How do you buy dolls?

I have dolls that I have purchased new from the company or independent artist, and dolls I have purchased secondhand. For me it is about finding a doll whose aesthetic really appeals to me. I will say that if I am buying secondhand, I will research the seller as far as feedback, etc. Have not had a bad experience with any of my purchases. The only problem is the waiting period on a preorder doll. Darn, I hate to wait

 

I prefer to buy a new one more. I guess new is always better?
But with the discontinued or limited doll that I unfortunately fell for, I still have to look for them in marketplace in facebook or taobao 2nd hand website. I often get this uneasy feeling when deciding to buy a pre-owned bjd.

 

Since I generally purchase using layaway, most of my dolls come to me new. The folks over at DDE are probably tired of me at this point.

I buy other stuff secondhand, though— eyes, shoes, wigs.

 

So far I have just one doll, that I bought secondhand. I generally try to buy my collectibles second hand, and aim to mostly buy any future BJDs secondhand. Part of it is sentimental (giving something a second chance, and loving something that has been well loved before) and the other part is I'm not particularly patient, and would rather have a doll in my hands as soon as possible. I think if I ever do buy new, it'd be an in-stock doll from a dealer.

 

I would've had no issues either way of purchase. Just as long as it's in a condition i'm looking for. My very first doll purchase was a bnew, but then the doll I get to keep has a secondhand head ^^

 

All my dolls so far have been bought new, either from a dealer or the company's website. I like buying a new doll and I guess when I first joined the hobby I didn't know of any other way to buy dolls. But I definitely wouldn't mind buying second hand, especially for rarer dolls.

 

I prefer to buy pre-owned dolls especially for the famous dolls or company.
Because I can't enter the marketplace I usually search things on FB club, Yahoo!Japan and Xian yu.
My amazing experience when I buy a brand new doll is the company send her to me in a month.
I really amazed by that doll company and even didn't note that the doll is arrived Lol.

 

I have a mix of both! My only factor in deciding is whether or not the doll is available new, and how good of a condition the second hand one was kept

 

I’ve bought both secondhand (only via y!j tho) and new from companies.

I’m lucky enough to have never had any mixups or bad experiences via both methods but definitely prefer secondhand dolls since, as everyone mentioned, they arrive faster but I always make sure there’s sufficient photo evidence that they’re legit.

 

Judging from my collection, I do about an equal amount of both. I've bought nearly all of my heads secondhand, and my bodies new (and never all at once, sigh).

I like buying new because I can specify exactly what I like, but the wait kills me. There's definitely a thrill of chasing down something secondhand, and I've been lucky that nearly all of my transactions have been smooth. DOA is honestly my favorite place to shop as a buyer; it's easy to find what you want, and I've come across several dolls I thought I'd never see.

 

I would prefer to buy my dolls secondhand to save money, but the doll I own was bought directly from the company. I prefer to see owner photos of a doll before I buy it and I tend to wait a while once I decide I want to buy something to make sure I really like it.

 

I’ve bought new from the company for all of my dolls but one, who I’m going through a dealer for. But then I haven’t obsessed over a limited doll.

I did regret not getting a Granado Uriel when he first came out, and was seriously down about it, which was why I was so happy to see him rereleased when I did get him.

 

My first dolls were bought from the company, my most wonderful purchase was my first SD a Dollndoll Lucian, i bought him whit layway and a really good price . For new dolls the waiting time is hard.
Most of my dolls are second hand from DoA, i tend to fall in love whit some sculpts i see, limited dolls too, there are good prices and layways , also it is easier to ask the owners, most of them are nice and friendly, my country has some restrictions so i have some questions first. I had a couple of bad experiences, still i don't regret them. As for shipping i know i have to pay high shipping quotes wherever i buy from .

 

It's not optimal, but i prefer to buy new and directly from the company for minimum surprises.

 

I would purchase new dolls directly from the official websites.

 

My collection is mostly preloved. I have bought from the DoA marketplace, from Ebay, from Flickr and from Facebook. It doesn't matter to me where it is listed for sale. The quality of the item, the proof that it is a legitimate doll and the feeling I get while communicating with the seller is most important. I've recently learned that having a good reputation as a seller means nothing.

One of my latest second-hand purchases was a real nightmare. The seller kept silent about some very important details regarding the doll I was buying and purposely lied when I confronted them with it afterward. I never want to have anything to do with them again and the experience ruined the doll and the faith in other collectors for me. I'm probably going to list the doll for sale again in the future because I just can't bond with it because of this bad transaction. I might try a different sculpt and see if that cures the uneasy feeling in my stomach. I really don't want to feel sick while handling any of my dolls.

On the other side I've had some awesome transactions with other collectors too. They've sent little postcards and tiny gifts along with their package and kept in touch. The dolls were exactly as they described and felt so vibrant and full of character. Despite the chance to bump into a person with bad intentions I really do prefer second-hand dolls because I seem to bond easier with them.

I've bought a few dolls straight from the company and while some companies were kind and accommodating, others were making me feel like I was just a number. It all depends on the company I suppose. I've had second-hand dolls arrive in better shape than new dolls so I can honestly say I've been dissapointed by the quality of brand new dolls before.

It's a very subjective thing and each person should decide for themselves what they like better. Every collection is unique after all.

 

I bought my first two bjd’s second hand and had very smooth transactions. I’m not really fussed if they’re second hand as long as the doll is in good condition and no issues with the seller.

I’ve had a couple bad experiences in the past buying second hand Blythe dolls and I usually end up selling the doll, as I connect the bad experience/energy with the doll.

 

I usually prefer buying second-hand, but it can be quite risky sometimes. I've mostly used the Finnish bjd forum to look for dolls to buy.

 

I like to have them new. I like that the doll is made for me.

 

Most of my collection is secondhand & I've bought them mostly from the Marketplace, various doll groups & eBay, back before all the recasts. I buy new ones from doll stores. Basically I'm an instant gratification sort of person & hate the long wait times when buying from a company. Also, I just feel more comfortable dealing with someone from the States. There's no language barrier & if there's a problem the store will take care of it. I've been very fortunate with secondhand dolls too. They're usually just like their photos & descriptions & the sellers are generally very nice.