Grail fullset: Angell-studio Queen Kelly fullset
After 2.5 years I have obtained the grail fullset with even the wig! It was a long process and I learned a lot on the way and the fullset on all aspects was even better than I'd dreamed!
(long story time after the break)
It started in March 2023. I see Angell studio just released a new doll, Kelly on taobao. She came out in a Queen version and a knight version. The moment I see the queen pics, I show my SO being like, omg, I must have this. I mulled it over for a hot minute. The doll was fine, but i was in love with the fullset. My SO was already resigned to the fact that I was going to buy it the moment i showed it. So while I had never used a proxy before, I get the link to send to a proxy. The next day I look, and it's sold out. ༼;´༎ຶ ༎ຶ༽ It had sold out in like 24h and before the proxy had a chance to get back to me. Seeing how quickly it had sold out on tb and how limited it seemed, I had little hope that i would be able to get one through WTBs, but i dutifully put them up all around in the english speaking places.
Then I learned about xianyu. I knew NCS could do some proxying and had heard about another bjd proxying individual, so i poked around on xianyu and I did find the fullset doll, but they would have been like 2 or 3k usd with the bjd proxy fees. While I did love her, i could not justify that cost to myself. another time i found her being sold but as a bundle with several other dolls being like 8k or something. I resigned myself to continue the search. Through it, i learned more about general chinese proxies rather than bjd specific proxies which had much lower fees.
Then late 2024, i see someone selling the queen outfit, no wig on xy. it's kind of pricey at like $400~500 and still too steep for me. but i kept refreshing it and watching the listing day after day. the price eventually drops a bit. but still too high. later it drops again. then in december it drops down to an imo reasonable price ~300s. I did the mental math and found that the xy outfit cost + new nude doll straight from AS cost would be less than my WTB budget. It was in striking range now. I threw it over to the proxy and bought it. It was glorious. Until 47 came in to power and fucked up the global trade... that was a stressful time, but luckily the outfit came through without any additional charges 3 months later (sea mail 🙈).
Now I'd resigned myself to the fact that I I wouldn't be able to get the updo fullset wig as it seemed most people I saw on xy only had the long hair down version that was the other wig option when the fullset was being sold. So I thought I'd get a lace front wig and try to do an updo myself. Never quite got around to doing the braids and curls and such and just clipped up the hair. Then late 2025 I run across a listing for the wig!!!! I had been aimlessly browsing xy styled wigs and it just popped up and less than $100 too, which imo was reasonable for a style that elaborate and I apparently would not be able to recreate anything similar anytime soon lol. I threw it at the proxy asking for seller pics hoping the condition was still good. And it was! Color turned out to be more reddish than I expected from the company pics, but it was still acceptable. It arrived at the proxy along with a purple dress I was looking for Rapunzel (the main reason I was searching xy). Out of tariff fears and cost saving desires, I decided to have it sent over to a relative in China who'd bring it to to the US when they came back for the holidays. So it along with the rest of the tb/xy haul became this years Christmas present. The wig was even more elaborate in person than in the photos, and I realized after receiving it I had no chance of making it with my skills and supplies lol.
So after two and a half years, I finally have the Grail fullset I'd missed out on by a day and Elsa is rocking it as the queen she is (volks SDGr Elsa). Through the process, I learned so much and have expanded my doll shopping options. I know about general Chinese proxies and how to use them rather than relying on bjd specific dealers and bjd proxies that have higher fees/rates. I even have direct taobao purchasing ability with alipay so no more incidents of missing out on a company fullset due to proxy delays/time differences. I know about and can search xy now, though direct xy account access is difficult so I must still use a proxy for them. My relative in China is able to be the local address for me and bring things over for me directly. Now things I still need to learn to access and buy from are rednote (I think people sell there?) and weidian.