How do you know it will not work with a doll?

When this happens to me, I wait a little while to see if I change my mind about the doll. Sometimes if a doll doesn't fit in and if I wait a bit, I will suddenly have an inspiration of what to do with them. If I don't, I send them on to someone else. They're too expensive to just sit in the box forever.

 

I agree with Linakauno. It is best to wait a while to see if she grows on you. If after some time she still doesn't feel right, and if you don't want to get rid of her completely, you might assess whether it is the head or the body that you don't like. If so, is there another head you do like that might fit on the body? Or is there a different body you like that might fit the head? Then you only need to sell the part that didn't work for you -- either the body or the head.

 

I'm going to go against the grain and say that once you have the thought that the doll doesn't work, the doll doesn't work. There is something you inherently don't like about the doll and that is not going to change. I've tried the whole get it a new faceup and new wig and eyes tactic to try and make me like dolls more. I found that was nothing but a huge waste of money and time and really should have just sold the doll to begin with once I had issue with it.

These dolls are too expensive to keep them just because you think you should. They don't have feelings, and if the doll doesn't work, it's not a bad thing to sell the doll and look for one that does. Their feelings will not be hurt and you are not neglecting them.

 

If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. After all, we buy our dolls mainly from the internet, based on pictures, so it's not strange that sometimes you buy a doll which just doesn't work when you have it at home. There's nothing wrong with that! Ask yourself if you really, really want to keep her. If not, just sell her. You would make someone else very happy and yourself as well, because then you can get a doll that will suit you. Just try to be honest to yourself and ask, do you really want to keep her? And if the answer is no, don't feel guilty about selling.

Good luck with the decision

 

This is really well said. I completely agree that once it's in your head, its like a poison with that doll. I have also tried different wig/eyes/faceup combos and with every unsuccessful attempt, it just made me resent the doll more. In the end I just said "I hate you! You look like a witch!"

I knew then, it was over.

 

I generally keep a doll for a while to see if my feelings change. Most of the time they don't....but at least I feel better knowing I tried. I got a Brownie a month ago...and no matter how hard I've tried she just isn't doing anything for me...so...she will be finding a new home soon I think.

 

It can still grow on you, but I have to agree that I have often had the feeling that I couldn't think anything different after I had once had the thought that it didn't fit.
Sometimes they just don't. I personally always listen to my gut. It's a certain feeling I've come to know very well, and I notice I always pull a certain face towards this doll xD
I would wait it out a bit more, wait for inspiration to strike and give the doll another makeover. Makeovers can do wonders, but sometimes it really just doesn't click.

 

Sometimes a face up can work wonders. I almost sold my Cass til a friend said, "Hang on, let me play with her face." When I got her back, I just squealed, and can't bear to part with her.

I think it depends on if you were going for a specific character or look, or if you were just collecting the doll in general. More than once I've purchased a doll as a specific character and wound up with someone else that I love just as much if not more, but never would have considered them as that doll had I not had the doll in hand to see for myself.

Along with different face ups, wig and eye combinations seem to help me out a lot. My Galena's face up didn't work AT ALL, with the red eyes that I had in her, I almost sold her too. But then I tried out a different pair of eyes and it changed her expression and everything about her and made her look amazing.

Lastly, one huge thing I noticed is "skin tone" sometimes screws with our plans for dolls, and their planned looks. My character, when drawn and when described to other people, he's a character that would wear a red T-shirt and look nice. However, his dolly self looks beyond YUCK in red. I had to find him doll clothes that were in the scheme of colors that worked nicely with his resin, that were in the style of the character.

The above usually applies to me when it's a "look" issue, but not when it's a sculpt issue (i.e. you don't like her nose, or she smiles too much, etc.) If it's a sculpt issue, might as well sell it unless you know a good mod artist that can make it work for you. Believe it or not, this too has happened for me, but a mod job fixed the bulbous and uneven nose issue pretty easily

 

I've sold a couple of dolls and to be honest the thing that made it hardest was I really liked them to begin with, then over time I realised something just wasn't right with them. I didn't want to part with them but I knew they'd get next to no attention if they even got that much and when I stopped caring about them is when it became time to sell them.

That being said it meant I had the luxury of having them for a while before I made my decision but some people seem to come around to the idea that it's not going to work faster than others. It depends on how set in your mind the idea is that it won't work, if it was your instant instinct, then it's probably best to let them go. You can't say you didn't try.

 

I am an expert on not bonding esp in beginning as was mostly feeling like I was just test driving the dolls. Other then a few who I was able to sell quickly and get all or most of my money back. Many & I do mean many I sold at a severe loss of $100 or even more if I had to add extras to sweeten deal. So I try to stick at least with companies and I am also fining best not to experiment any more.

 

I have to agree with Kim. Once I have decided a doll is not for me I find there is little point in keeping it in the hope that I may change my mind. For me, it makes more sense to rehome it asap and look for something else.

 

I had a Bobobie merman doll i just never bonded with, couldn't even take him out of the box. I illustrated looks for him over and over again, and nothing. no inspiration to dress or paint him ever. some dolls just don't talk to you. It was the same with my MSD i thought they were soo cute in the beginning, and once i got one,i painted her up and gave her the cutest outfit but we never hit it off. she sat and sat on a self till finally one day i just took her and the merman to my local doll shop lady and had them both up for resale. i hope they both found owners that cared for them more than i could.

 

same thing happen to me but i still love her but she is not a dollfie but a pullip doll, so why did you buy your doll in the first place?

 

I just kinda did, you know? Nothing really in specific but I played with her and she feels good but I felt zero motivation to do sew for her or anything. So now I'm trying to sell her. :\

 

I've sold more dolls than I care to admit because I didn't bond. Usually, it was the result of either impulsively buying a doll I didn't really love or that the doll looked nothing like I expected or that the doll is not right for the character. (Axl, Blake, Hansel, Venice, Mikko and Loki are all on their second resin shells)

I try to give dolls 3 chances before selling. If one character doesn't work, try again. New wig, eyes, faceup, style...everything. By the 3rd try, I give up and sell. I'm starting to learn now that forcing doesn't work for me either. Of all the 15 dolls I currently own, all were bought to be who they are, not second attempt at a sculpt. Some of the bodies are the same as previous characters, but faces were all purchased intending to be who they are. Once a doll loses it's identity from too many chances, I have to let it go.

 

I tend to hang onto dolls for quite a while before I make the decision to sell one.

When I decide to sell, it's because I really don't do anything with them. I'm not motivated to take pictures or sew for them. Since those are the 2 main ways I get enjoyment out of the hobby, I really take those points into consideration.

The other reason I will sell a doll is due to posing difficulties, especially posing the hands. The body and head can be sculpted beautifully, but if I can't change the position of the hands (at the wrist joint), it frustrates me to no end and I end up selling the doll.

 

Usually I'll know right away if something isn't going to work, but the one time it was different was with my Soom Chalco. I had an idea in mind for him, and I kept trying to make him fit it, and he never looked quite 'right' so I kept getting frustrated. I was just about to the point of putting him up for sale when I tried a wig on him that had newly arrived for another doll... and lo, that was all it took. He's happy, I'm happy, and I get to keep my gorgeous boy.

It's funny how something so simple can make all the difference sometimes.

 

When I bought my Elfdoll Lydia and first opened her box I had a very strange feeling, like "mh!? so this is it?" I don't know why but even if she is a beautiful mold to me I just can't bond with her, at all!! Maybe it's about her body: if she had a slimmer line and wasn't so *big* in every single part I could appreciate her much more than I actually do!
I tried and tried, with all kind of clothes and wigs and eyes but nothing happens, no sparkles between us!
And she finished to remain still inside her box or over my shelf...

I have had her for 2 years now and last month I put her on sale here on DOA hoping that she can get a better home...

Maybe in future I will try buying her head only and try to match it with a different body that can come together more with my other dolls... because now she is just an outsider