More expensive is more appealing?

I've heard horrifying stories of artists getting their artworks stolen and sold in massive quality with a higher price tag, than when they were selling it themselves with a cheaper price tag. So, I do believe that some people does buy products for the price because they think higher price equal brand name, higher quality or other personal reasons.

It may be true for those people but I got my dolls and everything I own because I like them first. Then, I'll look at the price later and freak out then.
If the dolls I like are cheaper, Wonderful! That's Great!
If not...depending on how much I like it, I may or not may save up for it.

 

More expensive≠more appealing.
At least for me.
Reasonably priced=more appealing.
v
Cost of the materials, quality of the sculpt, engineering, details..etc

I don't think that if the prices were lower more people would be in the hobby. It would only mean that people who is already interested in bjd, and part of the online and offline bjd community and who has been saving for their first doll would be able to finally buy one. I mean there is people in the hobby, and on this board too, who doesn't have a doll yet or who doesn't want (?) a doll at the moment. I'm not saying that it's only because of the cost of the dolls but maybe if they were cheaper more people who is already in the hobby would buy a doll or more than one. I don't think they wouldn't be treasured or that they would become something too popular either.

 

I second that =)

This thread is very interesting, I didn't know that little fact about raising the prices to attract more people but I can see why it's a reasonable idea. In my case, that would put me off and I would go to another place if the item doesn't appeal to me.

It is true that some cheap items are bad quality and some expensive items are high quality but I'd never buy something just because it is more expensive. It's not only that some people think that higher prices=higher quality, many people feel better with themselves when they only posses expensive items, and most of them are just arrogant people who like to feel better than anyone. Like "I have a bigger, more expensive house than yours so that makes me a better person" I don't like when people act this way.

I know someone who is very kind and a wonderful person overall but she looks down on people who give her cheap things as gifts since she only buys designer clothes, and the little money she has she spends it on the most expensive clothes/purses or boots she can find and that makes her happy. I know another person who is cold and looks down on poor people but as soon as he hears that 'x' person is rich he tries to be friends with them...

We all have our positive/negative things about ourselves, I'm not trying to judge people who are like this, I'm just giving examples as to why I think it is reasonable to sell things at a higher price (depending on where you live of course).

As for BJDs, I just love how they look and that we can customize them. I don't look at the price, my cheapest doll is the my favorite doll and he is very good quality, seven years old and looks better than most of my newest dolls but then again, it is the amount of love we put on the doll that matters, and not the money you spent on it.

Right now I'm obsessed with Obitsu dolls, I met someone who owns 3 and they are so beautiful!! they can be customized the same way as BJDs are but when I looked at the price I was amazed at how cheap they are and happy at the same time I have so many ideas for new characters.

 

I don't necessarily think PRICE has much to do with desiring a doll, as the fact that its a unique and somewhat exclusive hobby.

I buy the dolls I like. I have a hybrid that cost me under $200 total and I ADORE him! And I've seen LE high end dolls for several thousand that have absolutely no appeal to me whatsoever.

BUT, that being said, if BJDs were cheap (say $20-30) and you could buy them at WalMart...it would lose a lot of appeal to me. They are special because they are unique and not something that everybody has just to toss around and ignore. I've HAD a lot of "cheap" mass produced dolls, and they don't have anywhere near the meaning to me that my BJDs do. Also, I think with cheap, its easy to randomly buy one whenever you're out, without much thought and soon you have a huge collection that means nothing. Each of my BJDs are meaningful and planned out and have certain looks and character. I have worked to own them. I bought Barbies and Bratz impulsively before BJDs and at one time had over 500 of them....they had names I couldn't remember, no real stories and I only had about 10-15 that I really loved. It was a complete waste of money, time and effort. I wouldn't want my BJDs to have the same fate as those dolls did (which is being sold at a flea market for $1-2 each....and the leftovers dumped at Goodwill...)

 

I think for people who've bought dolls at the more expensive or "average" price for the market ($500+) seeing a 1/3 sized doll for $200 can raise suspicions of "It must be this cheap for a reason, otherwise why aren't they charging the same as other companies?" And I think that's a natural assumption to make. Especially when we're constantly advised to be constantly wary of 'cheap products' by the media.

For me it's all about the mold. I won't buy a doll with a head or a body I personally dislike, even if it's cheaper and more affordable. On the other hand if a "less expensive" doll is one I like, then that's good because it means I'll have more money to spend on other things. I could not care less how much someone else's doll cost them (and I don't mean to be rude but how they spend their money is not my concern, it isn't going to affect me). If dolls were $20-$30 as some other people in this thread have said, I would probably still buy them, I've seen people customize Barbie and My Little Pony into beautiful works of art!

 

The price isn't why I like a doll. If the doll is my idea of cute/pretty/whatever then I'm going to like it regardless of it's cost! Whether I get it depends on if I can afford it. It just happens that some of the ones I fall for tend to have prices almost to the sky (for me).

 

I base my purchases on which dolls I like, not price. :3 I've had dolls of various prices ($50-$2000) and while some didn't click, it was never due to price, just the doll itself.

Actually, I've recently been shifting more from BJDs-> Pullips and things, because I enjoy them more and... for the most part, they are far cheaper than BJDs. :3

So, personally for me, I don't think price is a factor in enjoying my dolls, I'd rather just have something I enjoy looking at!

 

When I hear people say : "I prefer more expensive dolls, not cheap ones (Prices less) Then I would think that that person was buying simply for sake of social status. Like Rich people only bring high-brands. (Prada ect.ect)

Dolls as Status Symbols.....what a sad and wasteful thing.


I myself, have a tendency to fall in love with Volks limiteds, it's really annoying to me because of the price and the Aftermarket mark up. But I manage,I almost never buy them full set. I have discovered that I can't bound with a pristine, perfect fullset. The ones I have had I sold off later.

When I hear of people only buying these "Pristine perfect" Fullsets dolls and just keeping them in their boxes without any play at all sickens me.

Cabinet babies are at least seen, dressed and displayed with care.

(( This my personal Opinion, and If I offended anyone you can bring it up with me via-Pm.))

 

This totally. I'd consider my Migidoll Miho to be fairly inexpensive for a BJD, but he stands on the same level as my more pricey Sooms.

 

Part of me is smart thrifty shopper and the other is a shop-til-you-drop type.

For instance clothes... I'm sorry but no t-shirt made of polyester is worth $100 just because it is some brand name. If it is $100, made of quality material, in a style I LOVE and must have, and it will last me a while? OK. I'm down.

So I'm one of those people that I'm willing to spend a pretty penny on something I want... taking into account if the item is WORTH the amount. I know your question isn't about the quality of the item but I can't help but factor that in. For me quality is what I look for and how I base my shopping and where I spend my money. If I had let's say $10,000 and I found a BJD to be worth that amount and I wanted it? Mmmmmmmaybe I'd get it. Or I might feel like it is a ridiculous gimmick/pricing up and move on.

 

It doesn't work that way with me. I'd really love it if they were cheaper and I'm sure we all would!

 

I once read an interesting study where people equated self worth with higher priced items - for example, they thought 'I am a finer quality item kind of person'. When the consumers were first asked to say something positive about themselves it was found that the price of the items that they chose dropped because they did not seek that self worth through material worth.

I personally think cheaper dolls are more attractive to me, although I would never buy a doll just because it was cheap. If I see 2 dolls that I like equally, but one is much more affordable, then of course I'll go for the cheaper one. It means I have more money to spend on living costs and gifts for my family and partner.

 

While I'm always highly aware of the price and the comparative value, that's certainly not the most motivating factor regarding which doll I choose. When I first became aware of BJDs, I was drawn to the flashier fullset dolls and was subsequently floored by the cost. Never in a million years could I justify spending $1000+ on any doll, regardless of how much I wanted it. Not when I have bills to pay and a car/home to maintain, with no second income. So, those gorgeous, expensive dolls have been tucked away for wishful thinking, for when I win that lottery!

On the wise advice of another collector, on another forum, I turned my attention to basic (re: nude) dolls. Once I got over the still overwhelming cost, I realized just how much value there was in buying a nude doll that could be customized to my heart's content. Suddenly, $400-600 didn't seem like such a bad price to pay for a doll that I could really have fun with.

I agree that you should buy what makes you happy, but that doesn't have to mean $$$$ = happy collector. There is literally a price point for every collector in this hobby and there are no wrong answers. Buy what makes you happy.

 

I don't have any preference regarding the cost of dolls. I currently have some of the cheaper dolls, but my next two planned purchases are each going to be more than my current dolls combined. I just get what I like. If they were less expensive and, as a result, more common, I'd still love them. Nothing could make my dolls or this hobby "less special", because I don't feel that the price tag or "exclusivity" should have any impact on my enjoyment of this hobby.

 

Hm, I agree with what someone said on the first page: I look for what I like, then see the price tag after. As it happens, the dolls I usually find myself lusting after are on the "cheaper end", not because of quality or goodness or anything like that, just because I like the somewhat smaller sized, more child/teen-sculpt dolls.

I can see where people would see that a higher price=more quality, but within a BJD company, price tends to be equated to size, and even across the board there seem to be general prices (at least with the mini-size: Usually around $200-$300 for non-limited edition).

I see the object first, not the price. Of course, I'd like it to be cheaper on principle

 

the fact he cost $3k doesn't make me love volks williams -___-
if BJD were cheaper, I'd love them even more! ...just seeing how quickly I am buying monster high dolls xD
I love their aesthetics. however sometimes, limited edition will seem more appealing because of the urge to decide whether I want them or not xD;;;;

 

People have a lot of different reasons for buying particular dolls, they have different collecting styles, and different reasons for being here. Exclusivity can help breed excitement and higher prices can make things feel more exclusive, but it isn't important to everyone. I have come to the point where I do gravitate more towards dolls who are not at the bottom end of the price spectrum (though they don't always cost mega bucks either), but that's not because I want them due to their price tags. Rather, those are the companies and sculpts that I like. It just so happens that they aren't as inexpensive as some of the other dolls on the market. And of course price is largely relative -- it always depends on what you are comparing a particular item to, and what like items typically go for. A drop in price would not keep me from the hobby, but a drop in quality would. If you drop the price too much corners will probably end up being cut, and that's what would bother me.

Also, when I first got into the hobby the average cost of a 60cm doll was around $500, the average cost of a mini was about $300, and Obitsu bodies where the inexpensive option for SD sized bodies. Being able to get SD sized dolls for the cost (and sometimes far less than the cost) of what an average mini used to cost is a more recent development. As such, seeing dolls for $500-$600 non LE doesn't seem all that expensive to me. Yes, it's still a big chunk of money to come up with, but it doesn't feel at all high priced for what I expect to get.

 

I would be even happier if the price was lower! I didn't really know about the hobby before I found some online, and I base my love on the individual doll, so I don't think it would matter. I am not rich, so I really do have to work hard, and I do feel that kind of achievement, but I feel that I would have entered the hobby sooner than I have if the price were cheaper