Do you think limited dolls should be rereleased/restocked by their companies?

I totally understand the idea that a re-release defeat the purpose of it being limited, to an extent. At the same time, if a doll proves to be extremely popular another limited re-release does make sense. I'm not talking about making them standard availability, just a second edition, as it were. Maybe then I could get my beloved Cyborg Sabik...lol

 

Although there are a few Ltd.'s I for one would love to get, I think that no, they shouldn't re-stock them. After all that is the very definition of "limited".
Of course, unless that specific doll is a sort of periodical, only available for certain events on the site.

Another option I would be comfortable with would be to have only parts of the original Ltd released, such as the mold, or clothes, or...etc. But not the whole set again.

 

It depends, really. Some of the limiteds, I think it's cool that they don't restock. Mostly the ones that are remakes of a "comon" model, only slightly different (different eye shape, comes with special limited outfit, etc). But I also think that Soom should have option parts at least from some of their monthly dolls. Their fauns are awesome, but to buy one second hand is over $2000 and they'll probably never have them on the site again but Sard and Beryl are awesome. Sard is my dream doll, but I don't have any hopes of ever getting one because I won't spend $2000 or more on a used one. I think they should sell the goat legs on the site, so people could get a different doll, but make it into a faun if they want to buy the legs seperately. It wouldn't detract from the value of Sard, but at the same time it would give people a chance at a similar doll.

 

I do wonder about the dolls losing value, as, and this is only my opinion, it takes a long times for dolls to stabilize in price, so does it matter if the dolls are restocked? Sometimes the editions are SO limited that hardly anyone can buy said doll, which is rather sad. Unidoll and others sometimes make a fullset limited doll and then reissue the doll is a regular, non limited edition. Open, in other words, and that doesn't bother me a bit. Until we know what will happen to BJD values, why not just relax and enjoy what comes along?

 

I'd definitely love Soom for selling the Sard again, BUT it would be really unfair to those who were there on time, or bought it very expensive on the marketplace.

Yet I feel frustrated, and think it's unfair, because I would have taken it if I had understood how Monthly Dolls system worked >3<

Anyway, Iplehouse did so for the Akando, and people who had bought it quite expensive in FS were very angry...

 

Hmmm, I really think it depends on how the 'restock' was done. Although, really, I think the company should do it however they like. But if they marked a certain mold as "limited to 15 pieces" or something like that, then I would find a rerelease to be rather unethical.

But in the case of a fullset, I wouldn't have any problem with them rereleasing the same mold as a different set. For example, if the Soom MDs were to repeat again next year with the same molds, only done differently (different skin tones or body parts or clothing or something) I wouldn't find that to be unfair in the least. Having a Sard and Beryl in the house, I honestly just feel bad for the people having to pay $2000-$3000 on the secondhand market just to get ahold of one. Since a lot of limited dolls are released as fullsets, I don't think there would be anything wrong with using the same mold for a different fullset. *shrug*

It doesn't benefit the company at all to have the secondhand prices skyrocket, so really, from a financial standpoint, it makes more sense to rerelease molds they know will sell - and in the case of doll companies, I'm all for them making more money and using it to make even more awesome dolls!

 

Here's another factor regarding limiteds...

I have a limited boy that I saved and scrounged and had to put on a long layaway to get secondhand. He was an LE10 release that had been sold out before I even really got into the hobby. Furthermore, he was an LE10 sculpt with no basic version available. (There was a second LE re-release of 40 or 50, but the re-release was a variation on the sculpt and I loved the first sculpt so much more).

Now I have my beautiful boy and I adore him, but I wish I'd been able to buy a basic instead. He has a lovely company faceup, but the rest of my dolls all have faceups by me in a completely different (and less detailed) style. He just doesn't quite "fit" with the rest of my group and I would have loved the chance to buy a blank doll and make him my own. At the same time, I don't want to wipe the company faceup because it really is beautiful and perfect and I DO like it... but faceupping is how I bond with my dolls and find their character.

I understand that it's more of a personal dilemma than a general one, but having the ability to buy a basic blank standard would have been so nice.

I do also empathize with people on the sentiment, "if it were re-released I'd feel like I'd wasted money". The doll mentioned above was actually a free lottery item given to ten lucky people (who had to buy a certain doll in a certain timeframe to qualify). Free. And I paid more than I'd care to admit for him, to get the doll secondhand. He's completely worth it, but if he were suddenly made available as a basic for half of what I paid (or less), there would definitely be a feeling. It's not a "MINE AND YOU CAN'T HAVE ONE" mentality so much as the thought "I guess I really didn't have to spend so much money on it".

On the other hand, I was lucky enough to catch the Beryl release from the company, so a rerelease wouldn't sadden me at all because new buyers would be paying about the same amount I did. And it would be wonderful to see more Beryls around! So I can see both sides of the story.

Also... for those who think there shouldn't be limiteds at all, I think that might severely limit the number of sculpts available. Being able to sell a limited edition one month and a different LE the next allows companies to explore options and create more sculpts and more molds, I think.

 

I agree - I'd actually love to see them do another Beryl fullset. I think her sculpt is so much more versatile than they showed in the promo pictures. So if they did a set with her as - for example - a Japanese-style demon in a beautiful kimono, or a Greek-goddess warrior, I would probably just think it was awesome.

(P.S. The fiancée and I are huge fans of your Izzy. She's SO ridiculously adorable!)

This is pretty much the only reason I find rereleases of limiteds somewhat unfortunate. But if it were done slightly differently - like the sculpt was slightly different or had elf-ears or a different face-up or something - would you still be disappointed?

 

For the SOOM related limiteds, I'd rather like it if they'd re-release the hoofed legs, for, perhaps, enough to deflate the value, $300?
Keep them there for a month or two, perhaps in different sizes, MSD + SD + the Mechas, prices varying a bit. This would deflate and stabilize the price, and make it a bit more available.

 

Awww... thank you! I will definitely be posting more of Izzy once I can get her some appropriate clothing that fits. Super Gem-sized clothes seem hard to come by.

About the different fullsets, I agree! Though Soom's default look for Beryl was lovely, I think the sculpt is so expressive and much more versatile. It would be interesting to see different fullsets, perhaps with different extra parts instead of hooves and horns. It would be like the different Volks limited re-releases, such as Olivia v1 or Olivia v2... same sculpt, different extras, but the sculpt is still limited to those specific fullset releases. I don't think that's a violation of the term "limited".

This is an interesting question. I had to think about it. If it was a slightly different sculpt, like an open-eyed version (he has half-closed eyes), I would probably not be disappointed. I would still have had to pay the secondhand price to get the sculpt I wanted. But if he just had a different set of clothing, wig, accessories, etc then I would feel frustrated.

I do have the limited set "extras" because I just can't bear to split him up and sell them off, but I don't use most of them. The face sculpt is the reason I wanted the set, not the extras. If he were re-released, I'd still be happy for the people who would get to own this beautiful boy (there seriously need to be more of him around) but I'd just feel a bit cheated out of the money, if that makes sense.


I also second Minty's suggestion of making extra hoof parts or other extras available from Soom, maybe as a one-time FFD event (kind of like they do with the jointed hands)? That way, people who wanted just the hooves or other parts but not the fullset doll could get them, but they wouldn't necessarily become a standard item. Like a FFD-only "second chance" sale. But then again, we run into the issue of some people already having paid secondhand prices just to get those extra parts. >_< It's a sticky situation all around, really.

 

Well FFD happens every month though it's not once ever, so I agree it'd be really unfair to release the parts because along with the head mold the accessories like hoof legs, bird feet, etc. were part of the full set. It was one of the things that drove us to dig into our wallets so fast to snap up those dolls during the order period, you know?

I still support making normal the limited dolls. Releasing the headmolds but sans everything that made them special. Like if Soom re-released Euclase
in normal skin/white skin, without his God Hands, and no sleeping head, etc and possibly altered his face or something so he could easily be destinguished as not being the original Euclase to keep the original still special, I think I wouldn't mind that.

Or like the Delphine example earlier where she was not available in gray, and was de-fanged and human.

 

limited dolls can be heart breaking when you can't afford it or it's sold out.I would love a Volks Shinku or a dod Kalix,but if did have these dolls i wouldn't want change a thing on them and what wuold be the point of having them.

 

A collection piece. If you got it and it's fine the way it is, it's either exactly what you wanted as a doll character or it's a collection piece. Kind of like a NRFB Platinum Label (I'm sure I got it wrong)Barbie.

Someone from our doll meet got a Soom Io and he's not wearing anything other than what his set came with, I've seen others on the forum that dress Io differently. o.o

 

I'm in agreement here.

 

Limited dolls and all limited edition things are called limited for a reason. So I dont thing they should not be restocked. I dont own limited dolls myself.

 

I don't think that limited dolls should be re-stocked. It's so frustrating to get the limited doll at a much higher price in the secondhand market, then you find the company re-releasing them after that.

However, I do agree that if the re-release has a slight difference from the original, then it'll be acceptable.

 

I'm gonna agree with the majority of people here and say no, limiteds shouldn't be restocked. Unless the company had mass demand for it I suppose, I mean if you're getting about 10,000 emails saying 'please, can i have it' and you're selling the doll for more than $700...well I think you'd be a bit hard pressed to not re-release.

That being said, the demand for the doll would most likely be fore the mold or clothing, selling one or the other is a better alternative. Sell the body but not the hair, faceup, clothing etc etc. or sell the clothing/hair and not the doll. Musedoll's Thalia and Erato outfits please! xD

 

I think a balance can be struck, and in fact has been. Volks rerelease limiteds on occasion with different faceup/outfit and it would be nice if other companies did this more often. I guess people don't make a fuss about Volks doing it because they're still very hard to get (usually being available only at Dolpas).

I own a few limiteds and wouldn't mind them being rereleased, but then I don't believe in paying scalper prices so none of mine had $$$ markup. Surely possible rerelease is a risk you run if you pay over the odds for a doll?

 

Agree aswell, limiteds are limited for a reason. And it would be unfair towards the people who purchased them to find out that they are restocked later on...

Tho there are some limiteds which I would like to have xD

 

"limited" wouldn't be so "limited" anymore if they restock them. i would feel bad and disappointed if i had a limited doll, which was sold at ex. 15 dolls worldwide, and then suddenly they restock it? what with that big "15 worldwide" thing then?
feels unfair.
and re-releasing a popular limited? even if by makin another limited edition, it's just making money.
limited are meant to be so special, i think.