How do you feel when you buy a new doll?

Generally paranoid, because forking out money for a doll means that there's going to be an emergency, like car repairs and a busted hot water system. Murphy's Law, and all that. It never fails.

 

First thing I pre-ordered I got overly nervous about and kept thinking "Maybe I should wait" "Maybe I should have gone for this head instead" or "What if something happens in the mail?" and worst yet "Maybe I shouldn't have ordered this until I was more financially stable" this is my first order, so I expected to be nervous about it, but it was also a Christmas present from my friends and family and they knew what they were getting me so I really shouldn't feel like that at all. I wonder how much worse or maybe easier it's going to get @-@

 

Oh totally, not a problem since. I think you just need a little break from buying. I normally get a doll every 6 months to a year so I'm much more relaxed than I'd be if I were expecting three. Plus this hobby can be expensive, maybe it's making a drain on you in that way too, I can understand wanting the 'cheap thrill' but at the same time it's never very cheap with these little guys! you could always get them some outfits or something instead. Make more use of the old ones.

 

Several people mentioned buyers remorse. I spend a lot of time planning basically in order to avoid buyers remorse. Even after I make a list of clothes and everything I would get for the doll, if I sleep on it sometimes I might change my mind. So I force myself to have a 'waiting period' before I order. I also like to check out everything about the doll first, like how the joints are constructed and owner photos if available.

 

I haven't had the buyers remorse yet and hope not to in the future. I have six dolls and just ordered my seventh last week. I have a YOSD from the same company so I know the doll will be awesome. I remember sitting at my computer desk talking on skype with one of my best friends and I remember I had to tell him that I wanted to do some stuff around my room and walk around for a few minutes before I clicked that buy/submit button. I was overly excited and in a kinda shocked state that I was FINALLY going to be able to buy my grail doll. I know some people wait for months and even years just to buy theirs while I found my grail doll about two months before he was even in production and even then all I had to go by was that the company I really liked was coming out with a new MSD and some pictures that were posted of him. I loved him instantly. I went back to the pictures of him a lot during those months (There were no owners pics...that's how newish he is) and I haven't regretted it yet. I get into a certain mode when a doll comes usually, I hardly sleep the night before I know they'll come and I start having bad thoughts about how they could be damaged or the wrong doll was sent or something. I usually finally sigh a breath of relief when I have them in my hands and there is nothing wrong with them. For some reason though my latest doll didn't really do that to me and I don't know why, I love her all the same but maybe I've gotten use to it after a while that it was not as bad? I don't know, but I DO know that my grail doll wont let me get any sleep when he ships for sure!

 

i feel the exact same way! You took the words right out of my mouth.

 

I'm always excited but there's always the panic about finances, hoping that I don't have something come up that messes with a layaway. I also tend to get a little antsy waiting which means I want to buy stuff, which I try to avoid doing. :P

 

I can sympathize with everyone who experiences buyer's remorse or worries about unexpected financially-draining disasters arising. My feelings when I buy a new doll tend to follow a predictable pattern:

Choosing - I see a picture of doll that I like, or I see the doll in person. Do I like it a lot? Enough to buy it? If no; well, that's nice. If yes; well, let's think about this. The thinking portion can take anywhere from several days to several months. It's basically an internal battle of will and rationalization--what I need versus what I think I want. I worry about spending the money and bringing home another doll. I try to balance that against how much I believe I will appreciate said doll.

Ordering - Finally, I make the order. I am nervous, but excited, but also concerned about regretting the purchase.

Waiting - I try my best to just forget during the waiting period. If possible, I distract myself with planning for any purchases that I might like to make prior to the doll's arrival, such as wigs, eyes, or clothing.

Opening - This is the "moment of truth." If I really do like the doll, I'll know right away. If I don't, I'll also know right away. That's when I'll find out if my fears of disappointment are realized at all, so I get very nervous and sometimes I almost don't want to actually look...but I also really, really, really want to actually look.

I never make doll purchases that I can't afford, but I do always worry about money spent. There are always other things in my life that would be "more responsible" to buy or finance instead of dolls. This isn't limited only to new doll purchases, but it does feature pretty heavily during any new purchases.

 

Other than excitement and anticipation... I mostly just feel guilty, lol. Even if I have the money, I definitely feel guilty on spending it on dolls. It doesn't stop me though, most of the time, so I guess it's not too strong of a guilt!

 

Elphsnt - so true, with limiteds you can't think about it at your leisure! There's something about the word 'limited' that is basically pressuring you to buy it because this may be your last chance! But I find if I wait and think about it even for a few minutes, objections may come to mind (such as, the doll is really pretty, but he doesn't fit with the rest of my collection or my goals.)

As Kazuki933 said, a "grail doll" is like another category. If you find your grail doll and you know in your heart, you absolutely can't wait. It's like finding true love, isn't it? Curious - Kazuki, will you tell us which doll it is?

 

I am still not sure how I feel about buying my first doll...maybe when he has a definite character, I'll feel better. I won't get rid of him, though. I was so happy to get him. xD He came at the same time as a Reshiram Sukui figure, so he might become something from Pokemon. I am also kind of torn with my second one...I have a character for him (finally), but without seeing him with his actual outfit and final eyes, wig, etc., I find it hard to be excited. I think I'll be happier when I finally order a sculpt for my dream doll. Maybe I'm just weird, I don't seem to feel the same way about my dolls as the other girls in my area.

 

Wow, this is one of those threads I just enjoyed reading every single post. I can relate so well to everyone's experiences!

Here's the breakout of my dolly purchasing feels:

Choosing feels:
Mine pretty much follows a typical pattern of either having a character I need to shell or seeing a doll that makes me squee so hard I instantly think of a character that I need to shell. I have a collection of original characters from series of short stories that Ive written, and then video game heroines that I much admire. When I saw Souldoll's Karin for example, I instantly knew that she had to be my Lara Croft. Then it turned out she actually had to be my Aveline de Grandpre from Assassin's Creed and Iplehouse's Stella became the doll I needed to get for my Lara Croft.

Guilt feels:
Aside from my choosing process, I do tend to agonize a bit over cost. Not because I can't afford it, but because I suffer from "first world guilt." I think of the people that live in squalor and destitution every day of their lives and the money I spend on a single doll could feed a child for a month. Or could help fund cancer research. It's a guilt that has constantly followed me around ever since I learned what it meant when my mother got angry for me for not eating my whole dinner because "there are starving children in Africa!" Then sometimes my husband (who makes less than I do) can't afford something trivial, like a new book or set of mechs for his tabletop gaming, and I instantly put doll plans on hold to buy it for him. I shouldn't enjoy an $800 piece of resin while he agonizes over spending $75 on himself =/ That's not a fair partnership.

Maximizing value feels:
I also suffer from anxiety of not "fully enjoying" my dolls. Let's face it, not everyone is a talented seamstress or a can be a good faceup artist or can sculpt amazing things or take amazing pictures. I'm "creatively challenged" so to speak, but I still want top-of-the-line looking outcomes for my dolls. When I make something myself and I'm not 100% happy with it, I hate myself for having such enfeebled creative limitations and my dolls feel like a waste of money. I don't have that "it's ugly but it's my own work" sort of pride whatsoever. So I basically commission most of my dolls' everythings from professionals who do outstanding work But because of that I find myself waiting months (one time, over a year) for commission slots to open, and wind up spending so much money on these custom pieces, while my expensive doll languishes in blind, bald, faceless nudity. It makes me extra diligent in commission everything possible before my doll arrives so during my wait times I'm neurotically hunting seamstresses, eyes, wigs, faceup artists, just the right pair of shoes, and as many accessories as possible. Sometimes I think, if only my doll would take a little longer to get to me I could get everything ready before she arrives! Iplehouse has certainly thrown me through a loop with their short waiting times. I wasn't prepared for this at all! I still haven't picked the eyes for the two dolls that will be arriving in only a few short weeks!

At the end of the day though, it's all worth it. I love my finished dolls, I love their painstakingly searched for accessories, I love the unique details that the seamstresses have included in their costumes. The purchase guilt and the need to maximize my enjoyment in the dolls costs me time and money and a lot of stress, but somehow the combination is also thrilling and the hunt for the perfect scale accessories is something I really enjoy! The finished product is a triumph. And sometimes I'm even inspired to attempt to use my own sewing machine or gluing skills on some small projects. It's still a creative process and given that my day job doesn't always allow for that kind of creative freedom it's something that I've found I really need in my life.

 

I feel super happy, but kind of scared about how it will look, will I like it, and will it's clothes/wig fit. All of those feelings are there but mostly I am bursting with happiness.

 

This is a fascinating question! It really got me thinking about making a doll "complete" from concept to reality.

I'm very methodical, slow and picky. I've learnt that I can't make a character and then go looking for a sculpt to fit it -- it's a mix of finding a sculpt that I like and then shaping a character around it based on existing ideas. I'm very averse to buyer's remorse, dashed hopes and disappointment, so I want to be absolutely sure that I want it, even if I fall quickly for it. So dolls tend to stay for ages on my wishlist: the longer it persists, the more sure I am that I want it. (For every 10 sculpts I like looking at, only 1 ends up coming home.) Since decision making is so slow and I hate buyer's remorse, I'd rather miss a LE order and buy the doll secondhand for a higher price, than jump hastily and regret later.

My decision making may be glacial, but once I've decided "Yes, I AM buying" the process is very fast and I have no regrets when I put my money down. (I may regret buying the doll after I've received it - but that's a different matter!) While waiting for the doll to arrive, I try not to think about it and focus on other things. And receiving a doll is exciting! No matter if it's LE or an standard -- it's still new to me! I'm not one to begrudge the novelty factor. :P

Once my dolls come home... honestly, I've never "finished" a doll to my full satisfaction, as I'd envisioned it to look. So far I've managed to get most of my dolls correct face-ups, hair and eyes, but clothing is a problem as my vision for it is quite specific. Even my oldest doll has everything except her proper clothes. So even now, all my dolls are languishing in not-right-clothing-for-their-character limbo.

But I'm coming to terms that my dolls will never look EXACTLY like I imagine them to look in my mind. (And yes, I ought to learn how to sew - that's the quickest way to fix my problem! ) So even with new dolls, I'm "somewhat satisfied", which is the closest I'll get to 100% satisfied, at least for now!

Anyway TL;DR - I'm always glad when my new dolls arrive. After a bit of "acquisition frustration" the first year of the hobby, I've figured out the best way for me to buy my dolls, which is slow and steady. So far I've been overjoyed with all that have come home, and I honestly would not let them go for the world.

 

One of my problems with purchasing dolls stems from the issue that even if I like someone else's doll when I see and hold it in-person, I might not actually like the exact same doll when it is mine. I sometimes appreciate and adore other people's visions or creative expression so much that when the same item becomes mine, but without that same vision/expression, it no longer interests me. For example, a friend of mine has a Lati Miel that I adore. He's one of my favourite dolls ever. I also know that I would not feel the same way if I bought my own Lati Miel, even if I had the same faceup and same hair and same eyes and everything. It's the image, effort, and hard work that she has put into the doll that has made it so attractive to me. So buying dolls is very hit-or-miss for me!

 

The biggest feeling tied to a new doll for me is probably trepidation. I don't know anyone who collects dolls, so all I have to go off of is pictures. Often I have a hard time finding blank pictures or pictures of certain positions/joints I have questions on. It's a lot of money for us, which adds a healthy dose of guilt, and I'm always afraid that when the doll arrives it won't be what I was expecting/hoping for and I'll feel like I wasted the money.