Rare or popular: discuss your preference

- Which is more appealing when buying a doll: that it's rare or that it's popular?
truthfully, neither. I would only buy a doll if I loved everything about that doll. The rarity or popularity of it do not affect my decision to buy/not buy 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, I post photos in the gallery just to show the forum what I have done with my doll, I'm not concerned with whether or not that gets me views for whatever reason.

- Are you more likely to click gallery threads because they feature a CP doll? Be honest! Nothing wrong with having a favourite company.
I am more likely to click on gallery threads that feature dolls that I really love (like VOLKS F-01)

- Would you buy a doll that you had not seen on the forums?
if I really loved that doll, could afford to buy it and it was being sold by a reputable company/source then I would buy it

 

- Which is more appealing when buying a doll: that it's rare or that it's popular?
I think for me, it just depends on the sculpt. Some popular dolls are more appealing because I can see a lot more owner pictures of them. Rare sculpts are appealing to me because they are different and unique.

- 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?
For me, it's about which doll I like the most. I don't care if other people like or don't like my dolls, I'm a part of this hobby because I enjoy it, not to impress everyone else. When other people like my dolls, it makes me happy, but I don't design my dolls around what other people like and want to see.

- Are you more likely to click gallery threads because they feature a CP doll? Be honest! Nothing wrong with having a favourite company.
Probably CP Sculpts are easily my favorite, although I'd love to branch out more.

- Would you buy a doll that you had not seen on the forums?
If I'd never seen it before, I would definitely have to go search for it and do a bit of research. I don't buy anything expensive without doing some research on it.

 

- Which is more appealing when buying a doll: that it's rare or that it's popular?
Sure its cool that a doll isnt well known or rare, but i still love dolls that are popular, for example minifee chloe, shes gorgeous and there are so many different style of her ^^ Its nice to be able to see a popular doll because you can see what they will look like with a blank face or a faceup. To me it doesnt matter, as long as the doll is perfect to me i would try to get it either way!

- 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, to me it would seem a less popular may get more attention because it is not seen that often, views dont matter to me though ^^ Like stated before i love minifee chloe and she is super popular and i would own her if i had the chance ^^

- Are you more likely to click gallery threads because they feature a CP doll? Be honest! Nothing wrong with having a favourite company.
I am not too sure what CP is, but i would love to see pictures of a doll that i like ^^ i like to look at other galleries though because it may catch my attention to one of that companies dolls ^^


- Would you buy a doll that you had not seen on the forums?
Yes one of the dolls i recently ordered, i have not seen any pictures of but i still decided to get her, shes just too sweet to pass up

 

- Which is more appealing when buying a doll: that it's rare or that it's popular?
Neither really, I buy a doll because I like the look, if anything those two traits I hate because that makes getting it that much more difficult and/or expensive.

- 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?
Again neither, this hobby is too expensive to be worrying about whether other people on the internet like or don't like your dolls.

- Are you more likely to click gallery threads because they feature a CP doll? Be honest! Nothing wrong with having a favourite company.
Sometimes, but if I recognize the username that can sometimes cause me to look/not look.

- Would you buy a doll that you had not seen on the forums?
Don't think that's ever come up for me, but as long as I have some sort of sample photos somewhere thats usually good enough for me

 

I don't care about how rare they are as long as they fit my character. I have got some sculpts that were semi-rare, though (limited time and all that) But I know I would have probably moved onto another sculpt if they hadn't been released or re-released soon.

I'm, however, not into getting up at odd hours and madly updating my page just so I can snag something that's limited to 3 or 5. I believe getting a doll is supposed to be a pleasant experience, not something that'll give me stomach ulcers.

 

I mostly buy dolls because I like how they look and they fit my characters, however, wildly popular dolls kind of put me off. You probably won't see me with a minifee chloe anytime soon (though she is cute)

 

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

Rare. I never did buy an El, and I'm not into standards. It's hard to sell standards if you change your mind about them later.

Plus, "same old, same old" is boring. A choice between Dia and Sard? I tracked down a Sard, even though he's costing me twice as much as a Dia kit would. Hooves, horns, and wings? Oh yes!

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

CP was never much to my taste. I don't really peruse the gallery unless I'm looking for something specific anyway.

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

Yes, I have. She was a gift doll from the company so she's rare to start with, then she was only declared on-topic relatively recently. I think I have the only one on the forum since I haven't found any threads about her.

 

I don't really care if a doll is rare or more common. What counts is if I like the sculpt and they suit the character I have in mind for them. I have a mixture with standard, LE and rare in my collection. I love my Rickydoll boy and there are not many around but I also love my Dia boy as he is an important character to me and as he has a custom face-up he doesn't look like any other Dias. I think that's one of the best things about bjds is that no two are ever totally the same and two dolls of the same sculpt can look so different once customized

 

I think buying a popular or rare both have their pros and cons. Owner Pictures are wonderful to look at before you actually go out, buy, and receive a doll. Sometimes these owner pictures are MUCH harder to find and it's a little harder to get a feel for the sculpt you may be buying.
I usually base my decision completely on sculpts that will fit a character I have in mind.
I am also more likely to browse someone's pictures if they've got a sculpt I'm interested in, or their sculpt is from a company I enjoy.

 

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

Neither, honestly! I do have some more popular sculpts, along with some less-frequently seen ones, and neither point really matters to me. I bought the dolls because I personally liked them, not because X number of other people did or did not like them.

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

If I'm truly being honest, I don't actually go into the gallery much unless I'm following a link from a subscribed company thread. I generally don't have the time to browse the gallery, so I stick mainly to my subscriptions, and a few other threads. When I do head that way, usually I'm either looking for a very specific doll (possibly for a future purchase, or to see others of a mold I have), or looking to see if people have done a doll of a specific character, rather than just looking for a thread featuring dolls from a particular company.

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

A good number of my dolls were bought this way, actually! My first doll came before I ever registered for DoA; the second and third were ordered shortly after I signed up here, and I didn't look for owner photos ahead of time. Another two from that family just aren't seen very often, and two more are custom MNM heads... looking at some of the others, the two Soom MDs I still have were ordered new, when no one owned them; my first two LTFs were likewise ordered in the original preorder (well, one full and one faceplate), when no one owned any LTFs at all (and both are among the less frequently seen sculpts, most gravitated to the others being offered). I have a DZ Eudora on order currently; no one has one of those yet, either. And I wasn't able to see much of WD Kyle before I ordered him (though I'm not at all disappointed), either. And I'm planning on a DollPamm Ivi--both a less frequently seen company and a brand new sculpt from them, so no one owns her yet, either. While I appreciate being able to see owner photos ahead of time and will now look at them whenever possible, the truth is, it isn't always feasible. Sometimes the time is limited, and it's better to jump now than to search the marketplace later. Sometimes there just aren't many out there, but they're still speaking to you. And sometimes, since someone has to be the first to bring a sculpt home, it may just be you!

 

- Which is more appealing when buying a doll: that it's rare or that it's popular?
I think on the subject of appeal rare would win out with me if there weren't any other factors, because it's fun to have something unique.

- 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 am attracted to dolls that speak to me on a personal level. I wouldn't buy one for either of these reasons, because the only thing I'm really concerned with is my personal feelings for the doll. I almost think too, that if I bought one solely because it was popular or rare, and not for any other reason, I would never be able to bond with it and would never be happy with it.

- Are you more likely to click gallery threads because they feature a CP doll? Be honest! Nothing wrong with having a favourite company.
I think I'd be more likely to click gallery threads because they featured Ringdoll dolls, because they're a personal favourite of mine. I'm not sure how rare they really are, but they do seem to be a little more scarce around here compared to some other companies, though I may just not be looking in the right place.

- Would you buy a doll that you had not seen on the forums?
Yes! In fact I've already done so, though only just recently. I've heard good things from people about the doll, though. Even though I haven't seen him on the forums yet.

 

I'm guilty, I love the limited dolls, they are usually done so well.

 

I buy whatever speaks to me, whether it's popular or not.

That being said, I think both have their "I feel special" perks. With not-so-popular or rare dolls, you get the sense of uniqueness for having something that not everyone else has. Maybe your doll will even be more recognized in the forums depending on how much you post pictures of them. Maybe there is less of a chance of everyone skimming over your post because your doll doesn't blend in with all of the others.
But with popular dolls, there can be a sense of belonging amongst those who also have the same one, and it's a good way to get to know a bunch of the other users based on a common doll. Personally, I can't wait to order my Bory in March so I can have conversations among other Bory owners!

 

I choose the dolls I truly wish to acquire based on how much I like their design. I once bought a doll who was popular and ended up sending her to a new home later, although I did like her for quite a while. Something I've noticed about myself since I gained experience in the doll hobby is that I tend to avoid popular dolls. Therefore, my answer to this question is this: I would rather have a rare doll over a popular doll.

 

I honestly could not care less about the status of a doll, whether it's rare, popular or not. I just care that it appeals to me, speaks to me in some way, that I love it. That's it. I'm totally indifferent to all that.

 

I like the dolls that I like but I do prefer less commonly seen dolls. If I had a popular doll I feel like the pressure would be on trying to make it look as good as the others.

 

I'm writing this before I read anything else on this thread.

Honestly, I buy the dolls I fall head over heels for. I don't care if they're popular or not, pretty to others or pretty only to me. If I don't like the sculpt, I won't buy it. Simple.

Ryu

 

I also buy the dolls I fall for, no mater how popular they are. It seems though I tend to get the less common dolls. A lot of gallery views is always great but I would never buy a popular doll just for that reason.

 

When I buy dolls, whether they're rare or popular has nothing to with it. I buy a doll that because I think that it looks great and that I get a certain feeling for when I look at its sculpt. It's hard to describe that feeling, but it's very strong, almost like "Wow!" or "Oh my gosh!" or "how cool!".

I do tend to stick to certain companies that I have experience with or that are in my price range, but I'm not very picky. Again, if I see the doll and get that strong, instant shock of emotion, then I want it.

Right now, however, I am looking into a doll that only 20 were made, but I was attracted to it because I saw a picture of it somewhere and went searching for it because I thought it looked amazing. The fact that it's limited and was a concept designed by someone I know kind of add to the appeal of the doll, but it's mostly because I think the doll is cool looking and very creative.

 

- Which is more appealing when buying a doll: that it's rare or that it's popular?
I would say it really doesn't matterto me, while some people may find the sculpt ugly the others will find it uniqe and beautiful that just the way it is.

- 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 would never be my criteria of buying the dolls.

- Are you more likely to click gallery threads because they feature a CP doll? Be honest! Nothing wrong with having a favourite company.
Of course, everybody have their favourite companies so it's more likely you will find the doll you like in these threads, while the others will not be so appealing.But still i like to click randomly on some galleries, you never know till you won't try it :P you can be always positively suprisedsame way as with favourite companies can suprise you quite opposite way.

- Would you buy a doll that you had not seen on the forums?
Yes, and i did. With some dolls it's too risky to just wait to see the owner photos, till the time they will put it on forum the doll can be long time sold out. But i find it very helpful when i consider to buy the doll second hand.