Company Loyalty

I was wondering if anyone would like to share their experiences when it comes to brand loyalty in this hobby. Sort of like Apple vs Samsung but with doll artists and companies instead lol. Are there certain companies you will only buy dolls from. I know that volks has a pretty strong brand loyalty, and if you buy a lot of volks, why? I’m just really curious about what draws people to stick with certain artists.

 

I have a loyalty to many companies for various reasons.
Dollstown I have been buying dolls from since 2009. I love the details in the bigger dolls hands, I love the posing and solid standing of most of the bodies and the head sculpts are so unique and special. I love the big eyes most of the heads have, and the kids look like kids and the teens or young adults look like how they should and the bigger dolls can go older teens or young adults. It's akll in the face ups. The company has always had their good days and bad. They depend on Dollshe from the beginning to do the casting for all the dolls and was for awhile at their mercy for color choices and changes. But they might be doing their own casting thus having more control over their product. Its a wait and see there. Currently they only have what they have in stock or will soon be getting from casting. Used to be you could pre-order anything in most of the colors and get them in 2-3 months, then it went to 6 months and until the change they took as long as 10 months.
Irrealdoll I love due to the uniqueness of every edition they make. Some editions get recast, but it's all a wait and see. They allow 4 months layaway and this couple company in Spain are always good about their updates, products and details in every order. Their website is wonderful and I have never encountered a better run business.
Last is my newest love, Botodoll. Currently they make 3 dolls and all 3 you can get sleeping heads as well for them. They also make clothes for these dolls so dressing them is so easy. I have personally all 3 sculpts and I have tried many of the clothing items and can share what works and what doesn't. They come out of China so shipping can seem very slow, but once they hit your country it can go better. Usually Fed Ex is how they arrive. But the shipping times from when you place an order and when it arrives at your door is 2-3 months. The chubby bodies can be tricky to get into poses, but patience and some skill and they are wonderful handfuls. I do recommend not getting the face up done as 1.) it adds another month to shipping time, and 2.) It can arrive damaged as they don't use face shields. Better to save that $50 and put towards an artist slot or if you do your own even better.

 

I have a loyalty to style, quality and service.
If my fav company does not deliver that anymore, I drop them like a hot potato
So I guess I am not very loyal at all, at least not towards the company itself. If I can find a specific look and quality elsewhere, I have no qualms going there instead...either because my current fav has been lacking or to diversify the group. At the end of the day I don't care about the company/artist name attached to the doll as much as the doll itself and what I gain from it being part of my crew. And I know that blind loyalty is rarely, if never, actually appreciated by the other party or beneficial for myself.
That doesn't mean I don't have my favorites, simply because they produce an aesthetic I enjoy and I know the quality is alright/I receive my stuff in a timely manner (like Iplehouse, or Granado). But I'd have no qualms buying elsewhere or dropping them when the aesthetic changes, their service goes bad or they stop delivering things in a timely manner.

To be honest, I never understood people who just blindly buy everything a company releases/ONLY buy from one company, especially (!) when they constantly complain about said company.
If you genuinely like a company, and their style is pretty much unique to them, I understand being somewhat forced to buy from them. But even then I would have my limits, which would probably be "only second hand" or "at a reduced price". I would not be willing to give someone like Dollshe for example money still, even if the doll is perfect. Or like some of my friends who love Fairyland, but constantly rant about the quality or other things. At that point and with a dozen of them at home already I'd just call it quits

Regarding Volks though, it's a mixture there. But it definitely boils down to "it's them or nobody" when you enjoy their style and quality. There is no other company with dolls that look and feel like Volks, they have that strong nostalgia attached as well, and they got a big community. If you love the Volks aesthetic and vibe, you are pretty much tied to them. I have friends who are Volks only, and some that are heavily Volks favoring. The few non-Volks they have are often times still pretty old-timey dolls though, the big bobble heads, sometimes from old independent artists that made heads to combine with Volks bodies.

 

I'm more style-loyal over brand-loyal, as I veer more towards realism and sculpts with unique features. There have been companies I was especially drawn to with this aesthetic (and had a great fascination in their releases), who my interest has waned in due to either an aesthetic change or becoming more stylistically generic.

Impldoll is one particular company which I used to get excited for each new release, but lately their sculpts have started looking like a lot of other popular companies (like Fairyland or Luts)—especially their mature SDs. Granado has been also like this for me, but just to a lesser extent.

It's a shame when a company’s aesthetic shifts away from what drew me to them, but change is a natural component of life—and it's not like I'm at a lack for other options.

I also tend to be character-specific when shopping for sculpts, and I often can't find what I need from just one brand/artist. Plus, my motto is: variety is the spice of life. So, my preference? Shop around, see what's out there, and enjoy the variety that exists

 

Here's a similar thread about company loyalty.

Currently I'm not loyal to any single dollmaker, but there is one who casts a very long shadow over my BJD experience, and that's Dollstown. At one point my wishlist was dominated by Dollstown dolls, and their sculpts were all I wanted to buy. When that happened, I was about 1 year into the hobby - still quite new - and struggling to figure out what kind of doll aesthetic I liked, but nothing really wowed me or moved my heart (and I was getting dissatisfied with my then-crew of dolls). But when I laid eyes on Dollstown dolls, I had something of an epiphany: "My God....yes. Yes, YES. These are the kinds of BJDs I want to own, this is the aesthetic I find attractive."

Dollstown pretty much single-handedly shaped my aesthetic taste and preferences. I adored the head sculpts, they looked so unique and distinctive, like no other company. Especially the boys, they exemplified what I found attractive in male dolls. For a long time my Dollstown Mui was my only boy BJD because all the male sculpts I saw either didn't fit his aesthetic, or were nowhere as good-looking as him. I was also blown away by the 1/3 bodies -- beauty, proportions, the details in the sculpting (especially hands and torsos), how stably and naturally the bodies pose. And Dollstown resin quality is excellent: dense and heavy, and the dolls are so pleasurable to hold and play with. I've been quite ruined by Dollstown resin: any dolls that are lighter/less dense just feel ... less nice.

I currently own three dolls, and of those three - one is a full DT doll, one is a DT head sculpt (hybrided on another body), and one is a hybrid with a DT body. I've never sold any Dollstown resin - in fact, shortly after I discovered them I "rebooted" my crew by selling all my other dolls, but kept/bought these 3. They're forming the core of my crew going forward. Maybe this is brand loyalty too?

My tastes have definitely moved on since my newbie days.... I'm not too interested in Dollstown head sculpts anymore (most of my favourite ones have been discontinued anyway), although I still keep their bodies on my "good hybrid potential" list. So while Dollstown doesn't command buyer loyalty from me anymore, it still exerts influence on me by being the gold standard for my crew and aesthetic tastes.

 

I tend to have a very strong attachment to small/individual makers with strong intentionality and aesthetics. I don’t blindly be their fan if the quality of product and service aren’t consistent. It’s about a balance give and take.

As for,,, say, Volks, they very strongly establish brand loyalty for themselves. That’s just a part of Japan thing. I feel it’s ridiculous you can’t even bring non-Volks doll to Dolpa, or must own Volks doll to take part in certain events, places, or events, even as current Volks customer.

 

All my current OT dolls are Volks (I will be getting an Imomodoll soon ). I’m not exactly brand loyal, I just like their sculpts and clothing/accessories. Their products are high quality and beautiful and they have good service so I vouch for them. However in the end of the day its literally a company so I don’t feel a super strong loyalty.

 

I have some levels of brand loyalty now that I understand what I want from my dolls. I started out by looking for aesthetic value over all, and while that is still largely true, there are some leanings towards doll makers. I have gradually come to learn that I also need customizability of the dolls in addition to the aesthetics. For example, I really enjoy Guard Love dolls because of the vast number of cute hands I can buy for them. The constant sales also help with my brand loyalty as money is rather tight for me normally. Guard Love and Myou Doll have sales often enough that I will almost always hit one when I am ready to spend.

Aside from actual doll makers, I have found I also tend to gravitate to certain distributers more often than not thanks to their customer service. Alice's Collections and Jane's Doll Land have been quick to respond to anything that needs addressing (like me suddenly moving and needing to update my address on some open orders), and that keeps me coming back. I used to buy a lot from Denver Doll Emporium, but they sent me the wrong doll once. While they got exchanged and I got the correct one, I've been nervous about making big purchases from them again (especially with the shipping--literally a single state away--being a whopping 50bucks for a few wigs and some eyes). They also don't carry much that I couldn't find anywhere else aside from the in stock stuff which I really don't focus on much anymore. I would rather wait for the right doll than just expand my collection for the sake of expanding NOW, if that makes sense.

Now, it could be argued that this isn't actually brand loyalty since I would jump ship if anything changed with the way these companies operated. Like if one of the distributers started acting dodgy I would have no qualms with finding an alternative. Doll makers would be a bit more hard pressed in my mind to change loyalty to since I like the way the ones mentioned look.

 

When I first started, my entire wishlist was DoD dolls! I wanted them all! I got my first one and never bought from them again. I don't even know the ones released after 2009. I completely lost interest in them after that experience.

I don't have a huge Volks collection, but I like their bodies and they make some very beautiful faces in styles I like. This doesn't mean Volks couldn't convince me to shop elsewhere like DoD did.

 

With all due respect, it's not ridiculous that you can't bring a non-Volks doll to an event that Volks themselves puts on? I would say that's....to be expected? If another company put on another large event on the scale of Dolpa, I'd wager there would be requirements that you not bring in dolls made by other companies - same reason as when I worked in large scale trade shows, you weren't allowed to bring in competing products from vendors other than those who had rented booth space in the hall with the intent of selling.
It's a Volks event, plain and simple. If you don't want to bring a Volks doll to it, then don't. They're not going to bar you from entering just because you happen to own dolls from another company, but they're well within their rights to keep you from bringing in dolls made by competitors.
This whole argument of ""Volks elitism"" has been going on as long as I've been in the hobby Good to know it's still a divisive topic.

 

I'm not "brand loyal" but I lean very heavily towards Dollmore dolls. Out of all doll companies represented in the house, Dollmore has the most and includes various sizes (I think I'm around 20 dolls). I love their quality, their customer service and just the wide variety of dolls offered.

Peakswoods would be the next heavily represented dolls here (I think around 12), with their older sculpts being my favorite. They do amazing face ups. Again, the quality of the dolls is outstanding.

I have one Volks doll. I have never experienced the "Volks elitism" myself but know that it exists. I do think they are a tremendously wonderful company and their quality standards are super high. I have seen other Volks dolls that I could see myself owning if I had the money when they were released, especially their current Disney collaboration line. If they ever do Snow White I'll be jumping on that bandwagon in a flash!

 

For me, I don't think I really have a brand I am absolutely loyal to. I'm more attracted to style or certain genres. If I haven't encountered a company before, but their dolls are made in a style that truly resonates with me, I will consider their dolls. Size, gender... doesn't really matter to me if the sculpt is exactly what I am looking for. Of course, I'd prefer it if all of my dolls would be a similar size, but that seems rather impossible.
I've otherwise noticed that Loong Soul tends to tick all of my boxes again and again with each release.
If these dolls weren't so expensive, I'd buy all of ther dolls. They're just so mesmerising.
So far, I've only bought Loong Soul dolls even though I have a few more companies on my watch list.
Like Ringdoll. But it seems their latest releases just don't seem to resonate with me anymore... I am cannot say I am not disappointed. But that's probably for the best with the vice grip Loong Soul has on my wallet.
Other than that, I think Dream Valley's fantasy sculpts hold a lot of potential, but the order period of one I adore, has already passed long ago.
I'm hoping for a rerelease, but am currently not very hopeful...

 

I don't have brand loyalty at all but I think if having your collection look very cohesive is important to you, then buying them from the same brand is a great way to accomplish that. You know they'll all look like brothers and sisters when made by the same hands!

 

I'm another of those "loyal to a style rather than a brand"-types. I like Old School, 50-65cm sculpts that look more like dolls than super-realistic miniature people... That limits my options somewhat, given that the style and size aren't exactly the vogue for the hobby as a whole.

I have a lot of very old, pre-Fairyland CP/Delfs, Lati Reds, Soom SGs and, yes, Volks dolls in my crew because that's what matches the look I'm after.

I do consider myself mostly a Volks collector these days... I still look at new sculpts from a lot of companies, but I almost never seriously consider buying them. Once in awhile an odd-ball will make it into the collection (my Spirit Doll sculpts, for instance, or the Iple crew-), but they're very much the exceptions to the rule.

That said, if Volks ever switches their style to something that I don't care for, I won't have one single qualm about walking away and never buying another doll from them again. I've already done that with Lati (who discontinued all of their larger dolls-) and Cerberus Project (who became Fairyland, the bastion of duck-faced Minis-). If a company doesn't produce anything I want, I'm not going to buy.

 

I love a lot of doll companies, but somehow I only have dolls of luts. However, I always watch the news of dolls from other companies. Rather than loving the company itself, I tend to buy it when my taste and purpose match. I've also had volks,DOD,Switch dolls. but I just sold it because it didn't fit me.

 

I would say no.
I buy what I like, regardless of company/artist and my collection, as well as wishlist, reflects this. With companies like Volks, Angel Studio, Iplehouse, Blue Fairy and Dream of Doll being represented.

However, the majority of my dolls are from Luts and Soom (a bit of Volks too). This for two reasons. First being that I simply find many of their sculpts pretty. Second being that I tend to get overwhelmed with the amount of companies/sculpts out there, so it's really just "easier" for me to stick to the companies I know.

I do check out "new" companies from time to time though, which in the past have lead me to falling in love with the current "outsiders" in my collection/on my wishlist.

 

I've tried out other companies like Bobobie, MYou, Loongsoul and Charmdoll, but the only one that really stuck for me was Volks. Like others have said, it's their aesthetic for me. I love the look and feel of both of their current doll lines, they just have something special about them. With other companies, I tend to like seeing photos of their dolls, but not own then myself. I adore Fairyland, Luts, Dollmore and several others, but I like to look at their dolls from other people's photos, not own them myself It's also very easy to stick with Volks since I don't have to worry much about measurements and parts, on top of the abundance of Volks items on the secondhand market. I have 25 Volks dolls so far, might as well stick with them It's convenient.

 

Right now, a majority of my "loyalty" is to an off topic vinyl doll company. I really like their doll aesthetic and also the company's mission, vision and values. However, when it comes to doll props, clothes, accessories, etc., I spread my "love" everywhere from eBay and Etsy to Instagram and Facebook groups.

 

@OneMoreLight - I don't have a Volks Super Dollfie, but after watching a friend unbox one, I get the brand loyalty.

For those who have never bought a new one, Volks BJDs are the best new dolls a new collector can buy. Yeah, I said it.

The resin is superb. The doll comes with instructions and photos of how the full outfit is supposed to look. The customization during Doll Choice is easy and simple. The prices are clearly listed. They have dedicated Japanese and English websites with the latest security protocols.

If my first BJD had been a Volks, I think I would find every other company's dolls a bit of a disappointment.

Now - you're going to PAY for that. The Volks markup is real. (In before someone links to the $10 toothbrush sold as a wig tool...)

But I get it. And I get why these dolls can hold their value. I got a used Volks dress, and there are multiple loops sewn on the back to accommodate different torsos. That's just an attention to detail I don't often see from other companies.