first time buyers nerves?

I understand how you feel,

before I bought my first boy I had been looking around for about 2.5-3 (from the moment I saw my first BJD till the moment I bought my first) years for one that suited me.

and everytime I found one I "liked" I would start to back out after a while, because: Are they worth it?..... Will I like having them?.........will I be disappointed once he gets here?......Will I dare to play with him even though he costs $600+?.......will I be able to get them the way I want them to look?.........what if I stop liking him after 10 seconds?...... and so on and so on.

and than I found the one I "loved" and simply had to have, so after a bit of thought I Bought him.

and I have to say he was DEFENETLY worth it, I love him, play with him allll the time (not playing like barbie, but photografing, char writing, clothes making, wig buying, simply perfecting him) and I could not imagine being without him or any of my other 3 (soon 1 is underway) dolls that I got since him.

so good luck on your doll shopping and I hope you will have an equally wonderfull expiriance if and when you decide you have found the one for you.

 

I think it's a quite common reaction. ^_^ When you finally sit there with money in hand, so to speak, and just have to click that button it all of a sudden becomes reality that you are NOW about to bring THAT DOLL HOME. You no longer need to keep to dream and fantasies but you have to make a choice about wether you really want to break that spell - and waste a fortune on it. XD

It sure can make one skittish - especially the first time - but at least in my case I wouldn't had needed to feel that way at all. I guess I still feel more or less that way every time I'm about to click that magic Add to cart or Buy it now but I have gotten used to it and have never regretted my choice!

Good, good luck to you!

 

Please delete. ^_^;

 

I kind of think it's a "yeah, I want it!" sort of reaction when you hit the button on a second doll.

I sort of lucked out on my first doll, winning her in a raffle drawing (she turned out to be worth a lot less than she was valued at) and I regarded her as a 'starter doll', to see whether my interest and want for dolls would pull through with her. Waiting weeks for her arrival and suddenly having her in my hands did change my perception of the hobby but it certainly didn't shatter anything vital. Of course, since her value was much less than I originally thought, maybe my reactions can't be measured the same as people who spend an obscene amount of money on a doll.

On the other hand, just yesterday I went ahead and purchased my first 'real' dolls--a Puki and LittleFee should be in my hands sometime in January. Having real knowledge of doll in hand without the consequence of lots of monies spent, this purchase can be considered a first for me. I hemmed and hawed for months, thinking of the money I could spend on dolls and wondering why in God's name I would want to, knowing I could/should be using this money to pay off debts, prevent further debts, and generally live a little comfier. But after long self-debate I came to the conclusion that having my dolls did make my life comfier and that I simply had to be careful in how I went about this. I think that has a lot to do with breaking that 'magic spell' when finally clicking the 'Buy' button the first, third, fourth, etc. time.

Of course, that won't matter a whit once you have your lovely in your hands and you realize it's worth it. And, also of course, if the magic spell really has dissipated and you realize it's not worth it, there's always the DOA Marketplace and the knowledge that there is someone else out there who will love that doll in your stead.

So I say chill. Like you said, you have time before your birthday comes around to think about it. Your interest will wax and wane but it's very likely once the time comes you'll still be in love. There's always time/opportunity to change your mind but there's also time for you to fall even deeper in love.

 

I think another part is, don't purchase one you "like", purchase the one you LOVE. I just bought my first doll, I'm waiting for her to arrive. I didn't think I would spend that much money on a doll. I was looking at some less expensive dolls, trying to make up my mind. Then I went to another website and BAM! I fell in love. I went back and forth for a day or so. Unfortunately for me, I found her the day before the last day to order her. Maybe it was a good thing? Kismet? I am looking forward to all the things I can do. She is like a Barbie in some respects but I want to make some beautiful clothes and jewelry for her. Maybe make a second version and sell it in the marketplace. The doll only becomes 1 dimensional if you let it. I agree with Elasia, there is a lot that can be done, photography, writing, dressing and modifying. If it doesn't work out (which I doubt) as General Touchstone says, there is always the Marketplace. I've got my second doll on layaway there!

 

It was a bit different for me. I'd spent years thinking about buying a BJD. First, I wanted a Hound cos he looked EXACTLY like I had imagined one of the characters I'd come up with. I kept wanting him and saving money (which I ended up using for other stuff, like a vacation in the US and Canada last year). Then, I saw other BJDs and decided I'd rather have an Ark. He's - kinda unique-looking. *lol* In February, I was longingly looking at Unidoll's Ark-pics again and went to my usual currency converter again to calculate how much the USD-price would be in Euros. And was absolutely baffled to find out that, yes, I finally had enough money saved to buy him!

I really didn't think twice. I hit the button and ordered him. And got him in April. All I can say is: yes, it's a lot of money. And seen in relation, my little Cynical Baby was even more expensive than Luken. But I definitely don't regret getting them both - even though I'm not the type to play with them a lot. Once in a while, when I got him new clothes or a new wig, Luken will get to try the new stuff on and that's about it. The thing is - why not? Sure you could get other stuff for that amount of money a BJD costs. But if you got the money and want a BJD, why the heck not? There's no rule, after all, that everything you buy has to be sensible.

 

Very eloquently said!

I would like to say, when I first decided that I wanted miniRyuichi, I was a nervous wreck! Even though I was in the middle of a financial crunch at the time, here I am wanting to justify buying something as "trivial" as a BJD?

But when he has hand-delivered to me by my friend who acted as mediator, I was so thrilled I shouted!

Here I was, barely getting any work hours, yet something as tiny as a 20cm boy made me so happy that I went to work and began ASKING for hours so I could get him things!

He made me as proud as a new parent! I bought him all kinds of things, and he made my dark financial times seem so much easier to work past, I worked twice as hard just so I could no only get out of my crunch, but rise above it. He was my motivation.

And now, here I am, once again laid off with a second boy, and all I have to do is look at him and I'm motivated once again to go out and get a new job so that I can buy him nice things.

My second motivation.

So, do I regret getting either of my pre-loved boys? Not one iota. Teh make me happy when my day's going bad. I can play with them and kiss their hands and dress them and work on their characters all I want, and I talk to them and treat them as if they were alive.

Am I crazy? Maybe, but my two boys make me happy as well, so to me its worth the trouble.

Ryuichi

 

The second time I felt more like Am I REEEALLY going to order him now? Here? This very moment?? OoO I can't wait until tomorrow or next week or... It was no longer a question about if I were going to break the spell but rather when and it makes it easier I think. ^_^

 

Hehe. Just make sure you're picking out one you really love =)
The first one was nerveracking for me too. But I can honestly say I love her so much. =)
After that, 2 and 3 were just 'SQUEE DOLL OMG DOLL'
And 4 is me testing myself. Layaway is painful, but it also feels great when I make the payment each month.

 

OH MY GOSH. I was literally JUST about to create a thread on this!! XD I really know how you feel. I'm about to order my first doll (or my mom is, which makes it even worse lol!) and generally I'm SO practical, to the point of being almost a Scrooge... so spending HUNDREDS of dollars on a DOLL? At MY age?? Whenever I'm off DoA, "IRL," I get a really guilty feeling, worrying about what'll happen if we don't bond. I have literally NO money whatsoever to buy her the wig and eyes she needs to really become Alicia, but if I miss this chance I may never be able to buy her. When she appeared on the Marketplace it was really serendipitous, so I figured, "Heck, I'll just go for it!"

And worst comes to worst, I could sell her. >.< I mean, I've only been involved in this hobby since August of this year, but already I have a whole universe built around characters for my dolls. I generally fall out of love with my hobbies pretty quickly, but... I'm already making clothes for her, planning photoshoots, doing research on maintenance and care... I feel like if I don't make the choice and just GO for it and buy her, I'll regret it. My parents are really making me have second thoughts, but... RAAARRRGHH. I don't know.

 

I just bought my first doll last week, and I'm still feeling a little nervous, but I know people who have them and enjoy them, and know that, if it doesn't work out, I could always sell it. However, given how much I know I enjoy customizing things, I think it'll work out just fine. It's a big chunk of money, but I know I've collectively spent more on lots of little things that are far more useless.

 

My parents bought me my first doll so I didn't have to worry about actually having the money in hand, but before I got it I did wonder whether or not he would be worth it (£200 for a miniscule Puki), but once he arrived I fell completely in love with him. Now I can't bear the thought of not having him!
So yes, everyone has doubts when there's a lot of money involved, but trust me, it's worth it. You can usually tell if the doll is right for you if you go back and look at it again after a few months and get the same excited reaction you did the first time.

 

I never regreted my decision when I put my girl on layaway not to long ago, I just thought 'Your a dumbass and if your parents find out how much she costs, they will kill you.'

I plan on buying other nice stuff like my camera after i get my girl and a laptop after I'm out of debt ect. It's something I decided I really wanted, the only thing I've been nervous about is 'What if I don't like her as much as I think I will, what if she's not the right doll...'

 

Wow, I was just thinking about this a few days ago. I recently started a new job that offered more hours and didn't have my evil manager from my former job, and I had just gotten my first paycheck. I had a brief moment of 'Yes! One more step towards my doll...I think.' and started stressing about if I would really go through with it when I had the money. I'm not just trying to save for her, but for a laptop and other things I've been waiting to buy when I had the money. I'm not sure if I should continue saving for the laptop and wait to get my girl or buy her first since she costs less and she'll give me somthing to sort of 'pacify' myself with while I start saving again. It also might be my first online purchase, so I'm feeling all sorts of apprehension.

"When great happiness unexpectedly swoops down on people, they suddenly turn into cowards."

 

I thought the exact same things! I hate spending $10 on myself for clothes...would I seriously be happy spending $600 on a doll?

My suggestion: go to a meet-up. Any meet-up near you. Handle some of the dolls. It'll help cement your decision, and it might help you decide if you really want that size/mold/skin type/whatever.

 

I think you actually mentioned one of the biggest things that make people reconsider their first purchase, the issue of the Company site apearance of the doll.
The company pictures that show a doll well dressed, face-upped, and wonderfully added to with axcessories. it is the thing you fall in love with (or that makes you totally overlook a doll that might be just what you are looking for.

I would advise you to look up the dolls you like right here in: gallery pictures, boxopening threads, database threads and so on. in these threads you can gat a great view at what can actually be done with a mold, and how the doll could look wearing different eyes, wigs, face ups, clothes. and you get to see a nice variety of skintones.

this can sometimes help you conferm your love for a doll, or indeed rethink that doll all together, and in some cases randomly looking at database pictures can help you stumble right into what you were looking for.
also Ostrich's idea of going to a meet-up can help you find people who can tel you about all kind of doll related things.