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

Jul 21, 2020

    1. I thought for a long time that I would love nothing more than the feeling of opening up a brand new doll, but the feeling is just the same for secondhand dolls. I'm not sure if I will ever buy directly from a company, if only because I'm a creature of impatience (secondhand buys take maybe two weeks to make it into my hands, some first-hand buys can take two years.) And while I love the price and limited availability aspect of secondhand, I also really love knowing that I'm truly giving something unwanted a good home while helping the seller in the process. And besides, I would say that my love of a sculpt is primarily dictated by its faceup - and I'm more likely to find unique, artisan faceups on equally unique, artisan dolls on the secondhand market.

      That all being said, if a sculpt speaks to me, it'll speak to me. But I don't think there's an inherent magic to owning first-hand that I'd miss out on with secondhand. Though recasts are always a pesky concern.
       
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    2. not important.
       
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    3. Not so much. Most of my dolls were purchased second hand, due to discontinued availability. The only thing I try to get is the papers, box, outfit etc. whenever possible. Just the collector in me:love
       
    4. It doesnt really matter to me. Though i do like knowing that i dont have to wait several months or years for a doll of a certain type... so then i can buy from a person. though i do tend to order straight from companies as if im looking and cant find what i want, id rather order from the company so its all made the same way and color. makes things a little more easy that way, but if i saw that exact doll for sale here or wherever and the person was trustworthy, id buy from them first.

      Though the idea the company is making the doll specially for me is pretty nice feeling too (comment from first post)
       
    5. New dolls are lovely but company faceups rarely intrigue me so that means buying new dolls sans face up and that can be a lot harder. I've tried faceups. Sometimes they came out good but often not. I like buying dolls already faced up, non company. It's fun and the faceups are usually much better than I can do.

      The chemical sealers are bad for your lungs and so is new resin until the doll has stopped gassing and smelling. Most of my new resin dolls were cheaper so they did smell for a week or two and right in the box. That meant not having them right next to me for a week at least lest they trigger my asthma. I've now got really bad asthma and blood clots absorbed into my lung tissue. They aren't likely to kill me now but my lungs don't need the stress of inhaling toxic chemicals from new dolls either. Used dolls I rarely have to worry about that. They've already off gassed past the point where I am likely to even smell the resin let alone inhale fumes from it.

      I have a strong sense of smell too. Sometimes even the sealers and the paint and so forth will bother me if it's all too new. I have been known to wear a mask and gloves to handle them until the "newness" of the dolls wears off. I've also had allergic dermatitis from touching dolls that had been painted up with paints or soft pastels. I'm not allergic to all substances used to face up, blush and finish dolls but I've found out the hard way that touching a doll face recently sealed with Mister Super Clear can make my hands itch and even break out in small blisters at least until the sealer is a few weeks old. The few faceups I did I used craft sealers even though the MSC is way better.

      I'm just allergic to practically everything though, shrug. I still love BJDs and want to enjoy them but ultimately older dolls are way less trouble than new ones upon arrival. I would not refuse to get a new doll if I wanted one or not keep it if it was a gift. I'd just find a way to get around any issues until the doll wasn't so new. But buying for myself I almost always go for a used doll first. It's near instant gratification and it won't usually make me sneeze, wheeze, cough or scratch. Win-win scenario... :P
       
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    6. It's somewhat important to me if not only because I'm afraid of what kind of damage/imperfections second hand dolls may get... *_*
       
    7. The coolest thing about buying a brand new doll: not gonna lie, it's the "new resin" smell. XD

      I have done this all my life, from getting dolls at the flea market and toys at garage sales as a child to secondhand BJDs now as an adult.

      Preach! I still purchase most of my furniture and home decor secondhand, thankfully not out of sheer necessity these days, but by habit. I love when items have a history, dolls or not.
       
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    8. Doesn't matter, as long as it's in good condition :3
       
    9. It isn't a big deal for me. The large majority of my dolls are second or even third-hand. I just want to make sure the doll came from a good home (not too damaged, smoke damage, uneven yellowing) and the doll's provenance so I can keep track that way.

      Generally, though, I do keep a list of who was a previous doll's owner. Especially if a hybrid. I have a few dolls that although resin full sets are purchased from different places.
       
    10. Very important.. I never want to buy a second hand doll only way I would if I really fell in love with it it would have to catch my eye and hold it there
       
    11. I actually think I prefer not to be the first owner. Aside from the fact that it is kind of very exciting getting to preorder the doll and daydream about them coming home for months (I mean it sincerely) I feel much more inherently excited about mysterious old dolls, and sometimes I find the first impression unboxing of the second hand doll very powerfully magical in a way I really never feel with a new doll. I think my preference just has to do with my own emotions, superstitions and symbology but I do really like being the caretaker of wayward dolls. :XD:
       
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    12. It is not important to me as long as I know they are authentic. I have three second hand dolls, two would be impossible to get new, and the third was an amazing deal.
       
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    13. It doesn't matter to me at all. As long as it's a doll I like and in good condition, it doesn't matter if it's second or even third hand. Actually, I think some of mine are third hand now that I think about it!

      There are lots of second hand dolls in almost brand new condition out there that have barely been played with. And they are sometimes a lot cheaper than a brand new one, plus you don't have to wait for them to be made.
       
    14. I couldn’t care less either way. It’s the sculpt I’m looking for, and to me nothing else matters as long as it’s legit. My collection has a quite a variety of BJDs, both new and second-hand. It’s always a treat to get a brand new doll of course because it’s a complete blank slate. But I’ve had wonderful experiences purchasing used dolls here on DoA (the only place I’ve ever purchased second-hand from) as well. I can always find a doll in fabulous condition in the marketplace. And sometimes their previous experiences can give them a special character trait I enjoy exploring. Like I purchased a lovely early tan Peakswoods SD girl who the seller readily exposed had some uneven tan fading. She was a great price, so I thought I’d just adjust the fading with a bit of judicious blushing. But once she arrived, I loved the slight disparities of her coloring and wrote that fading into her storyline instead.:) And I got a couple of great deals on some old, old Volks dolls with fully-disclosed uneven yellowing. I was able to spray them white and do a Japanese Shironuri faceup on one and a Mexican day of the dead faceup on the other. I now absolutely adore them both! Sometimes a doll’s imperfections can lead to the most fascinating character!;)
       
      #134 PoeticSoul, Oct 12, 2022
      Last edited: Oct 13, 2022
    15. I don't have a preference at all... it's the sculpt and the state it's in that matters to me.
       
    16. All things being equal, I actually prefer buying previously loved dolls to new. It often helps out a fellow hobbyist, usually has a much shorter wait, and is more ecologically friendly. About a quarter of my dolls were acquired that way.
       
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    17. It doesn't really matter to me if I were the first owner or not (as long as I was told the condition of the doll before purchasing).:kitty1
       
    18. I the doll is higher priced on the secondary market, I won't be the owner at all unless I'm the first owner. If it's the same price or lower, it's not particularly important, but I do love seeing my name on the CoA.
       
    19. I don't mind if a doll is pre-owned. I bought a few of my dolls on Facebook and I love them as much as the ones I purchased from a doll store.
       
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    20. I wouldn't say it's a dealbreaker, but I prefer being the first owner in the sense that I like being able to pay the company/artist directly where possible. I generally only look secondhand for things that are no longer available or are otherwise limited, the temptation of relatively instant shipping is hard to resist sometimes though.

      Which means my super preference is definitely new but in-stock items to still skip the wait :XD:
       
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