Do higher prices entice you?

I think the good name and renown of a company is much more important than the prices they sell things for. Cheap doesn't neccesarily mean that something is of lesser quality. Often factors like employment costs are important. For example in China, employment costs are lower compared to Japan and South Korea. There are some companies who manage to keap several costs low and produce fairly affordable BJD's which are of good quality.

I feel safe to buy when a company has proven itself well. Always check feedback, research sculpts and go for the one you fall in love with.

 

Price is not a consideration when I decide which dolls to buy. It is all about their faces with me. I have expensive dolls and dolls that were not so much and the quality of all of them is wonderful. The only bjd I ever bought that was a bad product is a doll that isn't on topic here and had a strange glass-like quality resin that chipped as soon as I took her out of the box. I demanded and received my money back.

 

Price is actually a bit of a turn off for me. I'm cheap, heh, wrong hobby I know
I can't justify paying over 350 for a doll, at least right now (in college). But besides like, one or two dolls I really only dream about being able to afford, most of the dolls I like are usually under 200 anyway, so it's all good.

 

nope. All about facial features. :3

 

The thing that will entice me is how aesthetically appealing I find a mould. From there it's researching the company, reviews, posing and quality, etc. However, if the price tag is very high I may just walk away and look for something that captures a similar look at a more budget friendly price. I love dolls but watching my budget and credit are most important. Low pricing doesn't matter either, I just find the popular proclaimed brands like Bobobie/Resinsoul don't fit the aesthetic that I want in my personal collection. I guess I prefer the middle road!

 

I find this question can be a bit of the reverse for me. Instead of thinking about a *higher* price, I do wind up having to think of the *lower* price. I ignored the dolls I wanted because of their steep price tag, and wound up "settling" for a less expensive doll just because it was less expensive (the reverse of the question.) I just WASTED that money completely because I wound up getting the more expensive doll later anyway. My husband warned me this would happen, but I thought I loved the less expensive doll just as much... I was totally wrong.

So when something has a higher pricetag I feel it's worth looking at it longer and determining if that REALLY is the doll you want. I learned "Oh but THIS one is so cheap!" doesn't always wind up saving you money in the end.

That being said, I still love my inexpensive Resinsoul doll, for example, but I chose her based off the sculpt first and the price second It was exactly the sculpt I wanted from the start.

 

I don't find higher prices appealing. A number of my dolls were on the costly side, and I certainly wouldn't like or enjoy them less if they were less expensive. I would likely be less nervous about handling and customizing them if they hadn't cost me an arm and a leg, too.

 

It's been debated that higher prices for certain things will make the quality better in the non-bjd world. So do you think that theory applies to the BJD shopping experience?
I think it's hit-or-miss in the real world AND in the BJD experience. In the real world, I have had cheaper clothes (e.g. stuff from Target or even Wal-Mart) hold up in very nice condition for a much longer time than the more expensive stuff I get at plus-size specialty stores (which often seem to think it's A-OK to charge exorbitant prices for items that are sub-par in terms of materials and quality). On the other hand I have also bought cheaper items that fell apart sooner or showed wear and tear sooner, while more expensive items have held up better. I think it's really the same in the doll world. For the most part my dolls are on the mid-to-low end of the pricing spectrum for dolls. Comparing my dolls of similar sizes, I don't think there's a HUGE difference in quality between my LUTS dolls and my limited Dollmore, and I actually think my Blue Blood boy (who cost less than my Luts dolls even with his faceup AND the international shipping fee) is my highest-quality doll. I have also seen dolls from another company that is generally more expensive than Luts and thought that they didn't look as high-quality as my Luts dolls despite being more expensive, but since I only got to see them and never got to touch or play with them I could be mistaken. So yeah, long story short: sometimes "more expensive" does mean "better quality," but not always, and when it comes to dolls I think factors like a doll being attractive to you personally and a company having all or mostly positive reviews are better indicators of anything than the price tag. That's especially the case since, while I don't think there is anyone worrying about a doll being too affordable, everyone has a limit of what counts as too expensive.


Do you feel more 'safe' to buy something that is more expensive due to hoping it will be 'higher quality'?
Not really. Like I said, the expensive = quality thing is hit-or-miss anyway. I feel safer buying from a company whose dolls fall within my price range and that has mostly positive reviews from past customers, because I feel that customer reviews are a better indicator of things like doll quality and customer service than the cost of the doll.

Do you have any experiences where something cheap has been very well made? If so what was it?
Well, I mentioned my Blue Blood doll. He's not cheap, I guess, but he's the least expensive of my SD-size dolls so far and I have always been amazed at his quality and how absolutely gorgeous is he. I can't think of any particularly outstanding examples from real life right now, though.

 

It's been debated that higher prices for certain things will make the quality better in the non-bjd world. So do you think that theory applies to the BJD shopping experience?
Not as a rule, It really depends on the company and manufacturing. I don't think you should use the price alone as the 'rule' of quality with BJD's. You can use it as an indicator, but not as a rule in my opinion. Price is merely the tip of the iceburg in terms of research.

Do you feel more 'safe' to buy something that is more expensive due to hoping it will be 'higher quality'?
No, again, higher quality? In what? Resin, posing, sculpting (which is very opinion based in terms of what people do and don't like)
I purchased a CH Ange Ai during one of their mega sales. Cute face, less than stellar resin finish (but alright), and good posing for single joint. I also bought a Bambicrony Ciao Bella for much more around the same time, a gorgeous face, amazing resin feel and a little less posing sturdiness.
I didn't feel any safer buying the Bambicrony over the Customhouse, even though the CH was in the two digits and the BC in three.

Do you have any experiences where something cheap has been very well made? If so what was it?
Not to my memory. I have a really good track record with having well made items, cheap or not. Because I don't base it upon price, I base it upon the quality/features/etc. (research )

On a personal note, I don't buy my dolls based on how expensive they are, like some others I actually lean towards the less expensive ones because of money. That doesn't mean I only let myself think about buying dolls that are less money than others, it means my natural instinct is to want to buy the less expensive ones But ultimately no matter the price, I always take into account the face sculpt and the body sculpt. Nothing else matters. If it happens to be expensive, so be it I save. If it's less expensive, Hurray for my budget!! ^_^ If it is low quality, I'd do everything I could to make it workable for me. If the sculpt is perfect.

 

I don't find higher prices to be more or less appealing -- how much I'm willing to pay depends on how much I like the doll. And of course, things like customer service and quality are important, but that's not always reflected by price -- those are the kinds of questions that doing research answers, since making guesses based on cost won't guarantee anything. Plus what things make a high quality of doll vary from person to person depending on their tastes and needs.

 

I am not entice by high price! I love high quality with superb talent and beauty that MOVES MY SOUL TO GREATLY DESIRING IT! The dolls I love and like are 99.9% higher price than some. Even when it comes to smaller bjds O__O, the price is still up there. XD I guess maybe expensive taste but not for the price for what moves my soul which is usually higher price....XD As long as I love or truly like the item than price does not bother me whether the price is low or high. ^__^ Buy what makes you happy! =D

 

Price is the last thing I look at when I find a doll I'd consider purchasing, though it is undoubtedly important in the long run.

 

I don't believe price has anything to do with quality, with BJDs, clothes or any other item. Quality stems from manufacturing and materials. Price stems from how much someone things they can get for something. For example, movie theatre popcorn is 1200% more than grocery store popcorn, from my experience that does not make it any better. I actually prefer select brands from grocery stores more.

An example of this in the BJD world is recasts/bootlegs. I've seen some exact perfect duplicates of Volks dolls before, the shape and color were perfectly the same. But the materials and how they were made were not. The recast had fractures spreading from the seam lines of the dolls and the resin was a lot thinner and less sturdy. But still, based on looks, the recast sold for MORE than the original Volks doll had. The original from Volks was $950ish, the bootleg on yahoo japan was $1,400 + shopping service fess, etc. In that case, the price was not based on quality, it was based on how much someone thought they could get for the item (and did get for the item).

So no, I do not believe price has anything to do with quality and I would never use it as anything close to a baseline on if something is worth the money or not. I trust more the reviews of other individuals than anything else.

 

yes. also sites that look like they have asian origins ...

 

Prices don't have to be the highest, but if they aren't at least average, I am usually very hesitant to buy from a company. I have worked with a Bobobie doll before at there were so many things I disliked about this doll. I am more than willing to pay extra for better engineering, resin, string, face-ups, etc. More important than price is the company reputation though...

 

It's been debated that higher prices for certain things will make the quality better in the non-bjd world. So do you think that theory applies to the BJD shopping experience?
I do believe so. Many of the things I see that are cheaper are either too small or look funny for some reason. Odd joints, odd face, odd something.
Do you feel more 'safe' to buy something that is more expensive due to hoping it will be 'higher quality'?
Yes, I do. I'm kind of afraid to buy from Bobobie or however it's spelled. D:
Do you have any experiences where something cheap has been very well made? If so what was it?
*GASP.* Bodyline outfits. A lot of people complain about them, but some of their lolita dresses are cheaper and actually really nice! I know this has nothing to do with dolls, but. That's just the best I can say. x3 I don't have a doll yet.

 

It's been debated that higher prices for certain things will make the quality better in the non-bjd world. So do you think that theory applies to the BJD shopping experience?
I don't believe this is true with BJDs or not. Sure, high quality is something you DO need to pay for!!! BUT not everything that is expensive is high quality. Most of the time it is due to stuff like high advertising costs to maintain a brand, etc.

Buying wisely--for anything-- means you can't just ASSUME price equates with quality! You need to research and be smart about it. Or hey, if you're too lazy, you can't complain. Or if you're rolling in money and don't care, that's fine, too, but for anyone else, it's important to be smart when spending your hard-earned money!!! Make sure you're getting what you want.

Geesh. Cheaper does not always mean inferior. Price snobbery is just nonsensical. What about all those people who are finding collectibles and antiques that have been thrown away? Those things are free, but definitely are worth money... to someone, if not to the person throwing them out! And let's face it, there are designer t-shirts being sold for hundreds of dollars that can't possibly be any better in QUALITY than t-shirts that are sold in packs at discounts. Yeah, there are cheap-o t-shirts that fall apart in seconds, but there are also hundred-dollar designer t-shirts that will do the same. Designer clothes cost more because of the NAME, not necessarily the quality. Although... they can't be total crap or people will complain--so there's the little GRAIN of truth to the idea that something that costs more MAY be better than the total cheap-o item... People buying something super-cheap know they probably won't be getting a lot of wear out of whatever it is and there is no company behind it that needs to worry about losing their customers... But aside from that little GRAIN of truth, it's still not something that someone should believe without any thought!

Do you feel more 'safe' to buy something that is more expensive due to hoping it will be 'higher quality'?
Sorry, but that is just... not smart, to my mind!

Just check with the buyers and see what they are saying about the actual item! Of course, if something is VERY cheap, they are cutting corners somewhere... but it could be that labor and materials and overhead are cheaper in the country they are located in!!! PLEASE, people, be smart about considering why things are priced the way they are!!! Quality is only one aspect.

Do you have any experiences where something cheap has been very well made? If so what was it?
I've given some examples... t-shirts can be cheap and well-made if you buy the right ones. Free stuff thrown out by the side of the road can be worth a lot. If you go on-line and find something that is sold at a great price--much lower than you can find it in the local stores, then you've got the same item at a better price! It's always better to pay a lower price!!! If you find something on the Marketplace for less than it retailed--then it's a WIN, isn't it???

It's weird to me that people all of a sudden will find things that have been marked down in the stores not as nice as they thought they were at full price!!! (My sister does this sometimes--it drives me crazy! Talk about price snobbery and feeling insecure about what they like if it's not expensive!!! Geesh!!! --but anyway, I've seen it in action, so I know people DO think this way... *sigh*)

Ah, well. If a person wants to spend their money on high priced items because they feel better about it, then that's their business.

I think it's insane.

I will spend vast amounts--but it's because I fall in love with something... or I really need it and it's good quality and worth it... But definitely NOT because it is expensive! BLEH! I don't have money to throw around like that! If I could get what I want for LESS, I definitely would!!!

 

Honestly, yes.

I have had dolls and clothing from cheaper and more expensive companies. When I first started the hobby, I did take a lot of cheap routes, ignoring the dolls I really wanted and settled on a thing I could afford more easily, without any long saving. Long story short, I have sold every single one of the dolls I cheaped out on. I can also tell the resin difference between companies. I had one boy who was from a cheaper company and he was shipped kind of badly to me, was completely chipped and messed up, looking to the degree like he'd been in a woodchipper. His resin was just not very solid. However, my HDF has taken many spills and my careless-ness early in the hobby. Minus a chipped lower lash on her faceup, she's in amazing condition.

The doll prices do not bug me as much anymore, since some of the new cheap companies can have amazing dolls. I've learned NOT to cheap out of clothing now, though! You really do get what you pay for. Luts or Volks sets may be somewhat expensive, but you get almost everything included (sometimes even the shoes) For example with shoes - I bought a very cheap pair of shoes one time. Not only did they barely not fit my YoSD size girl, but the shoes scratched from me pulling them off, without any hard tugs. They damaged badly from the one time she wore them.

I have also noticed this with real life, too. I have bought cheaper MP3's, jeans, clothing.. All of which are destroyed. I bought a few pairs of jeans that fell apart at the seams after one wash and wear. I've sewn them up and they continue to fall apart more and more with wear. While some exensive jeans I own have been in my closet for years. I have had this same thing with dresses and shirts I own, too. I don't mind spacing on clothes, cause I like to buy them frequently, but I don't like to do so for dolls. My clothes should wear out, a doll's really shouldn't.

 

Lord, no.

Seriously. And all of the arguments have pretty much been stated up above here, with my sentiments about it best expressed by April:

But aside from that aspect of the question... in all honesty, would I really rather pay more for something if it could be had for less without a reduction in quality? Of course not!

What entices me to buy a doll is whether I LIKE it or not. Otherwise, what is the point, really? O_o If it comes with an outrageously high price, it may still go on my purchase list if I like it well enough. And if I like it and it's reasonably inexpensive? Oh so much better!