Dolls you love that you missed out on?

Minifee Mio is mine. I knew she was being discontinued but thought I didn't like her enough to spend that much. Yeah, that backfired.

 

Yes. And it's not the end of the world, but it sure can feel like it!

The first I missed was Soom Ender. His order period was only about two weeks and there was absolutely no way I could afford him, not even on layaway. I did end up finding the head a few years later, but in the end, I never could make a hybrid work or get the fullset and I ended up selling him. I still think he's gorgeous but I don't regret selling him. Having him in hand, I realized 70cm+ is just a bit too much doll for me!

The other is a BlueBlood Doll Phoenix. He was the first head Medusa ever made, and only 2-3 ever existed. This was before I even knew about the artist or head at all, and I didn't discover BlueBlood Doll until several years later when she had four sculpts available, but Phoenix had been discontinued and modified to become Draven. Even finding information that Phoenix ever existed at all is somewhat difficult and I didn't even see pictures of him until I managed to track down an owner who had one of them, but had modded him. I even contacted the sculptor for more information (this is how I know so few were made) and even she no longer owned one. It's been a decade since I started looking for info on him, and don't have much more than when I started. I don't know if the other(s) have been damaged, modded or even still exist. In this case, it's literally less than a one in a million chance of ever owning one.

The only thing you can really do is just keep an eye on as many legit marketplaces as you can. Post "want to buy" listings. Check daily. Save up as much as you can so if you do find one, you'll have the cash ready to pay immediately.

 

I do feel this. In my case, I think I've just become involved in the hobby too late and missed out on a lot of things in general. It feels like 90% of what is shown when I browse various dollmaker websites is sold out, and it stings a bit. I first found out about the hobby in 2020 and had my eye on the Fairyland Chiclines. School and financial issues kept me from actually starting the hobby. I've become more invested in the hobby only now this year. I'm not sure when Chiclines were discontinued but I would still like to have a Chicline doll one day~

 

I was in the hobby around the time Luts CP Delfs were still being sold by the company. Only problem is I didn't like how they looked at the time. I think it was definitely a combination of how they were styled in company photos and how I didn't like the minimalist faceups that were super popular in dolls at the time. Flash forward to now, where they're expensive to get a hold of, but I've been seeing so many with faceups that bring out the charms of the sculpt. If I could get one I would, but I don't really know how much they are going for now or how much to price a WTB thread.

I also was in love with a lot of Ninodoll sculpts, but I never seemed to catch the ordering periods, and now it seems like the site is gone? No idea if they're still being sold or not, but it makes me sad.

 

I really regret not buying Doll Chateau's Fergus when they released him again. A the time I hadn't seen owner pictures and wasn't a fan.

But I have since seen many owner pictures and really regret not buying him. I love his sculpt now.

 

They might release them again someday, but I hate that I missed out on IOS' unitot skull heads. I might not have bought them, but I would've liked the option, you know?

 

Delf Soony is my biggest small regret. I was fully capable of purchasing her new from Luts but never committed to it. I probably will never get one now, but I'm happy when I see people posting her!

 

Freakstyle Salome. She'll always be the one that got away.

 

Ringdoll's Ksitigarbha....! He released during a time when I wasn't actively checking hobby news, so by the time I found out about him his order period had already ended. Well, technically he's still available, but only as a blank doll, and naturally it was the fullset outfit and makeup that caught my eye.....

It's probably better that I missed the announcement because I don't think I would have been able to afford him at the time. These days I don't have space for another doll....

 

Volks's Rozen Maiden girls...I'm not the biggest fan of the anime but I do love the sculpts, and the manga was one of my bjd gateways.
I tried for Souseiseki and Shinku in the June Bloom lottery but no doubt the competition was fierce.
Ah well, at least looking at Tenshi no Kishi it seems that they do come up in one-off lotteries often...

 

While my perception of "missing out on a doll" changes as I struggle with using my hands, there are definitely dolls that I missed out on that I still wish I hadn't. For example, Souldoll Serena. To this day I look at her photos on the company's website and think "Man, she's just so pretty...I wish I had her". Even as I try to handle my dolls her size and struggle to so much as change out a flat foot for a heel foot there is something about her sculpt (at least photos that I see of it) that just captures my interest and makes me go "ooh, pretty, I love that doll. I want that doll, what sculpt is it? Serena?! Oh, no wonder". I came back to the hobby right after her release sold out and any time she has randomly popped up I haven't had the cash or she has disappeared within moments of the sale being posted.

I cannot stress how much WTB threads here on DoA have saved me on dolls I have missed out on and given me a chance to own them in some shape/form. I never thought I'd get my hands on a Souldoll Aehael (prior to them re-releasing her), let alone her centaur version and I can safely say I own both a human and a centaur version of her now that made their way to me because of my WTB thread. While originally I had thought I wanted her in Normal Skin, I have both girls in Sandy Brown and I love the tone even more for what I had planned for the doll.

Granted, I suppose I don't beat myself up too badly because I believe that if something is meant to happen, it will happen. Even with something as silly as a desired sculpt in a hobby. If I am meant to have Serena one day the cogs will align ever so precisely and she will become mine. If not, well then it just wasn't meant to be.

 

I think the closest thing I have that's obtainable is DF-H'S Lu Xian sculpt in normal pink, but I am pretty okay with moving on tbh. There's so many options for sculpts that I will eventually find one that works for a character with my personal specifications.
I try to forget the one Dollfie Dream one off doll that has been haunting me for years that was auctioned in 2013. She's not happening for me and I'm healing from that pain.

 

I don't feel as bad for missing opportunities straight from companies as I do second hand. I tend to look at my local marketplace and mull over the decision forever as the dolls are up for grabs for ages usually... the moment I strut to message the seller, they are gone of course. I feel bad for missing out on a french resin narae with a really good price earlier in the year, it was a grail I had way back when but I guess I no longer have that strong feelings for the sculpt. Oh, and had I had the funds in 2007, I'd be beating myself up for not getting a DoD doll, but of course I didn't so it's not the worst of all regrets.

 

Dream Valley’s dragon version of Sylves and their Bethel were both some of the first fantasy BJDs I ever saw when I was first researching how to get into the hobby, and were honestly a huge part of getting me invested in buying my first doll. Human BJDs are lovely, but seeing how much could be done with fantasy characters was what got me really excited. Unfortunately dragon Sylves was limited and Bethel has been discontinued, and I wasn’t about to drop $400+ that I hadn’t saved up on a hobby I wasn’t even a part of yet.

Sort of wish I had been more impulsive, because they’re both gorgeous and definitely grail dolls for me, but it’s better on my wallet overall to be as responsible with my money as I am haha!

 

What I am most upset about missing isn't actually a full doll, but actually an add on piece for a doll that was super limited. DFH pumpkin head A (though I'd even take B honestly) I'd love to still find one somehow, but this is the thing I'm most sad about missing out on for my collection.

 

I’m always looking for Illusion Spirit Minos. I liked the thicker non muscle body he was on as well but then the company went defunct and some of them are difficult to find now.

 

She’s neat in person too. I saw one at a meet.

 

One thing that I love about this hobby is being able to find images and just enjoy them, even if I can't get the doll. I don't think I have too much FOMO over dolls, as the ones I like do pop up second hand or I already got them, but outfits, I have extreme FOMO over those. There are outfits I have WTB posts for because I missed out on them!

 

When Iplehouse discontinued a number of sculpts at about the same time, there were several I had hoped to buy at some point later on. Since I could only afford two at the time, I had to let KID Milly go. .