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

There is a sale thread for a certain doll I've been watching since October-ish. I've seen the seller drop in small increments as if doing so grudgingly, and the doll is still overpriced when the seller stopped at her current price point, and has been at that point since November. The doll has the default faceup and has had no mods done and is not a limited. The only thing I can figure is the seller justifies the significant markup with the included wig (which is the only thing included besides the doll itself).

If I bought the doll new from the company (which I will not name to protect the identity of the second hand seller), the time to get it to me would probably be only two weeks at the most.

Personally, I just don't get it, as I usually throw in such things with a sale as a freebie. But each to their own, I guess. I'm still not buying that doll at the price listed by the second hand seller, even though I've got that thread subscribed and check it regularly.

 

Remember, too that the list price and the price you have paid by the time your doll gets to you can be two different things entirely. My Lati Red lists at $560, but after shipping, my own country's taxes, and exchange rate it came out closer to $900, iirc.

Many sellers start with a somewhat-inflated price in anticipation people will want to haggle it down some - this is part of the gentle art of the deal and to be expected. There are lots of sellers who relish the offer-counteroffer tennis match and if you can give them a good game they are much more likely to cut you a sweet deal in the end. I'm not one of those cagey hagglers, but my Dad was and I learned a lot by watching him - I don't think he ever paid full price for any major purchase in his entire life, and -what's more- the people he bought from respected him and valued his business.

 

^ This. If someone will pay the price, the seller will charge the price. I ended up paying more than I would care to admit for a secondhand doll that was actually a free lottery gift item. But since it was an extremely limited doll, the price reflected the demand and I was willing to pay the asking price to bring that doll home.

Long story short, if someone out there is willing to pay the higher price, either for a special faceup, for the convenience of having a doll on-hand, or for a limited no longer made... then people will charge the price. If no one buys, the doll won't sell or they'll end up lowering the price.

I find that right now there seem to be two factions in the marketplace...

1) Some doll sales right now seem to be listed at a discounted price, mostly because of the economy people know that they may not be able to sell the doll for what they paid.

2) Other doll sales seem to be at an inflated price, because the seller is trying to make more money due to the current economy. I know a lot of people are trying to bring in extra income right now, and doll sales are an easy way to get some quick cash.

 

i did the same thing, bought a Volks Ruby, but actually althought the price was high, i think it was a fair price all in all, and i really wanted her, and i am seriously happy with my purchase.

i have had my eye on several dolls in the MP that i would like, and the price is ridiculous IMO, and they have been there month after month, i will "not" pay the asking price..... but i guess they think that eventually someone will.

i have had tremendous luck selling my dolls in the MP, but i keep my prices low, even if i lose money in the end. i would rather get "something" because i need the money, then nothing and hold tight to a high price.

 

There are all sorts of reasons, in fact I think there's a thread about this already. Things like faceups, sanding, body blushing, etc. can all raise the value of a standard doll...

But in cases where there's nothing extra done to the doll I think it's just sellers who hope there's someone who isn't as well-versed in doll pricing, or who don't really want to sell unless they can make some money out of the deal. If nobody's buying they'll either lower the price or just keep the doll. *shrug*

 

It can depend on how hard it is to find that particular doll. Just because a doll isn't LE doesn't mean that it might not be discontinued or from a company that doesn't have an English website. I've paid more for second hand non LEs that came with really nice custom faceups--the faceups were more appealing than defaults from those companies and much better than I can do, so to me, it was well worth a little extra cash.

 

I adopted my first doll, but my second is coming from the company. If the doll is limited (like both of mine are) then I try to first get it from the company, then second hand. If it's not limited, then direct from the company is more my style. However, I peruse the marketplace, and if I see a doll there that catches my eye, then I might adopt.

 

As much as I would love to buy from a company, both my girls are Volks LEs, so buying them new costs a lot more most of the time. I've never had any problems adopting pre-owned dolls so as long as they're in good condition, I don't mind.

 

I dunno, I don't go looking for dolls on the marketplace unless I can't get them from the official site. Though I don't see anything wrong with either. I think it's just my instinct that when I have the money saved up for a doll I want, I go skipping off to the place I know carries them. (doll website) Instead of searching around. I've so far bought 2 dolls on DoA and 5 from their official sites.

 

As long as the doll is not a sold out limited edition-- I would prefer to buy a new from the company. Although in some situations I can consider buying pre-owned:
- the doll is *new*, but the buyer has decided the doll is not what he/she expected/monies needed badly-- I will consider buying their doll for the price of a brand new one (no waiting), but rather only if the doll is in Europe (no worrying about custom fees)
- the doll is *almost* new, but much cheaper, so I am willing to take the risk that it has very slightly yellowed, has a few scratches
- I need a head/a body only, and buying a new one from the company means buying a whole doll
- I want to check something and therefore I am not even sure I will keep the head/the doll-- I am stalking Market Place in order to find something cheap.

 

all 3 of my dolls are pre-owned and I love them all the more for it.

 

Unless it being a limited edition doll that I REALLY want, I would prefer to buy from the official sites, especially now there are companies in china that manufactured directly copied/pirated dolls.

 

uhmm actually i like both ^.^
i bought my first doll from DoA, but i want to buy some new dolls from companies too ^^

 

My girl was pre-owned and she's absolutley perfect. As she's my only doll I can't really vouch for the buying experience as a whole, but I'd much rather buy second-hand. There are a lot of reasons for this: first, it's easier to get a good deal on shipping, and sometimes on the doll itself. Second, I love the thought that the doll I'm bringing home has been loved and imbued with something of a personality already, and is coming to me with a little spirit in it. Third, it's nice to think that I'm giving a doll a loving home, the place that is "right" for it.

Silly, perhaps, but that's the way I is.

 

Out of my nine dolls three are second hand.


I love them all dearly and I'm very happy with the price I payed for two of them. And one was . . I just adore her face-up and she has the most beautiful manicure and pedicure.

The third one . . . well I was quite new back then and due to a misunderstanding I didn't realize that the seller wanted to change the price she payed for shipping to her. When I realized it I felt it was too late to get out of it. Beside I bought a wig from her too and she send me the wrong one. So I ended up paying perhaps 10$ less than I would have from the company, buying a wig - at full price - I didn't like and having to deal with removing a face-up I hated wich turned out to be very very difficult. I actually ended up giving up on removing the last part of it.

I would never do something like that ever again. I do love the doll though.


Dustbunnie

 

I have always liked brand new things.... becasue I am sure that there will be (most of the time) nothing wrong with it....

But with BJDs.... if I can find it from someone else, it will most of the time cost me less for the doll and for shipping which is really good :3

 

i prefer second hand. XD no wait. but recently i have been buying a few from companies, (due to second hand i can not afford) and it hasn't been to bad.

 

I've bought both ways in the past and I have to admit that I prefer to adopt the little orphans in the marketplace. It makes me feel kinda warm and fuzzy inside, because when I see their photos, I can see little personalities there just waiting to be loved. And yes, I rescue animals too so it probably comes naturally to me. I've always found good buys in the marketplace and the dolls have been in great condition...I always read very carefully and study the photos. My only problems have happened when I purchased brand new. One doll arrived poorly packaged without its company box from a big doll shop here in the US after waiting for 4 months from my initial order! And the company had changed it's resin color dramatically during that extended time, so it was no longer the color I wanted. I was so upset, I sold it immediately.

 

My first doll was actually an adopted doll that no one else seemed to want to buy. He's the best thing that's ever happened to me and I think we've bonded more because he just seemed to scream for someone to take care of him. I now have two other adopted ones (I much prefer that term to 'pre-owned'), one of them being a doll that my friend sold me. He's a Floy-2 and I would NEVER have bought one of those dolls as I didn't like the lips at all, they give him a goofy expression. But on this doll he just seems so lost that I had to bring him home. I think having both adopted and straight from the company is a good thing really, it just depends on how you feel about the doll and how much you want them home.

 

I dont think it really matters honestly if the doll is pre owned or not. If you love the doll is what matters. You just know if you're buying second hand the doll already is being shipped pre-loved I got my little Churro second-hand and I love him to bits. But I think I would still love him just as much if I had bought him via the FL site