Do you like the idea of "limited" dolls?

I like the styling of a lot of limited edition dolls, & wish their resin color, eyes, outfit, whatever was available more readily, but "limited" is kind of part of the game.

For me, the 'limited-ness' of a doll is of concern to me only insofar as i affects the price and my ability to buy said doll when it's available. For some people, though, having something very rare or 'special' is part of the joy of collecting. Not for me, so much.

 

Limited dolls are a good thing for many reasons mentioned in some of the comments. But it is tough for those who pay by cash and need to save. Sometimes they come on the secondary market. But, retail wise, I see it for the company.

 

i kind of dont like it because saber lilly is one of the ones i really want and its out of production and it costs 5,000 for one now... thats one semester's tuition

but it works i guess

 

It depends. I dislike limiteds that look like regular dolls, but there just happen to be fewer of them. But for things like the fantasy-themed Soom monthlies, it's a bit better because they put in the effort to make a truly unique doll.

 

I have mixed feelings about the offering of limited dolls. While I treasure mine, it's mostly because I love the dolls for themselves, not because I'm one of twenty-five owners.

What bugs me the most about the limiteds is the fact that some people snatch them up solely to make money reselling them on the secondary market, thereby depriving someone of a doll they really want to own and love.

 

At the moment, no, because I can never afford them XD

 

I don't like it at all. I think it's nothing but a way to make a fast profit at the expense of your customers, and there are better ways to handle it.

I have no problem at all with the limiteds that are existing dolls that you can get whenever you want, but they have unique faceups and outfits/accessories. If there's someone out there who really wants one of these, they can reproduce the outfit or faceup for themselves (not selling it for profit, though). And this way, they can still get the actual sculpt without having to worry about never being able to get it again. But at the same time, that doll is still very rare and unique.

If there were a sensible reason these dolls were limited, such as being made out of an expensive/limited supply of material other than resin, then I could understand it. But these dolls are just different sculpts, that's it. As such, there's no logical reason - other than the company just wanting a lot of quick money - and it's just cruel to your customers, in my opinion. I only understand limiteds when it comes to their outfits. Maybe you only have a certain amount of that particular material, and it would be impossible to make it again. Were I to start selling clothes, that would be the case with my sells, because I don't buy my fabrics in bulk yet.

I think the most reasonable thing for the company to do would be to do a limited production of that sculpt once or twice a year. Don't get rid of or destroy the mold, and just release it at a less elevated price every now and then. It's still rare, it's still harder to get, and they would most likely profit more when all is said and done, especially in the second and third years. That way the company still gets its boost in sales, and the customers don't feel quite as pressured, because they know they can try again in the future.

And yes, I get that people want their dolls to be unique and special, but it honestly surprises me that no one ever really complains about this. There is no reason at all that these sculpts should be limited. Like I said, their clothes/accessories and faceup, sure, but why the sculpt? It's just for that boost in sales. They're taking advantage of their customers. Everything points to the companies getting a ridiculous supply of your money even though they're putting in the same amount of work as usual, it's just packaged differently (because it's a fullset). That boost in money might be good for the company, but in my opinion, it comes at the expense of their customers. I personally prefer the middle ground, where it's released only once or twice a year, as stated earlier.

And I find the limited sculpt raffles, or sculpts only available in person (almost always in Japan/China etc.) to be really, really cruel to customers. That's just way too much profiting for them and in the case of ones only available in person, you're alienating your overseas customer base, and all at just for that huge, sudden profit.

And the worst part here is that I've never wanted a limited doll, so this doesn't stem from bitterness. I just think it's rude and ridiculous when the dolls could so easily continue to be produced.

 

I like the idea because it means we can expect new faces to be brought out more often especially with company's like Soom and the eluts ZuZu range but my only hate for it is that I only just got into the hobby and well many of the doll's I would have brought are all the sold out limits but oh well I'm sure they'll release something newer and better soon enough XD

 

It may not be a reason that appeals to you, but the thrill of the hunt and the pleasure of owning something exclusive does appeal to some collectors. Why own a doll when you can own a special doll that took more than just leisurely pressing the buy button? I very much enjoyed hunting one particular doll head in my collection. I’ve participated in click wars and I must say that snatching that doll before it sells out feels great. Losing a click war feels bad, but then the hunt begins.
So I disagree that there is no reason at all that these sculpts should be limited.

I'd also like to know why a doll company is not allowed to make their products more appealing so they will sell more. Is making a profit on luxury items considered wrong these days? Giving people limited access to food and medicine is cruel. Limiting the number of dolls of a particular mold is simply business.

 

Seconding that. My dolls don't have to be hard to get LEs (and not all limiteds are actually hard to get), but it adds spice for me to know that I have a doll not that many other people do. I am a COLLECTOR at heart, and limited items are part of collecting. They tend to build little stories around them that standards don't. As Muisje says, it tends to take more than just hitting "add to cart". Whether it was by lottery, waiting in line, going through a buying service, stalking a website for cancels, or hunting the aftermarket, it adds that little bit of extra flavour that you did manage to bring that particular LE home. There's thrill in it because there's the possibility of disappointment. But instead of the hating the system, I believe in licking your wounds and keeping on the hunt.

Limiteds create much more impetus for companies to keep coming up with new sculpts, new ways to keep people interested. I love seeing new fullsets and sculpts all the time! I don't think they're cruel or any more money-grubbing than any other method of selling dolls. Doll companies are companies, first and foremost. And while I've heard the argument many times that offering all possible sculpts all the time/more frequently/in parts would be more profitable, I have a hard time believing it. None of the companies making it big act like that, which suggests to me that LEs are genuinely useful and profitable for them.

 

I'm in full agreement, and I'll add another reason: maybe the company or artist wants to cast a batch -- either a certain number or take orders for a certain order period -- but doesn't want to keep/maintain/store the molds afterward. A lot of the small artist editions that don't get a second batch or order period would be in the 'limited edition'. I wouldn't hold it against an artist or small company if they didn't necessarily want to keep every mold around (even if they could arguably make more from their masters at a later time if they still had those undamaged/etc.) indefinitely.

 

IAWTC.

tldr - Limited edition sculpts are unsensible, except if cost of casting and upkeeping is a real burden on the company.
Otherwise, creating LE just for fappability is just plain

 

I disagree- some of those "insensible" one off LE sculpts are the reason I began to like a company in the first place. Honestly though, this isn't just something that occurs in the BJD hobby- there are limited edition cars, books, appliances, and a lot of other things- there's an overarching reason for it, and while I'm not a sociologist (yet anyway ^_^) I think it has to do with the fact that people crave that sort of 'rare' and "hard to find" or 'special' item.

I also happen to think that LEs that are only a limited face-up or outfit is completely useless and utter bunk to be frank. Why pay an extra $200+ for just that when it's the same sculpt? As you said yourself, just reproduce it and have done! It seems to me like the argument against limited sculpts however, is solely on the side of "People can't afford LE's and it's not fair that companies make them!!" At one point in this hobby, I agreed. But the bottom line is that you can't get annoyed that companies have found a way to make an astronomical amount of money in a very short time. Those limiteds do actually sell out, and when they do, they cover production and then some (hence the high prices!) if this is incorrect, do let me know, but I'm pretty sure that if they were losing money or not breaking even at least then companies wouldn't be producing them.

At the end of the day, it's just a small part of the hobby- why be bothered by it? So long as there is demand, there will be those that meet that demand. This community and others for other hobbies all seem to demand those special one off items. I'm not going to lie- if my Tan Re-che was a basic version, I'd feel a bit let down. I know it's hard to afford these things, but when you do manage to grab one, it makes you feel like you've just conquered the mountain! Especially when you love that doll to distraction. I doubt very much that people buy limiteds to rub it in each other's faces, so I say, like it or not, just live and let live. For those of us that have never fallen for a limited- never say die! It took years before I came across one that I couldn't say no to- and I was glad when I did. When you eventually find something special, that you know is special, you certainly won't want it to be commonplace.

 

I like the idea of "Limited" I don't like the price though lol

 

It's also interesting to me that there are so many citations of 'it's a higher price just because it's limited', and they don't necessarily make sense. I get a number of dolls from Soom, for instance. Their special edition re-releases, which are limited sculpts to 50 cast at a time, are exactly the same price as their basic line sculpts from the same series. The ones with extra parts cost more, but that difference pays for the extra parts, IMHO. I'd expect to pay more if I was ordering extra hands and feet, for instance, for a basic sculpt, so paying more for the extra parts of a limited edition doesn't make me feel like I'm being price-gouged over the 'limitedness' -- I'm paying more for extra pieces, just like I would pay for extra pieces if I got them for a standard doll.

 

I completely agree. I also really do like the idea of Limited Dolls. Just imagine this: you buy a limited doll for, say, $350? Preeetty good price. Anyway, if you get sick of her/him, or do not like it once it arrives, you can sell it for more. I mean, this isn't the reason I love them. I love them becuase they are usually BEAUTIFUL! But, this is just a bonus muahahhahhaa }:-)

 

For me Limited Dolls are of no interest to buy whatsoever as I prefer to personalize and work on my dolls to create something that's my own vision. Having said that, I enjoy looking at the Soom monthlies (or whatever company you prefer) and admire the artistry that goes into them, and of course, a whole lot of people in this hobby absolutely love them, so I'm glad they exist for that reason alone

 

Thank you! This says it better I think- (although I may have been mistaken about the higher prices XD)- I really do feel like I get my money's worth with limited sculpts. Many of them are produced in resin colours or types that aren't common to the basic editions as well, and to me, that's well worth paying more for.

(In reference to Vonbonbon) I'm pretty sure we all feel that way! This hobby is very creative! From my perspective, buying limiteds doesn't imply a disinterest in customization- all of my limited sculpts have had their special face-ups wiped- within days of arrival. Many of their outfits have also been sold. I buy the dolls for the sculpts (or in some cases the special resin colour), the fact that they're limited is just an extra plus. ^__^

 

Limiteds are usually more expensive, I agree, because they include outfits, wigs, special parts, special resin, nadonado. If you look at Iplehouse's current LE EID Arvid, if you choose no options he's the same price as a basic EID.

People often don't make distinctions between aftermarket price and the actual retail price. Companies can't be blamed for aftermarket prices.

Oh, and I often wipe LE faceups, too. It's usually the LE sculpt I'm after. The exception would be my LE LUTS Abadon, because the LE faceup is fantastic and suits the character.

 

This is a good point, too. That's not the companies 'trying to make extra bucks', it's the nature of the secondary market.

Back to the general thing: in an ideal world, I'd be able to get any sculpt I liked in any skin color it's ever been available in with any special bits and pieces it ever came with any time I wanted to, direct from the company, with no hoop-jumping involved other than sending them the asking price. That's just me, though. Other people like the hoop-jumping, the chase, the hunt, and all the rest. The scarcity thing doesn't matter to me and I'd be happier just being able to get what I want when I want it than have something 'rare' -- but I'm not the only customer the companies are selling to. They're selling to the people who like those aspects of collecting, and those things are going to appeal to that subset of buyers.