Only allowing yourself to buy "cheaper" dolls?

Thanks for the explanation Micchi. I thought that perhaps the thickness of the doll/resin would be one factor. I mean the more resin used in a doll would certainly make it more expensive.

 

Ahh so that is how it is generally judged! I was genuinely wondering if weight alone was really the way to go about judging resin.

 

Very good points!

I would like to add that there are different casting methods as well. Silicone molds have the advantage of not needing something called mold release to be applied to the mold before the resin is put into the mold. Mold release prevents the resin from sticking to the mold but can also become incorporated onto the surface of the resin during the curing process. But silicone molds don't last as long and need to be made after so many casts (I've heard 10 per silicone mold is average but don't quote me on this!). In addition, silicone itself is expensive.

The cost of raw materials goes up with the quality of the resin. Artists that work with resin often say there is a difference. There are some resins that use a platinum catalyst but are incredibly expensive!

 

I'm all about Aesthetics. I prefer quality and I know what I'm getting when I feel it. (Usually) When talking of quality, who has documented listings of broken dolls, control groups to compare the handling? Seems like many are assuming quality due to their own experience. (Not a good idea by the way) I believe the price is not an indication of quality. Most of the broken knees and other issues I've come across have been with "high priced, supposed high quality items"

Now, this doesn't mean I don't agree with pricing dolls high. For instance, a company like fairyland, who continues to make joints that make others drool, deserves a HIGH price. Posing should be considered (of course) Quality engeneering, a face we cannot live without should be considered.

I've painted (So called) quality resin and inexpensive resin. The "Tooth" factor is not a lie. I feel it, see it, and compensate for it. May I be so bold as to say I PREFER to paint on the SMOOTHER (so called (*cheap*) resin? Maybe that makes me *cheap* So be it. I don't mind.

 

I tried to stay out of this hobby for as long as I could because I felt I shouldn't be spending this kind of money on dolls. But then I found my Luna, who is pretty much the least expensive doll out there, and I felt like it was worth spending the money on her because I really did like her (and now that I have her I LOVE her). And now I've put two somewhat more expensive dolls on layaway, not because I'm not satisfied with the less expensive doll that I bought, but because now that I've had a doll, I guess I can better understand the value? Well, something like that.

Anyway, I have no problem with people who only buy less expensive dolls. Why would I? It's all about what something is worth to you, and that's something you have to decide for yourself. Heck, I think the people who can be happy with spending less on their dolls are probably the ones who are better off, to be honest.

 

As long as you love the doll it doesn't matter how expensive or inexpensive it is. However, some people just want to include themselves in the hobby for "social status" or to be "cool" and just buy cheap dolls so they can have them, that annoys me.

 

Different people consider different factors when deciding whether a doll is worth a certain price. For some a doll isn't worth very much unless it comes traditionally "complete" with things like an outfit, wig, and faceup. For others, simply being made by a favorite or trusted brand is enough to justify a price while still others see dolls as just not worth a high price no matter what. For me, if a doll has things I consider to be imperfections I wont be satisfied with it, and it will bug me until I finally get rid of the doll. I don't place much value in posing, so if a doll can do only basic poses I'm perfectly fine with it, however I place an extremely high value on the quality, detail, and artistic skill of a sculpt especially with bodies and hands. Whether subtle like on an SD10 girl or Pronounced like on an EID man it has to be correct and look beautiful.

Many people don't find a doll like an EID worth the nearly $700 pricetag when they could get a BBB of the same height for a little over $200, but to me the $200 seems more costly because the doll doesn't meet any of my expectations and that money would be wasted. It isn't about price, (I'd rather have a $260 littlefee than a $580 90cm AOD because the littlefee meets my standards) I just want a doll that meets my standards and unfortunately I'm much more likely to have to pay more to get what I want. Everyone has different standards and expectations. Maybe someone only cares about posing or the look of the doll's face and won't mind tube arms or sausage fingers or other features that would be dealbreakers for me, or maybe they just figure the doll will be clothed most of the time and it wont bother them. Maybe those things would be only a slight annoyance and not worth the extra expense to get a doll without. If I were going to limit myself to only buying "cheaper" dolls, I'd still try to find dolls that meet my expectations. I'd get Minifees instead of Delfs, MSDs instead of SD13s, etc...even though I prefer larger sized dolls, good bodies and hands are more important to me.

 

its not bad to buy a cheep doll or even buy one thats expensove. It all has to do with if you like the moled and the body tipe.

 

Looking back at page 43 of this thread, and also thinking about what I may have said, as well as thinking about another thread somewhere around here (I forget the name) I find it amusing that we're seeing $300 as 'cheap' or at least inexpensive.

Another side-effect of the BJD hobby, I guess.

 

It's all relative, $300 is expensive for a barbie but not for an ABJD, $1,000 is expensive but not for a car, $20,000 is super expensive but not for a house, etc...

 

For me, it's about priorities. :P I have another hobby that's easily as expensive, if not more expensive, and I live on an artist's budget. It's just a matter of priority. The other hobby involves living critters and the money for that hobby HAS to come first- it's only fair to them.

MT (who shows her demonspitz in agility)

 

I guess I'm a little guilty of this. I love[d?] my Angel of Dream 60cm dolls but now I'm in the process of selling them and all their clothes off because I finally bit the bullet and got a more expensive taller doll [to go with my OTHER tall expensive doll. Dammit Dollmore, why do you tempt me so?]

In retrospect, I definitely bought them because I wanted a BJD and they were the cheapest I could find and justify to myself. I'd burnt myself on an obitsu [oh god, that mess. Terrible, terrible things happened, the end.] and I just wanted something I could take photos of and to represent two of my favorite characters; it didn't really work out, which is why like 2 years later I'm selling them. Dollmore had a better quality that, really? Made up for the difference in price.

Learned my lesson, I guess!

 

I think a lot of it has to do with how you feel about the sculpts. I don't think that, if I end up having someone else do all the faceups and customizing I want, I'm not going to have save much- if anything at all, compared to the 'next step up' type dolls. But I really LIKE the Yao sculpt. I really like the Leo that I bought first, and I *do* like his size, but not how chunky he is- I'll get another tiny at some point but it will be one of the slim ones (and I'm working on sculpting one that's more what I want, anyway.)

Cost is part of it, but I really don't think I'm 'settling'- if I were doing that, I'd go with one of the cheap knockoffs and not care. But I just don't think that the amount of enjoyment I get out of the hobby is WORTH, at this point, putting $1000 into a single doll, with purchasing and customizing and everything else. I probably WILL end up spending that money eventually- but I'd rather have a small family of dolls- that I fully believe WILL be as awesome than just one really awesome one that I had to do less work to.

 

Dolls in general are still expensive, even the cheap ones...so I say as long as you REALLY love it, then go for it. ^_^

 

Fellow cheap girl here Love that smooth sanded resin. I think everyone ought to just get what they want (given their life circumstances and the restrictions involved), and not be influenced by someone else and their beliefs/opinions about what is good, bad or indifferent. Everyone needs to just take a look, figure out what they like for themselves and go with that. But if the kids need food,or clothes or speech therapy, gosh being able to have the cheap doll seems like a real extravgance and is so welcome.

 

When you look at it, $300 is cheap compared to a lot of the dolls out there. My roommate just bought a doll for $350 because it was a bargain for the doll she wanted. I've bought a couple $300+ dolls that I considered cheap in price. Meanwhile I also refuse to pay $30+ for certain Mattel dolls because that's too expensive. Its all relative.

 

I know I've posted in here before... somewhere... someday (cue "West Side Story" music). But I've just sold what had been my most expensive doll to someone who desperately wanted that sculpt. In part it was a matter of wanting her to have him, but in another part it was that I was almost afraid to do anything with him. He was perfect, he was glorious, and I'm so relieved to have him in more appropriate hands than mine that it's ridiculous.

It certainly isn't that I won't *allow* myself more expensive dolls (there was nothing cheap about a fullset Tokyo Tedros) but the combination of price and the "don't mar my beautiful self" aura the other one gave off that convinced me to sell him. There's just something that makes me stupidly happy about my cheapie frankendollies that I can actually DO things with and not worry -- and being stupidly happy is what it's all about, for me.

 

What Baakay said Love me my Frankendolls, which I can sand, poke at and drag around with no guilt or worries. And yes, I am cheap! That's my comfort level.

 

I may have posted here before as well and I can't remember. Oh well.

The most expensive doll I own was $800, and I consider that a bargain for his sculpt. My mother owns a Bobobie that only cost her $150 and she is gorgeous. I have very specific (and somewhat peculiar) tastes, so if I stumble upon a doll I love, it doesn't matter if it's $50 or $1000, I want that doll. To quote Baakay, "being stupidly happy is what it's all about, for me".

Sure, quality can be a factor when considering price. There is a definite difference in quality with all of my dolls. I can feel the difference in Fairyland, Volks, and Dollmore resin. I do think some resins are inferior in quality, but the price reflects that, so I don't really mind it. I've never heard of a Bobobie just disintegrating upon being removed from the box, and as long as the resin isn't breaking from basic playing-with then they're fine dolls for the price. I wouldn't pay $800 for one, however.

 

I could multi-quote like 8 pages worth of people *but* whatever.

Okay one DZ and people talking about them, this is going to be bolded, but for a very good reason:

Does no one look at dates of posts!

The first 20 pages were back in 2007...

Dollzone of 2006 isn't Dollzone of 2011. Likewise my Volks Myu from 2002 is nothing like my SD Volks girl from 2005. Dollzone is a company that's massively changed. Even their sculpts run the spectrum. Not to mention their price is hardly in the inexpensive range. It's not super expensive, but if someone was shying away from expensive dolls, they probably wouldn't consider Dollzone these days.

Anyway, there's a lot to get into that could be considered completely off topic but sometimes no cost is not a reflection of a dolls true price. There's a lot of factors to consider before purchasing a doll.

1: Resin is generally made in China, so most other countries have to purchase their resin from someone else.

2: A lot of Korean companies, aren't companies at all but small business that produce dolls in very low quantities. On the other hand, a lot of Chinese companies are companies with a lot more people at their disposal. Even if it's only 1 other person, that's still more. Believe it or not that makes a difference. Look at Kaye Wiggs. When she had to hand cast all her dolls, she could only make so many etc etc. Now that casting is handled but an actually company, the price and availability is much more reasonable.

3: Experience and Doll design. Newer companies generally don't have the kinks worked out of their doll designs, We can use DZ and Volks as a guide. My old 02 Doll has horrible jointing issues, and she can't even sit straight. The old DZ bodies suffered from poor design as well. Now, both companies produce Dolls that in my opinion have some of the best structure out their. Fairyland excluded.

4: What the doll comes with. I don't know any Volks doll that doesn't come with Wigs and Eyes, And most come with Faceups. Generally, you have pay for that with other people. Most Soom dolls have Fairy parts. Fairyland dolls have extremely intricate body structures. Iplehouse dolls are packaged in foam presets. I'm not saying that explains away every little thing, but it is the little things that change price.

5: Customer Service from the company this includes what they do about broken or lost parts :P I would shy away from some doll if the only way to buy them was from a company I didn't like or didn't think would do their best job. I am paying a lot of a doll even if it's only 100.


You'll notice no where did I mention resin quality. Why? Since when has that really been a factor? French Resin vs. whatever it is Ringdoll uses vs. Poly makes a difference. But when it really comes down to it. You like a doll for everything else, and look at resin quality as one of the last things when purchasing a doll. How often has anyone said, well that doll is made of poor resin, so I won't buy it? o.O On the other hand, you are far more likely to say I don't like the nose, I don't like the body, I don't sleeping dolls etc etc. *shrugs*

*breathes*

Having said all of that price isn't always a reflection of the above factors. Price is sometimes a reflection of Global economics. So no, buying a more cost effective doll isn't always a bad thing. Neither is limiting yourself. We aren't dealing in the days where there was only a handful of companies and the mold choices were kind of limited. These days there are so many that it's easy to find a doll you like, love, at a different price. Actually, I think every collection should put some limitations on their collections, whether it's amount, type, brand, price etc. Other wise you'll want them all and Pokemon this is not :P

However, I think it's important to walk a fine line when purchasing dolls at a lower price. It's important to really look a the pictures and know what's coming in the box. And not to sacrifice love for price. Collecting hobbies, are about time and love not quantity. You can have 30 Soom dolls, but it's the care the hobbyist puts into the doll. I've seen a lot of BBB Sprites that look gorgeous. I've seen badly cared for Luts dolls. A wonderfully cared for doll will make up for any imperfections that the price will never make a difference.

:P