For Second Hand Owners - Your stance in changing the doll's name

I always change their names... I'll have a different character in mind for the doll, and I assume since they're selling it, they're done with that doll/character and its name.

 

Since the doll is your property, you should be able to name it as you please. Plus, it's not like your doll would mind or care anyways!

 

Most of my dolls were given to and the only name that they had ever been called was the name of their sculpt. I'm also really bad at naming things so most are nameless.

 

I agree with people above. You're buying a doll that the owner for some reason did not want anymore, or needed to sell, so they are actually dropping the character too, unless they are re-shelling it in another body perhaps. It's not their doll anymore, and you're giving it a new home, a new character. I don't think that many people demands new owners to keep the chaaracter and name... That would just be weird, "playing" with another persons character. It's better to make it your own.

 

I think it would seem almost disrespectful to KEEP the name, since that doll may have been that persons OC they shelled or something. It just seems like any seller would want you to change the name since that doll was their character and now it no longer is. It seems odd to me that any sells would want then buyer to keep the dolls name, but it obviously happens lol. I personally would be really uncomfortable with that though since it wouldn't feel like my doll at that point. I say change the name to whatever you want since it's your doll now!

 

I'm going to echo everyone and take it one further -- I would be pissed as hell if the new owner didn't change the name. I don't sell characters, I sell dolls. If I sell off a doll that is all I am selling -- the clothes, the faceup, the eyes and wig, none of that goes with it because those things were designed for the character I chose and/or created. To me a doll is a blank slate, and -- except for something like a limited fullset -- not a finished product. I treat them accordingly when it comes to sales. I would never keep the name of a doll I purchased from someone else, and I expect the same from others.

 

New owner, new character. I have purchased dolls on the secondary market often and I never keep the same persona or name that the previous owner had for that doll even if I got clothes, shoes, wigs and eyes from them. I usually parse them out to different dolls or sometimes sell or trade items later.

 

I would tend to rename the doll as well. Unless she was used to shell a licensed character, keeping its name would make me feel a bit uneasy (;・∀・)

 

I don't think I've ever known the previous name of a second-hand doll I've bought. Once they're mine, they tell me who they are. If that means they kept their previous name, I honestly have no idea. I never checked into the history of my pre-loved brood. It would be somewhat amusing but no matter what, once a doll lands in my household, they become my character.

 

I've only had two second hand dolls, but I bought both to be specific characters, so I did not keep the names or faceups that they had.
I talked to both previous owners and they were fine with it and interested to see what I did with them. I had a bit of waffling over the first ones faceup (beautiful, and done by an artist I admire) but ultimately, I wanted it for a different character.
I think it's to be expected. Most of us are buying for the blank canvas. Though some might keep the faceup, it seems more common for me to not even know their previous name unless you knew the previous owner.

 

You know, I've never even thought about it ^^' I treat dolls as art and unless you buy the entire character along with the doll (which I have seen), then I don't see why not?

 

Never asked ex-owners about name. And they even didn't mentioned about it))) so i give my dolls names i wish

 

It never occurred to me to find out what character the previous owner(s) had for any doll I buy! I've never known or even attempted to find out. That's their character, not mine. I'm buying the sculpt for a character of MINE! That of course goes for the new dolls as well - I do enjoy reading some of the companies' more effusive character stories, & I've snapped up some (Vampire Hunter D - oh, sorry, Soom Hyperon - and the Gravedigger's Chronicles Kirin from Ringdoll) that I have COSPLAY the character the company used, but they are still shelling MY characters

 

Since the owner of my Lydie never named her... Yeah, I named her instead. The same goes for my Panachec.
But as everyone else said, they sold you the doll, you get to name it.
I'll only ask if the owner was obviously extremely attached to the doll.

 

I haven't had anyone ask me to keep their name. Most likely because when I'm buying the doll they rarely come with anything, so it doesn't feel like a character or even a shell of a person. So in that way, I never feel uncomfortable changing a doll name from whatever it used to be. If someobe asked me to keep the name I could see that being a possiblity if I was actually buying more than just the doll. Like, the doll entire look. Wig, eyes, clothes, everything. I could see myself respecting those wishes.

 

It never entered my head that someone buying a doll from me would ever think it was okay to assume they have any rights to my characters as well.
Like how. What. No. Maybe if you asked very respectfully, but probably no. I am selling a piece of resin, not my intellectual rights to my own creative property.

 

I recently purchased a minifee head secondhand and the owner had no attachment to it so i didn't experience any trouble. But my opinion is that if you paid for the doll, it is now physically and creatively in your control.

 

I would honestly rather the buyer to change the doll's name, as I may be selling the doll meaning to reshell it, for example. I name my dolls with a character in mind for them. The doll represents the character - not the other way around.

That being said, keeping the name would be like keeping the entire style to me. I don't have anything against it, really, but I love seeing the way that a doll can transform depending on who owns it. They can have so many faces, you know?

 

I've never asked what the previous owner named the doll. I don't think any of the sales threads gave a name other than the sculpt. It's not an important or relevant detail.

 

Because I work with antiques I'm used to keeping the old name, but antique dolls aren't usually associated with specific personal characters like BJDs are. I'm changing my incoming secondhand girl's name (which I know from the seller's profile) to something different but similar enough to pay homage to her history, so that's an option for people who dislike changing names?