Buyer‘s regret

I think it comes with the territory of being in the hobby and having to learn what you like the hard way and/or having your taste evolve out from under you. Even though it stings (especially because the waits are so long and the prices are so steep and there's more than enough FOMO to go around RE: limited sculpts/preorders), odds are you won't truly know if something is for you until you try a bunch of things out and see what works and what doesn't.

The worst offender of being the source of big excitement and turning out "meh" was my brief-ish stint owning the second release of Dollfie Dream Ranko Kanzaki. I'll admit, I purchased her in a fit of FOMO related to several other major life changes happening around that time and I was attempting to self-soothe with buying something expensive and frivolous. Her head mold just doesn't do it for me in person and, because she was limited and decently sought-after, I was too skittish to send her out to get customized. So she sat in my doll room for about a year, basically untouched, and I sold her off.

Personally, I've shifted my hobby buying significantly. I've been around the block a few times and have a pretty good idea of if something is going to work out for me based on how long I've pined for it. If I keep coming back to it for more than a few months, odds are pretty good that if I buy it, it'll be a keeper. I also know that I'm generally not big on MSDs and Yo-SDs are a total non-starter, that fullsets are iffy at best, and that I'm not willing to pay huge $$$ for a totally blank doll, no matter how limited. There are, of course, exceptions to every rule, but this is my go-to checklist for whether or not something gets added to the wishlist and/or eventually purchased (instead of deleted after 2 weeks once the hoarding crow part of my brain stops going "OOO SHINY").

 

thusfar the only doll-related thing i've regretted buying was a wig that i thought would suit my kid delf, that.... reallllyyyy didn't suit him at all, lol. can't exchange it, and i don't have any other dolls to try it with, so its just kinda sitting there... i have a friend who's also into dolls (no BJDs yet but he does have some fashion dolls he's customizing and such) and i'm thinking i'll probably see if he'd like it. it's not a giant deal, though, since it's just a wig i'm not out a ton of money or anything - all the same, it feels wasteful to just have it sitting around.

 

I've regretted many of my purchases because I did a lot of impulsive buying. I had admired the BJD community for a long time, so when I finally got a job, I just dived in and bought dolls left and right without ever considering what I actually wanted.

I realise now that msd dolls aren't my style, but I own two of them. I realised I love SDs the most, but they take up a lot of space and are much more expensive. I also bought dolls just because I thought they were pretty and I loved their promotion pictures. I've come to know that the dolls won't always look like the promos, especially when you can't get the same face up.

The biggest mistake I made was when I bought a heap of dolls cuz I thought they were really pretty, only to find out they were based off real life artists. While I was a fan of said artists for a time afterwards, I couldn't get passed it being weird owning dolls inspired by real people. And now that I am not so much of a fan, I don't really know what to do with them. I love the dolls and the characters i have created from them, but still can't get passed their inspiration.

Another problem I had was that I bought dolls of all kinds of skin tones, but only own three bodies. I have shades of pink tones, yellow tones, white tones, brown tones, while only owning pink and yellow tone bodies. And size too. Always check the head to neck sizing.

I now mainly focus on YOSDs. They are cute, fun to pose, and much easier to make accessories for.

My advice for any newbies, is research. Research everything. Look at how other people have designed the sculpts, look at the skin tones, see what suits the doll and what doesn't, how much space do you have for the dolls. Just research literally everything.

 

Absolutely. During lockdown in 2020, because I felt extremely powerless and had more disposable income than usual, I ended up buying about seven dolls over the course of the year. Three of those were BJDs, and only two of the seven are still in my collection.

I feel like, for me, the red flag is exactly that: am I buying the doll because I really want her, or because I feel like there’s not enough progress happening in other areas of my life? That’s an unfortunately common pattern for me, so I’ve learned that I have to watch out for it. I think in general, if you tend to experience buyer’s regret, it might be important to stop and think about your reasons for buying before you press the button.

 

I don't know if what I'm feeling is regret, exactly. Definitely anxiety. I hate having spent so much money. But I'm so excited for the dolls... I think the hard part is finding balance, and allowing yourself to enjoy what you have.

 

Ive only bought three dolls, and one I regretted (the third I haven't received yet)

She had a beautiful face, but as an MSD she had a very childish body which put me off. Since then I've realized I only want MSD with more mature body ratios. (Which can be a bit difficult to find sometimes)
So I ended up selling her maybe a year or two after after I got her.

 

I'm not trying to brag, but I really do own an excessive amount of dolls (like, over 100), and I collected them all within five years. Yeah. That's, um, a lot. Actually, that's the first time I've really thought about it. Uh. Yikes.

Things I regret: NOT listening to the advice I was given, which was excellent: buy the doll you want, not the doll you think will be "good enough." Go to meets and see the dolls. Hold them. See what you like and what you don't. My manic buying binge (which I was also cautioned against) has finally come to a halt.

The dolls that I bought that I truly regret fly in the face of most others' experience - the ones that I had thought-out, serious plans for. The dolls I had planned to shell as OCs. The dolls that I researched extensively and compared measurements to ensure they were exactly what I wanted. Then I received them, and they were all wrong.

Conversely, the dolls that have brought me the most enjoyment were the impulse purchases of secondhand dolls - the ones that were under $100, and I thought, "Oh, sure, I'll try that." Like my Angel of Dream 58 cm female body. It's my first secondhand body, and to this day, it's still one of my most favorite dolls.

So, um, don't listen to me, I guess?

 

This is why I think don't want to shell... I've felt inspired for a character and after a long time I started sketching again so I could get her doll right, but I have a feeling that the clearer the picture, the more disappointed I'll be when I finally have everything in hand. I have a feeling that it might be better for me to keep a vague concept and pick a doll that really calls to me and let it turn into a character on its own.

 

I feel the fear of a doll rejecting the OC as well. It's a big loss to try again. It hasn't happened to me yet and I'm not sure if just putting more effort into the doll solves it or not. I try to keep my ideas on the vaguer side until I know exactly what face I want to use. It kind of hinders thinking about the OC though

 

Not sure if its buyers regret but I do feel a bit guilty about how much I spent in such a short time since getting in to the hobby...

On the other hand, all of the dolls I got took alot of research and making sure they would fit well with what I have in mind. As soon as I start thinking about the projects I will start when my dolls arrive, I don't feel all that bad since I'm pretty sure they will keep me occupied for a long time. Well worth the price now for all the fun they will provide in the future.

 

So, in fairness to others, I am weird, and I own it.
I avoid buying "character dolls" (like ones Volks makes - which are stunning!). I kinda let the doll sculpt "tell" me who they are. I have finally accepted the fact that I prefer it this way.

It is my sincere hope that as I get better at face-ups, my dolls will be able to "speak" more clearly to me. Right now, they tell me who they are through wigs and clothes. I'll put a wig and outfit on a doll, and I'll decide - yes. This is who you are.

I also spend a lot of time (a LOT of time) just sitting and looking at my dolls. I let ideas fester in my subconscious until they pop to the forefront. For example - I've been struggling with what I should do with my Miracle Doll Zhi Shen head. After doing some requested head swapping, I realized that I like the head best on the Luts Type 5 body, and that she's actually a good candidate to be a Harley Quinn-inspired nightmare sort of character.

Now that I've accepted that this is the kind of collector I am, I don't worry about trying to shell characters. It's more about discovering the character in the doll. Also, I'm trying not to beat myself up too much at all the blank faces, so...

 

I can't say I regret my first doll, because buying her taught me a lot about what I don't want in a doll, and my other purchases have just confirmed what I learnt from that. I like realism rather than more stylized sculpts but MSD is still the right size for me.

My collection is mostly split between dolls I bought because I loved their sculpt who then developed into characters and dolls I bought to shell important original characters but I think the key for me is that both dolls I bought for OC's were only bodies (well, one came with a head but I knew from the offing that was not going to be her permanent head) and I fully intend/am in the process of just sculpting their heads from scratch so they can be absolutely dead on perfect. I know that the one head I bought because I thought it might work absolutely did not (although it is currently serving as a backup head because I don't like headless bodies) and it turns out I'm a wuss when it comes to modding so my backup plan did not work either.

 

So I bought an Impldoll Susu which hasn't arrived yet.
And I'm starting to regret it?

Like I know she's going to be very pretty, but I'm finding my self wishing I bought a different doll.
So much so, I am unbearably tempted to sell the Susu the moment she gets here.


The Susu was intended to represent an existing character. Where as my other existing doll is her own character. She exists as a doll and only as a doll. Which is what I also want to do with another sculpt I'm eye balling.

I'm not excited for this Susu anymore. Just nervous.


Have you ever regretted buying a doll?
Why?
What did you do about it?

 

It has happened to me when the wait has gotten too long - at some point I'll be too annoyed and wish I had gotten something second hand or in stock instead. Sometimes it works out fine in the end and I'll love the thing I ordered once it arrives! Sometimes the wait is so long that plans change and I'll end up putting my order for sale soon after it comes.

I ordered a body earlier this year to upgrade an older doll. It was a very popular preorder and I made my order kind of late so now it is taking ages to get finished... and similarly to you in this situation, I kind of regret buying it because I no longer want to upgrade after all, and the wait is annoying, too. But what's done is done and there is no way of knowing how I feel when it arrives. Maybe I just get a different idea for it? I try to not mull over the regret too much while I can't do anything about it.

I hope your Susu arrives soon and I'm sure you'll know what to do with her once she's there I guess it's just inevitable that ideas change over time, and they don't always mix well with long waits in this hobby.

 

I'm glad in not the only one to put up for sale immediately after getting
Makes me feel a bit less bad.

 

I put in my two cents in the Buyer's regret thread so if you're looking for other perspectives you'll also find them there.

But if we're on the topic of how feelings change while waiting for a purchase to arrive, I'm grappling with that right now and I figure it's just what's going to happen sometimes as I try out different sizes and companies.

It sure would be nice if I could go somewhere and handle a doll in person first to know if it's too tall, or too heavy, or the resin feels weird, or too delicate, or makes a weird clicking sound when you pose it a certain way. There's lots of little things you can't know until something is in your hands, or until it's painted. That being said, sometimes something arrives and you know it just needs to keep moving and sometimes you have that feeling even before it gets to you.

Not much you can do about it until it arrives, so concentrate what makes you happy and take the steps you need to take when the doll is finally there. That's my approach, anyway.

 

Coming to update this

Turns out I'm regretting buying the Impldoll Susu and she's not even here yet. I hope I change my mind once she gets here.

 

I think for me it's more about the character attached to the doll than the doll itself. Which is another reason why I worry I won't change my mind much once I have her in my hands

Thank you for the thread link. Turns out I had posted there in June

 

I've had dolls I waited anxiously for and when they arrived we just didn't click—I sold those without any regrets and in one case traded it away for a grail.

And then there's the wait I had for my latest doll. Sometime during it, I became convinced, for no apparent reason, that I was going to hate her. I regretted getting her, I was so upset about the whole thing. She arrived yesterday, and I adore her. Can't believe I ever doubted. She's even more amazing than I expected.

I guess what I'm saying is, maybe wait until the doll has arrived to make a decision. Maybe yeah, you'll decide she's not for you and you'll sell her and that's that. But maybe she'll exceed your expectations and you'll end up loving her. Regardless of what you do, I'm sure it'll be the right thing for you, so good luck!

 

Oof.
If it makes you feel any better, I don't think you'll have much difficulty selling her if she doesn't work out? I've seen several WTBs for her.