Re-releasing a limited doll as a basic—your thoughts?

Limited dolls like Iplehouse's and BlueFairy's are acceptable because the special things is the skin tone and the clothes and accesories. Something like a special edition.

Limited dolls like Volks' piss me off because if you don't have money in that moment, you'll have to look for the doll in the marketplace maybe for a long time and more expensive. I know they sometimes re-release some dolls in other versions, but it's not my fault if I fall in love with a limited mold.

I have a TF WS Somang, which is a BlueFairy limited (real limited, not basic version avaliable). I looked for her a long time (it's the first version) and it was super expensive. I don't love her because she's limited, I love her because of the mold, and I would love her in the same way if she was a basic doll.

 

No, and it's not their fault you can't afford said doll at the time or are unwilling to spend money to get him/her. That's circumstance, or choice.

 

Most of my Iplehouse dolls are limited fullsets, NC ones and now Elemental. It's never bothered me when they've released the basic version of the sculpt since most of the time I've ordered the outfit and the price for buying the doll sans outfit has been cheaper than CDS. Personally, I think it's nice to see RS offered as a basic option. Ashanti and Benny have been available on CDS so offering them as a basic is a nice price break.

Iple has pretty much always introduced their new sculpts as a fullset limited version and then offered the sculpt as a basic even before the NC dolls. They have said that they won't release the Elementals as basics but being Iple we'll see... However, there is nothing stopping them from doing another limited version of an Elemental sculpt like Soom has been doing with their monthlies. And if they do offer them as a basic I'm not going to get hugely bummed out by it.

 

I think it's okay as long as they don't re-release the exact same version of the doll. LE's tend to be with a unique skin tone or come with special accessories and stuff... I just wouldn't buy an LE unless it is EXACTLY what I want, or know that chances are the company will never release a basic version of it.

 

It depends on which end of the stick I'm at. If I have been pining for that particular LE, I will be over the moon if the company decides to re-release it. But if I had paid double the amount on the secondary market and the company re-releases the sculpt immediately after that in the next couple of months, I will most prob be swearing under my breath and berating myself of the bad timing. It's just human nature.

Though most of my crew are LEs, I am mentally prepared for them to be re-released at some point or another. Before I bought my genji head of MP, I emailed volks to enquire if they had any intention of re-releasing genji, their ans was no. Even then, I am still prepared for a genji re-release in the future cos company's plans change over time. As long as the re-release does not happen in the near immediate future, I'm fine with it.

 

I do not think it is fair for a company to re-release the same limited doll as a basic doll. The reason someone could of gone for it is because it was limited edition. I do not think it is fair to the people who bought the limited edition doll. Personally, if I bought a limited edition doll and I paid extra I would be a bit peeved if the company released her at a cheaper price. However, if it was the same price I would not care. A lot of collectors look for rare or limited items and when something in their collection is considered common, it deflates their collector value. Therefore, it can be a pretty upsetting experience.

 

The tan colours from the CDS are different from the limited versions. If I want to get a tan Ashanti one day, I will search the marketplace for the first release, because I love that skintone more. It's richer, less dark than the ebony skintone.

 

The word everyone seems to focus on is the limited - not the word that comes after it - edition. An edition is a particular form or variant - by calling a doll 'limited edition' it already infers that in the future there may be other editionsof that doll. Many companies specify that its the outfit/face-up/skintone that won't be reproduced, not the sculpt itself.

If you spend thousands of dollars finding a doll on the secondary market, that's your decision, nothing to do with the company. Same goes if you are buying dolls only in the hope that they will increase in value. These are designer toys, NOT investments.

The sculpts are their intellectual property and they can do whatever they like with them. Personally I think it is a shame to let beautiful molds like Soom and IPH produce go to waste and I'm glad they are making the dolls people want to own available.

 

I don't know if the same faceup is available or not. They get odd about that, with answers on whether they will or won't do it varying frequently, and the faceup options are different for their limited and basic versions of the dolls. If you order something other than 'A or B' faceup from the basic, it was a custom faceup order for a premium cost -- and I don't believe they are offering that any longer. They may again, but it has been hit or miss yes or no since they released the EIDs as to whether it's available as an option at any given time.

But regardless: if you're not one of the owners of one of these dolls, why is it that you care so very much? People who are owners of these dolls have spoken up in this thread with their impressions and feelings on the matter. I have a SE Ashanti, blank since I wasn't interested in the SE faceup -- and I couldn't give a hoot if someone can get the same doll through CDS now, even if it was for less than I paid at the time (which I don't think it is since I'm seeing only $600 spent on her in my paypal history, and I didn't have THAT many points).

One thing relevant to note is that I'm fairly sure CDS is more costly than the special editions were, once the price of the skin tone is added on to the base price. Sadly, they have altered their order histories so I can't check that precisely, but the CDS cost for a WS or NS doll -- no different from any of their basic dolls -- is by default higher, and the skin tone options add to the cost from there. If you look at their current limited editions, you will observe that the base doll price is the same as for any of their other basic lines in the same skin color and gender. You're essentially paying a premium to have those things later through CDS.

You have to remember that CDS was introduced after the 'special editions', and likely due to their popularity.

I find it more interesting that they haven't made Denzel available now in basic, as they have with the others, since Felix is now available and has been in CDS and basic for some time.

 

I have an LE10 Tan Lion ['07] which you can now get effortlessly through CDS, without having to get up at 3AM & camp out on the computer all night & hover your finger over the Buy button as soon as the sales page is ready.

But the fact that a rare doll is now semiregularly available doesn't change the original edition that I have at home. That doll can't be looked at in terms of absolute numbers, even if it's the same sculpt+resin-color. Later editions are never 100% the same, because the variations of resin & faceup in later years looks so different from those of early years. I've also got both Tan Soo Ri LE releases ['06 & '08]-- and they look so different from each other there's no WAY you could convince a casual observer that it's the same doll.

Besides which, Iplehouse issues certificates with their limited dolls-- so there's no mistaking what edition it is-- so if you've got your paperwork, you've got your provenance.

 

I personally like limited edition dolls because they are, more often than not in my experience, dressed more "fancy" or more detailed than a basic doll. Also frequently the fullset is what's limited and not the mold.

I have a limited edition doll on layaway, so this is just my story. Anyway, she was limited for two time periods last winter, and I'd missed her the first round and could not afford her the second round. But the day after the second round was over, I saw her on another site, a dealer, as in stock and cheaper than on the company site. I manages to work out a layaway for her and a doll by the same company which I'd liked A LOT(!) for a while, and am really happy that I got both dolls. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that for me it was a very nice thing for the doll still being available after the actual time was up.

However if I were to find wither of the dolls in basic now, I would not buy them, even if they were loads cheaper, because part of what I am so enamoured of is the fullset. The clothes, the shoes, the hair and face.

I'm not sure if all of the above made sense, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that there is more to the limited edition dolls than the mold. So I guess I would not be angry or disappointed if the basic were produced, although I do understand that it is a bummer moment when you realize that you paid a lot for a sculpt you really like when it was limited and now the same sculpt is on sale for a cheaper price, especially if you do not like the fullset so much anyway.

 

I'm one of those people who views finding a particular doll on the MP for a price I'm willing to pay as a hunt - fun, exciting, and exhilarating. However, if some of the limiteds I own were to be made a basic line, I doubt I'd care. I wouldn't view the time and money spent as wasted at all. Mostly, I'd be excited for the other people who now have a chance of getting the doll they really want, brand new and with no chance of yellowing or anything.

If you were to tally up everything we spend on these limiteds (face-ups, outfits, body blushing, accessories) in addition to the flat rate... well.. I think it more than justifies what we've spent, irregardless if the doll is later offered as basic. I'm going to get a little business-y here, so please bear with me. Consider that Soom sells normal Supergems for $584 (as of this date), and that their newest MD Supergem was offered at a base price of $795, including horns, wings, fantasy legs, and fantasy hands. The difference is only $211 (which is what we'd spend for his legs alone on the MP). Now, if Soom were to offer this boy as a basic, with all the parts as an option, it might be even more expensive then his Limited self. But I doubt Soom would offer all the other options (wig, eyes, outfit, face-up, blushing, etc.) in the basic, especially seeing as Soom doesn't offer that in any of their basics. Even with the Special Order dolls, this is true. You have to buy their eyes, wigs, and clothes separately.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that even if the SE/LE were offered as a basic line, we wouldn't get their SE/LE face-ups, body blushing, clothes, or accessories.

 

As far as I know they said the limited edition was only going to be sold for a short period, they never said anything about the doll. If I had the money back when they released the special edition of Arvid and Kamau, I would've bought them even though I knew there would be a stardard version of them in a month or two. The limited editions were just too awesome. Sadly I didn't have the funds then.

So, to me, it's not so much about what's fair, but whether or not you are willing to spend money on a dressed up 'character'. (doesn't mean you have to keep the character... you could share parts of the outfit amongst your other dolls)

 

I like when limited molds are re-released but I guess it may because I am used to volks who would re-release limited dolls but with different faceups, outfits, wigs, eyes ect. I like it because it gives people a chance to get that same head/body but it's still limited versions if that makes sense.

I've missed out on sooo many limited dolls, it just seems like there are so many limiteds and such a short window to get a chance at them. I only have a very small collection I've built over the years (6 dolls now) and I only have one limited currently (okita sd13 volks).

The after market prices are usually way to high for me to bother with limiteds that way as well so it is really cool to me anyway when the companies do make a re-release!

I do totally understand why a lot of collectors want just one release of even the head mold though. I can see where they are coming from as well.

 

I have limited dolls from iplehouse as I also have basics from them , the limiteds are luna from the noctarcana circus era, Kamau special edition brown skin , Benny special edition ebony and now Aurora , I'd like to see grey skin as a basic or cds and Aurora as a basic available for everyone who couldn't catch up with the time limit .
I like the fact that iplehouse made basics of their limiteds and I hope they’ll do the same with elemental guardians.
I also have bought soom fantasy parts and soom MD at marketplace, yes I bought them at a higher price and still I'd like to see them as basics ...
I paid more for some limiteds and was in a hurry to find money for some other, but there are always sculpts I loved and couldn't catch up with the time p.e. I may got Chrom at a bigger price or hurried to get Luna but still I lost Erzulie and couldn't find money for Bazael ... so naturally I'd like a second opportunity with them.
I personally don't believe the rarity of the sculpt has much to do with value here. The 2-3 first MD of soom got extremely high in price in the secondary market but when you have 3 MD at a month it's not such an event anymore ... the recent MD will never get so high in price as the first ones, -even if the first ones get released again and the latest not. I'm not talking a general theory, check the marketplace and see. Limiteds are now the trend of the times but they have become so many, that the concept/idea and nature of limited had become basic ... {{most limiteds that are sold today have no more value than a basic and they 'll not rise so much in price through time, as scalpers may think. Some may even degrate/lost in price even if they doesn't be released again}}. To explain that: a person who buys a limited because it's limited can choose from a bulk of limiteds offered by several companies and if loses this one there will be another in the corner, and after that he/she will scream of this particular doll sculpt must never become basic because blah blah blah investment ...Well this had become boring (aside from the scalping intention issues may arise) it has become ridiculous.
I personally believe that this creates an ugly atmosphere , I salute every company who makes basics of their limiteds , I don't care if mine will lost value because no matter how much I paid or tried still I didn't got them as an investment , I got them as doll-sculpture I admire.
Limited dolls are something like an event a chance for the company/crew to show their aesthetic view and being artistic introducing to the audience a complete doll with a background , and they are important because it's the view the company/crew have for their dolls ... it is not coming out as an investment or scalping opportunity. So I believe it is fair for the company/crew to release more editions or a basic doll, of this sculpt. And me personally I'd be happy to see that with every doll-sculpt. Well this is my view.

 

Who cares? If Ashanti hadn't been released in the CDS I wouldn't have been able to buy her

Not exactly, the original Ashanti had the option of pierced ears, the CDS does not

 

I actually support the re-releasing of limited sculpts. Though I followed this hobby for some time, I have just recently realized how different and unique one sculpt can be in the hands of two different owners. Plus I am not fond of after market price spike ups.

Limiteds are grand, but I think that it isn't only the sculpt that makes them worth the price but all that one time "extras" (wig, eyes, outfit, etc) that make up the concept that make them truly magical.

 

I think if it isn't the exact same carbon-copy then it is OK.
Like if they don't put out the same fullset or they change the default faceup or change something in the body or face. Yes it stinks to miss out on a limited edition doll but that's what makes them special. That's what makes searching for and puchasing a limited edition that much more prestigious and exciting.