First doll regrets?

XD This may sound funny, but here's my tip: Pay especial attention to the "bad" owner pics. The worst ones you can find. Then ask yourself if your reaction is closer to "Ugh, what an ugly doll!" or "Ugh, what an ugly picture of a beautiful doll!" (Haha, this being your own private, subjective thought process, of course. I certainly don't aim to imply that any particular doll sculpt is unattractive in itself, as it's all a matter of personal taste.)

But in all seriousness, this might be a good litmus test. If you find that what's putting you off is mainly poor lighting, a 'meh' wig/faceup, or a photo angle that would not be flattering for ANY sculpt (of which the best example is probably the "up the nose" shot), then it's all good. But if what's bothering you is a head-on shot that shows how narrow the bridge of the nose is, or a photo taken with flash that throws into relief certain contours of the face that you don't like -- then be careful, because those features are there to stay.

In terms of personal experience ... well, my first doll was a tan Dollzone Yuu. He's been with me for about a year now, and he's still the favorite! I've used the bad photos evaluation in choosing him and most of my other dolls, as well as in narrowing down my wishlist, and it has served me pretty well so far. Best of luck!

 

My advice? Look for pictures of the blank dolls. I find it easier to find out how I truly feel about a sculpt when I'm looking at it bald and faceup-less.

 

My first doll was an Elfdoll Wu....although I sold him I have no regrets about him; it was only after having him that I knew I could handle a bigger 70cm boy. I learned a lot having him...even learning about what I didn't want from a doll which can be important in figuring out what you do want. Also agree about 'bad' owner pics and finding pics of wigless, faceless dolls. That was how I figured out that I love Hounds across the board.

 

meili-melee, awesome advice. This is what turned me off of what I initially thought would be my favorite sculpt. The shop shots showed him from many angles with multiple looks, and he seemed perfect for me, until I finally found some owner shots of him (ironically in the MP while searching to see how much he sells for) and saw a few details and quips that were impossible to see unless you get him from a few odd angles. I would've cried after pulling him out of the box if I had only seen shop shots!

He's now been bumped off my wishlist and replaced with a doll I've been able to easily see hundreds of owner photos of, and I've liked him in them all.



Anyway, I sold my first dolls. I bought them to be a pair, one after another. They were cheap and adorable tiny dolls, so it wasn't as scary for the first purchase.). I loved, still love, their cute faces, but later became aggravated with their inability to pose on the level I had expected (which is something the company has since fixed by tweaking the body sculpts), and decided after new face-ups, wig and eye changes, everything, and still being annoyed to just sell them.

I don't regret that. After selling them, my third doll arrived a few days later, the MSD-scaled Asleep Eidolon Mo, and I was ambivalent at first, then quickly became giddy with her.

She was a larger doll that's much easier to fit for, she poses nicely, and is just a joy to me. I love doing all the dolly things with her, and even though I plan to get other dolls with considerably more range and quality, I really think she'll always be one of my favorites.

 

Like you, I was torn between two sculpts (Zaoll Luv and Narae43) and couldn’t make up my mind for months. Eventually I decided on a Zaoll. And while I still think she’s the most gorgeous creature I am planning on selling her or trade her for a Narae sometime this year.

It’s very hard to predict how this hobby is going to work out for you before you have a doll.
I thought I was safe by choosing a doll to fit a favourite character, but for me it turned out differently because the stronger the character in my head is developed the bigger the chance it refuses almost every mold. Because it’s never perfect.

Now that I know that I kind of ‘go with the flow’. I see a mold, I love it, I obsessively search it out and see all pics I can find. I do this for months, preferably even longer. In the mean time part of the parts of characters in my head kind of merge with the mold, parts are all new because of what I see in the mold, and if I feel I have a strong enough mix and a good enough fit, I order the doll.
But there was no way to know this before I ordered my first.

I have a hard time to call that ‘regret’. Regret sounds kind of mournful or sad or as if something disappointed and that’s just not true. She’s gorgeous, she’s just not for me, or not now at least. But I can safely say I still think Zaoll is one of the best (and quirkiest) sculpts out there. It’s just that it turned out that that’s not the thing I need most to have a doll ‘work’ for me. And I think your first doll is for a big part about finding out what does.

 

^ This. There's a lot you don't know-and can't know-yet when you order your first doll because what kind of dolls work for you is something you find out with experience. I was incredibly lucky, even though when I ordered my first doll, there were no meet-ups so I couldn't check sizes and there was not at all as much choice in companies as there is today, I just..saw Chiwoo and knew I had to have him. After 4.5 years, he is still my favorite and the one who keeps inspiring me again and again and again and again. But if that doesn't happen, I think it makes sense-after all, it's only after a while that you really find out what you like. I wouldn't buy more sculpts like Chiwoo because it is not my style anymore, but if I didn't have a Chiwoo yet I would certainly buy one. In that way I guess it wasn't the style but really the face that made me fall in love and choose him for my first doll. That, and the fact that he looks good in freaking everything XD I can try out anything I like with him and I know it will look good on him.

As for tips, I agree with the 'bad owner pics' suggestion! Keeping with the Chiwoo example, when I see a badly made up Chiwoo in a blurry photo I think 'awwhhh you cute little thing!' XD when with other dolls, I just click away. Meet ups are good, if possible. There are a couple of my dolls I really knew I wanted to get after I saw them IRL. Waiting is good too. Know for sure that you really, really want them. Think of different ideas, different things you want to do with them, will that doll keep you interested, even after a few months, a few years? Don't be afraid to experiment, especially with your first doll because he/she kind of paves the way for more and helps you find out what you like! It certainly was that way for me ^_^

 

^^;; Fair point that sculpts that could look good from every angle are, at best, few and far between. (And I applaud your care and thoroughness in researching the sculpts you like.) However, that doesn't necessarily mean you can't love a sculpt from every angle -- even its worst ones, heh. I suppose what I mean is that, if a sculpt really clicks with you, then whatever "flaws" or odd features you do notice will become more endearing, rather than more irksome, over time.

For instance, I wasn't at all sure how to feel when I first began to notice the subtle asymmetries in many of my dolls' features ... but I've come to adore it as something that makes them quirky and distinctive to me. As a more specific example, my DZ Yuu, Vyvyan, has a sharply pointed nose and slightly downward-drooping eyes that make his up-the-nose angle look even sillier than that of most sculpts. XD However, that doesn't stop me from adoring him when he tips backward and I get an unintentional view of that bad angle. Instead of cringing and going "Oh dear, that looks terrible," I actually look at him and chuckle fondly for a bit at the goofiness before pushing him back upright.

Bringing it back to your dilemma, then: Perhaps home in on the minor issues you might have with both E-an and Lishe, and consider whether they are characteristics that could grow on you, or are conspicuous enough that they would definitely continue to bother you? Beyond that, I'm afraid I have to agree with what Anne Mae and others have said; you really can't be 100% sure about a doll until you've got it right there in front of you. Still, I hope our tips and anecdotes can be of at least some small help in your decision-making process!

 

I have only once regretted getting a doll, and that was only after I found she simply did not fit in with my doll family, and so she moved on, so I guess that is less about regretting her, just regretting that she did not fit in. My first doll I had NO regrets about, i was in love the moment I saw him on the site and even more in love when I opened him

 

Ah, I know this problem. Everyone says that you should choose the doll that you love the most but it isn't always that easy. I had a very hard time deciding on my first doll, I spent months staring at pictures and researching every well-known and a little less known BJD company out there until I got sick and tired of it. I had a few possible candidates but I just couldn't decide which one I really wanted. They all had pros and cons. I tried putting the most flattering and the most unflattering pictures of each mold next to each other but it got me nowhere. Eventually I got tired of going back and forth so I just ordered the doll that I found first.

When I finally got him, it was pure bliss. I was totally smitten by him, I thought he was the best thing since sliced bread. Of course, I had no other doll to compare it to so I was over the moon.. for the first couple of weeks. Then something happened. After I had spent some time with him and learned what his strongest and weakest points were, I noticed that the bad things outweighed the good ones. At the same time a person in the Finnish BJD community got one of the dolls that I had originally thought about buying and I knew that I had made the wrong choise. I regretted my decision so much that I sold my doll and bought the other one. And I'm so glad I did! The "new one" has been with me for about five months now and I'm very happy with him

So my advice to you is that don't rush things. If you can't decide which one you like more then maybe take a little break from the dolly world and come back when your head is a bit more cleared up.

Also, I agree with meili-melee on everything. I doubt I will ever find a sculpt that looks good from every angle, but I still love the dolls that I have/are on my wishlist. For instance, there's probably not one single BJD that looks flattering upnose, but what matters is if they look good from the angles that you will most likely be using the most. I, for one, love profile pictures and if I don't like a doll's nose then it's a no-no for me.

I have learned a lot over the last year. I'm actually grateful for my first doll because he taught me a lot about my likes and dislikes and because of that, making decisions is a lot easier now.

Well.. that's all I have to say, but everyone else has made very good points. Good luck with your decision! : D

 

I just got my first doll a couple weeks ago... and I'm regretting my choice. The things I was worried about did end up being the reasons I'm not happy with her. I was concerned the 43cm size would be bigger than I would really like and I knew her sculpt was pretty notorious for being more difficult to pose (she's a rs mei, lt tan).

I chose her because I really thought she was pretty, and she was so slender - and I do like those things about her very much. She's beautiful and I did some body blushing and a little enhancing of her face-up. But it remains that she's just bigger than I will enjoy - and if I have a hard time posing her - it's just no so much fun.

I have a better plan now of what I want and what I am looking for, so I'll find her a new home and move forward. I'm not really disappointed, as I feel like every step I make is forward - I am learning, and enjoying.. so it's not like I regret my decision to get her in the first place, but that I "out grew" her much quicker than I expected I would.

 

I had been saving up for a MNF Shiwoo as my first. I spent MONTHS saving up for him and then, out of nowhere I saw a Souldoll Liddel and instantly clicked the BUY button (she was a little cheaper than he was). I've had her for nearly a year now and I still love her. We went through a rough patch where she didn't have a body and once she got it I couldn't get a face I liked, but I've been happy with my choice.

So, if you find that doll that you instantly just fall in love with. That might be the right one for you.

On the other hand, my roomie and I were ordering PukiPukis for christmas. She got a pong and I got a cupid. When he got home, I loved his smiley face but I never really bonded. I sold him a few months later and ordered a pukipuki ante. She'll be coming home this week sometime but I already feel much more attached to her than I did cupid.

So, what's nice about dolls is that if you aren't bonding, sell and buy again!!

 

When I bought my Crobidoll Boy I was pleased. But now I regret it since he wasn't at all what I excepted at all. So I sold him.

 

With mine I got a full set and part of his clothing instead of being a yellowly orange was more a goldy yellow in colour, quite different from the pictures. I was undecided, until I decided to try out some of the eyes that I'd purchased with him. And man, yellow eyes suit him with the slightly different clothing colours waayyyy better than his original grey ones did. He looks awesome and it gives him a tiny bit of uniqueness. Of course now I want to change the eyes on any future full sets that I get too :P

 

Sometimes regret doesn't kick in when you first open the box, I was actually pretty happy with my first doll until I bought my second. The latter was so perfect for my character I was immediately disheartened that it wasn't the case for the former. So yea, it's different for everyone.

 

Owners photos are very good guides and references when deciding on getting that particular sculpt or not. Even after making your decision, there is still the possibility of you getting a wee-bit disappointed upon the arrival of the doll.

But well, in my opinion, there is no such thing as the "perfect" doll; every doll is "flawed" in it's very own way just like humans as individuals, and these "flaws" could vary depending on the personal preference of whoever looking at them. So it's up to the doll owners to beautify these "flaws"; that's also the gist of this hobby - creation and bringing out the best of the dolls isn't it?

Do your research and once you've decided, go ahead and get it! Being paranoid will only deter you from getting any doll. Good luck and looking forward to seeing pictures of your first one~

 

I use this method:
I collect a lot of pictures I liked dolls, hang out the most beautiful picture on my desktop, if I get bored after a month, then do not buy a doll
On my desktop still has a photo of Leah Fairylend, I like it, but buy she I do not want to ..

 

I shouldn't have ordered a doll w/ limited clothing as my first. I knew about this though before I ordered. Also, aside from outfit, it's difficult to find a 6-7 wig w/c is long as to what I have in mind and her long legs makes it a bit difficult than the usual for her to stand. But I do love her very much. :3

 

I chose my first doll after looking around at photos both company and owner for a couple months. When I settled on the Latidoll Aida (a limited that had been long since sold out) I was content with him even if I didn't really prefer how he looked in the owner photos. The thing I ended up regretting most was that I didn't buy the body and head separately. I probably would still have the doll if I'd gone for a better body, the one he came with was not engineered very well, so standing was a huge chore, despite sueding and keeping him strung so tightly I was afraid he'd break. The knees frustrated me so bad, and his head was way smaller than any other SD I'd ever seen before and since that I had to sell him at a huge loss just to be rid of him. I'd like to say I learned a lot of things the hard way in my first year of BJDs. I'm so much more satisfied now than I was then because though I have drastically fewer dolls than I used to, I wouldn't part with them for the world. They're truly the ones I would have wanted to be my first had I been wiser and maybe took more time to research, rather than just look at the pretty pictures.

 

I think there are many people who regret their first doll choice, especially in more remote areas a.i. no other collectors nearby/meetings going on. To a newbie this is a whole new world and there are so many great companies, the different sizes and even more beautiful sculpts to choose from - it can be quite overwhelming, to put it mildly.

Another factor for choosing is popularity of companies and sculpts. Of course, everyone who's been into this hobby for a while will tell a total noob that one shouldn't choose a doll because others have it and it's popular BUT, really, people will still rather buy an El or a Narae to start with than leafing through hundreds of pictures - because "damn, everyone has one so they've got to be good!"
And it's not only a company/sculpt thing but also a style thing. People finding this hobby through specific other fandoms/hobbies usually first stick to "known territory". So person A is into yaoi/BL manga and anime, finds ABJD's and likes them, person A will probably purchase a pretty boy mold or even two "so they can make out, harhar..."

I'm a prime exhample. For me it went just like this, so when my first doll arrived I wished I'd listened to what other collectors told me because - though I was lucky and found that SD size is perfect for me - I didn't like the pretty boy at all and sold him right after getting him. Since then I found that though I like certain homoerotic fiction (I love the view from male authors like Josh Lanyon) I don't want nor need this in ABJDs. I found that I like girl dolls better and will probably never get an overly-girly-and-gay-El.

Lesson learned, thank you.