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?

It depends on whether the doll is still available new, and what kind of deals I can find for it used. If it's not a limited edition, I often go for a secondhand doll.

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! The only doll I have with a sleeping face is my Pukipuki (because they came with one), and the only dolls I have extra hands for are my OT dolls that came with them automatically.

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 they're nice to have for photoshoots.

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?

Honestly, no. But if there are multiple items I was already going to get anyway, and there's a bonus on the website when you spend $X, I might just go for 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".

There is a reason I bought the barest-bones Ehecatl instead of one of the gorgeous $1000+ full sets, 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?

Oh, I don't think I could! I love all my resin babies too much! (But then, I also only have 8 resin dolls, and most of them are on the small side.)

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

I was happy with just my Lucrezia (Soom Teenie Gem Han/Asronn) for a long time. It was 4-5 years, I think, before I got my second resin BJD.

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 as much about popularity or rarity as I do about whether I "vibe" with a particular sculpt. I've done the "gotta get this limited-edition doll" song and dance with playline dolls, and I try to avoid doing it with BJDs, because they're so much more expensive.

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

Oh lordy, if I'd had unlimited resources, my Teenage Dream Leilia would have the deer parts and every single doll would be a fullset. That, and I'd probably have a Hatsune Miku Dollfie Dream. Those girlies are super expensive whenever they turn up on the secondhand market though--even more than they were new, in most cases.

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 spent about $3k on my dolls so far. I keep track of it for insurance reasons, so I know how much my babies are worth.

 

1. Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
second hand first absolutely, why? because im cheap, i am always looking for 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 dont like sleeping faces so i dont buy them, but i do look for extra hands, i think hands hold a lot of expression in a 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?
i like to change hands with outfits so they get plenty of use
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?
all the time, i know its marketing but it also feels like its a quid pro quo, instead of paying shipping i get an physical item
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, i know my financial status and i need to be wise with how i spend my money
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 and i feel like its a sweet story, i would keep my first dollfie dream yuri, they got me through a huge trauma & my appendectomy, they were the first thing i asked for when i woke up & they were with me in the hospital & at my bedside recovering at home, i love them
7. Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
no probably not, one of many reasons is that i like the way my dolls interact with eachother
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, popularity isnt a factor
9. If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
the Mana Sama dollfie, i dont even know how much he goes for when he does pop up but i know its in the thousands
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 in a formal way, but if asked i could say about how much each item in my collection cost

 

1. Do you bother to look for the doll you want on the secondhand market or do you go straight to the company? Why?
Yes. I like independent artist's sculpts and I miss their releases pretty often.

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 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?

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 don't add items to my cart I don't like or won't use.

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, or the shipping/tariffs have stopped 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?
If I needed to, yes. It would be my DoD Homme Kirill doll. He's a hard sculpt to find, compared to my other dolls.

7. Do you think you could be happy with just one doll? Why?
My grail doll was always a DoD Homme Kirill. Just having him makes me happy.

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 whatever doll or sculpt I like, rare or not. I really don't concern myself with what other people are doing in the hobby.

9. If you had unlimited resources which doll would you purchase? How much does he/she/it cost?
I have been lamenting over never finding a Dream of Doll Dustin. Not sure what price he'd be sold at 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?
I keep track of all my finances because I have a strict leisure budget. I've definitely had rude people comment negatively about BJDs, but they didn't stay in my life.