Fear of being disappointed?

I'm a bit worried about this happening to me, to be honest. I hate parting with my money, so the idea of spending hundreds of dollars on something I thought I'd love, only to find out I didn't would be, well, disappointing. I try to look at tons of owner pictures when I think I want a doll, especially blank pictures, to try to get an idea as to whether or not I actually, genuinely want the doll or if I think they're just really pretty.

 

I'm slightly worried about this happening to me, but the fact that we have a fairly steady secondhand market helps me not to refrain from making purchase decisions.

 

This is my excuse for not ever getting into limited releases. The bjds I bring in are my OCs, my characters, whom I've grown rather attached to and want to be very certain are represented just the way they're supposed to be. That means research, research, research---checking out various owner photos, seeing them in person if I get the chance, etc. It's a very thorough venture I plan every step out along the way to be certain it works.

But...it's been a process I've developed more and more as I've gotten further involved in the hobby. In the early days...I fell in love with a few sculpts I thought were perfect, and for a time (differing for each case) they actually were. Here are a couple examples of that:

My very first SD was a Resinsoul Long. I thought he was absolutely perfect for my main OC Tahmos, and for a good year or so he was. after a bit of time passed, however....something about his jawline (or lack there of) really started to bug me--to the point I could barely look at him the same. That's what led me to swap him out for his current shell.

Similar happened with my current Azalea, Nira. She was going to start out being a RS Lian, but after a few body/head mishaps, color matching conundrums and falling out of love for the head sculpt (and falling in love with Azalea after acquiring one in a head event in a different color), I knew I had to make a change for the character. Similar also happened with my Valon, a former RS Yi who's now a DZ Raymond.

I learned more about my tastes through the experiences, and my characters as well. I learned to search more thoroughly than I had before, and be absolutely certain I'm making the right choice before taking the plunge. If I had any words of advice for somebody wanting to minimize the chance of dealing with remorse for buying decisions down the road, I'd say be patient; do some research; check out all the options; don't settle; look at lots of owner photos (see one in person if you can); treat limiteds with an extra careful eye (be very certain it meets multiple criteria for things you're drawn to before taking the plunge, for instance); figure out your goal, or your approach, to what you want to get out of this hobby (e.g.: creating characters, works of art, pretty things to look at, special mementos, etc.); and lastly....be very certain about your decisions.

Mostly these days, if I do have a moment where something doesn't work out and it ends up being sold off, it's because the body I ordered for a specific character turns out not to work as well for them as planned due to circumstances that are hard to always predict (head size, neck circumference, how it will even fit).

And...yeah---this post sure did turn into a mini-essay

 

As a first time owner, I'm really afraid of this happening. Honestly, I feel my expectations are always low though. I recently became more a part of the art community on DeviantArt and found out that I truly have low expectations when it comes to stuff. I'll always be giddy about it once I receive whatever! But deep down I really do have that fear of being disappointed once I get to own a BJD.

 

This sounds horrible! :O
I only feel disappointed when a head/body/wig don't fit the rest of the doll. Just today, I finally received the body for one of my msds - and it is tiny...muscular, but very tiny compared to the head :/

 

This kinds sorta happened with my second bjd. His faceup just didn't look that much like the promo pics, and his body was blushed a totally different color. But I got used to it, and I still love him. I think any doll looks great with a great faceup, so I might get him repainted someday, more like how I picture him.

 

That is unfortunate but I guess that possibility comes with this hobby especially given the long waiting times between ordering and delivery. I try to mitigate that by making character and wardrobe plans for the dolls I really want, and keeping them on a wishlist that I modify occasionally by taking 'impulse wants' down. It is hard, but I try to keep sculpts on the wishlist for at least a month before deciding on them (but companies have a way of starting pre-orders that are disruptive to this discipline...) That way when a doll I like is finally up for order, I know with some certainty that I really want them.

 

That's happened with my first doll. He was beautiful, unposeable and looks like he hated everything I made him. After a few try (face up, making wig, sewing some clothes) I sold him.

 

This hasn't happened to me, fortunately. There have been some dolls that I ordered knowing I'd be kind of disappointed when they arrived because I bought them intending to mod them, and post mod, they have been perfect, but nothing that wasn't predictable. Then again, I buy dolls for different purposes, some are only bought for their fullset, while others are bought to be played with more (my definition of "play with" is make clothes for the doll).

 

I've experienced dolly disappointment for sure. It's really annoying when you've been waiting to fall in love for months, and then you see the supposed object of your affection and feel absolutely nothing. I've found that personally, I just can't force it. No new faceup, eyes or hair is going to change the way I feel...so, I sell it to someone who will give it the love it deserves, and move on. I have just too many dolls that I do love by this point to let it get me down.

 

I'm glad this thread exists. I'm going through the exact same thing right now, for the second time. Problem here is that the sculpt is an event sculpt, I want to sell her to get other dolls I would love, but I'm afraid I'll regret it, or the same thing will happen to them, too.

 

I have this doll head that I sent to a company to buy a body and be resinmatched. Its been 16months since and the doll is already on his way home but Im afraid I may not like him as I used to before? The long waiting time kinda killed my love for the sculpt. I hope not when I finally see him.

 

I had something close to that with my first doll.
I got scammed for some things like she promised me stuff that I never got and was constantly lying about the doll. now the physical appearance of the doll I knew and was well aware of, and I liked it, to be honest. but when the package came, I was just so, I don't know how to say it, disappointed? just the way the doll was laying in the box. all the troubles with payment, shipping and the fear of getting scammed. it hurt to see the doll in the box and not liking him. as a matter of a fact I kept him hidden for a year, with no peeks into where he hid. now I have learned to love him, which I do very much. but I continue to find things about the physical aspect of the doll that frustrates me and makes me angry at him for a while. I have heavy plans to change him, with heavy mods and a rough cleaning. now I can say that I will probably have a hard time purchasing dolls secondhand, no doubt ill do it in the future but it will be with a little bit of fear.

 

I'm currently going through something like this. When I received my female and male grail, I was so excited for them and they were more than perfect. Even today, I can stare at them with admiration. I recently received my second female doll, and I really wasn't that excited when I was dressing her or just looking at her. I like her but not as much as I thought I would. I guess the difference in my reactions is a bit jarring, and I'm trying to figure out how to remedy it. That certain level of excitement is missing and I would like it to be there for all of the dolls in my collection. I think it will take longer than expected for her to grow on me.

 

This happened to me recently! After that, I sold it.