Rare or popular: discuss your preference

Rare dolls make me paranoid. My first doll (I fell in love with the mold) HAD to be a limited of coarse, so now I'm psychotic thinking I'm going to break it and not be able to replace the parts. It is nice knowing that not many people have the same mold as you, but common dolls are just easier to be around.

 

I can see how there would be a thrill to owning something rare - but I would choose a doll because I loved the sculpt, and it wouldn't bother me if it was popular.
My first BJD was Sooah and I know there are plenty out there, but there's only one sitting on my bed right now and she's the one who counts!

 

- Which is more appealing when buying a doll: that it's rare or that it's popular?

There are companies that stand the test of time, but I've also seen trends in ownership, I think, too. For myself, I think I'm more struck by a doll when I see my idea of a *perfect* version of a mold. A popular mold can still embody countless looks at the hand of different people. If you look at my collection, I have dolls from popular companies AND rare companies. While I have two dolls from Volks, one being a Yo which always seems popular, I'd be hard-pressed to find too many other Pippitans here, and I can't seem to find another owner of the doll I've got on layaway right now. So I guess my answer is: Yes.

- Would you ever buy a more popular doll knowing that it could get you more gallery views? Conversely, would you ever choose not to buy a doll because you believe it is too popular and you are afraid to be seen as a follower?

Honestly, I've never posted a thread in the gallery, just a few pics in the Databases for my dolls or in the Pic Request threads if I can help. But if I did post in the gallery, no, I wouldn't buy a doll for potential views...but then I wouldn't not buy a doll for fear of what others would think, either.

- Are you more likely to click gallery threads because they feature a CP doll? Be honest! Nothing wrong with having a favourite company.

Not especially, unless it is Bory. I quite like Bory. But, I do check out threads for other certain companies or dolls (I like looking for Kuns, Yos, certain DiM dolls and other dolls I own, Dollstown, or dolls where I don't recognize the name right away)...I look at lots of others, too, but I always have to click for Kuns especially

- Would you buy a doll that you had not seen on the forums?

Sure if I fell in love with it!

 

i buy what i like. though it seems i have more rare dolls than popular. i think my group equals out. plus by the time i'm done with all my mods even the common ones won't look anything like the ones on the board so no matter.

and in gallery i like cute or funny tittles i usually won't stop for companies specifically but i will stop for artist dolls. i'm more likey to click if it has mod in the title though.

 

- Which is more appealing when buying a doll: that it's rare or that it's popular?
I don't find either more appaeling it depends on the doll.

- Would you ever buy a more popular doll knowing that it could get you more gallery views? Conversely, would you ever choose not to buy a doll because you believe it is too popular and you are afraid to be seen as a follower?
I wouldn't buy a doll for the gallery views I'd only buy a doll if I really liked it.
However a factor in choosing between getting DoD Sha or DoD Duncan was that more people seem to have Duncan than Sha and I'd rather have one that isn't quite as popular.

- Are you more likely to click gallery threads because they feature a CP doll? Be honest! Nothing wrong with having a favourite company.
I'm more likely to click on a thread that has a doll I'm thinking of purchasing to see what other people have done with them.

 

I chose a FCS as my first doll, because I wanted to create my dream doll. So, rare or popular had nothing to do with it.

Honestly, I scan the gallery and photo stories looking for the name Volks in the title. I know that it might not be fair, but it is my preference. Although, I will stop if the title is cute.

 

I wouldnt care if everyone had the same mould as me- if it fitted with the character I was making I would get it!
I'll admit that if The site I was buying from didnt have many pictures and I couldnt find ANY on here or on Deviantart I would generally steer clear of that mould.

 

When i see a doll i really like, i'll put it on my wishlist; popular or not. But usually, i don't really know if it's popular because i don't really frequent the galleries that much, i'm more of a market place/discussions/Search tool kinda person XD Although, to be honest, if i fall in love with a doll and contemplate buying it, only to come to the galleries to find it infesting the boards, it tends to get shoved down on my wishlist. For some reason the popularity of certain molds is a little off-putting.

Of course....that didn't stop me from buying my El XD;;

 

I don't mind either way. If I see a doll and end up falling in love with it it doesn't matter if everyone has it or if nobody does. The important part is that *YOU* like it.

 

Depends for me. From a collectors standpoint, limiteds and rare molds are the way to go, as they may increase in value and appreciation as they age. I personally go for a mold I like. Oftentimes, it is limited, but I have two DS Dillui that are very standard (meaning doll head is sold at all times for many years) and I think it is one of the prettiest molds ever. ~Gus

 

I prefer rare to popular dolls. I don't really like having something that everyone else has. However, there are some cases (such as MNF Shushu) that I would LOVE to have a popular doll, just because there is so much that you can do with her!

 

Well, i think rare is a little better because though bjds are completly customizable so you can have a unique doll, there are many face molds of the same type out there, like, by the hundreds, but if you have a rare or limited edition, then the facemold is, like, 1 of 12 or something awesome like that!
But popular's got pluses too, as it's usually an amazing doll to become popular. And they're often not as expensive, and the limited editions are.

 

I think I do like my dolls to have something a little bit special or rare about them. When I was browsing the marketplace looking for my first doll (before the newbies marketplace restriction) and I clicked on a K-Doll Kian - my first thought was "Oooooo, lovely" and my second thought was "and I don't see a lot of these around. Goody, I'll get to be one of the few/one of the first." Then when I bought my second, Mythdoll Little Leroi, I was happy to get in on the initial offering order, but I assumed because of the nice price-point, the versatility of the sculpt and the sheer cuteness factor that the board would soon be overwhelmed with them. I was sad for Leroi when Mythdoll folded, but I was kind of happy that it made my doll more rare. A similar thing happened with my Bobobie tiny since they discontinued making the dark tan color soon after I bought her. (Though any joy there is sorely dampened by the fact that I can't buy a sleeping head for her or a grown-up version of her. And the hobby is once again poorer in dark African skin tones.)

And I definatley have favourite companies. I tend to be brand loyal, so I always click on gallery posts that feature K-Doll, Boboie, Mythdoll, or Bobobie sculpts. I also like Customhouse a lot. There are some sculpts that I really love but don't feel the need to buy because I can always enjoy them on the boards - Shiwoo and Hound, especially and all of CPs vamps.

 

I buy what I love. If it happens to be limited or rare that's great but not necessary. My first doll was a fullset Dorothy and I still have her.

 

I love my Nagisa and I know she is hard to find...(well, it was hard for me to find her!) but I think I'd love her just as much if she was as plentiful as a four sisters mold.

Gosh...I guess my Yo Tenshi Yuu (Yuh) isn't common either.

Maybe I AM a snob >.<

These questions really make you think!

 

- Which is more appealing when buying a doll: that it's rare or that it's popular?
-- If its rare it's a nice plus, but its not really much of anything special. To me rare usually means its going to be a pain in the butt to get my hands on if I can't buy it right then and there.

- Would you ever buy a more popular doll knowing that it could get you more gallery views? Conversely, would you ever choose not to buy a doll because you believe it is too popular and you are afraid to be seen as a follower?
--I buy the dolls that I like and only the ones that I like. Gallery views are nice, but in the end they really don't mean all that much, to me at least. I don't care if I've got a doll that 26 other people and their cousins have on the forum. Each doll is unique, even if they're the same mold. I like looking at what other people do to the same dolls that I've got. ^ ^

- Are you more likely to click gallery threads because they feature a CP doll? Be honest! Nothing wrong with having a favourite company.
-- Not really. I usually only click gallery pages out of curiosity, because of an interesting thread title. If the shoot title and mold sound like an interesting combination, I'll look.
Ex. "I took Shane out today! [CP Elf Shiwoo]" vs "Shane's Summer PhotoShoot [CP Elf Shiwoo]"

- Would you buy a doll that you had not seen on the forums?
-- If I was certain that I really loved that mold enough to trust not having seen owner pics first.

 

Rare or popular doesn't matter much to me, I'm looking for a pretty face that I really adore when I'm looking. What I can't see myself buying is a limited, since I'd MOD the daylights out of it, like I plan to do to all my dolls and somehow I think that's a shame.

 

Well, from the moment I first saw a Unoa (2001) on the 'net I've wanted one.

Still can't afford one, yet. I was drawn to them because they had better bodies than I'd seen from Volks. But now I've seen the Luts mature bodes too, so I might have to get one of each.

I don't see the point in liking a doll just because it's popular. That's silly! If I let other people's opinions influence me, I'd have given up my lifestyle long ago!

 

I'm not sure if it's a concious preference, per se.

I adore the B&G sculpts, but the ones I like the most are the ones seen the least, and I don't think it's anything to do with simply desiring them because they're rare.

Neither Anas or Rin are photographed very flatteringly in any of B&G's company promo photos, which is probably why they're little seen and underappreciated dolls. I was nervous about dropping money to buy a B&G Rin because of that, actually, since there were few owner pictures to offset the horrid promo pictures. Now that he's here, I have no regrets.

And I'm prepared now to buy a doll that has no owner pictures on the DoA galleries at all. I've seen plenty of Ymirs and Sharons, but absolutely not a single Anas. I'm not doing this because Anas is rare, but because I trust B&G. Sounds silly, I know. But I love the sculpt for Anas, and if Rin turned out alright, I'll trust B&G and that Anas will turn out alright also.

 

- Which is more appealing when buying a doll: that it's rare or that it's popular?
...it does not matter that much. I like to choose what I like. But I have to say, honestly, that when I see that everyone has already my fav doll-in-wishlist, it kinda bother me. Just a little.

- Would you ever buy a more popular doll knowing that it could get you more gallery views? Conversely, would you ever choose not to buy a doll because you believe it is too popular and you are afraid to be seen as a follower?
That is not a problem at all. I think a user could get views because of other things beyond doll: dresses, wig, their unique appeal. Anyway, I'm not gonna buy 400$ dolls only to get views. I'm interested in the doll itself.

- Are you more likely to click gallery threads because they feature a CP doll? Be honest! Nothing wrong with having a favourite company.
I usually look for dolls that are in my wishlist to have more photos about them. Being a CP or not, it's all about the wish of the moment ^^