Just missing a BJD sale you wanted.

Yes, really, any time I ever tried to or wanted to buy anything I saw on most marketplaces like Facebook or Insta I was too slow. I eventually lost interest trying to buy dolls there. Those people are not operating by my rules apparently I need a lot of time for hemming and hawing first.
But really, I've been in the hobby over a decade and have 30 dolls found almost entirely second hand... there were plenty that passed me by. It can be really sad in the moment, but it's not the end of the world. I try to use it as an opportunity to learn flexibility and practice gratitude, which sounds corny and I'm sorry, but it's helped me a lot. Many of them you will find again no problem, and if you are willing to wait years almost all can be found again. I truly believe the value in a doll is the value you put into it, and looking at it that way makes for a different more positive hobby.
The right doll will find you by luck, and maybe they weren't so popular as to get snatched up right away. So they will be even more grateful (if we use our imagination) to come home to you.

 

It's a bummer for sure! And guaranteed to happen in this hobby since things are being released all the time. There is no feasible way for most people to get every doll they fall in love with. But on the bright side, I find that most dolls are usually available 2nd hand to a degree. It really depends on a few factors. If the doll was released by a popular company, chances are that others purchased them and usually there will be some expected turnover of dolls when they arrive. My suggestion is watch the 2nd hand market in a few months time when they start arriving and see if a few end up on the marketplace.

If the doll was made from a more unpopular/unknown company, then unfortunately that may make them a bit more scarce in the 2nd hand market. Although it's not impossible to find them again. Just put up a 'Want to Buy' (WTB) thread here on DoA or other social platforms. I've found quite a few dolls in my collection that way.

And finally, (as difficult as it is) be patient. Most companies will re-release dolls again another time. There are few companies that do not, but most will re-release sculpts with a new fullset/different resin color/etc. Sometimes the long wait only makes it more special when you finally get it. Best of luck!

 

I have missed dolls on the second hand market multiple times. I eventually made wanted posts and finally got my doll but it took awhile.

 

I'm kind of having this right now! There was a head I've adored for years, and yesterday one popped up on the secondhand market with a gorgeous faceup at an excellent price. I really debated on it, but was about $30 short. Today, I noticed it's been sold. I'm really kind of sad that I didn't "borrow" that money from my savings to get her.

 

I think that happens to pretty much all of us eventually... Just bide your time, stash away some money and keep an eye on the second-hand market. Eventually you'll be in the right place at the right time, and the hunt will pay off. You'll have the resources on hand to instantly pounce, and that's half the battle.

 

I've definitely had this problem a ton T_T I always end up having to hunt like a mad woman through all the groups/ sites I use untill I eventually get lucky. Sometimes it takes a few months but usually i can find what i want

 

For me, almost! I found a independent maker on Instagram. I fell in love with one of her heads. Luckily enough, she posted a sales plan for the year! Although the head wasn’t limited, the sales period usually just last for a week. So, knowing the month really helped me keep tabs on the sales date.

 

It happens a lot with past grails especially if they’re popular and rare but I kinda lost hope and move on. It’s sucks and it bothers me me for like a whole day but I move on and think about the positive and not dwell on it. When that happens I just work on something new for my dolls I do have in my collection

 

It's happened to me definitely. I really wanted DFH "Deer" sculpt which was sculpted by Mori 9. I missed out on the sales period and when some did popup they went really fast within the first hour. I wanted the sculpt because it looked so much like Mori 9's own Austaras and she doesn't re-release heads as a rule. But sometimes it all works out for the best as a few months later I was able to purchase an Austaras off the second hand market.

 

I hate that I missed her, but maybe it's a sign that I need to wait until I have enough saved up to finish her and focus on my other incoming girl for now. I tend to look at things that way sometimes, like if I miss out on something, there's a reason. I don't entirely believe in fate, but it makes me feel better.

It seems like this happens often, too. If I take time to save up money or think about buying a doll I love, it slips out of my hands and I regret not just grabbing it. But if I'm kind of "Maybe I want it, maybe I don't, not a priority", it seems to sit around on the market tempting me for months! I guess to help me decide, I need to ask myself first thing if I'll be upset if someone else buys the doll. If the answer is a definite "yes", then try to find a way to get it as soon as I can. If the answer is "no" or I'm not sure, then I should wait, see if they price drop or accept trades later. It's probably also smart to keep a doll savings fund, just in case that rare doll does pop up unexpectedly, then I'd at least have enough for a downpayment. I just struggle with that discipline.

 

Happens to me every time there's a Spring 2017 minifee head on the mp. Either it goes really fast if I do have the money, or I don't have the money and it stays on the mp until right before I do. It's probably just as well, since I'm not completely committed to the sculpt, I just really like it.

 

Yep! An artist head that I was hunting for showed up for sale on Xianyu (Chinese secondhand platform) a while back, and I was very excited to find it there! There was likely never going to be a preorder again, and the artist wasn't very popular internationally so Xianyu was my only hope.

I purchased it through my agent, but by the time they got around to ordering it (only an hour or so) someone else had already bought it. I was pretty demoralized. I kinda gave up on ever getting it and forgot about it, to be honest. But a few months later I remembered and decided to check again, and... there it was. So I bought it, and it's mine now

Generally I've found that dolls are pretty easy to find if you're patient about it and you're not picky. It might not be the color you thought you wanted, it might be blank, etc.

 

I’ve been in this hobby a good long while (continuously since 2006) and my collection is around 50-ish bjds. Of those, about half were second-hand finds in the marketplace right here on DoA, so of course I’ve experienced the occasional sad experience of missing out from time to time, although admittedly it’s been pretty rare. I don’t shop on any other resale venues, only here, and that actually helps because when it happens, I know I got beat out by a fellow DoA member and I can cope with that. To me, it just means that particular doll wasn’t meant to be mine and has chosen another home for themselves. I know it’s a bit of indulgent child-like naiveté on my part, but it gives me comfort. I just figure there will be another little darling down the road who is truly meant for me, and it somehow always works out that way. It helps to be philosophical about these things. That being said however, I have also carefully cultivated the ability to make quick decisions where dolls are concerned, and can message a seller at the speed of light if I need to!

 

I missed my minifee niella grail by 5 minutes

 

Very sad I missed out on the sartoriaj grey elf dolls that were released last month. I sadly just didn't have the money to get an order in.