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 always go to the secondhand market, I wont really purchase dolls from the company anymore. I've had a string of really terrible luck with preorders so now I will only purchase dolls that are ready made, which is usually the secondhand market.
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?
Nope, I've yet to order sleeping plates or extra hands. I desperately wish i could get a sleeping plate for one of my favorite dolls, but she's a very rare sculpt and there's no sleeping plate available, and getting a standard one to modify is very difficult.

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?
One of my dolls did come with additional fist hands, but I really don't switch them out very often, so I dont regret not buying extras for my others.

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 always look to see if there's anything else I want or need, but I'm very picky and there rarely is, so I rarely take advantage of those deals. I do know they're a merchandizing trick but if I'm looking for something anyway I dont mind buying into them.

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 I'll pass on a doll because it's more than I'm willing to spend for what it is, it depends on the individual doll.

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 honestly dont think I could do it, of all the dolls i have home currently, most of them are extremely precious to me. I'm autistic and I get very attached to some of my posessions, and other than a couple I'm currently considering selling, I dont think I'd be emotionally able to downsize drastically.

7. Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
I think I could definitely be happy with just one doll, if I'd started with the idea of just having one. The problem is I cant get rid of most of my current crew, they mean too much to me.

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 dont like most popular sculpts, this is less an elitism thing and more a "my tastes are odd and eclectic" thing. Most of my dolls are rather rare or uncommon, but that's just how the cards lined up, I dont look down on people with more affordable or popular dolls.

9. If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
If I had unlimited resources I'd likely seek out a dust of dolls doom edda. I dont even know what the current going rate is for them, just that it's well outside of my budget.

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 not keep track of how much I've spent in the hobby. I have a lot of generalized guilt in my life and often feel like I dont deserve nice things, so if I paid attention to how much I've spent in the hobby I would only feel more guilty. I dont need that. I keep my spending well within my means, but dont track it otherwise.

 

1. Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
Typically, I will try to find it secondhand. I am a very impatient person! If I want a new doll in general, I will see what's up on the market, but the newer doll sculpts I want I almost always have to order from the company just cause they're newer.

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 think I will only order extra hands going forward, but it really depends on the doll. I bought a sleeping face and hands for a minifee and never gave it a faceup, but I also didn't do anything with the blank doll either as I don't think MSD size is for me. So, I can't give an assertive answer on this. I do like to have multiple hand types though!

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?
Seen above--I don't think MSD was for me. I think I'd use a sleeping face variant for my other girls though! I like to have options. I got all of my dolls except for one fullset secondhand, so I can't "regret" not having the sleeping plates. I would like them, though.

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?
The only events I took place in were when I bought dolls from the company, so you auto-qualified. If I wanted something from an event, it would be worth since it is less likely you'll find it secondhand. There's also the option of joining splits!

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 not. I do most of my company purchases through dealers to make it cheaper (via layaway). The only time I buy in full is for Christmas for myself or when I'm buying seconhand (and that's just if they only allow short layaways).

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?
Definitely not. I think I could cut it down to four out of the dolls I have right this second, and that is out of 10. They all have great meaning to me.

7. Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
No, I don't think so. I like different styles and colors and some just don't look great with those varied styles while some do.

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?
Nah. I had a Feeple Chloe that I ended up selling because I didn't like her faceup. It was a company and an older one to boot, so it looked very plain. I kind of wish I didn't since now I do my own faceups, but I didn't sell her because she's common or anything. I am not bothered by it. Everyone has their own tastes. I personally don't really like Volks dolls and don't get why they are so stupidly expensive, but that's probably because they flood the sales markets and I don't like seeing them lol. Too much to weed through. Others probably would disagree. It is all opinions!

9. If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
A ton of 65+ girls from various companies. The F65 Ingrid, most of the Grace Loongsoul girls, some Spirit dolls, etc. I love bigger 1/3 dolls a lot, even if the clothing and accessories are super limited. I'll make them myself! Ingrid was $955. LS fullsets are $700+.

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; not really, though I did add it up just now to see (dolls alone, not accessories). I don't have extra funds anymore due to a breakup leaving me with the entirety of bills of our apartment, but at the time I didn't keep tabs on it as it was my extra money. I've never forgone important bills to buy doll stuff. My mother has made negative comments, but we aren't close and she has nothing to do with my finances. My friends all have their own vices/interests (looking at the new 3070/3080 gpus they're all getting) and they don't have any need for my money either

 

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 don’t actively look for a specific doll secondhand but if I see a secondhand doll I know is on my list of dolls to get eventually I might get it if the condition/price is good enough. I almost always have to pay over layaway so unless I’m saving a lot of money it’s not really worth it to get used over new for me.

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?
Hands yes, sleeping faces no. I’d only order an extra sleeping/expression head if it fit a dominant trait the character has. Like if it’s a character I’d call lazy or tired I would consider a sleeping head. I don’t do a ton of doll photography either or I’d consider getting sleeping heads.

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’ve gotten hands a few times and I don’t regret it. Hands are fairly cheap (usually around $20) and easy to switch out. I did get extra hands for one of my dolls and the resin didn’t match despite buying them within the same year so that was disappointing but it’s not super noticeable in pictures and I know I can just blush them to match later. I love when doll brands have hand choices.
What I HAVE regretted getting before is a Fullset. I’ve only gotten the Fullset for one doll and I never use the wig or eyes. The outfit is nice and comes in several parts I can use but I don’t think it justified the cost of the parts I don’t use. And it made what should be one of the cheapest dolls in my collection way more expensive.

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?
Yep, and I notice this even in non-doll stuff. I don’t really mind it even though I know it’s a trick.

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. A lot of times I’ll pass or wait until a holiday event to get a discount or free items. I also tend to plan out my dolls way in advance and sometimes I change my mind on getting a more expensive doll and switch to a cheaper branded 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?
I’ve thought about it before and it would be a hard choice. I think I could narrow it down to two if I absolutely had to but one would be really hard. Some of my collection are very hard to get now but my go-to character is shelled in a common and easy-to-get sculpt.

7. Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
No, I like having several dolls. I like being about to shell characters I draw/play as bjds. I have lots planned out that I may never shell.

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 really like getting super popular sculpts in general and I’m not sure why. It’s a dangerous preference in this hobby because sometimes you have to risk getting an expensive doll without being able to compare owner pictures to company pictures. I’ve done it a few times and have had some regrets from that. I don’t mind other people’s preferences on this since I can see why people pick one or the other. It’s kind of fun to have something rare but at the same time those common sculpts are popular for a reason - because they are versatile.

9. If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
I’d probably try a few minifees or some more SD or fantasy dolls. Funds are pretty limited for me so I limit myself to only shell the characters I care about the most and msd-sizes are usually cheaper. Fairyland is usually out of my price point so I don’t have any 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?
I don’t really keep track of accessories but I do know about how much I spent on each doll and I keep the receipts just for resale purposes. Dolls and accessories don’t reduce in value as dramatically as other things so I don’t feel like I need to keep a close count of how much I spent on things.
I don’t talk about bjds a lot to my friends or family except a coworker who collects fashion dolls. Honestly most people have at least one “expensive” hobby anyway.

 

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 mostly buy from the company directly. I usually only look on the market when second hand is the only option. Most of the time the doll I want isn't available on the market anyway, or shipping from a private person would cost more than from the company. Also I like buying new.

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?

Sadly none of the dolls I have, have sleeping heads available If the price is okay I'd probably buy the extra head though!
Regarding hands, I tend to buy them when the doll a) has no jointed hands that could fit and b) I already know I need a specific pose later for photos.

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 tend to buy the extra hands and then later never swap them out. For heads I would use the regular head most of the time too, but I like knowing I have options for possible photos later.

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?

Hmm I think I never was in that situation before actually! Usually I wait anyway for an event, because I know my purchase will probably grant me the gift/discount. If I would realize there's an event going, and there is something I could easily add to meet the requirement, I would probably do that.
And no, I don't mind. In the end I still decide if it's worth the event or not for me to pay/purchase more.

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, certainly. There were a couple I liked but just didn't like enough, or because they exceeded a certain price I'd be willing to pay for that doll type in particular. Like pet dolls. They are cute, but because they are mostly decoration pieces in the end I would never pay a lot of money for them personally.

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 mean if I have to, I guess it doesn't matter whether I could or not
But phew, that question is always difficult. There are some I certainly know would have to go, but who in the end would stay I really can't say. I have a couple that are big contenders for that spot.

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

No, I don't think so. There are too many styles and aesthetics I enjoy. I can live with a small group, but just one would be too restricting.

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?

Naw, I buy what I like. Whether a lot or only a few people own this specific doll doesn't matter to me.
And I'm not bothered by it, I don't care what others do. However, I do certainly find it a little silly when people stress out over stuff like that

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

Phew, no clue! Maybe one of the new LLT Ballerino guys. I love them but the 1000+ price tag is just too much for a regular 70cm guy for me
I am very happy with my collection, it's hard to still tempt me.

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. To be fair, after 12 years that also would be a bit much. I do have friends who do spreadsheets for everything they bought in the hobby, but I don't see the need for it. I don't do that with anything else, why with the dolls?
And no. My father (i.e. my family) early on knew how much this hobby costs and I'm now an adult that lives alone.

 

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 do try to find dolls I want secondhand. Sometimes they're a little cheaper, and I don't have to sit through months of wait 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 never order sleeping heads or extra hands, but have bought them secondhand before.

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've bought a sleeping head secondhand once, but didn't use it enough to justify it. I don't regret passing on 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, yes, and no ^^

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".
Honestly if I have the money I just buy it.

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 yes. I already know who I would keep. She would be very difficult to replace, and she's my favorite.
7. Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
No. I enjoy doing faceups and I think I'd get bored painting my one doll over and over.
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. Yes! I like having something unique and hard to find.

9. If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
Any Dust of Dolls Cham. Not entirely sure the price, they're always released at a bad time for me. ALWAYS. I've missed every one I've seen on the second market too
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 think I'd feel guilty. Yes, my husband

 

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 do look secondhand. I like to buy things I will get relatively quickly over things I'll be waiting months to get, but the price is a big deal breaker sometimes. If I can buy brand new for the same price as used with yellowing, damage or missing box/CoA, I'd rather just buy new unless the company has serious issues like shipping out damaged dolls or 6+ month wait times.

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?
Never. I've only owned one sleeping faceplate and that's just because it was included when I bought secondhand. I've never found them to be very useful or practical. As for hands, usually no, unless it's something very specific to the character (like a gun-nut needs gun hands!) I'm more likely to buy high heel feet.

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 never regret not getting extra hands or faces.

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 do look around, but I won't buy junk I won't actually use. Sometimes spending the extra is actually cheaper, for example spend $500 and get free shipping. If you're at $490 and shipping is $80, it's definitely worth it to spend that extra $10. With event items, it really depends on if I want the event item badly enough to spend the extra, or if I know anyone will be interested in buying the event item from me to balance it out in the end. I don't spend extra just to get more if I'm not interested.

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. The most I've spent is about $700 and I don't think I'll ever be okay going over that amount.

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 two, and it's hard to choose between them. Harriet is my favorite doll, so I'd want to keep her, but Amir is my very first doll, I've had him for over 12 years and I just don't think I could part with him. I can't really see myself cutting back to just one doll.

7. Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
No, unless I was totally quitting the hobby and just holding on to one. My dolls' characters are all connected and I would get far too bored with just 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 attitude?
I buy sculpts because I like them and they fit my characters, I don't care if everyone else has one or if everyone thinks it's the ugliest sculpt ever or what it's worth. People can buy however they want, it doesn't affect me, but I do think it's a little sad to not get a doll you love just because of what other people think about that sculpt.

9. If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
I've currently got what I want for the most part and don't have any that I MUST buy on a wishlist. I guess either rebuy Opaline who is a ResinSoul Mi I sold two years ago and regret, she'd be $199, or I'd reshell Blake, though I'm not sure what sculpt he might be. Maybe Soom or Ringdoll. I don't know. Buying new dolls isn't a priority right now.

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 way! I've been in this hobby going on 13 years, and it would probably make me sick to see exactly how much I've spent (and lost with buying and selling...) I'd prefer to just have fun while staying in my budget and not keep track of what it costs to enjoy the hobby. I've had people comment about it being a waste of money, but I don't think having a hobby I enjoy that causes no harm to anyone else is wasteful. If I were neglecting bills or starving myself or my dog, then yeah, it would be messed up, but as long as I'm responsible, I don't care what they think.

 

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 regularly go onto various marketplaces because I enjoy browsing different sculpts and getting a bargain. For company it's usually for a full doll plus extras or if it isnt available on marketplace.

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?
Only if the sleeping face appeals to me. Extra hands and feet though, yes!

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?
Yeah they're so good to have; I go so far as to get matching jointed hands from different companies, big men's heeled feet for my SD boys, and open-toes for geta. I don't have elaborate setups for pics in terms of props or background or furniture, so the devil's in the details and it adds a little something to give my dolls a little more life.

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?
Of course, but not if I'm too far off from qualifying. Sometimes it's a legitimate bargain that's worth that little bit extra.

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? Space constraint is a far bigger concern because I collect SDs.

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 like a small family that I can pamper to death. I'll keep my 1st, my son Shouma. But only because I JUST completed my hybrid daughter Yoshie and havent time to bond as much yet. But even down the line I don't forsee myself owning more than 5 at once.

7. Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
Now that I have more dolls I think I need 2; one of each gender. 1 means I might be missing out on the different clothing styles I could be making for such different bodies.

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?
A little? I value uniqueness rather highly and am picky about how I want them to look. So it's not so much a dislike of popular sculpts but realizing that my aesthetics and what appeals to me is not shared by the majority. Everyone should be able to like what they like, it's subjective!

9. If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
I would get my current hybrid girl custom cast to rework her neck gapping and enlarge her hands and feet a little. A one off cast should bankrupt me nicely hahhahhaa

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?
Not really. I only pay in full so I know if I can afford it out of my disposable income without guessing. If I'm worried it might exceed budget I Do Not Buy™. Layaways are personally so dangerous for me cos it presents a slippery slope; I might be more inclined to buy something I do not Truly want just because it's "only 200 bucks for 5 months". As opposed to "IT'S 1000 BUCKS DO I LOVE THIS ENOUGH TO SINK A THOUSAND DOLLAROOS?!" Can't imagine paying 2 rounds and then getting buyer's remorse. Of course this is just my opinion, with regards to me. People do ask, but I'm a working adult so they have no say

 

1. Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
After learning about the 2nd hand market, i've been trying to check it everyday. but my first doll I had no idea about 2nd market and just bought straight from the company, my next doll. I hated the body, so I didn't buy from the company but miraculously found on the 2nd hand market and managed to snag just the head, then the body i just straight bought from the company due to them hosting a sale for cheaper than what the 2nd hand market would likely have listed him at.

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 vaguely considered getting heel legs from the company bought body i got this year, but I really didn't think I'd use it all that often, esp on a 65boy body. so *shrug* I think i'd be more amenable to buying different faces if the head employs a faceplate option compared to the traditional head style.

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?
In terms of extras, rather than an extra head/extra hands, I ended up getting an extra body for one of my fantasy dolls, so that she could be a mermaid that could have legs as the situation called for kind of like the little mermaid. It's my most recent arrival, so so far, i suppose it's getting used to justify its cost. but i'm probably going to trade it in for a bigger body. The remaining headless body whether memaid or human, i'd probably use it as a practice head stand.

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 yet to participate in an company event that had extra goodies or frees shipping, but totally would use it lol

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, I admire some dolls and wouldn't mind them in my collection such as Switch dolls, but i think they're a bit pricey, and find that many Luts head sculpts achieve that similar look but at a price that i'm willing to pay for.

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 cooooooouuuuulldddd if I was forced to and I would know, but I def have 2 favorites. but again my collection isn't very big at all with a total of 3 company dolls. so it's not much of a choice.

7. Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
Maybe, My boy is spoiled with clothing, but i'd wish for him to have a partner.

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 without regards to what's popular or not. i got into bjds because of the bjds not because other people like bjds and without knowing anyone in the hobby. I do own a limited doll, but I wouldn't say that it's a tendency though. I have no issues if people prefer those kind of sculpts. people like what they like. I guess the only thing that would bother me would be people who would view it as a competition(?) and actually engage in dialogue putting down other people's dolls.

9. If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
I have already bought my grail. It cost quite a bit. lol. Brand new it would have been around $1500. I managed to find it 2nd hand for about 18% less, but it did require some work on 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?
I have made a spreadsheet in google sheets to keep an account of what I've bought and sold. I started just for to be self informed, while also being handy in case of needing to use it for renter's insurance. My mom things they're over priced, but I'd rather have pretty dolls than the fancy furniture and plates/bowls she suggests. I keep my SO informed on everything and the SO thinks they're pretty pricey, but doesn't discourage me since the SO also spends on personal hobbies.

 

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 almost always look at the second-hand market first, but rarely have I ever managed to find a doll I was looking for at the time I was able to buy it so most of the dolls i've bought have been directly though the company. Its awesome to get doll faster/at a lower cost secondhand when possible, even if they are a little old/damaged. I like projects!

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?
Most of the time, yes. With limited dolls sometimes i've had to skip on extra parts as I couldn't afford them all with such short notice/time to save. I don't always opt for SP/alternate heads, but I do always like for all of my dolls to have a few different pairs of hands whenever possible.

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 I use all the time and i've absolutely never regret getting them. SP/alternate heads, however, I'm a little more conflicted about. I think they are beautiful and a fun addition to have, but often times I struggle to find the motivation to paint them. I tend to want the other head's faceups to be noticeably distinct in some way from the OE head's faceup, but then I waffle on ideas too much and sometimes the SP heads just end up in a box unused for ages. I wouldn't really say i've regretted getting them though.

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 course I know its business purpose. I've only ever joined events if I was already planning to make an order soon anyway. In the case of free shipping, if you can find items that would be equal to what you would of paid for shipping anyway, then why not? You're essentially just getting free stuff at that point.
Gift items are a little different though, it really depends on if I have a use for it or if it has resale value. In some cases, by spending a bit extra money to get an event item you can make more money selling it than the extra you had spent to get it. Many Fairyland event items are like this, for example. I usually custom paint and sell the event heads I get and I more than make up for whatever the extra cost was to add it to my order, so as an artist its often my benefit to be "seduced" in a 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".
Yes, absolutely. An expensive doll is still an expensive doll, even if you can afford it. I always have a difficult time committing to buying a doll if it costs as much or more than the combined cost of two others on my wishlist. Also, after having a lot of amazing fantasy dolls its now become so much harder for me to justify a $500+ price for just a basic human doll. They pretty much have to become a grail sculpt for me to consider paying that much now.

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, of course. I adore my dolls so much, but there are many things in life that are far more important than dolls. Thankfully i've not had to do this and I hope that I never will, but still I like to think on the positive side and instead of being sad over the dolls that I lose, I would try to keep excited for the new dolls I could get in the future.
I do know which doll I would keep if I could only keep one, yes. It would be my Fairyland Feeple60 Cygne, Guppy, who is my favorite doll who i've never once considered selling. They are endlessly inspiring to me in a way that no other doll i've owned has been and I worry I would not enjoy the hobby as much as I do now if I lost them.

7. Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
Yes, of course. As I said before, my most beloved doll, Guppy, is so very inspiring for me and while I'd much prefer to continue having more than one, as long as I have Guppy i'm sure i'd be happy. I feel like it should go without saying, but having one doll is certainly better than having none at all...

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, of course not! I buy dolls because they inspire me, I don't care if they are popular or not. Its fun to share in the hype of a popular sculpt and equally as fun to show the world the unique beauty of a rare one.
And no, so long as they are supporting the artists, there is no reason to ever be "bothered" by what criteria others chose their dolls.

9. If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
I'd probably buy multiple dolls to be fair, haha~ But if I had to pick one it would be a Soom human OE Heliot in grey skin. Heliot has been one of my biggest grails since I joined the hobby 8 years ago but i've finally figured out the perfect character/plan for him so now i'm just dying to get one! He was a limited release with that head/in that color and if I did manage to find him secondhand he'd probably be close to $1000. I've yet to ever spend so much on a single blank human doll though, so its been hard to fully commit to hunting for him.

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 keep track of the total over the years or anything. I do keep a very rough estimate of how much money i've put toward each of my current dolls as I like to spoil all my dolls evenly if I can.
I try to avoid talking about the financial side of the hobby with anyone outside of it, but when I have to its just easier to explain that as an artist the dolls I buy are investments that gain value once I customize them. Its the quickest way to get someone to do a 180 if they were initially being judgmental.

 

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 prefer to buy directly from the company whenever possible. I don’t have MP access yet and I don’t trust eBay/Instagram as a reliable source for original dolls. The few times I did look for a specific doll on Mandarake, they either didn’t have the doll in stock or it was very close to the same price as if I bought the doll new despite having visible signs of wear and tear.

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 for the dolls I already purchased, because they did not have this option.

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?
Not applicable. If they made jointed hands I would buy them in a heart beat, but I’m not currently interested in other optional parts.

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 done this with doll purchases yet, but I’m guilty of doing this for other purchases. I’m 100% aware this is a gimmick to get me to buy more money, but if it were for things I’d purchase anyway I don’t mind. Shipping can be pretty expensive anyway, so I try to bulk order as much as possible.

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 to the first part - I refuse to go into debt to buy a doll, so I always make sure I can afford the entire amount upfront before purchasing the doll. I’ve passed on buying several dolls because of the high price, but for the dolls I truly wanted, I bought them anyway even though I thought they were expensive.

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 would do everything in my power to NOT get to that point, but if I had to choose only one doll... I’d choose Erwin. He’s literally the reason why I got into BJDs, and I’m fairly confident that I could find another Levi doll if I had to since he’s been rereleased 4 times already.

7. Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
No! I bought my two dolls together because they’re a pair and I’d hate to separate them!!! Although I could probably be happy if I ended my collection with just those two... but definitely not just 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 attitude?
Personally I don’t mind purchasing popular sculpts if they appeal to me. People should purchase what they like, and I don’t really care if people have a “limited only” mindset as long as they aren’t condescending to others in the hobby.

9. If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
If I had truly unlimited resources, I’d definitely purchase another IOS Erwin and IOS Levi (which I bought new at $1570/$1550). I’d also get IOS Han with outfit ($590 + $330), but I would want a custom faceup for him. Possibly a couple of Granado sculpts, and maybe a Ringdoll Levi ($1036) too because why not?

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 keep track of all of my spending, doll related or not. It’s a force of habit. I don’t disclose to anyone I know IRL how much I spend on my dolls. My family knows they’re expensive but they keep their comments to themselves

 

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. So far I have bought new dolls. I'm a little nervous to dive into the second-hand market but I may one day!

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 extra hands for most of my dolls. No sleeping faces yet.

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 switch out the hands often for photos. I'd say for me it's worth it I wish I had gotten sleeping faces though!

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 know it's a trick and usually squint and say you suck when you're off by like 5 bucks and you just know they priced it like that on purpose lol I usually just shrug and pay for shipping. But if it's for an event I really want then fine they can have my money!

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. Before I knew the price of Popovy Sisters' dolls, I really wanted one. Now I don't haha

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 could do it if I had too. As long as I get to keep the pictures I took of them. Hands down I would keep my pukifee. She has been the most inspiring for sewing.

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

I think I would. I'd probably just keep giving her new personas like she was a different doll whenever I would get bored.

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?

Lol I definitely do not have anything against popular dolls. I'm a Fairyland lover It doesn't really bother me if people have elitist attuitudes. That's their headache, not mine haha

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

Probably a fullset Feeple60 Cygne. I don't know how much she would cost these days, but I bet it's expensive!

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, and I don't wanna know Sometimes family might comment but we all have our hobbies! They know I can budget well

 

1. Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
It depends - if there is something like a face-up or option parts that I want from the company, I will buy it new because it's easier than getting the doll and parts from more than one place. I don't mind buying used dolls though, as long as they're well-taken care of. I also think it's better for the environment, even though it's a small difference.

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 order these things as I have a need for them. I find that I'm happy with the versatility of most default hands. Also I've gotten quite good at photoshop, which cuts down the need for extra parts lol.

(Question 3 not relevant 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?
No, I try to be aware of the sunken cost fallacy. However if there are extra items I am interested in, and they cost less than shipping (and would allow me to hit the free shipping cutoff), I will definitely do it. The sunken cost fallacy is prevalent in many different areas, and it is not inherently a marketing trick, so I don't mind it at all.

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".
If a doll is expensive enough for me to pause (usually >$500), it's because I really really want it. Usually the first thing I notice about a doll is the price, so for me to still want it after finding out I have to really desire it. I bought two dolls that fall into this category and I have zero regrets. They've certainly brought me much more happiness than items of equivalent value.

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 hate to do it, but it would def be my first doll (OT Smart Doll Summer).

7. Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
I definitely think I could be, because the thing I enjoy most is photography and sewing for the dolls. The doll is like a canvas for me. I find it challenging to get one doll to display multiple personalities or styles. However, I also just love sitting and admiring different dolls, so I'd hate to only have 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 attitude?
I really don't care, as long as I'm interested in the doll that's all that matters. There are plenty of dolls I like that are super popular.

9. If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
A custom painted Popovy Sisters doll on the solid torso Venus body, with wig, clothing, lingerie, and jewelry made by the sisters too. From what I've heard, this is going to be a lot harder in the future as they will only be making OOAK items (no longer MTO from catalogue).

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?
Oh no. I think I'd go insane. I'm sure my partner is aware of it, but he never judges me for it. He knows that these dolls are so much more than decoration for me. They bring me happiness every single day, allow me to hone my skills, and inspire me. They are my emotional support at times too. Instead of spending money on new gadgets, designer clothes, or expensive paintings, I choose to spend it on my dolls.

 

Hmm these seem vaguely familiar but it's been many years... so maybe my outlook has changed?

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 do. However generally, the doll I'm interested in isn't available on the secondhand market when I am interested. Unfortunately most of my MP buys have been ones of 'opportunity' arising. AKA I happen to scan and a doll that's been on my list is on the MP for a reasonable or amazing price and I snag it up. Most of the time if I want a specific doll I order from the company the way I want it.

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?

Depends on the doll and what I have planned for it. However the only dolls that have different faces and hands are my FL dolls.

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 multiple faces for some tinies, and no, I don't really use them that much, so I don't invest in them in the larger sizes and haven't since I discovered I don't use them as much as I've planned. So I learned I don't really need them and I don't regret *not* having them. A lot of my dolls don't have the options for faces/hands and I don't feel a loss.

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. I don't really do events. The last time I did it was a group order many moons ago. I do understand it's a trick, and I just don't feel interested in spending more than I've planned on from a company despite an event. Usually anything I'd want from an event will pop up on the secondhand market at some point.

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".

Generally: no. I plan my purchases or I make sure I have the ability to pay for a doll without it being financially irresponsible. A doll purchase, even if one of opportunity doesn't happen unless it can. It does serve as a 'secondary' check in terms of desire though. I tend to prefer MSD and smaller sized dolls, it's a preference, and when I do find an SD the expense of cost does tend to reflect on how deep my desire for the doll runs. Recently I stopped myself from buying an unplanned doll not because it was expensive, but because I didn't feel confident committing money to it at that moment, for a doll that wasn't part of my overall plans and deep reflection found me not as aesthetically attracted to the body of the doll as I would need to be to keep it long term in my collection.

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've seen this happen a lot in the hobby, and I would hope it would never come to that. I don't like the idea viewing my personal dolls I enjoy so much as a monetary asset... but I have thought of what I would do if I needed to sell them and whom would be sold, in what order. For keeping: I am torn between three dolls I'd keep. two because of sentimental reasons and one because of sentiment and pure pricelessness, if I sold her I know I'd never be able to get her back,

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

Nope! I tried in the beginning... this is why I have the amount I currently do!

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?

The popularity of a sculpt has never stopped me from getting it if I liked it. It did bother me at one point that my FL Chloe was so popular, but that was because the sculpt was SO popular it felt like everyone had her...but I feel that's a reflection of my own inability to properly commit to a character/idea for her. It doesn't bother me so much anymore and other individuals hobby preferences/attitudes don't generally bother me.

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

LOL, I'd buy pretty much every doll I have on my list. Just to try and see if I do truly like them.
I'd probably start with a Limhwa Half-Elf and hybrid it onto a twigling body because I've always had my eye on that face-sculpt and never been a fan of the head to body proportions of the limhwa/eosdoll bodies. I'd like to try and see if I do 100% love that sculpt and size.

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 used to when I first started and then I realized that I felt so guilty and bad about my spending habits. I also learned that it's a hobby, and If I had the income to spend on it, I didn't need to track it as I was enjoying it and only spending what I could at any specific time. No one has ever commented negatively on the financial side of my hobby. In fact my mother has always been the one with a healthy spending attitude towards hobbies after bills, savings etc. My husband who I started dating after I joined the hobby has his own high expense hobbies and can't throw any stones, nor has he.

 

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

It really depends what the doll is. If it's Chinese... I tend to go right to taobao because even secondhand prices seem inflated through the roof over here in the western side of the hobby. I used to be all about buying secondhand but now I'm not as impatient.

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?

Honestly... I don't think I have a single doll who has a sleeping face option. I can't even really say if I'd order one if they did... I think it would depend on the way the sleeping head looked. Hands are slightly more common, but still not extremely so... I don't usually buy extra hands unless I particularly like them.

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 feel like this is kinda N/A? Since none of my dolls really come with extra hands/face options. I guess I sometimes wish I had more hands but I rarely use any hands besides the defaults... I mostly just want replacement hands for the ones that I've accidentally broken.

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?

See, I hated this at the beginning of the hobby. ACBJD used to give you free shipping with $100 worth of accessories and I just hated it but felt like I had to because the shipping seemed so absurd anyways. I still buy extra items on taobao and stuff but only in a "I'm probably going to need this later anyways, might as well combine the shipping fee" sort of 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".

Yep, definitely. Not to brag or anything, but I have enough walkin' around money to buy most dolls I've ever wanted. I could easily drop ~$600 on a Dust of Dolls tiny, but I simply can't justify it to myself... I figure I can achieve a similar level of enjoyment with a doll 1/6 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?

This sucks to even think about, but if I had to keep only one it would probably be my Lumedoll Baughn since he's the rarest, most unique and probably the most difficult to get back. I have too many dolls I'm too attached to at this point though, so it's tough!

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

I wish, but most of my enjoyment of this hobby comes from doing faceups on all different kinds of faces and crafting for all of my different sized dolls. I think I could cope if for some reason It was impossible for me to ever have more than 1 doll again (obviously lol) but it would definitely change the way I enjoy the hobby.

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 avoid popular sculpts (Dollzone Carter and Miracle Doll Baiye owner here, lmao!) but I definitely prioritize having obscure artist sculpts, especially lately. There's something special about having a sculpt that no one else seems to know about. Maybe it's "elitism" but I prefer to think of it as collecting *rare oddities*.

I also like making taobao artists more well-known, even if only a little.

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

As foolish as it sounds, I feel like even if I had infinite moneys I would still find myself turning my nose up at dolls that are ""too expensive"". The cheapskate is strong in me.

But first priority would probably be one of the larger-scale irrealdoll dolls. No idea what Nur is going for, but there was a Ringo head on the marketplace a while back for ~$250 iirc. The issue there is more with availability than price, though. I'd also buy a lot more indie artist dolls in general.

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 kept track early in the hobby, but once I passed $6000 it became too stressful to think about. I've NEVER had a collecting hobby like this before, so I was very self-judgmental about how much I could spend on it. But I figure I don't keep track of how much I spend on junk food or video games, so why stress about a hobby that holds its value significantly better? Having said that I should keep a database of general prices of all my dolls, just in case. You never know what your family might be stuck trying to liquidate.

 

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 go straight to the artist/company for a stock sale or preorder because it feels safer for me not to get scammed. But I still keep an eye on the second hand market for dolls that aren't made anymore or for dolls that doesn't have an incoming preorder

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 generally don't get the sleeping face except if it comes with the doll as a set. I prefer my dolls with open eyes. Same for extra 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 have a Spinie from Mishisdoll that came with a sleeping face. It is absolutely adorable, but I use it way less that the open eyes face. It was part of the set, somI don't regret getting 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've never bought from a company that does this, but if I do, I'm sure I'll get tricked and add items to get special event parts x)

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, very expensive dolls like Popovy Sisters for example. They are so beautiful but I don't think I'll put that much in a bjd for now. And I think I'll just be so scared every time I would hold it because of her value...

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 just started this year, so I don't have that many dolls. It would be a really hard choice because I only buy dolls I absolutely love! I think the one I would keep is my dark tan Ellana on the Lune body because I looked for her for so long and pay quite a lot because the Lune body was discontinued. And she is just so beautiful!

7. Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
To be honest, I wish I could, but there are just so many beautiful bjds out there that I can't stop myself from buying more! And all of them are so different and beautiful in their own way.

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 prefer getting dolls that are a little more unique and special, but if I like a popular sculpt, it won't stop me from buying it

9. If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
Probably a Popovy Sisters doll, with everything made by them (wig, clothes, face up, body blush, shoes,...)

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 only keep track of the money I can spend every month on dolls and accessories, not the total amount I already spent on the hobby (it would make me feel guilty and stressed haha). I have to follow a budget because I'm the only one with an income and I don't want my hobby to put my family in danger financially My husband sees that bjds are more than just "dolls" for me and he respects my hobby and knows that I won't spend money if it's out of the budget
The rest of my family doesn't understand the hobby... I try to avoid to speak about the financial part of the hobby but sometimes they ask and I often have comments like "you're too old to play with dolls", "how can you spend so much in just one doll",... but I learned to ignore these comments! x)

 

1. Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
Depends really. I'll generally look at the secondhand market before I buy something to see how often what I'm buying specifically comes up. If it seems to come up quicker than the company's wait time, I'll stick it out, but usually I just end up buying 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?
Only my vinyl dolls have the rights to extra hands. If I want my resins to have differently posed hands, I just get jointed hands. I think the extra expression you can get out of differently posed hands is worth it.

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 I didn't think something was worth it, I wouldn't have bought said thing in the first place.

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 particularly? I'll put extra things I like or might need in the future if I don't feel like what I actually want to buy is substantial enough to justify the purchase, but I won't do it just to qualify for an event. If I happen to, then that's cool, but I won't do it on purpose.

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".
Oh for sure. I remember back when I first got into BJD's back in 2017 I wanted a Minifee Risse, but her price was just way too out of my comfort range at the time. Now I don't want a Risse for completely different reasons, 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?
I don't think I could! I'm not sure anyone would want my horrific frankenstiened, milliput covered dolls in the first place.
If I had to choose though... I'd probably keep my Resinsoul Mei. I encountered this very specific doll very early on in the hobby and I was absolutely enamored with her, and I think it's cool that I actually own a doll I admired so much. I could replace my other dolls just fine, but because this Mei has a very specific history to her I don't think just acquiring another Mei would be the same.

7. Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
Nah. My tastes are too varied to limit myself just one. And even if they're my characters, it would still be weird to me to make them wear something that would be out of character for them.

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 think I fall sort of in the middle. I generally just buy what I like and don't care about how popular a sculpt it, but I do tend to find less common sculpts to be nicer. It's probably because you don't see them often, so it makes them more interesting to look at. I've noticed that a lot popular sculpts tend to end up being styled the same, and I end up finding those sculpts boring because of it. But then someone will style the sculpt in a unique way and I'll be like "this sculpt is nice, actually"

9. If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
I'd probably commission a whole new doll. I can't remember what company does this, but I do remember it being super expensive, like 5000+ I think? I want a big, busty, beefy lady and there just isn't one on the market unfortunately. Sure I could mod a male doll, but with all the work I'd have to do to the body I might as well sculpt a whole new one, and I could certainly not live up to my own standards, lol.

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 simply do not think about it. I pretend I do not see it. What money?
The people around me have learnt to not ask about the prices. Good.

This was fun!

 

1. 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 an older doll, I will look in the marketplace if it is offerd within the EU. Otherwise, I will order it from the company.
2. 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 am not very interested in a sleeping face. But as I see my dolls as giant action figure, I like different hand positions. I tried jointed hands, but they don't function as I imagined. Therefore, another ongoing project of mine is developing a quick-change system and designing different hands (flat hands, fists, gun-holding, sword-holding, and others). But you rarely see that from companies anyway. Also, most big man factory hands appear to be a tad small.
   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?
   See above.
   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?
   Well, not really. I normally look one specific item. As I have mostly big men and two ladies with a bit special bodies, it is normally easier to make clothing for them. For some of them, I was looking for formal business clothing. But companies do not that much of it, so I find pieces more often on the DoA marketplace.
   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, very often. I also know very exactly what I want in my dolls. A sculpt may be as nice as it wants, if I do not like the body that comes with it, I will pass. Maybe try to find it separately on the DoA marketplace (looking at Iplehouse).
3. 
   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?
4. Probably, yes. Interestingly, I attached a character to this doll I made on my own. Maybe this is the reason why I am most attached to this one guy. Technically, as almost all of them share the them body, I could probably do with one body and many heads...okay, this is cheating. I am not really THAT interested in the ladies.
   
   7. Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
   Maybe. Although I would be supersad to pass on all of my Avengers team and other random characters important to me. I made all of their superhero outfits myself. Years and tons of work (and yes, money too) went into them.
   
   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 not care whether something is trendy or not. If I like it, I buy it.
   
   9. If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
   Hm, I don't know. I have acquired all of the dolls I ever wanted over the years. All spaces in my glass cabinets are occupied.
   
   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. As I did horse dressage very intensively, this hobby is peanuts compared.

​

 

1. Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
Not really. I have only one single second-hand head by Light Limner. It was absolutely irresistible deal. I prefer buying right from a company/artist but I'm not sure why. There is no rational reason I would be aware of. It's only about dolls. I like buying second hand, but not dolls. One can find really rare items this way.

I've recently decided I will buy DollShe only secondhand. The wait time is just over the top.

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 sleeping face yet. I probably wouldn't use it enough. And only one pair of extra feet, so far.
Extra parts: I never bought extra parts right with the doll. But I may do it in the future. I only got extra geta feet for a boy I already have for a couple of years. I'm buying one pair of high heel feet in advance for a doll I'm planning now.

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?
No extra hands, yet. I'm very happy with the geta feet for my cat boy. I've designed many shoes for him and cant wait to start making them -- this was, in fact, the reason I bought them for.

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?
Definitely not. I'm not an impulsive buyer in most cases. I usually wait and plan or need to think for a couple of months before I actually buy it. Impulsive shopping mess up plans quite badly.

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 yet. I shell paticular characters so when I see the right sculpt I will save up and buy it. I usually, usually is a keyword here, don't like dolls over 700 for some reason.

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, nope, impossible. I'm very attached to my possessions! Some of my dolls are rare and some discontinued -- probably. The companies didn't make any statement in these regards, but don't seem to be interested in continuing the production either. If I would absolutely have to sell all the dolls I would keep all heads. Hybrids are my thing. Bodies are more expensive but easier to replace than heads in my opinion.

While I'm unable to sell them I can actually give them (to someone I trust) -- it's strange. I had 2 girls I never did much with. Since then I'm don't buy dolls just because I like them but only when I'm planning a preexisting character. My mom liked the head of one and the body of the other, so I mixed and match and gave the hybrid to her. It made me feel very happy, she finally got home and the attention she deserved. But selling? Nope. I'm not able to do that.

7. Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
Yes...it would be possible. I keep on buying dolls only when I want to shell my favorite characters and OCs but I'm technically able to be happy with just one. Even one single doll provides enough creative outlet.

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 usually don't like popular sculpt except for Dollshe. It's purely a question of esthetics and how I envision this or that character. Popularity as such is irrelevant to me. However, I love seeing photos of all dolls, that's a completely different thing.

9. If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
Unlimited resources and, most importantly, a time machine...FairyLand Steam Age Rho full set for 990. He has this cool mechanical arm! I need it for my character but it's damn rare, unfortunately. Full sets were gone when I started to collect SDs, unfortunately.

Almost all Soom SDs. They are so pretty. But I'm afraid they would be just a waste of money because I currently don't have suitable characters for most of them so I would lack the motivation to craft and customize.

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?
It's unnecessary in my opinion. The important thing is not to ruin my account. It requires planning but looking back isn't productive at all.

 

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. I'm a provenance goblin and my best way of securing that is by purchasing directly, barring limited sculpts that I'd have to find secondhand. The only standard doll I didn't do this for was my blue Impldoll Colby from user Krowbar; I was toying with the idea of buying firsthand to customize it into Totodile, and like magic this exact idea had apparently been floating around the marketplace. It saved 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?
Teenage me liked extra hand parts. Currently I actually find it very bothersome to have multiple parts for the same doll, as not everything is guaranteed to see equal use. Parts in storage have aged differently, and I've apparently developed the organizational itchiness that if it's extra, I simply don't need it.

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, and I do regret. Some extra hand parts I received were already included in the base sale of the doll, which I'm less niggled about, but I also could have done perfectly fine without them. Extra heads I've received were sold or given away to friends.

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?
Sometimes yes. I acknowledge it as a merchandising trick but there are times where pitching in for one large order will save me from multiple small ones. I mercifully haven't felt the need to qualify for events due to my feelings about unnecessary extras being clutter.

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".
So only twice have I ever broken the $1k limit for the dolls I buy. The first time was because the original $968 (Volks Tony) had shipping that brought it over, which I reasoned didn't count as actually shattering my limit, and the second time was $1283 (Volks Kiriko). It absolutely was too expensive, but I did it because I loved his face that much. I'm now nervous that I have proven capable in ignoring myself...worth it tho!!

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?
On gut reaction I say I would not, but if it took dire financial straits or natural disaster, my first doll (Dream of Doll Wi) is the one I think immediately about saving. I've had him for over half my life and he represents my enduring love of art and my own creativity after all these years.

7. Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
I know I can't. I've loved this hobby for so long and loved the dolls I've had since the moments I got each one, and while 19 is dauntingly apparently my minimum, I genuinely enjoy my life better with them.

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?
While I wouldn't like to characterize myself as somebody who avoids popular sculpts on purpose, I will admit that being exposed to oversaturation drinks the curiosity of possibility right out of me. No, I don't prefer limited and rare dolls, but yes, if I see them less, they're the sculpts I'm more inclined toward. I'm also a Volks fan so limited and rare go hand in hand with it. I'm not bothered by how people are compelled for/against anything.

9. If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
I'm actually, bizarrely free of any dolls I'm craving to own. The only doll that I've ever entertained as a distant fantasy as a "just to have and admire" is the old DollShe SA Bermann--it's one of the few sculpts I've found breathtakingly beautiful despite any condition--and I could still do without.

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 used to only keep track of how much I threw in for the baseline major doll orders, and I stopped because even 5-6 dolls into the hobby, it was a wild number to behold. I don't actively keep track of how much I spend on my other hobbies, so why hurt myself my dolls? People do comment if they figure it out (I don't say a word about the price to anyone because that reaction is old) and I explain it as a committed art hobby.