I have done SO MUCH since my last update! The project is evolving from a simple database into a full-fledged ecosystem. Here’s the breakdown of everything that has changed, what got fixed, and what is coming down the pipeline.

🎨 The Big Refresh (Brand & UI)

The most obvious change: New site colors! I have officially moved away from the old white and light blue. The site now matches Doffee’s signature blues and lime greens.

• Redesigned Elements: Tweaked all cards across every page so they finally match each other.
• New Header: Features an AI-generated Doffee head as a placeholder (I’ll be replacing this with my own drawings later!).
• CSS Fixes: Since the color change, the filtering was getting hard to read. I’ve added custom CSS so you can actually see what you’re doing now.
• Brand Identity Page: I finally put my graphic design degree to use and added a brand identity page to keep the project's look consistent.

🤝 The "Table Squash" & Community

• r/BJD Outreach: Posted on Reddit and got a great response! Lots of people want to help, which is amazing.
• The Big Collaboration: I’ve been recontacted by a BJD measurement data hoarder I spoke with years and years ago when I first started Doll Finder. We are planning to "squash" our tables together.

The Plan: Use Make.com for massive data mapping and automation.

The Work: Once merged, I’ll be going back in to add images and features that their tables are currently missing. It’s going to be an ordeal, but it's going to make the database legendary.

1. Graphical Improvements: Replacing all AI placeholders with my own hand-drawn artwork.
2. Data Cleanup: Completing the incomplete doll additions from my previous mass-add phase.
3. Advanced Filtering: My dream is to add image-based filters (like clicking an icon of a closed eye to find dolls with closed eyes). I'm looking into whether I can pull this off with Javascript without it becoming a total nightmare. Or if it is even possible with this software....

• The Card Overlap Fix: Fixed that annoying issue where doll cards would overlap the filtering menu when you accidentally hovered over them. The filter menu now persistently stays on top.
• "Add a Doll" Form Fixed: Discovered that a single-select field was trying to be a multi-select field because I accidentally checked a box during testing. It's fixed now!
• Navigation Improvements: Added "Add" and "Request" buttons to all search pages to make contributing easier.
• User Access: Added Login and Sign-up buttons to the add/edit pages.
• New Pages: Added a Shop page (for future adverts/links), an Advert Waitlist, and a Progress page to track the site's status.
• Meet the Characters: Added a background lore page! It’s hidden for now because I need to finish the artwork, but the stories are ready.

Reddit Adventures (Feat. Spam Bots)

I recently attempted to promote Doll Finder over on r/BJD, and… well. The reception could best be described as "a polite nod in a quiet room." A few people said it was a neat idea, which I will cling to like a dragon clutching a shiny object, but overall interest was less than stellar.

That said, I may have accidentally sabotaged myself.

I don’t use Reddit much, so I didn’t realize that when posts get removed by filters, they’re often sent to moderators for approval. Instead, I assumed they were just gone forever into the void and kept rewriting and reposting like a determined fool knocking on a locked door. Repeatedly. With increasing desperation.

Eventually, the mods stepped in, gave me a gentle "please stop doing that," and approved one of my posts… unfortunately, it was one of the less refined versions. Not exactly my best work, but at that point, we take what we can get.

I’ll likely revisit promotion in a few months and see if interest has shifted. Or if I’ve learned how Reddit works by then. No promises.

Baserow Strikes Again

Meanwhile, in a completely separate act of betrayal, Baserow decided to "improve" things.

Their backend update broke every single page link I had already painstakingly reworked to be more streamlined. Every. Single. One. So now I get to go back and fix them all again.

Even better, the system I was using to combine edit and submission forms into one neat, efficient setup? No longer plays nice with their updated "language." The current recommendation is to go back to using two separate forms and pages.

So yes. We are evolving. Backwards.

I suppose this is the price of building on a platform that is still technically in beta. A fun little gamble where the prize is extra work and the punishment is also extra work.

Performance (aka Why Is It Like This)

You may also notice that parts of the site and database feel… slow.

That is not your imagination.

Unfortunately, this is a limitation of Baserow itself. Since the platform is still in beta and handles a lot of the backend processing, there isn’t much I can do on my end to significantly improve performance right now. So if something takes a moment to load, just know the hamster powering the database is doing its best.

User Accounts: Cool Idea, Terrifying Consequences

Speaking of beta features, user accounts are still technically free and unlimited right now. However, I’m seriously considering scrapping the whole login/profile system entirely. Not because I don’t like it (it’s actually pretty cool), but because I have a very real fear of waking up one morning to a surprise bill that could financially obliterate me.

And by "financially obliterate," I mean absolutely destroy.

I cannot absorb a sudden multi-thousand-dollar charge because people decided to enthusiastically exist on the platform all at once. So that’s… a concern.

Creative Brain vs. Technical Reality

On a more creative note, I have a growing pile of ideas for branding, design, and overall aesthetic improvements. The artist part of my brain is practically vibrating, begging to work on those instead of wrestling with backend logic and broken URLs.

Unfortunately, the backend currently has me in a chokehold.

At the moment, there aren’t many visible changes on the site because most of the work is happening behind the scenes. Fixing what broke, restructuring forms, and trying to keep everything functional.

So for now, progress continues...slowly, stubbornly, and with the energy of someone dragging a cart uphill.

• Rebuilding and fixing all page URLs (again)
• Splitting forms back into separate submission and edit pages
• Continued evaluation of whether to keep or remove user accounts
• Future attempt at promoting the site (with hopefully less accidental chaos)
• Possible focus on branding and visual identity… if the backend allows me to escape

• Began promotion efforts on r/BJD (results: mixed, leaning toward “eh”)
• Learned how Reddit moderation and spam filters actually work (the hard way)
• Baserow backend update broke all previously reworked page URLs
• Identified need to revert to separate submission and edit forms
• Reevaluating user login/profile system due to potential financial risk

Well, folks, I've finally done it. I've performed the corporate equivalent of swallowing a grenade: I bit the bullet and actually paid money to Baserow. Yes, your resident cheapskate caved. This means The Doll Finder is now tragically burdened with the capacity to hold 250,000 rows of your glorious data and 100GB of your deeply unsettling doll photos.

Currently, you vultures are free and unlimited because the Baserow App Builder is still festering in its "beta" stage—which, for the uninitiated, is corporate speak for "it's full of bugs and everything is janky." When this digital nightmare graduates to a proper release, the plan allegedly includes 15 app users. After that, I get to play the exciting game of "Guess the Active User Charge," which I assume will be about $4 per warm body, or whatever arbitrary figure they pull out of a hat that day. Send thoughts and prayers (and maybe a small loan).

🐌 Current State: Baserow's Sloth Mode

Let's address the elephant in the server room: the site is slow. Baserow's servers have the response time of a dehydrated snail. I tried reducing the initial data load, which helped approximately zero. I will continue to tweak, but ultimately, the speed of this operation is in the hands of the Baserow gods. And those gods are apparently on a very long lunch break. Airtable wasn't this slow. Just saying.

Is there a specific broken link or wonky feature you've spotted recently that I should prioritize fixing?

These are the raw forms for adding info. They’re for Discord members only, so please don’t go flinging them around like confetti at a clown funeral. We’re just trying to stop bots and trolls from stuffing the database with whatever unhinged nonsense their three remaining brain cells come up with.

Before completing a form, check the rules and tutorial pages. Don’t freestyle. Freestyling leads to chaos, and chaos leads to me crying into a spreadsheet.

Make sure you follow the form explanations too...they exist to prevent unintentional data crimes.

⚠️ Rules: https://www.dollfinder.org/rules
⚠️ Feature Definitions: https://www.dollfinder.org/features
⚠️ Availability Definitions: https://www.dollfinder.org/availability

✍️ Add a Doll: https://baserow.io/form/j0_GiB5tnHhMHRo_itEaoJ274mIjq-p4rP6k6X2MDeQ
✍️ Add a Company: https://baserow.io/form/EMt_tCk1rdvbR-N5_cnLlTxnqjcvqHfg2OEWapdiwKE
✍️ Add a Resin Comparison: https://baserow.io/form/5wRSG1-OuiEoHKMv31M3mpHU-ApbVGtIL1HL31eO1gU
✍️ Add a Hybrid: https://baserow.io/form/05igBZ9u3HGwKYDKT9202CqcS8SFlmgs5oMuo9QqhBk
✍️ Request Info: https://baserow.io/form/EDTU7F8lFYpwLrczXkt5rl3KmhS4MlH4ygVK5fdCYjU

🪲 Report Form: https://baserow.io/form/6Jaf95j8tST-JHh28rdX8DinP-jS3n472kReHSgGbxE
📤 General Contact Form: https://baserow.io/form/2OtLvhxTPCHDTRny7BeMdL_sV5JsUJOr0HtSuFsFaKQ

📢 Advertisement Form: https://baserow.io/form/ezxtC8UuXTmo7cOAxphu_E8vKQeOHzcs54RMf3yroVA

1. Graphics & Mascot: I still need to draw some actual site graphics and a "cute" mascot. However, my time is currently being devoured by things that pay the bills, my other crippling hobbies, and, you know, making the database actually function despite the software's best efforts. Don't hold your breath.
2. Feature Definitions: I still need to draw graphics for every single feature definition. See point above re: time and my zero-dollar budget. I briefly considered hiring someone but then remembered I am broke. So, that's firmly in the future-me-will-suffer pile.
3. Page Audit: I need to click through every single page and make sure my recent URL and structural changes haven't turned the site into a digital minefield.
4. Tutorials: I'm working on step-by-step guidance. I found Scribe, which is neat but hard to integrate. So, I might just record a video of myself explaining things—which is probably a better fit for the low-budget, high-anxiety vibe of this project anyway.

1. Monetary Sacrifice: The wallet weeps. The database expands to accommodate a quarter million tiny plastic overlords thanks to my new subscription.
2. File Uploads Implemented: All forms now accept files. Max limit is 1MB. If your doll photo is that big, you are committing a digital sin. Go read the goddamn guidelines and use TinyPNG. You're wasting my precious 100GB.
3. Styling & Forms Tweaked: I've shuffled the furniture on the Titanic. Expect more structural chaos as I try to make this database semi-logical before the next deluge of dolls arrives and locks me into a terrible design.
4. Resin & Hybrid Comparisons Now Active: The ability to compare different resin hues and list your horrifying hybrid creations is live. I'm deciding if I'll let you edit them or just let you add photos to the listing.
5. URL Rerouting Completed: I changed some URLs. I'm confident I missed something crucial. Go forth and report the broken links; it's practically a feature now.
6. "Raw" Forms Deployed: The App Builder forms are too clumsy for this world. I've deployed the ugly, unstyled Raw Forms, which, ironically, work better. They even make head-related fields vanish if you select a body. Magic! (And hopefully a feature Baserow eventually steals for their main builder.)

I had an idea. Since this site already features resin comparisons (because apparently that’s my idea of fun), why not also create hybrid combos? And thus, Hybrids™ was born—a cursed Frankenstein’s monster of a feature that limped around in Alpha for three months before I finally shoved it into Beta.

There are now forms where you can submit hybrid requests—or unleash your own unholy creations upon the database. I’ve been padding it with my own images too, mostly because my Flickr account is about to burst like an overfed tick.

The problem is, Baserow caps out at 250,000 rows—even if you pay them actual human money. Which means hybrid submissions will also take up database rows. I may move them to a completely different application if the database gets too bloated.

Right now, everything looks uglier than my soul at 3 AM, but I’m focused on making the site function before I slap on lipstick and call it aesthetic. I still haven’t subscribed to Baserow, so file uploads are locked unless you use their hideous, mile-long forms that feel like an interrogation. Meanwhile, my database is still a crime scene that I need to clean up from mass submissions I drunkenly (metaphorically) dumped in months ago. Oh, and the feature definitions are still rotting half-finished.

Progress is glacial, because apparently I thought juggling hobbies and “adulting” at the same time was a good idea. At this rate, Hybrids™ might actually outlive me.

• File uploads (once I sell my soul to Baserow’s paid plan).
• Making the site less of a visual war crime (design pass… eventually).
• Moving resin comparisons to their own padded cell (database).
• Actually finishing the feature definitions I abandoned like unwanted houseplants.
• Attempting to make submissions appear on profiles without the databases eating each other alive.
• Probably breaking everything by accident along the way.

• Hybrids™ crawled out of Alpha and into Beta, screaming.
• Added forms for submitting hybrid requests and unleashing your own mistakes into the database.
• Started uploading my own images because my Flickr account is dying a slow, bloated death.
• Hybrids got shoved into their own database so they don’t cannibalize the user one (for now).
• Everything is still uglier than a Craigslist couch, but it technically “works.”
• Accidentally performed a mass submission ritual months ago and now the database looks like a murder scene. Still cleaning that up.

I have noticed that the website is quite sluggish and often returns errors, specifically, a 404 error. I have also noticed that information on the detail pages sometimes does not load correctly. Certain elements will display "no items have been found" when, in fact, there are items to be found. I would like to note, however, that this is most often true. A lot of doll information in the database is still blank!

A slow refresh usually rectifies these issues.

Also, the edit profile feature does not work. There is an issue with the password field. Again, this issue is on the service providers side.

I have contacted the service provider, and they are aware of these issues and are trying to fix them.

All the other forms and such work, including the sign up forms. All I need to do now is pull some money out of my ass to subscribe to the advanced teir so I can get some file upload elements. The database needs pictures. I do have a work around, but its a pain. You an submit the information, then upload the image afterwords. Not many people have the patience to do this, so this method is not ideal.

Regarding file uploads:

I have noticed that previously uploaded files are getting completely deleted when editing an entry. I am hoping this also gets fixed in the next update.

• File uploads
• Database organization
• Service provider fixes (hopefully).
• Tutorials
• Artwork
• Feature detail pages

• Various form fixes
• Many design changes

The Doll Finder site is coming along slowly. I am focusing on designing the application, and then I will be cleaning up the database and making changes to it. Baserow and its application builder are not as advanced as the Airtable/Pory combo, so it will no longer be viable to include all versions of a doll in the database, or display them on the doll details page.

I will be designing Doffee in between all this and my full-time job, and other hobbies. I am a very busy person!

⚠️NOTICE⚠️

• After all the work I put into users and user profile, I learned that Baserow is going to start charging $4.00 per user. Obviously, that is absolutely not sustainable for this project. Especially when the project is reliant on the income of a minimum wage worker.
• It's still unclear if that means seats on a Baserow team and/or a user-defined user table.
• When that time comes, all users and user profiles will be gone with the wind. The Doll Finder will then have to go back the the "update request" method. It's also possible that all entries will have to be approved before appearing in the database since anyone and everyone will be able to use the submission forms.

• User database established
• Profiles added

I discovered that Pory is no longer free. To use it, Pory.io would cost $99/month in addition to the Airtable subscription fee. Since that price is ridiculous, I started using Baserow. I have to redesign everything from the ground up, which will take some time.

When is rains, it pours. Another blow has been dealt to Doll Finder!

Airtable announced that their Airtable plans were changing! Free accounts have now been limited even further.

• Attachment space has been REDUCED from 2GB to 1GB
• Record count has been REDUCED from 1,200 to 1,000 records.
• They have also removed the cheaper database plans from Airtable, increasing the cost of the database software Doll Finder uses.

Doll Finder is now at a point where we will need to purchase a database plan if anymore dolls are to be added. The increased cost would be as follows:

• $20 per month (if paid yearly)
• $24 per month (if paid monthly)

This would give Doll Finder

• 50,000 records per base (complete overkill for the Doll Finder as 5,000 would probably be sufficient)
• 10 GB of attachments per base

What does this mean for Doll Finder?
A lot. I cannot afford to run the database on my own with my minimum wage job. There are other options available, but Airtable is the easiest to use and is no-code.

Wix has a database option with their website builder, but is heavily reliant on their Velo code. While I can figure some code things out, configuring the forms with code to be able to submit a doll are beyond my expertise.

Notion also has a database and is the cheapest of them all...but is very cluttered looking. Presenting doll information and images is not ideal at all. Everything Notion related is very tedious.

If you have any other solutions I am more than welcome to listen. You can use the contact form to contact me. You may also help run the database in various ways, including donations and buying advertisement space.

Google Domains and Squarespace announced that Squarespace has entered into an agreement to purchase all domains and customer accounts from Google Domains.

Squarespace has agreed to honor the current pricing of the purchased domains for 12 months.

However, I expect that major price hikes are soon to happen.

What does that mean for Doll Finder? Well, nothing too major. Doll Finder just won't have a pretty web URL anymore, but the site will still exist for individuals to use.

If you are interested in donating to the Doll Finder, please check out our donation page for more information. Doll Finder is also considering accepting doll related advertisments!

• Minor graphic and wording changes
• Changed the website name from Doll Feature Finder to Doll Finder
• Dofefi has been renamed to Dofi

I have successfully added the ENTIRE Doll Legend catalog into DFF! I have yet to add the features, as that will take a little more time.

I am also happy to see other people adding dolls as well! However, after a doll adding wave, the website host decided to crash the DFF site. UGH.

It was only down for about an hour though and is now back up and running!

[ ] DFF mascot
[ ] DFF graphics (so we can look at more than just text)
[ ] Feature infographics
[ ] Better feature structure
[ ] DFF polls for voting on user features

• Added "recently added dolls" list to frontpage
• Changed the way the "body" and "variations" are viewed. They now appear in a tabbed menu at the bottom of the doll information popup.
• Changed a few features and their definitions to add clarity.
• Changed various design elements

Good news! Individuals can now edit the doll company database entries on their own! However, there are some downsides.

Pros:

• Updates are nearly instant, giving the editor satisfaction. YAY!
• No one has to wait on me to update the listing manually.

Cons:

• Data can accidently be deleted.
  • Not to panic, revision history is a thing...up to two weeks worth. I can always fix it at a later date. I get an email when a record is added or updated, so if I notice something wrong I can fix it quickly.
• Only 100 instant updates a month are allowed (unless I upgrade my plan from free to paid). I don't think this will be to much of an issue as no one is really adding or modifying...or even using the database. #sad

I am still debating if I want to do this with the actual doll listings. The process is much more tedious because of the amount of information is in the doll finder. There is also more of a chance for things to go wrong.

​That is all the updates for now!

• Added direct doll company editing capabilities.

It has been awhile since I last posted an update! Real life got in the way as I have been busy at work (we are shorthanded). Anyway, I have started cloning the site on a new platform. The site will look much the same, but the doll records will look better. The search functionality isn't quite there yet on the new platform, so for now I will be keeping the current setup, even though it is kind of a mess.

In the meantime, I plan to hire some data entry people on fiverr or something to help add dolls to the database. There are a few companies that have been completed, or nearly completed by myself and some fantastic volunteers. However, I can't expect them to add a million dolls by themselves. They have since moved on and I am flying solo again. I want to thank them for there support! All of you were amazing.

What I really need right now are entries from art dolls from individual artists. These are hard to find because they don't have a large company and are mostly working by themselves. So please, if you know of any, add them to the database!! I can easily add the large companies myself, but I don't know of many doll artists!

Updates are slow, but they are getting there.

Tell your friends!!

I have been slowly working on graphics for the website. The process is slow, because I also have a day job that takes up most of my time. Not to mention I am working on several other things at the same time. So much to do so little time! On another note, I added the entire Rosette School of Doll (by Soom) catalog! Even the new dolls Soom re-released on their Neo-Angel Region website. I may decide to tackle another companies catalog later. I am doing all this by myself at the moment so....yea. Doll entries are scarce at the moment.

Not much else has been done. I received approval from Den of Angels to advertise this site in the news section. YAY! I have also been researching alternatives to the system DFF has, just in case the project gets too big for its britches. :)

Until next time!

• New tags have been added!
• New tag explanations have been added!

I was advertising my database when I was contacted about another database! Currently, they only have a google spreadsheet available and are working on a website. You can find their spreadsheet here: BJD Size Comparison

What does this mean for the future of DFF?

We have decided to collaborate! For now, it means a huge influx of data. They are also working on a website, but it is not currently available to the public. We have exchanged ideas and both sites have or will incorporate features from each database. Most of everything was the same anyway! <3

When they get their site up and running, there will simply be two databases, or three, or four....depending on how many more pop up. I think this is great as it provides more tools and options to the community. The more databases, the less chance of all this information disappearing!

On another note, my free plan only allows me to add 1,500 records to my database and BJD Size Comparison (BSC for short). That means I will need to upgrade my plan and pay money. For now, I am covering the expenses out of my pocket and will have to take donations.

Why not find a different solution that is cheaper or free?
This solution allows anyone to add to the database with a simple form and the information is updated immediately. There is no coding involved so everything from A-Z can be changed quickly and efficiently! However, I am always open to suggestions!

• Links/Affiliates have been added
• Tutorial videos have been created and posted.
• New fields have been added to the Doll Finder
  • Measurements
• New fields have been added to the Doll Companies
  • Country
  • In/Out of Business
• Donation page created

I have been missing the old doll feature search website from years ago (dollection.fi), which went MIA due to the owner no longer being in the BJD hobby. I have been thinking about making a database for a long time, I just never knew where to begin. I created a Flickr group many years ago to help recreate the "dollection" drag and drop compare feature, but I never really did anything with it. With new technologies, it is now easier than ever to create such a database without the need for knowing how to code!

Right now, there are practically no entries in the database. I have added a few as examples, but I am going to need the help of the community to see this idea into fruition.

I created the initial database on March 8, 2021 and posted it on the Den of Angels website. I received feedback and suggestions and the DFF has already changed for the better (hopefully) because of this suggestions!

I hope that this database keep evolving to get bigger, better, and more helpful so that everyone can find their dream dolls.

To get to know how DFF works, head on over to the How To Use page.
​Go to the Find A Doll page to start looking up features.
If you would like to contribute, feel free to hop on over to the Add A Doll page.
Have a suggestion or comment? Contact me!

Doll Feature Finder Website:
dollfinder.org

Dolls to Scale Flickr Group:
https://www.flickr.com/groups/4096769@N22/​

Future plans:

• Incorporate the Flickr group "Dolls to Scale" to recreate the dollection.fi drag and drop photo comparison.
• Include links to the relevant doll scale photos to the DFF finder.
• Make everything pretty. :3
• Get a domain name. DONE!
• Add more dolls. Lots and lots and dolls. Please help me! T.T
• Add more features such as face shape, body types, etc.
  • Slim, muscular, round face, chubby, mature, child-like, etc?

• DFF website created!
• "Add a doll" entry form created
• "Add company" entry form created
• "Edit doll" entry from created
• "Edit company" entry form created