I first read about them online early last year and was intrigued by them, but to be honest, their faces disturbed me a little and the high cost was off-putting when I had no idea what they would be like in person. When I first discovered them, I believe they were only available in one skin tone but looking at the website now, they have four colours to choose from, several eye colours, and a variety of hairstyles and outfits (no shoes) for both males and females. What they don't come with however, is a faceup. I think the idea is that you can do it yourself but I am useless at stuff like that so having an option to have one done for you would be a nice touch.
The concept is really very appealing but as mentioned earlier, the high cost (an average of £99) was off-putting when there are other dolls available for the same price or less that I am more familiar with in terms of their quality and craftsmanship and would therefore choose first having not seen a Makie in person before.
This week however, I have been lucky enough to have a little visitor in the house! My sister-in-law found this girl at a car boot sale for the amazing price of just £2!! If you buy a Makie new from the website, they come in a cardboard shipping tube and with a certificate of authenticity etc. Unfortunately this little lady did not have those things with her but for £2 we can't really complain ;)
Despite my reservations, I have to say I was somewhat pleasantly surprised by her. I was expecting her to be quite flimsy, but the quality is much better than I was expecting. She is really quite sturdy and can pose very well. She can stand pretty easily if you get her feet in the right position, and sits very well without falling back etc. I did try and get her to stand on one foot but was unable to do so, however I think with a little practice and patience it would be achievable. As you can see, she is definitely a female ;)
As mentioned, her range of movement is very good; she has ball joints at her shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles. Her head can move well too with her being able to tilt and turn side to side with ease. She can look up quite far too but her chin is quite big so she can't look down so far. Her balance is good but I suspect it would be better if she didn't have such long heavy hair.
Her wig is fairly good quality. Its not as soft as I would like and feels like it could dry out and frizz if it was played with too much. I can't tell for sure if it is glued on or not. I believe it is but I didn't like to pull too hard as she doesn't belong to me and I didn't want to risk damaging it. The shape of the eyebrows is imprinted on her face and they are quite thick and raised which I don't particularly like but perhaps this can be changed depending on what options you choose if you were designing one yourself. The eyes are acrylic and are quite detailed and vibrant.
It looks like she has storage in her torso from the back. I don't know what thats for but I think I read somewhere that its so people can perhaps customise their dolls by putting voice boxes and things in? Thats quite cool if its the case. As to how they feel, its kind of rough. They are not smooth like resin or vinyl. It looks almost like wood grain in places. However, its not unpleasant. I did notice that her head colour is slightly different to her torso.
She came dressed in this outfit. Its one of the default outfits I remember from when I first discovered them early last year so I think she is an early release of the dolls as this outfit is no longer available as an option. Its not terribly well made but its not horrific either. Kind of like a Barbie outfit which would be fine if you weren't paying so much for these dolls. But as they are so expensive, the outfits could be a little better.
All in all, I was surprised by this girl. She was better than I was expecting and her poseability is excellent. However, her face does creep me out a little (though perhaps with a faceup or if I chose the design myself it could be better) and I do not think the cost is justified for what they are (although I have noticed that at the moment they seem to be £69 rather than the usual £99 but I don't know if this ia permanent change or just a temporary offer). Yes they are made using revolutionary techniques and yes you can in theory make your own doll but you can also buy a Barbie or a Blythe or any other doll, and make it your own by customising it and often for less money. The idea is nice, but at this moment in time, a Makie will not be joining my dolly family.
This girl will be on Ebay soon so keep an eye out for her! But for now, enjoy a few more photos of her fully clothed ;) Also, there is a size comparison photo there showing her next to a Littlefee (Ball-Jointed Doll from Fairyland) and a Blythe.
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