the spoon).
Also, if anyone has some handy links to some wig tutorials or anything like that, Maaya's hair could use some work.
I'll try to post a few pics I've taken since she arrived. I've also got a few clothes ordered (finally) and they're on their way, so I'll be updating with some of those shots as well, when I get the chance.
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Re: First doll: WM 153 #85
Re: First doll: WM 153 #85
My photos are too big to upload directly, so I load them into Photoshop to crop and resize. I do a minimal amount of clean-up (I'm not Photoshop savvy by any stretch) mostly to clean up any blur as a result of resizing. Hopefully Maaya will help me improve my photo editing skills a little bit, but...bearhunter wrote:That pink nighty is very cute, and fits her perfectly IMHO. Great sassy pose too! I don't know why, but all my photo uploads come up sideways, I don't see a way to rotate them, hmmm.
You don't have to have Photoshop to do it. You can use just about any photo editor to rotate and resize images. I believe GIMP is a fairly powerful free software that many people recommend in place of Photoshop. But there is no way to rotate your images during upload on TDF as far as I'm aware. The photo file has an orientation and that is preserved. To rotate it, you have to do so outside of TDF before you upload.