Doll research *or* Buying too soon?

I am looking for my first dolls and study about it almost 3 months already but it was many detail ... I fall in love in BJD at my first preview in google... and try to know it much and more but ..It is very hard because if I found the one that I like it sould out (my god) I have to look again.. but now I still thinking about D.O.D from Korea or Dollfie form Japan

*Please help me I need for some advice.... :-(

 

I do agree with you in the sense that I also did a mess of research (like, 2 years' worth) before a doll came into my life. But even still, I think it wasn't enough then. So I also agree with you that it amazes me that someone that just "fell into the hobby" drops close to a $1000 if not more and then are like "what do I do with this?"

In a way, owning a BJD is much like adopting a dog or cat. You have to research first to be sure you want it to be a part of your life and if you are ready to have it. And after you get it, you must have some knowledge to maintain it or else it could easily be fall into neglect.

 

I think I kind of plunged in ever since I got enough money to buy a doll soon after my discovery. I kind of got two dolls that weren't as I expected but then my third one stayed with me forever. Isao Nanjou. Luckily these dolls could be resold if they weren't what you were expecting. But yeah research would have helped a lot.

 

I ended up doing a lot of research looking for a doll that I loved partially accidentally, but because sometimes I didn't understand what some of the websites were saying or what the difference was between the different companies or why Volks was so expensive. I think it's really helped my decision on which doll/what company/size/ fullset/faceup etc. now all that's left is saving up money.... which is going to take forever....

 

I did a lot of research before deciding to buy my first doll but I still feel like the purchase was a bit impulsive since I had never even handled one before. I guess it's really a trial and error type of experience for some. I think that a lot of people have ideas of what they want their dolls to look like and try to accomplish that particular vision in whatever way they know. If someone who's more familiar with a medium such as oil pastels rather than acrylics finds out that it has pretty much damaged their doll I'm sure they've learned a more valuable lesson than scolding could do. I mean, I do agree that it can get annoying if you're basically telling a person the same thing over and over again but in a sense that's what we as a collective are here for: to share our experiences in the hobby, positive and negative, in hopes that it will help someone else who is as equally passionate about their dolls. It's a comparison between those who do what they want when they want and those who take a longer time to commit to any one particular thing. Maybe it's also an issue of how mature one is as well and how willing they are to grasp certain things. Like a parent who tells a child that when the coil on the stove is red it means that it's hot and will burn you if you touch it. Then the child puts a hand there anyway because they are curious of the outcome. Sorry if this is off topic. Hope my schpiel isn't too confusing. But yeah...my two centavos if you will.

 

I'm doing too much research Mostly because I can't afford my doll yet, so instead of getting her, I'm getting knowledge. That, and I'd be scared to death if I had a 500$ toy in my hands without any idea what to avoid not to break her.

 

when I first bought Matt as a MSD, I didnt do any research. He was an impulse buy even though I had been looking around other companies as well. I found one that I liked and could afford (mnf shiwoo). While waiting for him I had plenty of time to research BJD's and learned a lot. I guess I was just lucky enough to have no regrets of what I bought ^_^ I did end up selling him though, because now I know that I like SD's better and I can afford one as well. But I still have no regrets.

 

I know which doll I want and what I want to do to mod him. I don't have the money saved up yet, so I'm prowling the websites and forums to learn more about general dollness. I'm also harassing friends of mine on LJ who have dolls with questions, questions and more questions. Fortunately, they've been very patient with me.

Unless you're ordering a full-set, I can't see how you don't know they come to you lacking clothes/wigs/eyes/face-up/whatever. Every site I've pawed through (and I've been through a lot) clearly states that clothes aren't included.

No doll is on it's way to me yet but I've already trolled through sites to find the eyes and wig I want. I've found those and have moved on to footwear now. After that, I'll switch to clothes (default stuff until I can make him some). Once I've found everything I want/need (and have the money), I'll order that stuff. Most sites have fairly extensive lists of sizes so it shouldn't present too much trouble if you take the time to check that stuff out.

I'm taking my time to check out what I'm getting. I asked around about the company I'm going to be dealing with and browsed the forum for tales from owners of dolls from this company. What I am setting aside to spend on the initial purchase/moding may not be a lot of money to some people, but it's my hard earned cash and I want to make sure I'm getting good value.

 

The minute I stumbled upon the first picture I saw of a BJD, I went crazy with the research, and stayed up all night just researching, back when I thought it would be way too much for me and had no intention of buying one.

I'm still doing research now ;S I've ordered my boy already but just looking at information passes time and I find it interesting and it's good to know what you're getting into as a hobby, so i just do ^^
​

 

I did a lot of research.The first ones I saw on the internet were from SOOM,and I loved them.
But the price was a bit high,so I did some research on BJDs in general and eventually found the one I love.Now,I await her coming home.

 

I think part of the fun of it is the research. One of the things that made me fall in love with the doll is how much custamizing i can do to it. Im still a newbie, but I figure that if i am going to pay $500 plus on the doll, i really need to get some resaerch done.

 

I always do tons of research whenever I find something new that I like. I'm kinda obsessive like that. Whether it's a new band I came across or a doll or anything. I jump into reading everything I can about it. However, there are times that I still need and hands-on approach to really understand what I read. So while I have a lot of knowledge about something, I won't really know how to handle it until it's in my hands.

 

I'm sure this has been said thousands of times by now buuuuuuuutttt.........

I think you deffinately need to do research, espically if you're new to the concept of ABJD's...and probably what needs to be realised the quickest is that they're not oversized barbies. But yes, research definately needs to be done about the type of doll, and even if you're able to, try to talk to some owners of the doll that you're dead set on and see if they know any doll-specific care tips *nods* but obviously, I think reaserch is key to getting the doll that you know you'll be happy with!

 

I am very new to the hobby of BJD's. I do not yet have my first doll, although I have ordered one, but I have been observing a friends' dolls for almost two years, using my experiences with her and her dolls to get the first basic sense of what owning a BJD entailed. Before I bought my boy, I observed and practiced airbrush faceups, and ever since I have come to Den of Angels, I have been researching like mad on what materials are safe, how to modify, how to do basic maintenance, etc. As I like the thought of mods more than standard faces, I feel research is even more critical for me

So, yes, I believe that a certain amount of knowledge is critical! At the bare minimum, enough to know basic maintenance and that your doll comes hairless and nude. The specific questions on modifying can be asked later.

 

I think everyone should know the basics before buying. Learning other things afterwards is okay, but the basic does and don't should be burned into your mind before you even consider getting one.

 

Well, I'm kinda jumping in feet first... I've admired them from afar for years, with the odd spurt of research here and there, but after seeing an AE Yara the other day, I've fallen absolutely head over heels in love, and spent about 16 hours straight reading everything I could get my hands on @.@ Then my boyfriend handed over his credit card and told me she was my anniversary present, as long as I didn't go *too* crazy !!

So I'm planning on ordering in the next day or so, but on also researching my butt off while I wait for her to arrive. Especially since I want to order an AE Yara head, and a DZ body (msd size), so I certainly have some learning to do! I've always been the kind to jump into things though, and since I've been aware of and in love with bjd's for a while already, I think it'll work out juuust fine ^_^

 

I think that it depends on the person and that some people learn different ways but I personally like to know everything(or as close as I can get XD) before I do or buy something. If I'm dropping 600 bucks for a doll I'm not going to go make a mistake and ruin it by using a sharpie on its face. Especially when information is so readily available. It only takes a few seconds to find out what not to use on your doll and how to handle them so I don't see what the point of making a preventable mistake is when you could have taken a small portion of time to NOT do it. I get that we learn from our mistakes but...urgh. It just annoys me when it's so easy to find info and then people don't even bother and then say "omg why did this happen?" ^^; That probably sounds quite angry but it irritates me to no end.

 

When I first joined the site last year, I knew nothing about the dolls. I looked around and put it aside when things got busy again. I did start to read more, though, later.

At first, I was just going to jump right into it, buy a doll and then do who knows what with it. XD Then, as I've been reading through and learning more.. The fact that you can customize how the doll looks appeals to me more. I want to learn to do faceups for my dolls. It's exciting that you can do that... Now I just got to save up as well...

I think with some people, if you don't do the research, you'd get bored with it right away and blow off a lot of money. If you're not interested in anything creative, it seems like there's no real POINT to owning a BJD. At least, that's what I've noticed. And, by being creative.. I don't just mean doing your own faceups, etc. But, even getting dressed is like being creative. Those with no sense of color/sense of what looks good together tend not to be the best dressed themselves. -.- My boyfriend can't dress himself without looking completely and utterly boring...

But, that's my own opinion of what I've noticed from hanging around and reading.

 

I just up and bought my doll: a Pipos Baha from JunkySpot; not all dolls come without faceups or eyes. It was the most adorable and amazing thing I had ever seen, and my husband had just received his residential school settlement and saw how charmed I was by it and offered to buy it for me.

From there, I learned as I went. I have enough experience with art supplies that I didn't need to be told oils and resin didn't mix, and it boggles my little mind that anyone would need to be told this.

I could see just by looking at the dolls that their faces were done with acrylics and airbrush. It was a lovely thing to discover from the boards that pastels and watercolour pencil were a viable alternative, because I'm a bit -meh- about trying my (very rusty) airbrush skills on a doll. MSC was also a revelation - I had used Testors Dullcote (hatehatehate it!!) and other Gunze products before, but this wonder had eluded me.

If I feel the need for information, I know how to seek it out. But I also think too *much* information can be a bad thing, too. My mom is a quilter, and she often says she thinks she was much better at it before she learned anything much - in quilting, like bjd, there are a *lot* of conventional wisdoms that aren't necessarily true. I don't need a pattern to sew a t-shirt, I don't need a recipe to bake a cake, and I sure as shamrocks don't need a little board with numbered outlines on it to paint a picture.

One of my first 'board' experiences was asking about the possibility of using pure mineral cosmetics for faceups...well! You should have seen the fulmination that poured forth on that subject! What immediately became evident to me was that everyone who was so eager to jump in with the traditional wisdom didn't know what pure minerals were about - they clearly thot I was talking about Maybelleine crap, not stuff that is absolutely oil-free and several notches uptown from Chanel and Dior. So I gave it up as a lost cause, and picked up some Rembrandts and Schminkes...always wanted some anyway, and -bonus!- my favorite supply seller had nice box sets on special.

...then just this last week I saw a post from one of the people who came down on me hardest for my little 'n00b' question saying pure minerals were okay if they were high-quality

 

I have my first doll coming in, he should be hear in October. I've known about BJDs for a while and have wanted one, and now that I have one coming on the way, I'm using the time before he gets here to learn all that I didn't know before! and its alot. I personally don't want to get into doing faceups much myself so i still haven't looked into that too much, but everything else is just as equally important to learn (like how to string it, change eyes, what to USE to stick eyes in, wigs, tension, etc) I'm not scared away and dont regret buying it, because I knew that I was getting into a pretty expensive hobby. I just didnt realize how time consuming it would be! but its ok.