Only allowing yourself to buy "cheaper" dolls?

Coming from a poor background, I know how important it is to be careful with money. But when it comes to getting something you love, you better go all out or it ain't worth it. Sure, I'll bet I'd be happy with a cheaper doll if it was just right, but most of my dream dolls are on the higher end of the price range. People have the right to buy what they want (it ain't my money, so I ain't too concerned) but if your dream doll is expensive, but a doll you want is cheap...would it be better to save that money you'd use for the cheap doll to buy the dream doll? It's up to the individual. But I know what I'd do!

 

I think that it's perfectly fine to buy the "cheaper" dolls.

For my birthday, I had 600 dollars to spend on my first doll. I could have gotten a loongsoul mengli with no faceup or blushing, and that was it; or buy two resinsoul dolls + clothing, wigs, and everything I needed.
Because I have no steady income as I'm too young for a job (and don't have time), I can not just wait a few weeks for that little bit of money for accessories. I would have to wait another year for some gift money, meaning that I would be stuck with a bald, eyeless, makeupless doll (if I bought a mengli). Or I would have to wait next year to get everything, which means I wouldn't even have a doll.

So of course, I went for two resinsouls. People might say that if you didn't get the doll you loved, you would be thinking about it forever. However some people do not have the means to get the doll they love. To be honest, I'm not especially picky, I think the resinsoul scuplts are absolutely lovely.
I plan to get mengli in a couple of years when I do get a job, which is fine. My justification is that I would have gotten resinsoul dolls in the future anyway, so I'm just getting them first.

With the right accessories, any doll can look beautiful, I think that the style is what is really important when choosing a doll. Either way you're probably going to be spending so much on that stuff, the price of the dolls will pale in comparison.
Of course, that's just my opinion, take it as you will.

 

I think people should only spend the money they're comfortable spending, if that means "cheaper" than so be it. All of my dolls are secondhand, or more. I don't feel comfortable paying most companies prices when I know that with some work and luck I could find one used for a significant discount. I started out with a set amount of money to buy my first doll, I could have bought one doll without anything brand-new from the company, but instead I got two used and was able to get more for my money. I don't think It's bad to give yourself a limit even if it's on the low budget side. A hobby is only as expensive as you make it.

 

I don't see the issue with cheaper dolls, but that's mostly because I'm a teenager and don't have mass amounts of money to even consider looking at expensive soom fantasy parts, and I've decided to get a BBB Ming and a Souldoll head.

I think as long as someone does their research and honestly compares the different dolls there's no harm in going "I pick this one because its easier on my wallet"
but it's a dumb idea to disregard the more expensive dolls if they're honestly many times better or just /worth/ the amount that they are, like a MNF A-line body compared to a BBB single jointed one.

 

I love all dolls. If I like a "cheaper" doll, I will buy it. If I like an "expensive" doll, I will probably get it second hand if it's too much. If the "expensive" doll never comes up second hand, who cares? A better one will take it's place one day. I'm not being cheap and I'm not poor...I'm just being smart with my money.

 

I think that you should get a doll because you really love it, not because of it's cheaper than another doll that you love more, but if someone chooses to do restrict themselves to cheaper dolls that is their decision and I cannot tell them otherwise.
Personally I'm extremely cheap when it comes to almost everything and I've liked a lot of cheaper dolls but the one I ended up buying as my first was one of the expensive ones simply because I really loved her sculpt a lot more.

 

as long as you love it why should you worry about how cheap it is your lucky for finding something you like thats cheaper than most ^^

 

The only time price is a factor for me is if I can't afford a doll and it's limited with no layaway option. I like dolls from so many different companies and really the price doesn't matter to me if I love the sculpt. This hobby is the only thing I spend money on for myself so if I love a cheaper doll then great, if I love a more expensive one then I save up for it .

 

Buy what you like and if you don't have the money, be patience and save...it's worth it! there's nothing wrong with buying a cheap doll if you like it, though...my most precious doll is the cheapest one and I would never ever change him for a more expensive one...my baby is my golden boy!

 

I think one should get what they really really want instead of settling for anything less. (if not obvious by the fact that I own a feeple60)

 

I'm going through the same thing I adore the cheap doll at 198$ & I love the exspensive doll at 316$ (BTW The cost is for there full set's) I love them both!

 

This is kind of an interesting issue for me.
I spent a long time lusting after dolls online with the idea that I'd never own one because I couldn't justify the cost to myself. I'm a poor artist, and my husband's a poor student, and the idea of spending 500$+ on a doll when there were so many people in my community that were struggling was uncomfortable. (That feeling's popped up in other areas of my life: I shop at thrift shops, had a wee tiny wedding, vetoed wearing an engagement ring because the cost seemed insane.) I have lines I find it hard to cross for things that aren't utilitarian, like an appliance.
Then one night I stumbled across BBB/RS, and was absolutely transported with glee that I could own such a pretty girl for under 200. That felt doable for me. I have 2 BBB girls now, and I'd like to complete their family with a boy (all minis or smaller). I use them in my art, which I sell, so they're like tools...but I also love them because they're beautiful and sweet. I'm grateful that I have 3 dolls for less than I would spend on one of the large spectacular Volks or Iplehouse. (Anyway, I almost feel that those guys are just...too cool for me somehow. )

The thing is...the thing is...I've seen my grail doll (a funky OT artist doll). And her price tag crosses into my discomfort zone. But I'm planning on saving for her and when she's released, putting her on layaway. I have no excuse. I can't help it...she's just so perfect...I will own her. I don't care how long it takes. She's the one doll that has been perfect enough for me to throw all my fussy money angst to the winds. I'll just live with the guilt.

 

Hahaha, good on you FlyingFishtail! I like lots of loves, even love a few, but I have never EVER yet found the 100% Perfect Doll. I think it just doesn't exist for me yet! So if you managed to find one that makes you that determined, it sounds totally worth it. Go for it!



I don't restrict myself to cheaper dolls, but I do feel I have an upper limit... that upper limit seeming to be around $650 for a fullset, ouch! For me, I aim for a small volume of dolls and a large volume of extras; eyes, shoes, clothes, wigs, I even want furniture and some props eventually! And I realized I overall don't like lower-quality. So for most of the dolls I have or want, their starting price is just the start. I double, triple, or even quadruple the base price of a doll I want to get a better idea of their final investment.

Price is important to me, and I think normally prices between $300-$600 for one doll would be outrageous to me. But because I'm simply that picky, there are very few dolls/brands on the market that I'd be willing to buy at all, so price quickly becomes low on my priority list because of all the other priorities that I just can't compromise on.

But, I do like cheap dolls too. I feel much less bad about considering experimenting on them or treating them roughly. Dying a doll, drilling earring-holes, carving the mouth open a little, or some tiny damage on fingertips--I don't mind. I'm still not very careful even with my pricier doll, heheh, but that's the kind of owner I am ^^' . Another thing is that if I'm not 100% happy with things, like I don't like the style of elbow joints or the face is generic, I find myself not minding at all because I feel like I got a steal for the price! XD My FDoll tiny was a little over $100 and I love her to death despite her definitely not fitting my rigid criteria-list at all.

I found that I also plan to spend a lot less on my cheaper dolls and don't feel the need to do A LOT with them and give them A LOT of stuff. That's actually freeing in a way, in that they're not big 'projects'. They're more on the mini-game level than a console title, if I'll make a weird analogy XD . I don't feel like I'll ever be done with my expensiver dolls, with clothes and set-ups, but I have clear and simple plans for the cheap dolls that I feel are very achievable in comparison.

Unfortunately, since I really hate the idea of being mobbed by lots of dolls or having to focus on a lot, even if each one is 'mini-game level', I only have three cheap dolls in my plans. But I/'ll really enjoy them for what they are, and how they contrast to their pricier companions.

 

TvT I always think that people should get what they really want and not just settle. Plus, its more rewarding I think when you save up for a long time and really "earn" that dream doll. If you choose to settle on a cheaper doll just because its cheap, well of course that is your prerogative, but I think that is selling yourself short. Everyone deserves and has the right to what they want, some just unfortunately have to work a little harder to get it. Not committing to save for the doll you really want just because it requires a bit more money is kind of silly.

That being said, there is nothing wrong with "cheaper" dolls or wanting them. If the doll you really want happens to be cheaper, well that is awesome! I wish that I had more inexpensive dolls on my wishlist, it would make getting them a faster process!

But I personally would NEVER settle for another doll over one that I ideally want just because the other is cheaper. I've had to save money for a whole year for my first doll, and not once did I ever think of getting a cheaper one because it was " too hard" to save for it. I'm an art college student, it doesn't get poorer than that. :/ In the end if I had done that I would have felt like I was "taking the easy way out" and eventually it would have upset me that I was foolish enough to put my wallet over my happiness. I don't use my financial drought as an excuse to buy cheap dolls as replacements for the dolls I tell myself I "can't have".

I know that some people say they "can't justify spending that much money", but if that is the case then its obviously not something you really want. Even putting away loose change in a jar or sparing ten extra dollars a month will get you there eventually and its not hard to do, even if you live paycheck-to-paycheck.
Be patient and save, I know first hand that its hard but extremely rewarding. ^v^

 

i would not be happy if i let the price stop me from buying my dream doll, if it's you dream doll then i think you should get it even if it takes awhile. when i saw the ringdoll Carlos limited i just knew he perfect for me, at that point i only had one doll that cost me about 250. so the 750 was a lot, but after a few more dolls, and getting more steady income i finally could go on a layaway for him : )

but if a cheaper doll makes you happy then i say go for it, in the end style and faceups can do amazing things.

 

Personally I don't really have a problem with it, some people just don't have enough spare cash for dollies! For my first bjd I did that, I wasn't ready to jump into the hobby with a really expensive doll then find I don't like it, if you know what I mean. Of course I had more expensive girls I really wanted but I opted for the cheaper one, and I love her just as much as I would any!

 

If you missed the point, it was still so charmingly worded that no one could possibly mind. I am of the "buy the doll you truly love reguardless" school of thought. I bought my first doll, a Mir /Elfdoll, four years ago, at $400. I looked for the most beautiful girl doll in the world, and Iplehouse came out with their Carina in the summer of 2010, and I finally ordered her on October 27, 2012. I hope she will be with me by Christmas. Her price, $600.
I admire the sensible, frugal people who manage to restrict themselves to the less expensive dolls, but when you fall besottedly in love with a beautiful face.....well, the waiting is worth it to me! I am just unfortunately one of those people born with champagne tastes.... living on a kool-aid budget.

 

I agree with Ougi: If someone feels uncomfortable spending a certain amount on a doll, then one's enjoyment of the doll might be hindered by the constant reminder of the price. In that case, it probably would be better to go for a doll whose cost is more manageable for the person. On the other hand, if someone buys a cheaper doll for $100-$300 and find that she doesn't like it nor play with it but continues to buy cheaper dolls, even though she doesn't enjoy them, then the money is still being wasted. It's like having unliquidated assets that one neither need nor use, and $100-300, though less than $500-$1000, is still quite a lot to just have lying around in the house.

For me, it's a balance of how much I like/want the doll versus how much I am willing to pay for them (enjoyment value vs monetary value). All my current dolls are under $500, and most of the dolls on my wishlist are all under $300, excepting one at $500, and another OT, which is slightly under $2,000. There are some lovely dolls out there that I like quite a lot; there might even be a few that I almost love, but I do not love them enough to pay their asking prices. It's a shame, but I know if I pay more than I am comfortable with, I will lose some of my enjoyment of the doll once I receive it, so it's just not worth it, in the end.

As an example:
One of my first dolls was was a Supiadoll Rosy; she cost me $480 plus $61.80 shipping in Nov. 2009 (Yes, I still remember the price and time), and was my first large BJD purchase, both in price and size. While she is extremely special to me, I have decided that the difficulties I have with her body is not worth the price that I paid. Aesthetically, I love her body, and if it was cheaper I might have decided to keep it and attempt to mod/suede the body, but if I end up not liking the mods, then the price of the original body would just be one more thing over my head plus the disappointment over the mods. Therefore I am replacing her body with a cheaper body that I adore and that I know can pose the way I want it to.

On the other hand, my Custom House Ange Ai Uri, another of my firsts, I received at an extreme discount and with a lovely free face-up; her body, while very cute, also gives me problems. However, I have such a fondness for her, in part because of the price I originally paid, that I can't bear to part with her nor her body.

Therefore, while I don't limit myself solely due to money, it is one of the considerations. I guess I have a 'soft' limit on the price, as opposed to a hard cap. And it's like Pitri88 says, if I find something I love at a cheaper price, then all the better!

 

This is my issue exactly. But I don't see that concept come up often.

The first doll that really blew me away was an Iplehouse, but I absolutely would not spend the money on it. Even if I did save up for however long it would take me to buy a 600-1,000$ SD, I wouldn’t feel comfortable owning it. It is not morally right to me, not with so many close friends and family around me struggling. Even if I did manage to save up for that expensive a toy, once I had the money, I don’t know how I could hand it over to a doll company, instead of putting it towards my husband’s tuition, so he can get a better job (he's finishing his doctorate), or using it to help my friends, or putting it in a college fund for my future kids (the way my parents did for me, bless them). There’s a difference between A): settling for less expensive (but still valid) version of something because you’re low on funds and don’t want to take the time to save, and then feeling bad about it forever, and B): buying a less expensive (but still valid) version of something because you have reasons to feel that owning the expensive item would go against your personal morals and ideals.

I love the dolls I have, and I get a lot of joy in playing and creating with them. I’m so grateful that I have an option that allows me to experience the hobby on my own terms. (I saw Ariel, and thought, "Oh, hi there. You're more my style!!")

I do understand how to save up money. A mature adult does. But there's wanting a thing, getting a thing, and then OWNING a thing. I still have to feel good about it after I get it home. Maybe my situation will change someday and I'll feel easier about owning an expensive doll, but that may take years. Meanwhile, I still get to have fun now.

 

I have to admit, I would rather have one doll that was expensive and I love it and exactly what I want, rather then have 5 dolls that were more affordable and just so/so..