Oct 07, 2016 - Review of Textile Doll - Melissa/Clare heads

[Sarg]

My New Girl from Latvia: Two Heads are better than One - Original topic: www.dollforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=226&t=76848

Summary: Great doll; Excellent manufacturer/vendor with outstanding service; Great prices.

I still enjoy my original two girls (Amber from Mini Love Dolls & Tina from Teddy Babes). However, I felt the time was right to bring a third sister into the clan, just in case they ever needed a tie breaker. So after looking at numerous sites on the web (vendors, manufactures, agents, etc) I choose "Textile Doll" in Latvia for supplying my next purchase. You might ask, why I choose them.

I wanted the low weight and the sensational “cuddlyness” of another cloth/plush doll, similar to Tina (a Teddy Babe). While Tina was and is still great, she didn't have the stunning beauty in the head/face that my Amber had (Silicone, not TPE). Amber is gorgeous; great face, body, and wonderful to touch. But she was only 42” tall, yet weighed in at 36 lbs. She also had a “floppy” frame which has it's pluses and minuses. Carrying a small, floppy, 36 lb bundle of beauty can be an ordeal, as it is all dead weight. With a full size doll (5+ft), you could at least do a “bear hug” to carry from the storage area (closet), to the bed (or wherever) and just lift enough off the floor to make it easy. BTW, I'm not weak. I lift weights and I'm in good health. But a small, floppy, heavy load is more difficult than a dumbbell twice its weight.

So, could I find a doll with the face of an angel and the squeezable softness of a Teddy? Well, I did with the Textile Doll. And the price was much more reasonable than going with a TPE or another Silicone doll. So I read some of the reviews and experiences on the TDF site and then emailed the owner of Textile Doll. The order process is through email to Jurijs (goes by nick-name of Yuri), which the website instructs you to do. So I sent off a inquiry with the usual questions you would typically ask a vendor: what's the order/selection process; how much does it cost; how long will it take; what's the process to pay; what about shipping; and are there any special considerations to take note of, since I was in California and Yuri was in Europe.

Yuri, responded within a couple of hours with a personal email and he walked me through everything. In fact I must have written to him over 14 times over the course of time and he always got back to me quickly, usually just 3-4 hours....Yuri must not sleep at night, because when I'm writing the emails, it would be in the wee hours of the morning his time. Some of the correspondence was before the order as I was doing research on the dolls and got back to him with questions (again, all were answered very promptly).

So here is the chronology of the purchase, from order to delivery:

- July 7th (2016) Sent in the Order for Paris body (150 cm) with a Melissa and a Clare head.
- August 18th Yuri notified me that my order number was up and he was ready to start building my doll. Per his pay process, I was to send him an advanced payment of 50 euros. The balance would be paid on completion. I liked that. This way I didn't have to pay for the full doll up front and I could see photos of the finished products before paying the balance.
- September 8th I was notified that my doll was ready. Pictures were included.
- September 12th after payment received my doll was shipped with USPS tracking number.
- September 16th the shipment arrived at my home.

I should note that the box was really beat up and squished. The good new was that the doll and packages inside (heads in boxes and accessories) were in perfect condition and well protected, and that is all that truly matters.

So, how do I like the doll and the two heads? Let me say the pictures on his website aren't nearly as beautiful as the actual doll and heads in person. The doll is great. The heads are spectacular. Since they were freshly painted, I had to let them air out before the paint smell subsided. But subside it did and the heads are completely kissable.

I didn't want to write this review until I had the doll for a few weeks because I know from experience that you have to get to really know your doll and how to best interact with her. That may sound peculiar, but each doll type is unique and are built differently. In fact I'm still learning “new tricks” with my older dolls that sometimes surprises me. The same with the Textile Doll. She isn't like a Teddy Babe or Mini Love Doll. And they are not like each other. How they use their arms, hands, legs, etc., are unique to each. How they bend and what positions work best are also unique.

I am glad I waited to write the review because with each day that I interacted with her, I learned what works and how to get the most enjoyment.

So here are the pictures of my new Textile Doll and the links to my older dolls (don't say older in front of them though....they don't like to hear that they have aged).

The postings to the threads on TDF are under the user name of Sarg (named after my Golden Retriever). Here are the links to the Doll Album:

Paris Body with Clare & Melissa heads: http://www.dollalbum.com/dollgallery/th ... album=5677

Tina & Amber: http://www.dollalbum.com/dollgallery/th ... album=5675
Amber: http://www.dollalbum.com/dollgallery/th ... album=5676

[Elle]

Congrats for the arrival Beautiful dolls



You can now submit Melissa's head to the Matrix if you want