First Doll: How much planning went into it? Plan success or foiled plan?

My first doll was both an impulse buy and definitely not an impulse buy. I knew of ball-jointed dolls, had seen them for years, and lived for a few years with a roommate who owned ten. Somehow, I just didn't really want one. I'd think about it, but in the end I'd decide it wasn't for me.

And then Rosette Doll opened. I saw their website (and now... I don't remember why I saw the website) and instantly I NEEDED to own Violet. I thought I'd have to wait and save up, but unexpectedly I found myself with just enough money to buy Violet--despite being unemployed--so I ordered her right away. Before there were company reviews, before people had realized that SOOM owned Rosette Doll, and before any owner photos were available.

When she arrived, she was EXACTLY what I wanted! I couldn't have been happier. :3 Even after the super-long wait and everything.

She's no longer with me, but I don't regret her purchase at all, and my decision to buy a different doll and rehome Claudia is unrelated to the physical doll--which was the most beautiful, well-engineered doll I've ever touched.

 

hhmm... I can't say it was an impulse buy, since I was planning on buying one. but I couldn't find any that really called my attention. And there were some that were way too expensive.
Don't get me wrong, but I really didn't want to expend so much on a doll just yet. Specially the first one. I was afraid I might not like the hobby.
And since I didn't create any character yet, I had no restrictions.
But then I saw this really pretty doll from Custom House, which was a limited edition, I really fell in love for it and would buy it no matter the price.
And it just happened to be cheap!! So I couldn't lose this chance.

 

At a anime convention in '05 I saw a girl with a tiny BJD and a Dollfie working in the dealer's room. I asked her about dolls and she told me a little about them. She seemed a little rushed and annoyed, so I didn't get to ask as much as I wanted. To start with, she never mentioned that the tiny was a BJD, she just called it a Dollfie. (I can only assume she was new to the hobby or didn't care too much). I ended up thinking that "Dollfie" was spelled "Dofy" (pronounced: Dough-fee, she had a thick accent), and needless to say, couldn't find anything about them on the internet. I promised myself that if I ever saw them again, I would get one because they were just amazing!

Earlier this summer, I was browsing a Goth/Lolita site and came across an article about BJD. I immediately looked it up and was literally beat over my head with information about it. I quickly joined DoA and began a frantic search for my own doll. I think I drove my parents crazy looking for "my girl". I loved Luts, Iplehouse, Island Doll and then found Ring Doll. When I saw Wagashi, my heart melted. She's been ordered, and I still don't have a name or a character for her yet.

 

How many others have experienced this? What went into your first doll?
Well, this has more to do with my doll's body than her head mold. I knew I wanted a Fairyland A-line body, but I was pretty sure I wanted the larger bust option. However, when I saw a complete doll for only $320 in the Marketplace, I jumped at the chance to save on the cost of the head. Only thing was, the body had the small bust. When she finally arrived home, I couldn't be happier with the look of the body. I am 100% pleased that I went for this impulse money-saver!

How did you get him or her?
Secondhand in the DoA Marketplace.

How did you decide?
Decided to buy her based on her body type and price.

OT, you know what? My cat was an impulse adoption, and he is the most precious thing in the world to me. So sometimes impulses are really just good gut instincts.

 

I knew about BJDs for a while but didn't know much about them nor was I sure if I wanted one or not, since I heard they were up there in the pricing. But after seeing these two BJDs that a mother and daughter brought into Walmart in the fabric section, I instantly made up my mind to get one! But of course I had to go on a search for a doll I wanted. I did find one and almost decided to get her. I was browsing the internet for a wig that I could possibly get her until I saw this MSD who was modeling a few wigs. I fell in love with her so much! And tried everything in my power to find out what brand she was and where I could order her, which took days before I finally found her! So, in a way, she was an impulse buy. Although I looked at other pictures and made sure she was what I wanted. x3 I'm still waiting for her but I'm extremely happy and excited!

 

Fair amount of planning. And Success!

I tried to find out everything I could about BJDs and what was available and how to get them and pros and cons, etc., before I bought my first doll. This was in 2004, and things were a bit different-- there were not a lot of online shops in English, for one thing. Definitely not any place in the US where I could order a doll or buy one directly. I had never seen a BJD in-person before I bought mine. I had to find someone who could speak English who was a liaison for the company (Cerberus Project. Luts was just starting out on-line and it was easier to purchase from Liria--and I could request skin color through her).

The main companies making BJDs were Volks, CP(soon to be Luts), Custom House, Dream of Doll... and I can't remember if there was anyone else! I really liked Volks, since I'd first seen their BJDs a year or two before, but their unlimited dolls didn't appeal and the limiteds were too hard to get (basically, sold out and extremely expensive on the secondary market). CH also tended to have limiteds that were sold out... but I was thinking about their boy, Gene, I think. I also liked El from CP/Luts. Then I heard that a limited El Elf would be sold and I decided that would be the perfect doll for me, because I loved elf-ears and liked the El sculpt.

I had to learn how to order through posts on DoA (I was just reading it, then, joined shortly after), had to figure out how to wire-transfer money... Spending so much on a doll had me super-nervous! I thought I was crazy and I didn't know anyone else who had done it--or so I thought!!! After I made the purchase, I found out that several people I knew had BJDs and in fact, two of them had ordered an El Elf in the same order as I did!

So I did plan, and did carry it through (took only a month or two, from when I seriously started looking and comparing and researching and when I finally ordered my first--but that's due to the fact that I had a good job at the time and didn't have to save up!).

I don't tend to "impulse-buy" because these dolls are just so expensive. I really have to think about it a lot before I buy. Limited buying periods do tend to force me to think fast at times, though, but I always order on the last day and think hard about it through the whole buying period. Or I wait and have bought several limited dolls later... trying hard not to pay HUGE prices, which is difficult!

It is very easy to "impulse-buy" when the dolls are instantly available. I only did this one time when I could actually buy the doll immediately and walk away with it--and that was during a Volks Party with a One-Off. The doll was a version of one of the first BJDs that made me want one, and it was sold out, so it was just too hard to find, or too expensive. So, in a way, I had thought about it for years... Just had given up on getting him!

 

Well... I suffer from a genetic disorder called "Shopper's Indecisiveness". I'll stand at a book store for hours trying to decide what 2 mangas I wanna buy, mostly because I never know when the next time I'll be able to get something for myself again. My mom is the same way, we'll spend hours at the clothing store just to end up getting nothing at all. My experience buying my first doll was no different. First I wanted a DOD Ducan, because he was the first doll I liked. It was his eyes, the way he seemed to me smirking with them all the time with sexy confidence. Perfect for my character Balthazar who is the son of the demon of lust and a human woman..
Then there was the DOD Si, who was so cute with his big wide eyes and sweet little smile, perfect for Felix who was designed to be the perfect uke boy><.
And it went on like that, until I found and AS Cain on the marketplace because his sweet yet reserved face just made me want to take him home and cuddle him. ^_^ So... he has no character.
The next doll I plan on getting, Doll-leaves Xavor not only broke me of assigning character's before hand because he's nothing like any characters I have, but he also doesn't have the look I usually go for either >< the rounder jaws of the other's on my wish list are usually a must for me to like a doll, but the long faced Xavor is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. He stole my heart, and made my wallet cry lol.

 

Impluse buying totally. An Aod Liu Yin off the marketplace. I loved her at first sight and I love her still. She is wonderful. I have been at this a while and all dolls were impulse buys. Only now am I planning twins. I am slow to learn lol

 

I'm a real tight wad when it comes to money. Growing up with an overqualified single parent mother who isn't good at the business aspect of her practice taught me a lot about saving and making every cent count. I'm the kind of person who makes lists of things I want and then calculates the price, how much each item would take out of my money stash, how much I would have left over, whether I can remove item A to get item B which is only a couple dollars cheaper, etc etc. I am a massive, anal retentive planner when it comes to these things because I have no money to impulse buy. I fret over something that's 5$. .__.

So it took me a lot of time and research to decide what bjds I wanted for my characters, and even though I have a floating head for one I'm still not sure whether he's the best sculpt, so I'll be planning more on that. I've had impulse decisions though - when I first saw the Luts Bory I fell head over heels for him at first sight, even though I'm much more of an SD person. He was the sweetest, cutest, most adorable MSD I had ever set eyes on. I didn't know what character he would be, what he would look like, anything. I just knew that someday he would be mine, right then, right there. I'm only just beginning to plan out a pretty hardcore awesome character for him, so I'm super excited, since I have a feeling he'll be my first!
The same with a doll I came across only a few days ago - an Iplehouse Carina. She's almost perfect for another character of mine and because it's so difficult to find dark tan dolls who fit her well, I'm more or less 80% set on getting her. For now anyway, haha!
Luckily I'm getting a lot of money early next year, more than enough for a few bjds, so even though I'm a super mega tight wad, I just might end up making that fatal impulse buy some day. .___.

 

I'm an odd mix. I've wanted a BJD for at least four years, and I would focus on a really expensive doll and try to save up and then real life would intervene and I would say "okay, I'll put this away for a little while, but come back when I have money," and then the cycle would repeat. In the meantime I did tons of research.

This year, I started getting obsessed again, focusing in particular on a MNF Lishe. But real life intervened and I was prepared to wait until the next chance, when my fiance offered to get me a cheaper doll for Christmas. That's how I decided to bring my Bobobie girl home, and even though she wasn't my first choice, she's the most beautiful, darling thing in my eyes.

 

My first doll was a complete impulse buy, at a con as well even. I had been eyeing her actually for quite some time, I don't remember actually deciding that she was going to be my first, it's just how it happened. I melted when I saw her, and my friends were really pushing me to buy her. She's a resinsoul Bei btw, my beautiful little girl

But yeah, total impulse buy, and I would never take it back, she's perfect for me. My second doll was an impulse buy too, haha, I'm bad at that, at least my third was planned?

 

I planned to get a Crobidoll Ys type B when I had gotten enough money. But I was looking everwhere to see if I didnt have to go through Crobidoll to get him. That was my first mistake. I saw many other pretty dolls and started planning my other dolls. After I had enough money I decided to get a different doll, a DollZone Chen. That was perfectly planned, I had enough for extras even. (Un)fortunatly a different DollZone doll caught my eye, Mo type 2. He wasnt on the site I was going to get the Chen through so I looked around the DoA marketplace and there he was... All perfect and awsometude! After I started the process of getting him through his first owner I decided to get a FairyLand PukiPuki PongPong.
My first plans to get the Ys and Chen were foiled, but my impulsive personality got me two smaller beauties that I will never regret getting. ^_^

 

I planned for years due to my father not wanting to buy me one as it is expensive and no one sells locally. Then last year I finally was able to save money and eventually decided to get DM Ripley Days. As December, my month of scheduled buying, closes by I saw Rosette Sakura {Now called Miyoubi aka Mii-tan} and fell in love and bought her. I bought her in full set since all of my doll clothes are for 27cm fashion dolls. It was actually an impulse buy but i love her. :3

 

With the exception of my latest doll, ALL of my doll have been impulse buys. That is, if you read impulse as "hey, I've got the money for this... MINE!!"

My first girl was completely impulse. As I've said many times before, I wasn't even in the hobby, so to speak, when I got her. I was doing a favor for my girlfriend, which just ended with me being in the hobby. My technical first doll was impulse as well. I wasn't even considering buying a doll when I put him on layaway.

 

my first doll was definitely planned, i had him in my shopping cart for months and even had his clothes and name picked out before he arrived. that was nearly 3 years ago and he's still with me, with just about everything that he had when i first purchased him. he was definitely a success because he's my favorite and most spoiled doll

 

Im ordering my first BJD as a christmas present im buying myself. I first wanted Puki sugar but then i fell in loooooove with pong pong.

 

Strangely my first BJD buy was a present for my best friend. He took a little planning only because I had to make sure that he was not only the right one, but that I had the money to get him. He's a DollZone Fei, and her first love. I'm happy I was able to get him for her and now I'm getting my own(with a little return help). Mostly the fact that he's limited is letting me choose him as my first. He's perfect though I'm still struggling with not getting my frist choice first. *sighs* The woos of choosing.

 

Not very much planning at all. I saw Haruka, fell immediately in love, received her as a gift actually, a few months later. Loved her ever since!

 

Oh, I went through an agonizing amount of planning. xD Which mold, fullset or basic? What sort of wig and eye color would I choose? How would I purchase it...

THEN I switched companys because I was terrified of ordering something from overseas, and I wanted to go through Denver Doll, so I looked through those sites, agonized over a doll I could love, changed my mind. A good year and a half after I first decided to get my first doll, I received my LTF Ante in the mail. I haven't regretted choosing her at all. I was hoping that choosing which doll to get second would be easier.

I think it's harder now that I actually know what I'm doing. -facepalm-

 

My first doll was somewhere in between impulse and planned xD
The first BJDs I were introduced to were Dream of Doll's sculpts, and like many, I ADORED the DoT Ducan. But as I started browsing, I saw their DoC line- a "good" price (LOL, compared to what the others were!), and more importantly, a size that I could manage!
I can't remember exactly how it happened, but I said to myself should I ever get a BJD, it'd a DoC Zen xD

HOWEVER, I'm now faced with a larger problem: every doll I plan to save for is interrupted by an impulse buy >__<;
EG: after my DoC, I planned to get DM's Vian... he was promptly interrupted by my purchasing a Soom Beyla head on a whim, who was then completed a few months later.
Then I finally got a DM Vian and was planning to save for a Spiritdoll Holly... he was promptly interrupted by my now-incoming doll, a DZ Raphael, whom I hadn't planned to get for MONTHS xD;;
So now I'm back to saving again... only, wait! My "grail' doll's head showed up on the marketplace! OTL TWO of them!

And now I'm back to be tapped out again, and with a ton of dolls I hadn't planned on getting for months >_<; (However I'm elated about getting them, just, I wish I could stick to a plan is all XD;;...)