Only allowing yourself to buy "cheaper" dolls?

I think what they mean is to use less expensive dolls to experiment with mods that you've never done before so that you spare your actual doll of being ruined.

I'm OK with this because I can see reason behind it. You won't be losing as much money as you would if you tried it on your original doll. This is especially true with LE dolls; if you ruin your LE doll, then there's even less of a chance you can get that doll or that part again. If you try it on a doll that is "common" but also doesn't cost a lot, you can get another head or body if you majorly screw up. You never know if your first try is utter success or utter failure.

It's not so much "only do heavy mods on cheap dolls" as it is "spare your possibly irreplaceable doll from getting destroyed if you don't know what you're doing".

 

Well, I also agree with you completely on some things Writerm I have personally seen someone complain about a beautifully done 'heavy' mod on a LE doll. To me it's just completely rude and I know I'm not misinterpreting what they were saying. It wasn't because they might have messed up the mod but because they were messing with a LE doll and how dare they do that.

I agree if you aren't confident in your work by all means work on a doll that you have the means to easily come by again. But, if you are confident and that doll is what you see perfect for the mod you shouldn't not mod it just because it's a LE.

Anyway, I won't rant anymore since it might have gone a bit off topic but I just felt the need to clarify that.

 

The only reservation I have about restricting oneself to cheaper dollies is the possibility that said dolls are less expensive because they aren't as well-made. I doubt that that factor is a very big deal since even the cheapest dolls I've seen are well-made and beautiful. But I myself would definately wonder: if it's low-cost, does that mean low quality as well? I guess that's where artist feedback comes into play.

That being said, I'd restrict myself for now (I'm a poor college student) and maybe save my money for a more expensive one later. I love Brownie dolls and would be very happy with one or two of those; they are low-cost, versatile, and very cute. I'm willing to bet that the low cost of Brownie dolls is based on their tiny size (11.4 cm, or 4.4 inches) and not because they are of low quality.

 

I understand better, now. That's happened a lot. If you haven't run into it, there's a thread dedicated to if it's "right" to mod a rare doll somewhere. It gets pretty heated, though the majority of members take your stance.

 

if you like then style of cheaper dolls and more expensive then i would get the cheaper ones.

 

I think people should do whatever works for them. If they'd rather get the cheaper doll for whatever reason, then that's entirely up to them. Personally, I'd rather save up for the doll I love, and then start a new fund for the doll I like...

 

My first (and thus far only) doll cost almost 600$. The doll I am going to purchase in five days (*squees*) is 377$. However, I have several dolls on my wishlist that are less expensive. It's not a matter of money for me. Once I find a doll that I'm in love with, I figure out how to get it. If I have to scrimp and save for months in order to afford it, then that's what I'll do.

That being said, I also scour the internet for hours (or days or weeks) to make absolutely SURE that I am getting a fair price.

 

This thread has been very interesting to read and it seems that there is a general acceptance of people "limiting" themselves to cheaper dolls. I also think that there is nothing wrong with only buying cheaper dolls and it's great that there is such diversity in this hobby so that everyone can have the dolls they want within their budget.
Though one factor about the cheaper dolls is often overlooked and even right out dismissed as a "lie" is that they are cheaper for a reason, be it that the resin is thinner or that the engineering of the body isn't as thought out. My first doll was the most expensive one to date (a Souldoll) and every one after that has been medium priced. My latest doll is the cheapest one, a Garden of Dolls Nabiya, and I must say, there are some differences! For one, her resin is a lot thinner, which makes me handle her more carefully (There goes the argument that you'd have to handle a pricier doll with more care! I fling my Souldoll around all the time and she doesn't even have one scratch!). Her body is also not as well engineered as those of my other two resin dolls, which means that the individual body parts have to be aligned constantly and never seem to really fit together.
It's not that bad as I make it out here but I mention those things to remind people that there are quality differences with the differently priced doll companies and that you don't always pay more because of a brand name. (Which some people seem to imply, especially those that only buy cheaper dolls...)
I also have to agree that there is a lot of being defensive for no reason, from both sides. Just buy the dolls you want and can afford and don't listen to the (few) people that don't agree with you! People aren't constantly out to judge you and your dolls!

Oh and another thing I'd like to point out: I don't get why people need a cheaper doll for "practise" or not to "ruin" a more expensive doll. I thought it goes without saying that you'd research about a hobby you'd like to start, especially one where such amounts of money are spent! I read thousands of threads here on DoA for months when I was waiting for my first doll and I didn't know anything about resin dolls! That's what the community is for! So when I finally got my first doll, I had already bought all the supplies I needed and wasn't even thinking about putting a sharpie to my doll's face or let her sit on the window sill.

 

That's the key, isn't it? If you buy the doll you're head over heels in love with, you will never be disappointed.

I'm one of those people who don't look by price, but look by what attracts me to a doll. This isn't because I'm made of money, but because I would rather have a doll I love than a doll that just happens to suit my pocket. I don't mind saving up and taking my time to get there, if it means I'm getting a dream doll. If my dream doll happens to be low-priced, it's a happy bonus.

 

I don't think the price should be the first consideration when buying a doll. If there is a cheaper doll that I like that's wonderful. But I don't think one should restrict what they want to buy because of the price unless it's insanely expensive and unaffordable.

 

I personally would rather save and then get the one that I love instead of settling for ones that are cheaper. However, I can fully understand if someone did not want to invest a large amount of money into a doll.

But I think that if someone has the money and doesn't buy the expensive doll, that they most likely don't love it as much as they think that they do. I think that when people truly love something, they would buy it if they can afford it.

When I was saving up for the doll I just got ($2,800 spent on her) my mom kept saying for me to think about all of the other dolls and clothes I could have bought with that money. She was totally right though, with the cost of that doll I could have probably gotten at least 4 dolls, and who knows how much clothes and accessories... However I was willing to go the distance for that specific doll, and I was not going to settle for other dolls that were less money.

 

If there were two non-LE dolls I equally wanted to get and one was less expensive, I'd probably get that one first and then the more expensive one. But if there were two dolls where I love the more expensive one and just like the less expensive one, I'd rather save for a year than buy a doll I'm sure I would have my problems bonding with. ^^

 

-forgive me for the wall of text rant- I believe a doll is a doll. If your dream dolly is $80, I envy you if he/she is truly lovely! I've never 'settled' for less than what I wanted though. When I see a doll I feel that I MUST have, I find a way to get him or her. My girlfriend is in college and is still paying off her car loan so she doesn't have much spare money to get the dolls she really wants. I don't want her to have to settle for a dolly she may not want as badly as that $500 one she wants so I help her out so she can be happy with what she has, rather than settle for something she may not want as badly. After seeing her reaction to a cheaper ABS plastic doll she got for the price. (she left it at my house and never even looks at it. It never got a real name.)
I wish my dream dolls weren't mostly $1000+ long sold out dolls...

 

My first doll I chose for being cheap, but also because I like it a lot...though mostly because it was cheap. This doll is my carry-around-with-my-greasy-fingers-under-the-hot sun-experimenting-with-face-ups-and-mods doll (I'm joking, I do experiemnt with face-ups and mods using this doll).
The only other doll I wanted happened to be cheaper. :/

 

My very first BJD wasn't cheap and I was fine with her price since I had a job and didn't really have to pay for anything, I even put more money into her. After that I stayed with more pricey dolls. Till now though, I don't have a lot of money to spend on luxury items, most of my money goes to rent and what not but I really wanted a second BJD because I missed being in this hobby after selling my first girl. I looked at many dolls and there were a few on my wishlist I really wanted but the price was just to high for me so I looked for some cheaper one and those didn't appeal to me at all. Either I find one I like with a good price or I wait till I get more money. I wont settle for one just because its cheap. I have to actually like it. Finally I found one that I did like alot and the price was decent, I even got her on layway. I would say she's cheap.. under $200 and I have no problem with that. She's adorable and I love her.

 

haha I totally agree... Though I got my first doll as a bit of a trial, and my parents didnt mind because she was cheap~ I totally love her!

However, it was just aaaages until I got another doll. Most of the ones I liked were LE's (TT_TT) or simply too expensive for me, for my parents to ever support the idea. I like dolls with a bit of a smile, and strangely enough, they're quite hard to find XD
so I suppose that I really just waited until I saw a doll I really adored, and then looked at her price, yup...

 

I absolutely think it's okay - people can buy any doll they want, for any price they want, for any reason. It's not a moral issue.

I do think it can be unwise, though. None of these dolls are cheap, and I think it can be a better use of money to save up for whatever one you love, than to settle for one who doesn't really do anything for you just to have one. I think it's likely to lead to dissatisfaction in the long run, without any real benefit.

That said, I also think if a doll you love is wildly out of your price range, it's not a bad thing to keep that as a dream for someday, and choose a doll you'll actually be able to afford within a reasonable timeframe to purchase first, assuming you love that doll too and will be happy either way.

 

I've been trying to put it into perspective. I have no problem buying extremely expensive clothing, so why do I have such a problem with buying expensive dolls that will get more use than a dress I wear once or twice?

 

No, but I got a limit on how much I can only spend in buying dolls, some cheap dolls only has a single jointed body which I don't like, and some of them has poor sculpt.

 

I guess the main point is whether you like it or not. If you buy it, and dont feel happy with it. Its probably worth saving up and getting a more expensive doll that will make you happy and will keep (hopefully) for a long time. I am getting my second doll (which is second hand) for about $100 which cheap for the sculpt its in and I love all the photos I got of him and I dont think I would sell him off once i got him.