Is it a good idea to get a $450 doll if it's gonna be your first?

Always save up for the one you love most. The only time I recommend someone getting a smaller/cheaper doll is if they don't have their heart set on a certain sculpt. Since there are two that you adore so much, you will be so much more satisfied when you get them most likely.

Also, in the long run, a smaller and cheaper doll really isn't that much less than a bigger doll once clothes, wigs, eyes, everything is factored in.

 

with my first doll I actually fell in love with the sculpt without knowing which one it was (I saw it first in someone's signature picture). turned out he was a 70cm $500+ doll.

So i was put off for a while, I had not been planning to start with a doll that big, or that expensive. but after I had seen him I just could not feel the same for other dolls (no matter if those dolls were cheaper, smaller, more expensive, boy/girl) I had just been caught by that specific doll, so when the company suddenly announced they would stop selling .................. I broke my savings account, I just had to have him!

AND to be honest I have never regetted getting him as my first doll, I still love him and am very glad that he is home. (wow personal ranting..... sorry)

In short I'd say: if you love a doll that is a bit more expensive, just go for it. as long as you read some threads on face-up's and the likes, and are clear on what NOT to put on your doll. you won't harm them just trying to do a face up.

And like Kogepan said, gettig a "placeholder" doll for a while, it can be a great doll to have, but you might actually lose money in the reselling of that doll, Money you could have saved up in the first place to buy the doll you actually wanted to begin with.

I hope this helpes, Good luck chosing, buying and waiting for your fist Doll

 

If I'd have started with smaller dolls, I never would have gotten into faceups and sewing. They're WAY harder the smaller you get.

As everyone has said, of course, start with the one you like best. You want your first doll to be one you absolutely love, not one you settled for.

 

must say my first was a MNF, my shushu. (and i got her in 2007, her price with sleeping head was $420.) now, i did love El and Lishe like crazy, but they were over 500 then,.. i still ended up paying over 500, for wig, make-up, some clothes and shipping...
i dont think you should look at prices that much, and i do love my Sofie, but do regret not getting the dolls I loved at first.

 

There is nothing wrong with making a bigger investment on your first doll, mine in fact was one of the Luts girls (and that was before they adjusted their prices!).

To parrot what others have said, save for what you really want.

 

My first doll is $310 blank xD but i bought clothing, parts and ect all together he came to $975+ the day I ordered him xD
I admit he is a cheaper doll, but he was the one that really caught my eye! I had a grand to spend on a doll that day and I knew he was the right one. Although, he came a little "crooked"... his faceup wasn't dried right and flaky, he was strung so off he couldn't stand to save his life, and one of his foots broke from the stringing. I really didn't mind so much though, I really loved the doll I chose no matter what condition he was in! I just figured a bit of fixing up would do c:
I happened to have bought him a different pair of legs anyways XD
After I did some restringing and sueding! He came out to look very good and now he can hold some pretty great poses for a doll of his kind! and his faceup is finally going to get fixed! c:
I think you should really look around and pick your favorite whether it'd be a cheaper doll or a more expensive! Size shouldn't matter if you really love a sculpt! All sizes have disadvantages and advantages.c:
In the end~ I find that prices don't matter because somebody could have bought a bigger doll for more money but not put much into it , and somebody who bought a small doll put their life into it! Just pick the doll that really makes you smile c:

 

Why not? My first doll was $1400. As has been said previously: always buy the doll you love the most.

 

There are really three questions you have to answer for yourself in the exact order as I write them down:

1. Do you love the doll, more than any other?
2. If there's another - cheaper - doll you're considering, would you still be willing to buy it if that doll has the price tag of your first choice?
3. Are you prepared to spend a long time saving for him? (I'm talking about months, if not a year)

If you answer question 1 and 3 with a yes and 2 with a no, I think it's a pretty good indicator that this is the doll for you. Don't settle for anything less than the one you want.
Saving up is really not a bad thing. It helps you not to make a rash decision and let's you think it over some more. If you're still keen on buying the doll by the time you have enough money, you know you're making the right choice.

 

Definitely go with the doll you love. You will only regret getting a cheaper one in ANY expensive hobby. I guess you have to consider first if you want to commit to this expensive hobby in the first place. If that's a yes, then definitely save up for the doll you really want!

One thing that helped me really settle my price paranoia, is that the high end dolls have an excellent resale value. So if you wind up buying your doll and feeling you can't take care of them or the hobby is not for you, you can probably recoup the money from the marketplace here

PS: Also don't forget to calculate about $50 for EMS shipping with everything you buy so make sure you get everything from the company all at once (extra wigs, eyes, outfits, etc.) this will make your final checkout price way higher, but in the end you're saving that fifty bucks on a second purchase from them.

 

I think it's really your decision. It's hard for others to tell you which is better ><

One is a girl one is a boy, they are too different to really compare anyway. If you cannot decide, you should wait until you can make up your mind.

 

I do not see why it should not be fine =D
In total thats about what my first cost and I really did not mind and I do not think anyone really cared anyway xD

You should go with what you want and what you can do !

If for you you think its too expensive, I'm sure you could find one in the market for less if you search =3

 

I agree. Get the doll that you really want, even if it is a bit expensive. It's better than buying a cheaper priced doll that you may not like and don't want as much of the others.

 

If you like Lati, I would say that my first doll was a Basic Lati Green Lea with a factory faceup. She was about $280 before shipping, and I couldn't have been more pleased. She's a good size (not tiny but not too big), they do an awesome job on their dolls, and she was great to learn on.

I bought her clothes, eyes and wigs as I went. I was able to get a better idea of styling her once she was in my hands, and bought clothes from the marketplace here and ebay. You can really find commissioners like spampy who can make you anything you can imagine for a very reasonable price. I got her new eyes for $10 from Safrin Doll.

Over all, she was a PERFECT first for the price!

On direct topic though, I don't think there's an "appropriate" price for your first doll. I wanted to spend less to make sure, but that's just me. If you want something more expensive, then go for it! I hope whatever you choose it makes you happy!!! ^_^

 

My first doll is a LTF Ante Elf. She's small and she still cost like $335ish bald, naked and without a face-up! So it's not like it's that much cheaper... but I loved her to death and had to have her, price meant nothing. Like everyone's saying, the whole hobby is expensive, so if you are serious about it, don't focus on price or "which one's cheaper". Go for the ones you REALLY love, and try not to focus on the price tag. When you have them in your hands, they will seem priceless anyway.

Just save your pennies and go for that special one. You'll regret it if you don't!

 

Price should not matter, even if this IS your first doll. When we buy our first PC - do we really look at the cheapest just because they are "our first PCs"? I think not. We start looking for the quality ones that would answer our needs.
The same should be valid for every field, BJDs included. A larger price tag might look frightening at first, in the sense that some people who are not used to this kind of money might feel intimidated to even touch the dolls, but you needn't worry - unless you decide to play soccer or dip it into acetone for a couple of hours, nothing bad should happen (:
And just to tell the truth - getting a smaller doll as your first one is often much more frustrating. It's often harder to find nice clothes for them that wouldn't look too girly, or get the shoes you like. The faceups are actually harder to create as there is not that much place for details and your brush work has to be extremely precise. And the price tag really just _looks_ low. I'm ordering a tiny right now, and have already reached a $400 mark, with just one dress and a pair of shoes to go additionally - and no faceup ))

 

Welcome to this great hobby

First advise is always go for the one you have set your mind on. But you can always consider cheaper dolls to start with but I always believe there has to be love once you decide to order one.

Bobobie and Resinsoul have been mentioned in this thread. I like to add that these dolls come completely finished with face up (also including sanding and assembly). And they stand very well so it makes them great starter dolls . And there's a good chance they add nice freebees. I got an extra pair of glass eyes and a wig with my girl Charisma. The company has good feedback, I don't think you can go wrong with this one. But most of all, there definately has to be love.

And one more thing: always ask the company if the order can be shipped by a courier service like DHL (delivery within 5 days). If possible, avoid shipping by EMS because that will take ages and won't cost much or any less than courier-shipping. Ask anyone who has experience with EMS shipping, it sucks!

 

Get the dolls you want to get. If there happens to be a cheaper, smaller doll, that's on your wishlist anyways, then you may start with that. But don't settle for a doll, just because it's cheaper.
Like others, I suggest seeing if you can go to a meet up and handle some of the dolls in person.
I originally planned to get a DoT Shall fullset, but on a whim, I bought a fairyland MNF. I got an SD event head with it, so I bought a body for that... And I learned I don't like SD sized dolls... It's a good thing I found that out before I bothered saving for limited edition doll, I'd have to buy second hand anyways.

 

This is an expensive hobby. If you're balking at the initial price of the doll....the hobby is not going to get any cheaper after that. Something to think about.

Get the doll you want, you will regret settling for something less and it will be a bigger waste of money in the long run.

 

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Hmmmm...
For me, Once I had decided what doll I wanted price was no issue XD