Buying Things For A Doll You Don't Have.

I don't do that, in fact, my current dolls have not enough clothing for my taste but, as I'm very special as to what I like, I have a very hard time finding things that fit in my scheme.

 

I do this only all the time! I buy fabrics, hair, wigs, eyes...for dolls I'm planning and wan't actually have for quite some time. My planes are pretty long term, partly because I work really slowly on my projects and because I tend to make pre-existing characters. This sometimes makes finding right sculpts a problem. I'm able to find aprox. match, but it's not exact so I wait to find something more suitable. Couple of my characters turned out to be unshellable so far.

Well, there is nothing wrong with buying things inadvence! You will be ready when the doll arrives and can start working rightaway.

 

In a way I suppose I do this. Mainly with things that are kinda a fluke. Like shoes. If I find a reasonable priced pair of shoes, I'll often just buy them (maybe multiples) just for peace of mind LOL

 

Already ordered eyes and clothes for my new character (although he won't be here until February).
Yep, time to order wigs as well...

 

Oh, absolutely. My friends joked that it looked like I was preparing for a baby with the amount of stuff I had prepared for my first BJD before the doll actually even arrived. I didn't want a bald, naked, barefoot doll just chilling in my room! I'm not too worried about stuff not fitting. At this point, I think the only doll sizes I'm missing are regular MSD and BJD 1/6 (as opposed to fashion 1/6), which are both sizes local friends have so it's no biggie if I order something in the wrong size.

 

I do this all the time! Eyes, wigs, clothes, shoes, if I know I'm going to get "that doll," I buy them some inexpensive things first, so that they don't come home nude, eyeless or hairless.

I should go do that now, I have a new doll I'm saving for!

Ryu

 

Personally, I love buying things in preparation for an incomming doll. I try to keep it to wig, eyes, and one outfit though. But I like having something to put them into when they first arrive so they're all put together. Plus it keeps me busy while I wait for the doll.

 

In the majority of cases, I would prefer to have the doll first - I already had a few times when I would change my character concept after seeing the newly arrived doll in person, so any pre-purchase could be a waste. But atm I am planning on having a cellist in my collection, and I will need the cello first, so I can measure it and see what exact size doll would work best with it.

 

I will buy eyes in advance, because I often buy them from sellers in foreign countries and they can take a very long time to ship. Also, they’re not very expensive and they’re a pretty safe bet I’ll find a doll I like them in eventually.

I don’t usually buy other stuff in advance, since I often change doll plans. I was originally thinking maybe a raver look for Victoria, but in the end she has stage makeup... And since the chance I’ll buy another doll with the same body is low, they would’ve gone to waste.

 

When I know a new doll is on the way, I will purchase a wardrobe for her. That increases the excitement. I want her to be fully clothed when she arrives.

If I saw an item for a doll I had not ordered but thought I might someday, I would purchase the item and store it away. I probably wouldn't purchase another item as I would think that I should spend the money on a doll I already have. If for whatever reason, I never got the doll, I would make the item a gift to someone who already had the doll. I would take joy in giving the item away to someone who could use it.

 

For the doll I'm waiting on, I'm trying to plan out everything- with emphasis on the stuff she'd have that I won't, like a horse, special shoes, a to-scale working fountain, etc.. my last doll is the same character in a modern time period, and she's a tech but, so I got her lots of mini tech that I don't have, like an iPad and the like. It's fun to play pretend like that, and expand to things I can't afford or don't want to spend money on.

I want to spend money on my dolls, not me

 

I do this but it's usually for a doll I know I'm gonna order, like I have the funds set aside for and everything. I just hate thinking that the doll will come home, get unboxed, and immediately go back in the box because it's naked and bald. Also, it gives me something to do while I wait for the doll.

 

I have purchased items before without the doll on hand. The wig for Takeshi(my Crobi boy) I purchased once I had decided that I wanted a doll of his character(I knew the type of doll I wanted for him, too, so I knew what size wig to get). I also had purchased a shirt for Jushiro(my hybrid boy), before his body had even arrived.

I think that if you have a doll ordered and know their measurements, it's definitely a good idea to look at clothes and stuff for them. That way by the time they arrive, they have something to wear and they're ready to go. I know sometimes it's not an option either due to limited funds, or when you purchase a doll because you really like the sculpt but have no idea on what their character will be like until they arrive and you spend some time thinking about it.

 

I do this all the time. I’m a big planner...and I love to have things on hand when the doll arrives. Anything I can afford to do for the doll, pre-arrival, I will. Wigs, eyes, clothing, special accessories, etc. I have a tendency to put my expensive dolls on layaway, and it's fun to shop for them while I wait. For me, it’s all part of my process of character building.

 

When I have my mind set on the next doll to get, I will start thinking about what eyes and wig would suit her best, and if possible I will get them in advance.
I will also get them clothes if possible cos I hate sewing and I dislike having my new doll staring me down while I try and sew something together to cover them.

 

I think that making sure I have everything in place or ordered before I welcome a new doll is the only way I can make sure I stay engaged with them. Otherwise it can become a chore to have to collect things after the fact. At the very least, I need a wig, eyes, undies, and a simple outfit when the doll lands!

 

I did this with my most recent dolls. I meant to order a couple cosplay outfits as Halloween costumes for some of my existing dolls, but once I had them on hand I thought that it would be nice to have the characters themselves instead... cue first new doll in over 2 years.

 

Lol.

I have a box of items, all still unopened from when I bought them. Shirt, pants, shoes and socks, accessories. I call this box "[name]'s clothes". It's not labeled; it really ought to be. Frequently I'll be looking for something, come across the box, look inside, then case it aside thinking "no that's not it that's just [name]'s clothes". ... and then, still looking, see the box again and make the same mistake. "Maybe it's in here-- dammit that's [name]'s clothes again."

Whose clothes are these? ... a character I've been saying I'll shell for a year and a half lol. I know which sculpt I'll be using to shell him. I keep saying he's next on my list. But then either I decide to keep saving money so I'm not completely broke after ordering, or another limited time order pops up and I go for that instead, or something or other and now it's been a year and a half and I still haven't even put in an order, let alone received the doll

He's far from the only one. I like having everything, or at least a good amount of items ready for when a doll arrives so they're not hanging around nude and wigless in the interim. But he is the one whose clothes have been waiting the longest lol

 

I don't do this because I've found that quite often once the doll is in hand my plans change.

 

At first I thought that it would be kind of silly to do that, but now I'm thinking it could be fun to collect all the other pieces to the doll before getting them so when the doll gets here everything is ready. I don't know, I can see both sides but I probably won't do it myself.