Attracted to Lesser Known Dolls?

I never understood people who try too hard to be different and absolutely refuse to get a common doll because of that, even though they like it.



do they believe it makes them more interesting or better? will their life be more convinient if they can't get the better stuff because "everyone has one"?

if they don't like it because they don't like it, then that's fine. everyone has different taste. but it boggles my mind why anyone would force themselves to have different tastes :/

 

I think you comment sums up what i think perfectly. It really confuses me to why any one would try and force them selves to like anything. Popular or unpopular. I don't get why people do it. I don't understand how it can make them happy?

Especially when it comes to buying a doll, it seems really pointless to buy a doll you don't even like just because you want to fit into a certain category. Because at the end of the day you are the one living with it and no one else, so why don't they just get a doll they live or fall in love with it regardless of what any one else may or may not think about that doll.

Also it is not a cheap thing to buy either, even the cheaper end of this hobby is going to set ypu back a bit. So it seems like a waste to buy something you don't like. Crazy almost.

I love your image use too!

 

I simply like what I like and I refuse to waste my money otherwise. These dolls are expensive and I don't see the point on blowing 100+ on something I just don't like, whether the doll is popular or no. People, as always, should just buy exactly what they like and nevermind all the rest. Whether the doll is popular, rare, on-topic, or off-topic, that shouldn't matter when it's something you really want.

 

I am attracted to lesser known sculpts and companies, because it makes the doll even more unique, but at the same time:

I buy what I like and I like what I buy.

Simple as that.

 

That is my thoughts on the matter too!

 

I do find it interesting that certain companies (or sculpts) really light up the boards, while others languish in the dolly backwaters. In the world of my dreams, we would have available to us a complete dolly census of every doll from every company in every country ... just because it would be cool to know how popularity varies from culture to culture.

I just bought a Dollmore Model Ryu Miu; as far as I know, I'm the only person on DoA with this particular sculpt (though, given that her name is two sets of three characters, the limitations of the search engine may account for my not being able to find her). I Google-translated a Russian-language board last night, where the universal reaction to Ryu Miu was "yuck!" However, I think she has a compelling and idiosyncratic face, and I adore her. I'm only sad that I probably won't be seeing more of her here.

 

I don't really care if my doll is common or not, though it seems every doll I've had so far isn't common at all. I've liked a few common dolls, but I've never actually had one. It's not that they're uncommon that attracts me, it's just how they look.

 

This is exactly my feelings on the matter. I do tend to like less popular sculpts, but it's not just because they're less popular that I buy them. It's because I love the sculpt.

That being said, I have wanted a MNF Chloe for a while now too- I'm not buying one yet because I don't have a fitting character, but you better believe I'll get one if I can come up with a character for her!

 

I don't mind if my dolls are well known or not. I have a OnlyDoll ChiYao that I don't see much anywhere. And not many people have some Soom MDs. Or some DollMore dolls that I have seen. But I love my dolls even if they are well known, or not known at all.

 

My doll choice is currently limited a lot by my budget, but if I were to have more money, I'd seek out stuff that I like in lesser known companies. Not to stand out or feel different, but because I like the idea of encouraging a smaller companies and help them grow.

 

So far from what i've seen i like lesser known/newer doll companies a lot more than some of the bigger companies and 'popular' sculpts. They have a whole lot more personality and when i see more popular sculpts they all look the same to me. I want something distinct and different so when i make a char i can feel like its truly my own instead of just like the next persons. of course none of that is to say that i wouldnt by a popular sculpt because if i like it, then i like it.
sorry if that makes me a 'special snowflake' but after all it is my money so its my preference ~

 

I definitely own a couple of less popular sculpts (Soom Bix is probably my 'rarest' doll), but I wouldn't say I'm specifically attracted to less popular dolls. I see liking something for being unpopular as just the same as liking something because it is popular - I'd rather like things because something inherent about them makes me happy.

Not that I think there's anything wrong with people specifically seeking out only unpopular sculpts (or only popular ones, for that matter)! That style of collecting just doesn't appeal to me, personally

 

For me, it's not that I am attracted to lesser known dolls for the sake of them being "lesser known" as much as it is that they stand out to me and don't get mixed into the crowd of many. I think some people are wired to be intrigued/motivated/inspired by difference rather than similarity. And with that may spend more time looking for something they haven't seen before; in a sense for them it may be about the discovery process than trying to appear cool in some way.

I spend a fair amount of time poking around looking at different doll companies because I have the time to do it, I'm still a newbie and it's a part of the hobby (for me). I just heard of Sweet Gale for example, they are lesser known to me but who knows how well known they are out in the collectors world. I also think that DoA is a limited (large) vacuum of English speaking users who have accessible internet and the ability to take and post photos. I have no doubt there are tons of dolls/doll owners out there that may seem lesser known because of technical/regional/language/DoA access reasons.

All my rambles are to say, I buy what I like like most everyone. And don't go out looking for rare/limited/unpopular/lesser known dolls just because. But I have to admit that if I have seen a doll once too many times, I tend to tune it out as a considered purchase because it's too familiar. It's sort of like hearing a song on the radio so much that you never feel the need to buy it because it's always being played but you still enjoy it.

 

I think I may start a habit of finding the "next popular doll" even if said doll started off unpopular.

I have for example had too many people over the years tell me they wanted a Volks MSD F-12 because of my green Cynthia (blame me for the so-called "Cult of Cynthia" ). It was a horribly unpopular sculpt before that point, even getting discontinued because no one wanted it. Bad promo photos can kill a doll's potential popularity faster than anything.

That said, I just buy what I like. If everyone else likes the doll too, the more the merrier!