Ball-jointed dolls, or BJDs, are characteristically anatomically correct, fully scaled  dolls, manufactured in east Asian countries (primarily Japan,China and south Korea). These dolls are fully articulated due to ball joints placed at the main points of articulation. As well as full poseablity, the dolls are also fully customizable, having removable wigs, eyes, hands, feet, and heads, with many different variations available. Clothing, shoes, jewlery, and other accessories are also available. Much like collectable porcelain dolls, BJD's are often collected by adults.

Ball-jointed dolls are aesthetic in nature, following a traditional Asian view. The sculpts are diverse and range from anime-inspired to the eerily realistic. It is the beauty of Asian ball-jointed dolls which attracts many collectors to them.

Many owners assign their dolls to a certain personalized character, and they are used commonly as form of artistic expression, such as subjects of photography and photostories.

Vinyl vs Resin BJDs
Most BJDs are hand-cast from urethane or French resin, resulting in a doll with luminous skin tones and a similar appearance to porcelain whilst being more durable. Unlike porcelain however, resin will tend to yellow over time depending on exposure to UV light; sanded dolls will yellow faster unless protected by a uv sealant.

Some BJDs such as the Obitsu 60cm and Volks Dollfie Dream/DDII dolls are instead made of vinyl. This leads to a lighter doll that is often cheaper than an equivalent resin doll, as resin dolls have to be cast by hand instead of machine-made as is the case with vinyl dolls. The original Dollfie Dream is strung like a resin doll; however Obitsu 60 and Dollfie Dream II dolls both have a soft, flexible vinyl skin over a hard vinyl internal skeleton. This arrangement results in a strong, resilient  doll with superior posability. "Hybrid" dolls consisting of a resin head on an Obitsu or DDII body are becoming increasingly popular due to their greater range of movement and affordability.