A stigma on secondhand dolls?

I don't really see evidence of a stigma around second-hand dolls, either. I'm sure my June has had at least two owners, quite possibly more I'm not certain, but that doesn't make me enjoy her any less, nor has it irked anyone who has learned that she has had so many previous owners. It's not at all uncommon for more than half of someone's collection to have been purchased on the secondary market, as opposed to direct from a company, and not many, if anyone seems to care one way or another how others have amassed their dolls.

Second-hand was definitely a good choice for me, personally. The price was somewhat of a factor for me, but also the fact that I wouldn't have to wait a month for her to be produced before I could actually even get a tracking number! I'm not entirely a patient person, so having to wait for something to be cast on top of the wait for shipping would probably drive me nuts.​

 

Hmmm. I've bought and sold a number of dolls in the marketplace, so I don't think there's a huge stigma around it. XD I often get heads new, but bodies on the secondary market. I have 12 dolls currently, of them: 5 were bought new, 4 are a combination of newly bought and secondhand parts, and 3 are completely from the secondary market. This has become particularly useful for when I hybrid dolls (of which, I have hybrid dolls with one more planned).

 

From the time I've been on DoA I haven't seen any stigma against secondhand doll owners. Honestly, I think if you can get a doll secondhand that really is fantastic! I hope to get some of mine secondhand eventually rather than from the company.

 

I never had second hand doll but now more and more often i am thinking of getting one . It may sound strage , but i think they got more soul in them? Maybe a stigma is attracting me..i can't put my finger on it.

 

I actually like to buy secondhand. It's like recycling and helps someone with their finances or getting further in the hobby. In fact, I find that I look in the marketplace first before going to a website to buy, because...

A)don't like to wait
B) like to do my own face-up and there are a few 'blank-didn't bonds' and
C) it is cheaper!

In this economy it's better to be a recessonista than a fashionista, even in dolls!

I also like to rescue. There should be a club for people who rescue unbonded, unwanted doll-childs. XD

 

There's snobbery in any hobby (especially this one haha), but this type of snobbery I haven't encountered! I personally adore getting dolls secondhand, spiffing them up is like working a magic on them that makes them feel truly mine. New dolls are so perfect they're intimidating to me, because I know my touch can only mean that I've sullied it somehow, as opposed to improved it. I don't buy many dolls these days and doing a quick assessment of my small group of four; two are secondhand and two were purchased new (sometimes there's just no other way to get them, oops). If someone were to look down on my secondhand dolls I wouldn't care a bit, of course.

Raven

 

I've never encountered any stigma regarding second hand dolls. I've owned several second hand dolls over the years. The joy of this hobby is collecting what appeals to you and making it your own. Plus personally I like the idea of a doll with a bit of history behind them.

 

Never encountered it myself, and I have 90% recycled resin. They have so much more personality than the factory-fresh ones!

 

I have mostly second-hand dolls. All of them came in perfect condition, and it allows me to get a doll that I wouldn't have been able to get otherwise (my limited Rose). I only have... three dolls that I got new. I love them all the same.

 

I also think that there's not a lot of stigma placed on secondhand doll owners. I personally admire people that can get what they want secondhand, and often, as has been mentioned, there are great price and time benefits that go along with them. My only doll is a secondhand doll, and she is a Volks Kurumi. I really love her, and while I would love to have gotten her shiny and new (as a fullset, no less XD), she is still just as precious (if not more!) to me. I think it's an interesting and beautiful coincidence that the seller decided to sell her not only in general, but also, specifically, to me, and was so sweet and willing to work with me to give her doll a loving home. I built a new relationship with a really lovely person, and I also got the doll of my dreams. I would never have gotten that had I bought her new, firsthand. The whole experience makes me so sure that this Kurumi is my dream doll and always will be. I would tell anyone downplaying that experience to F off and stop being a closed-minded elitist.

 

At this point, most of the dolls I have are second-hand: 2 full dolls and 1 body purchased new, 8 full dolls and 1 head purchased used. I've actually sold most of the dolls I bought new. When I got my Volks girl I wanted her to be only touched by my hands as far as ownership, but I viewed that as my own quirk. Otherwise, I've had no personal issue with adopting a doll. And I would have to think that with the sheer volume of dolls in the Marketplace here that there isn't really a lot of general stigma applied to adopting dolls. The secondary market has given me the chance to bring home dolls which are out of production or unique, or hard to purchase from other countries. If someone thought less of me for this, I wouldn't really care. My collection is here to make me happy, not them

 

Nearly all of my dolls are second hand and frankly I couldn't care less what people thought of me for it. Some of them couldn't be bought any other way because I missed out on them in the order period or they just weren't in production anymore. Like my Crobidoll Dante I have on layaway or my Serendipity Valencia who hasn't been made in a long time. I couldn't have got either of these dolls anything BUT secondhand and frankly I don't care that they aren't brand spanking new. They are the dolls I love and I want them.

I love my secondhand dolls just as much as I love the ones I got new (which are few and far between in my collection). Buying secondhand or thirdhand or fifthhand... it doesn't matter to me. I like not having to wait for production of my dolls and I like the flexibility of being able to layaway for more extended periods with other buyers that understand some people need time to pay off their dolls.

I really don't think there is a negative stigma at all about whether a doll is second hand. So many people stalk the marketplace for dolls they've missed out on or are hard to get, or just because it saves on shipping to get it second hand from someone in their country already. There is nothing wrong with you or the doll if it has changed hands a few times (providing it's still in good condition, of course). So I say don't worry about that kind of thing and just enjoy your doll. It's YOUR doll now, so don't let the past of it interfere with your own interpretations or enjoyment. If you love the doll, it doesn't matter how you happen to have bought it. That's what I think.

 

Very often second hand is the only way to get the doll you really want! I think it's great that we have the opportunity to buy second hand.

I started out with all new dolls... but slowly I am selling them to buy the limited dolls I really love but missed out on ordering, so my collection is becoming a "second hand" one.

 

The majority of my dolls are new, but a few of them came secondhand and I could be happier with them. When given the chance to buy a doll I want in good condition and for a reasonable price, I'll always look to secondhand buying first. There's nothing "lesser" about purchasing a doll that isn't brand new. So you didn't have the money to get a new one, at least you found a way to get the doll you want and still be able to enjoy being apart of the hobby.

 

Truthfully I have never even heard of any sort of stigma associated with secondhand dolls and the thought of it never occured to me until reading this thread. Even so, I have to agree with what seems to be the majority vote here in that I can not see any reason as to why owning a previously loved doll makes any sort of difference as to it's (sentimental) value or what type of person the owner is.

My own crew is a mix of sorts, though a majority are bought new simply because most of them are unpopular sculpts and rare to find on the marketplace. My only full doll I bought secondhand was my second doll, a DoD Ivan (one of the more popular dolls so easy to find), and he is without a doubt my favorite doll of my group and one of my favorite sculpts in general. I could not fathom being any less attached to him just because he was previously owned by someone else. I almost feel closer to him because of it as I was determined to buy him secondhand as I was frustrated with the company from my first doll from them and when I saw him in the marketplace, still practically brand new, it was like my little guy had just gotten lost on his way over to me.

Of course thats a rather romantic way of viewing things, but either way it still does not make a difference to me. My other pieces (a head and a body for two seperate dolls) that I had bought second hand were because the companies no longer produced them and I see no shame in finding something I want from someone else who no longer has a use for it. Whenever I look to buy a new doll I always check the marketplace here first to see if maybe once again another one of my characters has made a little 'detour' on their true journey home to me. Just so happens that's rarely the case.

 

I find nothing wrong with buying pre-loved dolls! It's better to have them "rehomed" then to be packed away in a box. And, if you can save some money, great - you can use that to start saving for your next doll.

 

stigma? oh dang, never even thought of it!
The majority of my dolls are second hand, and I think they arrive with a level of "energy" that is palpable.
I actually hesitate to buy a new doll because I love that second hand doll "energy"...
They all arrive with their own personality, but the second hand dolls seem to have more of a story to tell!

 

This is how I feel, too. My very first doll was purchased from the marketplace [secondhand] in November of 2005 and it's been a long happy road of second hand dolls for me. I tend to bond easier with second hand dolls, too. It's like animal shelter adoptions - I'd rather give love to something that's already 'created' than wait around for one that's made just for me. I like cleaning second hand dolls, restringing them, redoing their faceups... New dolls are still lovely, but they don't require as much elbow grease - and dedicated time from me.

 

Well.. Personally I can KINDA see the stigma.
I wanted to buy my first doll brand new, straight from the factory, no matter what. To me it felt like that way it was made just for ME and no-one else. I'm planning on buying more dolls, but would gladly buy them secondhand. I only wanted my FIRST doll to be pure and untouched.
The same goes for my fiancé, who is going to get himself a doll sometime in the future. We both agree that there's just something special about getting your first doll and it wouldn't feel the same if you bought it "used".

 

I understand why people would want a new doll to be their first. I wanted my first to be new as well.
I waited six months for my first doll to arrive. In the meantime, I ordered another doll who arrived within a week, brand new, pristine, perfect and all mine. I am crazy about him. While I was STILL waiting for the first doll I ordered, 3 more arrived, all second hand. One of the 3 has been rehomed, the other two will never leave, I adore them.
Finally, the first doll I ordered arrived. I sold her within a week. She was beautiful, but she held no charm for me. If she had actually been the first to arrive, I likely would have left the hobby without ever buying another bjd.
I like the idea that my first bjd love was brand new, but if the first doll I ordered had been the first to arrive, I would not have bought another and would have missed out on a pastime that brings me great joy. But, if one of my used dolls had been the first to arrive, I would have definitely bought more!