How do you decide which doll to buy next?

I tend to make lists and then have a date set in the future for when I’ll have the money all ready to go for a doll. During that wait time the cull begins. Once the day has rolled around I’ll have one or two dolls to pick from.

I also plan for seasonal events. Based on past events you usually have an idea of when the next one will roll around. I wait to see if I like that limited doll and if not then I’m back on my usually “wait for x date” schedule.

 

I’m so new to the hobby that I tend to pick based on what appeals to me when I see photos. After owning two pukifees, I’m ready to branch out with a larger doll and I obsessively researched what I wanted before settling on a minifee. I now have a huge Wishlist so when it’s time to get another doll, I’ll pick from that (unless another limited fantasy doll is released)

 

impulse buys

 

^This basically. I also prefer old school sculpts and have a tendency to fall for the impossible ones at that. Which is a good thing, because it gives me time to save up. (although in the case of my Kanon Louis, despite of me searching for him for years, he still snuck up on me when I didn't have the funds )

What I like about this method of searching, searching, searching and hopefully finding, is that it gives me time to make sure if I really want that sculpt. Do I really want to go through all the hassle for this one doll? If the answer is "no", then I know it's not the doll for me. Simple as that .

 

I know that this is an older posting but I think the question is interesting and I want to respond.

For me it is the old cliche, "love at first sight." I fall in love with a doll quickly. If I see a doll and I find myself thinking about her and planning a wardrobe for her, then I know I want to have her so the decision is made. This is why looking at dolls online is very dangerous for me (laugh).

 

I plan to wait for the re-opening of Napi Carol, and it will be my next purchase.

 

I only buy dolls I am in love with. I waiting almost a year to buy my avatar doll, and last december I found my dream girl. Between the two, Ringdoll realeses than discountinued Law, my favourite sculpt from them. I plan to buy him, but I thinking about it too long. This week I just saw that there are some Law heads still avaible, so that was a must have for me. So I can say, that suddenly I have one doll, and waiting for two, to pay out and come home... (my girl's layaway is ends this month, so only my new layaway stays) As you see I not really plan directly. If I see the right doll and I can start a layaway, I go for it. I only buy when I am sure that I want it.

 

I have to fight so that I don't spend all my money and go into debt buying dolls. So basically--I see all kinds of dolls I like, but I have to totally be able to not stop from buying one. I have to try and make sure I really want this doll more than all the others.

I don't have any criteria for buying other than wanting it a LOT and having the money for it and not having something I want more (or need more).

 

I used to impulse-buy the heads. I'd see one and think 'they'd make a great [insert OC]', rushing to buy it or put it on layaway (for the more expensive heads). Didn't matter if I could afford the body anytime soon. So I've ended up with a glut of floating heads and no passion for shelling those characters...

Now I'm a bit more considerate with my purchases. I spend a few days to a week deliberating; can I afford them, do I have a character for them, how easy are they to buy for, etc.? I sometimes even start to plan out their style. I look for a wig, eyes, a 'starter' outfit. I study the blank sculpt images, getting an idea of how I want them to look. Trying to work out if the face-shape would work. Then I work out if I can afford the layaway. I'm crummy at saving, so I opt for layaway where possible.

Sometimes, I still get the "love at first sight" bug and want a certain sculpt because it looks so beautiful in the company photos. But I fell for that once and wasn't impressed with the end result. He didn't match the beauty of the promotional images. So I often try to find blank photos or owner images, but oftentimes my 'fascination' with a sculpt will wane. I get focused on another or a different hobby, and I come to forget about them. I say 'forget'. They're in the back of my mind, lingering for a time such as when I want to look at them again.

But my main criteria is shelling important OCs. If it was just 'OCs', I'd have a room full of dolls. That's ok for some people, but not me. I don't have space!

 

My most recent purchases weren't planned, but the girls I ordered fit a style that I've been into for about 2 years. It was really me just waiting until the right girls were released. I fell in love with both instantly and couldn't wait to order them.

When I first started collecting I had a huge wishlist and brought home dolls in order. Now, it really comes down to who I want most.

 

I tend to get it in my head that “I want another doll” and then spend days going through every possible option, picking sculpts, body types, and deciding. I then get overwhelmed and get angry and quit looking and sometimes something happens... I start thinking about one doll, and I kind of become obsessive, looking online for pictures, pouring over the different poses... and when that happens, I know that’s the doll I want. It is neither logical, or smart, but it’s process.
Unless... unless it’s a limited doll. Like my iplehouse Tatiana Periot and Joshua. Those two are special. My name is Tatiana my husbands is Joshua.

 

#1: Size and Gender are the first two things that immediately come to mind. Depending the size of the doll the gender is important. My 1/4 and 1/6 remain about equal in gender where the SD are all boys except for a single girl doll. If it's SD it's a boy, it's going to have to be a special girl doll to get me to buy it.

#2: I get a feel for what I want. Do I want stern and serious? Do I want playful and cute? Do I want an edgy doll? Is it a shy doll or is it outgoing? When I decide on the personality I am looking for I go looking for a face sculpture that matches that personality. I want to feel that personality when I see the potential of the sculpture. I also like seeing the face blank, and I like looking at other owner pictures to give me an idea about the doll.

#3: Body is important to me, especially with the larger dolls. How well can this doll pose, where is his jointing at, does the jointing look awkward or smooth when you pose it? Where is the chest line? I don't want the doll to look disjointed when I pose it.

#4: Price, yep, I said that. I have my limits depending on doll size. I don't like to go over $300 for 1/4 dolls, and would prefer it lower. For the SD dolls, I don't want to go over $600, and would also prefer that lower. I like to to look at dolls and sometime plan them, but I like to mostly shop when there is a sale. There are few dolls I would make price exception for, but they are retired dolls that are not made anymore. If I get a used doll, it must have a certificate, and not a 'copy' of the certificate. I don't make exceptions to this. I am spending a lot of money on this doll I want proof of it's worth.

#5: Availability. Is the doll in stock? Bonus! If not, how badly do I want this doll? How long am I willing to wait for this doll? A couple months? Five to six months? A year or more? If I am not willing to wait the wait because I don't want the doll bad enough for the wait, I will look for a different doll. If I am going for the long haul, that doll is going to be spoiled by the time it gets here for all the planning and stuff I bought it while waiting.

 

For me, it’s simply a form of recognition. I love coming up with OCs...I find the creative process of it all very alluring. And when I do, I’ll just let that character live in the back of my mind, where they seem to gel and develop naturally all on their own. I also love looking at dolls for relaxation, either in bjd news, at company websites, or our DoA second-hand marketplace. Inevitably, what will happen is that somewhere in my general perusing, I will eventually “recognize” one of my backlogged characters, and only then will I make a purchase. So basically, I don’t keep a running doll wishlist...I keep a running character wishlist instead, and that’s what works for me.

 

I don't buy dolls, I shell characters, so the character has to work with me and make sense in a story before I decide which doll tu buy for it. As for now, all the characters I could shell are limited sculpts or that aren't for sale anymore so I depend on the second-hand market, so the sculpt that appears first would be the one I end up buying.

 

If I really like a certain sculpt or doll, I will try to come up with a character that best suits that doll.
Though most of the time I will already have a character that I want to shell, I will then look for a doll that both appeals to me and reflects the character best.

 

If there had been no accident, I would have bought illusion garden's dolls. they are my favorite dolls now！

 

I'm currently in the same situation: I finally want to buy a BJD. This is how I decide which doll I want to buy (next).

At first I'm looking through many, many, many doll companies. (For beginners I can recommend the 'Dollmakers' page in the reference section on this page. After that you know what companies you like and you should keep an eye at in the future.) With the help of the companies list I'm starting to create my BJD wish list.
For that I'm taking notes and save the company promotion pictures of the dolls I like the most.
I use DoA, Google, Instagram to search for real doll owner pictures, too. Sometimes this will change my mind about a doll and I don't want it anymore – or I want it even more.

Then I put my BJD wish list aside for about a week (or longer). If I can't forget about a favourite doll, it will go on the top of my wish list. Furthermore I will save money to make my wish come true.

At this high prizes, I can't be an impulsive buyer. I must be really sure if I want a doll or if it's just my temporary buyer mood.

 

I do a lot of looking at dolls, so it comes down to sculpts that catch my eye. From that moment, I decide if they’ll fit a character I have in mind or if they’re just for fun for me. I normally only buy tinies in the just for fun category, but I’ve made an exception once or twice. If there’s a character in mind for the sculpt, I am far more likely to order it or put it on my wishlist for the next time I can order.

 

A doll's looks grab me by the throat, and silently scream, 'buy me !.' First I try to resist. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

 

I will buy limited time only first, and the ones I really like. I also have a list of dolls I like that I will buy when I have money, but I usually buy the ones that catches my eyes right on the spot and make me go I gotta buy it.