Buying second hand

I bought my SD Sara pre-owned, and my SD Kun new. They came at the same time..

There were a few things wrong with Sara, she had some stains on her headcap and she was strung WAY too tightly! But, I took her apart, and I cleaned the stains off her head with a Mr clean magic erasor, and gave all her parts a bath (except her head).

I went to Rona and bought new S hooks and shock cord. I am going to restring her, with lots of love

I think its kind of fun, like I am "fixing her up" and making a bond with her. I definitly couldn't bond with her if I had just left her how she was.. but now I think I will be able too.. I also want to get her a pureskin body. However I LOVE her faceup and want to keep it for now anyway. Its really pretty! The reason I bought her

As far as Jolie (kun), well I love her to bits straight out of the box.. I am not even sure I will change her face, she is so beautiful and perfect *swoon*

Both are good but pre-owned probably will need a little TLC. At least older ones, my Sara is 6 years old!

 

Thanks!
It's nice that you noticed... you must be perceptive yourself.

And now back to the topic...

 

I personally have a phobia of anything secondhand. That's just me though, and I have a long list of phobias that I seek help for

Some people will say that everything has a feeling imprinted upon it. Whether it has a soul or not. Some people might think that's mumbo-jumbo, others might believe it, I think it's a personal thing too.

Sometimes I see dolls on Ebay that I would honestly buy if I had the money, and other times although the doll is beautiful and just what I'm looking for I couldn't bring myself to spend the money even if I did have it. Is that because one doll is 'calling' to me, and other's aren't? Who knows. It's strange and certainly something I can't explain.

I do definitly feel like there is a certain 'personality' given to dolls. I couldn't imagine buying a doll that I knew (say, a doll someone posted about here on DoA and later sold) simply because I know too much about them. It's an interesting topic and one I can't even really explain. It would probably go into psychology and a lot of other subjects

But if you are considering it I say go with whatever suits you. If you see a doll that you want but don't feel it's right to buy, don't buy it. There might be one next week that just 'calls' to you (or however anyone wants to explain it).

 

Kind of a weird question... I mean no offence to anyone with this thread ^^; Just curious. My opinions are my own :O

When first coming into this community, I thought dolls in the Marketplace would be significantly cheaper than new dolls... because they're second-hand. In my experience, second-hand things (except for super-rare collectibles, like baseball cards...? XD) are generally cheaper than new things, even when those second-hand things are still in their boxes or whatever. For instance, a while back I was looking for a cheap iPod shuffle - the 'new' in-box shuffles on ebay were going for about 1/3 off the new purchase price.

But I notice here that second-hand, non-limited dolls seem to go for the same price - sometimes even slightly more than the price for a new doll. I know you get a deal on shipping and sometimes a faceup (though more often than not dolls seem to come faceup-free), but personally, I don't think it's worth it. I would rather pay that little bit extra for shipping and get a new doll. ^^; But that's just me.

I'm talking about non-modded, non-limited dolls that come without wigs/eyes/clothes, of course. 'Extras' do change the deal a bit XD

My question is - what motivates you to buy a second-hand doll when it would cost just a tiny bit more on shipping to buy a new doll? Is it courtesy? I notice people seem to 'trade off' dolls that don't fit into their doll family... is there an unspoken agreement that doll owners help each other out by paying these high prices? Do you feel there's something special about second-hand dolls? Or is it really just that little bit extra on shipping that you don't have to pay?

 

I think it may be because there is no wait time. It is worth it to get the doll you want faster. Besides that I don't think most dolls depreciate unless they were heavily damaged.

 

Well, some dolls, even if they are not limited (limited=some 20 ever made) are still very rare. They are indeed "valuable collectibles" as you said. There are models that can no longer be purchased from original manufactorers, so it is only reasonable that their price should rise. Actually, when I came to the BJD community from Pullip community, I was surprised to see how "little" the dolls' value rose in time. I had grown used to the Pullip community, where a popular, sold out doll could quatriple in prise within few months after it was sold out - I have some of those dolls I was lucky to buy first hand when they appeared for about 80 dollars, but now are worth some 200 to 300 dollars. And they were sold out only some four months ago.
But yes, these are dolls that gain extra value in time, and especially once they are sold out. They are more comparable to antiques than ordinary second hand items.

 

Yes, but I'm just talking about dolls that can still be purchased from the manufacturer XD Like... a regular El, for instance. I'm not talking about dolls that have gone off the 'regular' market or hard-to-get head moulds like FCS... just the totally regular, easy-to-buy dolls :'D

 

It's mostly because there's zero wait time and it's not in Asia. If you ship a MSD from one state to another, it's going to cost $12, not $60, and you can get it in 3-5 days instead of weeks.

 

All of my dolls are second hand. Darith is third hand actually. But I don't have a problem with that, because I know that, that is the only way to rare or limited dolls sometimes. It doesn't make me love them any less to know someone else owned them. I am getting a FCS doll in July, so that doll will be new and my own, but I doubt I will love it any more than my others.

~Alyson

 

True, but they still are more in league with antiques than ordinary second hand stuff. Even when the original model in still for sale, it is natural to ask for the doll's "true value" when selling it. Usually the prices don't rise until the model becomes hard to get, but until then you ask for the "true value" when selling it. After all, resin is expensive. Most of the cost is made of the material itself, so it is only natural the dolls aren't cheaper; it's not like it has been worn down in use XD. And most of the dolls sold are in mint condition and with face up and other little extras that are in the end rather valuable as well, for example they the sell the wig and the eyes with it - something that in many cases is not done by the manufacturer, for example when buing from Luts (unless you buy the limited ones who have make up, hair, clothes, and whatnot), you get the doll without a face up, without the wig, and occasionally even without the eyes. For all of these you have to pay lots of extra if you want to include them in the purchase.

 

Also, no face-up is ever the same. Maybe a doll comes up with a face-up that you really love. It might not even necessarily be by some special artist or anything, but it might be exactly what you're looking for.

 

Definitely the wait time... and hey, if the item is in practically new condition (most people seem to take very good care of their BJDs), why not help out a fellow fan by buying something from them so they can use the money for something else that they need/want? Then everybody benefits. I think having a BJD community like DOA contributes to the high resale value of the dolls by linking up people who want to do a trade like that. I guess it's better than having a lot of people stuck with dolls that have depreciated in value due to saturation of the market.

 

Of my dolls that came second hand...they actually WERE cheaper than buying them from the manufacturer. Also, sometimes they were difficult to get because they were unusual. My Yder has the Royal Guard face up, but the normal body, and he was on ebay for cheaper than they're selling Yder for now at the shop. And my Too is on a Guardian body with a default face up but he cost me at least 30 bucks less than it would have cost to buy the head, face up, and guardian body separately, not to mention half the time that body is not in stock.

But really, what it came down to was that I knew exactly what the doll was going to look like, because I'd seen pictures of that actual doll, not just official photos. I like knowing what I'm getting, and who I'm getting it from. It doesn't hurt that I know it's going to help someone else in the BJD community, and that a doll that wouldv'e been unwanted in its previous home is now snug and safe with me. ^^

 

I've wondered about the same thing, actually...

The strange thing is, on german doll boards or on german Ebay, I quite often see second-hand dolls that actually are a good deal cheaper than it would be to buy them new. My Glory Angel Ami would've cost me ~$650, including shipping and import fee and everything, if I'd ordered her from Angelregion (when she was still available). As it was, she cost me ~$280, and that was including her outfit and wig and everything. (I know, I know, I keep mentioning this everywhere, but I still can't believe it!)

Maybe it's because the demand is not there on the german market? Or maybe it's a mentality thing - with a few exceptions (mostly the people I've seen here), the german fans I've met online or offline have been a lot more detached than most people here. Some that I've talked to (when I was still looking to buy my first doll) had their doll(s) in a display case all the time, and they hadn't even given it a name. My doll arrived here in flawless condition and with squeaking joints, so I guess it hasn't been played with much if at all.

And I guess for many people, there *is* an emotional component to buying a BJD that can't be neglected. People might see a doll and feel the need to "rescue" it, especially if it's been damaged, or the owner claims it has been neglected. To some, it might not just be a piece of resin, the same as any they could buy directly from the company, but a little person looking for a new home.

I sometimes see a doll on german Ebay that nobody is bidding on, and even though it's not something I'm looking for, I have the urge to buy it, just so it won't be unwanted. So far, I've been resisting that urge, though.

 

I like not having the wait. Provided the seller is trustworthy, to me, a second hand doll is EXACTLY the same as a new doll, unless it has been permanently modified or has accessories missing. Either way, I will be starting fresh and making the doll my own, painting a new faceup and making new clothes. Why would I pay even a LITTLE more for new? For the sake of saying that I was the "first"? For me, it isn't worth it.

 

No wait time, and also many dolls are not produced anymore. Also sometimes for a particular faceup by a long wait or not commissionable artist would sway me.
I handle my dolls very little so they really are like NEW when I sell them.

 

Unpopular dolls will sell for less second hand, because the seller will have a hard time getting rid of them. Also, there are a few people on the board who seem to care about selling a doll ASAP rather than getting as much money as they can, so they'll put it for $30 less than retail to get it out the door. That's how I saved on my CH Jupiter.

Volks oldskin is a lot cheaper now than when it sold originally as well, my 60cm oldskin SD10 Nono was not much more expensive than my newer 40cm Korean dolls are. Shinsiya was incredibly cheap on Yj, because she was so odd and no one wanted her, although in the last several months this doesn't seem to hold true anymore.

Volks pureskin, especially optional parts, tend to go for a little more than retail, since volks is so very sought after. On the other hand, unpopular volks FCS and limited editions don't always apreciate, and sometimes depriciate, especially with white skin dolls that are really hard to find parts for.

You will find the best bargains in Volks dolls, their prices on the 2nd hand market vary the most. Unlimited korean dolls don't depricate in value much at all, they are in high demand, popular and relitively new. Especially when you get people like DoD, who take MONTHS to ship out, to some people it's worth an extra $50 to get their doll much sooner.

I've noticed the ones that depreciate alot seem to be the companies that produce a lot of special 'art' versions of non-limted dolls; most notably CH.

I am looking to buy an FCS F21 and he doesn't seem to be very popular, so he doesn't sell for much more than retail (lucky me!). This is quite different compared to, say.. SchA or F16, who aren't really any harder to get ahold of. You can just get away with selling them for a lot more.

 

Though not all are still here, the "pre-loved" dolls that I've adopted were usually ones that I grew to love as someone else's dollie.

I think there's something really special about being able to adopt a doll you've had kind of a crush on. :: hugs Thomasina ::

 

I like the idea of my dolls being brand new, never owned by anyone else, and always "my" character. But if luts is out of stock with Shiwoo when I'm ready to buy him, and someone has a normal-skinned Shiwoo up for sale, I might buy from them instead of waiting for luts to restock. And Ryuu is going to have to be pre-owned unless the LA Sumika offers painting classes *and* the Sch. Head C is made a regular class release.

For me, it does sort of depend on availabilty. I'd love *all* of my dolls to be first hand, but it's not going to be possible, and I won't mind buying from someone trustworthy on DoA.