Dolls that *aren't* for beginners?

I got my first doll in pieces from Soom and strung her myself which was a great experience, so that doesn't seem like a bad way to start to me. I would not suggest a Real Puki as their first unless they are very comfortable handling tiny things. I like tiny things and they push the limit for me in fiddly-ness. And I'm almost constantly worried I'll loose one of their teeny hands or feet.

 

I might not steer a newbie towards really oddball dolls unless I know that's their thing. But...we were all newbies at one point, right? I think if you're determined no doll is too much to handle.

 

I feel like people can get what ever they like. I have no say in what is or is not suitable for them to get, that isn't my place. If they're willing to pay money for a doll they like, whether it's an expensive company or not, that's them. Power to ya! But, I will suggest dolls that are a little cheaper, that's pretty much it.

 

I see a lot of what's mentioned as a doll that's *not* for beginners is Doll Chateau Elizabeth, due to her tricky stringing. I'm a beginner; my first full-fledged BJD, not counting diminutive Hujoos, was DC Elizabeth x'D. I'm pretty much of the same idea that eugenio-ruspoli just said:

There are some people who do little research and just impulse-buy something, then start calling for help when they realize it's much more than they bargained for. And then there are those people who say "No matter what, I want THAT doll, and I'm going to make it work." And then they read, research, ask questions, research, again and again.

By then, we're so careful and we're so braced against the extreme difficulties of the hobby, that once we finally take up doing stuff like stringing, face-ups, modding... we struggle, but we think, "This isn't as scary as they made it out to be!"

Already, I've modded my DC girl's body. And though I'm struggling with trying to dye her resin, it's not to the point where I am overwhelmed/regretting purchasing her. No matter what, I will learn how to make my doll work for me, because she's SOOO worth it and I probably wouldn't have felt the same if I was working with a doll I bought because I thought it was "easier"!

 

I think the biggest advice I have to beginners (not that I'm even not a beginner, cause no physical doll has arrived at my house...) is buy something that has already physically been made and will arrive at your house soon. I love the first doll I bought, but the facts are that I paid in full inJune and he'll be done in october. And he's worth every minute of that time. He's beautifully made, I'm not criticizing wait times, because I know beautiful things don't happen overnight, but I keep worrying that my payments didn't go through (they did) or the factory will forget my order, or something will go wrong. And This is nothing against Ringdoll. I love RD. I have faith in them, i'm not slamming them as a company, I just have anxiety issues. Anyone else with those issues, buy a doll that can be in your hands *fairly* quickly.

Also, SIZE. DOn't be an idiot and assume that Ringdoll grown is 'like eighteen inches?' like I originally thought. Get an actual tape measure and mark it out on a wall, to figure out the size. Fortunately, i was overjoyed with Jack being bigger. That might freak some people out a bit though. And some people don't have room. Be careful with that. And take your time picking. Look at every site you find, and look at them repeatedly. Pick a doll that speaks to you, something that you won't be afraid to touch.

 

thank you for your good advice . i am new to bjd . fell in love with one line but then started to drift away, then came back to the same company, but keep changing my mind about the which one i should get first. is that normal at the beginning ?

 

When I started, I fell in love with the way the Mirodoll lady body with the small bust looked. I ended up ordering an Impldoll as my first, mostly out of fear over making a hybrid right from the start. I recently ordered that Mirodoll body... and man, I don't think I would have done well with it in the beginning, with no experience restringing or seeing other dolls restrung. The knot was sitting up on top of the neck, for starters. I'm sure I could have figured it out, but without prior experience, it almost certainly would have been frustrating.

However, I'm still going to fall in line with the advice of earlier commenters - if you love it, you'll figure it out. But definitely always do your research.

I couldn't say if it's normal, but it's what I did. It's a lot of money, so waffling over the choice is definitely understandable, especially when everyone is saying things like "make sure you LOVE it!" When you're new, it's a little harder to know whether or not you really will love it.

Based on what I know now, I guess my advice is to make your choice based on what you want to do with them. My first doll ended up settling into a specific character and personality (probably because of the face up she came with), and consequently I started to have a hard time putting her in particular kinds of clothing. I would have put her into lots of frilly lolita dresses and similarly elaborate outfits, but it just didn't suit her, if that makes sense.

I was also one of those people who was set on a taller doll, SD sized. The smaller ones just didn't feel as special to me then... but that's up to you to decide. Some people prefer the smaller ones, and I will say that MSDs are easier to carry to meetups. Again, it's what you plan to do with it.

Good luck ^^

 

Any of the doll Chateau with the extra joints very hard to pose!

 

Agreeing with the sentiments here; if one's determined enough, then they can handle any doll they like. That said, I do see plenty of people who definitely wouldn't be determined enough, and in a purely case-by-case basis, I'd make different recommendations. (I've honestly seen posts from people who aren't even willing to change eyes or clothes!) For myself, I wasn't even planning on seriously getting into the hobby, and started with a doll frequently considered a "starter" (though perhaps moreso at the time than now). And while he did of course come strung with eyes in place, I managed to accidentally unstring him in the first hour. And I had him restrung about an hour later, after going out to get more elastic for him!

Honestly, if someone's willing to do a little homework, to understand that these dolls aren't as fragile as they're sometimes made out to be, and that the various "maintenance" factors aren't that scary either, then they should get whatever doll they want--whether it's a Volks fullset, a ResinSoul tiny, a Soom holiday kit, or an anthro-arachnid.

 

Mmm-mm. I had to gather my courage in order to buy a Feeple65 body, to be honest. I didn't buy it until I was two or three years in, and I'm still not looking forward to restringing that boy. *shudders*

 

i just started to "own" a bjd lati last mth

however i had brought one 6-7yrs back but quickly sold her back out

i think beginners shoukdnt get a brand new bjd that require faceups / stringing / body blush / UV spraying / sanding before u can play
i opened the box (it was a unoa i still remember) and i quickly closely it and shortly just sell back to the market....

 

agree!
I had my first one as a full set, make up and all. It is the best way to get one for the first time.

 

The closer a doll is to a "standard" size, the easier it is to buy clothes and things for them. It's really frustrating to get a doll and then have them hang out mostly naked because your skills aren't up to snuff and commissioning clothes is out of your budget.

 

Generally I'd say that as long as the person does their research and knows what to expect in terms of size, accessories, work to do on the doll and all that, there's no limitation.

Personally I bought a second hand SD13 doll that was shipped unstrung as my very first BJD! I'd done a lot of reading and decided I could handle this challenge, so the first day I got him, I strung him with limited supplies and was very happy when he was 'done'!

Only thing that, from my experience, can be quite a bummer is those odd sized dolls that are super hard to get clothes, shoes and such for! But if you're prepared for it, maybe buy a full set or know where to get custom made stuff and all even that is not a problem.

 

Beginner what? Beginner high schooler with little crafting experience? Beginner who has collected other types of dolls and knows how to create clothing, etc. Beginner with a great deal of painting experience, so face-up might not be as intimidating? Beginner who has a knowledge of how dolls are constructed? Someone with a lot, or little space to keep a doll? I suppose that there are a lot of questions that someone might need to ask themselves before choosing a first doll. Someone might need to know what sort of personality they have, are they the patient type to read, research, put together, complete? Perhaps they just want the doll to play with, dress, role play. As expensive as these dolls are, even on the lowere end of the scale, if someone does not absolutely fall in love with the sculpt, then the rest does not matter.

 

For me, I'd just stay away from kit dolls at first, maybe find one that is already strung on the marketplace(ex: unoas)! Kit dolls might be a bit overwhelming at first for some, but if you feel you know what your getting into, go for it! I don't really believe in beginner dolls, just get the one you like best! And, DO YOUR RESEARCH! This is the most important thing, don't just dive into it and not know what your getting into. Also if you do feel lost, lots of people right here on DoA are happy to help!

 

Not sure if we're including the few non-resin dolls allowed on DoA on this discussion here, but for me I reckon the DD/MDD lines are not really for beginners who haven't done their research on stuff like doll head caps and anti-staining underwear. They're just too easily stained and need a lot more care than a lot of resins to maintain

 

Now that is interesting that certain companies resins will stain just from the underwear. I have not seen a thread on about staining, how it comes about, how to prevent it, though I am sure I just missed it somehow.

I looked, but did not see any kits for bjds. I had some idea that they were no longer available.

 

Thanks, wondered why I did not see any kits. Soom is one of my favorite companies. I will keep my eyes open come next Christmas.

Do not know anything about vinyl dolls. Had a few as a child, including a Barbie the first summer she was ever available, $3.00 that I saved for myself with odd babysitting jobs and such a quarter at a time. My mother gave her away one day when I was at school. Later she said she was sorry, not thinking it through. Oh well. I had put her up by then and have not had interest in vinyl dolls since. The bjds have really piqued my interest.