Looking back at 2025, and plans for 2026
Retrospective on 2025
Overall, it was a good year in the hobby. I had one especially lovely thing happen: an online friend was able to get SDGrG Ranma for me directly from Dolpa 53. I'm still so grateful and happy for that. And I ordered my second-ever Full Choice System doll, 22 years after I ordered my first FCS (also my first-ever ball-jointed doll), which was a great experience.
I had more potential doll time than ever before, since my daughter is a little older, though whether I actually used the time well is another question that I hope no one asks... We played dolls together more than ever before, and she got a Licca-chan doll of her own. Sharing the hobby with someone I love so much is pure joy.
Dolls I bought in 2025
- Volks MSD Hewitt (arrived in February)
- Volks SDGr girl Ranma, switched to a DearSD body (arrived in May)
- Claudia, my Volks SD13 Nono bought via the Full Choice System and moved to a DearSD body (arrived in July)
- Dollshe Grown Bermann OE head (arrived in October) plus 18M Classic body (arrived in September)
For completeness, I should mention that my two DoDollsDream dolls (Petronella, a Miss Marionette Lullaby Miss Ao, and my unnamed Teacup Marionette Lullaby Lottie) arrived in 2025, though they were pre-ordered in 2024.
Other numbers from 2025
Dolls bought: 4 (plus a few bodies). I'm very happy with this number. I'm running out of space in my small doll/sewing/hobby room, and also running out of mental space to enjoy them all.
Faceups completed: 4. I'm happy with most of them. I thought this would be more than in 2024, but it turns out I also did four faceups in 2024 (one of which is on a doll I plan to exchange, so it never saw the light of day).
Clothing items sewn: 2. I also sewed a couple for my Blythe and Licca-chan dolls, but I'm only counting the two dresses I made for ball-jointed dolls. I wish I had written about the process and posted proper finished photos, because I don't have them for either dress. I like one of the dresses I made, but the other was weirdly-proportioned and may need re-sewing.
Knits knitted: At least 4? I definitely finished at least 4 BJD-sized knits (of course I don't have photos) and maybe more, and I started a few others. I like them all, but knitting is my comfort zone and I've been doing it for ages, so the results are more predictable than when I sew.
Blog posts posted: 7. I posted 10 in 2024, so this isn't an improvement. I'm not too bothered about the quantity here, but I find myself wishing I had documented a few projects or doll arrivals.
Types of other dolls I started buying: 2. Early in 2025 I had a bit of a Barbie moment, and late in 2025 I had a Licca-chan moment. I'm not mad about it, but I also think I have enough of both for now. (I'll also only buy second-hand Barbies from now on, because I don't like the quality/price point of current products from Mattel, or their use of AI.)
Plans for 2026
Buy fewer than four dolls. I don't have physical/mental space for more and while the hunt for a doll remains exciting, I find I occasionally feel anxious when they arrive and I wonder if I'll have the time to do something with them.
Maybe sell some dolls or doll heads, if over 2026 I find there are some I really don't touch.
Maintenance: Get my Volks Masha and old FCS F-28 head sent in for paid exchange, because they are both banana babies. If I do this, I also need to get a new SDGrB body in pureskin white for the FCS F-28 head.
Collapse some doll boxes, especially boxes for dolls I'm really sure I don't want to ever sell. I did this as an experiment with a doll box that I don't care about, and it worked really well. This sounds like such a basic point, but it would give me back a lot of space and make me feel more organised. I might also try putting the doll box cushions in vacuum-seal bags.
Write regular blog posts. When I look back through, I'm really happy that I kept the blog going, at least for myself (I have no idea if anyone reads it; I don't have any analytics).
Document more sewing/knitting/crafting projects. In 2025 I only wrote about one knitting project. I would love to have a proper record of what I was working on, and I think it might encourage me to be a bit more organised as well.
Take more photos. A huge part of my enjoyment in this hobby is taking photos, so I should do it more often. Maybe even with props and backdrops?
Historical sewing for dolls: I've had some projects in mind for years (like an 1895 cycling suit for my SD16 Lady Oscar, or a period-accurate 1650s outfit for Robin, my SDGrB Williams, considering Volks's Oath of the Silver Coin timeline). Maybe 2026 can be the year I finally work on them?
Generally, I hope to use my time even better in 2026, spend time with each doll, work on my skills, and document all the things. Happy new year, and I hope 2026 brings good things to everyone who reads this!