Buying a doll that doesn't fit your collection

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. First it was my Angell Studio Kimo, now my Momocolor Michelle. I also have a msd that doesn't participate in the yosd universe.

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?
Yes for the first two.

If it was a problem, did you fix it and keep the doll? If so, how?
I first tried selling my kimo and then I gave him a full make-over. He only kept his eyes and his name. I now love him to pieces and bought extra dolls around him. The Michelle however, I love her sculpt and tan resin color so much, but I can't get her to fit in. I'm not giving up on her any time soon. Her looks are fine, she just doesn't has a proper personality yet.

If it was not a problem, what do you think helped you accept this doll?
I'm hoping to either come up with a personality and / or give her a mini make-over to fit in.

Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?
Stay loyal to yourself. My problem it that I can't handle dolls that are too cute or too nice. I don't like normal clothing either. So casual outfits just won't do it. My Kimo went from casual outsider to cybergoth besties with the rest. My DZ Annie wears clothes I would like to wear, but can't. Furthermore, don't be afraid to have more stories going on at once, like people said before me. If all else fails, there's always the selling option.

 

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. Dollfie Dreams and anthro dolls because of aesthetics. Needless to say, I have two Dollfie Dreams, a third in customs, a forth on pre-order and a fifth I'm actively hunting as well as two more planned. As for anthros I have an off-topic yo-SD sized one and wanting a very on-topic Dearmine MSD one TTuTT

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?
Not a single problem here, we went along swimmingly!

If it was not a problem, what do you think helped you accept this doll?
Hmm, now that's a good question! I think I simply became more open-minded... I find it hard to dislike dolls to begin with!

Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?
If you want to try something new then just go for it; sometimes it may not work out but if you don't try it's the same as if you failed anyway. More often than not if you really want something you're often right, so really, don't hesitate! You might find yourself regretting it later!

 

Yup. Sometimes you see a doll and suddenly it doesn't matter anymore if (s)he fits in with your current crew anymore. Funny thing is that too me, my dolls don't look odd together. They all have their own story of how they came to me and that's all I see right now.

 

My collection is very much a mis-match of styles, types, sizes and ideas.There's Dollzone, Obitsu, Blossom Doll and Doll Chateu, vinyl and resin, more realistic and slightly stylized, SDs MSDs and tinies, and none of their styles are similar to one another's. Some have home-made face-ups, some have professional face-ups. They ARE all part of the same storyline and fit into it in one way or another but I've never had a 'style' with BJDs or set out to make sure that they all match. I love the variety between them and I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

I have a few odd-balls over here who really don't "fit" the general look of my CP/Volks/Luts/Soom-heavy collection... A freaky bean-pole of a Doll Chateau Dolores, my itty-bitty Micros (a Banji and two Dream High pixie-things), the trio of massive EIDs who make everyone else in the house look like a bunch of anime school-kids and, probably goofiest of all, an impossibly smirky, cartoony, action figure-esque BH Steve who matches the style of absolutely nothing else out there.

I'm not a bonder, so I've never had any trouble with my Weird Ones on that account. Their wildly different scales and sculptural styles honestly don't bother me, either, at least not when they're posed on their own or grouped with the other odd-balls... They only tend to make me o_0 when I try to pose or photograph one of them with a group of more "normal" members of the crew. (Trying to pose one of the EIDs with a group of Delfs, putting the Dolores right in the middle of the SD13s, or dropping my Steve in with the MiniFees, for instance, would definitely make me twitchy. Oddly, the Micros seem to get a pass when it comes to that, though for the life of me I don't know why.)

I have sold off a few Weird Ones, but the reason usually wasn't because they didn't fit the group... More often it was just a matter of my not liking the individual sculpt very much once I saw it in person (a GomiDoll Igon head and an Angel Studio Gabriel), not liking the general doll type as much as I thought I would (a pair of DollFactory Pet Ari anthros) or not taking to an atypical resin color (my purple Soom Arkose-).

 

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 certainly have, more than once! I meant to only have one set period (the "main" family), and stuck to that for a while, but when FairyLand introduced the LittleFee line I was absolutely smitten, even though there was no way a little human-style YO would fit with my fantasy MSDs. But I got him anyway, and he started a second family (and ended up modded to an elf anyway). Then I fell for some of Soom's Teenie Gems, and those started another family. I also found a character MNM order for my favorite anime character, and while he was a floating head in a box for a while, his gaining a body led to a fourth family (though he's going to be partially re-shelled and, hilariously, have his head replaced). The fourth group and my love of LittleFees has since inspired a fifth, and at this point, I'm not sure I can say which one's the main group anymore, but there's practically always going to be somewhere someone will fit now!


Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?
For most of them, no. I'm not as strongly bonded with the Soom Teenies, but I do love them and would only sell them if I got desperate. On the other hand, the one try I took at an SD (Soom, again) didn't go well, but I don't think it was the lack of fitting as much as the size in general.


If it was a problem, did you fix it and keep the doll? If so, how?
In the case of the SD, there really wasn't any way to fix the size issue, so she went off to a new home a long time ago.


If it was not a problem, what do you think helped you accept this doll?
With most of them it hasn't been a problem at all, and I think it's because I bought them because I adored them, not because they fit with a family; building the new families for them helped with the "acceptance" as well. I haven't been able to keep any of them as a single doll in a family of "one," though! They've all ended up in pairs at a minimum, which also helps with enjoying them in its own way. None of them seem to stay "single" for very long once they get a body; the only one pictured alone in my signature is still "technically" part of another larger family (her counterpart who belongs with her is a floating head currently).


Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?
You can always sell again on the second-hand market if it totally fails. And if it doesn't fail, you may have started something you're going to love more than you thought! (I'm really loving the new families that are forming right now!)

 

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 have a few groups, so to speak.

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?
It really depends. I mostly collect larger dolls (65-70cm). When I got my first fantasy msd, I adored him, even though he didn't fit with the main group. After him though, all other msds have to work with him. I've gone through two dolls trying to find him a companion, but I think I finally found someone who works.

If it was a problem, did you fix it and keep the doll? If so, how?
For the dolls I really loved, I ended up just splitting them from the 'main group'. For dolls that didn't fit anywhere, if I wasn't really in love with them, I sold them.

If it was not a problem, what do you think helped you accept this doll?
It wasn't a problem once I decided on different groups.

Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?
I say go with your heart. If you find yourself longing for a doll that doesn't fit the group, try it. You might end up with multiple groups, you might find that doll is fine on it's own. You might even decide you like that style better and change your whole collection! But really, to me doll collecting is about enjoying dolls. And I don't see a reason to limit that enjoyment!

 

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 dolls that didn't fit because of their aesthetics and others because of their story being separate from the 'main' storyline. I also have only human characters, living in present days. Apart from one, but he has a human body so it's all the same.

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?
I did, and do whenever it happens. I know better than having 2 different doll universes now but sometimes you buy a doll and in person they just don't fit. I also changed my taste in dolls and went for more realistic looking, so I had to sell some of my old dolls so they would fit my taste.

If it was a problem, did you fix it and keep the doll? If so, how?
I can never bon, so I sell.

Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?
Try once or twice. Look after every doll and their paperwork so if for any reason it doesn't work you can sell it. Some people have no issues with mixed collection, you will only know if you try.

 

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 have. It was an impulse buy because I had a crush on someone else's doll that I saw a lot here. The doll was limited and there was one left on the internet and I grabbed it before I really thought it through.

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?

Not so much a problem bonding, as an inability to reconcile the aesthetic mismatch. All my other dolls have a fairly similar look or body style or something that makes me feel they work together in look and feel as well as fit in the overall story. That doll just didn't fit and it constantly bothered me. Alone, I liked her a lot (thought I never liked her body) but I really wanted her to be a character in my story.

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

No, I just couldn't deal with the dolls' body, I really disliked it. So I'm going to put her up for sale.

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

Beware of impulse buys, especially if they're limited because that just puts pressure on the decision making process. I bought another one in similar circumstances (on layaway so I haven't gotten her yet) but I think she'll fit in better. I think there's a huge range of things associated with why we buy dolls so having differing styles/sizes etc would be a personal choice. I can totally see the appeal of having a broad cross section of different types.

 

I bought a Resinsoul Mu (a hooved fantasy doll) while all of my others were human, simply because I love the hooved look. He didn't fit with the storyline I had for my characters so I changed the story up a bit and that worked for some time. Now I've just split the story all together, with different dolls belonging to different stories. I didn't love my Mu any less for being different from the rest of my collection. If there isn't really an on going story or one set in stone than I don't think there should be any problem with incorporating a variety of dolls. I'd hate to miss out on a sculpt I love just because it's a different sort

 

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 bought a Pipos Cheshire and he was my only tiny.

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?

I don't think I had an issue bonding with him, but just a lack of desire to work on him. I was more into my SDs, and he just got pushed to the backburner and then I ended up selling him because I never did anything with him.

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

No, I sold him, see above.

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

Even though I ended up selling the doll, I'm still glad that I tried his size out. I never would have known that tinies are just not my thing. You can always resell it on the secondhand market if it doesn't work out, and chalk it up as a learning experience.

 

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'm constantly buying dolls that "don't fit", haha. My first was an MSD character doll, and he doesn't really interact with the others in a story way. I was expecting my next doll, my first SD, to be able to fit with him because he was bigger than most MSD dolls, but I ended up making him into a character doll from a different universe after looking at his face more. My third doll was where I went off the deep end, so to speak. She is a Doll Chateau Ada, of all creatures. At this point, I'm just sort of going with it and accepting my wacky family. They chose me, not the other way around! My fourth and fifth were SD heads from the same company who I shelled two recent characters of mine into, and I'm almost done getting them both on bodies now. I never thought I would have so many SD's! After them, I returned home to a Yo-SD centaur, who I placed in the world of my Ada, and started world building. In that world there are currently 5 Yo-SD's and 3 tinies, including one mature and one that is 4.5cm! Over time, I made them all fit together. My only outliers are four Yo-SD's that are separate in story, but I love them all the same!

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?

Not really. I had a little trouble getting used to SD sized dolls, but now I have 3 and planning 2 more! On the other end of the spectrum, while I can't do as much with my mature tiny, she is so delicate and beautiful and was very fun to paint. My SD's get more physical interaction, and my smaller dolls get admired from a distance more.

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

I had no problem bonding with my first character doll, and my second doll's face reminded me of another character, so I dropped my previous plans and went full force into another character doll! So far, I don't think I've encountered any major issues bonding with a new different doll.

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

If you make sure before you buy the doll that you really love it, you should go for it! Don't let presets in your mind like "I probably won't like a big/small doll" or "this one is too real/stylized to fit in" hold you back. If you love it, you love it, and that's what matters.

 

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)
Yeah...I got a tiny because she was an Alice in Wonderland doll and when I first discovered BJD, I was only interested in Alice in Wonderland themed dolls.

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?
I guess you could say that. She was an impulse buy. I loved her for about 2 weeks but she doesn't fit with any of my other dolls, story-wise or aesthetically. And I had trouble posing her. Afterwards, she was just a really expensive decoration. Like a Swarovski crystal that has no purpose except to look pretty.

If it was a problem, did you fix it and keep the doll? If so, how?
No...problem never fixed. I've boxed her away and am waiting to sell her one day.

Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?
It might be better if you went to a meetup, a store, or a convention. Bring your doll with you so you can kind of sit them next to each other to see how the size or style fits.

 

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)

Not really because my collection is more of a accumulation of dolls than anything "predetermined"... I buy dolls on a whim.

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?

No, because every time it's an instant attraction. I have been wanting to get rid of a doll lately, though, because her size didn't fit with the rest.

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

Nah, I'm just putting the two I don't like on sale and using the money to buy things for the rest... They are sacrificed for the cause (not funny, I know)

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

Er... can't really answer that.

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

Just do it. Mistakes are better than missed opportunities.

 

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 collection is a wide variety of sculpts, sizes, and colors, but the one thing it didn't have any of was boys.

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?
Absolutely. My boy doll just didn't sit well with me. No personality, no excitement, nothing.

If it was a problem, did you fix it and keep the doll? If so, how?
I fixed it by finding him a new home and buying what I really wanted instead.

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

Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?
You never know until you try, and if you don't try new things, life's boring. And even if you don't love it, there's someone out there who will, so you can find it a new home if it doesn't work out.

 

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 Dollfie Dream aesthetic wise. Most of my other dolls who didn't have a place in the storyline before were sort of written in to connect them. Emiko, my DD still doesn't fit in but I'm going to keep her anyway. ^^
Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?

Nope. ^^ I like having a varied collection. I don't play with her as much as I would like though.
If it was not a problem, what do you think helped you accept this doll?
In the beginning, I wanted to sell her because I wasn't feeling it. She recently got a new wig because I insisted she had blonde hair, but the blue and pink pastel seems to fit much better. She'll be getting new eyes soon as well.


Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?
Go for it. ^^ if anything, it will be a learning experience. If you don't like the doll in the end, it's perfectly okay to sell it.

 

If I like the doll, they'll fit in. I think my aesthetic is more or less "the Island of Misfit Toys."

 

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 have bought a few that didn't really fit.
Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?
One I did have problems bonding with, mostly because he just didn't look like he belonged with the others. I bond by taking pictures and I love being able to shoot my dolls together, but he just didn't look right when I tried to do that.
If it was a problem, did you fix it and keep the doll? If so, how?
No, I tried many times but in the end I just decided to sell him.
Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?
I say go for it. I mean if you decide you don't like it just sell it and try someone else.

 

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 started out being fairyland minifee only, and evolved from there. So yes.

Did you have a problem bonding with your different doll?
Sometimes I have had trouble bonding with dolls that were gifts or are so completely different from the others. I'm now a heavy modder and that actually solves the problems for me.
If it was a problem, did you fix it and keep the doll? If so, how?
Some dolls I sold because it just wasn't working at the time and I've decided to come back to the sculpts later. Many become mod bait and turn into one of a kinds I can't bear to part with.

If it was not a problem, what do you think helped you accept this doll?
For sure taking the dremel and epoxy to them. I now only see bjd's as bases, rather than complete chara.
Any advice to somebody wanting to try something new but afraid to take the dive?
My advice would to be to start gradual, I started by giving my minifee heads different bodies so that they would have different body types, and then was able to go out and buy different sculpts. I would also try a different doll size, sometimes having a second doll family in a different size makes it easier to break the mold a bit, because they can form different groups.