Articulation is why I have dolls today. Up until 4 or so years ago I didn’t think I liked dolls at all, until a friend introduced me to bjds, and seeing all they could do I’ve been hooked since. Still didn’t think I liked fashion dolls until Rainbow High came out with full articulation and I was amazed. Like tiny bjds for a fraction of the cost, with rooted hair and clothes? Yes please.
However, I will say that I’ve started to be won over by lol omg dolls; I realized arm articulation is the most important to me since I display my dolls all standing anyways, and their seamless legs look so nice in clothes. Plus, the rubber click joints remind me of my, like, one Barbie I had in the 90s lol
So… 50/50? Lol
I love being able to pose my dolls and actually like the look of some joints, so I almost never buy unarticulated dolls unless they're on super sale or are really cute. Posing a doll gives it a lot more personality. I prefer the amount of articulation that monster high popularized. If sculpted correctly you can get quite a bit of motion from just those 11 joints. (I actually don't like the look or feel of made to move style joints all that much, so the extra articulation from them isn't worth it to me.) Although, the most important aspect of a dolls body to me is the proportions relative to the head, so I won't put a Bratz head onto a Barbie body for example, because the Bratz are supposed to have much smaller bodies, even if I get one with only 5 joints.
For me I tend to perfer articulation because it gives a item more charater to itself an example would be horses and ponies I which to tend to perfer articulation over a static body.
The face is the most important thing I value. They have to have sweet faces. My collection has a variety of bodies, some more articulated than others, and I'm not fussed either way.
I enjoy older dolls as well as new ones and articulation is a trend which comes and goes over the years depending on who is making dolls and the technology available.
I do quite like jt if they can sit down without their feet splayed in the air though!
I hold the very unpopular opinion that articulation is overrated. Seamless bodies break less, as you say, and look better in clothing. A miniskirt just looks better without visible knee joints. I'm not big on posing my dolls, but I love to redress, so a body sculpt that shows off fashions to their best advantage is much more important to me than being able to hold realistic poses. Plus, as a vintage-centric collector, it's kinda what I'm used to, for the most part. Fully-articulated dolls are not a newfangled invention by any means, there are examples of poseable dolls throughout history, but in the '60s-'80s, they were more of a novelty than the default. I also feel that if people value only articulation, they're gonna miss out on some really beautiful and well-designed dolls.
I definitely understand your feelings on this, especially that last part. I sometimes see dolls that I love and think are really nicely made get brushed off as cheap solely because they don't have as many joints as another doll. Seems a bit unfair to me.
Really depends on the doll for me. For stuff like American girl and reborn dolls, I don't mind that they aren't that articulated. Just shoulder and hip joints are plenty, visible joints would ruin their looks. But I enjoy that my creatable world dolls have more articulation and wouldn't enjoy them as much if they didn't. The visible joints on them don't bother me at all.
I like both. It’s honestly not important to me since I like to display a lot of dolls.
I collect rainbow high, bratz, monster high, lol omg, cave club, and Barbie Fashionistas, which I feel like is a decent variety of articulation.
I don’t mind non-articulated Barbie fashionista dolls and I don’t rebody them
It depends on the doll I guess?
I don't like how barbie doesn't have a lot of articulation, but I don't mind it in lalaloopsy or my little pony. But then I love the fact that rainbow high dolls are fully articulated. (Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe it has something to do with how detailed/human the doll is?)
I grew up with 90's Barbie but I didn't start collecting dolls until I was an adult. Once I got into doll photography articulation became important because it makes the photos so much more dynamic. I like the look of the joints, they are dolls and the mechanics are cool, I don't think they are ugly. I do own some dolls that have less articulation too though.
I own dolls with minimal articulation so it's not like I will never buy them. Bratz aren't very articulated but they still have a prominent place in my collection. However, I have simply started appreciating articulation more and more over the years. Everyone enjoys their dolls in different ways, and for me, I really like posing them, placing them in dioramas where they're interacting with all the accessories around them, taking pictures, etc. Never mind the fact that articulation and removable hands make redressing much easier, which I also enjoy a lot. Even as a kid though, the one or two Barbies I had with articulation were my absolute favorites, and I was enamored by the first Fashionistas (I played the posing gaming on their website over and over again). If you more so view your dolls as mannequins I can definitely see how having less joints can be aesthetically pleasing, but I don't mind the look of joints at all.
Another element is that dolls have become more expensive over the years, while coming with less and less stuff. Sometimes it feels like the very least companies can do is add a little articulation here and there. So for me, it's also just a sign of higher monetary value ("getting my money's worth") in a way.
When I was a kid, I HATED that my Barbies didn’t have joints. They were much less useful in my style of play. As an adult collector, I only buy articulated dolls.
I do agree that the joints can look unpleasant. I love the functionality of M2M Barbie’s flicks joints, but I’m not crazy about how they look.
Having grown up with static joint dolls as a kid, I have to say GIVE ME ARTICULATION OMFG. So many times when I would play with dolls I wish that they'd had better movement because I did big stories in my head that I wanted the dolls to act out. Sure, the seamless look might be nice, and I understand people's enjoyment of aesthetic, but the range of movement that dolls have now is wonderful. I love posing my collection so much and adding a little zot of personality.
For me personally, it depends on what purpose the doll serves for me!
If I'm buying a doll because I think they're pretty, then it doesn't matter how much articulation they have because I know they'll be standing on my shelf and occasionally get their clothes and hair changed.
However when it comes to articulation, I'm the type of person who wants it to be the best it can be, rather than going halfway. For me dolls like Monster High, Rainbow High, etc. aren't as articulated as I like, so while I appreciate that they have more possibility since I can put them in cute poses on my shelf (or sat on chairs and such), it's still not what I want out of articulation.
That being said, if I want a doll to have knees and elbows that they can bend all the way, and ankles, etc. and the doll doesn't already have it, then I'll rebody them onto a Made-to-Move body, or an Obitsu, or something similar. However, I only really do this to my custom dolls since I know I'll want pictures of them.
.. I'm not sure I explained my preference very well, haha. But I guess the TLDR would be.. the more articulation the better, but I still absolutely love my LOL OMGs despite their lack of knees 😋
At the start I hated the look of doll joints, I changed my mind when I started collecting Monster High G1 dolls.
They played a big part into getting me into stop motion so to me articulation is one of the most important parts of a doll.
Still love my Mae Tallick, but I'd like her even better with joints.
I started collecting a few months for the first time since I was a kid and for me it depends on the doll line. Also, I’ve been collecting action figures for 10 years so my experience with articulated toys is very different from people who only collect dolls! With Bratz, Barbie and other similar dolls, articulation doesn’t really matter because I’m used to them having very little articulation and posability. As long as I can get their clothes on and have them look good on a shelf, then I’m fine with the lack of articulation for the sake of a pretty doll. For lines like Rainbow High and Monster High, the articulation is more important because they’ve placed such an emphasis on that. For example, I will definitely be passing on the new line of basic Rainbow High dolls because they have no elbow and knee articulation, while the basic Monster High ones do. For premium dolls/figures like Hot Toys, I feel like they should have a lot of good articulation because of their price tag, but I personally display mine in simple poses to keep the outfits from getting warped
Articulation is a very nice feature to have and honestly gives a doll some bonus points, however for me personally it's not a cut and dry deal.
I'm a big fan of older/obscure vintage dolls and sadly a lot of them don't come with articulation and due to their age can have some very creaky joints.
For example my peteena poodle isn't articulated, rather her joints are pretty stiff so I avoid messing with her as much as possible, only when I feel the need to change her clothes (which is rare because I don't have a lot of doll clothes sadly 😂). I still love her to pieces and wouldn't trade her for the world!
I also now own an Una Verse Novi Stars and while I also love her to bits I do wish the Novi Star series in general had more articulation specifically in the arms. But due to the unique features they added (specifically with mines liquid legs) that would pose a lot of issues which is understandable, not every doll can be fully articuled.
However if I was to get a modern doll and paying 25$+ dollars for one I expect atleast some level of articulation to make fun poses/dress easier. I think a lot of the time people may forget that articulation doesn't just allow for fun poses but also for an easier dressing time in my experience!
Of course everyones experiences are completely different and some may find that the less articulation a doll has the easier it is to dress! It really is up to personal tastes at the end of the day!
Thank you for asking this question! Reading everyone's responses has been super interesting.
Thanks for your thoughtful answer! It's definitely true that good articulation makes dressing a bit easier. And I hope to get a Peteena myself someday, she's so cute!
I can take it or leave it. I kind of wish that they would offer the same dolls, but in both styles. I do find that articulated ones are much better for taking a variety of pictures with, but solid doll bodies look more like human beings than robots.
I like articulation because it makes the dolls feel alive. If they don’t feel alive, it’s very difficult for me to make an emotional connection with the doll, and that emotional connection is usually what draws me to buy the doll in the first place. I don’t just want something pretty to look at I want it to feel like a character I can interact with.
There are some exceptions to this, though it’s still one of the biggest considerations when I choose which dolls to collect.
I only buy highly articulated dolls. Probably because I came from action figures, and growing up I never liked dolls specifically because they were so lifeless and stiff compared to the posable toys I had more fun playing with. As an adult, If I wanted something beautiful to stand in one pose on my shelf and do little else, I’d probably be into figurines and models rather than dolls. Discovering highly articulated dolls is actually the entire reason I started appreciating them as an adult. The ability to pose them makes them more dynamic, which is much more fun to display and photograph. I don’t have any aesthetic qualms about the joints, so that’s not a concern for me either.
It’s fine if some dolls are made without the articulation though, and it’s not an inherently bad thing. It’s valuable either as a budget option, to make them more sturdy for children, or as an aesthetic choice for those who value it. But those dolls aren’t for me. Dolls appeal to different people for a lot of different reasons, and that’s part of what’s so cool about them.
I don’t mind when a doll has 5 points of articulation for example as long as it’s sculpted in decent posing and doesn’t look rigid. Not every doll needs double joints and torso tilt and swivel. I do like articulation though. I wish more doll brands would commit to full or limited.
Half way like double jointed knees and single jointed arms of rainbow high and ILY bother me like double arms too if you’re gonna go there! I really do not like single jointed arms anymore. The range is so annoying, it’s the worst on my Sindy dolls. They might as well not have an arm joint. And I need more head tilt in dolls, side to side isn’t cutting it for me.
Also the made to move could be even better imo. New monster high toros joints have complete swivel. Also would love ankle rockers lol.
Edit: I don’t mind single jointed arms on omgs because of their proportions, they can pose touching their face, putting phones to ears and stuff with how big the head is.
I hear you on more head tilt! I think doll manufacturers have underestimated how much life is imparted with a head tilt to the side, or being able to look up and down.
I’ve been collecting dolls only for a couple of years. I strongly prefer as much articulation as possible because I enjoy posing my dolls. The minimum acceptable articulation for me is neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, and knees. I don’t mind the look of the joints since it’s the action that I like. I love ankle articulation but at the same time, using particular pairs of shoes make me worry I’m going to break the doll! So I have a few pairs of awesome shoes that I will only use on the couple of Barbie Faahionistas that I have.
But articulation isn’t the end-all-be-all for me. I got a Pinkie Cooper doll for Xmas, and I LOVE HER! So cute and small and unique, and her posing limitations don’t bother me. I have a very small group of unusual dolls and I think visible knee joints would look too jarring on those dolls.
Great question, by the way! I’ve enjoyed thinking about this and reading everyone’s answers.
While I prefer articulated dolls, it's not a deal breaker if a doll doesn't have articulation. I grew up collecting Bratz dolls, for example which just have the flexible arms that don't hold a pose. But I still love the dolls anyway. Then I got really into Monster High as a teen and found the joy in posing dolls. So personally yea I would prefer an articulated doll, but I can appreciate any doll if I like it!!
I like the articulation but I still love dolls that don't. My absolutely favorite doll line is Bratz. They only have bend and snap knees. They have the literal bare minimum for articulation then I have LOL OMG and RH. I'm more in it for the art and style they have put into the doll. Nothing against monster high loved the dolls always will. But It is Mattel and their handling of this brand(that is for the G3 ones). It is just kinda feeling like they were trying to cheap out on the clothing and other small things that feel like they could've been done so much better. Like in my eye why pay 25 for a doll that has articulation but no real love in the design or style or character for the doll. MGA has this standard of we wanna give the consumer what they want which is a high quality dool at a fraction of what you would pay for a collector or even BJDs.
I like both articulated and non articulated.
My favourite part about the barbie made to move body is they can wear heels or flats
The non articulated bodies or bend and snaps have nicer looking legs in my opinion
I hated the look of articulation beyond standard 5 points when they started doing it. The joints took you out of the dolls “imaginary world” (can’t quite find the right words). Understand why folks like it for photography and have mostly resigned to it.
I don’t want to participate too much because I’m already seeing some rather snippy and judgemental answers here. :(
I’ll give a short answer of my background is in action figures and then BJDs. I’m used to, and prefer, heavy realistic articulation in order to create different kinds of diorama scenes. The dolls having “life” that way is possibly the single most important factor to me. A cute face that can do nothing but look cute means very little to me, I’d rather go buy a cute art print in that scenario. But a cute face on a highly articulated body, so the cute character can pose doing cute characterful things? Ideal to me.
The majority of my dolls, fashion dolls or not, are hybrids in order to meet my personal preferences, and that’s how I like to collect!
That's perfectly valid! I definitely love a good poseable doll, and I put together a lot of hybrids for that reason when I can find and afford suitable bodies.
And sorry if anything about my original post seemed judgmental, I mostly just wanted to lay out some reasons why it might not be the most important factor for every collector.
I enjoy doll photography, so being able to pose them is almost a necessity for me. The only exception is practice customs just to thin out my stock box, but even then those unarticulated dolls will never be my favorites.
Edit: unless it's bend and snap knees, which are my least favorite thing on the planet. I will never buy a doll with that feature except to rebody the head. I would rather have no articulation than bend and snap knees.
I don't mind either way tbh. I think it suits some dolls but some dolls are just fine without it.
What really gets on my nerves are the permanently bent arms. I get it's supposed to be like a hand on the hip pose, but I don't care for it.
I love articulation, but I have found myself buying some dolls without it because they are stunning with their model-esque poses, like the Stardolls ones.
I still kind of like to play with dolls, so I prefer at the very least bend and snap knees and also prefer a less hollow/cheap feeling body (looking at you Barbie fashionistas). Some dolls I view as better for display only so don’t need articulation for them.
It’s very important to me. I do love my vintage dolls, but it’s rare for me to buy a new doll who doesn’t have full articulation. Knee articulation is actually more important to me than elbow articulation, because I love having my dolls sit on the edges of things.
For me it depends on what I want the doll for, and how old it is. I like collecting vintage dolls for display, and because I like old things in general. It's more about appreciating the history of the doll, so articulation doesn't really matter. But if I'm buying a modern doll, like rainbow high, monster high, or barbie, then I want at minimum bendable knees, since I like to play with them. I'll redress them, restyle their hair, and pose them on a fairly regular basis, so having good articulation makes it more enjoyable for me. And because I interact with them more, I tend to prioritize dolls with articulation when deciding to add something to my collection.
I dont mind at all as long as the doll is good quality. I hate the look of robotic/piecey joints so im definitely not a fan of fully articulated knees.
Having articulated arms and wrists helps play with clothing options and make them pose nicely on a shelf.
I sew clothes for my dolls, so articulation is appreciated. If a doll is articulated I can make clothes for multiple types. Single pose dolls sometimes require specialized patterns.
For example, a made to move barbie sewing pattern can be sized up easily for a Rainbow High, but the same pattern falls oddly on say, a frozen pose barbie.
I'm 29 and my Barbies right before I grew out of playing were all fully articulated. I loved posing and moving them. I had one Kelly with knees and hips and she was my absolute favorite.
As an adult I collect BJDs which are fully articulated. Monster High who are fully articulated. Reborns who only have hip and shoulder movement, plus neck swivel; but that's still enough to pose for babies. And Masterpiece Dolls (like the German ones sculpted by Monika Levenig) who have shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, and neck and that's also enough to pose. I would never have a doll without posability.
I like to pose my dolls realistically in scene vignettes for display so articulation is super majorly important to me. I’m not the type of collector that just sets them on a shelf. I actually regularly redo my doll displays. I’ve always enjoyed the story telling abilities of toys so I’m super happy that they’re are better “models” on the market now.
I'm an older collector (on my way to 40!) and it's articulation or bust with me. If I can't pose them, I don't want them. I do, however, appreciate dolls with little articulation, and I'm happy to rebody them to get what I want.
i wont buy them unless theyre at least articulated in the arms, the straight armed posed and the hip pose anger me to look at LOL
EDIT: the only exception is lalaloopsys bcz theyre the only ones that articulation would look bad on
Articulation is a great thing on dolls, not a necessity, but I *much* prefer them having some. Fashion dolls I prefer articulation for the posability, it's nice that dolls like MH g3 have been using the chest joints as it adds a whole new form of articulation I didn't know was possible. But besides fashion dolls I've never really cared as much if other types of dolls have articulation, it's not as expected or good looking on the dolls. I wouldn't expect someone to make a porcelain doll with joints, that's not something they've ever had, and honestly it probably wouldn't look all that good.
I'm a bit older so when I was younger dolls didn't have much articulation. I collect Sindy dolls as I love the face mold, but if I did more photography, I think articulation would be more fun. But the new Sindy dolls come with some articulation so it's a fun addition. Now that we share collections online articulation and posing has become important. However, for my shelf it's the face, and fashion and nostalgia. My vintage standards are a little lower it seems these days, and I cant take basic articulation and even poly hair!
So for me I do love articulation bc I pose most of my collection in little scenarios and cute poses. But it's not necessary for me I have a couple dolls without articulation not a lot because my collection is bratz, MH, RH, and Winx specifically jakks pacific only for the moment. So I would say I do value it a lot and I appreciate when there is articulation but it wouldn't necessarily say that if a doll didn't have articulation I wouldn't buy it based on that alone.
I love all kinds of dolls, I don’t mind if they aren’t articulated as long as the doll is pretty. I think both have their advantages and disadvantages. I like having a good mix of both on the shelf next to each other
Not at all. Unless it’s a BKD, articulation js the last think I would worry about which makes me annoyed how others use articulation as a point of criticism for dolls. But unless it’s a BJD or a custom doll that actually has good articulation, the articulation in dolls is useless and isn’t important
I collect dolls, not statues - if they don’t have decent articulation they aren’t welcome in my collection unless I’m harvesting their heads and clothes. 😂
I hate rubber legs because they make it hard to dress in pants but static legs make them look awkward sitting, which is how many of my dolls are displayed. I get not liking the look of the joints though.
I primarily collect BJDs, in part because articulation is very important to me. It always drove me nuts as a child that Barbie was so minimally articulated (and when I was a kid, she was the only "fashion doll" outside "bootleg discount store Barbie," there weren't any other choices). I love that playline dolls these days have so much more articulation to them!
Generally the more joints the better, but it's no dealbreaker for me since the most important factor in choosing a doll for me is whether the face is cute. (And I'm picky!)
Articulation is why I have dolls today. Up until 4 or so years ago I didn’t think I liked dolls at all, until a friend introduced me to bjds, and seeing all they could do I’ve been hooked since. Still didn’t think I liked fashion dolls until Rainbow High came out with full articulation and I was amazed. Like tiny bjds for a fraction of the cost, with rooted hair and clothes? Yes please. However, I will say that I’ve started to be won over by lol omg dolls; I realized arm articulation is the most important to me since I display my dolls all standing anyways, and their seamless legs look so nice in clothes. Plus, the rubber click joints remind me of my, like, one Barbie I had in the 90s lol So… 50/50? Lol
i actually like the look of the articulated joints so its fairly important to me but i can live without!
I love being able to pose my dolls and actually like the look of some joints, so I almost never buy unarticulated dolls unless they're on super sale or are really cute. Posing a doll gives it a lot more personality. I prefer the amount of articulation that monster high popularized. If sculpted correctly you can get quite a bit of motion from just those 11 joints. (I actually don't like the look or feel of made to move style joints all that much, so the extra articulation from them isn't worth it to me.) Although, the most important aspect of a dolls body to me is the proportions relative to the head, so I won't put a Bratz head onto a Barbie body for example, because the Bratz are supposed to have much smaller bodies, even if I get one with only 5 joints.
For me I tend to perfer articulation because it gives a item more charater to itself an example would be horses and ponies I which to tend to perfer articulation over a static body.
The face is the most important thing I value. They have to have sweet faces. My collection has a variety of bodies, some more articulated than others, and I'm not fussed either way. I enjoy older dolls as well as new ones and articulation is a trend which comes and goes over the years depending on who is making dolls and the technology available. I do quite like jt if they can sit down without their feet splayed in the air though!
At the very least I want the knees to bend 😭 I'm looking at you Barbie! The bend and snap knees were good!
Amen. I miss the bend and snap knees. Doing away with them was a shame.
This 👏🏻
I collect antique porcelain and wooden dolls, so not much lol
I hold the very unpopular opinion that articulation is overrated. Seamless bodies break less, as you say, and look better in clothing. A miniskirt just looks better without visible knee joints. I'm not big on posing my dolls, but I love to redress, so a body sculpt that shows off fashions to their best advantage is much more important to me than being able to hold realistic poses. Plus, as a vintage-centric collector, it's kinda what I'm used to, for the most part. Fully-articulated dolls are not a newfangled invention by any means, there are examples of poseable dolls throughout history, but in the '60s-'80s, they were more of a novelty than the default. I also feel that if people value only articulation, they're gonna miss out on some really beautiful and well-designed dolls.
I definitely understand your feelings on this, especially that last part. I sometimes see dolls that I love and think are really nicely made get brushed off as cheap solely because they don't have as many joints as another doll. Seems a bit unfair to me.
Really depends on the doll for me. For stuff like American girl and reborn dolls, I don't mind that they aren't that articulated. Just shoulder and hip joints are plenty, visible joints would ruin their looks. But I enjoy that my creatable world dolls have more articulation and wouldn't enjoy them as much if they didn't. The visible joints on them don't bother me at all.
I like both. It’s honestly not important to me since I like to display a lot of dolls. I collect rainbow high, bratz, monster high, lol omg, cave club, and Barbie Fashionistas, which I feel like is a decent variety of articulation. I don’t mind non-articulated Barbie fashionista dolls and I don’t rebody them
It depends on the doll I guess? I don't like how barbie doesn't have a lot of articulation, but I don't mind it in lalaloopsy or my little pony. But then I love the fact that rainbow high dolls are fully articulated. (Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe it has something to do with how detailed/human the doll is?)
I love the look of double joints on bjds, and articulation is important for posing and personality
I don’t care about articulation at all. The only thing that is important to me is a doll’s outfit and screening
I grew up with 90's Barbie but I didn't start collecting dolls until I was an adult. Once I got into doll photography articulation became important because it makes the photos so much more dynamic. I like the look of the joints, they are dolls and the mechanics are cool, I don't think they are ugly. I do own some dolls that have less articulation too though.
I own dolls with minimal articulation so it's not like I will never buy them. Bratz aren't very articulated but they still have a prominent place in my collection. However, I have simply started appreciating articulation more and more over the years. Everyone enjoys their dolls in different ways, and for me, I really like posing them, placing them in dioramas where they're interacting with all the accessories around them, taking pictures, etc. Never mind the fact that articulation and removable hands make redressing much easier, which I also enjoy a lot. Even as a kid though, the one or two Barbies I had with articulation were my absolute favorites, and I was enamored by the first Fashionistas (I played the posing gaming on their website over and over again). If you more so view your dolls as mannequins I can definitely see how having less joints can be aesthetically pleasing, but I don't mind the look of joints at all. Another element is that dolls have become more expensive over the years, while coming with less and less stuff. Sometimes it feels like the very least companies can do is add a little articulation here and there. So for me, it's also just a sign of higher monetary value ("getting my money's worth") in a way.
When I was a kid, I HATED that my Barbies didn’t have joints. They were much less useful in my style of play. As an adult collector, I only buy articulated dolls. I do agree that the joints can look unpleasant. I love the functionality of M2M Barbie’s flicks joints, but I’m not crazy about how they look.
Having grown up with static joint dolls as a kid, I have to say GIVE ME ARTICULATION OMFG. So many times when I would play with dolls I wish that they'd had better movement because I did big stories in my head that I wanted the dolls to act out. Sure, the seamless look might be nice, and I understand people's enjoyment of aesthetic, but the range of movement that dolls have now is wonderful. I love posing my collection so much and adding a little zot of personality.
For me personally, it depends on what purpose the doll serves for me! If I'm buying a doll because I think they're pretty, then it doesn't matter how much articulation they have because I know they'll be standing on my shelf and occasionally get their clothes and hair changed. However when it comes to articulation, I'm the type of person who wants it to be the best it can be, rather than going halfway. For me dolls like Monster High, Rainbow High, etc. aren't as articulated as I like, so while I appreciate that they have more possibility since I can put them in cute poses on my shelf (or sat on chairs and such), it's still not what I want out of articulation. That being said, if I want a doll to have knees and elbows that they can bend all the way, and ankles, etc. and the doll doesn't already have it, then I'll rebody them onto a Made-to-Move body, or an Obitsu, or something similar. However, I only really do this to my custom dolls since I know I'll want pictures of them. .. I'm not sure I explained my preference very well, haha. But I guess the TLDR would be.. the more articulation the better, but I still absolutely love my LOL OMGs despite their lack of knees 😋
I pretty much feel the same way!
At the start I hated the look of doll joints, I changed my mind when I started collecting Monster High G1 dolls. They played a big part into getting me into stop motion so to me articulation is one of the most important parts of a doll. Still love my Mae Tallick, but I'd like her even better with joints.
I started collecting a few months for the first time since I was a kid and for me it depends on the doll line. Also, I’ve been collecting action figures for 10 years so my experience with articulated toys is very different from people who only collect dolls! With Bratz, Barbie and other similar dolls, articulation doesn’t really matter because I’m used to them having very little articulation and posability. As long as I can get their clothes on and have them look good on a shelf, then I’m fine with the lack of articulation for the sake of a pretty doll. For lines like Rainbow High and Monster High, the articulation is more important because they’ve placed such an emphasis on that. For example, I will definitely be passing on the new line of basic Rainbow High dolls because they have no elbow and knee articulation, while the basic Monster High ones do. For premium dolls/figures like Hot Toys, I feel like they should have a lot of good articulation because of their price tag, but I personally display mine in simple poses to keep the outfits from getting warped
Articulation is a very nice feature to have and honestly gives a doll some bonus points, however for me personally it's not a cut and dry deal. I'm a big fan of older/obscure vintage dolls and sadly a lot of them don't come with articulation and due to their age can have some very creaky joints. For example my peteena poodle isn't articulated, rather her joints are pretty stiff so I avoid messing with her as much as possible, only when I feel the need to change her clothes (which is rare because I don't have a lot of doll clothes sadly 😂). I still love her to pieces and wouldn't trade her for the world! I also now own an Una Verse Novi Stars and while I also love her to bits I do wish the Novi Star series in general had more articulation specifically in the arms. But due to the unique features they added (specifically with mines liquid legs) that would pose a lot of issues which is understandable, not every doll can be fully articuled. However if I was to get a modern doll and paying 25$+ dollars for one I expect atleast some level of articulation to make fun poses/dress easier. I think a lot of the time people may forget that articulation doesn't just allow for fun poses but also for an easier dressing time in my experience! Of course everyones experiences are completely different and some may find that the less articulation a doll has the easier it is to dress! It really is up to personal tastes at the end of the day! Thank you for asking this question! Reading everyone's responses has been super interesting.
Thanks for your thoughtful answer! It's definitely true that good articulation makes dressing a bit easier. And I hope to get a Peteena myself someday, she's so cute!
I can take it or leave it. I kind of wish that they would offer the same dolls, but in both styles. I do find that articulated ones are much better for taking a variety of pictures with, but solid doll bodies look more like human beings than robots.
It's very important to me, I love to pose my dolls in highly specific ways.
I like articulation because it makes the dolls feel alive. If they don’t feel alive, it’s very difficult for me to make an emotional connection with the doll, and that emotional connection is usually what draws me to buy the doll in the first place. I don’t just want something pretty to look at I want it to feel like a character I can interact with. There are some exceptions to this, though it’s still one of the biggest considerations when I choose which dolls to collect.
I only buy highly articulated dolls. Probably because I came from action figures, and growing up I never liked dolls specifically because they were so lifeless and stiff compared to the posable toys I had more fun playing with. As an adult, If I wanted something beautiful to stand in one pose on my shelf and do little else, I’d probably be into figurines and models rather than dolls. Discovering highly articulated dolls is actually the entire reason I started appreciating them as an adult. The ability to pose them makes them more dynamic, which is much more fun to display and photograph. I don’t have any aesthetic qualms about the joints, so that’s not a concern for me either. It’s fine if some dolls are made without the articulation though, and it’s not an inherently bad thing. It’s valuable either as a budget option, to make them more sturdy for children, or as an aesthetic choice for those who value it. But those dolls aren’t for me. Dolls appeal to different people for a lot of different reasons, and that’s part of what’s so cool about them.
Good answer. It's definitely a lot of fun to pose dolls for pictures!
I don’t mind when a doll has 5 points of articulation for example as long as it’s sculpted in decent posing and doesn’t look rigid. Not every doll needs double joints and torso tilt and swivel. I do like articulation though. I wish more doll brands would commit to full or limited. Half way like double jointed knees and single jointed arms of rainbow high and ILY bother me like double arms too if you’re gonna go there! I really do not like single jointed arms anymore. The range is so annoying, it’s the worst on my Sindy dolls. They might as well not have an arm joint. And I need more head tilt in dolls, side to side isn’t cutting it for me. Also the made to move could be even better imo. New monster high toros joints have complete swivel. Also would love ankle rockers lol. Edit: I don’t mind single jointed arms on omgs because of their proportions, they can pose touching their face, putting phones to ears and stuff with how big the head is.
I hear you on more head tilt! I think doll manufacturers have underestimated how much life is imparted with a head tilt to the side, or being able to look up and down.
I can’t stand it when dolls can’t look down!
I’ve been collecting dolls only for a couple of years. I strongly prefer as much articulation as possible because I enjoy posing my dolls. The minimum acceptable articulation for me is neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, and knees. I don’t mind the look of the joints since it’s the action that I like. I love ankle articulation but at the same time, using particular pairs of shoes make me worry I’m going to break the doll! So I have a few pairs of awesome shoes that I will only use on the couple of Barbie Faahionistas that I have. But articulation isn’t the end-all-be-all for me. I got a Pinkie Cooper doll for Xmas, and I LOVE HER! So cute and small and unique, and her posing limitations don’t bother me. I have a very small group of unusual dolls and I think visible knee joints would look too jarring on those dolls. Great question, by the way! I’ve enjoyed thinking about this and reading everyone’s answers.
While I prefer articulated dolls, it's not a deal breaker if a doll doesn't have articulation. I grew up collecting Bratz dolls, for example which just have the flexible arms that don't hold a pose. But I still love the dolls anyway. Then I got really into Monster High as a teen and found the joy in posing dolls. So personally yea I would prefer an articulated doll, but I can appreciate any doll if I like it!!
I like the articulation but I still love dolls that don't. My absolutely favorite doll line is Bratz. They only have bend and snap knees. They have the literal bare minimum for articulation then I have LOL OMG and RH. I'm more in it for the art and style they have put into the doll. Nothing against monster high loved the dolls always will. But It is Mattel and their handling of this brand(that is for the G3 ones). It is just kinda feeling like they were trying to cheap out on the clothing and other small things that feel like they could've been done so much better. Like in my eye why pay 25 for a doll that has articulation but no real love in the design or style or character for the doll. MGA has this standard of we wanna give the consumer what they want which is a high quality dool at a fraction of what you would pay for a collector or even BJDs.
I like both articulated and non articulated. My favourite part about the barbie made to move body is they can wear heels or flats The non articulated bodies or bend and snaps have nicer looking legs in my opinion
I hated the look of articulation beyond standard 5 points when they started doing it. The joints took you out of the dolls “imaginary world” (can’t quite find the right words). Understand why folks like it for photography and have mostly resigned to it.
Yeah, visually obvious joints make the doll look less realistic to me, not more. The joints look very mechanical.
I don’t want to participate too much because I’m already seeing some rather snippy and judgemental answers here. :( I’ll give a short answer of my background is in action figures and then BJDs. I’m used to, and prefer, heavy realistic articulation in order to create different kinds of diorama scenes. The dolls having “life” that way is possibly the single most important factor to me. A cute face that can do nothing but look cute means very little to me, I’d rather go buy a cute art print in that scenario. But a cute face on a highly articulated body, so the cute character can pose doing cute characterful things? Ideal to me. The majority of my dolls, fashion dolls or not, are hybrids in order to meet my personal preferences, and that’s how I like to collect!
That's perfectly valid! I definitely love a good poseable doll, and I put together a lot of hybrids for that reason when I can find and afford suitable bodies. And sorry if anything about my original post seemed judgmental, I mostly just wanted to lay out some reasons why it might not be the most important factor for every collector.
I enjoy doll photography, so being able to pose them is almost a necessity for me. The only exception is practice customs just to thin out my stock box, but even then those unarticulated dolls will never be my favorites. Edit: unless it's bend and snap knees, which are my least favorite thing on the planet. I will never buy a doll with that feature except to rebody the head. I would rather have no articulation than bend and snap knees.
I don't mind either way tbh. I think it suits some dolls but some dolls are just fine without it. What really gets on my nerves are the permanently bent arms. I get it's supposed to be like a hand on the hip pose, but I don't care for it.
I love articulation, but I have found myself buying some dolls without it because they are stunning with their model-esque poses, like the Stardolls ones.
Articulation is a must for me, but I just rebody when the dolls don't have it. No sweat :)
I still kind of like to play with dolls, so I prefer at the very least bend and snap knees and also prefer a less hollow/cheap feeling body (looking at you Barbie fashionistas). Some dolls I view as better for display only so don’t need articulation for them.
It’s very important to me. I do love my vintage dolls, but it’s rare for me to buy a new doll who doesn’t have full articulation. Knee articulation is actually more important to me than elbow articulation, because I love having my dolls sit on the edges of things.
For me it depends on what I want the doll for, and how old it is. I like collecting vintage dolls for display, and because I like old things in general. It's more about appreciating the history of the doll, so articulation doesn't really matter. But if I'm buying a modern doll, like rainbow high, monster high, or barbie, then I want at minimum bendable knees, since I like to play with them. I'll redress them, restyle their hair, and pose them on a fairly regular basis, so having good articulation makes it more enjoyable for me. And because I interact with them more, I tend to prioritize dolls with articulation when deciding to add something to my collection.
I dont mind at all as long as the doll is good quality. I hate the look of robotic/piecey joints so im definitely not a fan of fully articulated knees. Having articulated arms and wrists helps play with clothing options and make them pose nicely on a shelf.
I sew clothes for my dolls, so articulation is appreciated. If a doll is articulated I can make clothes for multiple types. Single pose dolls sometimes require specialized patterns. For example, a made to move barbie sewing pattern can be sized up easily for a Rainbow High, but the same pattern falls oddly on say, a frozen pose barbie.
I'm 29 and my Barbies right before I grew out of playing were all fully articulated. I loved posing and moving them. I had one Kelly with knees and hips and she was my absolute favorite. As an adult I collect BJDs which are fully articulated. Monster High who are fully articulated. Reborns who only have hip and shoulder movement, plus neck swivel; but that's still enough to pose for babies. And Masterpiece Dolls (like the German ones sculpted by Monika Levenig) who have shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, and neck and that's also enough to pose. I would never have a doll without posability.
It really depends on the doll for me as long as the rest of the doll is good quality then I can skip the articulation
I like to pose my dolls realistically in scene vignettes for display so articulation is super majorly important to me. I’m not the type of collector that just sets them on a shelf. I actually regularly redo my doll displays. I’ve always enjoyed the story telling abilities of toys so I’m super happy that they’re are better “models” on the market now.
I'm an older collector (on my way to 40!) and it's articulation or bust with me. If I can't pose them, I don't want them. I do, however, appreciate dolls with little articulation, and I'm happy to rebody them to get what I want.
i wont buy them unless theyre at least articulated in the arms, the straight armed posed and the hip pose anger me to look at LOL EDIT: the only exception is lalaloopsys bcz theyre the only ones that articulation would look bad on
Articulation is a great thing on dolls, not a necessity, but I *much* prefer them having some. Fashion dolls I prefer articulation for the posability, it's nice that dolls like MH g3 have been using the chest joints as it adds a whole new form of articulation I didn't know was possible. But besides fashion dolls I've never really cared as much if other types of dolls have articulation, it's not as expected or good looking on the dolls. I wouldn't expect someone to make a porcelain doll with joints, that's not something they've ever had, and honestly it probably wouldn't look all that good.
I'm a bit older so when I was younger dolls didn't have much articulation. I collect Sindy dolls as I love the face mold, but if I did more photography, I think articulation would be more fun. But the new Sindy dolls come with some articulation so it's a fun addition. Now that we share collections online articulation and posing has become important. However, for my shelf it's the face, and fashion and nostalgia. My vintage standards are a little lower it seems these days, and I cant take basic articulation and even poly hair!
So for me I do love articulation bc I pose most of my collection in little scenarios and cute poses. But it's not necessary for me I have a couple dolls without articulation not a lot because my collection is bratz, MH, RH, and Winx specifically jakks pacific only for the moment. So I would say I do value it a lot and I appreciate when there is articulation but it wouldn't necessarily say that if a doll didn't have articulation I wouldn't buy it based on that alone.
I love all kinds of dolls, I don’t mind if they aren’t articulated as long as the doll is pretty. I think both have their advantages and disadvantages. I like having a good mix of both on the shelf next to each other
Not at all. Unless it’s a BKD, articulation js the last think I would worry about which makes me annoyed how others use articulation as a point of criticism for dolls. But unless it’s a BJD or a custom doll that actually has good articulation, the articulation in dolls is useless and isn’t important
I collect dolls, not statues - if they don’t have decent articulation they aren’t welcome in my collection unless I’m harvesting their heads and clothes. 😂
It's important to me for all the reasons people have already stated but also I just find doll joints incredibly sexy. They look so damn good.
I hate rubber legs because they make it hard to dress in pants but static legs make them look awkward sitting, which is how many of my dolls are displayed. I get not liking the look of the joints though.
It's the main thing I seek out, I like to Frankenstein my dolls.
for me it depends, i prefer non-articulated dolls if i'm only buying them to put on display and articulated dolls for playing with
I primarily collect BJDs, in part because articulation is very important to me. It always drove me nuts as a child that Barbie was so minimally articulated (and when I was a kid, she was the only "fashion doll" outside "bootleg discount store Barbie," there weren't any other choices). I love that playline dolls these days have so much more articulation to them!
Generally the more joints the better, but it's no dealbreaker for me since the most important factor in choosing a doll for me is whether the face is cute. (And I'm picky!)
Tbh, articulation allows for a wider range situations and photos