Coming back after so long MIA and coming back to a dead Tumblr is very surreal
I'm figuring a few things out to kickstart a pre order for a 50cm head, which was primed and nearly ready. And ofc, with a fresh view of it, I realize the glaring amateur mistakes that I can't rest without fixing.
Thanks to my wonderful friends for encouraging me on
The question now is where the BJD community gathers because.... every major social media has been losing their minds 🤔
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It’s a bit dusty in here, isn’t it... Sorry about that.
Life has gotten out of hand. I’d love to carry on with my sculpting work but as it stands, Paypal and other factors made it simply un-viable.
So for now I’m just trying to keep afloat with my art. I’ve had some very generous friends help me with commissions, so if you want to check that out, there’s IG and my other Tunglr.
In case you want to avoid the long text below, Tl;Dr. I’d love to sell dolls and sculptures but, yep. A lot. Things. Not to mention shipping is going nuts since Covid exploded. Etc.
I’m going to go on a long rant to show just how rigged this process became on my end, you’re free to ignore it and just move on, but I need to get it off my chest.
Let’s say I want to release a head for 80USD, with a run of 20, and the cost of casting is about 30 per head. That means I need 600 bucks for the starters, correct? With shipping between me and the company, push that to 700. Sounds very doable, I’d need at least 9 orders to go ahead.
Now the hairy part. ANY, and I mean ANY paypal amount would not only have the fee of about 8%+ a fixed amount for BRL conversion, but would also fluctuate wildly according to the day’s rate.
So let’s approximate and say I get 3.500BRL after the conversion and fees. It sounds like enough, but it’s really not. (3500 BRL is about 630 USD. I’d need to pass the price of heads to at least 100 to cover my own ass. But let’s continue with this fictious example for the sake of the illustration.) Let’s say production goes without a hitch and I get the casting order paid just right.
Uh-oh, there’s Brazil customs! They’re allowed to charge at LEAST 60% on top of any goods entering the country. Bonkers right. I’ve had someone say, that like french artists, I should just repass this to the final consumer. And to that, I ask, who in their right mind would go ahead with that, profit barely and inflate the final price a possible 60%? It doesn’t seem feasable in today’s world where other artist run shops and companies can delivery quality and original BJD with competitive prices. 60% would bump the original asking price of the head to 108 each, a whooping 48USD nobody but the Brazilian fat and corrupt government would be profiting from.
To escape that, I could surrogate shipping and handling, as I’ve done with the Zeev orders. It still leaves open the transit, handling and work open for a third party to handle. If that person made 10% of the value, 8USD would be more passable than the fat 60% of BR customs.
Then, of course, another problem comes from the solution - the shipping money, conversion and fees. I won’t keep pulling values out of my ass. I’m bad at math. But buyers would have to either send me the value and have me transfer it with an added cover for the fee, and the fee from me to my shipping handler; or pay directly to somebody else, separating the price of the head from the shipping, which complicates invoices and buyer protection.
Speak of buyer protection, I’d probably be screwed with the fee and conversion for the refund, because it has happened before and they tried to make ME cover the fees for the difference.
Alas, you get the picture.It’s a never ending cycle of fixes and problems which started with Banks pressuring paypal against Brazilian users safeguarding USD in their accounts back in, possibly iirc, 2017.
I would love to go back and actually release Faraji (the elephant with the joint trunk) and the others, but as it stands, unless I transport out of this shitty version of Narnia, it’s highly unlikely.
There is a Paypal branch or something that allows bank to bank transfer with decent fees. The service seems to be hit or miss if the reviews are to be believed. The hassle is: it needs SO much information. People could doxx me and my third generation children with that stuff. Or who knows, use my name for an account in the Bahamas.
I’m so sorry this blog went so long in silence. Thank you for glancing over this massive block of text.
I emailed @harucasting for a quote, and set the mail colors for the upcoming pre order
Volks normal (closest to Unoa normal)
Clear Peach ( closest to IOS white)
Peach Normal ( closest to Souldoll NS)
And here’s the passable home cast of my mold. It took me 5 tries to get a clearer, bubble free surface and lots of experimenting. The weather has been crap so it might take a while for a faceup :C
Quick wip shots of Arc, Melan and Choly
Aside smoothing and symetry work, Melan needs more depth on her eyelids. Other than that, I won’t change her features.
the resin cure time can be different depending on what kind of resin you have some have 5 min working times others have 20
handorando said
Depending on the resin heat plays a big part. If its warmer in your area it'll set faster than when its cooler.
It’s hot as Satan’s buttcrack. It’s a little less awful than before, december was like Satan warming his ass in a full blown oven heat so, use your imagination. I suppose that’s literally frying the resin faster than I can tap the mold to kick the air bubbles up huh =_= I’ll try again, now I’ve got the time and amount a little more figured out
And kitty, you live near the north pole, so I guess that plays a part
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I swear to god, Tumblr was giving me errors for uploading, but I guess it uploaded anyway? I’m confused. Hopefully they got their game “together”
The little Goat thing was my guinea pig for molding and casting, and while it’s far from perfect, it’s a start. Resin cures WAY faster than I’d ever imagine. Any protips for casting by hand would be greatly appreciated
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Evergreen was among the batch of heads I started back in the Middle Ages and went untouched for a long time. He’s supposed to be a spiritual successor to my little Afi.
Kind of like a grown up, teenage and more realistic spin on my Soomie’s character, Mahogany
Getting back on this dude with a fresh sight really helps.
Mostly for my own reference, I take a lot of in between shots. Epoxy gets very random discolorings and it’s hard to see what you’re doing without a coat of primer here and there
Senda is a backburner project for a 30cm doll..... First try with Ladoll. Love the stuff, can't praise it enough
One of my hard earned lessons was to leave the eyelids for last. Even with a good material, it's easy to wreck them during shaping ups
Will I ever not make protruding slanted brows? Probably not
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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