First doll second hand?

My first doll was a second hand dollfie dream uzuki Shimamura in perfect condition :3

 

I'm too scared to buy my first doll second-hand... at least for my first, I think I would like to get the full experience and buy straight from the company. Since I'm new to the hobby, I know that I don't know everything to watch out for? I think I would be too scared of scams or a doll with wear and tear that I couldn't spot myself since I have novice eyes. I also sort of want the experience of my first doll having all the packaging and knowing she's all new and never been handled before... is that weird?

Once I have a bit more knowledge on what to spot, I think I would be more comfortable buying second-hand. There is also the issue that I live in Australia, and shipping costs can be very expensive here! A big company might have less shipping costs because of courier services, but I fear that getting a doll shipped from a private seller would cost a lot...

 

My first doll was second-hand. There's a lot of pros and cons about it. Personally, if I could, I would go back and tell my younger self to save for a doll I really wanted instead of impulse-buying a second-hand SD, who I'm now struggling to sell. With SH (second-hand) dolls, you risk yellowing, animals, damage, chipping, staining, scamming, etc. But they can also be much cheaper, come with a unique and beautiful face-up, and come with lots of extras. My personal experience is varied- my first doll was bought from someone via instagram. She didn't come with her COA (which I was sent a picture of), or extra outfits (as promised by the seller). My second came from a lovely lady who was on Facebook and right here on DOA. She sent everything pictured, and even sueded the doll for me for no additional cost. So really, the second-hand market is always a coin-toss. Sometimes you're lucky, sometimes you're not. I hope you find what you need. Good luck

 

I've only ever bought one doll new, all others are second hand. I've never been disappointed - some of the secondhand ones you couldn't even tell they weren't new as they'd barely been used. If you decide it's not the doll for you, can always resell. But if you're hesitant maybe it would be better to order new to avoid disappointment!

 

I got my first doll second hand, I specifically wanted a second hand one as my first doll for a few reasons. The main two were shipping and the stress of trying to order one online. I really didnt have very much money to spend so one that is closer to me would be cheaper shipping. Also, as a person, not knowing the status of something stresses me out so it was much more comforting for me to speak with the seller and get updates on the doll.

 

I don't think it is wrong to be picky. I mean some 2nd hand dolls might require some care to get them to where you want them to be. But it's not wrong to want a doll to be in a condition you're comfortable receiving it. My first 2nd hand doll was one of my grail items, a Saber Dollfie Dream with her armor and accessories. This particular doll is either prohibitively expensive or yellowed to hell and sometimes both. I found one on a Japanese webstore with some staining that wasn't yellowed, which is preferable because you can work out staining. But before I pulled the trigger, I asked for pictures of the problem areas and accessories to make sure what I was getting.

The point is it is perfectly fair to ask your seller for information and find a doll in a condition you are comfortable with. Sometimes you might even get next to perfect because doll owners can be pretty meticulous with care. So even if a doll isn't emaculate, with some elbow grease, you might be able to get it there.

 

The first doll I bought after I sold my original dolls was second hand. I fell in love with the doll and picked someone with good feedback and am very happy with her.

 

I personally tend to buy second hand.

Yellowing will happen to all of our dolls no matter how much we try to de-yellow them and keep them in perfect condition. Eventually we won't be able to sand their resin down, or dump them in chemicals. Unless their yellowing is horribly uneven, that's never stopped me from buying a sculpt I love.
Plus, I love seeing owner pictures over company photos. Companies always show their dolls in a heavily photoshopped way with perfect accessories and clothes. That's certainly not how it always is with our dolls.
I think that either way you'll be happy.
I have both second hand dolls and ones straight from the company. The ones I have bought new are gorgeous, but I have a soft spot for my oldest doll Elgin (DZ Wing) who's pushing at least 11 years old and he was bought second hand when I was 14-16.
I think that if you really love the sculpt, you'll appreciate it no matter the age.

 

I got my first doll second hand and she is still in my collection and very much loved.

 

I had felt like I needed to get my first doll new, but now I think it was kind of silly that I felt that way. It took a long time for my first doll that I ordered to get to me. I was still cautious about buying second hand, just because the dolls are kind of expensive and what if something went wrong? I ended up buying a lot of instock dolls instead to avoid the wait, because my first doll took so long.

Now I love the second hand market. I wish I hadn't been so afraid of it before. Most of the dolls I have gotten second hand looked practically new, and one was new and the original buyer had remorse for getting it. I no longer mind if a doll is flawed in some minor way. This does depend on the price of the doll of course. If the doll is badly yellowed/greened or modified, I would expect the second hand price to reflect that in some way.

I passed up quite a few dolls that I liked when I first started the hobby because I was afraid to go second hand. I think it's perfectly fine to get a second hand doll as your very first doll. It might even make a person more relaxed in handling their first doll because they don't have to worry so much about breaking something that is brand new.

 

My first doll was first hand and I didn't bond with her at all. In fact, not 3 months later I found a head in a second-hand market local forum and I fell in love and her is who I consider my real first, so nothing wrong at all in the buying second-hand as long as the person has some feedback and does things timely.

 

My first dolls were all second hand, I don't think I've have it any other way. Some of them had some yellowing or minor scratches but it was also nice to not feel afraid to touch a pristine doll or give them a faceup myself. And they got to me fast, if I had to wait 5 months for my first doll I would have been up on knots the whole time I've changed parts and swapped bodies since, I think I would have felt very disappointed if a new doll wasn't absolutely perfect for me when it arrived.

I think buying second hand is a great option for the first doll, especially if you've never handled one before. The shipping can be much lower and faster, no wait, you can see the specific doll you're getting (no photoshopped company photo surprises!), and you can ask the seller to guide you through the perks of it you might not learn from the company or a dealer. Most owners also take great care of their resin so dirty and scratched dolls are rarer than dolls in good condition imo.

 

My first doll was purchased directly from the company but my second and third dolls were purchased from the MP, as are about half my crew. Every seller I’ve bought from here on DoA was great to work with. The only bad buying experience I had was on Facebook.

I entered this hobby with a preference for discontinued or less popular dolls. That’s just my way. I’m not interested in things most people are. I don’t follow trends. I just learned who Taylor Swift is - to be fair, I’m old and not her target demographic.

Buying secondhand is a combination of patient waiting game and instant gratification.

 

Thus far only two of my dolls were purchased brand new. My first was a new doll, but only because at that point it was my only available option. I'd say if you want to get a new doll as your first go for it, as long as you can and it is an option. There are my dolls out there in the second-hand market, and I have been able to find dolls second-hand that are as if they are practically new, one example my Minifee Chloe is from 2016, I got her second-hand, and she is in pristine condition with other box and everything else she came with, save for packaging. I don't think having a second-hand doll as my first would have made any difference in how much I loved it, but I will say it is not the same as getting a fresh doll from a company compared to getting a second-hand doll. The experience of getting a new doll is different from receiving a second-hand doll, saying that I don't mean that that is an experience you will only truly understand if it is your first doll. Even if you do get a second-hand doll as your first and your first new doll is your fifth you will still get that experience of opening a new doll for the first time and enjoying them fresh out of the box. It is still very exciting to open a second-hand doll you have just received, I am in no way saying it is less enjoyable. It is still your choice and getting your first doll is always going to be an experience to remember even if it isn't a "new" doll.