While the head and hands will be vinyl - you have a choice of two different types of body - one is referred to as Cortex and the other as Vinyl. Both body types are pre-built.What's Happening with Material Supply
C’est La Vie trying to scavenge what sofubi and pellets we have left at HQ.
The situation
The conflict in the Middle East has disrupted the global supply of oil and the raw materials derived from it. This affects us directly — the vinyl our dolls are made from, the plastic in Cortex parts and internal frames, and even the thinners and paints we use for face painting and printing sports bras all trace back to oil as a raw material.
Some of our suppliers are now limiting how much we can order. Others have raised prices by at least 20% — some by as much as 40%. We’ve also been told that raw plastic supply is uncertain going forward — and even when material is available, soft-grade sofubi may no longer be an option. This hits us hard, as our dolls rely on soft-grade vinyl for busts and hands.
Background: why one conflict affects everything we use
A narrow sea passage called the Strait of Hormuz sits between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Around a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil normally passes through it.
Since the conflict began at the end of February 2026, shipping through the Strait has been severely disrupted. This has led to one of the most significant oil supply disruptions in recent history. Oil prices surged sharply in March, and the cost of naphtha — the key raw material used to produce vinyl, plastics, solvents, and paint — has risen across Asia.
Even when the Strait reopens — whether briefly or permanently — supply chains don’t recover overnight. Restocking takes time, and depleted stockpiles, reduced production, and elevated prices continue to have downstream effects.
What this means for Smart Doll
We have a reserve of cast bodies, liquid sofubi, and pellets for injection molding, but it won’t last beyond June without changes. So we need to pivot and adapt now rather than wait until it’s too late.
To be clear — we will continue to make and release new characters while materials last. We’re not winding down; we’re adapting so we can keep going.
What's changing
Sofubi skin tones — Our suppliers are limiting how much sofubi we can order, to be fair to all their clients. To stay in business as long as possible, we're prioritizing the primary tones: Coffee, Tea, and Cinnamon.
While we still have stock of Milk and White, any future orders within our limited allocation will go toward the primary tones. If and when supply returns to normal, we'll revisit this.
While we still have stock of Milk and White, any future orders within our limited allocation will go toward the primary tones. If and when supply returns to normal, we'll revisit this.
Body types — With limited materials, we need to focus on what keeps the business running — and that's the Classic body, which makes up the majority of our sales. We want to keep the Pear and Guys bodies available for as long as we can during this situation, but to make that sustainable we've had to raise the Pear body price from ¥52,000 to ¥62,000. This is still below its original price of ¥65,000, but the adjustment helps us justify continuing to allocate materials to these bodies rather than redirecting everything to Classic.
As for the Classic body, it will remain at ¥52,000 for as long as we can hold out — a price we've maintained for nearly a decade despite rising costs. If our margins continue to shrink, we may eventually need to adjust, but we’ll let you know in advance if that changes.
Soft-grade option parts — With soft-grade sofubi unlikely to be available from May, we're no longer placing new orders for soft-grade busts and option hands. We'll continue to release from the stockpile we already have or are awaiting painting — such as the upcoming XDD bust release.
Head caps — The orange head cap may switch to whatever sofubi stock is available at the time, so you may see colors like green, pink, or black navy instead.
Frame spine color — To stretch our stockpile of skin-tone POM pellets further, we've decided to make the spine a single universal color: orange. The only part of the spine visible outside the body is the spine socket — and since it's a hole that many owners aren't fond of anyway, we'd rather make it orange than run out of frames entirely. No frames means no dolls to sell. This change won't happen immediately as we still have a stockpile, but I will announce when we will eventually make the transition.
Behind the scenes
Above are just a couple of the notices we've received from our suppliers regarding material availability and pricing. To stay transparent, we're sharing these as screenshots. Names and details are blurred, as these documents were sent privately to clients. While we want to show you exactly what we're seeing on our end, we also need to respect the confidentiality of our suppliers.
Why we're telling you this
These changes are not arbitrary and they're not driven by internal decisions alone. They are a direct response to external conditions completely outside our control. In twelve years of running this business, we've faced many challenges — but this time, we're competing with every other manufacturer to scavenge materials from the same shrinking pool.
It genuinely feels like a post-apocalyptic era — albeit a luxurious timeline version where we continue making dolls that some might consider non-essential. And while it's true they're not edible, they’re still essential for many of us :-)
Rather than quietly making changes and creating confusion later, we'd rather set clear expectations now. We'll continue sharing updates as the situation develops and do our best to keep things as stable as possible.
While we want to be optimistic, we also need to be pragmatic and plan for the worst case. If we do run out of plastics and have no more dolls or option parts to sell, we'll shift our focus to apparel. We continue to make our apparel in Japan, and while margins are smaller, it's a path forward. We've gotten through every challenge in the past twelve years, and we intend to get through this one too.
Thank you as always for your continued support.
Danny
A note on recycled plastics — We're sometimes asked why we don't use recycled vinyl or plastic. Many manufacturers do this by melting down waste and runners, but each cycle makes the material more brittle. That's workable for disposable goods, but not for dolls that need to hold poses, withstand handling, and last. It's not a shortcut we're willing to take.
Other Articles in “ Events & Updates Events & Updates ”
Shipping Cost Update
Over recent months, global logistics costs have increased due to fuel price changes. Carriers like DHL apply something called a ( learn more learn more )
An Update on Porcelain White and Milk
We’re making an adjustment to how Porcelain White is priced as it returns to its original limited-edition price point. ( learn more learn more )
What to do if FedEx charges incorrect import duties
Some FedEx shipments are being charged incorrect import duties - in extreme cases up to 30,000 USD. Here’s what’s happening and how to dispute it. ( learn more learn more )