Do you buy dolls and finish them later?

I like to buy a doll in as basic a form as possible, without faceup, clothes, etc. unless whatever else it comes with is something I'd actually really like for the doll. But I like to prepare beforehand and buy at least a wig, eyes, and shoes before a doll gets home, and get to work on -some- kind of faceup when they come home, even if it's not perfect.

After that, a lot of times it's kinda' free reign! My dolls don't and won't have just 'one' main outfit or pair of shoes or even wig, even if I plan for them to have a consistent hair color. I get bored easily that way, so I like to change up their outfit. I want to learn to sew my own doll clothes, so I consider my dolls ongoing 'sewing projects' too XD .

But, I hate to have a doll sitting around blank. That's not what I spend tons of cash on, and I consider it a waste. I at least need to have them set up with the basics! I wouldn't consider getting a new doll if a current doll doesn't even have a basic outfit going on, unless the doll was The Perfect One and Limited Edition that I had to buy NOW. I feel like I should appreciate the dolls I have now enough to at least make them presentable before getting greedy with a "grass is always greener" mindset.

ali

 

It depends on your style of working. For me, I go through periods of disinterest and interest. I'll take a time out with my dolls, and then suddenly pick them up again with a lot of ideas. So for me, setting aside a doll for later is effective.

A couple of years ago, I received a head in a trade and basically ignored it for a year. No name, nothing. Then it suddenly came together and I completed that doll. Sometimes it just comes slowly.

 

Depends on how much money I have to spend. If I have enough money to get everything my doll needs, then I get it all at once. But sometimes the eyes, wig, clothes, and accessories have to wait until later because I only have the money for the doll itself and none of the other stuff. (And I have an impulse-control problem when it comes to my extra spending money... which is why I go ahead and buy dolls without having the money for everything they need...)

 

Everybody is different so i can't tell you what should be better for you. But as for me, I can't stand the thought of having an unfinished doll. I usually start getting everything ready while I wait for its arrival or work on him/her....I prefer to spend money to finish my current doll than adding a new one first.

 

I almost always buy dolls blank with the intention of slowly buying everything else later. I have no problem going with the slow and steady method. I also consider a blank, nude doll as a viable finished piece, admirable in and of itself. However, I'm also a sucker for well made, beautiful clothing, so I alternate between keeping my dolls dressed and nude/blank. Occasionally, I may add wigs, eyes, and/or clothes to my doll order, if something strikes my fancy, but never with the thought that I have to have the doll complete, so to speak, before I acquire other dolls. I usually buy dolls when there's an event from the company or dealer, so I'm more constrained by the event period.

My process is more like this: buy doll first, spend some time with the blank sculpt and body, look up examples of face-ups that I'd like for this sculpt, then look for clothes, shoes, wigs, eyes, and accessoriess that tickle my fancy, during which time I may or may not buy another doll if a good opportunity arises.

 

I am completely guilty of this!
I've had a doll of mine naked for months and ordered a new girl and had the new one all finished up within weeks...

 

I bought my first girl finished because I really didn't know anything about doing faceups and didn't know where to get someone to do one for me. I got a couple more with faceups and had one repainted for me, but then I began to get more confidant. Right now, I have a project doll in the box who is waiting for me to get everything to do mods and a faceup. It will be my first faceup but I am thinking about doing some body blushing to practice. Because I don't know anybody locally who does this, I'm going real slowly and trying not to make anymore mistakes than I have to.

 

There's such a thing as finishing your doll!?

Heheh, alright, kidding aside, I know that some people can technically finish their dolls. Just not me, I think.

I have one custom girl, and one girl I bought full set. I think if I ever consider either of them truly "finished", though, that'll probably be the day I decide to sell them! For me working on the dolls is a way to help them develop and grow, and real people never stop doing that, so why should they? So I'll always have outfits I want to make them, alternate wigs I want to get them, props to make/buy for them, and maybe even mods to do to them. If I completely stop doing that for one or both of them, then the only conclusion is that I've lost interest in that particular doll, or in the hobby itself.

So, no, I don't buy them planning to finish them later, because I don't plan to finish them at all!

 

I prefer a full package. Most every time I've bought a doll, I've bought them with wigs, eyes, clothes, and shoes. If they're not a 'fullset' deal, then I've made sure to pick out some stuff for them from their home website so I get something that will fit and look good.

But right now I'm working on sort of piecing a doll together. I had a blank head to start with. I then began my work by buying a wig, so I knew what color I would want her eyebrows. I got a gorgeous faceup for her when I had an idea of how I wanted her to look. Then I ordered her body, which I'm still waiting for, and have meanwhile ordered a dress and stand for her. Next I want to buy a pair of shoes. Hopefully everything will arrive at about the same time! XD I just can't wait to see her all put together! But then she'll have to be taken apart and shipped around some more, because I definitely want someone to do her nails for me. ^^

 

Normally I prefer to get my dolls put together as quickly as possible, even when I order a doll in kit or unfinished form. That... doesn't always happen, though. Especially when I fall out of the hobby for a couple years.

Now I have... three unfinished dolls laying around? I'm working to sell one, and compete another. And the last one... well, he needs shoes and a faceup, and I will get around to it in time, probably. Still debating the merits of just selling him for extra money. XD

 

I tend to complete them as I get them... but sometimes it takes a little longer than usual to settle on what I want. Occasionally it takes a lot longer.

In those situations, I can (and have-) ended up with one that remained unfinished for quite awhile. My Nanrui '08 girl, Marion, for instance... She's has everything but a face-up for a couple of years now. I just never have settled on who I wanted to send her to. My Cristal is currently in a similar boat. I disliked the face-up she had and wiped it earlier this year, but keep waffling on exactly what the replacement ought to look like.

 

Do you buy dolls you plan to finish later?
Sort of. I don't think I could handle having floating/blank heads around, because I know I wouldn't be motivated do complete them, and they'd probably end up being sold. I bought my RS Mei with a faceup, with plans to sew all of her clothes, but having her sit around naked most of the time is quite discouraging too.

Or do you like to have the full package from the start?
If 'full package' means faceup, wig, eyes and a set of clothes, then yes that's what I probably should've done, at least to start. Though if it means a full-set doll, then no. For me it's very hard to find a full-set in the size I want, with a nice head mould, pretty face up with a workable outift that has more than one look, within my meagre price range. So yeah, full-sets don't do it for me.

 

Well I have a thing for both. I bought my first two dolls with clothing, eyes, wig etc.

I also have a long term project which is currently a floating head... and I'm discussing with someone else to take over a body with head from them so I can further my project, hahaha!

 

I really don't enjoy "finishing" a doll later. I feel dissatisfied to see the incomplete doll. However, I don't mind making changes or updates to a doll in the future, but I don't want the doll to feel totally unfinished to me.

 

They're never completely finished in my eyes... there's always something to make them more like the character I have in mind. But yes, I would buy first if it's a sculpt I don't want to miss or if it's rare, rather than finish the current doll first. I suspect it's what got me to having more floating heads than I'll like right now. Which is why I'm going to try doing more on them then get new dolls.

 

Do you buy dolls you plan to finish later?
I've really only done this twice, and I still haven't done anything with the dolls. I bought some blank heads due to a sale last November, and never have sent them off for face-ups, bought them clothes, or bought one a body. At first I was just too busy, but then I quit really caring. I've considered just selling the heads, but I still like both the sculpts and I don't think I could find a buyer easily. I have bought other blank dolls in the past, but I sent them off for face-ups and picked out their wig/eyes/body (if needed) right away. This was fine, but just holding on to blank heads for 6 months seems like such a waste. It doesn't bother me as much if they at least have face-ups, even if I'm waiting to order the body. In the future, I'm never buying a doll unless I have plans to finish it within a couple of months. Sometimes finishing a doll just seems like a hassle once the initial excitement is gone.

Or do you like to have the full package from the start?
Yes, definitely! Before I got a job, I enjoyed trying to find the right look for a doll, but now I just want them finished and displayed ASAP. Plus, I don't really see why people think fullsets are expensive - usually if you factor in how much it would cost to buy everything separately and commission a face-up artist, the price difference is minimal. (This is assuming the buyer can't make their own clothes/do face-ups.) Also, you don't have to pay shipping from as many different places, which can save quite a bit of money.

 

If I am adopting a brand new doll, then I normally order with face up; sometimes clothes, sometimes not. Most of the time, I plan on the dolls eyes, wig and outfit afterward during the layaway process. If I am getting a doll on the secondary market; then she/he usually comes with lots of stuff and I am still looking for items that doll needs the same way too.

I rarely purchase full sets. I am constantly looking around for outfits, eyes or wigs in between; so everyone is at least dressed. Now, by the term "complete" means the name, character, wardrobe, shoes, eyes and wigs, stand etc. for each and every doll; I believe I have most of what each of my BJD family members need for now. Personally, I am just a dolly mommy that wants all of her resin kids as comfortable as possible. I guess acquiring clothing, wigs and eyes (even a chair or couch) seems to be the way I practice my hobby.

If I end up with a new/adopted nude doll with no clothing because I could not decide or lack of funds; on goes the kimono. In fact, the doll in the kimono is usually the new member and indicates that it is "greeting" time for that doll with me and my BJD family. My goal one day is to have a special kimono or asian outfit for each one of my dolls.

 

It's nice to be able to complete a doll right away, but sometimes it just doesn't happen -- maybe I need time to save for other things, maybe finding the right wig and eyes just takes awhile, maybe the opportunity to buy a much wanted new doll comes up and needs to be taken. I've only bought one full set doll -- he was my first, and it was nice in that instance since I could play with him right from the get go and I didn't have the confidence to do things like faceups at that point. Now when I do buy LEs where you can pick what you want with them, I usually just get just the doll, because I can do a lot of the work myself. Plus, the company's styling doesn't always match the way I want the doll to look.

 

I am a new "user" and I am afraid that my doll will come beyond my expectation. When I first placed an order, I demanded the full set of the pics shown in the official website. But unfortunately, as the official site experiences a great amount of photoshop, my doll came out differently. I spent 2 months to work on my doll to make its style similar what I expect.

So I suggest to work on your own. And in the process, you will find things that you need to pay attention and noone could probably tell you. Working on dolls could be an experience. ~

 

I personally buy unfinished dolls all the time. I have never had a wig before I had the doll it was supposed to be for. There is only one doll that is currently 'complete' and that's only because someone else splurged on me and bought complete body blushing and a face-up for it. I have to have the doll in hand, it seems, to get a true sense of it.