Only allowing yourself to buy "cheaper" dolls?

This is what I didn't take into consideration when I bought my first doll. While I was congratulating myself on *only* spending $450 or so on her, I was also pouring liquid cash into her in the form of clothing, shoes (Dollheart, at $35 a pop not counting int'l shipping adds up QUICK), and wigs. I've not kept an accounting on how much I've spent on Heavenlea since June 2007, and I wish I had, but I would guess that it's definitely well over $500 in addition to what I paid for her. So, yeah...there's no such thing as a cheap BJD any way you look at it.

Now, the process has started all over again because I've ordered my Lati boy and *he* needs clothing and shoes and wigs. Good thing they're pretty or they'd be a money pit!

 

I think a person should buy dolls that they like and not dolls that everyone else thinks that they should buy.

I think it's sad when people accuse others of not a true BJD hobbyist because the didn't buy a doll from a certain company or they didn't spend a certain amount.

 

This is a very interesting point, I have a couple thoughts on that, just my guesses, I could be very wrong First of all, many people look at bjds (or anything really) and see the price range. When there are more inexpensive ones, the overall price range as well as its middle point and average drops. So, when the average is lowered, the previously regularly priced items would now seem highly priced.

Second, (and this is especially important because a lot of people do not have chances to see different dolls in person to compare them), when there are inexpensive choices, it makes people question the value of all bjds.

From internet pics and descriptions, many people would think that there are no fundamental differences between an expensive doll and an inexpensive one. Therefore, they would attribute the higher pricetag to the "brand name factor" and "status symbol" only. Instead of viewing the new inexpensive dolls as cheap and not as well made/designed, they would view them as how all dolls should be priced and therefore be unwilling to pay the higher price for the more expensive dolls.

Of course, people have the right to buy what they want and enjoy this hobby in whatever ways they like There are many different ways to enjoy this hobby and there are many different things to consider while choosing a doll. I personally think that patience is a virtue when it comes to bjds. It takes a lot of research just to find the doll you really want and understand everything that comes with this hobby. No bjd is really cheap, the only important thing is that you get one you really love

As for the question of people only buying cheap dolls, well, I don't really have an opinion. I would rather just believe that they know themselves the best and are doing what they can to make this hobby something that will bring them a little joy in life We do not all have the same reasons for loving bjds and how we go about it, therefore it's only reasonable that our decisions on what we choose are different.

 

Honestly, I personally think of myself as someone who IS serious about the hobby, and nearly all of my dolls are hybrids of "name-brand" heads (CP mostly) and "cheap" bodies. Just because I chose the less expensive option doesn't mean I'm any less serious about BJDs. I've been active at doing faceups and some modding (getting more into that recently), as well as doing research on resin casting and beginning my own sculpting project.

Also, the FDoll body I own (which cost about $150) poses better than the DoD body I own (which cost about $500). The aesthetic is a bit different, yes. But since it spends most of its time clothed, I'd rather have it pose well than look good naked. That's my personal preference, and if it's less expensive, then that's a major bonus. I have been to meetups with many, many dolls of all brands, and I have seen the difference between the cheaper dolls and the more expensive ones. Personally, I would rather save money than have a body with a high price tag. That's my choice, but it doesn't make me any less "serious" about the hobby. Is someone who draws constantly and passionately with nothing but paper and a number 2 pencil a "less serious" artist than someone who paints half-heartedly in expensive oils on canvas? (This isn't implying that any inexpensive doll owners are half-hearted... it's just an example taken a bit to the extreme.)

I don't think that the "newbies with cheap dolls" are bringing the hobby down. There are still some doll elitists who will be upset that it's become a "common" hobby for "common" folk. That will always be the case. That was the case when people who owned $1500 dolls looked down on those who bought $600 dolls from "lesser" companies. The Company Wars have been going on for some time, and will only get more noticeable as the price range between companies varies more.

Personally, I think it's good that a hobby that was once inaccessible to many has now become more accessible to those who don't have a lot of disposable income. In my college days, I doubt I would have been able to scrimp and save enough to buy a $700 doll. I barely had enough money for food. =P But just maybe I might have been able to save enough for a $200 doll.

 

My first and only BJD is a Dollzone Yuu, not because he was "cheap" but because he was and still is the only mould to pop out and say "buy me!". You cannot put all newer bjd collecters who have "cheaper" dolls into the same catagory, for some it is price and for others they genuinely love the sculpt and the lower price was a bonus.

I was offered a Domya Zen for $300 complete with faceup and flexi body, I agonised over the what to do for over a week but decided to go with Yuu as he was my "first love" and that I felt that Zen did not compare to my Yuu evenothough Yuu was $160 more expensive.

I believe that perhaps the perception to a few of the "older" (not necessarily age mind you) bjd collecters is that perhaps that these newer, cheaper companies will make this hobby too widely accessible and gone will be the days where it was restricted to a small number of elitists.

Dollzone dolls are reasonably original, I have seen no other company with such stylised eyes and/or lips, they may not be to everyones
tastes but at least you have a good chance of recognising a dz when you see one.

*sighs* $700 is expensive for a doll, like it or not that is a fact, most people struggle to obtain that much but do because they love the hobby and the sculpt. Few people could obtain or justify in their own heart paying $2000 for a doll unless they had been saving for a long time or it was their dream sculpt. There is no reason to think that they love the hobby any less than you or anyone else, they are no less of a collector. Just because they are unable to purchase really expensive dolls doesnt give you any right to look down on them. If you are able to however, bully for you. Enjoy priding yourself in the price you paid, if that makes you feel good then whoop but it also shows just how small minded some people can be.

 

What I find is that cheap = quantity. So a lot of people don't like seeing to the tidal wave of DZ, Fantasy Doll, Angel of Dream, etc, because they are sick of seeing those particular dolls. (There was a big outrage against CP El for awhile because you couldn't click any subforum without being visually assaulted by an El in a dress.)

I agree here. In addition to aesthetic, it's also kinda interesting to see how the use of some words has changed. "Dream doll" has changed. It used to be that people would talk about a dream doll as being one that was very expensive or very difficult to acquire. Now it usually just means 'next doll' or 'first doll.'

It turns me off when people go on and on about how little they spent, and what fools we all were to spend so much on more expensive dolls when we could have just gotten a [whatever] that's just as good and had enough money leftover to buy all these (cheap) clothes and have a full wardrobe, etc., etc. It's especially annoying when the poster has never handled any other dolls to have any sort of basis for comparison.

Having handled many dolls by many companies, I do feel as though you get what you pay for. What you do with your dolls really determines if this matters to you. I'm not saying this as though this means you're cheap or a bad owner, but for example... I like Volks resin because it can be modified without chipping, cracking, or discoloring where sanded... and it has virtually no airbubbles. If you don't modify your dolls, though, it wouldn't matter to you and you could be just as happy with a doll with cheaper resin. I like the poseability of my dolls and I do a lot of photoshoots with them... so dolls that don't pose as well don't work for me, no matter how pretty their faces are. (Which was why I sold my DoC shortly after getting him).

People who brag about spending a lot of money are frustrating too, though! I think people should buy what suits their purposes and makes them happy. And then just shut up about the pricetag and enjoy the doll for the doll, not the money shelled out for it.

 

I have to disagree, at least to the extent that there are other factors that have changed the feel of DoA. Obviously, I'm a new user. But even in the few short months I've been here (and in my exposure to the doll community at Cons before that) I've noticed a trend: parents buying dolls, often very expensive ones, for children as young as ten. Nothing against kids, it just seems to me that the age spectrum dolls appeal to has steadily been growing wider as the dolls become more popular. And obviously, different generations are going to have different attitudes towards their dolls. I'm not saying cheaper dolls aren't a factor, just that they're not the only one.

And yes, I have a cheaper doll (An AOD Ming/Gu) He needs a ton of work, but honestly? I've never seen a mold that fits his personality so well. I'd still have bought him if he'd been $800. For me, the lower price tag was a bonus because it gave me that much more money to spend on improvements and goodies for him.

 

First off, I have to agree with a bunch of posters here. What people spend their money on is their own business. For myself I have to say I am a penny pinching person. On my honeymoon in Vegas I ended up back in the hotel room in tears because I lost $47 of the $50 that I set aside to lose. Throwing money away is not an option for me.
When I first started looking at BJDs I thought an inexpensive body and an inexpensive head would help keep me from feeling like I'd spent too much on a doll.
The more I looked and the more I saw the more I realized that for me buying a cheap doll would be the equivalent of throwing money away. If the doll I really loved was more money than it made no sense to buy a pacifier first.

 

Sure - I think it's OK, especially if you are not sure of the depth of your interest (or wallet). I actually had a mental price cap of $200-295 for quite a while and considered my dream favorites at $500 to be out of my price range. But at some point you realize that you've spent so much that you could have bought the other dolls!

I don't think people should settle for something they will not be happy with. But some people are happier with a larger group of dolls than with one or two expensive ones.

Carolyn

 

Well, I agree with most people say here, It's up to the person if she's going to buy cheap doll or the expensive dolls. Whatever their reason, it's their own money.

My reason why I bought the expesive doll like DOD ducan because he's the first doll I'm in love with, he's the first doll I ever saw in the internet.HE is my dream doll... I really saved up for 1 year and half and I finally got him. And I got AoD Zi yuan in my wishlist and she'll be my next doll before I resume saving for Sooah or Volks SD13 Elena. I really adore her beautiful mold.

On my opinion, saving is very hard thing to do and we all know that but the more you work hard for your doll the more you'll appreciate it. Buying cheap dolls is ok as long as you "love" the doll not because you wanted to be cool... I'm sure that doll is crying because you brought her/him with the selfish reason.

Volks SD17 Reisner will be just in my dreams because he's rare and really expensive that I could never afford... I might get him after few more years ehehe...

 

I apologize if any of my comments were taken that way. I have seen and handled some of the more expensive dolls, and I will admit that there is often a difference in the resin quality. (Aesthetic quality is subjective, and I do think some of the cheaper dolls are just as lovely or lovelier than some of the more expensive dolls, but that opinion will differ from person to person.) However, it is the owner's choice whether they prefer to spend the money on the extra resin quality, or whether they prefer the less expensive option. I don't think people who choose the more expensive dolls are "fools" for going the extra bit, but I don't think that people who choose the less expensive option are detracting from the hobby, or that it means they care any less about their dolls.

One of the extra factors in my decision was that I like to play with/handle my dolls fairly often, and handling them extra-delicately or worrying about damage is something that, for me, detracts from the joy of having and handling the doll. My dolls are toys and a creative hobby, not display items. That's not to say I drag them around by their feet or anything. I do take care, but there's a threshold at which it gets to be too much worrying for me. Having a less expensive body, it doesn't bother me as much if there is a face-planting accident during a photo shoot, where a finger gets chipped, or a shoulder gets scratched. That doesn't mean I don't care about my dolls. I love them a lot, but I'll love them just as much with a scratch or chip as I do if they are undamaged. With less expensive bodies, I also feel less concerned about modding, since I'm still in the practice-and-learn stage of customizing. If something goes horribly awry and I ruin a $150 body, that's much less traumatizing than ruining a $500 one.

 

I think, for the majority of collectors, "Dream Doll" still means the same thing. There may be a few who use the term loosely or to describe the next doll on their wishlist, but think most of us know what it means and use it appropriately.

The thing is, a dream doll is something different for everyone of us. For one person, it might be a limited edition Volks, and for that person over there, a DZ Feilian. For me, it's a brand-new, complete U-noa. She sits at the top of my dream doll food chain, where she will most likely continue to sit because, dream doll or not, I'm not about to pay the overinflated prices that's being asked for on the secondary market. I simply can't justify spending that much on a doll, regardless of how deeply I desire owning one. So, I will probably build a hybrid one from a faceplate and a less expensive body and I'll enjoy her just as much because she'll be *mine*.

The point is and I think we're probably all in agreement here - we should buy what we will enjoy owning and what we can reasonably afford. If that means a $2000 doll for Person A and a $200 for Person B, who are we to criticize?

I hope I haven't come off sounding too self-righteous...I feel very deeply about all my dolls (1 BJD and 400+ Barbies).

 

I don't see that as a problem. Cheaper dolls may be considered to be of a lesser quality, but ultimately that feature will only affect the owner, so she has to make that compromise if she will restrict herself to cheaper dolls.

And I think everyone in this hobby is usually restricted by their wallets to a certain degree. Even though Volks offers a Full Choice System, there is another option called the "Dream Doll" System, which allows people to order any Volks head sculpt, color, and body type. In my opinion, this is the true "full choice" system. Sadly, this procedure costs about $5,000. I can't afford it as well as many other people, so we are restricted to our cheaper options even if those cheaper options [such as regular or Sato FCS] are still much more expensive that other options.

 

I've seen quite a few people who have bpught certain dolls just because theya re cheaper...and really imo it's not worth it. Yes, I am in the camp that spends quite a bit of money on dolls, but that's simply because I buy the one I like best, I don't really look at the tag untill I start saving up for it. If you like a cheap doll great, get it, but if you really like whatever other mold for an extra $200 or whatnot I think it's best to save. You want to be happy with it, not wish you got something else, because seeing others I can pretty much say you will regret it down the line. I'm not saying cheaper is bad, I mean I really am happy with my Kd delf who was about 1/4 of the money I paid for my other doll.

 

It's never gone away. It's just expanded beyond the skirt-boys now to include most of their other sculpts as well, so rather than hearing "Oh, goodie. It's yet another gay emo El." you get a more general "Eww. CP dolls are *everywhere*. I hate them." It doesn't much matter any more rather it's an El in hotpants, a Yder in a tee-shirt or a Harang dressed like King Arthur... 'Makes me a sad turtle sometimes because there are a lot of gorgeous CP dolls out there, but when you hit the kind of saturation point they have, reactions like that seem to be inevitable.

Anyway, on the subject at hand...

Given my collection and how I handle them, I don't think anyone can accuse me of not being "serious" about this hobby or of not knowing the difference between a well-made, well-engineered doll and a poor one. And yet, I do own several "hybrid" dolls at this point... They're smaller-sized CP heads on very inexpensive Fantasy Doll bodies.

I chose FD because the resin match was good and the scale was more appropriate for those tiny heads than CP's own bodies were. Price was pretty much immaterial to that choice, though to be brutally honest, I really wasn't expecting much from an under-$200 Chinese body... I have to say, though, that I've been pleasantly surprised and very pleased with them quality-wise. In spite of the price, they're solid, well-engineered bods. I think you could do a lot worse for a first doll.

If you just want to try out a hobby before making a big committment of resources, getting a "starter" isn't a bad thing... Just like golf, or war-gaming or anything else, dolls really aren't going to be the right pass-time for everyone. So, I'm not going to rag anyone for picking a $200 doll as their will-I-like-this-or-not purchase instead of a $2000 one. It's simply good sense to "get your feet wet" before diving in head first... If it turns out that you do like the hobby, you can always "upgrade" later.

 

this statement i find is quite fitting and when i see my El, i kind of post his photos less simply for the idea that 'beacause he is an El therefore he must wear a skirt or is gay' for the stereotype i made him gay, yet i like to dress him as boyish as possible (minus the shoes... that wasn't my fault they sent the wrong colours)

Back on the topic at hand.

Being at both ends of the spectrum i do understand the issue of the expensive = quality thing. I'm not going to go on about DollZone, because no one needs to read that. I'm personally happy with both companies qualities and the difference in price i think lies in the face up quality ^^" Tho i love the difference so i don't really care all too much.

One thing though. Even if i don't agree with those buying a doll because it's the newest craze and that they sell their doll afterwards, as i'm attached emotionally to my dolls. I don't think the price really dictates someone's worthiness to owning a doll.

I do understand these dolls are expensive. I do understand that once someone is detemined to get a doll they would save up no matter what for that doll. But i also understand that sometimes this is not possible. It is very easy to say 'if they really want it they will work for it.' that has always been my way of life. I would never get a pirated copy of something and pretend it was real or show it off as the real thing. If you can't afford it then don't buy it, don't buy a fake is my motto.

I have always been pretty well off. Neither of my parents are part of a well off family and i can say we're comfortable. I never have to worry about money in general. Then again i have met loads of people in opposite ends of the spectrum. One of my close friends have a tiny household income for a family twice the size of mine. I have another friend that has very little money too. I enjoy their company and they're wonderful people. When i rethink, although i have saved for months for my dolls. My El is able to feed my close friend's entire family for a month or two, 8 people in total.

So if there are people who truly like a doll scuplt then whatever the price i can see that. If it's cheaper than the others then that's a bonus. If i meet people who gets a doll for the sake of owning one of the new 'it' items, then no matter what price the doll is worth, i don't agee with that person. If i meet someone who has wanted a doll for ages and really is not in any situation to own one of the expensive ones, and said person has found a cheaper doll they like then i find it a wonderful thing to happen. They can finally have one of types of dolls they want and not need to starve or be in debt.

At the end of the day, these dolls are luxuries for people. If someone can afford a $2K doll then they can enjoy it as they please. Just the same as if someone can only afford a $200 and only one, then to me it's the same as the $2K doll. Yes i always believe in quality = price but not everyone can think of the same.

Although i understand the " increasing proportion of cheap dolls is lowering standards in the hobby as a whole. The aesthetic on the forum has also changed a lot." i don't agree with this. How can one class the price of a hobby to it's standards? Yes the aesthetic has changed. Yes the price has changed but to say the lowering of prices is lowering the standard of the hobby is wrong and in my opinion a bit rude. Maybe to some the standards have changed, yet who set standards? We all have different standards, but catergorising one standard is better than the other, i find is discrimination in one way. Sorry if i sounded rude.

To me Dream doll is the doll you want the most, to me personally would be the one that is classed as 'one and only' the one that if you have to get rid of all your dolls par from one would be that one. To my delight i've got him already. There are more dolls i 'really want' but 'dream' can only be one.

I showed my best friend a lolidoll link saying how upset i was at the bootleg of it. I just asked him "Does this doll look familiar?" he answered "he looks like your big doll" after a long convo, he never understood why i was upset at the pirate copy. He reckon that for a much cheaper price i get the doll look i want even if the doll looked more plasticy. I respect my best friend and i love my two best friends very much. One thinks nothing is worth that much, let alone a doll, still she is my best friend so i let it slip. The other, his opinion on buying a cheaper doll in substitute made me slightly upset in his view because it's that attitude that i'm most annoyed with. If anyone understood this post, i'll be happy. If no one understands or agrees, i have voiced an opinion.

 

This "few people", I think you will find, is actually quite a lot of people-- especially among those oldster elitists everyone hates so much. Two thousand has always been considered a high-end price, but this is an expensive hobby, and there are a lot of people on DOA who have dreamed/saved for/bought two-thousand-dollar dolls.

These days, with the deflation of popular-doll value going on, one thousand is considered high-end... $7-800 is considered expensive, whereas it was considered kinda cheap when I was buying my first ones. I still consider it a bargain to get a 60cm male fullset for under a thousand. The threshold of what is considered "extravagant" has dropped sharply. Above that point, you hear a lot of flak from fellow dollpeople about how many Dollzones they could've bought for that price.

The price point, of course, has no bearing on whether someone loves their doll or takes their hobby seriously. But as this deflation continues, it brings stratification. The cheap-doll & expensive-doll aficionados will gravitate towards others in their own vein. The cheap-doll & expensive-doll brackets will develop prejudices against one another. I see this is already happening.


As to whether the proliferation/explosion of cheap dolls in the current market has "cheapened" the hobby in any way, I am definitely not going to tell any person that they can't enjoy the hobby in any way they like. But I sure am going to claim that it's noticeably changed the aesthetic face of it. Cheap dolls have, by their nature, made it easier for everyone to get one. This democracy, when it goes wrong, is something purists will have to just suck up, because it causes dilution of the scene that was once so aesthetically insular. And, along with dilution....

...and with dilution comes profusion.

People who scramble to get "A Doll, Any Doll", by the time they've scraped that $130 together, so often don't have a faceup, eyes, wigs or clothes to go with it-- and they clog up the gallery with photos of unfinished things, rather than photos of a creation that they spent any time/love/effort/thought/etc. putting together. It reduces the amount of time I spend randomly clicking in the Gallery, because my chances are less & less that I'll click on something wonderful.

That's my main gripe, and it's basically only collateral damage. I've seen some gorgeous cheap doll sculpts & seen people do some amazing things with them, and I've also seen people with thousand-dollar Volks dolls with smeary faceups & sock-dresses. Spend what you want to get the doll you want.

 

Exactly. I think everyone that has posted here has kept that in perspective. These dolls don't hold the meaning of life, they are a hobby. I, too, believe in buying quality and frequently buying quality means paying a higher price. But, I liken it purchasing a car. For example, if I can afford to buy a Mercedes, but Jane can only afford to buy a Kia, does that mean Jane shouldn't buy a car? Should she save her spare change in a jar until she's saved up $50,000? Apples to oranges, I know, but it's really just about the same. What we are willing to pay for what we want is a really personal matter and we shouldn't be judged for that.