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

I'm saving up at the moment to order my first doll, and SD Crobidoll Nao at $625 with Faceup. I have to say, I wouldn't dare try to get anything cheaper simply because I know I wouldn't enjoy it as much.

If you are willing to shell out money for a doll in the first place, I believe you should go for one that you actually love - much like everyone else here. If you buy a doll that is cheaper but maybe don't totally love then you have the risk of getting discouraged and not enjoying the hobby as much. More often then not in that type of situation usually your first doll ends up being sold rather quickly. I find it more like 'setting' rather then 'falling in love.'.

As for it being a good idea or not, IMO if you're willing to shell out any amount of money for a doll, $450 is a pretty reasonable price in general for a hand made object. Even if you can't order the doll as soon, it is worth it to save up. Heck, every time I look around other sites I see MSDs I can afford at the moment, but I know if I order one then I won't be as happy or satisfied with it.

In any case, I think the amount is reasonable, after all the hobby isn't cheap, and whats 50 more dollars to add to a lifetime of happiness?

 

I think, if you feel, that this is really your doll, the price is not so important, even if it's your first doll

 

I paid more or less $900 for my first doll and he's not even a limited =.= I prefer no smaller than 65-70cm ..
for me the deciding factor is that, its not the money but how much you love the sculpt/doll cuz if your gunna buy a $200-$300 doll might as well buy the one you like anyway.. cuz if you dont like it you might've just feel youve wasted you money =.=

 

Don't settle. If you find a smaller doll you love just as much as a larger, that's one thing. But if you can't find a smaller or substantially cheaper doll that appeals to you just as much as the two you're eying, then don't bother.
If you don't like the doll in the end, then the money will have only been a waste.

 

I'll just go on and add to what others have said - getting a doll you're not in love with because it's cheaper is false economy.

On the faceups front, I haven't read back through the thread so I might be repeating but generally speaking, it's better to start bigger and work your way down. Smaller heads are harder to faceup than larger ones. The brushstrokes have to be smaller, after all.

 

I also have thought (dreamed etc) about my first doll for a couple of years.^_^ As you can see from my signature he's Dollmore Kara Klum, 440$ without make/blashing/sanding. But he was the doll that I really wanted to be mine. So when I made a decision, I've bought him and now happily waiting for his arrival. I will never regret that I spent such amount of money for a doll, because he is MY doll.

So I think it is better to wait a bit and gather money for a doll you'll definitely like than to buy something you would probably sell out later.

 

It took me about two years to finally bite the bullet and decide to get my first doll, and another couple of months after that before I actually settled on a sculpt. I bounced between a few for a while, and then settled on a Sabik- 723 approximately, after shipping. I ordered him with nothing, completely blank. I took a pretty big risk, getting a very large, awkwardly sized doll that was quite a bit of money right off the bat.

I wouldn't change it for the world. I adore him and my love for the hobby has grown with him. I loved him from the start, but it was a lot of work to really make me feel like he was what I imagined. I am so glad he was my first, and at this point I wouldn't trade him for any other. I've had one other doll since, got him and then sold him because he just wasn't everything I wanted. It's made me realize that I really need to only get dolls that really appeal to me sculpt wise rather than character wise. ^.^ Carousel taught me a lot, and I'm so glad I got him instead of one of the other, less expensive dolls I was considering.

 

It's depends on which model that you love more than. It's nothing wrong if you'll buy a cheaper one, but if you like more expensive one, safe for his/her and you'll be very happy with your doll more than you buy an cheaper one that you don't like it.
I paid more than $600 for my first boy, and now I'm very happy with him
Another trick, if you find doll picture and you can't take your eyes from his/her, it's show that you're falling in love with his/her! That can help you decide which one you'll choose!

 

$450 is not a lot compared to the price of other BJD (like soom monthly, the no-longer-for-sale old Hounds)

Just get the doll you like the most, don't settle for anything else just because it is cheaper, you might not like him/her as much because him/her is not your ideal sculpt.

As for size, check the height of the bjd and perhaps compare their height against yours so that you could get a feeling of how tall they are, if you're comfortable with their height than just go ahead and get it. Many people also have different preference for size, some like tinies and for people like me, the bigger the better XD Just get the one you like

 

Buy the doll if you love the sculpt, not the price. I was prepared to buy a limited edition doll for my first, but unfortunately, the sculpt I was interested in sold out a long time ago, and I was still fresh to the hobby to figure out where you get one second hand.

 

I believe it depends on what you are looking for in the hobby.

If you are the type of person who would like their doll to be already beautiful and ready to wear clothes and be photographed rather than being modified or worked on than buying the exact doll you know you want may be worth it.

I am the type of person who looks for dolls to modify - I don't have too many preconcieved notions about how I want the doll to look so I am happy to buy dolls for a low price even if they weren't on my wishlist.

I hope that makes sense and helps in some way!

 

I think in the end its up to you and whether you can find a smaller sculpt that you actually like.

If not, there's nothing wrong with getting a more expensive one, my first one was pretty expensive :P It means you get what you want and are probably more likely to keep it. As others said find out all you can and if you still want them then save up

 

Better buy a doll that really like it, you buy "only it were" and then give up and think about the sale ..

 

Yes! If you love the doll that's what matters! My first doll was $800. Don't settle for something you don't really love just because of cost. You'll be unhappy and it will make things worse!