First off, a bit of clarification. I rarely visit The Doll Forum. I spend the bulk of my time online at Our Doll Community. I am also a member at two other forums, (The Doll Lover's Forum and The UK Love Doll Forum) but I do not have the time to devote to all of them.

I also did not read the entire thread. I am on a dial-up connection, and I have read all of the arguments presented above on the various forums indicated.

Sex with dolls was never my primary concern. I became interested in dolls while looking up mannequins for studio photography. I am neither a professional photographer (yet), nor can I afford to pay live models for the amount of work that I do.

The inflatable dolls that I aquired early on were mainly to help me learn how to handle dolls, dress and groom them, and set up for photo shoots. I had some experience in the arrangement of lighting and props from my years in amature film photography.

The conversion from film to digital was a steeper learning curve than I had imagined. Almost everything is done online these days, and my film SLR would have only slowed me down.

I was recently presented with my first silicone rubber doll, and there are many handling techniques that I have yet to master. My other dolls are only a couple of pounds fully dressed. The new doll is over seventy pounds fully dressed, and I am getting my exercise moving her around!

Part of the doll hobby is a certain amount of role-playing. We do make up profiles, backgrounds, and a brief history for our dolls. We also have continuing stories that they follow depending on the personalities that we assign them.

Most doll owners have some attachment to their dolls, much the same as the attachment that they have to their vehicles, homes, or other posessions. A few have professed love for their dolls, and some have gone through marriage ceremonies with them. These ceremonies are by no means legally binding, but are an extention of the hobby.

I make no attempt to hide my dolls. They are fully dressed all the time, and anyone who comes to my house will see them. I also appear in a few of the pictures with my dolls. I have several "family friendly" photo shoots on my personal website. All of my family and friends, and a few business associates have seen the website.

Here are a few of the links for those who may be interested in what is possible with these dolls:


The other girls can also be seen on my website. Just link back to the home pages, and scroll down to "Hobby Photography".

Enjoy!

Mod3 was a friend of the trusted friend who picked her up for me and technically had half ownership in her before he delivered her to me. He realized he was wrong in giving his friend permission to 'try the doll' as he had no idea in the motives. Mod3 also claims that was just bar room style chat and not his real intentions, however, both knew of mod3's feelings towards me and even if you own half of something, it is not appropriate to loan it out without permission of the other party...especially given the relationship between the two parties. My friend offered to buy the doll from me along with a very big apology. I declined his offer, as the doll is still special and a collectible even though someone may have devalued her by shoving his own less than porn star quality 'member' into my movie prop

Regardless it is more the ongoing, "I did no wrong" attitude of KeithAllen who to this day has never apologized, that leaves the incident rather lacking full closure. I guess some people believe privacy is more important than justice, even if the 'privacy' they refer to is a privacy they themselves planned on invading on myself on returning to chat.

Regardless, it is all in the past, and Jenny Densuke has gone through the Midiman revirgination process and has left the past behind. Try that with a real woman
Midiman

JFC Midi, normally, when people make the big 'apology' & forgiveness' posts, they move on, or at least STFU. Yes, although I did nothing wrong, you know damn well I did apologize -as did others-, but YOU chose to delete the posts so you could keep ranting.
GET OVER IT AND STOP WHINING!!
and that is my last word to you.


Snoopydance,
One thing about these life sized dolls that you don't hear much about, or sense in pictures, is the sheer presence of them. When a well made silicone doll is in the room with you, it feels much like there IS another person there. I guess for some people, this could be an 'Uncanny Valley' thing. For many people though, that presence is comforting. Someone who lives alone does not have to be alone with a doll in the house.
When I was busy writing, I had a doll nearby. If I got stuck on a scene about the heroine, I would look at the doll & try to imagine 'what would she do?'. Is sounds silly, but it was like having a personal muse right there with me and it did help me break a few writer's blocks.
I bet your dildo can't do that LOL

Btw real doll guys. We kept this thread on track for you. We ask you do the same
So midi and keith , knock it off. I know you have a past but please don't bring that here.

An early Happy Holidays...Peace and Good Will to All

Is that you as Santa?

How tall is the doll in the stocking?

About 4 feet. She's actually the same model as the doll in my pic on the previous page (a Teddy Babe Lisa).

I think some of the comparisons of the dolls and a dildo are way off. What makes the dolls less relatable to most are the extreme efforts in time, money, and physical exertion needed to make a doll function like a sex toy, and also the possibility that it could be pushed to be used as a full replacement for a human. In fact, it begs the question of if the doll owner put that much time, effort, and money into pursuing a real human if the results might actually be more economically sensible and fulfilling. A dildo is cheap and is “never” thought of as anything but a sex toy, and the only effort needed is initially obtaining it and then finding a small space to store it. It is never anthropomorphized beyond that.

That’s why I think men are by far the majority of doll owners – we dudes will go to some great lengths to get sexual fulfillment, while women do not seem as driven by this need. The whole pornography industry is driven by far by the desires of men and not women. I don’t even think women want anything more ‘life-like’ than a dildo, and would be scared off by it. It’s also why I think this forum (dominated by men) has been very open to the idea of at least using a doll for a sex toy, if nothing beyond that.

For the doll-owners: Now that we have so many of you here, anyone care to share their most funny / embarrassing / hurtful / accepting stories about how a person first reacted when they met your dolls, either by accident or on purpose? I imagine the reactions run the range of extremes, would like to hear some first hand experiences.

I'm actually dating a musician And I get what you're saying, but at the same time, it's not the same thing as having a sexual relationship with something. So, yes, it really is that different.

the standard teddy babes are 3'11"

this should give you an idea of size


the teddy babe deluxe is 5'4"

Well, the newer standard Teddy Babes are about 4'5"; in August 2009, the manufacturer redesigned them with longer legs (as well bigger hips and a more protrusive butt):
Ana is a "neo-classic", while Caley is an original.

Thank you Killa.

Actually I thought this thread had died a natural and your members moved on. Apparently not, perhaps there were a lot of posts deleted as being too unfriendly and making it quiet.

Anyway - there is a pre-occupation with thought regarding the sex angle. Yes sure it's there but comparing it to a dildo or a mag or porn is off the mark and doesn't compare.

First there are as many shades of grey between the black and white as there are doll owners as to the why and wherefores. And you have to stop thinking in your own age time & that there are just young bucks (anyone under 45 in my book) involved. Think over a lifetime and the doll hobby could be something at the beginning before you find that someone, in the middle between someones or at the end when the someones are rare or too wrinkled (as you will be one day).

As a doll owner it would be fair to say that only about 20% of dolls I see on the forums inspire me to think of sex. However, we respect absolutely each others dolls and their respective taste in clothes, make up, hair and eye colour. We also respect their photography as not everyone is as good as everyone else.

There is a thread, for anyone really interested to get a better handle on it and worth the read, at TDF:
http://dollforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=32303
which covers the 'presence' of dolls in ones life quite well at least from one aspect.

Someone asked early on about whether dolls make one more depressed.
After my third long term (over 7 years) relationship breakup I was suicidally depressed. Since getting 'my girls' I have not been even close to being there. Not only because of the girls but also because of the community.


Page 29 post 434
Natasha got a bit upset with that remark. (Yvonne, the doll in question is one of my four).



OK, someone asked about anecdotes.
I have been doing a lot of extensive home renovations recently (not me personally) and a lot of tradesmen had been coming and going over a period of months. The girls are never hidden but lounging around the house as usual either on their stands or in a chair (never naked and usually reasonably dressed).





Well, one time when I was out shopping and the guys were busy pulling my bathroom apart, on returning home I noticed that Natasha's skirt (see above) was 'not quite how I had left it' and Anette's panties were 'slightly to one side'. Only a couple of millimeters but they definitely had a peek ...... Boys will be boys.
You see silicone can be sticky and clothes do not always fall back to where they were. And I am very observant.

By the way. Has anyone bothered to checkout the links I gave to 'the girls' (my) CoverDoll blog?
http://coverdoll.com/drupal/?q=blog/264
Mostly light humour so if you want a smile go visit.
Any feedback appreciated.

mugsy

I too get what you're saying. But again, the implication here is that a sexual connection automatically constitutes a relationship, which for men in particular is not always the case. Sure, I have a fantasy relationship with my dolls, but only because I'm single and lonely. But if I were single and loving it, or in a relationship with someone whose libido was much quieter than my own, I doubt I'd see the dolls as much more than 3-D porn, an aesthetic upgrade over a toy and a magazine. You wouldn't think of your boyfriend as having a relationship with his Fleshlight, would you?

Still, I understand. We as individuals can't will ourselves to like things that make us uncomfortable. My sister had no problem with her boyfriend going to strip clubs, as long as he was honest about it, whereas an acquaintance of mine was strictly forbidden by his fiancee to even have a stripper at his bachelor party. Some people are fine with their partners having close friends of the opposite gender, while others are not (I'm speaking purely in heterosexual terms here). And while boys tend to be over-protective of their younger sisters with regard to sex and dating, I was simply jealous of the fact that, despite being 2 1/2 years my junior, she still lost her virginity 6 months before I did. ("Dammit, my little sister's gettin' it and I'm not.")

As was mentioned before, a significant portion of TDF members are married. Some incorporate the dolls into their relationship, others' spouses only get involved with non-sexual aspects of the dolls (clothing and makeup, photography, etc.), and still others have no interest whatsoever but are nonetheless tolerant...including the husband of one of our prominent female members.

My dolls have never been discovered. In was initially very paranoid and would go to tremendous lengths to conceal Caley (this was before I had Ana) whenever there was any sort of maintenace or inspections going on in my apartment. But in time I grew less worried about it, and when the Verizon tech came to install my internet connection, I simply had her fully dressed and seated on the easy chair with my stuffed animals. If he had any inkling that she was a sex doll, he was gracious enough to not say anything. Coming out to my family was sort of a necessity, due to my enthusiasm over TDF and the friendships I'd forged there; one can only give circumlocutious answers to "What is the forum about?" for so long.

But the hardest was telling my best friend about them. While she's certainly not a prude, she's not exactly a libertine either, and I was genuinely afraid of losing the closest, dearest friend I've ever had over something that I could've kept a secret. But one day the inevitable question came up, so I told her...and after a brief explanation that it wasn't a fetish site but simply a place for doll owners to socialize, much to my surprise and relief she was in fact quite intrigued.

Soon after that I showed her some pictures of Caley (the first thing she said: "Wow, she's pretty!"), and just as I was putting away the camera I told her "And to think, I was all paranoid that you'd think it was pathetic and sad." She smiled and replied, "Aw, I'd never judge you," and hugged me, and I was on the verge of happy tears...

I'm a "third world" doll guy. (After midi and keith there are LOTS of smaller third worlds.) I lost track. Did you 2+2 guys have an interest in the "feud" or is that topic off limits?

to the 2+2 moderators i have a favor to ask of you

please edit,trash,delete any posts by both midiman,keithalen and any other known doll person that are boastful,spiteful,and just plain not needed to this thread regardless of whether or not they are a 'truth'. this thread is about your members curiousity about our hobby and for the most part there are plenty of good answers and good will. the mud slinging that midiman needlessly began and keithallan jumped in on in responce is not needed and frankly makes our hobby look bad.

thank you

One thing we try to avoid is cencorship of others thoughts. In other words I plan to leave the KA and midi stuff just ask for it not to continue.

I don't think anyone has a real interest in the fight.

what are the teddy girl dolls made of? I think one of you guys referred to them as plush, is it difficult to "clean" those?

btw, thanks for coming to our forum, hopefully you guys stick around and contribute to the other threads here.

hi DukeSucks,

yes the teddy babes are plush dolls just like a giant teddy bear, to clean them most of us use a mild solution of woolite & wipe them down with a damp cloth adding a bit of "oxi action" of some kind can help with heavier dust & grime

also make sure you don't go near them if you've been doing any really messy jobs untill you've had a good scrub down yourself, that really helps



oh & thanks for the welcome, I have been & had a look through some other threads here & added a few posts it seems like a great site with pretty much something for everyone

Their skin is a polyester velour, very soft and smooth to the touch.

In addition to the Woolite/ OxyClean mix, I also used something called "gall soap" when Caley was starting to get particularly grey, and the results were amazing. The only thing was that she got so damp from the rinsing that I had to take a hair dryer to her hands and feet and then hang her up in the bathroom with the space heater on full-blast:



Never, ever stuff your Teddy Babe in the dryer. Not only will the heat be very bad for the latex lips and plastic eyes, but there's also risk that you'll damage her neck and shoulder joints and wire skeleton.

Oh, and if you were wondering about the other type of cleaning, TBs use a removeable insert (as do some of the high-end silicone dolls). While they come with a plush insert that most find unusable, there are several aftermarket inserts that work, including some that are exclusively available through the Canadian reseller.

You claim to be a doll dude, yet you have no membership on either forum. You don't even have enough conviction to stand up and be heard as who you are within the community. Again, the mods had already requested non of this be aired here so your post had no practical purpose other than to sling mud at me. You accused me of starting the mud slinging, when in fact I did not, which would indicate a bias on your part or inability to read all the posts leading up to the altercation.

But even KeithAllen and I are relevant to showing 2p2 that the doll community is like any other, with rivalry and feuds and all those fallacies of humankind.

Regardless, I have made 65 posts to date in this thread. I don't think anyone found them boastful or irrelevant

I am curious as to exactly what you deemed as a boastful statement?

Oh, and here is another dolly pic just to add some spice (6 are not of a sexual nature)



For all those anonymous creeped out trolls who feel the need to make leud and derogatory remarks about us and our hobby, I would suggest you seek counseling as we are quite comfortable with it and really don't give a damn what you think. So get used to it or move on to something you do have the
mental wherewithal to deal with and address.

woah she is hot

Both the content and posting to an idle topic are "boastful,spiteful,and just plain not needed", just like dolldude said. You really couldn't tell? Who needs counseling?

i rarely read oot but when i do... i prefer fetish sex threads

Have you ever established what it is your missing in/from your life?? I have read through the posts and I have to admit you doll people are odd....where did you ever get the feeling people are ok with a grown man having sex/relationships with a doll?? I am very open minded and for the life of me I can't figure out why you are doing this. Normal people don't have sex with rubber objects....its like you are in to dressing up dead people.