Curious, how many impulse dolls?

I thought I will never impulse buy, until I saw ShuangSheng (Twins) from 2ddoll, even I know their resin will become like lemon yellow after years, I paid right away

 

I generally mull over my purchases for a really long time because dolls are expensive! I had a body for a hybrid in my virtual cart for, literally, a year before I committed to it. I've had a few instances with things that had a very short ordering period that I had to decide on quickly or miss out. They're a pretty small part of my collection but I don't regret them even if I had to decide on them faster than I usually do.

Aside from limited things, I think you can take your time in this hobby. Standard sculpts aren't going anywhere and they take months to cast to begin with!

 

I never thought I would impulse buy, I spend HOURS looking through sculpts to find the perfect shell for a character, and even then I usually stare at them for one or more years before buying. I was looking for a sculpt for my next character while I was bored at work on Sunday not even planning on getting a doll until 2023 tax returns but then I stumbled upon a doll not at all right for the said character and instantly pack bonded with him. Like he is my son and I will fight anyone who tries to harm him. And I'm mad about it because I do not have the money to buy a doll with this tax return and I don't even want another boy I want a girl darn it but I'm probably going to crack like the soft boiled egg I am and buy him.

 

I used to have more impulse buys with non-BJDs. BJDs are usually too expensive for me to afford many impulse purchases. But let's see how long this attitude lasts

 

I would say probably four. I normally think very hard and long about any purchase, but sometimes a doll just clicks with me.

The first was my X2 Elizabeth. New in the hobby, looking for affordable dolls, I didn't even like her because the company pictures were terrible (I was actually planning on getting a Gloria) but when they opened their ebay store and started selling them as parts and I noticed she was cuter without makeup so I got one.
Then my Narsha, I completely fell when I saw her during a meeting so much that the owner contacted me when he wanted to sell.
My Soom Yrie. I got her because a friend had one with beautifully painted wings, I never even stringed her wings but still think she's adorable. Do limited editions still count as impulse buys?
One day I was browsing through the marketplace looking for a body for a floating head when I saw a Migidoll Jina, he's so cute I often just stare at him.

I also adopted a D.O.B Libra by impulse because he looked pitiful with a badly done eye opening mod, but it was a trade so I'm not sure that counts.

 

I just yesterday bought a doll impulsively, a ResinSoul Song, because 1) he was In Stock at Denver Dolls and 2) his cute lil face and elfy ears popped out at me
(And because I know I'll be waiting months for the first doll I ordered, the lovely Xaga Elf girl Mizzle, to be made and shipped lol)

But I don't really mind that I made an impulsive purchase, since ResinSoul dolls are more affordable, plus I simply adore his sculpt!
And now when the first doll I ordered eventually arrives, she will have another elf friend to keep her company

I suppose that will technically make HIM my First Ever Doll, since I will have him in my grubby lil hands first, even though she was the one I chose/ordered first? Not sure tbh

I suppose I would maybe feel different about buying so impulsively IF I already owned a lot of dolls, but since I'm just getting started, I don't see a problem since I'm only going to have 2!

 

Nearly all of them, especially when I first started
It was definitely the fomo. With most of them being on limited time pre-order or being new releases with limited discounts.
I've definitely slowed down in the last 6 months though and haven't been tempted/impulsive for a while. It helps that I now have a clear vision for where I want my collection to go.

(It doesn't help when I'm a naturally impulsive person )

 

About half my dolls were impulse dolls, mostly earlier ones though. Some of them worked out really well and the others worked out only okay. But the dolls I adore the most are the ones I decided I wanted well before I saw any sales listing for them. They are way more precious to me than the ones I bought on impulse.

On that note, I entered the lottery impulsively for a doll 8 years ago and lost. It felt like love at first sight! I finally got her last month, but there's no way I could consider her an impulse buy now! I wonder if I would have adored her as much as I do if I immediately got her with no struggle, but I guess I'll never know.

 

I planned to buy my one and only doll for a month, but there is this doll I found on sale yesterday that I really love so I'm thinking of buying him so... I guess I might have a second doll

 

None of my dolls are impulse buys. I’ve been in the hobby since 2009 and bought my first doll after months of contemplation. When I become enamored of a sculpt, I start researching - the company, the body, how well it poses. The next stage is stalking: Instagram, Facebook, Flickr and DoA to see how versatile the sculpt is. Next, I mull it over for a while. Once I decide, I buy. I have a running list of sculpts that I love so if my doll is discontinued, I stalk the DoA market. Eventually, the doll will pop up in the Marketplace.

 

All my impulse purchases have been secondhand. I have only kept one of them which is my AOD Qing, though she did turn out to be one of my favorites. There are definitely pros and cons to the impulse purchase! I tend to try and build a character around my sculpts I like instead of the other way around, so when I see something pretty I'll occasionally give it a go to see if it fits.

 

My most recent order was an impulse purchase - I had a rough day, decided to browse some doll sites (probably a mistake when I was in retail therapy mode), and ended up ordering a new friend. That being said, she’s also a Resinsoul tiny, so definitely not quite as wallet hurting as she could have been

I have some other impulse buys. I’ve only ever sort of regretted one. Most of my impulse purchases are secondhand dolls, as I feel like I don’t have the time to mull over the purchase that I do with purchasing directly from a company (unless it’s a limited sculpt).

 

I had for impulse purchases that I sold. I felt guilty spending a lot on dolls at the time.
I recently purchased a Volks f-54 head that was a slight impulse purchase but I didn’t spend a lot and I really love the head and face up.

 

My doll purchases have been planned and thought about it. Perhaps their clothrs and wigs had less planning though as I tried to figure out what I could style them with.

 

Some of my dolls are impulse dolls to be sure. When I first started the hobby I went a little crazy. I am more likely to plan something out now if I have need for another doll, I pretty satisfied with my collection right now, and not really looking for anything in particular.

My biggest impulse weakness? Store display dolls wearing full set outfits, that have been price reduced because whatever shop I am getting it from changed the display dolls and no longer needs them. Occasionally slightly yellowed, and sometimes with green spots, I just think they are awesome and love 'rescuing' them!

 

Oh have I impulse bought lately and technically the whole last year …… and I love it lol I have a slight weak spot for project dolls, and then I also stumbled upon dolls/makers I’ve never heard of before by casually checking the MP and gosh I couldn’t resist. I am afraid to count lol But I technically impulse bought 1 project doll, one doll that was a limited doll I wanted but is no longer being sold - both within this week lol and I entered a planned pre-order in January. So there is quite some things coming my way. I love it! But my wallet has died and gone to heaven lol
I am currently on a “don’t look at the MP for two weeks” restriction lol I can’t help it when I see one and like what I see

 

Sadly I am way to impulsive. I buy dolls more times then end up selling. It's one thing when I am trying a new company or a unique one, but when I repetitively buy dolls that I have already had and sold I get really annoyed with myself. I need to write a list of dolls and companies I should no longer buy from with a mantra below saying, "it didn't work the first time, or the fourth time so stop wasting money and move on."

 

I might as well own up here as I’ve gotten snagged yet again by something fabulous! I thought I was done…I swear I did. And then I saw the Myou Macarena here in the news section of DoA, and had one of those impulsive jaw dropping moments (you know the kind…one of those “I’ll just die if I don’t bring this doll home” impulsive moments!) In my defense, I’ve had a lifelong love of religious iconography and this girl is the perfect embodiment of that aesthetic. How could I possibly resist?

So that makes 7 impulse buys, which seems like a lot. But out of a total of 49 dolls, it only works out to about 14% which doesn’t seem quite so bad.

 

Five for sure, maybe six.

Mostly it's just that the opportunities came up unexpectedly, and I had to pounce. They were dolls I bought from other hobbyists that I hadn't really planned on, but when I saw them I fell in love. That's what I consider an impulse buy, typically. The exception is my Souldoll Nova, who I had to decide on quickly because he was very limited. I don't regret buying him at all, but I do wish companies would give us more time to think.

As for the "maybe six": Warren, my Luts MDF Terra, wasn't so much an impulse buy as a sooner-than-intended buy? I'd had in mind that I wanted a doll in their rosy brown color, but I didn't think I liked any of them enough (that I didn't already have). Then one day toward the end of an ordering period for that color, I went through the MDF dolls for the heck of it and instantly had to have a Terra.

Somehow, everybody else was planned. I guess I just make too many plans...

 

Unexpected opportunities are definitely a thing! Sometimes you know you want something...eventually. And then things happen and planets align and eventually turns into "aaaaaaaa, or now, I guess???"

Funnily enough, my little collection is split half and half between planned and impulse, and yet I'm more fond of the impulse ones for the most part. The projects I meticulously plan, trying for that ideal hybrid and/or perfect shell for a character always end up losing their luster. I don't know if that's because the reality is always short of the perfect vision I have in my head, or if my focus has naturally drifted onto another idea by the time I get them! Maybe both! Sometimes I feel like planning a doll project can be more fun than executing it.

But with only a couple exceptions, the ones I've snagged just because they struck me as cool? I still like as much as ever. I think this has happened to me three times just idly browsing the MP alone, lol.