Dollfie
Dollfie is a 1:6 scale (a.k.a. 'playscale, 11 inches or 27 cm tall) vinyl doll that is produced by Volks Inc., located in Japan.
Dollfie is a highly-poseable hybrid of fashion doll and action figure, first created in 1997. Dollfie 1:6 scale dolls are about the size of a Barbie doll though there are many differences, particularly in the flexibility of the dolls. The chief competition for Dollfie in Japan is a line of less expensive custom base dolls made by Obitsu. The Super Dollfie are larger dolls made by Volks.
When an artist paints a Dollfie, the technique is referred to as a "face-up" or "make-up". This is usually done using acrylic paints and special sealer to keep the color from coming off with play. The finished dolls are usually collected for customization and photography shoots.
Volks Inc. manufactures several types of 1:6 scale customizable bodies with doll-crafters and artists in mind. Unlike other popular fashion doll lines where only the outfits could be changed, Dollfie dolls were made to be customized from the base on up, beginning with basics like hair and eye color. For those with less skill, doll-crafting short-cuts were introduced, such as pre-rooted hair and stick-on eye decals. Later, complete dolls were issued but the custom doll bodies still remain the largest, most varied line and are favored by One-Of-A-Kind artists around the world.
There are various body types, male and female, with several forms and skin tones for both as well as a line of child-sized dolls. They make different heads, some with hair and some without for custom rooting; there are even head types that have the hair molded on for those that like to paint. The Dollfie custom base body comes unpainted so that it can be used by hobbyists and artists for creating original dolls of their own design. The company makes tools and materials to customize and maintain dolls with but in many instances less costly substitutes work just as well.