Pidgin Doll Review

After a little more than a month, I finally got brave enough to record a video review of my lovely custom Pidgin doll.  For those who would rather just read it, my written ramblings are below the video.  :D

Pidgin Doll was created by Joshua David McKenney.  Each Pidgin doll is hand made by him in his Brooklyn, NY studio.  This includes the mold, casting, carving, and painting of each doll.  Truly 100% made in America!

I received my doll Sept 20, 2015.  She took approximately four months to be created from order to delivery, which included having a custom dress made, and an outfit ordered to fit her.

The ordering process is straight forward.  You contact Joshua David McKenney via the Pidgin Doll website to request a custom doll.  You will receive an order form to fill out.  You will specify several details, including eye color, makeup preferences, skin tone, hair color and style.  If you have an outfit in mind, you request it here, as well.  Custom outfits will cost you extra, and will depend on what you want.  The more detail you can give, the better, including what kind of makeup you want for your doll.  The artist encourages you to send pictures to give him a better idea of what you are hoping for.

In my case, I wanted a subdued makeup palette, with the only dramatic touch being her winged eyeliner.  I also wanted two custom outfits, instead of the standard one she normally would arrive in.  I wanted a dress reminiscent of Grace Kelly’s picnic outfit in To Catch A Thief, and a more modern denim outfit.

Joshua has a seamstress who could make the dress I wanted, but for the denim jacket and jeans he instead acted as a “personal shopper” to find the right items to fit Pidgin Doll’s unique measurements.

You receive a drawing based on your specs to preview and approve before the doll is started.

From there, it’s a matter of waiting patiently!  When she is ready to be shipped, Joshua will take some high quality photos of her as a final preview for your approval.

Payment can be made over a few months, basically a layaway.  Pricing is definitely not cheap, but a quality doll won’t be.  A basic Pidgin doll is roughly the same price as any other BJD her size, but definitely in the higher price range.  Think Luts or Fairyland doll pricing to get an idea.

When she arrived she was dressed in her denim outfit.  However, her head was not attached to her body, so it took me and my best friend a little work to figure out how we could get that attached.  Her wig was originally on very securely, so I needed to work it free in order to reveal the head cap.  From there it was a matter of getting the S hook in her neck to cooperate so we could put her head on.

While her head cap was off I could see how her eyes are installed.  They are definitely in there to stay, secured with hot glue.   If I ever decide to change her eyes, I will use Leeke World eye putty, however.

Her wig is impressive.  I think it must be hand made.  First, there’s no manufacturer tag in it.  Second, it fits her unique head shape perfectly.  Finally, it’s the quality.  I’m a fan of Leeke World doll wigs, but this wig is even better.  It’s extremely soft, and looks realistic.  I can comb it gently, and it doesn’t come apart.  I would not be surprised to learn this wig is actually human hair, it’s so soft and easy to work with.

Initially she is really floppy to work with.  Her resin is very heavy, so her head tended to flop around a lot.  Bear in mind each doll is custom made, by hand, by the artist, so she is not going to feel like a BJD from a mass produced company.  She feels more like a porcelain doll, with the good and bad that goes with that.

After a couple of days of getting used to her, I decided to do some customization to make her work better for me.  I definitely don’t think I’m the typical buyer for this doll, as I plan to interact with her instead of pose her on her stand and leave her in one outfit forever.  With that in mind, I did some tricks that work with other BJDs.

First, I added a drop of super glue to each of the rare earth magnets in her head cap.  They were a little loose, which is common.  I also added a couple pieces of clear tape to the seams of the head cap for added security.

Then I added sueded moleskin pieces to her joints.  I can find this easily in my local department stores here in the U.S.  It has a suede feel to one side, and is sticky on the other.  I get the kind that comes in rectangular sheets, and then cut out small pieces.  I put pieces all around the neck, thigh cups, elbow joints, and knee joints.  It made a big improvement right away.  Her head doesn’t flop backwards as easily, and she is less “kicky” than before.  I also added several pieces around her torso, because she was flopping backwards in a spine breaking maneuver otherwise.  I finally added a couple of pieces to her head cap to keep her wig in place again.  I also used the pieces to help me tell the top from the bottom of the head cap.

The makeshift “sueding” still doesn’t allow her to stand on her own, however.  Again, she is very heavy.  That, plus her high arched foot means she simply cannot stand on her own like you may be used to with other BJDs with flat soled feet.  However, you can lean her against things, and use her stand for support.  I find her loose limbs lets me put her into more life like poses.  I can’t pose her outside standing next to a tree like I originally envisioned, but I can always work around that by using the very sturdy stand she comes with, and then editing it out in post.

Overall, I am thrilled to pieces with my Pidgin doll.  She is 100% one of a kind, hand made in America by a talented and very easy to work with artist.  I saw a Pidin doll two years ago in Fashion Doll Quarterly, and knew right then she was “the one”.  I started planning how I could make it happen at that point.  I started seeing her in more magazines, including my personal favorite, Haute Doll, and it cinched my resolve.  Finally I reached a point where I could put a down payment on one, and the rest is history.  Getting this doll represents something for me I can’t really express beyond the cliché “dream come true.”  Being able to deal directly with the artist in the creation of my Pidgin doll made it a very special experience.

A Pidgin doll is not going to be for everyone.  The price is going to be one factor.  Her mobility and stability without a stand will be another, especially for more traditional BJD collectors.  But your doll will be unique, and for the price you definitely get quality.

Be sure to follow Pidgin doll on Facebook, as well as the artist, Joshua David McKenney.

Be sure to check out Dollheimr’s Etsy store if you like the custom t shirts you see in my Pidgin doll’s wardrobe.

Full Review-Integrity Buenos Aires Victoire Roux Doll

Overall I do like this doll from Integrity Fashion Royalty.  Buenos Aires Victoire Roux has the body style I like, with articulated wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles.  She can sit with her legs crossed without looking goofy, which is generally how I judge how well a doll can pose. 

Her facepaint could be more subtle, however.  She looks very cartoonish, especially with the bright blue eyeshadow and bright coral lips, but she's still pretty.  From what I've read recently, Fashion Royalty is not going to airbrush the face screens on their dolls going forward, so we're going to be stuck with high end dolls with pretty much Barbie quality face screens.  That's a shame, but as long as they keep the price point reasonable, I won't complain much.

$99 for this doll is definitely the maximum I would be willing to spend on a doll like this nowadays.  If her makeup were a softer touch, giving her more elegance to match her outfit, I'd go higher, but I don't see that happening.

As for the outfit, it definitely has the feel of late fifties, early sixties to me.  The jacket is lovely, and very well made, but the fabric makes me think of the sofa my parents had in our living room that we weren't allowed to sit on.

They kept the bulk down on the outfit by not having her wear a blouse.  It's just a scarf, really, or maybe a modesty panel, that goes under her jacket.  It's a clever way to make it look like she's wearing a full suit, but I was a little disappointed to not see a nice thin silk shell tanktop under that jacket.

The skirt is full and bouncy.  We also get natural toned pantyhose, white pumps, a pair of earrings, a hat with two pins to stick it to her hair, and "leather" gloves.  The shoes are very nice.  The hat stayed on her head without pins, plus I was not comfortable trying to force the pin through the stiff fabric. 

The gloves...  The gloves I do not like.  It took me a bit of wrestling to get them on her hands, only to have them look terrible on.  Other reviewers have described them perfectly:  oven mitts.  So my doll won't be wearing her gloves, she'll just have them around for photoshoots.

The doll's hairstyle is impressive.  Its a tight series of braids wound into two buns at the back of her head.  It gives her a very sleek, sophisticated look.  Many times I will restyle my doll's hair, but in this case, I really like the look and don't want to mess with it at all.

Victoire Roux stands approximately 12 inches tall.  While I don't have any other Fashion Royalty dolls to compare her to, I'm pretty sure sharing clothing won't be problematic.

For a limited edition doll, the $99 price tag was well worth it, despite my few complaints.  I am still going to be extremely picky about the next Fashion Royalty doll I get, but Victoire Roux definitely makes me want to buy another one soon!

For more pics (including a couple of the nude doll, to see the body type and articulation), check out my full gallery.

Tonner City Girls Taxi Billy Doll Review

I scored a new doll a couple of weeks ago with free shipping and a percent off coupon, from the Tonner website.  After a bit of debate, I decided to snap up one of Tonner's new City Girl dolls, Taxi Billy.  All of the line are lovely, but I'm a sucker for dark haired dolls with green eyes.  Plus, the black and yellow outfit looked a bit retro 80's to me, with the black tights, big sunglasses, and big black belt, so I gave in to my wave of nostalgia, and Taxi Billy was on her way to me!

After an agonizing wait for the UPS truck, she arrived yesterday!  In my excitement to get a look at her, I failed to get "box opening" shots.  She arrived in a clear tube with nice graphics on the cardboard she was tied to.  She definitely was not going to shift during shipment!  I opened the tube from the top, belatedly realizing I could have just opened the bottom with ease.   That was me being too hasty, and not paying attention.

After spending several minutes detaching her hair, wrists, ankles, and pretty much every loose piece away from the packaging, and then a few more finding all the extra places her clothes and accessories were tacked down, she was finally out and ready to examine more closely.  The doll is aimed at younger collectors, five and above, but an adult is definitely going to need to be the one to remove the doll from the package.  As an adult, I did start feeling a bit "stabby" by the end of it all.  The knit on the yellow tunic got pulled a bit by the plastic attachments, but not so much that I think it will be an issue.  I would highly recommend any future buyers to be extra, extra careful and gentle when looking for, and removing, all the ties.  Just when I thought I had them all, I'd find another.  You really need to completely remove the doll's outfit first to make sure you find them all.  I'm not sure I would classify this as a legitimate complaint on my part, because it definitely made certain the doll arrived safe and sound.  I just got frustrated.  I could see someone else being frustrated too, especially if this is an Xmas present, and you have an anxious new collector wanting their doll, and wanting her now.

Taxi Billy comes with awesome oversized sunglasses, big tote bag you could jam with lots of props, yellow tunic, big black belt, short jacket, black tights, and cute black boots.  The yellow tunic closes in the back with Velcro, like you'd expect for a doll aimed at younger collectors.  The boots are a little "sticky" getting on and off unless you hit just the right angle.  That could cause frustration for younger hands, and even older ones, but it just takes practice.  The short coat surprisingly is sewn shut, instead of closing with snaps or Velcro.  You have to pull it down her shoulders, arms, and then off over her legs.  I could see someone popping those stitches by accident, expecting the coat to open easily.  I don't think that would cause any damage, but it could be a source of disappointment and frustration to a new collector.  The coat not opening to allow easy removal is the only real issue I would say I have with the doll or her accessories.

Taxi Billy comes with white panties painted on.  It's just another reminder that this isn't a doll targeted specifically for adult collectors.  It doesn't bother me at all, and the paint shouldn't show through on any outfit I decide to put her in.

Taxi Billy is 15.75 inches tall according to the website, so she's very close to Ellowyne Wilde and other Tonner dolls, like Nu Mood Sydney.  But Billy is definitely slimmer.  Swapping clothes is possible, but it will take trial and error.  I've already seen some Ellowyne dolls wearing the City Girl clothes, which doesn't surprise me.  Shoes will definitely not be swappable, though.  Billy has a very high arch, so if I want more shoes for her, it will be much less of a headache to just buy the other fashion packs.

Billy could easily be another muse for me, because she definitely looks good in some of my favorite colors, including purple.  I put her into a hand knit sweater I made for Tonner's Antoinette, but it looks so good on Billy!  With her black tights and black boots, it gave her a new outfit immediately.  I have several knit fabrics that may become new tights for Billy, and lots of funky cotton prints she'd look lovely in.

For the retail price of $49.99, I think Taxi Billy is definitely worth it.  Her outfit is great, with plenty of details, including the big glasses, bag, and boots.  Her hair is thick, and easily takes a combing without strands coming loose.  She is extremely posable, and her face screen is lovely.  She's definitely not a doll you'd give to a child who is destructive to their toys for that price.  But if you have a budding, younger collector in your life, especially one who is interested in (and maybe coveting) your own dolls, I would be buying one of the City Girls for them for a gift without hesitation.  I like that the fashion packs available aren't that expensive.  At least they are in a reasonable price range compared to the doll (as opposed to almost as much as the doll itself!).  If the quality of the fashion packs are as good as the outfit on the doll, they'd be well worth the investment.

My doll budget probably won't allow me to get any of the other City Girl dolls, or fashion packs, anytime soon.  But I will be keeping my eye on this line, and will definitely be enjoying the one I have.  Other than the extra secure packaging that caused a couple of colorful metaphors by the end, and the surprise that the coat didn't open, City Girls Taxi Billy is a joy, and worth every penny.  I would have paid full price for her without any regrets.  (But coupon codes just increase the love!)

Be sure to check out all of the pictures of Taxi Billy in my Gallery!