Buying second hand

Thanks for the input, all! ^^ I love how diverse the BJD community is, and I agree - it probably is nice to feel like you're providing a new home for a previously-loved doll ^^

 

Both of my dolls are second-hand, and I kind of like that. There's a little bit of history involved with them. I think everyone has already covered the main pros to buying second-hand. Wait time and location are the biggest factors for me.

In the case of TK, it was cheaper, faster and easier to go about assembling him from second-hand pieces. If I wanted a doll made of new parts, my only options would be 1) FCS or 2) buy a Kun and a Ryo, and sell the parts I didn't need. Not to mention that I don't have a credit card to use for ordering from Volks. So for people who want to do something a little different, second-hand is a good option.

 

I can understand paying as much as for a new doll for a doll which is in near-mint condition, as owners do tend to take very good care of them. However, I don't think I would ever do so myself because unlike a company website, you cannot pick custom features of the doll before he is shipped to you.

Right as I was getting ready to order Dutch, I saw a Ttory up on ebay. He was selling for about as much as a naked new doll, with a wig, faceup, and clothes included. But I found the faceup and wig absolutely ghastly! I would have had to wipe the makeup and send him off to a customizer to get him redone, and order a new wig separately (paying separate shipping...). Not worth it for that much money. :\

 

i have a few second hands and i love them they are squeaky-free [no new plastic noise... ]

but the price usually is becos of the shipping they recieved ffrom the manufaturers and well the good part it comes much faster... i mean some ppl want it like NOW so well this is a good option,,,

 

I personally don't care for 'extras' that come with dolls, especially faceups. As a result, I would *not* buy a second hand doll with a custom faceup (that goes for more than a new doll), nor would I be willing to pay more to receive 'free' clothes or wigs. Unless the doll is a limited, I don't see how anyone should have to cover the shipping for the seller twice over (doll price + shipping from manufacturer + shipping to the buyer).

Not that I am adverse to buying second hand dolls. Camui was bought second hand (and very fortunately from someone in my country so I didn't have to pay shipping, though I think I covered most of the seller's shipping from tensiya...) and I'm currently in a deal to get a breakaway head. One was limited when I was hoping to buy it, the other is limited to 220 pieces worldwide. So I don't mind paying a little more...

As for 'helping out' someone... sometimes, having a good heart is disadvantageous... Perhaps I'm too cynical, but most of the time, when people quote special reasons for high prices, I get rather suspicious. Doubtless, some actually do have problems, but this is the internet, after all...

Finally, I do not believe in 'adopting' dolls. Just a personal preference. The moment I got Camui, I changed his eyes. As soon as I could, I changed his faceup. And I made it a point not to try to find out about his previous incarnation.

I... guess I'd really prefer getting something brand new and making it into my own. Well, my two cents.

 

I enjoy being the first owner ^^ if there was a doll being sold in the marketplace secondhand and the same doll was being sold on the website, I would get the doll from the manufacturer even if it costed more.

I have two dolls however that are secondhand, one was with the buyer for only a month, and the other came from a friend who I trusted was careful with my doll. The first doll is a one-off, so I had to have him, even if secondhand

So while I prefer being the first owner, I'm willing to buy a doll secondhand if I fall in love. ~

 

I'm getting a second-hand head from someone here, and she's super nice and letting me do a layaway. (And I love the head's faceup, and the eyes are modded, so he's perfect!) So more flexable payment plans are a plus to second-hand dolls too.

 

Woosh, If I were to buy sd mimi from volks, I'd have to wait forever considering I've never seen her restocked as of recently. Standard and new makeup version. She sells out quickly so I decided to go on a hunt when I saw FIFI. I got her off the market nice and sparkly and was well taken care of too. She's a WHITE FCS F-13. Before pureskin came about so I'm very happy and very lucky. =) I like shopping second hand and plan to get most of my collection through second hand...except kissu. I want to be his first owner. XD! MINE!!

 

i think one EXTREMELY good example of why to buy a doll second hand is when u find something like a Shiwoo Vampire boy, body AND head....the Shiwoo vampires were only available as heads i believe....and then on Ebay, i often find the heads of these going for like 400 dollars.
not to mention he came with a body, had a BEAUTIFUL face up, AND his outfit kicked butt.


Jordan-Mykal

 

I was going to buy a soony from luts but then I get noticed of a doll someone from here was selling, she had perfectly the face-up I had in mind!! I was like yay why fuss with face-up that luts has to do and that can come out not the way I wanted.. also in total it was a bit cheaper, I get great eyes (masterpiece) and clothings, shoes, wig, so a complete doll, just the way I want! And I did like a month lay-away. I espect her to come next week!
so this was my reason!

Also I like the idea of helping someone sell their doll to a nice person

 

Depends on the popularity of the doll in question and how much of a pain it is to order from the site, how often it's in stock, whether the buyer is in a country that demands customs fees, etc, etc. Personally I don't see why a blank body or head should sell for any more than a new one, no matter what (if it's unlimited) so I wouldn't buy one, but there are plenty of people who would. I also do my own faceups and such so I'm not interested in package deals with customization/faceups/clothing etc. (unless it was AMAZING clothing), but I wouldn't be adverse to providing package deals myself for people who don't do their own faceups or are interested in someone else's style. As for 'special circumstances' they make me more understanding of delays (if they're specific), but I wouldn't pony up any more money for them. They may be true or not, but everyone has their own problems. So essentially I agree with the OP - I don't feel any higher prices, however slight, are justified in blank, unlimited dolls. But I'm a patient person and in the presently customs-free US.

 

when the person who helped me buy Isazu suggested i get a secondhand DOC Tender Yen, my heart sank. i don't believe a doll's personality can be necessarily wiped just by giving them a new faceup, wig, eyes and clothes, and i didn't want somebody else's doll- i wanted my Isazu. so we bought DZ Feng instead and i'm perfectly happy this is not to say i wouldn't buy second-hand if the doll and i "clicked", but i think we'd have to meet face-to-face. so i'm odd.

 

I bought my Magie somewhat second-hand. I found her on eBay strung, painted, and pretty much MIB (still in the bubble wrap!) for about the same price as the unstrung, unpainted version on the Volks USA website. It was a dream come true for this newbie to the BJD world ^^. Especially since I had her in my hands the same week I paid for her!

But now that I know a little more about BJDs in general and esthetics in particular, I decided that a brand-new, unpainted doll would be a good second choice. I don't mind the extra wait from China to here, now that I already have one to occupy my attention :P. And I like the idea of the new boy being my creation. I love Akiko's default faceup, but I think I'll feel artistically closer to a doll that's only been painted by me.

So, unless I decide to buy a limited (I would love to have Unoss some day!) I think I'll be sticking to brand-new dolls .

 

it's not second hand, it's pre-loved!!

 

Thief was off Ebay, but he was mint in box so it doesn't count. Abacus was put together after I'd bought his head and body seperate, and it took a while. In the past I've bought 2 directly from companies. One experience was fine, the other was a nightmare.

I like getting dolls from companies when I can, it supports the companies directly, and there's a little guessing with buying dolls from others.

A joint may be a little tinted from clothes, there might be scratched bodies, the ears might have been tinted from a wig, this has all happened to me. When from a company, things could still end up shoddy (like DOD's tanned doll fiasco) but you have a better chance of getting a replacement from the company then another person.

I have had wonderful experiences with sellers though. Sellers being nice and sending extra stuff, and well packed, and pleasent. ^^ So, there's advantages and disadvantages.

 

I got my sharmin Rhidian from a seller on ebay, I just loved the way this particular sharmin looked, and she was a bit cheaper than buying her new, but the seller threw in 3 wigs, a whole outfit, a stand and had all three ear sets, and she had a faceup and body blushing where as one i had looked at few weeks previous only had one set of ears and didn't have the face up and blushing and came nekkid. I couldn't be happier with my purchace. If i could afford buying from the factory and had the patience to wait..i would...but I want to play with them now..lol for a little less money.

 

I got a second hand Lishe, but I did kind of wish I'd bought one new in the end.

She wasn't much cheaper, but was in the same country as me so I didn't need to worry about customs that might've hiked up the price.

The dolls I have bought new; I think all of them have acquired tiny marks/scratches which don't bother me. My Lishe had several marks, including mysterious sanding marks, that had not been disclosed by the seller (even one on her face!).

I guess you have to rely on people being honest, but I now wouldn't buy an easily attainable doll second hand as I think its not worth it. A lot of people seem to think it's acceptable to sell dolls for virtually the same price as new, but even light handling marks should decrease the price. I can't think of any other doll, or even any sort of collectable, market where an item's value isn't decreased if the item is less than perfect.

Maybe a lot of people think like I did when I bought Uma; lack of customs fees, plus shipping from nearby takes a lot of angst out of doll buying.

 

Which is exactly why I stayed away from the term, 'used'... XD

 

'used' would sound kinda strange hehe


I don't buy many dolls second hand, just out of convenience. I've posted lots of WTBs but don't really find dolls that way.

I dunno, I love selling dolls, packing them up with things for the journey, waiting to see the new photos at their new home and that. I'd like to buy a doll like that, if I had the money. I'd love to know a dolls existing character and keep the name and personality and style and things. lol I'm so soppy.

 

That's part of what makes this hobby so unique. It's not like other collectibles that depreciate once you've taken them out of the package. And I think that's part of why so many fashion doll collectors are getting into BJD's. You can finally take your doll out, play with it, and not worry about losing the value- what a relief! You get to play like a child, but still be money minded like an adult- a great balance for doll collectors I think.

And BJD's will depreciate eventually- look at oldskin Volks dolls, they rarely go for the original buying price anymore. And as more companies possibly update bodies, headcaps, jointing systems and the like, the older dolls may depreciate simply because the new ones are easier to be interactive with. Which is also unlike some collectibles where discontinued items will go up in price since they're no longer around.