Rare or popular: discuss your preference

I pick dolls that I love regardless of how many people have it. In the case so far its DD Kiriha, Im new so really wouldnt know how many people have it, all I know its quite rare. My next target is DD Saber with the original battle armor, not because its super duper rare but I love the anime and Saber has so much Character. Love her ^^.

 

hmm I chose my first without hardly any knowledge of what was popular or rare, so I guess you could say if I like the sculpt's appearance and posability, then sure I'd go for it.

Before I even knew what BJD were, I saw many of them on sites like Deviantart and after a while I started to pick out what sculpts each one was. Strangely enough I liked many of the same sculps. Reguardles if they were popular. ^^

 

I've bought dolls simply because I like them. When I see a doll I like on a site, the FIRST thing I do is come here and see if they have their own thread, or if they've been photographed, because I want to see if the dolls are as lovely "in person" as they are on the site. None of my dolls are rare or ever will be, most likely, but I don't know what I would have done if I could find NO ONE on the forum who owned one... I probably WOULDN'T have gotten one, because I do like that security of knowing that the doll I'm ordering is nice/legit/acceptable. However, the first order of business is whether or not the doll means something to me. Rarity and attention isn't something I'm after at all... I'm a huge fan of DoD, I love almost all their sculpts, but I've never tried to get a limited edition or anything like that... it's not really about rarity, it's about what I'm looking for at the time and what appeals to me most.

Also, I know so little about doll companies outside of the large ones that someone telling me they have a rare doll would only cause me to stare blankly. I never considered the doll world to be based on rarity or popularity... it's all about customization and what you do WITH your doll -- the face-ups, clothing, eyes, ect. All dolls are unique in that sense.

So I guess I would have to say that dolls being more popular would appeal to me more, because they're usually popular for a reason. I don't consider myself a follower in that sense, however, because I don't buy them to "fit in", I honestly like the look of them and know a lot about them before I shovel out money for a doll I've never seen anywhere else and have no idea how it photographs outside of the website.

 

I buy what I like my fav is still the Volks Four Sisters - SD or YoSD alike maybe it's because my face is kinda round like that

 

I don't choose dolls based on their popularity at all. Having more owner pictures to look at helps, but how many I find doesn't influence my decision at all. I got Sanyu (MNF Shushu) because she looked like SANYU, not because Shushus are everywhere. Likewise I want a Suntan Asha now. I find that it's hard to find pictures of her here. I am not saving for her because she's unique or rare, but simply because she looks like GAEL.

Somehow, I seem to have developed Fairyland/CP as a favorite company. Somehow their dolls just end up looking the most like my characters, that's all. I actually feel really bad about it, like I'm being brand-name or something. But, in honesty, they just look like my characters that's all.

I don't worry about being popular or being labeled a 'follower'. I fell in love with this dolls because of how customizable they are. I liked the fact that there could be so many of the same mold, but they all look so different. All I'm worried about is that I represent my characters with the best detail that I can. If I get more gallery views because Sanyu is a Shushu, so be it. I didn't plan it that way. I won't. If you're so worried about being a follower that you DON'T buy dolls because they are popular... isn't that just as bad as buying them because they're popular? You're still basing your decisions on what other people will think, not because it's what you really want.

 

I have to say I'm more into custom. Even if the doll is popular, they can still look so different.

 

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

As far as buying goes, I'm mostly interested in finding an aesthetic that appeals to me. I love my boy for having very Asian features, and I find his rather angular face quite lovely. My girl is also very adult looking, and a little to the angular side on her looks. They both have a certain balance of realism and stylized features that I enjoy. The fact that they stand out as being less commonly used molds is appealing imho, but not the reason that I picked them.

- 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?

No, how many folks look or don't look at my doll is pretty inconsequential. I'm the one who is looking at my doll the most, so the only person it's important to please is myself. I probably do get less gallery looks for having less popular molds, but I enjoy what I do. That's the only thing that really matters.

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

Less likely. CP make lovely dolls, but I'm more likely to click for Elfdoll and Dollzone, because I'm interested in seeing what other folks are doing with the molds I have or others I love from the same company. Plus, there's always a moment of shock if I actually see a Mir or Celine in the title. I'm also quite fond of looking at Ipplehouse, Dollmore, Bobobie, Souldoll, and a variety of others.

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

Sure. My mother had the first DM Flocke on the forum, and I had a ton of fun waiting for her to arrive so I could see her. I wouldn't mind being the first to get a certain mold.

 

I pick the dolls I like. If I think it's worth spending the equivalent of a month's rent for her, I'll save up. With such a high cost, I've got to be picky -- there's no room of "trophy dolls" that I just buy because they're popular, I need to stick to the sculpts that speak to me.

With that said, I do make sure there's at least one of two other owners out there before I start the Cup Noodles diet to save for a doll. Usually, company pictures aren't the best (or, in rarer cases, they make the doll seem way prettier than she actually is, setting future owners up for dissapointment.) I want to see what she looks like when photographed by other people, and see what kinds of wigs and eyes others have given her.

I'm somewhat of an anomaly in the BJD world -- I don't like the anime-style sculpts, the last doll you'd ever see me own is a Volks DD. And I don't mind if that makes me less "popular" in the community. Like I said before, with the high cost of this hobby, there's only room for what I love -- not for what will get me into Sato or lots of gallery views.

And, of course, I'm more likely to click on picture threads with dolls I like! I don't descriminate, I'll still look at pics of dolls from companies that I know aren't my cup of tea, if I've got time to browse the galleries. But I'm definitely more drawn threads that feature Elfdoll or Soom, my two favorite companies (Mecha Angel = INSTANT click-and-comment from me, guaranteed.)

Besides, what's the fun of everyone having the same doll? There's loads of comapnies, and loads of sculpts! There's something for everybody in this hobby.

 

Rare or popular has never even been a wave length of debate when i buy a doll.
for me my deciding factor is instant ... i just know that the doll i see fits the personality i have in my head... in my case it has happened twice.... once all on my own with my first BJD Bory, from Luts who sculpt jumped a few times before i saw bory for the first time and then stared at him for hours a day for 3 weeks before i broke down and bought him.
The second time was a co-op effort, a personality my girl and i had been talking about found a doll and i pretty much bought her right away this was the new Souldoll Liddell... so i guess in my case i would fall into both categories haphazardously.

 

I've only ever bought what I've liked. I have no real interest in making a purchase based on whether or not a doll is rare or popular. In fact, some of rare and popular dolls do nothing for me at all.

 

I don't really like buying rare dolls because it's really hard to get some of them, and I'm sort of lazy. I really like customizing my dolls, though, in order to make them more one-of-a-kind. : )

Usually, if I fall in love with a doll, I'll buy it. If it's too difficult to get, though, I kinda see it as not worth it since there are so many dolls out there that I love.

 

I seem to end up liking relatively rare sculpts (rare in the sense of rarely seen). I never intentionally set out to do this, but I do apparently have an unusual aesthetic when it comes to my judgement of beauty. I like striking faces over pretty ones every time, so most popular dolls are simply too mainstream "pretty" for me.

 

When I was looking at a pic of Anne's head, with the beginnings of a faceup, I saw how generically appealing she is. But what really brought me to this conclusion was looking at a MNF Shiwoo, blank. I thought, She looks a lot like Anne. But it was probably because they were both blank...

Anyway, for my next doll I'm looking for Shiwoo-sized ears with a lot of spunk, so my tastes vary quite a bit. But I have trouble finding dolls that fit my budget, so I end up liking "low-end" dolls. Sure, I love Soom's Amber as much as the next, she's gorgeous, and Glot and Glati were adorable, but I could buy two dolls for the price of one of those! And at this stage in my collection, I'm looking for what I can afford. So I tend to go common, as I'm likely to find one cheaper in the market, or even the company price is cheaper. Which kills me, but until I can start earning some money, I just can't let myself fall in love with the FFDs or MDs, or Migidoll heads (too late!) or Volks. I don't look at what a doll is in the forums unless I love it. And, if I love it and the price is too high, I promptly forget it by sumberging myself in the forums again.

Sorry for my slight rant. ^^;

~AK

 

It doesn't matter to me whether a sculpt is rare or popular. I have one rare sculpt (Souldoll Tae, who as far as I know, there is only one other person on the forums with one), and one very popular sculpt (Migidoll Ryu). I bought them because I like them! Not to get more gallery views or anything.

And for a couple of the questions:
- Are you more likely to click gallery threads because they feature a CP doll? Be honest! Nothing wrong with having a favourite company.
Definitely not. I actually don't like most CP sculpts and usually stray away from them. I am more likely to click threads with Souldoll, Soom, and Migidoll.

- Would you buy a doll that you had not seen on the forums?
Probably not, but not because of popularity, but rather because I like to see owner pics first before I buy a doll. Company photos can be rather misleading.

 

Doesn't matter. Whatever fits the character.

 

I think the sculpt is most important. Not the rarity or popularity. With the right faceup, you can achieve not having the same doll. In the end, it must appeal to the people who buy it. So the more appealing ones will be more popular unless the company only made a limited number. I would only buy a doll that appealed to me. I'm assuming rare dolls would be more $. But it's not about the $.

 

- Which is more appealing when buying a doll: that it's rare or that it's popular?
That's not really something I would consider - whether I like the sculpt and the quality is far more important. That said, I would be much more pleased if the sculpt were popular, so that there would be other versions to contrast it to (more interesting that way). Ultimately it'll probably be a popular doll for me to have encountered it in the first place, though.

- 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?
Nope.. I don't have a bjd yet but I can't see myself taking photos. And my dream is to be a conformist, so that's a non-issue.

 

As alot of mentioned, the popularity of the doll doesn't matter. Everybody puts in effort to customise their dolls that each doll is unique no matter if they're the same mould.

 

It doesn't seem to be weather or not it's rare, for me. I just happen to like dolls that are sculpted a certain way, and you don't tend to see many of them around for some reason. My first dollie is a Leeke Kyou, and I haven't seen him around much of anywhere- maybe like, seven or eight different users I've seen have one. A lot of my characters tend to have very vstrong facial features, which tends to lead me more to them... which doesn't seem to be very popular, lol.

And buying a SUPER expensive doll just for gallery views seems to me to be a little... unnessisary, lol. Why buy something just for popularities sake if you don't really love him?

 

Well, the first doll I've bought is a Soom limited MD, and I have to admit that I am pleased at how rare she is (she's one of the MDs that hasn't been very popular - I think there are only 80 or so people on the waiting list for her here on DoA). But I didn't pick her because she's rare - her sculpt was just so beautiful that I had to have her - the rarity is just an added bonus XD

Now I'm eyeing up Pipos Bao and Cheshire Cat, and I can't say that their 'commoness' bothers me. I'm planning on customising them quite thoroughly (they're both going to become patchwork demons, I think), so it doesn't matter how common the basic sculpts are.

I think I might be influenced a bit by the characters my dolls are portraying, as well - I'm happy that my Soom girl is a bit rarer, because she's going to be my main character. I'd probably find it a bit disconcerting if everyone had their own copy of my Nouva (though she's going to have a one-of-a-kind handmade wig, so I don't really have to worry about that anyway XD). Whereas my two demons are just going to be generic demons. It actually fits in with my story that there are lots of them around =P