Buying secondhand: Boxes and certificates...are they must haves for you?

I really like to open things in their original packaging because I like to see what it looked like, but its not a big deal if it doesn't have it. I would still purchase it if I liked the doll enough. Before I knew about recasts I wasn't concerned about the certificate, but now I would probably want one if it came with one originally. I think that might be more important then the box to me.

 

Not usually a dealbreaker for me either. You can't always be choosy when buying secondhand... so as long as I have no fear of it being a recast (i.e. reputable or personally-known seller, or a doll whose provenance I already know), if this was a doll I couldn't get new elsewhere, I wouldn't require the package & COA if the seller doesn't have them.

However, I do prefer to have all of the packaging & certs & bells & whistles... the presence/absence of original packaging can actually affect the future resale value. (Sometimes significantly.) So, I like having the whole enchilada whenever it's possible.

 

I prefer boxes and original papers if the doll came with original papers. I am willing to pay more to ship in original box when I am purchasing a doll. If the seller doesn't have the original box and I want the doll enough then I'll take the doll sans box. I prefer to store my dolls in their boxes, so I tend to like boxes. Papers really matter with what doll it is. I adore BlueFairy, but even their LEs direct from company don't come with papers.

 

I think I would prefer to get the original box, and the pillows it came with. I would also hope that it would be wrapped securely in said box and pillows.
I'm not sure about papers though. I have five dolls and the only one that came with any papers was my Doll Leaves Lilith. If it was a limited (like my Lilith) then I would probably want the papers if it came with any, but it wouldn't be a deal breaker for me. I know it would probably lower the resale value if I didn't have it, but I buy my dolls to keep and I don't ever plan on selling them so it doesn't really matter that much.

 

For me the box is important and definately the authenticity papers IF the doll has one, not all of them have. But I wouldn't buy a doll without the box (unless it is considered in the price) because if I want to re-sell the doll I feel that not having the box would reduce the price. This is also why I expect to get the doll for lower price if there is no box for it.

 

I always search in other doll forums as well if Im buying. Sometimes people aren't 100% honest about feedback in fear of getting a bad one themselves around here.

I myself don't really care about boxes or certificates when I buy second hand unless its a well known re-casted doll (like maybe minifees or soom). Even then I'm not too worried. They are a nice bonus but not a deal breaker.

I try to keep certificates and boxes myself but right now I have something on the MP without one. After 2 moves in a year things get lost...

 

I would love to have the original box but if that's not the case it's not really a bad thing. And the certificate, if it's not a company that have recast's problem I will firstly watch the seller's feedbacks.

 

I'd only buy a doll without a box in an extreme case (like it's super limited and going for an amazing price) but in any other case I wouldn't buy without the box, it's pretty necessary to have since I have a cat and no other place to store dolls but their box.
papers are a must have though, at least with the head.

 

Boxes? Heck no. I don't have room to keep the things, myself (and so never do-). I'm not going to be bothered if someone else didn't keep it either.

... And as for certificates? Here's where I feel like I have to point out that, contrary to what seems to have become the popular perception, NOT all dolls come with them in the first place. That's particularly true of older dolls that were made prior to the whole recast epidemic and its associated panic. Given that I collect mostly older sculpts, it's not much of an issue for me. If the seller is trustworthy and the pictures are detailed enough that I can get a good look at what I'm buying, that's usually good enough.

 

Boxes aren't musts for me; I keep them if I get them, but I never ask for them and I don't use them for anything particular. I would ask to have doll shipped without the box if I could save some huge amounts of money on it, but otherwise I take it as it comes.

I don't care that much about certificates either. It doesn't even seem like all companies offer certificates, and most dolls I have bought second hand are not dolls that are usually recast (basics, and less popular dolls). I might be a bit concerned if it was, say, a soom limited and it didn't come with a certificate, but it wouldn't put me off buying it. I would just check the price, and the seller's feedback, and if it seemed like a recast when it arrived at my home, I would contact the mods, but otherwise I would just assume the certificate was lost. Shit happens.

 

I guess it would depend on the doll. If it's something I'm planning to mod or customize somehow, then papers and boxes really don't matter to me. And it seems like some manufacturers don't do the certificate of authenticity anyway. It seems like my Resinsoul didn't come with one.

 

It means aaabsolutely nothing to me, really. my aunt sells Avon; I have boxes to last a lifetime. Besides, I'm looking arooun dmy house right now thinking, where would i PUT those boxes?! I coudlnt' care less if it's papered, either.

 

At first I didn't care, but with all the recasts if it's a Rosen Lied, Volks, or Asleep Eidolon, I always make sure they can prove authenticity. Especially on eBay.

 

I perfer the boxes and papers but not all companies send papers out with their dolls. Not all sellers have the original box. So though I perfer it, if I want the doll enough, I can do without.

 

Boxes and CoAs are not usually must-haves for me, but it depends on what I'm buying. I understand that the CoAs can be misplaced, especially from companies like Migidoll where most of the time people only buy a head (I misplaced mine from Migi...found it right before I shipped it off!). Soom gives one CoA for the entire set which usually comes with two heads, so if heads and bodies are split, only one person ends up with the CoA. One Soom head I bought didn't come with a CoA, but it had the default face-up so I didn't have any doubts. If I was the seller of a doll with no box or papers, I would do everything I could to show a potential buyer it is legit.

 

If it's a common doll, I don't need any boxes, pillows or certificates. But a rare, htf doll? If I'm going to pay a premium price, you betcha; I need the COA, at least - especially if the seller is not the first owner. I guess I sound a little distrustful and jaded, but I've been burned...and now I prefer safe to sorry. -_-

 

I dont really care about buying a doll with original boxes, but if I am buying a full doll then its definitely nice to have a coa. Personally I tend to keep them but forget about sending them... If im selling a doll thats pretty pricey like a soom Ill try to hunt down the papers but if its just a body I dont care to send/recieve. I think its much better the papers go with the head if possible ^^;

 

Both are important for me, I'd like the certificate in case something goes wrong with the doll, as some companies will not help you without proof that the doll is in their system. I've ran into a situation where the certificate has come in handy with the replacement of broken resin pieces. ^^ The box on the other hand, is more for storing. I like to keep it for moving, reselling or just safe keeping purposes.

 

Well, before reading this thread, I didn't care very much about having the original box/paperwork when buying secondhand. As long as it arrived strung in some box, I was satisfied. I've never even asked a seller if the original box is included. Now, it seems more important to get the original box and paperwork in case I decide to resell the doll at some point, since several posters strongly prefer it. I usually keep everything that comes with my dolls because the boxes are useful whenever I move, and it's easy to just leave the paperwork in the box. I can see how someone would lose the CoA if they throw the box away, though.