โLoving ball-jointed dolls is as natural as breathing,โ said 21-year-old Clementine Cai from Zhejiang. Two years after falling in love with the toys, she had spent over 3,000 yuan (US$417) on outfits alone โ a sizeable amount given her roughly 2,000 yuan in monthly expenses.
A single outfit usually costs between 300 and 500 yuan, Cai said โ far exceeding what she spends on her own clothes.
โBall-jointed dolls are gorgeous and can be dressed up for photos โ theyโre pure enjoyment,โ she added.
According to data from Taobao and Tmall, two of Chinaโs largest e-commerce platforms, doll clothing sales surged by over 117 per cent year on year in 2024. In May this year, sales broke the 10-million-yuan (about US$1.4 billion) mark for the first time.