Doll research *or* Buying too soon?

I've researched them for a while, I wouldn't say that I'm an expert or anything near that but I know the basics. No Sharpies EVER, No oil paints, UV Rays = Bad. But I don't agree that you have to know how to do a Face-up, you see, if I tried my doll would look like The Joker.

I just ordered my First dolls, and I'm still reading what I can to make sure I don't do any harm to them.

 

I keep my money snug. Before I even get a company doll I find out everything I need to know about them; resin quality, if the company will do a faceup or if I'm on my own, posability, company rep, waiting time, etc. I see a lot of new people being scammed and ripped off and I do think many people are buying too soon for even that factor alone, ignoring other things like as you said the faceup questions and "how do I do this serious mod" posts.

Even a bit of forum lurking is good, for even a rush decision. You might oh-so-badly want the doll, but what if you never look and miss the bad feedback for the company, or when the doll arrives you do something permanent that damages it? If the owner takes their time to educate, and excercise reasonable caution in doing things to the doll prior to studying up on them, that's good. I could give a hoot how skilled you are at doing things to your doll, as long as you are informed enough to do them safely.

 

Definitely

 

I tried to do research before I purchased my first doll (omg first payment yesterday) and I tried to do as much research as I could. But not enough that I would know how to do a faceup, but enough that I know some of the basics. I'm sure there's a couple things I don't know, but I feel a bit of research beforehand should be done.

I guess, in a way, it's like buying a fish and not knowing how to take care of it. Some things you NEED to know beforehand before you make a huge mistake. I mean, you do have to take care of your dolls to a certain extent. Otherwise, you could end up making a huge mistake.

I mean, SHARPIES? I would be so afraid to tattoo my doll, and Sharpies are meant to be permanent! Oh sillies.

 

I found out about ABJD on a Taiwan blog site. I did not find DOA until much later, so although I did a lot of search on the internet; I did not know as much as I like to when I finally decided to pay $700 for my first doll. It was like a gamble. But I went for it anyway.

After I found DOA, I had learned a lot and I am still learning, since I am horrible with face up.
I think it is possible to enjoy this hobby, even if you do not know all the technical details. I would like to do face up; but I do not have as much talent as some others. So for certain mold, I do not mind commission others to do face up for me at all. Thus, I thought I do occasional modding and face up; I still have a lot of fun at playing with my crew. They just make me happy and that is enough for me.

 

I learned very basic things from two DoA members at my university...the rest I learned on the way myself There are still some things I can't do (because of disability) but I do know some stuff...I'm wanting to make clothes which is something I would have never done before. So it's been very educational for me

It took me four months to decide to get my first doll LOL

 

I heard about BJDs a few years ago. My friend's boyfriend at the time got her a weird magazine that he had seen when he was out that just happened to be a doll magazine, and featured some Volks limited SD's on the cover. When she showed me back then, I thought they were beautiful, but really not something I would get. However, I would become more open minded and end up liking some really different things over time.

A couple months ago, I thought of the Volks dolls I had seen again completely out of the blue and decided to look it up on Ebay. I was totally dumbstruck by how much they cost, and I wanted to know why they were so expensive. So I researched some more. Then I found out that there were so many different doll companies of all different price ranges, and I became really interested in these costly little dolls. Surprising me even further was the size of some of these things. When I saw those two dolls on that magazine, I was picturing some Barbie doll size things, and was completely taken aback when I found out they were almost two feet tall. As I researched I had a special character in mind, and I wondered if there could ever be a doll that could have the potential to portray perfectly what I wanted. Through my search for my perfect doll, I learned a lot of things I wasn't looking for, but things that definately helped and will help me in the future: doll terms, what paints to use, how to handle the dolls, things like that.

Then, about a week ago, I came upon the Dream of Doll site and saw DOI Luke, and that was it. He was the one. So, I ordered him and am waiting for him now.

For me, I think jumping into buying a doll could be a bad idea just because there are so many of them out there, how do you know if you've found the right one if you barely dip your toes into the water? Also, through the search, I think you are bound to find those tips and information about the dolls, whether you are looking for it or not. I'm glad it happened the way it did.

 

I'd say I'm too neurotic about research and getting my first doll "right." I definitely had googley eyes when an acquaintance of mine linked to the Luts website and introduced me to the world of minifees, but it wasn't until a couple of years later that I decided to commit to saving and buying.

By then, I had looked through tons of websites and my heart had set on a Bluefairy TF instead. I asked tons of questions about BJD mechanics & maintenance, read feedback about companies, looked at out-of-box pictures, as well as the doll's measurements to make sure most stores would have clothes that fit, etc. Considering the base price, additional expenses of customization, and the difficulties of reselling non-LE dolls at a good price, I think impulsive buying is one of the worst things you can do in this hobby.

 

hmm...I dived right in with very little research.

I read the company's webpage--which I do think is something one should always do when buying anything, especially online--and my sister who got her doll before me let me in on a few things I might not otherwise have known, such as that it's called a "faceup" and the different ways you can get one. I think I'd heard that sunlight was generally considered bad for the resin. but really, I didn't know much...and I don't think it's been a problem!

I'm another person who has basically no interest in the painting side of customisation. my talents do not that way run. certainly I love that they can be customised, but I wanted a BJD to be a beautiful piece of art that I could knit and sew for and build stories around, and none of that necessitates knowing whether or not to use oil pastels on resin. aside from the painting/sanding issues, is there really all that much that will severely damage a doll? sure, sunlight is bad...but it seems like most people figure that out long before their dolls will yellow severely. dropping them from high places is also bad...but again, I think people learn quite quickly, and usually before any major damage has been done (okay, I'm the sort of person to whom a chip to the custom company faceup doesn't seem like a big deal...maybe if you're not that sort of person, there's people who don't learn until it's too late. but if it doesn't diminish their love for the doll and doesn't significantly affect the retail price should they sell down the road? I don't think they needed to forewarn themselves).

not that I'm saying one shouldn't research any hobby before diving in...but is it really that much of a problem? even people who are pretty silly to begin with (for example, being surprised that their dolls only come with XXX when it says so clearly on the site) probably go on to be good dolly moms/dads in the majority of cases...it's just a bit of a learning curve for them.

I am also always curious when I hear people talking about a disliked phenomenon (say, using sharpies on a doll) as though it happens all the time. on one occasion I had the opportunity to actually examine evidence and determine that the people who said the phenomenon was occurring frequently were dead wrong--and I wonder if the same thing isn't happening here. are there really that many people who are ruining their dolls through their uninformedness, or are the tiny number of examples just so striking that we think it's a rampant problem? I can easily see how an anecdote about someone thinking of using wood varnish on her doll would stick in your mind. that person seems pretty darn wrong. but just how many people are out there like that, in this sizeable community? one? three? a dozen or two?

 

I whole heartedly agree. I don't normally spend $50 on something I impulsively see but know nothing about, much less $500-$600 on it! I think most people will look at them and think they look awesome, but only through a little more reading can you tell if they will do what you want them to do and be what you expect them to be.

And thank you! I was very excited when it happened too!

 

I don't think I find using sharpies or varnish on a doll etc. to be a rampant problem. I merely used that as an example (as I'm sure other members did) to illustrate the importance of researching what is safe to use on a doll.

The instances I've heard of it actually happening are few and far between but they are nonetheless unfortunate. I feel bad that those kinds of mistakes could have been easily avoided if the owners had looked up what it can do to their dolls. I think someone can "jump into" this hobby with relatively little knowledge and end up being a very good doll owner. I just find, personally, that that approach does not work for me.

I also think some basic research (such as making sure a body you buy for a specific head will be compatable resin color and size wise) would be a good thing so people won't be disappointed or end up being set back financially.

 

I definitely looked into the whole BJD thing before I got my first doll. I signed up for an account, and lurked for a good while, seeing I didn't have the nerve to sign up for an account when I first heard of them. I made sure I knew all the basics, got the right face up supplies when I was ready to try my own hand at face ups. Printer patterns, made sure I'd read through everything properly, before I ordered my doll. And I made sure to hold one before I got one. xD!
Though I kind of wish I had gotten an SD to start out with I ended up getting an MSD, so it wouldn't be too much if I wasn't extremely into the hobby, but now that I'm really into it, I've planned out lots of dolls, and such.

Bringing me to another point. I almost ALWAYS research things before I get into it.

 

It depends on a person's background. I've been involved in another expensive hobby, so spending money on collectables is less scary for me--I had practice Also, people's financial situations differ. A person who is out of school and working full time will probably have more disposable income than a student working part time...or compare someone paying off loans to someone who has fewer other financial obligations. What constitutes a jaw dropping amount of money really depends on the individual (I'm not saying $300-$500 isn't expensive, but it's not necessarily as cost prohibitive for everyone).

A drop dead beautiful collectable (for me, anyway) is worth the money--not that I wasn't nervous hitting the "buy" button, lol. I had done a lot of looking at pics from different companies and being over all obsessive, though I didn't find DoA until right after I had ordered him. This did, however, take place during a very short period of time. I found bjds on-line, thought they were gorgeous, happened to have the money at the time (I don't always, believe me), and went for it. I've never regretted it once.

I did stick to spending the amount of money I felt comfortable with and went with a mini--and actually, I kind of had to order him right then. He was an LE that could only be ordered over a certain span of time, and the order period was about to end. Sometimes you have to make a quicker decision or lose the doll.

Finding DoA really did help with the information--I had found some other on some personal sites, but nothing very comprehensive. There's no doubt that this is a great resource new hobbyists