Most people already know my stance on Recasts which is simple, don't buy, don't support them. A lot of work goes into designing and sculpting bjds and we should show our appreciation to the artists who create these dolls because without them, we wouldn't have the opportunity to own these dolls.
I should also point out that BJD companies are not big corporations. They aren't Mattel (sorry Mattel, I still love your dolls but you're a good example). BJDs are not mass produced. They are made to order items (hence the wait time) and these companies are small, some even comprising of a single artist who take orders, cast the dolls, sand, assemble and then ship them out all on their own. So no, they are not big corporations with tons of workers.
Let me tell you a little story about the doll in the photo I used. She is a Bimong Chuu. Ever since I saw an owner photo of her, I fell in love with her. At the time D-Storic were selling Bimong dolls but I never got the chance to order her before D-Storic stopped selling Bimong dolls. I was devastated. I hadn't been hit by a doll like that in a long time and I really wanted her. Unfortunately, my only option was to keep an eye out on the second hand market. She rarely came up and when she did, she was sold just as quickly so I resigned myself to never owning her with reluctance. I wanted her but I just had to deal with the cards I was dealt.
And that was the end of that until the website, Art Bimong appeared. I was so excited, I immediately emailed the artist himself and asked about whether he was planning on re-releasing the sculpt. He replied that he was but that it would possibly be a year's time. Well, that was fine. I was happy to wait. A year went by, and then most of another and then she finally showed up and I grabbed her straight away. I was not going to miss out this time. Afterwards, I sent an email to Mr. Bimong and thanked him for releasing her and that this doll has made so very happy. I told him how much I appreciated that he decided to release her and how much I love his work (trust me, if I had the money, I would buy every single one of his sculpts). He was really happy to hear my appreciation and thanked me for loving his work. He was a really lovely man and his communications with me were always so friendly. (I had a similar experience with my other favourite artist, MyDolling who are just as friendly and just as lovely and make beautiful dolls.)
Why am I telling you this story? I want to illustrate how very human and humble these artists are and how happy it makes them to know we appreciate and love their work. For these artists, it isn't about ego, it's about their love of creating. The artists behind these dolls all have faces, they are all very much human beings, they aren't just a brand or a company name. And their hard work being taken and copied and made a profit from will hurt them.
Support the Artists and show them we are behind them and their work.
Great to see your contribution to this event! Love the story you shared about your Bimong Chuu, I love communicating with the doll artists too and thanking them for their hard work. Especially in middle of all this recasting business, I want them to know that there are people who truly appreciate them and support their work. I also agree with you that it's important to remember that even the bigger BJD companies aren't large scale corporations like Mattel.
ReplyDeleteThe artists I have come into contact with have all been really lovely and very humble people. They work so hard on these creations and there's constantly new innovation on the engineering of the bodies plus they seem to really enjoy what they do, I'd be sad if they decided to close shop as a result of the whole recast issues. We should be encouraging and supporting creativity.
DeleteIt's also sad that we have to deal with the bootleg issue too in our figure collecting hobbies. It seems to be everywhere.
Lovely story, and a very good message! :)
ReplyDeleteWe just all need to continue to support and encourage these artists. Trying to make a living out of your Art is tough enough already as it is without the additional stress of recasts.
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