So I've never even thought about a mini doll until a couple of days ago, but I must have seen a thread on here I guess and become aware of them and am now really interested. In particular I'd llove a 1/6th doll as I have some other 1/6th stuff which she would suit really well.
I like the look of the Phicen dolls, but I'm not sure what else available. I see most have removable hands and feet and a visible join, but I've seen some where either the foot join is not visible, or they are not removable. Is it possible to get any that are fully integral? Ideally even with an integral head would be great, as the fewer seams the better. I also like the slim and athletic look, but the smallest breast ize I've seen is "medium". Is that as small as they go? Finally, where would be the best place to get these from in the UK? The cheapest ones on ebay seem to be from China, but I'm really not sure if they are genuine or not (or if that matters).
I realise most or all of this information is probably in this forum, but there's quite a lot to look through and I don't really know where to start.
Thinking of getting a 1/6th doll
Moderator: LoneRanger
Re: Thinking of getting a 1/6th doll
There are a few models complete with head, which also have the firmly connected feet. With firmly connected hands or head I would not know that there are 1/6th, but I like to be taught.
These models with matching head are the 2014/S01-S08.
Now there are also the brand new S034/35 which also have fixed feet and are available in a version with matching head. LoneRanger can tell you more about them.
I think most of the people here started with such models and later on they bought heads and bodies separately and combined them. This can be quite a gamble though.
If you don't find the pictures of the models, I can look again tomorrow during the day to see if I can get them together.
I only know sources of supply in Germany or directly in China, which are
http://www.space.de
http://www.kg-hobby.com
http://www.giantoy.com
But I'm sure the others know more
I wish you much success with the selection and much fun in the 1/6 world
These models with matching head are the 2014/S01-S08.
Now there are also the brand new S034/35 which also have fixed feet and are available in a version with matching head. LoneRanger can tell you more about them.
I think most of the people here started with such models and later on they bought heads and bodies separately and combined them. This can be quite a gamble though.
If you don't find the pictures of the models, I can look again tomorrow during the day to see if I can get them together.
I only know sources of supply in Germany or directly in China, which are
http://www.space.de
http://www.kg-hobby.com
http://www.giantoy.com
But I'm sure the others know more
I wish you much success with the selection and much fun in the 1/6 world
Have a nice day or night.
Wolferich M. Mf.
Büchsenmacher MK. XI
Wolferich M. Mf.
Büchsenmacher MK. XI
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ShadowFun
- Doll Patriarch
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Re: Thinking of getting a 1/6th doll
Hey MattUk, welcome to the madness of 1/6 life! I've been lost in the maze of Phicen for a few months now. Here's some quick tips I've got:
Search ⅙ female action figures. There are lots of forums dedicated to them with tons of info and opinions. This is actually how I discovered TDF.
Phicen bodies really are the best. I'm in the USA and only buy bodies from US vendors. I pay a few bucks more and new releases are not available as quickly but it doesn't matter to me. I'd suggest finding a UK vendor for yours.
There are seamless feet but all heads and hands are removable with visible joints. This is essential for dressing them and changing poses and characters. Because these dolls are aimed at the "action figure" market, I doubt this will ever change.
Phicen's early seamless feet are not great and won't stand on their own. One of the new models, the S34/35, has a new seamless foot. As Wolferich pointed out, LoneRanger has this figure and has confirmed to me that it is different than the old feet. According to Lone, these feet have a "toggle" inside to flip from flat to heeled.
All Phicen bodies have big breasts, regardless of what they call them. Just mentally increase their size by one factor when reading. People complain about this constantly. I have an S17b body arriving any day now and it is universally accepted to have the smallest cup size. I will post up pics on my Tiny Minx thread when I get her.
The genital and nipple detail is pretty good on the newer bodies. Just be aware that if you order an early design, it might be missing them completely. Also, I've heard that these details are often missing on costumed boxes sets. I have no experiences with this however.
Hope this helps and have fun!
Search ⅙ female action figures. There are lots of forums dedicated to them with tons of info and opinions. This is actually how I discovered TDF.
Phicen bodies really are the best. I'm in the USA and only buy bodies from US vendors. I pay a few bucks more and new releases are not available as quickly but it doesn't matter to me. I'd suggest finding a UK vendor for yours.
There are seamless feet but all heads and hands are removable with visible joints. This is essential for dressing them and changing poses and characters. Because these dolls are aimed at the "action figure" market, I doubt this will ever change.
Phicen's early seamless feet are not great and won't stand on their own. One of the new models, the S34/35, has a new seamless foot. As Wolferich pointed out, LoneRanger has this figure and has confirmed to me that it is different than the old feet. According to Lone, these feet have a "toggle" inside to flip from flat to heeled.
All Phicen bodies have big breasts, regardless of what they call them. Just mentally increase their size by one factor when reading. People complain about this constantly. I have an S17b body arriving any day now and it is universally accepted to have the smallest cup size. I will post up pics on my Tiny Minx thread when I get her.
The genital and nipple detail is pretty good on the newer bodies. Just be aware that if you order an early design, it might be missing them completely. Also, I've heard that these details are often missing on costumed boxes sets. I have no experiences with this however.
Hope this helps and have fun!
Re: Thinking of getting a 1/6th doll
TBLeague (formerly known as Phicen) is definitely the best 1/6 scale company for lady dolls and even male dolls. In the beginning, they only used to sell "complete" dolls which included a headsculpt and a body, usually with a bikini for them to wear. That was during the time when they were still using a plastic skeleton which broke easily. Later on, they upgraded the skeleton into metal and dolls didn't break anymore.
When the new metal skeleton came out, they also seemed to use a new formula for their "medical grade silicone". The dolls became a little bit firmer but more durable and less prone to deterioration. They're still soft to the touch though but they're not as soft as they originally were. In short, it was a total upgrade in terms of quality. During this phase, Phicen became TBLeague due to a legal branding name issue with another company of a similar name, if I remember correctly. That's why they changed their name to TBLeague.
One interesting thing about TBLeague is that aside from the original bodies and headsculpts they make, they sometimes make exclusives of characters based on comics or movies. For example, they've made Vampirella the vampire, Akhalla who is a vampire queen, Ahrian who is some kind of lady warrior, Shi (who actually fought Daredevil in one crossover comic book event) and so much more.
A big change they've done in the past few years was releasing headless bodies aimed at kitbashers. A lot of different body types were released without heads. The naming convention and also the name of skintones can be VERY confusing because there seems to be no true rhyme and reason as to why certain models have that model name or why the color Tan and Suntan have changed so much through the years. A tan from the year 2014 is way different from a tan from 2016, and that's from the SAME model. My personal experience in this matter was that I bought a 2014 Phicen tan doll using the less durable material of silicone, so when her body started falling apart and getting torn, I bought a new doll of the same model so I could transfer her head on the body. I was disappointed to find out that the new tan did NOT match the old tan color. In addition to that, they also have a Suntan color which is totally different, but it also changed throughout the years.
As for bodies, they have quite a wide variety and that's good! There are slim dolls with medium breast sizes. The medium breast sizes are not large at all. They are the ones that seem more normal and not something you'd see from adult video stars. Their "big" (or pretty much the default) breasts are definitely huge! Interestingly, they don't have a "small" size for breasts even though that's what a lot of TBLeague collectors have been asking.
There are "average" shaped dolls who are neither thin nor meaty, as in they're just plain bodies. Last year, they released meatier or chubbier bodies, although they don't look obese at all. They're more like "slightly overweight by 10 pounds" kind of bodies.
Another thing to note is that different models may or may not come with genitalia at all. This is another one of those "no rhyme, no reason" things from them. Some models have super detailed genitalia, while others either have nothing in the crotch or they're just simplified versions. For male models, you usually get 2 or 3 versions of genitalia. I can only describe them as relaxed, slightly erect, and ready to penetrate. Male bodies also come in different shapes. So far there's a Bruce Lee type of ripped body, a tall Michael Jordan basketball player type of body, a muscular body that you can see from someone who works out at the gym regularly, and a super muscular Arnold Schwarzenegger type of body.
For feet, it's another one of those randomly decided things by TBLeague. Some bodies have built-in feet. A long time ago with the old silicone formula, the metal skeleton feet would poke out of it. Nowadays, the silicone is more durable and it doesn't really happen anymore. Other bodies have solid plastic feet that you can change with other feet shapes, like feet designed for high heel shoes. Same goes with the hands although these are made of softer, more flexible plastic.
-------------------------------
Another alternative to TBLeague is a company called Jiaou Doll. They're a competitor and they make pretty much the same thing, except they totally don't include heads with the bodies. The Jiaou Doll bodies are a little bit less detailed than TBLeague bodies. The TBLeague bodies usually have beautiful sculpted detail like abs and little muscles. Jiaou Dolls usually are plain. Also, Jiaou dolls come with hands with pink nail color for some reason, although I'm not sure if they still do it now.
For Jiaou Dolls, they also have their own confusing color naming scheme! Wheat, Light, Pink, Brown, Black (that doesn't even look black it's more like brown).
----------------------------------
Now for accessories because you're probably gonna end up kitbashing a girl you want.
For clothes, I recommend VS Toys aka Vicky Secret Toys. They make really beautiful clothes that fit the medium breasted TBLeague ladies. I honestly prefer medium breasted dolls because they're so much easier to buy clothes for!
For headsculpts, I recommend Super Duck. The headsculpts they make are really cute and they have facial expressions! Some are happy, others are laughing, there are some who are trying to be seductive with their tongue sticking out, some have moveable eyes, they even come in multiple hairstyles and hair colors!
----------------------------------
One challenge you'll definitely encounter is trying to figure out which headsculpt matches which body. Unfortunately, the answer to that is, you have to just ask someone who has the headsculpt you want or maybe find a review on youtube or some blog. Most of the Super Duck headsculpts match (or at least go well) with the Suntan TBLeague color (assuming they haven't changed again this year).
The color of the bodies and the heads are definitely affected by the type of camera you have, the lighting, and the settings in the camera, and that's why it's so hard to get an accurate representation of what something looks like in "real life".
As for clothes, better avoid dark or overly vibrant colors as the colors might get absorbed by the silicone bodies. If you want to really use them, you have to wash them a couple of times. My personal method is putting the clothes in a cup, drowning them in laundry detergent, add water and spin them around with your finger as if you're a human washing machine. You will probably notice that the water will have some of the excess dye. Dump it and repeat the process until you don't see the dye anymore. Once it looks like there's no more excess dye, it's better to be safe and drown the clothes with laundry detergent and water again. This time, leave them in the cup for a few hours or even a day. After you're done waiting, repeat the washing process and let the clothes dry. For every color of the outfit, make a little part of it touch a well hidden silicone for a couple of seconds. Just see if there is still color transfer or if it's already safe. Usually that does the trick.
When wearing light colored clothes, you might notice that the clothes would have a yellowish color on them after some time. I think this is the doll secreting some kind of oil. Nothing to be really done about it except wash the clothes.
-----------------------------------------------
TBLeague Metal Skeleton:
TBLeague Body Comparisons 2018/2019 (newer bodies not covered here):
TBLeague VS Jiaou Bodies:
One of the more recent TBLeague exclusives: Anck Su Namun:
TBLeague also makes 1/12 scale versions of their exclusives:
When the new metal skeleton came out, they also seemed to use a new formula for their "medical grade silicone". The dolls became a little bit firmer but more durable and less prone to deterioration. They're still soft to the touch though but they're not as soft as they originally were. In short, it was a total upgrade in terms of quality. During this phase, Phicen became TBLeague due to a legal branding name issue with another company of a similar name, if I remember correctly. That's why they changed their name to TBLeague.
One interesting thing about TBLeague is that aside from the original bodies and headsculpts they make, they sometimes make exclusives of characters based on comics or movies. For example, they've made Vampirella the vampire, Akhalla who is a vampire queen, Ahrian who is some kind of lady warrior, Shi (who actually fought Daredevil in one crossover comic book event) and so much more.
A big change they've done in the past few years was releasing headless bodies aimed at kitbashers. A lot of different body types were released without heads. The naming convention and also the name of skintones can be VERY confusing because there seems to be no true rhyme and reason as to why certain models have that model name or why the color Tan and Suntan have changed so much through the years. A tan from the year 2014 is way different from a tan from 2016, and that's from the SAME model. My personal experience in this matter was that I bought a 2014 Phicen tan doll using the less durable material of silicone, so when her body started falling apart and getting torn, I bought a new doll of the same model so I could transfer her head on the body. I was disappointed to find out that the new tan did NOT match the old tan color. In addition to that, they also have a Suntan color which is totally different, but it also changed throughout the years.
As for bodies, they have quite a wide variety and that's good! There are slim dolls with medium breast sizes. The medium breast sizes are not large at all. They are the ones that seem more normal and not something you'd see from adult video stars. Their "big" (or pretty much the default) breasts are definitely huge! Interestingly, they don't have a "small" size for breasts even though that's what a lot of TBLeague collectors have been asking.
There are "average" shaped dolls who are neither thin nor meaty, as in they're just plain bodies. Last year, they released meatier or chubbier bodies, although they don't look obese at all. They're more like "slightly overweight by 10 pounds" kind of bodies.
Another thing to note is that different models may or may not come with genitalia at all. This is another one of those "no rhyme, no reason" things from them. Some models have super detailed genitalia, while others either have nothing in the crotch or they're just simplified versions. For male models, you usually get 2 or 3 versions of genitalia. I can only describe them as relaxed, slightly erect, and ready to penetrate. Male bodies also come in different shapes. So far there's a Bruce Lee type of ripped body, a tall Michael Jordan basketball player type of body, a muscular body that you can see from someone who works out at the gym regularly, and a super muscular Arnold Schwarzenegger type of body.
For feet, it's another one of those randomly decided things by TBLeague. Some bodies have built-in feet. A long time ago with the old silicone formula, the metal skeleton feet would poke out of it. Nowadays, the silicone is more durable and it doesn't really happen anymore. Other bodies have solid plastic feet that you can change with other feet shapes, like feet designed for high heel shoes. Same goes with the hands although these are made of softer, more flexible plastic.
-------------------------------
Another alternative to TBLeague is a company called Jiaou Doll. They're a competitor and they make pretty much the same thing, except they totally don't include heads with the bodies. The Jiaou Doll bodies are a little bit less detailed than TBLeague bodies. The TBLeague bodies usually have beautiful sculpted detail like abs and little muscles. Jiaou Dolls usually are plain. Also, Jiaou dolls come with hands with pink nail color for some reason, although I'm not sure if they still do it now.
For Jiaou Dolls, they also have their own confusing color naming scheme! Wheat, Light, Pink, Brown, Black (that doesn't even look black it's more like brown).
----------------------------------
Now for accessories because you're probably gonna end up kitbashing a girl you want.
For clothes, I recommend VS Toys aka Vicky Secret Toys. They make really beautiful clothes that fit the medium breasted TBLeague ladies. I honestly prefer medium breasted dolls because they're so much easier to buy clothes for!
For headsculpts, I recommend Super Duck. The headsculpts they make are really cute and they have facial expressions! Some are happy, others are laughing, there are some who are trying to be seductive with their tongue sticking out, some have moveable eyes, they even come in multiple hairstyles and hair colors!
----------------------------------
One challenge you'll definitely encounter is trying to figure out which headsculpt matches which body. Unfortunately, the answer to that is, you have to just ask someone who has the headsculpt you want or maybe find a review on youtube or some blog. Most of the Super Duck headsculpts match (or at least go well) with the Suntan TBLeague color (assuming they haven't changed again this year).
The color of the bodies and the heads are definitely affected by the type of camera you have, the lighting, and the settings in the camera, and that's why it's so hard to get an accurate representation of what something looks like in "real life".
As for clothes, better avoid dark or overly vibrant colors as the colors might get absorbed by the silicone bodies. If you want to really use them, you have to wash them a couple of times. My personal method is putting the clothes in a cup, drowning them in laundry detergent, add water and spin them around with your finger as if you're a human washing machine. You will probably notice that the water will have some of the excess dye. Dump it and repeat the process until you don't see the dye anymore. Once it looks like there's no more excess dye, it's better to be safe and drown the clothes with laundry detergent and water again. This time, leave them in the cup for a few hours or even a day. After you're done waiting, repeat the washing process and let the clothes dry. For every color of the outfit, make a little part of it touch a well hidden silicone for a couple of seconds. Just see if there is still color transfer or if it's already safe. Usually that does the trick.
When wearing light colored clothes, you might notice that the clothes would have a yellowish color on them after some time. I think this is the doll secreting some kind of oil. Nothing to be really done about it except wash the clothes.
-----------------------------------------------
TBLeague Metal Skeleton:
TBLeague Body Comparisons 2018/2019 (newer bodies not covered here):
TBLeague VS Jiaou Bodies:
One of the more recent TBLeague exclusives: Anck Su Namun:
TBLeague also makes 1/12 scale versions of their exclusives:
The Path of an Idol - Misaki Tendo - a journal of my dear Misaki's life as an idol. - viewtopic.php?f=113&t=129258
Latest Activity: Alive! - Rosewhip (Goblinkun and Misaki's First Single!) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U274rqHBSI
Latest Activity: Alive! - Rosewhip (Goblinkun and Misaki's First Single!) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U274rqHBSI
Re: Thinking of getting a 1/6th doll
Goblinkun wrote:
When the new metal skeleton came out, they also seemed to use a new formula for their "medical grade silicone". The dolls became a little bit firmer but more durable and less prone to deterioration. They're still soft to the touch though but they're not as soft as they originally were. In short, it was a total upgrade in terms of quality. During this phase, Phicen became TBLeague due to a legal branding name issue with another company of a similar name, if I remember correctly. That's why they changed their name to TBLeague.
Are the Phicen TBLeague now made of silicone?
I thought they were made of TPE.
The article is very interesting.
There I could learn a lot.
When the new metal skeleton came out, they also seemed to use a new formula for their "medical grade silicone". The dolls became a little bit firmer but more durable and less prone to deterioration. They're still soft to the touch though but they're not as soft as they originally were. In short, it was a total upgrade in terms of quality. During this phase, Phicen became TBLeague due to a legal branding name issue with another company of a similar name, if I remember correctly. That's why they changed their name to TBLeague.
Are the Phicen TBLeague now made of silicone?
I thought they were made of TPE.
The article is very interesting.
There I could learn a lot.
Kind regards funke
click here for my dolls https://www.dollforum.com/forum/viewtop ... 6#p1690816
Stories of the Babsi viewtopic.php?f=113&t=128551
Adventures of the little dolls viewtopic.php?f=64&t=127501
click here for my dolls https://www.dollforum.com/forum/viewtop ... 6#p1690816
Stories of the Babsi viewtopic.php?f=113&t=128551
Adventures of the little dolls viewtopic.php?f=64&t=127501
Re: Thinking of getting a 1/6th doll
Thanks Goblinkin, lots of great information there.
Having said that, I have no idea what "kitbashing" means, and I'm also surprised that clothing might stain them or get oily as I thought that was a TPE thing and not the case with silicone? Maybe funke is correct here?
Having said that, I have no idea what "kitbashing" means, and I'm also surprised that clothing might stain them or get oily as I thought that was a TPE thing and not the case with silicone? Maybe funke is correct here?
-
JustinBridou
- Doll Mentor
- Posts: 1241
- Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2007 12:00 am
- Location: In the country of Camembert and pinard !
- Contact:
Re: Thinking of getting a 1/6th doll
I'm afraid we have a new victim of the virus here 
Fortunately it is not deadly, except for your wallet.
Technically speaking, the material of the TBLeague body is TPE. But in the pure / generic sense of the term.
Indeed, what we commonly call "silicone" is also a TPE, certainly, of a particular type.
For dolls, the classic distinction "TPE vs Silicon" is a bit of an abuse of language, since both are "technically" TPE. The difference is of course in the composition of these elastomers.
The TPE used for TBLeague is more like "silicon" than "TPE" for large dolls. But it has rather a consistency reminiscent of gum and it is effectively sensitive to staining.
Fortunately it is not deadly, except for your wallet.
Technically speaking, the material of the TBLeague body is TPE. But in the pure / generic sense of the term.
Indeed, what we commonly call "silicone" is also a TPE, certainly, of a particular type.
For dolls, the classic distinction "TPE vs Silicon" is a bit of an abuse of language, since both are "technically" TPE. The difference is of course in the composition of these elastomers.
The TPE used for TBLeague is more like "silicon" than "TPE" for large dolls. But it has rather a consistency reminiscent of gum and it is effectively sensitive to staining.
JustinBridou & family
Iris & Mitsu - OR138, Nolwenn, Liz, Canelle & Cléo - Deluxe/Teddy babes, Vanille - Valentina Girl,Evelyne - Textile doll, The army of minis - because size don't care!
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setevoltas
- Super Moderator
- Posts: 8411
- Joined: Sun Oct 28, 2018 3:03 am
- Contact:
Re: Thinking of getting a 1/6th doll
Really great info Goblinkun, much appreciated. I think a new camera lens is going to win, but Cleopatra has been on my wish list for awhile now.
Re: Thinking of getting a 1/6th doll
JustinBridou wrote:I'm afraid we have a new victim of the virus here
Fortunately it is not deadly, except for your wallet.
Technically speaking, the material of the TBLeague body is TPE. But in the pure / generic sense of the term.
Indeed, what we commonly call "silicone" is also a TPE, certainly, of a particular type.
For dolls, the classic distinction "TPE vs Silicon" is a bit of an abuse of language, since both are "technically" TPE. The difference is of course in the composition of these elastomers.
The TPE used for TBLeague is more like "silicon" than "TPE" for large dolls. But it has rather a consistency reminiscent of gum and it is effectively sensitive to staining.
Thanks for the info
How should they be cared for now?
Oiling or not
Kind regards funke
click here for my dolls https://www.dollforum.com/forum/viewtop ... 6#p1690816
Stories of the Babsi viewtopic.php?f=113&t=128551
Adventures of the little dolls viewtopic.php?f=64&t=127501
click here for my dolls https://www.dollforum.com/forum/viewtop ... 6#p1690816
Stories of the Babsi viewtopic.php?f=113&t=128551
Adventures of the little dolls viewtopic.php?f=64&t=127501
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Galvatron2019
- Active Poster
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- Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2019 7:58 am
- Location: United Kingdom
- Contact:
Re: Thinking of getting a 1/6th doll
Have they ever thought of making a full-scale doll? Would be a lot cheaper than other dolls of that size.
