Welcome to the Merry Doll Round FAQ!
This is a list of the most common questions I’ve received, so maybe you’ll find the answer you are looking for!
This section is on permanent construction since new questions will be added!
Ordering at Merry Doll Round
This store usually works by pre-orders. For each doll, there will be a pre-order period when you can place your order. In case you missed the pre-order, there might be a small stock sale 3 or 4 months after the pre-order.
1. The doll I would like to buy is not available!
Pre-orders for each BJD are made at least once a year, so please follow Merry Doll Round on Instagram to see the pre-order announcements on time!
2. What does “Pre-order” and “In Stock” mean?
Pre-order time is a period where you can buy the doll and then your order will go into production. Unless the announcement or the product description says it (LE or Limit Edition), all pre-orders have no limit of quantity, so you can order the doll on the last minute of the pre-order period and you will get your doll. But please be patient! The production of a BJD is slow and waiting times are around 3-5 months from the closing of the pre-order.
In Stock means that the doll is already produced and ready to be shipped but the quantity is very limited! Normally the stock is from 1 to 10 dolls. Dolls in stock are usually shipped whithin a week.
3. I can’t pay the full amount at once!
No problem! Please visit the Reservation Fee page for more information!
General BJD questions
1. What is a BJD?
BJD is the acronym for Ball Jointed Doll. Usually these dolls are made with polyurethane resin and have ball shaped joints that allow them to move naturally, almost as a human body would do. All the pieces are connected on the inside with elastic strings and S shaped hooks. BJD main feature is that they are fully customizable, since the eyes, wigs and face painting are easily changeable.
2. How are BJD made?
Generally, the process is the following: The artists sculpts an original doll with clay (paper clay, polymer clay, epoxy clay…) This is the hardest part of the process, If you would like to see how Merry Doll Round’s sculptor Nuria works, please visit the blog!
Once the original doll is finished, silicone molds are made for each piece. When the silicone is cured, the original pieces are removed from it, and polyurethane resin is poured into de molds. When the resin has hardened, each piece is released from the mold to be sanded to remove seamlines, receive quality controls and then assembled to be packed. The dolls sold on BJD websites are all replicas made from the original clay doll.
3. What is a recast or counterfeit BJD?
Recast or counterfeit dolls are cheap copies made from a replica by an unauthorized factory. None of the original and legit author/s of the original sculpt receives profit from the sale of recast dolls and only the unauthorized factory takes profit from the sale. Since BJD are not mass produced and batches are usually very small, the production and purchase of recast damages severely the sculptor business and motivation to make new sculpts.
To avoid buying recast or counterfeit BJD on second hand market, ALWAYS ask for the certificate of authenticity.