High Prices?

I think it depends, but I can't say I've ever come across a doll I like that I feel is overpriced. I mean sure, I'll wince at pressing the 'confirm order' button but I did the same when I bought a new monitor last month. It's hard to part with large sums of money even for things you really want or need.

I could never place a maximum on how much I let myself spend on a single doll. I want a doll that I'm completely happy with, even if I have to save up a bit longer or be more careful with my finances as a result.

As for faceups, I think a lot of people tend to see art as overpriced because it's hard to understand the amount of time and skill that goes into something if you don't do it yourself. A good faceup has a huge impact on the overall look of the doll, so I don't think a $50+ faceup is necessarily overpriced just because it's a relatively large amount of money.

 

I second this. I'm sorry, but I just don't see why less expensive dolls can come with seams sanded and you have to pay Soom to do it (Iple too, I think?). I have a LoongSoul body and it's smooth as glass. Best poser I've got, too! People always argue it's because of the labor costs. Well BBB can do it and still sell an affordable doll, why not Soom? While their base prices might seem reasonable enough, companies that charge extra for seam sanding always seem like they're gouging to me. I don't buy the "you're supposed to customize it yourself" argument. That's not customization-that's just standard finishing procedure, it's grunt work and you have to have a respirator to do it safely. I've done it and the experience only firmed my conviction about this.

Back on topic-my comfort zone with prices has risen since I bought my first doll, a Sprite. I'm up in the $400.00-$500.00 range for an SD now. $350.00 for MSD, $300.00 for tinies. But I am contemplating a new IH in my future, so that comfort zone might have to stretch a bit first! Because I'm budget-challenged (OK, cheap!), I like fixer-uppers and splits. And layaway, thank Heaven for layaway! I do my own face-ups and clothing as well. This is the only reason I can afford as many dolls as I have.

 

Perhaps this is listing slightly off topic, but in terms of 'what do i find fairly priced' lately, i find myself more willing to pay more money on an 'artist doll'.
If i know a doll comes from a company which has verifyiable roots and i like the sculpt, i'm more likely to really try to save for one. Super bonus points if i can actually speak with the creator! ...Another thing which i am willing to pay more for is if a creator casts the dolls themselves instead of sending the mold offsite. to me, this would be worth what the artist is charging because i like to try to support individual artists in my non-hobby endeavors, so i want to do that in my BJD hobby too.

this is not to say that i don't still like dolls from 'established' companies! i have plenty! but in general, i will not buy them as fullsets anymore, unless there is no option of purchasing the sculpt blank, and i am simply smitten. I like to do my own customizing.

 

My Asleep Eidolon doll came with her seams sanded and horrible scratches all over her body. It was a free service that I didn't ask for. I could have done it a lot better myself and I'd wish they hadn't sanded her seams. I suspect that companies that are not paid extra for seam sanding have to cut corners somewhere sometimes. I've sanded seams before and it takes me several hours to do it properly and carefully without leaving scratches. I think $50-60 that's usually charged for seam removal isn't that much for the amount of labour when it is done properly. I've had heads and body parts (coming directly from the company) that I had to sand myself to get rid of scratches left by rough sanding and I've never asked doll companies to remove seams for me.

 

It really depends. But I must admit, that I almost always ONLY buy dolls when there's an event or sale offer XDDDD
But I generally think the price is okay, since these dolls are not that mass produced as ex "barbies". And I also think it makes you consider your choise of doll more, and it may also make you more carefull with the doll.

 

For me, it really depends on the doll.

When I first got into the hobby I didn't want to spend more than $500 dollars for a doll. But, I just recently spend $1,200 on a Volks Ruby Limited. I didn't want to spend that much, but I am so happy that I did. She's the most perfect doll. I think if you find a doll that you love, you're willing to spend the money.

 

Ahaha. I totally broke my price-range I mentioned in the first page last night-- but you know what? He's as close to my absolute dream-doll as I'm ever going to find. And I am totally enamoured.

 

Labor costs are different in different parts of the world. That is just a simple, indisputable fact. That's why it keeps coming up.

There are also people who do not want sanded seams. It may be standard to you, but it is undesirable to them. You are no more right than they are, and they have their reasons for wanting things their way, too.

Edit: Have a look at some of the stats. These aren't the best, but should provide some concept of the disparity of income levels.

http://adamcadre.ac/calendar/13127.php - Japan $33600 - South Korea $24800 - China $5380
There's a wikipedia link with similar stats. If you really don't think disparities of that size are going to have a vast influence on the pricing of labor-intensive goods, and particularly labor-intensive processes related to those goods, there's really not much more that can be said, because it really is right there in black and white.

 

It really depends on which doll it is. I think most companies price their dolls very reasonably according to quality. I used to think Dollzone was a "cheap" company (and they still are compared to some others), but now there are many cheaper dolls that are around the same quality. I think a lot of it also depends on how long the company has been around, once they have a good reputation they're able to charge more.

I used to have a cutoff price - $500. And that included a faceup. Then I saw the limited head I thought I'd never get a hold of come up for sale... for $600. And I bought it. Then I decided $600 wasn't so much for a full doll... and it kept going up from there. $1000 was my absolute limit, until I got in a bidding war for a doll I really wanted. xD $2000 later, it was mine, and I decided to get rid of the cutoff price for myself. If I think a doll is worth the asking price, and I've got the money available to buy it, I don't see the harm in getting it. ^^

My first doll I ordered blank - I thought faceups weren't that difficult. I learned very quickly that was not the case, and have never ordered a blank doll since. To me, it's definitely worth the extra $50-$60. That said, I think $60 is the most I would pay for a faceup... I can't imagine spending over that amount on something that I could just wipe off one day... there are a lot of very talented faceup artists, and their work is definitely worth the price, but it just isn't something I'm willing to pay for. ^^

 

Actually this topic gets discussed all the time, and in fact you will soon get tired of people bitching about the cost of this hobby. As I have. It always sounds to me like a buncha Porsche collectors bitching about the cost of a Porsche. Plenty of threads like "Why do people charge so much?" and "why are they so expensive" and "why can't all companies sand dolls for free" and "Market Overprice" etc. etc. ad nauseam. Plenty of reading available, if you like that sort of thing.

But it all boils down to this:

Or, "just because [I/you/he/she] can't afford it, doesn't make it overpriced".

 

nod nods agreed

 

Bobobie and Soom are in different countries, that's why there's a labor cost difference. It costs more to get your Korean made Soom doll sanded because labor costs are higher in Korea. That Chinese made Loongsoul costs a lot less because they can pay their workers a lot less, even with seam sanding thrown in.

As for me, I prefer to do seam sanding myself. I don't like waiting the extra time for my doll to be sent to me while its sanded and I want to make sure its done correctly.

 

My AE tiny boy was just fine-sounds like you had some bad luck there, Muisje. In the end, I guess it is an individual thing as to what you prefer. I'd rather deal with scratches though, than with the huge 1/8" in places ridges that were on my Supergem girl's legs.

 

This is my bad for using BBB as a comparison. What I should have said is that when I see several companies with comparably priced dolls and some charge you extra for seam sanding and others don't, then to me the ones that do are overpriced. Korean vs. Korean-I've handled a bunch of Fairyland dolls, though I don't own one. No seams to speak of on the ones I've seen and they weren't sanded by their owners. My two Elfdolls-no seams at all! Engineering issues out the wazoo, but very smooth resin! But this is a personal bugaboo of mine and not exactly on-topic, so thanks for bearing with me. Quitting now.

 

I think the price is just ok. Although it is a little pricy, everything worth a peeny after you think about all the work behind it. I would take care of it more and willing to pay the price for the creaivity of dolls.

 

I second second this.
This is a luxury hobby right?
I was pretty sure the price was the last thing people
would discuss. @@

And am I the only one not bothered by seams? lol
I actually like the look ball-joints and seams. I like
the look of a doll in my doll, I guess you can say. hehe

Although some of the seams seem to look just
simply unsightly, I think that I echo Surreality on the
matter that not everyone requires the service.

(that income margin is very insightful BTW. WOW)

 

Actually, I'm not sure if Fairyland does sand seams. I have a few older Delfs (and CP made a lot of the Delf line at that point), and they were always very smooth along the seam lines -- I believe it has something to do with how the molds line up? Most of my dolls are not sanded (seams don't bother me personally) and it varies a bit from doll to doll how noticeable they are. It's possible to get an unsanded doll whose seams are barely there at all. Of course I could be wrong, and maybe it's something that CP specifically started doing, but I'm sure they didn't in the past when they were working with Luts.

I don't know how easy it is to compare company A to company B (even if they're from the same country) not knowing what their individual overhead costs are and how they are set up. Granted, if there is a huge price difference vs services offered going on, that would be a bit odd.

I have always viewed bjds as being very close to kits (which is what they started out as) with the owner being responsible for finishing the doll. As such, seam sanding has typically been treated as a form of customization -- it's one of those optional things that can be done with doll if you want, but it's not a necessity. Again, it's not something I've ever bothered with, and I don't think I've had anybody whose seams were really horrendous (now I'm tempted to look through them all and compare, lol). I don't know, I don't really view bjds as coming 'finished' per say and that really affects how I see things like seams.

 

Actually, I just checked my FL girl -- you're right, they do not. I think all companies do a basic sanding to remove sprues and gates and such, but I know my CL-Ino from Fairyland definitely has seams. They aren't excessive, but they are absolutely there in a way that a basic sanding would completely have removed had it been done.

 

Yeah-- seams aren't considered flaws, so it's not considered poor service to leave em unsanded.

Some people are sticklers for seams, and that's OK for them... but their own private sticklerhood doesn't mean that seam removal should be considered a basic requirement for everybody. It's the same with body blushing: Some people insist upon it, & won't have an unblushed doll in the house, but that doesn't mean that selling an unblushed doll means the company has failed to deliver a finished doll for the price.

I personally don't even 'see' the seams, unless they're really egregious. And on the dolls I've gotten (31 so far), they're just not egregious very often. I think I've only bothered to sand my SD13 Tony, because his leg-seams were larger than usual, and my Tony wears a lot of clothes that expose his thighs, so it was worth taking the trouble. ^^

 

Whenever I wince at the price of a doll, all I have to do is go down to the Coach store and look at the bags. And look, a bag I could make myself in a day is going for 3,000.00, with none of the detail and artistry that goes into a doll, and none of the life-threatening dust and sealers involved. A pair of Jimmy Choos goes for the same amount as a nice Iplehouse doll, and you walk on the damn things! (Or teeter). I was one of the "underpriced" voters.