Buyer‘s regret

I personally haven't really regretted getting any of my dolls, but I did realize over time that perhaps bigger dolls weren't something I would play with/work on that often. I have 3 SDs (2 Iplehouse EIDS and a Doll Leaves SD) and while I love them, I don't have a place to display them and they've remained in their boxes basically since I bought them. I think its mainly been because I dont have my own space for art or dolls and haven't really had the means to do anything with them this entire time.

However, through all of that, I realized that I like MSDs because they are a bit easier to handle and get out to play with and work on than an SD. I also have joint issues, scoliosis, carpal tunnel/tennis elbow issues etc... so the smaller dolls aren't as heavy for me. But the bigger dolls are easier for me to restring in some ways since I'm able to grip the thicker/bigger resin parts easier.

Honestly, it's okay to realize preferences over time and change your mind. I would definitely agree though that perhaps you not wanting to "spoil" yourself has probably been the big reason why you've gone for the cheaper dolls. When I got my first doll, my Doll Leaves Vanesa, she was inexpensive compared to other dolls on the market. I'm pretty sure I already knew about Fairyland and Iplehouse at the time, but I couldn't really justify the splurge on them. I also had never handled a BJD or seen one in person, so I went for a doll that wasn't aesthetically what I preferred at the time (realism). I had even avoided fairyland for the longest time due to its popularity and lack of realism compared to Iplehouse. But now I own a minifee, and I absolutely adore her.

Will I get more SDs later? I want to say yes, since I have a Doll Zone head I'll be getting a Doll Chateau body for at some point, but after that I don't really have plans for any more.

Also, to answer your question about how I picked my dolls... I feel like most of them were love at first sight and the fact they fit into an aesthetic that I enjoy. Something about their sculpts called to me. I think the overall theme and outfits draw me in at first. But if I don't like the sculpt itself, I tend to not go for a particular doll. I also don't impulse buy usually, even when I want to do so. For instance, my minifee Ingrid I immediately adored, but couldn't afford at the time of her release. She sat at Denver doll for nearly two years I think before I was finally in a position to put her on layaway. I felt like she was totally meant to be after sitting at DDE for so long without being purchased!

My Iplehouse Douglas was probably the closest to an impulse buy because he was discontinued shortly after I discovered his sculpt. But I think I had a few months to fall in love with him and think about the purchase before I actually bought him.

 

I had a bit of buyer's regret over my first two dolls. I bought MSDs at first, because I thought bigger would be too much - even though I knew I preferred the look of dolls in the 70+ range. Eventually, the combination of my regret & their childish look bothered me so much, that they sat in their boxes pretty much permanently while I finally allowed myself to buy the dolls I really wanted.

It took me a lot to work up to selling those two. However, once I did, the relief was amazing. It felt really good to send them away home with people who were more interested.

I guess I learned the hard way that I'd rather save up or wait for the sculpts that really speak to me, rather than settle for ones that seem more acceptable or practical, personally. I had to learn to be honest with myself about it.

(I hope that actually connects to your question, I may have misunderstood. )

 

I think this hobby is a lot of (expensive) trial and error It is of course very different if purchases have been tied to mental health issues, and that perhaps needs a different approach, but often enough collectors only end up realising what they like or not after having the doll at hand. For most it means buying things half-blind as meetups or friends with dolls are rare to come by and physical bjd stores are limited/only in very few locations so there is no real chance to handle before buying. I wouldn't say that buying a doll, receiving it, and realising it's not for you is really a mistake made if there is no way of knowing otherwise. Tastes change over time as well, and not everyone collects to keep certain dolls "forever".

As for me, I mostly buy second hand so dolls are not "the one" but more like... "Hmm I'm curious if we would vibe together?". Everything that didn't stick, I've sold on with very little regret. Some things I enjoyed for a period and then passed them on. Some money is lost? Technically. Even so, I don't think I would have known what I like or not before getting to play around with the dolls.

 

I feel less mostly bc I'm more confident in my ability to sell dolls if they aren't working out for me

 

I think i have less buyer's regret and more just realize my tastes change? Like i know I'm impulsive, so i got the ground rule of only buying dolls on the last week of the order period to make me really think about it.

But there are some dolls i keep shuffling between selling and modification to make them something i might loke more? Its mostly just expensive learning curve of some companies i like the faces but hate the joint system, or like a while ago i was more into anime faces, but now i like them less.

Tho i do have a few dolls that i think i could call it sorta regret, but mostly just cause i didn't enjoy them as much once seeing them in person. They just looked nicer in the company photos. Ive learned how to spot those the longer ive been in the hobby tho

 

I think people's tastes change over time, even in collecting, and that's fine! We're human - change is part of being human!
For me, I started off with one second-hand Soom Min Gem. I swore I would never get anything bigger than a fashion doll because I had "out grown" my American Girl dolls and really only had collector Barbies. Then Soom came out with an SD I was enamored with and I had a local friend who had a variety of BJD sizes that I could actually handle and experience. So I brought him home.

10 years later, I've got dolls of all sizes from different companies. Are a lot of them impulse buys? Well, when I used to be able to go to a local dealer who had a physical location, yes. The dolls were right there - I could pick them up and decide right then. Otherwise, no. I can spend an entire order period hemming and hawwing over a doll before committing.

Do I regret any of them? Not really. Sure, they're expensive. No, I won't get all my money back on them when/if they are ever sold (probably after I die - or if I need money for a terminal illness/unexpected surgery.) I enjoy looking at them (and yes I need to handle them more) and that's all that matters.

Someday, I might try to downsize because I keep adding dolls but I am not increasing their display space so I need to sort that out at some point. Other collectibles might have to go.

 

I don't regret any of my dolls, but I started with MSD's because the larger dolls seemed way to big to me. I wish I would have just started with the larger dolls, because I prefer them to the smaller dolls. The MSD's just sit on a shelf in my room looking adorable. It is the SD and Uncles that I use for my photostory, take pictures of.

I am so used to handling the larger dolls that when I pick up the smaller ones they feel almost awkward to me. I don't regret having them. I had a lot of fun sewing them outfits. Just for me, larger dolls are the way to go. I really love sewing for the larger dolls and taking their pictures, and centering my story around them.

I buy the dolls that fit into my story. I have an idea of what I want for a character when I start looking. Price is a bit of a factor, I don't really want to go much over $600 for an SD doll, unless I really want the doll and have wanted it for awhile. When I search for the right doll I try to stick with what I consider the more affordable companies. I will look at those companies first to see if I can find a doll that will fit the character in my price range. I usually know it's the right doll, becuase I can picture it in the photo story and feel inspired to write it into the story.

 

I don't have buyers regret in the typical sense and have grown to be okay with changing my collection around, however I do get buyers regret/sellers anxiety when I choose to part with a doll and no one is interested in buying it. So I get regret it in the sense that I can't get that money back that I maybe shouldn't have spent in the first place, until someone buys the doll that is

 

“expensive trial and error” is absolutely true i haven’t had a doll i REGRETTED per say, and since actually selling the doll doesn’t bother me much i don’t have much worry about letting it sit around. not many dolls actually leave my grasp once i have them. i do buy specific dolls with specific things in mind, but there are a few that i bought purely for aesthetics. my first doll was actually a feeple Rendia, so i went straight to the SD size, and sort of moved down from there, but i collect all sizes, i just have a lot of MSD thrown in atm haha. but I bought her because i knew i wanted a feeple, and rendia’s sculpt captured me. i didn’t have a character in mind because she was my first doll, and I don’t regret her at all! After that, my next few dolls were project dolls. I put out a WTB with just “project dolls of any size and condition” and bought a few from that. An ancient volks nono on an ancient … i think souldoll? body, an HZBJD boy with shattered thighs and insane yellowing. these two called to me for individual reasons from their pictures. My only regret is for the HZBJD boy, and that’s because I wasn’t able to repair his legs well enough (i need to go back and retry now that i know more lol). He’s super cute otherwise, I’ve really fallen in love with his face after i gave him a faceup.

Another doll I bought as a project doll on ebay after vetting it. I’d seen him in a couple of legit groups over a few months and he was in ROUGH shape, it was kind of a personal joke where i’d see him and roll my eyes and go Oof. (i try not to be like that about anyones dolls but he was… Oof.) once almost a year went by and i guess the seller gave up with groups and put him on ebay for much cheaper, i ended up seeing him again and was like “ok i think this is a sign or something” and bought him because i was sick of seeing him for sale. This was the ONLY doll i was actually worried about while waiting for him to arrive because… well, it WAS an impulse buy, of a brand i didn’t particularly care for, no papers or box, a project doll that needed a LOT of work, and no vision. when he arrived I opened him and he smelled terrible, and I immediately thought “god what have i done? i guess i’ll… clean him…” but through cleaning him up i actually really fell in love with him, and thankfully he was legit too. I don’t regret him at all, because I bonded by fixing him up. Admittedly I ended up just swapping his body - He’s an Iplehouse JID and he had a bunch of chipping at the joints, and i don’t like the engineering of the iplehouse dolls. But i still have his old body. I can’t bring myself to sell it as another project body or something because i’m attached lol

anyway the rest of my dolls are usually bought with a character in mind so there’s a lot of planning, but i have bought a few full sets where i’m undecided on one aspect or another and resolve to sell it if i don’t like it in person. The only regret i really have is that i wasn’t able to give them proper attention, but i know their new owner most likely will, so usually i’m happy for the doll

 

I agree with previous posts that this hobby has some trial-and-error in figuring out your taste/preferences in BJDs. Dolls are physical objects, so sometimes you don't know what you do/don't like or what your tastes are, until you handle the doll itself.

I don't regret any of my "figuring out my taste" doll purchases, because I was a newbie who didn't really know what I wanted, so I ended up buying and selling a bunch of dolls in order to figure that out. (Of the 8 dolls I bought in my first 4-ish years of the hobby, I sold 6 of them - some sooner, others later.) But I also reflected on the experience, tried to put my finger on what exactly it was that I did or didn't like about the dolls I bought. That way, I don't continually buy dolls not to my taste, which I will come to regret!

The only time I regretted a purchase was for a doll body, for a head I wanted to hybrid. I fell for a sale, and actually bought the body before I bought the head secondhand. The hybriding was a failure, and I also disliked the body intensely. It wasn't a complete waste of money because I got a hands-on lesson of what joint engineering that I don't want at all, and this knowledge is now seared into my bones. But I do regret getting suckered into a sale and I won't make the same mistake again.

As for how I know the doll is "the one"... I have a few criteria. Some of it is taste-based, eg. only getting 1/3 dolls in 57-68cm height range (since I learned from experience that smaller dolls just aren't to my taste). Others are more "I know it when I see it", eg. a doll has to inspire a character in my imagination, or fulfill a role in my doll cast. But something that helps me a lot, is to have a default mindset that for every doll I buy, I also have to invest money/time/energy into completing their appearance, and then play with them -- and I'm not allowed to put it off for later. (So I'm not allowed to buy floating heads "just in case I like it" "ehh buy it now and sort things out later".) If I think about all that investment and I already feel lukewarm, overwhelmed, turned off, before I've bought the doll at all... I don't buy it.

So far, this combo of buy-for-keeps mindset plus knowing my own taste has worked pretty well for me. But honestly, I don't know if a doll is "the one". I feel like I create that for myself, by investing into whatever doll I buy, completing their appearance, playing with them, dreaming up stories. I have my tastes and preferences, and if the doll already fits all that, and I'm keen to start working on them... I'm already making it "the one" for me.

 

Well, I'm one who "shells OCs/original characters" with their dolls... A pretty face is not enough for me (because let's be real, they're ALL pretty). The pretty face has to become personally significant, and that usually happens when I look at the doll and I'm inspired to make a character for it. Sometime inspiration comes immediately, aka love at first sight! I have bought dolls because of love at first sight -- but I will give myself a few days to cool off, let my brain catch up with the feelings and think over it, before buying.

But not everyone creates characters for their dolls, and that's fine. In that case, I suppose there are other criteria for deciding which doll to buy.

 

I agree with the others about the trial-and-error beginnings in this hobby. Of my first two years of collecting, not a single BJD remains with me. At the time I could afford it, part of my salary went into it. And resales were much easier. (That was 15 years ago)
Fortunately, there comes a time when you get to know yourself, and you know better if a doll is going to please you for a long time to come. Or at least it was the case for me!
I also agree with you about how you might feel when buying when things aren't going well. I've made quite a few purchases at times when I wasn't in high spirits. Some have stayed, others absolutely not. Some brought back bad memories. I sold them.

 

I've had my fair share of buyer's regret. Back when I was starting to make my own money for the first time, I had a bad case of collection turned to obsession (my life was a mess and I found comfort in collecting) in another hobby and regret a few of the purchases I made, so I became more wary about it and I've always kept myself from impulse purchases when I started buying dolls.

My collection being character-driven helps me with that. I have very strict rules (sizing, sculpt style, fit in the current story...), to help me keep my collection cured and not buying dolls I'm going to regret. I still keep some pictures of dolls I like but I don't as much as think about buying them if they don't fit one or more of my rules.

That said, even if I had not make any impulse purchases, I still have some amount of buyer's regret. For example, my first doll I did not bond with at all (company face-up kind of deceive me and when I ordered the doll without face-up, the features wasn't what I expected). Also, my tastes have changed quite a bit over the 11 or so years I've been in the hobby, but I don't like having to sell a doll, I get very attached to the things I buy and kind of feel like I've let them down or something (yes, I'm that crazy).

 

Sometimes I have to see a doll in person to truly realize whether I like it or not. I have one doll that I completely fell in love with the moment I first saw her online. She was simply perfect, so I bought her. And guess what? She's now my least favorite doll and I even thought of selling her. I've had her for a few months now and just can't bond with her. I can't even tell you why.

So do I feel "Buyer's regret"? Not really. Owning the doll was a necessary step for me to realize that she isn't "the one". If I hadn't bought her, I'd still think about her and wonder, whether I should've gotten her.

As others have already mentioned, finding the "right" doll is unfortunately a process of trial and error but I wouldn't beat myself up over buying the "wrong" doll. Yes, it means that you'll probably lose some money but at the same time you might get to understand your own tastes and preferances better and things like this will most likely happen less and less :3

 

I can confirm that everyone have some buyer's regrets at some point of the hobbies

Btw, here are my way of purchasing now.
I set the spec first to rule out any doll that will not fit in my crew, anything that not follow with these specs, even It's a very beautiful doll is a NO. I can admire them from afar but not at my home

here are example of my spec
- 1/4 scale, height around 40-45cm
- can wear 7" wigs and 14mm eyes (except for the fully closed eyes sculpt)

These 2 conditions already rule out thousand dolls out there, and I just added up the 3rd special condition which is :
- able to spend at least 1 quality weekend photo trip with said doll per year. (Out door, in my case)

This will restrict me from having too many, or it's mean too many photo trips too, which is impossible

I'm currently having 6 doll slots with 5 members already solid, everyone also following the size rules. So they can share clothes, wigs, and eyes to some extent. And it's mean at least 1 weekend doll trip every 2 months, which is alright for me.

However, this is just an example, and everyone have their way to collect dolls. The key is, just find the spec that suit your style and try to obey your own rule will help keeping your collection in a good manageable size.

 

I've learned that 'Love at First Sight' is a great indicator for me! I've had dolls I admired a lot, but there were a few things I didn't love about them, and I then proceeded to talk myself into getting the doll. I always later sold those dolls! If I keep going back to look at the doll over and over, that's a pretty good indicator as well. I never buy a doll just because of one feature I like, even if its the head. I have to love the whole package!

 

There is one doll I regret buying and have since moved (half of) on, but he did teach me a valuable lesson: dolls don't always want to be the characters I want to shell.
I now approach dolls with a rough set of character ideas, but let the doll guide me with who they want to be.