Tuesday, March 26, 2013

J-Doll "Josephsplatz" by Jun Planning

J-Dolls are highly articulated 9-inch plastic fashion dolls that are made by the same company that makes Pullip dolls.  If you've ever admired a Pullip doll's style and articulation but been turned off by the oversized noggin, a J-Doll might be a nice alternative.  In a nutshell, J-Dolls are Pullips with shrunken heads.

J-Dolls were first made in 2006 by Jun Planning Co, Inc.  As with their Pullip cousins, manufacturing changed hands in 2009 when the Japanese branch of Jun Planning declared bankruptcy and the production of the dolls moved to Groove, Inc.  In the United States, Jun Planning and Groove seem to be linked, with Groove USA a subdivision of Jun Planning USA.  There were three new J-Dolls in 2012, but no releases for 2013 yet.

The J-Dolls are named after streets throughout the world that symbolize high fashion.  Each doll's outfit reflects the character of the particular street she's named after.  For example, Sunset Boulevard is near the ocean in Los Angeles and the doll with that name kind-of looks like a mermaid.  Some of the associations are lost on me, though.  The stunning Via Appia doll is named after an ancient Roman road, but she looks more like a cross between a World War 2 nurse and a pirate.

I chose this particular J-Doll because she was the cheapest one I could find still new in her box.  She cost $50 and was described as the "Joseph Splatz" J-Doll, which I assumed was the name of the man who designed her funky outfit.  In fact, Josephsplatz is the name of a street in Germany.  Here she is:

Josephsplatz J-Doll
I bought my J-Doll on eBay, which is where you can find (with patience) the best selection and the lowest prices.  Be a little careful with eBay, though.  Right now, there's a doll on Buy it Now for around $450, but the same doll can be found elsewhere for $75.

There there are also several stores that carry these dolls.  I like Pullip Style in the United States.  This shop offers fast, inexpensive shipping (they'll ship worldwide) and they package the dolls very nicely.   Their prices are always fair and you can sometimes score a dented box deal.  You can pay anywhere from $40 to $500 for a J-Doll, but the average price is just under $100.  Based on my disappointment with Momoko, and my experience with fragile Pullip bodies, I knew I didn't want to spend more than $60 on one of these dolls.

J-Doll boxes are very similar to Pullip boxes:


The front of the box has a plastic window display, and the back of the box has a photograph and some cautionary statements about the doll.  These dolls are recommended for collectors 15 years old and older because of the small pieces and fragility of the body.


The inside of the box is decorated with a stylized black and white photograph.  I am not sure if this is an actual picture of the Josphsplatz street, but that would be really cool.


Josephsplatz comes with a multi-piece outfit, a pink stand, a purse, boots and several jewelry accessories.  Right away, I like this doll's sweet face, bright green eyes and pink hair:


All of her accessories are secured to the cardboard and easy to see:


She has funky stockings and old-fashioned boots:


The de-boxing experience is very similar to that of a Pullip doll.  This girl and all of her accessories are very firmly secured to the cardboard:

Tape, wire ties, plastic bands...it's all here.
Getting everything removed from the box takes some time.  I didn't tug and rip at the attachments like I do with some other dolls, because I know that the Jun Planning bodies can be fragile at the joints.  Fortunately, everything came out intact:


The stand has a plastic molded base and a metal telescoping support for the doll:


The base has a brick street style pattern:


The doll comes with two necklaces and a black knit headband:


One of the necklaces has two metal chains and a heart pendant.  I like that the chains are contrasting sizes and lengths:


The heart pendant looks like a small locket, but it doesn't open:


The other necklace has strung black glass beads and a metal clasp:


The boots are packaged separately and are made out of molded vinyl.  They have black painted details and remind me of Victorian spats boots: 


These boots are tricky to get on and off.  The vinyl is very stiff and so you have to push and shove to get them on, and then tug pretty hard to get them off...which can't be good for this doll's tiny ankle joints.


The doll looks a bit overloaded with accessories right out of the box.  Her hair and joints come wrapped in plastic, which adds to her bulky appearance:



I find this doll's face very appealing.  I love the eyes that Jun Planning uses for the J-Dolls and Hestia dolls.  For such tiny eyes, they are quite realistic:


Pullip dolls have a movable eye mechanism (the eyes can look from side-to-side and wink), but J-Doll eyes are stationary. 

The candy stripe lines in her lips are much more noticeable in these pictures than they are to me in real life.  Her face paint, while stylized, is fairly subtle and natural.


Here's a mediocre picture of my Hestia doll's head for comparison.  This doll has run off somewhere (maybe to the Goodwill by mistake?) and so I can't take any new pictures of her, but you can see how detailed her eyes are:


Jopsphsplatz comes wearing a purse that looks like an octave of piano keys.  At first glance, the design of the purse seems classical and out-of-place with her overall look.  After doing some research, I realize that the musical instrument theme (especially in black and white) is consistent with the punk gothic Lolita vibe that this doll has going on.  She's like the eccentric keyboard player in a punk garage band. 

Regardless of whether or not it goes with her outfit, I love this purse.  It is wonderful:




The layered stockings on this doll are fun.  No two socks are alike.  I peeled them off to investigate each one separately.


On one leg, she was wearing a plain black knee-high stocking, a black fishnet stocking trimmed in lace, and a small purple and grey striped ankle warmer:


On the other leg, she was wearing a purple polka dot knit sock and a ripped black stocking with a peach bow at the top:


The doll's lower legs and feet were wrapped in plastic, which was a very good thing.  There were heavy purple dye stains on one of the feet:


Josephsplatz is dressed in a black graphic tank top, a layered lace skirt, a matching studded belt and collar, and pink lace arm bands:


The belt is funny.  It doesn't lay flat at all, but rather sits perched awkwardly on top of the skirt. Despite its clunky, heavy appearance, the belt has very little weight to it (the studs are plastic) and so the frilly lace layers of the skirt push it up:


In real life, a belt like this would be very heavy and would push the skirt down and hang low on the doll's waist.  That would look great.  This looks silly:

Punk lite.
I like the idea of the belt, but I'd like it a lot more in real life if the designers had made it tighter or heavier.


I prefer how the doll looks without the belt:


The ruffled skirt is made of three tiers--two pink layers and a black overskirt.  There is a metal snap closure in back:



The doll is wearing little pink lace arm covers that add some nice balance to the pink layers of the skirt:


The tee shirt is poorly printed (it has some black smudges and areas where the iron-on is wrinkled), but has a fascinating design:


The shirt's graphic seems like a random amalgam of pop references.  It says, "smashing head"on the top.  Maybe this is a take-off on the name of the band The Smashing Pumpkins?  But then, the picture on the shirt is a skull with butterfly wings and the words "The Burtterfly Effect" at the bottom, which I assume is a drunken attempt at "butterfly."  Smashing Pumpkins have a song called Bullet With Butterfly Wings, but there was also a movie called The Butterfly Effect with a poster design that is similar to this shirt.  There's also an Australian band called The Butterfly Effect.   Hm. 

It's certainly chaotic.
The overall effect of the shirt is good, and I like the fitted cut.  The black knit fabric left a few faint stains across this doll's torso.


Underneath her clothes, Josephsplatz (who I think needs to be nicknamed "Jo," or maybe "Splat?") is wearing a pair of high-waisted black lace underpants:


The underpants are a bit bulky, and they also left some faint stains on her body.

Black lace isn't always sexy.
J-Dolls have either a type 3 or type 4 Pullip body.  This particular doll has the less desirable type 3 body:


The type 3 body has 21 points of articulation--if you count the double joints.  Here is a chart I posted in my Pullip review that gives an overview of these two Pullip bodies:


*An important addendum to this chart is that the type 4 J-Dolls can move their heads up and down in addition to having full neck rotation.

The type 4 bodies are considered better overall.  In particular, the type 4 wrist joints are much more mobile and less prone to breakage, and the type 4 hips are more flexible. 

There are three very prominent screws in the back and neck of this doll:


She has a neat two-toned butterfly tattoo on her right upper arm that matches the theme of her tank top graphic:


The upper arm movement in the type 3 body is great.  The shoulders have rotating hinge joints, and there's an additional rotating joint just above the elbow.  The elbow itself is double jointed and moves well.



The wrist joint is awful.  It is a simple non-rotating hinge joint, and it is incredibly fragile.  I am afraid to pose the doll's arms because of this joint.

Talk to the hand.
Both of my Hestia doll's wrists came out of the box broken and she had the type 3 body, too.  This doll's right wrist is chipped and very stiff.  It won't last long:



The body has good side-to-side and rotational torso movement, but very little front-to-back flexibility.


Her lower torso joint can rotate a full 360 degrees...

...but probably shouldn't.
The hips are not super-flexible.  This is the best front-to-back split she can do:

That's about my level of flexibility.
And this is as far as her hips flex to either side:


The knee joints are funny.  They are double-jointed, with a knee cap piece in the middle.  The knees on this doll are very stiff and hard to move.  She can kneel, though:


And she sits in a chair pretty well, although this position highlights how shockingly long her thighs are:

Holy femurs, Batman.

Many of the seams on this doll appear to be on the verge of splitting.  It's hard to tell if they'll stay put or become a problem over time.  

I love the way this body looks, but it is fragile and not anywhere near as flexible as a body with this number of joints should be.


Here's Jo next to Pullip Mir (type 4 body) and Pullip Shinku Rozen Maiden (type 3 body).  Jo made the large-headed dolls a bit insecure.

Psst...Shinku...what's the deal here?  Do you see the size of her head?
And here she is with Tangkou Loli, Disney Rapunzel and a Barbie Basic:

Feeling...very...large...and pale.
Jo is similar in height to Bratzaillaz and Kurhn, but none of them can share clothes:


I assumed that my Momoko doll would be the closest match to a J-Doll.  Indeed, Jo and "Mo" are very similar in height, Momoko's head is just slightly smaller:

Hey, bighead, see if you can bend your wrist like this...
Momoko's clothes are loose on Jo, though:


These two dolls have similarly stilted movement for their high level of articulation.  They wanted to duke it out in a posing contest, and I could hardly argue.

Mo wins the forward split category:


Jo wins the sideways split category:


Jo also wins at making a very strange pose look good:

We call this, "Dance of the Smashed Burtterfly"
They both fail at the backwards bridge:


But they both win at this, whatever this is:

Egyptians on Ice.
The posing is comparable between these two dolls. What sets the J-Doll apart, in my opinion is her face.  Poor Momoko's face does very little for me, while Jo's face is intriguing enough that I find myself forgiving many of her significant flaws:


I couldn't find any dolls that are able to share their wardrobe with Jo.  Liv clothes are too big:



Barbie clothes are also too big, but this Barbie Basic dress fits Jo because it's super-stretchy and ultra-short.  Next to Poppy (aslo wearing a Barbie Basic dress), you can see the size difference between these two dolls.



Still, since this was the only outfit that came even remotely close to fitting, I had to snap a few more pictures:



I haven't said anything about this doll's amazing pink hair.  First of all, I love the antique pink color and the crimped style.  The hair is wigged, and the rooting is appropriately thick for such a small doll.  It's not especially soft hair fiber, but it handles well.  It doesn't feel great, but it doesn't feel bad, either.  It doesn't even really need to be brushed--it just looks good most of the time.  It's a nice balance between voluminous and tame:  


The hair holds its position in a way that allows it to add to the posing potential of the doll.  For example, you can pull it out to one side as if the doll was running, and the hair will stay in place like that.  It's almost like having another limb to pose:


Here are a few more pictures of Jo in her original outfit.  I don't think the headband does much for her face or hair, but I tried it anyway:



This is how I like her best--with no collar, no black necklace, no belt and no headband:







Bottom line?  This one is relatively simple.  The type 3 Pullip body, despite its numerous joints, has a poor range of motion and some very fragile areas.  The wrists on this doll will not last and the knees are very stiff and prone to falling apart.  The head articulation is disappointing because the doll cannot look up or down at all.  I would recommend choosing a J-Doll with a type 4 body instead.  The type 4 body has rotating wrists, a head that can look up and down, and a more attractive knee joint.

Aside form an ill-fitting belt, stiff shoes and some darkly colored items that will stain the plastic body, the clothing on this doll is interesting and well-made.   It isn't my favorite J-Doll outfit in terms of style, but it has creativity and some fun pieces.  The purse, heart pendant and mismatched stockings are especially appealing.

My assessment of this doll would be almost identical to that of my Momoko doll if it weren't for this girl's lovely face and whimsical hair.  Her large, realistic eyes and sweet expression prompt an emotional reaction in me that makes it much easier to overlook her flaws.  I find myself reasoning that if she is displayed on the shelf and not posed too often, her wrists will be fine.  In certain poses, she looks like the most flexible doll in the world, right?  And why does she need to look up and down, anyway?  Basically, I've been charmed into making excuses for her.

Like their large-headed Pullip relatives, the J-Dolls compensate for underwhelming bodies by having intricate, overdone outfits and fascinating faces.  You can tip the balance of good and bad in your favor by finding a type 4 bodied doll with an outfit that you love.  If the price is right, you'll have something pretty special.  How do I know?  I took my own advice.  Here is my second J-Doll, Vasterlanggatan ($60, eBay).  She has a type 4 body, a dress I adore, and another gorgeous face: 

 

Her outfit is a short, flirty, multi-tiered wedding dress. The skirt has layers of satin, tulle and lace, while the bodice has an exquisite asymmetrical design that reminds me of an orchid or a lily:



She comes with a white purse and a sprig of white flowers.


Her hair is a zany mix of gravity-defying curls and twists.  It is a little messy in places, but the total effect is great.  


She is dramatically more posable than Josephsplatz.



This doll is a keeper.


Summary:
Age Level
15 and up, per the box.  Fragile doll with lots of small pieces.
Value
The price I paid seems fair.  I would give Jospehsplatz an ideal price of $40  (I would give Vasterlanggatan a higher value at $60-100).
Quality
The doll’s face is beautiful. Realistic inset eyes and nice face paint.  While the wigged hair isn’t extremely soft, it is very easy to manage and looks great.  Her outfit is creative and fun and is made fairly well.  It leaves some dark staining on the doll’s body. The type 3 body is frustrating.  Despite 21 joints, the doll can’t pose very well.  Her wrists are chipped and extremely fragile. She can’t look up and down.  Her knees are stiff.  
Packaging
Overdone.  The doll and all of her accessories are very securely attached to the cardboard.  It takes a while to de-box these dolls carefully. 
Collectable?
Yes. Some of the J-Dolls seem to be rare and increase in value. Don't always trust the eBay price, though.
Versatility
A J-Doll with a type 3 body is best for display and limited manipulation.  The type 4 body offers much more posing potential, although none of these dolls are intended for young children or for play. I did not find a reliable source of extra clothes--some Momoko, Barbie and Liv items will fit, but are baggy.  The clothes are a big part of a J-Doll’s artistic statement, so perhaps there’s little need for redressing.
Overall
I would cautiously recommended Josephsplatz (for the right price) because of her lovely face and cute outfit, but her body is almost a deal- breaker.  I feel more confident about recommending J-Dolls after purchasing Vasterlanggatan.  If you love a particular outfit and the doll has a type 4 body, she could be well worth $60-80.  J-Dolls offer a nice option for collectors who admire Pullip’s body and quirky fashions but are turned off by that enormous head.

72 comments:

  1. is the dress is good or high quality? she looks cute,is she limited edtion? THANK YOU >0<

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    1. The second doll, Vasterlanggatan? Her wedding dress is gorgeous. It seems very high quality to me. I haven't played with her as much as Josephsplatz, but I love her dress so far!

      I have searched both of the dolls in this review to see if they are limited, and I don't think they are. They're both still easy to find. Pullip Style has Vasterlanggatan right now:
      http://pullipstyle.com/pullipstyle/product_info.php?products_id=359

      Hope that helps! :)

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  2. If you break up the name of the doll into two words, as you did in the fourth paragraph, it should be Josephs Platz -- Joseph's Place. :)

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    1. That's so cool, Barb--thank you! I didn't know that! It makes total sense, though, because there's also a hotel in Germany with that name, and "Joseph's Place" is a great name for a hotel. They need your help in the Groove translation department! On the box (or if you Google the name of the doll) the word is broken up like this: "Joseph Splatz," which doesn't make sense, I guess! Here's an example:
      http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Splatz-Fashion-Luxury-Planning/dp/B0040HDK6U

      I like the word, "splatz," though. Too bad it isn't real. ;)

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  3. I have a soft spot for pink hair on dolls of any type so this was just fun to read. From the neck up both dolls are fabulous but not so much neck down.
    Again a treat to read and I am looking forward to your next review.
    Tina

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    1. Thank you so much, Tina! I like the pink hair, too. It gives her such a soft sweetness in contrast to her edgy outfit. I love how you summarized these dolls so succinctly--"from the neck up=fabulous, from the neck down=not necessarily." Perfectly said! :)

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  4. Both dolls are gorgeous, even with flaws!

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  5. One more thing I wanted to say about articulation, it seems to me sometimes there are far too many joints on dolls and then they get close to being like a pinocchio doll. Just a observation lately with me..
    Tina

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    1. That's a great observation! I am a huge fan of articulation in general, but I know exactly what you mean about the "Pinocchio effect." There have been some times posing a doll when I feel like she just won't hold a pose--she keeps sticking a foot out or a leg keeps rotating inappropriately or something like that. Or, in the case of the type 3 body J-Dolls, they have all of these joints that just don't do much. Why even have them? A lot of jointing can make the doll's body look odd.

      It would be interesting to think about which joints are the really necessary ones--which ones make posing the doll especially fun or realistic? How much is enough without going overboard? For me, I'd guess the ideal doll would have 12-14 points of articulation, including full-range neck, wrist and knee joints. I think Integrity dolls are close to my ideal, but I'd have to give it some more thought! Fun topic. Maybe I should have an articulation showdown review some day..? :D

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  6. You'd think they'd be able to make wrists that don't come already broken... The wrists on my second hand Type 3 body are fine, seems like I was lucky. Good thing they changed them!
    The plastic wrap to prevent staining was a good idea, I wish more manufacturers did that.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, it's frustrating about the wrists. Maybe the type 3 bodies were only around for a short while? The type 4 wrists are SO much better. I am so glad that you have a type 3 doll with nice wrists. Now that you mention it, my Shinku Rozen Maiden Pullip has pretty sturdy wrists, too. And you are so right about the plastic. It really saved this dolls foot!

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  7. Really pretty dolls, I prefer the second one. They are superdetaild to be 9 inch doll, again a great review!(:

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    1. Thank you, LagoonaLicious! Overall, I think I like the second doll best, too, but I might slightly prefer the face of the Josephsplatz girl. It's close. And you're right--they do have a lot of nice detail for petite dolls, especially those eyes!

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  8. Right Emily it is a fun topic. So it begs the question, what are doll buyers looking for in articulation? When I see a doll with so many joints all I think is clunky, loose, breakable, and that may not be the case but it seems to be many times over.

    Please do a showdown articulation review because I know you will hit on observations that I have no idea about. Can't wait to see !!

    Tina

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    Replies
    1. Ok! It's on! Well, probably that menas in five or six weeks I'll get around to it, but still--it's ON! ;)

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  9. She is a lovely doll!loving her Pullip-type body and beady eyes!The only thing I would change is her pinky wig :P Will consider to get one in future!Thanks for this review!

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    1. Aw, you don't like the pink wig, Urshula? ;)
      I have heard that some of these dolls have bad hair--probably should have mentioned that in my review. I'd love to know what THIS doll's hair is like...
      http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2257/2443853508_1b4305acfd.jpg

      She looks amazing!

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  10. Thank you for another fabulous review! I was really wishing you would do a J-doll review! Their are a couple of them I have had my eye on.

    Also I have become obsessed with Puillip dolls ever since I read your review of Elisabeth. And I hope to order my first two or three Puillip dolls early next month! I would love it if you could do another Pullip, Dal or Byul doll review. They are such beautiful/interesting looking dolls.

    Thank you again, I look forward to each review you write and I know I have said it before but your photography is inspiring! I have recommended your site to all my collector friends.

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    1. Thank you so much! You are a sweetheart. :)
      The Pullips are so fun--there is such variety in their face paint and outfits. I love just looking at all of the promotional pictures online. Right now, these two are my favorites:
      http://pullipstyle.com/pullipstyle/product_info.php?cPath=21_83&products_id=980
      AND
      http://cpanel221.necdn.com/808C0A/magmaheritage.com/Aurorapullip/aurorapullipout6large.jpg

      Which ones do you like?

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  11. They're both pretty, but the gorgeous pink hair of Jo wins it for me. It's a shame about her flaws (and I'm not too keen on the clothes either), but I can fully understand why you're willing to overlook those just based on her face! She's beautiful.

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    1. I totally agree! I really wish I could find Jo and her pink hair another outfit. Her outfit is ok, but the combination of the staining and the fact that it's not exactly my style makes it a bit of a disappointment. Personally, I think she'd make a great mermaid! Some of the extra Pullip clothing sets are adorable, but they're pretty expensive. :-O

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  12. Oh man, I love the pink hair. I have a hank of a similar colour to try rerooting one of my My Scenes with and I'm really excited.

    I love the idea of a Pullip relative with a small head. Such a shame about the fragile joints, though! If I'm buying a doll with tons of articulation I want to be able to play around and change her pose often. Frustrating. I'm glad you are so pleased with your second J-doll.

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    1. You hit the nail on the head with this: "If I'm buying a doll with tons of articulation I want to be able to play around and change her pose ." How true! Very well said. Having joints that can't be used is just torture.

      There's something about the dusty rose shade of Jo's pink hair that's just perfect--that color will look fantastic on your My Scene doll, I bet! Fun idea. I don't have the patience for that particular project, but the results are so wonderful, I wish I did! :)

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  13. If money and display space were not an issue I would definitely be wanting one of these dolls now. I had of course heard of J-dolls before but never really had a proper look. I was completely won over as soon as I caught a glimpse of Jo's pink hair. I think that I actually let out an audible gasp of approval! Her eyes are also amazing. What a shame about her articulation though :( I just adore pretty much everything about your second doll. Have you managed to resist letting down her hair? I don't think that I could.

    I am really looking forward to having a look at Pullip bodies. I am a little concerned by how fragile they are. My lovely husband has bought me one for my birthday but I don't know which of the many he chose from my wish list.

    I think that I might just have to add a couple of J-dolls to that ever growing list....

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  14. Vasterlanggatan, thats Västerlånggatan in swedish, a street in the Old Town in Stockholm. If you are going to keep her maybe you should give her a nick name to? You might find some inspiration in the wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A4sterl%C3%A5nggatan

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  15. I found a J-Doll at Tuesday Morning a couple of years ago, I think it was Crescent Street or something like that? I have never found another one for $16, though.

    Your second doll is exquisite! What a shame about the body on the first one, though. Her face has so much personality!

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    1. We have them at a Tuesday Morning here in the DFW area Texas, I saw last night, I think $20. There were a couple different styles. They also had some cute creepy Toffee Dolls.

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  16. God I hate you! Now I want one of these dolls so bad looking on ebay there are a few I have my eye on but they are way out of my price range, and if I'm paying that much for a doll, they better come perfect, no broken wrists, stains, etc. I'm studying costume, and I think it really is a shame that they're using such a cheap material that stains and up charging a doll!!! But I may get one of these eventually they're too pretty to pass up! As usual great review!

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  17. Is it just me or do the J dolls look like smaller Bratzillaz? Of course, J dolls are much prettier but they are so way out of my price range, I might make a Bratzillaz custom. What do you think?

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  18. Excellent review, as always! The Vasterlanggaten J-Doll looks fantastic and I had no idea about the different body type used in later J-Dolls, it makes them much more appealing. I had the Joseph Platz J-Doll as well, but sold everything except the metal heart necklace for the exact same negatives with the body you discuss. But I've always liked their faces so much, I may have to track one down with the type 4 body so I can really play with her.

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  19. Josephsplatz' face reminds me of a LIV doll face a little.
    Too bad she's so much more expensive and doesn't seem to pose as nicely. :(

    Thank you for another fun review!

    --Anonymous :)

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  20. I have the Charing Cross and Mohave Street J-dolls, and my only real "wish" on them is that I would like to see them made larger -- to 12" size at least. At 9" they look like pixies next to my larger dolls! Due to the fragility issue, I haven't played much with them but they are inspiring to look at ... oh to wear those clothes :)

    Great review, Emily!

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  21. I had this same Josephs Platz doll and I liked her eyes, but hated, hated HATED her hair. I thought her hair quality was horribly bad. It was the worst hair I'd ever seen on a doll. I ended up selling her, later, at a loss. Sigh.

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  22. I think she looks lovely, Emily.
    Despite all of those flaws I can see why you could overlook them. I think her face is gorgeous, those eyes stare right into you soul. I love the shade of pink for her hair and the way it ''poses''. I also love her clothing and the style of it, especially that skirt! The Burtterfly shirt is very funny because of that mistake but I like the idea. I love her accesories, especially that heart necklase, the bag and her stockings.
    The posing competitie was so funny, by the time I got to Egyptians on Ice I already couldn't handle it anymore xD
    Vasterlanggatan (yes, I had to copy-paste that) looks very stylish and chique to me and I'm glad she has the type 4 body. Jo still remains my fave of the two though, the style of her outfit, her face and her hair are just too amazing.
    Thanks you so much for this great and funny review Emily!
    Just one thing, I think you put the chart upside down xD

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  23. My first experience was with a Pullip type 4 body (Ludmilla, red hair, incredible look), but her head was so massive, that I thought better to try with a J-Doll. After some considerations about the price of the doll, I bought Avenue Kleber J-Doll from Pullip Style and arrived in a month. I enjoy J-Doll because is far easy to change clothes, be poseable and enjoy her more simple and small head. She is cute and very easy to adapt some of the Barbie clothes if you look for the right looks. Also, J-Doll can share most of the Barbie Shoes and boots too. The type 4 body of J-Doll are not so weak as type 3, but even so you need to be careful with the joints if you don't want to damage them.
    I've been reading in Internet that the most common option is to buy an Obitsu 27 cm doll body in the same color skin of Pullip or J-Doll and with some tutorials in YouTube, you can learn how to transfer the head from one body to another. The Obitsu body is really poseable, very good joints quality and easy to handle. You can have an OOAK J-Doll or Pullip with a new body, that is going to be up on price and should have more options on clothes and movements.
    So that, I'm waiting for my second J-Doll to see if possible to "create" a new type of J-Doll with an Obitsu body. It sounds a little bit Frankenstein-ish, but Pullips and J-Dolls are so adorable collectors doll that you only wanat to extend their life and joy.

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  24. THANK YOU so much for this review. I fell in love with this doll after reading your review, and I just purchased her on Ebay - am SO excited!!!

    Do you happen to know if one could purchase a type 4 body for her, and if so, how to match the skin color?

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  25. Be careful with J-doll stands. They don't fix the doll good enough. My J-dolls fell from shelves several times because of stands.

    Thanks for the review!

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  26. What do you know about the J-doll reforma?? That's the one I've kind of had my eye on for a while and since I have to save money I don't want to make a purchase without being sure of it.

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  27. Thank you very much for this great review! I just recently bought my own J doll, Old Church Street (with a Type 4 body) for about 40 dollars. She has great joints, though her long hair doesn't have Josephsplatz' posability. :(

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  28. Do you know of a place to get replacement parts for my Jdoll? I purchased one recently and her foot came off in her boot and cannot be extracted. Also, that leg is stained. Thank you.

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    1. Ugh--how awful! Unfortunately, I don't know where to get replacement parts. :( I know people replace the bodies completely--sometimes using Obitsu bodies. This Flickr tutorial suggests that you can make partial swaps, too:
      http://www.flickr.com/photos/uenshin/2518823356/sizes/o/in/set-72157603733691768/

      Obitsu bodies can be found at the Junky Spot. I've ordered from them and they're great:
      http://www.junkyspot.com/

      Good luck with your broken doll--it's so frustrating when that happens.

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  29. out of all your dolls which is your favorite

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    1. Now that is a difficult question! :-O If I had to give my collection away and save only one doll, I'd keep the ratty old Madame Alexander baby doll I had as a kid. Of my more recent dolls, the one I'd least want to part with is probably my Tonner first wave basic Cinderella...or maybe my Himsetdt Ntathi. I have many favorites--if that's possible. :)

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  30. i asked you this on facebook but then i saw you havent posted sense 2012, but with out physically holding a doll how do you know if its body type is 3 or 4? C:

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    1. Yeah..sorry about the facebook page. I don't have time to update it so I should probably delete it! Yikes!

      I think if you know the date of production of a J-doll, you can figure out the body type. I've heard that those made in 2009 and later have type 4, earlier than that would be type 3.

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  31. Also, I absolutely fell in love with Via Appia as soon as I saw her, I'm so glad you mentioned her

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    1. She's awesome, and I think she's 2011, which would be a type 4 body! :D

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    2. Awesome, I'm trying to get her. I'm so glad to hear that. When I get her she will be my first j-doll ever. The ones you have are very beautiful as well

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  32. I do have another question. Do you think her clothing with stain her arms and body? and if so is there a way to clean her? Also thank you for being so helpful, I love the things you have to say about the dolls

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    1. Hm...yeah, I guess given the number of stained Pullips and J-dolls I've seen, I'd worry a little about the coat and the boots on Via Appia (black and red stain the worst). Stains under the clothes don't bother me that much, so I haven't tried very hard to remove them. I have successfully removed some other marks (not clothing-related) on a doll with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, and I have heard (but not tested) that zit creams can work on stained Groove bodies. Just don't use acetone. It works on some vinyl dolls, but I tried to remove bad stains on my BEGoth doll with acetone and her plastic body melted.
      Try any chemical on the bottom of a foot first, just in case!

      I'm no expert here--sorry. I'd assume that your doll will have some minor stains, and then be pleasantly surprised if she's stain-free!

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    2. Thanks, I'm too worried with chemicals but I appreciate the help alot C:

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  33. So I got Via and shes NOT stained at all! C: just wondering if there are any other types of doll clothes that would fit her, like maybe pullip?

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    1. J-Dolls have the same bodies as Pullips, so you just have to check to make sure any Pullip clothes you're looking at are the same body type. Via Appia is a type 4.

      I have a Auigo Road East (who is also a type 4), and several playline clothes can fit her. So far, I've had luck with Bratz, Barbie, and LIV leggings, jackets, and anything else that can get away with being a bit loose. Your best bet would be to look for large lots of doll clothes on Ebay. If you have a Barbie/LIV and Monster High (or comparably-sized equivalents) or are willing to do some minor modifications, then almost every piece of clothing should be usable.
      A lot of Barbie shoes fit the type 4 body; here's a link to a wholesale lot on Ebay of 60 pairs for less than $5-->http://tinyurl.com/puusk2h
      The first lot I bought came with about 30 unique style/color combinations.

      I hope that helps!

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  34. Hello, not sure where you live but I live in Massachusetts and a local discount chain called Tuesday Morning has J-Dolls in stock this week for only $20. I just bought 4 different ones at my local store!

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    1. I have just found 4 different ones at my local Tuesday Morning yesterday, too. I live in Pennsylvania. I bought one (Diamante) which I always wanted. Tuesday Morning had J-Dolls on sale in November, 2010 as well.

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  35. I just bought 4 of them at my local Tuesday Morning as well for $19.99 each. They have also had the Peter Pan Pullip dolls there for $39.99. I bought one of the little resin Ai bjd dolls there as well for under $30...I definitely recommend hunting down your local Tuesday Morning stores...I have 4 within 12 miles.

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  36. o/ Hey there! I just wanted you to know~
    I've been collecting ball joint dolls for years and years, and all sorts of other dolls also, but the BJDs make up the core of my crazy collection. I stumbled on the J-Dolls while musing over some Pullips, and the price is what snagged me first. I couldn't believe how inexpensive they were compared to the other dolls I tend to collect. I wanted you to know how helpful your review was! You hit all the key points I was curious about. Height, quality, style... All of it. Thank you for reviewing these dolls in such detail!

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  37. Wow! Wish I had a Tuesday Morning near me! However, I just bought my first one on Amazon for $35 including shipping. Not too bad. It's always fun to get a good deal, but is a normally hard-to-get $75-and-up doll suddenly available and selling at $20 and $35 a good sign? Maybe, maybe not.

    The one I have is Carrer de Montcada; she's a bit steampunk with a detailed outfit and has dark teal-green hair. I'm so pleased with her! Type 4 body. Fragile, but not so much that I feel like I can't play with her and pose her a lot. I even dropped her (accidentally) on a tile floor and she seems to be undamaged. Now I'm looking at Magnificent Mile with her gorgeous coloring.

    I've always been attracted to Pullips, but not enough to own any. Accidentally finding a J-doll that suited my style taste at a low price pushed me over the edge.

    I LOVE the size of this doll! I wouldn't want to do much to her hair; maybe not even brush it. One of her hands keeps falling out but it's not a huge issue. I'd like to have more articulation in her torso, but it sounds like that would be a trade-off. J-dolls seem to be a good combination of size, articulation, fashion, price, pretty faces, and variety.
    Karen, Pacific Northwest

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  38. You should look at Jun Planning Ai's! i think it would be awesome if you did a review of them and they don't cost a lot either!

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  39. Hi :) Your post is really helpful, good photos, thanks! One more - annoying - question about the J-Doll Vasterlanggatan....is it possible to loose/untie her hair?

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  40. I found my girls at Tuesday Morning. They are really lovely, especially the eyes. I think they would be lovely for re paints too.

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  41. i wanna ask
    the doll with white dress
    can we move down her hair ? i'm waitting for one and i want to straight her hair

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  42. I believe doll abuse is happening here! Obviously your Momoko must come to stay with me at once! When & if she is shown proper affection the living arrangement may be revisited. (NOT) CLOTHING/ACCESSORIES will be kept. Ship at once.

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  43. Hi there. I absolutely LOVE the J-Dolls!!!! My mother saw one at Tuesday Morning and later decided to get one for me. At first I honestly didn't know what to make of it and, being blind, I couldn't see how beautifully detailed and well done her face and clothing were. However, as I continued purchasing more, which wasn't all too often since we tried to get them at TM as much as we could, I began to have a great fondness for them. I think I have two with type 4 Pullip bodies, so I'm lucky, and I adore both of them, especially Rue de Belleville who I named Margaux, she's certainly French and certainly beautiful, in my opinion.
    Thank you so much for doing this review! I hope to still be collecting these dolls, as well as others like Momoko (I hope I spelled that right) soon!

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  44. What other types of doll clothing could these dolls wear? Would Barbie clothes fit besides the Basics?

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  45. I'm thinking about buying this doll but I'm a little disappointed in her type 3 body. Would it be super hard to replace the body with a type 4?

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  46. Hi Megan. I a m from Russia and I have 11 Jdoll, some of them are on Type 3 and others are on Type 4 body. I didn`t swap tha bodies (but I knos people do that by cracking their heads open and placing it on another (in most cases Momoko o Obitsu body). There is an ilustrated tutorial on how you can do this on Flckr ( I cantry and find it if yoae interested), what I did was buying a Type 4 body and swaping all my JdollType3 hands+arms for Type 4 ones. They look way better like that. I didn`t chnge the body though as it looks good to me and has its own positive points ( to me). I also had Vasterlangattan but did`not like her and had to sell her . Althogh I never thought of her outfit as a wdding dress, it looked as a variation of ballerina`s costume to me. If yo would like to met me and my dolls and keep in touch please visit http://forum-dollplanet.ru/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=57210 or http://luzmirella1.livejournal.com/. You can also email me at luzmirella@gmail.com . I love meeting new "dolly hobbie friends".

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  47. Great article-Thank you for all the information. Are you familiar with the J Doll "Streets of Laredo" she is dressed in cowboy attire. What body type is she? Thanking you in advance

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    1. Same as Josephsplatz. If you are getting her from Pullipstyle she's worth the price, if only for the outfit.

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