Doll research *or* Buying too soon?

Researching basic care before buying would probably be a must IMO.

On account I'm not in a situation to buy these dolls on a whim, researching is pretty much how I fill up my time while I save and try to tell my parents that I am not crazy... I'm kind of a worrywart anyhow... prepare for everything!

 

Personally, I would never impulse buy something that costs this much $$. I'm the kind of person that will find something I really like, spend hours searching the web to find more and more about them, look at many, many pictures, learn about it, then figure out if I REALLY like it or not. By the end of it I've saved a ton of pictures, and if I decide I don't want to pursue that interest I'm left with a ton of pictures to delete and web pages to unfavorite... ha.

I'm buying my first bjd and I've had plenty of time to learn the do's and don't and everything. Mostly because it took so long to save.. XP

 

well i have to admit i jumped in after falling head over heels in love with Megu, however knowing myself as i do, i also knew that i had to know everything there was to know about them..so the research came immediately afterwards. Looking back, i'm not sure it was the brightest thing to just "jump in" and buy her w/o knowing more, like how will i clothe my nekkid girl, etc??....so i'm glad i decided to learn at that point. And i have to say that i'm still learning!! which is totally fun

 

It *is* a very good idea to do as much research as possible before spending a load of cash ... I knew some things about BJDs before purchasing one, but didn't know all. Had been introduced to them through a fashion doll board and there was little talk of face-ups, MSC, seam sanding or yellowing. There was talk of the BJDs not coming with wigs, clothes or shoes ... later learned that coming without a factory face & eyes was the norm.

My first BJD was a Sooah, bought from Sunrise Dolls here in the US - I don't recall that there was a "no eyes/face-up" option, just large or small bust.

Before doing a lot with my Sooah I did research how to maintain a BJD (that's when I joined here - just read for many months after initial hello) and was intimidated by the sanding/face-upping/wiring/re-stringing/yellowing aspects ... it took me quite a while to buy the 2nd BJD because of that! But felt that I'd learned enough to order my 2nd BJD ... I did get the face-up (Saint from Tensiya - exquisite face on this boy!) but tackled seam sanding & MSC - whoo-hoo!

I think learning to maintain some *after* it's purchase isn't that odd, for example changing oil on a car, many of us don't learn that skill until we own one ourselves

Common sense should play a big part in learning to care for a large-ticket purchase like a BJD; things that the OP mentioned like Sharpies, oil paint & floor varnish are pretty permanent or potent chemicals, heck, wouldn't have even used them on a Borbie, LOL!

 

I am with the-Sinister, It is alright and sometimes alot of fun to learn as you go along, the huge mistakes that may irrevocably damage an expensive doll are mostly commonsense. There is something to be said for having the doll in front of you whilst veiwing the ,'how to's', some people are tactile and visual whilst others would be more more in the comfort zone
of putting an academic slant on things.
Lets not forget that it is for enormous pleasure we do this! No PHD at the end
I still have not touched the faces of my dolls but I have a practise cheap boy, this is what works for me.
Mmmm, er..speaking as a woman who once brought a Clydesdale horse home, then figured out how to get a paddock and train a yearling! A fine example of learning as you go, several years later, I have one cruisy horse

 

When i first got into this hobby, I was all "ooooh dollies!~" Ya know, when you see them and..of course..want them. But I didnt buy any. =X I knew I'd have to learn quite -a lot!- of information.

So I did all my research as I saved for my doll. ^_^ I feel like a total dork, but hey, I know a good amount and feel secure now that I bought my own doll.

 

I personally am a big research-before-purchase person. Then again. If I had bought the doll I dream of the first day I saw him, I wouldnt regret it in the least. The passion to learn would be there if he were in my arms or just a distant shadow on the internets. And I also have a hard time putting down the newbs who ask questions like 'Can I use sharpie'.... Honestly, those of us who understand the product think it is absurd. But we all started someplace... and no question is a stupid question unless its spelled in a string of gibberish. The n00bs are trying to learn. That, I think, shows the right spirit... its the ones who DONT ask if they can use oil paints, then ruin their doll, that are to be wondered about. I agree that not everybody knows that BJDs need special attention. Growing up in the west on Barbies that were a penny apeice, you could ruin them all you liked with relative impugnity, and I think that mentality is difficult to brush aside for some people.

So... final thought from me: Noobs will always get a straight, nonjudgemental answer from us initiates who remember when we didnt know a blamed thing about BJDs either.

 

Yeah. When I first started learning about BJDs, I didn't realize that owners had to do so much customization and maintenance themselves, especially when one considers the cost of these dolls. Barbies don't prepare one to own a BJD. I thought, "You mean I have to paint the face myself? I have no artistic skills! Sanding edges? For $700 they can't even come with smooth edges? Are they nuts?"

I still don't understand a lot of "the basics" and will probably have a heart attack the first time I ever attempt to change a doll's eyes, but at least I have a better idea of what I'm getting into before taking the plunge and ordering my first.

 

I didn't do very much research before buying my first dolls (Saint, Bernard and SA Husky). All these dolls came with the factory faceups. In the case of the Saint I particularly wanted him with the Tensiya faceup as I thought that was a large part of his charm. Same for the SA Husky and his Dollmore faceup.
If you're somebody who takes good care of your dolls and toys anyway, you don't need a huge amount of self-education to buy a fullset with a factory faceup. I was amused by the comment about "ruining Barbies that you can buy for pennies" or what not. When I was a kid, Barbies were considered an expensive item by my parents, and I think in comparison to how much people made and the way they were marketed then, they were more of a "luxury good" than they became later. You can now buy Barbies in the drugstore. That would have never happened when I was little. In fact certain department stores fell all over themselves to have "exclusive" Barbies especially at Christmastime.

I took really good care of my Barbies and all my dolls because I didn't want them to break or get harmed. Unfortunately, I made a few mistakes, like when I thought at age 8 or 9 that I could do a Barbie "faceup" using ballpoint ink. And a few dolls broke despite my careful handling, like my Kenner Blythe whose leg fell off due to a torso crack that happens a lot due to how Blythes are designed, or various "bendy" dolls that had wires pop out or their "flesh" split over time. But the vast majority of my childhood dolls and toys are in good to pristine condition. It's not a big stretch to do the same as an adult.

 

Hm. I guess it really depends what you want out of BJDs.

Sure, for many people the hobby is all about your own custom faceup, finding the perfect wig and eyes, tatooing and modifying bodies, etc etc... For others, they see a beautiful doll that comes with a faceup and an outfit and they like it and buy it. I don't think they really NEED to know how to paint a faceup or what coating sprays are good to use, or even how to restring. They're all handy to know, but I don't think they're necessary if all you want from your doll is the beautiful thing you saw on a website or eBay or in a magazine or what have you. And say that two years down the line, your doll gets a chip in its eyeliner and you think that sharpie is the natural way to fix it, well... I don't know, it doesn't seem that odd a thought to me.

And, in the end, if someone uses Sharpie on their doll or soaks them in acetone or whatever... so what? They've ruined their doll, but it's not like they've come to your house and sharpied all over your doll or anything. It's theirs anyway, and it's not like an animal or a person who should be removed from an abusive situation. It is, when you get down to it, a piece of plastic, bought either for or by that person, for them to use as they wish. It's like making a fuss over altering an expensive dress or a bad custom paint job on a car or what have you. Unless someone is trying to sell that car/dress/doll/whatever to you, it's not really anything that affects you.

Plus, I know people are saying, essentially, "How could anyone spend so much money without researching it first?!" but to some people it really isn't that much money. I have noticed that DoA tends to be skewed toward the high school, college, and recent college graduate age groups (teens to twenties) and certainly when I was in college the expense of a BJD was unthinkable, but now that I have a job it's not so crazy anymore. Both of my dolls were less than my weekly take-home (after tax) income. And I don't even have a very well-paying job for where I live, in fact I'm paid below the local average. Some people can go spend a couple thousand dollars in a weekend of shopping. Compared to some other luxury hobbies, BJDs aren't that bad. Look up prices for designer handbags, for example. Designer bags like Luois Vuitton and Chanel are often over $1000 each, and those are the kinds of things it's considered "normal" for a grown woman to want. Or how about gadgets like iPhones and Blackberries, which are expensive AND often replaced every couple of years with something newer and trendier? Or even in the world of dolls, BJDs aren't that pricey compared to a lot of the western collectible dolls- porcelain dolls, art dolls, etc. I can understand how someone might just see a BJD on eBay and buy it without spending months or years researching.

That said, I did spend a long time deciding which doll I wanted, looking at different brands, deciding if I wanted to try my hand at a faceup or not, etc etc. But that's also the way I shop for a lot of things, I like to online window shop. ^^;

 

Having thought about this some more, I think this issue is sort of like the "Know where I can get a cheap doll?" thread. It's not so much that people who don't research beforehand are inherently awful people (much like people who want a less expensive doll aren't inherently awful either) but people in the hobby get frustrated with others who don't take the time to learn some basic info. I think part of this frustration is simply because the info is very easy to find. You can go into the forums right here on DoA, do a search and find out all the do's and don'ts of faceups. When someone doesn't bother to do the most basic research it's frustrating to others.

 

I researched for over two years before buying. I'd also say I was interested in BJD for several years before THAT.

But, I tend to research things like crazy anyway!

 

and I'd say where's the fun in doing it your way?

one of the reasons I'm a start first, read manual later type of gal is that I like the mental exercise of figuring things out, just the same as some people like the exercise of researching. another thing that I think a couple of people touched on is that I don't always find I can understand things until I'm facing the situation they describe. so when I glanced over a re-stringing tutorial around the time I ordered my first doll, I saw the pictures but they seemed kind of meaningless/obvious. duh, of course you have to pull the elastic through the little holes, that kind of stuff. however, once I actually had to tighten a doll's stringing, I was able to access some of that information in a way that, because it linked to my experience and necessity, was actually meaningful to me.

I think bunnydots has it right, though...it's not whether or not people research before purchasing that bugs people, it's more people asking questions the reader thinks are silly. the people out there ruining their dolls' faces with sharpies and neither asking nor telling about it on the internet aren't bothering anyone but themselves with their lack of research, heh.

 

I strongly agree with UrsaLunar. I too was introduced to BJDs through other doll forums. I researched like mad about what sculpts I liked, what body type I wanted to get, etc., but I saw only minimal information about yellowing, and didn't find out how much care was needed for resin until after ordering my first resin doll. I guess for me, the issue is that if you don't know that there is special care needed, you don't know to specifically research that. I read the FAQ on a few different stores/companies, and it was mostly about assembly and ordering, very little about resin. I didn't even realize how fragile resin was until I saw someone on another forum posting about getting rid of theirs because they were afraid of it breaking! So I guess my point is, that if you don't know that there's more to know, it's somewhat hard to research it.

 

Quick response to Bunnydots' comment about info being easy to find.

You have to join DoA to look at that info. What of people who dont wish to get into the community or seriously into the hobby, but only want one doll and no strings? Its trickier to find info if you can't chat on DoA, or don't want to.... now, I am being the devil's advocate here because I did the work and combed the internets for the info before ever coming across DoA. It is definately out there. But still.... some may not have the passion to do the research, and instead only want to add a beautiful doll to their otherwise varied collection, or whatever.

My point is that the restriction of information caused by a 'members only' information database can feel to some more irritating and cliquey than it is useful. *shrug*

 

I first saw bjds in a doll magazine that my mother-in-law had. I had no idea what they were other than i really liked them. I did around 2 months of research before i ordered my first doll. The thought of paying a lot of money for something and not knowing how to look after it was scary. It also helped me make sure i really wanted to get one.

I can honestly say i didnt research faceups and customising right away, i did this just before i ordered my second doll.

If a person doesnt really do too much research before their doll arrives thats upto them. Everyone is different, im a bit anal about knowing what im doing (keeps me happy). My fellas cousin is so laid back hes horizontal, (he doesnt collect bjds tho), he leaves things to the last min before doing anything about it...like his passport! He needed a new one and was going on holiday in 3 weeks, fortunatly he got it rushed through. So perhaps thats why some people dont do much research because they dont really think of it until a problem crops up?

 

Considering I discovered BJDs upwards of two years ago and still haven't gotten one, I think I'm one of the slow and steady types. I like to know what I'm getting into before hand, do research and make sure I'm completely sure I'm making the right decision.

For me, it took me awhile to decide that I actually wanted one. I liked looking at the pretty pictures but I wasn't sure if I really had the space and time in my life and in my heart for such a large investment. After I decided that yes I do want one, I had to decide which one.

That required even more research, into sizes and companies and what kind of character I wanted to portray. At first I thought a tiny would be good, because I wanted to start small, but then one of my characters (I write original stories) decided he was a Kid Delf Bory. I think choosing your doll is one of those things where you just have to trust your gut instead of overanalyzing it.

After that (no, we're not done yet), I started the real research, into care and maintenance and so forth. I think by this time I've read practically every manual I can find and have adjusted my mind to the fact that I will be bringing this doll into my home, and what he will require.

Is this the only way to go about it? Definitely not. Personally I think I'm a little OCD but I just like to know I'm not going to be making a silly mistake that could have been prevented. Besides that I've learned a lot about faceups, sueding, etc that would have been hard to figure out on my own.

That's just my two cents, though.

 

KasaMadhuri777, you said it. I wasn't interested in joining DoA when I was just trying to figure out if this was a hobby I might possibly be interested in having. And even after I joined DoA, there's still a LOT of digging I had to do to find the information I was looking for (and I still can't find it all).

I wish there was a "everything About BJDs" book out there for people who want to learn about BJDs, a reference guide with basic-to-intermediate how-to info that isn't likely to change much. It would make the hobby more accessible to those new to the hobby, info for non-collectors (read: parents) and be a handy reference guide for others, I think.

 

well, if you look at the time scale, I'm buying my first doll VERY early; a mere 1.5 months after being introduced. However, I /have/ snooped around loads of places (not just here) and spent hours upon hours upon hours reading, learning, talking, and overall acquainting myself with BJDs and what people do with them.

I am glad that the first doll I was looking into (and almost did) buying was taken out from under my nose on ebay. I wouldn't love it now, to be honest. I think the eyes are too big, I don't like the expression... it's not what I'm looking for.

My first impression of BJDs was, "oh, SO pretty. I'd love to have one." But I couldn't decide how to decide which to get. Obviously, I'd have to find some kind of criteria, so I wouldn't just buy the first 'pretty doll' (which at the time were all of them) I saw. So I decided to be nice to the characters of mine that have been nice and loyal to me over the past few years by buying a doll as a representation of them. Strikingly few lent themselves to this. Three of my five dolls are going to be based on this, including my first. Then came price. I saw the price, and was like, "O_O Ohgod. I can't spend that much. Let's find cheap dolls... >.>;" And at the time, I didn't exhaust all of DoA's listed sellers (even though it's probably not even a good representation of how many sellers there are out there), even; I asked the friend that got me into the hobby, and looked on ebay. There I found a doll that came with eyes and wig, and looked sort of like one of my characters. Blonde hair, short...

...Later I would think to myself, "EW. His eyes are way too big! I'm so glad I didn't get him!" ...Not that he's not pretty; just not my style.

Anyhow. After that I became more prudent. I looked EVERYWHERE, bookmarking webpages of dolls I liked, then comparing and eliminating based on which looked most like the characters I had in mind.

I've bought clothes and accessories for my first doll already, even though it'll be a couple weeks before I order him, and some may not match well. I think this is the only doll I'm going to buy for before he comes. The rest can remain naked for a few weeks (other than the dolls that have an option of ordering clothes with them, obviously.)

Even after deciding on what I wanted, I looked back for owner pics, and continued doing research. I really can't tell what he'll look like, even from those. But he does look very very pretty, and I think I'll like him a lot, in any case. I was initially going to do all faceups myself, but now I'm only doing faceups for the dolls who don't have a default faceup I like, and, of course, Renoc, my major work. I'm going to have a LOT of custom work ahead of me with him. But he's really cheap, and very very pretty. I don't know; I don't think I'm a reckless buyer, at this point. I know I /was/. But I'm glad I lost that bid, since the hastiness with which I threw myself into it made me stand back and reassess what I was doing, causing me to do more research, and look into ALL the companies listed here. And that did take a while, but I'm SO glad I did it. I feel a lot better about it, now. And I do hope that this doesn't become 'just another phase' for me. I hate it when that happens, but I can never do anything about it. It's really awful.

 

I did VERY little research beforehand. I bought my doll fairly much on a whim because my oldes daughter (who, I believe, HAD studied them more) got one. I saw it and wanted one for myself!

Are you the kind of person who always read instruction manuals, too? I'm not. I'm a hands on person. I want to try out things. When it comes to dolls, I check the "Don'ts" thread of course. I would never just start painting the doll with anything before assuring myself that it was safe. It's too expensive to ruin with ignorance.

But the basics? You don't need to study anything to know that you shouldn't let a (somewhat) brittle doll fall head first onto concrete. And IMO it's rather obvious that "permanent" markers are called that for a reason. Don't apply those and expect to be able to remove them afterwards.

That's called "common sense "

True. They're expensive for an impulse buy. But I admit I'm guilty of that. Twice (thrice if we're nitpicking) now. Because.. OMGFREESHIPPING! or OMGLIMITED... wait too long and you'll miss out. And it's too bad if it was the Doll of your Dreams...

I think most people can go with their Gut feeling. Is this the right doll? IS this hobby something I'd want to participate in at all?