Is it ok to think of BJDs as a form of investment?

You can think of your dolls any way you like, but in reality, thinking of dolls as an investment, probably isn't realistic.

I used to sell Fine Art, and when I had clients who would start asking about the "investment" value of a piece, I would always caution them against buying for that reason. Art may or may not increase in value, or even hold it's value, as it's subjective and a non-essential.

I view these dolls in the exact same category as an art purchase, and would tell you the exact same thing I used to tell my art clients. That is, ONLY buy, because the piece (or doll) grabs you at an emotional level. There isn't a monetary value that can be assigned to that component, and, what grabs you, may not grab anyone else in the same way.

All that being said, I can honestly say that I have never lost money on a doll sale, so they do seem to at the very least, hold value. Whether or not there is a market for a given sculpt, that's always an unknown, and the market changes constantly.

 

paperbot and Lizzard pretty much said if for me. To sum up:

We use investment as an excuse afterwards, but it's there in the back of my mind that I could sell one if there's an emergency. I'm not saying I would (can't even fathom selling my most valuable boy), but I can think it.

 

BJD's are objects, they should be fine to sell. But I don't think it's wise to consider them investments, as there is never a guarantee that any given model is going to appreciate in value - or even that the hobby will stay as popular as it currently is.

I do agree with Datsuki that scalping is a practice which is destructive to the community.
bta

 

I have sold dolls for a family emergency and got about what I paid for them, but it was lots more painful, for instance, than cashing in a bond or cd. For one thing, I didn't really want to sell them, and also, I wanted them to go to someone who would appreciate them and not re-paint their faces with magic markers (I exaggerate a little, but not much). I would never buy a doll as an investment, personally, because their value is totally subjective; even the expensive ones.

 

I personally don't think of them as an investment: I want them, I'm willing to spend money on them, they will (hopefully) bring me some artistic output and joy. BUT...
I have several people close to me who cannot understand the purchase of something so costly. I've tried to explain it from an artistic perspective and they don't understand, so I just tell them it's an investment and leave it at that.

It's a little dishonest, but it saves me time and effort trying to explain it to people who can't understand the allure of doll collecting.

 

I think Lizzard has a good point. Calling them an investment is a useful way of allowing yourself to spend the money in the first place. I have to admit, short term, this makes sense to me. As someone else pointed out above, it's good to know that you can buy a doll, have it arrive, and if you don't bond can turn around and sell it for as good as the same price you paid. There aren't many hobbies that can do that.

I've never bought a doll with the idea of reselling, or using it as an investment, but at least for now, I have to say it is rather comforting to know if suddenly my life goes to pot I have a good bit of money I can release from resin.

 

I used to collect teddy bears and sold my entire collection when they were taking too much space. I didn't make any money but I got back what I paid for them. My bears were all numbered limited editions and yet didn't really appreciate in value. It was an enjoyable hobby and I got my money back when I got out of it - what more can you ask for?

A teddy bear can stay in pristine condition for a very long time if you take good care of it. The resin of my dolls will yellow with age and so their condition will deteriorate with passing years. I would expect to get SOME money back if I sold a doll within a few years of its release. I would have no expectations beyond that.

So I don't think of dolls as an investment and IMO it would be a poor investment anyway except in some circumstances (scalping, very rare limited editions, etc...)

 

I understand that my dolls are able to be sold at anytime, but I wouldn't want to do it. I got them as my things to make ME feel good. Not to secure my retirement or as emergency money. I'm right there with bunnydots I could if I absolutely had to, but I'd rather not at all. I love my dolls, so I can't really think of them as just money.

Plus, it isn't necessarily very wise to do so either o.o"

 

One of the ways I convinced myself that spending $600 on a doll wasn't completely crazy was by telling myself that if I lost interest I could sell it and recoup some, if not most, of what I spent.

That said, I think considering dolls an investment is potentially hazardous to your finances. Like other wise people have said in this thread, while some dolls increase in value, most don't even retain theirs. If you're justifying buying dolls you can't really afford by claiming they're an "investment" you're probably going to have some financial issues down the road.

 

This.

Depending upon the type of doll, they certainly can retain a lot of their value, but they seldom increase (limiteds would be the exception). So, it's nothing you can count on -HOWEVER- if you need emergency cash in a pinch, you can almost always recoup a good portion of the original cost.

I think I've only lost money on one doll, the rest were actually picked up via the buy-it-now option and brought me in a little extra.
So as far as hobbies and toys go - they are less of a risk-investment of your cash than most things.

 

I remember the days when people bought Beanie Babies and Barbies as investments thinking they'll be able to fund their children's college fund. In both cases the market for them tanked. Who knows how long in the future if BJD's will increase or even hold their value. An item can only be sold at what someone is willing to pay.

The thing I like about BJD collectors is that they really love and play with their dolls. Buying a doll as an investment I would think would both limit both aspects.

 

That's an excellent point.

 

although I normally will not buy a doll for the purpose of reselling in the future, but it is okay to think of doll as a form of investment.
On Yahoo! Japan Auction, you can see a lot of seller are selling the head with the beautiful make up, or selling the diffcult to get doll....I believe the seller gain quite amount of money on selling the doll

 

I think dolls as investment is very risky. A few years ago, I could sell one of my fashion dolls for a mint, and now she's worth very little. I have had to sell a doll on occasion because I really needed the money, and usually get about what I paid if I throw in a few "extras" (i.e., wig, nice eyes, or an outfit). I have a collection I really like right now, so I wouldn't want to have to sell, but sometimes life gives you lemons.

 

whether you purchase them for an investment or not.. through the years dollies have been loved, collected and passed down.. so it turns out to be an investment for sure...

 

well, there's a distinct difference between the people who will go into a purchase with the thought that it is an investment versus those who will go in for entertainment value. back to the Star Wars comparison, I saw an AT-AT walker that I had as a kid in a collector store once. I had played with that thing till it was essentially destroyed. it was up to about $150. the person who sold it to them had bought it for collecting purposes, I had bought it for entertainment. he came out with a small profit, right around $100 I'd guess, over a long period of time, but I am sure that there's no way he could enjoy that money as much as I had enjoyed what I had purchased.
although it's a different medium, and a much longer term investment if you will, I feel that when making a purchase such as this, we make it knowing that once we put some use into the dolls, their value will depress some. what the real investment is to us (you, I has no doll yet) is entertainment, which in and of itself can be very therapeutic towards mental health. yes, I see these dolls as an investment not in money, but in our own happiness. true, what better investment could be made than that?

 

How is it wrong to think of them? I personally don't, nor would I ever (I get very attached to inanimate objects, let alone inanimate objects that look like little people).

But you pay the money for them, it's your choice to do what you want with them. oHonestly, if you wanted to shell out $900 and smash them with a hammer, that's your choice. It's no one's place to say that you're wrong in doing that.

While they might be things that I'm emotionally attached to, I certainly don't expect the rest of the world to share my opinions or views.

Aside from bludgeoning someone to death with a bjd, I can't think of anything really "wrong" that you could do with it.

 

Sometimes when I'm buying dolls, I tell myself it's not spending, it's an investment. This is the way I make myself feel less guilty. But actually I can not sell the dolls once I get them, I bond with them so well, and I admit when I so want to buy an expensive new doll but have no money in my account, I do concider selling one or two dolls from my collection, but when I look at them I just can't let anyone go...

 

People tell me I'm wasting my money when I get a doll. But they dont understand that they truly are investments!? I think of my doll as my child and a HUGE investment ^__^