Buying second hand

It's really up to you, and what you are comfortable with. (And personally, I find shelter dogs are some of the best dogs in the world, because they really know they have been rescued - it makes the bond with their new family so much stronger than a lot of others, I think.)

One of the dolls in our house is preowned (actually, various parts of her were preowned by different people), but the one part I feel is uniquely HERS and the seat of her personality is her head, all others are mere accessories. I feel she was rescued by us from sad dismemberment and rejection (since she started as a mere head at a Celga warehouse sale and we have no idea who owned the head originally), and she is truly happy to be where she is. She is loved no more nor less than the "minty" gang, and indeed appears to be in the same type of original condition as they are. Her original faceup is immaculate. ^^

 

I have done both and have to say, that there are some real perks in my book of buying on the secondary market. One would be that usually communicating with the buyer is easier, two, often the doll is already in this country so I save the dreaded EMS shipping charges, three as Carrie said, the wait is usually ALOT less. Sometimes (not always) the price is better, as the previous owner has maybe come to a situation where they need the money for the doll fast.

As to personality, I am completely with Aimee on that one. The doll takes on whatever personality you asign to it while it is yours, so it doesn't bother me in the slightest if a doll has been a character with another owner.

 

Hi!
First of all, I wanted to tell you that I liked your post (and this very interesting thread!) very much and that I totally understand your feelings and worries.
I have six BJDs, and ALL of them are pre-owned, even the ones that look newer.
Some of them have even had more than one owner before me.
But, strange but true, maybe that is the reason why I like them so much.
I mean, I love the idea that they have travelled so much in order to get to me, and that they have visited many different and distant places...
According to me, all those experiences make them more similar to real people, and I like the idea that they have an own, complex personality I will have to understand a little better day by day
By the way, the dolls I have have been sold by their previous owners because they didn't bond with them, so now everybody is happy: the sellers, because with that money they have been able to purchase the dolls they really wanted, and I, because they are the dolls I was looking for.

 

I don't want to offened anyone, but It doesn't matter whether a doll is made of vinyl, silicone, plastic, resin, polymer, wood, composition, or mud, a doll is what you make it. I mean, how it makes you feel, and what you see in it, is what really makes the doll who it is. Like Aimee, I to think the personality of the doll comes from the owner. I own both 'new' and second hand dolls, and to me it makes hardly a difference. I enjoy and love them all the same.

Sera

 

It's funny... I have the opposite feeling. When I see dolls I like up for sale, I want to buy them because they're second-hand... New dolls from a factory don't seem like "real people" yet, so they don't really have anything to be sad about. But dolls that have been loved who can no longer stay with their "person" always make me feel really sorry for them. I want to bring them home and reassure them that they're still loved! (Which is one of the reasons I'm perpetually broke ^_^; )

I have the same thing with dogs - I know puppies in a pet shop will be adopted no worries, but the middle-aged shelter mutts are the dogs who really need homes. And yes, I love my middle-aged shelter mutt and my second hand dolls to bits ^_^

Cyph

 

Interesting topic!

I think this depends both on previous owner and on new owner. Objects that are important to us become imprinted with our energy; the energy can be positive or negative. If the previous owner didn't have strong feelings about the doll, or you aren't particularly sensitive to energies, buying a used doll is no big deal. But if you are sensitive to energy changes or the last owner did have a strong relationship with the doll, I can DEFINITELY see why you'd be leery of buying it. Problem is, you can't tell unless you see and touch the object what kind of energy it has.

Objects can be cleansed--hugging the crying doll, for instance, was one way of making it ready to receive the new energy of the new owner.

If you love a doll, don't worry about getting her. Just be ready to put some extra time and work into her if she comes with a lot of dolly baggage.

I'm not going to post much more here because it might get too OT, but if anyone's interested in energy-work information or how you might cleanse a doll that feels strange, feel free to PM me.

 

EXACTLY. That is exactly it. That feeling of being able to provide a home for a doll that for whatever reason is no longer welcome. I feel lucky to have been able to adopt as many as I have.

 

^-^ I understand completely! My Haute Hound, Kai, my very first BJD, is second hand ~ pre-owned XD whatever.. and as I was in the process of sorting out payment and shipping I was having doubts. "Will he ever really be mine?" "What about his past personality?" "Can I love him as much as I would a store bought doll, catered to my own needs?"

The fact is, that once I opened the box (after a mini 'omg have I lost him?' trauma) it was love.

Kai having had an owner before me hasn't affected me in anyway. In fact I, and his previous owner ^-^', feel happy that he is now in a home that will be able to give him the time, and the attention that the previous one was not.

I wouldn't change anything about him ~ He is so precious to me now.

 

I feel the same way, actually.
Until my most recent purchase, all of my kids were new. With Mika, I was worried about it.. I had avoided buying pre-owned dolls because to me the idea of buying a doll that had already been given a personality and played with seemed very odd. However, I've noticed little difference. What difference in bonding that there is comes from the fact that she came with a faceup I would feel bad about wiping (I've painted all of my others) and the fact that, at the moment, she's just a head and I don't even have a body she can borrow. I find it a little difficult to bond with a head. ops:
*cough* well, that rambled a lot more than necessary..

 

All three of my dolls are preowned. I never knew them here with their old personalities, so I don't feel like I'm taking anything from them. Besides, if their previous owners wanted to sell them, they clearly weren't in a place where they should be anymore; they needed a new person who would love them and not be bored with them. I'm okay with that.

In fact, I'd rather buy a used doll that needs a home, than a new one whose only advantage is that they're a blank slate. Blank slates are overrated.

 

Well, I think it depends to some extent on how much you "know" of the personality the doll had before you bought it! If you're buying a doll on ebay or one that you've never seen anywhere else before and don't know anything about, I'd imagine there wouldn't be much residual personality, so to speak. I bought my two limiteds like this, and with no customization, and it really wasn't any different to me than if I'd bought them new.

But sometimes in the marketplace you see dolls for sale that you may "recognize" from other posters, and you may also recognize their personality. For example: most of us have seen, say, Cacau's cute little Choco and sher's beautiful girls (not that they'd ever be for sale, but you get the idea).

But either way, I think a new owner can develop a new personality for a second-hand doll, and a face-up can help if it's too much.

 

Both of my dolls are second hand, for the same reasons others have cited. I apply the same philosophy to my real people family, I want to adopt children rather than getting pregnant. It just seems a shame to spend resources to make new things where they are already perfectly good ones in existence.

 

New or adopted, I just don't think it matters!! If you were already familiar with a pre-owned doll's first personality, it might be hard to impress your own upon them, but it differs from person to person, I'm sure

One of my adopted dolls was a display doll before I got him with no personality of his own, just sitting on a shelf and for that reason I'm so happy that I was able to buy him rather than just get a new one. It's good to give dolls homes where they will be well loved instead of always opting for a "clean slate." But that's just my personal opinion! :grin: *end cheese*

 

I agree with most of what you've said--and think it's wonderful.
I can tell what kind of energy an object has before I see/touch it in real life.
To me, I can look at a picture of a doll in the marketplace and know whether it's giving off a certain type of vibe.
If you feel like it's wrong to get a certain pre-owned doll--don't do it. If something feels a little wrong or unsafe or gives you the heebie-jeebies... just trust your instincts.
But if you feel a pre-owned doll you see in a pic is lovely and makes you happy and such... why not?

 

Hmm... I never really thought about it, but personally I think I prefer brand new dolls for the same reason I only really buy brand new books at the bookstore rather than buy them used. I like having them fresh and untouched, knowing that they're in perfect condition and ready for me to put my own creases in the spine -- I like being able to see the progress. Same with dolls -- a brand new slate for me to imprint a personality upon.

With preowned dolls, it's hard to shake that previous owner's character a bit -- you may still think of them as that other person's doll, especially if thet were well known. Like, could Valentine's Justyn ever NOT be Justyn if he were with someone else? Like that. ^^; I'd rather not have to fight an old reputation.

 

Hey, thanks!

Wow, if you can see energy even from pictures, you must be really gifted with energy work. Go you. I wish I had that kind of talent. Heehee.

 

Well, I have a preowned doll on layaway right now, and I was certain to let his owner know that he would have other dolls to play with when he got here. It made me feel really good that she was glad to hear that! I think that will make moving easier on the little guy.

I'm glad he is loved, and I look forward to loving him too! :grin: I hope he likes cacti and quail!

 

I was thinking about this too as I only recently ordered my first doll. I never even thought about getting a second hand one. Perhaps it was cause it was my first, but I wanted a brand new one, hoping in part that it would come without flaws, and hoping in part that he would be totally mine.

Though I wouldn't be adverse to a second hand one at some point, I think it would depend on how much of the previous owner had been imprinted on it. I fall in loves with dolls, partically because of their moulds...but a lot hangs on the faceup. I'm going to find it hard repainting my dolls face if I even need to, because his face-up is how his personality comes though.

 

Simon was pre-owned. He came home to me from someone on this forum. The person who was selling him had their own reasons, and to be frank, for whatever reasons they may have been - i'm eternally thankful.

I knew what personality he had when I first saw pictures of him - and as awful as it may sound, i'm happy that the person who had him, hadn't discovered it. When I took him out of his wrappings, it was immediate. He's my first BJD and I always heard of people bonding with their dolls, but I honestly didn't think I was going to experience it. I sent him about a week ago to get his face-up done, and I miss him everyday.

I also really like the imperfections they come with, believe it or not. I have beauty marks, freckles, tiny scars from scrapes and bruises... and so air bubbles and tiny nicks and stuff don't bother me. My dolls won't be collector's items. They'll come with me to school (Art Institute) so I can make patterns for them, while I sew them clothing, so that I can do photoshoots... they'll be sitting on my desk while I work. I'll drag them everywhere. Even if I get the F-16 that I want... it'll be the same with him.

That's part of who I am... I tend to care more for animals/objects that have been pre-owned than I do with new ones. It's like that with my books, my pets, and some of my vintage clothing pieces. I like thinking of myself as a their rescuer - that they might have been meant for me.

On the same token, I believe that if something isn't working out for you, you should let it go. I've given away clothing, furniture, personal items, and toys: hundreds of barbies, my little ponies, treasure trolls, rainbow bright dolls - to kids, children, families... people who'd love them far after i'd outgrown them... or even when I hadn't.

The only new doll I was interested in getting recently was a DoD Camine or Shall. And even then... I think I'd still consider waiting until someone didn't want him or her - so that I may purchase them.

It's all a matter or personal taste. YOU do what YOU feel is right.

 

Hm, I have a bit of a predicament involving this myself.

I knew that I wanted a CH Gene someday, because he fits one of my characters so well. But I don't know when CH is going to be releasing their Ais again, and I saw one for sale here on DoA (Indego's Tetsu). I've been a fan of her Tetsu since I started coming here, and I was devastated that she had to part with him, so I agreed to buy him. After all, Sephie, my room mate, owns the BW Elf Ttory that was Indego's Rin-rin, so I thought it'd be nice to reunite the two.

Of course, Rin-rin is now Shion, and has an entirely different personality. But I still view Rin-rin and Shion as different, even if they shared the same "shell".

My big predicament, though, is my original character I wanted to make my Gene into is also named Tetsu. I'll probably keep his name, but I'm more worried that others will expect him to live up to the old Tetsu, even though he'll look and act completely differently. To me he'll be someone else named Tetsu, but again, I'm worried others won't accept him.

To me, if a doll is pre-owned and someone else buys him, they develop a new personality, like they were two dolls of the same mold. It's like the old doll still lives on, you just don't see them anymore, and the new one is around a lot. If that makes sense.

But I can see how one wouldn't want to get a preowned doll, and I think it just boils down to personal decisions.