"Never to be sold again"

I don't know. Someone on Yahoo Japan sold their sei-tenshi, and a person here bought it. I forget who. She (or he) decided much later, say a year, to resell the doll. It did not sell here, being 3k. So back to Japan. Maybe it sold there...I don't know. But some of us get dolls and keep them forever and some don't/can't.

 

I see a lot more rei-tenshi and sei-tenshi on sale on yahoo!Japan than I do on DOA, but that might just be because there are more of them in Japan than there are in the US.

 

I think they would like to say that their 'gift items' are something they hope people will keep, but I'll bet that really its just a marketing technique. I mean the gift head from Luts or Feeple or DIM, if it sells for $80 means you get it that much cheaper and so...sales increase dramatically during that time. I'm sure plenty of people who might not go to a dolpa will go in the hopes of getting one of those little Reis or Seis. They earn their worth, even if there is no actual price tag attached.

 

Oh yes, I remember that was on ebay for awhile. No one was willing to pay that much, regardless of how cute.

 

Personally I think being told I could nver sell a doll would turn me off from buying it... maybe if there was a contract not to sell within the first 6 months or something, it wouldn't be so strange, but forever? Who knows what will happen in the future, you know?

Anyway, I also tend to think that scalpers are a good thing for the hobby. Otherwise nobody would be able to get certain dolls short of moving to Japan and hoping for good luck (in terms of things like Seitenshi and Reitenshi). I'd rather see a gift head resold to someone who wants it than sit around unused by somebody who doesn't like it but got it when buying another doll. If not for scalpers and resellers, people who couldn't get a doll directly from the company at release, for whatever reason, would never be able to own a lot of dolls.

 

someone who simply resells a doll that is rare is not a scalper. A scalper is someone who buys a doll for a cheap or normal price, and then sells it for 3 or 4 times what they paid for it, all to take advantage of the people who desperately want the doll, and couldn't get it.

 

Not sure about luts event heads, but i know my Fairyland nanuri 08 has "not for sale" etched into the inside of his head, and "08" i think.

I'm slightly iffy about the selling of gift heads such as these, but not completley against it. A lot of people order and get the head, and its not what they wanted. Sometimes its a lot to ask for someone to wait an extra month to place their order just so they avoid getting the head when they know full well that they can sell it after ^^;; Its also not like they're selling for a crazy inflated price, maybe 100-200$ or so.

The sei and rei tenshis are a completely different story. If i were ever lucky enough to win one, i'd cherish the little angel forever. The only way i wouldnt is if the facescult freaked me out for any reason. (Don't kill me, but i've seen a few that are a little offsetting for me ^^;; ) Even then i would never consider selling. I'd probably have up a WTT forever before someone came along and traded though XD;

No offense to anyone, but i think its rather crazy to slap a 3k price tag on something roughly the size of a puki. Or even a small yo. @_@;; I would never be able to bring myself to sell a doll that tiny, no matter how special it is, for that price. Maybe some incredibly limited SD size doll that i spent a crazy amount for, but not a sweet little gift tenshi. Also, i would never be able to buy one @-@; I'd feel a lot more comfortable playing with a little tenshi as a gift rather than playing with this teeny little baby that i spent that much money on.

 

Gift heads that come with a purchase are a little different than just giving someone a gift--money still had to be spent to get one. It's a nice gesture, but it's not a free gift in the same way as the Volks tenshi. Also, everyone gets those heads as long as they buy during that period whether they actually want one or not, which is another thing to consider.

However, even with the tenshis, someone someone can have every intention of keeping a doll, but things can change. Maybe they can't bond, maybe they need emergency money, maybe the doll isn't fitting in with the rest of the group--it doesn't seem right to try and dictate someone should keep something they don't want anymore. To put it in a different way: I appreciate the gifts that my family members give me, and there are some that I would never part with, but there are some things I have gotten rid of over the years, because I don't need it and I have too much stuff as it is. It doesn't mean I don't appreciate my family or the thought that went into the gift. I would rather see a tenshi or head go to a new home that loved and wanted it than stay with someone who felt indifferent towards it. By reselling, people have the chance to get dolls they would never have been able to get, and I just can't see that as a negative thing.

 

It freaks me out. I don't like people telling me what to do with my money - and everything I paid for IS money albeit in another form. So... I would still buy from them if I want their doll (it's my place to decide) and sell it later if I don't bond with her or something financially bad happens.

As for selling gift heads... Well, say I'm going to buy a doll, saving money and get right sum exactly when some event starts and that doll goes with a gift head. I absolutely don't need it (I'm gathering characters of a story, so really don't need "extras"!). I also don't want to wait till event ends - it will be really stupid. So I'll end up getting a head I don't need... of course I'll try to get rid of her. For me it will be more honest then keep it unnecessary. I'll charge it as much as that company does for their heads - I'll try to trade for something (doll part or doll stuff) I really need.

 

I don't think anyone should resell any doll that they get under the condition of "DO NOT RESELL" if they actually sign a contract that says "I will not resell this doll", be it online or in person. Kind of like a TOU/License agreement. Why? Because it's breech of contract and makes it so technically you could get sued. =/

If that's not the case, then well put them up on ebay as soon as you get them for all I care. o.o

I think it's a bit weird for Volks to give away expensive dolls and fully expect everyone to keep them. Now, I'm looking at it this way: Suppose you didn't want one, but managed to win one? (I'm not sure how Volks does their giveaways) Suppose you didn't really care for it, but they didn't want you to sell it if you got it. Why do you have to be stuck with a doll that you didn't want/like?

 

I had to reply to this, to second my thoughts on the matter. I WANTED, I mean WANTED a Sei or Rei Tenshi so bad, that it became all I hoped for at the LA Dolpa. I've spent thousands of dollars with Volks in the form of dolls, and clothing, and I had hoped that the Fates would smile on me for that sort of company loyalty. Alas, it was not to be. Now, when it comes to the Secondary Price for Sei Tenshi and Rei Tenshi, they will sell for what the market will allow.

I know of the Sei that was offered around for 3K, and when I read that was what she paid for it, I was stunned. I can't even see myself paying that for my most ideal "SD40 Life Sized Nikki Sixx One Off", ya know? I paid $1000 for my Sei, and that was my ABSOLUTE max for him. I was bidding like a person possessed, (and a bit tipsy) but I still had an ultimate max in mind as to what I would pay. I know they have gone for much more, and it was funny to hear from other collectors when discussing him, "Is that ALL you paid??" Funny how a grand can seem like a bargain some times, eh Williams collectors?

And finally as for the play factor? My 1K Coda goes to work with me all the time via a backpack and a motorcycle. He gets LOVED and clothes taken off and put on, photos taken of him, etc etc. I treat all my dolls, no matter the price as little people to love, play with, and be enjoyed. Isn't that what they are for after all?

PS: OK, I lied, I HAVE paid 3K for a Life Sized Doll. My Don Post Studios Boba Fett #102/500

 

The Boba Fett and the Sei are two different things. I don't know if you can play with Boba! The Sei was meant to be loved, played with, all the things you're doing with him! I know he did look awful happy to be somewhere where he got that amount of attention!

 

I sold my Hypermaniac Ksy to help out my husband with a legal case to get his lawyer, and I thought I would never be able to order from Hypermaniac ever again, but I was fortunate to buy another Hypermaniac doll, and I am not going to sell this one, since it seems that the website is no longer making the 60cm dolls at the moment. I can say that Hypermaniac is the only company that makes Limited dolls and once they are SOLD OUT they are gone FOREVER unless the make a Renewal version, which is RARE. Volks seems to re-release their Limiteds more than once, so go figure.

 

Perhaps I should say scalpers, flippers, and resellers then? Though in my mind, a scalper is anyone who buys something with the specific intent of reselling it almost immediately for a profit (as opposed to buying it because they have an interest in owning it). Even so, would you rather have none of a certain doll available for sale or a small number at 2 or 3 times the retail price? For many collectors, they'd choose to pay a vastly inflated amount rather than never have the doll, so I do think it's still good for international fans to have some people who buy the dolls to resell on auction, rather than having all of them bought by people who want to keep them and are unlikely to sell.

But that's a topic for another debate.

 

So to you, people who go to Japan, and buy dolls that are not available here, for the sole sake of helping others attain their dream dolls, but simply adding 50 bucks to it for their trouble, is a scalper? i have trouble following that. To me a scalper is a person who is out to USE someone's love of something against them, and make out with big money. Double or even TRIPLE what the item was originally purchased for. If someone sells me their Madonna tickets, because they got them and had extras, and they sell for like 20 bucks more than what they were worth, then it's not scalping....not to me anyways...but there are people who would sell those Madonna tickets for like 2700 bucks, just because they feel that some poor unfortunate soul somewhere will be desperate enough to pay it. There is a world of difference to me.

Anyways, back on topic, there really isn't anything that a company can do if you choose to sell a product that you bought, unless they have you under contract not to. So, in the end, it's up to the individual what they are comfy with. But i'll say, there are a TON of people on here, who sell their 'free gifts' all the time, for profit, to make back a bit of money on their doll purchases.

 

Well, I rub up against him when no one's looking. Does that count?

 

I'm not talking about a buying service where you are buying the doll for a specific person who has commissioned you to do so, I'm talking about the people who buy a doll at an event and put it on Yahoo Auctions as soon as it arrives. I don't think I've EVER seen a newly released limited sell on Yahoo Japan for only 20 or 50 dollars more than the price of the doll, even if the starting price is at retail price the bidding will push it up.

 

I think the-company-asking-that-you-don't-resell-something side of this discussion is off to a great start with lots of valid and interesting points made... But what about the other half of the original post – owners selling a doll and stating that it's new home is to be permanent?

Now, to me, this screams double standard. While it's.... Um.... “touching” that someone would go so far as to request this but honestly now. Let's imagine that the second owner of such a doll was not able to keep it... Who knows for what reason, maybe they needed the money and it was an emergency, maybe they just didn't like the doll. But whatever the reason, it was sold again. How would this affect the original owner? I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that it wouldn't affect them in the slightest.

Unless the second owner was keeping a dollie journal and updating the first owner with status reports every so often... How would they know? What would it matter? I admit, a sentimental person I am not.

It just seems like a sentimental way to guard against seller's remorse. Like excusing the fact that you're selling something you still have second thoughts about – it's ok provided that it will be going to a “forever home”. That's ridiculous. That's just my theory on why such sale terms sometimes pop up, I really cannot think of a better explanation for it. Perhaps someone else has other ideas?





Also, I notice the term “gift head” popping up a lot in here though it seems that companies more often tag them as “event heads”? Does calling it a “gift head” make selling it if you were asked not to worse than selling an “event head” since the word event denotes that you had to partake in something to receive it? Just curious. I'd myself say the terms are usually interchangeable but perhaps not always depending on the situation and the sentiment behind it (like selling it).

 

The Dollfie dream version of Saber when the dollpa was over was seen for a bit over 200,000 yen. Same with the Dollfie Dreams of "The Meloncholy of Suzumiya Haruhi". The same thing happens with certain limiteds from volks also. Flipping to the extreme.