Has a new doll ever made you ‘doubt’ the others?

I definitely have! When I got my first Volks doll, felt her weight and how smooth her resin was, how easy it was to change or remove hands, I kind of started looking at my collection and going... "Huh."

 

Is the new doll very different in terms of aesthetics (for example: more realistic or the complete opposite)? If that's the case, I understand why you might view your previous dolls now as very different from the new one.
The excitement of having a new doll can also makes us focus on it and blur the idea in our minds of the previous ones, but the effect will rub off. You could use that feeling to improve the things you think your previous dolls lack (though from your doll profiles I can see Blaire and Tailor are really good-looking, if I'm honest).

 

I'm actually starting to experience this a little bit, but in the opposite way, I think. For my first doll I ordered all the extras: sanding and a faceup, plus eyes, a wig and some default clothing that was put in his box as a gift. With my second doll, he came blank. For the last 8 months since I got him, I've been slowly customizing him to be exactly the character I want. He's not 100% accurate to the character just yet, but through all that painstaking work of sanding his seamlines, doing the faceups, making a wig and outfits, my bond with him has grown in a way that hasn't happened with my first doll. I can't even explain it. My first doll is a lovely doll, with a lovely company faceup, and I adore the character that he's shelled to be... but something isn't right, something I never noticed before I got my second doll. I'm seriously considering reshelling him, or even just getting a second version of the sculpt blank and doing the faceup and mod work myself. Maybe that's what's missing? I'm really not sure

 

Yeah, I've received dolls that have blown my mind because they showed me something that BJDs were capable of, and I wasn't aware of this potential with my existing dolls. Usually it had to do with quality of engineering, sculpting or resin, which all differs between sculptors/companies.

Similar fo SaltedPretzel, when I had Volks and Dollstown dolls I became aware that resin quality is a thing - some resins do feel better to me than other resins. Likewise, my Dollstown dolls had really detailed, intricate body sculpting, something which I never noticed before for dolls. Now that I knew what beautiful sculpting and resin was like, I started looking for it in future dolls. I also ended up selling some dolls I owned as a newbie, because the newer dolls helped me define my taste a lot more, and some of my "newbie-era" dolls ended up not being to my taste. (Not everyone ends up like this, but that's what happened for me.)

I don't see comparison between your own dolls as a problem, personally! BJDs do come in differing quality and design and style, Doll A can have some attributes better and other attributes inferior vs. Doll B, and vice versa. That's just the way it is for a hobby that's based heavily on aesthetics and taste. My own taste has developed and refined over time as I've bought new dolls and handled others at meetups, and I appreciate that I'm more discerning about the dolls I buy. Refining taste also means I'm challenged about my older dolls - what do I value about them? Are these dolls that truly spark joy for me, and why? If some of my older dolls are "inferior" to newer ones I buy, there usually are good reasons why I still keep them -- and I want to discover these reasons for myself. Sometimes it takes a new doll to prompt this reflection, nothing wrong with that.

 

I call it the new doll glow When a doll has some special novelty that your other dolls don't have, it makes them stand out.
I agree that this feeling tends to wear off and you will probably remember all that you love about your other dolls then. You will have a favorite thing about doll A, doll B, doll C... I think that's normal no matter if you are brand loyal or love diversity.
And I think that your dolls in their profiles have great face ups and stylings already and are worthy to be very proud of.

But if it lasts long, maybe some shiny new outfits or accessories for your dolls will help you feel refreshed towards them.
Or It is possible that you will discover that you really prefer face ups done by others (I did) and can get those done to your liking by an artist. (I don't think there's anything wrong with your face ups to be clear. But I am the type of person always critical of my own work so I like others to do my dolls. Maybe you can relate to that or not.)
Don't be afraid of change if this continues to bother you for a long time, but I recommend to let the new doll settle in for a while before you make any major decisions regarding your older dollies

 

I think it's also that you are not used to looking at the new style of faceup yet - with the ones painted by yourself, you know how they were made but with one you don't know layer-by-layer it takes a little bit of time to "get to know" it, kind of like reading a poem once vs memorising it.

I agree with @Novalyna that there's also the "new doll glow" where it's very exciting to look at and and handle the new doll as opposed to the older crew but this will pass pretty quickly in my experience. Once the honeymoon is over, there's no real difference any more (at least for me) - so just give it a little time and enjoy your new doll, no need to feel guilty about spending less time with the others for a bit, either.

 

I'm glad you feel better about your faceups and craft! And you're definitely not alone with being frustrated with doll bodies, or shelling characters, or whatnot -- I think it's common for hobbyists to experience this (I absolutely did).

With doll bodies, I think it's normal to have some trial-and-error as you discover what you do and don't like. BJDs are physical objects, there's no avoiding the fact that there are some details that photos or reviews simply can't reveal, and you have to physically handle that doll to discover what you do/don't like about it. And doll bodies are also designed for different purposes -- posing, dressup, aesthetics, simplicity, complexity, etc etc. Doll bodies are very much to each person's taste, IMHO moreso than head sculpt, because most people handle their dolls a lot, and that handling influences ongoing enjoyment of each doll as a whole. (Whether your handling is posing them in complex ways, or wanting them to sit and stand without fuss, or be straightforward to dress up and look pretty... or anything in between.)

As for shelling characters... as you said, this is complex and quite a personal experience. I understand that you are shelling preexisting OCs with your dolls? If so, I discovered that one has to reach some sort of compromise between staying true to your inner vision of the character, and how much you're willing/able to invest in the doll shell and what is "close enough to the character" for you. It can often be a long process, and the doll may still not 100% resemble the character. Some people enjoy that process, some people don't. Like for me - when I was a BJD newbie I tried shelling my preexisting OCs which I had strong vision and strong attachment to. But I did not enjoy that project at all and got very frustrated (on reflection I was too perfectionistic and wouldn't compromise on my vision). So I gave up the project, sold those dolls who were meant to be the OCs, and now I have a different character creation process for my BJD crew. (I still like making OCs for my dolls, but now I create the OC alongside the doll shell.)
That was my experience with figuring out my doll collection through some trial-and-error. Though I might be an extreme case, because I was unwilling to compromise my vision. So YMMV!

I rambled a bit but I basically wanted to say that your worry is not uncommon. Developing your doll collection -- especially if you are shelling characters -- does take time and some trial-and-error. (It certainly was the case for me.) Sometimes it takes a new doll to reveal what you do/don't want in your dolls, what is/isn't working out for you. And it's all OK! I think it's all a learning process, and now you can move forward with new knowledge. Good luck with it

 

My collection is such a pick-n-mix of styles - all different scales, sculpts and aesthetics. Whenever I bought a new doll in the past it brought up feelings that perhaps it'd be better to have a matching collection, or just one doll with tonnes of accessories and clothes instead.

Those feelings have always passed though and I enjoy being able to explore my dfferent tastes in the dolls.

 

Your crew looks great @Malvolio ! But of course, it's you in the end who has to feel good about your dolls and sometimes it means changing things even if they are great on an objective level. Sometimes it takes changing out parts for a while, in which I agree with @aihre that bodies are so tricky to get right without getting to handle them beforehand. Also, from my own experience, it can take only one thing about the body to become very annoyed at it - I was immediately so much happier with the doll and my collection as a whole after swapping out one of the bodies recently. But then again I was a bit annoyed with it from the start, not only in comparison with other dolls... you never know! I guess such decisions have to always marinate in your mind a bit first and there's also no rush to make things "perfect" right away.

 

This happened to me once. The doll in my avatar became an “instant grail” from the moment I laid eyes on her, and I preordered her the instant she became available. I was astounded by her sculpt’s workmanship and creativity. But it wasn’t her quality that made all my others seem less by comparison…it was her character. I’d come up with such an all-encompassing and complex personality for her while awaiting her arrival, she simply eclipsed all my others from the moment she arrived (completely blank, but that still didn’t matter.) Everyone else seemed entirely redundant by comparison, so I made the decision to reboot my collection and design it around her instead. And I’ve been happy with my decision and my collection ever since. Sometimes a reboot is necessary, although it’s a difficult decision. Collecting is such a personal thing, and there’s so much learning and discovery along the way. That’s what makes it so fascinating.

 

I've had this happen in a few ways. The first was that I'd gotten a secondhand MYOU Delia who was in bad condition, patchy yellow, damaged face-up etc and I was disappointed in her compared to my other dolls. But then I got her a new face-up by an artist, bought her clothes/wigs/accessories, and now she makes some of my other dolls look a bit lacklustre in comparison. The second time this happened was when I bought a secondhand blank Charm Doll. When I unpackaged him, the feel of his resin was nicer than my Luts and MYOU dolls, he could pose in many different ways and he was a gorgeous sculpt all around. My Delia isn't double-jointed so I can't do much with her and my other dolls are all Luts Honey Delfs who, while they can do more poses, don't hold position well and are a bit annoying to work with. Because of that, I reevaluated my collection and what I wanted to spend my money on. Now that it's been a while, I still adore all my dolls and I'm happy I have them, but I think I'll be more selective when adding to my collection in the future.

I think it's normal to have that reaction. These are expensive dolls that you don't get to handle before you buy and all you have to go off before you order are the photos used in their promos. Different companies use different quality resign, have different styles, face-up artists and quality control, and seeing it in person compared to what you already have could change your mind about one or two of your dolls. But I don't think it'll last. At the end of the day, you liked something about your dolls and got them for a reason. They may not be perfect in every way, but something drew you to them.

 

Collections and what one does with them are a very personal thing, as others have said. Different people have different goals for the dolls they collect, and sometimes those goals can also change. Similar to a few other users above, I felt absolutely enchanted by my first Volks dolls (both resin and vinyl) compared to the other dolls I already had. Eventually, I sold most of my non-Volks dolls- I believe the only one left is my first BJD (Bobobie Sprite) for sentimental reasons. I don't think selling everyone is always the answer, though. Sometimes it just takes a new faceup, a new style, or even just some time to see that joy that specific doll has brought again. Your crew looks very cute OP!

 

I had a couple dolls that made me think "THIS is what I always wanted!", but it was usually in regards to aesthetic.
I started in 2008 and the dolls that were available simply did not reflect what I like in my characters, namely older looking guys that were more leaning towards realism. Iplehouse had just started with their EIDs and that was a HUGE shift in terms of size and look (nowadays those early models look very stylized/young, but back then something like their EID Luo was crazy). But that was pretty much it. I was surrounded by stylized, smaller dolls and maybe Dollshe's original guys

Then the first heads started to be released that inched towards what I truly wanted. My Iplehouse EID Arvid for example, who nowadays also struggles a bit in the group because of his somewhat big eyes, was one of those dolls that really made me go "THIS IS IIIT!!!". My Granado Uranus was another one, especially because his former shell was a Dollshe Saint that never felt truly right for the character (top his old shell, bottom his new shell for reference: Link And by now he looks way more realistic with a new face-up and wig: Link 2)
He truly marked the whole beginning of reshelling some of my older dolls. Which I did with quite a few of them, and now years later I wish I could re-reshell them again with even better heads. It never stops

Anyway, judging from what you posted and the photo: I think the biggest "issue" is, that your new girl looks very put together and complete. She's not a hybrid, and the resin match and body proportions are perfect right out of the box. That alone can make a huge difference, especially when you are unhappy with the current state of the others. She represents the level one wants to achieve, and where the others fail at the moment. Then the face-up, one done by a pro vs your own work - it just highlights how insecure we often are about our own skill. I had one doll with default face-up, and I remember how he too positively stood out among my self-painted crew back then That feeling goes away once the own works get better and better, but until then it is often pretty jarring to have those two types of face-ups co-exist.

I think you need to really ask yourself if you actively dislike the others (as in, their head sculpts for example), or if they are simply not yet on a level of put-together-ness and quality you desire.

 

Hi

I've explained this to a bit of an extreme. When I got my boy Moth I just didn't see the others in the same way as I did before. I ended up selling 5 dolls and am still really blown away by him. I really want to buy another doll for a new character but I'm scared that I'll only end up selling it when I start looking at Moth.

 

I've sorta run into this, but more in terms of new dolls making me doubt the aesthetic I was going for.

I started out thinking I was committed solely to semi-realism dolls, namely minifees. I had it in my head that minifees were just the dolls for me and they were all I would end up collecting.

But then I bought my first little DollZone MiYou on a whim, and this little anime-style YOSD just absolutely stole my heart! He's STILL my favorite lil guy!

At the time, it made me think 'aw man, do I actually just want to be collecting anime dolls after all? Should I sell my minifees and start over with solely the anime aesthetic in mind?'

It just took me a little time to realize that, no, I don't need to be committed to only ONE aesthetic. I love both anime and semi-realism! I'll likely end up with more anime than semi-realistic dolls, but only because I'm VERY selective about both styles and tend to find more anime ones that I truly love than semi-realism ones I truly love.

(Side note . . . the one thing that made me doubt my minifees specifically was getting other dolls with far better stability AND poseability. Made me realize I really don't care for the minifee bodies so much. Might hybrid them eventually or something!)

 

YES! Gone through this many times!!!!
"I love my new anime doll! Should I collect just anime dolls?"
"I love my new Volks doll! Should I collect just Volks dolls?"
"I love my new Chicabi doll! Should I collect just Chicabi dolls?"
"I love my new Myou doll, should I....."
Nah, I'm sure my collection would look prettier to others if it was more cohesive, but my collection is for me, and I love way too many things

 

Hmm, can't say I've been through that. I've pretty much only ever owned anime style dolls. And while I do love my new resin girl, I'm rather uncertain about resin now that I own it. ... I guess maybe it's a type of doubt.