Rare or popular: discuss your preference

I looked for a long time at Unidoll Suri, trying to decide if I liked her or not. There are absolutely no pictures of her here-no one seems to have her at all. That didn't worry me, other than the fact that I couldn't find anything but the original manufacturers' photos. I really wanted owner photos. I finally found some more pictures from a seller on eBay and decided against her-she looked quite strange in the pictures. So it wasn't because she was rare, it was because I couldn't see any way she would work for me. If I could find her in the second-hand market at a good price, I might take a chance, but I wouldn't buy a new one.

Narrowly missed being Soomed by Cuprit last month, but that was because her face is perfect for one of my characters. Fortunately, she was WS and the character isn't. If one of those monthly dolls comes closer I'm sunk, but it's not because they're rare.

 

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

Hmm.. that's a toughie, particularly as I don't really think it matters much to me... Since I most often buy on impulse I don't really think too much about rarity or popularity before I hit the 'buy' button!! Although... *see below*

- 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 would be less likely to buy an extremely popular doll no matter how much I like it because although I might L~O~V~E the mould and see so much potential in it, I would not only be afraid of being seen as a 'follower' but also if there's a general 'norm' type of that sort of doll (i.e. gruff bloke or girly boy) but I wanted to do the opposite, I'd be a little afraid of people being annoyed at me for oppositising (I made that word up) their mould >.>

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

CP as in... Cerberus Project? Nope, not in the least Because I really don't know which ones their moulds are!! Although, I freely admit I'm an Angell-Studio whore and will click on AS threads no matter what the mould - because I like all of them! But I'm not too fussy really, I'm actually more likely to click on a thread of a mould I've never heard of, since it will intrigue me ^_^

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

Yes. My Peakeswood Viyol. I've never seen another one but mine (admittedly I haven't looked all that hard) except on the company site, and I really don't think the company pics do her justice! Fortunately, I had the pleasure of meeting Madeleine at New Years, so it didn't really matter. But it took me several months to bring up the cash to buy her, but I still haven't seen others :3


As I mentioned at the first post - I buy on impulse. Either I fall madly in love with a mould right away, and then work out how to buy them after, or I sub-consciously decide that I will buy from ____ company next, and save until they release a mould I like, if there isn't one I want already.

Sadly this means dolls I haven't been able to afford right away have gotten stuck on back burners as my short attention span flits to the next yummy thing, but they're still in the back of my mind, and will get saved for eventually I'm just waiting on finding another dream mould so I have a reason to save! I had that with my Angell-Studio Gavin (neeeeeeeeded a tan vamp, they released one, perfect timing! no monies... savesavesave! ) and I really actually enjoyed the "I HAS NO MONEEZ" desperate saving of it all ^_^ I needed him for a character though, not cause he's limited or popular, just cause I HAD to have a tanned vampire

So... I think I've gone off on a bit of a tangent here, but I hope I make sense and haven't just been talking rubbish

 

i would buy a doll if i like the mould, more than if it was popular. i used to try to avoid popular moulds(like EL) but recently i am falling in love with him. and a lot of other CP sculpts. i think it's cos i like their hands. i usually look for details in the body which i like(body height, arm thickness, nice legs, nice hands...though i know i can just change them) so i tend to like only some companies. CP just happen to be one of them.

as for the gallery, i would just click on every sculpt that i think would appeal to me. seriously, it takes a long time to look, but i would do that all the time anyway.

 

Personaly I do not buy a doll because it is popular or rare, for me its really the face/mold that attracts me to a doll.

But I can understand that there are people who like to collect rare dolls ^.^
In the end its all about what someone is looking for in a doll

 

Hummmm, a very packed group of questions. I buy a doll if it catches my eye or can fit into the personality for a certain century appearance. At first, many dolls were checked off as ones I'd like to purchase, but as I've seen them in the gallery's of others, my list has decreased to just five.

If the doll is limited edition I might be tempted to purchase, but that hasn't happened yet and I don't think I'd buy a doll just because others want it or find it popular on the list. I just think most of us buy a doll because we love it and can't live with out it!

 

I usually prefer more rarer and limited molds. I don't know... I just get drawn to them more than popular dolls :S

 

i think my boy is unique since i modified it's face a bit. so that is only one doll which have that face.

maybe i am the one whoprefer rare.

 

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

I've never once bought a doll thinking that I want them because they're rare or that they're popular. I want them because I love their faces or I feel a sort of connection with 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?

Er...Gallery views? Buying a more popular just to get more gallery views? It's either really stupid to do that or a total waste of money. What's the point of getting a popular doll when you don't love him/her just to get gallery views? It's easy to tell if your dolls receive enough love from you or not, so even if they pose really nice or have the best clothes or accessories on them, if it looks rather fake, well...I really don't know what to say.

Same answer as the above question for me though. But then again, I ever brought my AOD Gu to a doll meet and met a few other Gus there. No one ever realised mine was a Gu, but the other 4 or 5 owners do know each others' are Gus. That's because almost similar style of clothes, face-up(they didn't change the face-ups) and wigs. Mine was totally different from them. So even if it's a popular sculpt, I won't be afraid to buy. So what if I'm labelled as a follower? I myself will know better if I'm a follower or not. Plus I can always change the dolls' clothes and face-ups to not look common.

- 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 click on all threads that that has the icon LARGE next to them. I prefer bigger dolls. Or that it features some shounen ai/slash/male-love. Or interesting titles. But if the word SOOM is inside, somehow I don't care whether small or large and will just click. Or that there is Dollzone and Angel of Dream.

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

Why not? If I like the sculpt enough, if my funds allow, if I can give it my love, why not? I would~ I might even help the company advertise if I find no faults with the doll.

 

I like to be unique and I like unique things so I would have to say that I like rare dolls better.
But if the doll is really amazing, then I would definetely buy a popular doll.
I guess it just depends on a lot of things. X3

 

yes I also prefer rare dolls because I havent been crushed by any popular doll yet. And I like to mold my dolls into one-off and I aslo make my own dolls.

 

it doesn't matter to me. i have a very common doll (puki pipi), a semi-common doll (AoD fei), and a doll i've only seen one other person have (dollndoll bubble)
all three i bought because i like them, not based on how popular/rare they are.

 

- Which is more appealing when buying a doll: that it's rare or that it's popular?
Hmmm D: That's a very good question! To me, it's not really the deciding factor in buying a doll. I buy more based on the sculpt and how well it suits my needs, (namely my characters) and what potential I can see in it. However, I do like rare things when it comes to anything in my life, so Judas being a LE was just a big bonus :}

- 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?
Gallery views have never occurred to me lol. I bought Judas for myself, not for a popularity contest with other dolls. Of course, it's nice to have him appreciated! xD. Honestly speaking, I do prefer a less common sculpt, but it's not the deciding factor if I really love a doll.

- 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. xD I'm more likely to click if the topic interests me, haha. Or if the title is interesting.

- Would you buy a doll that you had not seen on the forums?
I did! I don't know if there's another owner of LE Kara owner here D: I would love to know if there was though. It can only be a good thing! xD

 

I am redoing this, as my thoughts have changed.

- Which is more appealing when buying a doll: that it's rare or that it's popular?
Both are extremely important to me. A lot of rare dolls are extremely popular, such as the Volks Renee and Suiseiseki, for instance. Overall, I would rather have a rare doll, because I don't want my girl (or boy) to just be another face in the sea of identical molds.

- 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 rarely post pictures in the Gallery as it is, haha... I would never buy a doll just because people would view the threads I posted of it. And I don't care if people find my choice to be an act of a 'follower'. I could care less what people here on DoA thought of my doll choices. ^^;

- Are you more likely to click gallery threads because they feature a CP doll?
I don't like CP, so no. I am, however, more likely to click a Gallery Thread that features a L.E. doll of sorts, particularly Volks or Iplehouse... ESPECIALLY SOOM and Dollshe dolls as well!

- Would you buy a doll that you had not seen on the forums?
I did once, and I most likely will not do it again (unless it is a limited, such as a SOOM Monthly or a Dolpa Lottery doll). I bought a doll I hadn't seen too much on the forums and went solely by her promo pictures and was vastly, vastly disappointed.

 

If the doll "calls to me" I get it. I don't think about how popular it is. And I'm new here, so all of my doll purchases have been made without looking them up in the forums.

 

Whether it is rare or popular does not affect which dolls I buy, but I guess rare would be more appealing to me because it makes it that more unique.
I wouldn't buy a doll for the reason to get more gallery views, because I would be happier if the doll that I like get the views.
And I like looking at all doll pictures, just started on BJD dolls so the ones I've seen are by Doll-zone. There are so many galleries and pictures so I just pick randomly.

 

I kind of have an inability to conform with a peer group *sweat drop*. So I guess the upside is, I like the dolls I like and don't worry about popularity/rareness.

I am more likely to click on gallery threads if it mentions a company I like. Not necessarily a doll I want-- I love the Soom sculpts, but I don't actually plan on owning one, I just like looking at pictures of other people's.

As for buying a doll I hadn't seen on the forums... well, unless anyone has pictures of a Kid Delf AN, then that's exactly what I plan on doing. I just fell in love with him seeing him on Luts' website, he was just right for my purposes. I've seen a few Anis on the forums, but no ANs. So while I generally like the idea of seeing owner pics to get different views of a doll, I certainly don't have a problem with buying a doll I haven't seen on the forums.

=^__^=
Anneko

 

- Which is more appealing when buying a doll: that it's rare or that it's popular?
Umm.. that I just like it? xD

- 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 was thinking about kid delf bory boy before, but there're millions of them already so I choosed ani ^__^

- Are you more likely to click gallery threads because they feature a CP doll? Be honest! Nothing wrong with having a favourite company.
I love Luts dolls ^^; so yeah, I look at their galleries more often ^^

- Would you buy a doll that you had not seen on the forums?
Why not? ^_~

 

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

Neither, I buy dolls that I like. The fact that they are rare or popular isn't a consideration when buying a 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?

No to both questions. For example, I bought an El because I really just fell in love with his particular mold. There are a million Els on the board, but I'll still post pictures of him because I like them and want to share them. As for being seen as a follower, as long as the doll makes you happy you shouldn't care what others think if you get a mold that hundreds of people already have.

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

I will admit that I am more likely to click on a thread with a CP doll but that's because they are some of my favorite molds. I won't click on all threads just because they have a CP doll, though, only my particular favorites. I'll also admit that I'm more likely to click on a thread featuring a Volks FCS mold.

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

I most likely would if I liked the doll. As long as I like it, I'm going to buy it, rare, popular, or never before seen.

 

I've never consciously looked at a doll I've liked and thought "No, I'm not buying that, it's too popular" or vice versa. I'm saving up for dolls I love the look of and think I will enjoy owning, regardless of popularity or rarity.

Having said that, I sometimes feel a bit awkward when I think of how the doll I'd like to buy first is a Migidoll Ryu, which seems to be the generic, wanted-by-all head? And I'm not like that at all and, as such, don't want to be perceived so.

I also don't really think I should have to explain why I want a certain doll and not another or whatever; I'd like him/her because I do, popularity or rarity doesn't interest me.

 

I loved reading everyones replies, so thought I would input too


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

I do sometimes think of the popularity, but this is more out of a general interest then trying to get popular or rarer dolls. My dolls range from popular (and non limited) Luts dolls such as El and Lu-Wen, to popular but rarer dolls such as Beryl, Breakaway etc. I also have dolls likes a Domuya Venturo and a JollyPlus Gise - relatively small companies, and you rarely see the dolls around. I really do think it is all due to the faces for me - and more recently, bodies. I bought the Gise first, and I was very new to dolls, and never really thought about popularity.

- 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, I do not think so on either count. I'm not a very good photographer, so I tend not to post pictures much, so this is not really something high on my list - though it is always nice to have people look, no doubt. I wouldn't be put off by a very popular doll, there is a reason why a doll is so popular, and there is nothing wrong with plenty of people enjoying it, for whatever reason. It's one of the reasons I love these dolls so much - they can be made so different from each other, despite molds.

- 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 likely to click on a gallery that contained pictures of a doll I was interested in. Some CP dolls I like, others I'm not as keen on - same with any company. I look for names of dolls, not company names.

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

Yes. I probably would search for user pictures first though. I bought my Venturo without seeing user pictures, and I'm so glad I did.