New or Second Hand For your First Doll

So far all my dolls are new. I think I prefer it because I feel I can trust them more, I guess? I'm not opposed to second-hand, it's just I tend towards new.

When I ordered my first doll, again new, I didn't have to wait long at all since she was "premade" and didn't have to go through all the things a typical resin doll has to go through. At the time, I had just barely signed up here so I had no access to the marketplace. New was the only option I had, unless I wanted to spend time trawling through possibly seedy ebay auctions...

Honestly, I think that unless you've got a buddy that's willing to sell you a doll and you've seen/played with it first hand, buying new from a well-known and trusted company is probably best for someone just getting started. I would think buying second hand would at least need some experience with dolls to know what to look for, something someone new to the hobby might not have yet. But that's just me.

 

I prefer to buy new, because I enjoy having a blank slate to mold to my own preferences.

 

If the doll is not sold out I buy directly from the company. Because it feels so special to know that the doll only will be made because I ordered. Otherwise it would not exist.

 

Hmmm... well there's no right or wrong or a better/worse choice when it comes to that I suppose. It's all a matter of what you're looking for. Most of my dolls were bought directly from the company with the exception of a couple heads and a body. The wait for my first doll wasn't that big (around a month/five weeks and some change with shipping times included) but I still felt it quite strongly but I never regretted it either. Their service was very nice and prompt and I knew I was getting a brand new doll without any possible undisclosed flaws, sellers flaking and all that, fear of being scammed and all that. Not to say I've ever had a bad experence using the marketplace either, but it put my mind at ease since it was my very first time ordering.

 

I'm planning to buy my first dolls new from the company. I haven't had any experience buying secondhand before so the thought of trying that for my very first doll is a little daunting.

 

All of my dolls so far have been second hand, as i fear i am farr too impatient for the hobby, Hahah!! ^^;
But i agree with alot of the others here, that shipping isnt as high and there not that aweful long wait (depending where you buy from).

 

My two girls are new...but I have no problem with second hand dolls. I bought my girls direct from the company because I didn't found they with another bjd owner and because I thought it would be easier.

 

My first few dolls were bought straight from the company, so of course there was a long wait time.
But latest doll was bought 2nd hand and she's just as good, if not better because she has a faceup by my favorite artist! Sometimes 2nd hand dolls can have inflated prices, but not always and you can find some great deals. I don't think I would recommend a mix and match doll to a first timer though. (buying a cheaper body and the head separate) because of resin match, unless you try to look for something from the same batch.

But over all for me, buying 2nd hand was a great experience, the doll is beautiful.
If you're a first timer just look into what you are buying and ask a lot of questions if you need to.
Ask about the dolls stringing, any work it may need and ect.

I don't know if my next doll with be 2nd hand or not. Ive seen lots of stuff on the marketplace.
But I will most likely order company direct again since the doll I want is from a brand new line of dolls.

 

I got my first doll off eBay... Almost all of my dolls and floating heads are second-hand, even if I bought them from a friend or they were in like-new condition. In fact, I'm pretty sure I only have two direct-from-the-company dolls....

 

my first is new, but only because it was a quite inexpensive doll. If new is in my budget, I definitely like the idea od buying new - I like the perks of new and shiny, heck who doesn't? But if something comes up secondhand that's a better price, then what's not to love there as well.

 

I bought my first new. But I think I'd buy my first, used, if I knew more about BJDs later on. though funny how my best friend bought my first doll, and he became her first doll too xD

 

I bought my first one new because I found that the second hand ones were just as expensive and if I was going to spend a fair bit on my first doll I wanted it to be new. Now that I have my own new one it doesn't really bother me except that I have specific dolls that I want. I have nothing against second-hand dolls, I was even considering a broken one for my first doll but I decided to get a smaller doll because it was cheaper.

 

For me if the company still releasing the mold I like, I'll definitely get a new one. But I bought my first doll second-hand, because the company is no longer sell this mold.

 

well for me the first doll i wanted was a dollfie dream and i contacted volks directly but because im not american they were snobs and said they couldnt help because they were no longer selling them anyway.... (til this day i still want a DD but less then i did before) then i found that research was the best way to find a bjd i wanted and found iplehouse. The doll i liked was on sale so i bought him on impulse xD;; i actually bought the last one in normal skin which was funny

 

I've got mine new, but it's because, I've not seen any of the mold I wanted (Resinsoul (Featherfall exclusive) Elf Iruhi boy)on the second hand market. I would not have problems buying form the second hand market.

 

I think there are two ways of looking at it.

Reason FOR second-hand
- if the mold you like is no longer available
- if you are unsure about whether or not you really would like the hobby, and don't want to spend too much on the first doll just to find out that you actually don't want anything to do with them
-financial limitations

Reason AGAINST second-hand
- the feeling that the doll is never really yours
- the age/condition of the doll you are buying
- buying a mold only to find out that the doll has been irreversibly customised


I personally have nothing against buying a doll second-hand. I however, chose to buy my first doll brand new and direct from the company, because as my FIRST doll, she is special and I like to think that she somewhat symbolises the growth of me and the hobby. My first doll should have a clean slate, and should grow with me as i get deeper into the hobby. She should have no back story and come to me as a stranger. Later on as I get more dolls, it seems perfectly normal to me that my doll meets others that have back stories and personalities of their own already.

Maybe I'm a bit strange this way ^_^'

 

I would prefer my first expensive BJD to be new. I would like to go all out, and buy wigs, outfits, eyes- The whole 9 yards, all new. That being said, it could easily total close to a thousand bucks, and that's just not practical for me.
So I've been slowly collecting items (Mostly second hand) for an Obitsu, to tide me over until I can get an actual strung BJD with all the fixin's. C:

 

I think buying your first doll new is probably easier, especially buying from a well-established company. They mostly have an easy ordering process, and it's generally well-known how long it will take for you to receive the doll. I think these factors are important, because it makes for a good first experience. I know that a bad first experience can put people off the hobby indefinitely.

However if the second hand doll was from someone known to you personally, it could be ok for a first-time buyer as the chance of something going wrong is low.

 

It depends~ I wanted certain dolls that have been out of production for some time. The only way I could get them would be through the second hand market. This usually happens when the company I like dies~

I would prefer getting a new one since any dirt, scratch and cracks are still the companies responsibility. + I like getting to know the original color and condition of the doll.