Buying a doll that doesn't fit your collection

I'm usually very strict when it comes to only buying dolls that fit together into the same storyline world - the few times I've tried to stretch my rules, I've ended up not being able to do much of anything with the doll and sold it. But my aesthetic taste has also slowly shifted over time though, so it is a little broader than when I first got into BJDs, and some of the dolls I have now, I wouldn't have been able to fit into my group when I started.

The one exception to only collecting dolls that match each other has been my Dollzone Anson. The second I saw her blank promo picture, I was absolutely awestruck and had to have her. I love her as she is, totally blank, when usually I do extensive mods and customizations to all my dolls. But I think this is why she has stayed even though she doesn't fit in - I see her more as an art object that makes my desk pretty, and less as one of my other BJDs.

 

Have you ever bought a doll that didn't fit in with your main collection? (either due to storyline, fantasy vs human, aesthetic, resin type, company, etc)

I've done this twice. Once I didn't bond and the other time I did.

First I bought an MSD doll when all other dolls I got were Petites and slim minis. She was supposed to be a part of their storyline but she just looked too off amongst the others. She was cute and adorable on her own, but the moment I put her on the shelf with the others, she just stood out too much Her head was too big (all my other dolls had 6-7in heads, she was 7-8) and body too clunky next to Unoas. So I had sell her away.

Second I bought an SD She of course doesn't fit in fit the others sizewise but this time it was okay, because she wasn't supposed to fit in with them. She had a storyline of her own and her place was away from the other dolls. I got her another SD friend and haven't regretted in getting into this new doll territory

Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?

Don't push it. If you're trying to put a new doll into the same group as your previous dolls and you know beforehand that you might have a trouble with it, be careful. If you buy a doll thinking it won't fit and you're not going to bond with it, you most likely won't. But if you really want the doll and can put him/her on her own, away from the others, it could be okay

 

I've got two dolls and one floating head that really don't fit in with my other dolls. One doll and the floating head I'm trying to part with. The other doll, a Planetdoll Mini, is my back-of-the-burner project doll; and while she doesn't really fit with the three in my permanent collection, she is inexpensive enough that I don't mind her being an oddball.

There are dolls I would love to own whose aesthetic varies greatly with my two more realistic Iplehouse and my Souldoll (a Dolkot Leaf, for example, or some of the Rosette girls). I'd probably pursue them if, say, they could share clothes with my other girls, or if I had a bigger space to let them breathe.

 

Have you ever bought a doll that didn't fit in with your main collection? (either due to storyline, fantasy vs human, aesthetic, resin type, company, etc)

Oh yes, several times.

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?

Yes.

If it was a problem, did you fix it and keep the doll? If so, how?

Once or twice, I sold the doll, but other times, I liked it so much that I just bought others of its kind and invented new stories.


If it was not a problem, what do you think helped you accept this doll?

It helps me accept lots of things I have had preconceived notions about to just consider the thing by itself. I have made a decision that I don't have to buy dolls that necessarily fit in, but can buy them simply because I like them. I feel that I am sometimes too perfectionist in my views and it's good for me to expand my imagination a little.

Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?

Don't be afraid; just do it. You might like it very much.

 

Have you ever bought a doll that didn't fit in with your main collection? (either due to storyline, fantasy vs human, aesthetic, resin type, company, etc)
All dolls I bought will always fit my doll family.
I usually try to relate the story, even though they're really different.

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?
Nope. The only bonding problem I have was about something more personal.

If it was a problem, did you fix it and keep the doll? If so, how?
---

If it was not a problem, what do you think helped you accept this doll?
Because I usually try to relate each of them.
Everything looks natural for me by doing it.

Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?
It's your money, your doll, your story.
You can relate the one that you think is different, with your other dolls.
Or you make a 'new world' for him/her.

 

Have you ever bought a doll that didn't fit in with your main collection? (either due to storyline, fantasy vs human, aesthetic, resin type, company, etc)

I bought an anthro bunny at the spur of the moment. I had no tinies, no anthros, no white skin dolls, no fullsets. It's not so much that I have rules about my collection, just that she was the odd one out. One time I also bought a Senior Delf girl doll. She was my only SD, and when she arrived, I hated her.

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?
Not in the slightest. I bought her because "bunny" is my nickname and she was pink-themed (my favorite color). She fit right in and took over the doll cabinet with her little personality. With the SD doll, I had a huge problem. She didn't look as advertized, and she didn't fit in with the aesthetic of my other dolls in the slightest.

If it was a problem, did you fix it and keep the doll? If so, how?
It was never a problem with the bunny, and she's become one of my favorites, if not THE favorite around here. With the SD, the only way to attempt to fix it was to wipe her face which I just couldn't do as she was a limited. The only solution was to sell her off.

If it was not a problem, what do you think helped you accept this doll?
If she hadn't been special to me because of her form and her theme, I might have felt differently.

Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?
Really, really research pictures of the odd duck. Make sure that what is drawing you to the odd one is not just an "oooh how pretty" moment. Sit back and think about why you want it, what draws you to it. Most things sell back fairly quickly with little loss, so if in the event you do hate the doll you can get rid of it. I think the best thing to do is go for it if it is what you want and you understand why you want it.

 

is there's any rules for "fitting in"? I buy what I like, the only it have to fit in, is my heart.

 

Have you ever bought a doll that didn't fit in with your main collection? (either due to storyline, fantasy vs human, aesthetic, resin type, company, etc)
Yes, I don't have much trouble story-line-wise but definitely aesthetics-wise. I have had two MSDs that I sold later on, since all my other dolls are SD sized. I just couldn't deal with that big a size difference, the MSDs were too small both to fit in with my other dolls and for me, personally. As adorable as a sculpt might be, I've had to accept the fact that I just don't seem to bond with dolls under a certain height. XD

I did get a girl that doesn't match the others but got to stay anyhow. She's a Dollmore Bella Auden, which is very different to my other girls (Peakswood's and Luts) in terms of aesthetics. But I just adore her, I love her looks and the sharpness of her features in contrast to the softer look of my other girls. I won't be taking pictures of her together with the other ladies, but that's ok.

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?
As much as I've had trouble bonding with "different" dolls, I've actually had more trouble bonding with a girl who matches my crew perfectly (another Peakswoods lady). I think it has to do with something more, or other, than the difference or non-difference as far as other dolls go, but rather how well the sculpt clicks with you.

If it was a problem, did you fix it and keep the doll? If so, how?
With the MSDs it was a problem, but I always keep dolls for about half a year or so to really make sure. In the end, they moved. But I think that had everything to do with size, and nothing to do with anything else. The SD girl that doesn't match is definitely a keeper, even though she has to live apart from the others. I just accepted the fact that she doesn't match, and asked myself if she stands good enough alone. And yes, I think she does. I think that's really it, if a doll is good enough not to need to match, then that's all you really need to know. :3

If it was not a problem, what do you think helped you accept this doll?
Knowing that she matches me just fine, even if she doesn't match my other dolls. :3

Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?
Try it. I know a lot of people are adverse to the idea of trying when you already know that you might sell, but in this hobby you always get a fair share of your money back if you do sell and the risk of not bonding is totally worth it, beause if it DOES work out it is a million shades of awesome. :3

 

I think I have a few that might not be the right fit for my collection. I call them my "filler" dolls. There the dolls you buy when waiting for the special order 3mo. wait time... But I still love! I just have just figure out what to do with them.

 

Have you ever bought a doll that didn't fit in with your main collection? (either due to storyline, fantasy vs human, aesthetic, resin type, company, etc)
My BJDs inhabit in the same "world", so their storylines have to mesh together, and they can't be too large or too realistic. I have bought a few that aesthetically didn't look right with my existing resin family. (Eyes or other features too large or too small, body proportions too different, etc).

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?
My most serious bonding issue was with my ElfDoll Red. His body was very different from any other BJD I had owned, and I didn't like the sculpt of his legs and his posing.



If it was a problem, did you fix it and keep the doll? If so, how?
I've sold most of the BJDs who didn't aesthetically fit in. I almost sold my Red... but he was so perfect for his character that I finally decided I had to keep him. To improve his poor posing, I restrung him and partly glue sueded him, and put KIPS in his knees. It helped to make me like his body enough to keep him. I might have swapped him onto another body, but if there are matches for ElfDoll "homme" resin, I don't know what they are.

If it was not a problem, what do you think helped you accept this doll?
I loved how beautiful Red was, and I couldn't find another BJD who suited his character nearly as well. I was willing to work harder to keep him, when I had sold other BJDs who also didn't pose well. And now I am so pleased I kept him. He's still the only ElfDoll in my collection.

Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?
Well... all I can say is, I have noticed that if I fall overwhelmingly in love with a BJD from its pictures, it's a good indication that I will love it in person. As some of the other posters have mentioned, you won't know until you try!

Also... I used to say that I would never have an elf in my family, and now I have three! I sort of opened the door by having a human character who sometimes believes he is an elf (my ElfDoll Red, in fact), and I was so comfortable with him that I brought a real elf home! The second elf was an accidental purchase, I bought him to use his body for another head, and was planning to sell the elf head... but after I got him faced up, I loved him so much I decided to keep him. And the third elf was a serendipitous acquisition from a friend.

Linda S.
galatia9

 

I don't think I've ever purposely purchased a doll I knew wouldn't fit in with the rest of my bunch, but I've certainly ended up with more than my share of them. A few have managed to survive the cull, but more often than not, they end up moving on. My dolls are really kind of a mish-mash, though, and my idea of what doesn't "match" is kind of vague and changeable.

 

I am planning on buying a doll in the future that might not fit in with my collection as well as some of my others, but I usually adapt the character's story to make it more fitting. In this case it's an OC from a novel I'm working on- he's my favorite OC so I can't wait to get him dollified!

 

Have you ever bought a doll that didn't fit in with your main collection? (either due to storyline, fantasy vs human, aesthetic, resin type, company, etc)

Yes. When I bought my Elfdoll Alice Cherryblossom pig, I got her because she was too adorable to resist.

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?

No, because I feel in love with her on sight!

If it was a problem, did you fix it and keep the doll? If so, how?

N/A
If it was not a problem, what do you think helped you accept this doll?

Once I saw her and made the decision to buy her, I made up my mind to love her as a stand alone doll. This way she didn't need to fit in with my existing doll family at all.

Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?

Consider getting the doll you want and resolving to enjoy them without worrying about working them into an existing group or storyline you may already have. You may even end up starting a brand new story around this doll! IMO, Life's to short not to allow yourself to have fun like this!

Juli DC

 

Have you ever bought a doll that didn't fit in with your main collection? (either due to storyline, fantasy vs human, aesthetic, resin type, company, etc)

Yes my Souldoll Ier - had mainly fantasy creatures and no mechanical

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?

I had no problems at all. She was the fastest doll that I have ever given a face up, body blush and made an outfit for

If it was a problem, did you fix it and keep the doll? If so, how?

No problems

If it was not a problem, what do you think helped you accept this doll?

I just wrote her into another family by having her be a present to my Migma from the gods for good service. I have now added 2 more dolls that normally wouldn't have fit in. I have 2 Rosettes that are going to be fairies that had their natural wings destroyed and had new ones made by Ier (Steam Rosette wings)

Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?

If there is a doll that you really love then you find a way to make them fit in. You can always start a new family or storyline if that is your issue. Make sure you spend time making them look exactly as you want to help you bond with them

 

Have you ever bought a doll that didn't fit in with your main collection? (either due to storyline, fantasy vs human, aesthetic, resin type, company, etc)
Definately. On several occasions.

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?
Welllllllll.... here's the deal. I get sad when that 'different' doll is by themself. So I end up buying more dolls to keep them company. I bond with them, yes, but then I can't just keep them 'different'. They need others in order for me to justify keeping them. I suppose it's a deal where I'm a bit lonely IRL and if my doll's lonely looking, it depresses me as well. I'm just strange like that.

If it was a problem, did you fix it and keep the doll? If so, how?
Oh, I kept them. And their little 'clique' grew and grew. Unless I hit financial difficulty and was forced to sell them off. Right now I'm not at that point, so my family's growing! I'm about to jump over to a new planet and am plotting my first acquisition of a Dollfie Dream. *shiftyeyes*

If it was not a problem, what do you think helped you accept this doll?
Back when I had my Elfdoll Catsy and Pukipuki Pipi, they were more of omake characters. They were little bits of comic relief to my crew. Ironically enough, when financial difficulty struck, they were the first to sell. o_O; I still think they may sorta fit in if I still had them. Somehow. I think I'd make it work. *shiftyeyes*

Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?
Do it when you're financially secure, because you may become too smitten and want more! Go to meetups, and look through the BJD databases on here! Owner pictures =/= company photos! There are many other possibilities lurking out there!

 

I have this problem right now. I'm feeling out if someone wants to buy her. She's super adorable, but she doesn't fit with my others. If I don't sell her I am definitely going to make her her own thing and not part of the group. I think I will bond better with her if I do that.

 

Have you ever bought a doll that didn't fit in with your main collection? (either due to storyline, fantasy vs human, aesthetic, resin type, company, etc)

yes, I guess I could say most of my dolls don't follow the same line, be it company, story or outfits. Some of them come in couples though, but it is more an exception.



Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?

I always carefully select the doll I'm buying, and usually don't have problems bonding with them. However, there are exceptions, but they're mostly related to size, than anything else. I just found some sizes less comfortable for me than others, after having such dolls for a while.


If it was a problem, did you fix it and keep the doll? If so, how?

I still keep all my dolls (even those I'm not quite sure about the size). I'm thinking of a complete makeover for one XD It's going to be a cosplay of the character I like, so I hope it will fix the problem just all right ^^ If not, I might consider selling.


If it was not a problem, what do you think helped you accept this doll?

I used to have all dolls normal skin, and never had any fantasy colors until some point. But I ended up having two dolls like that, grey and blue! They clearly stand out of my normal-skin crew, but I made up some nice stories for them, and don't have any problem including them in my collection. (and those dolls are the size I prefer, which also helped ^^)

Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?

as many people said before, it is individual. If you get a new doll, it may work for you just fine, or it may not and you would have to sell the doll.
If you feel like you need a completely new type of doll, but not sure, you could try going to meetups to see such dolls in real.
Or you could try on some new looks for one of your current dolls, even if you think they don't fit, you might be surprised eventually XD Actually, that is what I did once, and now the doll went completely from casual to fantasy looks ever since ^^

 

Have you ever bought a doll that didn't fit in with your main collection? (either due to storyline, fantasy vs human, aesthetic, resin type, company, etc)
I would say no, although there are two dolls I got and created a pairing with that I can definitely see an aesthetic difference. One is a Dollzone Hong and the other is a Souldoll Kagel. The Hong's head is bigger and he is less realistic while the Kagel's head is smaller and more realistic. Being as I was sculpt-matching what the characters looked like (or the closest thing I could find), they're staying as-is because I don't actually mind much. I do see now though why some people don't even like mixing companies or major aesthetic differences when it comes to their own collections.

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?
I'm somewhat dissatisfied with the Kagel's faceup but that was in part a translation issue between myself and Souldoll... plus I got kinda angry looking eyebrows when the site pictures look more badass. But eh, whatever. Since I'm using him as the example, he is definitely one of the more realistic-looking dolls in my clan and has fit in anyways. It was difficult enough to sculpt-match Karl in SD size and I slugged through waiting for him during Souldoll's major backlog last year, so he's not going anywhere.

If it was a problem, did you fix it and keep the doll? If so, how?
I'm considering poking around for a faceup commission later, see if someone can do the Kagel default faceup or something really close and less angry-looking. XD But for now, Dollshe has killed my funds so a lot of plans have been put on the back burner. I may get a head-cap (or several) or something to build up a little more head-size on him, or at the very least get his 8/9 wig to stay that constantly wants to fall off. x_x

If it was not a problem, what do you think helped you accept this doll?
It's not *really* a problem in the end, but then in general I have a lot of dolls from various storylines and whatnot, and have ended up deciding that they pretty much all live here, and are quite aware of it (as opposed to living in fantasy kingdoms and whatnot). It makes for interesting photostories, and also some of the dolls still have jobs, go to school, etc. They just... magically somehow aren't 1/3-size people walking around outside. XD I actually want to get into some of the nuts and bolts of that in a photostory soon. :3

Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?
If you really want it, go for it. The worst that will happen is you won't like it, and you can always sell the doll or offer it for trade if that seems like a more interesting option. I love my diverse crew, I have everything from deities to dark elves to faeries to perfectly ordinary humans... and a space alien on layaway. :3

 

I don't have an exact answer to this thread because I only have one (and another on the way) and they're both the same size, color, and are both humans and fit in the same storyline. But I just wanted to say I'm really glad this thread exsists because I'm been fighting with myself if I should drop my dream of owning an SD because they're so large. Due to the size I was afraid of it not fitting it, but reading everyone's story about different sizes and human vs. fantasy is great It made me realize it's okay if they don't fit in; they can have their own story