Does anyone else plan far ahead?

I find planning that far out to be difficult, since many of my current long term goals are "if this doll that has been discontinued for years appears on the Marketplace, buy it", and "when you have time to take a doll to the post office, commission someone to give it a faceup", which aren't really things I can plan on happening before they happen. I do have an outfit I'm slowly working on making, but for everything else... if I see the right kind of wig for one of my dolls, I will buy it. Otherwise, I will not.

 

I've got a wishlist about as long as my arm, most of which already have characters so no I don't think it's crazy to plan that far ahead lol. I have a lot of plans for this year too, I want to finish at least one of my doll, some of which I've had for almost 2 years now and haven't finished ^^;

My Dollshe David Kuncci needs his wig finished, a good set of grey eyes, and his tattoos and faceup done so hopefully this year will finally mark his completion

 

I am not good at long term planning (far too impatient for that!) but I do now have one long term plan for one doll I'm in no hurry to complete. I want to take my time and enjoy the process of him coming together whereas I'm normally in a hurry to complete characters. I think it's because while I have a clear plan for him he doesn't fit with my other dolls so I don't feel like he needs to be complete to be with them or something. I also have a couple of vague plans, sort of like one day I'll get these sculpts but it's not got any time line to it.

 

I think it all depends on how easily you change those plans. I find trying to plan more than 4-6 months out really hard because I am a ficle creature and inevitably something is going to come up and spark my interest during the down time and I'll have to re-shuffle. But I do try!

 

I find it hard to plan that far out, mostly because I tend to rotate dolls in and out often. A doll I really really want right now might be sold before the end of the year. I'm a fickle doll owner, and I tend to get overwhelmed and stressed out if I have more than 15 dolls at a time, so I often will sell a few to get a few new ones. My plans are usually: Don't buy any more dolls! And then that changes as soon as I sell one or create a new character...

That being said, I have planned years in advance, usually for babies to "grow up". When one of my dolls gets a new baby, I generally plan sculpts for that baby through out the years, from YoSD to MSD to SD. But...since I do change it up so much, I've only had one who actually made it to SD, I usually lose interest before they outgrow YoSD.

 

I do try to plan which dolls from my wishlist I will be hoping to buying this year and then which ones I'll leave until next year - however I did this last year and it didn't work out the way I planned because of unexpected news from companies such as dolls being discontinued or releasing limited dolls and having to make financial space for them while I had the chance.
With doll chateau discontinuing so many dolls in March it looks like it's all set to be the same this year.
So I'll continue to plan but be prepared in case something comes up (both inside the hobby and out).

 

I have a "dolls I want to get in the next 5 years" list, a "dolls this year" list, and a "discontinued dolls must get" list. And I update them all the time. I have yet to stick to them though. Life gets in the way a lot and if something important comes up anything I have saved for the dolls goes towards the other needs. But I love making the lists and plans so I don't really think of them as strict plans to adhere too, so much as wishful thinking lists.

 

I have a list of "ideas" that I would love to turn into dolls. Do my research and plan them out extensively as well. The wrench thrown in this plan is when a doll I want gets discontinued and so i have to make a quick decision on to either get said doll or to miss the opportunity to have a doll that I've set my heart on.

It depends on what's going on in my life and I almost always use layaway (because it can be a saving grace at times).

However all but 2 of my dolls are limited or discontinued sculpts (and the 2 dolls that can still be purchased as of right now are both not so popular Impldoll sculpts).

 

I've planned long term. For my girl, it took two years to get her body. But I've also had many unexpected things pop up, mostly deals for sculpts I've been wanting, discontinued sculpts appearing on the marketplace, limited artist preorders, etc, etc. Usually I've been wanting that doll or something like it for a while, but I get pushed to buy it at an unexpected time. At this point I try to always have some money saved up, just in case.

 

I guess I plan long term because my wishlist is very specific? (ONLY dolls I have characters for that fit in my CURRENT stories and no others) so technically.... everything is planned for way in advance?

 

I make plans, but they end up taking a long time to execute even if I did not intend for that to be the case. I refuse to go into debt (that includes even touching my financial safety net) for dolls or any pastime. That invokes a level of stress and cognitive dissonance with which I for one could not function.

On the other hand, I had intentionally long term plans too: dolls I had specifically saved a large sum for, communicated my intent to buy with the maker, but.. fate had other plans. It can be deeply disappointing when something you have worked/hoped/saved a long time toward and had your heart set on falls through. My last couple years in the hobby have been rife with rude awakenings.

This year I’m trying to be more flexible (mentally) and reduce my collection/investment in dolls. It’s difficult, but it’s time to consider that.

 

I do make plans, but they tend to change far too often and are completely different by the end of the year. It does help me set my priorities, but even those differ depending on my tastes.

 

Honestly, I usually plan my dolly purchases a good long while, prior to the obtaining. Namely the money saving portions. Back in 2014, someone had given me a hundred dollars to spend at a big massive doll meet in the area. I spent about 50 dollars and pocketed the rest and eyed what doll I wanted on the dealer site and what type of things I wanted for them. I waited until just after Christmas to buy it because I had excess cash.

Then when I got my Resinsoul Bei and SUmmer they were both about a year in planning before getting. Bei, was a Christmas gift so she was bought by my mother in layaway via the company and Summer was saving up all year and using the excess cash after Christmas to buy him.

 

Yes, I've done that. I've always kept it flexible so I can accommodate dolls popping up for sale or the perfect head for a character going on pre-order for only two weeks and things like that. My current plans are only 4 months long, but I'm also near to having all of my characters shelled which means my doll purchases will likely diminish. That just means I'll have more money to buy things for them.

 

I have my next 8 dolls planned out, and since funds are very limited...its probably going to be years before i can get them all.

 

I have a rather long list of dolls I would like to own so I like to have plans made. I have the next 3 years planned for the most part. For 2021 I plan to save up for one doll, a Conarium Lilith which is a very pricey doll but I want her so bad. I saved the dolls that are easier to come by for last since I plan to get the rarer and artists dolls first.

 

Naah, only did when I found out DollsTown was discontinuing more heads. Otherwise, no planning whatshowever.

 

I don't make doll plans at all. I just wait and see what crosses my path...