Painful priorities

It's only happened to me once, but it happened. The doll in my profile picture (Youpla Dolls Zopa at time of writing) is an artist doll that opened up for orders at a time when I didn't have a job and I struggled every week to survive. I was lucky enough that the pre-order period lasted two months I think it was, which meant I was able to scrape JUST enough by the very last day of the pre-order out of small-cash and my dwindling "savings" (it was years ago, but I think I did it on layaway too). Not my proudest moment in the hobby (and worse yet: ironically the doll doesn't work for me/my plans any more!), but it happened. Funnily enough, even though I'm doing okay financially and in a stable job now, I don't think I'd ever do that again haha.

To a lesser extent, it happened to me and the Sugarble Nagas. Again, it was at the same time, so I was broke and unemployed. With those ones though, I just had to come to terms that I physically did not have the cash to buy them. They're now gone for good and I never see them for sale. I've since just had to acknowledge that I'm not getting one.

 

Fifth Motif Venitu, the "final" order. I'm kind of hoping that, one day, even in the distant future, he'll become available again and I can get him without paying the sometimes ridiculous second-hand prices. But, I think I was paying off another doll at the time, or I just didn't have the funds to justify the purchase, and the announcement came out of the blue. It was going to either be Venitu or Dollshe Saint for my doll Ethan [avatar]. Don't get me wrong, I love Saint, but sometimes I wonder if Venitu would've been the "better" choice...

Or, there's the recent Dollshe sale at the end of last month, where I could've had the full doll for half the price. When I had the Grant Phillippe head already on layaway and one payment left!! I felt like throwing my phone across the room, I was that peeved about not holding off a little longer. I didn't know Dollshe was going to do the sale, I had no clue, but I was peeved at myself for jumping into the layaway for just the head when I had! He's going to need a body at some point, I could've got the full doll at a bargain price from the legit company! So mad. So, so mad. But, then, I remember the Dollshe waiting times for a full doll. Grant Phillippe's head, my head, is ready for shipping and I've still got one payment left. I'd likely have been waiting a year or more for the full doll!! He'll still need a body, but at least I don't have to wait an eternity once that last payment is made. And, I've been able to put another doll, for a dream project of mine, on layaway instead.

 

When I first got into the hobby, it’s happened. But after so many years I’ve come to the conclusion that there will ALWAYS be more dolls. If I have to miss out on a doll I really want due to lack of funds, chances are there will be another similar doll released down the line. It’s not worth putting myself into further debt to purchase a doll I absolutely cannot afford, no matter how much I think I need it. Because I don’t.

 

I'm having that right now too!!! Two dolls I want are/were currently available for a limited time and my freezer and car broke.... the car took priority. Now I go with no new dolls (though I look at them constantly) and no frozen food lol. But I can still go to work so I'm hoping to make money so that in the future I can get some new dolls >_>

 

Not the same, but I got my universe doll body in december. I love it, but before I ordered it, I haunting for a more slender 70cm body, something less muscular that will be better for the character I wanted to shell. I weeping when I see Dream Valley's 50cm boy body: Why aren't you taller?! I got the UD body in december. And Dream Valley released their 71cm boy in January... I was soo nervous... Luckily I am happy enough with my boy, I always liked this body and wanted it for one of my future dolls. Not for this character, but it happened this way. If I will end up with only this doll I will be ok, because it really works like a dream and he looks great with it.
Other "funny" thing happened almost the same time: I bought my doll on a 15% sale(and put it on a four time layaway from september to december. I can't pay full price for a doll in one payment, I almost always low on cash for real life things ). Great deal, Happiness etc. Universe doll's New year sale: 40% off for body only... Me: "Ok... I made a great deal, right?!"

 

I think this will happen no matter what you collect. I had it with the model horses but i just thought no matter how much i want it i have to live. Lucky for me some one put the same model up gor sale a year after when i had funds i was a lucky girl but can happen

 

that same situation is happening to me right now with a bunch of dolls i really want! the worst part is that i have the money but have to save it for (super boring) unexpected events that have been hemorrhaging cash. i think that others have already said it: there will always be more dolls.

bottom line is that they are luxury items that don’t sustain life, so they have to take a big backseat to the real necessities. it is so easy to let them become that #1 priority and take control of your funds, but you gotta snatch (or gently pull) your wallet out of those perfect resin hands and find joy in the dolls you already have and the ones you are waiting on.

hold tough friend! and hopefully you will be blessed by the aftermarket gods or another preorder will open soon!

 

I was in a similar situation when my primary doll was in the midst of a shell change. I had to choose fast between two sculpts, one of which was a secondhand head from a now-defunct doll company (Fantasia Doll Vivian), and another which was in its discontinuing sale (Iplehouse Rebecca). It was a difficult choice; I couldn't get both because it would be stretching my finances too much, and in the end it was Vivian who won out.

While it's sad that I missed the chance to get a brand-new Rebecca head for the last time, it was one of the best decisions I made where my primary doll was concerned. I was eventually able to snag another secondhand head which suited her alternate head far better than Rebecca, so it all worked well in the end.

 

Oh yes, I have been through that for certain. It's an extremely painful lesson, but I think that all of us learn it at some point unless we're Bill Gates: that incredible doll that we will want perhaps more than any other doll we own is out there, and it will show up when we least expect it. It doesn't even have to be a longtime grail - it can be a brand new release that puts stars and hearts in our eyes the moment we see it. So, after years of collecting, I've learned to no longer "settle" even for something that I like a LOT, I wait to fall head over heels in love. Granted, it's a lot easier since I already own a few dolls to keep me busy, but it can still be pretty tough to remind myself that I still need to eat, pay the mortgage and save a stash money for the doll that hits me out of the blue - and even then the annoying trivialities of life can get in the way and I might not be financially prepared.

Thank goodness for the secondhand market. Hang in there, because hard as it is to believe, someone will probably get your grail and eventually not want it at all. I just managed to snag one of mine that I felt I couldn't afford during his one-time-only release period, and for less than I would've paid new. I had to wait two years, but he's perfect and it was worth it! Keep watching eBay and social media sites, and one day that grail may be yours after all.

 

Oh yes. I just ordered a doll and I was totally aiming not to get another one. This is how I bought three in one year. The Granado vampire came out again as a limited one last chance hehe. And so I ordered him. I did have some funding but not suuuper much. I'm really happy I got him though. He's so handsome
And right after Ringdoll started releasing dolls but I'm not going to get them because I promised myself not to buy any for a while and I'm sticking to it well enough. A while means from last October to next October.

But!!! Not buying if I have no money. So I hope you can scrape by. You can't cancel the orders and use that money to get your grail right? :O such hard decisions.

 

This is pretty common but that doesn't take the sting out. All I can say is that second chances DO happen. And while it may not feel like it, all hope is not lost. I have lost out on a number of dolls only to be able to acquire them second hand or from a re-release.

I have also seen people SELL dolls that they have on layaway on FB groups. You may be able to unload the Altis before he's been paid off (by you).

 

Oh I see. 300 euros is a lot. :O Good luck!! Try getting a side job maybe? :O

 

It happens to everyone at some point, I think. Sometimes you put your fun money in one place and as soon as you send the payment, two things you had on your buy-one-day-if-it-ever-comes-up list are suddenly available.

Just remember that the urgency you feel isn’t real. It’s not worth overextending yourself to try and catch them all like pokémon right this minute. Dolls do come up on the secondhand market if you wait patiently, and sometimes you find you didn’t even really want it all that much when a few months go by.

 

I know the feel.
I only get whole dolls on Layaway, even if it's a short one. Right now I only have one full doll, but there are other sculpts I like, so I got two more floating heads. I feel like bodies can come a bit later, or dolls can share bodies. So that reduced what I have to pay.

However, getting head only is starting to feel like the scenario of "I just solve one problem, now I have got 2 more different ones". Eventually I'd need to find bodies for these doll heads, keep sharing body is probably going to get too fiddly as well...

Luckily I haven't seen any event dolls that caught my heart right now, but there is one doll I'm planning on getting very soon, it's off topic so I'm not gonna talk about it here. Probably before then I'm going have to cut my expenses on outfits and accessories for my doll...

 

Dollshe went on 50% sale recently... I feel bad but I still didn't order as I still have a doll WIP.

 

Oh yes, for sure! I think that's the nature of the beast with this hobby.

I made a big BJD purchase recently that was very unexpected but a truly amazing secondhand find (a doll that's been out of production for 16 years!). The day after I paid for him, the brakes failed on my vehicle. And two days after that, one of the only two dolls on my "must purchase" wishlist opened its last preorder period.

I'm a responsible adult and make sure my bills are paid for, and I set money aside as well for random emergencies, so I'm okay. As far as dolls are concerned, it's a crummy situation. I'm hoping if I pinch pennies between now and the end of the month and use layaway, I can make the preorder still! If not, I know better than most that there's a thriving secondhand market in which I can try my luck.

 

I live with my parent's right now so bills aren't a big worry, but I'm low income. I did get a bunch of dolls & accessories since starting the hobby only 4 months ago. Definitely used up my money and maxed my credit card a month ago(I have a low limit but I've never done this before,never spent money I didn't have). I have to stop buying now, and have a strict budget to pay it off. Fortunately there are no more full sets that I want & the others I want I can order a la carte anytime.

Layaway or credit card(low interest only) is a possibility. If it's not stressful for you. But this is depending on what bills you have and how fast you could pay it off(I would say within 3 months). I would also plan out a strict budget and make sure you can stick to it.