Gift items: Should they be sold?

One of my dolls was as expensive as any used car I've ever bought. Never let price-points color your decision, if ethics is that important to you. Either it's always right, or it's always wrong, regardless of price.

In the USA, re-gifting is far from crass, as long as you don't flaunt doing it. Sometimes it's the only way to keep up with the amount of junk that we give each other (with the nicest of intentions) in a capitalist society. And if you are in my family, around Christmastime, you are so unoffended by re-gifting that you have to double-check that you didn't already re-gift that same damned fondue set to your sister LAST year.

If I had gotten a free doll that I really didn't want, I would sell or give it to a deserving person-- but quietly. Don't go trumpeting the sale within hearing of the person who gave it to you (common sense). And if I had a good friend who I knew really wanted this doll that I didn't want, yes, I would give it away. Or, I might donate it to a doll convention or fundraiser. But I wouldn't give it away to a stranger; there's no crime in re-selling, if I was asking a fair price and the buyer wanted to pay a fair price.

If it was a real actual friend who gave it to you, then s/he would understand why you want to get rid of it in the first place. (Of course this depends completely on the dynamic between the two specific people.)
If it was a company that didn't specifically say, "Do not resell", then there's no call for protest either.
But if it's a company that specifically says "Do not resell" about their gifts, then you'd better sell it reeeeally quietly, on the black-market, using an alias... or else keep the ugly thing on your shelf at home, living in fear of reprisal for the rest of your life.

 

I see nothing wrong with selling /example I bought Elfdol Ruru
I will be receiving the sleep head as a gift..But after paying 750+
I really think it should be left to the buyer.I do plan to keep mine.lol

 

Exactly! It's a false argument to even involve the expenses.

BtA

 

Different issue, and agreed that no one should lie when selling anything.

BtA

 

Once something leaves your possesion you have absolutley no control over it. I got a Juri 06 head and gave it as a Xmas present for someone -their first ABJD, which I really enjoyed. If I got a free head this year and didn't want it myself I would prefer to give it as a gift to someone I care about. But if no one wanted it, I would have no problems selling it.

As for gift sets, I want a Shiwoo Vampire, and if I needed the money I would have no problems selling the Shiwoo head for the average price of such. I did pay extra money for the head.

 

I believe that there is nothing wrong with selling an extra head or doing a split with someone for a head and body, but what I do not agree with is sadly a very common thing. People who buy limited dolls and sell them at very high prices to make a profit. That really bothers me. I believe they should be sold at the price they were to begin with and charge whatever for shipping depending on where you live. it's insane when I hear people paying like over $1,300 for an Elf Ducan not including shipping or even an outfit!! It's like...My gods... X___X;;;

I don't think people should make a crazy profit like that from a limited doll. That isn't fair to the people who really want and love these dolls.

 

The way I see it is that, if you don't need/want the gift item then there is nothing wrong with selling it (for higher/lower/same price as the retail, it doesn't really have anything to do with ethics but more about the demand for the item). Better that someone who actually wants/will use it buys it from you than for it to sit around and go to waste I say.

 

Is it ethical to sell gift items, like free event heads, or free dolls? What about a doll which comes with two heads?

It is absolutely ethical to sell items received at events or through certain promotions. Here is an example: There is a certain outfit that you want which is only available as part of a limited edition set. So you save up the money and get the entire set. I don't think it would be wrong to sell the additional pieces of the set. You may actually end up helping someone that wanted only the doll or special head that came with the set. In that case, I believe it benefits more people.

 

There is a difference between a present from a close one and an item that comes with a purchase.

 

I recently did a group order and the company sent me three pairs of MSD shoes as a "gift". Would be lovely except I only have SDs. So they are going to be sold because I am sure someone else would like the shoes way more than me. But I don't know what price to set since the shoes are not listed on the company's website. Or since it was a gift to me, I should give them away while the person only pays the shipping fee. What would you guys suggest?

 

I was in this exact situation - I won the naming contest for Soom Kanoa, and when the doll came, I didn't immediately bond with it. Sure, I could have sent it off for a faceup and bought it clothes to fit more with who I thought he was, but I just let it lay and kept him off to the side since he was a gift and I had no reason to sell him. I honestly felt bad about selling him, like it would have been rude to Soom, who was so nice to gift him to me.

Then I graduated college and couldn't find a job and realized I hadn't played with him in months and that I didn't really enjoy taking pictures of him like my other dolls. I tied myself up in knots trying to decide whether or not to sell him (indecisive LJ posts and all) and after my friends telling me that it was in fact just a doll and a hobby and that if I didn't enjoy it there's nothing wrong with selling it. So I sold him for the normal price, no auction involved, and now all parties are much happier

 

Well considering I'm someone who's done this before, and also bought from people who have I have no qualms with it. Free event head, well you've already got to spend hundreds of dollars, so there is really the catch and it's not totally free. Now if it were like order anything now (even something that's $3) and get a head, different story. The only head I think I ever asked more than the standard price for was on a limited head and I asked $15 more because I've paid $10-40 more for say a luts elf yder.
I have been known to sell my free gift items from dollmore (extra eyes on occasion a piece of clothing), but I mean I don't need the stuff and the hobby is expensive and I could use the money. I don't think anyone would really care that I didn't pay the physical $9 for that 1 specific pair of eyes becuase if they need them they'd probably rather buy them for the $9 shipping included price I ask than have to hassel with getting them from dollmore and paying more shipping.

 

Well I'm going to go against the majority and say I personally have a huge problem with selling gift items. I got them for free, from the kindness of the seller and I feel like it would be discourteous to profit from their good will. When I get free items I don't want, I give them away to other people who do want them. That way the gift items have a good home and left in the spirit that they were given.

 

Personally I am happy that promotional items are re-sold....I was short on money during the Nanuri07 head event, but will probably purchase one second-hand one day. I don't have any friends into dolls so if nobody resold it I could never get one.

 

If it is an impersonal company-given gift item, like a free head, I don't see a problem selling it. Like someone else said, I don't really consider it a "gift" since you had to purchase something else to get it. There is no emotional attachment there. However, if that is the case, I would only resell it for the price they would usually sell for. I was originally going to sell one of the two MNF Elf Shiwoo heads that came with the doll. I would have sold it for the normal MNF head price on Luts. (I ended up loving the extra head and keeping it, though). Most of them in the marketplace were selling for a bit more. People may say it's just supply and demand (which it is), but I personally wouldn't feel right doing it.

However, personal gifts given by friends are difficult for me to sell, from an ethical standpoint. If I find I don't use them anymore, I gift them to someone else who can. It doesn't seem right for me to make money off the item, when it was someone else's generosity. However, it's not doing anyone any good just sitting in a box never being used. When I got my first doll I received a few "hand-me-down" clothing items and wigs from friends. I've since donated a few of those items to other friends who are new doll owners. If I ever decide to get rid of the others, I'll either give them to friends who will use them, or donate them to the Seams for Free project.

 

I had no problems selling my Nanuri 07 head...yes, it was a gift, but it also was an item with a built-in value. Also, it was given as a promotion by the company with the expectations that a body would be purchased for it, at the cost of another $300-400.

Now, I was careful to not place a value on the head...I allowed the buyer to do that. I stated that I was willing to negotiate a price, but the first offer I received was more than reasonable and I happily accepted it.

To be honest, I'd rather see someone make some money off of a promotional item, than to astronomically inflate the cost of a new...oh, say...Unoa in order to take advantage of the demand for one. But, either way, it's supply and demand, whether it be for a Nanuri 07 head or a Unoa Lusis.

 

Seems fine by me.

If I got a free gift I didn't want what would I do with it anyway? If I had a close friend who wanted it I'd be happy to give it away, but my friends aren't into bjds, so I'd sell it to someone who appreciated the gift more than I did instead of having it stored somewhere gathering dust

I guess I'd keep the price bellow market value or auction it, but that's a personal choice and I see nothing wrong with someone selling things for whatever price they want, if people don't want to buy it they just don't buy it.

 

I think as far as prize items are concerned they've given something of value to you. The head (or whatever) might not be of use but the value is. So use the value! Sell the item and purchase something that you can treasure as much - you can still treat it as a gift from the people you won it from! Your not trying to make money from them because it makes no difference if the people buying from you got it from the company.

 

It would suck to have to pay for something someone else got for free, but charging is completely in the hands of the supplier. If the buyer's gonna whine, then it'll simply go to someone else who doesn't and has money.

 

I actually have been debating with myself over this. I'll be getting the tender lahoo head from DOD, and at first I was excited and thought I could make use for it, but now I don't think I'll have much use for it at all, being that it's DOT-size and I'm trying to stick with minis. DOD actually stated that they request that you don't sell the limited gift head but if I don't need it, should I just try to trade it instead?? I don't think I would have a problem selling it if it weren't for DOD's request. I'd like to respect that. And personally, I like that people sell 'gift' items (moreso, company promotional gifts) because then that gives you a chance to get something you may have missed out on the first time around.