How do you deal with... time limited preoders?

For me, I always have budget for dolls. If the price is too expensive for me, I will give up the doll with no regret.

 

I did come across a doll recently that i was like.. i must have this... but it didnt work out, the dolls totally cute but now its up for sale because im just not as in love as i was when i saw him... no idea why.

in general, i dont usually catch them during preorder periods, but id try to make it work and if i really couldnt, i would wait til they show up in the MP since some people might not be able to bond. maybe they will be cheaper, maybe not. it might be something i have to deal with at that time.

 

Well, I think that you can always buy the doll secondhand and I do actually prefer buying in the aftermarket. Until now I never wanted to buy a time-limited doll but I've only bought a doll if I can pay for it in a maximum of two payments.
So if I can't afford a doll I'll have to pass. I don't want to overspend in this hobby...

 

Cry.

Pray for the doll to open up another round of preorder (here's looking at you, Momonita in gamora ♡)

 

It's so hard, but if I can't get it on a decent layaway or time frame then I just have to think of what could have been until the next limited doll comes up.

 

As a generally anxious person, I struggle with time/supply-related pressure when it comes to buying dolls, as even if a doll isn't marked as being limited-time, from what I've learned about BJD artists/companies since these dolls aren't mass-produced there's always some kind of limit to how long a doll will be available. With how long it can take to save up for a doll, does anyone else get worried about whether the doll next on their wish list will still be there when you're ready to buy? Obviously layaway helps a lot in these cases, but what about when you already have a layaway you need to finish paying off first, or need to save enough for the first payment? I have 2 dolls I hope to get this year, but I worry that by the time I have the money to set aside for each one, they'll be out of stock/not available anymore. I've already missed out on one dream doll of mine, Youpladolls' Lupita in dark tan, who was sadly already unavailable by the time I first discovered she existed. I can only hope that one day she'll come back, but even if she does, I worry I'll miss my window again. Should I just be saving money now for a doll I have no way of knowing will available anytime soon? Or just focus on saving for the 2 dolls I know are available now, but worry might not be around for long?

 

If you can, you could put some money aside in some kind of "emergency doll fund." Depending on how much money you make, you may want to keep the contributions to that fund pretty small, so that you're not trying to split your savings evenly for three dolls, but it can add up over time. It may not be enough to fully pay for a doll when you want to use it, but it could at least make it easier to buy a doll that is limited edition or being discontinued.

 

@gaymergoose : I empathize and understand how sucky it is to miss out on a doll. But some things that have helped me over the years in terms of reducing impulsive buying/getting over things when I miss out:

*Most doll companies will commit to re-releases. Practically every dream doll I have had has been rereleased 2-3 times. Especially if it's fairly popular, companies know when they have a cash cow and will commit to special releases now and then. So don't despair too much. Chances are it will come around from a big company. Never believe them when they say NEVER. They lie lol!

*If the sculpt isn't as popular and a re-release is unlikely, post a WTB. They do work! Just gotta be diligent in bumping and watching the 2nd hand market. Good news is not so popular sculpts usually don't cost nearly as much 2nd hand.

*Lastly, there will forever be a stream of doll releases, so it is impossible to get all the ones you want when you want them. Sometimes, you do just miss out. However, as soon as one is released another one follows right after it that you love. So part of this hobby is loving dolls but allowing yourself to pass on them because of finances/real life/etc. If you decide later you really want it, do research on the company to see if a re-release is likely. If not, look 2nd hand. It could take days/months/years but some of my most special dolls that I've had the best experiences acquiring were not "easy finds". Sometimes the struggle makes them a little more special.

 

So firstly, I'm a very anxious person myself I totally get where you're coming from. FOMO is real and it can be very difficult to deal with. I know I'm still bummed because an entire company I liked is no longer in business and I am still a little stung that I didn't get another doll from them that I had wanted.

At the same time it's really important to remember that ultimately (and this is especially important when you're a collector) if you miss out on something it's not the end of the world. There's always a chance you'll find the doll you like in the marketplace, or being resold somewhere you just need to keep an eye out for it. There are many pieces of software and apps that will actually keep an eye out for you if you watch certain keywords so you can be the first to know when the item you're looking for pops up too.

In terms of saving and choosing, it comes down a few key factors. First you have to really look at your financial situation. How much are you realistically able to put on the side for savings (even if it's a really small amount) for this hobby?

It's totally possible to save for the new dolls, AND Lupita at the same time. Just keep the savings in 2 separate funds. Ultimately Lupita's fund is gonna have a cap, once you reach lets say $1000 you can stop adding to her fund and just sit and wait. The second fund will be more fluid because you'll be using it to add new dolls to your collection. I like what Ara.dox said about having an emergency fund, because that way you'll always have a cushion to rely on if something suddenly comes up.

 

Limited editions have tendencies to come back every few years, depending on the company, but discontinuations are the ones I get anxiety over. I've had to play the "two dolls I want are being discontinued at the same time and I can only afford one" game before. And, goodness, when I only worked part time I missed a lot of dolls I wanted. It sucks having to let something you know you would love go, but you still have to keep your financial health in mind and reassure yourself that it's the right thing.

If you know you for sure want those other two dolls, and you reach a point where you feel comfortable spending the money, I think it's perfectly reasonable to go ahead and get it. You might then miss a chance at the other one being rereleased, but you might also be saving yourself the future heartache of seeing it discontinued, too.

In my personal collection, as examples to offer hope of someday getting "the one that got away," two dolls I just could not afford to get before they were discontinued were Delf Soony and Delf Chiwoo. I have both of them now, bought secondhand. They're every bit as beautiful as I hoped, and I think the time invested in finding them makes me love them even more.

 

I simply close my eyes and think to myself, “Everything can eventually be found on the second hand market.” XD Obviously that’s not *literally* true, but I think it is true more often than you might think! If you think of it as less like “if I don’t buy it now I can NEVER get it,” and more like “if I don’t buy it now, I might have to wait a long time to find one for sale,” it might take the pressure off a little bit and help you decide what’s the most immediate priority for you ^^

 

This is some great advice, thank you! I kind of jumped headfirst into this hobby just after the holidays so I'm still VERY new to all this, and I don't have any sort of specific doll fund started yet, but that's a really smart idea that I'll definitely try. I usually let myself have around $100-200 per month (sometimes more if there are special occasions like holidays since I like to buy myself a gift haha) for "fun stuff" for myself like dolls and such, so I could probably start splitting that up into doll savings. A part of me hopes that if Lupita comes back it won't be till closer to next year, that would give me time to save up and also still be able to get the 2 dolls I'm hoping for this year!
I'm the sort of person who like to make a detailed plan for every big purchase way in advance, but it can be tricky to plan around the sometimes unpredictable nature of doll availability. Once I finally have marketplace access that will definitely be my plan B to watch in case I end up having to look for my wish list dolls secondhand, fingers crossed that I'm just being overly anxious though and my "plan" works out lol

 

I try to make it a habbit to consider any purchases over 100 USD carefully to curb impulse buys. So I take at least a few days up to multiple weeks to decide on whether I really want that doll (or whatever else it is that caught my fancy). Exceptions do happen but only very rarely.

But this of course means I miss out sometimes because I've waited too long. Sometimes I notice after a few weeks that I am fine with missing out but other times I really regret it. So I stalk the second hand market.

I do feel stupid though because I've only recently started to look at dealers and the second hand market. If I would have started looking like two weeks earlier I would have found "her".
Ah well one day I will.

 

I understand this feeling. Totally happened to me when I finally was in a position to bite the bullet and purchase a bjd. I'm a very impulsive spender myself and have to squirrel away money until I suddenly have enough to pay for a bjd. While I tend to buy what I can get right now / what is a good deal in my everyday for expensive purchases I try to ensure I will be really happy with the outcome. Like why get the previous gen phone when I could by current etc.

 

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Grit my teeth and save a photo of the blank head.
I'm mad I just missed out on getting a fairyland mika head. I don't want to wait for years for it to return either-
But, at the very least I have a baseline for what I want. Now I can go and compare sculpts to find myself a second best. Sometimes I even get more ideas from the next choice rather than the first! My stories are more 'connect the dots' with details, so not originally considered traits can add to it.
In terms of money I just have a bit of savings I can dig into, it's more letting a few months go buy before a big purchase.

 

That's totally fair. I'm exactly the same way. I actually have a 'fun money' fund that is sort of like this where if I don't use it, I roll it over into the next month.

I saw your update and I'm glad that it all worked out. That's a pretty cool company that they let customers do this!

 

I don't know how to tag moderators but what's up with this random addition to my post?

 

Every doll comes around again whether as a re-release or on the secondary market. If it is meant to be, it will happen at the right time at a price you can afford. It might take weeks or months or years. I waited twelve years for my Volks Luna.

I am afraid the anxiety about missing out never really goes away, but I do wonder, in my past experiences, if I was more anxious about losing out on a doll or simply losing out altogether. It is hard to shake that "need to buy a doll to belong" mentality that can exist in any kind of "collecting" hobby. That is why limited funds could be perceived as a positive. A possible advantage of "missing out" on dolls while saving up the money is that one is forced to slow down and really analyse what it is one truly wants. In other words, dolls are purchased out of love rather than because of a fear of losing out.

At the end of the day, I feel it is always most important to follow your heart.

 

I purchase it with a doll that I am gonna sell in my mind
So then I can buy it and not need to look for it in the future
But also have financial ease of mind