How do you decide which doll to buy next?

I'll see a face I love and make sure I love the body too. I then become a bit fixated on the doll and eventually decide to buy.

 

I’m pretty set on just LUTS and Iplehouse as my favorite brands, so whenever I see a sculpt from them that fits one of my OCs I make a plan to get that doll, especially if they release similar clothing to my OC’s wardrobe!

 

I actually try not to get new dolls. So when I decide to get one, it’s usually because its completely irresistible. Normally, it starts with... “I wish there was a doll like this” and a year or two later, “I can’t believe they actually made it!!”

 

All my damn attention is set on Volks children right now. I've got a list and I need them. Sometimes I'll scroll through instagram or Dolk and... I see somebody I really want. At that point it turns into, now I have to haggle with myself. Those meetings can take a long time to adjourn, and whether I am a happy or unhappy camper at the end of it.

 

I can't decide... Currently I have six dolls on my wishlist, and I love them all, but I need to take into consideration that: Do I have clothes for them? (I only have MSD, Yosd and Tiny clothes, so buying an SD wouldn't be a good idea...) Will I be inspired after I get them or would it just be an impulse buy? There are so many questions, and I don't want to waste money, I really want to pick the doll I could enjoy longterm...

 

I have a running wishlist that I keep in mind. Dolls that are in the "pipe dream" category are immediate buys if I see them within my budget regardless of my other plans. I'm not about to miss out on a golden opportunity for the sake of preconceived notions! After that, my money shifts to dolls that have small or otherwise limited preorder periods, since I do have my eye on a couple of dolls that are only available certain times of the year and cannot be bought willy-nilly. This is flexible, though, based on secondhand availability. After that, it comes down to dolls that will fit most neatly into my existing crew, especially those that can take clothes/wigs/eyes off of my existing stashes instead of needing bespoke ones.

That said, there's always the possibility of a surprise upset in my collection! Mina and Nysus were both impulse buys. My wishlist is also growing thinner, as I have plenty of projects to keep me busy at the moment and I am prioritizing finishing my existing collection over buying more. Right now, my wishlist is mostly in the "nice to have, but not necessary" category, so I don't feel any pressure to buy beyond feeling my fun money burning a hole in my pocket!