Do you have 'rules' for what or how you collect?

I like following a few questions because over the years I’ve missed a few opportunities that I’ve regretted. The main one is ‘if you don’t order this doll now before it is limited or retired, will you regret it if you’re never able to find it again?’ That’s the big one for me honestly. Having two dolls who have since retired and cannot be ordered again has given me the perspective of never being able to get another, so I always think about this now!

 

My only rule is: to buy whatever you are able to pay.
I'm financially helping my family to pay some health care bills for some family members (3 people with cancer) so, I try to spend what I can pay with whatever I save the last month .

I don't really like yo-sd so I just have 48-50cm doll, perfect fit for me!

 

I guess I've built up a couple of rules over the years of having to resell stuff and wasting money... The basic premise is, wait to think clearly before you buy, and no "making do".

1. When I see the doll, I must feel a moment of "recognition" - like seeing an old friend again. That means the doll is a very good fit for the character it's meant to be. No "making do" - I re-shelled the same character 5 times because I was "making do", and it never worked.

2. Character first, then doll. No "making a new character while the doll is on the way". I CAN make a new character if a doll inspires me, but they must become their own character before I can actually buy the doll.

3. No impulse buying. I must wait at least 24 hours before committing to buy something, but even longer is preferred. If it's the last day to buy a limited doll and I just found out about it, too bad, so sad. On exception is if I ALREADY had per-existing plans to buy a very similar doll for a while and the one I saw met the requirement of rule #1 more than the previous one I chose. Then maybe.

4. No cheaping out; no buying "temporary" items. I'd rather save up/wait twice as long and get the perfect right item for the character; and while that happens, I will not buy a "cheaper" alternative to - again - "make do". Ask me how many "temporary" clothes, wigs and eyes I have stashed away in my doll box... They don't make me happy, and they're almost impossible to resell! Just a waste of money at that point in time.

5. If something doesn't work for me about the sculpt when I'm still considering buying it, don't force it to work (facial proportions are a big one here). It's not going to work. It will annoy me. I will sell the doll.

 

Not really rules, but I have learned over the years that very small dolls and very big dolls are not for me- so I try to stick to nothing smaller than yo-SDs and nothing bigger than regular SDs.
I also try to avoid dolls with white skin as I find them difficult to photograph ><

 

I have always stressed that it is OK to have only one doll, but now that I have other favorite dolls, I have broken my own rules and have more than one doll. After that, I hope I insist on buying only the dolls I really like, not just because they are popular.

 

I made a rule of maximum 2 layaways at once...

Then I broke it for a 2 week period. ^^; Because I fell in love with a doll, gave it a few days, and then leapt. I'm never going to break that rule again though!

I now tend to buy dolls under $250, or $150 for tinies. Obviously it can go a bit over, but preferably under. A doll has to be special for me to make an exception.

I'm trying to focus on dolls I have been wanting for a while now, and not get distracted by new shiny things so much. Going to be more strict with myself so I can make sure I get my dream dolls.

(Also I don't pay for faceups anymore, unless I was buying something expensive and wanted it to be perfect. But that hasn't been the case since my first few dolls, a looong time ago!)

 

When I first became interested in bjds I would buy whatever dolls appealed to me aesthetically from their pictures. This led to a lot of disappointment & and lot of reselling. Now I spend a fair amount of time thinking about if I really want the doll & what my plans are for it.

 

I definitely don't have the collection to pinpoint a certain rule I follow but after buying my first second hand doll on a whim and not realizing they had a smaller head than my first I've decided to not even consider slim BJDs, aha.

edit: i forgot, at the moment all my bjd's have 5 letter names, Fiore, Kaede, and Naran.
I'm not sure if I'll continue this pattern but at the moment it seems really likely

 

Once my collection came together and I began to assess it, I noticed trends. I’m not sure if you’d call them ‘rules’ but the more I follow them, the less I want to deviate from them. Of 23 dolls (and assorted floating heads from hybriding)

• My main 1/4 story evolved to use 7 Unoa/hybrids, and will likely include 2-3 more eventually...while that may seem samey-same to many people, being a Unoa Freak it suits me well. The endless tiny variations in Mr Araki’s sculpts and the facial expressions in the faceplates are always a delight for me, the more mature slim 1/4 is my favorite size to actually play with and it’s also much easier to create their scenes that aren’t just ‘the bookshelf lineup’ for photography.
  
• the Punkin Heads...5 dolls all SD, all have large heads, several have 1 piece torsos. It’s a look and they go together. One is the narrator for the 1/4 story at a later point in history As it is told to her group so that’s the tie in. My smol immature 1/6 kitty girl fits with these dolls well too, always underfoot. This group fits together in the bookshelf scene space so they escaped the dread ‘shelf lineup’ this year too. Progress!
  
• The gods and goddesses: 5 dolls all over 65cm, all archetypes of higher beings. They intervene and disrupt at several points in both of the above stories. These dolls often are packed away until I want to photograph them, using 1-2 at a time or at most, a trio for a photo. Massive in size, I’m still thinking on a display space for them and it may or may not ever happen differently than it does now. And that’s OK.
• One more small group may develop in the Playscale world, meaning mature 1/6. I have 2 and one is still in a kit but the intact one is a lot of fun. There’s a Barbie house renovation in progress, I’ll decide when I’m done if I want more resins in this size or if I’m happy with my 2 and then playing with my off-topic dolls this size more in the house.

So...that leaves 3 outliers (and um, some heads) if you keep count in my collection. One is a keeper, my 90cm boy, he has no rules, he is a butterfly...and 2 more 1/3 size who will either suffer a beheading to become larger Unoa hybrids or get sold. This is finally the year my collection makes sense to me and now I’ll be able to sort it, cull it and tighten up the edges.

So rules? No. But gentle guidance along certain lines leading to a collection with better focus? Yes!
Why so wordy about it? Because I struggled pretty hard to get my head around my collection, resulting in abandoning and not enjoying my dolls for several years...so if anyone reading this thread can take comfort in the fact that there are as many ways to ‘do dolls’ as there are people in the hobby, it’s a good thing.

 

This is a good topic. Most of my rules are not set in stone, because my preferences change with time.

1. So far, I have no MSD sized dolls unless we would count my 47cm Angel Philia dolls, but I don't since they're so much more different than the resin ones anyhow. I try to have groupings of dolls that can share clothes.
   
2. If I decide a doll isn't for me anymore, I attempt to trade it rather than sell. I just don't like dealing with collecting money from people most of the time, but I have sold a few things.
   
3. Since my girls never seem to have popular foot sizes, I've resolved to getting shoes that fit them first, then making an outfit (or a few) to coordinate with the shoes. I don't make shoes, yet, but this reason alone has me tempted to try in the future.
4. Whenever I have to import items with a proxy, or a high shipping cost, I order a few extra things to re-sell at a low profit so other collectors can have them easier than I did. I do mark them up a little bit because it takes me a little extra time to list them, but they always have sold quickly and other collectors are thrilled to have the items so conveniently. I've also justified high shipping costs for some online shops by hosting GOs so others can enjoy having a small item or two they want at a reduced shipping rate.
   
5. I only have one YOSD human girl so I can spoil her more, the others are boys, anthros or fantasy characters.
6. When I have my mind made up on a specific doll, I try to buy from other collectors first before buying new.
7. I try not to buy anything I am able to make myself. If I think I am able to make it, I get material to make more than one of the thing so I don't feel so much pressure if I flub it up.
   
8. I also don't make myself do faceups unless I'm really in the mood, otherwise they end up awful.
9. Probably the most important rule I have for myself is to make sure any new collector I encounter feels welcomed to the hobby as I was when I was new.

 

1. The most important rule is financial - I'm only allowed to buy dolls and doll things using my "for fun" money, which is money I make from sewing + birthday/christmas money + whatever tiny amount I have left of my wage every month after paying for all the important life things. I also don't do layaways anymore. If I can't afford to buy it in full I can't have it. I'm happy to say I've managed to stick to this rule for several years now!

2. I'm only allowed to buy one doll at a time. And preferably I will space them out a lot. This is so I have time to bond with each doll.

3. This isn't a rule, but it might as well be. I'm really only interested in doll sculpts that were popular around 10+ years ago. Which was when I joined the hobby. I guess its a nostalgia thing. Newer dolls are pretty to look at but they don't tug at my heart the same way.

4. No white skin dolls! (There are a few hard-to-find sculpts I would totally break this rule for if they popped up in the marketplace though! Beggars can't be choosers xD )

5. I try not to buy character dolls any more. I buy the doll because I like the doll not because I need to shell a character (I notice a lot of you have the opposite rule to this!)

 

I put up many rules for myself!
I fall fast in love with something and I like to rush things without really thinking about it. Often I lose interest in things that I got without thinking about it.

FIRST of all my biggest rule is:
- NO same head sculpts. I mean it maybe sounds silly. Why not buy the same head when you really like the sculpt. For me it's simple. I want that every doll of mine has their own character, their own personality, and backstory. I don't want them to look slightly the same because real humans usually don't look the same too. I often have the feeling that when two dolls share the same head type that they could be the same person, just wearing a different wig, makeup, and contact lenses.

SECOND
- NO impulse purchases. I take some time to think about a doll. I ask myself several questions.
Do I like this sculpt? Do I also like it with different face-ups (I look through pictures on Instagram) Does this face fit on my OC? Will it work out!
The only time I did a purchase without thinking about this doll a long time was about a doll that is limited. I don't regret it because she fits perfectly with my OC!

THIRD
- Be true to the OC. At the beginning of buying dolls I had a struggle with purchasing the doll with different skin colors.
(I'm not racist or anything! It was hard for me to imagine a different color on my OCs) I was not a big fan of too white skin but after I bought my last doll everything changed. My OC has really white skin and I was not sure if it'll look good. But now I'm happy that I chose this option cause I'm sure that the doll would not be like my OC at all with a darker color.

FOURTH
- I don't purchase a doll if there is not an OC that I have in mind! I work hard on my OCs to give them a look, personality, and a back story.

I don't care about size, colors, or shapes. I love everything! I want that my dolls represent my characters as close as possible. For this achievement, I accept to work long and hard for my dolls to make them perfect!

 

1) This rule kinda goes against the grain here, but I don’t shell oc’s. I buy a doll because I like the doll itself, not to shell any existing oc. Any characters that my dolls develop will exist solely in doll form, not in any of my personal stories or head-worlds.

2) No SD’s. (I’m thinking of extending this rule to MSD’s as well.) Smaller dolls only.

3) No regular humans. Any doll I consider purchasing must have some kind of fantastical element like different colored resin, animal parts, horns or elf ears etc.

4) No layaways. If I can’t afford to pay it in full, then I can’t afford it.

5) No impulse buys (unless it’s $50 or cheaper then in which case go for it). Dwell on it for a month. If I still want it by then, then I really want it.

6) If possible, stick to only in-stock dolls from dealers to avoid wait time.

7) No doll purchase over $300 anymore.

 

My rules are like...

1. No anime dolls. I always get bored or think they look uncanny in person. Like I like looking at photos of anime dolls, but owning them... does not spark long-term joy.
2. No 1/6 or smaller dolls because I hate sewing for them (so far the only exceptions are a doll I won via a contest and a jellyfish mermaid that doesn't wear clothes). I'm always tempted because they are so dang cuttttteeee but I'm too persnickety about clothes which is why I buy very few outfits.
3. If the doll isn't limited run, wait for owner pics to surface before buying.
4. Now that my collection managed to hit double digits (never would have dreamed of that when I first started!). No new dolls unless I sell a current crew member or another large display item for space.

 

I only have male dolls, size range 1/6 to 1/3 with maximum height of 65 cm and slim. Not like doll chateau, but more like dfa 62 cm body or dod Ducan. Also, I won’t buy a doll that cost more than 800$ nude.

 

I started with rules that I was going to stick to one company (Blue Fairy), for each girl doll, I would get a boy, the dolls must be MSD-sized, and I would consult with my husband before buying anything, since this is an expensive hobby. Oh, and if buying second-hand, I will not pay more than what the doll had originally cost new.

I did stick with Blue Fairy until they changed their body design to one I didn't like. I switched to Volks then, although I have a few dolls from other companies that look good with Blue Fairy dolls. The girl/boy ratio went out of the window fairly quickly--turned out I just like girl dolls better, although I do enjoy the boys I have. I did break down and get some dolls of various sizes. Kinda regret breaking that rule since it was cheaper when they could all share clothes/wigs/shoes. I still consult my husband before buying a doll, which is usually a good rule if you're in a relationship with shared finances.

 

Hum... "rules" maybe not but before buy a doll, I wait a long long time and the most important : the doll must embody a character from my story project. It's maybe a little odd but I can't get attached to a doll or a model from a company if a character doesn't suit with it.
Other important things for me : no anime doll, no impulse buy, always take my time for a reflection and no layaway.

 

My hard rule is MSD or smaller. Currently I only own 1/4 dolls though I like the idea of owning a mature tiny. Like a little pocket doll!

I only buy a doll when I can clearly see a personality and style for it. If she doesn't strike me with inspiration, she doesn't make the cut. There are so many dolls I find beautiful but I just don't know what I would do with them >.<

I'm likely to break this rule, but I'd like to keep my collection to 5 full dolls and maybe a floating head or two. I know I'll be overwhelmed by a large collection so my definite rule is to keep it under double digits. I'd like a floating head for random faceups and also don't mind body sharing.

A trend I noticed so far in my tiny collection is that I prefer sculpts with button noses and ears that stick out a little!

 

My only "rule" (which is more of a guideline) is one new doll purchase per year, at most. However, there have been some years when I have purchased two, but it has evened out with no doll purchases the following year.