First doll second hand?

Well, I'm in the process of picking out my first BJD but I have bought other dolls 2nd hand with no problems before. My issue is that the BJD I want was a limited so I can buy her 2nd hand but for much more than I could have gotten her new. :[ So, I'm planing on buying a different version of her new which will actually be cheaper (confusing right? :P).

 

My first 4 dolls were all second hand and 3 of them were much loved. They have all been sold on though to buy brand new from the company dolls as I got to know my own taste in BJDs better. I live in a part of the world where getting to see new dolls first hand just isn't an option and so buying slightly cheaper second/third hand dolls on Ebay was the ideal intro for me. I've only had one bad purchase, where the doll was not as described and significantly yellowed, but with a bit of work she went on to make another owner very happy and I learnt a lot from having her. Conversely I have also had one new doll purchase that was a bit of a letdown, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the doll concerned, she just isn't for me, so I think either way you choose to go, if you can't see the doll in person before you buy, there will always be a slim margin for disappointment.

On the bright side, I have 5 dolls now, 4 brand new to me and 1 second hand handsome guy who I adore and will never part with.

 

Hahah oh man...That is pretty funny. All sorts of naughty jokes just popped up about glitter.
It gave me a good laugh.

I would buy second hand. Mostly because it is more convenient, and I may find good deals there. To me, you take the same chances as you would with a company. In my experience with online selling, feedback is the way to go. Not just how much feedback, but rather what type of feedback.

 

The advantages of buying a doll second hand are generally the ability to pay on layaway, the ability to haggle and the speed with which you get a doll. There's no guarantee an expensive company purchase won't show up broken or scratched, anyway.

Since most of us only get to see a doll in photos, not having to wait several months to see our own purchase and know if the doll is what we expect of it is a big plus.

I have been trading in the MP for several years and I have had drama only once and I did end up getting the doll in the end so I am more nervous getting a doll off ebay than I am of the DoA MP. But I do sniff out the sellers' feedback before I decide to purchase.

 

Let's see...of my eight and a half, only three were brand new, everyone else was bought privately or on the MP, sometimes in pieces (head/body). Except for one transaction (and it was eventually resolved), all my MP purchases have been great. I also probably have twice as many dolls as I would have had buying new, so that's a real danger! A couple of them were project dolls, but my limiteds were brand spanking new and pristine.

 

i got my first doll 2nd hand. i don't mind because i really like him. i don't think theres any thing wrong with wanting a new one

 

My (first and so far only) boy is second-hand. He's everything I wanted, so I'm enthralled to have him ^^ And apparently, the company he's from changed their resin color not long after he was made, and I'm kinda glad he is the color he is. He hadn't yellowed or been damaged, save for some slight dents inside his head (I'm constantly forgetting them, tho, they are really hard to spot). So, I'd recommend shopping around and looking at the pictures. See if the price is worth it, too- I got a great deal.

 

I bought my first BJD 2nd hand and have never regretted it. She was an impulse buy off of feeEvilBay (though I had been watching her, but when that tax return hit my checking account, I impulsively bid!). I didn't want to wait to order a new one, she was a much better price than new, and she is well loved now in my home. I had her about a year and then she received a new face-up and I love her now even more!!! No regrets, and would do it again!!

 

I'm also nervous to buy from the MP but when I get access to it, I'll have to check things out Everyone seems to be pretty happy with their MP buys so it might not be so bad.

 

Yes, I wouldn't be too worried about the MP. All you gotta do is check everyone's feedback.

My first (and only) BJD is half new, half MP. XD I bought her head on the MP 'cause she was limited and I wasn't in the hobby when she came out. However, I ended up buying her body through a split, so it was new. I've had absolutely no problems with the head, so I wouldn't have a problem buying another doll from the MP. ^^

 

It was a second hand doll that gave me enough confidence to buy him as my first.

My first doll actually belonged to a close friend of mine, and I'd talked to her, seen thew phones, known that she adored them, so when she was selling the one that I considered my favourite of the bunch, I jumped at the opportunity. I was a bit weary that dolls probably didn't look the same in person as the did on websites, in fact, I don't like the Abio Angel Yi as shown on Divinity Doll I felt the clothes and wig did nothing for him, that his neck looked WAY too long and strange. But my friend had enjoyed him, and had taken so many photos! In every photo she took I loved him, he looked so alive, so interactive and in none of those photos did he look miss-shapen. She couldn't have photoshopped them all! XD

So because I trusted my friend, I trusted my first doll enough to buy him. I actually wasn't even looking for a BJD at the time! xD It was fate?

Anyway, the whole exchange was great, and I'd be eager to buy more from others then from the super expensive doll comapanies for clothes, wigs etc in the future. If a doll I really wanted cam up on the market place, then I couldn't get it from a company (limited) OR at a lower price then offered by the company (not talking about limiteds) I would definitely consider buying!

 

I have gotten all of my volks crew secondhand from the marketplace. The transactions have gone very well. It was a little scary, especially for my first doll, but it worked out really well and I got dolls that were almost brand new. There is a good thread in the marketplace about questions to ask, I am pretty sure.

What I did, for my first transaction, was to select a seller that already had good marketplace feedback and ask for additional pictures of the doll. All the sellers I have worked with have been more than willing to work with my requests. I felt more comfortable in the transactions immediately.

The marketplace is a great place to get a good deal on a doll or to get a doll that you can no longer order from the company. Many of the dolls are well taken care of, and sellers usually take good care to say anything that's different from a brand new doll.

 

I bought my second guy second hand while I was waiting on my first guy who was new. My friend had gotten her RS An a week before and decided that WS was too drastic a difference with her two tan dolls and wanted to sell him, so I impulsively told her I'd take him! We set up a layaway that worked and I got him. I don't mind second hand or brand new, as all my other dolls are new, but I'm always poking around in the MP to look for deals around when I get my taxes in. XD

It can be hard sometimes when the doll you want isn't a popular sculpt and so there just aren't any being sold though! Or if the company is really new or undiscovered and no one has any. X3 That's why it looks like a lot of the time I'll be going for new dolls, since they just don't have them here on the MP.

 

It's really just personal preference but I honestly don't look at it as second hand vs brand new. I think you should get a doll you fall in love with and really want/love regardless of if it's a new one or an older one. My first ever doll was brand spanking new straight from the factory, but he's the only one. My other 4 were bought second hand, and I love them all just as much as I love my first doll. I didn't get them simply because they were second hand (or my first just because he was new) they were just what I really wanted and fell in love with. I currently have my first SD sized boy in layaway and he is second hand as well. Buying secondhand has it's advantages (cheaper pricing especially with shipping), and if you do go secondhand make sure to check feedback, read all description several times, ask questions if you have them, and look at all the pictures and ask for more if you feel you're not seeing everything. Not all second hand dolls are yellowed and chipped. I have a 6 year old secondhand doll that's not yellowed at all and he's one of my favorites too! (shh, don't tell the others!).


I guess what I'm saying is, if you feel comfortable buying second hand then go for it, but if you honestly just don't feel right about it then go company. Whether it's your first doll or not, you need to feel good about your decision of how to purchase your doll/s...especially your first one/s.

Whatever your decision is, make sure it's what you want, and not what everyone is telling you to do though!

 

I bought my first (and currently, only) doll, a Luts Lishe secondhand. Though I will admit that I didn't buy her from the MP, but from my ex. But she was in perfect condition, with no marks, scratches or anything on her. I think you just need to make sure that you double check the whole MP post for mentions of damage/yellowing, and if there isn't any, then go for it! I will never regret buying Caitling second hand. She wasn't getting out her box at all with her previous owner, so I offered to buy her so she got to see the light of day! Often it really is a case of the doll wasn't quite what the previous owner wanted, so they want them to go to a nice home, so they look after them.
Who wouldn't with the price these beautiful things sell for!!

 

well my pullip was my first second hand, working on getting a second hand MSD, XD why get a brand new child when you can adopt right? second hand is usually nicer to the pocket and often I see people take good care of their BJD so buying second hand is fine for me XP

 

No worries my dear. I believe you aren't the only one feeling that way. I for one am like that too!

There're bad sellers and I believe many more good ones around, not to mention the many advantages of getting 2nd hand. But well, the fact is, I can accept 2nd hand clothes, accessories, wigs, etc, but not the doll itself. I simply want my doll brand new and regardless of the condition of the doll, I just don't feel comfortable knowing that my boy has an owner before me.

It's nice if you're willing to adopt, but nothing wrong with not wanting to.

They are gonna be your dolls. So just follow your heart

 

My first boy is a marketplace hybrid and the second is a new company doll. I don't feel any sort of difference between them, I love them both exactly the same. I was not nervous or worried or concerned about my secondhand doll and I have never felt as though he is not good enough. He is perfect for me, I love him so. He might have a little yellowing or maybe that is just the resin, it does not bother me. I do not feel like I have a preloved doll, I only have my Gerard, and he is brand new to me, as new as Matt is. I knew I wanted him as soon as I saw the marketplace post. I have never seen the doll prior, so I guess my experience is unlike the OP's. I was not looking for a doll I already had in mind.

My future doll family I plan to be made mostly of marketplace finds, and I'll buy them in order depending on what I can find when.

 

I never considered buying a second hand doll, but one turned up in the MP at a good price and she was on my wishlist, so I took the plunge and never regretted it. I recently purchased another second hand doll from the MP and he is a discontinued sculpt and he arrived in perfect condition. I had lots of fun with these two transactions and it was great to meet the sellers online and brag about my new dolls. I hope I didn't bore them too much.

 

My second doll I bought form the mp, my first from a company.
:\
I don't think its a bad idea to get your first doll secondhand but if you want to familiarize yourself what a fresh new doll is like, you'll probably have a better understanding of what to expect of dolls in the future if your first is from the company. Idk. For me it was also something special I guess. As I felt it was my way of personally telling the artist/company that I liked their doll. Although it could be argued that giving an unloved secondhand doll a new home is equally special.
I think the choice is really up to you and what you want to get out of your first purchase.