Collection Indecision

I’ve been through this many times; sometimes it’s necessary to sell a doll or two in order to ‘move on’ I think, but more often than not I try take the time to actually sit down with these ‘problematic’ dolls and swap out their go-to outfits, wigs and eyes etc. more often than not, a simple fresh change is enough for the spark to be lit again. The last time I felt like this was with my Impldoll Carlee and Bimong N410; the Bimong now resides happily in my cabinet with a new outfit and wig that suits her much better, while the Carlee is on her way to a new home

 

Personally, I clear out my dolls regularly. I don't have a ton of space, and it gets to be difficult once I reach a certain point in my collection. I just gave my sister an older MSD and a DD and don't regret it one bit. Essentially, I feel good about it because I am happy when dolls I don't spend enough time with get second life with a new owner. One thing I won't do is sell my limited edition / very rare dolls that I'm on the fence about. I once sold a rare outfit and regret it. I'm still trying to track down that dang dress 5 years later.

One idea would be to put them in a box tucked away for a month like you said or whatever length of time you choose. Sometimes we experience fatigue and putting them away for a bit can renew your interest. If you didn't really miss them after that time, then I'd consider selling.

 

I've been feeling this way recently, too. I have my few bjds that I adore and are ones I'd only sell if I absolutely had to. Then I have some that I love but are mostly completed, creativity-wise. I don't feel a need to change them or update them or do anything with them. Right now they just sit or stand there. Nothing wrong with that, of course. But that's why I wonder if I should sell them to someone that has a new dream or idea for that doll. Indecision indeed.

 

I, too, have been there and have never regretted the decision whenever I've sold those dolls and parts. I guess already the fact that it drives me insane helps me make up my mind because I don't enjoy being on this state at all and it's a relief to get rid of the thing causing me such olympic level brain gymnastics There have also been times where I've made a listing and realised I actually want to keep the doll after all, but appreciate how my action has at least given me some surety.

All in all, if you already feel you are not enjoying them to the capacity you'd like to, there's no shame in letting them go and moving on

 

Yup, I’m going through that just now. I really need to thin my collection and have finally after a lot of swithering back and forth decided to sell one who, just as you said, ticked all the boxes in theory but I was never able to bond with.

Another problem I have regarding letting go is guilt when I’ve adopted them from someone else as I feel I’ve let the previous owner down somehow.

 

I'm going through that at the moment. There's a doll I think is so beautiful, and I'm scared that if I sell her I'll regret it for that reason, but also there feels like something is missing. I just don't care as much about her as I do others, and I could use the money, but what if I do regret it? It's so hard and sadly I don't have a solution, haha.

 

Yup, been in that spot where my interests changed and now I have a bunch of centaurs lol
And now I have no idea what my human-legged dolls are even worth XD

 

Same here tbh. I need to clear some room, boxes take so much space and reluctant to throw them away and have limited display space so they are on rota. And my tastes have been subtly alternating. That being said, I think I need to get my monies worth more while owning them, so it is less hurtful when coming around for selling. Especially when making huge losses when selling it does feel like I have thrown money (sometimes $300 plus per bjd) away when selling barely touched bjds.

 

Coming up on two years ago I made a list of nine I hadn't done anything with for several years (I'm increasingly short of doll space) although several of them I was indecisive about. Istill haven't listed a single on e of them, although six of them have found new homes.

The first one alomost instantly because I mentioned the list to a friend who said, "If Frankie's on the list, I want her!"

The next two because i took one fo them in to work as my "desk dolly of the day" and poted on instagram mentioning he was on the list - someone said they'd have him and another firn ed asked if another of my boys was on the list. That was about a year ago.

A couple of weeks ago I hosted a dolly day at mine and one of the atttendess kindly took some photos of the remaining six dolls on the list as a way of moving me toward creating listings for them. I shared the pictures on Instagram when I posted about the olly day and three more of them were claimed... one of them was one of the ones I'm stil indecisive about (I have two of the same sculpt)

So I'm down to three remaiing dolls from the list, one of which I'm still undecided about (even having moved her brother on), , another I've been undecided about all along, and another that has been unnamed, unpainted, and with no eyes in all the years she's been sat in the cabinet with the rest.

They've all been moved out of the cabinet and out-of sight so we'l ee if i miss them being out and within reach.... and whether I actualy get aoround to listing any of them for sale.

Teddy

 

I have one girl I keep going back and forth about keeping, I just recently started sewing for her though and it's revitalized my interest in her. I think there's nothing wrong with thinning the herd though, and if I am questioning keeping her again in the future I am more than happy to pass her along to someone who will give her the love and attention she deserves!

 

I can totally relate to this. I went through this exact same thing many years ago. I’d been happily collecting for a few years and then my grail arrived (see avatar.) She completely eclipsed every other doll in my collection at that time, which gave me no end of angst. After much thought and wringing of hands, I made the very difficult decision to sell the rest and rebuild my collection entirely around her in hopes it would allow me to create the “perfect collection”. And it worked. While I still occasionally have warm nostalgic thoughts of those dolls I moved on, I know I did the right thing. Well over a decade later, I’m still thrilled about my decision because it enabled me to build the fantasy collection of my dreams.

 

I've had that problem many times over many years. I hate to waste resources so I try to make the best of what I've purchased until I'm truly out of energy to keep trying. Even though I think very hard about everything I sell I still have many regrets. You simply can't do everything perfectly, or make all the best choices for your future self. Knowing that sometimes makes deciding what to do easier, but sometimes harder. I think all these kinds of feelings are probably pretty normal. There is a lot to think about for one's collection in this hobby. Ups and downs and mistakes and losses, missed opportunities and a little grief seem to be part of it.

 

Such a wise and insightful post, thank you so much, @AlisonVonderland , you good, artistic, wise soul!

 

So far the feeling of relief after selling has been greater than sentiment when I get that feeling. When I recently thought about selling one of my dolls for fund, I thought "I love ALL my dolls there's nobody I can send away" for first time and I felt content, and I am loving that feeling.

 

It happens to me. I've sold a couple of floating heads, but those came to me from a lucky bag and when I saw them they didn't fit my family.
I have a couple of mulecas that I ignore and sometimes I think about selling, but at the same time I'm afraid to do it in case I regret it. I know I will not get the money I invested in them.... But I feel that when I sell them, maybe later I will see them in someone else's hands and all of a sudden I will want them again (It happens to me with everything, even with clothes and I have a lot of accumulated). So it is very difficult for me to sell something and avoid that feeling.

 

My entire 17 years in the hobby have been a lot of buying, selling, trading and refreshing. A few special dolls have stayed with me for a long time (and I still have my first, he'll be turning 18 this summer!) but most only last maybe a year or two and move on. I get bored when things stay the same for too long, I need something new and exciting! And space and money are limited, so sometimes I need to let one go to bring home a new one I'd rather have. It usually does mean selling at a loss, unfortunately.

When I'm on the fence, sometimes I will go ahead and take sales pics and box them up, just to see how I feel as I do it. Am I excited to move them on? Or does it make me too sad to do it? Sometimes, a doll just needs a new outlook. I actually listed and later price dropped Cassie last year, had no buyers, and every time I'd look at her box or sales listing, I'd just feel....bad. Then one day while out shopping, I accidentally stumbled upon some plants that her character loves but I'd never seen in person, they just aren't available in my area. I took that as a sign I had to keep that girl! Got her a new wig, some new clothes, worked on her story line in depth, and she's now one of my main girls!

 

I almost never waffle on whether or not to sell a doll. In my case, I like to wait for a bond to develop with a doll naturally, which may take months (or, in some cases, years!). During this time, I will try things out and see what works and what doesn't in hopes that they grow on me.

Once I hit the point where I'm even beginning to think about selling a doll, it's like a switch flips and all I want is the doll sold and out of my house. It doesn't matter if the sale comes at a loss, if it takes a while to find the right buyer, whatever, I need to take pictures and put it up and send it on to the next interested person. Any financial hit I take, I consider my "fun tax," as I got to learn something and have some fun along the way before paying it forward to someone else.

I, too, struggled early in my collecting years with wanting to have the "perfect" collection. Over time, I've realized that my issue isn't necessarily that I want a perfect collection as much as I want the perfect dolls for my collection. I can be very prone to FOMO and hype, which can (and has!) lead to me impulse buying dolls because they're popular or time limited or whatever, rather than saving for and buying dolls I really want and will treasure. I did a soft reset back in 2020 where I sold most of my dolls and rebuilt my collection from scratch. Several are still in various states of completion and in need of work, but I love them all now and I feel very satisfied even with my small mountain of WIPs.

 

As others have said collections change as attitudes and trends tend to cage. Over the years of being in and out of the hobby I find my interests don't change as often as the revolving trends. And because of that it sometimes makes it harder to find releases or items that still interest me especially with such a specific aesthetic in mind. I've realized after owning different dolls and different sizes what might be a passing interest. For instance, I've owned both male and female dolls but always end up selling the males and keeping the females. And I find the 1/3 size is actually perfect for me after having owned different sized dolls over the years. Essentially finding what doesn't work for you sometimes brings you closer to what you want the most.