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Doll research *or* Buying too soon?

Apr 15, 2008

    1. I should have done more research on my light tan bobobie boy, his skin isn't warm and sun kissed, he's rather cool hued and chilly looking. My friend told me they had changed the resin because of snow flake issues with the warm resin. I didn't think it would effect the color, I was wrong. I love my SD boy but now I am searching for a way to warm him up, which will probably be a light dye-dip to give him some blood pressure. Research your resin!
       
    2. I don't get the question/ i mean, i ordered a doll. waited for it 2 months. ahead something about 7 month of waiting. at first i wanted to order the most expensive wig for him. last week i found that it is so easy to make a wig! i think, by the time he arrives, i'll even learn how to make minimes )))
       
    3. Personaly I like to look into anything before I buy it when the price is over $100. I dont have money to throw at things if im not sure so I did alot of research before I bought my first doll. I was lucky to have a friend already in the hobby though so I took advantage of that and asked MANY questions
       
    4. Well, I'm the kind of person who can't do a lot of research before getting into the practial thing; if I had started reading about everything (seriously, there's a lot one should know!) before I had my doll in hand it would have been too abstract for me and I wouldn't have understood what it was I was reading. That said, when I start feeling a need to change his faceup, do any kind of mods or even re-string him, I will do extensive research before attemting anything at all. But not before then, because I simply won't be able to learn until it's time to apply it practically.

      Obviously, I realize that there are risks with this approach. If I hadn't had a friend in the hobby to tell me, I wouldn't have known that sunlight is bad for them before making an irreversible mistake, for instance, so maybe it only works for me because I have her, going on about basic maintenance all the time, making sure I don't do stupid stuff like that ;)
       
    5. I totally agree with you!! I did a ton of research before I bought my first doll! Any body who asks me if I think they should get into the hobby, I always tell them the same thing. Do your research. You don't want to purchase a doll for $400+ if you don't know how to take care of it! In my personal opinion it's like having a baby that you don't know how to take care of! Or having a baby without knowing what to use and buy to take care of one. These things are expensive people. Do your research before you even think about buying one!
       
    6. Honestly, taking care of a doll isn't rocket science and they aren't living beings (shush....I don't want them to hear me!) It is not the same as getting a pet, for example. I didn't have to do any research to know that you shouldn't use a sharpie marker on your doll. Being a visual learner, it all makes more sense to me now that I actually have dolls. I don't have any rare or terribly expensive dolls. If I had my heart set on a doll like that, I would research more carefully. Since I was careful to buy within my budget, I feel safe learning as I go. The worst mistake i have made was buying a doll I did not like. It was not the end of the world.
       
    7. I jumped into this hobby with both feet. All I knew at that point was basically what BJD's were, not much more. I bought my first on a fair, it was love at first sight. Cookie is a YO SD, but at that time I had no idea what that was. I bought her a dress I was told would fit and took her home, unable to look at or think of anything else. My research started that same evening, with her sitting next to me and I'm still learning, every single day. I have quite a big dolly family now, but everything gets tested out on Cookie; restringing, sueding and hopefully soon my first face-up.

      Yeah, I'm impulsive, but I don't think I ever would have gotten into this hobby another way. If I hadn't seen my Cookie irl and fallen head over heels for her, I would probably have never taken the gamble of buying something so expensive online. I've bought dolls since then with lots and lots of research and they still ended up being wrong for me. And based on the company shots I never would have ordered Cookie or her sister Lily, who I brought home with me one year later (also completely on a whim, but by then I knew so much more).

      I have to add though, with a bigger, more expensive doll I probably would not have taken the gamble. I am impulsive by nature and it has happened on a number of occasions that I was completely into something one day and completely out of it the next. But ever since I jumped into this hobby, it has been there with me, until the point that I am completely obsessed (or so I am told :sweat). Why? Because all of the things I'm interested in come together in this hobby: writing, sewing, embroidery, knitting, dollhouses, painting, drawing, photography etc. etc. I can do it all without driving people around me insane thinking here she is again with one of her new hobbies. So believe me when I say I'm going nowhere!
       
    8. I think it's important to do some research before buying a new doll. I personally look at the resin quality, their head without the faceup, people's reviews and the body. Also if I'm buying a different sized doll I also look at where I can shop for them or if its easy to find items for them.
      I have friends who got into the BJD hobby because of me and they just simply ordered a doll they like without researching or knowing nothing about a BJD and now whenever there is a problem they're at my door -_-
       
    9. Although I did a lot of research before even thinking of buying a doll, it might be different for other people.
      The only reason I realized that bjds required a lot of care was because of a guide I came across when googling "bjd".
      People who start out or see dolls online just think of them as prettier or more costly versions of barbies.
      I wouldn't research anything before buying a barbie, lol. I would just go ahead and buy one.

      I think the only time when jumping right into bjds is a problem is when you make a mistake that could have been prevented just by some quick research, like removing your doll's faceup with a magic eraser or doing body blushing before spraying on a couple of layers of msc.
       
    10. I did a lot of research before getting my first dolls, too the point where I felt comfortable spending that amount of money on doll. However my first ones were an unexpected impulse buy, and I can admit that since then a lot of my dolly family where impulse buys. I don't regret buying any of them, but a little more research wouldn't have hurt. Buying too soon can only hurt your banking accountand result in stupid mistakes; which would hopefully be a lesson in impulsively buying.
       
    11. I jumped right in with a doll I noticed for sale on ebay that I completely fell in love with! Certainly nothing to do with following trends or being part of a crowd as I'd never known anyone else with one! Though I was pretty sure I'd feel comfortable having little things around as I've been collecting and making stuff for dollshouses for years (another hobby I jumped right in to and learned through trial and error!). I wouldn't just do anything to a doll that might damage him / her (e.g. mods) - but looking up things like wigs and eyes has been part of the fun of first ownership - and easier (for me at least!) to get a feel for what might work when I've actually got the little dude to hand!
       
    12. Agree so much on the research part. Owning a BJD takes alot of responsibility, so one must be informed about the care for them, their maintenance, do's and don'ts and safety precautions for the doll. Wouldn't want the doll to end up not being taken care of properly if I just bought them out of impulse ;A;
       
    13. Hah.. I feel stupid >_<
      I'm waiting for my first doll and haven't done that much of research. I don't know what I can use if I want to do a face-up. I've asked a kind-of-a-friend but doesn't remember. But if the day I want to do my own face-up I can look it up. It's not that hard ;)
      But, because it's my first doll I'm going to be overprotective.

      But I have to mark that I'm not in this hobby because I want to fit in. Before I even thought about buying a doll I only knew one who had a doll.
      And I guess I'm a little afraid to ask other people, but that's because I don't want to be a pain the the ass xD But instead of asking I can.. Google it. But if I want to know something specific about MSD size, like if something would fit if it isn't a BJD-thing (bad example) then of course I ask one of my friends, new one ;D

      And yes, I'm still a newbie! :D
       
    14. I actually researched a lot around before finally understanding better and seeing more easily what sculpts and style I like.
       
    15. I am for that person before buying read the information, and looked to be on the dolls live .. I spent on it 2 months of daily search for information..
       
    16. TvT Ahh I'm one of those people who did tons of research. Its been almost exactly a year now since I first really started looking into the hobby and that whole time I spent researching and learning everything I possibly could. Mind you I had no choice other than to wait because I had to save money, but either way I could have just as easily spent that time not researching anything at all. Things that I've never done before like restringing and such don't even scare me at all now because I feel very prepared from my research. Also mind you I literally researched everything, and I found that I never needed to ask anyone anything general about BJDs because that information is out there if you take the time to look. But I'm just a very cautious type. I always try to analyze and learn about things as much as possible before I commit to anything or make any important decisions. The "leap before you look" attitude is just silly to me. If you can easily avoid mistakes or avoid asking redundant questions with a few Google searches, why wouldn't you?
       
    17. I did research when I first started, however I didn't do enough research. Lol I remember when I first thought Bjd's were life size dolls lol.