Gift items: Should they be sold?

Assuming the item to be sold was part of a promotion, as numerous others have said, the cost of this item has been added in and 'mixed'' in with the main price for the doll. Once you pay your money for an item, any item, it becomes your property to do with as you will. You can bung it in the bin if you wish LOL!

If the item genuinely was a free gift from a friend, then I would never ever sell that item.

I see no problem with the trading of promotional items, it happens in every collectable hobby community, some people in other hobbies specialise in collecting the promotional items only. If someone has one of these items and doesnt need it, then there is nothing wrong at all in sellling it on to someone who will appreciate it much more than the original owner.

Ethically for the dolls, taking away the thoroughly business attitude here, is it more 'ethical' to keep a head that never ever gets a faceup or body, when other's out there would love to give this head a fantastic faceup and body and thoroughly enjoy the new doll?

Just my two pennorth LOL

 

What I REALLY want to see discussed in here is not event heads (that's been pretty nicely covered) but free gifts like Sei-Tenshi, or the 10 limited doll from Lati. And things like gift dolls from naming contests, such as the Elfdoll one and the Soom Kanoa one. What are people's views on selling those?

In the case of Sei-Tenshi, one tends to come up on Y!J every few months. They almost always start low (around $200) and always end high (around $2000). I know that Volks sees them as very special gifts that are specific to each person that ends up winning them, but I cannot frown on someone who sells theirs. Sometimes, the thought of 'I could get HOW much?!' outweighs the sentiment of the doll. Sometimes people win one without really wanting one, so put it up for auction so someone who REALLY wants one can get it, but they themselves can still profit from it. Or someone finds that the size/doll itself is just not to their liking, and so sells it to get a doll they really desire. I don't find issue with that.

The same goes for the naming contest dolls. You can participate because you think you have an awesome name, or you like the promo pics, but then find out you don't really like the doll all that much after all. I don't find fault in those sort of things.

 

This one is tough because I have done both... when I got my Juri '05 head, I had her modded (opened her eyes... a LOT) because I thought I would want her like that. Unfortunately, she didn't grow on me, so she ended up being sold. On the other side, when I ran a Dollmore group order, they threw in a few extra pairs of thigh-highs, one of which became a gift to a friend because none of the my girls would wear them. I would have quite happily given the head to a friend, but at that time, I was trying to fund-raise and I was selling off a bunch of stuff anyhow.

 

I think it's totally fine to sell items that are gifts from companies. I do have a bit of an issue with people over-inflating the prices on those items. However, if they simply put it on ebay and let the market itself determine the selling price, I have no issue with that whatsoever.

It does get trickier when you have an item that a friend has gifted to you, that you would like to sell. I have been in this position a couple times, and it's a hard decision to make. It gets even trickier, if that friend, actually works for one of the companies, and gifts you with something expensive, that you don't really need or want.

Ultimately, I wind up taking the position that however you acquire an item, if you decide it doesn't work for you, and you want to sell it, you have every right to. In my case, when I have sold things that I was concerend might hurt a friend, I have tried to be discreet about it, so it wasn't "thrown in their face."

 

I've got the same opinion as many here about gift heads and what not - that they're promotional things, not real gifts, so I have no qualms about selling it. If you're not in real need of the money, I think it's nice when people do give aways etc as you sometime see in the marketplcae here, but I don't think it's necessary. I think most all of my other littler freebees have been edible - so you can imagine what happened to them. XD


On the more personal side of things, with gifts from friends/family... well, I think it's very much a personal choice. I've sold a number of things that were a gift from my aunt - but she doesn't know anything about BJD, and bought me some really weird stuff that doesn't suit (or fit, in some cases) my dolls. I've tried to make use of as much of it as possible, but if there's something that's just so not-me, then she's okay with me selling it (I went through a big stress about what to do before actually asking her), as she's happy knowing I can then use the money to buy something I'll actually use.

That's a bit of a different situation though, versus gifts and stuff from BJD friends that people have made/thought about. I don't think I'd sell that stuff, because people have put their heart into it. At worst, I'd give them away, especially if it went with a doll I was selling or something similar. On the other hand though, I don't think I'd be offended if someone decided to sell something I'd given them. I figure, I've given it to them, so if they need to sell it, then it's their decision. Sometimes, fact of life, people need the money.

 

This is the only time I would have a concern about it. Promotional items, the company may care to want to delight you with it and thereby increase sales, but they don't care in the long run whether *you,* Bob, will keep their spare head and treasure it forever.

In fact, I don't see why it would be a problem with something you didn't spend money to get either - a number of people have posted with a sort of caveat comment that you did spend money on the original doll, so it's ok to sell stuff that came with it. But if a company just up and said "I like Becca, let's send her a head!" I would say "Thank you very much," see if it is a head I need, and if not I have no problem with selling it either, unless they say "I like Becca, let's send her a head if she agrees not to sell it." In which case I do have an obligation I wouldn't otherwise have.

Selling above market value isn't a good sales plan normally - but if you put it up for auction and someone wants to pay a gazillion dollars for it (and there is apparently someone else who does too, if it pushes up the bid that high), go for it, because that is its market value.

What exact ethical value can be stated that says "If you got it free, you *must* give it for free?" That's kind of like socialism only without the corruption that comes with it (and pretty much every other economic system). I think if you own something, you are only limited by any agreement you made at the time you took possession (e.g. software licenses) and whether the giver is someone who might have their feelings hurt.

Becca Alice

 

And I don't think there is any legitimate reason to expect you to give away all your stuff, whether you like it or not. We have a strong social value on "share," but even that shouldn't mean "nothing you own belongs to you, it belongs to the community, gimme."

If you ever feel a strong pressure that you *ought* to give away everything you own, read Atlas Shrugged, good book and the first one I read that clearly told me "if you earned it, you deserve it." (eee! Selfish alert selfish alert!) Whose voice is it exactly that tells us "everything you have ought to be free?" (especially software, art, and all your spare dolls!) I would like to go to that person's place and take all their stuff and see how their attitude developed about it.

Becca

 

I'm sort of yes and no on this topic. On one hand, I think purposely buying something to get a free head that you know you're going to sell is wrong. But if you just happened to get a free head because you weren't aware of a promotion, or it started after you'd placed your order, I'm not sure I can see it as a bad thing. If the price gets jacked up, I'm going to see it as scalping, which I definitely think is wrong, no matter what the circumstances. If you really need the money, set it up as an auction, where the buyers are setting the final price.

I don't think asking for a slightly higher price is wrong when there are mods and face-ups involved though. If someone is going to charge $300 for a $150 head because they gave it an amazing face-up, that's entirely fair. They're charging for their time and matierals.

Smaller freebies, like stockings, neckties- anything that's inexpensive- I don't see anything wrong with selling if you can't use it, and none of your friends could use it.

Honestly, what I prefer to see, especially in regards to free heads or full dolls, is trading. I'd much rather trade a Juri for a head that I really want, like a Dreaming Shiwoo. That way I'm not really making a profit and two people get the heads they want.

 

I don't think there's anything really wrong with selling a free company gift like an event head or a prize doll when you get right down to it, but it's not something that I would do myself... Especially if the company in question asked that the items not be resold, as Luts did with the Nanuris.

I just gave away the two Nanuri heads that they sent me with Amber and Chanter's bodies (I asked them not to send those guys since I already had Sparrow, but they did it anyway. 8P), because I figured that those two didn't cost me anything, so there was no good reason not to honor the company's request about not reselling. To me that felt like the right and fair thing to do... but I can't really blame anyone who listed theirs for sale instead. It's their property, they can do what they like with it.

 

I kind of see that as under the "unless you have an agreement when you buy it not to sell it" header. If they asked that before they sold the doll, then I would feel an obligation if I bought it too. I think good choice to give them away.
Becca

 

That's really nice to hear that you gave them away. I've got a thing about respect and loyalty to the companies (I do know they are out to get our money but regardless they do look after us well) so I like to hear accounts like this. I think nearly all people here feel that, the company sells to the customer so it's the customer who has the say and holds the power. I seem to be a bit more humble, some may say naive, and feel that it's the company that chooses what to release, the number, everything, so the company holds the power in the customer-company relationship. When I recieve a doll, even though I paid for it I am still grateful that they produced it for me. If I'm happy with the price or service I give a tip. I may be pointlessly sentimental about it all, but I'm happy.

 

I think if the product is REALLY good then the company holds the power. Unoa is a good example.

 

When it comes to the free items given away when you order something else, I agree with the posters who point out that these items are not truly "free", and therefore imo it shouldn't matter at all whether one sells them or not.

As several others have brought up, the first thing that came to my mind when reading this topic was the sei tenshi. With the NYC Dolpa coming up, I've been pondering this very issue for the past few days. I can understand why so many people would be aghast at the selling of a sei tenshi. To me, it's one thing if a person wins one and turns it around immediately for quick cash. It's quite another if someone wins a sei tenshi, then at a future point finds themself in financial difficulty. If someone loses their job and doesn't have rent money or has unexpected medical bills, and has a little doll that could fetch $2000, I'd find if very hard to look down on them for selling it. I'm curious if the prevalent feeling is different about the new rei tenshi, then the sei tenshi. It seems that the rei tenshi are not quite as beloved as the sei tenshi, being that they aren't articulated, etc.

edited to add: One less clear-cut (for me anyway) situation is if selling a sei tenshi allows you to get your dream doll, which you couldn't otherwise afford. Is that acceptable? On some level it seems too frivolous a reason to part with one, but on the other hand, we all know how much we covet our "most wanted doll".

 

Wrong or not, I'm glad people sell the free heads/dolls. I couldn't have gotten mine any other way. I do wish they weren't $200+ though. That seems a little tacky to me.

 

I think having those heads go for $200+ is fine if the person starts the auction at $100. Letting the market drive up the price isn't anything to frown upon, imo. ^^

 

Sure, if the market pushes it up to that point. That's the market, for you. But starting it at $200 seems a bit skeezy to me.

 

Hypothetically, if I won a free car worth £50,000 - I wouldn't have any problem with selling it for it's value, or more if someone's willing to pay it. Just because I got it for free doesn't mean it is, or should be, worthless. It wouldn't make sense, and I dont think re-selling it would be unethical. They're giving away an item to the value of X, if you want the money instead of the item, that's your choice.

 

Heheh -- I didn't mean it like that I was thinking as I was typing that giving away tights vs a head is a huge difference... if my friend had desperately wanted the Juri head, I would have given it to her too

 

I don't have any problem with people selling these off. The companies call these "gifts" but they're really more like prizes. They really should be called "prizes" and not "gifts".

If you won a new car in a contest but you didn't like the car after you got it, or decided you needed money more than the car, you're perfectly free to sell it. You don't have to keep it forever just because it was a "gift". People would think you were nuts if you kept a car you didn't like, need or want. Same goes for naming contest dolls and Sei-Tenshi.

 

I don't see a problem with it at all, especially with event heads. You had to spend money to get it, and it's yours now to do with what you please. I see no problem with selling it, especially if you're not going to use it or bond with it.