Only allowing yourself to buy "cheaper" dolls?

I didn't find my doll based on the cost. I fell in love with her and then considered the price. I think that you should always go for the thing that you love the most. For me. Maybe I like the less expensive doll but I love the more expensive one. I would always choose the more expensive one in this situation because it is the one I LOVE. I would always regret getting the cheaper one even if I liked it because it is not the one I love.

 

While my doll hasn't arrived yet, I spent several years researching BJDs after seeing some on DeviantART. About a year after discovering them, I stumbled across a Bobobie doll, and knew he was perfect for the character I wanted my doll to be--better than the attempts I had made at sculpting a doll of him myself. After I saw the price, I did some more research on the company, to see if there was some sort of "catch" to the lower cost, and found very little negative feedback, so I saved up the money and ordered him.

It really wouldn't have been different if the doll had been from a different, more expensive company--if the sculpt fit the character, I still would have saved for and bought him...it simply would have taken a bit longer to do so.

 

While I freely admit that I'm a cheapskate (the diplomatic term is "extremely frugal" which is not exactly true in my case), I have to admit that I had my eye on a high-end doll, a Latidoll Redline M (and still do to an extent) but found a much more satisfactory doll, AOD's Ruo Feng, that is also gratifyingly cheaper (though I will still have to save for a little while). It wasn't because Ruo Feng was cheaper necessarily. I just thought his features were a bit more striking than M's (he resembles Kyouya from Ouran High Host Club, one of my anime crushes). That being said, I still will probably look into cheaper dolls though I'm hardly unwilling to save up my money for one that really catches my eye.

 

Regarding the question of quality... I'm not certain. I have dolls from both price ranges, and there is a noticeable difference between the Fantasy Doll resin and the Dream of Doll resin, for example. Now, I couldn't say whether one or the other is better, but they're definitely different. The resin has a different texture, as others have said. However, the texture varies among expensive companies, too. Some of the higher-priced dolls are heavier, which some people see as a sign of quality. Myself, I like the fact that my arms hurt less after carrying my Fdoll hybrids around!

I have noticed that the sculpting on the FDoll bodies is less defined/realistic, particularly in the arms and legs (and the FDoll Nipples of Doom ). I do believe somewhat in "you get what you pay for", but it's not nearly as drastic of a difference as the few elitists portray. I will say that the FDoll bodies stand better than my Elfdoll or Latidoll ones, and they pose quite well. I haven't seen Bobobie/AOD bodies in person, so I can't compare them, though.

In the end, it's all up to the consumer. There are differences, but whether one is better or higher-quality will all depend on the criteria used.

 

My friend was looking for cheaper versions of dolls to be her characters, even though she liked the versions she got, she still wasn't happy and wishes she hadn't spent the money on the cheaper versions. No matter what happens and what you say, the one you want is the one you want. As far as I've seen you can't settle for substitutions, because every time you see a picture of the one you want you're going to remember that you do want it.

If you spontaneously buy one, it's one thing to feel bad about it. But if you set money aside and save for it, you feel less bad about it when you finally do have the funds, no matter how much you spent on it. I'm saving hard for my new doll, and can't see myself feeling bad for spending $600 for a doll if I've saved like $20 a week in a doll fund, you know?

That way I've still taken care of everything else I needed to take care of, and still saved for the doll that I wanted. No reason to feel guilty unless you have let people who have that "Overpriced crap" view get to you. The same way people can buy $2000 worth of shoes that they'll wear once is the same way you can buy a $450 doll that you love just as much.

You get what you really want. If you really want it, you'll find a way. I'm getting a new doll. I've been saving hard for him. He'll be almost 1k, but hell if I'm going to feel bad getting him after saving up for him. No, there's nothing else my money can go towards besides him, because I've made sure to take care of what needs to be taken care of before putting my $20 in my doll fund.

 

The person who condemns another for staying within their finances really does need the wire-brush treatement.

Don't think of it as being 'cheap', but rather of staying within the borders of your finances. I have been beyond my means for dolls before - and for molds I really could not be without. However, that's just me and I paid dearly for it in many ways.

Much better to have the strength of will, and the strength of purpose to stay within your means.

Yuko.

 

Plain and simple: I buy the dolls I fall in love with, no matter the cost, really. [And I don't have to pay bills or rent or anything, so thats easy for me to say. ]

 

I suppose people will say that I "cheaped out" by buying a pair of Obitsu dolls, but after researching them, I found I liked the idea of a doll that could hold a complex pose and didn't require stringing. (And I could always get resin heads and turn them into hybrids if I found face sculpts that I liked.) I have a Bobobie Weylin too and am real pleased with him so far, so I don't need expensive dolls to keep me happy. (I tend to pour a lot of time and money into the outfits that I put onto the dolls--to me, it's more about elaborate clothing and presentation than it is about what "type" of doll that I have or how expensive it is. The dolls I have are already adequate to my needs, so I can take the money I saved on them and use it to buy more clothes and shoes. ^_^)

 

When I first was interested in bjd's I was more concerned about price and as a college student I wasn't too hot on spending that $600 for the Dollmore that I loved. I have found dolls that aren't $500+ that I love just as much for a lot less money. Some of the dolls that aren't insanely expensive can be just as beautiful and it comes down to personal taste.

I think that looking for your "dream doll" is great, but at the same time, it can be fleeting and you may not feel the same later or find another doll you like better, so I guess being cautious about your "dream doll" is important.

In the end it's really about how much the individual wants to spend and why they want it. In terms of aesthetics one can always work around the prices, if there's a head sculpt that is really incredible but you're not really sold on the body but there's one that's cheaper from another company that you love, it works out pretty well. I know that's not the case and that a lot of people love the full body sets, which is understandable. But I think you should really like the doll you get, if you get one because it's cheaper but you regret it then it's just a waste of the money you could save for getting the one you really want.

 

How i see it is; even if I for some reason steer away from buying that really expensive doll that I OH SO desire... Im bound to spend that much money on other dolls who, without a doubt I like... but Id still be wanting that really expensive one...*coughLUNAcough

each to their own

 

Frankly, I feel that if you can, just save your money and buy the doll of your dreams, complete with faceup and all. My first doll was FCS back in the day where it was really hard to order. She took almost 3 months to come and was like a dream come true. Research and invest. I feel this hobby is not about quantity but realizing a dream. If realizing a dream is spending $150 then do it with all your heart and soul.

 

Well, I know that I personally avoided Volks specifically for a long period of time, because I thought they were way too expensive for me. Then I realized that the dolls that I have been buying/am most drawn to are about the same price as Volks dolls. After poking around their site and the archives here, I found that I have been missing out on some really truly lovely dolls!

I guess what I'm saying is never count out a doll company just because you think (at the time) that they're 'too expensive'. Your taste and monetary situation might change - and at the very least it's good to stay aware of the market at large so you know if you're making the best decision for you.

 

Not exactly... my favorite doll company is dollzone, and they just happen to be inexpensive. I would spend more on a doll from elsewhere, but I fell for DZ first so I'm buying all the DZ dolls I want first. if that makes any sense :p

 

As a noobie. I cannot get past some of the prices. I know that is probabley crazy to say and still want to be in the BJD community. My first doll I purchased because she was gorgeous and I liked everything about her. Except her outfit wasn't included or available:mad: My second doll I am trying to save up for is around 560 with face no clothes. I am cringing with that price but anything above 600 I think for me is too much. Of course if I found a doll that I couldn't live without and it was 650 I would probably go for it. The thought of dropping a grand on a doll right now if unthinkable. I should say I didn't buy my dolls because they were cheaper but it did push me to make the decision to.

 

Hey only you know what you can truly afford. Plus there's the whole thing about having to wait till you save for a more expensive doll and then not being able to get the one you want because it's sold out. I tend to buy the more expensive ones because when I started getting BJDs Volks was the only company out there. Then CP and CH came around but they were not that much cheaper, so I'm used to buying the more expensive ones. I think it's an individual's decision. Although, the more expensive ones tend to be more expensive for a good reason. It's like buying a car. You can buy a less expensive car which is fabulous and you love. You just have to reconcile yourself to the fact that it may not handle as well as a more expensive car. Just MHO.

 

I'm just going to comment on clothing, I want a certain look for my doll and finding quality clothing of the items I want is seeming very difficult, I'm sure over the next year I'll be able to piece them together but where does that leave me now? with a naked doll

So I have to choose with buying an oufit I dont like, having a naked doll, or buying the best clothes I can find for now, and upgrading them as I find better ones.

But since people have expressed distaste in all those options i'm inevitibly going to upset someone.

 

Huh - personally I don't see why anyone would have a problem with that. In my case, I have been trying to be economical with my purchases (because I'm cheap). What I'm finding though is that you get what you pay for, and rather than trying to get a lot for less I should try to take my time and be picky with the items I buy - bite the bullet and buy quality and I'll be a lot happier in the long run.

But I think it's a lesson I had to learn for myself. And what was I supposed to do in the meantime - like you said, have my dollies go nekkid? What's great about this hobby is the fact that it can evolve over time... you can dress your dolls one way for a while, and then if you get tired of it you can change their whole personalities: faceups, eyes, wigs, clothes - almost like having a different doll! If you get sick of the cheap clothes or wacky styles that appealed to you/served their purpose in the past, you can put them up in the marketplace - chances are there's somebody out there that would be happy to purchase the items for their own doll. Same with the dolls themselves. Luckily it seems that most BJD things maintain their value fairly well over time

 

I have dolls from all price ranges and qualities. I feel that you should buy a doll because you want them, not because they are a cheaper alternative. If your doll costs 600 dollars, then I would save up for that instead of just settling. It may take longer, but at least you wouldn't have any regrets. If you like a cheaper doll, then buy that one. n.n

 

I don't think that many people will be upset by what you choose to do with your doll, and the few people that care really aren't worth thinking about. I know I have lofty plans for all my dolls that will require a lot of time, work, and possibly commissions in order to get them to the way I eventually want them to look. So for now? I play around, by clothes that I like, know that I can sell them later if I keep them in good condition, and just enjoy my dolls as best I can.

Sure, I try to buy clothes that suit the character, but I don't even take other people's opinions into play when I'm scouting around. There are people that get offended by just about anything, that's just life.

 

I'd rather have fewer dolls and have the dolls I want very badly, then have a lot of less expensive ones that I don't want. I find I am mostly attracted to more expensive dolls, and I'd never allow myself to only buy cheaper dolls -- I know I'd be unhappy in the long run.

It's better to wait, in my opinion, and save. The money is going to spent either way, it just may take longer to amass it. Anything good is worth waiting for.