How important is it to you to be "the first owner"?

Zero.

The most important thing is that the doll has not heavy damages, then I can be even the 10th owner.

Now that I think about it one of my dolls must have had like 4 owners before me and she is still almost like new (not sure, maybe she mellowed?)

 

I actually prefer to buy dolls second hand and not just because they tend to be cheaper lol. To me there's just something magical about taking an older doll and reimagining it, cleaning it up and giving it tlc. When I buy a damaged doll it feels like giving that doll a second chance I guess. I have dolls I've purchased new straight from the company but I always feel a kind of pressure to keep that doll pristine, but with a second hand doll that might already be damaged or yellowed I feel more free to play with it. It's a bit like getting a new cell phone and the time up until you drop it for the first time is a bit unbearable but afterwords you let down your guard a bit because the worst is already over lol

 

As long as the doll is in good shape, it doesn't matter to me.

 

I enjoy buying second hand dolls even if they're damaged. I think fixing them up is fun and I enjoy imagining what their "life" with their previous owner(s) was. (Also if I get them at a discount I feel less guilty about spending money~)

That being said, thinking about a doll being made just for you is also kind of fun :3

 

I prefer buying second hand, that being said it's also fun to get a new doll that was made specifically for you.

As long as the doll is something you are looking for (damaged or undamaged) who cares? It shouldn't matter where a doll comes from, it matters what you do with them.

 

I've done both, and while I'll agree that the straight-from-the-company box opening experience is really cool, I really love buying second-hand. When I find a doll on my wishlist for sale second-hand, it's a way of preventing waste to buy one that already exists instead of having a whole new one made...and I absolutely love the more-or-less instant gratification of a fellow collector putting it right in the mail for me instead of having to wait for the doll to be cast. I also enjoy being able to help someone else clear clutter or get some money in their pocket while I'm getting a doll! Plus, if I can find a seller in my country I save a LOT over having to pay for EMS shipping from Asia.

 

I don't think it affects me all that much. It’s an expensive hobby so I try to save where I can. I have bought a 3 heads and a body second hand and I don’t think them being secondhand increases or lessens my enjoyment of the doll.

Few things that do put me off from buying second hand are:
- Not being sure of the condition of the doll
- Not being sure if seller is trustworthy
- Looking through or searching listings (while I often surf the second hand market, its not often that I see a doll I was considering)

The important thing for me is finding a doll or body that I want and am willing to pay for.

EDIT: I read through some of the chats I had with people I bought from and they were all such nice people So thankful that they helped me get started with BJDs.

 

The only importance I find if there are benefits being the first owner.

For example, if you are an avid Volks collector, they offer "renewal" services and such for your dolls but you need to bring in identification and the doll's certificates. So I do worry about when I buy some Volks second hand...like in case I want to bring in the doll for renewal or something.

Other than that, it doesn't worry me too much about being brand new.

 

I hadn't really thought much about it before but I think I understand this as I am reminded of something from childhood. When I was given a new toy, I always had a strong sense of ownership, it was clear in my mind that 'it was mine'. But I was given a second hand stable set for one birthday and I never liked playing with it because it felt like it was someone else's, it never felt like it was mine. (It didn't help that it was somewhat battered and had been drawn on with pen, something I would never do as I was brought up to look after my toys, so that also fuelled the disconnect). So I definitely get that a sense of ownership can be affected by something being new or something being secondhand.

I know that my first preference is to buy a doll new as there are some advantages such as resin not being yellowed or not having damage. I have bought some stuff secondhand and I don't feel i've been put off by that but i does feel a little weird for me at first. It's kind of an 'unclean' issue for me, that idea that someone's had their hands all over it or I don't know what it's been exposed to etc. (it's just a weird irrational paranoid thing, not that I actually think someone has been gross with their doll). But once i've given the doll a nice clean and had it around for a bit I don't think of the doll or doll parts being that much different from my new stuff.

I think that having spent the first part of my adult life in extreme poverty and most of everything I owned was second, third or forth hand I got used to it. But also from that, I do feel that having something new or made especially for you does feel like an extra treat as it's still a novelty for me!

 

Not important at all as long as the doll is in good condition. A lot of the dolls I want are LE full sets that were released before I started collecting, so that would be the only way I could get them. I would love to have the original box though.

 

I wouldn't say it's super important to me, but I do feel a kind of "special-ness" with being the first owner! I share the exact same sentiments as you, there's a feeling of importance, since these dolls are usually made-to-order, you know that they were in a sense, made just for us!

However it's not a defining factor in choosing a doll imo. Depending on the type of doll, I prefer a level of cleanliness or good condition unless I'm looking for a fixer-upper.

 

Up to now I only have dolls that I am the first owner of.
I wouldn't be completely against buying a second hand doll if the right doll came along but I just prefer to buy them new.
I actually like the wait times involved with buying them new - it gives me chance to prepare everything for them and get excited for their arrival.

 

I'm partial to secondhand for the price and short wait, but also... I do admittedly like the idea of "rescuing" a doll who wasn't getting the attention/love from a previous owner. I've had a blast working with my first doll who was exactly that.

There's also a third option here that I've become fond of, though it's purely a matter of luck: being the first owner of a doll who was in stock at a dealer but no one wanted. My roomie's DearMine Dune and my Angell Studio David both sat in their boxes untouched for years before we stumbled upon them. Her Dune was legitimately forgotten about, stuffed in a storage room at DDE and just... Left. In a way I guess that's kind of a combination of the two choices, a firsthand rescue haha.

 

I prefer whichever has a better price tag, actually, secondhand dolls are kinda my fave bc you gotta wonder who they were before... what adventures they went on, if they like you better, etc. I also like seeing remnants of the last owners personality by how/if they arrive in an outfit, how their face was painted, what color resin they are, and if they were treated well by condition they’re in when you get them. Secondhand dolls have a story! My very first bjd is a fashion Amanda Beauty in beautiful honey skin, and you can tell she never really bonded with her owner. She had a (imho) ugly amateur faceup and no body blushing, but all the additional parts/busts/hands etc. But she’s bonded with me! I gave her (again, imho) a nice amateur faceup and I make her wigs, dress her, talk to her, and constantly am telling her how awesome and beautiful she is! I love her so much! She kickstarted this hobby for me. If I bought her brand new from Dollshe, (I’d probably still be waiting for her!) I might resent how long it took to get her, I might not have been able to get her in honey skin with all the add ons, and I don’t think she’d be as special to me. She’s awesome. The problem with buying secondhand, I think, is actually FINDING the exact doll you want (for me resin color is big) especially hard for me bc I don’t have any marketplace privileges, so I really am cautious about if a dolls authenticity... it’s hard buying secondhand so I tend to spend a ridiculous amount on brand new dolls from the artists!

 

Honestly, whether I'm the first owner or not doesn't really bother me at all. My favorite doll's headsculpt, two forms and all, had been through a string of owners (current record holder is I'm the fourth owner) before I got her. I am the sort of doll person who is more attached to the characters of the dolls than the doll shells themselves. Secondhand or not, it doesn't make any difference. It just happens that my favorite doll aside, circumstances made me the first owner of the rest of my doll crew.

 

It doesn’t matter to me, the first doll I got was the only time I bought a brand new doll. If I can get it secondhand I will get it secondhand I think. Cause then I can see the actual doll itself with real expectations that will definitely be met and not some official picture and expect my dolls gonna come like that.

 

So far all of my dolls have been secondhand with a few in stock. Like others have said, I really love the feel of adopting/rescuing an existing doll, but I do imagine that having one made "just for me" would be a special feeling.

 

As a person who has bought new dolls and secondhand dolls, I don't really find it super special to be the first person to open the box and unpack a doll.

Like many who have bought secondhand dolls, I Iook at price, availability, and sometimes how rare a sculpt might be as my key factors when buying.

Cleaning and restoring a used doll also helps me bond even more with it, but I can understand the appeal of being the first person to own the doll direct from the maker.

 

@Overdrive-Angel This exactly. Money plus legacy equals....profit? The history of a BJD- or any object that has changed hands- can be interesting. BJDs get the added bonus of often being story-telling tools. Owners recreate their fantasies, or their favorite pre-existing characters, on a blank slate. They pour time, money, and effort into that- selecting the perfect eyes and wigs and clothing, finding the right places to photograph. Some tell photostories. Some own those dolls for years before they let them go. Depending on how old the doll is, it may have had multiple owners. It might be extensively modified. The how and why is fascinating.

On the other end of the coin, pre-owned dolls that have not been well-loved offer a sense of satisfaction, because they are finally valued. It's akin to the thrill of a brand new doll- hitting that untapped potential, or perhaps seeing the potential in something broken. Something unexplored.

At the end of the day, ninety percent of my clothes and household tools are thrifted. Our dogs were always adopted from other homes. My childhood clothing, toys, and supplies were largely handmedowns, because we were low-income. It's safe to say I have a 'type' when it comes to preowned things. It's the norm for me.