2. Custom Blythes

The best way to buy a custom Blythe doll is directly from the artist. You can find numerous Blythe custom artists on Etsy, Instagram, Facebook, and eBay.

Be sure to understand what kind of custom you are purchasing and what the going rate usually is for that kind of custom. Prices vary depending on the artist, the type of base doll being customised, whether the custom doll is pre-owned, and where the doll is located in the world.

Sadly, ThisIsBlythe is not the only unscrupulous dolly scammer out there and the more you know about the Blythe market, the easier it will be to protect yourself and your hard-earned cash.

There are lots of different terms floating about for different types of Blythe dolls and it's important to know what they all mean. I've created the Blythe Terms page with a list of most of the ones you're likely to come across when shopping for Blythes.

Here is a list of places I recommend you explore if you're interested in purchasing custom Blythe dolls:

• Dolly Custom - Site that showcases the work of trusted Blythe custom artists
• DollyAdoption - Facebook group where people list primarily Blythe doll sales
• Blythe Sales (NO FAKES) - Facebook group that allows stock and custom official Blythe sales
• UK & Europe Takara Blythe Stock & Custom - UK and Europe group for stock and custom official Blythe sales
• Blythe adoption dolls - Facebook group that allows fakes, official, custom and stock Blythes
• Blythe Doll Lovers UK - Facebook group that allows fakes, official, custom and stock Blythes from UK sellers
• All Blythe UK - Facebook group that allows fakes, official, custom and stock Blythes from UK sellers

There are many other good Blythe groups out there, but these happen to be the ones I'm aware of. I've found the Blythe community to be super friendly and as long as you follow group rules, people are usually more than happy to answer questions, offer advice, and help you out to make sure you get a fair deal.

There are also many custom Blythe artists on Instagram and Etsy, but these are not sold via a moderated space like the Facebook groups so be sure to only buy from reputable customisers.

Etsy is fairly safe as they have good buyer protection and are good at cracking down on resellers, who are not allowed on their platform. But sometimes a bad actor will manage to slip through the net so be careful and check out the info page on how to stay safe while buying from a community source.

Good signs that an artist is reputable are that:

• They are active in the Blythe community

• They have a recognisable style of customising that is unique to them

• They only provide limited customer customisation options unless being specifically commissioned

• They only sell a very small number of dolls at a time due to the time and effort required for customisation

• Their work is priced similarly to the work of artists of similar resources, ability, reputation, and desirability

• They have good customer feedback

• They have a professional website with clear information about returns and refunds

• They are recommended or sought after artists within the community

If you can, it's worth going to a Blythe convention or meetup in your area to get a good feel for some of the artists in your local Blythe community.