In the past, I only liked new dolls because I didn't want others to play with them. A brand new doll made me feel like it belonged to me completely. But now, I have a lot of favorite dolls, some dolls I missed their sale, so that I have to buy second-hand. Some sellers keep their dolls well without cracks, which is what I like. And you don't have to wait for a long construction period to buy second-hand, and most of the time you can buy it at a cheaper price, which makes me feel like I can save more money, which is also a great feeling! So I tend to buy second-hand dolls most of the time, as long as there are no cracks and so on.
Honestly? It doesn't matter to me at all... I think it's fun to think about how some of my dolls had all of these multiple other owners and previous adventures before they came into my collection. They've been in different countries, sometimes on the far side of the world, with other people who've adored them and interacted with them.... It just makes me grin to consider their "prior lives". I like that they have a history of their own and aren't completely blank slates.
It isn't really that important for me as long as the doll is in good condition. If that is the case, there can be a lot of advantages when buying a second-hand doll besides avoiding waiting times like avoiding customs if I'm buying in Europe, the possibility of seeing more real-life pictures of them... But I have to admit I secretly like the smell of new resin as I like the smell of new books xD
Echoing a lot of sentiments here that being the first owner doesn’t matter to me much at all, as long as the doll is in good condition when I receive it. The most important thing is always that the doll is a good fit for me—doesn’t matter how I acquired it or how many owners it might have been through first or if I AM the first. I’ll know when I feel that first “bond.” Though opening the box for the first time and smelling fresh resin and knowing your doll was made to order just for you is definitely a special one-of-a-kind feeling!
At the very beginning of the hobby, this was very important to me. As already mentioned, it made me feel special, because every time the doll was made just for me (in fact, not, because in the certificates I later discovered that the casting date was earlier than the order date lol). And I was really paranoid about the fact that someone touched the doll and did something with it. But that’s just about my mental problems. Now I think that there may be very nice offers, on the secondary market, and that’s simply foolish to ignore them.
I actually really like and might arguably prefer secondhand dolls! I feel like they have this really interesting breath of life to them because they’ve come from another adventure before they’re starting theirs with me. It’s such a magical feeling to know I’m continuing their journey of resinhood for some reason!
Not at all important to me. I'm more focussed on getting the doll I want - I don't have any fullsets, may of my dolls are hybrids, and new-from-the-company dolls are in the minority. In a way, however, I am the first owner of almost every doll I have because nobody else has had them in the combination and as the characters that I have them as (the two exceptions are dolls that came to me from a friend. She offered them t me becuase she knew I'd fallen in love with them and the characters she had them as, and they have retained the names and characters she gave them). Teddy
I don't really mind as long as the doll is in good condition. I have a document on my USB where I keep a list of all provenances, sales posts etc of dolls I own, also I list how many owners it had before me. I was able to keep that in my head when I had like two dolls, but not now that I have closer to 10, and some have a head from one seller and body from another. To me second hand is only a "nope" if the doll has been kept on display or played with a lot. It is more like a collectible item to me so I don't want to buy dolls with stains, modifications, chips, yellowing or faceup residue. I prefer dolls that have been sitting neglected in their boxes in a dark closet and were then put up for sale.
It doesn't both me how many owners a doll has had before it comes to me. It's nice to be able to purchase a doll direct from the artist or company but that's not always a possibility due to discontinuations and limited editions/order periods.
It doesn't matter to me. Most of my dolls are second-hand (or even with more previous owners). I really like to "save" the dolls, to help another collector to achieve its goals (for example, selling to get funds for a grail), it feels special. And there's also the "discontinued" dolls that I want, that's when I have no choice, haha. I also own dolls that I bought from the company/artist and I love them. Those are less because I tend to buy from the company when I have something very specific in mind and I just can't find it on the marketplace... or when I can't miss the opportinity of buying a "new release limited doll" in order to avoid the resellers price, hahaha. Every doll has a specific story of how I got it, new or second hand, and I just enjoy all of them.
It’s not important to be the first owner for me . Sometimes that’s not an option so worrying about it is pointless. I feel like you should enjoy your doll no matter the circumstances. That’s when fun and joy of the hobby! But if being the first owner is important to you then you should do what makes you happy
I personally prefer buying dolls second handed because its cheaper that way and usually dolls are in great condition like they are store bought so...
TBH I've come to DoA with the intent of making friends and finding secondhand BJD sales in a vetted, trusted community. While it's definitely nice to be the first person to own something, I get the feeling that a lot of resales are new-in-box condition as a result of not really bonding and therefore not playing with them much. So in such a case it's not really the same. But even a doll who's been painted and dressed has appeal to me; I'd certainly buy a doll that's been worked on and dressed up for the right price.
I hardly do care. The only thing that really puts me off (given that the doll is legit) is if it comes from a place with smokers. That is a no-go for me. A big advantage is if the doll is within the EU. If the owner is honest about its condition and the price is within reasonable, it can be 10th hand. However, I will never buy a second-hand doll worldwide if the purchasing price is higher than from the company. No reason getting a doll for more money second-hand if I can get it brand-new from the manufacturer.
Give me the yucky, well loved dolls that have seen hell and come back. No, really. I love buying second hand dolls that people have given up on. Some of my favorite babies have been bought as banana yellowed doll heads that I spent days scrubbing sticky gunk off of, sanding for hours, washing, resanding, growling in frustrating at, and finally washing, painting, and sealing. If I love them, I'm not looking at them as a financial investment. If I have to sell them, I'm selling them to someone else who loves them and realizes they're not a financial investment either. A lot of the dolls I have are just old. I will buy dolls new, but I find myself parting with new dolls way before I'd ever part with my old ones.
It's not that important. In some ways I prefer second hand dolls. I feel as if they've 'lived' more. They aren't coming to me as a blank slate, they already have a thin patina of themselves that have been created by others through the world they've been in.
It's not terribly important if I want the doll that bad, but I prefer being firsthand owner for the similar reason of "it was made for me, I ordered it this way" and also because I'm a documentation hooligan. I still keep my dolls' fullsets even if I don't use them, and I know the exact date they arrived; I would be sort of bothered to buy a doll secondhand missing some original items (not a dealbreaker though) and I'm consequently compelled to research what particular event it may have come from. I just like being able to account for the timeline of the doll.
I only ever had one new BJD, my first (who I've since sold). Other people have already mentioned price and feeling like they're giving the doll a fresh start, but I also like buying secondhand because it opens my mind to dolls I might not have otherwise considered. When I got my Zara, I hadn't even heard of Soom's Rosette line, but I fell in love with her almost immediately.
