Modifications and selling

I have modified a lot of my floating head sculpts as well as my largest male's face. I, however, was never planning on ever selling any of my BJD (or any other OT toys and dolls, for that matter, I kind of hoard). I have had most of my BJD for over nineteen years now, so it's not just me spewing nonsense out of wishful thinking. I never had any plans of treating this or any other hobbies of mine as investments.

That probably doesn't help, since you already seem to know you will be selling or getting bored of your BJD sooner or later However, I have always felt that treating or thinking of niche hobbies as investments is a bit dangerous. You never know when that particular hobby will lose steam and you'll just end up with a bunch of money down the drain. Thinking that way.

Not helpful at all, probably. However, you could modify only one part, so that you won't have to worry about a full dolls resale value. I only modify head sculpts, when it comes to my resin dolls. Those are the parts I would definitely never sell. You can buy practice heads, and modify those too. It probably doesn't help, but not having the mindset of any hobby being an investment kind of makes me love modifying toys, and never think of resale value. (:

 

I have the same feeling as you. In fact, i have a floating head that i cant bond because i realized that i am not a fan of dreamy eyes. Too afraid to mod the eyes because i think it will lose its value. Put the head on sale for almost two months while searching for the normal version.
Ended up modding the eyes because i am tired of searching anyway, and already accepted that preloved item will always drop in value so whateverrr~ Right now it is one of my fav head

 

I'm planning on dyeing a head once the one I want becomes on sale. I'm afraid I'll mess it up and can't redo it, but then again the head will be used to shell my character I want and I'm not planning on selling him once I ever get to make him. I still worry sense any dolls seem to only come out every so often and I don't want to mess it up.

 

Judging from the past marketplace sale markets I've witnessed, heavily modded dolls do sell because there are people who specifically want modded dolls. Some want the experience of trying to bring them back to original state. Some like them for their originality. Some have ideas that would benefit from a doll that already has some of those ideas actualized. I'm sure there are more reasons to buy modded dolls, but these are some of them that I've seen.

As others have said, don't be afraid to mod your dolls. I took way too long to start modding and regret the time I've lost when I could have done more. I know they may not sell for much, but I know someone will take them and love them in their own way.

 

I think many people have a fear of modifying dolls for the reasons you mentioned. It's very much an irreversible decision once it is made. However, the process is a lot of fun! I think it helps you become extremely creative with your dolls and opens up a lot of possibilities of what you can achieve with your artistic skills. Realize that MOST dolls (whether they are modified or not) will lost their value over time. Very rarely will 2nd hand buyers pay for a used doll at it's original price. So if you're worried about recouping money for sold dolls, I'd make some peace now that most of your dolls will be sold for less than you purchased them for, unless you have a limited doll that is very sought after. Even some LE's don't sell for their original market value if the company re-releases molds often or it just wasn't popular.

If you do decide to take the plunge, remember you can start practicing your modding skills on a doll you're ok with being the guinea pig and not recouping the cost. There are plenty of cheap heads, scrap pieces, even full bodies for $100 or less that you can practice on and you won't feel so bad about it's value diminishing. You have to start your skills somewhere! Might as well be on a junk piece. Like @Aiko-chan said, sometimes mods add a unique charm to dolls that sometimes make buyers more interested. Depending on the type of mod and how skillful it was done, you can charge a fair value for the work. There are a lot of modification artists whose work becomes very sought after because of how unique they make their dolls look. I'm not going to say this will happen overnight, it's going to take time to develop those skills... but just a counter point that not all mods 'decrease value'.

Lastly, I always try to think of this as a hobby first. My financial investment in dolls may/may not be returned. Sometimes it does, sometimes you take a loss. Having fun with your hobby should always be the priority. That's how I got over the fear of starting to mod my dolls.

 

This is certainly something that has crossed my mind to a degree in concerns to doing mods on my crew. Regardless of concerns—I do tend to go ahead with doing the mods. Some of those modded bjds have unfortunately ended up needing to be sold on, but I've eventually managed to sell them off regardless.

There is one boy in particular that I never have any intent on selling, but did go the extra step if it ever reaches the point where it needs to happen. This case is my Dollshe King Corey, in a resin color that the artist really prefers to discontinue on a sculpt that's already hard enough to find secondhand (don't even get me started on trying to order direct—). Due to those factors, I chose to order a second head that I'd keep unmodified in the event I ever had to sell him for some reason. I'd be able to keep him to some extent (by holding onto the modded head in the event I needed to sell the unmodded one with the body), while feeling comfortable with the fact that I'd have an unmodified version on standby (so to speak).

It was an additional hassle that some people won't choose (or won't be able to access) as an option, but it was one I was willing to go that extra step for.

 

If you want to mod your dolls, my suggestion would be to start with additive mods. Additive mods have helped me get around mental blocks because anything added could theoretically be removed later, such as sculpted additions and dyes. Just look at any BJD restoration video to see how seemingly permanent elements can be reduced or removed entirely. Then, if you enjoy the process and result of these mods, it becomes easier to do more permanent mods, like subtractive mods. As others have said, your first priority in any hobby should be to enjoy the hobby- not look into the future where you'd theoretically be selling your dolls.

 

I have done plenty of mods on dolls, some of which I have then sold. I only do subtractive ones and try to polish them up well enough that the doll is going to be viewed in a positive light (by me and others if I list it) as something "unique or distinctive" vs damaged. It's very much a matter of perspective on that, but refined mods don't seem hard to sell without much loss, sometimes they are very desirable. And even if the mods are rough and need some more work there are lots of people around who enjoy the project a lot or will use it as an opportunity to mod even further without so much worry like the one you express here.
Maybe this is not much consolation, but on a long enough time frame the market changes a lot back and forth so on one hand most anything could sell eventually, but no telling the patience you need. There is therefore no huge benefit (in my mind) not to fulfill your desire to customize your dolls in a certain vision because of theoretical reselling problems later.

 

I did my first mod recently (small substractive mod) and I actually had the same thoughts as you. I had thoughts about preserving its value, about reselling, etc.

But I would not enjoy the doll without the mod, so I went ahead and did it anyway. After all, if I don't enjoy the doll, there was no point in acquiring it in the first place.

Basically, I purchase and do stuff in this hobby for my enjoyment, without thinking of the resale value. I don't think that most sculpts retain that much value anyway. And that's not counting the accessories. Unless it's rare, you pretty much take a loss anyway, so you may enjoy it to the fullest while you have it.

I just came to terms that every dollar I spend in this hobby is a dollar that won't be regained 9/10 of the time. And that's okay as long as I know and plan my finances for it.

 

I've bought bodies because of the modifications that have been done to them, so you aren't necessarily going to hit the wall of them not selling, plus many of the the listings I see usually have something like "subttractive modifications" without the need for a lot of explanation.

Teddy

 

I have this feeling too, especially about limited dolls or ones from companies that no longer produce like Little Monica. I never ever plan on selling my dolls, and even if I did, I already know I'm not getting my money back anyway, but I guess my brain loves catastropizing and thinking of worst-case scenarios, especially some sort of financial disaster where I'd need to give up my things... Not very healthy to think about, but anxiety disorders suck like that, LOL.

It helps me, though, to remember that a lot of people are interested in pre-loved dolls, myself included! For one, I think the lower cost helps newbies buy legit, as well as get experience with the hobby before jumping into a 6 month+ long preorder wait. Fellow modders may also snap up a project doll; for a lot of people, the TLC and restoration aspect is most of the fun of the hobby! (For example, vintage toys or retro tech - nothing is too "junk" for some in those communities ) I think, too, that the BJD community in particular is fortunate to have existed in the internet age, so I would imagine that, for some dolls, people could use photo reference and documentation of the doll's original sculpt to "undo" any mods if they really wanted to!

 

It really all just comes down to what type of mods, how well they're done, and finding the right buyer.

Normally, I don't buy dolls with additive mods because I like to do my own faceups and blushing, and I never know what might happen with the mods when I wipe them and repaint. I don't have an airbrush to resin match. Subtractive mods depend on what and how well done, since it doesn't really affect anything. There is currently a doll for sale secondhand that I love, but he has an ear mod that isn't very professional, I'm not sure if it's possible to undo it, and I won't buy him because of it. On the other hand, I once bought a head because he had mods including a sanded nose, mouth turned more smiley and ears gauged. The sculpt alone was cute, but never would have worked for that character without those mods. I don't buy dyed dolls at all because I worry about scratching/chipping of the color, or uneven spots.

But in the end, I think if it's really important for your doll's character, you should weight your options. Is it more important to keep the value of the original doll, or is it more important to have your character look right? I've modded many of my dolls, and would do it again if the character called for it. This hobby is all about customization and really making your doll yours.

 

If I mod a doll, so far it's been my less expensive ones, because I felt I needed to change something about them that I didn't like. I am not worried about the resale value because they wouldn't have resold for much to begin with, and I like them better with the mods. I don't sell my dolls, but I would be more cautious with a more expensive doll.

I've also bought used dolls with minor modifications, if I like what the other person did to the doll.

Some peoples mods look like amazing works of art, and I think in those cases the mods would add to the value of the doll rather then subtract from it.

 

Sometimes the mods add a lot of unique character to a sculpt, which makes it more desirable to some. I just recently bought a head here on the MP that was modded; I'd always loved the sculpt but hadn't wanted to own it until I saw this modded version. Something about it just made it very charming to me.

That said I do get the fear, as some mods are permanent. I guess the way I see it, I prioritize having fun with my dolls and getting what I want out of them over their eventual resale value. I modded my first doll and haven't looked back.

 

Exactly!!
Your happiness matters and is worth investing in! Sure, it could hurt resale but you only live once. Do the mods.

 

I don't think it is a matter of investment, but status as a collectible. Once you change it from its original condition, it really depends on how well it is done and does anyone want that specific change (same or better price(. Others might be interest, but from trying to get it to restore back to the original condition (lower price).

Unless you are collecting rare one ofs that the artist has requested that they stay in original condition, I wouldn't worry about it. Even if it is a one off, it is your doll. I guess it just depends if you care what others think about you or how you want to be seen by artists/community.

 

Man I have modded a lot of dolls in my years, some of them to the extreme and my advice to you is do it if your mods are well done then it won't negatively impact it sales-wise in fact my modded dolls have sold faster than my unmodded ones now that I think of it and if the mods are done poorly then someone will still buy it for a lower price. That is assuming of course that the mods aren't reversible which most mods are to a degree. Additive mods can be sanded off, dye can be removed, even subtractive mods can potentially be filled in with epoxy and airbrushed over as if nothing had happened. There are a surprising number of people out there who love a project.

Anyway that's worst case scenario (which still isn't so bad ) If you're artistic, if you research the proper materials and tools, and if you are slow and careful then you can make your mods look great right off the bat! The worst thing you can do is rush and wing it, use damaging materials and then start doubling down on any mistakes out of panic instead of taking a step back and coming back to it with a clear head. I love seeing people realize their doll dreams through customization and hey if you need any advice feel free to message me ^_^