Continued from part I…
What doll or doll-related item did you have the most difficulty obtaining?
Momoko was definitely the hardest to obtain. I searched for her for several years and was finally able to bring her home trough a split with an awsome person who just wanted her outfit.
What are your favorite doll trends right now? Least favorite?
I love the cute antro dolls that have been multiplying lately and the fantasy inspired dolls, they are so cool.
There are so many different dolls and trends right now that it is hard for me to rate them according to how much I like them.
Although I myself would not buy certain dolls I still think they are amazing to look at and I find it really fascinating what their owners manage to do with them.
Berman would be one example of a doll I myself feel no desire for but absolutely love looking at through other peoples eyes. So I think I can’t say what would be my least favorite trend as every new kind of doll is great and will surely find a person that can make it look absolutely awe inspiring.
Do you fit your doll to the character or the character to the doll?
In the beginning I felt I was lacking as a doll owner because I didn’t have elaborate background stories and complicated characters ready for my dolls but in the end everyone enjoys their dolls in their own way.
I admire the people who are able to create complicated fantasy worlds in their minds and use their dolls as a way to portray their story but when I fall in love with a doll, I really just fall for a face and not a shell for any kind of character that might have been there before. I like to dress my dolls in certain styles and give them certain character traits that seem to fit them when they get here and some do have a little family relation and background but they are not part of a great story or anything of that kind.
I just enjoy them in my own way 
How do your friends and family feel about your hobby?
My friends are not all that interested but they do like my pictures. My boyfriend shares my love of photography and takes pictures of them sometimes and my parents simply don’t know since they have never had a understanding for hobbies like this ^^;;
They think dolls are for children, so I just don’t tell them.
What do you think makes your dolls unique?
Many have default face-ups so I think the way I dress and present them in photographs is what makes them uniquely mine.
Do you find yourself attracted to any certain type of doll?
Although I love looking at all kinds of dolls I always find myself drawn to girl dolls the most. I just love dressing them up in frilly and cute clothes.
What kind of reaction would you like people to have from your dolls/ photos, etc?
I hope that they will enjoy looking at them and maybe feel a bit happy
What’s your biggest strength & biggest weakness as a collector/ photographer/ etc?
My biggest weakness would be that I can’t part with things easily so I have to pick very carefully what I add to my collection ^-^
My biggest strength I don’t really know, maybe making everything awfully cute *g*
How would you describe your personal doll aesthetic? What do you like most about your own dolls and what makes them “yours” and you? Do you send your dolls out to be customized, or do you do it yourself?
I have a major weakness for everything cute and sweet, therefore the majority of my dolls are girls and most have a rather girly and sweet feeling to them. Of course there are exceptions but most are more on the childlike and less realistic side. Maybe because I don’t want to grow up ^-^
But I like looking at the more mature, sexy or fantasy inspired dolls all the same. I just don’t feel the wish to own them myself.
I am a coward so I haven’t tried to customize a BJD before ^^;; I am a bit afraid to ruin them with my clumsy attempts, I would be so sad if that happened.
Most of the time I fall in love with a doll as is and don’t want to change anything about the face. I bought some already customized faces though and I also sent some of my dolls away to be painted by artists that I really liked.
Do any of your dolls or doll items have interesting RL stories behind them?
As far as I know there are no special stories connected to any dolls or doll items I own.
How would your life be different if you didn’t have dolls?
I guess I would have used my time for my other hobbies and maybe I wouldn’t have taken such a liking to photography.
Were you a collector of other things besides dolls before you got into the hobby? What started you off with BJDs?
Before BJDs I collected porcelain dolls and small anime related dolls and items. My love for the series Chobits really got me into the dolls but even if that wasn’t the case I am sure I would have found out about them somehow sooner or later and fallen in love all the same.
Would you rather make doll accessories (clothes, wigs, props, jewelry ect) or pay for someone else to do it?
I tried sewing Barbie clothes when I was small but I am just no good so I would rather buy something really well made when it comes to clothing and the like. I did make some jewelry myself but it is hard for me to get the findings and beads that I would like to use so I prefer to buy pieces I really love now.
What was your best lucky buy?
I think it would be my Kurumi, who I got second hand for her regular price thanks to the help of a very nice friend.
Favorite Doll company?
Volks, since most of my dolls are Volks dolls.
Favorite color of resin: Tan, Beauty white or regular skin? Do you like the more fantasy color resins on dolls for your collection (pinks, blues, greens, grays, etc)? Opinions?I prefer normal and white skin for my dolls. I think tan skin is very sexy but I haven’t found a tan doll yet that I liked enough to buy. Fantasy colors are really cool especially for mythical dolls but I don’t think I want to own one because I would worry too much about color change over time.
Favorite size doll 60 cm, minis or tinies?
Most dolls I fell for happened to be big sized but I do like the tinies a lot as well.
What is your “dream doll” that you hope to own some day?
I think I already own my dream dolls. I would like to buy a white Sist someday to keep my Lusis company and I want to do a Volks FCS if I get the chance, but right now I am very happy with the dolls I have
What’s your favorite doll released in the last year? What is your favorite ‘classic’ BJD?
Oh god there have been so many releases, it is impossible to pick a favorite ^^;; I bought a Miruku so I guess she was my favorite but other than that I really like the awsome dolls that Soom has been producing. My favorite classic doll, well I would first have to think about what counts as a classic. ^^;;
I guess I would pick the 4 sisters from Volks as a doll with lots of history that I really like a lot.
What are your favorite brands of wigs/ eyes/ shoes/ clothes?I really like Leekeworld wigs, they have such a nice range of colors and styles. Eyes would be Volks Zouks, Enchanted doll, Dollflower, Eye Candies Gumdrops. For shoes Dollheart has the nicest selection, I don’t buy many doll shoes tough. Most of the outfits I own come from seamstresses that sell on Yahoo Japan, I also like to buy from M2kdolls,Volks and Dollheart sometimes.
What advice would you give someone new to the hobby?To choose very carefully and buy a doll that they really love instead of going for any doll that is cheap and easy to obtain.
Where do you keep or store your dolls?
When I don’t have time for them I keep them in their boxes.
But I always have one or two dolls sitting around on the couch or in the dining room.
How do you relate to you dolls (are they art objects, toys, things, friends, muses, soul mates, investments, etc)?
They are something that makes me happy. Something that can put a smile on my face when I am having a crappy day, something that gives you comfort without asking for anything in return.
My soulmate is my partner and a doll can’t replace a partner for me but they are surely something more than just a toy.
Why have you chosen the dolls that you have?
Because of their faces, I always fall in love with a face.
Love to hear about the evolution of your collection. How did it start? What was your original vision and how did it develop over time to how it is now.
I didn’t have a vision, much less a plan. I just brought the ones home that really spoke to me. They just kept getting more ^^;;
Since you started, how have you noticed the hobby change? Has the hobby influenced your life? Compared to when you got into BJDs, have you/your tastes changed, has the BJD scene changed?
Everything changes over time, it’s inevitable. What was somehow intimate and small has grown really huge. There are a lot more people and a lot more choices now than before, which is really great I think.
Of course also more conflicts and trouble especially in the selling and buying aspect of the hobby. I don’t let the dolls influence my life too much but of course the hobby is time consuming and costly. My tastes are still the same I think, but maybe they are more refined now. I pick my dolls and doll items much more carefully and I can appreciate them more now. But that may be something that just comes naturally with maturing as a person.
Is there a doll that you never, ever would sell, only if it was unavoidable?
There is not only one but of course I am more attached to some than others. There are a few that would hurt very much to let go but if it was unavoidable I would do it since they are just dolls in the end.
When you want a certain BJD, is there a limit to what you’re willing to spend/do to get it?There is a limit of course, but I can’t name an exact amount.
What do people think the dolls will evolve into in the future?
I have no idea what will happen, the trend seems to be more articulation for better movement, more realism, more choices in any regard. The future will surely be interesting.
Thanks Claudia for your time and for the interview!
I also found some very sweet and kind people that I call my friends now, that I would never have met otherwise. I am very grateful for that.
