The Doll Forum

I've been looking for mannequin and might choose this one.

However some of the activities I'm hoping to enjoy with her (without modification) would mean I'd be in contact with the areas where the seams are between her top and bottom halves. Are these seems usually rough or sharp to the touch if you were to slide your hand across them with a decent amount of pressure?

It appears that these seams are located in the same spot on every mannequin and I hadn't considered this until I got serious about ordering one.

Any info or opinions on this would be helpful. Thanks!

Also does anyone know if the mannequins that only have one bottom piece would be more sturdy under pressure than the one I posted above which has a separately attached second leg? I worry that putting pressure on her might cause her leg to pop off as opposed to a one peace bottom half I'd only have to worry about her torso separating which probably is more securely attached.

The pic you posted is similar to my Suzy. Seams are there, but aren't rough or anything. Arms and leg must be rotated to remove so they stay fairly secure, but the top half just sits on the bottom half and separates easily unless kept upright. I put a dab of glue on mine to secure it, which works well to move her around, but I've never tried to put any weight on it.

Lots of nice mannequins listed on eBay at good prices. That's where I found mine many years ago. Don't remember if I even saw any with a 1 piece torso though.

I had sex with mannequins for thirty+ years. I never had sex with a real girl. I would lay on top of the mannequin, face down, until I ejaculated. Pornography, Blow Up Dolls and Prostitutes were not for me.

Thanks Mr Franz. Thats what I was hoping to hear, Except now I'm worried about the top and bottom separating Hopefully it wont be a big deal and I can use glue or as someone else told me, I could even use tape. I'm about to buy my first mannequin tomorrow. I'm excited!

kudos0028 wrote: I'm about to buy my first mannequin tomorrow. I'm excited!

kudos, Kudos! ....

Fibetglass manniquins are kind of sharp in places if damaged. Plastic manniquins are quite smooth

kudos0028 wrote:Thanks Mr Franz. Thats what I was hoping to hear, Except now I'm worried about the top and bottom separating Hopefully it wont be a big deal and I can use glue or as someone else told me, I could even use tape. I'm about to buy my first mannequin tomorrow. I'm excited!

I bought my Suzy many years ago to act as a model stand-in during preliminary set-up on video production. I wasn't all that excited when she arrived. Just one more tool I thought. I had no intention of naming her or anything, but once she was assembled and her wig popped on the 1st words out of my mouth were, "Hello, Suzy." Then I couldn't help but gently caress her oh so delightful curves. She just looked so erotic standing there in all her glory.

When the video business folded and production ceased, most all of our equipment and props were sold, but not Suzy. She came home to live with me....

The seams are not sharp at all, but there is another thing you have to watch out for. There is always a little bit of room for the joint to pivot. So if for example the seam is slightly wider when she is laying down, it can close under your weight. Depending on the joint and position you can get your body hair (especially your belly hair!) or even skin pinched. Same thing can happen when she's on top. Once, before my Iza got her mods, I pinched my foreskin with her waist seam. It was THE WORST thing ever

I thought I'd add my tuppence worth (if I'm not too late). As with many things in life, the more you pay, the better the quality. Well-made mannequins, such as Rootstein, Hindsgaul, EuroDisplay, Patina-V and New John Nissen (my favourites) have strong joints with smooth seams, thick fibreglass "shells" and can withstand a fair amount of "man-on-mannequin" action. They are also easier to repair due to having thicker shells. The cheaper models (e.g. from China) have much thinner shells and therefore can damage more easily. The abdomen join is best when it's a twist-on, twist-off type, especially if they "click" into place. The ones where the top half simply sits on an extrusion from the bottom half (usually the cheaper ones) aren't going to stay attached if laying down.

It's worth scouring Ebay to find an older, good quality mannequin. Most of them clean up very nicely and don't cost an "arm and a leg" Just don't buy one with loose joints, as they are difficult to repair, and don't buy one with missing limbs as finding the correct replacements is VERY difficult.

Hi Balvennie and welcome to TDF!
I've been an admirer of your work for years - I'm so glad to see you have joined us!

I agree with all you've said about quality, just wish that those brands were a little easier to find here in the U.S. Also shipping can be quite expensive if not available nearby.

One advantage of the cheaper mannequins though is that it's a little less scary cutting into a mannequin costing only $100 as opposed to one costing nearly $1K. The thinner fiberglass makes it a little easier as well. I'm no where near your level of skill with makeovers, but I have done my share of mods "down there".
I have some links in my signature for some of the mods I've made if you'd like to check them out.

Thanks again for joining us and hope to see you around more often!

Hi MannequinFan! Thanks for your kind words. I've seen some of your mods on here and I am seriously impressed, both with your ingenuity and level of craftsmanship. I'm assuming you're in the US, which is a pity, as we could probably create something amazing together!

I agree about the cheaper mannequins being less scary to experiment with and work on due to the fact that they're cheaper and easier to cut, but I'll take realism and quality over "easier to cut" any day. Having said that, having to cut the top of a Hindsgaul's head off and drill out the eyes has often left me wishing they were all as thin as Chinese models! But the up-side (and back on topic) is they'd take the weight of pretty much anyone!

I don't have experience looking for which mannequins are available on Ebay over there, but I know from my customers over there that you don't have the same choice as over here. Plus we have easy access to mannequins in Germany, which seems to be the mannequin capital of the world for some reason. I still recommend scouring Ebay to find decent models, and don't exclude the UK and Germany, as shipping might not be as much as you think - you could easily find a second hand/used but decent Rootstein (for example) and pay around $250-350 including shipping to the US (costs around $140-170 depending on the size of the carton). Yes it's more than $100, but you're getting something in a completely different league. The trick is to find listings with crummy photos from sellers that don't know what they've got If you need my help sourcing, let me know.

Cheers, Adrian

Balvennie wrote:Plus we have easy access to mannequins in Germany, which seems to be the mannequin capital of the world for some reason.

Just be mindful that a lot of good deals on German eBay are unfortunately pick-up only ("nur Selbstabholung" in German).

Nildi wrote:

Balvennie wrote:Plus we have easy access to mannequins in Germany, which seems to be the mannequin capital of the world for some reason.

Just be mindful that a lot of good deals on German eBay are unfortunately pick-up only ("nur Selbstabholung" in German).

The same is true in the UK - it's so annoying!!!

Balvennie wrote:

Nildi wrote:

Balvennie wrote:Plus we have easy access to mannequins in Germany, which seems to be the mannequin capital of the world for some reason.

Just be mindful that a lot of good deals on German eBay are unfortunately pick-up only ("nur Selbstabholung" in German).

The same is true in the UK - it's so annoying!!!

Same here in the US, too...
No way in hell I'm able to travel 1300 miles for a beauty like that!

Some sellers will be willing to ship, but expect to pay a premium for that. You'll have to ask the seller nicely, first. Secondly, you will have to pay for the seller to buy a box and packing materials. Some of these gals were probably purchased at estate sales, flea markets, store closing fixture liquidation sales, whatever, and the box was long put in the baler, that is if it was a fixture liquidation sale especially--I used to work in retail (I had a real-life dream summer job working as a display merchandising assistant when I was a teen--I LOVED IT!) and fixture cartons were put in the baler as soon as the mannequins were unpacked, and shipping might be an inconvenience to the seller.

BUT, a possiblity, a TDF member can possibly be an intermediary in this... if someone wants one, I might suggest a post goes in WANTED Items, with a request for any member nearest to the location of the eBay seller to pick up the item desired and, for a fee, packs and ships the mannequin.

It's a suggestion, and I say, why not?

Oh, and welcome Balvennie to TDF! The dude behind MannequinMakeovers.com, I suppose? I really admire your work!