Dolls that *aren't* for beginners?

I think people who wants to get into the hobby should let them have what they want. I mean, why stop the person from wanting that doll they fell in love with? Not everyone gets their doll immediately the moment they laid their eyes on it... Of course it's an interesting hobby and people I know usually do a lot of research first before getting into it. Learning the doll they love and the company it's from. Getting the dolly feels during meets, asking around for help. Isn't that what the forums and this community is also about, other than just showing off your dolls? Aren't we also suppose to help each other?

I got carried away with that paragraph.. But I still want to state it. Maybe this is my opinion as I'm also a beginner and I have eyes on 70cm dolls and Pukifees which people stated that should not be your first doll but I've seen them I want them even more after learning more about those dolls.

 

I believe some dolls are not for begginers and I won't say that it's a good idea to order the very first doll from companies like Doll Chateau, but at the same time people should start with whatever they want.

It's sad for me to see a newbie destroying any doll, even if it's an expensive and famous model or just a simple one. In my opinion, some people have a talent to make any doll look terrible and destroy them and it doesn't depends to be newbie or not.

 

I honestly believe there are no beginner dolls and there shouldn't be.

People who start this hobby have put a lot of time and effort searching for the sculpt they like.

Additionally, many spend the extra time researching anything and everything about the sculpt they choose so that they are prepared to handle them when they finally arrived to their doorstep.

Once a person gets a doll, aesthetics are also a matter of personal choice as well. Collectors should go with what makes them happy and not have to worry about another person's judgement either. BJDs are customizable items for a reason.

 

I also don't believe in the concept of beginner dolls or dolls that aren't for beginners. We're talking about dolls, not Formula One racing.

I do think there are folks who do less research than they should and end up surprised, unsatisfied or frustrated (ex. kit dolls aren't for everyone). Those outcomes however, are completely within the collectors control especially with the resources available now. The o.g. post is quite old, so I can see how the question may have been more relevant in 2009 than now.

I've been collecting dolls for a few years now but I consider myself a beginner whenever I buy a doll from a new company or artist. There's always something new to learn.

 

I think it depends on the person. for example i myself was rather hesitant about getting into the hobby and didn't want to spend a whole bunch before i was certain of my investent which i knew i wouldn't be untill i got my first doll. I also didnt want an SD becouse i am only 5ft tall AKA the mesurement they use for the whole 1/3 1/4 1/6 and belive me when i hold my MSD it looks like i'm holding an SD lol. So for me getting an SD right off the bat would be way to much resin!
However now that i've eased into it i'm more interested. Mostly because of my Doll Chateau who is 50cm it took quite some time to get used to his size but now that i am i think i'm ready for an even bigger doll.

However for someone who is more sure of themselves then I am i can see them getting an SD off the bat. also i think it makes a difference in how much you have been exposed to BJD's before i bought my first one i had only handled one BJD and she was a tiny. So i had no idea what to really expect when it came to an MSD let alone an SD. If your someone who's had exposure to BJD's and has had a chance to handle them then you most likely can be more confident about what kind of doll you decide to get.

having said that >.> from personal experience i wouldn't go with something like Doll Chateau that can be rather kicky and may need to be restrung (personally i've done this and i still have trouble with his legs -sigh-) or any other brand that is known to be a doll you really need to work with. I know when i got my resin soul he needed to be restrung and hot glue sueded and that can be really intimidating to someone who is new to the hobby. and i have to agree with the soom monthlies or say a Fairyland fullset partly just because of the price. if its your first doll and you've never handled resin before i would not advice spending that much money before you know this hobby is for you.

and i suppose thats what it comes down to is how confident are you? if your more timid like me then a smaller less expensive well made doll is most likely your best bet.
if your really confident be it because you've handled BJD's before or because you have other hobbies like BJD's or just because its your nature then feel free to buy that doll thats going to need more work or is more complicated (centaurs anyone?)

 

I believe it makes no sense to set any limitations, because collectors are different...
Someone can handle an unusual and "difficul" doll at the every beginning, another one is not able to.
Just try to find it out, it is fun!

 

She was by no means my first doll, but the first doll I ever strung completely from scratch was my Doll Chateau Elizabeth (the spider girl ). I had her shipped in pieces to help prevent potential breakage and I found it was like putting a puzzle together. I had to restring and adjust some of her parts a few times before I was done, but it wasn't as bad as I expected.

Maybe now I can get around to restringing my floppy DZ Shoyo-2 who I'd been putting off restringing because I was afraid I'd ruin her somehow...

 

You know, it really warms my heart that so many people are against restricting newbies to a certain kind of doll. A few years ago there were a lot more people with the idea that new collectors should get a "starter" doll that they don't like as much (it had to be inexpensive, easily strung, no complicated parts, no fancy colored resin, not limited, etc...) because they would damage or even ruin their doll and would need a "practice" doll to make mistakes on (a junk doll? wtf?) or even the new collectors themselves thinking they should get such a practice doll out of fear rather than the one they love. I think the doll a newbie should get is the doll they love. ^_^

 

I think a doll not for beginner is buying directly from Iplehouse and Souldoll, and now Soom. This is because their retail price is too high so if you decide you do not like the doll, you will have a very hard time to get your money back. Soom used to be a sure thing, and chances are you will love your soom doll, but nowadays you could end up losing money if you don't bond. Alternatively you could get the doll second-hand at a better price.

 

I never had any set restrictions when I started. I was all about any doll, and for a while was really fixated on getting a big 72cm Ringdoll. I saw no problem with it. I see a lot of beginners go with Bobobies and Resinsouls because of their "cheaper" pricing and moderately easy to work with bodies. I wouldn't know personally as I don't own one. There are also the people who buy a "practice" doll before getting a fully fledged BJD. Like for instance I'd wanted a BJD for a couple years, bot ended up getting a jointed J-doll as my "beginner" doll.
I definitely don't think that beginners should be restricted on what they want to purchase. If they want a big 72cm or a centaur or a BJD with twenty different add-on pieces, that's their thing. I agree that there are some sculpts that are probably harder to work with than a basic of any variety, but in the end the beginner has the agency to choose whatever doll he or she wants.

 

@CreamPop I think if you can restring the spider girl, you can restring anything.

I don't believe in "starter dolls" either. The best way for newbies to love and stay in the hobby is to start out with a doll that they love, no matter how complex it is.

 

I'm more inclined to say that a beginner should get what they want and decide upon their own comfort level.

I listened to well-meaning advice regarding "starter" dolls and how some brands, or specific lines, just weren't meant for budding collectors. The result was that I had a doll I liked well enough, but never really loved. He was sold not long after I purchased him. I would have been so much happier and more immersed in the hobby had I just thrown caution to the wind and gotten a doll I truly wanted, regardless of whether or not it was seen as "advanced" by others.

I understand the whole idea behind dolls sort of having difficulty or experience tiers, but I don't agree with it. And I just can't shake the feeling that there's an underlying edge of elitism to the whole thing.

 

My only recommendation is not to order from a company that is going to take forever to get to you. That can be your second doll. Definitely buy something that you really want though - maybe look around for something in stock?

 

Maybe not elitist, but certainly a little condescending IMO.

 

It is a really good advice to buy the first doll secondhand!
In this case you don’t need to wait and go through all these complications with duty.

 

Anything that's very expensive. Unless you 100% know you want into this hobby, start small and then go big. Reselling is always an option, but can be a hassle.