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Welcome to the BJD Hobby Thread!   A BJD? The gently caress is that? BJD stands for Ball Jointed Dolls. Some people extend this acronym for ABJD, which stands for Asian Ball Jointed Dolls, but this thread will cover all different types of dolls. To put it simply, a BJD is any doll that has many points of articulation and can pose realistically. This is kind of a loose definition, but you'll know a BJD when you see one. Wow, those are creepy. Why do people buy them? What do you use them for? Lots of things! Virtually every part of a doll is customizable, including the face, body, hair, and clothing. In the next post I'll include a few examples of different types of customization and links to sites concerning customization. I dunno...I've heard a lot of people who do this are kind of crazy. Doll owners often get a bad rep, but the crazies are honestly the minority. Every hobby has them, the doll community just happens to have very vocal ones. How much does this cost to start? The cost of your first doll depends on how much you're willing to spend for the look you want. The two brands that I would recommend most as starting dolls are Obitsu and Hujoo. Each offer a range of sizes and are made of ABS plastic. These are considered "off topic" on some doll sites, but haters gonna hate! They make fantastic first dolls and are very affordable for beginners. These dolls range from $25 to $50 for a "starter kit.” This will cover a blank doll body and head, and maybe a pair of eyes. You CAN buy a factory face up, but that wouldn’t be very DIY, now would it? If you're willing to spend a little more to start, other relatively affordable brands are Bobobie and Fantasy Doll. These will range from $85 to $150+ . These dolls are made of resin as opposed to ABS plastic. As far as other brands go, dolls can get to be VERY expensive. Dolls range from the hundreds to the thousands, but don't let anyone tell you your $50 doll is inferior to their $500 doll! Another option is to create your own doll! Many people build their own dolls from resin or clay, and some really spectacular OOAK dolls have emerged! If you do make one your, please do post WIP pictures! Do Monster High/other non-Asian brands count? In this thread, yes! There is no on- or off-topic brand here. However, I would like to keep this thread focused on customization and creativity. It's great if you're a collector, but it's even better if you can contribute to discussions concerning customization/crafting for your dolls. Wow, this stuff actually sounds pretty cool, but I'm not sure if I have the right skills for this sort of stuff. If you have any sort of creative hobby, you can apply it to dolls. If you paint, sew, sculpt, or even do woodworking you have a place in the BJD hobby! Links to sites concerning different types of customization are coming up in future posts, so keep an eye out for what you're into!
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Mar 22, 2012 04:48
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Glossary of Terms: OOAK: One of a kind. Usually refers to dolls that were built from the ground up with unique molds. Face Up: The use of paint, pastels, or other mediums to give a doll’s face a more realistic appearance. This includes natural shading to give the face depth and extra features like makeup. Body Blushing: The use of pastels or other mediums to give a doll’s body extra dimension, e.g. muscle definition. Joint Sueding: Coating joint sockets in a thin layer of hot glue to enhance a doll’s ability to pose. The slight stickiness of the glue allows the limbs to hold poses better. Stringing: The act of connecting a doll’s joints with elastic. Modification: Anything done to a doll to customize its appearance that was not provided by the factory. This includes face ups, changes to the build, and changing limbs, among other things. Doll Customization  Doll nudity ahead! Possibly NSFW! Face Ups:     Body Blushing and Tattoos:     Body Mods:     Every mod pictured is custom in its category. Pictures were taken from gently caress Yeah BJD Mods! Grape Juice Vampire fucked around with this message at 05:54 on Mar 22, 2012 |
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Mar 22, 2012 04:48
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Doll Hobby Site Link List Den of Angels: Perhaps the biggest and most popular site for BJD hobbyists. Rules are strict here, so lurk for awhile before posting to get a hang of how things work around there. Registration is currently invite only. If you're interested in a membership, PM me for an invite. Dollieh Sanctuary: A smaller but much friendlier site. Rules are more relaxed, and discussion is open to dolls like Monster High and Barbie. gently caress Yeah BJD Mods!: A really cool Tumblr for BJD mods! All pictures in the OP and the second post were found on this blog. My Froggy Stuff: Absolutely the best channel for doll props, furniture, and even clothing. She covers all sizes of dolls, from the tiny to the very large. Distinctive Fabric: Fabulous supplier of various unusual fabrics, including faux fur. Faux fur can be used to make doll wigs! When you register an account, you will receive five FREE swatches of any fabric you want, and after your five free pieces swatches are only a dollar a piece with free shipping. Long pile fur is best for doll hair. Amazon: Kind of obvious, but very useful. Mr. Super Clear available here. Starter Dolls Here are a few places to get affordable starter dolls, listed in no particular order. The Junky Spot: An incredible site! The Junky Spot buys dolls in bulk from retailers and sells them here, along with clothes, wigs, eyes, and other supplies. This is extremely convenient in that it shrinks your shipping time from six weeks+ to less than a week! Here you can buy beginner dolls, such as Obitsu and Hujoo dolls, and more expensive dolls from a variety of brands. Fun fact: the owner, Emory, always puts cute little gifts in with doll orders, like keychains or Japanese candy.  Mint On Card: Similar to The Junky Spot, but with a broader range of doll brands. Fantasy Doll: Affordable sculpts in all sizes. The price includes a face up and eyelashes. Resin Soul: Affordable, but sometimes of questionable quality. Prices also include a face up. Angel of Dream: A little more expensive than BBB/RS and Fantasy Doll, but decent starters. Prices do NOT include a face up. Impldoll: Fantasy tinies! They had an elephant centaur sometime back I regret not grabbing... Magical Angel: Relatively new company, where an SD can be bought and shipped for less than $200. THEY HAVE JOINTED FEET. Grape Juice Vampire fucked around with this message at 01:54 on Dec 14, 2012 |
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Mar 22, 2012 04:49
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~Reserved~
Grape Juice Vampire fucked around with this message at 08:06 on Mar 27, 2012 |
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Mar 22, 2012 05:32
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Green Jacket posted:Another BJD-owning Goon checking in. My pictures are crap so I don't know about posting them. If you can get any decent pics, do feel free to post them! I just nabbed mine from a meet up thread where somebody posted pics of my dolls. Cute crap's great! I'm expecting Hujoo Cojoo in the mail tomorrow, and I'm splicing together a Little Pullip and an 11cm Obitsu next month. I'm all about the cheap tinies, really.
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Mar 22, 2012 06:20
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My Cojoo just came in and I need to install magnets for his horns. I'll be posting pictures once he's finished! Edit: I just put his eyes in and discovered something awesome. I used $2 18mm plastic eyes from JoAnn's instead of buying acrylic or glass. They're flat backed safety eyes with a green iris and a black slit pupil. When I put them in, the way the eyes were built his pupils now follow you from every angle! :O Awesomely creepy. Grape Juice Vampire fucked around with this message at 16:49 on Mar 22, 2012 |
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Mar 22, 2012 15:47
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Pick posted:Worse yet, I have a couple Orientdolls from 2007 as well, almost untouched. But it was a good time to stock up on them since so many were going for cheap, and I love love love Orientdolls. Iplehouse is my favorite company; they started selling extra foot parts because I asked. They're so wonderful Did you have a problem with the weird resin foot hooks? My friend has an Iplehouse that she ended up having to mod because of them.
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Mar 23, 2012 03:09
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Her Dark Throne posted:I've decided to bite the bullet and finally string/suede my poor Isabella! My question is what type of a elastic do I need, how much do I need, and where can I buy it? Ask on DOA. Check the Marketplace for cheap elastic+whatnot, too.
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Mar 23, 2012 04:11
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Is there a way to file down ABS plastic without ruining the look of the plastic? My Cojoo has a huge protruding upper lip and I'd like to take it down a bit. I used a jewelry file to sand down my Obitsu's nipples ( they stuck through EVERYTHING) but that's on a not-so visible area.Edit: Went for it at an unhealthy hour with the jewelry file. Success! Grape Juice Vampire fucked around with this message at 11:26 on Mar 25, 2012 |
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Mar 25, 2012 07:27
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You could also try making your own molds if you want to have multiple torsos with the same modification. There are a few tutorials on making your own molds and casting things in them floating around. It's a little time consuming and maybe more expensive to begin with, but it'll save you time in sculpting later. Plus, you can sell them! A few people sell custom MH torsos on Etsy for almost the same price as a brand new MH doll.
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Mar 29, 2012 18:21
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Lassarina posted:Thanks guys! I just want to do the one mod on each doll so I will look into the apoxie sculpt. I do already have the mix and pour mold stuff but I haven't used it before and I was saving it for when I had a few things I wanted to mold. Maybe I should try to use it to make a monster high torso, but then I would have to get into resin casting too, and I already have way to many hobbies. Are they torsos only for the create a monster sets? For the most part, yeah, but some people just like to mix them up or have extras for customization practice.
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Apr 1, 2012 06:44
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Dorky posted:I got into BJDs about a month ago, and they're pretty neat. My first doll won't be here for a while yet, but I've got a face that I just ordered. I'm using it to practice faceups on until I can order a body for it. http://mybjd-asia.forumms.net/t53-creating-eyebrows-for-bjd-tutorial-part-1 Here's a pretty great tutorial on how to do eyebrows. I've heard of some people making masking tape templates for a doll's eyebrows to get them symmetrical, but I can't attest to how well this works.
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Apr 4, 2012 03:26
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I like the little candy packages Emory throws in with Junky Spot orders. I try to throw in little accessories or other tiny stuff whenever I sell doll junk.
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Apr 6, 2012 04:54
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Gonna breathe some life back into this thread by announcing that I'm joining the cool kids resin club.  My Tong Tong should be here by next week! He's going to be my first faceup victim, and possibly my first ear mod experiment.
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Apr 18, 2012 05:36
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Has anyone ever attached a non-permanent mohawk to a doll's head? Double sided tape isn't working and I'd like to be able to change them out.
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May 5, 2012 16:12
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Pick posted:You could probably rare earth magnet those. That's what I'm thinking I'll do. I think to give the wig a solid base to put the magnets in I'm going to make a curved wig "cap" out of plaster bandages that will fit to the doll's scalp.
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May 6, 2012 14:42
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In case anyone is interested, I found a Flickr group dedicated to sewing patterns for Littlefees/YoSDs. Lots of jumper/dress patterns, perfect for summer!
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May 23, 2012 17:42
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Sweet Gulch posted:This thread has inspired me to try making some customs! Figured I'd start out cheap, and picked up some Monster High Build-a-Monster sets... I've got plenty of acrylic paint, so we'll see how it goes! If I end up liking it, maybe I'll put some more money into it and see about airbrushing. Awesome! Try experimenting with chalk pastels before investing in an airbrush. It still gives that beautiful soft look but it's cheaper to pick up.  Shameless plugging: I'm selling my Tong Tong if anyone wants a "BJD starter kit". Affordable Yo-SD, comes with clothes, eyes, and props! She's really new, less than three months old. Never had a face up or anything. If you're interested shoot me a PM here or on DOA. My DOA username is MissIscariot Speaking of DOA, does anybody still need an invite?
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Jun 4, 2012 03:28
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Make sure to check out your other options as well. Both Knitter and I have had second thoughts about Obitsus after buying them. Just take a look at some other lower-end dolls available on The Junky Spot or the DOA Marketplace.
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Jun 5, 2012 02:09
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cubivore posted:These things are so expensive. I don't own any mainly because of the cost, and Obitsu/Resinsoul/Bobobie sculpts don't really do it for me. But they're so beautiful (sometimes) they really catch my eye. EDIT: Removed recast talk. If those brands don't appeal to you, check out 5Stardoll and Fantasy Doll. Somebody's selling a couple of Fantasy Dolls on the DOA MP for a decent price right now. (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST) Grape Juice Vampire fucked around with this message at 22:06 on Jun 6, 2012 |
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Jun 6, 2012 01:17
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Please take recast discussions to either Castaways or DOA. There are plenty of threads for both sides of the debate there. Sorry, I just want to keep the arguments out of the thread. 
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Jun 6, 2012 02:12
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I KNOW there was a thread on DOA on how to (slightly) reverse yellowing. I remember it had to do with swabbing the resin with some kind of alcohol. Hell if I can remember where the thread went to. EDIT: Found it. Grape Juice Vampire fucked around with this message at 02:22 on Jun 6, 2012 |
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Jun 6, 2012 02:19
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All links to sites about recasts removed. Carry on.
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Jun 6, 2012 22:06
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Sweet Gulch posted:I'd love an invite as well and lack plat! me at vickipohl.com, thanks! Sent! Edit: Can I take a moment to rage about how much I hate incorrectly placed piercings on dolls? Too-low bridge piercings are the worst offenders. You can't pierce your nose cartilage! 
Grape Juice Vampire fucked around with this message at 07:29 on Jun 9, 2012 |
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Jun 9, 2012 07:25
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cubivore posted:Is there some sort of gallery of ugly/badly-modded dolls? The best I could find was the How to Torture Resin tumblr, but there's barely anything there. Maybe I should start my own. Or is this not kosher, because a lot of people in this hobby seem unstable and unable to take any bad things said about their doll? Den of Demons has an Eye Poison subforum. Haven't looked there in ages, though. The critique subforum on DOA has some pretty good examples too. 
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Jun 10, 2012 00:34
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If you like unboxings, go to YouTube. Less creepy roleplaying, and most (good) owners will give a little review of the doll. They're incredibly useful for when you're looking into buying a doll and want to see how it moves/poses. However, they're also very good at convincing you that you need every doll ever. If you do decide to get a doll, please let us know! 
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Jul 4, 2012 05:32
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Do you have a DOA account yet? I got my 5SD Tong Tong for a HUGE discount (and then sold her for a huge profit) from the MP. Of course, it takes time to get MP access, but buying secondhand can get you some really good deals.
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Jul 7, 2012 00:52
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Pick posted:Is there a good place to get Mr. Super Clear in the US? I could have sworn The Junky Spot sold it, but I guess they either ran out or stopped carrying it.  I know there are a few other sealants that are something like the 2nd best to use on face ups/body blushing available in the US, though, Testors Dullcote being one of them.
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Jul 7, 2012 08:23
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I just got a metal cell phone holder for my tiny. I was at Salvation Army the other day and they had an arm chair that was perfectly sized for an SD/MSD, depending on how big you wanted the chair to be in relation to the doll. I wish I had an SD.
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Jul 11, 2012 22:26
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Bummer. Has anyone ever done a study on which sealants work best? For all the people who do face ups you'd think there HAS to be an equally good alternative to MSC.
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Jul 12, 2012 19:37
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Nah, pet dolls are just as widely accepted as other types of dolls. Keep an eye out on the Junky Spot's Facebook page. Emory released a few photos of a cat doll that he's developing. Unfortunately he's not answering any questions about it for the time being. It's super effing cute, though. Other pictures reveal that it's going to be about Yo-SD sized. Makes me wanna get a cat doll and turn it into a sphinx.
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Jul 13, 2012 08:43
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I pad the gently caress out of my post count with the critique sub forum. It gets you MP access and you get to help people suck less at face ups! Dolly Debate is also a good place to make posts. It is, however, full of retarded poo poo. Seriously, I'm reading a thread that is full od people who think their dolls cry when they put them away in their carriers. Also, does anyone else collect stupid doll names?
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Jul 21, 2012 04:14
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My favorite stupid names are the ones that make it look like the owner just pointed to a random word in the dictionary and made it their doll's name. My favorite so far is Temporary.  As for everyone else in Dolly Debate...yes. Really, just go in assuming everyone is terrible. You are 99% likely to be correct.
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Jul 23, 2012 06:02
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Arsenic Lupin posted:Argh. Last night I couldn't sleep (not because of BJD) and I suddenly put two facts together: There are resin dolls at BBB price levels from different companies if you don't really want to go with an Obitsu. I'm gonna go add some to the OP so people will know to look elsewhere for an affordable first doll if BBB/RS isn't their thing.
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Jul 23, 2012 22:38
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Have you looked at Feng clothed? Some time ago I was looking at buying a Wu, who also has the freaky short arm thing going on, and found that it isn't quite so noticeable when the doll is clothed.
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Jul 25, 2012 01:38
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I feel like you could find a better body for a similar price, but I'm a little biased toward bodies with three part torsos. Those elbow and knee joints though...
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Jul 25, 2012 02:26
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They just look like they move and pose nicely. Having the double joints with the "peanut" pieces at the elbows and knees gives you a wider range of poses, such as the ones seen on the website. They look a little less "human", but if you're basically just using one like a mannequin I don't know how much that matters to you.
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Jul 25, 2012 03:32
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Super!  If anyone wants to chat over IMs rather than stretch the thread with questions/answers, my AIM name is in my profile, or you can add me on Google chat (hdcpunk@gmail.com). I need more doll buddies to sperg with.
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Jul 25, 2012 03:49
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How creepy do you have to be that even your dolls look like they're tired of your bullshit? 
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Aug 4, 2012 18:26
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Just in case there are any newbies interested in a starter doll or experienced folks who want a project doll, I know of somebody who's selling a YoSD-sized doll (legit, not recast) for $65. It's a Customhouse Ange Ai Gaby, if that matters to anyone. It had a bad tan job, and is still a little blotchy, but with the right care it could be a perfectly good doll. Or you could say it has vitiligo, whatever.
Grape Juice Vampire fucked around with this message at 06:07 on Aug 5, 2012 |
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Aug 5, 2012 00:41
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