Minimalism in the BJD hobby?

1° Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
I have only bought directly from companies or through an American distributor so far, mostly because I only favor the scale of mature tinies and they aren't very popular.

2° Do you immediatly order sleeping faces and extra hands for your doll through the company? If so, do you do this for every doll you purchase?
I've only done each once, with the doll the parts were for. I'd like get my DIM Honey different hands someday. The ones she has are unrealistic.

4° Have you ever found yourself looking for extra items to throw in your shopping cart just so you could reach the necessary minimum amount to qualify for an event or free shipping? Do you realize this is a merchandising trick? If so, do you mind being seduced by this?
Nope. The only events I've purchased during were Fairyland's, and one of them was that tan Puki Pukis were normal price, and the over was a resin hat that my fullset Real Puki convienently qualified for.

5° Did the cost of a doll ever stop you from actually purchasing it when you had the necessary amount of money? Have you ever thought, "This doll is too expensive, I'll pass".
Not exactly. I've worked very hard to save up for two dolls that will soon be discontinued, and had to let the chance to get others in special colors go. There have been a few times when I could have afforded one, but decided I didn't like them enough for it to be worth it. Which might sort of be the same thing....

6° If for some reason you had to sell your whole collection except for one doll, would you be able to do it? Would you know who to pick? Why choose that one?
No. They are all different, have different characters, and I'm quite attached to all of them.

7° Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
No, mine are all different in how I dress them, and I love the range of tans I have along with my NS dolls.

8° Do you dislike purchasing popular sculpts? Do you prefer limited and rare dolls above others? If so, why? If not, are you bothered by people with this attitude?
As previously mentioned most of my dolls are unpopular simply due to scale. My Puki Pukis are both popular sculpts, and one of my Real Pukis is. The other isn't, probably because she has fangs. Many of my dolls are rare because so few people bought them they were discontinued. I have several limiteds because I really like them, and its "pounce or loose the chance"! One is a tiny from a little discussed company, another is one of DZ's special dolls.

9° If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
Soom's Ticking Crocodile, around $700. Plus clothes, eyes, wig...

10° Do you keep track of how much you spent on the hobby so far? Why (not)? Does anyone else ever comment on the financial side of your hobby?
I have a record of what I paid for each doll, but not for eyes, wigs, pastels and colored pencils. Or patterns and fabric for their clothes. I want to have a record of how much each of them cost, but that's enough that I don't want to know what all I've spent on extras/ additional things. I am still young enough to live at home, and although my BJDs are the less expensive ones, my family does't approve of me continuing to buy $200-$300 dolls. Although I'm not giving them exact prices if I can avoid it. The total value of those at home is alarming, I must admit. I haven't added them all up to find out.

 

1° Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
Company. Out of habit, mostly o_O

2° Do you immediatly order sleeping faces and extra hands for your doll through the company? If so, do you do this for every doll you purchase?
Nope. I usually do not have the money for a complete doll at once, so it's always buying bits and pieces.

3° If you have dolls with sleeping faces and extra hands: do you actually use them enough to justify the purchase? If not, do you regret getting them? If you don't have the above, do you regret not getting them?
Extra hands are relatively cheap and I switch them around on different doll bodies/chars, so I think they're quite 'usefull', if that 'justifies' them. Sleeping faces... hmm, no experience.

4° Have you ever found yourself looking for extra items to throw in your shopping cart just so you could reach the necessary minimum amount to qualify for an event or free shipping? Do you realize this is a merchandising trick? If so, do you mind being seduced by this?
Nope, in those cases I usually bug friends to see if they might want something from that site so we can order together.

5° Did the cost of a doll ever stop you from actually purchasing it when you had the necessary amount of money? Have you ever thought, "This doll is too expensive, I'll pass".
Nope. I value money little. 'Something I want' vs 'a vague concept of value' will definitely end in 'the thing I want'. Though recently I have been relativating how much I really 'want' certain things.

6° If for some reason you had to sell your whole collection except for one doll, would you be able to do it? Would you know who to pick? Why choose that one?
Yep. I'll keep Rai. So much teenage dramatics tied to that guy. His character is a treasured memory.

7° Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
If forced to drop the hobby, sure, I could be happy without dolls. But they're such a creative outlet I'll continue to gravitate back to the hobby either ways.

8° Do you dislike purchasing popular sculpts? Do you prefer limited and rare dolls above others? If so, why? If not, are you bothered by people with this attitude?
Usually the popular sculpts seem to be quite... I don't want to say 'general', but really... adaptable? You can make them into anything you want with a face-up. I tend to enjoy more 'moody' sculpts, more defined, which is most often found in so-called 'artist' sculpts. They end up being more rare/limited than average. (That being said, after all these years I am entertaining the thought of buying a Delf El :'D)

9° If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
Nabarro Har. I don't know how much he costs on the secondhand market atm. I don't even want to torture myself with that knowledge~

10° Do you keep track of how much you spent on the hobby so far? Why (not)? Does anyone else ever comment on the financial side of your hobby?
Nope, I don't see the point in keeping track of money spent. Just enjoy what's before you now. I guess people have commented? But hey, my money my business \o/

 

Before answering your questions, I want to say that I have some very strict rules, when it comes to purchasing stuff. I'm only allowed to buy one doll a year. Every doll I own, will have one pair of eyes, one wig, one pair of shoes, one outfit only. If I can find an outfit that's better than the one they have now, that's okay, but it means that I have to sell the old one.

Since I'm mostly interested in hard to get sculpts, this is my way to keep the cost down.

1° Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?


I tend to go for limited, old-school sculpts. The ones I fall for are no longer available, so the secondhand market is pretty much all I got .

2° Do you immediatly order sleeping faces and extra hands for your doll through the company? If so, do you do this for every doll you purchase?

No. I only purchase the face and hands I need.

3° If you have dolls with sleeping faces and extra hands: do you actually use them enough to justify the purchase? If not, do you regret getting them? If you don't have the above, do you regret not getting them?

I have a soft spot for sleeping/dreaming face-sculpts, so often I only buy those and leave the open-eyed versions. I don't regret not getting the open-eyed versions. What's more, I've modified my Volks Williams, because I wanted him to have his eyes close

4° Have you ever found yourself looking for extra items to throw in your shopping cart just so you could reach the necessary minimum amount to qualify for an event or free shipping? Do you realize this is a merchandising trick? If so, do you mind being seduced by this?

Nope. Events aren't something I care about, even when they're the 'reblog to possibly get this doll for free' kind. Usually, when a company is holding an event, I wait until it has ended to order something from them, because I don't like the extra waiting times that might occ

5° Did the cost of a doll ever stop you from actually purchasing it when you had the necessary amount of money? Have you ever thought, "This doll is too expensive, I'll pass".

Often, actually. The dolls I'm interested in are limiteds. Sometimes, this means that they are really expensive. One of my ways to keep the cost down is to give myself a limit to how much I'm able to spend on one sculpt. Although this means that I will have to be more patient until one comes up that's within my price-range, I'm usually really stoked when I do find one.

6° If for some reason you had to sell your whole collection except for one doll, would you be able to do it? Would you know who to pick? Why choose that one?

Oy. I hate the question. I'd be able to sell my collection except for two: My Volks Williams (Remo) and his brother Cicero (a Volks SwD Lucas). Cicero is the one doll I'd never be able to part with, 'cause he's my favorite, and he wouldn't be Cis without his brother.

7° Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?

Sure. The fact is that I don't like large collections myself. The moment my collection starts to look like one blob of plastic, I have to do something about it (it's why I've sold dolls in the past). One doll is just as good as multiple. Although, I'd probably quit using the one-of-everything rule I've given myself, so I'm able to dress them up in many ways.

8° Do you dislike purchasing popular sculpts? Do you prefer limited and rare dolls above others? If so, why? If not, are you bothered by people with this attitude?

What's popular today, will be forgotten tomorrow. EL used to be THE doll to have, and now, we hardly see them anymore. What I've learned for myself is that I need rare sculpts to stay interested in them. When I'm able to purchase a doll straight from the company, I'm very likely to sell it again in a few months time, no matter how beautiful the doll is. The 'hunt' is an important part of collecting for me.

I totally get when people prefer to buy readily available sculpts instead! My focus on limiteds is a weird quirk, something I don't expect others to have .

9° If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?z

If with unlimited resources you also mean 'several people offering him for sale', I'd buy a Kanon Louis. I'm still looking for him. Problem is that 2006 was the last time I've seen him in the marketplace and back then I didn't have the funds.

10° Do you keep track of how much you spent on the hobby so far? Why (not)? Does anyone else ever comment on the financial side of your hobby?

Aside from the rules I explained at the beginning of my post, and my budget limits, I don't keep track of my spendings. I don't have an excel sheet with all my incoming and outgoing funds, for instance. And, aside from one person who didn't understand why you'd EVER spend so much on a doll, I have never had any comments on my spendings. I'm a sensible adult, it seems .

 

1° Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?

If it is available on the company I prefer to buy it from the company..there are exceptions though, like with my CP Chiwoo. I never liked him or felt like buying him from the company but I saw a secondhand CP Chiwoo I fell in love with and he was for sale!!! (yes, I got him).

2° Do you immediatly order sleeping faces and extra hands for your doll through the company? If so, do you do this for every doll you purchase?

No, I don't like sleeping faces or extra hands. I'm that simple.

3° If you have dolls with sleeping faces and extra hands: do you actually use them enough to justify the purchase? If not, do you regret getting them? If you don't have the above, do you regret not getting them?

If the doll is limited (like Soom) and I want it a lot, I would buy it and then sell the extra hands and sleeping faces...I've done it before.

4° Have you ever found yourself looking for extra items to throw in your shopping cart just so you could reach the necessary minimum amount to qualify for an event or free shipping? Do you realize this is a merchandising trick? If so, do you mind being seduced by this?

Yes and yes but I don't mind being seduced by it because I have done it only with Dollmore and I always end up with $80 so I just need a little bit more to get free shipping. I prefer to get more stuff than paying 10-20$ for shipping.

5° Did the cost of a doll ever stop you from actually purchasing it when you had the necessary amount of money? Have you ever thought, "This doll is too expensive, I'll pass".

Yes, it has happened with Soom and Iplehouse. Too much money at once makes me feel a lot of guilt. I remember when I got my grail doll: Iplehouse Claude but when he arrived I had to sell him immediately because I felt so guilty for spending that much money. Buying hybrids is better because I don't feel the guilt even if it is more expensive, I think it is a way to cheat myself only lol

6° If for some reason you had to sell your whole collection except for one doll, would you be able to do it? Would you know who to pick? Why choose that one?

Yes I would do it. The old ones would be more difficult to sell because of my emotional bond with them but I would eventually sell them if I'm in a situation where money is a must. The only one I would never sell is my first doll, he is too precious to me. Even if someone offers me 1million dollars I wouldn't sell him.

7° Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?

Yes, I was very happy when I had only my first doll whereas today I don't play with them as much.

8° Do you dislike purchasing popular sculpts? Do you prefer limited and rare dolls above others? If so, why? If not, are you bothered by people with this attitude?

I purchase the doll I like, I never take into account if the doll is expensive, popular, limited, cheap, unpopular etc if the doll grabs my attention, anything else doesn't matter. As for people who cares about that stuff, it doesn't bother me as long as they are not putting down other people's choices or making fun of others.

9° If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?

I would repurchase Iplehouse Claude because I really love that sculpt.

10° Do you keep track of how much you spent on the hobby so far? Why (not)? Does anyone else ever comment on the financial side of your hobby?

I don't keep track but I have thought about it. My guilt is so huge I even asked my brother once if he taught I was wrong for spending money on dolls and he told me "it's your money, you do whatever you want with it and besides, you will always spend it on something so you better spend your money on something you love".

 

1° Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
Straight to company. I didn't discover my local ebay or join DOA until I got my first doll. However, I'm reluctant to buy a secondhand because I don't want the doll to come with hitchhikers (in the supernatural sense).

2° Do you immediatly order sleeping faces and extra hands for your doll through the company? If so, do you do this for every doll you purchase?
Not at first, but now I order extra hands. I only do it for new resin colors.

3° If you have dolls with sleeping faces and extra hands: do you actually use them enough to justify the purchase? If not, do you regret getting them? If you don't have the above, do you regret not getting them?
I use them all the time in my shoots.

4° Have you ever found yourself looking for extra items to throw in your shopping cart just so you could reach the necessary minimum amount to qualify for an event or free shipping? Do you realize this is a merchandising trick? If so, do you mind being seduced by this?
Usually...my order goes OVER the minimum amount so it's the other way.

5° Did the cost of a doll ever stop you from actually purchasing it when you had the necessary amount of money? Have you ever thought, "This doll is too expensive, I'll pass".
Not so far....If the sculpt fits the character, I'll get it even if I have to save. Better this than getting sometime I don't like and wanting to sell it later.

6° If for some reason you had to sell your whole collection except for one doll, would you be able to do it? Would you know who to pick? Why choose that one?
I'll keep my favourites. But if it comes to that...I don't think I'll be around to worry about such stuff.

7° Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
No. Coz after I got my first one, I knew this was a good medium to personify my characters. I have many, one will never be enough.

8° Do you dislike purchasing popular sculpts? Do you prefer limited and rare dolls above others? If so, why? If not, are you bothered by people with this attitude?
No and no. I prefer it if WAS a popular sculpt because it'll be cheaper. But my taste tends toward the expensive sculpts so I'm mad at myself sometimes. I'm actually a little repulsed by scalpers. One of the other reason I don't buy secondhand. The sculpts I like are kind of rare and expensive to begin with but seeing people increasing their prices to cover their shipping turns me off big time.

9° If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
I'll definitely be getting Iplehouse Victor, Rex, Dexter, Bane and Stella all in one go without having to wait for the Xmas event.

10° Do you keep track of how much you spent on the hobby so far? Why (not)? Does anyone else ever comment on the financial side of your hobby?
Yes I do and I get repulsed at myself for it. But at the same time, I know I have a problem and this is the therapy. Better than me hurting myself or turning into a mass murderer.

 

1° Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
I usually check the second hand market (though, most of the dolls I want are currently unavailable new). If I can get a good deal on a gently used doll, why not? If it's still available from the company and I don't see it second hand, I'll buy it new, though.

2° Do you immediately order sleeping faces and extra hands for your doll through the company? If so, do you do this for every doll you purchase?
I ordered the dreaming head with my first El, and I ended up opening the eyes a bit and turning it into a whole new character. I normally don't go for extra heads/hands (I feel the heads have to have their own bodies and I feel bad for hands I rarely use), but in some cases I order an extra pair of hands if they are posed in a way I would use normally.

3° If you have dolls with sleeping faces and extra hands: do you actually use them enough to justify the purchase? If not, do you regret getting them? If you don't have the above, do you regret not getting them?
Since I had made my dreaming El head into another character, yes, I used him quite a bit. At the moment I don't have any extra hands that weren't needed (to replace broken fingers) or came with a second hand doll, so I can't really answer this now.

4° Have you ever found yourself looking for extra items to throw in your shopping cart just so you could reach the necessary minimum amount to qualify for an event or free shipping? Do you realize this is a merchandising trick? If so, do you mind being seduced by this?
I have on occasion. Sometimes, the amount of a small item you need would be less than shipping, so it's not always a bad thing. Companies usually give nice gifts for events, too, so I don't mind. With my Luts order during the Christmas event last year, I got two wigs, an outfit, and a free head, so I felt like it was worth it. I know it's a trick, but if I have the money, I don't mind it.

5° Did the cost of a doll ever stop you from actually purchasing it when you had the necessary amount of money? Have you ever thought, "This doll is too expensive, I'll pass".
Definitely. I'm a cheapskate normally, so I hate paying more than I feel a doll is worth.

6° If for some reason you had to sell your whole collection except for one doll, would you be able to do it? Would you know who to pick? Why choose that one?
It would be hard. I would have to think long and hard about it. I've sold off my entire collection before and regretted two of the ones I sold the most. It's never easy to part with a doll you loved.

7° Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
Probably not. I feel like they would be lonely, and it seems more fun to have multiple "personalities" around.

8° Do you dislike purchasing popular sculpts? Do you prefer limited and rare dolls above others? If so, why? If not, are you bothered by people with this attitude?
Yes and no. I love El, who is(was?) wildly popular, but then it was because he was the doll that dragged me in to the hobby. Right now, it seems like MnF Chloe and Celine are both very popular, and while they're cute, I don't know if I want one, partly due to how many there are. I don't prefer rare or limited dolls, I just prefer what catches my eye. I have two limiteds, but it was because I loved the sculpt so much I sought them out. I can understand why some people have that attitude, though, so it doesn't really bother me, unless they become super elitist about it.

9° If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
I would drop the money for an Elf El in seconds flat, if one was available. Other than that, I would just continue with my current wish list.

10° Do you keep track of how much you spent on the hobby so far? Why (not)? Does anyone else ever comment on the financial side of your hobby?
Nope, I don't want to get depressed about it (haha). I've had a few comments from my parents, but I've explained that the dolls are a creative outlet for me, and they seem to understand (even if they think it's a weird thing to be spending money on).

 

1 Company. Would like to get some stuff from company to go with doll (piercing/outfit/carrier) and I have paypal problem.

2 No, it seems I get hands late

3 I don't really like sleeping faces since I like being able to see eyes in my dolls and prefer them to be 'active' for photography

4 Yes. It is easier to get everything together at one shot

5 I save up over two separate years for my two Iples. I been tempted by other dolls(along the same price range) along the way, but I know I still want my iples

6 That's a tough decision since I like them all for their different quirks. It is likely to come down to Iplehouse Dexter (Jack, first resin and grail doll OC character) vs Parabox Megu(Chun ,first large one for me, fave game character)

7 I can only be happy for so long until I find the means to get the rest of team. Partly it is for character interaction.

8 No. I only purchase one if it 'synchs' with the character in my head.
Popular sculpts and Limiteds are lovely for their overall look but I prefer what I have in my head. I am no longer bothered by people's attitude in terms of what I should buy.

9 By now I had given up a lot of want/need dolls after getting two grails. Would say I want one or two more iplehouse Dexter to give Jack alternative forms. Or at least a matching feline type 1/6 anthro form to match up with Helen who has hers.

10 I lost track of their clothing expenditure. I try to control what I buy.

 

Ooooh, questions galore. Let's see~


--Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?

Depends. If it's a sold out limited I will most likely look on the MP. I have however asked companies if and when they would re-release their dolls, or if they have one that was ordered but not paid (which can't hurt and actually worked with three dolls I own). If it's a regular doll I will compare prices and conditions (special face-ups on the MP can really push the price higher and I mostly don't care about it at all, modding is also something I have to take into consideration). Depending on said comparison I will either order through a dealer (where available), directly through the company or via the MP. ^^

--Do you immediatly order sleeping faces and extra hands for your doll through the company? If so, do you do this for every doll you purchase?

Depends. I like to order other faces (which is why I like my unoa a lot), but I only have one other doll so far that has a head to change. It really depends on how much I like the other head options. Some had offerings for other heads and I didn't like them at all so I only took the one I really liked.
I have another doll in mind and the artist wants to offer a sleeping head for that sculpt in the future. I have my eyes on him and will decide to get that doll with a sleeping face if I like it then. :3
I don't care for other hands or high heel feet that much. If the doll comes with extra hands and high heel feet by default, I most likely sell the hands I don't want and the feet or leave them in a box somewhere in case I can't.

--If you have dolls with sleeping faces and extra hands: do you actually use them enough to justify the purchase? If not, do you regret getting them? If you don't have the above, do you regret not getting them?

So far I have not regretted any purchase or the lack of one, yet. I change heads/faceplates as I like and the others have to live without. ^^

--Have you ever found yourself looking for extra items to throw in your shopping cart just so you could reach the necessary minimum amount to qualify for an event or free shipping? Do you realize this is a merchandising trick? If so, do you mind being seduced by this?

Of course companies want to make more money that way. I think everyone knows that. I have only done this once for an event doll where I had an excuse to actually buy a head and a doll I wanted and get the event doll thrown in as well. ^^
Other than that when there's a group order and the host says we are short 10$ for free shipping I will look for something to add to the order so we might get free shipping. Because it will benefit everyone I don't mind it, since it means I will also get it cheaper in the end.

--Did the cost of a doll ever stop you from actually purchasing it when you had the necessary amount of money? Have you ever thought, "This doll is too expensive, I'll pass"?

Yes, a lot of times. I guess in that case I didn't want the doll, like really *really* want it like I did the ones that are here. Because when I really want the doll and have the funds then it's a deal. ^^;

--If for some reason you had to sell your whole collection except for one doll, would you be able to do it? Would you know who to pick? Why choose that one?

I have thought about that from time to time. And I still believe I couldn't choose. I would probably sell them all because I could never make the right choice and just thinking of looking at the one that's left after selling all the others? Tough... ^^;

--Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?

I know I couldn't. I have all the different sizes and features to take into account and it would be hard to choose just one out of all of them. ^^; If I would sell all of them and start fresh, I also don't think that one will cut it. I like variation in sizes and styles too much for that to work. There would always be features I would miss.

--Do you dislike purchasing popular sculpts? Do you prefer limited and rare dolls above others? If so, why? If not, are you bothered by people with this attitude?

I don't really care if dolls are popular/LEs or not as long as I like them. It just so happens that a lot of dolls that were LEs or were later dicontinued were the ones I really liked and got because of that.
I don't care who buys which doll from which company.

--If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?

Actually I don't want to buy any doll at the moment. I'm waiting for an artist to release a doll I want with a sleeping head but until that happens I'm happy with my dolls as they are.

--Do you keep track of how much you spent on the hobby so far? Why (not)? Does anyone else ever comment on the financial side of your hobby?

I don't make a note of every little purchase but I roughly know the amount spent on all the resin per doll so if I wanted to I could calculate. I don't really keep track of it, I guess it's mainly because there's no real reason to. When I have the money and a doll I want I will most likely buy that doll and that will be the end of that. I don't like to push my expensive hobby into people's faces or judge purchases on the prize tag, so I have no real reason to remember every dollar spent or keep track of it.

 

1° Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
I look both places.

2° Do you immediatly order sleeping faces?
I have in the past, but find I do not use them.

3° If you have dolls with sleeping faces and extra hands: do you actually use them?
The hands sometimes, the sleeping plate--no.

4° Have you ever found yourself looking for extra items to throw in your shopping cart just so you could reach the necessary minimum amount to qualify for an event or free shipping?
Oh yes, it is human nature.

5° Did the cost of a doll ever stop you from actually purchasing it when you had the necessary amount of money? Have you ever thought, "This doll is too expensive, I'll pass".
Yes, but I am patient and usually I can find my choice later as a basic doll, or second hand.

6° If for some reason you had to sell your whole collection except for one doll, would you be able to do it?
I play this game in my head all the time. At the moment I have 8 slim mini girls, and play the game of "who will be voted off the island"? It is very difficult as I like them all pretty much equally. In fact I would like to pare down to 6 girls but I can't seem to make a decision of which one or two to sell.

7° Do you think you could be happy with just one doll?
Of course when I started collecting in 2006, I thought one doll would do! I presently have 10, and that is quite enough for me. I will admit to selling 12 bjds and many heads, bodies, and faceplates.

8° Do you dislike purchasing popular sculpts?
Looking at my BJD list, it consist of popular sculpts. They are popular for a reason: symmetry, beauty, posing, etc.

9° If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase?
I have no one sculpt on my wish list, and I can buy almost any sculpt of my choosing. After 9 years in the hobby and many misteps I know what size and what style I like. I am also committed to a smaller collection in comparison to other poster's collections.

10° Do you keep track of how much you spent on the hobby so far?
Yes, I have a spread sheet, and keep track on the bjds only, both ones I have purchased and ones I have sold.
I do not keep track of the thousands spent on clothes, shoes, wigs, eyes, art materials, props etc.

 

1° Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?

I go to the company if it's available. I do so because if there are any problems, I can address them there.


2° Do you immediatly order sleeping faces and extra hands for your doll through the company? If so, do you do this for every doll you purchase?

No, I don't.



3° If you have dolls with sleeping faces and extra hands: do you actually use them enough to justify the purchase? If not, do you regret getting them? If you don't have the above, do you regret not getting them?


I have one with a sleeping faceplate. It's cute and I have used it. No regrets.


4° Have you ever found yourself looking for extra items to throw in your shopping cart just so you could reach the necessary minimum amount to qualify for an event or free shipping? Do you realize this is a merchandising trick? If so, do you mind being seduced by this?

I am aware it is a marketing trick. I might participate if it's something I actually want or would buy in the future. I also wait for events for better value.



5° Did the cost of a doll ever stop you from actually purchasing it when you had the necessary amount of money? Have you ever thought, "This doll is too expensive, I'll pass".

All the time.



6° If for some reason you had to sell your whole collection except for one doll, would you be able to do it? Would you know who to pick? Why choose that one?

If I have to, I have to. Though it's scary to think I'd ever be in that dire of a situation. I'd probably keep the doll that's the last to sell.


7° Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?

I've been happy in the past without dolls, so I think I'd be ok. Of course, there would probably be a mourning period.


8° Do you dislike purchasing popular sculpts? Do you prefer limited and rare dolls above others? If so, why? If not, are you bothered by people with this attitude?


I do like limiteds but not because they're limited. I like them because it usually has a fantasy element that I like. Centaurs are among my very favorites and they tend to be limited. But if they were "common", I'd still want them.

I'm not bothered by how people collect dolls or what they like. All dolls are kind of well, luxery items. It's only fair they get what makes them happy.


9° If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?


Ummm... I really don't know. That doll may not exist yet.



10° Do you keep track of how much you spent on the hobby so far? Why (not)? Does anyone else ever comment on the financial side of your hobby?

Actually, I do. And no one really comments. Mostly because they have no idea how much a doll costs and I really don't show them off any way.

 

1° Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
I think I've only ever bought second hand once, which I eventually sold, and traded dolls once. All of my other dolls, however, were bought directly from the company, and at this point it's because I want to support the artists who make the dolls I like. I also like buying from the company since possible problems can be sorted out with them with minimal issues most of the time.

2° Do you immediately order sleeping faces and extra hands for your doll through the company? If so, do you do this for every doll you purchase?
I once considered getting a sleeping face for a doll, but couldn't justify it with myself. I was already pretty happy with a regular, open eyed face version of that doll.

3° If you have dolls with sleeping faces and extra hands: do you actually use them enough to justify the purchase? If not, do you regret getting them? If you don't have the above, do you regret not getting them?
N/A

4° Have you ever found yourself looking for extra items to throw in your shopping cart just so you could reach the necessary minimum amount to qualify for an event or free shipping? Do you realize this is a merchandising trick? If so, do you mind being seduced by this?
I've only ever participated in an event once, and that was when tan skin dolls were available for a limited time. I ended up throwing more money at the company so I could get new things for the new doll, however, but I didn't mind it. They are offering something I wanted and if I didn't act on it, I wouldn't receive it. That's business. c:

5° Did the cost of a doll ever stop you from actually purchasing it when you had the necessary amount of money? Have you ever thought, "This doll is too expensive, I'll pass".
Plenty of times! There are countless gorgeous dolls I would love to have if they wouldn't injure my wallet so much. That is part of the reason I gravitated towards tiny dolls, which can be easier on the wallet compared to MSD and SD sizes.

6° If for some reason you had to sell your whole collection except for one doll, would you be able to do it? Would you know who to pick? Why choose that one?
It's hard to actually consider, but I think I would be able to do it. At the end of the day, no matter how much joy they might bring me, they are just pretty objects that I don't need to survive. As for which I would pick, it would likely come down to choosing between my Batchix Mini-Machina Delta and my FairyGarden Papana. I've put a decent amount of money into both of them and they are each representative of parts of myself. I really can't say which I would choose to keep, and hopefully I never have to, haha.

7° Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
I initially thought I could, but having been part of the hobby since 2008 and with new sculpts and dolls coming out every year, it's been hard to say the collection is complete. Every time I declare a doll to be "the last one", there is inevitably a doll that tempts me enough to get it.

8° Do you dislike purchasing popular sculpts? Do you prefer limited and rare dolls above others? If so, why? If not, are you bothered by people with this attitude?
I don't have an aversion to popular sculpts. It's more that I simply don't have an interest in ones that happen to be popular, and whether they're limited/rare doesn't mean much to me. If some people do care about these things, that is simply their preference and I see nothing wrong with that. There are many ways to enjoy a hobby like this one.

9° If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
It's hard to say. I've seen too many dolls that I'd get if I could be careless with my funds. I'd likely find a fullset doll I really like and get all the bells and whistles for it. Also, if ever given the chance, I would most certainly throw down a lot of money for a doll by Enaibi. I've admired the dolls she's made for years.

10° Do you keep track of how much you spent on the hobby so far? Why (not)? Does anyone else ever comment on the financial side of your hobby?
I haven't, but it's easily been thousands of dollars. I don't see a reason to keep track because the rate which I buy dolls/things for my dolls is quite slow and hasn't impacted my finances negatively. I haven't gone into intense detail about how expensive my collection is, but I have mentioned how pricey things in the hobby can be to others. I think if I were ever asked directly how much one of my dolls cost, I would likely just say "Too much" and laugh nervously.

I think it's certainly possible to be minimalist in this hobby. I feel my collection is quite tidy compared to others, and once I achieve a look for a doll in particular, I don't care to change it. I may have one or two dolls who might have different wardrobe options just so I can change things around without it being detrimental on my wallet, but otherwise I am content with the appearance I've achieved for the rest of them. c:

 

1° Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
No, I go straight to the company/dealer. If it's a head sculpt that is no longer available or custom made, then I go look in the secondhand market.
It's easier for me to buy directly from the company. When I wanted to purchase dolls, the ones I wanted were available straight from the company
so there was no need for me to look for them secondhand when I could get them new from the company.


2° Do you immediately order sleeping faces and extra hands for your doll through the company? If so, do you do this for every doll you purchase?
Yes, yes I do! I love optional parts. If all the companies I own dolls from made them for the sculpts I own, all of my dolls would have extra optional parts (as many as possible).
Sadly, only one of my resin dolls has an optional sleeping part and one extra pair of hands, none of the others were made by companies that offered any for the sculpts I own. ):<

3° If you have dolls with sleeping faces and extra hands: do you actually use them enough to justify the purchase? If not, do you regret getting them? If you don't have the above, do you regret not getting them?
Yes, I believe I do. However, even if I didn't use them I still would have purchase them because I love optional parts enough to justify purchasing them just for that reason alone, even if I didn't use them at all.

4° Have you ever found yourself looking for extra items to throw in your shopping cart just so you could reach the necessary minimum amount to qualify for an event or free shipping?
Do you realize this is a merchandising trick? If so, do you mind being seduced by this?
No. I've never purchased anything during events.

5° Did the cost of a doll ever stop you from actually purchasing it when you had the necessary amount of money? Have you ever thought, "This doll is too expensive, I'll pass".
No. I thought about it afterwards however; I shouldn't compare other toys I could purchase for the same price, otherwise it really puts things in perceptive for me and I end up thinking about unnecessary things.

6° If for some reason you had to sell your whole collection except for one doll, would you be able to do it? Would you know who to pick? Why choose that one?
No, I think about it sometimes but I just wouldn't be able to do it. Maybe I could sell most of my dolls' bodies but whole dolls, I wouldn't be able to do it. I wouldn't be able to just pick one not to sell, I rather not sell
any or just sell their bodies.

7° Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
Yes, If I had know that more realistic-looking sculpts were going to be an actual thing in this hobby, I would have just waited until then. I would only own a single doll then and that would be that. DX
Why? Because It's the only doll I ever really play with - although there is another doll I would also have purchased (so it would be two dolls but that would be cheating).

8° Do you dislike purchasing popular sculpts? Do you prefer limited and rare dolls above others? If so, why? If not, are you bothered by people with this attitude?
Yes I do but not on purpose! I don't prefer limited, I actually rather not purchase limited or "rare" dolls. I am not bothered by other people's attitudes or opinions regarding their dolls or doll purchase decisions.
Everyone is free to do with their money as they please and have whatever opinion they feel like having about the matter. I am naturally drawn to less popular (or rather overly disliked) sculpts, I don't go out of my
way to purchase dolls that are ugly or weird or just plain unpopular, it just happens that way (I have a peculiar taste, I guess). However, if other people like or prefer popular, limited or rare dolls that's their personal choice
and it's none of my business.

9° If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
I guess if it had to be an existing doll it would be SoulDoll's long discontinued Haughty Paris and/or Kimmy, or Egoips's Marius. I can't recall the prices for SoulDoll's discontinued sculpts but if I had
to guess it would probably be$500 something for H. Paris and around $300 for Kimmy. I'm not sure how much Egoips Marius goes for. If it could be any doll even if it doesn't exist, then it would be
my ideal version of CC: FFVII's Sephiroth; he would have to be completely custom made. I already own two head sculpts of Sephiroth, neither is perfect but the closest one cost me about $700, I can't remember well anymore.
The body, I don't want to think what it would cost to have a body with the proportions I want for him custom made, but I'm guessing the whole doll would be around $1500-$2000. I love Sephiroth, but I'm just not
willing to pay that much for a doll, even if it's custom made. Maybe if I had 100% guaranty that he would turn out perfect (to my ideal), I would reconsider it. However, I already own two head sculpts for him so the only way
I could justify it and reconsider is if I hadn't already purchased those two; if it was just a perfect custom body for one of those heads, maybe then I would go for it.

10° Do you keep track of how much you spent on the hobby so far? Why (not)? Does anyone else ever comment on the financial side of your hobby?
No, I don't want to think about it too much. Not often but there was a time when close friends thought it was insanity when I purchased a particular doll.
It is the most expensive doll I've ever purchased and as I noted above I did think he was too expensive afterward but when I purchased him I was okay with his price.
Later the artist lowered his price by $200 (give or take), it was then that I was a bit tormented by his price for a while but now I see it as a learning experience.
Now that particular doll is my favorite so I don't regret purchasing him.



- Enzyme

 

1° Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
I browse the market place daily while maybe checking my favorite companies once month to make sure there no deals going on that i'm missing out on. I prefer browsing the market place becuase 1. I can see a wider variety of dolls in one place/learn about new dolls. 2 its cheaper, faster shipping, and a more personal connection with the dealer/i feel the doll come with more "personality"

2° Do you immediatly order sleeping faces and extra hands for your doll through the company? If so, do you do this for every doll you purchase?
I'v never purchased sleeping faces or extra hands. Nor do i intend to.

3° If you have dolls with sleeping faces and extra hands: do you actually use them enough to justify the purchase? If not, do you regret getting them? If you don't have the above, do you regret not getting them?
i don't regret not getting them.. If i did buy them i'm almost positive that i would not use them enough to justify the purchase and thus regret purchasing them.

4° Have you ever found yourself looking for extra items to throw in your shopping cart just so you could reach the necessary minimum amount to qualify for an event or free shipping? Do you realize this is a merchandising trick? If so, do you mind being seduced by this?
Yes. BUT I will onl do this if the amount of stuff I'm already getting totals to 3/4th of the price for free shipping. In my mind the money i spent on the extra items would've been spent on on shipping anyway, may as well get something out of it. And if its event/giveaway. Even if i dont want the item someone on doa will be willing to pay a pretty penny so i'll probably get more money BACK. I have 5 years of retail experience, so yes i know its a "trick". But i also know if i play my cards right i can use the "trick" to my advantage. I dont consider myself to be brainwashed/seduced. I consider it "playing the player"

5° Did the cost of a doll ever stop you from actually purchasing it when you had the necessary amount of money? Have you ever thought, "This doll is too expensive, I'll pass".
the only way the cost of the doll will stop me is if 1. I cant afford it or 2. I have the money but i need it for something more important i.e bills. Either way if i see a doll i want i make plans to eventually own it regardless of the price.

6° If for some reason you had to sell your whole collection except for one doll, would you be able to do it? Would you know who to pick? Why choose that one?
I think.. with out really "choosing" i'd be stuck with my kid delf ani. Only becuase hes so badly damaged (broken nose ect.) But i refuse to lower the price to wat it should be for a doll so damaged. Basically if i cant get atleast half my money back no point in selling him. Im pretty stubborn about it. Which is why i could never sell him. Not that i would try (i love him broken nose and all) plus hes my first nd thus my favorite by default. If i had to pick a favorite.
7° Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
When i had just one doll i was perfectly content and stayed that way for year till i got my second doll. Then it was downhill from there. I entered the land of no return and the time between each new doll has been growing exponentially shorter since. My advice for people with one doll, enjoy it while it lasts its a simple kind of joy in being able to spoil that one doll completely. I could be happy with one doll..

8° Do you dislike purchasing popular sculpts? Do you prefer limited and rare dolls above others? If so, why? If not, are you bothered by people with this attitude?
i buy what i like. Who cares if its popular, rare, limited, broken ect. I like what i like. People who are snobby about other people dolls make the hobby no fun. I get teased enough about my dolls from normal people i don't need to hear it from fellow doll collectors too.

9° If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
i would get the lusion doll dahlia from dollmore. She well over $1,000 but shes so cute. Shes not really on my wishlist because i wouldnt know what to do with all that resin. But if i had unlimited funds i guess i wouldn't really have to worry about it ^^;
id buy her for the experience.
(I wish they would remake the same face plate in an msd size i'd buy it in a heart beat)

10° Do you keep track of how much you spent on the hobby so far? Why (not)? Does anyone else ever comment on the financial side of your hobby?
I do. Its all mental math tho becuase that how little money i spend on my dolls xD. I can remember everything i'v bought for them as far back as 2009.. The first time i ever needed to recall was during a fight with my boyfriend about my dolls. He still occasionally asks me how much i'v spent, to "check up on me". so i guess thats when i first started really paying attention.
I tell people the price of the doll so thay can understand the value but only to family members a friends. And when they say "oh but its so expensive" i say "so are most other "socially accepted" hobbies." Or "if you can spend $400 on a video game, $200 on sneakers, and buy ect. other things I consider a waste of money. Then you cant complain about what i do with my money."

 

1° Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
Straight to the company.

2° Do you immediately order sleeping faces and extra hands for your doll through the company? If so, do you do this for every doll you purchase?
It depends. I did with my tan pukifee because it was unknown at the time if FL was going to do another tan event.

3° If you have dolls with sleeping faces and extra hands: do you actually use them enough to justify the purchase? If not, do you regret getting them? If you don't have the above, do you regret not getting them?
I do not regret it.

4° Have you ever found yourself looking for extra items to throw in your shopping cart just so you could reach the necessary minimum amount to qualify for an event or free shipping? Do you realize this is a merchandising trick? If so, do you mind being seduced by this?
I haven't tried to get to free shipping. It just happens. I don't care about "merchandising tricks" if it's something I actually want.

5° Did the cost of a doll ever stop you from actually purchasing it when you had the necessary amount of money? Have you ever thought, "This doll is too expensive, I'll pass".
No. Yes but I went for it anyway and I'm glad I did.

6° If for some reason you had to sell your whole collection except for one doll, would you be able to do it? Would you know who to pick? Why choose that one?
Yes. Yes. My mom bought her for me as a gift.

7° Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
Maybe, but I'm happy doing what I do now.

8° Do you dislike purchasing popular sculpts? Do you prefer limited and rare dolls above others? If so, why? If not, are you bothered by people with this attitude?
Not if it's something I want. I do prefer limiteds! They're often styled in ways I like or are in resin colors I prefer.

9° If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
I'm not sure

10° Do you keep track of how much you spent on the hobby so far? Why (not)? Does anyone else ever comment on the financial side of your hobby?
Paypal/Invoices is a fairly decent method. Nope not really.

 

1° Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
Most of the dolls I've purchased over the past year were directly from the company because they are limiteds and I don't feel like hunting for them later on the secondhand market.

2° Do you immediatly order sleeping faces and extra hands for your doll through the company? If so, do you do this for every doll you purchase?
It really depends. If I think I'll use them, I will buy them. If not, I won't.

3° If you have dolls with sleeping faces and extra hands: do you actually use them enough to justify the purchase? If not, do you regret getting them? If you don't have the above, do you regret not getting them?
Yes, I do use them enough. I switch between my OE and R. Heliot heads frequently and enjoy using them both (though one is a dreaming head, not sleeping). I bought both Soom Jethro heads because I know I will use them.

4° Have you ever found yourself looking for extra items to throw in your shopping cart just so you could reach the necessary minimum amount to qualify for an event or free shipping? Do you realize this is a merchandising trick? If so, do you mind being seduced by this?
No, I'm not really enticed by anything other than the actual doll. I haven't ordered during a time where I had to buy a certain amount to qualify for anything, though.

5° Did the cost of a doll ever stop you from actually purchasing it when you had the necessary amount of money? Have you ever thought, "This doll is too expensive, I'll pass".
Not really. I want what I want, and when I'm determined it's hard to stop me ^__^

6° If for some reason you had to sell your whole collection except for one doll, would you be able to do it? Would you know who to pick? Why choose that one?
It would be one of the most difficult things ever, to sell all but one. I love them all so much. But if I had to, I would probably choose my Soom Phonolus if I absolutely had to pick just one.

7° Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
Yes, I could be happy with one, but I'd be much happier with lots I love these dolls so even if I only got one it would be awesome, but I enjoy creating characters for all of my dolls and they give me something to look forward to. Sometimes I'm more drawn to one of my dolls more than the others because of my mood.

8° Do you dislike purchasing popular sculpts? Do you prefer limited and rare dolls above others? If so, why? If not, are you bothered by people with this attitude?
I like what I like! Most of the dolls I buy are limited, because I'm addicted to Soom. I don't care if people like popular, unpopular, limited, rare, or basic dolls more than the others.

9° If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?

I'm actually happy with my collection right now. I would have said a Soom Amber boy, but Soom made my dream come true and I have him on layaway currently through the company

10° Do you keep track of how much you spent on the hobby so far? Why (not)? Does anyone else ever comment on the financial side of your hobby?
Yes, I know how much I've spent. I could tell you what I paid for all of my dolls off the top of my head. I don't try to keep track I suppose, since the dollar signs don't really matter to me. I wouldn't keep buying if it wasn't worth it I don't disclose the financial aspect of the hobby to my parents, because I live on my own and I'm sure they would think I'm crazy for the massive amount I've spent on this hobby. My fiancé is very supportive though.

 

1° Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company?

I always look on the secondhand market, although typically I search dealer websites first to see if they happen to have the doll I want in stock.

2° Do you order sleeping faces and extra hands for your doll through the company? If so, do you do this for every doll you purchase?

None of my dolls have sleeping faces. Some have extra hands but they were event gifts. If I have an extra part I don't intend to use, I sell it and/or find it a new home.

3° If you have dolls with sleeping faces and extra hands: do you actually use them enough to justify the purchase? If not, do you regret getting them? If you don't have the above, do you regret not getting them?

N/A

4° Have you ever found yourself looking for extra items to throw in your shopping cart just so you could reach the necessary minimum amount to qualify for an event or free shipping? Do you realize this is a merchandising trick? If so, do you mind being seduced by this?

Shipping these dolls = expensive. If it'll cost me less to add clothes, etc. to my cart than ship the doll, I'll add items to my cart, even if I just end up reselling said items.

5° Did the cost of a doll ever stop you from actually purchasing it when you had the necessary amount of money? Have you ever thought, "This doll is too expensive, I'll pass".

No. I wouldn't own my YoSD Kira if I had reacted that way.

6° If for some reason you had to sell your whole collection except for one doll, would you be able to do it? Would you know who to pick? Why choose that one?

I'd rather give my dolls away to a fellow collector than sell my collection. If I had to sell my collection for financial purposes, I would choose the doll whose character is dearest to me, as he may be one of my cheaper ones but looking at him inspires me on my darkest days.

7° Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?

If I had to be, sure. One doll is better than none... although I prefer owning in the double digits.

8° Do you dislike purchasing popular sculpts? Do you prefer limited and rare dolls above others? If so, why? If not, are you bothered by people with this attitude?

I don't *dislike* popular sculpts, but I tend to be drawn to less popular ones (I guess my eye for "beauty" is "off" compared to the majority in this hobby). I love my MNF and Volks as much as I love my Doll-Love and Angel Fantasy sculpts.

I'm not bothered by people who have a varying preference compared to mine, no.

9° If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?

This changes. Right now I'm saving for a Xagadoll mini, but if I had unlimited funds I'd buy a Volks SDC.

10° Do you keep track of how much you spent on the hobby so far? Why (not)? Does anyone else ever comment on the financial side of your hobby?

Yes, for insurance purposes. The only other person who knows how much I spend on my dolls is my spouse and I have yet to hear any complaints (since I earn all the money I use to buy them, be it by selling off other collections, etc.)

 

I took one look at the topic and thought, "It's WAY too late for minimalism in the BJD hobby for me!" LOL!! Thanks for the fun questions, though!

1° Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
I always look for second hand first, unless it is new release. If it's a new release and limited, I won't take a chance on missing out! I go to the company for those.

2° Do you immediatly order sleeping faces and extra hands for your doll through the company? If so, do you do this for every doll you purchase?
I like alternate hands and heads. But I won't buy them immediately unless I feel they are necessary (like if I know I want an alternate expression, or if I hate the default hands).

3° If you have dolls with sleeping faces and extra hands: do you actually use them enough to justify the purchase? If not, do you regret getting them? If you don't have the above, do you regret not getting them?
I don't use them much, but have never regretted them. I wouldn't say I regret not getting them. I'd like to get more, but I have higher priorities sometimes.

4° Have you ever found yourself looking for extra items to throw in your shopping cart just so you could reach the necessary minimum amount to qualify for an event or free shipping? Do you realize this is a merchandising trick? If so, do you mind being seduced by this?
Yes. I know it's a trick to make me buy more, but I try VERY hard not to buy things I don't need. I often fill my cart and then put a few things back.

5° Did the cost of a doll ever stop you from actually purchasing it when you had the necessary amount of money? Have you ever thought, "This doll is too expensive, I'll pass".
I'm at the point where I don't want to buy unless it is a "must have". I think I am lucky because I haven't fallen in love with many expensive dolls. Mine are pretty much moderately priced.

6° If for some reason you had to sell your whole collection except for one doll, would you be able to do it? Would you know who to pick? Why choose that one?
If I HAD to do it, I wouldn't have a choice, able or not. But I would keep my first, my Volks SD13 Link.

7° Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
Too late for that!

8° Do you dislike purchasing popular sculpts? Do you prefer limited and rare dolls above others? If so, why? If not, are you bothered by people with this attitude?
I don't dislike popular sculpts, and I don't prefer limited ones. I just choose what I like. I wish people wouldn't hate a doll just because it's popular or limited, but that would just be my perception and I might be wrong. So it doesn't bother me really.

9° If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
Probably Volks SDGr Belldandy!! Over $1500 on the secondary market, I imagine.

10° Do you keep track of how much you spent on the hobby so far? Why (not)? Does anyone else ever comment on the financial side of your hobby?
I don't keep actual monetary records. That way lies madness. But I could put them together from my receipts. No one else has the right to comment on what I spend on my hobby at this point in my life!!

Linda S.
galatia9

 

1° Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why? I look on both! I like to find the best deal.

2° Do you immediately order sleeping faces and extra hands for your doll through the company? If so, do you do this for every doll you purchase? I immediately think about it! But I always then think "Do I need it? Will I actually use it?" and only purchase the things I say yes to. It's cheaper to order them with the doll than buy them later on.

4° Have you ever found yourself looking for extra items to throw in your shopping cart just so you could reach the necessary minimum amount to qualify for an event or free shipping? Do you realize this is a merchandising trick? If so, do you mind being seduced by this? I have, I do realise, and I don't mind. If I feel like its beneficial in the long run, why not be seduced!

5° Did the cost of a doll ever stop you from actually purchasing it when you had the necessary amount of money? Have you ever thought, "This doll is too expensive, I'll pass". Yes, absolutely. Sometimes I just hold out on buying the doll, but most of the time I just admire from afar.

6° If for some reason you had to sell your whole collection except for one doll, would you be able to do it? Would you know who to pick? Why choose that one? I only have one doll at the moment, with plans for another. If I had to sell, I would, and keep my current doll. I bought her first because she is the one I wanted most and knew I would bond with. And for those same reasons, I would keep her as my only.

7° Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why? Yes, I could. While I would still want other dolls, I'm sure I could be happy just spoiling one.

8° Do you dislike purchasing popular sculpts? Do you prefer limited and rare dolls above others? If so, why? If not, are you bothered by people with this attitudes? My only doll is a Fairyland Pukifee Ante, and I'm fairly sure she's popular. I have no problem with it. I think it's all about seeing the doll and thinking it's beautiful, not its rarity. I do get a little bothered with people who complain about popular sculpts being popular. I don't understand what could be wrong with everyone loving the same sculpt!

9° If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost? A Kinoko Juice Kiki. I think she's anywhere from $1000-$2000 on the second hand market. She's one of those dolls which I've said "Too expensive, you're never buying it" to.

10° Do you keep track of how much you spent on the hobby so far? Why (not)? Does anyone else ever comment on the financial side of your hobby? I don't keep track. People do comment that my doll is so expensive for something so small, but I don't mind. I can see where they are coming from, and no one has ever badgered me about it.

 

I do think it's possible to be a minimalist BJD owner, but probably not a minimalist collector - those are two separate categories which are at odds with each other, I'd think.

I think it's worth pointing out that most of these questions appear to be about budget or financial concerns rather than minimalism - I've known minimalists whose budget for specific items (be it their house, their furniture, the art on their walls) is actually higher than average, it's just that they have one very expensive item versus the multiple average or low-priced items that non-minimalists would have chosen.

1° Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
My first several dolls were all older and/or LEs so secondhand was the only option. In general, if a doll is currently in production I'll purchase direct from the company as a means of showing support for the line (if I like the product, I like to support the producer).

2° Do you immediately order sleeping faces and extra hands for your doll through the company? If so, do you do this for every doll you purchase?
I have a couple of dolls who came with option hands by default, but I certainly don't need them for every doll. Of my 28 dolls, I have option hands for 3 of them, and only 1 was an actual separate purchase.

3° If you have dolls with sleeping faces and extra hands: do you actually use them enough to justify the purchase? If not, do you regret getting them? If you don't have the above, do you regret not getting them?
The one that I picked out I do use. The two that were default I don't, but it's not as though they require a huge amount of storage space, so I'm certainly not unhappy that I own them - it's a neutral to me.

4° Have you ever found yourself looking for extra items to throw in your shopping cart just so you could reach the necessary minimum amount to qualify for an event or free shipping? Do you realize this is a merchandising trick? If so, do you mind being seduced by this?
I haven't bought extra for event shipping, although I have waited to purchase a doll that I've had my eye on if I know that the company is likely to have an event coming up.

I think most people understand the nature of sales - if you're "seduced" by free shipping, I'd hope you were buying things you already wanted, but if not, I hardly think it's the company's fault. They want to make money, after all - a sale hardly takes away the buyers agency.

5° Did the cost of a doll ever stop you from actually purchasing it when you had the necessary amount of money? Have you ever thought, "This doll is too expensive, I'll pass".
I have. There's a certain doll that I've had my eye on (a Zaoll LE) that I quite like, and could afford, and that is actually less expensive than some dolls I've bought in the past, but that I feel is too expensive for a doll of that size, and thus didn't buy.

6° If for some reason you had to sell your whole collection except for one doll, would you be able to do it? Would you know who to pick? Why choose that one?
I suppose so. I'd be hard-pressed to pick one, but I could easily pare my 28 down to 3, I think. I'd decide which to keep based on the challenge of replacing them at a later time. Although really it would depend why I was selling them - Have I lost interest in them? If so, why not get rid of them all? Is it a space issue? Because in that case surely I could find other options? If it's financial, I think that would be a sign of bigger problems - why would I have bought a pile of expensive dolls if my finances were so precarious?

7° Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
I actually had just one doll for several years, but I think my attitude towards dolls (or what I wanted out of them) changed.

8° Do you dislike purchasing popular sculpts? Do you prefer limited and rare dolls above others? If so, why? If not, are you bothered by people with this attitude?
I don't care, really. I have a certain aesthetic preference, and if it overlaps with popular taste, it seems like that would be a good thing - the doll is more likely to be widely available. As for other people, people like what they like, so more power to them.

9° If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
Right now I think my collection is complete, so I'm not really eyeing anything that's currently available. There might be a new release that catches my eye in the future, but as it stands now I'm not buying anything by choice, not because of resource limintations.

10° Do you keep track of how much you spent on the hobby so far? Why (not)? Does anyone else ever comment on the financial side of your hobby?
I moved internationally a little over a year ago, and had to write up a detailed value list of my dolls for insurance/customs purposes. It was a little humbling to see the total, but I'd actually had a fairly accurate idea of what that total was, so it wasn't a surprise.

 

1° Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
I've been looking at both. I'm currently saving for my first BJD, so I'm price comparing. If there's not much of a difference ($30 or so, something like that) in a secondhand price compared to direct from the company, then I'm more inclined towards the company.

2° Do you immediately order sleeping faces and extra hands for your doll through the company? If so, do you do this for every doll you purchase?
No, I have zero interest in sleeping faces. I'm only interested in extra hands if they're clawed or something, like for an anthro BJD. If they're a different pose but still human hands, I won't.

3° If you have dolls with sleeping faces and extra hands: do you actually use them enough to justify the purchase? If not, do you regret getting them? If you don't have the above, do you regret not getting them?
I'd definitely get my money's worth with the animal hands, as I'd swap them out right away and make them the default for my doll.

4° Have you ever found yourself looking for extra items to throw in your shopping cart just so you could reach the necessary minimum amount to qualify for an event or free shipping? Do you realize this is a merchandising trick? If so, do you mind being seduced by this?
Not yet, as I'm still fairly new to the hobby. If it was for something special I'd really want, I'd make sure I'd pick out extra items I really want as well to make the most of it.

5° Did the cost of a doll ever stop you from actually purchasing it when you had the necessary amount of money? Have you ever thought, "This doll is too expensive, I'll pass".
Yes. While I'm not at the necessary amount yet, it is pretty scary to think of making the leap of getting my first BJD.

6° If for some reason you had to sell your whole collection except for one doll, would you be able to do it? Would you know who to pick? Why choose that one?
BJD wise yes, since I'd only have the one once I get her. If I get another, I'd still probably stick with my first, since she would have been my first BJD.

7° Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
Yes, since I'd be able to give the one all my dolly attention and know that what I spent to get her would be worth it.

8° Do you dislike purchasing popular sculpts? Do you prefer limited and rare dolls above others? If so, why? If not, are you bothered by people with this attitude?
It doesn't bother me, to each their own. I prefer mature anthro dolls, and they seem to be on the more uncommon side, though that's far from the reason I'm drawn to them.

9° If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
IOS Jack. He's been sold out for a while, so I forget what he actually cost.

10° Do you keep track of how much you spent on the hobby so far? Why (not)? Does anyone else ever comment on the financial side of your hobby?
I'm currently keeping track of how much my first doll will cost, so in a way yes. No one comments on it so far, but I also only talk about it with my boyfriend, who is also in the hobby.