New or Second Hand For your First Doll

Oh I like the whole opening the box, pristine thing...so I buy new from the company. I'm kinda into the way things are packaged, presented...Plus if there were any issues I'd rather deal with a company whose business it is to ensure quality etc. vs. a former owner and an unfortunate accident and awkwardness.

 

I bought my first doll new, but regret it. My order was messy, and I totally made an idiot of myself in front of a huge company... I changed my order so many times, and I probably frustrated them very badly. I tried to thank them as much as I could, and even though they forgot to send a part of my order (a pair of eyes) I didn't ask for a refund or anything, I figure they deserved that difference in cost for the trouble I feel that I caused because of my unknowingness.

I would recommend: buying a second hand doll that comes with lots of extras (wig/eyes/outfits). That way you don't have a half-naked doll for a year who still doesn't have a wig that fits because nothing you find is the right size lol. My second-hand doll is much more presentable because he came with clothes and looks good in them.

 

I bought my first doll new from the company and bought extras with her so I could experience the whole shebang in one go - eyes, wig, faceup, outfit, shoes, doll box and pillows, etc. My first dollw as from Doll-Love, a less expensive company, but their quality is superb. I adore (and still have!) my first girl. I loved the whole "new doll experience" thing and don't regret buying new for a second.

 

I bought my first doll directly from the company. I was a member of DoA and did have marketplace access at the time that I ordered, but just wanted my boy to be new.

 

My 2 first dolls was purchased directly from the company,but others were bought Secondhand and in my country.

 

My first pair of dolls (Dream of Doll Too and Bee-a) were purchased direct from the company. It was a little bit of a mixed bag, in my experience...the wait felt horribly long, and when my dolls finally got here there was a mix up with the post office and they almost got sent all the way back! However, it was nice knowing that they were new, and opening their box for the first time was a pretty memorable experience.
With that said, all of my other dolls have been purchased second hand. I've had nothing but good experiences on the DoA marketplace and on Ebay. Like others have mentioned, I make sure to check seller feedback and I carefully consider the photos before I commit to buying anything. Ultimately I prefer buying second hand. The shipping is much quicker, and the dolls sometimes come with nice extra things - one seller included a sweet note, another a whole bunch of little outfits. Plus I like thinking that my doll has been on a journey before finally coming home to me.

 

My first doll was new and I had to wait 3 months for her , she is wonderful too , but that was quite a wait !

 

My first, Marius in my siggy, was second-hand. My second, a Mei was as well. I just now got my third from Junkyspot new, an RS Ming, who I have been eyeing for a while now! I love new, but second-hand is faster and less expensive( or it can be)! With Marius, I got the best of both worlds! I got him for about a third the price, and his joints were all still wrapped! She has only taken him out to put him in a wig.

 

My two are secondhand. One I fell in love with because of how he was customised. The other has a lovely faceup. I like secondhand generally, especially jewellery, so this was the way to go for me.

 

I'm going to buy my first doll new from fairyland, second hand may come without box or certificate and I've seen many box openings in youtube and I love the way it comes, with the instructions, the certificate, the beautiful box...and knowing that I'm her first "family" ^^

 

I bought my first resin doll secondhand from Newhaven (that's her DoA name). We met on Facebook and live in the same state in the US, so about a month after agreeing in payment and stuff, she delivered the doll to me in person. it was nice to only wait about a month before getting her. I like the shorter wait time, especially considering that the next doll I'm going to buy will be new and put on layaway...

 

I went with new but that was because I couldn't find the one I absolutely wanted second hand, that and I didn't know where to find them second hand. Got my boy off Ebay and got a little mohair wig and a set of eyes so it was easier for me to jump right into taking a ton of pictures. Though I want to change the eyes still I would love to use them for another doll when I finally get the money for it.

 

For your first doll, I think its always best to buy it directly from the maker or from a dealer. When you buy a doll second hand, you need to be prepared mentally for potential problems with that doll. I ordered my first bjd from the maker but the first actual bjd I had in hand was a second hand doll I bought on ebay. I was prepared for a secondhand doll so I wasn't too disappointed.

Like others have said there very few things as exciting as your very first doll box opening when your very expensive, long awaited, wonderful doll comes in from Korea or China or wherever you ordered it from.

 

I got my BJD second hand and I don't regret it he's my first doll...He's my special boy because he called out to me even when I was dead set on getting a Kid Delf and was looking on the market place for one in my price range I saw his for sale thread...And I just fell in love. And now I have him and he's even better then I expected. Sure it took some getting used to and I had to re-string him a few times. (His entire body....Then his arms...His legs...And then his entire body again with new elastic) I just adore him and if I found other dolls I wanted second hand I'd go for it.

 

Personally I bought my first doll directly from the company. That's just me though. I wanted the full new doll experience, the certificate and the unwrapping and all that.

 

My first Bjd's type was Zen, but I don't have it anymore:'(

 

I bought my first doll brand new because it was a lot of money and I was wary of giving that much money to a complete stranger and risk losing it. The wait was a bit of a killer but it was around a month which is better than I was expecting it to be so I can't complain.

 

Since I don't plan on owning many dolls (I know you all just rolled your eyes at me right?) I was thinking of checking out the 2nd hand market before ordering my first. If I'm only going to end up with 3-4 then I feel it would be best to just go for the grail! Depending on price and availability of course. So there's a good chance my first doll will be 2nd hand. It's a bit nerve racking though, as you hear more problems about 2nd hand then brand new. I don't want my first experience to be a terrible one. I'll definitely be asking for a ton of pics and feedback before ordering.

 

I personally went with what my heart fell for, I could have bought new but chose a doll my heart desired that was preowned, but I think research is key..

 

I bought my first one new from the company because I wanted to experience the ordering and the excitement you feel when your order status changes to 'shipped'. Also, the doll I wanted wasn't available second hand. Plus it was a fullset so I didn't have to buy the wig, clothes and everything else separately. I bought several other dolls second hand after that but I would still buy my first doll new if I had to do it again.