Layaway or Paid in Full

I like to use PayPal pay in 4 which is short layaway. I usually have the money in full to pay for a doll I want but I just don’t like to see my bank account subtract with that big amount. I’m responsible and always remember when a payment is coming up. In the beginning of this hobby when I did layaway it did stress me out and I would always pay it early because I couldn’t handle my nerves idk why lol. But as time go on I’m not nervous anymore. I think layaway is an awesome thing

 

I last did a layaway 12 years ago and I think I even paid it off early. I was still under 18 and had a small weekly income and no expenses so I knew I would be able to pay it off. It really wasn't that reckless of a financial decision, but I wouldn't do it as an adult with rent to pay.

I haven't done one since because I've come to realize they're dolls and if I can't pay for it at the moment, I don't need it. It's going to have to be one hell of a doll for me to change my stance on this.

On the other hand, if it's a preorder and there's an option for a deposit, I wouldn't pay in full. I prefer to have my money in my pocket while I wait especially for extended wait times.

 

I've only paid in full. Most of my orders are directly through Volks, Mandarake, or Dollyteria, none of which offer layaway as far as I know.

 

Most of my orders are layaway - it's just more convenient for me personally. I always pay it off on time or early. I wouldn't have half the dolls I do if I had to pay in full every time just because I'm not too great at saving up

 

I’ve got to second the PayPal pay in 4 option. I always have the money ahead of time but nice to be able to take that big hit to the bank account all at once. I put my first couple girls on a credit card which I regret because it took me a long while to pay off.

 

That PayPal in 4 ways mucked up my summer money so I'm avoiding it like the plague right now. lol Layaway is also dangerous to me now that I've finally got a taste and had to remember my finances aren't the best right now but it allows me to actually have a chance of owning a doll so layaway is my new best friend.

 

I have done both, though if I do layaway it's short as possible (2-4 months). Depends on the price of the doll.

 

Paid in full.
For everything every time. Even for pre-orders I always pay in full upfront.

Honestly the thought having debt (which a layaway counts as for me) immensely stresses me out and makes me not want to buy the thing at all; if I don't have the money to buy something outright I just save up the full balance and cannot even consider buying until that's done.

 

I've done both and honestly I prefer layaway. It feels less like a huge bill and more like a monthly payment. The only times I have had to pay in full are for Volks dolls or a doll off Mandarake. Everything else I have paid for on layaway. I think even my second hand purchases have been done on layaway.

 

Paying in full or making a trade is the most gratifying, but when you have an income like mine and you must make it stretch, being able to do so happens rarely. I would not have a fraction of the dolls I do, especially the limited, expensive ones, without layaway. And I'm grateful for it. If the dolls I wanted were the sort to come up on a Mandarake or DollyTerria, I might be able to set aside and theoretically catch them. But they're not, and when I have an income unpredictable enough that I've had to sell dolls as late as this year just to pay bills, it is unlikely that model would work without sacrifices.

There are still sacrifices of course. My other toy hobbies come second; I only add to them once in a while, in smaller amounts. I have not been on a vacation in ten years. Part of that is work-scheduling related. Work has interfered with countless plans. But it's also the money. Buy small artist dolls on layaway, say goodbye to that $300 for the next few months that could have been used for something else. There are always pros and cons to consider in every decision. Whether the pros outweigh the cons or not is up to the individual. I won't deny there have been multiple times in the last few years where I've wished I could trade my dolls for some time away. But at the same time, I'm grateful to have gotten them, and working on them has been a boon for my mental health.

In short? If I could always pay in full I would, but it's not possible without long-term advanced warning and lots of preparation, or the craziest circumstances.

 

I love paying in full when buying secondhand - less PP fees and a (hopefully) quick arrival for an exciting purchase.

When buying direct from the artist/company, layaway is nice because you have to wait months for the doll anyway. Makes the price less painful. But in general, even if it makes my money tight temporarily, I'd rather just pay in full if it means I get the doll sooner (lol)

 

I always pay in full whether for first-hand or second-hand dolls.

I just prefer all my payments being done so that I don't have to worry about them later. It also makes me really think before making a purchase and (hopefully) cuts down a bit on impulse buying.

 

Pay in full. Always.
I avoid debt like the plague and never spend more than I have. Yes there's probably some underlying issue as on to why money is related that closely to security for me. I even avoided getting into this hobby for over a decade just because I didn't have the funds for it.

I think layaways are a good thing if you handle them responsibly. And they allow many people ease of mind and access to this very expensive hobby. Which is a great thing. It's really just my personal issues and not the layaways that are a problem.

 

Always layaway. I think I’ve only paid in full for 3-4 dolls out of 100+

 

I prefer to pay in full, and do my best to avoid layaways. When I had a steady, secure job, I did layaways often, but found that just tempted me to start too many at once and impulse buy more often. I have had some situations in the past few years where things changed drastically, sometimes within a couple of weeks, from secure to "I have no idea what's going on" to not having a spare penny, and back. Life is just too unpredictable for me now, and I'm afraid of putting a doll on layaway then not having the ability to pay it off. The *only* exception is if it's a doll I need to rush to buy (discontinued and rare secondhand, limited sales period, short event and it's a doll I've already been wanting, not impulse) and even then, I need to think hard and be sure I'll have enough to cover a short layaway. Otherwise, I'll just save up.

 

Paying in full is my preference. Layaways are too stressful for me...

 

I also prefer paying in full, I wouldn't be able to keep cool, if I ever placed something on layaway. If I can't afford something at the time I see it, or when it is available, I won't purchase it then. I rather save up, and be able to pay for it that way, in full, than to constantly have that lingering feeling that I owe money somewhere, always on the back of my mind. It could be a huge disadvantage with these dolls, because some are limited time releases, but thankfully, I lost interest in owning more resin-toys and I tend to like the common/average releases better anyway. I don't purchase full-sets either, so I don't generally worry too much (I wish it was that way, with other toys I hoard collect). (:/font]

 

I'd rather PIF. It's more rest assure and I could just forget about it until the item arrive

 

I like layaways but tend to pay them off early anyhow. Like others have mentioned, I prefer not to see a huge chunk of my money go away all at once. I will say though, the temptation is certainly there to get lulled into a false sense of security and start too many... so I try to be extra careful about that.