Wednesday, November 26, 2014

The history of Pullip

Pullips started  by a company called Jun Planning located Japan in 2003. Jun Planning was soon taken over by a South Korean company, Groove after filing bankruptcy. They still had a shop in the USA until 2010 before officially closing all ties to Pullip.  They began their debut with the pullip named Wind, and began being released on a monthly basis. What made these dolls unique in their own right was the eye mechanism that allowed owners to move their eyes side to side by a switch in the back of the head along with blinking the lids with buttons. Releases after 2008 also have the ability to keep their eyes closed.

The pullip body has changed over the past eleven years. The bodies are labled as Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, and the newest Type 4. The first body Had a rather large bust compared to the newer releases with slightly smaller hips compared to later releases, and the biggest feet out of all. The body was entirely made of hard plastic. The big problem that came with this body was thigh splitting. The joints at the elbows also were fairly loose, causing the arms to flip about at times. Their necks were stiff and caused limited mobility of head turning, sometimes causing the neck to snap. The last two pullips to come on this body were Noir and Withered before the body was retired at the end of 2003.

Type 2 came out at the start of  2004 on  Venus. The body featured a soft bust, which would stain easily and was easily prone to stomach pop. The torso apparently had a reaction to the hard plastic, it caused melt on the hard plastic limbs, butt, and the head. The wrist joints could become loose and the hands fall off. The feet were slightly smaller then the type 1 along with a smaller bust.  This type ran till 2005 ending with Paja.

Type 3 started mid 2005 with Lan Ake and Lan Ai. The body was made of hard plastic like type 1. The bust was smaller then the first two, with wider hips. Feet were smaller, making shoe hunting easier. Flexability was limited even with all the joints. The body had numerous problems. The body had tendencies to break at the wrists, cracking then falling apart. The list for problems is quiet long and contained neck breaking, joints becoming loose, and other areas cracking besides the wrists. The body came to an end in 2008 with Adsiltia.

Type 4 bodies began in 2009 with Neo Noir. They are the current body types but do have their problems like others. The body is the smallest of the three and the stock from these dolls will not fit other types nor obtisu. The body seems to be a bit sturdier then type 3. The wrists can become loose, causing hands to fall out. The ankles also can break, as will joints become loose and flappy.

Aside from bodies, the wigs also changed over time. Pullips starting out had rooted scalps so re wigging was a tad difficult. The rooted scalp lasted through all type ones and early type 2. Wigs began after Nomado. This made wig swapping incredibly easy. Stock wigs had a tendency to lack quality.

Pullips tend to have a standard limit but does not make them limited. There are however many limited editions. There are even dolls released for special events by Groove that are normally one of a kind. Limited editions usually come out for events, but some have been released as a limited edition collection as many doll companies do. The limited dolls can ranged from very few to quiet a bit.

For now this is all the information I have on pullips! Keep an eye out for updates! Hope this is imformitive. If you have any idea on what I could include please let me know!

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Introductions are always a necessity!

  Hello and welcome to Sugary Sweet Dolls! Here I will be posting about various dolls, ranging from Pullips to Ball Jointed and all those in between. There will be posts on new releases, the history of these dolls and so forth. I hope to create a good reference site for those budding collectors and enjoyable content for others who have been at this hobby for years.
   
  Here is a little introduction of myself and my journey into this realm. It all started in the year 2006, eight years ago. I was browsing the internet when I discovered these big headed dolls called pullips. For months after I continued investigating these unique dolls, they just would not leave my head. Finally a year later as the Holidays came I broke and got my first, Uncanricky. When she arrived I tore open the brown box she was held hostage in and uncovered the colorful box. She was captivating, those sparkling blue eyes, lovely red lips, and curly blonde locks. The tumble started and every dollar I gained was spent on these interesting characters. They each held a name, a story, and a life to me.
 
  I couldn't get enough of them, even as I began my ventures into adult hood. While my collecting as slowed thanks to other priorities taking hold, I still adore them with all my heart. In the near future I hope to begin obtaining all the lovelies from past releases but as of now I am content with my collection. The continuing of gaining knowledge on them is never ending, and my poor fiance has to hear me ramble on about these plastic creatures.

  Now as far as my collection goes I own a variety of dolls, including blythes, monster high, and BJD.  While I have began collecting other dolls from various makers, my first and foremost loved are the pullips. I just can't get enough of those big headed dolls, and will probably always have a larger collection of them compared to the others. I hope to bring you all the information on them along with my own adventures. So please share your story on how you began this hobby, photos of your lovely collection, and enjoy!