Usually I would cover add-ons after the main items, but in this case reversing the order will allow me to define some terms so the discussion of the dolls themselves will be easier to follow.

Super Dollfie come in three sizes: Mini Super Dollfie (MSD), which are 42 cm high and are supposed to be either pixies or children about six or seven years old; Super Dollfie (SD), which are 58 cm high and are supposed to be nine years old; and SD13, which are 60 cm and supposed to be thirteen years old. (The exceptions, of course, being when they're supposed to be specific characters, as you will see in part 2.)

Volks has two systems for building custom dolls, the Full Choice System and the new Tenshi no Sato (Angel Wings) Full Choice System, both of which allow you to alter the eyes, wig, face, and even the limbs of your doll. (Other than being sold only at Tenshi no Sato stores, I am unclear on the differences between the standard Full Choice and the Tenshi no Sato Full Choice systems. I would appreciate enlightenment by SD hobbyists on this topic, or indeed, any others they wish to bring up.) These parts, including those from MSD dolls and exclusive ones from Super Dollfie limited editions that have been altered by their owners, can be found on YJ.

Keep in mind as you shop that it is possible for a doll to be made of parts belonging to different dolls. The Translate feature (approximately in the middle of Rinkya's frame in the searches) is always a good idea when checking Super Dollfie auctions. Yeah, the English is rather strange, but you should be able to tell whether a doll is Ken or if it's Ken's head (or eyes or wig) on a different body.

Here's the rundown on available SD supply items (all of which can be found here):

Doll parts: All body parts that are supposed to be skin covered come in Flesh, Sunlight, Snow (or White), or Beautiful White skin colors. Flesh is a natural slightly pigmented skintone; Sunlight is pinker shade. Snow is true white, while Beautiful White is a slightly off-white color. Items can be made out of the original resin, or they can be made out of "Pure Skin," a new resin that is less shiny but more translucent, so it is more "luminous." (Sunlight items are all Pure Skin.) Definitely hit the "Description" tab (the tab to the left of the active one) on the searches above, if it is available. Often those terms will only be part of the description.

Heads: For the heads of specific dolls, see the entries for each doll. Be aware that some of these searches may turn up dolls with specific heads. If you see a number that begins "F-", that refers to a head style from one of the Full Choice Systems. Heads come in MSD, SD, and SD13 types. Later dolls' heads come in Pure Skin.

Bodies: Bodies come in MSD, SD, and SD13 and male, female, and asexual (exclusive to the new Tenshi no Sato limited-edition dolls). (Yes, SDs are anatomically correct.) Bodies also come in Old (used for the "Old Make" and "New Make" dolls) and New. The New Body allows for easier posing. Only it uses the Pure Skin resin, and dolls with it that have makeup always have Zoukeimura Airbrush Makeup.

Limbs: These come in Normal, Long, and Slender styles. Naturally, the parts themselves are arms and hands or legs and feet, and any of them can be had in Pure Skin.

Eyes: Eyes are available in the following sizes: 14 mm, 16mm, 18mm, 20mm, 22mm, and 24 mm. (There's also a "18/9" size [I guess that means 18.5 mm]; use the 18 mm search for those.) Most eyes are either HG Glass or Zoukeimura Glass. (Zoukeimura seems to be a higher-quality glass.) An increasing number of eyes are acrylic. Animetic eyes are made of acrylic and are designed for an anime look, having irises and pupils that are larger than standard, as well as the colored portion of the eye going deeper into the doll's head. The Type A Animetic eyes have round pupils; the Type B Animetic eyes have oval pupils and white accent lines in the irises; and Type C ones have round pupils, but the irises' color varies in patches, being much paler in some parts than in others. I couldn't find a picture of Type D ones, not even on Volks's sites. Finally, a new kind of eye--Metallic Eyes--were introduced at Dolls Party 11. They're metallic versions of most of the regular Super Dollfie eye colors, and come in 14, 16, 18, and 20 mm sizes.

In the complete doll section, I'll tell you whenever possible what size eyes the doll comes with. That doesn't mean you're restricted to that size--many collectors go up or down from the default--but you'll be better able to judge what effect a given eye size will have.

Wigs: Wigs can be from among the Full Choice System, among the optional parts Volks sells, or exclusive wigs created for limited-edition dolls. Wigs are available in MSD and SD/SD13 sizes; DD (Dollfie Dream) wigs will also fit SD/SD13 dolls. Not all styles come in all colors, but there are at least 22 colors (and one wig comes in four two-toned shades). See our separate wig charts for details.

Makeup supplies: If you just buy a head, it often does not come made up, although you can buy ones already made up, either by Volks or independent artists, on YJ. Some of the MSD do not come with makeup, but most dolls (or heads removed from them) come with one of three kinds of makeup: Old Make (the original SD makeup), New Make (an airbrush technique), and Zoukeimura Airbrush makeup (only on the New Body dolls or limited editions). With a little thinner, however, you can remove that and do whatever you like. You can get makeup and tools and false eyelashes on YJ. Many artists use makeup made for humans, particularly nail polish.

Clothing: If humans wear it, SDs wear it. You can get dresses (MSD, SD, SD13), underwear, shoes, kimono, jeans . . . let me know what you want, and I'll add it to the list! Volks has also published two books specifically on SD dress making.

Furniture: Your SDs need somewhere appropriate to sit, don't they? Find the furniture to match the outfit, your home, or your mood.

Books: Even if you don't read Japanese, SD books can be useful. For instance, Hobby Japan often covers SD and has even released some special issues devoted to them (for instance, August 2003), that show what all the optional parts look like and how to assemble your SD, step by step. If you're looking for ideas on dressing your SD in Gothloli fashion, there's no better place than any volume of the Gothic & Lolita Bible. Also, Volks puts out a quarterly publication called Volks News, which always covers the newest SD releases; you could always get the issue your favorite SD was announced in. It's worth checking just to see what's available: books 1, books 2.

So those are all the ways you can make your SD truly your own. Keep these in mind as you view the dolls in the next article so you can decide whether you want to start from scratch or just tweak a complete doll.

Super Dollfie

Mini Super Dollfie

Super Dollfie 13s

Super Dollfie Cute

Pure Skin / New Body Super Dollfie (I strongly urge you to check out the Description tab on this search.)

Limited Model Super Dollfie

One-Off Models

Gothic & Lolita SDs

Any and all Super Dollfie: SD1, SD2.

That should get you started in the wondrous world of Super Dollfie. Next time, I'll take you through specific Standard, Limited, and One-Off Models.

Suggestions? Comments? [*gulp*] Corrections? E-mail me at uriko@rinkya.com and tell me about them.

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