Pro's and Con's of Collection Size

I have 4 whole SD, 1 half of an SD (no legs, he shares XD; ) and 6 floating heads of various sizes and two incoming SD.

Pros:Every doll/character is different from the other. ^^ Variety!

Cons: Clothes,eyes,shoes, wigs... it all costs so much! and for so many dolls it costs even more. @.@ But right now my biggest issue is the lack of bodies/excess of heads.^^;

Have you ever caught yourself thinking you'd rather have a collection in a size smaller or larger than what you have now? Sometimes I think, "If I had fewer, I could probably better clothe them all" but I'm aiming to flesh out the characters in a story and its come down to "If I get you, then I have to get him/her too" ^^; I guess I want more... as long as I can maintain a way to keep all them(and looking nice) while having the space to store them all.LOL

 

A bit about my collection: I bought my first doll in 2003, but have been an admirer even earlier than that. As of today, I have 27 dolls - 8 SDs, 10 MSDs, 3 YoSDs, 2 Anthros, 2 Puki-sized and 2 Soom Mini Gems (Barbie-scale). I also have more on the way. I sold a total of 5 dolls ever since I got into the hobby - four I sold because I did not like them in person as much as I liked them on the official pictures (all four were from the same company, interestingly), one I sold because I wanted to upgrade her body to the newer design and since she was from 2004, there was no way that I could get a resin match, so I ended up selling her and re-buying the same exact doll (with the upgraded body) from the company.

Pros of a large collection: Variety! I'm never bored with what I have - there's a doll to suit my every mood, from a large SD to a tiny Puki. My doll displays are never static, as I constantly move dolls around and change their position and/or interaction with one another. I can (and do) take breaks from buying very easily, because I have plenty of resin to keep me occupied (my last dolly buying break lasted a few years!). New releases are much easier to resist now than when I had fewer dolls - chances are, I have a stylistically similar doll already. For example, I bought 4 Delfs in 2003-2004 period; since then, I have not been tempted by any new releases either because the sculpts are too similar to what I already have, or because I like what I have more. The only exception is that I do want to buy another Delf sometime in the future to replace one (my 5th Delf!) that was stolen.

Cons of a large collection: Space concerns. I mentioned above that I sold a total of 5 dolls ever since I joined the hobby. The reason why those dolls were sold was because I didn't like them for one reason or another, once I received them, not because I needed to make room for newer dolls. In fact, I do not sell dolls just to make room for new ones - if I like a doll, it stays. This, of course, means that if I am to buy a new doll, then there must be space for her without me needing to sell a doll that I already have. Because of this, I am much more picky now and have passed on some SDs that I probably would have bought if I had less dolls. Since I didn't actually run out of space yet, I do still add to my collection, but I have a feeling that another doll-buying break is coming my way very soon

Have you ever caught yourself thinking you'd rather have a smaller collection? Yes - both times I moved since I started in this hobby, I thought of how wonderful it would be if I only needed to move a couple of dolls instead of my crew! But, even though it was a pain to pack them all up during the move, it was true with my other possessions as well (I hate moving!), so the wish of a smaller collection was certainly not serious. I love my collection and consider myself very fortunate to have so many beautiful resin creatures.

 

What exactly ARE the pro's and con's of having a collection your size? (small or large)
I am comming up to a dozen dolls, for ma as a student (AKA without a lot of money) it feels like quite a big collection, even though I know there are people out there that have many more.

but to me the biggest PRO of my collection is that I have a lot of different dolls/characters, and that means I can work on a lot of different ideas, background stories, clothes. I do not have to keep to only one or two dolls on which to try everything. Also I really like to be able to own dolls of various sizes I own from puki size up to hound, and i love the diversity of all these sizes.

well on to the CON, Cost the cost of all the Eyes, Wigs, Clothes, Extra's and so on for 12+ dolls adds up fast, trying to get all my dolls perfect is, and will be costing me a lot of money/time. Another CON is space to put the dolls, the more dolls, the faster you run out of space to put them safely

Have you ever caught yourself thinking you'd rather have a collection in a size smaller or larger than what you have now?
I started out wanting only one doll around late 2006. Now a few years later I have a dozen, And I still fall for dolls every so often.
Would I like a bigger collection? Yes if I had more money and a bigger house
Would I like a smaller collection? maybe, most of my dolls just happened and I would probably never sell any of them, but a second time around.......... some dolls might not have made it home.

 

I have 35 dolls at the moment (not including floating heads and headless bodies or incoming dolls/heads).

What exactly ARE the pro's and con's of having a collection your size? (small or large)

Cons: I am running out of room to put the dolls and all their stuff. One room of my house is almost entirely overcrowded with boxes of doll stuff and I'm finding it hard to keep track of what I have for them. We're planning to get a new house in the near future and I will be getting a doll room though and want to get the stuff better organised. Another con is that they need a lot of care and attention - dusting, redressing, making sure the clothes aren't dyeing the resin, redoing face ups. Sometimes I feel like some of my dolls are neglected. It's impossible to keep up with new clothing/shoes etc releases as there is always a doll that any new outfit/wig/shoes would be perfect for. Another con - I tend to change my mind and dolls come in & get sold, this is expensive and the packing & posting can be a huge pain. Also not looking forward to moving all the dolls and dolls stuff to a new house!

Pros: I love the dolls I have - a lot of my dolls now are my "dream dolls" that I have looked long & hard for and having them makes me happy. I love photographing them and setting them up in groups to create stories or a group dynamic. Having a lot of dolls to display all the cute outfits - being able to dress them all in a theme or to suit the season. I love being surrounded by my "pretties". If I get bored with one doll I have another one I can play with. I love having different groups of dolls (the goths, the girls, the babies, the boys, the girly-girls).

Have you ever caught yourself thinking you'd rather have a collection in a size smaller or larger than what you have now? I was only ever going to have 3, then 5, then 10, after that I gave up putting a limit on the collection.

I would actually love to cut back to say 10 dolls, but I find it impossible to let most of the dolls I have now go. I also can't say no to new cute sculpts that come out or seizing a bargain on Yahoo Japan when I see one - although I think I'm getting better at it. Now that I am emotionally attached to my dolls I just can't let them go - but I do wish I could be content with around 10. I have tried to cut back before but it's never stayed down.

 

What exactly ARE the pro's and con's of having a collection your size?

I currently have 7 SD girls, a floating head and an SD male also with a spare head, and single fashion doll scale BJD girl. I dearly love all of them but feel that for me this has become a LARGE collection. I do realise it isn't large by a lot of DOA members standards, believe me, but I'm finding it a bit difficult right now.

The most obvious problem is that of scale - they can't all share clothing. I find that pretty annoying, because even though I eventually want them all to have bespoke outfits created by me... well, I never get much time to put these plans into action. Maybe I am too fussy about what they wear until then but can't see the sense in buying my dolls clothing I don't like until that day comes along, so I tend to have to hunt out bits here and there and it's quite time consuming and frustrating.

Then there is storage and display! That's my biggest headache right now. The boy and two of the SD girls are packed away in boxes at the top of a wardrobe. I worry that I will forget they are there and miss seeing them every day. The others are all crammed into a cabinet behind a blackout curtain, so I never see them either. The reason being that I just moved to a beautiful new flat which is rather high up and doesn't have a single dark corner! The only place for my doll cabinet is in direct sunlight, all this after years in a dark house surrounded by tall trees, the perfect place to keep my resin alabaster white!

Have you ever caught yourself thinking you'd rather have a collection in a size smaller or larger than what you have now?

Sadly, in the last month or so I have been harking back to the nostalgic days of just having 3 SD girls! I think that was the amount I best coped with. The insurmountable problem is that I love each and every one of these dolls and don't want to part with any of them, so what is a girl to do? Maybe in the early days of collecting I would have envied someone with 30+ dolls but not anymore, I guess I am coming to realise what I am/not comfortable with.

 

SMALL COLLECTION OF TWO DOLLS, I don't plan on having more than 4. Small collection.

What exactly ARE the pro's and con's of having a collection your size?
Pros: Cheaper to buy wigs and eyes and clothes for just two. Very easy to travel with (since I travel almost constantly on airplanes. Very easy to store, they just sit on my shelf and don't take up a lot of space. Easy to upkeep and maintain. If I lost them in a disaster, I'm only out two dolls. Easy to hide them from friends who have phobias of dolls,
Cons: Not a lot of variety, only two dolls to pick from for photos and stuff.

Have you ever caught yourself thinking you'd rather have a collection in a size smaller or larger than what you have now?
I honestly could never EVER EVER picture myself having more than 4. I couldn't travel with more than 4, or display them, or hide them, or afford to maintain them. I'd love to buy more and more dolls, but I'd sell my other dolls to keep the number in my collection to 4 or under, since the ability to travel and move with them is very VERY important.

 

I speak from an approximate 40 BJD stance.

What exactly ARE the pro's and con's of having a collection your size? (small or large)

Pro`s:
If you have a relatively long dream doll list, you probably have some of them at this point.
You also probably have variety, allowing you to probably figure out which molds you like and which ones you like having around, allowing you to actually refrain from buying more dolls.

Con`s:
When you buy so many dolls in a small timeframe, funds are low preventing you to actually buy more doll clothes for them and actually "play" with them.
You don`t really pay attention to "all" of them. You`re going to have your favorites that you`re going to tinker with, and then you`re going to have some that are in the corner of your eye.
I travel across countries, and I definitely cannot bring all my dolls on one trip.
Too much dolls equates to more spending on wigs and clothing.
You run out of Resin dolls you want and you move on to other dolls :X

Have you ever caught yourself thinking you'd rather have a collection in a size smaller or larger than what you have now?

I can see both. I remember back when I had 4 dolls and getting all nostalgic. That was the time the dolls got splurged with clothes and shoes and furniture.
On the other hand, I think of what could happen with all those dolls I have on my wishlist.

 

Im really new to bjds but I had 50 custom Blythes at one point and am down to 30. I have added 4 DALs 1 JDoll, 1Jerryberry, 2 hujoos and a doma doll cooki and I made the preorder for Enyo. I really really want a pukifee pong and a secret doll person. Oh and a DIM doll florence lol.

Pros: the variety and different personailites have a chance to display themselves. I keep them on an Ikea expedit and its only half full so I don't think of space as that big of an issue.

Cons: $$. It is really really expensive and I do feel guilty about the thousands I have invested. Its why I sold off about 20 of my girls. I also dont have the time to take pics of them as much as I want but they still bring me lots of joy.

Do I wish I had a different collection size?
Sometimes I wish I had a better idea of the type of girl I was attracted to in the beginning vs just buying cheap girls. Im trying to take a more conservative approach now that Im starting my bjd collection.

 

I wish I had a smaller collection. I started in 2005 and can't seem to stop myself. I am now finding more that I don't want though.

Pros: More to do things with! More dolls for varity and all.

Cons: Space, money. I need a wig and shoes for my chicline el, along with clothes. I'd love to get my mega gems some winter clothes. I need bodies for heads.

Most of my dolls just happened. I found dolls I loved, and wanted and boom. Got them. Don't need them all, but can't bring myself to sell them either.

 

I don't have the largest collection, but i don't have the smallest either. Sometimes i remember when I just had two SD boys and how much fun it was to take them out and take photos- just the two of them. But then I think, "When would I have time to do that?"

I'm not exactly sure how many dolls I have at the moment. It fluctuates since I sculpt and cast my own as well... and every now and again a new one gets born. It fills up rather fast.

A few years ago I pared down to only the dolls the ABSOLUTELY couldn't part with and I only had about five. Now... they've expanded again and even though I don't play with or take photos too much I still am enamored by all of them.

The BIGGEST problem is there never seems to be enough clothes and shoes to go around. :S There also isn't enough time to keep dressing everyone. The big dolls are all clothed, but the minis keep losing their shirts... or pants... as I pass the clothes from one doll to another. It's anarchy i tell you.

 

What exactly ARE the pro's and con's of having a collection your size? I don't have a big collection, but it feels big because of all the extras that comes with owning these dolls. Buying wigs, eyes, clothes is a big deal when you are trying to get the right look for a group of dolls. I have a pile of stuff I don't use because of wrong choices. I also forget what size eyes and wigs they take when shopping for them.

Have you ever caught yourself thinking you'd rather have a collection in a size smaller or larger than what you have now? I would rather a smaller collection, say 3, but can't sell any because I am so attached to all of them.

 

What exactly ARE the pro's and con's of having a "collection" your size?
I own ten dolls and though some might think it's nothing compared to their collection, I have some problems with the number. It's kind of hard to play with them equally and to make them clothes or get them eyes and wigs. Also I own dolls from 5 different companies and only my three tinies have about the same measurements. So it's a lot of sewing. ^^;
Sometimes I want to take a photo of them all but when I'm about to have everything ready I notice that one doll would look better if I made it a hat. Or the other one doesn't look good in the dress and I would make pants for her. Or this one could really get better eyes or a better wig. And so I never make the photos I want to.
On the other hand I really like having them and each one gives me a new opportunity to make a character and be true to it. Also I can just choose a doll-size I like to play with rather than stick to only SD or tiny.

Have you ever caught yourself thinking you'd rather have a collection in a size smaller or larger than what you have now?
I sometimes thought about having a smaller collection, just because it's such a hassle sometimes.
But I never really thought of selling one or giving it away. I like each of my dolls. ^^
But I think the last doll I got will be the last one I ever get. I really don't think I'll ever get another doll. But ask me again in some years. ^^;

 

I own one doll and a head, so itll soon be two. I used to own up to seven dolls but gradually down sized them because I wanted to save more money and spend more time and detail on one doll.

If I had the money I would own more, simple as that! I enjoyed the different looks I could have with different sized dolls but for now I am happy to be able to just dress the one doll even though sometimes I feel like I limit its style (as in 'so and so wouldnt wear that' or it does not suit them). However I concentrate more on the quality and my own production of its clothing.

I have another doll on the way so I will have two, for me this seems too many but it is mainly because I need the money. In time I hope that I will decide which one I will keep and which will go, but if I had the money they would both stay!

 

Great topic!

My collection: 9 at home, one of the way. 56cm and smaller.

Pros of a small collection:
~You get to spend more time with each doll. I miss having only one. To this day I still have more pictures of my first doll than any of my other dolls...even combined >.<
~storage, maintenance, toting, group photos etc. all cheaper & easier

Cons of a small collection:
~Variety. There are so many fantastic dolls and molds, its too hard to keep the collection to only a few.
~Connectivity. Its easier to talk with lots of different types of doll collectors if you also have lots of different types of dolls. Just one made it hard to connect with people.
~Collection Envy. Even thou I suck at group photos, looking at other people's successful group photos makes me want more!

Do I want a different sized collection?
Depends on my mood ^_^ If I'm trying to get all my dolls out on display at once, heck ya I want a smaller set. If I'm looking at that new completely amazing limited doll that just came out - then there is room for one more ^_^

 

I have 9 dolls total: 4 large size, 2 minis, 1 fashion doll size, 1 yosd, 1 tiny.

Pros: I consider my collection size to be medium, I can't consider it small and I don't see it as large. Right now I feel that I don't want to take up any more space with dolls and I'm really happy with the dolls I have. They're not dominating my space but I also I feel that I have more than enough. Having the space has let me make a bookcase dollhouse for the fashion sized doll and tiny, something I've always wanted to do. I can afford to dress them well (one outfit, wig, eyes, set of accessories each), and they all get a fair amount of attention. Plus with the variety of sizes and types I don't get bored or feel the need for more. I think I've found my happy medium and I don't feel guilty over the amount I have.

Cons: I can't browse the marketplace anymore, I just can't otherwise I find myself wanting dolls that I really don't need and that I honestly don't want. It would just be impulse purchasing. I've also found that with a collection that goes above small having chairs or furniture for each one is just not feasible, the furniture would take up almost as much space as the dolls themselves; there are days I'd love to get a nice sofa some of the dolls. And there is the feeling that with so many new and amazingly creative dolls that I'm a bit left out, but those are the only cons, and they really aren't that bad when you think about it.

Do I ever find myself wishing I had a smaller or larger collection? Yes, of course but unless I get a surprise doll as a gift or accept one in some kind of trade in the future, the nine I have are here to stay with no plans for anymore.

 

My Collection : 14 dolls (4 SDs, 1 MSD, 4 yosds, 5 lati yellows) + 1 floating SD boy head

PROs : Easier for me to have my dolls roleplay different characters as they have different styles and expressions. It's simply a joy to have them around. And I get to choose who to hug whenever XD Also, it allows for more variations in the photos i take. (i think i cant imagine myself with less than 5 photographic subjects to play with...)

CONs : To me it's not really so much of the number of dolls that affect me, but rather the varied sizes of dolls that is difficult to manage as I need to get wigs/eyes/clothes/shoes of various sizes. And the worst yet is sorting and keeping them. The more dolls of different sizes, the crazier the tidying.
Well space is quite an issue as well. I bought an entire cupboard just for my dolls. and it's still not enough T_T they are migrating to my bookshelves too.. plus the boxes that up loads of space too.
and having more dolls mean lesser time spent on each one of them in terms of developing their character and stuff.. i do tend to have certain favourites and I do feel a little guilty about it at times. i will tend to bring the most convenient dolls out (my little lati yellows and yosds) and as such the big boys and girls sit at home more...
Also i do try to budget my spendings on dolls each month.. so if I get another new doll, it would mean lesser money for me to get clothes for my other kids... unfortunately

 

My collection: One 80cm, One 70cm, One MiniFee, Five CP/Luts Delfs, several floating heads which go on one character. Technically 8 Dolls. And a wish list of only 3 other dolls max.

Pros: Nice size not large not small which keeps me happy and them nicely costumed and wigged. Can still lug them all to dolly meets if I use a wheelie cart or suitcase. I can have my dolls out in my bedroom and I have easy access to them.

Cons: Often I do not take all my dolls because it takes quite an effort to get them ready and lug them on public transit (I do not drive). Especially recently since I have a long term illness which makes my body weak. So often I will choose two or three to take only.

Do I wish my Collection was smaller: Not really. I do favour my first doll over others (He is the one who got me addicted). But I like the size I have now and maybe three more in the future. I do find that my need to buy dolls has slowed down. I have been in the hobby since 2004/05 so I am keeping things very controlled. I have a small living space so this is necessary especially since keeping my dolls in good condition is very important to me rather than how many I can have.

 

What exactly ARE the pro's and con's of having a collection your size? (small or large)

Well, I have about 8 bjd's, but have a BUNCH of dolls, of all kinds. So I would say my bjd collection is small, but my doll collection is 'large'...

Pros- large doll collections- space, space space. especially with the bjd's if you get into the SD's and the 70 cm ones. I have two MSD's and 6 tinies who live in the dollhouses.
Cons- having to have clothing, shoes, wigs, eyes, etc. for a large collection can be draining. Also not all the dolls will get the attention they deserve.

Do I want a different sized collection?
I have wanted an SD sized bjd for a while now, but have been focused on my other dolls who are non bjd's. I kind of have a favorite MSD and a favorite tiny, I think an SD would be a distraction now. So I guess I like my bjd collection the size it is.

 

The good's the bad's and the ugly:

I LIKE having many dolls in every size to switch clothes and shoes, make friends & families out of.

I dislike the lack of some clothes for some dolls from companies who only have that doll in that
special size for a short time and not make many clothes for it's special size.

Example: Like the nobility emotional male body for "wolfman"
has these THICK thighs and calves that wont let regular 70cm pant legs fit.
That body also has a huge shoe size. The foot is 9.5 but needs an 11.5 shoe because the top
of the foot is so muscular and the side by the pinky toe has this wide skin.

The prices are high but that isnt a pro or con for me... that is just business.
They make it, we want it, we are willing... so they get it.

 

I've posted here before, but I've done some reshuffling since then, so I'll just post again.


My collection: 2 SD, 1 tiny. (3, in total. I don't count my mom's MSD.) At one point, I had 16 dolls, but I did some massive culling because I just could not handle having so many. Having to buy so many varieties of outfits and wigs was driving me nuts, and I just couldn't focus on a particular doll when there were so many more that demanded attention.

Pros: Extremely manageable. I don't have to shop for a whole variety of styles in different sizes or split hair about finding clothing for dolls with crazy measurements - so each doll gets a pretty huge wardrobe (wigs, accessories, clothes, shoes.) They're also easy to pack up and take around. I really dislike my dolls sharing clothing, hence I prefer each doll to have their own set of items that is exclusive to just them. I'm OCD like that. I can invest a lot more into each doll to make them exactly what I want as well - plus I have more time to spend per doll.

Cons: I suppose a con would be I don't have much variety, but I don't consider that to be a 'con' since my dolls have fixed styles. I do however, have certain issues - because of the large amounts of items per doll, it can get quite tedious packing and sorting everything out I'm not the most tidy person in the world, and packing things is not an activity I enjoy doing very much!

Do I wish I had a different collection size?: Having been on both ends of the spectrum, nope. In fact, for the longest time I wished I had a neat little trinity of dolls, and I've finally gotten there. I'm pretty happy with having a small collection. I think I also finally realise what I like, so that has changed my collection a lot too.