Outdated?

I don't think you can compare dolls to tech, since dolls are an art form, and thus age the exact opposite of technology. I still have the first doll I bought 5 years ago, and I have no plans of ever selling him. New dolls only means more options for everyone, they add to the market, they don't detract from what's already there.

Now new body engineering, that's a different story. xD

 

I suppose it depends on your aesthetic preferences to some degree. I like dolls that are more realistic, expressive,quirky or unique. Many artists and companies are going in that direction and coming up with amazing sculpts. I deliberately don't go "window shopping" any more but I still can't help seeing new faces that I'm tempted into buying.
I never thought I would try to sell any of my dolls but it has gotten to the point where, one, I just feel I have too many and, two, the older, less realistic ones are beginning to seem lifeless in comparison to the later models.
Right now I'm taking a six-week hiatus from purchasing anything doll-related. I'm going to take stock of what I have and where I want to be in this hobby and, hopefully, refine and redefine my collection.

 

I'm pretty much Phanuel's complete opposite...

I'm not a huge fan of realism in doll sculpts, so very few new dolls appeal to me these days. Many of my more recent purchases have been those hopelessly out-of-vogue "old school" sculpts that other people are selling off to buy the New Hottest.

There are always going to be people on both sides of the old/new divide, and neither preference is the right or wrong way to collect. Just collect what you love, and don't worry about it. If your tastes change a few years down the line, that's also not uncommon. You may even find out that you're an all-in type of owner who embraces both old AND new. No one is likely to give you any grief over your preferences, in any case.

 

I'm in the same opinion as @Pannytheangel
For me, I love Soom's old head sculpts (like were talking about when soom first started) because that's just my aesthetic. Yes the main preference for aesthetics change often and especially with new shiny things people go oooooooooooo and have to buy it. But I don't think you ever have to worry about your own dolls being "outdated".

The nice thing about dolls is that it doesn't matter when they're made, as long as you love a certain art I think that's all that matters. I mean look at fine arts in general. There are a lot of artists out there that think the olden ways of painting are outdated and that contemporary modernism and abstract is where it's at. A lot of people who follow the old masters think that contemporary art is technique-less and has a loss of aesthetics. It's pretty much all up to the eye of the beholder~

 

Well, two of my dolls are ten years old this year, one is eight years old, and one is six years old, and I'm totally biased but they are my favorites and I don't think I'll ever sell them, even if I decided to no longer participate in the hobby at all. The rest of my collection is between three and five years old, with my most "modern" doll being a Dollzone/Doll Chateau hybrid. I did also jump on the "really big doll" bandwagon and got a Dollmore Lusion. That said, most of my wish list is comprised of older dolls that are discontinued. I love stylized dolls, but I also love some of the new things, too. I guess it just comes down to the individual doll in the end.

I think of the options as good and bad. I love that there's probably something for everyone, but I can understand being attracted to too many dolls at once. It can be hard to keep up with discussions and things when the next big thing quickly changes. But, your collection doesn't have to keep up with anything. In the end, if we are happy with our dolls, that's all the really matters.

 

If you're feeling a big overwhelmed with your projects, maybe just focus on the one that's most important or most fun and go from there. I think it's easy to get into 'too much' when you're new because there's so many things you can do with them. Don't compare yourself with the creative output of others, some people complete a lot quickly and some take a lot of time. The most important thing is to have fun with your dolls, as long as it's fun, nothing should feel outdated or obsolete.

 

I have fallen in love with many of the older sculpts. Sometimes the bodies of the new dolls are much improved, but some of the bodies made many years ago are still just as detailed and nice. I would have never guessed they were made so long ago. So...to me, they never become outdated.

 

I think that a doll being "outdated" is a matter of personal perspective.
I do admit that new dolls coming out often is pretty overwhelming, because the sense of novelty that comes with it can be addicting!

 

I only have 'outdated' dolls and they are the only ones that interest me (the youngest of my big dolls is 9 years old). Outdated technology might cause performance issues, but dolls won't have that same problem. Just buy what you like .

 

I've been in this hobby since 2007, and all my doll acquisitions have either been from then (or 2008) or literally just this year. As such my collection is very "old-school" looking. I was kind of self-conscious about this for a second, because the aesthetics do move on and so on, and people do care - like, we've got this thread here full of people saying that they don't care particularly, but there are people that do care and will overlook "old-school" looking dolls, but frankly, this is an expensive hobby so you have to think very carefully about how you spend your money, so whatever doll you acquire will definitely be because you were 100% into it.

I guess what I'm saying is: yeah it's a big scene and people have lots of different tastes in aesthetix - but follow your heart! (He said, bursting into song)

 

I can't say I worry about my dolls being outdated--I'd kind of prefer to have a doll that's less popular in any case, whether that's because it's old or just not as well known. But I am frequently overwhelmed with all the choices, for sure! I was pretty content with the wishlist I had established for myself, and then I realized that companies will keep coming out with new beauties presumably forever. D: So... I try to make sure that if I fall in love with a new sculpt, it stays on my mind for a good while (so I know it's not just bedazzlement with something new) before I officially add it to my list.

 

I have absolutely had that feeling. There's so much emphasis in this hobby on who has the new shiny that sometimes it skews your perspective, and the reality is, some of the rarest and most beautiful dolls are the old ones. When I stared collecting I bought a doll that at the time was just an "extra" head to one our our OE boys, who seemed to usually either be modded heavily or sold on because other people weren't that keen on his nearly sleeping eyes. He wasn't a big deal then, but now, years later he's been out of production for a while, and it's more difficult to get him because not a lot of people bought him and kept him intact back then. I've loved him all along, but the attitudes of other people towards him when he comes out for photos or a meetup have actually become more positive over time.

I think you just have to reframe it. An older doll that's taken care of, that's having things sewn for it or is getting a new faceup or is just in a really good photo, is a different animal than a neglected older doll that just sits there and fades. There will always be new shinies, but some things are just classic.

 

I find that really sweet of you to be worrying about that! I can tell you from a younger generation's perspective that you sound like an excellent parent and it's wonderful that you encourage your daughter to pursue the arts. For that, I give you a lot of respect
Additionally, as someone who has a brother in the animation field and as a huge art fanatic (of both the old masters and the new, but I like to focus mostly in art theory and master paintings) that classical art forms are absolutely necessary in any field of art (except maybe making abstract pieces). The old principles of line, movement, form, value, light etc etc no matter what are used in EVERYTHING, be it 3D modeling, animation, illustration, direction, cinematics etc. So I would say don't worry about what your daughter is doing! My brother told me that eventually in animation, you have to do EVERYTHING regardless, and even if you don't, you have to understand everything. So while he may have a focus in animation, that doesn't mean he cant illustrate, storyboard, direct, write, sculpt, colorscript or any of that! As long as she keeps going that's all that matters

 

I don't even try to keep up. If I see a new doll that I love and really want, I'll try to get it, but I also have some really old dolls. My first was an AoD and he'll be 9 this year (wow.) and I feel like his engineering is still on par with their current dolls. I also have a Volks F-16 on the ollllld SD body, and while it doesn't have great posing or anything really special about it, I love that it's classic and his age makes him feel special. I don't think it's important to try to keep up with what's new, just get what calls out to you.

 

I don't think comparing dolls to technology is an accurate representation. The new tech devices (whether tablet, computer or phone) will almost always be better than their previous incarnations in virtually every aspect (performance, speed, sheer processing power), which eventually necessitates a need to upgrade.

A better comparison would be between dolls and the movie industry. Every week, the market is flooded with new movies, in an abundance of variety. Every year the movie industry improves through the latest computer graphic technology and advances in film development, hardware and film-making techniques. Stuff like 3-D, HD and 4K technology. However, an equal portion is given to the other aesthetics - the presence of a certain actor/actress, director, plot, genre. Indeed, stuff like the original Star Wars trilogy stands with any new movie that comes out today, and isn't considered outdated because these other aesthetics far outweigh its technical deficiencies (as compared to sci-fi movies of today).

The same can be said of dolls. Take into account all of a doll's aesthetics. Just because a company came out with new head sculpts or a new sculpting method, doesn't make an older doll outdated. Dolls, like movies, are an artform and are judged on opinion (which probably differs due to personal preferences and biases), unlike technology, which is generally judged on numbers and statistics.

 

Outdated. I laugh. Now, if you are talking about the engineering of the bodies, well yeah the posing etc has gotten better. Which says that some older BODIES might be switched out if taking pics is your focus (ie posing ability). However, I find calling anything as new as resin BJDs 'outdated' a bit, well, silly. They are ART dolls, ie for aesthetics mainly. I myself happen to own a doll from the THIRTIES (actually 2 of them), really would love to own a real BeBe Jumeau (although somehow just can't muster the wherewithall nor justification in paying $10,000 plus for one doll that doesn't fit into my doll stories) and also still have various of my own dolls from the 50s & 60s.... So no, a doll from 2006, say, seems rather new-fangled to me...LOL
I AM very happy that I became able to buy these dolls AFTER Iplehouse started making their realistic sculpts - in fact I probably would not have bought many dolls if the aesthetics hadn't gone that way. However, I'm very happy with the dolls I've got. I'm not done buying dolls because I still have a few more characters to shell, so am glad new sculpts keep coming out!
Like the comparison to films! or TV shows for that matter. A good story remains a good story. A beautiful doll remains one.

 

fortunately I enjoy the art aesthetic of both old & new dolls. I have friends who get caught up in looking at the next best thing coming along in the doll world so I do know what you mean I think. Luckily for me, when my friends have tired of an "old" style, I've been able to adopt dolls which I can afford second hand as I certainly can't afford all of the new dolls that I see & admire! I keep an eye on the current doll market & can't help but buy a new doll occasionally. But so far most of the dolls who have come to me have come to stay...until there's no more room & the chaos makes me crazy as Phanuel has pointed out. ;} So my doll shelves are full of an eclectic mix of dolls from the past 11 years & the happiest thing last year was finding my new from the factory yellow ns doll was an ok match with the very mellowed 10 year old doll family she was joining. X0
On the other hand, sometimes, when trying to pose an older doll who's arms just don't want to cooperate. I sigh & wish there were easy affordable upgrades to plug in! ;D