"PRETTY please?": the art of obtaining.

I'd always liked collecting dolls, and when my friend Sarah and I were traveling in Germany, we asked each other what we were going to get for a big souvenir for ourselves.
Her: Butt-load of candy, fancy pocket watch
Me: A doll
But everywhere we looked all the dolls looked like... I dunno, like I'd seen it all before, y'know? I was kind of becoming discouraged in a hobby I once loved and it saddened me. ;_; Then Sarah said, "Hey, I have this friend who collects these really pretty dolls called BJDs, heard of them?"
Me: Whassat? :B
She: *points to her laptop* Message her, and tell her its Kurr, I've mentioned you before so she'll know its you. xD

Then A CHORUS OF ANGELS DESCENDED FROM THE HEAVENS and I was directed to a load of BJD sites, including Dream of Doll, whereupon I fell in love with Ivan~~ OwO

So I didn't end up getting a doll in Europe, but when i returned to the states I dedicated myself to learning all i could about BJDs and saving for one of my own. My love for dolls blossomed brighter than ever, and i finally learned the importance [and patience] of saving money. And almost 2 years later, my first boy is being shipped to me as we speak. >8D

And that.... is my epic tale. xD

 

Adae: Ahhh, a mother's "Glare of Death".... I'm on my first doll, and I've already gotten that. xD;;

 

1. See Dollfies online many years ago. Immediately want to gack. Those are FUGLY things!
2. Mia posts a pic of her OOAK Customhouse Goddess Athena on the MACissy board. Think, ummmmm, that's rather nice, different from the other aliens.
3. Forget about them for a few years.
4. Friend brings her tan Lishe to our Fashion Doll Club. Pretty interesting & not alien looking. Encourage her to bring more. Friend sends me links to various sites.
5. Play with friend's dolls at meetings for about a year. Getting more & more interested but my comfort level for doll prices is still under $300.
6. Spend hours looking at various sites. Discover US stores that carry BJDs. Look at MSD size & very attracted to Soul Kid Miryu.
7. Search heart & realise that I really want big dolls & wouldn't be satisfied with Miryu. Price still an issue. Wrestle with self over that.
8. Finally, after looking around & around, one night I just can't take it anymore. Call Dolls & Friends & after an hour & a million questions with a very patient Jennifer, I order Elfdoll Lydia & Red.
9. Stalk the mailman till they get here. Joy oh joy, they're here! Steal clothes from other dolls, order clothes & wigs.
10. Thoroughly addicted to resin. Sell about 70% of other dolls to buy more & never look back again.

 

-After watching Chobits, I googled for some Chii doll, I mean, to find out if one existed.
-I found Volks Chii, but inmediatly learnt she was a sold out limited impossible to get o__O
-Kept googling for dollies and found Luts website. Saw Chiwoo... OMFG! Saw his price... OMFG!
-Decided not to give up. Muts have him!!! xD
-I was in a part time job, but decided to save little by little.
-Then Luts released Chiwoo Elf.
-Months after I got a Chiwoo Elf head and two weeks after I found a steady job, yey! xD
-Two months later I got him a body :P
-Now my Chiwoo Elf, Oliver, is sitting here in my desk next to my Sprite, Valadhiel and now I'm waiting for my second SD and third dollie.

And all this in one year, hehe

 

> Saw bjd's for the first time few years ago. OMG, pretty! ... OMG price!
> Forgot about them until-
> Saaya winds up ordering one.
> After she gets Kieran I plan to go over and laugh at her for spending so much money on a doll.
> I promptly fall in love with him.
> Spend months obsessing over doll's, reading FAQ's, seeing pictures, finding websites. Also attend a doll meet.
> Spot an Inez (one of the moulds I wanted) on ebay in Europe and buy her.
> Much worrying later Lucy arrives.
> Now expecting my second doll and still obsessing over many more.

 

-Saw BJDs for 2 years
-Last Kumoricon I decided I finally wanted one
-Went to a doll 101 at kumori to get to know them more
-Bought Aki a few days later from AoD

For Konrard
-Looked for that perfect doll
-Found DOD
-Saw Ducan
-HAD to have
-Got as a christmas present
-Am still waiting for him T_T

My mother got Kyoko
-Was at a doll meet
-Saw her
-Mother really liked her
-Friend said she could buy her since they weren't bonding
-Mother bought at the next meetup

 

My parents think I am buying him with my birthday money
...or atleast that's what I'm going to tell them...


I think if my parents new that I used the extra money I had left over from living funds they'd be a little mad. But it was extra so I could afford to
So technically my dad "bought" him for me. Heh...

 

I pretty much just showed my parents the dolls and explained what made them special before I showed them the price and told them that I wanted one. They said something along the lines of ''okay, but you're paying entirely for it with your own money.''even though I'm still in the process of saving for my boy, its pretty much a done deal. =/ is this making me sound like a spoiled child?

 

lmao- mine was pretty simple:

Surfing ebay to find parts for a cosplay
Start seeing amazing shoes etc. come up and find out that they're all made for thiese weird dolls
Go to anime con- see weird doll in person- decide 'it's not weird at all!! They're amazing!!"
Join Forum
Find giant list of links to bjd companies
Become slowly addicted- cry self to sleep because of miserable brokeness
Tell parents "I will sell my Copics!!"
Guilty feeling mummy: "Just get the damn thing- it'll be your Christmas present- so don't ask for anything else!"
Happy Teru

 

My parents give in too easily

Doll #1

-Saw weird yet fascinating dolls on Deviantart two or three years ago
-Went to AWA in 07 and saw some in person, and thought they were just lovely; but I would never spend that much on some doll.
-Posted a few questions about them anyways on the AWA forum, got directed here, and was scared off by the 'billions' of 'strange terms'.
-Gave up on getting any information, until 6 months or so later when Deviantart showed me their beauty again.
-Traveled back here and spent awhile trying to remember my password.
-Spent months browsing as many websites as I could find (and still do 8D)
-Show my mother this pretty dog dollie from Luts :3
-Mother says no :C
-Keep begging her for weeks to get it for my birthday because 'She's limited...And everything that's good about life.'
-SUCCESS :'D

Doll #2...and possibly #3 (If Paypal doesn't screw it up for me >C)

-Show my mother another doll
-She says no :C
-Tell her I'll just buy the head to make sure it isn't just a phase
-Then tell her I'll save money on shipping by buying the whole doll >'D
-He will be mine
-Discover my dream doll who sold out last year in the marketplace
-Show my mother that one as well
-Can't decide between the two of them
-She caves and says I can get them both :'D

I mostly win her over by saying I can use them as models since I'm going to study costume/fashion design 8D

 

1. Late 2006, my friend posts a picture of the dollfie she wants on her livejournal. I sit in awe and fall in love immediately.
2. Graduate from high school in 2007, buy my doll with some of my monies. A DM Isaac Boy.
3. Lust after the KDF Cherry I've wanted since I first started exploring the doll websites.
4. Buy an AA Ling, can't fall in love with him.
5. Sell the AA Ling, and notice a Cherry for sale here on DOA.
6. Buy said Cherry with some saved money and the money from the sale of my Ling, and do a little victory dance.

Luckily my parents are pretty supportive, as since the money is completely mine, they let me do what I want with it. The only issue I ever have is using my dad's paypal, because he can get a little testy when I ask to use it.=)

 

1- Work my butt of whole summer, cancelled dates with dear boyfriend.
2- Got money.
3- Lurking around Marketplace and Y!Japan auction.
4- Lost hope.
5- Surf around eBay.
6- Found it!!! My lovely dream doll Unoa!!!
7- Spent 620$ within 5 seconds.
8- Arguing with my mom about it. She keeps on saying that I got tricked, the doll is not made in Japan, that it's a fake doll someone molded off...
9- But since it's my money and I worked hard for it, saying that's the graduation+summer+welcome to college present to myself, she kinda give up on the yelling
10- Waiting for the doll to come tomorrow!!!

 

i first bought a 27cm obitsu doll for a drawing figure. then upon further research, i found the 60cm girls and HAD TO HAVE ONE. it was $250, which is pretty expensive for me but nothing in comparison to other dolls. i've had friend of friend type acquaintances that have had msds. i remember going to a doll meet at sakura con last march but i had little to no interest. but idk. something clicked.

my soon to be hubby was all "why would you spend so much for a dumb doll?" and all that jazz. but he loves me and eventually said, "if that's what you really want i guess..." i bought her with my own money but i make him ask me before he does everything and so i have to do the same. when i finally got her and made her up his negative attitude totally changed. he compliments her when she gets new outfits and stuff. it's really nice.

my mom thinks she's really pretty too. she doesn't know how much i spent. but whenever i bring her round the house, mom's always so curious and wants to hold her and junk. it's funny. the first thing she said was, "why does she have chicken legs? why's she so skinny? doesn't she eat?"

now i really want to get a real resin doll. and sd13 girl. on the volks website i think it comes out to nearly $900 for the one i want. i don't think i'm going to tell cj or my mom about that one though... not until after the holidays maybe.

in the end though, i'm really happy that cj loves me enough to support my decision in starting a new hobby. he's worried about me spending too much money on the dolls and not enough on myself which i can understand. but it's my decision and he respects that and it makes me happy...

sorry now i'm just rambling...

 

How did you go about finding/choosing/buying/recieving your kid?

Step One- Finding BJDs in general. After I looked for and re-read an old Shojo Beat article, I became obsessed with BJDs (oddly enough that didn't happen previously when I had first read the article). The article mentioned DoA, so I looked at the main site, then joined the forums.

Step Two- Choosing a doll. I knew I wanted a BJD, but I didn't know which one. So I read tons of photostories and looked at box openings on here until I stumbled across valkyrie's Alexis and fell in love with him, a Lati M.

Step Three- Buying the dream doll. I told my parents about him, and they agreed that I could buy him if, I bought him. So then I entered a few months of saving money (some of which was Sweet 16 money, then I got a job towards the end of this). Then the end of March hit, when Lati announced that they would be closing the ordering period for their dolls. At the time I didn't know that ordering periods open and close as dolls are re-stocked. So I panicked. I was still $200 off, and I thought they were discontinuing him. So my parents agreed to pay the difference, but I would have to pay them back (and I wouldn't be allowed to see him until I did). April 1, 2008- Lati M ordered. Early May, 2008, I paid back my parents.

Step Four- Receiving my dream doll. June 2, 2008. After school my mom and I had to run errands, and she didn't tell me he came in (to surprise me). I go inside, I shriek, I open him, I love him. And that was that.

 

1. See BJDs years ago. Think they are pretty, but way too expensive. Still in high school, even $100 is pricey to me.
2. Forget about them.
3. Second year out of high school have a friend show me the Pinky:St DS game, as it's a rhythm game, and I looooove rhythm games.
4. Google Pinky:St, come across Pinky-Street.com, learn that it's a figure line.
5. Order pinkys.
6. Eventually wind up with 30-40 pinkys, and having spent $45 on some rares, or more!
7. Find Pullip, don't like her at first.
8. Join DoA, lurk. BJDs still way out of price range.
9. Discover Pullip's boyfriend, Taeyang. Order 2.
10. Wind up with 4 Pullips, 2 Taeyangs somehow. Wallet cries. Don't really feel like more Pullips or Taeyangs. Love them still, but hit my 'limit'. They're too fragile to play with too often, so they wind up being more 'display' dolls.
11. Go back to DoA. Do some research, look around for dolls in a lower price range for my first.
12. See B&G's Hera. Think it's too much, swear to not order one.
13. Can't stop thinking about Hera. Give in a week later, and order her.

3 - 13 happened in about 8-9 months. X3 very slippery slope from $8 figures to $80 dolls to $800 dolls...

 

haha well when i first started looking for a doll, I only new one doll site (junkyspot), so I was looking on there EVERYDAY it too me months before i actually picked out one i wanted (i settled with DZ Fei)
so i had a butt load of money stashed aside, i called my dad into my room to look at him one day and was like hey dad can i get him I have enough. and he looked at me and said ok wutever. so i ordered him that night. I didnt really no wut i was gonna do with him, I had only seen them at Anime cons so I was excited about getting him but not that excited. and when he came i admired him for 2 days and than stuck him in his box till about 7 months ago and hes been seem in my arms almost all the time ever since. my whole family knows him by name and knows excatly who we are talking about when we mention Eric. and this Thursday he wil meet my grandparents, and Everyone else from my dads side who live up north. and they will prob think im crazy. but im 16 and allowed to me XD

 

erm it went something like this;

1. Deviantart HELLO ART
2. Most Popular Deviation in the last 24 hours P.1
3. See oki-oki's Hayden (aka Hiritai's)
4. DOLL FAQ
5. Discover Migidoll. Fall in love for Miho while simultaneously GOOGLE+discover DOA
6. Discover Migi doesn't sell bodies or faceups :C
7. Visit LUTS/DOD/ETC.....

I've always loved MD Miho. But me knowing myself, I needed the whole package deal, for myself and for my mom. Back then I hadn't started working yet, so I only had some money saved from Xmas gifts and such so I had to think smart. So after scrutinizing for awhile, I picked DOT Lahoo.

I had a pretty detailed plan for convincing my parents.
I started by slowly bringing up the subject.... slowly. Very slowly. I called her and said I casually stumbled upon this OMG BEAUTIFUL DOLL LOOK MOMMY. And had a talk with her about how beautiful it was (she said it was kinda creepy... but yeah, cute.) I let it sit for awhile, then bring up the subject again, telling her I'd really like to buy it. Then I showed her the price, and talked about resin and quality and whatnot and what it came with and SIZE. And I talked how it'd be such a great and detailed model for art and stuff. If you're someone who hardly buys anything else, which I am, it also helps to mention this is the first time you've really wanted something this badly. Still, my mom was reluctant and what really did it was to say that I'd pay half. There's was always the constant 'arent you too old for dolls?' But I just calmly reminded them that this is what I truly liked and wanted, and that there was no age limit to toys. My dad... well we both agreed that we'd never tell him how much it really cost. He's really snappy about money. He still thinks the price was 45$, what we paid for customs. And he thinks that was way over-priced >.> Anyways, the whole process took about 3 days lol which was pretty fast!

Though after awhile, a very short while really, I got sick of Lahoo. Not that he wasn't a great sculpt of anything, I just... I don't know. Found these little details about him I wasn't happy about. So I sold him, and bought my oh-so-soughted Miho, got him a body, and is in the process of getting him a faceup. All of this in secret, using the money I got from selling Lahoo as a budget, and shipping the stuff to my friends/family's houses.

But now....................... I've found Crobidoll's Yeon-ho. And I don't know what to do @_@. Should I get him? Should I not? I've now nearly completed my Miho, should I replace him now? (Find me unusual, but I'm set on only having one doll. Personal reasons). Anyways, for now, I've decided to go along with my plan and, if ever I am unhappy with how my Miho turns out, I'd get Yeon-ho. Yup. If I'm happy, I'll wait till I've got more cash and less school work and get him as my second doll and see if I keep both or not.

 

I'm using my own money, and my parents said yes...but we have yet to order her. That's not their fault, though. My dad owes me some grade money (Yes, I get bribed for good grades. It's a sweet deal.) but he's paying bills and debts first. I'm not mad, obviously those things need to be paid...I just wish I could order her now. (That grade money is paying for the last little bit I need.)

That said, my parents definitely don't like them. They're trying to be supportive, but you can see that they really don't understand or like these dolls. In their eyes, I'm buying a $600 toy. But I do think they're beginning to realize how hard I've fallen for these dolls...I always have DoA open in a window, and whenever I'm not here, I'm looking at pictures or making a wishlist. My birthday may not be until November, but I'm still planning to ask for doll clothing or donations to my doll fund. They took a lot of convincing at first, but I think they're accepting this hobby now...

Oh, and btw...these were my steps. xD

1. Saw a doll at Animazement.
2. Asked a woman where they came from, what they were, etc.
3. Researched through summer
4. Forgot for the first part of the school year
5. Saw another at Nekocon
6. Continued research
7. Joined DoA
8. Finally decided, YES I want one
9. Hunted though companies
10. Saw B & G's Freya, fell in love.
11. Fell hard for a number of other dolls, but ultimately decided to buy Freya first.
12. Decided on the clothes, wig, and eyes that Kirstin's getting, and worked out all shipping costs.
13. Broke news to parents, they freaked out
14. Finally obtained permission, is now almost ready to order.
15. Squeal like crazy, because Kirstin will be home soon!

 

1. Googles toddler references for drawing, find Volks dreaming Rengemaru, drools at the mouth and squeals much.
2. Googles Volks Dreaming Rengemaru, find out it was limited item, find out price tag, dies a little inside.

Two Years Later
3. dA fanatic, sees doll photography popping up here and there and increasingly become addicted but at the same time turned off by the SD's huge size and price tag

One Year Later
4. Meets a friend's AoD MSD, continuously stroking his leg while drooling at the mouth, much to her disapproval.
5. DoD releases YoSD sized Dream of Babies. Has 15 hundred saved in the bank collecting dust bunnies. /clicks on put into cart button
6. Buy eyes/wigs/clothes/saving up for a canopy bed.
7. Wait. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttt. Still waiting.

 

~ See doll on DA. "Wow! Pretty doll!"
~ Completely forget about dolls for a few months
~ Aisu shows me Ivan from DOD.
~ I decide to explore the site, and fall in love with Luke.
~ I join DOA and learn about dolls. All. About. Dolls.
~ OBSESS OVER DOLLS.
~ "Daddy, if I save enough money, can I buy a doll I really, really, really want?"
"I don't know. How much does it cost?"
"It depends... they can be about $450 to over $1,000. I don't want a $1,000 dollar one, though." -happy smiles-
"No. You're a little too old for dolls, aren't you?"
"... >.<"
~ Wow Camine is pretty~ -wants-
~ Hmmm... Sha is better for Oliver... if only his eyes were more closed...
~ A day or two later, Tender Elf Sha comes out.
~ -DIES-
~ "MOM! Those dolls, yes? Can I have one for Christmas? There's an event, and if I buy the body, they'll give away the head.... FOR FREE. But only before the end of December."
"How much is the body?"
"420 and shipping."
"No."
"But... but..."
"No. I don't want to talk about this. We already have your presents anyway."
"Return them."
"I said no, drop it."
"... D:"
~Ask every day for about two weeks to get him.
~"Mom! Can I pay you back? Please? I promise I will!"
"No."
"Daaaadddyyy? Can I please if I pay you back?"
"No..."
~ Parents start asking questions about what these dolls are.
~ Christmas morning- ZOMFG. -getting doll- BEST CHRISTMAS EVER.
~ Oliver is ordered.
~ Wig shows up.
~ Clothes show up.
~ Waiting.