Holiday in HK: Hello, Dollheart!
Last year, Joey and Rey took time off from work to spend a few days in Hong Kong. While they’ve been to Hong Kong several times, this was the first holiday they spent there as a couple. I felt obliged to accompany them, just to make sure they didn’t try anything naughty.
We stayed in the Royal Plaza Hotel, right in the middle of trendy Mong Kok, surrounded by stylish shops and toy stores. The hotel is connected to Grand Century Plaza and shopping is literally right behind the lobby door.
Well, yes, I never post my photos on time. This all happened last November, 2009.
Grand Century Plaza’s Christmas greeting is made interactive by an LCD screen with an augmented reality feature. The sensor detects the faces of passersby and turns them into random Christmas characters.
Santa Rey!
And now a dead J-rockstar. Er.
I can’t tell you much about our first day as the devious gits left me alone in the hotel room. They did come back to fill the room with shopping bags, left again to get some more, and then some more until Rey wobbled into the room crying that his feet are dead. I’m sure the streets of Mong Kong are now littered with the dead feet of husbands who try to keep up with their shopaholic wives.
Joey found this shop filled with all things cute and panda.
She wished it was really hers.
The next day, I got dressed up to meet some doll friends in Dollheart. Finally, my kind of shop: Dollheart caters to Asian ball-jointed dolls of all sizes and brands.
Dollheart was not easy to find. Thankfully, we had a friend who knew the way. Nat lives in Mong Kong and is also an ABJD enthusiast. She led us through the maze of streets, towards an obscure building and into a nondescript door without a sign. We couldn’t have found the shop without her – not after Joey forgot to print out the map from Dollheart’s website.
Our fabulous tour guide. Nat is no stranger to rockstars; she manages some of Hong Kong’s up and coming bands.
Nat’s boys, Kiyoshi and Kenji.
There were no customers in the shop when we came to visit, save for one very familiar face: our Filipino friend from Singapore, Almark. He was also on holiday in Hong Kong, and met up with Joey to shop for his dolls.
“Uno, pare! Pa-kiss!”
“EEK!”
Dollheart is a small shop filled with small merchandise for ABJDs. On the racks, we found clothes, shoes, wigs, accessories, magazines, miniature furniture, even a few dolls on sale. Since they’ve become a major ABJD label, Dollheart items can cost a lot of money, but their quality is always excellent.
They also offer the widest variety of shoes. We bought two pairs for Veritas and Lobo.
Dollheart carries complete sets of outfits for dolls. Meticulously made, these can cost as much as human clothes – sometimes, even more.
Dollheart sets are limited and quickly get sold out on their website. At the shop, however, a persistent customer (e.g. Joey) may find an out-of-stock item hiding in one of Dollheart’s closets. That’s how we got hold of the sold-out Detective set, which Joey bought for me as a birthday gift.
If you’re on a budget, you can also find clothes to mix and match in these boxes.
A makeshift studio for Dollheart’s ball-jointed fashion models.
The tiny Dollheart models. Hey, that one looks awfully familiar.
It’s Duende! She must’ve hitchhiked into our luggage again.
Rey was quite relieved to find a human-sized chair for people who can no longer stand after hours of shopping.
Resin men are so much luckier; there’s always a girl who’s willing to carry us around.
UP NEXT: Bargain-hunting for ABJDs!
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April 13th, 2010 - 18:43
Oh maaaaaaan. You are so so so so so lucky, Uno XD
April 14th, 2010 - 17:41
Oh yes. What’s great about being a doll is that you’re bound to attract the girls without lifting a finger.
April 15th, 2010 - 11:08
yeah right. besides, you’re kind of doll that’s naturally charming. haizz… i wish i can see you in person.
April 16th, 2010 - 01:11
I’m sure someday we’ll cross paths.
April 18th, 2010 - 10:40
Ya Uno… Veeeerrry lucky! LOL!
April 18th, 2010 - 21:02
‘Di ba bongga?
April 24th, 2010 - 11:54
whew.cool. you can now speak tagalog. is it? it’s good:D
April 26th, 2010 - 00:35
Of course I can speak Filipino, I’m the frontman of Mistula and we sing Filipino songs! I just choose to write in English for the sake of our foreign friends. I don’t want them to be left out.
April 13th, 2010 - 19:27
Oh Dollheart! Someday, I’ll be able to go there, too. ;3; *shakes fist*
Santa and dead J-rockstar Rey are amusing. And that panda shop *_* So cute. <3 Looks like you had a blast, Uno~
April 14th, 2010 - 17:44
There was a Rey-ndeer, too, but I wasn’t able to get a shot! Haha!
Uno had fun. He spent so much, damn him.
April 13th, 2010 - 21:01
Thanks for the peek into Dollheart, one of my favorite shops! Hope you had fun!
April 14th, 2010 - 17:52
Oh, my wallet cried, but we had fun!
April 15th, 2010 - 11:13
it’s all okay. if i were have a chance given the time, i would also do the same:)
April 14th, 2010 - 03:59
Awww, Dollheart’s one awesome shop!
I’m definitely hunting for this store whenever there’s a chance for me to go back to Hong Kong.
In some strange way, BJD’s are so enviable when it comes to clothes and shoes. You can let them dress in a goth, punk or any strange attires without attracting a lot of funny looks as compared to us humans. ^^”’
April 14th, 2010 - 18:37
Finding Dollheart should be an adventure in itself! I just remember the building where it’s at (Dundas Square) is across CTMA. It’s hard to miss CTMA, especially if you’re a geek.
In some strange way, BJD’s are so enviable when it comes to clothes and shoes. You can let them dress in a goth, punk or any strange attires without attracting a lot of funny looks as compared to us humans.
That doesn’t stop some owners from out-dressing their dolls, though! I guess it all depends how well you can take the ogling that comes with it.
April 14th, 2010 - 07:42
the next time we go to HK…if me and my sister are lucky…we will not go with the generic tour.
April 14th, 2010 - 18:40
You should never go with the generic tour! There are so many cooler places to visit in HK!
June 8th, 2010 - 11:52
i figured when we were boarding the bus to the airport. TwT
*channels positive attitude*
there will be a next time.
there will be a next time.
April 15th, 2010 - 12:17
Oh yayz~!!! The Dollheart shop!!! It was a really cool place with all the clothes and shoes everywhere! Not to mention the furniture and shoots actually took place there.
The salesman was really nice, and come to think of it, I left my hat there…
Wow Uno, I’m sure your fans went totally crazy to see you there!
April 15th, 2010 - 12:26
BTW, every single darn thing you wrote about the shop is total fact. This is a really good reference. I actually found a Blue Rabbit Heart Set (just without the hat) at the very bottom of a M&M box.
April 16th, 2010 - 01:15
When I’ve posted the next related entry, I’ll share this with ManikaManila.
April 17th, 2010 - 10:14
HONG KONGATHON! The boss was there just some time ago too, but she, being the negligent owner that she is, didn’t get me new clothes.
I’ve been working with potato sacks over here. D8 Someone put up a BJD rescue! D:< Glad you had the chance to add new mind-blowingly amazing things to yer wardrobe, Uno! 
You've got a great sense of style! 
April 18th, 2010 - 21:40
Upcycling potato sacks into BJD couture is good for the environment!
You’re lucky now that you can still monopolize your boss’ BJD funds. The chances of getting new things decreases as the resin population in your house increases! So I only got an outfit and a pair of shoes; the rest of our haul must be equally shared by the hoi polloi. Joey upholds a communist household.
April 18th, 2010 - 10:37
Haha, it took me a while to find it as well. Luckily, I had the Chinese address noted in my camera so I asked around. I also thank DoA for supplying images of the place.
I felt so bad for the girl at Dollheart. She was struggling with her English for my sake.
Great place! Nice people…and also…not many people go there either
April 18th, 2010 - 21:41
The nice thing about the global BJD community is that you’re bound to find a BJD friend everywhere you go! Nat helped us find the doll shops and other interesting local spots. We would have never found these shops without her.
The storekeeper we found in Dollheart was a guy – I forgot his name. He spoke good English and was very patient with Joey, who kept asking him to look for out-of-stock items! Poor guy.
There were two girls on their way out when we came into the shop, and then it was all ours.
April 18th, 2010 - 23:11
Dollheart is a great place…
Did you manage to see the white guitar and its carrying case?
Duende hitchhikes into luggage, huh.
) How cute.
)
Maybe she thinks she can save the seagulls of Harbor City from the next big oil spill.
Animals need saving everywhere.
April 19th, 2010 - 01:00
Did you manage to see the white guitar and its carrying case?
I did. There it is right behind me on one photo. It’s lovely, but the fretboard is a little too small for me.
No eco-activist work on holidays! Which is why we decided not to take Duende to the Bird Market. A few years ago, Joey got held up in a security check because she smuggled a little bird in her pocket. As they seem to be displaying the same personality patterns, we carefully veered away from places which might cause us unnecessary stress and anxiety.
May 15th, 2010 - 19:37
wanna go to a shopping spree in HK!