Here's some news that may affect some BJD collectors here who have dolls shipped to the U.S. from overseas. This is the latest ruling handed down by the TSA:



Full article here

-- Nephele

Aw, hell no! These fools ain't keepin' *me* from getting more dolls!

This may well be a dumb question but--is there a fetish element here, or are they just really, really pretty and really, really cool? I've always been a doll person (to which my 6 Cabbage Patch Kids will testify, if you take them out of their box in the attic, poor things). I don't really have the cash or the space to collect more dolls right now, but I have been drawn to them. I don't have anything at all against fetish, but I just want to know if they have that connotation...I figure around the time I can afford one of these, I may also have a kid.

By "fetish" do you mean "an object regarded with awe as being the embodiment or habitation of a potent spirit or as having magical potency"? Or are you referring to a sexual fetish: "an object that arouses sexual desire and may become necessary for sexual gratification"?

I think a few people here have already aptly described the mania for doll collecting. Laughingcrow says she sees these dolls as "ongoing art projects." And Briseis wrote: "BJDs are art you can play with."

I haven't yet reached the level of investing in a BJD, but I've mentioned my little, highly articulated Momoko dollie that I recently got from a dealer in Hong Kong. She may not quite be art, but she makes me smile to look at her. And it's really kind of creative fun taking pictures of her in various settings, and making it look as though she's a real person.

I attribute no magical powers or sexual gratification to Momoko. And, yes, these dolls are "just really, really pretty and really, really cool."

-- Nephele

Hehe, thanks. Was thinking 'sexual fetish.' Just wanted to be sure I wasn't missing something. (May have something to do with my earlier conversation with my hubby where he was explaining Warner Bros cartoon humor to me, and I SO wasn't getting it...)

Now, are you sure Momoko doesn't have magical powers? I do always half-suspect that my dolls have another, full, life totally outside my purview.

When we go to bed at night, all the dollies party like rock stars. If you find empty beer bottles all over the place when you wake up in the morning, blame it on the dollies.

-- Nephele

I have this weird feeling that dolls can harbor spirits (which is sort of like a power or magic or something I guess). It's a totally strange "fear" I've had since I was a child, and I do believe in using poppets in spell work ("voodoo dolls" I guess). Besides Momoko is too damn cute. She's got powers. So does my Tania though, if convincing me that spending THAT much on her is a power...

On the sexual note, people usually assume that because they're pretty anatomically correct the dolls are automatically sexual or sexual fetishes. I'm sure some people do use them for this and someone out there is probably making doll pron, but for most people it really doesn't have anything to do with sex. I think the genitalia on dolls is hilarious, not arousing. There's just something funny about a little resin...male part. And it did take a nice pair of resin boobs to get my fiance to agree to the purchase.

I am a tad confused by that article though, Nephele. Does that mean it won't accept packages in transition from other countries too? Like if I order a doll from Korea and it has to pass through Japan would that be a problem?

It's the TSA here in the U.S. that has requested all international carriers to ban airmail packages, weighing over one pound, from coming into the United States. It's not just stuff coming from Japan that will be a problem for you – it's stuff coming from any foreign country.

-- Nephele

So *that's* where those came from. And I bet I know where the leftover Halloween candy disappeared to...

That TSA stuff is crazy. Insane. Will totally mess up internet commerce. So, what, the customer pays for the item and all the shipping, but doesn't necessarily get a product if it gets stopped before the shipper pays for it?

Do transit by earth transport (Asia-(plane)->Canada-truck->US) would be okay? I don't know if someone does it already...

I did a little poking around Den of Angels and a few places and it seems that a) this is only supposed to be a temporary measure b) businesses with a postal account for longer than 30 days are unaffected and c) Other shipping services such as FedEx and UPS are also unaffected. We'll see how it goes.

That's what I figured. There would've been a HUGE uproar over there had this affected doll stuff in any way.

Yeah, it seems like they're just having trouble with US paranoia about terrorism so they're trying to work with postal regulations. It also seems like this is mostly going to affect ebay transactions or like the Japanese Auctions, because individual people are not going to have registered postal accounts. It's really annoying more than anything else.

It's not exactly a BJD, but I figure it's close enough.
So i saw this in a corner of a photo and started lusting sfter this adorable little jointed figurine. What do you guys think?
http://www.hlj.com/product/KYD01184

It's cute. But when it comes to pink bunnies, I really like this Momoko doll. (Note her gothy skirt, boots, and black bows on her "bunny ears.")

-- Nephele