Revisiting sold dolls: seeing dolls with new owners

While I haven't sold a doll (everyone's pretty much here permanently) all the dolls I've bought or traded second hand, their old owners loved seeing what I'd do with the dolls and how different they are in my hands versus theirs. Everyone was always super friendly.

 

I had my shop open when I was in uni and made customs T-shirts. I've seen the odd one here and there and I have to say it brings a smile to my face when i see them. Makes me proud
As for dolls, I've sold 10+? The first 7 I bought simply because I thought they were pretty, not that there was anything wrong with that, but that meant for me I didn't have a strong connection for them so never looked back.
I have however in recent times sold a Twingling Engenue who I had big plans for but never had time to complete them so sold her. Now that I have time I wonder if what I did was right. I do hope the new owner is happy with her, I don't think I'd want to see her because i'd regret selling her

 

I have sold a LOT of dolls/doll parts in my time in the hobby, and I'm pretty neutral about what the new owner does with them. I do enjoy seeing photos and updates and hearing that the owner loves them, but I also have no expectations for it, and I wouldn't want them to feel obligated to love the doll.

I'm the type of hobbyist who enjoys the hunt and new doll excitement more than collecting, and I often do buy a doll, enjoy it for a few months or a year, then sell or trade it off to try out something new. I just get bored keeping the same dolls forever, and I usually need to sell one to make money and space for a new one, so I'd feel kind of hypocritical to expect a new owner to keep the doll I sold forever. I'm happy to see what the new owner does with the doll, but I'm also perfectly okay with them deciding it's not for them and selling them off to someone else. By the time I'm selling a doll, my attachment to it is already gone, so I'm not so worried about its future.

 

I don't own many secondhand dolls, and similarly I haven't sold many. I do know that the only full doll I sold has since been split up, and that does make me a bit sad, but if I'd really wanted her I would have kept her, and she was the new owner's to do with as they pleased. (Honestly, I think that was more because they send photos when they received her, and seemed very happy, so it's a little sad to think about that changing, but it does happen in this hobby!)

I have looked for previous owner photos of one of my secondhand boys, though. His owner left the hobby (and vanished as soon as I paid her anyway, though at least she shipped him), so there's no sense in sending her photos, but it's interesting to me to see how he looked before I gave him a drastic makeover (and had some mods reversed).

 

I bought my first doll second hand. I never would have thought to send update photos to previous owner. My thought is if that person wanted to sell her, they likely have no interest in what the doll is up to now. If I sold a doll, which I never have, I would not want to see her again, for fear of having seconds thoughts about the sale. Out of sight, out of mind.Sometimes, you realize the value ( emotional value)of something only after it is no longer yours.

 

@Baktu it might depend person to person. Mainly because I know my Bory doll seemed to be a very reluctant sell. It was sold by a older girl's mother whom communicated with me throughout everything (I wanted to make sure he was legit and all) and when I got him I expressed that he was beautiful and I'd care for him. She mentioned her daughter was in tears reading it bc she was so happy he went somewhere that he'd be loved. I shared some pictures and promised I'd love him (which, I freaking do he's legit my favorite of mine rn)
I know some people do sell because of financial pinches or because they fall out of love. Not to say you should feel any obligation to showing pictures! It varies between people. You just never know what someone is feeling about selling, y'know?

 

Really good point. I hadn't thought of that angle. Thanks !

 

I don't go out of my way to follow up. The only time I noticed what a buyer did was when I sold a modded doll and saw them post a thread asking about undoing the mods.

 

I have sold a lot of dolls, and in the off chance I get to see them again in the hands of their new owners, I love it. I've actually kept in touch with a few people I've sold dolls to, so I get to see them and how they've evolved. When I have done all I can do with a doll and am ready to move it on to a new home, it's amazing to see what other people can do with them. It's like seeing a new life lol

I saw an arrival photo of the most recent doll I sold and his "hastily thrown together" look was better than anything I'd done with him in the several years I owned him. It's great to see them loved again!

 

I typically don't really pay much attention to where a dolls has gone after it's been sold. I've sold so many over the years, I sorta forget that I even had them! ^_^;

Although I do have a (sorta) neat story about revisiting sold dolls with new owners. When I joined the hobby 10 years ago, I met my best friend and we really bonded over shared interests in other things besides dolls. One thing being J-Rock. Unbeknownst to me she ordered a DIM Minimee of her favorite musician Hyde, and I ordered a Minimee of my favorite musician Gackt (Who are considered BFFs in the Jrock world). We were so tickled when we found out we both got them.

After some years though we both kind of lost interest and sold off our Minimees. However the funny thing was we both (didn't know it at the time) sold them to the same girl overseas! The only reason we found out is because when she bought my doll, she told me she also bought a Hyde to go with him from someone in Texas. It all kind of added up from there. We found it so funny that our BFF resins found a way to go to the same house all the way in the Philippines. She sent us pictures of them both for a short time afterward. It was nice to see they were both enjoyed~

Haven't seen pics of them in a while, but hopefully they're still being enjoyed.

 

I seldom do that. But usually new owner will show me how they looks like after they change the face up. My reaction would be "whoah my ex kids looks so different. Im glad i sell them to as i knew their new owner will love them more than i do

 

I never do that for my 2nd hand dolls nor those people whom bought my dolls ever send any pics. I don't mind though if they want to tag me or send me pics of the dolls.

 

I own a lot of secondhand dolls, but I've never thought to send photos to the previous owners. Some part of me does hope that the people I bought from are able to find my dolls when they look them up, but I don't want to bother them in case they aren't interested.

I have, however, tried to track down the "lineage" of my secondhand dolls as best I can. I found one here in the DOA archives, and though the pictures were gone, it was neat to see the exact date he arrived from the company, and the thread where his first owner met the one I purchased him from. Another I stumbled upon on flickr, a doll I had bought from someone on ebay whom I barely spoke a word to, and there he was in an album full of dolls. I wonder what path he took from there to me, and I don't think I'll ever know, but the small discovery was cool.

As for the dolls I've sold, most of them have ended up in the hands of people I know personally. I've been able to watch my friends do really neat stuff with them, and it's nice to see them with someone who actually wants them, since they didn't click for me. One I sold on tumblr, though, and I have no idea what it's up to now. Hopefully something awesome.

 

Huh, reading this makes me wonder what the person who bought my Tan El years ago did with him.

 

This is pretty much where I am. When I sell things they tend to vanish afterwards, never to be seen again. But I'm not sure that's a bad thing, really.

Only once have I (knowingly, at least-) ever seen a doll that I sold off pop up again and in that case, it wasn't a particularly pleasant revelation. I sort-of wished at the time that I *hadn't* seen what had become of that doll. o_0

She was a Juri '05 mod with an elaborate black and red fantasy-style face-up from Vitta Vera. I'd called her Shakti when she was with me... She was very distinct, gorgeous and absolutely unique. The person that I had sold the head to ended up eBaying her shortly after the purchase, and the person who bought her next was the one who posted pictures of her in threads here. What they'd done to her was just... not good. I mean, I know people's tastes differ and all that, and owners are certainly free to do whatever they please with the dolls they own, but it really was kind of awful. Bad enough to make me feel bad for actually selling the head in the first place. If I'd known she was going to end up like THAT? Yeah. I'd have kept her.

I don't know where the doll ended up after that. That owner was eventually banned from DoA for one reason or another and may or may not even be into dolls anymore...

So, yeah. While I'm sure it can be fun to see your former crew members with their new owners, there's also some risk involved with knowing where they went. The results aren't always a Good Thing.

 

I am not bothered, dolls are dolls, though I am curious sometimes. It probably is I have only sold ones I was not really attached to, though the Domuya ones I were and wiping their faceups (for selling with generic/muted faceups) hurt more I think than the actual sale.

 

I just sold my girl, it was really nice getting a picture of her when she arrived home I'm friends with the buyer, I'm hoping she sends me more pictures in the future!

 

YES i do i though i have only sold two dolls after trying to bond with them for a year i found they weren't for me unfortunately . the new owners were more than happy to reciev them and i like seeing them bond with them where i couldn't