Do higher prices entice you?

I have to admit that, in my search for my second doll, I've found that the higher prices actually turn me off. Yes, part of it is due to the fact that they just aren't in my budget, currently, but the other reason is that I simply don't trust myself with such expensive dolls. It's not simply that I'm clumsy. I've got unstable knees that can go out on me at a moment't notice. When that happens, everything in my hands has a tendency to go flying out of them as I quickly attempt to shove my kneecap back into place with both hands while falling to the ground. If my second doll has to be resin, then I'd rather have a low-cost, "easily replaceable" resin doll in my hands should a knee cap go out on me while I'm holding him, rather than an expensive doll, especially one that's limited or even a one of a kind.

 

I agree with Britain above me, outside of doll hobby I can appreciate designer quality (I love Vivienne Westwood personally but I was also excited to get my first item from the line!) and I feel I've taken that sediment into this hobby with me. Certain doll companies, fashion brands, etc, have a good reputation for quality and luxury that you can count on and know what you've spent on will last and be beautiful.

A low price isn't something that is a "turn off" for me but joints that aren't pleasing to my eye, poorly sculpted hands in my opinion and an inability to hold poses are all aspects that I seem to find in more expensive dolls. That doesn't mean those that are more affordable are poorly made or not worth buying, they just aren't right for me and how particular I am. I pay more for my idea of perfection, I think we all find the dolls perfect for us in different places, companies and prices.

That being said, I've had two dolls that seemed inexpensive to me (Dollzone Mo & B&G Sky) and they both stood better than some of my pricey hybrids. I was impressed by the DZ boy's cute tummy and legs and by the fact the B&G Boy was perhaps 58cm at the most but could hold another 60cm piggyback style unaided. Semi-realistic molds please me, so they've moved on but I did enjoy them. I hope for more fabulous finds in the future, finding what you love with a price that leaves you money to spoil them is an amazing thing. ♥

 

Not at all. The higher the price the more I realize how hard it would be to obtain said beaut.

 

well for me I have some... well I'll be bluntly honest about it, I have a very rude mother who thinks price =status

thus I was raised on the belief that because we can afford the more expensive thing we should always buy the more expensive thing. Now I myself have strayed from that over the years (instead of going to lets say Holister I go to the thrift store downtown) but at the same time it did teach me a few things, one namley being that a higher price can lead to higher quality.

I myself am having major paranoia about yellowing (currently trying to figure out how to make my room darker) I hear that a lot of newbies to the doll hobbie get this but I'm just trying to figure out a way to keep her not yellow for as long as I can. So to me I'm wary of things that are less expensive because then my mind says "Maybe the resins bad..." and from what I've seen the more expensive dolls are made form better resin which yellows slower, these dolls also come from older (and often times more expensive) company's like Luts and Volks, be it that their older and have "perfected" their resin mix or just can get a hold of better resin because of their dolls higher price I do not know.

So I wouldnt say that I'm attracted to the higher priced dolls specifically, but to me a price can often be my judgment on how well the doll or product is made, and I'll almost always go for the higher quality that will last me longer, even if I have to pay extra.

 

No. I look for something cheap, or average. Unless I really like something and can't find anything else like it, then I don't think I would buy it. Maybe if I thought it was worth the price, I would go for it. I'm willing to spend more on clothes than a doll, since the clothes are a lot cheaper. I think it's funny that most jeans for dolls are more expensive than my own pair of jeans.. but they're so tiny I guess they're harder to make.

 

Well, in the case with the Chinese bodies I bought, I do realize I got what I payed for. Yes, the resin is very sturdy, but the bodies was lacking in detail, didn't have any aesthetic appeal and the engineering wasn't very good. It does not necessarily mean I would flock to a higher priced doll, I have to like the mold of it first after all.

 

Not at all, in fact it will discourage me.
I don't consider the price a factor at all in deciding what I want, but it's certainly a factor in what I can't afford.

 

Price doesn't usually have a thing to do with my doll decisions. Sure it may mean that there are dolls I want but cannot get right now because of their price, but I wouldn't ban myself from any one doll I wanted simply because it was cheap or expensive. If I want it enough and I feel I will get good use out of it, I will eventually get it regardless. Not more than two weeks ago I passed up my opportunity to buy an expensive Soom MD and bought a less expensive Zaoll Luv instead because I figured I'd get more use out of her and she fit my needs much better. I do the same for my other interests as well, for example, my Berlin messenger bag from Chrome. My cyclist friends sometimes tease me about how much I spent on the bag, but to me the money meant nothing. It was simply THE bag I wanted. Everything about it suited my needs in one way or the other, and I wouldn't be any less happy with it if I paid $100 or $400 instead of the $210 I paid for it.

 

Before I bought my first doll, I looked at dozens of different stores and saw hundreds of dolls. I finally chose a 60 cm doll that I found very appealing, and was in the middle price segment for that size. On the one hand, I did not want to risk buying a "cheap" doll that lacked quality, because an early disappointment might have ended this hobby before it really started. On the other hand, I did not want to spend 700 Euros for a doll that looks amazing and then realize that bjds are not really my thing. Now that I know that I like bjds, and I also know what size I like, I choose the dolls that are most appealing to me. If I see a "cheap" doll that I like, I will buy it. And if I like an expensive one, I will save up for it. Luckily I like tiny bjd best, so the prices are usually not awfully high.

When it comes to clothes, I do not care about owning pricy stuff, I just like to have a lot of them. For my bjd as well as for myself . I do not own many expensive clothes, but if one outfit looks extraordinarily good, I will pay a higher price for it. But usually I buy the "cheap" bjd stuff from ebay, and in 99 % of all cases, I was very happy with my purchase. I really cannot say that the quality was inferior to the expensive clothing that I own. Especially the tiny clothing that comes from asian countries is very detailed, and only costs a few Euros per dress.

 

Here's my purchasing criteria: CHEAP BODY... EXPENSIVE HEAD.

I don't really care to pay a lot for a body, because I feel most often it will be covered in clothing. So, I buy bodies on the secondary market, and keep costs low. I do care about what the face and head look like. So I will go the extra bucks for a head with a great face-up and a wig that really adds to the doll.

 

As I research bjds, I have notice a fairly wide price range between companies. I wanted to ask the experienced owners: do you feel that the higher-priced dolls are of a correspondingly higher quality? Or have you found lesser quality in higher-ticket dolls? Is there a noticeable difference between a $200 doll and a $700 doll? I'm not asking about personal preference, since that's been covered in another thread, but about actual quality of workmanship.

 

If we are comparing completely like/like dolls then I'm going to say it depends on the price range. What I mean is that I'm sure many will say that there is a difference based on price. But it really depends on the range. For instance, a 200 doll vs. 700 doll? Then Yes, there is going to be a difference in everything, the resin, the jointing system, the body construction, the sculpting, and even the little things. However, if you are comparing a 400 dollar doll vs. a 500 dollar doll then probably not. Not really, that's more personal opinion, less craftsmanship. Like I don't dolls, with tons of joints, I love the beauty of solid torsos, well lucky for me those are usually less expensive than double jointed dolls. So it's all relative to what you are comparing, but generally yes there is a difference in quality based on price. Usually.

 

This thread might interest you, a lot of people mention their take on this question.
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?395146-Do-higher-prices-entice-you
From my personal experience, I have found most(not all) higher priced dolls to be of better quality. That's not to say one will be much more likely to outlast the other with damages or anything like that in terms of quality. A lot of the time the way they are crafted can be totally identical between companies, but the materials used almost always are not. And I don't know how you expect people to answer this question if not out of personal preference... So I'd say; Do they always correspond? No. Do they correspond a decent amount of the time? Yes.

 

I would say yes but the relation is not as strong as you might think. Plus you have to consider that some companies include extras with their dolls (sanding, face, wig, eyes, clothes, etc.). With Volks for example, most of those extras are free (or mandatory, if you prefer) so price comparisons are not always straight. Within a company's dolls however, the price usually follows size and limited status.

But I think this is largely academic since most people feel a very personal connection between a doll. What I mean is that company X charging $100 less for their doll won't mean much to you if you fell in love with a doll from company Y. The appeal of a sculpt is a very subjective thing and not something that can always be substituted for.

 

There is no 100% correlation between higher price and higher quality. Sometimes higher priced items have higher quality. Sometimes they don't. Additionally, quality can be a very subjective thing. Everyone tends to focus on different aspects of an item--most people have a different "make it or break it" feature. Some people hate seam lines. Others expect a certain feel from wigs. Still others consider double-joints a mandatory indication of quality. Others like a certain "tooth" or smoothness of resin. Not everyone will agree on what is the highest quality dollmaker.

I think it's more important to look at a company's reputation rather than only their price. Some more expensive companies are highly recognized for selling a quality product, but other less-expensive companies sell high quality products, too.

 

The only true correlation I see between price and quality tends to be weigh and toothiness of resin. Everything else tends to be subjective (sculpt, jointing, etc.). I hav enoticed that less expensive dolls tend to be made of light weight resin that has an almost waxy/ smooth look and is also very brittle. I tend to buy the very best of what I can afford because I am a quality over quantity type of collector.

 

I find higher prices to be less appealing. I can find a deal on anything that I buy, I bought a Volks Williams for $800 dollar when he was selling for $1600 on other listing. I'm a hunter of good prices. The only time I'll pay full price for something is if I really want it and I can't find it cheaper anywhere else. I paid full price for my Volks Ruby, $1200. I wish I could have found her cheaper, but sadly, I couldn't.

 

Thanks. You've answered the main point of my (poorly expressed) question (e.g. Is a $200 60cm doll from the Joe Blow Doll Company of significantly lesser quality than a $700 60cm doll from the Blow Joe Doll Company?). Again, I'm learning that there's more to learn!

 

Thanks! The thread is perfect. Sorry for the redundant question!

 

I didn't know about the differences in resin. Thanks!