Contests: Awards and Judging
First, Second, and Third Place
The first three (sometimes four) places in the contest are fairly self-explanatory. You get points for categories such as hair, shading, use of base, design, and Voters' Choice. Whoever gets the most points wins. Because it's a point based system, there are sometimes ties or runners up. I try not to let that happen every time.
Salli's Choice
Salli's Choice is the award for my favorite doll. Sometimes it's the doll I think is the best, technically speaking. Sometimes it's the doll I really like, heedless of artistic expertise or other categories. It isn't a throw-away award, intended to give a prize to someone who wouldn't have gotten one otherwise. A doll might get Salli's Choice if my judging system just doesn't give it justice, but I love it anyway... or Salli's Choice could go to the overall winner of the contest.
Heather's Choice/Random Person's Choice
Heather was my college roommate. She has repeatedly told me that she doesn't know anything about dolls and isn't really qualified to judge anything, but I still make her pick her favorite. She's more artistic than I am, anyway.
Since Heather no longer sits the next desk over and I have to actually work to get her pick, it's likely that this award will be passed around to other random people.
Voters' Choice
Polls are unpredictable, and subject to intentional and unintentional cheating. The voting does count toward the overall winners, and the top vote-getter wins Voters' Choice if the results aren't too suspicious.
Contest-Specific Awards
Nearly every contest has it's own special award. They vary from "Best Use of Blue" to "Best Original Character." It really depends on the contest.
Best Hair, Best Shading, Best Design
I do not always give out these awards. Best Hair goes to a doll who scored a three in the hair category, but she might not have been the only three. If, for example, four dolls had threes (the highest possible score), Best Hair might go to one I thought was the best of those four, or to a doll I thought deserved to be recognized for quality hair.
Often the overall winners did well in these categories. They do not generally get additional hair or shading awards unless they're really outstanding, or I just felt like it.
Participation Awards
Every doll has something great about it. If I possibly can, I make an individualized award for every contestant. These are the most fun awards to make, because I can be really creative!
If there are more than fifteen entries, I may not be able to make personalized awards for everyone - but I'll do my best.
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Salli's Judging System
Now, what were those points I was talking about? I started with Sarah's judging system, and went from there. Essentially, there are several creative and technical categories (base, hair, shading, design, creativity, etc.), then there are the choice awards and usually something contest-specific. I rate each doll on a scale of zero to three in each category I use. For example, take hair. - Very boring, unshaded hair gets no points.
- Hair with either basic shading or an unusual style gets one point.
- Hair with either shading that is pretty good or decent shading and an interesting style gets two points.
- If I look at a doll and say, "wow, look at that hair!" it gets three points. Hair in this category is typically well-styled and excellently shaded.
 In this system, I don't assign points to dolls in competition with each other. There are often multiple dolls with the same score in a category, although creativity is by nature more comparative than hair. I try to make sure entries with comparable quality in a category get comparable points. I plug the numbers into my spread sheet, and the doll with the most points wins. It's as simple as that.
Well, okay, it's not simple at all. But it produces the most objective results I can manage. Winners do not just depend on a poll or my opinion, and creative categories give out enough points that less-experienced dollers have a shot even without perfect shading... but the technical categories do tend to carry the contest.
Salli's Contest Promise
I will always have contest results that I deem to be fair. I use a system to keep myself as objective possible, and I gauge the opinions of others through polls and Dollie Judging, but I do not permit my contest to be skewed by these sources. (I will never, ever determine the places by a poll!)
How does this actually work? It isn't simply that my favorite doll always wins (in fact, it often doesn't). If certain dolls stand above the rest as having higher quality shading and overall composition, I make sure they receive recognition. I don't manipulate the points to make the placings my exact preferences. Instead, I might have a fourth place, or credit runners up, or give the doll Salli's Choice.
I do value the input of others, but I'm not shackled to it. I have a poll for Voters' Choice, but if I suspect dishonest voting the results don't carry much weight. In the case of definite dishonest voting the doll doesn't win the award.
Finally, everyone gets something. Even if you think my taste is awful, at least you have award to show for your time and effort (and the satisfaction of knowing I spent a least a bit of my time on you!).
And, hey, if you're really unhappy you can always email me and complain (I can't believe I just said that!)... or host your own contests, so you can always be happy with the results!
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