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

Doesn't matter to me. I didn't buy mine because she's limited, I bought her because I fell in love with her.

 

See, now that bothers me -- all the more since you're dead right about having seen it before. The sentiment seems to be all too common that certain people don't deserve limiteds (especially more than one, since this somehow deprives someone else of owning that doll). I mean...who cares? Seriously, who the heck cares or should care about how someone spends their money? If they want to get multiple limiteds, then good on them. If they were lucky enough to catch 'em straight from the company rather than secondhand, well, double good on them for not having to spend (as much of) an arm and a leg on the secondhand market to get 'em. If I'd be envious of anything, it's that they saved the money (in that goodnatured 'well damn you go, girl/guy' way). That's a whole different debate thread though so enough said about that.

I'm in the camp that says limiteds shouldn't necessarily be re-released. That entirely defeats the purpose behind a limited sculpt. They're meant to be special, less common, somehow set apart. That's the whole point. So not too many people could get them; so what? There are always ways to get your hands on a given limited sculpt after the fact. It's a question of dedication.

 

Silk, I'm astonished to hear of such attitudes! D: I myself have not run into it before. It's quite disturbing to know of, even more so that Tez has also seen it. Mmm I always think a lot of people are in need of a lesson in humility; but to hear this in the doll community, especially in such a well-moderated place as DoA, is disappointing.

[trying to keep the relevance here lol xD; ]

Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I think it's a different story when their opinions are forced onto others. Bringing it back to the debate at hand, I do not believe that anyone's belief of self-worthyness? [I can't find the word for it] or self-merit[??] should entitle them to the ability of even requesting a re-stock of LEs. If it was the original decision of a company to make a certain doll limited, then let it be.

As a customer, I know my position is to respect and appreciate the works the any company releases, whether it is LE or not. I should not feel that I have the merit to demand any re-stocks, regardless of how much I want one or how much other people want it. It is my own fault if I didn't know better before they were sold out, and my own fault that I could not/did not purchase it when it was available. Again, many factors come into play and life may not always run the way we want it to, but that's life. If I really want it, I will chase it down no matter what. If I can't be bothered, maybe it wasn't that important in the first place. IMHO, This is the mature way to accept the matter.

 

I think that it's also discussed in another topic that people shouldn't try to co-own dolls they want by telling the owner what they can or can't do with the doll. Trying to co-own companies by telling them what they should or shouldn't release is just as weird to me.

But I think it's perfectly fine to wish for a re-release so you or others get another shot at buying that limited or wish for a limited to be never re-released so your doll will stay special and rare. Wishing for things is not doing other people harm. It may be selfish or annoying, but less so than telling others what they should do so you can benefit from it.

The second release of Breakaway made it possible for me to buy one at the secondary market for a high price that I thought was worth it. The third release devalued my doll. In this case, I'd say: Tough luck for me and joy for the ones who wanted a Breakaway, but couldn't get one after the first and second release.

I still wish for certain limiteds to be re-released, because I want one. A re-release would make things easier for me and I could write the company that I like a certain doll and ask if they will release it again. I can always ask, but I cannot tell the company to do what I want.

Whether a company should or shouldn't re-release limiteds is not up to us to decide. It's up to the company owners to say "we won't re-release and create an air of exclusiveness for our products" (some people like that) or "we should re-release, because we'll make good money if we do" (some re-releases sell out in minutes).

But we can still say what we wish for.

 

Just throwing my opinion out here, though i'm probably echoing a lot of people, i think.

No, i don't think companies should rerelease limiteds, unless, say, they specifically say that they will. Like Luts did when they released Cian and Dion, i think it was. They said it was the first release, and at the very least insinuated that a second round would be available at a later time. The other way i think it'd be okay is if they changed it up, like Luts did with breakaway. The second release was different than the first, so it wasn't adirect rerelease. I liked that.

Now, if they were to directly rerelease a highly desired mold, (like, idk, woosoo? XD) and not alter the sculpt in any way, that'd kinda be....really annoying, actually. Though i am siding with the people who have bought him secondhand for ridiculous prices, it's not even because the secondhand market would get devalued. (Cause seriously, if i'd gotten one from luts when he was sold, paid 600, then tried charging 1600? I'd throw myself off a cliff for stupidity or something >>;;; no offence to anyone, but i think thats kinda crazy ^^;;; )

Also, bit more personal opinion regarding limiteds, potential rereleases, and secondary market: If you paid xxxx amount to get the doll secondhand, and suddenly the company rereleases the same doll....idk. Im torn between feeling like the value of the first release shouldn't go down, but also that the doll, especially if its going for three or four times its original price, likely shouldn't cost so much anyway. Seems to be an unfair profit to me...Just saying. I wouldn't feel comfortable asking so much if i'd gotten the doll right frmo the company >>

 

In my opinion, limited shouldn't be restocked, they should be one of a kind. And if companies do restocked them it shoul be at the same value or higher, to protect the investment of collectors.

 

Limited Edition dolls actually sells out fast if there are lost of people who want the same doll. I have seen some doll companies whose l.e. dolls are still available and way pass the selling point. Of course this is just my point of view and what i have seen for so much lurking. XD

 

I'm sure I'm not the first to say this, but limited dolls are limited for a reason? Why would companies restock them? ^^;; If they were regularly available, there would be no reason to call them LE any longer.

 

Being rereleased again in a limited format doesn't make them regularly available--the only way to do that is to put out a standard edition.

 

But in all honesty, that wouldn't really make it limited in my opinion. Unless they were somehow renewed or different in each release? Like outfit, theme, etc? Is that what you're saying?

The Soom for Five Days sellings is what came initially to mind with the idea of companies restocking their limiteds. They're not really limiteds--just are rotated and sold for a certain amount of time in certain quanitity because you know in advance what and when is coming. If you miss it, you get another shot.

I guess just the idea of a LE doll only being offered once and no longer produced after that time is just more gratifying to own, especially if you've managed to painstakingly hunt one down

 

Well, usually when LE's are rereleased it's with a different faceup and outfit or skintone rather than the exact same doll.

However, changed or not, an occasional limited rerelease does not a readily available doll make. The Soom five day dolls are a little different since they're on a specific repeating schedule that's frequent rather than an occasional LE release. If a doll is released more than once, but infrequently and in small numbers, it could still take a good bit of tracking down to snag one if it's a sought after LE and still retain a high value--it doesn't necessarily mean there will suddenly be a sudden flood of that particular doll hitting the market. That particular doll could still remain quite limited despite being released more than once. I guess what I'm saying is that there is a middle ground between having a standard edition (or in the case of Soom constant repeating order periods) and LE's only being released one time. Rereleasing an LE does not automatically kill it's LE status.

 

For some, I do believe they should make more of them--like 50 being sold, instead of the 30 or 10 I've heard of. They shouldn't restock, though, because they'd technically they wouldn't be "limited" anymore.

 

I suppose there's a good side and bad side to limiteds. Good side is they seem to value well and people like the idea of owning limiteds. Downside is that people miss obtaining them because of various reasons. In this case, it would be nice to be able to obtain any mold you want at any time while limiteds have unique features.

 

As much as I wanted the Cian, the Azure (sp?) and the Breakaway (all luts dolls, the spelling may be off, I'm tired lol) I understand the concept of limited and don't think they should restock the exact doll ever again.

As with any business, incentives to buy are excellent.

 

i dont think limited should be restock ever!!!
otherwise they shouldnt use the word limited on their dolls.It is misleading.Pricing is another matter,but rarity...is what they are worth to a collector.

even if i couldnt get the LE-dolls that i want,it will make me wanting them even more....
because what i could never get...is forever valuable and i appreciate their rarity.

 

I don't think that its fair for those who are less financially equipped cannot afford to purchase the limited dolls when they are offered and by the time that one can save up the money... the doll is forever out of stock... It make me so angy...

Sure I could scower DoA for the doll, but that bites. I think that limited dolls should become available at a set time once a year so that people can save up for the doll they really want and have an equal opportunity to purchase it. (i.e. Soom Pure Spirit Amber)

 

TBH, I'm not sure I see where it's 'not fair'. It is what it is, and if the company chooses to release a sculpt in limited quantity, then that's their business. If you (general 'you') don't have the money when it's released, then you don't have the money. It isn't an issue of fair or not-fair, it just is.

Personal example: I think that Chrom's got one of the most astounding faces I've seen on a doll in years, and if I had the funds you damn well better believe I'd snap him up in a heartbeat. I don't have the funds. I'm not going to have the funds any time in the near future, not even to put him on layaway. I accept this as just being the reality of my situation and understand that if I decide I really want him in the future, I'll have to put away the funds to purchase him secondhand. Soom isn't obligated to have him available if/when I DO have the money, and I'm disinclined to say that they should because otherwise it's 'not fair'. It's perfectly fair, just like limited-editions of every other collectible under the sun. This is a luxury hobby, and the companies creating these items are by no means obligated to cater to people who may or may not have the financial means to purchase a product Right That Very Instant. That's not the most sound of business models. You cater to the customer who has the money NOW, not the customer who maybe might have the money at some indeterminate point in the future. There's nothing unfair about it.

 

I have to admit.. I have a set of limited dolls that were later "re-released" after the manufacturer said they wouldn't. Not only did it depreciate the value for resale but the second run also sold for less. I felt very jipped in all forms of the word. Sure, there's plenty of limited dolls I've found after the fact that I would love to own, but I wouldn't want them re-released because I know how it feels to have a special, unique doll get booted not only in uniqueness but in worth.

 

I don't think limited dolls should be restocked; they are supposed to be limited for a reason. They're supposed to run in very limited quantities, be more expensive and thus, once the original store selling them runs out of stock, they turn into collector's items... Wouldn't be it unfair for collectors who pay high prices to get one of these limited dolls (after they're sold out, I mean) if the original store restock them?

 

While I can understand your frustration, I don't think putting out LE's is unfair--it's just one aspect of the hobby and is common among other collectibles. Sometimes having LEs allows companies to do special things like complex outfits, faceups, different skin tones that they wouldn't be able to offer in large quantities. No one is able to afford everything they would like to have, and it's nothing to get angry about. There are certainly LEs out there that I would love to see released in a standard edition, but it's not something that I get upset over either--it's not the companies' duty to make sure every hobbyist gets every doll they want. There's always going to be the ones that got away