BEST Doll Experience Ever

I my best dolly experiences have been with my husband. Although he doesn't collect or really care for dolls, he's very social and so loves conventions and other doll events where he can chat with new people. But the best moment was when he bought his own doll from the Mushroom Peddler and couldn't wait to show it to me.

 

Meeting some very awesome people through the hobby.

Watching the excitement when one of my favorite companies has an event. Even when there's nothing I want to get, it's still fun to see what they've come up with.

That moment when you find the perfect wig and/or eyes and your doll comes to life (so to speak.)

Someone's first - or grail - doll arriving.

 

Even though I've only been in the hobby a little while now I've had a great experience with a company's service that has really in general maybe been the best online purchase experience I've had.
I have been contemplating getting a doll from MaskCat for a while now, so when their Christmas event begun I was really interested however I didnt think I would have the funds to get a doll (particularly with the current exchange rate of usd/aud). At first I thought I would just get their limited wig which was really beautiful but didn't want to get it yet until I was sure I couldn't get a doll with it. I went ahead to ask the owner Banyo some questions about certain things about the doll. She was so incredibly nice and then even offered to hold onto a wig for me until I could buy it! Now not only this but when I found out it would be $100 more than the listed price because of the exchange rate and then the high shipping to Australia she offered to not include the shipping price until the final 2nd payment. This saved me so much and is basically the reason I was even able to get her at the time.
So overall I was able to get my grail doll plus have fantastic customer service ^__^

 

Getting my best friend (and subsequently her husband) hooked, and sharing this great hobby with them! Meeting wonderful new friends and going to LDoll for the first time. Yeah, I love it.

 

I have honestly had a lot of good experiences since getting into the BJD hobby. In general, I have gotten to see that it is perfectly fine to love all kinds of dolls even as an adult, it has brought my sweetie and I even closer, and I have met some amazing people in the local doll group.

I think two of the best things happened quite recently though. The first was being accepted as a volunteer for my local doll group's convention that will be happening this summer. It was flattering and unexpected because I am still fairly new to the group--though I have volunteered at other conventions before and I love all kinds of dolls, both resin and not.

The second thing was the entire process of getting my Eric. I got him from a really nice seller, and despite the wintry weather that plagued half the US for two weeks, Artie made it halfway around the world to my doorstep in about a week. When I missed his initial delivery, the postman brought him out again later that day so I did not have to wait two more days to get him, and my mum even brought him up to my work so I could unbox him at the birthday gathering I was having with some friends later that evening.

 

I've had far more good experiences than bad in this hobby, and I hate to see the focus on only bad experiences. I've met some wonderful real life friends through BJDs, and every time we get together (at conventions and such) we have a great time.

 

I have a few~

1) about a month after getting my first doll (who had a bad first faceup by me when I had just started) I took him to a con held bjd panel and met other doll owners in person for the first time. Everyone was really friendly and encouraging and it gave me a huge pugs to keep trying.

2) Locating and getting a few grail pieces (Dollshe Saint and a Fairyland scar Shiwoo head; Doll Chateau Ada) I fell in love with them and never thought I would be able to get them.

3) Meeting all of my online bjd friends

 

The best experience I've had so far was with Granado.

I had a really good friend back in high school and for a while afterwards. We were pretty inseparable for many years, but when I moved out of state and met EXTREMELY hard times I was for some reason a giant jerk to him and we stopped talking for two years. I had a feeling I should contact him again out of the blue and didn't for some reason only to find out a few months later that he committed suicide.

Granado's Hansel doll looks exactly like him, Felix, with the blond curly hair and the smirk and even the fact that he's German (Felix was born and raised in Germany, only to move to America for high school). When I emailed them and told them the story I asked nicely if they had a wig like that available. They said no, but they would let me have the exact one from the photoshoot if I didn't mind it being a little beat up. They said they would refer me to one of their awesome artists for his faceup too.

When I ordered my Paypal didn't work and they went through the effort of sending me invoices and letting me skip a month when I got super sick and missed a ton of work. All the while they NEVER got short with me and genuinely asked me how I was feeling, asked me if I was feeling better on their own instead of as a conversation gesture and gave me many many condolences for Felix. I have never seen customer service that great before. I felt like I was a close friend of theirs. I can't wait to receive their doll and I will never not give them praise.

Oh and not to mention all the BJD friends I keep meeting! It's hard to make in person friends where I live right now and I love each and every one of my dolly friends! ^^

 

Finding my grail after years of searching was pretty awesome. I've met some very nice people in the hobby, and just having a doll with me is so nice and soothing. After a stressful day it's great to relax with a doll by my side, just watching television or whatever. Saber is sitting on the couch with me right now as a matter of fact!

 

I have another one.

I just had a terrible day today. It felt like everything was going wrong. When I got home from work, I saw my dolls and I just felt really happy. I played with them for a little bit and my stress went away.

 

My hands-down best also started out as my worst, but I've mentioned that in the other thread so I won't repeat it here. Instead, I'll tell another story. ^^

Have you ever been thinking about buying a certain sculpt, and gone searching through the Gallery, flickr, etc. to find owner pics? And then found that ONE SPECIMEN that really made you go, "Gee, if I ever do end up with X sculpt I hope it looks half as awesome as this one?" And then within a short period of time, that very same doll goes up for sale and the timing is perfect and it's completely in your price range and no one else happens to want it?

Yeah, that's happened to me not just once, but numerous times at this point! I can't explain it, but I have ended up with four dolls off the top of my head that I had been admiring hardcore and found them in the Marketplace shortly afterwards.

I'm amazingly lucky in this hobby.

 

I have an OC that I hold quite dear to me and I never thought about getting her in doll form one day while looking for a practice head on ebay I stumbled across a DollLove Cecelia head and really liked the sculpt so I put it on my watch list. About a week later the seller reduced the price and I took the plunge a few days later while looking at her sculpt again it hit me that the sculpt was perfect for my OC Grenade. A little over a two weeks ago as I was just about to order her body I decided to browse some of the facebook sales groups. I noticed there was a Dollzone girl white skin body for sale with the kind of shape I wanted (pear shape) I checked angelesque to look at neck measurements and it worked out better than the one I was going to order. The body was also in Spain so that meant I wouldn't have to pay customs. Everything just came together so beautifully, when I put her head on her body I felt really emotional because she was absolutely perfect (part from some additive mods she needs and has been sent off for today). I have never bonded with a doll as fast and as intensely ever.

 

My best experiences have been with the people I've met in the doll community. I have social anxiety and only knew one person at the monthly meets. Everyone there is super friendly and accepting. I started learning to sew and do face ups on my first doll, and no matter how cra,y he looked, people were so complimentary at my efforts.

One of the ladies gave me every single piece of info I needed to order her exact doll, even though it must be weird in a group for two people to have practically twins, lol.

My friend, Debbie,knowing I'm clumsy and afraid to touch the dolls has spent forever shoving them in my arms, letting me carry them, bringing certain dolls to meets so I could compare, offering to let me keep one for a while for a eat drive, and offering to let me borrow one for a while for pattern making. Lol, now granted I am too scared to do any of those things, but still.

In the MP, everyone I've dealt with has been wonderful and so kind.

I don't have a best experience ever story, but every bit of my doll experience has been fantastic.

 

All of my second hand purchases have been wonderful. The people have all been really nice and just lovely to deal with. And twice when I received the dolls, they were even better in person than they were in pictures and it was an instant bonding thing. So not exactly a single story of happiness, but more like most of my doll life has been happiness!

 

I had posted in the worst doll experience thread earlier, and was all liek, wtf, there must be a thread abt the best doll experience that I should post to, so I found this one :3 Since getting and keeping my Maxime doll is the best experience I could ever dream of. He has become the only doll that I really felt like I want to possess. I just saw his picture on Supia's site and fell for insanely. Like if I don't get this doll asap, I was gonna die. My Maxime baby arrived @ my place as soon as he could (basically in a month after the payment), and he was absolutely perfect. Supiadoll company was so awesome and friendly, and luckily I got into there free shipping winter event, and the job they made on the doll was just flawless. I got my boy in december 2014.
I live through hard times this year. If it wasn't for my bjd boy, I'd scarcely make it through, but he brings so much consolation. A single look at Maxime the doll makes me shine. When I have to stay at home for days and my boyfriend is at work, contact with the doll brings such great comfort. I feel like I am not alone, never bored, holding him close is quite a distraction from panic attacks I am normally apt to. Cuddling him feels so enjoyable, I'm getting attached to him more and more each day. Even his smell is heavenly.

 

I like this thread. Some people may think that adults owning dolls is wierd, but what they don't understand is the emotional need these dolls fulfill sometimes.

I went through some really tragic times in my life. In the span of only 4 years I lost my fiance to cancer, then lost my mom to cancer, my home burned down, and I lost a really good job. I used to collect vintage dolls, including dolls I'd had from childhood, and lost them all when my house burned. I became really depressed. I moved in with my dad to take care of him after my mom died, as he had some major health issues and couldn't take care of himself.

Shortly after that I was in a major car accident where I was hit by a drunk driver. My car was totalled and I sustained serious spinal injuries. I was told I may not be able to walk, but I refused to accept that, since my dad depended on me. Four years of physical theapy enabled me to at least walk, but in a lot of pain.

I missed my dolls very much and while I was recovering from my car accident, and also trying to care for my dad, I really wished I still had my old dolls to comfort me. I didn't have money for dolls however, so I started collecting Beanie Babies. They were small, inexpensive and very cheerful to look at.

After taking care of my dad for several years, he passed away. I had to move out because my brothers decided to sell my parents' house. I had nowhere to go, no job, still recovering from the accident, and no money. I bounced around for 3 years, living with other relatives and friends. I had to give up my collection of Beanies, along with all my other belongings. All I had was my clothes.

I looked for work, but by that time I was already nearly old enough to retire, and partially disabled, so nobody wanted to hire me. I took early retirement, because I had no choice. I needed money to live on.
After retiring I was able to afford to rent a small place. I started doing sewing work for extra income, and started collecting Beanie babies again. Then I discovered BJD dolls. I saved up and got my first doll. It changed my life. They really cheer me up, and when I'm saving up for a doll and planning how it will look and what it will wear, it gives me something fun and positive to look forward to. I look at my dolls and I get a sense of peace.

For a while I kept my doll hobby a secret. My brothers still don't know that I own any dolls, and I don't plan to tell them. They would be very negative about it. I do share them with my friend Cory, however. She doesn't collect, but she has been very positive about them, and never judges. When Cory first told me she thought my collection was important for me to have, that was a good moment.

 

When I first got interested in BJDs, it was hard to decide which doll to choose from.. until I found my first doll an Angelregion Ren Girl which I ordered from Dolls and Friends . Kathy was an absolute doll herself, and she helped me to bring my first doll home, through layaway. I got my next doll a Dollmore Ipsae, through Dolls and Friends as well.. it took longer for me to pay her off but I did and Kathy was very sweet. My last doll an Elfdoll Ryung is a bittersweet purchase. After I ordered her, I was expecting my last baby, and shortly after I finished paying for her, I lost my son,whom we had named Maximillian..Maximiliana came two weeks later after the loss, and was waiting for me to release her from her box. However since I was so weak from my stay in the hospital, she had to wait until I was strong enough to hold her. My husband was kind enough to open the box for me so I could see her, and it made the pain of losing my son a little more bearable.Even though I havent' been able to give her a face up, she still looks beautiful even without one. She is one doll , I will never part with because of the joy she brought to me , during that painful time.

 

Another really good experience I've had is making some good friends. I first heard of bjds on a Sims game forum. Now we are Sims friends AND bjd friends.