A stigma on secondhand dolls?

Buying second hand for me is an option I would prefer over "new" as my own personal environmental philosophy. I also beleive it is giving these dolls another chance as it were, also it allows the possibility of obtaining sculpts that I have fallen in love with but are no longer available. So yeah secondhand for me is probably the only way to go for me.

 

I have quite a few second-hand dolls. I've actually got one in the mail on his way to me right now. They were all surprise finds in the MP. They've all been dolls that I wanted but was unable to purchase at the time or the dolls were only available from before I got into the hobby. Heck, even my grail dolls will need to be MP purchases because they cannot be bought brand new (company out of business & a limited).

I can't say I've ever had anybody look down on me for second-hand dolls. I have had people comment on how lucky I was to snag a certain doll in the MP. I'd commented on how lucky somebody was to get a doll off the MP. And one of my dolls is even greeted with smiles at local meets because he used to belong to another member, was sold to somebody else in another province and then I bought him.

 

Like others have said: how would you know if a doll is second-hand or not? Most sellers sell a doll, but not its look, so there is really no difference between a blank doll ordered from the company and a blank doll bought second-hand. But even if you could tell new and second-hand apart, I still wouldn't care.

There is only one thing that makes me hesitate to buy second-hand: if you buy from someone who isn't a business - well, you are sending a lot of money their way and they may not be very businesslike about it. But the fact that the doll has been pre-owned, why, that doesn't matter to me in the least. On the contrary, being able to buy a doll that is no longer being sold by the company, or getting an opportunity to buy a beloved sculpt without having to pay those pesky customs fees seem like serious advantages to me! Also, not having to wait for months is several ways of great .

 

I see no harm in purchasing secondhand--or even third-hand or fourth-hand or whatever-hand--dolls; I personally think this adds to their charm because they sort of have a bit of a story with them when they come to you. Sometimes, this is the only way you can get a specific shell without exhausting your funds too much.

We just have to be a bit more of a stickler to detail when it comes to purchasing pre-loved dolls, though. There may be damages or modifications that could be difficult--even costly--to undo. But all in all, it's good to have many options in an expensive but fulfilling hobby.

 

I would certainly prefer to buy dolls second-hand. I'm a big fan of "Reduce, re-use & recycle", so it ties in well with that philosophy. And if it means saving a little money in the process, so much the better!

 

The only used one I have came from Ebay and i got it for the opening bid price and I thunk that really twerked off the seller, but she is just as nice and good as the rest with only just a hint of guilt if I under paid.

 

I've made more than one new doll friend buying dolls secondhand from various Sellers and have had many positive experiences. This includes Ebay as well as various doll websites. In actuality, the rarer the doll it's about the only way to acquire that special one. I've received many of my second hand dolls with extra clothing or wigs from the Sellers which has made it all the more desirable.

I've never heard of a stigma on secondhand dolls. I guess it would depend on lots of factors such as the kind of dolls you collect, price range you are trying to stay within, etc...

Jillian

 

I already responded to this thread but now my views on second hand dolls have changed simply because I don't trust people easily and all these recast dolls make me mad! so I don't feel comfortable buying second hand dolls now...who knows if they are giving you a recast doll? nowadays it's so difficult to prove if something is the real thing, more so when your dealing via the internet. I don't support recasts, I prefer to spend a huge amount of money for something real.

 

Both of my dolls are second hand and it doesn't bother me that someone/others have owned them before they came to me. In this hobby, a lot of dolls on people's "grail list" are limiteds and even some basic dolls are only available for a limited time.

 

I do pre-owned. Not due to price, but because dolls need to be appreciated. If there is something that catches me eye about a doll and the reason for selling it right, I will buy it. New dolls are great, but I am not into "perfect".

 

I have purchased several dolls second hand and love every one! No issues here, and I've never heard of such a stigma...

 

I would never think lesser of someone for this! It's actually very smart. You save money, get the doll faster AND you are giving a now not wanted doll a loving new home. I think it's great when older dolls can be loved and appreciated all over again. I say - go for it!!!!

 

I didn't think there was a stigma but I am always a little afraid of looking into second hand dolls simply because you don't know what may have happened to the doll before. I'm always a little paranoid about fragile things so I always remember if I have ever bumped/dropped my doll or some such because I'm always afraid I would have weakened the resin (like maybe created a break in it where I can't see) or whatever or maybe it's just because I don't know much about resin. ^^; So I'm afraid that the doll I'm looking at may have been dropped or maybe like his hands held on by the S hooks are worn down, and etc. I just feel better about getting a brand new one that hasn't been in the hands or someone else (oh yeah I'm paranoid about customs touching it too) so to save myself the hassle, I just go new. Of course, sometimes you can't help it for things like limited or discontinued dolls so I don't really see anything wrong with buying secondhand unless you're crazy like me. xD (Though if the perfect sculpt can only be gotten secondhand, I would just have to get over it. lol)

 

Yumi, I suppose that's a good point, but I think you can still find second hand dolls from reputable people. It just comes down to being a savvy shopper and checking the seller out in terms of their selling history and feedback.

 

I only own one secondhand doll (my Soom Amber), but she's one of my absolute favourites. I paid much more for her than most of my other dolls (around $400 for just her head, if I remember right ). She took much longer to assemble than any of the dolls I bought new (it was about 3 years between me buying her head and finding her fantasy parts for sale). I bought her blank, and never bothered to check what her previous owner did with her. So, for me, none of the concerns in the OP really resonate. I don't think that people who buy secondhand dolls are cheap, or 'cheating' by not needing to wait for dolls, or are required to pay homage to past characters of the doll, because I know none of those things have been true for me when I buy secondhand.

To me, a secondhand doll is just a new doll that took a while to reach you