Is your doll really 'Limited'.

Well, I know this is going to bring about responses like, "every doll is one of a kind, so, in a way, they are all limited!" and "it doesn't matter if the doll is limited or not! People like what they like!"

I TOTALLY see where you are at. I might not roll my eyes, per say, but maybe I'll make some snarky comment with my close friends later like "wow, this Diet Coke can? There is no other can just like it!" I am a bad person thought.

For me, "limited" is a vague term. I mean, if there is only 10,000 of something made, but it is something SUPER popular that a LOT of people are going to want, yeah, I might slap a limited lable on it. (Imagine if only 10,000 iPads were made. Ever. That'd be AWESOME!!!). With dolls, hmmm, I am more discriminating. I think you have to start using adjectives to get to the meat. Limited=less than, I dunno, 500. Limited. Alright. Very limited= less than 100. Extremely limited=under 50. Anything less than that, you usually use the counter. "She is 1 out of only 20 to ever be made!"

As far as limited and pricing... it sorta makes a difference to me. I mean, it has to have initial appeal. We all probably nod our heads there. But, once something is limited, my price bracket starts to wiggle based on actual numbers. I'm a Volks-head so I'll stick with Volks for examples. Oh, let's talk about Nono. The girl has been rereleased more times then I have toes. Each release, thought, because of clothing or make up is "limited." Eh, I don't really think much about that stuff, so do I consider her a limited? Not really, so I am only willing to spend so much for her. My price right now is pretty low, so I'll wait and eventually I know I'll get her. Now, if a Lady Sylvie pops up, well, you just don't see her very much! She was released ONCE, and it looks like in very limited numbers! I'll snatch her when I see her!

 

With almost my entire collection of limiteds, I don't consider my dolls any more special than some people's standards or anything of the sort. Turns out I just liked the dolls that were limited. And they would be much harder to replace say if I had a bad accident with one of them than a standard would. Do I rever them higher than other people's dolls despite that? Nah. If I met anyone that did think they were more special, I guess I'd just say, "Well congrats."

Around 200 dolls total is still a meager amount and if there aren't any plans to ever release the doll again in the future, that's enough for me to consider the doll limited. Whether or not that seems to be a large number, it's still a fixed, finite number of dolls that will never be made again and yes, that does raise their value, but only if they're fairly sought after limiteds. I've seen limited prices decrease over time because the demand for them wasn't very high. I've also seen limited prices increase over time because the inverse happened, the demand for them increased.

I don't personally like seeing when people try to flip limited dolls when clearly they're still on sale for much cheaper than the seller is trying to gain for them. If I really didn't like the doll I just got and it was still on sale, I'd either sell it for the same price I got it for-- or you know, wait until they're at least off sale to hope to justify a price increase.

 

My boy Kael is a souldoll Jinwoo which was sold for one week back in '07 i believe. I think in that time 50 or less were ordered and made so i view him as a limited. My other boy Julian is an SDF Ethan head, while i dont know the correct # sold of his mold i do know he was for a limited time(?) which makes him limited to me. And then my MD Glati, i dont view him as a limited simply because his card said #7,000something @.@ so there are alot out there you just cant buy them anymore from the site.

what bothers me most is when someone buys like the new soom md for $375 total, then because that month is over they go sell it for $550+, its like they buy the doll just to up the price and make a ridiculous profit off the people who missed out. I understanding up'ing the price a bit but 200$+ for a doll that there were thousands of made just doesnt seem right in my opinion. but maybe thats just me.

 

Limited isn't the same as rare. Limited just means there was a limit to the amount of dolls that were made like that. It could be that it's also rare, but not always.

I guess people might place a lot of value on it, but I don't really know anybody that does. The only way that I would personally consider and call a doll limited, is if it were one-of-a-kind. And even then, I'd probably use a different word. Unique, maybe.

No, I don't consider dolls more special if they're limited. But if people are willing to pay a certain amount for a doll, limited or not, they're more than welcome to charge it.

I, personally, see a doll and either I like it or I don't. I don't pay attention to limits, really. I would find all of my dolls special to me, even if everybody else in the entire world had the same doll.

But I'm into dolls for more the playing/fun value and not the collecting value. I suppose if somebody was more of a collector, everything could be different.

 

To me, "very limited" and "Not very limited" is still not "unlimited."

I don't have a problem with other people's dolls, or how important they believe them to be. Everyone wants to believe their doll is special and beautiful, even if it's a very common sculpt. (As long as they aren't annoying, or rude about it, of course.)

If someone is going ask more for their limited doll, just because they can, but the market place is full of them, then smart people will shop around.
But just because there was a run of 200+, doesn't mean there is always going to be multiples available on the marketplace at any one time. Yes, how limited a doll is definitely effects the price, but how popular it is, is more important.
If someone charges more just because it's limited, it's only stupid if nobody buys it. If someone pays that price, they thought it was worth the cost, and it therefor, has become worth the cost.

And the longer the sculpt lasts, the more limited it's going to become, even if the number of available dolls don't change. The dolls will slowly change hands from people who thought it was a cool concept, or an awesome impulse buy, to those who truly love the doll and never want to part with it.
It becomes harder and harder for those who come new to the hobby to find.

 

I don't care if my doll is a 1 out of 1 or a 1 out of 1439847328970 as long as it has something about it that makes it mine.

And about limiteds... I don't really consider a doll limited if it's the face-up, clothes and accessories and whathaveyou that makes it so. If the sculpt itself is something that is not likely to be released again, then I would consider it limited. So I guess in my perception, it's not really about the numbers but about the availability of the sculpt.

 

It doesn't matter if there are 10 or 500 of one doll made. The dolls are still limited in quantity. You can't order them from the company any more, so you're dependant of those who might be willing to sell.

5 limited dolls on the MP is not always a lot. Some are incredibly popular and sold within a day. Or there might be 5 on the MP of a doll that there are only 20 of, that still doesn't make them less limited.

I believe that limited means limited in quantity, not in rarity.

 

I have moved this to Dolly Debate because I think this has a greater scope than in General Discussion.

I have to re-examine what I think makes a limited. Is a doll limited because you have only one window in which to order and after that, the doll is gone? Is a doll limited because the sculpt is made in small numbers? Is a doll limited because of the face-up and accessories that come with it?

I consider my Volks SDC Kurt to be a limited doll; he was only available for one Dolpa, has only been released once, was not made in huge numbers and has limited edition face-up, eyes, costume.

I do consider the Soom Monthly Dolls to be Limited Editions, even though potentially hundreds could be ordered within the ordering period. It may not make them limited in number, but it makes them limited in that once they're made, they will never be re-released, (the only exception to this appears to be Soom's NS Sard, but he was even more limited than the original WS Sard.)

 

Yes I know the Soom dolls are 'limited', but when there 200+ of them made can they really be considered limited?
Absolutely.

Or atleast do you think/find that some people place to much weight/value on their doll being Limited when it's not very limited?
I'm sure some people do, just like I'm sure some people don't care if their doll is one of a kind or one of several thousand.

When do you consider a limited doll to not be 'truely limited', and/or when does calling it 'limited' really lose it's value?
The company decided if an item is limited or not, in the end. I don't get a vote there.

Feel free to discuss a doll that you first have seen that was not very limited and then became a sort of 'true limited' doll. So when does a doll really become limited?
Pretty much anything discontinued due to low sales. Soom Olivine and Carnel are likely good examples of this. Both were not limited releases, but both are now discontinued -- not many sold. They aren't what I would call limited editions, because they are not -- but there is a very limited quantity of those dolls out there.

At what point do you think people can really charge more for a 'limited' doll, because it's limited?
People can charge what the market will bear. If it is a sold-out edition, and the people who want it is greater than the number of people who have it? Yep, that's going to affect the basic law of supply and demand, and the price will rise.

Because a doll is 'limited' does that suddenly just make it more valuable or more important then 'standard' dolls?
More valuable? Possibly. It depends on a variety of factors -- popularity, number of them out there (in either case), whether they are still currently available, number of people who want them, condition... way too many variables there for any one answer to fit all situations. More important? Pfft, no.

Have you met people who think their 'not very limited' dolls are so special, while your 'Standard' is more rare or was hard to get, and what do you do?
No. Most of my dolls are limited; internal to my collection I find them no more or less important than my standards. I see no reason to think differently outside my collection, either. If someone else has been pulling the 'stare down the snoot' routine over any of my dolls, I haven't really noticed.

Is there a point when a doll isn't really 'limited' just not for sale any more, and is there a difference? (Such as a discontinued mold, is it suddenly just as valuable as a limited, or not?)
If it's discontinued because no one wanted it in the first place, it would be hard to argue that it would be as valuable as a highly sought after limited edition, even if there are a hundred times as many of the limited edition out there in the world to be had. There are too many variables involved for this to have a single answer. It is possible? Absolutely. Is it absolutely? Not possible.

Is it simply 'numbers' that determine if a doll is truely limited? Or is it just because a company says it's 'limited' that makes a doll limited?
If the company says it's a limited -- by time period, number, etc. -- and the company sticks to that, I'd say it's limited. A limited edition is not necessarily going to be super-rare in quantity, but it has a finite quantity whether that is determined before they are ordered (LE by quantity) or by period of time in which they can be ordered (Limited by no more being made after the period ends).

 

I think the term "limited" has lost a lot of its meaning, what with the number of LE's that are later re-released. Not that I have a problem with that--one of my girls is a re-release, and I'm grateful that Volks decided to make more of her

To me, then, "limited" means simply "we're only selling a certain number of these...for now."

 

For me, a limited doll refers to something that was only offered for a special occasion, or amount of time. It's based on any sort of limit set by the company, be it specific numbers, events, or time periods. Of course, you could always say that standard releases that are discontinued are also limited, and sometimes I do really believe that they're more limited in numbers than actual limited edition dolls.

To answer your questions, a "truly limited" doll is one that has a specific number of dolls that are released in comparison with it's popularity; in short, the more popular it is, the more limited it is based on how difficult it is to obtain. I guess to use an example, my limited edition Volks Suiseiseki was an "easy" to obtain limited. This doll shows up on the marketplace both here and on Yahoo Japan very frequently, and in a variety of price ranges. Also from Volks, you have some of the older dolls like the male SD17's who aren't on the market nearly as often, yet there is still a popular demand on them reflected by their consistent high prices.

Because a doll is 'limited' does that suddenly just make it more valuable or more important then 'standard' dolls?
Nope. There are several companies who make their own limited dolls, yet they never get terribly popular. Many Volks Yo-SDs (and even Soom tinies) don't have a lasting inflated price.

Have you met people who think their 'not very limited' dolls are so special, while your 'Standard' is more rare or was hard to get, and what do you do?
No, the people who I've met at meet-ups aren't assholes.

Is there a point when a doll isn't really 'limited' just not for sale any more, and is there a difference? (Such as a discontinued mold, is it suddenly just as valuable as a limited, or not?)
I don't think this is all too different. Sometimes the standard (but discontinued) doll just wasn't that popular either, and that's why the price doesn't go up, or it's just been forgotten. When I really started to love the discontinued Souldoll Clara, I couldn't find one for several months; it certainly felt like trying to obtain a limited doll.

 

This. If the company isn't making them anymore, they're more rare and, if they're desirable to many, more expensive. Most dolls are limited to some degree, as companies won't continue to produce them until the end of time, but there's a difference between a doll with a run of 2 and one with a run of 2,000. The biggest issue for me personally is whether I love the doll enough to pay the price. There are a couple of Soom MDs that I would pay triple the original price to own because I find them beautiful and they are not readily available. I've also seen a handful of Volks one-off heads that I wouldn't take for free (okay, I probably would ) and certainly wouldn't pay dearly for because they just don't appeal to me.

All that being said, it bugs the heck out of me when people go on and on about how rare and limited and fabulous their object is, doll or otherwise. When my oldest son was born I bought him a bunch of cloth diapers and had my first experience with the world of crazed "limited" fanatics. There are women in that group who pay $400+ for one diaper because it's a limited print. So after that the dolls seem less insane to me. Still though, there's a fine line between using "limited" as a descriptor for what you own and using it as bragging rights/an excuse to crank up your resell price. The first makes it interesting, the second makes it irritating.

 

I have to qualify this post with the fact that I am new here and am still learning about different dolls so please keep that in mind when reading my post. While I don't know about specific dolls, I do feel like there's a really important undercurrent in you post that strikes a chord with me in dealing with collectors, clubs and communities.

I really love being on DoA because everyone has been awesome thus far. It's a really supportive environment and everyone's been kind. HOWEVER....It seems like no matter what hobby you are into folks are always going to have to compete and then go out of their way to try to put others out/down. I'm always excited to see others new purchases and share the excitement of a new addition but occasionally there are those who acquire the rarest stuff and then show it off to their friends for the envy factor. I have yet to encounter anything like this on DoA (actually I've not really encountered it since high school) but it's such a large community, I'm sure it out there somewhere.

The value of a doll -speaking for myself ONLY- is the passion the owner has for the hobby and the personality they inject into it. Perhaps I only write this because I couldn't keep up with spending $$$ on truly 'limited edition' dolls and goods. I just find it so much more interesting and valuable when people make it unique and throw themselves into their projects instead of buying the newest/rarest/most expensive thing there is. I've never understood it and I don't stay in contact with folks who are extremely competitive in that fashion.

As I said earlier in this post I apologize for not being able to answer your questions directly. I'm sure there are so many other folks on here who will provide the direct answers you are looking for.

I guess I felt it important to add: please don't let others lessen your enjoyment of something you love!

 

When do you consider a limited doll to not be 'truely limited', and/or when does calling it 'limited' really lose it's value?
I think it's more a question of terminology than anything else, actually. BJD owners and creators chose that term to describe a doll that will only have a certain number made and then never sold again. But then we get into the topic of rereleasing previously 'limited' dolls, at which point it becomes a grey area. Personally, I believe that limited dolls, named by their company as limited, are limited. (I'm sorry if that was confusing lol ^^; ) At the very second it's discovered that they will be rereleased or made into standards, they are no longer limited.

(I've seen people try and ask for more for a doll that is 'limited' just because it is, despite the available at the time). At what point do you think people can really charge more for a 'limited' doll, because it's limited?
When the doll is no longer being sold through the company.

Because a doll is 'limited' does that suddenly just make it more valuable or more important then 'standard' dolls?
Heck no! I've seen limited dolls that make me scratch my head and ask "Why was this ever made" and standards that make me think "Why isn't this limited"! It's up to the OWNER, not everyone else, to decide the value or importance of their dolls, limited or standard.

Have you met people who think their 'not very limited' dolls are so special, while your 'Standard' is more rare or was hard to get, and what do you do?
Again--limited dolls are limited, I don't think there's such a thing as 'not very limited'. I've never met people like this seeing as I've only ordered my first girl. However, that's their own opinion, and they can have it if they well and truly please.

Is there a point when a doll isn't really 'limited' just not for sale any more, and is there a difference? (Such as a discontinued mold, is it suddenly just as valuable as a limited, or not?)
A standard will never be a limited, no matter whether or not it's not sold anymore by the company. Example, I just saw that NotDoll is no longer selling their Belladonna (curses!), one of their standard molds for a long time. Does this suddenly make Belladonna limited? No, it just means she's not being sold anymore. NotDoll never stated that she was a limited--they may have made a release that was only for a certain period, but they never said "oh Belladonna is a limited, she's worth blah blah blah". I doubt that people are going to sell her for as much as say, Volks' Suigintou, just because she's not being sold anymore.

Is it simply 'numbers' that determine if a doll is truely limited? Or is it just because a company says it's 'limited' that makes a doll limited?
The latter. It's not our decision, folks--the company decides what they think is limited. End of story.

 

I have a doll that I don't deem "limited" but she actually is. She had a limited release and a limited mold and faceup. But she was a limited also in the time span you could buy her. There could be hundreds out there because it wasn't a numbers game but a limited amount of weeks you could order and then that was it. The may have cut it off, i don't really know. Anyway...

Yes I know the Soom dolls are 'limited', but when there 200+ of them made can they really be considered limited?
They are but not as much as say a release of 50 or less. You still are not able to buy them at any other point during the year so i kinda see that as a kind of limited.

Or atleast do you think/find that some people place to much weight/value on their doll being Limited when it's not very limited?
I know some do. I say mine is a limited (see comment above questions) but i don't go around bragging about it all the time.

When do you consider a limited doll to not be 'truely limited', and/or when does calling it 'limited' really lose it's value?
A not truly limited doll to me would be something scattered all over the internet to buy and easily accessable to purchase.

So when does a doll really become limited?
Pretty much anything discontinued and not many are out there.

At what point do you think people can really charge more for a 'limited' doll, because it's limited?
People will pay what a they think a doll is worth. If you don't want it don't buy it. I think some prices are justified but sometimes they are ridiculus.

Because a doll is 'limited' does that suddenly just make it more valuable or more important then 'standard' dolls?
More valuable? In money terms yes. More important? I think that depends on each person and what they think. I don't see my limited in any higher regard as anybody elses dolls just cause it's a limited. I do think her quality is better than some companies but her quality isn't any better than any others coming from that same company.

Have you met people who think their 'not very limited' dolls are so special, while your 'Standard' is more rare or was hard to get, and what do you do?
I don't really care. I love my kids even if someone doesn't. I haven't in person come across anyone so rude yet. Plus my standard isn't hard to get so it's not really something I can comment too much on.

Is there a point when a doll isn't really 'limited' just not for sale any more, and is there a difference? (Such as a discontinued mold, is it suddenly just as valuable as a limited, or not?)
If it was discontinued i could see it go up in price b/c it would be hard to get a hold of. But i don't think it suddenly becomes "limited" just maybe "rare".

Is it simply 'numbers' that determine if a doll is truely limited? Or is it just because a company says it's 'limited' that makes a doll limited?
If it has a look, release, or quanity that could have only been purchased for a short period of time then it's a limited in my book. It has to have something differnt about the normal version to make it a limited. It's not just about numbers to me but i do think a doll with a limited number would be a "rare limited".

I think i may have contradicted myself a few time. I hope i was still able to make some sense

 

If it's limited, then it's limited. It doesn't matter if it's limited to a large number, that's still a limit. 'Limited' is not an abstract word.

=^__^=
Anneko

 

Delf Breakaway comes to mind? I bought a second release Breakaway head on the secondary market and the prices dropped significantly afterwards when Fairyland came with the next re-release. That's why I don't look at BJDs as good investments. The secondary market is too fickle.
I also have a UniLimited from Unidoll and Unidoll said that only 200 of each limited mold from that line would be produced, but they stopped production before most of those sold out. That means two things. There are less than 200 around of most UniLimited molds and they aren't very popular. Not that I want to sell my girl, but I doubt I could make a profit of selling her. It's about supply and demand. Some limited molds aren't in demand and others are.
I also have a Soom MD: a Sabik Cyborg and I doubt he'll sell for retail price even with his full set thrown in for free. Another case of low demand and a lot of people don't even know there were two MD releases with Sabik.

Maybe some people will look down on my "cheap hybrid" made of a limited Volks head on a standard non-Volks and non-limited body, but I know the resell value of the head remains unchanged as long as people stay crazy about the mold.
The limited status doesn't have to reflect in resell value, but I worry about some of my limiteds as they can't be easily replaced with the same mold should something bad happen to them. My limited dolls are valuable to me due to that and I figure it's the same for other people, regardless of what other things they derive from their limited dolls.

Popularity, rarity and demand are better determinants for resell value or how much "status" can be derived from a doll, but "limited" to me means "only X amount made" or "available only during period X" whether that's 10 or 1000 or one week or one year. There are some discontinued dolls that never sold well and are thus more rare than some limiteds. While they are still discontinued and rare, they are not limited. It's a different story for the discontinued limiteds like the UniLimiteds.
Like said before: limited does not have to mean rare and I think some people like to imply that limited also means rare and thus more special.