A Beginner's Guide to BJD Blind Boxes

Blind boxes come in so many styles and sizes, it's usually hard to choose a favorite. Mini figures, plushies, keychains, pins, watches, and pens have all ended up in blind boxes. But these days, I find myself most excited about BJD blind boxes!

First, let's break it down to basics. You most likely already know what a blind box is-- a set of items (usually mini figures) that are sold as a surprise. You know you'll get one of the items in the set, but you don't know which one until you buy it and open it. If you're familiar with trading cards of any type (Pokemon, basketball, etc), it's the same concept but with bulky items. 

While most of the popular blind boxes have mini figures or plush keychains, BJD blind boxes feature beautiful Asian-style ball-jointed dolls. Ball-jointed dolls have been around a long time, and they have evolved over history.

Today, ball-jointed dolls (BJD) are primarily intended for adults. They are highly customizable going far beyond simple changes of outfits. You can change body parts like hands and feet. You can change their faces, their eyes, and even their hair. These dolls are incredibly photographic as their parts are strung together with an elastic and hooks. Many times, these dolls are very expensive and incredibly well-made. There are also MJD which use pivots and joints instead of elastics to achieve articulation. These are often more affordable and less intimidating to new BJD enthusiasts. 

Most recently, BJDs have broken into the mainstream via blind boxes! Toy companies figured out how to make smaller and simpler BJDs and MJDs that can be produced at higher volumes and more affordable prices while still retaining the key features of the BJD- articulation and customization. This makes collecting BJD blind boxes the perfect introduction to the BJD hobby. 

You see, the BJDs are way more than a one and done experience like your traditional blind box figures. With your classic blind box figure, you get a really cute figure you can display. If you collect more from the same series, you can display them together and trade duplicates for others you want. 

But with a BJD blind box, what's in the box is just one possibility. As you collect other BJD blind boxes (even from different companies and series), you're collecting options for your dolls. Dolls from the same series are the easiest to mix and match; however, lots of BJDs come in pretty standardized sizing so when you really get into it, you can try mixing and matching what series works with what other series and really expand your options. Not to mention, when you get a duplicate BJD blind box you have two options- trade it for a different BJD you don't have yet OR use its parts to customize your other BJDs.

When you start collecting BJD blind boxes, you'll probably want a few things to make life easier. While I am a newbie to the hobby, I can confidently tell you the number one thing you can expect is spare parts. And they add up quickly! But you'll want to keep them and you'll probably want to remember where they came from. So, try and dedicate a small space to BJD parts. You can use storage bags, storage boxes, a makeup bag, a card file, whatever floats your organization boat! BJDs also sometimes come with glue dots and putty to help stick looser parts. I store these with my BJD parts for easy access.

Another thing you'll probably want to get is doll stands. Doll stands are great for displaying your very bendy BJDs in all kinds of cool poses. So far, I think the coolest doll stands for my BJDs are the flexible ones. They usually come in clear plastic and they bend and twist so you can use it for dolls of different heights and you can do some cool poses-- even seated ones. Some BJD blind boxes include a doll stand but most do not and while you can pose most of your BJDs without doll stands, they're more stable with a doll stand and the posing options are much more numerous with a stand. 

Lastly, I suggest getting yourself familiar with your favorite camera and/or photo editing app. After all, one of the most enjoyable parts of the BJD hobby is photographing your unique creations and sharing them with the doll community. If you have ever wanted to practice photography, BJDs are excellent. You can try different poses, shooting angles, lighting, and even weather conditions and the BJD doesn't mind at all! Artists enjoy sketching BJDs for the same reason. 

The BJD hobby is one that has lots of room to play in. You can keep it simple-- collect and display BJD blind boxes the same way you do with your other blind boxes. You can make it more complex with basic customization. You can get super creative and dive deep into custom faces, makeup, hair, and outfits. It's up to you but the sky really is the limit.

I hope you enjoy the BJD blind boxes as much as I do. I can't wait to see your cute dollies! Make sure to tag us on Instagram when you post your cute pics and videos.