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My 3 Years With Boy Toy

A space for the legacy dolls manufactured by as Phoenix Studios. These include the Boy Toy Series 1 & 2: Calendar Girls, Seasons and C series.

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GreatSoul
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My 3 Years With Boy Toy

Post by GreatSoul »

Since I've made another recent purchase from them, I feel it appropriate to rate my overall experience with their products and the sales/customer service/production people. It's a long post but necessary.

-My first purchase was made in July 2011: A body 1 with Cadence face. Everything was positive as far as the purchase itself and she arrived within 3 weeks of ordering so that was fantastic. This was the first silicone doll I've ever owned and the quality control was very good. Joints were tight and all posable, no stains or blemishes, etc.

After about 2-3 weeks of ownership and several pics with her, her right shoulder joint went completely loose. I'd done a few standing doggy type shots of her on the table and that may well have contributed to it. It's also possible the joint screw was never tightened properly but no way to be certain. Anyway, she was shipped back for repair since it required going deep into her chest cavity and she meant too much to me to risk further damage. I don't blame BT at all for it and they did ship her back at no charge.

-Next order was around 8 months later and was a custom Winter face with blue eyes. BT totally knocked this one out of the park! She was sent with hi-realism eyes over a year before they would start offering them through their site and the face itself arrived in pristine condition. Unfortunately, the next several orders didn't go too well from there.

-I ordered a set of the hi-realism eyes for Cadence last summer when they came out and was told to expect about a 2 week wait after payment. Two weeks went by and I received nothing and didn't get an email so I inquired. I was told they weren't in production yet so it would be a few weeks more. After pointing out that they shouldn't be taking payments on a product not in production yet and threatening to contact my credit card company (plus a hot post on this site), the eyes arrived a few days later.

-Purchase no.4 was a body 2 by itself so that Winter could have her own body instead of sharing one with Cadence. I informed the customer service rep that this doll was strictly for photography and that I needed the joints tight as possible for posing. On the positive side the doll arrived inside a month, but her knees were so loose that her feet would hit the ground when I picked her up. BT tried to say that knees can't be tightened very much, but that doesn't carry much weight when the doll in my bed has super tight knee joints and can do standing doggy poses in her dolly sleep. Also, the website is loaded with posing pics that require tight knee joints so it was just nonsense.

I kept the doll and said nothing publicly, selling her on ebay about 6 months later (and had to give up the Winter face or else take a very large wet bath on the investment).

-The most recent purchase was last month and was another custom Winter face to replace the one I'd lost for photography. I sent a close up face shot and was told no problem at the agreed upon price. The order was for hi-real blue eyes like the previous one, natural lips and medium eye makeup. She arrived with old type green eyes (not too great for pics) and very light makeup.

They said they had found a set of blue eyes like I'd ordered and sent them (so in other words they could have gotten the order right to begin with). But Season face eyes aren't designed to be messed with like C-Series. Both BT and a few here said it was as easy as popping out the old ones and pushing in the new ones. I followed those instructions and 3 of her eyelashes came off when I pushed the new (correct) blue ones in. So I've sent the face back to BT on my dime and asked them to repair the lashes and do her makeup properly. They say they'll do so but none of this should would have been necessary if somebody in customer service had taken about 30 seconds to glance at her to make sure the specs were correct before she was shipped.

I want to make clear that this isn't meant to be a bashing post. I adore BT dolls and give them an A+, customer service overall a solid 'B', but quality control a 'D' (poor) at best. You have a potential life long customer here guys and you're blowing it. The lack of quality control is a pretty simple fix so please do it. I'm still on your side and plan to order from you again this year, so help me to help you by doing your job right after we agree on a price.

Thanks :fadein:

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pygmalion2
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Re: My 3 Years With Boy Toy

Post by pygmalion2 »

Greatsoul
Sad to hear that you have had some bad experiences. Doll making is difficult enough that
it is difficult to get it right each and every time. I have dolls and parts from other companies (Ruby 13, Mechadolls and (Removed*)) and
there have been things with all their products/ service as well. It is good that they eventually fixed the problems.
My two cents,
Mark and the Synthetiks

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Re: My 3 Years With Boy Toy

Post by Anassilao »

Hi,
your experience confirms it's difficult, first times, to handle correctly a silicone doll.
Most problems depends on this, in past I also had problems with joints of my doll.
One thing overall: it's a risk to sustain doll on her arms/legs, so joints can damage slowly, day by day, until break.

First times I had sex with my doll in doggy, like real woman, and the movement broke some joint of knee and hip.
So, to preserve the integrity of doll body in the years (to see cuts and repairs on her body is nasty and bad) it's important to avoid poses for pics or sex when doll is self-supported on her arms and legs.

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Re: My 3 Years With Boy Toy

Post by deerman »

Thanks for the review GS you do great work! :D Some of your poses are tough to do and maintain but most entertaining. :D

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Re: My 3 Years With Boy Toy

Post by Dollarhyde »

Sorry to hear about all the issues with Abyss... this is the problem when it comes to hand building a custom product this happens not only in the doll arena but in also in the automotive industry as well. When you have more then one hand in the mix your going to have issues especially when it comes to quality control since each process is not inspected at each stage. Remember skeletons can be made from PVC to flat metal. Unfortunately, there are no specific torque specs or specialized bolts when putting the skeleton together.

This is not just with this company but with all of them... but as long as it's left to human hands then your always going to have problems... but maybe just maybe you'll be the lucky one who gets everything you want on your order... :D
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Re: My 3 Years With Boy Toy

Post by Hostage »

Dollarhyde wrote:... but maybe just maybe you'll be the lucky one who gets everything you want on your order... :D
That's what I'M hoping... about 4 weeks to go..
"Slide and let the silicone embrace you as you fall.." ~ Phish, Sand

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_______________________________________
Domonique: 2015 BoyToy4 silicone Solana face
Karlie: 2015 BoyToy3 silicone Sky face
Sheeana: 2014 BoyToy3 silicone Star face

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Re: My 3 Years With Boy Toy

Post by rubherkitty »

Dollarhyde wrote:
Unfortunately, there are no specific torque specs or specialized bolts when putting the skeleton together.
I understand what your saying, but I would have thought that they would use some type of torque wrench for the nut/ bolt and weight scale to test the resistance movement of the appendages. I know that some high end doll makers offer the joints in different stiffnesses.

I manufactured a product where I had to weight/ stress test each spring steel wire part to make sure it wouldn't bend or break. This was a spring steel piece I have to heat treat myself. I would actually purposely destroy one every now and then. Needed to ultimately bend before snapping the steel.
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Re: My 3 Years With Boy Toy

Post by Dollarhyde »

rubherkitty wrote:
Dollarhyde wrote:
Unfortunately, there are no specific torque specs or specialized bolts when putting the skeleton together.
I understand what your saying, but I would have thought that they would use some type of torque wrench for the nut/ bolt and weight scale to test the resistance movement of the appendages. I know that some high end doll makers offer the joints in different stiffnesses.

I manufactured a product where I had to weight/ stress test each spring steel wire part to make sure it wouldn't bend or break. This was a spring steel piece I have to heat treat myself. I would actually purposely destroy one every now and then. Needed to ultimately bend before snapping the steel.
In every other industry this maybe true... but in the doll making industry this is sadly not the case.... :cry:
Specific torque specs on all the joints are not a requirement... what may feel tight to one builder of the skeleton may not be the same to another building the skeleton... Ball bearing joints were at one time contemplated but it would have increased cost and the weight of the doll... :D
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Re: My 3 Years With Boy Toy

Post by Dollarhyde »

BurntHostage wrote:
Dollarhyde wrote:... but maybe just maybe you'll be the lucky one who gets everything you want on your order... :D
That's what I'M hoping... about 4 weeks to go..
That's one of the advantages living close enough to the factory to pick up the doll then having her shipped that way issues can be addressed... :D

I wouldn't worry too much I know that due to the volume they produce sometimes mistakes are made. That's the reason there needs to be one person doing quality control from the very beginning. Not just at the end when they inspect the dolls body for flaws during the washing of the doll.
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Re: My 3 Years With Boy Toy

Post by Hostage »

Yeah, you need good QA controls for any manufacturing endeavor.
"Slide and let the silicone embrace you as you fall.." ~ Phish, Sand

http://www.dollalbum.com/dollgallery/in ... ?cat=14636
_______________________________________
Domonique: 2015 BoyToy4 silicone Solana face
Karlie: 2015 BoyToy3 silicone Sky face
Sheeana: 2014 BoyToy3 silicone Star face

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GreatSoul
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Re: My 3 Years With Boy Toy

Post by GreatSoul »

Thank you for the responses and support.

I know for a fact that some of my pics have sold faces and dolls for them, yet they continue to treat me like Joe Shmuck. They received the Winter face back today and when I asked about a completion date, I get the standard "the guys are busy we'll get to it asap" bullshit.

The final straw is damn near in place with them!

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Re: My 3 Years With Boy Toy

Post by cartmanwes »

I guess we all eventually come to the place where we end up drawing the line. The starting line is a good place to be. Thanks for the heads up review.

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Re: My 3 Years With Boy Toy

Post by HotDiggityDoll »

GreatSoul wrote:I know for a fact that some of my pics have sold faces and dolls for them, yet they continue to treat me like Joe Shmuck. They received the Winter face back today and when I asked about a completion date, I get the standard "the guys are busy we'll get to it asap" bullshit.
Only $500 to expedite. :haha4:
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Re: My 3 Years With Boy Toy

Post by HotDiggityDoll »

GreatSoul wrote:I know for a fact that some of my pics have sold faces and dolls for them, yet they continue to treat me like Joe Shmuck.
I for one certainly ordered my Ashley (Winter Face) after seeing your amazing photos of the gorgeous Josie!
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Re: My 3 Years With Boy Toy

Post by Hostage »

ks wrote:
GreatSoul wrote:I know for a fact that some of my pics have sold faces and dolls for them, yet they continue to treat me like Joe Shmuck. They received the Winter face back today and when I asked about a completion date, I get the standard "the guys are busy we'll get to it asap" bullshit.
Only $500 to expedite. :haha4:
Now $1500
"Slide and let the silicone embrace you as you fall.." ~ Phish, Sand

http://www.dollalbum.com/dollgallery/in ... ?cat=14636
_______________________________________
Domonique: 2015 BoyToy4 silicone Solana face
Karlie: 2015 BoyToy3 silicone Sky face
Sheeana: 2014 BoyToy3 silicone Star face

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