How I wait for dolls

     Waiting. It's an essential part of this hobby. It's supposed to be a virtue, but many people see it as a pain. Sometimes it really bothers me, but it's a necessary process, and can even help owners better prepare for their new doll. I'd like to say it gets easier with each doll, but that's really up to you. This is how I wait...



     1. Stockpile. Eyes are usually first. I'll settle for two or three new pairs, just to try them out for the newcomer.

     Next comes a wig that I hope suits the resin tone and eye colors I picked out.

     Clothes....Clothes kind of depend, though I try to have an idea of what I'm doing with a doll before buying them. So they usually at least have something to wear for the mandatory "brand new doll--look at me!" pictures. Yes, those first pictures of those dolls are my substitute for box openings.

     2. Stir-crazy frenzy. Once those things come in, I start to agonize about how many days it's been since I paid ( if I go through a company, this is usually between 14-21 days of waiting) and check my email frantically at least twice a day.

     If I've gone secondhand, I will simply go nuts on the tracking for the three-to-five days of waiting. I will likely bookmark the exact tracking page and check it quite a few times in the same sitting to make sure whether anything has changed in the past five minutes. Or two minutes. (Good god, how long is it going to take?)

     3. If a doll is on order, I tend to mellow out after a month is over, expecting a shipping notice any time soon. Then, once I do get tracking on it, I go back into Frenzy Mode.

    If the doll was secondhand, then they're already there waiting to be ripped open.

     4. The actual opening. Usually, within 20 minutes of having the box, I will go at it with whatever blade I've got. Scissors, Xacto knife, I even opened Colette's box with a car key (was stuck on the side of the road in an overheated car during the winter. She was literally the only thing I had with me.)

     I just don't have the time, patience, or foresight to follow through with a video or to take photos of every little step. I want my doll to be free! Also, it could be because I try to do the opening alone, just because I don't want a bunch of heads and hands getting in between me and my doll. I wouldn't say it's a "sacred" moment, but it does feel kind of special to be the only one to peel open those cardboard flaps and slowly lift out the Bubblewrap Mummy waiting inside. I feel the resin a bit, mess with the arms and legs, and eventually put in the eyes I want.

     5. Pictures. This is the point where I slap together a quick "look" for the doll, wear out my camera's battery taking shots of every angle and detail I think of, and then post it all online immediately (regardless of whether the doll has a proper faceup or not).

     I used to go as far as potentially qualifying for legit spamming, but I've tried to tone it down recently.

     And that's kind of how I am when I wait for dolls. With Frankenstein, I'd say I'm nearing the end of Step 1 and starting to inch towards Step 2. It's been a month and a half since I started the preorder, so I'm allowed to get antsy.

~~Aronzo~~