Buying a pre-owned doll vs. buying a doll from the company

I don't really mind either way. As long as the doll is in great condition, it doesn't matter to me.

I suppose if I was offered two dolls, both the same price, and the same condition, and given a choice, I would choose the brand new one. ^_^... but usually one is not given that choice.

 

I think I'd prefer a brand new one, because the thing with me is, that when I get something that's been owned by someone else, I want it to tell me that it was owned and loved, like in the case of a book, I want the owners' name to be written on the first page, and the pages to be fringed at the edges to show it was read a lot and really enjoyed..

In the case of a doll, I guess that would mean something like scratches and such, and I think I'd prefer getting a kit to start with a completely blank canvas. Also, I don't think I could decide to change the personality of a doll that someone else had owned, so I'd be stuck with the doll that the previous owner had made and inspired.. ops:

 

I think new...for preowned, they come wht feelings and thoguhts attached from their own owner. I and owuld feel bad whipping the slate clean, thoguh I would rather start with a clean slate myself.

 

I'd buy either, but there's something special about second-hand dolls. They're already alive. Especially the damaged ones.

 

I would buy both kinds. If I have fallen in love with a doll and get the chance to buy one it would not matter if she was owned but in good condition or brand new :grin:

 

I have one of each, and I love both. ^_^

I love my newborn girl because I got to make her completely mine from scratch, and I love my preowned parts girl because of all the time it took me to buy the parts to make her exactly what I wanted. There are ups and downs to both, but as long as the doll is in workable condition, second hand kids are just as fun as newborn kids.

 

I like both I have two new and one used. There's something neat about being the first owner and having everything come to you in prisitine condition. For LEs, I'd prefer to be the original owner. For non LEs (dolls without clothes and such) I like second hand dolls.

I'm definitely a sentimental sap -- I purposefully bought my Tsubaki second hand (he came to exactly the same price, within $3, of ordering through Frill-Frill, so it was a conscious decision) because he was a year old (came from the original Tenshi no Sato party) and I really liked the fact that he'd been kicking around someone's house in Japan for a year; it gave him this built-in, mysterious background that I could be fanciful about. (He was in excellent condition, though, with an unopened wig and wings -- I probably wouldn't have bought him at that price otherwise.) I also fell in love with his auctions photos, even though he had his default makeup. I've always been like that -- when I buy anything with a face, I compare all the little faces and pick the one I like the most. I had a choice of Tsubakis, but I liked... that one. (I know that's totally silly, but that's how I feel ^^;;; )

 

I definately prefer pre-owned, so much more spirit!

I'd love to have damaged dolls with pasts but they are rare to come by

 

As far as bjds go, I'd prefer new ones except... I've seen some pre-owned Unoas I would buy if I could.

Reasoning: Energy. Dolls contain lives of their own. Once I came home from a trip to find Dawn scowling at me. Yeah. Well... I wouldn't want to have someone else's energies scowling at me, but I can handle my own... and fortunately, I knew just what to do to make Dawn feel better.

Once I bought a porcelain doll with a broken finger. Online I thought she was cute, but something was a bit off with her. She still looks scary to me--angry and scary--and I don't think I could change that. It's just not my energy to change no matter how much I take care of her. She has a life of her own that's very foreign to me.

Still, I'd buy a pre-owned Unoa? Hmmn... I'm full of contradictions.

 

I prefer new dolls, but if there were an LE or OOAK that I really wanted and someone had it for sale that had been pre-owned, I'd buy it as long as it's in good condition.

 

I prefer new dolls, just because I know who they are before I get them, and I feel like second-hand dolls already have pasts and personalities that might conflict with who they are going to be when they come to live with me.

Erik, though, has a lovely mysterious past, simply since he has had multiple owners _and_ he's trying _not_ to be Isao...so it is very much okay that I'm not his first owner. I'd feel the same way about Tohya, since I know who he is meant to be here, and being a pre-owned doll would lend to that.

I'm a rambling idiot, please excuse!

 

Some of my dolls I WANTED because they were pre-owned. I had enjoyed their online history and wanted THAT PARTICULAR DOLL. I have three such dolls now. For others a new doll would be prefereable I guess.

Ken

 

I guess my G is pre-owned but also brand new because his previous owner kept him in mint condition. :grin:

(Supposedly he was never opened and played with apart from getting opened to have his picture taken because he was put up for adoption on YJ.)

If I really wanted a particular doll, I wouldn't mind if he was pre-owned as long as he's in very good condition.

Does anyone regard customized dolls or even just customized heads as pre-owned? (Maybe I'm weird but I do regard them as pre-owned. Nothing wrong with that, of course! I'm hoping to get my hands on one of Avvelenato's customized heads one day. Her work is just amazing.)

 

ooh ooh! I like this topic ^_^ I got my DoD Leya from someone here and the board and I like that she came with a name and a personality...it feels less contrived to me for some reason. It's kinda like she came home and it was a "hi, it's nice to meet you...lets get to know each other" rather than a "hi, lets make a personality for you!" Which could be good too. I don't think I care either way, but one of the things I like about Anya is that she has a bit of a story behind her. I'd also one day like to get a new doll.

Both types have their own advantages and things. So Either is good to me!

 

It depends on the doll. For ball-jointed dolls (as well as the 1/6 dolls), I prefer new because I like customizing them so they can conform to what image I have of them in my mind. But if it's a doll I don't ever care to customize or if it's a doll that I would love to try restoring, then I'll take used as long as the doll is in good condition (meaning that it's not broken beyond all repair).

I have a few used dolls that aren't ball-jointed in my collection. One is a vintage Crissy doll from the early 1970's that I purchased off eBay that's in such excellent condition that her hair-growing mechanism still works. Another are a pair of old Polish dolls that I purchased from the estate of a woman in my church who died recently. They are in less-than-ideal shape and I would like to restore them to something that's similar to what the original artist did. (I haven't gotten around to doing that yet.)

I recently purchased a naked Barbie doll for $1 in a thrift store that is unusally articulated. The doll in particular can strike poses like a Dollfie Plus and she has much more flexibility than the usual Barbie. (I know she's a Barbie because the copyright notice on her back says "Mattel" along with the usual "Made in China" stamp and the year 1993.) I'm going to get rid of her ugly hairdo, replace it with a flattering wig I won off eBay, and get her some pretty clothes.

 

For the most part, I like new dolls but if there were a praticular doll that I liked because of its previous personality I'd buy it pre-owned for that reason. Other than that I like to have dolls that are "my own"

 

I would avoid a pre-owned doll at all costs, unless it was the ONLY way for me to get the doll I want

 

I have both..

It doesn't matter to me either way

Even for new dolls, I realised sometimes they come with an angry aura... well .. it could be their face ups or something...LOL

 

Probably new, since I usually have well-defined personalities that my dolls are designed to fit. But, like with my V13 and Jerolyn, they came customized, so they "belonged" to a previous owner for at least a short period of time, long enough to be repainted. Jer may even be a special case, since I kinda sorta get the impression that he was one of Mahiru's personal dolls. =o_O=;;;

Anyway, since I can't read Japanese and don't know the whole story, I don't have a problem with Jer having been previously owned. I have no idea what he might have been like before he came to me, and it really doesn't matter. He's my Jerolyn now. =*^^*=