Only allowing yourself to buy "cheaper" dolls?

Point 1 and 3 is how I feel that I should get a "cheap" BJD first. In fact, I got a Pullip before BJDs to see if I really like dolls. In fact, I discovered many things I need to pay attention to while I was playing with my Pullip. Some things also apply to BJDs. I may actually ruin my first BJD if I don't have those doll playing experience. I believe I still have lots of things to learn about BJDs that getting a cheap BJD as an introduction doll is good because I can play without too much worry. Of course, even if it is a cheap doll, I must like it before buying it.

 

I agree with that.
I think also that some people can be sceard to spend so much for a doll. Loving a doll and then think of the price evry time we look at her can be scaring. I can understand so that some people prefers to buy a cheaper doll they like than a more expensive they love but that they will spend all the time to regret the expense.

 

To me no doll is 'cheap' - so If someone had a doll less expensive or more expensive it doesn't make a difference to me. The doll someone chooses is one that fits their budget. I like to see how the person interacts with the doll -that matters to me more.

 

I guess it's important to know how much money you want to spend in your dolls.
My problem wasn't really the money, I've no expensive hobby so far, so I saved a bit money.
The problem was to find a tan abjd that has a dark tan, no matter how expensive it was. I gave up after a while and fell in love with a white doll that looked a bit like the character I draw often XD
So I chose him. He was cheaper than other dolls, but I love him.
And that's what's the most important thing, that you love your dolls, no matter how expensive or cheap they were =)
It's ok if you buy cheaper dolls as long as you love them and have fun with.

 

When I first started looking at BJD's, I was opting for the MSD size pretty much because of cost. It seemed at the time that these dolls take some knowledge and looking after, and I thought spending less on a smaller doll would be a sound idea... just in case I messed it up

Then I found the Luts site, and fell in love with their Kids Delf "Hodoo".... so even though I started off choosing a "cheaper" doll, I am now really excited about getting him.... because I love him, not because of cost

Other than that, people can spend money on what they want, it's not my business

 

Well, we plan to do a lot of very active things with our dolls, so we are glad we can find lower cost dolls to fuel our hobby -- it would really suck to accidentally break or damage an expensive doll..but it's not as if our whole collection is *cheap*, it's not. Oh lord, it is not.

 

I haven't been very active on DoA (in fact, my first account got dropped because I almost never posted), but this topic is very relevant to me personally.

I don't have loads of money to spend on any hobby. On the other hand, I have loved Volks-style dolls ever since I saw my first Dollfie. When I found out about Super Dollfies/BJDs, I longed to have one...but the $500-1000 price tags put me off. I am not and would never say that the dolls aren't worth it. If I had it to spare I'd spend it in a heartbeat.

I don't.

I was resigned to suffer in silence until a few weeks ago when I almost literally stumbled upon a BJD panel at a local convention. The people there generously let me examine their dolls, and were even more than helpful in suggesting dolls with modest price tags and where I could find them.

After determining the upper limit of what I was willing to spend ($250-300), I spent over a week agonizing over what I would get. I could have a Goodreau for $120, or a vinyl Obitsu for about $250...but the more I looked, the more restrictive my criteria became.

I finally settled on Bobobie's Apollo, because I wanted a male BJD and I fell in love with his looks. By the time I was finished picking and choosing the specifics, a character had emerged in my mind.

His name is Anjiro, and he's out there waiting while I save up/wait for my stimulus check.

I'm bringing him home soon.

 

To put it in simple terms in my opinion
Whatever i pay i expect to get what i paid for.
meaning quality.
if i paid 1200 on a doll i expect more out of it.
if i paid 200 i expect it to look like the picture but the quality of the product i think.. i would save up for a more expensive doll knowing its going to come perfect ect.
in this sort of thing i always take peoples opinion seriously when i buy a doll.
i always looked through the threads like the best resin quality ect.
in every company i think there is a mold i really like. just knowing that the quality is good is a bonus and makes me feel happy when i get the doll.
so i can admire not just its beauty but know that its made with care ><

 

That's a perfectly valid argument. I just don't see $200 as "cheap" for a doll. "Cheap" to me would be a $4.99 piece of plastic crap at Dollar General.

I've read up on Bobobie and most people seem to feel that the quality is comparable to dolls two or three times the price. Besides, I love the Apollo face--it's perfect for Anjiro. So that's the way I'm going.

 

Yeah, the "you get what you pay for" argument makes some logical sense on the face of things, but doesn't always hold up so well when you're talking about the dolls themselves. First off, no company with consistant quality issues is going to do well over time with hobbyists. Even people looking for a real deal don't want dolls that are going to be shoddy and have problems. There are lots of reasons prices vary, and a lot of those don't have much to do with actual quality (cost of manufacturing by country, brand name, quantity made, size, exchange rate, any extras that come with the doll, etc).

It comes down to more what individual qualities a person wants in a doll, since all companies have their strengths and weaknesses. If a person feels more comfortable buying at the higher end of the spectrum, then that's fine--it's all personal choice. However, there is no reason to fear problems in a lot of the less expensive dolls or to assume they are not made with care.

And if you look at threads about who has the best resin, best posability, etc. You'll find a lot of contradictory opinions for a reason--the whole quality issue isn't very clear cut, and there's a lot that's subjective.

 

My first two dolls were on the less expensive side. Certainly not cheap, just ask my husband. I knew I wanted to do my own faceups but would have been too reluctant to freely express myself if the doll was LE or extremely pricey. Well my "cheapies" have turned out wonderfully and I'm now confidant enough to move on to more expensive dolls if I find one I love.

Also I never had a keeping up with the Jones' attitude. I can appreciate craftsmanship on many different levels and don't have to own today's "best" to be happy.

Of course I realize the resin quality isn't the same, and you often get what you pay for. But the savings for my first dolls, which I love, was worth it to me.

 

It's not my place to tell others how to spend their money. It's up to them. I can't look into a person's mind and figure out why they do what they do. And I can certainly understand why people don't want to spend so much money on one doll. So, I'll only say how it works for me.

For the longest time I was completely head over heels with one doll, but because of the price-tag I decided not to go for him and focus on other pretty dolls. And I did and it certainly wasn't a bad deal... all the dolls I have I love tremendously and I picked them out carefully. Each of their sculpts, I love.

But then I thought: 'if I can pay for these three dolls, I can also save up for the dolls I réally want (volks SwD Lucas and volks Williams). It just takes a little longer.' So I started saving.

Thursday, one of my two dreamdolls (sweet dream Lucas) came home, and the rush and excitement I feel is só much more then with all my other dolls. I have spent the last 4 days doing nothing more then looking at him, carefully touching his face, memorizing every little detail of his sculpt. I never had that before. Sure, for about a day, but not 4 days straight.
I've decided to go for my dreamdolls from now on and not let money get in the way (except when going over a certain amount), because it's worth the money..
I don't even think about how expensive Cicero was. It's like he was always here with me.

 

Silk: I think it's wonderful you got one of your dream dolls, and I wish you all happiness with him.

I'm still new to the BJD world, and I have to admit the high price tags kept me away from it for a long time. Now that I'm pretty committed to getting an Apollo (which is, admittedly, one of the less expensive dolls), I'm really excited about it and the price tag really isn't a concern.

 

it's not really up to what you spend for your doll... as long as you love the doll you bought it's alright.
i have a dream doll (volks suigintou) but i don't really wanna buy her because i am too afraid of breaking her and so she would end up sitting or standing anywhere without ever being touched. this isn't really what these dolls are made for, i think. she will have to wait until i bought the other dolls that are on my wishlist (means if i will ever buy her T_T).

 

I totally agree with you on that and I feel the same about the dream dolls I never thought I'd get(Scarface Cecile and Seimei). If you can save $200, you can save $400, if you can save $400, you can save $800 etc. It just takes longer, but it is worth it in the end to get that doll that you truly want ^^

 

I don't necessariliy agree with you on that. It depends on a person's finances and other responsabilities. Most people (unless they have *a lot* of extra cash) are going to have to do some saving up for the more expensive dolls. However, it's more feasible for some people than others. For some people, saving up just $200 dollars can take a very long time, let alone 500, 600 or 800. For some, the doll may not be worth the ultimate frustration. For some, it really may not be worth it. I would hate to see someone drop out of the hobby before they even really got started because they felt they *had* to wait wait wait and save save save for something that is beyond their means.

For others saving for a more expensive dream doll works out great, and that's wonderfull for them when they can bring home the doll of their dreams, but I don't think the mindset of money should be no object is always realistic for everyone. People shouldn't spend money on dolls they really don't like just because they're more affordable, but there is nothing wrong with trying to stay within a budget, and I'm not sure that always advising people otherwise is the right thing to do.

 

I don't think money is no object, not at all, and I agree with you it's good to set a budget and be realistic. I have a limit too, because paying over that limit would leave me feeling uncomfortable with the doll. Still, for me it is worth saving a long time to get that doll I really want and that is within my limit. For others it might not, it's a personal decision. I guess what I was trying to say is just that if the doll is still within your personal limit and it would just take longer to save for it(opposed to it being completely unrealistic and out of reach)I personally find it worth it to save and get that doll.

That doesn't mean I look down upon people who make the decision not to and would rather get another doll they like and that is cheaper, why would I? It's not my business at all and I think people should just look at their situation, at the doll they want, at themselves and ask themself 'am I going to save for this one or go for the other one?' Then the decision they make is their business alone, and it's all good :3 I can understand-expecially when it's your first and you're eager to join the hobby, it might not be worth it for you(generic you).

Just, for me it is :3 I have limited space so every doll I get has to be an absolute dream doll. I waited two years to find a doll I liked as much as my Scarface and finally found it in Anhel Dion, I pined two and a half years for Seimei but got him in the end-for me, the wait is worth it. But again, that is just me and my experience, I don't expect anyone to feel the same, I don't want anyone to feel pushed to wait, I just share what works for me and if you agree or not and what you do is your own choice.

 

This is why I said how it works for me and that I can understand that other people might think different. I don't judge people when they don't have the same opinion as I do or do things differently. And I don't want to push.
And it's not as if I'm a rich person (I'm a student.. go figure), so when I say, I go for the dreamdoll, I mean... have to save a long...long time. And I know that not everyone is willing to do that (or need the money for food, their kids etcetera etcetera). And you should have a limit. Like Raou said, stay reasonable.
On the other hand, I hear more and more people say they cannot afford a doll because it's too expensive and yet buy 4 dolls of around 200 dollars in two months time. Sometimes I have the feeling that the price-tag of a doll can scare people off, so they don't go for it in the first place, even though they have the means. That's why I wanted to share my opinion. Sometimes it's worth waiting a little longer.

I think people are perfectly able to figure out for themselves if they are willing to invest so much money and time to get a doll. And if it doesn't work out that they have the brains to change their plan and go for a less expensive (but equally beautiful) one. So I don't think they will drop out feeling disappointed that they couldn't get a doll when there are dozens of pretty once in their price-range.

 

Raouken I'm glad you were able to get the dolls you really wanted. There is nothing wrong with sharing your own personal experiences. The reason why I wrote what I did, is because the idea that saving and waiting for a more expensive option is best has appeared in so many places on DoA. Threads that involve people trying to figure out how best to spend their money always get a lot of people urging them to save and wait.

Now, if someone is really pining for a more expensive doll, they're probably better off at least trying to get ahold of it. But this isn't the case for everyone, and even if you realize that, there are people out there that really don't seem to.

I realize that you had specified that you were speaking only from your experience. That's why I didn't quote your post in the last reply. Raouken's wasn't quite as clear. I agree that the price tag can be scary to people--especially to newer folks who haven't figured out if the dolls are worth that much to them yet (in my own experience, it gets easier to spend the money once you've been involved longer). However, if someone is happier not spending quite so much at once, it's not necessarily a bad thing for them, either. It all depends on just how bad they want the more expensive doll.

I would hope that would be the case for most people (and I think it probably is). However, when people start going on about how people should save and wait, because that seems to be the thing to do, I wonder how much they're taking into account other people's circumstances and what would happen if everyone did take that advice. (again, I realize that you are not advocating that everyone save up, it's more of a comment on general attitudes that seem to pop up a lot).

 

I'm honestly not sure where the debate part of this comes in as the answer seems to be a simple matter of, "You're free to do as you will. Either save more for the expensive ones or save less for the less expensive ones; whose right is it to say which is 'right' or 'wrong' or if there even IS a right or a wrong in the first place?"

To me, the issue about people choosing to buy cheaper dolls that they like versus the more expensive doll that they love isn't the same as an issue of something like, "Should I buy the cheaper outfit that looks like XYZ outfit and try and pass it off as the real XYZ outfit?"

Where the second example brings into question possible issues of morality - is it moral to buy what seems to be a knockoff in an attempt to pass it as the real thing - the first question and the OP's question is simply a question of personal preference that really, nobody else should have any sort of say-so on.

How is it 'wrong' to anybody if someone should choose to buy a cheaper doll?

Sad (and I mean in the feeling bad term, not as a derogatory term), maybe, that people will forego their 'dream doll' in exchange for something more attainable and perhaps less sticker-shocking.

But 'wrong'? Or 'right'?