Doll research *or* Buying too soon?

I'm definitely a person to do my research beforehand! In fact I did and decided against getting a doll at all! This was a purely personal choice of course and does not stop me from parttaking in the community and enjoying everyone else's photos and the discussions (plus to parttake in group orders etc as I will be making my own artists-styled-BJDs but still need eyes and wigs and such for them!).

 

i started to read up a bit of doll stuffs before i bought my first doll.
after that, then i started to research on lots of doll maintenance, face up, how to do face up, things to take note when carrying doll, etc etc. i even went to almost all the doll company websites and look at all the dolls, on the clothings of the dolls, uniqueness of each doll company..den i realise that it seems that i did too much research. >_<

and i frequent doll forums, and got to know lots of dollfie friends who share the same interest. and i get lots of good opportunities in getting cheaper doll clothes and stuffs through them, and sharing of valuable info, on which seller and buyer to avoid/work with etc etc.

 

I don't have my doll yet, but I'll be getting one early next year. I knew a little about BJDs before DoA, mostly how to re-string them, and I'd seen a face-up tutorial on youtube. But I've actually been doing most of my research here on DoA. I think at least a little research should be done before purchasing, but the trial and error aspect is fun

 

I think most people do enough research. However, I don't necessarily think you should buy a BJD on a whim without doing any research. Too many destroyed heads from people trying to do faceups in bizarre materials... @_@

Where I think a LOT of new doll owners miscalculate or don't do the research for, is how expensive of a hobby it is. Any way you slice it, it can cost tons of money to keep your dolly pretty after you purchase it, and sometimes I don't think people are ready for that. ^^;

 

I've been on DoA for what seems like forever. I've been constantly researching, making sure I know what I can and can't use, in the case that I do my girl's own faceup when I get her. However, I don't think customizing techniques are "sort of a necessity." While knowing how to clean, restring, and in general, care for your doll is indeed necessary, learning faceups, or other customizations are not, in a whole, necessary.

A good thing to learn, yes. Which is why I plan on eventually getting a floating head. But certainly not a necessity. If everyone knew how to do faceups, or other custom-y-things, there wouldn't be much use for commissions, yeah?

 

I really didn't do a whole lot of research per se, but I did wait more than eight years from original discovery before finally ordering a BJD.
I had found pictures of Volks' Dollfies on a website and then found the company. Making dolls out of resin was pretty new, and I did not want to pay over $500 for a doll that might not age well or hold its' value. At that point I decided not to buy one and put the whole thing out of my mind.
Fast forward to 2007, when one of my Livejournal friends began blogging about saving for her Lishe doll. This brought BJDs back to the front of my mind, and I did a little poking around. I discoverd that not only had the dolls aged well and held their value, but the hobby had morphed into its own category of doll collecting.
From there I decided I like Iplehouse's Silvia sculpt the best, joined DoA at the begining of May '08, and ordered my doll at the end of May '08.
I had decided that I wanted to buy the doll with a faceup from the company. I will buy a blank head, probably an Obitsu, to practice faceup skills on for future dolls.
Now then, since I had been collecting vinyl and porcelain dolls since I was eight (in 1981),I did already have basic knowledge of how to treat and care for delicate dolls.

 

I'm being cautious about buying my first doll, mainly due to the financial implications. I am not a person with a significant amount of disposable income. I have been saving up for my first doll for a month now, and I don't even have a third of what I need. The financial aspect of this hobby is forcing me to take my time, consider my options, and learn about what it means to own a BJD. When my friends first started encouraging me to explore BJDs, I asked a lot of questions and eagerly joined up here to read more about other doll-owners' experiences. I'm trying not to get starry-eyed over everything about these dolls, since I know that if I jump into something like this I may regret my purchase later. Hopefully by the time I have enough saved up for my first doll, I'll know exactly how to care for him/her and what I want out of this hobby.

 

I am at the beginning stage of my research into these dolls and as yet still have to purchase one. I think their high cost and the fact that, depending on which doll you want, you have to wait to order and receive it, makes it easy for you to do your research first before committing to buying one. And then there are all the additional things to consider such as face-ups, wigs, eyes, clothes, etc... So, I am sure I will be doing my research for quite a while yet before I buy!

 

As someone without a doll, I&#8217;m not buying one until I wprk out if it&#8217;s suited to what I plan for it.

 

I'm new to BJDs and DoA, but when I fell in love with the dolls, I didn't go cuckoo. Considering the amount of money one has to invest in this particular hobby, it seems ridiculous to throw that money around left and right with no idea what you're doing. Personally, it took me six months of on-and-off browsing to finally decide I seriously wanted a doll, and for the last two or three months I've been doing research on the different sizes and types of dolls, trying to figure out what I want, what I can afford, etc. So yeah, I think doing some research about the dolls is vital.

However, it doesn't seem like customization know-how is necessarily that important. Knowing the concepts might be useful, and the basic care of a doll is essential, but I don't plan to do any face-ups or anything myself.

 

I think I might be one of those collectors (who came from collecting other sorts of dolls, actually) who jumped into BJDs without knowing the costs first. I didn't start with ABJDs, though--to be fair.

My first ABJD actually did include a face-up and a wig, however. As far as I go--and I really can't speak for anyone else--I was drawn to BJDs because of their beauty. I had never seen one in person, but I loved how they look alive and the way they could pose. If you're a general doll collector, you might collect because of their artistic quality and their beauty, and not because of the ability to customize and play with them. To me, the things were a bonus I discovered later. And I'm just now getting to know them.

It's a little sad, but my Peak's Woods sort of sat there for a while, unused, like any other doll on a shelf, without any play or customization, till I realized, "Hey, I could change her eyes and hair!" And maybe now, I've also decided to try body blushing or something like that.

 

My personal view is a person should do atleast some basic research but I wouldn't expect someone to necessarily know about what paints etc they can use. I personally don't plan on touching my dolls face and if I want a custom I'll pay someone experienced. That being said if I was to decide to custom from what comes as default I would research before I choose who to do this for me. I think a big part of what makes one person more cautious over another is financial situation. Some people really DO have that kind of money to throw around and don't care if the item they've paid x amount of dollars for gets broken. I know that's not always the case but I've seen it alot in the people I know.

 

Not speaking for anyone else but myself, before I got any of my more expensive dolls I did tons of research on them. I would make sure I knew there size and if the things I would need to enjoy owning them would be easy for me to get. Of course all the research in the world doesn't fully prepare you for everything, but having some information under your belt would be better before jumping into a new hobby no matter what the expense.

 

The picture is on Flickr and is a foreign post (not english speaking) and is an old post. I have no idea now how to identify her or her maker. I cannot use her picture on a forum like this as I don't have the owner's permission, and I have never been able to find her on bjd maker sites. I tried to get an identification from the owner but got no response (either the account has gone fallow or they didn't understand or I don't know). Now what? No other doll has tempted me to spend my bjd money and I don't know if they ever will (sigh).

 

If the picture on Flickr is publicly viewable, perhaps you can post a link to it when you ask your questions.

 

I am researching this guy right now. I want him to be my Dauphines Husband, LOL she is a Zi Yuan sculpt, good match????? You can see my Dauphine in my avatar... lol

 

LOL!!! i kno!!! Oh lord but i am nutty about him :P :P

 

Personally, I think when it comes to a hobby like this, it might be a little bit of both.

On the one hand, buying such expensive dolls simply to jump on the bandwagon or because of sudden love is kind of wrong, imho. Afterall, once the beauty and newness of it falls away, you're left with a huge dent in your wallet and something you might not ever appreciate as much as you could have.

On the other hand, too much research might be a little detrimental as well. You might have your heart set, but continuous research can make it difficult to commit when there is just so much choice out there nowadays - or make it difficult to keep your hand out of the cookie jar!

-Now for my personal nickle and a half~-

I came across bdjs and DOA a few years ago, and did a tiny bit of research, but at the time didn't see much value in them for myself. I also didn't think I was ready for something that required so much time and investments. So I left it alone.

However, over the next few years I kept coming across them, so from time to time it was entertaining to invision what I would make if I could - again, not even thinking of actually getting one.

A month ago, someone mentioned one and it was like a smack to the face. Suddenly I had the perfect idea - making dolls of charas I'd had for years. So a flurry of research and mad dashing around, I decided on my first doll and joined DOA. Figuring I might get a deal on the market place, I waited for acceptance. However, while doing that, I found out that the doll that had caught my attention all those years ago came in mini size. That was it.

Now I have a doll body sitting in it's box from one company, a head from another that won't arrive for two months or so, and doubts almost every other day - did I bite off more then I could chew by choosing a hybrid for my first? Was I too impulsive buying the head I suddenly loved instead of the one I'd decided on for a long time?

But, as soon as the order was confirmed, I immediately went out researching again.. And I think I'm going to be happy with my choice (The body being here helped me realize I'm going to love them when they're finally done regardless )

So really, while I think research certainly helps, some sudden reality-check experiences are also good things to have when getting into a new hobby ^^

(And sorry for the rambling novel I didn't realize it was so long! )

 

I'm a pretty impulive person, so when I finally decided that I really want a doll, I bought it quite soon. I don't have the patience to do research for months and since I now have money that I myself earned by working hard, I think it's okay to use it in a way that makes me happy.

I don't know everything about dolls yet, but the basics are not that hard to learn during the waiting time for my first doll, and since I got face-up by the company I don't have to worry about that yet either. Besides, I hang around DoA like everyday now and absorb every useful bit of information I see.

I didn't have all the knowledge about bunnies either before I got my babies, but they are doing great and I do not regret getting them. Of course some research is always necessary so you at least know what you're getting into