How Prepared were You When You Got Your First Doll?

I’d happen to chance upon a sculpt online and instantly got him! He was priced rather low with a beautiful realistic faceup. I didn’t really prep much except for try and source out for miniature items in my home to be used for photography ><

 

NOT AT ALL xD I didn't even know the difference between single and double jointed. I was disappointed when she arrived single jointed because I had just jumped at the chance to purchase her... she was the exact doll I'd been looking for.

I don't overly regret it though. This hobby is about a mix of research and impulse!

 

I was not prepared at all! I kinda found them online and fell in love, asked for one for my birthday (a whole year coming, and I had to help pay) and ended up spending SO much money on a hobby that I didn't even keep! I still mess around with photography every now and again and enjoy sifting through the forums and galleries to look at the pretty pictures, but I'm not sure I can justify the costs since it's not one of my main hobbies. I didn't realize doing the faceups, modifications, sewing clothes, etc., were a part of it.

 

i did so much research before i got my girl and i had everything prepared for her and i still felt like i didn't have anything ready at all when she came in i made her wig and did her faceup and was so excited and she still wears that wig to this day (i kinda want to make an alpaca version of it)

 

I would say I was pretty well prepared. It took me a while to make sense of restringing (she was a DC tiny so the elastic channels were TEENY, and the tutorials I found online were for normal sized dolls and didn't quite work) but I had eyes ready for her, as well as brush cleaner to remove her previous owner's faceup and fabric to start sewing her clothing.

I didn't really understand scale or clothes sizing yet and it took me way too long to figure it out, but I think I was as prepared as I could have hoped to be

 

My preparation was mixed. I had admired BJDs from a distance (as in halfway across the world over the Internet distance) for some time before I finally took the plunge and placed an order. My very first doll had a factory faceup and then one day I took it into my head that this was a customizing hobby and dammit, I was going to wipe that factory faceup and do my own! I'm an artist, I can do this!

I ruined the doll's head and had to get another. Sigh, another learning experience.

Fortunately, as can be seen in my avatar, I got better. I'm no pro, but at least she doesn't look like Tammy Faye Baker. (Google her, but brace yourself.)

 

I had done plenty of research while I was slowly saving up, so in that sense I was prepared. But reading about dolls and actually having one in your hands are two different things! I hadn't seen a doll in person before and I wasn't prepared for quite how difficult they can be to pose or even to just get looking nice.

I also hadn't bought anything for it, other than one very cheap wig, because I had been saving all my money for the actual doll. So I really wasn't prepared in that sense either.

Thankfully I was not discouraged by my naked, badly posed first doll xD

 

exactly but still in most cases just take it one project at a time and you'll be fine

 

I feel like I was pretty prepared? I had a friend into the hobby who invited me to join a BJD discord that told me most of what I needed to know~ Even so I felt clueless about things like restringing, where to buy certain items and even now feel lost amongst all the different companies and face sculpts! I was still anxiously trying to learn the size lingo when my first doll arrived haha!

 

I got into the hobby very young, so I had to wait half a decade to buy my first doll. By the time I had saved enough money, I was well learned.

 

I was the same actually! I admired for years before I bought my first this year. But I was not prepared for the choice of dolls but luckily I found Dollshe and I knew thats where I wanted my first doll to be from. I wish I had understood more about wigs and eye sizes.

 

I would say I was pretty prepared.I think I first saw these dolls (DoD molds) when I was googling something and picture poped up. At that time I was young, around 15-years-old, but at that time the price threw my off, so I did not ever think of purchasing one. Later I found out there is a forum and other people collecting these dolls, so I got curious. Of course I learnt so many new things also after getting a doll, but before getting a doll I already had registered to few BJD forums and was trying to get as much information as I could. I was about 18-years-old, so not that young either. I started saving up and got my first doll maybe after one year. My first doll was MSD, but few years later I ended up selling the doll and switching completely to bigger sizes. Recently after getting active again been more into smaller sizes again thou...

 

I was... somewhat prepared. The first doll I actually received wasn’t the first doll I ordered. He was an in-stock doll from Junkyspot. I ordered his wig from the same place, but his clothes were an outfit set from Volks that took a bit to arrive. Thankfully, he came with eyes, a faceup, and undies to preserve his modesty during his naked period.

In terms of preparedness beyond the realm of appearance, I was a bit short. His SIZE, for one thing, shocked me. (He’s only 45cm; I literally could not sit down when I got my Ringdoll Dracula. I felt like I had to step WAY back to even see all of him!)

I have to say, I was a bit scared of him. Not at all because I found him creepy—he was the cutest doll I’d seen in all my nineteen years of life. More like I was afraid of what I might accidentally do to him, which I think is pretty normal. I wouldn’t let him sit directly on my desk. I had to baby proof it with the fluffy blanket he came wrapped in. When his right eyelash fell out, I almost cried.

So in terms of having all the stuff he needed, eh. He went a long time without shoes, but I always felt that he didn’t particularly need to wear shoes in my bedroom. I was much more ready for my second doll, who came blank but with all the clothes and accessories he needed. And I wasn’t scared of him, lol.

 

Before I got my first doll I had been lurking on the perimeter of the BJD and OOAK community for years, about 8 to be exact! I always wanted to get a BJD but I was so nervous about investing so much money into a hobby I'm not sure I was going to be super dedicated to. While I was humming and hawing in my indecisiveness I watched a lot of videos about BJDs (their care, where to buy clothes, tutorials on how to make your own, etc.) so I think I might have been in a position where I was more knowledgeable than I anticipated when I got my first one.
However, I was definitely shocked to see how big my first doll was, so I definitely wasn't as prepared as I thought I was!

 

I have a friend who has an extensive doll collection. She had an Iplehouse BID that I loved so I purchased one also. In that way I was prepared because I had held my friend's doll. I had purchased a "coming home" outfit for my doll so she would have something to wear. In that way I was prepared.

I was not prepared, however, for changing her eyes. I had no idea that the top of her head came off. That was actually a little scary. When it first happened, I thought I had broken her.

I have always had dolls in my life and I am very comfortable with them so in that way I was prepared for her arrival.

 

I was unprepared. I have owned various dolls for decades but never BJDs. I stumbled across my first BJD and approached it with a certain amount of hubris thinking it would be similar to owning any other doll. I was wrong. Just learning the nomenclature was a steep learning curve for me. I ordered a bunch of MSD sized clothes for my 1/3rd not knowing the difference between MSD, SD, YoSD, etc. I thought all BJDs were the same. Rude awakening. Even when comparing my SD sized dolls, I learned to pay close attention to the measurements listed by the manufacturer. Sitting my Dollmore Model Dolls next to my Feeple60... oh boy.

 

Dear Art Dolls, I completely understand. I have been a general doll collector for years but I had not gotten any BJDs so I knew nothing about them. I think I was afraid that I wouldn't know how to interact with them. Luckily I have a friend with a huge doll collection, which includes BJDs. She graciously allowed me to "meet" her dolls and I got to know about BJDs. Now I have one BJD and I am saving for another. I love my sweet doll and I cannot imagine not having her in my collection.

 

That's good you had an opportunity to "experience" a BJD before you had your own. I randomly came across @Botflybaby selling my first BJD on Instagram and just HAD to have her. The rest is history. I have a few buddies who collected Smart Dolls but I didn't contact them until after I had already had my own. Thats when I first started noticing there were size differences. At the time, since they were referred to as "SD" size, I thought all BJDs were made by Volks. Seems amusing now how ignorant I was.

 

I had face up supplies and... nothing else. I was super not prepared.

On the other hand, I knew how to sew, and paint, and craft so many of my hobbies fit nicely into the hobby.

 

I was not prepared! He was the first bjd I saw in person. He was soo HUGE! I just touch him in gloves. I was after a two years of researching, so I knew something about face up, wig making and restringing. And after a few weeks of frights, I try out everything. Except face up. He was blank for about 6 months brefore I paint him. But sadly couldn't bond with him, so he isn't with me anymore.