Doll Company Photos, What Makes You Nervous?

Have you ever bought a doll that only had company photos available, such as limiteds, new sculpts, or unpopular/overlooked dolls?

- Yes. My HappyDoll Aidan is one such rare (unpopular?) doll. I bought him in 2003, before HappyDoll changed all their dolls for the first time. I only ever saw one other Aidan on DOA and one on a Japanese site. So I bought him strickly based on the photos from their website, since nobody else had one.

- I also bought my AngelRegion Glory Angel Ren Girl before seeing owners' photos. It was a limited edition that I caught on ebay as I missed the original sale.

- I did the same thing with a Sharmin limited edition but I ended up selling that doll when I realized I couldn't bound with her.


If so, was the doll what you expected?

- Sariel (HappyDoll Aidan) was exactly what I expected. He was my first doll too, so I was excited and anxious to get him. I was a bit surprised at his size in the begining, but I wouldn't trade him for the world. He is still my favourite doll as today.

- Nadenka (AngelRegion Glory Angel Ren Girl) was also just as I imagined her to be from the pictures, so I was pretty lucky.

- In conclusion the only time I ended up with a miss was with my Sharmin. The photos didn't show some of the details on her face that I did not really liked, so I ended up selling her to someone on DOA who offered her a better home.


Do you find it exciting or nerve-wracking to be one of the first to order a new/unpopular sculpt?

- Both actually. I was brand new to the hobby when I ordered my Sariel and I certainly enjoyed the adventure!


Any advice for taking the plunge?

- This could be your dream doll so I say go for it! You can always sell the doll later if you really can't bound with him/her, so it will never be a total loss.

 

I want to see the face!! Don't hide it behind a wig or have a faceup or do only a couple of angles. I want front, side and 3/4 shots. Only one angle can hide a lot of things. Some dolls are really pretty straight ahead, but really ugly from the side. Sometimes, yo can't tell a doll has that "mashed" face look from the front.

I know some want to see better default faceup pix, but I'm the opposite. it's VERY rare that I actually like and want to keep a default faceup. Of the 22 dolls/heads I own, only 3 have a default faceup, and I'm considering wiping them all. I want to see the blank head to see if I can do what I envisioned with it. Faceups often hide that.

and...I think most everyone would agree to not covering their faces with a wig. Bobobie Tony comes to mind. I couldn't even SEE what his face looked like, it's like buying a toy in a blind box!

Also, clear pix! As others have mentioned, BBB/RS pix are horrible. I am no professional photographer by any means, but I could take better pix with a cellphone at night than some of those. Tiah, for example. Looks awful. I thought she was a hideous doll, until I saw owner pix. That's not a popular doll, either, it seems, as I didn't even find owner pix until about 3 years after I first saw company pix. I guess other people felt the same way. I think a lot of dolls with good potential get overlooked due to bad pix and wigs in faces.

 

Have you ever bought a doll that only had company photos available, such as limiteds, new sculpts, or unpopular/overlooked dolls?

Serendipity - Alice
DIM - R-ASIAM
Luts - ZuZu Delf Udon Stall
Peakswood - Lottie
Volks - SDGr Lorina

If so, was the doll what you expected?
Except for my Zuzu Delf, yes! I don't know, but I thought he would be a bit skinnier, with longer ears.

Do you find it exciting or nerve-wracking to be one of the first to order a new/unpopular sculpt?
Absolutely not! I'd like to do it more often.

Any advice for taking the plunge?
Avoid to buy on impulse. It's rarely ever a good idea. Sleep over it (and if you don't have to decide quickly) sleep some more nights over it. I'd rather miss a chance to buy a doll instead of ending up with a purchase that I regret. Maybe my strategy isn't so bad, because I collect these dolls since 2005 and I was never seduced to sell one of them.

 

Have you ever bought a doll that only had company photos available, such as limiteds, new sculpts, or unpopular/overlooked dolls?
Yes. I've been the first person to get several of my dolls so there just wasn't anything other than the company photos. I tend to know what dolls I want to be the my original characters right away. It's just a matter of them coming out.
Let's see.. I'd say DreamingDoll Airi, Resinsoul Rong, Withdoll Jude, and Resinsoul Wu are all of the ones I either got or ordered before anyone even had one come in. I was still the only Withdoll Jude owner last I checked. I went about four months being the only Resinsoul Rong owner on here.

If so, was the doll what you expected?
I've had great luck. They've all looked as good, if not better, than the company pictures.

Do you find it exciting or nerve-wracking to be one of the first to order a new/unpopular sculpt?
I find it exciting. A lot of people ask me questions about them and I'm glad to answer. It's kind of cool to have something unique. I don't think you're bogged down by ideas of what that doll is suppose to be like because there's not examples around.

Any advice for taking the plunge?
If you love the doll and know who it is, get it. If you're not sure, don't. It's not good to make a buy you'll regret later, but not having any other examples shouldn't be the single factor to stop you.

 

I agree with you all about showing the dolls from one angle only and at the most flattering angles. I have found that, if the company sells its own wigs or clothing, like Dollmore, I can search those departments on the site to look for additional pictures of the doll I'm considering. Sometimes, you can get different angles on the face and body that way. It gives you a little more to go on. But, that doesn't help all the problems.

 

Have you ever bought a doll that only had company photos available, such as limiteds, new sculpts, or unpopular/overlooked dolls?

Yes, lots of them! All of the above! I tend to chase a lot of LEs (Volks, Iplehouse, Soom), so most of the time, I have company photos + faith to go on. The same when it comes to small-studio artisan dolls (DD-Anne, Limhwa). I am also an Early Adopter type; with any company big or small, I will often happily go for a new sculpt/body-type for which there are no other owner-pics for reference.

If so, was the doll what you expected?

Yes, I've rarely had a problem with any doll not being what was promised on the sales page. Maybe it's been the luck of the draw, re the companies I'm shopping at-- but I found that sales photos DO show pretty much what you're getting.

There was only 1 time when one of my Iplehouse LEs had a totally different set of eyebrows than what was shown on the website; turns out they had just gone through some HR hassle, with their old painter quitting & the new painter starting work rather suddenly. The faceup was otherwise exactly as pictured. I just had the eyebrows changed and now he is perfect.

Do you find it exciting or nerve-wracking to be one of the first to order a new/unpopular sculpt?

Exciting! I think it's a baked-in personality type-- either you're an Early Adopter, or you're not. Some people are just extremely uncomfortable being first in line for anything, & prefer to let others discover the risks first; and others are willing to jump in headlong and discover the pros & cons of a brand-new product.

If it's a new sculpt, body-type, or resin-color that a lot of people are curious about, I like taking lots of expo pictures to show everything off & show how it works. It's fun to share one's journey of discovery-- and it also serves to help later buyers, who'd like to take a tour first. My Akando's arrival-and-expo thread still occasionally gets revived 3 years later, by people who're nervous about buying their first EID and want to see what they're getting into. ^^

Any advice for taking the plunge?

1. Fortune favors the bold.
2. You'll know the right doll when you see it, because your gut will tell you.
3. Shop hard and carpe diem!

 

Have you ever bought a doll that only had company photos available, such as limiteds, new sculpts, or unpopular/overlooked dolls?

Yes, constantly.

If so, was the doll what you expected?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Sometimes it turned out better, sometimes worse. Often a faceup and a change of clothes is enough to bring it round though.

Do you find it exciting or nerve-wracking to be one of the first to order a new/unpopular sculpt?

I would far far rather be able to see user pics before buying, but if it means paying $500 markup... yeah, I'll go ahead and buy one even if I don't care for the photos or the photos aren't as complete as I'd like.

Any advice for taking the plunge?

If you have the ability and it is a limited, go for it. It's rare that you won't be able to re-sell for what you paid. So many dolls I've had to hold in my hands (or at least see at a meet) before I could determine if they were right for me or not. It's one of my favorite reasons for going to meets. I was never much fond of Soom dolls before I saw them in person. And I have /so/ many times had to pay outrageous prices on the secondary market when I decided I was absolutely in love (Miruku, anyone?) once I saw user photos. So, when in doubt, if my bank account and I can come to terms, I'll get it when it first comes out if possible. I've found it's often much easier to sell later than to buy later.

 

Have you ever bought a doll that only had company photos available, such as limiteds, new sculpts, or unpopular/overlooked dolls?

Yes. I bought LoongSoul LuoYue. I also got IH Dexter.

If so, was the doll what you expected?

Yes, she is beautiful! & Dexter, well, he's incredible - love Iplehouse.

Do you find it exciting or nerve-wracking to be one of the first to order a new/unpopular sculpt?

I'm a bit indifferent - I do research on the company's other dolls, here & elsewhere, to offset the fact that this particular doll has no owner pics.

Any advice for taking the plunge?

Research.

 

I hate it too when company just take picture in one pose >.<
I haven't got a limited doll yet but I hate it more when company Do Not Have Blank Head/Body Sculpt Pictures!

I like to look at blank dolls, so that I can see how I can work with them and if I actually like them. If they have heavy faceup or clothing on, I have difficulty deciding if I want the doll.

How does the body looks? How well do it pose?
Do I just like their faceup or do I actually like the doll itself?

Sometimes you can find blank head sculpt posted by other owners, but not a lot of people would post picture of their blank doll and if it's a limited doll, good luck!

 

The only thing that worries me is not being able to compare one doll to another, and that one could get one doll that looks "fat headed" compared to their other dolls

I think they need more items/ sizes to reference to

 

The most worrying thing to me is when they only have one picture of the doll.
There are a lot of little things I could go on a rant about, but that's what scares me more than anything. I considered buying a doll from Bobobie, but the site only had one picture of her and it was small and not very good quality. She looks like a lovely doll, but I'd want to see her posing and larger images of her faceup and body. In general, when the pictures are small and it's hard to see the doll it scares me. I mean, if there were nothing to hide, wouldn't they want to show nice large photos to try to get people to buy the doll?

 

OMG I completely understand lol

They make them look so good and flexible D: I can think of at least 2 of my dolls falling short of their awesome pictures.

From now on, before I buy a doll. I check for "real" pictures via the database. Or if it's a new, I'll calm down and really inspect the pictures. Take the time to think about how I will actually dress the doll. I bought a doll and the clothes from the example pic, she wasn't the same :/

 

I was worried purchasing my first dolls. .theyre BBB/RS. The photos on those sites are just dreadful, and yet, I find the sculpts to be rather gorgeous in person. In fact, when showing people I know my Lian compared to the photos on the site, they seldom believe its the same girl. That was my first Bjd, my favorite to this date and. . . The least appealing looking as far as the site photos go. It's shocking!

 

I bought PWs FOC Lavin as my first doll. She is absolutely beautiful and I fell in love with her from the moment I saw her on their website.
I was really nervous because I have a friend who owns two PW FOC (Goldie and WU Lottie), and their eyebrows unsettled me a little, they look very sad or intimidated, which was not the case with Lavin since she is wearing a wig wth bangs on the page.
THIS really unsettled me, because I loves the indifference in her face but I knew this would not be the case when I got her a wig without bangs.

The problem with her is that she is a new doll so I had trouble finding owner pics of her. I found some which were lovely and I bought her anyway.
She looks a little scared or shy sometimes, but I learned to like it, and not it doesn't bother me anymore.

It bothers me when companies does this; covering the doll up with hair, clothes and such.
And when you can't see the body properly. And when they only have one photoshoot with one look for the doll.

 

the blank face (most companies didn't give them even when we ask) and the 'real' doll not the 'edited doll' also the 'detail' of the face ~
many company using bright lighting making the doll detail is hardly impossible to see by bare eyes ~

 

I hate it when companies don't show multiple angles of the face and body. I HAVE TO SEE NOSES FROM THE SIDE!!!

 

I agree with you. I wish they'd have more photos of the doll naked and bald from different angles. I get super distracted by the clothes and wigs, and the beyond perfect touched-up photos.. gah!
I'd like more casual ones, but I guess those don't sell dolls.

 

When they don't show the body undressed. I believe it was quite shoking to some to discover the first run of DIM Marianne has big boobs and wide hips when the shots on most sites focus on her childish face and shes dressed in what looked like childs clothing.

I also don't like when they only show artsy modified images. One or 2 art shots is great but multiple and no full body images is ridiculous. I feel like emailing them to say "yeah you can use photoshop, good for you but can we please see the doll now?"

 

The doll that I am currently looking into getting as my first doll also scared me with the pictures. I never noticed the ears of the doll since her hair and hat kept them covered. I never even though about the ears of the doll untill I was told by a friends that the doll's ears were no in line iwth eachother. It really amde me question getting the doll. Luckily I found out here that the mistake had been taken care of and the scuplts ears now matched up.

I suggest also looking at the company photos of just the head and body type. They generally bare all in those photos making it perfect to see any flaws.

 

Yep, that really bugs me too, and it's not only Souldoll that does that. I've never bought one of their dolls since the owner pics I see rarely look as good as their promo pics and the symmetry issue is worrisome. They have really nice outfits though Also, blurry, out of focus artsy mood phots may be lovely to look at but I really want to see what I'm buying.

Oasis Doll does a fantastic job of showcasing their dolls in gorgeous high res images that show their dolls very well. Lots of pictures, large closeups and different poses--even does comparison pics. I'm a Sarina fan--my favorite BJD artist.