How long did it take before you settled on a doll you liked?

Don't rush and don't settle! In all honesty, it took me 6 dolls over 2 years to find one I was in love with and 12 years later I'm still in love with him. The first 5 were definitely impulse buys and I would have saved a lot of money if I had waited to develop my own tastes.

There are so many dolls now that it takes a long time to view enough to decide a perfect one. Also, don't throw out the idea of any company either. A company I thought was massively overrated when I started is now one of my favorites.

 

Well, I suppose I'm different than many in that cost/value is my number one concern at this stage of selecting BJD.
Most of my dolls tell me who they are over time; their characters develop and evolve. My taste for a particular style has developed, and I rarely consider adding to my collection outside of that specific catagory. Oh sure, there are some beauties that I would love to have that are way outside of my price range, but I would be afraid of not doing them justice. I know when I buy a pre-loved doll, as most of mine are, I am not intimidated to give them the attention of my skills. I hope when I need to start re-homing my kiddos (-decades from now ), they will go to people who enjoy them as much as I do mine.

 

In my limited experience, I've found that if you find a doll that you keep going back to in order to look at their pictures, you pray they won't go out of stock, etc., then you've found a doll that you're really going to like

 

Pretty much the same as idrisfynn - I knew about BJDs since 2015, but put the idea of owning any out of my mind because back then I thought buying one was impossible. Then a friend of mine drew me back in early this year. I'm easily influenced apparently, lol. But I'm grateful for it, because I love this hobby!

Anyway, when I decided I wanted to jump in to actually buy a doll, and started shopping around... I would say I spent a couple of weeks deliberating? I needed to relearn all the vocabulary for one, lol, and then I had to check everywhere that was selling dolls to find what styles I liked... all I knew was that I wanted a YoSD, because I hadn't yet gotten used to the idea of anything bigger than a fashion doll. (Not sure what the deal with that was, 'cause I was totally on board with getting a Dollfie back in '15. Still haven't checked that one off my list, but we'll get there!) Eventually I decided on Dream Valley's 30cm Aiden for my first doll! It was love at first sight with DV's style, and he was perfect for shelling one of my OCs.

I'm currently still looking for my next doll, and it's taking quite a while. :/ She has deeper skin, and not every company offers it. So the search can be rough even after your first doll! I think it's good to think about it rather than impulse buy the first "shiny thing" you see, lol, but I understand that the choice paralysis isn't a good feeling.

 

Phew! All these replies make me feel so much better because I've been looking and contemplating for months and haven't been able to make a decision yet. I didn't fully realise until now that I felt like I "should" just make a decision but it's not as simple as that.

 

I got a bit lucky in that I found the doll I was in love with practically right off of the bat.
I wanted to look into my own OOAK and went to Etsy for a hand made creation. In my search I found a sweet doll with deep blue eyes. This forum was kind enough to educate me about Recasts and fakes, and it broke my heart that she was one of them.
Using another recommended site, Alice's Collection, I worked my way through the dolls in the hopes of finding someone who evoked the some feeling.

Then I found her. The original Little Snow from DollZone. My first love and the one for whom I am now anxiously awaiting.
I can't say who my next doll will be or if I will get another, but I look forward to my little desk companion! For me it was love at fight sight, and I thankful the forums were able to educate and reunite me with her.

 

you definitely aren’t “taking too long” or anything like that! while i’m not in the camp of waiting/deliberating on “the one” (though i sorely wish i was), i feel like for every person who is more of an impulse buyer or quick researcher (ie, like me.. the longest i deliberated on a shell for a doll was probably about 2 days lol) there’s always someone who’s taken months or even years to find the perfect sculpt for their character. or perfect sculpt because they plan to only have one or two dolls. etc, etc!

im not sure how to explain why i pick things so fast, other than i just like to browse sales or company releases, etc, casually even when i’m not in the market to buy, and i think from doing that i’ve been able to develop like a mental catalog of features. so when i start planning to shell a character or i’m drawing a character, i mentally start assigning features and aesthetics to them and in the long run it makes it easier when i do search. for the 2 days to decide doll, i’d actually been compiling a list for a week or so previously of companies that i knew had 1/3 boys with distinctive noses, a smiling or otherwise sort of cheerful or friendly expression (so nothing moody, it could be neutral but not any downturned corners), and a princely look. so then i ended up only looking at Dollclans, Resinsoul (some of their big boys have very interesting noses!), tentatively volks, and the DF companies. From there i narrowed it down to two DC heads. I realized one of them was in stock so i gave it 2 days and nabbed it because i was worried XD

anyway, not quite the situation you’re in, but i hope everyone’s comments help assuage you! sometimes i think part of the fun is (and should be!) just looking at them :3

 

I found a doll I liked right away! I kept coming back to her listing, pining over her. I even had a dream about her adorable face!

But she wasn't the first doll I loved. That doll came about six months and five dolls later. Now I have my beloved Emmeline.

 

So interesting to see everyone's experiences with this!

When I first started, it didn't take me too long to decide on my first doll (Woori), but after that I ended up with a lot of impulse buys/gifts that ballooned my collection rapidly over just about two years. I then dropped out of the hobby for 10+ years and sold the majority of my collection, keeping only 4, including my first doll.

Now that I'm back I'm taking my time and also have a stronger idea of what I do/don't like thanks to owning a range of dolls in the past. I have a better handle on what size I like, what features, etc. I'm the sort that builds a character around a doll, rather than the other way round, so I'm not having to consider specific details when looking for the 'perfect doll'.

Ultimately, take as little or as much time as you want! There's SO many choices these days, it can take forever just to look over the options of all the various companies. Saving dolls you like and coming back to them later to see if you still feel that spark about them is a good idea, as is looking for owner pictures! I've found that the pictures the companies use are extremely, mmm, aesthetic? Lol so I feel better about a sculpt if I can see what they look like without all the dramatic lighting and photoshop, as well as with different face-ups!

 

I think for me it didn't take long. The problem was the uncertainty because it was a lot of money to spend. I waited too long and the doll I wanted was sold out, so I settled for Rosen Lied Limited 밤비 (reverie ver.) - sweet Kalanchoe. The one I wanted was her open eye version, but I don't regret buying the reverie version. She is my first doll. The company soon closed down, so I started looking for other dolls and researched more.

Once I got over the cost of bjds I was able to pinpoint brands I liked and started from there. It didn't really take me long to find a doll that I needed to have, but I wouldn't say it's a perfect doll because I don't think having a perfect doll is possible unless you make it yourself to your exact preferences. She is almost close to being perfect, but her imperfections make her in my opinion more better. Not sure if that makes sense.

The doll I consider my favorite is Peakswoods FOC Gumiho Miro_Nine Tails. I love this doll so much. I didn't know what exactly I was doing or what I wanted in a doll at the time, but luckily she fits what I like now. For now I seem to know what my preferences in dolls are, but I'm sure it will change as time goes on.

The biggest regret I have is not getting FOC Miro_Nine Tails, FOC Dandy68 Gumiho Neo_Nine Tails, FOC Dandy68 Neo_Nine Tails, and the male hanbok. I had a chance to buy the male hanbok doll, but I was still new to bjds and was still uncomfortable with the expensive cost. It was overwhelming and confusing as well, so I kept it simple and only got the female. I really wanted the male hanbok, but I didn't feel comfortable at the time adding a second doll to my order and the only way I could buy the outfit was to buy the doll as well.

I really believed at the time after three or four dolls I would stop collecting bjds, but not getting the male doll with the hanbok made me search for the perfect male doll for my Miro. That's how I ended up buying more dolls. I haven't been completely satisfied with my male dolls because I still want Peakswoods Gumiho Dandy Neo with his hanbok outfit.

He is the doll I want the most with the exact same outfit, face up, and his monster hands painting, but I don't think I can ever get that outfit because I think it was a limited set of 2. They are re-releasing him, but not the monster hands painting or the outfit. I want him to be an older brother to my Miro.

So it's taken me one year to get the male doll I wanted. I had no idea Peakswoods would re-release the gumiho face up again, but without the monster hand painting and the outfit won't be back which is too bad. Well I haven't bought him yet. He being re-released sometime this month. I hope I don't miss out.

It doesn't take me a long time to settle on a doll I really like and want. My problem is limiting myself to not go overboard with collecting.

The amount of time i take to deliberate on a doll depends on how early the company releases an upcoming doll information. I think for about a few days, few weeks, or a month depending how early the information was released, but usually i know after a few days. To guarantee I really want the doll I think, browse, and compare previous dolls from the company that is releasing a doll I may want. If i keep longing for that doll and can't stop thinking about it as the deadline nears I know it's the doll for me. If the deadline nears, but I feel myself losing interest then I know it's not the doll for me. If I feel super happy after the doll purchase then I know I made the right choice, but if I feel a tiny bit of regret I know that doll wasn't exactly what I thought I wanted.

Anyway in my search for a replacement Gumiho Neo. I bought a lot of male dolls. I sort of wish I waited and saved up that way I can get several Peakswoods this month. I had no idea Peakswoods re-released face ups at the time or that the wait time for a re-release Gumiho Neo would only take one year. Once I get Gumiho Neo I will have my almost perfect male doll.

I hope you find your perfect doll. I don't think a doll has to be perfect though because so many dolls pop up that may replace your perfect doll. If that doll has meaning to you then it's probably the doll you will keep for a long time. I think if you put meaning into that doll and have lots of good memories of it then that doll will probably become your perfect doll.

For example, I have this stuffed toy I thought was sort of ugly when I first got that stuffed toy, but as the years went on I developed a fondness for that plush because it's been with me for the ups and more downs in life. I kept searching for a perfect stuffed toy that was comfortable to sleep with and was extremely cute, but none of them fit with what I wanted. In the end I feel the most attached to the stuffed toy I was trying to replace with the perfect stuffed toy. This stuffed toy is comfortable to sleep with, use as a pillow, and gives me comfort. It became perfect in the end because of the attachment, memories, and comfort it brought me. That ugly plush is now very meaningful to me even though it is a stuffed toy, cheap, raggedy, and I considered not perfect back then.

However, I am looking now for a replacement for this stuffed toy because it means so much to me now i want to keep it safe from wear and tear. It's so raggedy now I'm afraid it will rip apart because I washed it so much because my dogs kept dragging it around whenever I wasn't looking. It had to be washed so many times. All my dogs at one point when they were puppies would take this plush and drag it somewhere to gnaw on it.. it's really odd that they always took my cherished plush to play with, but when i think about it I feel happy because i am reminded of my dogs when they were younger.

 

For me, the character comes after I have the doll so all I had to do was find a doll I liked the look of and size of, whihc, I think, makes the process quicker and easier. I browsed the websites for a few weeks, fell in love with a limited edition doll that had already sold out before I was aware it existed and, after a little more looking at other companies, ended up buying a non-limited doll from the same company as the sold-out limited. Mainly because I saw him second-hand on Ebay and that meant I was seeing pictures of the actual doll and actual faceup I would be getting, rather than company stock-photo's of a generic doll of that sculpt.

Teddy

 

I decided on my first doll fairly quickly. But this was mostly because it was over 15 years and back then there were only a handful of doll companies. Add to that the fact that I wanted a 1/4 boy and selection of both boy dolls and 1/4 dolls was very limited.

Nowadays, I do the 'sleep on it' method. If I see a doll that catches my eye and really want it, usually in the News section here, at BJD Collectasy (it's a BJD news site), on Instagram or while browsing through secondhand sites, namely Mandarake or Dollyteria, I bookmark it or add it to my wishlist first. Then I give myself a few days to a few weeks or even months to think about it, depending on whether or not it's a limited doll, I also try to look for different pictures of the doll if there are any. If I still really want the doll after my thinking/cooling down period, I usually end up getting it. There have also been times when I look at photos of a certain doll again after a few days/weeks/months and that initial infatuation I'd felt at first sight was completely gone and so I ended up not buying.

I also have dolls that I've got with specific characters in mind. I'm usually able to decide on dolls for them quite quickly or at least narrow it down to a couple of sculpts. Then I sleep on it again before making my final decision.

 

I'm in the "it took me years because I didn't have the money at first," camp. I first learned about BJDs around the late 00s/early 10s. Definitely the days of many faux fur wigs, I remember that! I looked around at some dolls, but none stood out to me enough that I remember them. (Save for some off-topic dolls, but that was largely because they were the cheapest legit ones I could find.)

I started looking back into things around... the start of the pandemic, maybe? It's hard to say. I finally had the income where I could get a doll, and I started getting into things more seriously. I vaguely remember looking up any doll company I heard someone mention, so maybe that's how I ended up looking at Impldoll? Anyways, at some point in... oh, summer 2020, I think, I checked their stuff out and fell head over heels for their Avery doll. I kept going back to look at his listing because it brought me such joy to see him, I immediately started working out clothes and such for him, all that. It was love at first sight.

I didn't buy him until the start of 2021 though, so that's the longest wait I've made myself do. Usually when I fall for a doll like that I give myself a couple days of holding back before I go for it.

So, waiting and looking around is part of the experience, in my opinion! Especially with all the variety; I'm a big fan of the smaller artists who crop up on like, Instagram, and I still feel like I'm only skimming the surface of that whole network.

 

I cannot reccomend enough browsing owners’ photos instead of company ones! It can be a „yay or nay” for me in so many cases. I use Instagram mostly as it’s easy to find a specific doll by tag, but I also browse Doll Profiles here to check if any sculpt will lure me.

I will be honest though - I decided on my first doll after being reminded of BJD world existence within like…two weeks? And no regrets, I love him dearly, BUT of course I have found so many more sculpts I’d love to have. Fortunately (or not…) many are discontinued so it will be a hunt for me.

Browse a lot and trust your 6th sense too - I find many dolls enrapturing but after a few days it wears off. If there’s any I keep coming back to - probably that’s my next one.

And while I understand importance of your first doll - you can always sell it! Our preferences change so allow yourself to make a mistake

 

I agree that there can often be a lot of waiting and browsing. It just depends on you as the buyer. Some people are more decisive, others need more time to process. I tend to be a mix of both. If it isn't limited, I can sit and think on the doll for months or years. If it is limited, I tend to use up the entire pre-order period to decide if I want it or not.

I started with a fashion doll sized Soom Fairy. She was my only one for a long time. Then Soom released Elf Dia and I had to get him. My friend who had SD17 sized dolls let me hold hers so I could really decide if I wanted a doll that size. I consider him my real first BJD because I bought him straight from Soom, not second hand.

My impulse buys tend to be done at dealer stores I can get to or Mandarake/ebay.
At this point, I just need 2 bodies and I think I am done collecting. I might even need to start selling off some dolls because I can't display them all in the same space and that makes me sad.

 

Another one in the "it took me years because I didn't have the money at first" team, hahaha.
After browsing a lot of companies (there were not that many at the time), I kept going back to "admire" the same ones (company and owners photos).

It was mentioned "And while I understand importance of your first doll - you can always sell it! Our preferences change so allow yourself to make a mistake", but what helped me was to think of the scenario where I can only have one and can't change it ever... that's when I knew... eventually I bought the rest of them, but no regrets, hahaha

Find whatever works for you and don't rush it

 

Haha I knew I wanted a nice one, so I had been saving regardless. I would look around for a couple of hours for days, but then I saw one that really caught my eye.

I went on the companies sight and took a look through their dolls, but then I came across another one I liked just as much. I mulled it over in my head for a few weeks lol. 'do I really want this one ? Or maybe I should get the other one ??' ' nah I don't need this one I'll get that one'

Honestly what made my decision is that one of them went on sale. Anyway I don't regret the one I got and now that I look back I'm glad I chose this one over the other one !

What's devastating is when you're looking at another one and find out it's no longer available