Doll research *or* Buying too soon?

I think that if it wasn't for my lack of money in the begining, I would've just took the quick plunge and bought a doll. Seeing as I was held back for, say four months or so from even having enough money to even poke a bjd, I did something smart for once and researched ;D I looked at what they were made of, what kind of perils I would have to save them from, and why they were so much. In the end, I believe that research was what had saved my dear Lessliandra from iminent death with me xD I guess that Haizyen was sort of an impulse buy, seeing as I had the money and there was a discount on ebay until midnight that night xD

but seriouslies, guys. research. it may just save your precious dollie from sharpies and other perils ;D

 

My friend just told me to look up a website (DOD), and I totally fell in love. But the prices kind of scared me... I thought, "Oh, I'll never get one of those." A month or so later, I was browsing ebay, and I found brands like Abio Angel and those sold by jeryeema (didn't spell that right, but I think you can tell who I'm talking about. Sorry to the seller), that were a lot cheaper than the ones on the sights. So I began looking things up and doing research, and the dolls just became more and more appealing.
Eventually, I thought I couldn't live without one! So extreme, but who didn't think that when buying their first? So I sold crap to get money and wha la! My boy is here. My only mistake was not looking up the bad things about BJD's, like recasts and illegal copies
But if I hadn't done the research, I know I would have just ripped him out of the box with bare, oily fingers and stained his resin, or I would have smeared his face up! That is the only thing you'd have to be worried about when not doing any research; screwing up your doll.

 

I stumbled upon BJDs when I was living in the UK in 2003. But when I got back to Canada there wasn't much I could find about them, so I forgot about them until about a year ago when one of my vintage doll collecting friends showed me one she had bought. I'm old enough to remember the Dollikins (really an early BJD type doll as it had 16 posable joints and was 19 inches tall) and I thought it would be an interesting item to add to my doll collection.
Here it is a year later and I'm hooked!! I really have to love the way a doll looks before "plunging" right in. Usually I see a sculpt or type of doll I like, do a little research to see what clothes are available, what others have to say about the design, make sure there isn't something better being put out the next day (LOL!) and then I jump . . .
It can also help if you're a bit impulsive to stick to the secondary market for a while. Sure you're still spending, but it might not be as much.

 

I got into the doll hobby in 2006 and it was by complete accident. I didn't know anything about them and though that they were really pretty and just looked at some picutres and that was about it. I didn't do any research on them. I found a picture of a CP Shiwoo and bought him. Then after I paid I was worried that the person wouldn't send him to me.

After I got him and took him out the box I decided that I should probably do a little research about theses dolls before I do anything stupid and mess him up. I was fortunate that I got someone who was honest and send my doll.

Now new people coming into the hobby have to be carefully because of all the scammers and scalpers. And always shop around for a good deal. I've gotten all of my dolls, except my Shiwoo under market value. I purchased a Volks Williams for $800 dollars back in 2007.

 

I haven't gotten my dolls in yet. I am now in information learning overload at the moment. I'm researching everything and ordering many maintenance tools for the dolls. I keep feeling like I don't know enough or I worry that I don't know enough information. I keep hoping I've soaked up enough information to take care of these dolls. I know deep down that I have but I keep wanting to learn and know more just so I can take care of the dolls in the best possible way since they are a pretty big expense.

I've known about these dolls for awhile and did a bit of research on them awhile ago. I just didn't see any I was interested in (I only knew of the Volks site at that point).

It's only until recently I've seen so many amazing and beautiful dolls that I wanted to buy one. I made sure to do proper research. When I saw the price I knew there had to be more to learn.

I just don't want to jump into something that is expensive without knowing if it requires alot of work, etc...

 

I did quite a bit of research before buying my doll - wikipedia, google, FAQs on dA ... I found out what BJDs were, and some reputable companies. However, when I saw my first doll on the Soom website, all logical thought went out the window. I HAD to have her. I never bothered to research the doll itself (although I did later).

 

I leapt into buying my first doll, and almost literally bought the first doll I saw (not ACTUALLY the first, but virtually almost). I knew very little about the hobby, other than you could take their hair and the tops of their heads off and change their eyes. I always wanted to see the elastic inside like their curlybrains :3

Suffice-it to say I sold him after only owning him a few months (less than 12) but had in the meantime learned a whole lot more and bought a couple more dolls. The second was the second doll I really liked, and again I didn't put much thought into it. However, instead of waiting and making sure I liked the first one, and seeing ownerpics etc I just leapt in and bought him. But unfortunately, (or fortunately!) I couldn't do that with my Vera - I had to wait, and be patient, and save save SAVE.

Now I've been in the hobby about 18 months (inorite, such a noob XD) and I just keep absorbing as much information as I can! I've learned to re-string, which I can now confidently do alone (after all my whining that I thought I'd never do it, all those people who said it was dead easy once you try were so right!!) and I'm hoping to move into making my own clothes and even trying to learn to paint faceups again. I've realised that I don't have to be professional-grade from the get go!

I think if I'd spent ages trying to learn it all before I got a doll I would have very swiftly lost interest in the hobby and probably would never have gotten one at all. But because I allowed myself to jump in at the deep end I was able to do the research with a doll 'in hand'. I think that was a better way for me. Being able to look over at the gorgeous little thing sat beside me made me more determined to learn all I could about BJDs so I didn't harm him - and now he's with a wonderful family in the US so it all worked out really well for me ^_^ Yes, he was sort of like a 'test' doll for me, but through him I've gained a really good friend, and a lot of knowledge that I would otherwise have not had the patience to learn. Plus, I've got Paige now, who I LOVE ^_^

I've found so far that as long as you have at least some degree of common sense, and aren't afraid to ask questions if you're not certain (since we were all newbs once! yes some people act as if they were born with this knowledge, but they weren't! ) because I believe that 99% of the doll community are happy to help new members learn as I'm sure older members helped them in turn I love to explain about BJDs to people who don't understand what they are, or what to do with them, or anything else, because so many people had the patience to answer all my panicky questions when I got my first doll ^_^ Coming up on 5 now, and I wouldn't look back for the world - jumping into this headfirst was the best thing I could have done.

I don't know if I really added to the debate, sorry... ^_^;; I have a tendency to ramble and go off at a tangent >.> So sorry if I did

 

Well, last month, after having been seriously interested in BJDs for about... two to three months? I asked my parents about buying one, and they kinda shot me down. They told me to learn more about it first. Then, after some hesitation, I got up the guts to join DoA. Hopefully, over the next few months, I'll learn all I need to know (and earn enough money) to convince my parents that I'm worthy of a doll.

 

I first saw a bjd photo when I was 12 or so, but only figured out how to get them when I was 14 or so, and subsequently joined DOA. I did TONS of research before I got my Sarang. Partly because it's the more prepared way of doing so and partly because I really had to be sure I was ready to commit.

At the time I had never ever had a job, nor were many people willing to hire a 14 year old... And it was only because I wanted a bjd so much that I even got my first part-time job when I was 15!!! People do things differently, but I do think they should at least know the bare basics of this hobby, for their own sake. But to each their own.

 

I still don't have my first BJD, but I know exactly which one will be my first.
My unknowledge is what is stopping me from actually buying my first BJD (besides saving up), I just don't feel ready for a BJD yet.
I've been doing my homework on BJDs on and off for the last two years, I started with cheaper dolls (fashion dolls like Pullips, Blythe etc.) and learned how to maintain, customize and treat them right. However, I still feel like I might not know enough about BJDs. I keep on telling myself, I should just go for it and get one, I'll learn as time goes, since I'm a over-careful collector and rather safe than sorry.
I thought my first doll should be a doll with a factory face-up, so I can focus on handling first and not customizing.
Mostly I am just afraid, because I don't know what to expect, I've never seen a BJD IRL or even handled one. I've heard about yellowing, restringing etc. etc. And even with video tutorials and all the help and advice, I'm still worried I'll screw up when it comes to the real thing.
I guess after all it's not a total lack of knowledge, but more a self-esteem.

Personally I think, everyone should do some research and homework before starting ANY hobby, especially if it's going to be an expensive hobby! It's better to be at least a bit prepared than suddenly having to fix something and not knowing what to do.

 

I think that with newer companies producing cheaper dolls it means that people can afford them sooner. Someone just getting into the hobby could maybe now afford one after saving for a couple of months, maybe even weeks, where as a few years ago it would have taken a lot longer. Because there is cheaper dolls out there I think there has been a lot more people buying their first doll without doing the research because they don't have the months to wait while they save up for it.
Also, because some dolls are cheaper there's been a lot more younger people, in their early to mid teens being able to afford them.

 

Research! I had seen bjds before, but never really thought I would want one or being able to afford one if I did. I don't remember how that changed. I think it was because I started looking at them as ways of representing characters I've created.

Anyway, once I decided I wanted one, I started looking at doll sites, personal and actual shops. I joined DoA and was a member, reading as much as I could and learning about different dolls, what you could and couldn't do with/to them for around six months before I purchased anything. I had a list of dolls I wanted and which characters I wanted to turn them in to. I still keep a list and consider them very carefully before deciding to settle. I don't want to be one of those people who buys a pretty doll the first time they see them, only to realize he or she isn't right for the character, them as owners, or the rest of their doll family. I want to buy dolls that will accurately represent my creations and hold meaning for me for a very long time, perhaps forever.

Originally, my first boy, Rook, was going to be a Yder, but I never settled on him because he seemed to soft, too nice. When K-doll announced the final sale of their Kill_U_2nd, which I had on my list with no character assigned to, I took one more look at his frowny face and knew that he had the snarky look that Rook needed.

So, from when I first started getting interested in dolls, until now, I've always been researching which dolls would be just right. For my first girl doll, I was going to get a Dollstown Ariel to be my Clover. Then I switched her to a Musedoll Ciel, then a Soom Gena, then a Peakswood Goldie before deciding on Musedoll Re-an when she came out. None of the girl dolls out there seemed perfect for Clover until I saw Re-an.

There are still characters that I am constantly undecided about because I either haven't seen enough pictures with a variety of faceups and styles or because no mold seems right to begin with. It's a very confusing process for me sometimes. ^^;;;

 

The first dolls that I ever saw in person were Batchix's dolls. I saw her Dreaming Elf Shiwoo and I think she had a Volks F-29, which had dark hair and red eyes. He looked like my character Elen'dae. It was then that I realized you could get one in America and I set to work finding out how.

I did about four months worth of research before I found El, which was the boy I ended up getting. I was originally going to get a DoD Lahoo, but when I saw him in person, I didn't like him as much as I liked his user pictures. He's a lovely doll, but I liked El more. So, I bought Seraphel and a half year later, Seraphel became Morgan.

Morgan finished his customizing... four years later. The little punk.

But anyway... Research is always a good idea. Always.

Now I'm researching Volks boys, go me!

 

Wow this is the funniest thing i have read so far.

I kind of jumped into it without knowing a lot and i did mess up my very first doll because I didnt read that if you buy darker clothes for your doll you should run them through the wash first or else it might stain the resin.
But now i've learned my lesson. I'm not brave enough to actually attempt face-ups or complicated stuff.... but i know how to take good care of my dolls now.

 

I did research before buying my first doll because they cost so much much money I wanted to be sure I got the right one for me, so I looked at alot of the dolls until one caught my eye and I knew I HAD to have him. When I decided to get my 2nd doll I decided to do my own face up and coming from an art back ground I thought why not? So I made sure I had all the right things before I got him and looked up and watched videos on the net on how to do face ups etc.

 

I don't have my first doll yet, but I read all the directions I can first. And someday, when I can afford my first doll, I will hopefully at least know what NOT to do, if not all the right things TO do :-P

In some senses, I'm thankful I didn't have money to jump in blindly; because at fist, I would have gone for a very cliche doll, instead of finding a doll to fit the character I want her to be. I'm not sure if that comes across making sense, what I mean is: in the long run, I'll feel emotional attachment far more to character-I've-developed into a name/history/world, and finding a doll to fit that, than to just buy a 'beautiful doll in kimono' - which would, in the end, be just a beautiful doll in kimono. Likely, I would sit her on a self and be too afraid to get hands-on and learn that way.

 

You can research this hobby all you want before getting into it, but how will you know if it’s truly a hobby for you if you don’t try it? Therefore, I don't think one can ever fully understand this hobby without 'jumping' into it. And if money is the contentious factor, allow me to explain the way I see it; I can either spend $600 on a doll I don’t need or I can spend $600 on a variety of other things I don’t need. To say the least, I eventually chose the doll, tried the hobby, and fell in love.

When I bought my first doll, in person at a convention, I didn’t know much about BJDs or even about the company who made the doll I was buying! And I certainly didn’t know about DOA at that time. But thinking about it now, I’m actually glad that I didn’t know about DOA beforehand because then I would’ve had access to too much information. I think if I focused too much on the research aspect I probably would’ve never bought a doll. Some may feel that I purchased my first doll ‘pre-maturely’, but as of today I have no regrets, I’m having fun learning along the way, and I am truly happy with my first doll, along with my other two.

 

I'm cut of the same cloth as you, Korebeast. I'm about 75% sure that this hobby is for me, but not 100% yet. I'm doing my research. I'll probably need to join a meet-up before I actually invest. But I imagine not only are there ppl who get into doll collecting without knowing even the basics, but there will probably be some who, 5 years or so down the road, will have boxes of new dolls that they never even touched, saying, "Yeah, I used to collect dolls. Now I collect Chinese soup spoons (or whatever)." And all their boxes of dolls are stacked up in the storage room. With some ppl it's the thing of the now, but I don't think we're like that, Korebeast. These ppl are a mystery to us. A girl I used to work with was a person of the now and moved from fiance to fiance, the new one always picking up her tab where the last one left off. I was kind of envious of this, but I could never use ppl like that and then toss them aside and move on to the next, like maxed out credit cards. She would very much be the kind of person to collect super dollfies and keep them all in boxes in the storage room, being the thing of the now. If she ever ruined one, she would put it back in the box and say, "Oopsie," and forget about it. Maybe some ppl have the luxury of money meaning nothing to them, whether it's their own that they have a lot of or someone else's.

 

when i came across the first images of bjds, i was absolutely smitten. i spent a great deal of time trying to devour every little bit of general information that i could about them and a lot of "picture research" (i.e. just googling, flickring, etc. for photos to get more exposure).

i'm a hands on learner so, admittedly, i've spent little to no time doing "technical research" (how to restring them or change out elements, etc.) as it won't truly sink in until i have the dolls in my hands and can tinker with them.

 

personally i think you should know at least some of the basics. i know when i bought my doll i knew enough to get by. i studied doa like crazy. of course being new people will make mistakes but really that's just another part of the learning process, but you'll learn from it and maybe move on to help other newbies