Only allowing yourself to buy "cheaper" dolls?

Yea, I guess, sometimes, the value of the doll can actually decrease your enjoyment of it. If you feel like you've sacrificed the chance to own another two of your favourite sculpts just to bring one 'dream doll' home... well, some people can enjoy it, and some might discover that their dream doll wasn't worth the opportunity cost.

 

For me its my country problem, when you isn't magnate, average job income are 300$/month and to afford even cheap BJD you need has a several part-time job with main job.

 

I agree. I have a little piggy bank for my next doll, and it will be so rewarding when I can finally get what I want. Just love your dolls and price doesn't matter so much!

 

oh, and i got another part time job to help with the dolly fund. >_< I love it!!!

 

I would definitely feel the guilt of buying an expensive doll, but if I loved the mold enough, I would go for it. I have no problem with hybrid dolls either, so I could buy the head with a cheaper body, and love it the same. I have my eye on both a medium priced doll and an expensive one, differing about $200-$300 in price. I often think about buying the cheaper one just to have it, but then the more I think about the more I'd rather save up for the expensive one.

Unfortunately I'm in a work hell college so the saving process is sloooow.

 

I agree completely. I'm not meaning to criticize anyone's financial choices here, but I take issue with the attitude some people have "Well, you should just be patient and save up, no matter how much it costs." or "You shouldn't set a budget if you really love it." If that's how one particular person wants to live, that's absolutely fine, but I really dislike the idea that people who set a budget or take price into account are settling for less. Maybe it's because I'm more of a casual BJD person, but I'm not willing to drastically change my lifestyle and living expenses for a hobby, nor am I willing to penny-pinch for more than a few months for a hobby (car or house, absoulutely, but no hobby is on that level for me).

Sorry for the mini rant. though, I would like to add as a closing note that I do think getting a cheap doll you aren't crazy for is not such a smart idea. But, there is nothing wrong with letting price be the deciding factor when there are a few dolls you like, or setting a budget for yourself.

 

As long as you genuinely love the doll as well and not just the price, i think its perfectly fine.

 

i honestly think that if a doll is expensive it must be of good quality and that by getting a cheaper doll you are risking lesser quality and if there is an expensive doll you really love your 'dream doll' then save up the money and go for it rather than waste your money on cheaper dolls even if you like them but thats just my opinion

 

I have to buy cheaper dolls or my husband will throw a fit about spending more then... oh say, 200$. Yea... it sucks and I hate it but at least I'll have my doll ;P Then I can die a happy camper.

 

Why? That's kind of stupid, telling people they shouldn't buy dolls they like because they MIGHT be of 'lesser' quality. Maybe that cheaper doll they like is easier to get hold of than their dream doll, and they want to have at least one of the dolls on their wishlist within a few months or year or whatever time frame they choose. Maybe they don't *want* their 'dream doll' right away and see acquiring it as a final step in completing their collection. Maybe they want to wait and see if their likes change and they decide they DON'T really want that doll they thought they just had to have. People might say 'Oh, I'd love to have X doll, it's my dream doll', but that doesn't mean they can't and shouldn't buy other dolls besides that one just because it's their DREAMDOLLOMG! and as such they're somehow supposed to ONLY concentrate on acquiring that doll before any others they might possibly want. Telling them that they shouldn't buy other dolls they might like and want because they're a 'waste' simply because they're cheaper? That's silly. Why shouldn't a person be able to buy other dolls they want before the more expensive one, no matter the price? I would love a sunlight skin f-31 with elf ears, but him being my dream doll hasn't stopped me buying others, both more expensive and less, because I wanted all of them.

Also, price does not necessarily equal quality. Location of a company is equally, if not more important than the resin quality, and there are other factors, too. A Chinese company's dolls are not going to be as expensive as a Japanese or Korean company's dolls simply because production costs are lower in China. It is not necessarily a reflection of lower resin quality, sub-par sculpting or any other negative attributes.

 

This is an interesting topic, because... some people tend to buy cheaper dolls simply because they're cheaper.
But at the same time, that doesn't mean they aren't a great doll.

Buuuut at the same time again, and this is coming from someone who is a serious bargain hunter, I think it's better if you save up for a doll you really want and not just buy almost impulsively the cheapest doll that comes along because it'll be a quick and cheaper way to satisfy your dollie appetite.

In my personal opinion, I find it far more rewarding to save up for a doll I really want than scour for a cheaper alternative.
Since for me and dolls- it's all about their character. If I find a doll that has and/or fits a character, nothing will stop me until I get them < 3

And since I saw some comments floating around... A doll's price does NOT equate to the quality of the doll. At all. DIM doll is a great company with great sculpts, but the posability of their dolls is that of a barbie doll, imo. For them it's nearly $400 for an MSD. Now there's also ResinSoul, another popular company for having "cheaper" dolls. Their quality is awesome! The way they dye their dolls (should you choose a darker skinned one or a purple one!) is actually really fantastic. Many companies save on the price of making a darker skinned doll by only dyeing the outer layers of the resin, so to speak. That means that sanding/modding that doll = no~ Also it makes them more prone to discoloration in the future from what I've seen. But ResinSoul dyes the actual resin, not just a layer of it. This means there's little discoloration should you decide to modify them. And it makes them even slightly more durable ;P

So, yes, don't think that price is equivalent to quality and don't let a doll you really want fade away~ I'm not saying as was said above, penny pinch and get the doll as quickly, no not at all xD It'll take a while, but that's what the hobby is all about- and once you have the doll, you'll be very happy and even have a sense of accomplishment < 3

 

Writerm wrote:

Same here. I just wouldn't enjoy handling it, thinking it could have been a computer or the Best Monitor Evar, or a nice fishing trip for my husband. I have the dolls I want, and I keep an eye out for beat-up versions of the more expensive dolls that I think might be fun to play with, but not to pay full price. I'm here to play with them, not put them out as showpieces.

 

No, because I know I will want the more expensive one eventually, so I just get whatever one I want then if I have the money for it. If not, then I save up! I have expensive taste in everything and unfortunately not the wallet so I save save save for the things I want It makes them more special in the end!

 

I read the first 8 or so pages... I felt rather offended about what some people said about DZ, and how they look weird/ugly/no one honestly likes them :/ If you don't like them, fine. There are plenty of dolls I don't care for or dislike, but I don't judge the owner or think that they don't like their own doll. I own two Dollzone MSD boys, and I put a lot of time and care into the decision to buy them. There's no way I'd buy them if I didn't love them.

But, I realized, that people not liking DZ's unique style (there are a lot of DZ dolls I don't like either) is just like how a lot of people don't like indie rock, foreign food, or other strange non-mainstream stuff. If they spent most of their time in the doll world liking a certain look, like Volks for example, more extreme looks might be a turn off. But I've always liked the strange stuff. When I first found BJDs, I thought they were all amazing, but after I got used to them my tastes changed. Now I find some of them kind of bland (even if cute or beautiful). But from the beginning I've been looking at dolls from many companies, people homemade doll projects, Japanese doll makers who make some odd stuff... So DZ sculpts struck me as being interesting, but I honestly never thought they weird or bad looking...

 

Really? 'Cause I went back and read those same pages you did and the only thing I read was about twenty people saying they love Dollzone, the majority saying that you should buy whatever you like (including Dollzone) and that price didn't matter, one person saying that this company wasn't her cup of tea and that's why she didn't buy one and only 1 - really... 1 in a 160 posts - who couldn't believe it if someone said she bought a dollzone because she loved it. And that same person caused quite a discussion because people disagreed with her (and because others defended her right to have a different opinion).

I thought this thread wasn't negative or judgemental at all.

 

I have limited myself. no doll over 350 because I don't want to get brainwashed by the hobby and lose my values. I am not rich or poor- middle class- but I just find it wrong to spend more than that- personally- this is not to say that others are morrally corrupt. I do get offended when a $300 dollar doll becomes "cheap"--- I dont care what world you live in but that is NOT cheap- none of these dolls really are. My first doll was a resinsoul bei- 27cm for $110- I like her but I wanted more and now I am getting an AOD qian- 61cm for about $320. I believe she is beautiful and the doll herself is no less than a volks or luts because-- lets face it- the actual dolls are not worth 500- or 600. They just arent. resin is nice but it is still plastic. the dolls are beautiful but they are dolls. the company can price it as they will but an AOD and a luts are both bjds and they are both plastic dolls. is the difference worth $300- $400. Im not sure.

 

I think its better to save up for dolls you really love!
I bought in the past 3 months, 3 SoulDolls that I considere expensive (400 to 500 USD) and ordered one from 5Star Doll ( already shipped, didnt arrive yet), that is maybe 1/4 of the price of my souldoll Lester and I have to say: I know I will love this one the same! I would never buy a doll I dont love just because its cheaper and at the same time I wouldnt compromise my finances buying a super expensive doll cause its just insane!
I think there are many new BJD companies today doing a great job and offering affordable prices... I really dont think its about quality, I think its more about competition.

 

Have you taken into account that the production costs differ between countries? In many cases doll companies in the lower end of the price spectrum are situated in countries where wages are lower due to economical factors. The minimum wage in China is not the same as the minimum wage in Japan. If it takes one person 10 hours to make 1 doll and the minimum wage in country X is $5 and the minimum wage in country Y $10, then it costs at least $50 to produce a doll in country X and at least $100 to produce a doll in country Y, when looking only at wages. There are other cost factors that differ between countries as well. Dolls from X and Y are both dolls and if you want the most doll for your money you buy dolls from X, but if you want dolls from Y, you have to pay more, because production costs are higher.
Developing a doll costs time and time is money. For example: Fairyland needed 2 years to develop and perfect the design of their newly released FeePle65 line. The prices they ask for those dolls reflect the effort spent during development. I don't mind spending $600-plus-something on a well designed doll. I would mind spending that much on a doll with tube limbs that is the result of one month of development time, because in that case the price does not add up with the amount of effort it took to make the doll.

I wouldn't buy jeans that costs $300, because I'm happy with $100 jeans. With jeans you often pay an inflated price just because of a brand name, but many doll companies don't just make up prices. The production costs reflect in the prices they ask.

 

I'm sorry, but I don't see how buying the doll that appeals to me rather than just buying any doll in a specific price range is going to brainwash me or destroy my values. I'm not saying AOD or other so called cheap dolls are ugly or anything like that, just that aesthetically, I don't like them as much. Yes I have paid upwards of $600 for a doll, but I've also gotten a few ridiculously cheap. Honestly, there is a difference. My Volks and my Nabi Kiss are the same size, but vastly different in price and quality. My Volks poses much nicer and there is more attention to detail in things like the hands and feet and how the joints work. I like my Nabi Kiss just fine and she was worth every penny I paid just as my Volks was worth what I paid for her. There's even quality differences between my more expensive dolls. My DOT is higher quality than my Angelregion and thus worth the extra he cost me. To me its worth the extra money for the quality it is. I don't feel my moral fibers have frayed at all from it either.

I understand what you mean that $300 is not cheap. Its not, but when you look at it compared to the more expensive ones, not just price but also quality, it is 'cheap'. The hands are generally not as well shaped or posed, jointing is usually not as smooth, and sometimes the posing is not as good. Its not about it being like the knock off Barbies at the Dollar Store that anyone can go buy with the change in their pocket definition of cheap. Not saying AOD or BBB is Dollar Store Barbie either, but you are generally sacrificing something when the doll costs less. Even if its as simple as the company can charge less because they have less overhead from not having a physical store or having people who make clothes in house. Most of the time though, the ones being put in the 'cheap' group aren't just there because of price.

 

Piyoko- I did say that my values and opinions were personal. I do not see others opinions as morally corrupt- I simply feel that I will lose myself if I dont limit. I LOVE my AoD qian. Im not so sure that she will be sculpted any less detailed than a volks. But I did state that there may be a difference in quality. Im just not sure if the difference in posability and a slight resin difference is worth $300 extra.
Yes, when compared to barbies a $300 doll is not cheap. I believe that when compared to a $600 doll a $300 doll is STILL not cheap.
LooLoo- I agree. It is about competition. I also agree that you should wait for a doll you LOVE... but I love my aod qian. I dont love the other aod sculpts but I love her. Maybe you can really like a cheaper doll too if you dig deap and search around.
Muisje- I realize that production costs can be more expensive . I dont think that the entire production can be THAT much more expensive. LUTS and Soom are still taking in an insane amount of profit compared to the "cheaper" companies for these dolls. I do not agree that the creation time for a sculpt is always different. Perhaps with BBB- Im not their biggest fan but not all "cheap" companies rush the planning that goes into a doll. My doll does not have tube limbs and she is very detailed. her posability is fairly good- not that its a major concern for me- and her resin is thick and smooth.
I am also 17 and I live with my dad. I am not under any means of saving 500+ for a doll and I wouldnt do that anyways. I just cant help but think of my family- who's stuggling and then me spending that much on a doll. I love the hobby but that isnt for me. Im just tired of hering that my doll is cheap and how the price is justified when it isnt. I am not an ignorant teenager. I just cant fathom a plastic doll costing that much- even if she is beautiful and the resin is great. maybe I will change my opinion in time. I doubt it.