How did you know to sell your doll?

For me, if I've lost interest in the character's story/personality, it's time to go. (All of my dolls are shells of my OCs.) If I still love the sculpt, I may try a new wig, eyes, faceup and style and use it for a new character. If I'm still not really feeling interested, it's time.

I can't say I have any dolls I'll NEVER sell, because feelings change over time. My two dolls that were my favorites for nearly 6 years have dropped from my top fave spot over the last 6 months. I've also reshelled favorite characters when I found new sculpts that fit better, so while not losing the character, I did let the old doll go. I really don't think I'll ever sell my first doll (AoD Chen from 2007), though, because he was my very first, and because of his age, damage and yellowing, his resale value would be far too low for me to justify letting him go. I doubt I'd get $90 for him. His sentimental value is much higher than that for me!

 

With the only full doll I sold, it was because I couldn't find a place to put her, couldn't figure out what to do with her, had no motivation to handle her, and she just wasn't speaking to me for either her original plan, or any new ones. The combination of all those factors made me decide that it was time to put her up for sale.

I've had dolls I haven't touched in a while (all of them during a break, and a couple older ones still need work done to be "finished"), and dolls that I haven't been sure what to do with (but still enjoyed and were speaking to me in terms of personality, if not appearance), but with her, I just got nothing except frustration over trying to find a place where she'd be out of the way without falling off a shelf, and thinking about selling her didn't give me second thoughts.

 

I had a couple of dolls arrive recently where I knew they wouldn't work out the moment I deboxed them.

The one went up for sale the next day after a test-stringing to confirm she wasn't what I needed. The other I was more iffy about selling since he was discontinued and rare enough to be impossible to replace, so I set him aside for several weeks to be really really sure that I didn't want him.

Both dolls got traded out eventually for dolls I adore, so it worked out for the best.

 

I've sold a few dolls over the years. Mostly I just fell out of love with them and they sat around in their boxes neglected. I figured it was time to move them on to someone who would appreciate them more. I've not had any real lasting regrets.

I do have a couple of dolls that I don't see myself selling as I'm just too attached to them. But you never know

 

If I lose interest in a doll I will box it up for a while to see if I miss it - Even if I don't miss that doll I still might find I can't sell it though. I took my AoD Qian out last year to take photos for ebay, but just couldn't bring myself to sell her! Other dolls I have sold with no regret at all, even though they were lovely too - there's no logic to it really. I don't think I'll ever sell the doll in my avatar (B&G Sandra) - I've had her longer than any of my other dolls, and still love her as much as the day I got her (used from ebay - I'm glad someone decided to sell her!)

 

Let us say one thing... I sold dolls twice... and bitterly regretted both of them... so I'm not really the go-to person about this...

 

I only partially sold my doll, as in i just sold her body. I knew it was time to get rid of it because i was sick of looking at it. I still have her character,story, wigs, clothes, everything... I still love her face but that body wasn't doing it for me anymore, too blocky and angular and hated the legs

 

My fool-proof (for me) way to tell if I am ok selling my doll is if I can actually visualize myself putting the doll up for sale. The whole process. Getting it down off the shelf, taking all the "character" off it (eyes, wigs, clothes), photograph it, gather all it's part (if it has them), doing the actual post and what I would say....

If I can picture myself doing that, the doll is already up for sale in my mind, and it's over.

When I know it's time to start this dance, is when the enjoyment of the doll isn't enough to keep it around. I have a lot of dolls. I can't possibly play with them all, and I have favorites that are my "go-to's" so a lot of them rarely get touched. However, most of those I still love to have around. I love to look at them, change their clothes (however rarely), think of their character, whatever makes me happy with them. When that dies, I don't want them around anymore...then I do the mind-selling thing...then they waltz out the door XD

The list of dolls I'll never is pretty big. My Dollmore Kara Klum. The rest of my Kara Klums. Any doll named Alex. Any doll given to me by friends. My Migidolls, my DM Fine, my DM Miso, Volks Chris, Michele and DWC02, PW WU Goldie, B&G Sapphira, B&G Ymir, the Pukis, my CP Chiwoo...my YO size bebes, Pukifee, DZ Deer boy....the list keeps going. *giant sigh*

 

I've sold one doll so far and I had her for a couple years before I sold her. I knew it was time to sell her because I liked the idea of her more than the actual doll. The doll I'd gotten had been a project doll I picked up cheap and fixed up. To fit what I wanted though she needed a lot more work and I just wasn't willing to put that in so I decided to just sell the doll I had and maybe later reshell the idea.

I don't think the dolls need to be something you use a lot or have to touch or mess with so often or else sell them. I have one tiny because I wanted a hoofed doll but knew I would do very little with it. So I got a tiny because its small enough to be displayed out of the way easily. I do a lot of other types of crafts and project that has nothing to do with dolls so they have been known to sit for long periods of time. I collect other dolls and figures simply because I like how they look and have them displayed on a shelf and I don't ever consider selling them even though I never play with them so I don't think these are really any different. If you like the look of it it can sit on display and just look pretty.

 

I do much the same thing as VampireAngel13- if I can visualize myself selling them, then I do it. The other thing is... if I find myself wondering if I should sell a doll, then I generally realise it's time for them to move on. For me, this hobby is too expensive to just keep dolls that don't make me happy. And I too have dolls that I just don't play with, but seeing them sitting on their shelf makes me happy, and that's fine.

Sometimes, I've had a little bit of regret as I pack them into the box to move on to their new home, but then as soon as I get the joyful email from their new owner, all that regret is gone, and I'm absolutely thrilled that they've moved on ^_^

I don't think I'll ever sell my Soony, or my Lieselotte twins. And I'll always have some kind of incarnation of Fairyland Flora at home with me ^_^

 

If a doll isn't working for me, I will usually give it some time. But if it still isn't working after 6 months, up on the market it goes. Fortunately, most of my dolls have worked well for me.

 

I mainly sold bodies until now. The first one was traded due to I was unhappy of its standing abilities. I modded the hell out of him, but it just did not work out. It was just the right thing to do. Another time I tried to sell my Iplehouse SID Carina due to financial reasons. When I had her unclothed, instead of taking sales pictures, I started playing with her, doing crazy poses, etc. Therefore, I decided to keep her and get a better paid job instead. Today I am very glad that she is still with me.

 

I think I just got to the point where I realised that I wasn't going to do anything with him, no matter how many plans I made to do otherwise. The fact that it wasn't very hard for me to let him go only reinforced the idea that selling him was what I should do.

The doll that I know I'll never be able to sell is my Angelheim Ryan. Other than him being my first doll, he's the one that I've bonded best with so far, and I know letting him go would be very difficult for me, even if I do end up re-shelling the character.

 

I've only sold one doll, and I knew it was time to let her go when it (mentally) started to be a hassle to get her her proper outfits. Plus I hardly ever played with her; she'd just stand there and actually start to get dusty in her wig! So I parted her out and I used the money to get a body for one of my floating heads. Don't miss her at all, so I know I did the right thing.

 

I have sold one dolly only and I knew I had to sell it because I really didn't like her size at all (I'm used to SD and MSD and this one was a tiny...) I was afraid of breaking her little arms and legs, so I never really enjoyed playing with her ~

 

When I first got my dolls I felt like if someone pays me enough I will sell them because I can get another one. Once I got a few more I realized they were a family and I can't break it up. I have had a few I bought that looked really cool and in person I was disappointed and sold. As much as money is nice I prefer Trading dolls because then I help someone get the doll they want and I got a doll I want. So ya it's when there isn't a family connection to them they need to fit in. Still open to if you offered me enough money I would hand the Doll over.

 

If I can imagine selling a doll without having an immediate physical reaction, I know it's time to sell. Like, if I think about what it would feel like to sell my first doll, I immediately have that sinking feeling you get when something is going wrong (it's silly, but my first thought for a similar feeling is 'that feeling you get when you're walking to the train station and get there just in time to see your train pulling away' ). But back when I sold my Pipos Cheshire, for example, picturing selling him didn't cause any immediate physical feeling, it just caused kind of mixed thoughts ('it would be nice to have the money...' versus 'but then I wouldn't own him anymore...'). I sold him and don't regret it at all.

 

I know it's time for me to let go of a few. Why? I've found others I'd rather have instead. Simple reasoning! XD

 

Well, if I found one that I really like better than what I have and if my doll quota is already more than needed (no more places available), I will sell the one with less bond and face sculpt that I don't think I like anymore.