One expensive or few cheaper?

I think it depends on what you want in your BJDs.

Are you a collector? Do you craft on/with your doll? Do you want photostories? What about a particular doll, or the BJD hobby in general, is attractive to you?

I think the arguments above are directed at a common type of collector:

1) You have your heart set on a particular doll, and another simply won't do. In fact, if you were buy another doll, perhaps (regardless of how pretty the doll actually was), you could never like it because you'd always be comparing the doll to the one you wanted.

This type of hobbyist fits best with dolls that work out perfectly off the bat. The perfect sculpt, a nice outfit, faceup, and wig (whether done by the owner or otherwise), are necessarily for the best possible experience without regrets.

That's one type of BJD hobbyist, but there are others:

2) Perhaps you have less of a personal connection to a particular sculpt (you might love certain sculpts, but one isn't the be all end all). Perhaps what you relly want in the BJD hobby isn't one particular doll, but a creative outlet. Instead of bonding with a particular doll or sculpt, you might bond with a doll by expressing yourself creatively through it, or by challenging yourself artistically.

Perhaps you want a couple cheaper dolls because the most fun in the BJD hobby isn't with one grail sculpt, but by having multiple dolls interact in photostories, starting your own dolly fashion show, or creatively modding, styling, and/or faceupping multiple dolls.

Perhaps it's really important to you to have dolls of multiple sexes or genders, historical periods, styles, or backgrounds.

In this case, perhaps choosing a couple attractive, but less expensive sculpts is better.

3) Perhaps you do only want one, or just a few dolls, but it's the community, not the doll itself that is important. While I want to mske it clear you will be welcomed here on DOA or into the BJD community elsewhere without a doll, perhaps sharing your first box opening, faceup, early outfits and fantastic BJD creations RIGHT NOW is important.

If that's the case, and saving up for that one expensive grail doll might take a while, perhaps it is better to buy a doll you like now so you can enjoy the part of the hobby you love.

I think you'll find that everyone here is a mix of these types of BJD people to differing degrees. I've probably missed a couple types of people as well. My point in listing them here is just to get you thinking big picture:

making the best possible decision for you in the doll hobby is in weighing what aspects of BJDs are most important to you--once you know what matters most to you personally, you have your answer

 

I'm going to add a personal thing here: for me, there is a definite limit to what I am comfortable paying for a doll (even if technically I could afford to pay more). If I see the perfect doll, but it is above my psychological limit, I'll not buy it, amazing though it may be. I'd always be very much aware of exactly how much it cost. I would hardly dare to touch it, and I'd feel my limited customising skills (and for me, customising is what this hobby is all about) wouldn't be good enough for this precious thing.

I am quite aware that if I made the sum of what I paid for all my dolls together (and I have 25), I could have bought several ones that I consider above my limit. But I would not have been comfortable handling them or working on them. I honestly prefer my crew as it is, and I've never thought, "oh, if only I could have that $$$$ doll". I have also never had the feeling that I was "settling for a cheap doll". (...None of my dolls are "cheap". They are BJDs. BJDs can at best appear cheap as compared to other, even more expensive BJDs :P!)

 

Interesting choice. I have a very expensive and budget doll. I was saving money for one doll. On the other hand, there are dolls that suit my combination of price and quality. I love to make beautiful examples of unsympathetic puppet, as a challenge. Feel free with cheap dolls, I am not afraid of bold experiments not afraid to ruin. It's hard to answer. Still, I'd rather have one expensive and cool doll.

 

Given up? Never! But I sometimes feel a little odd handling them too much. I don't see myself doing my own face-ups any time soon.

As per your original question... I honestly only think about buying one doll at a time and do a "we'll see" about any others. I never planned to have a collection of them and even though I dream about all the ones on my wishlist, I think I really enjoy the process of picking out the one I want the most. I never meant for my dolls to complement each other or searched for one to be a particular character in a story. That doesn't mean I don't intend for them to have a personality. But I know others have different reasons for being in the hobby and different reasons for how they spend.

 

This is a great topic. I've had the same quandary. There are expensive dolls that I adore, but I just can't bring myself to spend $700 or $800 or more on a doll, at this point anyway. So I end up buying much less expensive dolls, but I don't feel that I love them any less than I would the expensive one, for the most part anyway. I have bought some that were just poor quality and I regret those purchases, but I try to avoid that now by researching the dolls I want a little more thoroughly.

I agree with Sigune, as well, that I would probably be afraid to touch a really expensive doll, and for me it's all about playing with them, changing wigs and eyes, making clothes, etc. for them, so I don't think I'd enjoy them as much if I had to worry about breaking them or something.

 

If you loved two dolls equally, then I would say to start with the less expensive one, but it really does sound like your heart is set.

For me, price is a big factor because of how long it can take to save up on a fixed income, and if I love two dolls and that's the one factor to weigh it on, I'll prioritize a less expensive doll. But, sometimes only the more expensive doll is right for what you have in mind... it can be worth a longer wait for the one that's just right.

 

Personally, I'd rather save for something I really want, rather than go with the "cheaper, but okay" option. That applies to almost everything, not just dolls. I suffer from less buyer's regret that way.

As for expense, you get the ones you really want and they are already precious to you, right? Especially if you had to sacrifice and save up for them. Like all precious items, you will treat them with care. If you are worried about whether you are taking care of your doll in the best way possible, DoA is a great resource for teaching you the do's and don't's of taking care of your BJD.

Yes, BJDs can get really pricey. But this hobby is not cheap by any means. By the time you've bought just the right wig (after a dozen attempts) the right eyes (after 3-6 tries), commissioned the right faceup/invested in the supplies to do your own, the wardrobe (my dolls have a more extensive wardrobe than I do!), backdrops for photos, camera for said photos, storage bins, shelves to put them on, chairs, props, etc. etc., you've spent a good bit. Repeat some of the process for each doll, and I could have bought a new car (maybe 2) by now with all I've spent. Some people could probably have bought houses!

I'm not saying this to scare anyone. Any hobby has costs that people sometimes don't immediately consider after the initial investment. Just saying, in the big picture, that "expensive" doll might not be as expensive as you think (especially if you get a fullset, which broken down, sometimes saves you a little money) and that "cheaper" doll isn't always the bargain it might seem. In the end they can sometimes even out.

 

I cannot imagine ever choosing a child by either of those two criteria! My heart always chooses, never my wallet.

 

After 7 years now, mid priced dolls are where I'm most comfortable. But in the end the price doesn't truly affect my love. I have had two dolls that I consider very expensive: one I barely touch for fear of ruining her, the other I know is mine forever, I don't feel obligated to maintain her factory appearance and I play with her as frequently as any other cheaper doll. At the moment I only have one "super cheap" doll, and he doesn't get as much love as he deserves. Sometimes I think of selling him but hey, he's worth near nothin so might as well hang onto him and eventually I might finish his look.

I guess the moral of my story is price doesn't always drive your love . As an aside- too many dolls at once can be overwhelming! Best to get only one at a time in my opinion.

 

I would say to get the doll you really want, but I understand the price issue too. I wouldn't be comfortable paying too much for a doll - that's why I moved to 1/4 scale when I re-entered the hobby. Have you considered getting a doll of a smaller scale? There might be a perfect sculpt for you, and pretty much any doll in, say, 1/4 scale seems to be quite affordable after 1/3 scale prices.

 

I personally agree americanseamstress and Sigune, it really depends on what you want to do and what you're comfortable with. I was actually in a similar but different situation. It's a rather long story so you don't have to read through it, I'll summarize the events below.

Spoiler: here it is if you feel like reading it

I'm very anxious in general and I tend to get this thought process of fear whenever I see things like nice sketchbook paper and other canvases. I want to use them but I'm terrified of messing up and having wasted the paper. Ironically, my fear tends to hold me back and I tend to only mess up when I'm scared. When I looked to get my first doll, I found one I really liked who was basically perfect. The only problem was that I only really liked the doll with a specific faceup which heavily added to the already rather expensive price. I couldn't buy the doll as just a head and unfortunately they are a rather unpopular sculpt so I'd have to pay full price and buy straight from the company. Because the company is pretty far away from where I'm located, the shipping cost was pretty darn high. Adding the shipping to the base price=a doll that was way out of my price range. I told my friend about this and asked their advice. Said friend realized pretty quickly that if I got the doll I originally wanted as my first then I would probably over think everything and I would start getting anxious over really small things. This would probably lead to me barely ever seeing or touching the doll. My friend mentioned this to me. I then realized that they were right and that maybe if I got a less expensive doll, I would be less afraid of doing things with it. I started looking for a more affordable doll that I loved as much as the expensive one. It took a little while but I eventually found a doll who cost barely anything and the sculpt just looked so kind that I ended up falling in love with it. Instead of just buying that doll I decided to keep saving just in case and eventually I reached enough to almost cover the base price of the more expensive doll. My aforementioned friend then very generously said that if I wanted to get the more expensive doll, they'd help with some of the price as like an early birthday and Christmas gift. So at that moment I realized I could either get the doll I had been planning on or the cheaper doll. As I was looking at the pictures of each of them I had realized that something kind of strange happened. I actually couldn't pick.
It took me a solid week of staring at pictures and questioning life before I realized that in my heart I knew for a fact that I wouldn't be able to bring myself to ever touch the more expensive doll. I knew that I would never be able to bring myself to mod them. I knew I would never do a face up or be able to keep any wigs or clothes on the doll or even keep the doll out where I could see it. Those things mattered a lot to me. When I looked at the cheaper doll I didn't feel any of that restrictions. I knew I would be ok with modding and doing a horrible first face up. When I looked at the cheaper doll, I saw pure creativity and I had no fear towards the idea of messing up and making those classic newbie mistakes. I knew would be able to have an outlit for my creativity and I knew that that's all I really wanted from a doll.

So in the end I got the cheaper doll. However, I got him because I knew that he was what I really wanted. I got him so that I could create and because that's what I wanted to do and he was what I felt comfortable doing it with. I guess I did technically give up on the first doll. That being said, I don't regret it. I'm happy with the doll I chose.
While you're thinking about this choice, just remember that this doll is meant to bring you joy. This doll is all about making you happy, so try and figure out what it is that makes you happy. Do you like displaying dolls? Sewing? Mods? Faceups? Just having that pretty doll around? Whatever it is that gives you joy, that's how you decide. If having an expensive doll would make you anxious, it's ok to get a cheaper one. If you think it would be a good way to beat your anxiety, it's ok to get a more expensive one. Whatever your reason is and whatever your choice, it's ok as long as it makes you happy and doesn't hurt anyone (including yourself! Your mental health is very important)
If I were you I'd ask myself: "If I had the money for either the cheap dolls or the dream doll with me right this instant and I didn't have to worry about it, which would I get?" "What do I want to do in this hobby?" "What kind of collector am I?"
And, as americanseamstress said,

Good luck choosing nunsongi! I hope that whatever you choose, you'll be happy and have a wonderful doll coming to you!

 

Buy what you actually want. If the expensive doll is The Perfect Doll for you, then you would be better off buying that one than potentially wasting that money on more, less expensive dolls that you may not want. I am of the opinion that it is better to have a few expensive dolls that you LOVE rather than a bunch of cheaper dolls that you might LIKE.

 

Personally, I don't let myself fall in love and pine over dolls that are over $500 because that is the current absolute max I would be able to drop on one doll at this point in my life (and even then it would have to be some sort of special "wow I just came into a few hundred dollars by surprise and also it is my birthday" kind of deal). There are soooo many beautiful dolls under 300 and, as someone who is easily bored and has 100 million different aesthetics they want to experiment with, I would much rather have a few different dolls to play around with than one mega expensive one. Ultimately though, you need to do what you know will make YOU happy! Lots of people would never want to settle for anything less than their $1000+ grail and I respect that commitment.

 

Right now I am in the fewer and more expensive mode. I have a lusion and trinity on order at Dollmore on the long layaway there. I won't be getting much else in the meantime.

 

I prefer one good and expensive doll than many cheapers with low quality, but I think people should buy what they want, if I really liked a cheaper doll I would definitely buy it.

 

Less and more expensive. But you should of course get what you love. Patience is involved sometimes with more expensive dolls so you don't over pay. I do like Volks dolls so I put these in the more expensive bracket. I like the proportions and the quality of the resin.

 

i started my collection with a cheaper doll that was "the best fit in the price range i felt comfortable paying at the time" i still have the doll (mostly because i'm too lazy to get around to selling her, though she is on the list of dolls that i plant to purge "one of these days") it wasn't the doll i really wanted, but it worked for me since it helped me become used to paying over $100 for a doll. at the time i had no intention of ever collecting bjd's i just wanted an artist model.

i still admire some of the really expensive dolls (like little owl) and would like to have some of them "one day", but i use my dolls for sewing/crafting and take them out for photography so would rather stick to the mid priced dolls that i'm not afraid to actually use. after that first one i decided to not get dolls i didn't really want, but found that there were a lot of dolls in my price range that i love as much or more than that first doll i fell for. none of my dolls are "cheap" or "low quality", i just have a price range that i am comfortable with and other than a few le artist dolls, i just ignore dolls for the most part, that fall out of that range. i am content to admire the other dolls from afar, without needing to own them myself.

only you can really decide how you want to make collecting decisions. i think price should be a factor, just not the only one. as long as you are happy with the doll, and he/she fits in with your collecting style/needs, it doesn't matter if you have one expensive or several "cheaper" there is no right or wrong, and it may change over the course of your collecting as well.

looking back at your original question, if you buy dolls you don't like just because they are cheaper and you want to "have more" i think you will be unhappy in the long run, but if as others have said you find less expensive dolls that you would be happy with, and want more so that they can interact or because you would be happier with a variety, i think you can be just as happy with the "cheaper" ones.

as an aside. the first, expensive doll that i really wanted but didn't get? i now look at it and wouldn't want it, even if i had the money, because my tastes have changed and it wouldn't fit in my collection any better than the cheaper doll i did get.

 

I love getting physically more for my dollar. But with dolls, it's a bit different. If it were a dinner, I love meals that include an appetizer and dessert and a bunch of sides on top of getting the main meal for a good deal as opposed to paying the same for just the entree. (Honestly, food is my best example, lmao.)

So I totally understand your hesitation in trying to make "the best deal". The good thing with dolls... They have good resale value most of the time. So, if you do go for the big, expensive, beautiful dolly, but you don't bond, it's not a total loss! ^^ It helps me feel a bit easier in making doll purchases. And depending on the sculpt/company, they could have a lot more resale value (or what I call, bonding safety net), as opposed to maybe the three cheaper dollies might have.

But really, its always up to if you can find that many dollies you love as much as that one.
And, of course, if you have the room for so many more dollies! I'd love to have a whole bunch of cheaper dollies to just try out, but I don't think I have any room in my room for more than two, lmao.

 

I would say always go with whatever doll you like the best.. You said it yourself - the more expensive one is the perfect one! I would say go for that doll.