This year Winter event at Iplehouse was huge, and it allowed me to bring in an extra cutie. The event was Doll Choice at basic price, but also free shipping for orders above $500... so I remembered a crazy idea I had before: getting one of Iple's Pet Doll cats to be Cookie's animal form. So I mentioned it to hubby, since the saving process has been so slow. We sat down, counted the savings, estimated some things (like changes on currency exchange, and possible customs fees)... and now I will also have Cookie in animal form!!!! *hype screams*
Anyways, here is my order, and some rant and insecurities behind the cut. Please bear with me, its been two years since I bought a new doll! (Merry does not count, she was a surprise gift).
Well, I think I whined enough about this on Twitter, but I haven't shared it here: incoming international packages are having a 6 month (possibly up to a year) delay at customs. The officer told me that only the capital's city packages have "priority" (read it with sarcasm), so I have four packages stuck at customs: my mom's dolly bday present (boots for Coco), my hubby's dolly bday present (urethanes for Cookie and Merry), and two packages I bought (urethanes for Coco and incoming Venezia, and heels for Coco). I had planned so many things for these packages, including doing video reviews!
I was original told 3 months delay, but when I went to customs this week the officer told me 6 months... the delay is increasing exponentially each time I ask, and sincerely it makes me worried. I talked to the hubby about this, regarding putting this order up. The thing was... I've never seen Iplehouse do such a big event, and the possibility of getting the kitten was unique. So I decided to take the risk, hoping that an EMS package will go through customs fasters.
My issue here is... complicated. I should be way more excited about this order that what I am. I far prefer when we had the packages restrictions. I couldn't buy a lot but at least things arrived to my house. I took a risk and spent money, and I don't know if the doll will arrive, nor when she will do it, or if she will be in mint condition D:
This thing makes me really sad, to be honest. And I cannot do claims nor calling (they directly do not even grab the phone), so I just have to "sit and wait", and hope for the best.
JID Violet
I had to order her through the Doll Choice because I wanted her in Light Brown... but I went ahead and got the Glow Light Brown!! That is a new resin by Iplehouse, it is not french nor environmental, and apparently is a lot more resistant to greening/yellowing. It was twice the value of the regular LB, but oh well... I just hope it has enough friction, although I already have the idea to suede Venezia when she arrives. I have read horror stories about JID's floppy legs!
Also, I didn't like Violet's default faceups, but I knew I could request a faceup from another sculpt. So here my hubby sat with me and we scouted almost all the website. I asked Iplehouse on the Q/A because I wasn't sure how I had to confgure the "Simple Makeup Order" thing... but when I went to order the doll the faceup we had chosen was meh. Hubby saw Stella on the main page, and then we found it!! Stella B-Type faceup! Although I requested black eyebrows and black eyelashes.
I also got her a wig, and a pantyhose, because so far I haven't been able to make those pantyhose. Pattern suggestion are very welcome!!
Pet Doll Black Cat
In my tinies stories, they are animal fairies, their jobs are related to their spirit animal (that is why Merry, a mouse, is a tooth fairy), and so on. But I never thought to get her! I really love that kitty, to be honest, and now I will need to make it a cat tree or something for the diorama I'm making! Although I will probably use him for some photoshoots with Coco, though xD
I plan on making a review of these Pet Dolls, if and when, my package arrives. Would anyone be interested? I can do a video review too. I don't have any eyes, and the ones stuck at customs are for fairy Cookie and Merry... I'm considering getting the kitten some very sparkly MehiArt eyes... will see, I have a glass eye stock, though, so it will have to do until customs are working properly!
Anyways, I'm sorry my rant is so related to customs but, as you can see, it has me very worried. You can say I shouldn't have bought the doll... you may be right, but I had to take a decision and I did. I'm sadly prepared to lose the money if the package gets stuck or in bad shape, though D: I do hope that doesn't happen, I want to be able to enjoy the hobby and purchase stuff.
Hope you are doing great! Anyone is getting anything on the Winter/Christmas events? We are holding a Black Friday/Cyber Monday event on Musume Okasan etsy! Free items and a lot of discount!
By the way, I'm working on an Xmas-related tutorial for a prop. Hopefully it will be up soon!
No te diré felicidades hasta que la tengas, pero que bueno que hayan llegado a una decisión y además pudieras incluir al hato .Me gusta el apellido Reyes, no se me ocurren muchos apellidos españoles que suenen lindo con Venezia. Gutiérrez? Muñoz? No sé jajaja. Lo mejor sería revisar una lista :D
ReplyDeleteOjalá que para cuando iple la envíe, todo esté funcionando mejor. Suerte!
Si, estoy bastante contenta con el gatito, espero que pasen rápido la aduana, la verdad.
DeleteReyes creo que queda bien con el nombre, es complicado elegirlo xD
I just wrote a looong comment, and I accidentally closed the browser T_T
ReplyDeleteI hope the custom situation gets sorted out, and that you receive all your packages!
Venezia will be a stunning lady, for sure! I love the face-up choice from Stella.
Regarding the IH cat - Wow, I had not seen this coming. You should defnitely do a review, please :3 *am also very interested in the IH pets* :D
Thank you dear!! :D I do hope that too!
DeleteI loved that Stella faceup, I hope that they'll do the changes correctly.
And yes, the IH cat was a surprise, I very rarely twitted about that idea, though. If and when they arrive, I will for sure do a review! :D
Congratulations on ordering Violet and the little black cat! The Stella make-up is a great choice. Iplehouse does a beautiful job with make-up, whether default or custom. A review of the little cat sounds like a good idea. I can't think of anyone else who has done one.
ReplyDeleteA year is an unconscionable amount of time for any Customs office to hold packages. Packages should enter and leave in a quick and orderly fashion. Whether the problem is inefficiency or corruption, the office needs to be reorganized before it collapses from the weight of its own bureaucracy. I hope you'll receive all your purchases soon.
Thank you so much!! Indeed, I have mostly seen IH dogs, so I'm pretty excited about the cat :D Thanks for the input on the faceups, I'm just so nervous!
DeleteAnd the customs situation is... complicated. The thing is that when they lifted the import restrictions we had everyone started buying and customs cannot handle it, sadly =S
I wish they would start working properly soon.
Oh gosh, it seems the customs issues are just getting worse and worse ;_; I really hope they'll get their act together soon!!
ReplyDeleteBut anyways, congrats on your newly ordered girl~ can't wait to see her arrive safely and the pet doll is so cute too! I'd love to see a review! :3 :3
They are, sadly D: And thank you!! I hope she arrives soon, and that her eyes will arrive before her, although that may be wishful thinking xD
DeleteYikes, the situation with your customs sounds really bad D: It must feel awful to have to wait for so long... Here in Finland the whole process with the customs normally only takes a few days (depending on how fast we pay the custom fees, of course) and I've heard that in some countries it takes a few weeks, but over half a month seems just crazy! I really hope that the situation in your country gets better in the future!
ReplyDeleteBut still, congrats on your Iple order! Violet is one of my JID favorites and if I was more comfortable with the MSD size, I'd love to have her as well. But I'm thankful that I'll be able to see photos of your girl eventually ^w^ The pet dolls that IH makes are really amazing, I wish they're going to introduce even more different breeds and animals~
It is complicated indeed. Since we went from full restrictions to few restrictions people started buying a lot and the system collapsed. I hope they can fix it, though.
DeleteAnd thank you!! Violet is gorgeous, but a lot of people say she is the JID version of Stella! I do hope they would do more pets, too!
Congratulations on your order! I am so happy that you could order her! She is a beauty and the little kitty is so cute! Hope they arrive safe and sound!
ReplyDeleteWell, I have nothing to come with when it comes to my worries about customs! Here in Sweden it can be, as in Finland for Safir, just a couple of days or at the most a week. All depending on the fee and how fast we pay it. And often we get the delivery to the door, in the early morning. That reminds me when one of my dolls arrived. I got an early delivery, opened the door in my PJ's and the hair in a mess. The delivery man said he was sorry, but I did not mind. :D
I really hope that situation with the customs gets better. I can understand the nightmare in waiting and wondering.
Thank you so much!!! I loved this sculpt so much <3
DeleteI do hope customs gets better in here, it is already getting my nerves, checking the packages and seeing no updates D:
Customs sucks! I can't relate and I can't really complain, but I have had my current doll order stuck in my state for three days... orz;;
ReplyDeleteCongrats though on your beauty, and fun new friend!
Indeed! I hope they'll start working properly soon.
DeleteAnd thank you!! :D
Congratulation Musume on your order, I hope by the time she is completed the delays with customs will have subsided somewhat. I suppose with all the Christmas parcels it's not making things easier for things to move forward at any great pace.
ReplyDeleteAs far as new BJD's I have nothing on order nor will I be placing any orders now, 80 BJD's is about as far as I can go . . . no room until I get my butt into gear and clear out my spare room. LOL!
Hope your week picks up and your other parcels arrive soon.
Hugs,
X
Yeah, it is not the Xmas packages, buying online was not possible in here. The thing is that without restrictions customs was flooded by people buying and they can't handle it :(
Delete80 dolls is a lot, I didn't knew you had so many!! O:
And thank you!
Te felicito por la compra. Espero con todo el corazón que las entregas por la aduana se normalicen pronto. Ambas elecciones son muy bonitas y me encantaría ver los vestidos que le harás a Venezia. Éxitos.
ReplyDeleteGracias! Yo también espero que lleguen rápido!
DeleteThank you so much!! I have read only good things about the glow skin, so I was very interested in getting it. I will try to compare it to the resins I have.
ReplyDeleteRegarding customs, it is complicated. We had *huge* import restrictions for years (limited to 2 packages per year, custom duties of 85%, and so on). Add that getting things like electronics is *very* expensive in my country. When this year the restrictions were lifted, eveyrbody started buying, and apparently customs cannot handle it.
After this change, each time I go to send a package, mostly from my mom's Etsy, there is a flood of people retrieving cellphones (you can't get anything Apple in here), notebooks, computer boards and other parts, and so on.
I do hope they get their act together and start moving those packages, thought!