Doll research *or* Buying too soon?

I think doing research is a good idea when it comes to buying like anything that costs as much as a BJD. Of course a lot of things can only be learned from experience. I feel that you should do research to make sure you really want to own one first, rather than being impulsive and regret it later. It kind of drives me crazy when people have absolutely no idea what they are doing.

 

I did about 4 years of research on and off until I finally bought a doll. Even now I'm still apprehensive about the correct ways to do things without having to worry about potential damage. I know I'm overly paranoid and cautious, but for something so expensive I really would be crushed if my carelessness were to necessitate a costly repair.

I really don't think that 4 years of research is something that is necessary for anyone, but it really baffles me to see people damage their dolls because they didn't take advantage of the wonderful resources available to them here. Even things like accidental drops. Sure they happen to everyone with everything, but after hearing so many stories of broken fingers and scratched faces I would hope that others would be more mindful and not casually set them down on the counter where they can get bumped or walk a good distance away to take a picture with their doll standing on some high structure. Accidents happen, but they can also be prevented.

Interestingly, someone I know mentioned just today, that they had bought a doll a few years ago and regretted it soon after they received it. It just wasn't for them. With something like that, no matter how much you read up on care and handling, its hard to say if its really going to be a good fit. Sometimes it just doesn't work out, and thats unfortunate but not necessarily something a good amount of research is going to prevent.

I think its important to do some initial care research before you receive a doll (either before or after you actually purchase it), but not everything needs to be learned before getting a doll. Just like with anything, you do some research about the quality of the product, how to care for it or store it properly so you don't damage it, and to see if you can't get something you like better elsewhere for cheaper. And once you have it, researching preventative things is a good idea, so that if you do run into some unexpected trouble you know how to handle it or avoid it all together. Not everything can be planned for, but the more information you have at your disposal, the better off you will be.

 

I myself am a person who won't touch something new until I know everything about it. I found out about BDJ's only four months ago and I told myself I'm not going to be getting mine till december and that until then I would do as much research as I can to know how to handle the new hobby. I go to my local meets to see the dolls in person, and I like asking questions on just how to take care of them. I've been like this for everything I do. Some of my friends think I'm over killing it because I already bough soft pastels and such so when my girl comes I'll be ready for her. I even found a nice shelf in my closet that she can sleep on so she won't be in my room when I have my curtains up.

 

Ugh, research is so damn important when it comes to costly dolls such as these. I myself, with anything, research the heck out of what I'm gonna get before I buy it. The only times I've bought things out of impulse were cheap items (under $50 or so).

I researched my boy long before I got him, and while I was making the money to buy him, I was still researching. Now I'm very happy I did my research, because I got a beautiful boy out of it and he's been very versatile, so I could change him throughout the years without touching his face-up or his mold in general. Buying dolls on impulse is never too good (unless you really have that much money to spare). You have to really really love that doll before you buy it.

 

i spent three or four years studied BJD before i got my first one. i dont mean to be that long. i am just daving money at the same time..
at that moment there are only very few informations about BJDS on internet. and almost of them are Japanese. how great nowadays we could watch face-up video on youtube!

 

I'm one of those people who likes to learn stuff and know EVERYTHING. So I did heaps of research before getting my first doll. However, I had collected different types of collectable dolls before, so I knew how to take care of them, and also what kinds of paint/sprays/varnish etc to use on them. Also, since I have to save for my dolls myself, that takes a while. SO I research while I wait.

 

I love doing research befor buying a doll for example l'v been doing some on the new 5stardoll 28cm Tong Tong and then there is some others dollfies that l have been researching as well.

 

I agree that it takes a LOT of research to actually know what on earth you're getting into before purchasing a doll, like for myself, about this time last year is when I first started getting into the hobby. I only knew about the blue blood dolls website, so I was thinking to myself: "well, this can't be all the dolls there are..." So after summer started I REALLY delved deep into learning about these dolls, finding out things I didn't even KNOW about them. I remember myself thinking: "You have to RESTRING the dolls?! What on earth--!?!" And so on.

But honestly, when it comes to researching the dolls, I'm certain if one "prematurely" buys a doll, they should know it's not just a little toy they can get at Toys'R'us since it cost A LOT of money. That's a lot of chores, or work, or just money out of their parent's wallet. So when they receive it, I'm certain they know the difference between having a toy they can throw around, and something special that should be handled with care. And because of that, they will learn things along the way that teach them how to care for the doll. (or they just join DoA like the rest of us! LOL)

But on a side note, I do kind of wanna make a point that there's not just research you can do on doll care in general. After learning enough about these dolls myself, I realize it's sometimes good to do more specific research into the COMPANY that you buy the doll from as well--"Do they use good resin? Are their dolls really worth the price they're asking? Would it be better to get them a body from a different company due to pose ability or a strange stringing system? Do they have a tendency to ship really slowly? etc"

Or even... you could research the very doll you're interested in purchasing, rather than just the company. For instance, that doll could be really awkward to pose, or there's something about their sculpt that's just off... and you can't tell what because in the promo pics it's somehow opted out. So it would be better to look on other sites to find out why. One could go on for hours researching this hobby and all the different levels and layers in it. I'm STILL learning new things, even after I've started to make payments for my first dolls. Which is what makes it such an engaging hobby! It never seems to get old!

 

I started doing research long before I bought my doll and had plans to purchase him around Christmas. About a week ago, however, the doll that I had decided I wanted went on sale at a significant enough price drop that I considered buying him earlier then planed to get the deal. Even then I spent an extra week before I put in the order double and triple checking everything, asking the dealer questions, and making sure I ordered everything I needed to start up.

That being said I am still a bit nervous about the whole process as this is my first and I have no friends who own the dolls themselves. I chose for my first doll a cheaper (relatively speaking) model instead of the doll which had first inspired me to own one of these beautiful dolls who had a significantly higher price tag. While I agree that there is a need to research extensively before a purchase (what will you do with the doll, where to store it to keep it safe, what materials you need to care for it, what comes with the doll, resin color comparisons and company overviews, dealer reviews, ect ect ect...) there is just some things you can not learn from research.

I can't understand people simply ordering a doll without the proper thought but I also know that when he gets here I will have a thousand questions that I never even thought of. I know all the terminology and the gritty details, but having never had to apply them I will probably still double and triple check before ever placing a paintbrush near his face.

 

I did a ridiculous amount of research before I bought my girl. How to handle them, the different faces, the different body types, how to customize. But thats just me, I don't think that you HAVE to research or anything. People learn through trial and error, so if they don't mind blowing money on experiments, then they really dont have to do research. Thats my opinion.

 

When I first saw a BJD it freaked me out a little and I thought it was kind of creepy, but then I saw this really beautiful creepy(in a good way) picture and I wanted one.
It wasn't until I came across an eye making tutorial that I began to do research. Then I decided I wanted to try and make one to test out if this was for me. So along the doll making path I learned a few things and I decided I wanted to buy I BJD.
So I guess you can say I did a little bit of jumping in and a little bit of research.

 

My sister and I did a lot of research before buying one, but that was also partly because we were broke, if we had the money at the time we probably would have gotten one then and researched from there, but being broke we started saving and researching as much as we could before we got our dolls. We both have one now and even still we don't know everything, when a question arises we just look it up and go from there, we all do this hobby differently and have different ways of getting into it.

 

I pretty much agree with this. I think it's always wise to do some research before getting into any kind of hobby, even more if it's one that costs as much as this one we all share. When I finally decided that I wanted (and could afford ) a BJD, first thing I did was look up every tutorial I could find: faceup (which, until very little ago I kept calling makeup despite having seen it a zillion times), restringing, sanding, modding... Even sculpting.

I also got every material I thought I could need before ordering my first one, and I was very careful when choosing materials to make their clothes. I must say I made a mistake with the wig, but I didn't like it very much before even buying it... And, before buying my first one (even though I knew quite clearly what I wanted) I checked every house I could find, in case I found another one I liked more.

But, so far, I've gotten into a few pinches with my dolls and I still haven't had to ask for help, which I consider a miracle on my part. I still have to restring one doll and fix another one strings, which are a bit tense.

I believe my time researching was well employed, and I don't think I could have done so well without it. So, in short, I think it's best to spend some time researching than throwing yourself into the unknown (and possibly damage or destroy something you not only love, but had paid for dearly...).

 

I’ve even seen owners who want to use wood varnish because they can’t afford a $4 bottle of dullcote.
Oh my god, that's so silly. The dolls are so expensive as it is, but people aren't willing to put up 4 bucks to take proper care and handling of the doll?

That's what I'm here for. I want to learn how to properly handle these things, because if the face-up chips, how else am I going to handle it? The idea that people think that using sharpies on one of these dolls is utterly ridiculous.
I'm glad I saw this post. That comment made me laugh a little.

 

I personally know when I first saw my friends BJD I was so swept away with them I wanted to buy one ASAP.

I cannot stress how much I am glad I did not rush into this. I did my research, and took time looking into what mold, company, etc, I wanted to buy from.

I know it's short, but I'd highly advise you wait.
"Worth the wait" as they say.

 

I agree.I've been doing reserch for three+ years, and only selected my first bjd a month+ ago. Still I've yet to receive him but I'm still doing reserch!

 

I'm new to the hobby. It seems kind of foolish to jump in to something with absolutely no idea of what it's about. I have a lot to learn, which is why I applied to this website. I did preliminary research, and found links to this site, and it looks like I will be able to find out the answer to any question I might have. I just learned that Sharpies are a bad idea (a little joke). I'm looking forward to my new arrival shortly, and know that there are a lot of people to offer advice when the time comes.

 

I did alot of research before I bought my doll, companies, types of resin, how to do face-ups, how to string etc

I still research everything about a certain dollsculpt before I buy it.

 

I presume that I am a type of person who is compulsive in buying and deciding on things, especially those that are eye-candy for me... when I see something I like, it does not take long for me to have it ^^ though with BJD's I did alot time to do research, it was a long and tedious process ( browsing shops to shops, asking questions from forums to forums, trying different paying methods, computing total prices including shipping, finding tips and guidelines of the hobby, canvasing and choosing from vast beautiful doll sculpt options out there) before buying, though I bought 3 dolls in a month which is an evident proof of my obsessive-compulsive attitude LOL. But I am proud to say that I saved money for it, I did love my dolls to bits and I did a lot time to research for dolls perfect for me...

 

I don't have my first doll yet but I have been researching for about four months. I want to make sure I know everything there is to know so I don't do something stupid and ruin my doll. I also want to make sure I am abolutely in love with the doll I end up getting so I am literally looking everywhere, on all the sites. Its pretty confusing and very stressful :'(