How do you decide which dolls you REALLY want and which you're just infatuate...

The first couple dolls I bought was because I was infatuated with the company photos. I ended up not bonding with them since I just got them because "ooo pretty". Now I don't buy anything unless I have a clear vision in my head of what I would do with a sculpt and there's been no more buyer's remorse.

 

I'm always make sure that I look at their picture without any clothes on first (beautiful clothes tends to make my judgment more biased XD)! That way make it easier for me to see if I'm really into their sculpt or not.

 

I tend to go looking through the different BJD sites and if I find a doll that I like, I will bookmark it. I'll then wait a little and look at the doll again to see if I still love it or if I've changed my mind. My first doll, however, is a completely different story. I fell in love with him at first sight and just knew he had to come home.

 

It depends on the doll for me my Angel Fantasy Alice just stuck in my mind until I bought her, my DollLove Cecila head I have on the way just stood out to me she was also a very good price I didn't put two and two together at first but a few days after I ordered her I realised she was a perfect fit for one of my OC's. Then there are others I have pined for but not had characters to put with them until now, when I got my Alice I was also smitten with Emily and Linda but Emily's face was too soft and Linda's was too harsh but now I have two characters in mind (twins) who would suit those sculpts. And there is LoongSoul Emily my dream doll but will probably never fit with the other dolls I have planned because she is an SD.

 

Like some others on here, it's often a matter of time. Since you use the term "infatuation" here, I'll put it in dating terms-- do you decide that you want to marry someone by one date, or does it take more time? I bookmark dolls I like, then periodically go through the list of bookmarks and remove dolls for whom the love has faded. In this sense, I "play the field" looking for a special connection. ;D
There have been a couple dolls which I felt the connection with immediately, and I bought them as soon as I could. I don't regret any of those purchases. There have been a couple dolls I did not love immediately, but the more I interact with them the stronger the bond grows. I find that I can bond pretty easily with any doll I own--I form attachments quickly in other parts of my life, so that doesn't surprise me at all. It's narrowing them down that's the most difficult part.
As for whether I'm content just wanting a doll, absolutely not! Once I know that this is a doll for me, I will sacrifice almost anything to save up for it.

 

For me, my dolls always connect to characters I have so I'm on the lookout for dolls that match with the images I have in my head. The hard part becomes deciding which character is most important to buy next. However, I do regret a few of the first few dolls I bought in that I think the purchase was a bit premature since the characters have developed since then and now I would buy a different sculpt if I could to it again. But I still love them ahaha.

 

It's all in the heart and the feeling the doll gives you.
But i'd also check what's the most limited one.

 

I've learned that I can (and often do) fall in love with pretty much any doll. 2013 was a bit acquisition year for me, I bought pretty much any doll that took my fancy.
Since then I've realised that I do better with fewer numbers of dolls. But the problem is I can't decide who to rehome as I love them all XD
So I'm playing the waiting game to see who gets neglected and who gets attention and maybe that will tell me who I really love the most?
But now I'm also realizing that I'm maybe more in love with the vinyl DDs than resin BJDs, at least enough to want more than one DD. But how to keep the numbers low? XD

 

At this point in the game, I've been around the hobby long enough to know a lot of sculpts will come and go. The key for me has been the one that sticks in my head for long periods of time. There are a handful of dolls I really wanted when I first came in that are still available in some form and are now the ones I seek. I also try not to do impulse "aww pretty *buys then double thinks*". The only true impulse was my YoSD Nono and because she's the sculpt of the only SD10 I really want she has stuck around. I figure if I'm spending x amount on a doll I better be sure I like it. That is why I do my best to avoid the monthly dolls for now.

 

When they stick on your head after long periods of time and I like to look their body and head without face-up and blushing. Looking them all pretty and on setting makes most doll irresistible and very interesting on their store photos. I like to see them without all of it and see if I still like them, the format of their eyes, nose and mouth. How does their head looks. Make a list with the ones I like and wait for a bit, see if after some time they will still appeal to me.

 

With every doll I like I make sure I take the time and make sure i really love the doll, a lot of dolls I found out weren't really my true love or true doll. Owner photos of the doll really help too, because they're not gonna look like the stock photos all the time if ever (also the whole customization part, am I happy with their overall sculpt) , I just got into the story side of the hobby, but it also factors in. If i'm looking for a certain character I've already made it's a lot easier to narrow it down if they're the right doll for me. another side of story dolls is if you find a doll you love and make something around them, makes it easier to love them more then just appearance.

 

Time. I never buy a doll the first time I see them, and I never buy a doll if my heart doesn't tell me it's love. And even if it is a case of "Yes, this is true love" I always sit on the decision for a week or more. Most of the time I reason myself out of buying them, and if I can do that, then it's just an infatuation. But if I continue to think about them (and with my Kai it was a case of going to sleep thinking about him, I'm not even joking) then it's meant to be.

Thankfully I have't fallen for any Limited Editions so I haven't had to break my time rule yet!

 

I actually struggle still to tell the difference. It's only after they're no long available (since I have a love for fantasy types and are generally limited editions) I figure if I was just infatuated or not. Either way it's through regret I feel when I make the wrong choice.

 

There are dolls that I feel immediate connections to and dolls I would like to have that I may or may not bond with. I always know when there's a connection. Sometimes I get one I want and they don't want to open up. I've had one that I really did not like originally and once she opened up she became one of my favorite characters. There's another one though that wants nothing to do with me and I've tried for about a year with no luck

 

I browse a lot to see what's out there, looking both at the company pics and owner pics when I can. But to really decide if I want this doll, I will close the page and think about it for one night. If I still want it the second day, I'll close the page again. Rinse and repeat for a few days, during which I also take a look at my finances and think about whether I truly want the DOLL or just want the price tag.

Sometimes waiting means I miss out (that happened last summer) but the doll I missed came up again at Christmas so when I still wanted her as badly in December as I did in August, I knew she was for me.

 

I make it a point to keep looking at company photos, owner pictures, and even pictures of the head with no faceup. During this time, which will usually take at least 3~4 days, I'll try to nitpick on as many features as possible. I can be extremely picky, so if I find some features I don't like, I'll know that the particular model is not for me. If not, I'll pend on the decision to purchase for another day or two and proceed with the order if I find myself still wanting that doll.

Of course, the actual connection to the dolls is another matter all together and can only be determined after they're home. The boys I have at home have all arrived with a different personality than what I've initially envisioned for them, but thankfully, we got along fine. Once I'm past this final phase, I'll know for sure that the doll is a keeper. There have been a few rare cases where I've had to send a new doll to new homes because we didn't really connect after arrival.

 

Good question! Most of the time, I'll see it and just "know"! But, if I'm on the fence, I'll go and come back, give it a few weeks. If the urge to buy isn't as strong as originally, I don't buy it. BJDs are sooooo expensive, it just has to be the right doll. There is only one doll I'm on the fence about selling someday in the future--my Doll Zone Gill tan skin fullset; my current avatar. But otherwise, I know I want to keep the rest of my collection .

 

I only have one currently, but I wrestled with the choice of getting her for a long time. I actually had a notebook where I wrote pros and cons down for a whole bunch of companies and sculpts! I get infatuated quite often with a lot of things, so I never make quick purchases unless I have already allowed myself the budget to already get something like that. I tend to like to give things time while I do research, let 'em sit in shopping carts for a long time, and I usually end up just talking myself out of stuff.

 

I have the same problem, I see so many I want then realize that i'm not totally in love with them and just like them