Do you like the idea of "limited" dolls?

Elitism would be if you believed having that LE doll would make you somehow better than the people who didn't. Being attracted to something because it's rare does not mean a person feels that they are better than anybody else--you're reading way too much into things and seeing elitism where it's not. Preferring uncommon dolls doesn't necessarily mean trying to be part of a group either--it's equally (if not more) likely that it's simply enjoyable to own a doll that you don't see plastered everywhere and that took more effort to nab. Though, connecting with other owners because you're interested in the same sculpts isn't inherently elitist either--it's natural to gravitate towards those who have common interests, especially with the community being this large.

Silk, I think you have me confused with TheFontBandit

 

I agree with that... just having a preference for a doll because it's rare isn't elitism, any more than having a preference for white skin dolls, or boy dolls, or sleeping sculpts. It's just a preference. I can see the appeal of having a doll that isn't common; my first doll was a standard-but-uncommon sculpt, and her lack of popularity was admittedly one of the factors in my choice. There was an appeal to having something that felt uniquely my own. It isn't always about social status, being in a "special group", or flouting something that makes you (general "you") feel better than other owners. That is what I consider elitism.

Sometimes it's just about having something that feels completely yours, and a less-popular sculpt can be one of the ways to get that "OOAK" feeling. There's nothing elitist about that, in and of itself. It's all about how you react socially... Like Taco said, if having an LE makes a collector feel superior to others because they have it and others don't, that's when it becomes elitism.

PS - For more reading on the topic of elitism, check out this thread. It was locked nearly a year ago, but it's an interesting read!

 

I rather like the idea of limiteds. Sure, I can't always afford them. Sure, I don't always want them. But they're so much fun to see! Even if I came across a doll I really wanted that was sold out, for some reason, the idea of saving for it and one day owning it after paying for it bit by bit gives you a sense of accomplishment. Sure, sometimes it's frustrating when you can't just save up and buy it in one go, and it's not always fun to budget when all of your friends are going out and about, but when that doll is in your hands, you definitely feel more of an urge to hold it over your head triumphantly. You scraped and saved and lived on beef flavored ramen noodles, now there it is, one of your dream dolls in your hand! Maybe this is all me though XD I certainly don't feel like I'm better than anyone else for not having one though. I just feel good that I finally got a doll on my list, is all ^^

Of course, a limited doesn't take away from the beauty of an unlimited. Haha, I love all types~ I love my Twing-key, I love my Amber, and whatever my next dream doll will be, I'll love it too XD There's just a touch more excitement when it comes to limiteds, is all. It's new, it's different, it's only available for 10 days XDDD

Oh, and don't forget, there might be some people leaning more towards limiteds because they're just that--limited. You don't want to pay the marked up price, you want to pay the lower price, so in the end, you have more limiteds, because you finished paying for one, then another came out that you really wanted, and so the basic dolls on your list get pushed aside again. I don't know, could be a good reason. It's my reason, in fact ^^;

 

This is very much how it is for me, too. There are actually a few non-limited sculpts I am really, really pining to get -- but I know I can get them later at, or at very close to (with exchange rates shifting, you never know) what they sell for now. If there's a limited sculpt I like, it's "now or never" because I know for a fact I will not be able to afford it later on.

It's always a little frustrating to see the "must be made of money" or "must need to feel all special with limiteds" assumptions based on what someone has ordered -- when I know that, at least in my case, it's actually just a matter of -NOT- being able to afford both, and needing to make hard decisions about what can be put off until later, or sacrificed entirely.

 

I love LE dolls, I love the creativity that goes into them originally and then seeing what people do with them when they bring them home. There are a few LEs I would love to have, but I wasn't in the hobby when they were released (Volks Amelia and Volks Suiseiseki being just two examples). I don't feel angry with Volks because those dolls were sold out long ago, and I don't want Volks to re-release them just so I could get them; those dolls are out there and one day, when I have enough money, I will find them. I feel very strongly that special editions of anything are a fun part of any collecting hobby and I don't feel particularly resentful if I missed out on a doll I really liked...because that's just life! We don't all get what we want when we want it, and I think it's indicative of the downturn in society that we think that we should! No one particularly deserves to own an LE, it's just the luck of the draw, you win some, you lose some...but even if you lose some, that dream dolly will still be out there and one day you might find it!

So the ugly spectre of elitism rears it's head once again :s It's not difficult to find the definition of what elitism really is, but people confuse it with all sorts of side issues that dilutes what elitism really is all about. An elitist act in this community would be to believe that by buying a particular doll you were actually superior to everyone else in the hobby who had 'inferior' dolls. Buying a particular doll because it's rare/tan/hooved is not elitist at all and only becomes elitist when coupled with the feeling that because you own that doll you are a speshul snowflake and everyone else with standard/NS/footed dolls is not worth bothering with.

 

I have mixed feelings on the issue. While I think it's totally within the rights of any company to make their products "Limited Edition" (for whatever reason or in whatever way), and I DO think that they tend to make a VERY nice product when doing so; I can't help but wonder if their placing limitations on themselves unneccessarily.

Part of the reason many of the LE dolls tend to be so much more expensive is developmental costs which have to paid from a far more limited number of units than a mainline doll that continues to be available. But that is beside the point. The fact is that if SOOM's Beryl were still available now, they would continue to sell them in healthy numbers; the same could be said of Euclase or Amber, or any other LE doll from the various companies. Being able to sell more of these dolls would net these companies more money and thus strengthen them economicly,

On the other hand, if I were the proud owner of one of those dolls and they suddenly came available in unlimited quantities, I would probably be a little disapointed in that.

 

Conversely, though, if Beryl were still available and still selling well, the chances that they would have in turn developed Euclase or Amber (particularly Amber, as she also has hooves) becomes fairly low, and those sculpts may have ended up never existing as a result of Beryl being regularly available. So by limiting dolls like the Monthlies, they can find out what sells better (hooves, for instance) and what doesn't (vampy scorpions, sadly--I personally thought Vesuvia was fantastic), and in turn can work on those designs and continue to perfect them, or to try new things with them (Amber's legs as compared to Beryl's, for instance, or the hoofy tinies), or use harder-to-produce materials (colored resins, etc) that would be difficult to do in large runs.

So limited dolls also give the company a chance to go out on a limb with less risk than they may have in a standard doll.

 

Because a lot of the hobbies I've gotten into in the past all had at least one variation of "limited" items be it Pokemon with their Legendaries (Mew for example), or even before that with TY Beanie Babies with the original nine being so sought after and adored, or rare collector Bears...and many many other things like that... I can't say I'm against the idea of Limited Dolls. In fact, I rather like the idea.

While I don't have a Limited Doll (or a regular one for that matter) at the moment, I'd never be one to shy away from having one--or if I did, being stuck up about it just because they are expensive or hard to come by. I think it's more about the companies wanting to give out a little something extra special, like a thank you or a treat, and if people were patient I'm sure everyone could have a Limited Doll of one kind or another if that's what they liked.

As with life in general, nothing short of divine justice "fair"...but I think that's what makes it even more special to those individuals that can get something that is so rare. I also think that everyone, if they know where to look, has something that others don't...be it a personality trait, or physical object. So, I don't think there is any reason for anyone envious over anything, (or have any feelings of "elitism") rather we should be embracing and celebrating the fact that the various doll companies are even willing to make something so unique for us. It's an honor. We should be happy that even one person is lucky enough to have something so special.

Maybe I'm putting too much faith in people for my own good, but I just don't think life would be any fun if we all had the same things... I dunno if I'm making much sense either, it all sounded better in my head, anyway...

 

I hate limited dolls! D=< Mainly because there are dolls on Soom that I want but can't get because they are either sold out...or I don't have the money for them right away! I was lucky enough to get a Soom Glot...but I have to do without her LIMITED Outfit! >_< It makes me so mad! I wanted a Soom Beryl...Soom Sard...and I wanted Glot and Glati...and Vesuvia...and Topaz for my mom...but I can't! >_< Stupid...limited...dolls!

 

I'm sorry, but it's tough, that's just the way life is You can't be lucky 100% of the time, no one is in this hobby.

I had to make a choice between getting my Glot with her wig/eyes/outfit or with her faceup/blushing. I decided to get the wig/eyes/outfit because I can do face ups and blushing myself. I think it's quite nice that Soom offers the choice to have as little or as much of a limited as you want; most companies offer the entire fullset LE with no options.

 

See vicemage's post further up on this page... If the first few MDs weren't limited, there probably wouldn't have been a Vesuvia, or a Topaz at all... because Soom would still have to be making Beryls and Sards on-demand. That means no time for research and development to make a Heliot, or a Cass, or even maybe Glot. Also, just because the dolls were limited, that doesn't mean they are entirely out of reach. I've seen Topaz in the Marketplace a few times... yes, at a higher price, but that's just part of the situation with limited dolls. But just because they were limited, that doesn't mean it's flat-out impossible.

Getting "so mad" over a luxury item like a doll just doesn't seem worth the effort to me. Limiteds are an inevitability in a collector's hobby. The sense of entitlement that pops up now and again in this hobby never ceases to surprise me... No one NEEDS a doll, ever. No one is "owed" a doll just because they want it. They are a luxury collector's item, and you can't always get what you want (to quote the Stones).

I don't think this is what was intended, but to be honest... posts like the above one often come across (to me) as the kid in the toy store throwing a tantrum because his mom won't buy him the shiny new toy.

Sometimes the idea of limiteds can be personally frustrating, because I do see beautiful dolls I missed out on. But there's a difference between the fleeting disappointment of "Awww... it's limited, that's too bad" and getting angry over something that is really not that important (all things considered) and that's out of the consumer's control. If I find out a doll I love was a limited and is long sold-out, I either accept it and move on, or prepare to pay secondhand in the Marketplace if I want the doll badly enough.

 

enh... ish... I don't hate the idea of limiteds... I mean like I figure that in this type of collecting hobby then there would be limiteds... but no, I don't like the idea of molds being llimiteds... I mean what's the point?

I'm sure the company would make way more money in the long run with their limited MOLDS being regular molds... Full-sets where the clothes etc. are limited.. hm... well if you think about it, after all is siad and done with the wig and face up and the body blushing and the clothes and the shoes, that full set will be about the same amount you'd pay for all of that stuff seperately anyways so if you like the clothes and the 'look' why not go for it?

 

I don't dislike the idea of limited dolls, but I'm one to not really care about them. I have seen a few limited dolls that are just absolutely gorgeous, but I dislike the fact that, as someone who sees ABJDs as more of a canvas, doing any sort of modification to them steals away everything that makes them that limited doll.

A doll is customized to what you want it to be, and LE dolls are, essentually, already complete before they even come to the owners hands. Basic ABJDs are always made individual to how it's owner wants them to be, since you have to get simple things for them like wigs and clothes, thus making them far more prescious than any expensive LE. I think it's great that companies are letting their artists experiment and make new dolls by releasing the LEs, but I don't care to ever own one, and in the same vein, don't care if you build your collection out of them or basics.

 

I don't like OR dislike the idea of limiteds. I won't deny that I've felt a little rush of excitement when getting in on a limited order period, or that I've also felt upset about having to miss out on other limiteds like Soom Cass. But most of the time, my feelings are somewhere in the middle. Limiteds are just something that companies do to make you want to buy quickly. To make a long story short, they're just another marketing strategy, and I don't really feel one way or the other about them. Sometimes I like the idea, sometimes it seems annoying, and most of the time I really couldn't care less.

 

Limiteds are a very clever marketting idea.
Especially to the collectors who dont want to change, customize or alter their dolls very much on delivery.
They create a decision flashpoint that requires a response and also gives the companies some certainty when planning their production.
If you miss out on a limited you really want - the message is reinforced to "Buy! Buy! Buy!" next time a limited turns up.
I just blew a mountain of cash on a Volks Suigintou on the after market - and I am sure a very skillful collector here could probably duplicate that Rozen Maiden for a fraction of the price - however I dont trust my skills for customisation enough to try it myself.

 

I don't really like or dislike limiteds. My first incoming doll is a limited sculpt, but that choice was simply made because the sculpt suited my character, I had enough money, and it was a now or never situation. I do like the Soom MDs because of their uniqueness, but it's not the company's fault that they released the doll when the buyer didn't have enough money for it, nor is it the buyer who is at fault. If money's not availibe, that's just a fact of life that the world turns on.

 

Not all limited dolls are fullsets, though. What, exactly, is 'limited' about any given doll seems to vary a lot. It may be a variation on the head sculpt, it may be fullset-only, but then limiteds like the Soom MDs, you can get completely blank, naked, hairless, and eyeless if you choose to; in those cases it's the sculpt that's limited. Dollmore does a lot of limiteds that are often of their normally available molds, but they're fullset-only, and have unique (or mostly unique) outfits or faceups, but you could technically get the mold at any time.

 

I think it's annoying when a limited doll also has a limited sculpt. Though I like it when companies make basic versions of those later. It's always nice to see the difference :3

 

I am actually not in favour of limited dolls. I believe in dolls that are easily accessible to those who wants one so that as many people as possible can enjoy what they like. Of course, I vote for sustained popularity over rarity anytime.

 

Limited dolls have pretty much always been part of the general doll scene so I suppose I'm just used to the idea of them. It's often nice to have something that you're not going to see everywhere as long as you don't think you're better than other people for owning one.

Often limited dolls have something special about them that would make an open edition difficult to make so I can appreciate the artistic & creative efforts that go into them. If you can't buy one right away, they often become something special to shoot for in the future, a challenge & dream. While that may be frustrating for some people, especially if they feel it's unfair that they can't afford the doll right away, it's just a part of collecting.

Personally I don't care if my dolls are limited editions or not but it is nice sometimes to have something special.