Expensive? Cheap?

Completely depends on the doll and how much I want it. Subjectively though I start to think that dolls over $500 are feeling ‘more expensive’...but you’ll notice I did not say ‘too expensive’...that’s just the price where there had better be something exceptional about them immediately to catch my interest. The amount I consider ‘expensive’ has crept up over the years, but then my tastes have changed and my doll budget has room, and I can pull money from other hobbies if I really want to.

$1,000 is enough to make me really stop and think, but I’ve paid more a few times and I’m sure I will again. $2,900 for a resin Enchanted Doll made me pause, and I ended up not getting on the most recent list, even though I really thought a long time about it and it is very likely her last sale of the resin versions. At that price, I might start looking at other porcelain artist dolls because of the nature of resin to degrade over time. One thing I don’t like to think about is that these resin dolls all do degrade with time no matter how carefully they are kept.

If money was no object, I’d limit the number but I’d have a huge doll studio too. These days even with my current collection, I think more about styling and display than I do new dolls but then I’ve received 3 dolls this year (long wait times stacked up) so my doll-buying cravings are currently tamed and space is reduced, they were big dolls. I have just under 20 and I don’t like them in their boxes or crowded on shelves or too close in cabinets, so I have more than a ‘roomfull’ now, if I displayed each with props and ample room around them.

With unlimited funds, I’d love to think about buying more than one Enchanted Doll (porcelain), a few Popovy dolls (with wigs clothes, shoes, everything!), some dolls from Marmite Sue and several from Forgotten Hearts. And probably 5 or so custom Blythes. Probably not a big Koitsukehime doll even though I really love Gabriel, but maybe a Dollmore Trinity and/or Lusion.

My heart kind of skipped a beat to see a grouping of 4 porcelain Enchanted Dolls in a photo together but I know I would have a hard time justifying that amount to myself even if money really was no object so I guess that’s a limit.

I don’t judge what I like strictly by price but what I like tends to be a little more expensive. Often over $500 but if I’m lucky, sometimes under $1,000.

 

all the dolls that i like and are on my wish list are expensive for me. but i still buy them when i cant hold myself anymore. the min i paid is $400 and max is around $800. i would probably want to have around 10 dolls.

 

I class affordable as under £300UK, and expensive as £600+. I have several that are over my ‘expensive’ definition.

 

Lol! That would be painful, I think.

But in a little more serious note; I believe I would still limit myself if money poured from wherever for me. I prefer other types of dolls/figures, and I prefer true-to-scale (I feel like I need to clarify that only when talking about BJD/on-this-forum) 1:6 figures or dolls, which is really hard to find actuals in that scale. I like a lot of faces, but I don't really like the bodies, so I don't purchase the doll if that's the case. If I had all the money in the world, that wouldn't change. I would still mostly only like the faces of some dolls, but not the body. Although, I guess I could just purchase custom sculpted bodies if I was filthy rich, but being as lazy as I am, I don't see how money could possibly change that (I would have to design the body on paper, etc. for it to be to my liking, which I doubt I would have the energy to do). (:

I would have preferred it if the dolls I purchased had been a lot less expensive at the time I purchased them (one was almost half the price a few months after I purchased mine, he was the cost of an original fat PS3 at the time of release!). However, at the time I purchased my last doll, I don't know that the less expensive options were available yet (around ten years ago?). Regardless, I tend to make toy purchases based on how much I want to own the toy, not really based on how much they cost. I do have a limit on how much I'm willing to spend on a doll/toy depending on the kind, and I don't think I would ever cross that for any reason at all.

 

When I didn't join the circle, I thought it was expensive to buy a doll for $200. After I had been in this circle for a long time, my ability to bear it increased, and I began to be able to buy a doll for $450. If I have endless money, I also want my dolls to be in single digits, because too many dolls have no time to take care of them, I will put more money into the clothes and makeup of the only dolls I have.

 

Like $500 and above is my mental image of "expensive" only a few of my crew is above that mark. And I broke $1,000 for the first time with Dollmore Dell. I hope I didn't make the wrong decision on him....

The less expensive dolls are less stressful to flip on the marketplace when I change my mind about a doll.

 

Before when I had a job, expensive would've been $800+. Granted, I did spend that twice now for two Feeple60s, though I've already sold one and looking to sell the other (they're just too big for me). A good max for me would've been about $400 for a doll. I love minifees and the rest of Fairyland's line and that's typically around what minifees are on the secondhand market.

Now, however, being out of work, anything is too expensive And I used to think 10 would be a good number of dolls to have but now I'm happy with my 5.

 

Depends on the general market price. Over 600 dollars for a used Iplehouse would be expensive for me, 400 would be cheap. But for artist and rare dolls I cannot get any cheaper, 1000-ish is not expensive for me. I have to save a bit to get that sum and I wouldn't trade it for any doll. I think my absolute limit for any doll would be 1500 dollars. Luckily, I've never seen a doll that costs over 1500 and that I like. I don't think my view on money has changed from when I entered the hobby, only the income I have in use has increased as I didn't have a job back in high school.

Even if I had a lot of money, I am not a hoarder/shopper type. I don't think I would get more dolls or props than what I could easily hide away in my doll cabinet (It takes maximum 20 dolls and has three sections for spare parts and clothes). I like living with minimal stuff and my favorite pastime is walking around our apartment looking for things I can toss away. It suits me better than an apartment filled with all kinds of collections.

 

Expensive is over 600 for me. Around or below 200 is cheap, a really good deal. 300, or over, is a mid-range, reasonable price in my opinion. 1000 and more is ridiculous, but I was lucky so far. No such expensive doll ever sparked my interest.

Price is not a major factor for me. Not because I would be that rich, but because my main goal is to find the right sculpt for already existing characters I'm shelling. Dolls, in general, are expensive -- even the cheap ones are -- so I'm not buying unless I either really love the sculpt or know it fits my character. If a cheap doll or head or body is perfect for the character, good for me! Luck is on my side. But I can also wait, save, or buy just head or do all three options. I rarely like both head and body anyway.

Having an unlimited source of money wouldn't really change my approach to buying dolls. But I would be, most probably, more willing to buy dolls on the cheaper side just because I like them, not because I have particular plans for them. I can imagine I would end up having a ZOO. Pet dolls are my weakness.

This price think is relative. I'm able to spend a lot on dolls and hobbies in general. But only clothing item for myself I would be willing to spend more than 100 are shoes and one of a kind, handmade artsy clothes. Otherwise no, no way in hell. It just isn't worth it.

 

For the most part I tend to float around $500-$600 as my typical spending price. Anything less than that is a nice welcome, anything more than that I tend to talk myself out of. Right now, I have impulse bought another Smartdoll so I will be paying her off for a little while. That *should* curb my spending for some time. I'm also going back to college, so I know better...

 

Cheap, for me, is any doll under $500. Expensive would be between $500-$1600 (roughly the cost of a new full set Volks doll). Anything above $1600 falls into the "ludicrous" department for me, but I've still gone there. My personal max amount I'm willing to spend on any doll is about $2,000, with some very rare exceptions for grails.

 

"Cheap" for me tends to be around $300-$400, but I like the SD sized dolls so they're obviously going to be more expensive at base than, say, the YoSD's that my friend really likes. As such, our definitions of 'cheap' and 'expensive' differ greatly. As of right now, my most expensive dolls were a pair of limited editions that, unfortunately, came up for sale at the same time. One was my grail that I had wanted for many years so I was willing to drop a good amount of money on him so I wouldn't waiting for years all over again. That being said, before those two, I had never spent more than $700 on a single doll. I would consider impulse to be more of a factor than expense, for me anyway. For example, I would be significantly more willing to spent $1000 on a doll after saving for months specifically for that doll. That way, I can spread the expense out. Dropping that much money instantly is something I would be extremely hesitant about. An impulse buy for me would have to be on the 'cheaper' end. That long rant to say that, in my case, 'cheap' is around $300 and 'expensive' is $800+

 

I primarily collect 60cm+ dolls and consider $500 to be about the base price, with the average ranging from $450-700. $800+ is where things start to feel expensive, and anything below $400 feels super cheap!

I have a harder time with any of the smaller scales. I expect MSDs to be around $300, but I'm sometimes surprised that isn't the case!

 

I agree that the answer depends on many factors, but, personally, more than 500 USD is a sign that makes me doubt if I should buy (of course I may buy if it's something very rare or limited).

 

How great question this is...
As this came as an hobby, I really don't know how much should be called expensive.
I even tried my best to own a doll that I thought it's so expensive in the past.
But with me, if an second-hand doll is sold with a double price (or even more) in compare with the original price from the doll company, it should be expensive.
Furthermore, with me, expensive is a really abstract term, for example, I think some companies sold their doll in a higher price than usual, and as it's not worthy with that price in my opinion, it becomes expensive!
However, in general, a doll that cost more than $3000 might be so expensive for me to buy, except it's a Dream Doll that is created for me only (I know many people willing to pay $5000 for Volks Dream Choice, but still doesn't have a chance as Dream Choice slot is chosen via lottery.)
Even if I win the lottery, and money comes to me like a fountain, I don't think I spend them for a house of dolls. 49 is a great number, and it should be my upper limit!
Of course, since first time I entered the hobby, my view of doll's expensiveness changed from time to time. But because my first doll is a doll from Volks, and Volks' price seems higher than other companies, I ought to started from a high place since the beginning, right?
For the preference between an expensive and a cheap doll, it's no matter for me if it comes from Volks and I could afford enough to have it. The most important thing for me is the brand and my own taste.

 

For me expensive for a doll seems to be anything over $400 CAD.
Expensive for clothing/accessories is like... $50 per piece. If I can't cheap on the doll I'll cheap on the clothing LOL. I'd fork it out though if I really wanted it I guess *cough*

I am pretty conscious of the price before adding anything to my wish list (which is how I shop for myself as well). So it seems pretty natural to strike something from the wish list if the price is more than I can stomach. The buyers remorse will end up affecting my enjoyment!

 

Completely depends on the doll. I don't see them as an investment to be resold later for a profit (or even for the price I paid) so I have to really emotionally resonate with them prior to deciding if the cost is worth it. Usually, anything over $300 gives me pause, but as the dolls get bigger that number has to too.

 

All my 3 dolls are costing 600 $ or more, and that's exepensive... It looks like I prefer expensive dolls... But no. The dolls I prefer are expensive... I am not rich, I always use layaways. I really like to have a doll for cheap, but I never found a cheap doll I like. And of course 200 $ is too much to spend something you don't like, or at least not sure you really like it...

 

$500+ is getting pricey in my opinion. I've accepted this is a luxury hobby so I don't mind paying top dollar but I would cut it off at $3000+. Thankfully I have a decent paying job to earn my dolls.

 

Expensive for me depends of exchange rates, first class postage and customs taxes. In my country there are not many collectors or dealers. My new boy imported from US was USD$400+70 postage + local tax.
If I want a doll I'll save up no matter the price, I dont think I have a preference between cheap or expensive dolls. If I really like it I'll consider buying, take my time deciding. At the moment I plan on limiting my doll collection to a few dolls I absolutely love. At the start I had a large collection and bought aimlessly but now after coming back to the hobby I'm sticking to a minimal amount.