"PRETTY please?": the art of obtaining.

i must say i got really lucky. I won my first doll (Ange-Ai Gaby) at a doll fair that I was exhibiting at with my miniature foods! Keep on trying you guys, really hope all of us will get to own your dream doll!

 

This thread is love.

First dolly:
1: Plan out allowances and birthday swag in an attempt to build a doll fund
2: Go to anime con. Lose 1/2 of saved money.
3: "Mom, can I get a doll for my birthday? I'll pay half" *big smile* Mom: "I'll talk to your father about it..."
4: Check doll sites and make sure of which one I had to have first, which I was convinced would be an Iple doll.
5: Discover DoD Si. Squee. Forgot Iple. Scour marketplace. Locate doll.
6: "MOM! I found one for less on the marketplace pleaaaasee?"
7: Early birthday present, acquired. Going halfies, not required (my parents are awesome )

Second doll + head:
1: Again, saving whatever I get a hold of.
2: Christmas is coming up. I can't think of anything I want except a dolly, except for things more expensive than dollies.
3: Luts has a winter sale.
4: Luts adds extra discount to sale
5: Kid Delf Cherry ordered as my Christmas present, with extras that get me the event head
6: Agonizing wait until Christmas, praying he isn't damaged (he was perfect )
7: Tear paper. Smell resin. Struggle with box. Then, finally, dolls two and 1/2 acquired.

Third doll:
1: Still holding on to the money I'd been saving since summer, gradually getting toward my goal
2: Soom releases Nelen
3: Give up on previous dolly because of her
4: Count cash. Have to do layaway
5: Discover I can get some of the extras because I'm doing layaway
6: Put order on layaway (just paid her off! )
7: Realize that each doll has seven steps and I ended every statement in parentheses with a o.O;;

 

For Kole:
*emails mom* Hey mom so you know how I'm an art major right? Well I was wondering, on of my friends just showed me this awesome doll she has and I found one I really like on ebay.
*email back* Oh can I see it?
*emails mom with link* I know it's expensive but I'll pay the shipping and half the price if you want, and he can be my christmas/birthday gift.
*email back* Hmm let me think about it.
............a few weeks later...............
*emails mom* What do you think?
*email back* so you're okay with this being the family gift this year?
*emails mom* YES!!!!!!
*email back* Alright, just don't expect much else to go with it.
*emails mom* can I get him a wig and pants? I don't want him to be naked
*emails back* Oh okay.
BEST CHRISTMAS EVER! Didn't have to go halfsies on the shipping or price either. *thumbs up* you rock family!

For Tobi's head:
Me: *texts mom* So I found a head online for a good price. I snagged it and i'm gonna have it sent to the house in case it comes later then my finals finish k ^_^
(still waiting for an answer back XD)

 

Hahah..Nice stories..I eventually found out about DOD, i think, 3 years ago..and I promised myself I would eventually have my own..then I lost hope (ugh, it's really expensive)..then I started collecting anime figurines( figmas and such) just last year..then i saw a link (again) of bjds..it was ringdoll..i was mixed emotions..happy> wow, I really love BJDs..sad>wow, really, they're still expensive frustration>ugh, but I want a doll T_T..I counted all my expenses in anime figurine and, hnvcdjknsfkajdief. eventually found out I could actually buy 1-3 doll with my expenses..I immediately sold some of my collection, and, yay happy happy my first dolly (even if it's 2nd hand)
I don't ask my mom to buy me this doll (she will definitely kill me if I ask), since I could earn my own..but I also don't tell her when will i buy my next doll. It would be a surprise for her, even if she rant about it, she can't do anything since it's already delivered..MWAHAHAHAHAH(evil laugh)

 

I don't have a doll yet, buuut my experience so far has been:

Brett: I'm so excited!
moi: Oh? Why?
Brett: I just ordered my new doll!! She's sooo cute.
moi: Your doll? -ponders and re-evaluates the situation- What doll?
Brett: -links to fairyland-
Moi: Hmmm. Kind of cute, kind of creepy. I don't really know what to do with this... Awwww, yay!

--weeks go by, dolly arrives. I get pictures. She is cute, I decide--

Brett: She needs a new wig.
Moi: Quoi? A new wig?
Brett: Mhm. And new eyes.
Moi: No...definitely creepy.

--A few months with no mention of the dolls--

Brett: -sends link-
Moi: -mindless click. It's another doll. But a big doll. And he's super pretty- Oooooooh.
Brett: ^^
Moi: -browses site (dun remember which one) and catches price- NO! Bad Brett!! -closes link-

A few months and several links later, I join DoA. The latter of this process is all very fuzzy, really, but where I go from here, only my bank account can tell...

 

Lets see.. I'll do steps, like you guys
First Doll:
1. Find doll (Was HZ WangYe)
2. Beg mom to put it on Lay away for me , she says no.
3. Ask a day later, she tells me to think about it, and tells me to go look at other sites.
4. Don't look at other sites, say I did. Mom tells me if shes putting it on layaway and I'm paying her back, she deserves some choice. She wants a girl.
5. Fight, as I want a guy. Finally agree that she can cross dress him or whatever.
6. As WangYe is TOO manly to crossdress, we settle on Angelheim Raul.
7. She buys him, we wait.
8. Still hasn't gotten here
Maybe second doll:
1. Tell mom how I want a Dollfactory Devil Bobo
2. She tells me its creepy and she hates devils.
3. I tell her how my best friend has a Pukipuki and I want to match
4.She tries to persuade me into getting a pukipuki.
5. I tell her only if she pays like atleast 33%
6. Says no, and I try saving up.

 

For me, obtaining my first doll was surprisingly not horribly difficult. I feel bad saying it, but my boyfriend bought me my first doll. >.<

Now, I'm not a spoiled girl, I swear! I don't go begging for a new doll every ten minutes ,though I do keep a list of ones I like and every few weeks or so go back through the list, look at pictures and decide if they are actually dolls I like or if it was a spur of "ooh! nifty looking thing!" Needless to say, only about 1/20 of the dolls on my initial list even end up on the "possibly buy" list.

However, at the time it had been our one year dating anniversary. He wanted to get me something I'd like, and I got him a present as well ( Seasons 1 &2 of Freakazoid, yes we are nerds.) He had heard me mention dolls before, and I had been saving a bit of money aside to getting one eventually. However, one day he just said "Ok, pick one out, just make sure it's a girl and she's less than $200." Not difficult, since most of the dolls I end up liking tend to be on the lower price range anyway. I picked out AOD Fei and he bought her for me.

Ever since then, I've been scrounging and saving to get doll after doll, amassing a small army. ^^

 

I currently owe my dad$240, which he lent to me to pay for my doll. Plan on paying him back over the summer

 

-Prince discovers what a BJD is through an artist that had her boy sitting on a table, watching her draw.
-Prince goes home and types in 'BJD' on DeviantArt.
-Prince finds a BlueFairy boy's picture and googles the website.
-Prince is now corrupted by the world of BJDs, finds DenOfAngels and several other BJD sellers
-Prince throws himself into research for three years, including the difficult decision on which doll to save up for while saving up and dropping hints to his parents.
-Prince buys a couple shirts, a pair of pants and some faceup supplies, as well as switching his decisions multiple times during said three years.

Timelapse, excluding when I switched back to some dolls. xD;
BF Louis -> BF Patrick -> BF Boy Niky -> Fairyland LTF Boy Rachel -> AH Ciel -> MinoruWorld Ted -> DZ Luke -> DM Kid Isaac -> AE Boy Lemon -> BF Boy Olive

-Prince gains a sufficient amount of money, narrows it down to three dolls.
-Prince talks more openly about them to his mom, who gives her opinion on the dolls Prince looks up on the internet.
-Decides on DZ Luke, but Junkyspot runs out of normal-skinned sculpts and Prince takes this as an advantage to switch decisions again.
-Decides on BF Boy Olive
-Prince saves up more money for shipping, all the while, sewing up a storm of clothes
-Prince's dad finally gets the hints through the tiny clothes he's been sewing, but is still apprehensive about the cost, and "boys playing with dolls."
-Prince gives all the money to his dad, who was apprehensive about his son playing with dolls, orders, and waits a week.
-Misses the package on arrival, has to wait another day.
-Welcome home, Autumn!

My experience wasn't so terrible, now that I think of it. Minus my dad saying that boys don't play with dolls and teasing me for liking "those girly doll things", he knew that it was my money and I could do what I wanted with it.

 

My experience obtaining my first doll was rather short... but spread over 3-4 years.

-- see bjds at anime con
-- fangirl over them
-- die at the cost of 500$?!
-- put it out of mine for 2 years
-- graduate highschool, roll in money from presents
-- find bjds on deviant art again
-- browse volks
-- discovers iplehouse
-- orders mars

>_>; Yeahhh... I don't even remember what got me back into bjds. Obtaining my second doll came two years later and was kind of amusing.

-- friend discovers hobby, thrown back into the bjd world
-- decide to sell a lot of old stuff to pay for 2nd doll
-- browse iplehouse
-- browse marketplace
-- discovers crobidoll in box opening threads
-- discovers kittenlance
-- MUST HAVE hasjl;dhasj;d
-- only has 1/3 of what he costs
-- puts on layaway for two weeks
-- work everyday possible + begging grandmother for additional money to pay him off soon
-- gets kitten lance

^^;; Now I'm in the process of getting a THIRD doll which will be obtained by working, mostly. I didn't research my first doll well enough, so I'm not happy with him any longer. Alas. But my second doll is a gem. I'm just fortunate to have a job right now.

 

Here's mine:

Go to friend's house
Friend shows Volks website
See dolls - want doll
Mom says no
Get regular Dollfie instead
lose interest for 2 years...
Save up for inexpensive doll
Struggle
Realize, through your research, that the doll isn't going to work out for me
Spend all the money
Another year passes
Dad asks if I want anything
Say BJD!
Mom says no (again)
Dad urges to find 'cheaper' doll
Remember Dollmore
Notice DM Adam and Eves are going to cost too much
Look at Dollmore Kids
Realize, while 'cheaper', they're not the kind of doll I ideally wanted
See DM Kid Flocke
Start saving, and realize it won't be terrible having a child character rather than an adult
Face some obsticles that almost make you abandon your goals
Overcome them
Save up
Realize shipping costs another $55
Keep saving
Buy doll
See doll is sold out
Freak
Later, realize the payment went through and the doll is in stock again
All is right with the world...

 

First doll.
Me: Mom! Look what I found!!
Mom: *looks at price* No....
Me: *discovers cheaper dolls* How about now!! I promise I'll help pay!!!
Mom:....Fine (pays for whole thing)

SEcond doll.
Me: MOM LOOK ISN'T SHE GORGEOUS!!
Mom: She is...how much *looks at price* Wait until I get paid..
Me: HOORAY!!!

 

I feel kinda bad for how easily I got mine...
I always had the money, about 900 euros when I decided to get a BJD, because I live and go to high school in the town and get 300 &#8364; every month for living (100 of which is extra from my grandparents).
1. Got interested in dolls, about 3 months ago
2. Had a fight with dad over the customs prices, before even actually asking to get one (it would've been with money that I've gotten from my family)
3. Swore to fight back, get a summer job, and revenge!
4. A month went, didn't remember to get a summer job, but rather used all the time browsing doll sites
5. Went home for the weekend, talked a little with dad about how I actually had about 300 &#8364; birthday money in my savings
6. Agreed to go for a walk if dad let me order the doll
7. Quite randomly was agreed
8. Ordered about one month after I got interested in BJDs. Five weeks since the order now, I could get my doll any day.

 

Nice stories everyone got here

I always love dolls but not my parents. Beside the price is too expensive for them, they think dolls are scary and horrifying. So basically I have to work things out by myself.

- First, saw BJD pics on the internet
- Being introduced to Dream of Doll by a friend, then Iplehouse, LUTS, Soom, Dollmore, Volks and some Chinese doll-manufacturer.
- Being introduced to DoA forum
- Tried to save some money to buy my own during college, but it was totally hard.
- Finally, after I graduated and got a job.
- Save some money....... Still kinda difficult! Salary less than $300
- Forget.. ummm... delay to buy a new Iplehouse EID doll *which I always wanted*
- Decided to buy used doll *secondhand*, at least for now, because I'm interested to do the faceup.

So basically here's how I got Rion, my first doll:
- Take a look at the marketplace in DoA (Fransyung became my connector to Raykit)
- Buy Raykit's Wintery 09 head + faceup tools
- Named the head Rion~
- Save some money
- Decide to buy a body (after a few months)
- Take a look again at the marketplace (Again, Fransyung became my connector to Aquaspiral)
- Buy her SSDF body for Rion, layaway
- Save some money again
- Buy several clothing and wig for him via Taobao later
- Save some money again... (this is endless)

And currently I'm waiting for Noir, a wintery 2010 head I have just purchased from Magiek from DoA
Then I will be saving some money again :P

Hopefully I will be able to adopt those Iplehouse Guys!~ >w<

 

For me I saw a doll on deviantart and wondered what it was. So started to do research. Found DOD and absolutely fell in love with Petsha. Asked husband and he said "she's so expensive are you sure that's the one you want?" Spent about a month looking at every other ball joint website I could find. found 2 alternatives that I didn't like as much but would settle for cause they were cheaper. Presented to husband who said if you don't like them as much as the other get the one that you truly want. So two months later Kaelyn came home.
For Cinderella it went kinda like this:
me: look at her
him: she'd make a good steam punk doll
me: OOOoooo.... Can I?
him:Yes.
I love my hubby.

 

Haha, nice stories everyone!
Here's mine in chronological order:

-Read Harry Potter fanfiction.
-Author links to an outfit she thinks would be a cute wizarding outfit.
-Trying to figure out if it is a person or doll wearing it.
-IT'S A DOLL!
-Extremely surprised.
-Then feels stupid because the website was Dream of Doll.
-Sees the D.O.I. Kellan.
-LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT.
-Show him to parents.
-They think he's extremely creepy.
-I think they're extremely crazy.
-Browse Dream of Doll website.
-Finds Den of Angels.
-Finds out there are more doll companies.
-Looks at thousands of dolls.
-Still in love with D.O.I. Kellan.
-Finds out about Bobobie.
-Thinks Elfkin is adorable.
-Parents say D.O.I. Kellan is too expensive, but I can get Elfkin in hopes that my need for a doll would die down.
-Bought Adeleize(the Elfkin).
-Love her, but need for D.O.I. Kellan doesn't die down.
-I leave his picture up on the computer so parent's can see his face every time they use the computer.
-They think I'm weird.
-Secretly buy D.O.I. Kellan with school refund money.
-Don't tell parent's until I get shipping notice.
-Hahahahahahahaha xD
-They're mad at first, but stop after they realize how much I love him.
-A few months later...
-They still think I'm weird and Fitzwilliam is creepy.

The end.
(That was long. xD)

 

FIRST DOLL:
*sees one online*
Creepy.
*sees some at a con*
Creepy... but a few were gorgeous....
*goes to college*
There's a BJD shop nearby...
*is very curious*
I'll just go for a visit... for exploration.
*buys doll*
!!!

Yup.

 

My mom would kill me for some of the stuff mentioned up here. Like if I used all, or even most, of my refund money on a doll she would probably strangle the living daylights out of me. Like, I may save up my birthday money, some of the money I get for selling my books, and some work money and ask my mom if I can use $100-$200 of my refund money to buy Kyle from IH [assuming I don't get him for my birthday or Christmas but I probably won't.]


But my first doll went something like this:

&#9829; Had some how found a doll based roleplay on Gaia Online
&#9829; Looked up dolls, come to find they were DOD.
&#9829; Never look any more into it as I knew I couldn't afford one
&#9829; Go to Otakon 4 years ago [may have been 3]
&#9829; Stumble upon a doll meet on the second floor
&#9829; Way to shy to go over [haha how that's changed] and actually ask questions about them
&#9829; So sits in a corner, stalks, and waits for meet to be over
&#9829; Two girls start to walk past me with dolls from DOD
&#9829; Sum up some courage to ask them about them [never asked about the price]
&#9829; Girls reference me to DOD site as well as Den of Angels
&#9829; Join DOA, look around at more doll companies
&#9829; Time passes, I'm finally able to browse through the market place
&#9829; At this time I have started working
&#9829; In November find a PukiPuki Cupid in the market place and I fell in love with her
&#9829; Talked to my mom about the price as I had never spent so much money on a doll before
&#9829; She tells me to go for it if it's something I really want
&#9829; She is ordered the following Monday and I consider her my b-day gift to myself as she arrived in November.

Second doll

&#9829; Find a DOD DOC Bee-A in the marketplace
&#9829; Want her, still working, but less hours due to a boss that did not like me at all who happened to be in charge of the schedule so not as much money.
&#9829; Notice there is a layaway option, goes for it
&#9829; Saves up money from grandma, work, and my dad over the next two months or so
&#9829; Finish paying her off
&#9829; Get mad at the postal people because they never knock but leave notes (-_-)
&#9829; Get my mom to take me to the post office, uber excited.
&#9829; Pick up doll box, have second box opening in front of the family
&#9829; Mom asks how much she calls
&#9829; Tell her
&#9829; She's not all that surprised.

Third doll

&#9829; Am now a first year college student
&#9829; Was lucky enough, or smart enough as my boss says, to look for on campus jobs early on in the summer
&#9829; Applied every where
&#9829; Two places tell me they want me
&#9829; Get hired at one
&#9829; Start working in September
&#9829; Starts thinking about Iplehouse "I" again [one of the first dolls I fell in love with] and dolls in general as I had taken a break after selling my first two girls
&#9829; Looks a bit more into her, discovers the custom doll system
&#9829; I make the decision that I want her in light brown skin
&#9829; Starts saving up pay checks from work
&#9829; Save up enough money along with the birthday money my dad gave me although it's not until the end of the month
&#9829; Is now currently waiting for paypal and my bank transaction to get along and they need to hurry up!

 

- Look up cool clothes a couple years ago online. See awesome jacket on hot male model. Click image. Doll site?! o__0 (This image, actually) --> http://www.bishonenhouse.com/sitebuilder/images/iancoat-450x746.jpg
- Stare at dolls that look almost human for a while. Deeply impressed.
- See prices. 14 with no job. LOL NOPE
-Forget for several years.

- Online friend brings up BJDs, shares pics of her own
- Decide to look more out of curiosity.
- Unhappy with lack of masculine dolls, deciding I'm not interested really
- SUDDENLY, IPLEHOUSE 8D
- Start saving

-Various things break, ren fair, ect. Savings blown.
- Computer dies. Savings postponed.
- Finally decide doll is too expensive and not for me
- Some months later, check out Iplehouse again-- see JID Kyle
- ALL MY PAYCHECK GONE


And now I'm waiting. And spending tons of money on this little bugger. lol

 

@peachxprince: Ahahahaha thank you so much for that post. It totally makes my day! That paper-doll... doll just made me start laughing out loud.

Ah-hem! Now I will get on topic.

I did not ask anyone because it's my money, by golly. I still did it surreptitiously. On credit. It was a horrible idea. BUT I REGRET NOTHING