Fragile Fingers
- EyesGreyGreen
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Fragile Fingers
How did you handle customs procedures when Pamela got back? Did you have to pay import taxes again, or did you find a way to avoid that?
Give a big hug from me to Pamela!
EGG
Fragile Fingers
I told them that she'll return for repairs. The customs made an inspection and added a small sticker on her, in order to prove that the same doll will return after the repairs.
When Pamela was repaired Abyss declared in the custom invoice that she's exactly the same doll and the german customs removed her sticker.
So I prevented paying any taxes. The german taxes a really high, especially the sales taxes (16%).
Greetings, Miepchen
- EyesGreyGreen
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Fragile Fingers
Just out of curiousity, how much did you have to pay (shipping and all related costs) for Pamela's complete trip?
Fragile Fingers
Greetings, Miepchen
- EyesGreyGreen
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Fragile Fingers
- jackrabbit
- Doll Patriarch
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Matt replaced them with plastic wires. They seem to be more durable and more elastic. However, Pamela is still able to articulate her fingers.
Greetings, Miepchen
Interesting about Pamela's fingers, you sent her back about the time I received Samantha and her fingers started breaking. I just could'nt bear the thought of returning her especially as I had a bit of a drama with the UK freight company losing her.
Samantha has 2 fingers left unbroken. I had thought of replacing them myself with a less rigid and fragile material.
Matt and Joey were very helpful and did their best. Now Pamela is fully restored.
Since her second arrival I take good care and her fingers are still intact.
Greetings, Miepchen
Rachel arrived on the 4th July and as of today all the finger wires seem to have come out of the palms, onpulling them out of the fingers they are made out of what seems to be round plastic coated electrical wire, Ithought they had been modified to flat wires.
Perhaps they would of lasted longer if they had been 5mm wire instead of 2mm. Spoke to Joey at Abyss about this and he offered a repair kit with instructions but I declined as Ifeel the same wires would only break again.
Also, I didnt fancy doing the surgery, especially as shes still qiute new.
Many people seem to have this problem so its not new, lets hope the problem is adressed in the near future for the new owners.
Rentell
- jackrabbit
- Doll Patriarch
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As I have said before, the fingers appear to be the one remaining ongoing maintenance problem. So far none of Taze's finger wires have broken, but I've only had her two weeks.
I will say that I like the new fingers a lot better from those a year ago. At least they will rotate, which can relieve stress on the silicone and prevent tears. Darcy's fingers always get twisted up in weird ways and at least three of them ripped and had to be repaired.
And I like the soft nails way better.
However rentell, if the wires comes through the silicon, you should repair the cracks quickly, in order to prevent more damage.
Actually I do a weekly check-up for Pamela and repair all little damages. Thats why she always look as good as new.
Greetings, Miepchen
- George66
- Doll Advisor
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Miep recommends plastic wires, but elsewhere metal wire is recommended.Miepchen wrote:Jackrabbit, before she was repaired, she had wires made of iron. They broke very easily.
Matt replaced them with plastic wires. They seem to be more durable and more elastic. However, Pamela is still able to articulate her fingers.
So which is best?dennis3761 wrote: Elsbeth II has standard hands, the same as any other doll would have when shipped from the factory without any special requests or hand options purchased. The only difference between her hands today and any other standard doll is that I have added hard nails (my modification).
All 10 of her fingers remain perfect and fully posable after nearly 3 months, so I have no issues or negitive comments about the hand design at this time.
FYI...I spoke to Matt this past Friday and he states that Abyss will soon (in weeks) implement a new finger wire into the hands either by request or slight additional charge. The new finger wire Matt states is "unbreakable". But this gain in strenght come at a cost. Due to the charactistists of the wire some of the posablity is lost. Matt estimates that the new finger wire will be about 70% as posable as the current production wire. IMO, this leaves one with a tough decision. The word "unbreakable" is certainly one you want to hear. That said, 70% as posable is not a decription that "feels real good". A 30 % loss or reduction of anything is signifacant.
However, there may be another option.
If you do not intend on hand jobs, nor intend on posing fingers for photos, most durable way is to not have any skelleton inside fingers. They can be just like the toes on the feet are. You will never have problem with fingers that way.
If you need hand movement, then the latest is the best.