Planning your doll family? Did you have a plan? How did it work out?

I also agree with you, Brightfires, the dolls almost tell you who they're related too. Letting it happen works for me!

 

I basically wanted one. So I started to save for her. Then I wanted her to have a compaonion, a buddy. So my first was ordered I started saving for my the next doll and finding a mould to fit the character.
Then comes the doll lust, when you see a doll and suddenly just fall for it, those are the ones you have to build a character for.
After I'd had her a while I decided I wanted her to have a relationship so the saving start all over again. The family just builds as you go along. All of the dolls I had picked had already been available for a while, only once did I ever see a new release and fall for it.

 

I want to give Jaszi a sister, partner in crime, playmate, brother, and/or a cousin. I also kinda want to get her a guardian/crush.

 

I made a list of all the sculpts/dolls I like and made names/backgrounds for them as I went along... I swear to God I will slowly cross the dolls off my list one by one... so far so good... the only problem is that unexpected random floating heads are messing me up...

 

I'm discovering that I work best when I don't have a plan. When I first started in the doll hobby, I had a clear vision -- there were a couple of my imaginary characters that I wanted to see in doll-form, so I bought one and started working on bringing my imaginary vision into reality. But I've run into some angst, and as a result (or because of this?) I'm losing interest in my plans. Since I have fixed vision for these character-dolls, deviating from this vision is, in a way, tarnishing their characters; but sticking with the plan makes me feel like I have my hands tied and don't have the freedom for imagining other possibilities with the dolls. My most recent doll was also bought because I had a vision for his character; but life got busy, the vision fizzled, and thus the doll has "lost his purpose" for coming home, so to speak. I'm very attached to my imaginary characters, so anything short of PERFECTION is not going to cut it. But, just like the rest of life, making my dolls perfect is never going to happen, or is going to take more work than I want to put in -- and a hobby that becomes work and angst is no longer a hobby, aye?

On the other hand, the dolls that I bought because I liked the sculpt first, and then thought up their characters, they seem to be faring better as far as inspiration is concerned. Since their characters are moulded around the sculpts, they seem to be more "free" to be themselves than the dolls who're trying to fit a pre-existing character. I'm currently rethinking my collection, and I'm actually more attached to these unplanned dolls than to the planned ones. I didn't think this would be the case, so I'm very surprised!

In short - Having A Plan doesn't work for me. I think I'd be more satisfied and less angsty with my dollies if I let them be themselves, instead of trying to fit them into a pre-conceived ideal. I've yet to determine how I'll go about picking which dolls will come home, since that hinged entirely on Having A Plan... stay tuned...

 

I'm always interested in reading about doll families and how owners have taken great time and care in finding the right dolls to fit their characters and personalities. I've never had a plan and have done a lot of experimenting with different sizes before deciding that the 60cm+ size (realistic, mature sculpt) is perfect for me. I'm now down to 6 dolls and I'm thinking of reducing the number down even more.

 

How do YOU plan your doll family & has that tactic changed?
When I first contemplated getting into this hobby (and it was a whopping 3 weeks before I hit the "order" button... ), I had only one rule: there must be a character and a connection to my storyline. A pretty flexible rule, I thought, one that would be easy to adhere to, while still giving my collection some cohesion and keeping the impulse purchases to a minimum. But I feel like with every doll my adherence to the rule has been deteriorating...first there was Posy, who had a character but is still not connected to the storyline Vasilisa & Rada are part of. Then there was Edik, who was basically an impulse buy of a doll I've loved for a long time, although he did easily find his way into my story. Now I find that I'm at a very sticky place: for the story, I should really be planning to buy Sr. Delf Annette or perhaps NotDoll Princess P. I feel this odd sense of obligation to them, since they've lived as characters in my mind for a long time now. But recently I have been re-evaluating how I "play" with my dolls, noticing that I mostly use them as models for knitting, and thinking that it would make a lot more sense to buy dolls to fill in gaps in sizing or whose characters (because I don't imagine I'll ever stop assigning personalities, story or no) want to wear styles of clothing I want to make. Now I'm contemplating a slim mini girl who would wear clothes inspired by Asian street fashions, or a yo-sized doll. Of course, Princess P is not off my list, as I could use a more standard mini compared to my DollsTown girl who is a bit taller. So I'd say I'm in the process of a radical shift in how I plan my doll family, and one that will probably significantly decrease the role that planning plays in my purchasing.

Do you feel there's a "best" way to do it?
I've been struggling with this a lot. The easy answer is to say "there's no "best" way to collect, it's whatever works for you." But personally, I do value story/character-based collecting over impulse/model-based collecting. I do feel kind of like it's a step down to move away from the story; it's like being the sort of person who decorates your home with pre-fab decor lines rather than painstakingly choosing (or making) things yourself--the end result is just fine, but you somehow feel like you aren't doing it "right," like it's a bit of a cop-out. But I'm sure it won't take long for me to get used to it and feel much better about my decision.

 

Unless you have set characters that you are trying to fulfill in doll form I think it's best not to plan.
When I first started this hobby I bought my first doll and planned out the next 4-5 I was going to buy next.
Little did I know my plans would not go through, but it was all for the better.
Ever since the purchase of my 1st, the rest have all been completely sporadic.
I do have a list of dolls that I plan on owning eventually in my lifetime, most not limited sculpts but it seems that every time I go to save for one of those dolls, another one, that HAS to be limited, catches my eye.
Now I don't consider this a bad thing, thus why I promote not planning out your doll families, let it come naturally.
Especially since almost every company releases tons of beautiful new sculpts each year, you never know what you're going to fall in love with next!

 

Originally, I was more than content to just admire the pretty from afar. Then I saw Moswen (AoD Chi) and I was done for. I started with a firm plan to only have 2 dolls, Moswen and Kijika. I now have 6 dolls in-house and my doll plans sort of... exploded on me. Currently I have: Moswen, Kijika, Jaiseki, Jolen, Kys and Haniel.

I bought Moswen during a free head event and I'd planned for that free head to be his lover Kijika. Only, Kijika wasn't keen on that sculpt being him. I stopped trying to force that and found another sculpt that was Kijika. The blank head was then claimed by Jaiseki (Moswen and Kijika's son). Of course, this meant that I now had to find Jaiseki's lover. In searching for him, I saw Jolen. Naturally, Jolen needed his lover. So I was looking for both Kys and Sarojin. I found Kys and then Sarojin. While looking though, I discovered Quinlin and that sent me on a search for his lover, Ryzel. I stumbled upon a site that had their child, Haniel.

During all this looking, I also found Xinda (Moswen and Kijika's daughter), Chane (Xinda's lover), Tyhlian (Moswen's half-brother), Dakvir (TYhlian's lover), Etireh (a head I was sent by mistake), Wynn (Etireh's lover) and a grown up version of Haniel. There's also my love of the Unidoll Ark sculpt (I've no idea who he is, he's just awesome looking) and the Impledoll Miguel The Demon Hunter (who, in my head, is the Ark's demon servant/lover apparently).

So, I went from not planning for any to planning for 2 to having a doll whishlist far bigger than I ever imagined that would have me with 18 dolls. I'm still not really sure how that all happened.

 

I've been planning my own little doll family far before hand.
IH Freezia
Luts Bory (female)
And a Rose (Can't remember what site she was from)

And another IH male doll, but I haven't decided with one yet.
I already have ideal names for most of them, and their out fits planned and everything. X'D


Although this isn't something I'm solidly sticking to.
the doll I'm saving up for right now Is none of those dolls. So it's more or less like a dream

 

I tend to browse sites with a vague idea of the character in the back of my mind and then when I see the doll that fits what I want there's almost a click and the rest starts to fall into place and then by the time the doll arrives I've got the character basically down, not to say it's perfect. It worked fine with Cassie my first doll but Gabriel's whole character changed once I got him home. I have an outline of the rest of the family (as it where) in my head and scribbled in a notebook but I know that it's all subject to change as the little darlings do have minds of there own and aren't afraid to let them out ;P

 

If by plan, you mean which company and doll, then yes. I have a plan to like buy an LE Dollmore girl and like...
Eight boys from several different companies... They're not based off of characters or anything.
My realistic plans are to get the one girl and two boys, one from DreamofDoll and the other from Angelheim.
Yeah... I really shouldn't be planning a doll family where I'm at now... Especially since I'm barely scraping by in college. @_@

 

Well, I don't exactly 'plan', but since I don't have a steady income, I have to really think about what I can or can't get and which dolls I really REALLY want to have in my semi-collection. It's usually by what I want but what is also convenient *lack of room for an SD or any larger haha/which character interactions/what I have found* as well as what I can afford/have the patience to save up for at the time. So until I get a job, I'm collecting 1/4 or smaller, but that doesn't mean I love them any less!

 

Nope, on plan, just bought each of my 5 as I found them and fell for them. Now they do have a relationship -- three are family, sisters, one is courting the oldest sister, and my first doll is oldest sister's BFF. I am trolling for another male, but keep seeing these gorgeous girls!

 

I don't plan well, I'm too impulsive! XD But I do have two specific characters that I would love to make in the future, so that may change.

 

I've just loved BJDs forever but I did a lot of research and decided I would find a doll that I loved first and work out her personality, style and story later

 

I totally plan my family! The first step is finding a beautiful doll though, then I decide the personality through the dolls look. Find and name, save the money and then buy. I usually have everything planned out before the doll arrives!

 

I'm pretty much the same as Loli_Doll.
And I have my "wish list" which is huge, and then "dolls I have realistic plans for" (as in dolls I do seriously intend to buy) list which is quite a bit smaller.
I always plan everything out quite a bit, then when I'm sure I want that one; start saving and slowly getting ready for them. It's not a good idea to start preparing before you're absolutely positive that's the one you're getting, because things can change easily and you'll be stuck with wigs and clothes for the wrong doll.
As far as planning personalities and stories, I do that at random. I see a doll I like, then make a character and story. 90% of the time I end up not getting that doll, but keeping the character anyways. For the dolls I'm super sure about getting, and I'm likely to get in the near future, I plan their characters in far more detail than just the random dolls I see and happen to like.

 

Now here's a different twist for you...I planned my collection around display spaces. Don't laugh, I swear it's true! I'm a bit of a creative odd-ball and I got this idea (once I'd pretty much filled up the available wall space in my home with art) to create display rooms...much like 3 dimensional collages for my dolls to live in. That way, I figured, my dolls could become interactive components of the art and I could creatively fill any spare nook and cranny I wanted to. From there, I chose the proper size to fit my small display spaces (mostly MSD) and purchased my grail doll, a Batchix Machina robot girl, as the very first doll of my new crew. My inspiration was my own life experiences (like a living doll journal) where the dolls and displays were condensed expressions of my loves and interests in life. So instead of seeing them as related by storyline or as related to one another, I chose to have them all connected by inhabiting the same "neighborhood" instead (each with their own "home", interests, style and story...but still able to visit and interact with one another whenever they pleased.)

There are a couple of added bonuses to planning my collection in this way. Number one, obviously I was free to choose any vaguely similar sized doll from any company whatsoever without worrying about whether or not they matched one another. And number 2, I knew it would automatically keep my numbers down to reasonable levels because I only had so many vacant spaces to accomodate doll displays. Win, win in my book!

 

What an interesting thread! I have a wish list, but haven't usually planned doll purchases very far in advance.