Do you try to order within your own country?

The only benefit for purchasing within my own country would be shipping charges. I've had pleasant experiences purchasing both within my own country and internationally. Commissioning faceups are the only exception where I would prefer to ship it back and forth within my own country because I want to minimize damage or loss as much as possible since most of my heads are limited, and there are many lovely faceup artists in my country.

 

Buying dolls where I live (Italy) is practically impossible, unless you're lucky enough to find one for sale secondhand. Gladly there's a new dealer that is in Italy now, even though they sell from just a few companies. ^_^ Regarding clothes, there's a few people that sell them that live here. But when I have to buy something I don't really mind where it comes from (I do mind if it's from Europe, though :'').

 

I try to make purchases from stores in the United States, but if a seller in another country is reputable, has good prices, and stocks unique items of good quality, I don't mind ordering from foreign stores. Ordering things from Japan is particularly exciting for me because I'm learning the language I think it's good to support businesses in your own country but I also think there's something to be said for giving your business to good companies in general.

 

My honest answer is I buy what I like from where ever it is. My main issues are that being in Canada there aren't too many options except purchasing from another country. I make my own doll clothes but I love to have lots of shoes and wig options on hand.

One major issue is customs and duty. The only country so far that I get charged customs and duty fees is the US so I tend to stay away from purchasing from there unless I absolutely have to have it. If the items are under $100 (no fees then) but there is still the issue of our Canadian dollar being so low against the US dollar.

I've purchased from all over the world and the only problems I've come across are slow shipping. If it's free shipping that's nice on one hand but the other hand it takes forever to get here. I don't mind paying the shipping costs as long as the item gets here fairly fast and in one piece. I wish there was a company like MoC or DDE in Canada, there used to be one in but they closed.

 

Yes, but it's mostly to cut down on shipping and costs. If I can't find it in the US, then I feel free to search elsewhere. I find that the majority of stuff is more accessible in Asia so my purchase is more based on what I like than where it's from. I'm always terrified that something will get lost though!

 

*laughs as I imagine trying to buy in South Africa* Impossible.
Okay, but since I'll be in Finland soon, I just try order in Europe, never mind in Finland. It would get rid of that 28% tax from buying outside of Europe, and that darn doll tax.
But since I'm unaware of other EU sellers (I only know of OctarineDolls), someone PLEASE tell me of others in Europe.

 

Yes, but really only for shipping costs. And if I'm buying secondhand, it's easier on the seller if they, too, live in the US.

 

It would be wonderful to order within my own country, but I don't think there are any doll or doll accessory companies in Canada?! Correct me if I am wrong anyone.....

 

From what I've read so far, it seems like most places that sell BJD's or their accessories are from other countries! I live in Australia and I would really like to be able to purchase things from Australia, but the things available from here seem to be a little more limited than from stores overseas.

 

we have I think 2 stockists of dolls in the UK, neither of which hold stock and I worked out it's actually usually about the same price to just order direct from the company. Only concern is customs. Now, with some companies they mark their parcels down (naughty) which means no customs fees but others don't, so if it's a company you know marks down i'll order direct or if it's a complicated order, but if it's something where there will be import fees i'll try to order from within the uk. But, of course, ordering within the Uk also increases wait time as it has to be made, then go to the dealer, then be reshipped adding more time onto the agonising wait. I'm impatient.

With clothing, I try to make a fair bit but i'm not a great seamstress. I tend to use Etsy which supports small businesses but the could be anywhere in the world. Lyric's stuff I think came from Sweden. Nhar's all the way from NZ. I had their weapons made by an american lady and Arthur's costume was from Poland. Boots have come from China, wigs from all over the world. I even have a needle felted wolf companion who travelled all the way from Australia.
I do like supporting artists, but the choice here in the UK is pretty dang limited. If I can't find what I want here (to save shipping) then i'll search abroad.

I do wish we had more options over here but we really just don't.
There's a great deal of stuff that quite simply isn't available to buy within the country, so we have no choice. If you want it, you have to import it. Not just bjd stuff, a lot of playline dolls aren't released here either, as well as certain collectables from japan/china and so on. It's really really frustrating, but even our big collectable stores just don't seem to get this stuff in when you'd think they would (like why doesn't forbidden planet stock Alpaccaso when they were so hugely popular? why don't they stock living dead dolls IN store anymore? Who the heck know!)

I'd love to be able to go into a store and buy stuff, but it's just not a thing over here.

 

The doll community in my country is really small. I used to look around in the doll forum in my country for 2nd hand items but the forum has been dead for some years now. And in recent years, there is a 2nd hand goods resale app and I started to shop there where I can find local doll owners who are selling 2nd hand items. I even got to sell some of my doll stuffs in that platform.

Sometimes, I will look into Taobao and Etsy for nice items for my dolls. To me, there is no boundary as long they are genuine and nice.

 

I do only for the sake of cheaper, and faster shipping. I'm a very impatient person when it comes to gifts and goodies, so getting it to me asap is pretty high on my list.

 

I would definitely buy locally if it was at all possible. I always try to support local business as much as possible with any of my hobbies. Now that I have begun to look at Ball Jointed Dolls as a hobby I want to get into, I have discovered to my dismay that there is like zero local market. No dolls, not even really second hand that I can see, no clothes, wigs etc. I think I would have to do some serious digging to find anyone locally.

Hmmm, maybe I should start a local accessories market? Haha, if only. Maybe 5 years from now.

Ah the joyful frustrations of South Africa…

 

For second-hand stuff, I like seeing what the others in our local doll group has first. Then, I would look for sellers within Canada, to save on shipping and fees. Then if I cannot find what I want within our borders, then I will buy from whomever is reputable selling the item I want at a decent price outside of 'em.

For new stuff, I like buying from the doll companies themselves--nowadays anyhoo... There used to be a really good Canadian reseller, Featherfall, and I have bought a lot of dolls and items through them. I'd have to wait for the dolls to be shipped to them before they would come to me, but the shipping costs were really good and their customer service was excellent and there was NO CUSTOMS CHARGE. There have been other Canadian resellers since but, to be honest, I wasn't interested in what they carried. I keep looking first for Canadian resellers, then go overseas, because the customs cost of dolls from the US is usually mind-boggling. But I have no problem going through US sellers if they have what I am looking for at a good price.

 

i try but i always but i always break down and order from another country

 

i did try looking at it but as much as i would like to order to them, it just won't work 'cause they only have limited dolls that they offer and unfortunately my doll plans are not among them.

 

Most of the the time I try to order within the US due to shipping cost. I also have a lot of doll stores not in the US that I buy mostly clothing and accessories from.

 

For secondhand items, I do try to order from my country. For once, there's a shorter waiting period; and two, I'd like to think there's less of chance of it getting lost haha. As for new items, it really doesn't matter which country it comes from as long as it's what I'm looking for.

 

I mostly buy dolls second hand, and I have to say that if the seller is in the UK (or a reasonably close European country) it is a big selling point for me! It just cuts the price down so much not to have to pay huge shipping fees, and there's a much lower risk of it getting lost or damaged.

Plus the wait time is so much less - in fact my last doll was bought from a seller on ebay who turned out to live so close to me she actually drove her over and I had her within the hour! This is one of the benefits to living in a tiny country

But yeah, a seller in the UK can tip me into buying a doll I otherwise would have waited on, because I think - I could find the doll again, but so close?? Haha

 

As far as possible. I try to buy in Europe, especially for shipping costs and to avoid customs. But in the end, if I see something I like, I order it wherever it is.