Asian Ball Jointed Dolls, sometimes referred to as 'dollfies', are becoming increasingly popular. You may have seen these dolls before: moving joints, realistic faces, and eyes that seem to follow you. Often the reaction to seeing one is either of interest, fear, or both.

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Who Makes them?

Asian Ball Jointed Dolls originate from Japan, and were created in the late 90's and made popular by a Japanese company called 'Volks'. Volks created "dollfies" and "super dollfies" (which are bigger versions of the original dollfies and have more flexibility and poseability).

Other ball jointed doll companies sprang up around Asia, especially in Korea, where the Luts company started manufacturing their own. Today, Volks and Luts are often held in the highest regard for their quality, but there are dozens and dozens of other companies out there, with all sizes and types to choose from.

What Are They?
Ball jointed dolls (shortened to "BJDs" or "ABJDs") are jointed dolls (meaning they have the same major joints that humans do) and are made out of resin. Because BJDs are made out of resin, they are able to be sanded and modified with putty, paint, etc. This is highly appealing to people interested in art, because they can customize their doll in limitless ways. Resin dust is toxic, so it is recommended to wear a mask if any modifying is done.

The limbs, torso, hands, feet, and head are each a separate hollow part, and are strung together on the inside with elastic rope. Because each part is separate, hands, feet, and heads are able to be swapped out for others to fit the individuality of the owner.

Also, the top of the head is able to be lifted so that the eyes can be swapped out as well. Materials for eyes can be acrylic, glass or soft glass (a soft silicone). In addition, the dolls generally do not have rooted hair (like a 'Barbie' doll would), they wear wigs. This is even more appealing to owners, because they can change their doll's look as they please.

The sizes of the dolls themselves can range anywhere from a couple of inches to a couple of feet. Generally, the bigger the doll, the more detailed and realistic they are, and have a more mature look. The smaller they are, the more "childlike" their features are. There are both male and female kinds of ball jointed dolls, and have varying degrees of anatomically correct parts.

Where Can I Find One?
A lot of the time, people can get their own BJD through the manufacturer on their website. Be aware that the time and effort put into making these dolls equals to a sometimes lengthy wait and a lot of money. An average wait time if going through the manufacturer is about 2-3 months, however this can vary greatly depending on the demand and the company. BJDs prices can be steep; the cheapest can go for around $200 US dollars and a high priced can be up to several thousand for a limited doll. The typical price one would pay for a new doll from a company based on the popular Super Dollfie size (around 60cm tall) is about $600-$800 US dollars. There are several ways to buy second-hand dolls. Auction sites, websites that specialize in BJDs, and BJD owner forums are the most convenient ways of getting them. A lot of current doll collectors prefer this way, because they do not have to wait as long for them to ship, and they often can save a few dollars. BJDs are known to keep their value and even go up in value based on their availability and popularity.

Why Are They So Expensive?
The materials, time, and effort needed to make each and every doll is a big reason for the price tag. BJDs are made when they are ordered, so essentially, they are made for the owner. Some companies will let the owner order makeup(known as "face-up" by some companies) for a price to suit their tastes, or they can leave them plain for the owner to paint themselves. Resin is an expensive material to manufacture, plus the high risk when working with resin, not to mention the many hours put in to make each one adds to the cost.