Do you like the idea of "limited" dolls?

to me the limited doll aspect of the hobby is difficult. Even the least expensive BJD is very expensive and I don't have the space or money for a limitless collection, so I want to have the time to plan out a purchase instead of having to make a snap decision about a LE doll.

As long as there is a market for LE dolls, they will be made so I don't care to discuss whether I think it is "fair" or if I agree with it or not. It's not an ethical issue, and if the LE dolls are lucrative for the company then that's all there is to it. I can also imagine that form the standpoint of an artist, it is more appealing to make a limited number of a doll and keep things new and fresh instead of making the same doll over and over and over again.

One thing I do struggle with is the OOAK doll... It took me a while to figure out that Rosenlied's "The One" line is OOAK. It must be next to impossible to get one simply due to timing let alone cost and decision making. I love their dolls so much as well as their faceups, but I don't care much for their basic faceups. And as such, if I ever get a Rosenlied doll (unless they change their basic faceups) it will have to be one of the limited versions.

The other thing I struggle with is I don't want to buy a doll just because it is a LE. I want to buy it because I find it beautiful and perfect for me. As the companies hand make each doll as it is, I struggle with the fact that we are not allowed to have the artist customize the doll to our preferences since we are paying so much for a doll on the LE level. To me, that would be the epitome of uniqueness.

In a field where every doll is customized in some way or another (whether it be just changing the eyes, wig, or outfit, or a dramatic modification) I wish we as customers could have more input with how the artist creates out doll without the constraints of a LE or OOAK situation. When it comes down to it, the real profit comes from those who buy LE or OOAK dolls then resell them at much higher prices than they paid. I would imagine for a company it would be profitible to buy the materials in slightly higher quantities (such as the clothing materials and wigs) at a lower cost and make a steady stream of income from high-ticket special full package dolls.

 

I like limited sculpts that are kept limited. I don't care for limited faceups or outfits, because both can be replicated with a little effort, but sculpts can't. So I like (the idea of) limited sculpts.

Even if I cannot get my hands on them, be it because I missed the ordering period or am unwilling to pay through the nose for a second hand doll, I like the idea of limited sculpts because, if someday, I do get one, its value would be preserved or possibly inflated. And everyone likes a good investment, no?

That said, I do NOT believe in buying limiteds for the sake of them being limited. The 'good investment' part should only be a bonus in case you ever feel like quitting the hobby without losing too much money. It makes me feel abit better about spending thousands on what are essentially pretty lumps of plastic that sometimes make me (very, very, very) happy.

Besides, my standards tend to be very, very high, and, so far, not a single doll, limited or not, has managed to stray remotely close to it. So you could say I have no dream doll and therefore feel nothing at missing the chance to buy a 'dream doll' of mine? Haha... I do love my darlings anyway, though.

Yep, yep, conclusion: limited sculpts give you the bonus of being good investments if you can get them first hand, so I like them lots, though people with dream dolls who are forced to get them secondhand at inflated prices probably won't. ^_^ ~

 

I wouldn't say LE dolls are unfair or anything like that... There is a certain pride in being able to say your doll is LE but, like others have said, you can usually replicate the look with a little time and effort so LE's are not all that special!

 

Woooow. I love this discussion! Even though I totally skimmed over the last two pages.... >.> Sorry if anything is repeated!

I love the idea of limiteds, I'm just always annoyed with 'Why don't I have a job so I can pay for this single one that I want?' XD;;

I'll admit I've been SOOMed, but only for Heliot and IO. Heliot because I've always felt a spiritual connection with the unknown, especially in the corner of mythical creatures, so the unicorn feature caught me dead-on. IO because he was released in my birth month, and immediately I fell in love with his sculpt and the underlying personality that he had.

I've also had issues with the LUTS limiteds, too. I fell for the limited clothing mostly, because I've always melted at the sight of Chinese hanfu. However, when I realised that I wasn't completely into the scuplt of the actual doll, I went 'Meh, better luck next time.'

Dollmore is a company whose limiteds I've enjoyed since I first discovered BJDs, and the two dolls I fell for were the ones that no one was buying (and obviously still hasn't bought, poor things). Their Film Noir Lawrence had me with his eyes, and when I felt a little distracted by his -amazing- faceup, I looked at his standard mold, I fell HARD. Mellow Cole is another one I'm in love with: not only is she unique (her skintone! -melts- though Cocori has the same, just never caught my eye), she's beautiful! I love her soooo much, though I'm not a fan of her fullset. If DM sold her as a standard, I would buy her in an instant!

As for the issue with the SOOM MDs and their month-long purchasing time, if I worked for SOOM I would reccommend bringing the dolls back, but not as fullsets or regular standards. They have their FFDs, why not do something similar with their MDs? Such as, you can buy any sculpt, but you have X amount of days to buy one, and continue the trend only every several months or per year. That's just my suggestion though. That way, the dolls aren't standards so that the company gets bogged down with orders for the special parts, but they also aren't limiteds that disappear and are never seen again. Either that, or they could simply cast the open-eyed heads in their usual resin and release them as standard Gems/Super Gems/what-have-you. That way, if it's really the mold you're after, you could get it on a standard doll and they wouldn't lose a penny.

I do believe that the limited side to collecting does create that elitist riff between owners/collectors, and it bothers me that people can buy such limiteds all the time. I mean, sure people save for them, and work hard for them, but I can honestly think of several other ways to spend $1000 than on a limited doll that looks exactly like 20 or 50 or 200 others. Plenty of creativity on the company's part, but wait until it gets to the owner's hands.

Just my input. ^_^ I'm not too particular about limiteds. It's not fair or unfair. It's just business.

 

I both love and hate them. My personal experience mostly has been me fawning over SOOM monthly's I missed out on.
I think that LEs are a good way for companies to test out different things on the market, as well as feed off of that " It's going to be gone soon" mentality!
On the other hand, my experience has been that a good LE is worth the extra crash. Usually good money is put into the detail, the design and the overall look.

I support them, even if it's so heartbreaking to realize you've missed out on one! (and that it'll cost you twice as much to get it now should be be lucky enough).

 

I like the idea of LE dolls though I don't have one myself

 

it irratates me when a doll i really like is a limited doll. but you get over it though because its really just a glmick to get people to drop $500 right then and now... or pay way more later.

i'll just get a doll i can afford and be happy with it...

 

I absolutely love limiteds, even though it IS pretty disappointing to lose out on one. I have two on the way, and I feel pretty good about it!

Limiteds are a great marketing strategy. They make you impulse buy and usually interest in a company will pique if they have a particularly special limited available. Someone who wouldn't normally buy from them might reconsider if they see a limited they like. Aside from the benefits for the company, the owner gets a lot out of it too! We're only human - we're allowed a little bit of pride when we get something that is rare or special.

Not to say every doll isn't unique - no two dolls are exactly alike (unless of course there's some copying happening ). But the pride of being able to say "Yeah, I own him, and there're only 14/29/4 other ones in the world!" is just a guilty pleasure we shouldn't be afraid of. It only gets into elitism if you think you're somehow better than everyone else because you own a limited, or if you're shoving your "superiority" in everyone's faces. I'm sure people who own a Volks Shinku or any sort of one-off doll are pretty proud of it!

 

I feel your pain. In an expensive hobby like this LE dolls seem to become among the prettiest and most hard to get dolls. I have been in a position where I really wanted a doll, but had no money, so I missed her to pay 2nd hand prices years later.

However, I appreciate the fact that my dolls are a little bit more special than a standard dolls, because her number is limited. I consider them special art, not the kind anyone can go to a site and click to buy. I like the fact that most of my beauties are not available to anyone at any time.

A lot of standard dolls have many similarities to their LE counterparts. Volks offer FCS, which is not the same, but similar to a lot of their LEs.

It is also a matter of patience. These days dolls are released all the time, and you may get an LE for the right price that suits your character.

~Gus

 

I think limiteds can be pretty cool, and as someone who's purchased a few after their ordering period was long over on the company site, I don't mind paying a little extra for something I want.

 

I too really like the limited edition dolls. Personally I would rather buy 1 LE than 2 open edition dolls. Most of the LEs I have seem to be a better quality doll than the ones just being turned out for even a limited time. There are now so many beautiful new dolls on the market and more coming all the time, that it is hard to know which ones to buy .

 

+ 1
I like limited sculpts too and limited skin tones.

 

While I don't like LE's, I know it's purely a selfish reason. I don't like them because I personally don't have the money for the impulse buy to get them.

XD

If i had the money, I'd *LOVE* them. They are so wonderful~ I love the uniqueness of them, I love the sculpts on most, I love the crazy options that come with SOOMs.

 

I don't mind when outfits, wigs, ensembles, skin tones, etc are limited. What really drives me crazy is limited molds. If you don't have the money at the right time, live in the right place, and don't make the snap decision, that doll is gone forever, and you have to face secondary market prices IF you can find the doll for sale at all-- a great deal of the time that's a no.

DoD Delphine broke my heart last year. Her order period was at the worst possible time for me and I missed her. Whenever I saw a Delphine in the galleries I wasn't happy to see pretty pictures of her, I just felt resentment and was mad at myself for letting her slip through my fingers. I tried but I could never find a NS Delphine in the marketplace; other people got to those that did appear at first, then as the ones floating around settled down with the right owners, they stopped appearing at all.

Then DoD released a non-LE Homme Delphine. It was a huge relief. I had never wanted her vampire fangs or elf ears in the first place, I was just in love with her face. Now I can look forward to getting her someday after saving up the money. I don't have to scramble to put together the funds or make the quick now-or-never decision.

I strongly suspect Volks will soon release a Hatsune Miku Dollfie Dream, since they've already made figures of her. I hope they do, but I'm also dreading it, because what if I can't come up with the funds? I could miss her and be mad at myself for years to come.

I say that companies like Soom would make alot more money by making their molds standard. The secondary market is where prices get big, the company doesn't make any money there. If they can't handle the demand, they need to hire more employees. That's how businesses expand.

 

Limited sculpts, skin tones, yes. But no to faceups and clothes. i dont really like the idea of a prepackaged personality in a doll. I rather give them their own character, which makes bonding with them fun

 

I hate that I missed out of several lovely dolls that were limited, and came out when I didn't have the money to get one, but I do see the point in having limited dolls. I'm sure there will be more dolls that are beautiful, and perhaps have the same good qualities as the limited one that you missed out on before.

 

I like the idea of supply and demand, granted you miss out on some, but I'm sure you'd feel amazing owning one.

 

I like the idea of limited dolls, not of basic dolls with limited faceup sold for 5 double the price.

And for limited dolls,
i do think the price should be focused on the work put into it.

I myself won't pay 200 dollar more for a basic doll with sleeping eyes and elf ears extra.
Or vampire teeth added.
I know, from making bjd myself thats like 5 minutes work.
And i feel like that is easy money.

I would like to see some companies go further with this tho,
like having completely limited bodies instead of just a head and hands..
maybe some horns.

Ive only seen Charles Creature Cabinet do that,
every limited is a completely new doll.
So it's really 100% unique..[well besides the other 49-+ they produced]


I do really hate it,
when companies release a limited doll.
People pay a lot of money for it..
and then a few weeks later they release a basic version.
-the special ears ..or in a basic ns resin color...
i think that kills the whole concept of limited and unique.

 

I Love the idea of Limited edition dolls, but I don't have one myself yet >.<