Minis - which one to choose?

[poppy70]

Hi there,

lately I have been having trouble with my back, so photographing my big girls gets more and more complicated. I decided that one or more minis would be the way to go.
BUT I have no clue which one to choose. Phicens as 1/6 or 1/12, Smartdolls or Dollfies in 1/3.

The last days I've been reading through lots of threads from Dees, Wolferich, Fr0stbyte and some others and I am still undecided.
Pro for the Phicens - they don't break the bank immediately but tend to multiply faster, props are easier to find.
Cons, they seem to be harder to dress and it is visible they are small. Resemble a little the Barbies which might be odd for an old man with 50+ to play and photograph.

Pro for the bigger ones - Clothes look more real, as I've read easier to dress, and cute as a button
Cons - not cheap at all, and clothes are more expensive than everything I wear

I an so unsure what to do, what to choose, which way to go because I like them all but cannot go both ways. At least not right now

Any input would be appreciated
poppy

[Endless War]

Hey Poppy. The mini world is vast and deep. In addition to the ones you listed there are also the resin BJDs and other vinyl dolls such as Obitsu and Angel Philia.

The 1/3rd doll world can get VERY VERY expensive. I have some 1/3rd and 1/2 dolls that cost way more than anything I paid for a 4/4 sized doll. Despite the cost, the customization, community, and chance for artistic expression can be tremendously rewarding.

I agree with your sentiment that the 1/6th and smaller dolls can look and feel a bit too small. I have a few 1/6th dolls that sort of feel like toys compared to their larger sisters.

While a bit harder to find, the Angel Philia line offers a nice grouping of adult themed dolls on the 1/3rd frame. This is an example of mine:



In my humble opinion, that's as close to the best of both worlds you can get.

Also depends on if you like the more anime style or realistic style. Smart Dolls are great in that regard and reasonably priced. Those Volks/DDs can be RIDICULOUSLY expensive.

I have about 50 minis now in all sizes, colors, materials, and shapes. I can offer more insight if it would help.

Good luck, its a fun process.

[Wolferich]

Hello, Poppy,

Wellcome in the world of minis. I can only speak for the Phicens, because I have consciously decided against the smartdolls. I like them very much, but I think that there are enough great threads with them. So I prefer to look at the pictures. Like you said, you don't have to join in everywhere.

With Phicen in 1/6 you won't risk much. Depending on where you order them and how elaborately you dress them, you will get by with 120 to 200 € per doll.

I also recommend the thread of Tighes1, as I understood it, he has just started with the small 1/6th and makes really impressive pictures.

If you are interested you can also contact me via PM, I can give you some tips for shopping.

[poppy70]

Thank you for the hints Wolferich and Endless War - mails will follow because I have so many questions.

I want her to be my travel companion - or my muse to go out and about and take photos.
Travelling nowadays is not so easy and I tend to take this as an excuse to stay home. So every reason helps

[Wolferich]

Yes, Gizem is great at travelling. But even with a larger laptop bag you can carry 5-6 phicen including luggage.

B18AB5F1-08C5-401C-AD70-9D668624A0C3.jpeg (2.32 MiB) Viewed 952 times

But sometimes they just want to stay among themselves during their travels.

793945B6-C0EE-4F94-8C9C-3EA34209AA46.jpeg (4.09 MiB) Viewed 952 times

[Willendorph]

I figure that you'll know when you see the right doll - with all of mine, big or small, there was always one photo that sold them to me. A certain look, a certain face... that's all it takes to make you certain. My advice - keep searching, you'll find her soon. EW has loads of dolls, so check out every brand he mentions till something clicks.

[scooter_ca]

Hi poppy.
I wrote an article in CoverDoll that you may find interesting - Why Your Next Doll Should Be A Miniature

I just have one 1/6 scale Phicen - Giorgi. <edit to correct size. Thanks Wolferich.>
She is just perfect for me.
My personal style of photography is to try to blur the line between small and full size dolls.
I'm at my happiest when someone asks me what model doll she is and I have to disappoint them by telling them how small she is.


Thanks,
scooter

[Wolferich]

Attention! I would not necessarily recommend a 1/12 microbe to a beginner in miniatures. The joints are much more sensitive and also not as flexible as with the 1/6th phics.
Fortunately the venerable Giorgi is a 1/6.

[EBF]

and it is visible they are small.

Not necessarily.







The benefit of a 1/6 Phicen is that they're small and easy to take with you. I've had some positive comments while taking pictures. When Tsall and me were taking pictures of Lexi and his Keira, a woman came by and was interested and wanted to take a picture of them too.

[Fr0stByte]

I want a Phicen to add to my collection but don't want go too deep into the rabbit hole at the moment or I will be living in a cardboard box by the end of all this. =)

[Wolferich]

I want a Phicen to add to my collection but don't want go too deep into the rabbit hole at the moment or I will be living in a cardboard box by the end of all this. =)

Come on, just one (more).
If necessary there is still a balcony for living.

[ShadowFun]

Hey, I thought I’d chime in too. Up front tho, I like small things. I find the 1/6 Phicens to be excellent and constantly entertaining. I also connect with them on a child like level since I had an army of 12” figures when I was a kid. They can be fiddly to dress and undress but are cheap enough that you can buy one just to keep it in an elaborate outfit.

Recently, my Inge, a Dollhouse 168 80cm “elf” came to live with me. She is a stunning bundle of fun with an amazing skeleton that will even twist at the waist. I’ve discovered that she’ll fit into an old carry on suitcase I have and will likely sneak along on some of my travels. I choose to keep her naked. Largely because I enjoy her shapelyness but also because finding clothes for her would be really tough.

If dressing up your small companion is a must for you then the 1/6 ladies won’t break the bank but I have to agree, the outfits available for the 1/3 Smart Doll clan are stunning.

Good luck!

[poppy70]

Oh man, I thought the wold of full size dolls was big. The world of the minis is simply vast and I am slowly working through a lot of beautiful interesting funny and passionate threads. Questionmarks are hovering above my head but I think that I still have some reading ahead. But a tendency is already evolving towards 1/6 dolls...

lost and overwhelmed
poppy

[Fr0stByte]

Oh man, I thought the wold of full size dolls was big. The world of the minis is simply vast and I am slowly working through a lot of beautiful interesting funny and passionate threads. Questionmarks are hovering above my head but I think that I still have some reading ahead. But a tendency is already evolving towards 1/6 dolls...

lost and overwhelmed
poppy

The rabbit hole goes very deep!! And once those little ones grab your CC you'll need more wardrobe space and not to mention they multiply like rabbits!! =0)

[JustinBridou]

Don't buy a , buy instead a

As this has been explained, more than three year's ago :


These are little muses that inspire us a lot and I like having one near my PC. Except that sometimes it's difficult to write messages in the TDF forum, when she decides to clean the screen at the same time