How long did you doll search before you fell in love?

Took me a year. But honestly the girl I got I fell in love with, but I kept shopping around. I kept coming back to her though

 

Not long... An hour or two maybe.
Not counting the bit of time I spent looking through the LUTS website when I first was introduced to BJDs.
I was very impatient, but I found my first very quickly. I know what I like so I still don't regret her, over a year and a half and a few dolls later!

 

Honestly, I'm also still trying to find my first dream dol, and I've been wanting a bjd since I was....a pre teen so maybe almost 10 years ago? It'll come to us eventually! Just keep searching.

 

I would say it was 1-2 years before I finally hit the button and got my first bjd. She called out to me for some reason and so she was my first. And I still like her.

 

Well, I was thinking of BJD just as the good reference (i'm an artist) and pictures from owners in the web were quite enough - until i found the one which haha was long time sold out to the moment i fell in love with his mold. Though i used to like his makeup a lot (in controversy to many owners of that boy(((( ), i think i will be able to deal with a bare head to bring him to life.
So it took about half a year to realize that i deadly wish to have this one with me. Now i'm patiently looking for money and options...

 

Good! It's always good to have hope. xD I feel like I got pretty lucky though. Not everyone is so lucky to love a reasonably priced available doll. She was one of the first dolls who popped up when I typed "bjd" into eBay. (She's the girl in my profile pic-it's old now and I don't even have the original!) I was lucky enough to buy from a credible seller LOL. If you find one you like and you know it, double check to make sure you like it and go for it! I could not have waited a whole year!!! I would have just gotten her now, if I had waited. The agony!

 

It took me about one year of extensive research. I started collecting (downloading) photos of dolls that made an impression on me. To help memorize companies and sculpts, I always name the files. It's been quite an interesting journey! My very first choice among the companies has now dropped to the very bottom, and I just can't stand their dolls! The same thing happened with my next choice, when I finally felt that I've found "the one", in this case it was just the sculpt, not a company. I collected so many different versions of her/him (a popular and very versatile sculpt) that at a certain point, just could not stand to look at that face any more! And then Resinsoul released the new 60cm girl Mi, and there was no further hesitation, as well as no regrets after adopting her.

 

I searched about six years before I found a doll I wanted to commit to.

 

I spent... probably a week looking? I wasn't actually planning to get one at all, I just happened across the listing for my doll while casually searching used ones and it was like the stars had aligned - legitimate, practically no damage, beautiful face up, a style I adore, at a reasonable price I could afford and being shipped from my country. I sort of fell in love at first sight and impulsively went for it. Three days later he was here, and I still couldn't be happier.

 

It took me 2 to 3 months. I wanted another doll from the same company. Unfortunately, I felt his skin colour should be dark. As the company offered this very rarely, I choose another sculpt. In fact, I bought 2 dolls instead of one. I am very happy with my choice though I still feel I'd love to have this little doll now that the company offers dark skin.

 

Honestly, it took maybe a few months. BUT, the doll I fell for and wanted enough to actually take the plunge was a limited long since discontinued(until now). Since I couldn't hope to afford him, I had to go looking for something else. That took a couple more years and it was technically a head that I bought, an Abadon head.

 

I got my first new doll of my own back in 2008 a Luts Annette when I first saw her I had to have her! I've been wanting a bigger doll and a boy doll too but I didn't want a girly looking boy then I saw this and now I have him
Azazel, 70cm Doll Legend Boy - BJD Dolls, Accessories - Alice's Collections

 

Didn't take me very long sadly. It took less than a month. I end up taking longer before buying and I would try to find a better one. Found a bunch I like but somehow I end up back at where I start.

 

Maybe within a week or two I think it was? I'd played on this petsite and I'd become acquainted with @darksnight. She showed me her beautiful doll and a few websites, and I started looking around. I found iplehouse and while their dolls were lovely and I kiiiiiiind of wanted one I still scoffed at the amount of money they cost.

Then they released SID Claude and he was basically exactly how I imagined my OC looking. I was so done for, but the price was so crazy for me, at the time I'd never spent more than like 150 dollars on anything. I didn't really understand about limited dolls and I didn't read the whole page, so by the time I worked myself up to it... his order period was over. I was so sad, and I'd been so ready for a doll I bought an JID Kyle anyway. I really didn't bond with him, but when christmas that year rolled around Iplehouse put all their limited dolls from the year on a christmas sale, so I got my Claude on a crazy layaway! @Quetz helped me out getting payments made on time and stuff, and finally Claude made it home. Occasionally other dolls creep into my collection, but not super often. Unless I'm in love I don't wind up keeping them.

 

Many years of looking at everyone elses dolls and thinking I want one, finding out where they bought them and thinking I don't have money yet.
When I had money, it easily took about 3-4 months of researching and staring at different dolls with potential (and in that time repeatedly going back to the one I bought as I saw him within my no money years as well hahaha)
Finally, last year I found a doll I felt I could keep loving the look of and I felt he was versatile enough for me making clothes for him

 

I wasn't really looking hard for a bjd. I'd glance now & then at Ipelhouse and even wanted to buy Akando but I stopped myself.
Fast forward to reading Haute Doll & there he was David Kunnci in all his glory in the magazine spread. I looked online at the website & bought the doll later that week I believe! I had to own him, it was love at 1st sight. He was exactly what I wanted without even knowing that was what I wanted!

 

My experience was more like what @brightberry describes. I didn't decide to get a BJD and then start researching to find the right one... I came across BJD rather randomly on Flickr and was just enjoying looking at pics with no intention whatsoever to own one until I saw Elfdoll Rita. THEN I decided I was going to have to own a BJD. Before that, I was just like "cool dolls, way more than I'd want to spend, looking at pics is fun tho." So in my case, coming across the right doll was what made me decide to buy one at all.

 

A few days. I decided I wanted some small dolls, so I was looking around, found some I liked, but I make sure to look around a lot to be sure, then I found some others that I completely fell for! I'm still looking, but I don't think anything can override the joy I get from seeing those two sculpts!