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

Nearly everything I have is secondhand from the MP or from people I know well IRL or from live journal. I prefer to see owner pix on faces and body poseability, and I always want to check on dimensions to hybridize for my floating heads. Many of the current bodies are too anime-lanky to work for the older, hefty characters I'm working on. I check on feedback on folks I don't know, and I've had good experiences in general for everything I've bought. When I first came into the dollery, a lot of people were having major problems with slow arrivals and bad service from some of the companies, so naturally my bias became working with more reliable MP or eBay folks who've been around for awhile. My budget doesn't stretch to paying top dollar for a fullset limited doll even if I really liked it--and it still may be a long time before I can spring for some of the current mature dolls I really like.

 

Personally I prefer to buy new from the company.

First of all, I LOVE the smell of fresh resin.

Secondly, I trust companies more than random users. I've heard so many stories of people sending the money but never recieving the doll, or the doll has more flaws than the original owner had posted in the sales topic, etc etc. So that makes me holding back a little to buy stuff second hand.

Third: I prefer blank dolls. And with second hand dolls they usually got face-ups and such. I know those can be whiped off, but I just prefer blank ones that have never been painted before.
When I buy one new I just know that they won't have stains or funny smells or whatever. And if something broke during transport, companies can replace it.

But I must admit that I have bought second hand stuff 3 times: 1 Peakwoods goldie, 1 pair of glot hooves and 1 pair of glot horns and they all arrived without any problems or whatsoever.
And in the future I want to buy some Soom MD's which have been released in 2008 and 2009, so the only way to get them is to buy them second hand.

So if I have to, I will buy dolls (or parts) second hand when they are not for sale anymore at the company.

 

I only have one doll, but if I want a new doll for no specific reason, I'd be going onto the market place. Unless I wanna get a brand new doll.

My opinion? You want to mod a doll, so I'd look to getting it on the marketplace, so you don't lose too much money with depreciation of value and stuff.

 

My budget is limited, so of the six I currently have, only two of them were bought new. I have another new doll coming in April and a new head and used body coming this year. The new experience is very nice, but it's also nice dealing with nice folks on the Marketplace and I haven't had any bad experiences.

I fixed up my first doll this year, assembled her from a damaged head and damaged body, and while she might not be absolutely perfect, I realized the other day I've taken more pictures of her than anyone else. I've got a lot of effort and emotion invested in her and I'd certainly be up for another doll rescue project. So while my doll budget is shot for the next little bit, when I get ahead again financially, I'll be stalking the Marketplace for sure.

 

For me it's also 50-50. In a way I'd prefer secondhand dolls, mainly because the waiting time is so much shorter. For example when I was buying my first doll, which arrived last December - I actually had already ordered another doll from a company and he still hasn't arrived... (shipped last week tho) Then in the other hand it feels safer to buy from a company than from a 'random' person. It is more rare for a new doll to have some 'defects' you hear about after paying (this happened to me, even though it wasn't a big one) and also the possibility of losing your money for nothing is slighly smaller. However if I have bought/ sold something to that person already and I know s/he is trustworthy, I definetly prefer buying secondhand, since I'm very impatient to wait for the doll to arrive

 

I'd say I prefer buying new. I like knowing my doll has only ever been mine, and if there's problems with it, the company can help fix it. I've heard that some companies won't provide replacement parts if you break a doll if it wasn't purchased directly from them.
However- I would buy a doll secondhand if it was a limited I wanted, that could not be purchased from the company. It would have to be in amazing like-new condition though.

 

I have a soft spot for dolls that need new homes and prefer buying them second-hand in the marketplace. It feels like I'm truly "adopting" them, it enables the seller to recycle their doll investment which helps them out, and it's good for the environment of course. I've purchased a couple of dolls new...and I hate the wait time. Both were tiny-tinies and wound up being too small for me anyway, but one took 4 months to arrive and the other took over 3 months. That's a long time to wait for disappointment! And frankly, by the time they arrived (in both cases after long, problematic delays from the companies) I was so over them already.

But I find that I bond quite easily with pre-owned dolls. I can "see" something in them that tugs on my heartstrings and I just know they're the doll for me...maybe because it's an actual owner pic and not a slick, airbrushed, professional promo photo. There's just something very gratifying about buying secondhand and turning a doll that didn't work out for someone else into your very own recycled "masterpiece". I'm quite fortunate that all the sellers I've worked with have been absolutely wonderful, and everyone of them has been so happy and thrilled with what I've done that they've actually gone to the trouble to let me know via post or PM. That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I adore my recycled dolls!

 

I've done both and depending on the doll is what draws me to them. I've adopted many from the MP and only a handful were new. The difference between the adoptees is that you can see them evolve from their previous life to the one they create with you and the newbies have a clean slate or no known history to speak of.

 

I usually preffer new dolls if I can get them (meaning they're not out of stock) but I don't really care if it's second hand or not as long as the doll is in good conditions :3

 

Both I buy dependant on how much I love the doll

 

I buy both (2 news / 1 used on the way)
I never ask myself if it will be better to have only new or used..
it's depend on doll, availability , price and also how beautiful used dolls could be ^^

 

Both, as long as the MP dealer you are buying from is trust worthy and has a good track record. Always check out feedback treads.

 

It's not a problem for me to buy secondhand!

The doll arrive faster, and without taxes (if the secondhand transaction is in the same country, of course!^^) so if I can have the doll for the same price, I choice secondhand!

 

I buy both. If I see a doll I want that's on sale at the MP then I'd probably buy it there. I'm a fate kind of person so when I'm thinking really hard about who to bring home and one of the dolls in questions goes up on the MP I get that one since it's like destiny. But also I get certain dolls from the company, like RS since I want the case or if the company is having a promotion.

Also maybe it would depend on purpose? I would never buy a new doll from a company just for the purpose of moding or face-up practice unless I absolutely had to.

 

I would love to adopt a doll instead of buying one , which i never did. I tried one or two times but the doll was already adopted. I think it also has a lot to do with if you know the person or not or if she/he seems trustworthy and then you still might feel uncomfortable until your dolly has arrived at your home. When you buy from a shop you are (at least i´m) not worried so much ._.?

 

I usually buy new dolls. The long waiting for the dolls is part of me bonding with them somehow. I can't really bnd with second hand dolls (just sold my second hand DZ Mobecause of that).

 

So far, my favorite doll (Narae) has come from the marketplace, and I couldn't be happier with her. I'd definitely buy second-hand again, but I'm always very careful about who to buy from.

I've had very good experience with buying from companies too, though, so there's no way to purchase a doll that I prefer.

 

I would prefer to buy new, but if there was an Out Of Manufacture doll that I particularly liked and one came up for sale on the open market and I could afford it, then I would buy a second hand doll.

Phil.

 

I always buy new. I wouldn't risk more than $20 on an internet transaction with no safety net.

 

Hmm, I believe it depends. I've bought second hand before and am very happy, so I'd say if you can't find what you're looking for from the company (like LEs etc.) then second hand is you're only choice, really. If it's something that sells on and off, I'd either save up for it or if I can get it cheaper second hand for a decent condition I will. So I guess I'll go 2nd hand if it's either cheaper and just as good as the company's OR if I can't find it anywhere else but 2nd otherwise and I want it badly enough. BUt even before all that I need to know the seller's rep, cause if I can't find much or it's not enough reputation I wouldn't bother even if it's tempting offer.