Continued from Pullip Pilipinas Triptych — Featuring April.

Next up in our Pullip Pilipinas Triptych is Kaoko of kitchencow. Kaoko loves making bento, reading shoujo manga, and photographing dollies! Today, Kaoko takes time off from her busy schedule selling her soul to the advertising gods for a quick chat about her doll family.

How did your Pullip collection start?

Being a Pinky:ST collector, I’d hang out on Flickr, looking at interesting Pinky photos. A lot of the foreign Pinky:ST collectors got started on Pullips too. Since I found them cute, I figured I’d buy one–just one–to satisfy the wanting. I think fate was laughing at me then, knowing what she had in store for me.

For you, what is the best thing about collecting?

I love how it gets my creativity going. From styling to sewing to photography to preparing set-ups and crafting backstories, it’s an amazing outlet for creative release.

      

Which release was your favorite?

It’s hard to choose just one, but I guess two significant dolls would be Pullip Nina, my first one and Pullip Rovam, my grail. I had a hard time getting Nina because of various screw-ups with the local seller at that time, so I ended up ordering her online, from a Japanese seller. Thankfully, that purchase went off without a hitch.

Rovam, I didn’t really plan on buying because she’s so freaking expensive! Her market value shot-up, some old time collectors attribute, when the Pirates of the Carribbean made pirates cool again. Or it could also be because people suddenly realized she was so pretty! Either way, I gave up the idea of ever owning her until a local fellow collector streamlined her collection and included Rovam among her dolls to sell. She gave me a fairly good price, so I snapped her up immediately.

My boys deserve special mention too! While my Taeyang Sage is much loved (he has his own fans’ club), Taeyang Butler holds a special place in my heart because his makeover (rewig, styling) actually drew the attention of a lot of collectors, mostly because they can’t imagine him as being the same doll as his original. He changed so much from a simple rewig. Plus, he has glasses—everyone loves a megane, yes?

      

What is the hardest part about collecting? Have you dealt with any problems?

The paying for it part? 😛 Pullip collecting is not a cheap hobby, and the fact is, you don’t stop spending after you buy a doll. You buy clothes, props, replacement bodies, wigs, eyechips. It never ends! Still, that in itself encourages creativity too, since sometimes, you try to duplicate a look without spending big bucks on A-zone outfits.

Dealing with customs is another major issue. Since there are no local Pullip sellers anymore, we need to order our dolls online, or when we travel. It’s great when a release you want coincides with your travel plans, but when it doesn’t, you have to go through the hassles of finding an honest, approachable seller, getting the doll shipped, and praying that you don’t get taxed excessively by customs.

Oh, lastly, there’s the politics shite too, but then, that happens when any group grows. But let’s not dwell on that.

What advise would you give to others who want to start collecting Pullips?

Open your mind to creative possibilities. If a doll you want is too expensive, replicate the look with a doll that’s closer to your budget. Experiment and learn to look at things from different angles. Lastly, play with your dolls and enjoy!

Continued in Pullip Pilipinas Triptych — Featuring Cla.

For more of Kaoko’s doll family, visit her Flickr account. For her bento stories, restaurant reviews, and delicious recipes, head on over to kitchencow.com.