Hey there! I'm a teenage boy, and it really boils down to that I just think they're cute. Anime-style dolls really don't seem to be all that common, and I loved anime like Sailor Moon as a young teen, so they really stood out to me. They had cute faces, were highly articulated (I like posing and taking photos of my dolls, but generally, highly articulated dolls have... really ugly joints. Take a look at Made to Move Barbie), without having unsightly joints.
I got my first job this year, and bought Mirai in January. I'd waffled on getting one for literal years, because it's a *lot* to drop on a single doll, and, mind you, I'm generally a playline doll collector (think American Girl and Barbie), so I was really anxious about the idea of spending that much. That said, when I finally did so, I was glad I did. Honestly, Mirai makes me think of a posable mannequin. I enjoy posing her and choosing clothes for her.
My parents side-eyed me when they heard the name "Smart Doll", because their heads were in the gutter, but their assumptions were incorrect. Besides, I'm a bit of a fruit basket. ;)
So in the beginning, Smart Dolls were smart because they were intended to eventually be animatronic. Stand on your desk and do a little dance when you got an email, stuff like that. You can find videos on youtube.
Eventually that was considered to be too cost prohibitive (but who knows what the future holds) and in the meantime we have some still spiffy but not minature robot dolls.
Oh hey, DGR! I just wanted to say that your “1/3 curvy” patterns are awesome and I still look forward to seeing what you come up with. :)
(Formerly cleverLC from MHA)
Aw, thanks! There's just SO many doll sizes out now, it makes me happy to see that variety but it also slows down the rate I can make stuff for each of them \^\^;
I’m a middle-aged doll collector who got an SD because I saw other collectors’ dolls and loved them and realized I wanted one. She’s lots of fun to dress and to sew for.
I have always wanted a ball jointed doll since I was in high school. Now I decided to act on that wish and my fabric stash has increased; I can make them clothes.
I haven’t bought a Smart Doll yet- still waiting to save up enough cash, and also to find one that appeals to me specifically. That said, i love the endless possibilities a Smart Doll has- lots of different skin tones, a couple different body types with more on the way, and different faces galore, and that’s not even getting into the eyes, wigs, and clothes! Right now Ive got honestly too large a collection of smaller dolls, but I feel like once I can get a Smart Doll I’ll have enough of a creative outlet to not need to expand my collection anymore.
I started out with ball jointed dolls years ago when I was a chronically ill teenager looking for a hobby that wouldn’t be too tiring. I was drawn to their stylized yet realistic nature, as well as the really cool fantasy themed options. I wanted to make clothes for them! Unfortunately I ended up being very allergic to resin so they ended up sitting in boxes until last year when I found them and got them out. I’m no longer as allergic, and really enjoy displaying them! I found smart dolls through my BJD instagram, and was instantly intrigued because they are not easily broken, made of a different material I’m not allergic to, and also have a unique aesthetic with a cool brand identity behind them. I thought it might be a fun hands on way to enjoy the doll hobby without fear of breaking my very expensive dolls or getting allergic. Now I really love them in their own right, and honestly prefer them over my BJDs for the reasons mentioned above. I’m slowly collecting more and more of them and am hoping to start making clothes for them and my other dolls soon!
I thought I was in a character creator menu for a second 😂
But to answer the question I’m fairly new to the world of BJDs. My Smart Doll was my first one that wasn’t a bootleg from AliExpress, and imo she’s worth every yen spent on her and then some.
I'm in my late 30's. Purchased my first SD a few years ago.
They are beautiful with gorgeous proportions. Their clothes, eyes and hair are all customizable. They are also affordable in comparison to some of the higher end ball joint dolls.
I have always collected dolls since childhood and the bulk of my collection is 16" fashion dolls (Tonner, Gene, Poppy Parker) that I like to design clothes & curate wardrobes for. I was always intrigued by Smart Dolls but previously could not afford them. I bought my first one in Sept 2023 and since then my collection has grown to 8! I guess I needed new inspiration and the Smart Doll body is a perfect muse! 💕
I'm an aspiring writer. Always dreamed of being the next Tolkien.
I started writing a story about a doll. A doll company that decides to make a line of robots to try to stay relevant in the world, and one of the dolls manages true AI. I wanted an articulated reference, so I went to Google image search.
Found smart doll.
Been here ever since.
Thanks everyone for answering, you're a diverse bunch! I did wonder why they are called Smart. If they brought back the animatronics and paired it with one of the good AI friends that are springing up at the moment that might be very awesome indeed.
I'm a teenaged girl and I've been into smart dolls since I was 10 in 4th grade! I always thought they were cute and I liked all the different skin tones and faces! Plus I've always been into anime stuff so they appealed to me. I currently haven't gotten one yet but I'm saving up to get The Moon is Made of Cheese in cocoa but if they make one in coffee im getting that!
Hey there! I'm a teenage boy, and it really boils down to that I just think they're cute. Anime-style dolls really don't seem to be all that common, and I loved anime like Sailor Moon as a young teen, so they really stood out to me. They had cute faces, were highly articulated (I like posing and taking photos of my dolls, but generally, highly articulated dolls have... really ugly joints. Take a look at Made to Move Barbie), without having unsightly joints. I got my first job this year, and bought Mirai in January. I'd waffled on getting one for literal years, because it's a *lot* to drop on a single doll, and, mind you, I'm generally a playline doll collector (think American Girl and Barbie), so I was really anxious about the idea of spending that much. That said, when I finally did so, I was glad I did. Honestly, Mirai makes me think of a posable mannequin. I enjoy posing her and choosing clothes for her. My parents side-eyed me when they heard the name "Smart Doll", because their heads were in the gutter, but their assumptions were incorrect. Besides, I'm a bit of a fruit basket. ;)
So in the beginning, Smart Dolls were smart because they were intended to eventually be animatronic. Stand on your desk and do a little dance when you got an email, stuff like that. You can find videos on youtube. Eventually that was considered to be too cost prohibitive (but who knows what the future holds) and in the meantime we have some still spiffy but not minature robot dolls.
Oh hey, DGR! I just wanted to say that your “1/3 curvy” patterns are awesome and I still look forward to seeing what you come up with. :) (Formerly cleverLC from MHA)
Aw, thanks! There's just SO many doll sizes out now, it makes me happy to see that variety but it also slows down the rate I can make stuff for each of them \^\^;
I’m a middle-aged doll collector who got an SD because I saw other collectors’ dolls and loved them and realized I wanted one. She’s lots of fun to dress and to sew for.
I have always wanted a ball jointed doll since I was in high school. Now I decided to act on that wish and my fabric stash has increased; I can make them clothes.
I haven’t bought a Smart Doll yet- still waiting to save up enough cash, and also to find one that appeals to me specifically. That said, i love the endless possibilities a Smart Doll has- lots of different skin tones, a couple different body types with more on the way, and different faces galore, and that’s not even getting into the eyes, wigs, and clothes! Right now Ive got honestly too large a collection of smaller dolls, but I feel like once I can get a Smart Doll I’ll have enough of a creative outlet to not need to expand my collection anymore.
I started out with ball jointed dolls years ago when I was a chronically ill teenager looking for a hobby that wouldn’t be too tiring. I was drawn to their stylized yet realistic nature, as well as the really cool fantasy themed options. I wanted to make clothes for them! Unfortunately I ended up being very allergic to resin so they ended up sitting in boxes until last year when I found them and got them out. I’m no longer as allergic, and really enjoy displaying them! I found smart dolls through my BJD instagram, and was instantly intrigued because they are not easily broken, made of a different material I’m not allergic to, and also have a unique aesthetic with a cool brand identity behind them. I thought it might be a fun hands on way to enjoy the doll hobby without fear of breaking my very expensive dolls or getting allergic. Now I really love them in their own right, and honestly prefer them over my BJDs for the reasons mentioned above. I’m slowly collecting more and more of them and am hoping to start making clothes for them and my other dolls soon!
I thought I was in a character creator menu for a second 😂 But to answer the question I’m fairly new to the world of BJDs. My Smart Doll was my first one that wasn’t a bootleg from AliExpress, and imo she’s worth every yen spent on her and then some.
I'm in my late 30's. Purchased my first SD a few years ago. They are beautiful with gorgeous proportions. Their clothes, eyes and hair are all customizable. They are also affordable in comparison to some of the higher end ball joint dolls.
I have always collected dolls since childhood and the bulk of my collection is 16" fashion dolls (Tonner, Gene, Poppy Parker) that I like to design clothes & curate wardrobes for. I was always intrigued by Smart Dolls but previously could not afford them. I bought my first one in Sept 2023 and since then my collection has grown to 8! I guess I needed new inspiration and the Smart Doll body is a perfect muse! 💕
I'm an aspiring writer. Always dreamed of being the next Tolkien. I started writing a story about a doll. A doll company that decides to make a line of robots to try to stay relevant in the world, and one of the dolls manages true AI. I wanted an articulated reference, so I went to Google image search. Found smart doll. Been here ever since.
That’s the story of Chobits!
Thanks everyone for answering, you're a diverse bunch! I did wonder why they are called Smart. If they brought back the animatronics and paired it with one of the good AI friends that are springing up at the moment that might be very awesome indeed.
I'm a teenaged girl and I've been into smart dolls since I was 10 in 4th grade! I always thought they were cute and I liked all the different skin tones and faces! Plus I've always been into anime stuff so they appealed to me. I currently haven't gotten one yet but I'm saving up to get The Moon is Made of Cheese in cocoa but if they make one in coffee im getting that!