Buying dolls on credit?

I live in the suburbs as well. I could ride my bike to the bus stop but I have 3 kids so that wouldn't be very convenient. LOL

What I meant by car payments was people with very expensive luxury cars that they can not afford but buy because their cool. Rather than buy used or save up for a car that is less expensive.

 

Rural areas are just as bad, if not worse. I moved from a very small town where the only public transportation was the school bus, and of course once you're out of school you're out of luck on that one. Five miles to a grocery store. Ten to a Wal-Mart. And if you wanted a movie theatre that didn't have broken seats or a bookstore of any form, that was a 45-minute drive. So yeah, if you didn't have a car or know someone with one that was willing to haul your butt around, you were outta luck. The nearest cab company was 30 minutes away, too.

To stay on topic, I am gonna jump on the "dolls + credit card = bad" side of things. Like a few others here, I got credit cards right out of high school and got into a lot of trouble financially because of them. Thankfully, I have since straightened myself out and keep a managable credit card balance now.

I got into that trouble because I am an impulse shopper, badly. If I see something I want, I have to have it or the world as I know it will end. It is my flaw and one day I will learn to manage it.

This is a bad hobby to have that kind of mentality in. I got my first doll in August of 2008. I just paid for my 21st. And that is only those who are home with me, not those I have already bought and sold. So dolls + me + credit card = OMFG disaster. But that's me, and I have made an "absolutely no dolls on the credit card" rule that I've managed to stick to just because I remeber how much trouble I got in last time.

With the number of limiteds made by so many different companies (Soom, Iplehouse, I'm looking at you with grabby hands), it is hard to resist the impulse buy mentality. Because it is limited, and it won't be there in a month, and the aftermarket prices will be inflated, so you may as well just get it now. I hate limiteds for this reason. I own a lot of limiteds for this reason. And every time another one comes out, I look at my Visa and start scheming.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that some people in the hobby (myself foremost among them) have a hard time controlling their impulses. I see a lot of newcomers who are overwhelmed with choices and want a lot of different dolls right away because they're all so pretty. I was one of them myself. But that kind of mentality plus credit cards is a recipe for a financial meltdown. It is too tempting.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with credit cards, or credit card debt, as long as it is handled responsibly. Hell, a certain percentage of credit card debt is actually GOOD for your credit because it shows you are willing to use the credit extended to you responsibly and establish a history of making payments on time. But in a world so generally marketed towards instant gratification, it is always best to live within your means and save the cards and their higher interest rates for emergencies.



Edit: Wow. Long post is long. Apologies.

 

I have only ever made one doll payment on credit and I paid it off in full the next day. All the rest have been on debit, I just deposit my saved-up money into checking and then pay online with paypal. My method of choice :3

I think as long as you know you can pay it off, go ahead and use credit.

 

The one thing I love about Soom is they let you do layaway. Then you dont get stuck with a credit card bill. And they dont charge you insane interest like credit cards do. There is a limited I have to get and I am gonna have to charge it. But I will be putting all my spare cash toward paying her off quickly. Plus spending money helps our economy. Did I mention I am also an enabler LOL

 

In the USA perhaps, but in my country the use of credit cards isn't standard at all, nor in many other countries I presume. Here everything can be payed with cash or by using a PIN-card (which is basicly the same as paying cash, only now you use plastic to transfer the money directly from bank-account to bank-account so you won't have to keep a huge amount of money in your wallet).

So from my point of view I don't think it is strange to dislike buying on credit. I was raised with the idea to save up and avoid all kinds of loans at all cost because they were only going to get you into trouble. "If you don't have it, you can't spend it."
My parents weren't the only ones with this opinion, it is shared by most of the Dutch (even though the use of CC and buying on layaway is more common nowadays).

It's just a difference in upbringing and 'culture', I guess.

 

My comment about the necessity of having cards sometimes might have been worded better. MY Pin card is tied directly to my checking account but also has the brand name VISA written on it. It doesn't matter whether you call it a debit or credit card, it works precisely the same way. I stand by my comment about there being situations where you need a card though. Just try renting a car without a major credit card. Now, I haven't tried renting a car somewhere OTHER than the US, so.. there ya go.

Apart from that issue, though, you seem to have misunderstood my post.

What I said is that there are many good reasons to have, and use, credit. It has nothing to do with how I was brought up -- as I also mentioned, my family was dirt, dirt poor so there was no credit and very few purchases, period. We saved until we had what we needed. Period. Just as you did.

What I *said* was, it requires discipline and common sense to use credit cards well. You obviously don't charge more than you are able to pay off.

That's what I said, that's what I meant. Of course there are differences in cultures, but that has nothing to do with using basic common sense, and there are MANY good reasons for building up a credit rating. At least in this country.

I personally use my credit cards as a convenience so that I don't have to carry cash or keep people behind me in line waiting while I write a check, dig out my ID, wait for the clerk to do whatever scribbling needs to be done to prove they looked at it, etc. Swipe card. Done. Once or twice a month I log in and pay off the cards. Done.

I very much resent the implication that runs through this thread that people who prefer not to use credit cards are somehow morally superior to those who use their credit. THAT's why I keep posting in here. It is absolutely a personal choice as to whether or not credit is used. The people who have said "no, I prefer not to because I know I will get in trouble with them" are exercising common sense, as are those of us who use the cards and pay them off regularly. There's nothing inherently "good" or "bad" in either of these scenarios.

 

I was raised the same way, and I'm in the US. I hate, haaaate having a significant balance on my credit card. I hate being in debt or owing people money. I think your parents did a good thing. It's important to learn how to save and spend money wisely.

That worked well until I got booted into the real world. Guess what? No credit card = no credit history = no loans = no house, car, or other major purchases. I had to bite the bullet at some point.

I'm with Baakay on this one. I don't understand the hate towards credit cards. It's just like anything else in life: use it in moderation and you're fine.

 

I am with Baakay, Ostrich, and all responsible card users everywhere. As I said, I am all for it, as long as one can pay that bill.

Another issue is continental. US doll buyers often look to Asian companies like Bambi Crony, Volks, etc--and it's hard to do transactions with them without some type of debit or credit card. Which for me, since I don't like to shop online, can make it difficult.

In this case, I save up the money, and let one of my more online buying savvy friends make the transaction for me--giving them the money instantly. It can get weird when the item doesn't arrive at your home but theirs, but she is a doll owner herself and I trust her implicitly.

 

That's a really good point! Don't like the idea of having debt on your card, but really want that doll?

1. Save up the money.
2. Pay for it with a credit card.
3. Use the money you saved to pay off the card.

 

I have tried to use my credit card on a few purchases but for some reason none of the sites would take it. So I use Paypal, which is a little more convienant for me. I save up my money just to save, in case of an emergency or if I really need something like new clothes or shoes. (I have weight issues and continually go up and down in sizes, I hate wearing anything too small or too big so I buy a few pieces of clothing just to have a decent fit on me and as for shoes, I need comfortable ones because I'm on my feet all day long at work). So normally I do have the funds for a doll, I just have to be totally in love with the sculpt and company for me to dive into my account and send the money to Paypal to buy him/her.

If any company did take my card, *might be an error on my end typing the number in* then I would definitely use that as well. I am pretty reasonable at paying off the charges I have on there. I usually pay it off the next month, after getting two pay-checks from my work.

 

@Baakay: I didn't misunderstand your point (I only commented on the part I quoted) and agree with you that not using your credit card has nothing to do with being morally superior. It is simply a different way of paying. And I think you can use a CC responsibly and irresponsibly. Paying cash is not the sublime way of paying, because you can make major mistakes with this too. How many people spend more money each month than their budget allows when they didn't even touch a credit card?

But building up credit isn't as important here as it is in the USA. We can buy a house, a car when we have no credit history. Our income is important. You can't buy a house when you don't have a steady job at least a year for instance and when you only earn $1000 a month nobody will sell you a $400.000 house (because you won't be able to pay the monthly expenses like mortgage). Even renting a car can be done here without using a credit card. It is not a common method of paying here so we have different ways to insure that both parties get what is rightfully theirs.

But I do know that if I were going to migrate to a country where a credit card is as important as it is in the USA, I would use it. I do like to buy a house at some point ;p.

Oh, EDIT: With the upbringing part, I didn't mean that just because my parents taught me to save up I'm less inclined to use a CC, but that there is an overall reluctance in my country towards these types of cards. Not only the parents but also the place where you were brought up has an influence in how you see things (in this case the credit card).
Now I'm sure that if my parents were against the use of a PINcard I sooner or later would pay with it anyway, because it is the most common way of paying here and makes things so much easier. It is because a credit card isn't neccesary here - even more, it's hardly used here - that I don't feel the need to have one.

 

I personally wouldn't use my credit card for a doll, but I have a small line of credit and a car that is old and slightly frail, so I want to save it for emergencies. But if people can buy dolls on credit without putting themselves into debt problems, then more power to them. The credit card is a tool people can use as they see fit.

 

Interesting!! I sincerely didn't know that. It definitely shines a different light on stuff, to some extent.

On the other hand, having to show your steady income, etc., is basically the same as showing your credit-worthiness (in order to get the mortgage). And one of the ways to show that you can responsibly manage your finances here in the US is to have, and manage, a credit card. In fact, having one that you use for small amounts when you're in that early stage of employment (like, say, going to school and you only have summer jobs or part time jobs) is one way of doing so before you can meet the requirements for those big expenses like mortgages.

I apologize for being snippish in response to your particular post, Silk. You aren't actually the one who has been waving the moral superiority flag

 

I wish I had been taught to save for something I wanted. Then I wouldn't be in debt. I try to stay away from ebay and all the doll sites but it is hard, to see something I want and want to buy it now. Sometimes you can't wait cause it will be gone, or if you find it again, it'll be more expensive. So I am trying to get myself out of debt and put the dolls on layaway.

 

That is really interesting to know. I just assumed the credit card mentality (and easy access to them and huge lines of credit) was the same worldwide as it is in the US. I have to say, I admire your country's way of doing things. I think mine could learn a thing or two from yours.

 

Only have a debit card so I can't be tempted. If I had a credit card I think I'd use it lots. I suppose if I really wanted, say a limited, I'd put it on layby.

 

The whole reason "credit scores" are important here is it shows that you can be responsible. You can have a credit card and not charge on it, or charge minimum amounts that you pay off every month. My credit card even pays me money back for purchases. As long as you pay your cards off your golden. Now I am not saying everyone should have a credit card.
Here income also is a factor as much as credit. Credit card companies do not want people to charge up tons of debt and never pay it back. There are pro's and con's to everything.
Silk what ways does your Country safe guard things like car rentals. Or mortgages? I ask because we hear in the US are in major financial crisis. There are many reasons why the US is that I wont go into. There must be a better way and I would love to hear a different take than just the standard don't use credit argument. I am serious. If you don't feel comfortable posting pm me.

 

I was asked to get a credit card so I could build up "good credit" and get my name put on the house title. But my credit card is much like my debit card in that it is paid off fully within the month. I actually use paypal which is tied to credit because I don't like giving out my credit information.

As for doll buying, most of them are so I can make clothes for them. I have one of each size in both genders. Makes things a lot easier for fittings so I can say with confidence, "This will fit an MSD and here's what it looks like on one." They are a necessary expense like the printer and the office supplies. And as time goes by I make back what I paid for them by making clothes and accessories. Right now they make me dip into the red... but that's the nature of "product development." Have to buy the equipment first. But eventually it will start to pay for itself.

 

Whoops! Sorry for not responding, I was ill. I don't think that my country does things better than yours, only slightly different. Like I said before, it all matters how big your income is and how long you have a steady income. If you change jobs every few months, you aren't able to buy a house. Also in Holland the banks do check your financial history and if you have a loan, you can't purchase a house (study loans do not count). So we do check if someone is able to manage their finances responsibly, but contrary to the USA we do that by checking if someone is able to live withóut having a loan. It's only a detail of course, but it is a different way of looking a things.
Now like America (I believe, if you have a mortgage and you get into financial trouble and can't pay up your monthly expenses anymore, your house becomes the property of the bank. You'll get kicked out.
So you see, our way isn't so different from yours.

I do not think that the CC is the major reason why the USA and Europe ended up in a financial crisis, I think it goes deeper than that. The economy of the entire world, including America and Europe are based on the same thing: Loans. There isn't a single country (apart from one or two) on earth who doesn't have a loan. It has become an important part of our economy, because spending money and granting credit means that the money keeps rolling.
But if (and that's what in my opinion happened here) more money is promised to you than there actually is we have a problem. The gap between reality and what's promised is huge and sooner or later the system has to collapse. It doesn't have to do that right away, because the entire economy works when we trust it works and all believe that money still stands for something more than just '1's and '0's, but the moment we start to loose that confidence, the walls will begin to crack and the whole thing tumbles down.

I'm very bad at explaining this stuff, but if you're interested, go watch the documentary Money as Debt on youtube (if you haven't already). It does a much better job than I do.

 

I haven't bought a doll on credit and I want to avoid doing that since the interest rates on some cards are crazy. But if I did see a limited that I had to have and the company didn't offer layaway I might buy it on the card. But I usually stick to buying dolls second hand and from people who with accept a short term layaway.

But for me I feel better paying the entire balance of the doll at one time and not having to worry about paying a credit card bill every month.