Company Feedback for Anna's Dolls by Anna Kucharenko
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the thread for Anna's Dolls, or in
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Please give each question a rating 1-3 with 3 being the best. Please explain ratings lower than 3. You may include photos to help explain your ratings, whether high or low.
1.
What did you order? A 15" custom porcelain bjd with dress, shoes, wig, and stand
Link to the website or thread you used to make the purchase, if any: I communicated with Anna via PM and email after seeing photos of the prototype on the forum
When did you order (date you paid): I paid when the doll was complete, at the end of February.
2.
About the Quality of Service (rate 1-3, explain any 1s or 2s)
Clear photos? 3 There were not many photos of the doll yet, because she was still a prototype. Anna posted photos of the master sculpt and of resin dolls made from the same master. In general, her photos are excellent.
Easy to pay?2 I paid via bank wire (SWIFT transfer). It bounced once (not Anna's fault), and it wasn't nearly as convenient to use as paypal. But as I understand it Anna gets more of the money this way, so I was very willing to try it. I hope someday it becomes easier for Anna to use paypal.
Good communication?3 Anna communicated with me clearly and consistently. She sent progress photos for me to comment on without me prompting her.
Prompt shipping?3 Anna shipped a couple days after receiving payment
Production time, if relevant:3 I informed Anna of my interest when I saw the prototype in early December. She asked me to wait until she had completed the resin dolls before I placed my order in early January. The doll was complete by early February. To go from a protype/master to a completed porcelain doll in that amount of time is nothing short of heroic in my opinion. It was MUCH faster than I had hoped for.
Quality of packaging:3 The doll was thoroughly wrapped inside a solid wooden box, which was again wrapped and put inside the shipping box. This is really the only way to ship a porcelain doll in my opinion!
3.
About the Quality of the Product (rate 1-3, explain any 1s or 2s)
Did the quality match the price?3 MORE THAN! I can't believe the price I got this doll for ($2,200). I would not be surprised that now this first doll has been completed with such success the price might go up.
Item as pictured and described?3 Yes, exactly! Anna followed all of my specific instructions very well. When I didn't have specific instructions and asked her to design/choose for herself, she made excellent choices in alignment with my overall doll vision. For example, she added a small beauty mark, which is perfect for my doll who is a fashionable model.
Quality of porcelain (too thin? Rough spots?):This seems like excellent quality porcelain. The doll is thickly poured and nicely heavy. That makes the doll sturdy and pleasant to pose. Thin porcelain is NOT an advantage for a porcelain doll, trust me!
The porcelain of the doll is very well finished. There are no rough spots or uneven areas. You can't see the seams made by the plaster molds at all. Anna must have spent many hours sanding and polishing her. She is perfectly smooth.
Quality of tension (does the doll hold poses? Too loose and floppy?):3 This doll is strung with multiple loops of medium thickness elastic. The tension is appropriate for her size and she poses very well. The joints are lined with thin leather, except for the elbows and wrists. The leather is thick enough to last for a while, but not so thick to be obtrusive. The leather has been trimmed precisely so it doesn't stick out anywhere, not in a single joint.
The range of motion of the doll is extremely impressive. She can assume many positions other dolls cannot. The extra hip joint helps with this, but even the double jointed knees and elbows pose better than most dolls I have handled. I can say the same for her wrists, ankles, and ribcage. All have excellent range. She can easily touch her face in several different ways. Her head can bow low enough to nearly touch her chest, or look up at the ceiling. This is so rare to find in a doll, and so important for expressive poses. She has the same neck range as a human.
She does not hold every pose 100%, but I have yet to meet a doll that does. What I mean is, if you put her hand against a surface (like her leg or face), it will spring back slightly and have trouble making full contact. This is common in many dolls, and she hols more poses than most do.
Her elbows take some practice to manipulate, they tend to pop out of the joint when I want to rotate the arm. But if I pay attention to the joint it is not a problem.
Quality of paintwork:3 Unbelievable quality of paint on her eyes, hands, and feet. The brush strokes on her eyelashes are so small you can hardly see them with your naked eye. The eyes are vivid, realistic, and full of life. The lips are nicely saturated and have nice texture to the paintwork. Her body blushing is nice, although a few spots are more vivid than the rest. I don't mind this, I know porcelain paint is very hard to predict exactly, especially red/pink colors. Over all her blushing is a very nice color.
Quality of sculpting:3 I love the sculpt! Her body is overall more proportionate than most dolls, while still being long and lithe. Her hands and feet are nice and big, which makes them more expressive. Her eyes are similarly expressive, but they are small enough to give her a mature look.
The anatomy of the body sculpt is excellent. Her ribcage, for example, actually looks like a ribcage even when the doll leans far forward or backward. The knees and elbows are similarly elegant. She is masterfully sculpted.
Quality of accessories (box, stand, wig, clothing, etc):Gown:
3 Anna made a custom gown for my doll to wear. It is just splendid. Not only does it fit the doll very well indeed, it is made of the perfect weight of fabric and the quality of the seaming & details is truly excellent.
Wig: 3 The doll's wig is similarly lovely. The hair fibers are very fine and soft, but they lay flat and don't frizz out at all. Anna said she put some product in the hair to help it stay in place when I am handling the doll (I told her I would be doing this a lot to change earrings and necklaces on the doll). Whatever she used is just perfect.
Shoes:
2 The doll also came with low heeled silver shoes. They are nicely made but honestly in comparison to her dainty feet they look a bit bulky, so I probably won't use them too often. She looks better without them.
Box: 2 The box is plain but sturdy, and it has the pretty Anna's Dolls logo on the front. I do wish her box had cushions and ribbons inside so it could be used for travel more easily.
Stand: 3 The stand was not made by Anna, but she chose one that really hold the doll well. It is nice quality with sturdy metal and a nice wood base. I am really glad I have it and wouldn't ask for more.
Other: She came with authenticity paperwork that looks nice and says the model, date made, etc.
4.
Other comments?This doll was a huge purchase for my tiny budget, but I couldn't be happier. I'm sure I will keep this doll forever. I highly recommend this artist.
Would you order from this company again? ABSOLUTELY, I want to give her all my money forever. I hope it will be possible to order more accessories for the doll in the future!
MANY PHOTOS HERE