BJD as an Investment

Most things once used depriciate in value. Dolls are luxury items like cars or computers.

I've found in this hobby the second hand market can fluctuate greatly, with people choosing how much to sell their dolls at. The doll may or may not sell.

When buying anything you should expect not to be able to get the price you paid for it back, it is just a fact of consumerism.

 

I think the BHD market is pretty good for getting back a decent amount on dolls as they are sold on. It's totally unrealistic to expect to get 100% of the purchase price back unless, as hobbywhelmed commented, you have never taken the doll out of the box and it is in absolutely excellent condition.

These dolls do not depreciate in the way that electrical gadgets, white goods, cars, etc... do. I have a different way of looking at dolls I sell on, it's almost like thinking of it as "renting" the doll - You have had enjoyment of that doll for however many months or years and now you sell it on at a fraction of that original cost, if you look at the difference between what you paid in the first place and what you got, divide it between the amount of time you owned it, that's what the doll actually cost you. Think back to the fun you had with that doll and decide if it was worth it... in my case the answer is usually YES!!!

 

I have noticed that Marketplace prices seem to be a bit lower than usual, probably because of another slight decline in global economy...the fiasco in Greece and its spillover into Europe seems to have brought the value of the dollar and the Euro down again. But as others have said, it is indeed reality of this hobby that almost all dolls will indeed lose value, it's inevitable that a used item will sell for less than a new one.

 

I have to agree with everyone else, it's an entirely unrealistic prospect to expect to get back every penny you put into your collection. We're incredibly lucky in this hobby that we're able to get back a pretty substantial portion of what we shell out and frankly I'm thankful for that because in most hobbies, you're lucky if you can even make a dent on the outlay if you decide to pack it all in and sell up again!

Essentially, if you're buying for investment, you're pretty much in the wrong game. It's certainly possible to make a profit on certain sculpts, but you definately can't bank on it and it sort've goes against the commonly held principle of buying the dolls you LOVE as opposed to the ones most likely to make you money.

 

Cosign. [Though I should say that, compared to other collecting hobbies I've been involved with, this one seems to be holding up a lot better in the current economic climate in terms of buying and resale value.]

 

While it might have been true five years ago, it seems like the era of getting back anything close to what you paid for a doll has passed.

Unless the doll you're selling is the current must-have "flavor of the month", or an exceptionally highly-prized older sculpt, odds are you're going to have to take a loss... and probably a substantial one, at that... if you want to sell it. As soft as the market is these days, it can be hard to find a buyer at all, much less one willing to pay for anything not deeply discounted.

 

I second this completely. I know the marketplace prices do seem odd lately, but I am sure it will pick up by the end of the year - closer to Christmas more people will be buying.

 

Like Brightfires, I don't think the market will ever be what it was five years ago. Several factors have contributed greatly to the shift: the influx of lower priced doll companies has saturated the market, most companies have aggressively pursued the international buyer by committing to English language websites and payments through Paypal, doll collectors have become conditioned to wait for particular buying periods like Christmas sale events or Dolpas, and there have been a number of very high-profile scams that have made buyers wary of the second-hand marketplace as a source for non-limited dolls.
This means that it's easier and more desirable to get the doll one wants directly from the creator/manufacturer and so there is little incentive to check the second-hand market for anything but a limited that was not popular at the time of release. I know that this has made me much more hesitant to buy a doll I'm not 100% sure of liking because I will probably get stuck with it if I regret the impulse later and I won't be able to recoup my losses and put that money back into another doll purchase.

 

It's not just the higher priced dolls. Due to all the reasons people have given above, it's very rare for dolls to sell at the same or a higher price than it was purchased for. For example, Luts sells their dolls for $100 less than they did 5 years ago, and if a second hand seller wants to even sell their Luts doll, they have to make the price even lower. If I were to sell my 2005 Luts Yder, it would be for a loss of $200 or more. A much more extreme example of this is Customhouse. In the last year or two they've done so many 50 percent off sales that it's very unlikely someone will buy one for the original price second hand. They know they can wait until the next sale. Very low priced companies like bobobie or AoD have a different problem selling. Those companies have so many dealers in so many countries that it's pointless to buy second hand in most cases. Buying from a dealer you get a brand new doll, a guaranteed reliable seller, most likely cheaper shipping, and probably free extras. When I sold my BBB doll it was for about half what I paid for her+ free shipping and extras.

 

The main reason I check the second-hand market is for sellers in UK/EU, to avoid the insane customs fees we get on importing dolls here. I'd be happy enough to pay equal to original purchase price in that case for a doll in good condition, but not more. To be honest, there are not really many hobbies where you will get as much back on your initial outlay. I agree with what someone said that you should take into account the amount of enjoyment the doll has given you while you've had it - that has to be worth something!!

 

Collectibles are not really good investments, because it's difficult to predict how prices will fluctuate in the future. Some rare popular dolls zoom up in price, some dolls stay about the same, some go down and that's often the way things are in other hobbies too. Also, there are other factors such as a poor economy causing people to have less money to spend or sometimes you get a seller that just wants to make a quick sell so they price their items lower. Sometimes if a company puts out a new improved body, the older bodies will drop in price, and some sculpts just don't become popular -- there are tons of reasons. Over all, I do think bjds hold their value fairly well -- none of your dolls are suddenly going to become worthless, however, I wouldn't bank on being able to get every penny back for every doll. It's just not realistic.

The best reason to buy dolls is because you love them and they bring you enjoyment. I honestly don't take resale value into consideration, because I don't buy them with the intention of reselling. Now life can be unpredictable, and I can't say that I would never ever under any circumstance sell a doll, but I'm not going to worry about it either--that's just not why I'm in the hobby.

 

I feel the doll market fluctuates along with the economy. Once supply is in demand(as in people can afford more dolls/people can afford to keep the dolls they have) the price goes for a higher rate on the marketplace, people have more money to spend and if the price is higher for certain dolls they want they'll spend it. When the economy drops people can't afford to keep their dolls and therefor a flood of played with dolls or even dolls that just arrive at their door is now offered on the marketplace. If a doll is offered at a lower price the consumer will be more likely to buy a lesser priced doll compared next to a doll in the same condition with the seller asking for more. It's a matter of supply and demand, when the economy drops and the market is flooded with dolls the few consumers have more freedom to browse and negotiate the less likely you'll get a return on your original investment.

At the same rate once you take a doll home and begin to play with it the value decreases and therefor it can't be expected that you get what you origianally paid. If you were offered to buy two dolls, one had been previously owned and played with probably has some small scratches, maybe some small stains ect and the other was brand new right out of the box not touched by anyone except the crew which produced the doll, both dolls are the same price which would you choose? Why spend the same amount on a used doll when you could buy brand new?

 

Quoting you again for this becuse I feel exactly the same way.
All of the dolls I've sold in the past few years I've gotten about what I paid and my last doll I sold I am taking a several hundred dollar loss on. I see this going on in the marketplace a lot lately, people having to lower and lower the prices for the dolls to be able to sell, and dolls being up for sale a long time unless the price is significantly low or a newer/popular sculpt, or having to offer a layaway.
Some dolls I think wow that's rare and would of sold easy at the price it is listed a few years ago I see sit in the marketplace now.

It makes me be way more careful when buying dolls and outfits now because I don't want to lose money if it doesn't work out and I decide I want to sell it later. No more buying on a whim I try to be sure it's something I will want for keeps.

 

Hmmmm...actually, they really don't depreciate just because they aren't brand new -- only if there is some kind of damage, and even handling dolls a lot, it's easy to keep them in good condition. Dirt and stains usually come right off, small dings can be buffed out and second hand dolls can often look as good as new (I've bought a lot of dolls off the marketplace). Buying second hand has the added advantage of no wait time and lower shipping costs if you're buying in country. This said, I do agree with the rest of your post. I think the economy is definitely making it difficult to sell luxury items.

 

We have all been affected by the poor economy, but I wonder if I am the only person who looks at their bjds as art investments? My partner and I have inherited and collected paintings and native American pots, all of which have appreciated over the years.

To me my BJD are art, and I wouldn't sell them unless I absolutely had to. I do plan on passing them down in my family and wonder if my great nephews or nieces might be on Antiques Road Show one day finding out that the dolls are worth a small fortune.

Has anyone else bought their dolls as a way of investing money?

 

Now...I'm pretty sure there was a thread for this but alas, a quick look has failed me!

On to the question at hand...did I buy them as an investment?
God. No. I bought them because I wanted them and I was prepared to take the inevitable financial hit. They pretty much lose money the moment they're out of the box unless you have a SPECTACULARLY rare LE that happens to be the flavour of the month and also happen to find two people willing to fight it out over the thing when you want to sell it. It's incredibly rare that you even make back what you spent when you buy from a company, I know first hand because I trade a LOT and the only way to make any kind of money in this is to buy second hand, cheap and knackered and restore it to sell on, even then, you're talking MINOR profit at best tbh!