How do you feel when you buy a new doll?

I think the prices can seem scary at first since these are indeed luxury items. But, trust me, it gets easier... sometimes, too much easier! Congratulations on your first doll!!

This hobby is something I have never grown out of even after more than a decade. Doll collecting is something that grows with people, I think, so it is a good investment provided one does not do a lot of buying and selling since that is when money tends to be lost, in my experience. I hope you can enjoy it as much as I have, do and certainly will in the future.

That is me when I get those first photos from the face-up artist! Well, except for the money part. I used to agonise over it, but not so much anymore after I realised what a great hobby it is for me. I may never be a wealthy individual, but I will always choose to enjoy dolls and celebrate my child at heart! There is nothing more fun for me than playing with dolls.

Wow! You certainly had a case of the jitters!! But, I am so glad you could find it within yourself not to cancel the third doll, because this truly is a wonderful hobby. Like most things, it will give back what you put in, I feel. Congratulations!!

I enjoy the "after the honeymoon" phase more, but I think it is totally a personal kind of thing as well. I love that you get a rush of butterflies, because I feel the same way when I am opening up the box for the very first time and there is my new girl or boy! I find that with my dolls, though, I tend to enjoy them more and more with time, and I really love that.

I know the feeling! I have two heads off at the face-up artist now, and I am picking up a third one later this month at the shop, and I am overwhelmed. I really have no business getting so many dolls at once, but honestly? There are some dolls that are meant to be purchased because passing on them would be a big mistake. I am getting better at the patience thing, I hope, but I agree that it is super exciting and so easy to feel impatient!

Ohhh, the shipping part! I really dislike it because I also worry about my doll or my doll heads. I agree, though, about the checking the tracking part. When I adopted Amberly (the girl in my sig), I sent her off to Poppy in Korea for a face-up. Poppy returned her and the head was in customs - the day before a big event at Tenshi no Sato! So, I called customs and asked them to release my head so I could take my new doll to the doll event. The DID!!! I was so elated!!! And, at the event, I was so happy to have my doll I did not feel the slightest urge to get another... even though it was at that event I passed on a Tenshi Kira. Oops. I am sure there is a good reason that happened, though, and it will be revealed in the future.

 

I can relate to everything you said! It is a lot of money and there is an excitement, but the best part? When the doll has arrived and is in one's hands!!

I am so excited for you! Congratulations on the order and on getting her the necessary item. It can be a difficult wait, but it is such a wonderful feeling when you are holding that doll in your hands!!

I love to hear such positive stories like this! I only buy new, but I agree that secondhand items are incredibly fabulous. I buy a lot of doll clothes secondhand when I can find a bargain on Y!JA and it is soooo much fun. Like you, I am still ridiculously excited about new dolls AND clothes, hehe.

As long as the final feeling, when that doll is in your hands, is positive, I would call that a positive experience! Dolls can be difficult to buy because we are told they are unnecessary things, but everyone needs a hobby, I feel. And, there is no better hobby in the world!

I know that feeling! I did the same thing when I bought my first Volks MSD. Then, I did it again when I had my first YoSD. And, then again... and again... It seems so silly because dolls, when one takes a step back and looks at the larger picture, are so trivial. But, my trivial dolls bring me a whole lot of happiness. Strange, but true.

Oh, yes! The "money-poor, dolly-rich" conundrum, hehe! There is no denying that this hobby requires money, but I think creativity and vision are so much more important than a limitless budget. Limits can really help people define a "like" versus a "love" and sacrifice can bring a whole lot more discipline and, as a result, satisfaction. Or, that has proven true in my experience. The people I see with no real budget who spend thousands and thousands on dolls tend to get caught up in the purchasing and rarely truly enjoy their dolls. Those who do save and do sacrifice tend to appreciate them more. Having financial limitations can be a gift.

 

Congratulations! I am so excited for you!! There is always the possibility for "issues", however, I sincerely hope you have none. I am always on pins and needles when waiting for my heads to arrive to the face-up artist and then return home, and it is something that has never gone away for me, but for many it does improve over time and they do not worry as much.

Congratulations! What a great gift from your fiancé (and, by the way, congratulations on your engagement as well!). I tend to feel the same way. It is hard to believe something is real until it is in my hands. It can be nerve-wracking, but there tends to be a happy ending. So very exciting! Even after five years my first doll is very special to me, and I hope your first doll is special to you even years from now.

 

I agree that Lusion Dahlia is pricey, but I am sure she was worth it! There are some dolls that play with our heartstrings and demand to be brought home. I tend to find the "I love it!" phase very intoxicating and then I start the "analytical" phase where I critique and the like. Then the intoxication is worn off when I decide to buy but is renewed again once I start the face-up process (planning, sending, waiting... and waiting oh so very impatiently!).

I agree that sometimes these dolls can wreak havoc with our pocketbooks. I remember standing in line to buy my Hasekura at a Volks After Event here in Japan. My heart was beating SO hard. I thought it would jump out of my chest! LOL!

I understand and feel the exact same way when waiting for my dolls to come home from the face-up artist! I try to be an adult and be rational and all that, but all I can think from the moment the doll is sent is when will it return. I must admit, though, this hobby has taught me patience to a certain degree.