Anyone else feel like their collection is a revolving door?

I'm something of a revolving door collector or was (hopefully), mainly because I didn't know what I like in dolls and some of the dolls I bought didn't work for what I wanted. I came back to the hobby and sold all but five dolls (I started with 11+) and wound up realizing that I can't shell characters just to shell them. I had a lot of dolls I bought that I wasn't attached to at all, so I've had to start being choosier with dolls and only buying sculpts if I really, really love them. I've yet to see how this pans out tho, so who knows. I might still sell a few.

 

Yup, a revolving door for me! There are a couple of mainstays that will take extreme circumstances or money to part ways with, but I like my collection uncluttered and I collect/display a bit of everything. Due to this, if something new I really want comes along, my rule is to sell a piece on display I can part ways with to make room for the new piece I really want to display.

 

I've owned 15 dolls and sold all but 2 (and the two I currently have are more recent acquisitions). It's also true for wigs and clothes and such. I just have a terrible habit of finding something that I really like the look of, but that isn't QUITE perfect for what I'm looking for, and then talking myself into getting it. A few months after it arrives, surprise surprise, it doesn't work out, so off to the marketplace it goes.

It's also a bad habit of cycling through stories and getting really hyper-focused and then burned out on one character's story, and wanting to sell them to get the next character's story. I'm actually trying out something new now, and trying to force myself to divorce the dolls and the characters, and have dolls that have the things I want in a doll, while my characters and stories (which I draw) are separate. For example, I do a lot of futuristic and contemporary stories and comics, but I like natural fibers and fabrics on my dolls, so my dolls might be very distantly related to the comic character instead of me trying to find contemporary or futuristic clothes for them (which, obviously, do not feature a ton of natural fiber materials). Hopefully this separation will create more stability and longevity in my collection, since I no longer need a new doll when I start a new story.

 

I never intended for it to be that way, but yes, I’m definitely a revolving door collector. I’ve probably owned over 100 dolls at this point, but currently only own around 30. I buy and sell frequently. The only ones that tend to stay long term have some sort of sentimental connection for me, usually because I have a relationship/friendship with the person who gave me or created the doll.

 

I have estimated in my 15 years in hobby I have bought and sold more then 500 dolls. I have at the current time 10. I could no way keep all of the dolls I bought as selling is only way other then allowance I can get others. I tried companies once or twice and have now put them on my never again list. While I have been loyal to a few and go back whenever I feel the need for a size or just a friendly familiar who I know won't fail me. In any hobby when one collects they buy and sell. Very few ever make a profit and it is only when one is able to get that rare doll that is super popular but the supply was sort of on down low that a profit can be made. In fact with the recent tax law for the US it has come to haunt us that hobbies can be taxed and that in itself sucks. So I suspect many will want to keep records of every sale & purchase. While like myself many more will save dolls for meet ups to sell for cash or the F&F PP payment. The hobby has it's perks and it's pitfalls, but I love it!

 

Me 1000%. It even used to be my forum title lol.

I have bouts of being a retail therapy beast. Nowadays it's not the same because I have a strict collection that isn't doll related, but I was buying and reselling dolls and parts monthly all over the place. Not for profit, but always chasing that feeling of looking forward to something only to realize it didn't make me happy.

Sometimes I felt really guilty about it, wasting money or time, but I started telling myself that I was getting closer to what I really wanted with every doll that didn't stay. I wanted the "one true doll" too but didn't even know what that was! I had to stop looking at anything doll related for some time though because I couldn't control myself.

Lately I want to buy dolls again. I found a way to connect it to the other collection mentioned. It's not a bad thing and I think the timing is right, but I'm still on edge worrying that I'm actually being impulsive.

I'm envious of people who can buy and resell without stressing or even feel confident enough to mod what they have. The people who don't mind their doll hanging out butt naked with no faceup for ages too. Pretty cool that they have the patience to not want their idea materialized ASAP.

 

Yes, but only because I don't own the dolls. I get to play with my friend's "extras" and it is kinda fun. She owns extra bodies and it is fun to use my head to create new characters. It is silly I know.

 

At first I was like... that's not me. But the stats don't lie. Since 2005 I have had 40-odd dolls of which none of the dolls I started with are still with me.

Some of that was circumstance--that one year I had to sell the vast majority of my dolls to pay rent, coming back from a multi year hiatus and realizing I wasn't inspired by what I owned--but it doesn't change the fact that it IS me.

Guess I get to find my own peace with that knowledge now!

 

I totally admire everyone here who has kept count over the years of how many dolls they’ve had I think I’m a revolving door collector to an extent. I’ve definitely been in the boat of selling dolls due to financial struggles, but I think the bigger issue was being drawn in by beauty with no reality check for my space limitations and size preferences. I started out head over heels for sooms LE SD dolls.. I have no idea how many I bought and sold, then focused on MSD and now I’m preferring tinies. Probably the majority of my collection was bough 5-10 years ago, but the tinies are the ones who barely ever get sold and multiply unchecked regardless, I’ve enjoyed being able to dream up so many ideas and experience so many dolls, even if most of them are in new homes

 

I am absolutely a revolving door doll owner. *gestures at title under username*

My love for dolls continues, but what kind of doll I like shifts around a lot!

And the artists in the hobby has changed a lot as well so it's like ooh things I didn't know I wanted!

I wish I was a more consistent person because it would save me some time and money, but c'est la vie.

I have so far only wanted to re-buy a past doll once (and even then I grabbed him in a different skin tone).