I recently stumbled on a report about the “Art of the Doll” exhibition and ended up glued to it for half an hour. It turns out that in 2026 the show brought together 1,200 artists from 82 cities and 10 countries, with around twenty thousand artist dolls and teddy bears. A good piece costs 70,000 to 300,000 rubles on average, and a few come close to a million. To an outsider that sounds crazy, but inside the community it all makes sense.
As a collector, what really struck me was something the organizers admitted: young people are more and more often choosing modern designer dolls, such as BJDs and other Asian lines. That’s us they’re talking about. Ball-jointed dolls that you can dress up, pose and photograph aren’t toys. They’re a whole world.
In the same piece, artists Ekaterina Tarasova and Maria Volodina explain that a doll is born from an image: face, costume, character, story. One serious piece takes at least a month. The details are what bring the character to life, down to a rat’s head in the Mad Hatter’s pocket or a carelessly tied shoelace. That’s why viewers always react the same way: “She’s simply alive.”
I like that there are almost no fakes here, because mastering the complex technique pays better than counterfeiting it. I also like that artist dolls gain value over time once the artist stops releasing new work. Beautiful, warm and genuine.
Source: Life.ru
On 6 October 2026, news appeared on the BJDClub forum that many collectors will find hard to take: Iplehouse has announced it is closing. The official website has published a notice titled “Last order due to company closure.”
The sale runs from 21 September 2026 to 3 January 2027. The company says it will continue operating in 2027, but whether it accepts orders after 3 January will depend on circumstances. The discounts are 10% on Basic dolls and 5% on Limited dolls; no discount is listed for the FID line. The “Doll Choice” costs the same as Basic, but only the makeup designed for that character is available; any other makeup counts as a custom order.
Every purchase comes with a random gift worth 10–15% of the doll’s full price, which may be clothing, a wig, shoes and similar items. Additional heads can now also be bought separately for the Basic, Limited and FID lines. An order can be changed if you contact the company within three days, and payment must also be made within three days or the order will be cancelled. Shipping may take two to three times longer than usual, so the company advises choosing the versions without makeup if speed matters.
The notice says nothing about warranty or after-sales service, and that is probably the main question for anyone who already owns these dolls. On the forum thread, participants expressed regret, and one wrote that she is urgently looking for funds to buy back the remaining dolls on her wish list. The company has not given a reason for closing, and everything else in the discussion is members’ personal impressions rather than official statements.
For me, this is one more reason to value small workshops. News like this is a reminder that the hobby rests on specific people and specific companies.
Source: BJDClub (forum, “News” section)
Whispering Grass has opened pre-orders for a new doll named Xingxing, and she caught my eye because of her size. At 45cm she sits in the 1/4 range, a scale that has been getting more attention lately for people who want something larger than an MSD but easier to handle than a full-size SD.
The body comes in four resin colors: ivory, topaz, rose quartz and carnelian. You can choose small, medium or large breasts, and the doll ships with two sets of hands and three pairs of feet, which gives a little room for different poses right out of the box. The head is also offered for separate purchase, handy if you already have a body you like.
There are the usual paid extras: a face-up, hand and foot blushing or full-body blushing, custom eyes and ear piercing. A three-part layaway plan is available, which makes the cost easier to spread out. The pre-order window closes on October 24th, so anyone interested has a couple of weeks to decide.
Personally I find the color range the most interesting part. Rose quartz and carnelian are not the typical choices, and it will be fun to see how owners style them once the first dolls arrive. Prices and the release date were not listed in the announcement, so I will be watching for those details.
Source: BJD Collectasy
If BJD photos are your thing, a Shanghai exhibition this summer is worth knowing about. Wonder Dolls 2026 is a doll art biennale organised by Wonder Market at the Duo Yun Xuan Art Museum, running from June 27 to August 30.
According to SmartShanghai, 108 artists and creative teams from China and overseas are taking part, showing more than 500 works across two floors. The mix is broad: handmade dolls, BJD, textile art, ceramics, wooden sculpture, mechanical pieces and miniature installations. Highlights include antique-style works by Russian artists and pieces inspired by Chinese mythology.
Tickets were 88 RMB on weekdays and 100 RMB on weekends and holidays, sold through the Wonder Market WeChat account. Visitors with a ticket or a free market pass could also browse a weekend maker market, where different makers set up in the space. The article suggests weekdays for a quieter visit and weekends for meeting the makers.
What I like about the write-up is its argument that the show is about craftsmanship and storytelling, not only for existing doll collectors. Fans of sculpture, costume design and theatre props could find plenty to enjoy. It also shows how BJD sits next to other doll arts rather than apart from them.
Source: SmartShanghai
Volks has announced "NieR × Dollfie Dream," a 2026 order project for Dollfie Dream featuring two characters: 2B (YoRHa No. 2 Type B) from NieR:Automata and Kaine from NieR Replicant. Orders are accepted from October 10, 2026 to November 29, 2026.
Both dolls cost 110,000 yen (tax included). The body is the DDdy base body 2.0, the eyes are 18 mm resin eyes, and the skin tone is semi-white. For 2B, the overall balance and costume details were reviewed along with the body renewal. A newly sculpted weapon, "White Covenant," is included. Kaine stands out with flowing silver hair, a hair ornament inspired by the "Tears of the Moon," and serrated twin blades.
Delivery is scheduled for winter 2027. Because these are made to order, the deposit equivalent is not refunded if you cancel, whatever the reason. In Japan you can pay the full amount in advance, or choose a deposit reservation of 50,000 yen per doll. Membership and a user registration with the Dollfie Online Store are required. There will also be exhibitions at places such as the Tenshi no Sumika stores across Japan.
Personally, I am glad that these two figures, which bring the world of the game into three dimensions in such detail, can be compared in person at stores around the country. Exhibition periods differ by location, so please check the official announcements before you visit.
Source: Dollfie Official (Volks)
The Russian BJD festival Dollscar reached its eighteenth edition in 2026. It took place on Saturday, 20 June, at Amber Plaza in Moscow. The organisers, the BJDClub portal, describe it as the largest ball-jointed doll exhibition in Russia and count its history from 2009. What follows is based on what appears on the festival’s official pages.
The programme was announced as packed: creative competitions for participants and visitors, workshops, presentations, a raffle and a large fair of doll goods. There was also a “Dollscar flea market.” Half of the exhibition space was taken up by a creative zone with non-commercial art installations by collectors. Anyone could prepare their own stand, take part in the competitions and win prizes.
The schedule by the hour looked like this. Visitors were admitted in four groups to avoid queues, at 12:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 16:00. At 13:00 the official opening took place and voting in the creative-zone competitions began. At 16:30 there was a prize draw among participants, at 17:00 audience voting closed, at 18:30 the winners were announced, and at 19:00 the festival closed. The organisers warned in advance that the schedule might change.
I like this kind of organisation: splitting visitors into entry groups makes the event more comfortable, and the creative zone shows that for this community an exhibition is not only about sales but also a chance to show their work. Anyone interested in the Russian BJD scene should look through the festival site’s archive of past years and watch for announcements of the next Dollscar.
Source: Dollscar / BJDClub
Volks is holding "DD Gathering 2026", an event for Dollfie Dream fans, on Saturday, October 10, 2026. It will take place at Tenshi no Sumika & Doll Point stores across Japan (11 shops), at Hobby Square Kyoto, and on the Dollfie Online Store.
The main draw is the restock of the "Ribbon Girl" set, a DD collaboration using Hatsune Miku's school uniform costume. It comes in DDS (SS/S/M), DDSB and DD (SS/S/M) sizes for 27,500 yen including tax. Three new D'Coord hairstyles (DDW-200D, 201D, 202D) are also joining, bringing the line to six colours, and more nuance colours are coming too.
At Doll Point Akihabara, Nagoya and Osaka only, a wedding kimono set (shiromuku) costs 41,800 yen including tax and goes on sale from October 10 to November 8. The same day also brings the "2026 DD Order Project" (2B and Kainé) and an "October New Dress Presentation".
How you can buy depends on the shop: some use a lottery and others go first come, first served. A numbered or lottery ticket on the day does not guarantee a purchase. Stock transfers from other shops are accepted from 12:00 on October 11, in-store visits only. If you plan to attend, check each shop's rules on the official page beforehand.
Source: Dolfie Official (Volks)
Luts has opened a limited sale for two Delf-line dolls, Podo and Podo Romance, and I wanted to note it because the options are laid out clearly. The dolls are tagged as 1/3 scale, and the sale runs at Luts until October 23.
The name already hints at the main choice: you can pick the basic head or the romance head. If you like a doll that arrives ready to display, a face-up can be added as an option, so you are not forced to find a painter yourself.
The skin choices are wider than I expected for a limited release. The resin colors listed are white, normal, snow, peach, bronco and ginger, which covers everything from very pale to a warm tan. An optional solid ankle heel version of the lower legs is also offered, which matters if you plan to pose the doll in heels, and body blushing can be requested.
Besides ordering from Luts directly, the dolls are available through the authorized retailers BJDivas and Denver Doll Emporium. For collectors outside Korea that is a useful detail, since an authorized reseller usually means easier support if something goes wrong.
Prices were not given in the announcement, so check the shop pages before deciding. Personally I find limited runs with a firm closing date easier to plan around than open-ended releases: you know how long you have to compare head, skin tone and options.
Source: BJD Collectasy
UK BJD Con is a convention for ball-jointed dolls, Dollfie Dream, Smart Doll and other collectable dolls. A group of collectors and artists started it in 2022 as a UK-based alternative to events that are mostly held in Europe, Asia and Russia.
This year a "Mini" edition took place at the Great Hall at the University of Reading. The 2026 charity was the Reading Community Learning Centre, which received £1,715, and the "By the Sea" photo contest drew 16 entries, with voting open until 30 September.
Next up is the main event on 15 May 2027 at Eastside Rooms in Birmingham. Guest tickets are £36.50, and 28 vendors have been listed so far. The plan includes talks and workshops, raffles, a Dolly quiz, a costume contest, a masquerade, photo contests, a charity table and a hunt for "Dollette". The 2027 charity is the Midlands Arts Centre.
The rules are worth noting: no recast or bootleg dolls, no Meta AI glasses, no acetone or spray sealants, and under-16s must be accompanied by an adult. I like how much of the programme is about the community rather than only shopping.
Source: UK BJD Con
Ball-jointed dolls got a slot at Comic-Con 2026. On Sunday, July 26, 2026, from 12:00 to 1:30pm in Room 29CD, a panel titled "Ball Jointed Dolls 101: Creating, Customizing, and Collecting" introduced the hobby to convention-goers.
The description says doll creators, owners and enthusiasts would talk about ball-jointed resin dolls from companies such as Volks, Fairyland, Luts, Iplehouse and Bergemann Dolls. The panel covered the artistic process of creating and customizing these dolls, the basics of BJDs, and tips for maintaining and photographing them. It also touched on the collector community and the range of sizes, from tiny to towering.
The listing does not name any speakers, so I can't say who took part. It was filed under toys and collectibles, fandom and international programming.
I find it encouraging to see BJD appear in a mainstream fan convention programme. For newcomers who only know the dolls from photos online, a beginner-level panel like this is a friendly doorway into the hobby.
Source: Comic-Con 2026 Schedule
I've been keeping an eye on the ball-jointed doll community in Indonesia, and BJDemy's piece on the BJD journey from hobby to art feels like a perfect reread right now.
BJDs (ball-jointed dolls) came from Japan to Indonesia around the mid-2000s. Online forums, and later social media — Instagram, Facebook, TikTok — became the main stage for sharing photos, face-ups, and adoption stories. What I find interesting: customizing is seen as an art form of its own. Repainting faces, swapping wigs, sewing costumes, even collaborating with photographers for outdoor shoots.
The community holds meetups, painting workshops, exhibitions, and bazaars. Some artists have even turned their hobby into small businesses making accessories and clothing. The challenges are still the same: quality materials are expensive and hard to find, plus some people still think dolls are "useless."
But the direction is clearly getting stronger. The online market is growing, annual events have become meeting places, and the younger generation sees BJDs as an expression of identity — not just a collection. If you're just starting out, find a community first: caring for, posing, and sharing photos of your dolls is way more fun with fellow hobbyists.
Source: BJDemy Indonesia
