Doll plans turned upside down

This happens all the time to me!

Most recently, I planned to shell 4 guys. The first one fell into my hands--one of my old characters didn't work out so I reuesd the body. I planned to buy a head but couldn't find it, and a different but even better head came free with a doll my sister bought, so he's done. Of the next three, I planned to shell Johnny next, then Jamie, then Vic. Well...a friend was selling a head that was perfect for Jamie, so I went on and bought it. So the plan changed to get Jamie a body, shell Johnny, then Vic. But the hard to get head for Johnny popped up, so I got it instead of Jamie's body. Then I planned to buy all the wigs, eyes, clothes and accessories they'd need, but then a the perfect body for Jamie popped up, so I got that. So now, he'll be finished, I have Johnny's head ordered and he needs a body and I need Vic. Well....as it turns out, Vic's head is only available as a full doll, but the body doesn't work for the character, but it would work for Johnny. So now, the plan is to get that full doll and split it between Vic and Johnny, then get Vic a body. We'll see what happens!

 

I'm sure everyone has been in a similar position at least once! I know I have. I honestly don't even remember which dolls I was wanting at the time because my tastes have changed and I no longer care about the dolls I want impulsively.

I refuse to use layaway because I believe if I'm not able to afford the doll at the time with no trouble, I don't need the doll. It's a doll after all. I don't truly need it. That mindset has probably saved me from a lot of impulsive purchases.

Sure, I've missed out on a few. It wasn't the end of the world! The one I truly wanted most became mine 8 years later anyway. I try to be thankful for what I have and not worry too much about what isn't possible.

 

So many times!! And sometimes not even doll related. Life just likes to exist when you have plans XP
I have not looked at any new dolls in a while and don't really want to, a lot of the dolls I would want are not available anymore and most likely won't ever be, and I just live with it ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯

 

I dunno, it seems like if you’re so willing to set aside your original plans to grab these other dolls instead, are you really that excited for him?

Could be you’re just suffering the pretty new shiny syndrome. A lot of people seem to become afflicted with it (especially newbies to the hobby) and make a rash purchase they later regret. Then they end up selling that doll anyway.

There will always be other dolls. There will always be other chances to get those dolls. Don’t sink yourself into unnecessary debt trying to grab them all at once. Trust me, I speak from experience.

When Souldoll released Chiron years back in gray skin, I knew instantly that the centaur head sculpt would be perfect for a specific character of mine. But I felt the doll itself was too big at the time (plus expensive). So I reluctantly passed and settled on finding a similar sculpt from another company. I did but it never felt quite right to me. It was never him.

Cue ten years later, randomly browsing the marketplace, there’s Centaur Chiron’s head in gray skin up for grabs. And for a good price, too. I instantly bought it. Because I was able to afford him and I now prefer the big dolls and who knows when he’ll pop up again? But there will always be other chances.

 

Oh the angst of juggling several layaways at once! I feel you! This has happened to me several times over the years I’ve been in this hobby, and it can be daunting, I know. But I was always careful not to go beyond what my monthly budget could manage, and in the end I was always happy with the outcome once those precious dolls were finally in my hands. I’ve always kept a cast of characters to be shelled, and I carefully plan out which ones will come next way ahead of time. But sometimes a company will release a limited doll out of the blue that is a perfect unique fit, or perhaps in a special limited fantasy skin tone (I’m looking at you, Luts!) and all my careful plans immediately go up in smoke! So what’s a gal to do? Do what I’ve gotta do, that’s what! From my many years in this hobby, I’ve learned to just go with the flow and follow my instincts. Years down the road, I won’t miss those few extra dollars of spending money or meals out I gave up at the time, or rue the demise of all my careful plans…but I would most certainly miss my perfect character in that special lavender skin tone!

 

Yet another voice for All The Time!! this happens. It's like that old saying about no strategy continuing as planned past the start of the battle.

Within the last few months specifically I've seen pre-orders for limited resin colors, re-released sculpts that haven't been available for 5+ years, and multiple independent doll artists pre-orders that were open for what felt like two weeks at most, and companies announcing last call on some former always-available sculpts. The variety available is so vast and so fast moving. But actually getting the doll or doll things can take months if not a year and that's without anything going wrong. The speed contrast in this hobby is :head explode emoji: Jump for this thing now, now, now and then wait for...?

I've sort of accepted that parts of this hobby will be a balancing act. I have had to get very serious with interrogating my own -Oh Shiny!- impulse to buy another cool doll vs. saving money for specific doll plans. That tension has been doing a pretty good job of keeping my creative thinking and problem solving skills interested and distracted from other life things, oddly enough. I very much understand that that might just be my own situation though. Good luck with your projects and may you find a balance that works for you!

 

That's a good way of going about it! As far as your situation goes, if that is the one doll you're MOST excited about, I think it's worth going with that one. The other ones are on your list too, but are you as excited about getting them? I guess it depends on how much you love the doll. If you do love all of them, and don't want to miss out on the limited release ones, then wait on the other one. Sometimes you can still find discontinued dolls secondhand though, so I wouldn't stress TOO much! You might get lucky!

 

That sounds good! I can definitely relate to the fear of my favorite dolls getting discontinued so I completely get it! It's like my grain going "get them, get them, get them!".

 

Y'know, I am the guy preaching 'budget, budget, BUDGET' in every thread, but simultaneously, I am a terrible planner.

Every year I make the 'Doll Plans' list as a motivation to stick to it, end up buying a bunch of unplanned things, selling things I hadn't planned to sell to pay for those things, and carrying the whole mess over into next year, whereupon I swear to do better. So... New Years Resolutions, right?

This year, I have done better so far. I started by working on paying off layaways. I've made two trades, and mostly stuck to my guns of selling to pay, not to buy new. But, uh... then I found a couple of grails, and heads I wanted. And two old favorites suddenly got re-released. And a doll I didn't think was going to be sold got a limited release. I'm still waiting for the two-to-three preorders I actually planned for to happen, because all of them were tentative. Somewhere along the way, another surprise doll snuck in.

...Terrible.

Part of the problem is choice. Remember when there were, like, five to fifteen companies, and they all scheduled events relatively spaced, except on the big holidays? You don't get that kind of breathing room anymore. There is so much choice and so many artisans that it's a constant stream of event after release after drop with no room for you or your wallet to breathe. It's overwhelming. You would need a many-figure budget to keep up. A small percentage do, but as for the rest of us, we fumble through as best we can.

It also gives you no time to bond. I've sold new dolls like fast fashion, because by the time they get here, I have my eye on something else and I don't want to give up the dolls I know I love, therefore the newest have to go. It's a predatory cycle, and frankly the only thing that keeps me from turning off Instagram tags and not opening the DoA marketplace all together is my wishlist, which is largely composed of discontinued dolls.

This is some of the most ambitious and solid advice I've seen in a long while. Good on you! Layaway is a great enabler... and it can also be a great downfall. Personal experience. I won't be doing much of anything for a while until I get some debt out of the way, a lot of it doll-related. The logic of 'it's just a doll, I don't need it to live or be happy' is something that escapes us in the moment sometimes, and it is oh-so-crucial then, as once the purchase is made, it's up to you to get rid of it later should you need money or not bond. Dolls are easy to bring in, and difficult to send on, given the current state of both economy and hobby.

All that said, being able to look back and say, 'Y'know, I've done better in 2022' is a great feeling. I do think I'm closer right now to staying 'on track' than I have been in a long time. I'm happier with my dolls than I have been at any other point in the hobby, except for those first couple of years. Having dolls that I wanted for years, and newer dolls that better fit my taste does help me impulse-chase less. I'll look at a face I like and say 'Yes, but I have the optimal version', and be happy with my own doll all over again. It also makes letting go of things easier- I'm releasing them to get more attention elsewhere, while holding on to the ones I want to spend more time with.

And along the way, in sneak some unexpected hitch-hikers.

Dolls. What can you do?

 

Years ago I was debating which summer event limited doll I wanted since I didn't have the money for both. And then Fairyland released teaser pics of 2 limited Real Puki fullsets a week before they were available for sale. The morning after they were available to order I bought one, previous debated dolls over-ruled. I don't regret it in the least.

More recently I was waiting on my first MSD order (after years of just tinies) and had decided that all my MSDs would be fashion scale, like her. Then I remembered seeing a winged MSD and went looking for her- Dream Valley's Rosa. She's standard slim mini scale, and was apparently soon to be discontinued. She was also in stock at my favorite U.S. distributor. She was my first MSD home, and I love her and my fashion scale elf. They look like they fit in the same world, even if their heads are different sizes.

As others have doll company releases and events are unpredictable, and frequently overlap. A lot of our plans are likely to have to be revised to fit around their whims and our evolving tastes. Exasperating, but it usually works out in the end.

 

Yup.

But I have come to the realization that with enough time in the hobby it really doesn't matter if a doll is limited or "standard" eventually general hobby tastes will change, or companies will close, etc. All dolls sorta disapear after a while.

So yeah, get the ones that excite you. If that means passing up a short order period for a basic doll or impulse going for the new pretty...either is ok. I try not to guilt myself over what ifs. We only have so much money, or time, or space. So just get the one(s) that make you happy (whithout going broke, of course).

And it really is amazing what you find down the road second hand. Sometimes I will slam my money down because I still love it...and sometimes I'm like, oh, huh. I used to love that. :: tilts head ::
So yeah. Hehe. Who can say.

 

Really and truly the only thing that has ruined my doll plans was realizing that i can't be bothered to spend months saving for 1 doll that would cost more than 1k when i can get one with a the same vibe i intended to execute for more than half. I also know I would regret spending that much money on a doll when I know i will drop more money in the future dressing her and getting her a face up.