How Prepared were You When You Got Your First Doll?

I didn't prepare anything at all
It was a impulse buy and be dragging a naked doll out in public

Wished i could slap my past self

 

I'm not prepared at all. I expected her to be here in 4-6 months...and she showed up in a little under two months. So she'll probably be laying in the closet for a bit

 

Oh dear, my first doll was an off-topic Granado Vindoll... I have read so much about general BJD stuff, but upon receiving him, I was entirely puzzled by his machanical jointing system! One of his foot fell off when I tried to dress him, and I was mortified! XD

 

Geee I was not prepared at all! I love telling this story because it's funny and sounds so dangerous. I was staying in Montreal actually in a tight budget, virtually without work (but I guess still working freelance modelling) and one day I see Anna Dobryakova of Tender Creation announcing a pre-order. I went to my bank account and thought "alright, I'll be broke but I'll have my doll finally!". I asked my sister to deposit all my savings, which payed for less than half of this doll since I had already used them for my trip, and payed the rest off my bank account. I was left with barely enough for the rest of my stay, and if felt really strange to click the paypal button! Especially knowing there would be an extended wait period before she arrived to me. Luckily enough when I got back to Lisbon I was offered a job and since then I got three more dolls. I was really lucky and bjd blessed

 

I thought I was prepared. I had done so much research, and I had a floating head for a long time before I could finally score a pre-owned body to match. But holy heck, I did NOT expect how large a 70cm doll body would actually be. Before I figured things out, I was utterly confounded as to how on earth the head was supposed to go with such a giant body (but no, it works just right). I had been thinking I would end up with quite a few BJDs, but after seeing how big they are, I think this one guy will be my only one for quite some time. I don't have THAT much space in my apartment!

(Edit: I know they don't HAVE to be that big, but I've already got this first guy and I feel like any additions would have to be on his scale for consistency and pictures and junk... )

 

Well, when I wasn't very prepared. The first thing was that I paid way too much for the doll. So much that I was almost afraid to touch it. I had bought a wig for her, which was too small. I bought eyes that were pretty bad quality. It's safe to say that I made mistakes lol

 

I was, but also... wasn't. My roomie ordered us both our first dolls back in September and in the meanwhile we were gathering things we'd need for their specific characters--props, clothing, wigs, etc.--but then 7 months later when we were due to go to a convention and said dolls had yet to have any sort of update, I kinda sorta impulsively snagged a cute little pre-loved MK boy from IG and he arrived with roughly 1 day to spare. Did my first faceup ever, all on one layer due to time constraints, and it was... passable. I had at least one little outfit set out so he wouldn't be naked, it was intended for a completely different character. While waiting for the new boy to arrive I'd pulled together a couple of items for him, namely his little fox ears and tail, and edited a purchased, poorly constructed fur wig into something less generic, but aside from the little beret I bought at the convention in an attempt to keep said wig in place, everything he was wearing was "borrowed" and not so much him really.

And to think, had the actual first doll arrived, I would've been completely prepared haha.

 

I bought my first doll recently and I'd say I'm relatively prepared, I'm sure there are things I will learn down the line but I spent several weeks researching things like how BJDs work and necessary things for beginners to know before I ordered him.

 

I was pretty clueless too. The hobby-forums with hobbyist tips on what to use on faceup etc were rather US-based (EU doesn't even allow MSC I think), and I had no idea what brands to buy when starting my first aesthe works. In the end I tested out all my watercolor pencils using a sealant I found from a wargame miniature store. I only had art experience from past since I had taken commissions on realistic fine arts, but I didn't even know what resin surface felt like.

When it came to his stuff, I had nothing when he arrived. I bought him eyes and shoes later and made a wig, but never got him anything else, not to the date, and it must be over 2 years. He's still completely naked. I never bonded with him particularly well, and now I opt to having everything ready when I get my dolls.

 

I wasn't very prepared. I didn't know anything really about the hobby, even though I had heard of it years before. I wish I knew how to sew, or even had gotten a smaller doll. Personally, MSD's are too large for me, and I'm more drawn to smaller dolls. I wish I had done more research!

 

I just knew that the clothes could stain the doll. Nothing else.
I still don’t know how to pose them for photos.

 

Oh my gosh, this sums up my experience really well. When I got my doll, the box was much bigger than I was expecting. I thought, “my doll can’t be this big. It’s probably mostly padding.” Little did I know he would be the size of a toddler. I also had some trouble getting the eyes in and putting the head on at first. I really had no idea how much work would go into getting him ready the first time.

 

Theoretically prepared, yes. I spent a couple of years reading about BJDs, so I knew what I was getting into and so on...
Materialistically prepared, no. I had no money for accessories, besides I had very clear what I wanted for my first doll, so she had to wait until I gather money for buying and comissioning what I wanted for her.

That didn't stop me from enjoying my first doll without fear.

 

I was clueless too. I first saw bjds at a good friends home... And got one really fast. No clothes, shoes... I bought everything soon after she got home.

Now I am better organized. I like to dress them as soon as they arrive. And place them... And.. And...

 

Moderately prepared.. my first doll i shouldn't have bought and waited for a doll i really wanted but I got a doll i adore now. Because I decided to first try Making a small bjd of my own I knew a lot more about them and felt completely at ease unstringing the dolls the day they came and cleaned them and hot glue sueded xD

 

I would say that I was theoretically ready. I read everything that was available on the forums, everything that I might need theoretically and for some time I had a girlfriend doll. But at the same time, for half a year I’ve been waiting for my first doll and didn’t bother to buy her clothes and a wig, her eyes and decide something about the make-up.
So that I collected his whole image for a long time and now I try not to do that and acquire everything in advance maximally.

 

I was semi-prepared. I ordered a wig and a simple dress so she wouldn’t be completely naked. I also figured out how to sand seams and suede her joints, but I didn't do that great a job. Over a decade later I still haven’t figured out what style of clothes works best for her lol.

 

Oh, I was completely prepared. I had clothing which did not fit him at all, and a wig and pair of eyes which were completely wrong for him. This hobby is definitely a learning process.

 

i wasnt as ready as i thought i would be. id watched so many video and did some research on things heck i had even done face ups for people before hand so i knew how to take care of one and i knew some good tips and trick but dear god when i got my boy i was so not ready, i like my dolls big but reading 75cm and actually seeing it are 2 different things i never accounted for the weight and how much harder they can be to balance with said weight so it took me some getting used too ad i had a few accidents witht hem before it really drilled in my head that a 75cm doll is an absolute unit of resin