Do dolls hold their worth? Reselling value concerns

You'd be surprised. The doll I just bought, one of my ideal dream dols, was on the marketplace for only 2 days when I bought him, and for not very much below the factor price (I have no rouble paying for time convenience) so, while there's always the chance of it languishing..there's also the chance of you finding a Me out there who's all OMOWRHHER that's my doll!

 

eh the way I look at it you win some and you lose some. Like my spouse got a super cheap body recently, but I've sold some stuff below what I paid for. Its just the roll of the dice. Most of the time since I got in these hobby I was one of those people that would get a doll, get tired of it, then sell it again. Sometimes I got a fair price and others below what I paid for. Thankfully I'm about settled on that front and the next couple dolls I get I'll keep for long while...

 

I don't think dolls are worthless, but you do have to expect things to depreciate in value, especially since many nations around the world are going through economic slumps right now and a lot of people just don't have the money for luxuries like dolls.

 

I think the customization and extras you include with your doll also make a big difference C: A doll that is well customized with a nicely done face-up, a good wig and eye combo and maybe an outfit that suggests a well put together character with quality sales photos will most likely sell for much higher than the same sculpt being sold as a blank doll. Of course, the price for a customized doll has to be greater to compensate for the price of the accessories to begin with, but a customized doll can often be more appealing that a blank one!

 

worthless? If no one buys your doll. I don't resell me dolls, so the value of the dolls is whatever I determine it to be-- as in "Do I personally treasure this doll?" And the answer is usually yes--beyond any price!

However, to be realistic, if you are ONLY thinking of market value, the dolls is worth whatever it is worth on the market. Perhaps it can be higher if you find the right person... or lower if you don't. That is just how these things work.

But market price to me means nothing, since I do not buy dolls to re-sell.

Hey, new cars drop drastically in value, but sometimes I still buy a new car (my current one was pre-owned, however). If a person is concerned about market prices, then maybe they should buy used cars instead, right? But if they wish for a specific brand new one, then they know what the deal is and are willing to pay for something that will drastically drop in value.

Same for dolls, really. You have to understand what it is worth and if paying that price is worth having the doll. Usually it IS. Not so much of you have made a mistake in buying the doll. It is a risk you should know about--that some dolls may or may not keep their re-sell value--and take that into consideration when buying a doll. If you know you will have to resell the doll if you don't bond and if you fear you might not bond in the first place and if you research and find that that doll doesn't really sell for a lot in the Marketplace, then maybe you should think twice about buying!

On the other hand, if you REALLY want the doll--so much that you will take that risk of not getting back your money 100% if you sell, then you should have no fear about buying.

MOST items you buy--no matter what it is-- will NOT keep their price

That is just how things work. Usually, like cars, once they are not new, they have lost a LOT of value. But we buy stuff all the time without expecting to get our money back when we re-sell!

(heh. previous car was bought new for $27,000. But it had problems after 4 years--engine block cracked and it was worth nothing... maybe $1k if that. bad luck. but I bought another car... used this time... but it's still depreciating like crazy! you want to cry about being worthless, try doing it over nearly 30K instead of 30 dollars!!!!)

Doll usually will keep their price, or sometimes be worth more, sometimes less. They are not a bad investment (if you consider them as investments-- which I do not). Even if they lose some value, they are never worthless, unlike many things you buy every day.

So I think this is not a big issue!

Do you believe that the doll that you paid beaucoo bucks for is worthless?

I never believe a doll is worthless. Because it is NOT worthless. People will certainly pay you some money to take it off your hands==even damaged dolls can be sold. Expecting your money back is just silly, because that does not happen in real life with most things. AND believing something is worthless or not is ALL IN YOUR HEAD. You can believe ANYTHING is worthless if that's what you feel. Or visa versa. I happen to treasure my dolls beyond any market price... but what YOU do is up to YOU.

How do you feel when someone will pay $1200 for a doll but will not pay $75 for your doll that you paid say $$250 for?
What other people do is nothing to me. Someone can pay $3,000.00 for a pair of shoes or a purse and that's their business, because I'd never do that even if I was rolling in money. Someone can pay that much for a Dollshe Bermann, but that's totally cool for them. It has NOTHING at all to do with me or my dolls. I like Bermanns well enough, but I'd never pay that much for one, but that's just me. I think if it's worth that much to another person, then more power to them!

If you can get $75 for a doll you do not want, then that is FINE. Sure, everyone wants more money, but that's just LIFE that you don't always get what you want.

Basically, I think it's not realistic to EXPECT to always get your money back 100% or even close to that. AND that you can't look at some OTHER doll and compare it to your DIFFERENT doll. And if you can't get a good price then consider that it is not the doll but that you are just not finding someone who wants that doll at that time. Maybe they would pay more, but can't afford it at the moment--right? Anyway, just realize that it is very unusually to get big money back for your doll, but most of the time you can get something back...

Really, I only WISH I could find lots of dolls selling for under retail in the Marketplace. The dolls I want are selling at retail or very close--above or below!!!! But there is no guarantee that dolls will hold their prices and no one should think that is going to happen anyway.

 

It seems like commons lose more value than uncommons. Like you can expect a doll you paid $300 for with a faceup to sell for at least $250, hopefully.

 

You can never predict which dolls will retain their worth and which won't! Even limited dolls aren't immune, like with Volks' Rose and Bianca. It all has to do with popularity and supply. If you have the luxury of waiting, it's best to just hold out and sit on that marketplace thread until demand and supply align to give you that bite you want at the price you're asking for (if the price is based off of reasonable comparables and market history). An unusually high price for a sculpt may have you waiting, well, almost forever. Nevertheless, sometimes you just have to try and get as much as you can back out of a doll, even if it means taking a loss.

My own story: I sold a Luts SDF for significantly less than what I paid a few years ago because the company dropped their prices! Oh man, was I ever disappointed.

 

I know I've lost money on nearly every doll I've sold. At this point, I do not wish to buy any more dolls that I fear I might have to sell one day. It's just not worth it.

 

Items seem to have many types of value. The value to the owner for whatever reason, and market value (supply and demand and whatever economists rave about). Then there's the status symbol rubbish, which is attached to price and not necessarily quality and aesthetics. BJDs, IMO, are pretty worthless in the great scheme of things, but the pleasure they bring can be priceless. People tend to think too much in terms of dollars.

 

Do you believe that the doll that you paid beaucoo bucks for is worthless?
How do you feel when someone will pay $1200 for a doll but will not pay $75 for your doll that you paid say $$250 for?

Presumably they aren't the same doll, right? Or if they are, they're probably not in the same condition. And if the $250 doll is now $75, what did the $1200 doll originally sell for? I've seen dolls listed at $1200 where the first owner paid $1750 (or more), so the original owner of that $1200 doll is taking a significantly larger loss than the owner of the $75 doll.

Realistically, as much as people might feel that every doll is equal is an affectionate way ("You love them just as much!"), that's just never going to be true when it comes time to sell. And you're always going to take more of a hit on a common doll since - unless you're a fantastically talented artist - people are not going to be willing to pay the same price for a used basic doll if they can buy it new from the company. And they're certainly not going to pay you back for your customs/shipping/paypal fees, since even if your base price were lower, that will likely make it cost more than the new version.

As for dolls that do sell above their original retail value, there are generally reasons for that - they were a very small run LE, they were painted by a famous retired artist - something that makes it rare. And as others have said, that's supply and demand. When there are more people searching for an item than there are copies of that item it's usually going to be more expensive.

Similarly, it's not that the more common doll is worthless. It's just that the supply meets (or exceeds) the demand, so there's nothing forcing the price upwards. That doll is still worth whatever someone is willing to pay, even if what they're willing to pay is somewhat less than what the seller might hope for.

 

I have been collecting, buying and selling dolls for years. While the interest waxes and wanes (and this is usually linked the the state of the economy in general which is a tad sad at the moment), the dolls do hold value over time IF you look after them. My recommendation is to make sure you keep your paperwork and box and look after your doll as best you possibly can. Having said that, if you don't mind if its worth anything or not in the future, go right ahead and play with it to your hearts content. I comment only from a collectors point of view. What has interested me is that BJD's hold their value even when they are played with unlike other artist dolls that need to be carefully looked after. In fact I have seen some BJD's worth more than a new doll which puzzles me a lot. I love all artist dolls because I appreciate the effort and art in making a doll look so realistic. I believe if you choose doll collections such as Annette Himstedt, Philip Heath, Ella Haas and artists like these who have either passed away or stopped making artist dolls, you are well on the way to creating a valuable collection, that is IF you can find them. It will remain to be seen which BJD artist stick around for the long run. Just my two cents worth.......

 

I think that if it's a LE and quite sought after it should increase in value or hold it's value, I've seen it happen time and again. If it's still available from the original bjd dealer then you should discount it some but not by $200 dollars and offer free shipping and/or wig and eyes etc.

I know of lots of OT bjds that have sold for double their original amount.

 

Just saw one of the highest prices for a BJD ever... an auction on ebay for a Kaye Wiggs head on a Dollstown body (Kaye only did heads to begin with), that sold for over $21,000.00 !!!!

http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&_trksid=p2047675.l2565&rt=nc&item=261152109552

Someone made a good investment and sold at the right moment!!!!

...and I thought the prices on Y!Japan were sometimes crazy-high! That one beats 'em all by thousands (and thousands!).

 

I saw that crazy auction! Apparently the head was one of K Wiggs' earlier works, and it was LE10, and it had the artist's original faceup-- so that head probably could've commanded a hefty penny on its own. But it was also tricked-out on a Dollstown body with a handmade outfit and handmade shoes and hand-beaded-everything, so that seems to have sweetened the deal.

If anything, it's a good lesson about preserving original faceups & hanging onto those old floating heads. ^^ And the auction didn't say anything about provenance, but at that price, I'm guessing there was some kind of certificate involved in the deal. So, yeah, if you have a doll who came with paperwork, keep whatever you've got, because even the box could boost the value someday.

Just the other day, I finally got off my procrastinating ass & assembled all my dolls' purchase records & provenance & backup paperwork in one place, spreadsheet and all (New Years resolution ), and now I already feel better about that mad conglomeration in my living room. Some of them aren't worth crazy money yet, at the moment, but now they're ready for any future scrutiny that may someday come.

 

Private listings always make me suspicious of the auction. I'd be really surprised if that actually goes through as a legit sale.

I'd say almost all dolls, thanks to the oversaturation of the market and the state of the world economy, will lose their value and probably lose significant value once the doll is purchased, be they standards or LE's. It's just the way of the world, and if you want to move dolls you've had for years, you're going to have to take the hit and swallow the loss to get them gone.

I highly doubt this hobby will ever recover and go back to the glory days of dolls always getting their cost back or more on the secondhand market.

 

This is both a wonderful and terrible thing because I really wanted a Rose and luckily purchased her (nude) for a very good price (less than that of a standard Volks), but if I ever go to sell her (even though I have no plans to), her value may diminished where I'd be at a big loss.

I do regret not waiting around longer to get a better price though. Ah well.

Luckily Dollfie Dreams generally hold their value or increase in value (sometimes by 2-2.5x)

 

With anything collectible (value is mostly in the eyes of those who are buying--that is NOT the base value of it being an expensive doll, but the extra value of people REALLY wanting to pay big amounts to get it--and stuff like rarity and condition, etc. goes into this), it can be difficult to read the future trends that could make it HUGE or could make it MEH in the marketplace.

There are things to consider IF you really are trying to make an investment. BUT most people advise a buyer to just buy what they like, because there is to guarantee that the item will hold value. This goes for people buying a multi-million fine art piece, or a classic car, or just about any high-ticket item that usually commands a good or increased re-sell value.

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Provenance-- records of who you bought from and when, and certificates and the box and all pieces in a fullset, as well as no damage and original faceup, etc., are also KEY to keeping as much re-sell value as possible. If an owner is careless with these things, then they shouldn't cry if the value of their doll drops, since it's their fault in not keeping the doll pristine and all information and documents together!!!

HOWEVER-- again, unless you are running a business or looking for investments, this should NOT be so important. Dolls are there to be enjoyed and modded and played with! So, again, the usual advice to buyers is to buy what they like and to just not expect anything more than that! (although it's good to keep records! Just for your own information and for insurance purposes etc. I try and keep records, and I don't ever sell my dolls!)

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Kaye Wiggs Nettle auction--- The owner lives in Australia, where Kaye Wiggs is located. There were only a very few of those heads with a Kaye Wiggs faceup. The owner is also on The Resin Cafe forum, that is co-moderated by Kaye Wiggs, so Kaye herself can vouch for the authenticity. She keeps an eye on their doll sales because she and others are concerned about bogus auctions, even for the dolls of bigger editions. So buyers could bid with absolute confidence!

I'd worry more about the buyer flaking! But they won't get it without paying up, so ... seems things are as on the up-and-up as much as possible (for ebay, anyway!).

Crazy price, though! I still can't believe it. But that really is wonderful for bjds in general, as well as amazing for the seller! And for Kaye and her dolls.

Thread on Resin Cafe--with posts by the seller and Kaye Wiggs and some bidders, but final winner not known yet (if ever):
http://theresincafe.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=forsale&action=display&thread=14865&page=1

EDIT---
Turns out the high bidder flaked out and second highest did, too. But still sold at fairly high amount, if not the stated amount... To someone else on Resin Cafe--so everyone is happy over there!

 

something is worth whatever someone else is willing to pay for it. If you originally thought the price tag of 250$ was worth it, then that is the appropriate value to you - if someone else values it as much less, again that's what they are willing to pay. I'm not sure about other doll brands but Dollfie Dreams seem to hold their original value pretty well (..well really any volks product) that being said, sometimes people think their dolls are priceless and try to charge the extreme high end and hope to recoup their original cost plus a little extra on the side. I'd say it's good practice to assume an item you bought is usually devauled a little as soon as you mess with it - even if you are taking the utmost care of it, it will still be a used item in the eyes of most everyone else. I'd think if you go into buying a doll hoping you'd be able to get your money back on it, then it's probably not a doll you should be getting as you don't have the right mindset about it.

 

I never buy a doll with the thought of selling him or her for what I paid for them. I adopt dolls for their intrinsic beauty and the message they convey to me. Since BJDs are expensive, I usually take my time on deciding. Luckily we usually get a month and a number of places do lay-a-ways!

 

No doll is worthless, it just depends on the tastes of the buyers. But when a buyer does see a sculpt they love they'd be happy to buy it secondhand if it had a few more perks than a brand new doll. For example a head might have more worth if it has a custom faceup from a popular artist, or any specific mods that people might like. It all just depends!