What is "Super Dollfie 10 Year History ~Forever in Your Arms~" ?
The decade of Super Dollfie is days that we (VOLKS, VIRGINAL ART and ZOUKEI-MURA) have had with your support.
Doll Design Department show you the ten years history with photos and from various sides.
"Super Dollfie 10 Year History:
From the Beginning of Volks to 1998"
It has already been 10 years since the angel called Super Dollfie was born into this world.
Since then, our angels have become as they are today through the many thoughts and wishes of SD fans along with President Shigeta, VOLKS staff, the sculptors at ZOUKEI-MURA who create the molds, and all of the VIRGINAL ART staff that manufactures the dolls.
We have been working on the plan for this page to introduce the 10 years of Super Dollfie to you.
Both those who feel nostalgia towards those days and those who are new to SD enjoy the world of Super Dollfie.
SD is a unique doll in this world and has now become irreplaceable to so many SD owners.
If the time comes when SD is a legend we hope you remember this web page and all details contained herein.
With SD by your side.
It was 36 years ago, on December 3rd in 1972, when a hobby shop named “VOLKS” was opened.
This tiny little hobby shop suddenly appeared on a street corner in the oldest city of Japan, Kyoto.
Not enough money, experience, or credit, this shop had many "not enoughs." But the hobby shop was the happiest one of all in Japan with it’s huge dream that was the only fortune and support of the daily lives of the young owner and his wife.
They did not have enough money to stock the shop so they sold the airplane models which the shop owner had collected for himself.
Imagine how the shop was more than 15 years before the coming of the garage kit. Now we have many female collectors of models and garage kits, but back then the shop was just another one for the elementary school boys to come to.
The young owners of the shop, Mr. and Mrs. Shigeta, spent years running it with small sales and a faraway dream.
But there was one person who kept the thought of having female customers someday on her mind.
One day Mrs. Shigeta’s attention was caught by a hand-made doll which Akihiro Enk, a sculptor who had been leading the sculpting group ZOUKEI-MURA, gave as a present to his loving wife.
The story of Mr. Enk’s present drew Mrs. Shigeta’s interest because she had been looking for a chance like this for years. It was no wonder that this coincidence turned into inevitability.
What is this ball jointed doll that this trusted staff member gifted to his wife to make her wish for their wedding anniversary come true?
Mrs. Shigeta didn’t know why but she was intensely interested in this doll.
Then the doll was brought to us for the first time.
Nobody expected this doll to become the one of a kind doll SD but it certainly gave an unforgettable impression to every one of us.
It is a doll that you can change as you like and that reflects you like a mirror. This doll is very precious, you can always hold it in your arms. This doll is another yourself.
This is the very beginning of the SD world that now opens in front of you.
"How wonderful it would be to offer such lovely dolls to our customers."
Mrs. Shigeta’s thought became our wish and the base of the vision for "Super Dollfie."
The sculptors used this vision and started on a new type of doll in order to make her wish come true.
What kind of doll should they create so that our customers feel this wish?
All of VOLKS started working to create new hobby possibilites as the passionate thoughts of the sculptors added to Mrs. Shigeta’s wish.
Then, in 1999, Super Dollfie came into this world for the first time as an original doll created by VOLKS.
At the time the "Dollfie Legendary Base Body" had been gaining the attention of many doll fans and it was at that moment that Super Dollfie gave its first modest cry.
Since then many angels have been coming into your life.
We will tell you about it next time.
Please look forward to the next story.
* tiny little hobby shop
When it opened the VOLKS shop was only 13.5 square meters (about 44 square feet.)
* airplane models
Mr. Shigeta, the shop’s owner, is the President of VOLKS today. He still collects model planes so if you enjoy this hobby too please talk to him about it.
* hand-made doll
You can see a photo of this special doll in the "Encyclopedia" of "Super Dollfie Photographs ~ Another Yourself." Please see the origins of Super Dollfie!
* The sculptors
The project consisted of 8 sculptors, one of them being Mr. Enk. They still work as our top creators.
