Do they hold their value?

There is no one answer to that. It depends on several factors:
How popular is the sculpt/company right now? This can change greatly over time. Some dolls just go out of fashion as the prevailing style of the hobby shifts, or sometimes a company will re-release a doll, thereby alleviating possible second hand market pressure.
How hard was it to get the doll in the first place? If there were only three made ever, or if it was a lottery system where there was much more demand than supply, or if the doll is really difficult to order from the original artist, these could all factor into a strong re-sale price.
Have there been modifications done to the doll that would detract or add to the original value of the doll?
What is the doll's current condition?

These are just some examples of things that would effect the price of a doll going to sale. There is no guarantee that a doll will hold it's value, but if well taken care of, chances are that you wouldn't loose a ton of money on it either. There are certainly dolls that sell for much more than their original price on the second hand market, but there are also others that there just isn't very much interest for. Hehe, sorry to be so vague. ^.^"

This thread also looks at your question. ^_^

 

Sure thing. ^_^
I think, in the end, most hobbyists will tell you to go for the doll that you love. There is no real way to pick the doll that will always stay the most expensive, so go for the one that will give you the most joy.

 

As Lady Ravenswood said, it varies so much! There might be a doll that sells normally when it's new, then becomes in demand selling for twice the original price, then after the fad dies out, you might get half what you paid. There's really no guaranteed way to know when you buy a new doll if anyone will want it in 10 years.

I once had a doll that I paid $400 for, it was discontinued, and I struggled so hard to sell it for months, I ended up splitting it, selling the body for $120 and giving the head to a friend.

I had another that wasn't limited or discontinued at all, and I sold it a year later for exactly what I paid. I don't think it was even on the market for 2 days! You just never can tell.

 

Exactly.

Honestly, OP, if you're looking for a doll for investment purposes you'd be better off putting the money elsewhere. The collectible toy market in general is risky, but given how fickle the BJD community is? These dolls are a worse bet than most if you're looking for a safe return.

 

This is a hobby, not a bank.

Be happy if you break even when something is sold. Only certain dolls even up going for far more than their original price. (Not that I haven't paid huge amounts for certain dolls, nope. ) If it's a standard, forget about breaking even unless it gets discontinued. Anyone who routinely overprices their for-sale dollies to make a profit will find them sitting in the Marketplace for months or even years. Don't be that person.

 

I've bought on the Marketplace... usually not paying much below the retail, as much as I'd prefer to! Don't expect to get everything back--such as Customs and shipping. People who are buying second-hand are hoping to avoid paying the high shipping price of overseas, after all. But if you have a doll that someone really, really wants, it can go for more than you paid... That is getting rarer, though.

Back 5 or 10 years, there weren't many bjds around, and all came from overseas, so you could expect to sell for the same or higher. That's not true now, since there are a TON of bjds available from everywhere and so many have been bought that there are more for people to sell second-hand... So the prices are not holding like before. That's just normal, as, more stuff available always keeps prices down. So there are pretty good deals available now and then--prices that are $100 or so less than retail--or even 50% or more off. It depends on how much the person selling needs to sell. Usually, if they are patient, they can keep the sale up and just wait for a buyer to come along to buy at their price--but if they need to sell, they will need to lower prices if the doll isn't selling right away. But some dolls will sell at a good price (retail), and a few dolls will sell higher, just not MOST dolls these days. But most seems to keep a fair value, considering they are aging and pre-owned. Fair--meaning they won't drop to nothing. You should be able to sell them for some fraction of their retail. If you bought second-hand at a discount, then you should be able to get near your price if the doll is fairly desirable and in very good condition.

Bad faceups and mods and damage (uneven yellowing, chips and cracks and staining) will definitely lower the price, of course.