Is it 'wrong' to buy dolls to customise for resale?

I think it is a great idea. Making OOAK is one of the aspect for doll collecting world.

For those who only wants blank doll, I do not see why you should get so "annoyed" because you can get the same blank doll from the company (or the marketplace) and not from the customizer.

 

I don't think there should be any issue with it. By customizing and then selling, you're putting out some really unique dolls on the market--you aren't just turning around and reselling a doll at a profit, but are putting work of your own in and offering something more. Plus some people may not be as comfortable doing mods themselves and would rather by the doll with work already done.

I have some dolls I bought off the forum that came with really pretty custom faceups--in fact, that's why I picked a few of them. I could've gotten them new (and in a few cases for a bit less money), but I loved the faceups which were far better than anything I could do, and it saved me having to send heads out (something I've always avoided). With some of my characters I need to do the faceups myself, and I do enjoy it, however, there are times when the doll I'm buying doesn't have to have as specific a look and it's nice to get something that looks really polished. It can really be a win win situation for both the seller and buyer.

 

?? why would there be anything wrong with that?
I love customised dolls. They are usually breathtaking. Only downfall the price. For el cheapos like me, even 20 bucks more for a doll is a "no way!", no matter how wonderful the dolls is. There's a weird thought that by myself I could recreate such beauty. Never tried, but bet I'd fail.

sooo if you can tempt collectors, you're all set. good luck there's nothing morally wrong with customising!

 

I think the only time that buying something to customize and resell it would be wrong is if you were taking a less expensive head and modding it into a more expensive version, like a sleeping-to-awake or the other way around, for the sole purpose of making the extra buck (not giving it a faceup or any other personalization, JUST making it a blank head of the more expensive kind, not on commission either).

Taking a doll as a whole and making them into a character or OOAK set is completely fine and even encouraged. I have plans for a set of dolls I want to make for the sake of my art portfolio, when the funds allow, that will be sold off after completion.

 

I don't see how this is wrong. Modding closed eyes to open is a LOT of work (and open to closed eyes even more so), and not everyone could do it. I think if you put *work* into something, then you deserve to profit from it. It doesn't always happen, however!

Some might feel it's wrong to alter a limited of some sort, but that's another debate ^_~

Raven

 

I don't see anything wrong with it, and unless you only want to customize very specific things or characters, you may consider opening up a customization shop in the marketplace.

You'd obviously have to customize some of your own stuff first to show it off, but if you can prove you're good enough, then why bother putting down the huge chunk of change for the doll at all if you just plan to sell it, when you can just get get paid to do it?

 

I don't get why eye mods are somehow in a different category. Not everyone wants to tackle that, so having someone else willing to do it is no bad thing, and if someone's taking the time and effort to do a mod, then I would expect them to sell it for more--their time and skill has to be worth something. I don't see why an eye mod ranks under a faceup.

 

There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. If someone has the skills to do a lovely faceup or a mod, then they have every right to sell those skills. It's fair compensation for that person's effort, nothing more.
I'm not sure I understand the logic behind 'right' or 'wrong' reasons for buying a doll though. It's an object, a sometimes lovable one yes, but still just an object sold for profit and purchased for as many reasons as there are consumers.

 

I cannot grasp why customizing a doll as many companies intend to be done is bad. Isn't the hobby about sharing our creative approaches to what are essentially multiples of one particular mold? From what I've seen of the projected scenario in practice is usually a head or full doll that has been given a look above and beyond what most owners strive for. I think that their creativity and talent should be applauded, not scolded.

 

Speaking both as a customizer, and moreso, as an owner of several dolls other people have customized, there's nothing wrong with it.
Don't do it to a one-off or a doll that's LE-5 or something stupid like that. But seriously... nobody's forcing someone else to buy a customized doll. If you don't like it or just want to wipe it later, complaining about the price or customizations is just silly-- just buy a blank one from the company or find a different secondhand one. *shrug*
I don't think this is any more wrong than companies who take one of their standard molds and then do a beautifully painted up custom fullset one-off of it and sell it for more or something. If it's not your cup of tea, that's perfectly ok. But because it was made, someone who falls in love with it now has a shot at owning that specific work of art.

For me, personally, there are so many projects I would love to do, some of which I don't want to own when they're done, but just want to try... and some of which I initially want to own and then change my mind (that happens to me LOTS... especially changing my mind on size range after completing a project). Other times, one might buy a "rescue head" for practice, but then do something to it and like it, and not want to change it. Then keep it or sell it so someone else can love it.

This practice is a beautiful, wonderful way for an artist to be more prolific and it allows fantastic opportunities for someone to own someone else's piece of art. There are some things I see by an artist and just fall in love with immediately. Then if I can buy it like that, and can just HAVE it, knowing from the start that every detail is perfect! What a fabulous serendipity! A marvelously lucky alternative to waiting for them to customize something for me on commission (some of them book months in advance, too! Worth it, but still--eek!). And then there are artists one might adore who don't do commisions ever....

If not for customization to resell, I wouldn't have been able to get one of my dream dolls, as she wouldn't have been done, and my best friend wouldn't have the doll that is now her favorite. Both were done and then sold by the artist.

 

Of course it's not wrong. It's the heart of the industry. People have been customizing dolls as long as there have been dolls. I just did a quick ebay search on the word repaint in the doll category and found 157 listings. Now a few of those are nude dolls being offered for sale to repainters, most of them are dolls that someone has repainted. BJD customizing is just more sophisticated.

And doing it one doll at a time is the absolute right way to go about it. You may do one, and decide it's no fun, or your idea doesn't work for you or something else; at least your money won't be tied up with dolls that you then have to unload at a loss. If you do it one doll at a time, and keep good pictures of the ones you've finished and sold, and do a great job, your business will grow. Having been stationed in Korea for a year many years ago, I can tell you that their economy is different from ours, and the reason we pay so much for our BJDs and wait so long for them is that it is a time-intensive process to make them and do the face-ups and all. No one would expect you to do a whole bunch of customizing at once, any more than we expect the dolls to be produced at a mass market rate.
So go for it!!

 

Nothing wrong at all with it. ^_^ By all means that's what these doll are meant for.
A few have said it before though - it is very wise to use caution! Especially when reselling Modded dolls.

There are many (myself included) who view "modded" dolls as "Damaged" dolls, and would be unwilling to pay even full price, much less an inflated one. Especially if the mods are not very well done, or too extreme.

I *love* to see modded Dolls in the Gallery. Not so much in the Market place. There is a head in there right now that has been there for quite some time with a very minor and really well done mod to the nose, but because of the mod, it's not the same doll to me anymore.

I would be all over him and have him home already if they hadn't completely ruined his perfect nose... It's my favorite part of his sculpt...

 

I don't see anything wrong with customizing dolls and their faceups. I have had many of my dolls faces redone and I love them with their improvements. I also have some that I think are perfect as they are and would never change them. I say to each her/his own. I personally love custom faceups. I recently got a Narea 60 cm. with faceup by Cristy Stone and I adore her.

 

It's really no big thing. Fashion doll repaint artists & Barbie people have been doing it for ages. They simply buy dolls, repaint, reroot or even create sculpted hair & sell the dolls for a profit. Some of these folks have even admitted that they aren't doll collectors per se. Their only interest is in using the dolls as a canvas for their own visions. Some of the dolls are specially costumed but many are sold nude.

And many have done "series" of dolls either around one scheme, ethnicity, elements or monthly dolls. So really I don't see where it would be a problem in the BJD world except that the initial cost would be higher.

 

Heck no. I think it's great. I am not one of those people who gets personally hurt because I didn't get my hands on a limited and someone else did just to resell it. I have seen some of the customisers on this board who are mind blowing and I say continue on!! I am turning into a huge fan of Pepstar and love to see something new of hers. To me it's like buying an ultra limited edition painting. Not only do you have a limited doll (or not) but it's ultra rare because a great artist created a one of a kind for you. And if it's not a limited to begin with, if it's a popular artists OOAK, well...now it is a limited doll. I think it's awesome.

 

I'm all for it to be honest. There are actually lots of people and companies to do that. Now, some people prefer blank dolls but there are plenty of people who like dolls with personalities to come to them. As long as you price yourself within reason, you shouldn't have problem.

 

So you are making these dolls unique?
This makes me think of the business where you buy a house, fix it up and then sell it, to be honest!

I think that's a neat idea and would be pretty cool to have a "ooak" doll. Why not let someone own it who you know will thoroughly enjoy it?

 

I really don't see a problem with it. The only time I'd have a problem with it would be if it were a numbered limited (only 50 or so were ever available) as opposed to time limited like Soom's monthlies (and I know that some of them are rare - but when they were for sale, there was no limit to how many could be ordered. It just doesn't seem as wrong to customize one of them).

 

you know I have often thought of doing this, mostly because there are dolls I would love to creat but have no real interest in owning. I have seen many people attempt this and fail because of not being a known customiser, however I have also seen unknown pewople be successful, and every customiser starts somewhere right? so if you can afford to do it why not? once I can afford it I have specific custom one offs in mind that I will create only to onsell.

 

I don't see anything wrong with it at all! I also think, for a hobbyist who is really into customising, it's a nice way to get your hands on lots of different dolls without paying a king's ransom and then having too many floating heads around

I believe it to be simply another form of enjoying the hobby.