Rules when buying a BJD for someone else

I have never even thought of buying a doll for someone else....

But I guess if I was I would try and sneakily figure out which doll THEY want, like I know one of my friends really wants a Resin Soul Jun on a girls body, I was hte one who helped her decide (And told her that you could order the parts separately some places). But I agree with the above point, Don't Buy a doll your in love with... my friend got an RS Dan and I am jealous she is sooo pretty. But she bought it so, ya know I just have doll envy.

 

Yeah, I think it's super hard to buy a BJD for someone else. So many molds...I think I would only buy a doll for someone when they told me EXACTLY what they want

 

Find out what doll the person wants. I have a LIST of dolls my sister likes, which I have slowly found out about for the last yeara nd a half, just talking dolls with her. I knew I wanted to get her one for Christmas or her B-day or something eventually, so I found out the general things she likes best, like gender, size, skin tone, and style. Then I started showing her dolls I like that fit the bill, and branched out to others until I'd find one she liked. I kept going until I found some I could afford to get for her easily, and got her a BBB Apollo second hand as a birthday gift last summer. He'd barely been out of his box, and the only damage was a head magnet that pops out and won't stay glued in (no uncommon with ANY brand that offers magnetic attachment of the headcap of faceplate from what I've read) and his faceup chipped in in transit...and I got him for pretty much half price. Cleaned him up, gave him a new face, and helped her make his first set of clothes the next time she was in town and gave him to her.

Only problem...I got attached to the sculpt...so now I want one for myself!

There were a LOT of dolls I thought she'd like that she didn't. Some I thought she'd like that she did. And a lot she loves, that I never would have thought she would like. So most definitely find a way to find out WHICH dolls the person likes before spending the money if you want it to be a surprise! If you don't mind them knowing what you're doing, go through dolls with them to find one they like, in your gift giving price range and order it together.

 

I never bought a BJD just to give it to them,
But I did give my tiny to my friend who wanted a bjd!

 

Also, Might I add: Everyone (other than me) Who posted in this thread is a pretty KICKASS friend/relative! I dont think I could ever spend that much money on a gift for someone o__O

 

I agree, never buy someone a doll that you want, cuz then it will be hard to give away. My sister really wants a BJD and she has this huge list she showed me which made my jaw drop, but she told me which one she wants the most and so I've decided to get a weekend job to buy her the doll. It's not a doll I would want, so it will be easy to hand over.
It's always best to try and figure out what doll they want so they don't become unhappy with their gift. I think those are the two most important things when getting someone a doll.

 

I wouldn't say there are rules to follow, but more like things to consider

Be sure your friend would want a doll

Be sure that your friend is a good and wonderful person and loves you and all that you do for them!
(This part isn't necessary, but sometimes there is a 'friend' whom you find out is a waste on gifts - like the one friend who constantly gives away, sells, or is too picky to be happy with what you give them )

Think of all the things your friend likes and pick a doll that would fit their taste

Make sure the doll fits in your budget

MOST IMPORTANTLY... I'd like to address the jealousy problem:
It's all about being MATURE enough to overcome feelings of envy, or knowing what would help you to handle these feelings.

If it is a doll you like, then get that doll first before getting one for your friend.
Or you can get it for your friend and get it for yourself later (this one requires patience ).

The best thing to do if you are envious of your friend's doll is to simply talk to them. Talking about it helps. Good communication is key for good friendship - they are your friend, so they are a person that you can discuss your feelings with (hopefully). Acknowledge these feelings and work them out.

BTW Giving your friend a gift should be a joyful experience.

 

My grandmother has always collected dolls, but to my knowledge she had never heard of BJDs. So for Christmas I decided to get one for her. I got her a Pukifee from Fairyland because I thought they were cute, but I also thought it would be too small for my own personal tastes so I wouldn't get attached to it or anything.
She really seemed to like it so I was really happy. : )
But a good bit of advice for buying dolls for other people...don't buy the one you really want, and don't name it. Once you name it, it's a lot harder to give up.

 

I have given two dolls--a BBB Mei to my friend, and a BBB March to my mom. With my friend, I knew she was really into BJDs, but also really broke, and she likes girl dolls. She had been really into the MSDs at a meet we went to together, and mentioned admiring Mei on the Junkyspot. I like Mei too, and I could afford her. So there you go.
My mom really likes my dolls and is into dolls in general, and so I wanted to get her a BJD, as sort of a thank-you for always really supporting my hobbies. I'd played with March at a meet and she seemed like a cute sculpt and a really nice size.

Interestingly, these were both dolls I had admired, but buying them for other people kind of "cured" me. I mean, I really like March and Mei, but getting to play with them occasionally is sufficient.
It was very gratifying to be able to give dolls--I'm really glad I could do it. My friend in particular is SO into her Mei, and carries her around everywhere.
If someone was going to be randomly buying me a doll (oh, I wish) I would suggest they just tell me they're buying me a doll worth X amount, and let me pick. Less romantic, maybe, but more sensible. That's what my boyfriend did for our anniversary, and it was so rad.

 

I was given a doll - and no, I can't stop shouting from metaphorical rooftops about how awesome my best friend is, seeing as she's the one who got him for me.

She knew that I loved BJDs, but had despaired for years over not being able to afford one (poor family, etc. etc.). And she knew that one of my top favorite anime/manga characters ever was Cho Hakkai. So... she actually bought me a BJD and dressed him to make him look like Cho Hakkai from Saiyuki!! :O

And just to say... he is the best gift I've ever received and I think he's absolutely, 100% perfect. I love him to pieces.

As far as "rules" go... if you know the person well enough, I'd say go with your gut about what they'll like. You know their tastes, so buy one for those - not your own tastes, although if the two intersect, I'd say that's fine as long as you won't then be jealous of their doll ;P Of course, it's helpful if they're already into dolls - then you can look at their wishlists or just hear them talk about what dolls they wish they could afford. xD

 

My wonderful hubby bought me my baby Cheshire, Souta and it was very simple how it worked out...I showed him what I wanted and he sent me the money to buy it. xD No, it wasn't a surprise but I got exactly what I wanted and it was a wonderful gift. That's always a good way to go about doll buying...make sure it's what they want!

 

I would only do it if you know it is wanted--specifically, as in make and model! Nothing worse than dumping $X00 on something "meh" or "okay".

Other than that, fully commit to giving it. Do not name this doll, do not "test" (play with) the doll and you do not even touch the doll beyond the two minutes needed for a post-shipping damage check. After that, seal the doll up as new and let your friend do the real box opening ceremony. I would not dress the doll unless I specifically needed to for a "creative" presentation. (And if the doll is sold nude I would add something inexpensive to wear.)

Personally, I'd take the gift commitment a step further and just call my friend over when I receive it--let her do all the work unpacking it. Much more SLACK.

 

I have only purchased dolls for hubby, and I never do it without him knowing. I would love to but I want to make sure I buy the exact right doll. The last one I wanted to be a surprise but I wasn't certain enough of mold and resin color so I couldn't. Hubby has purchased dolls for me in the past as well, but he always asks me which one I want and I help him order. Actually he has never ordered a doll on his own, I always help.

Some people do keep wish lists here on DOA so you could choose from there if the person you want to buy for has one. I think it is great to buy dolls as a gift if you can afford it.

 

I actually just bought a DZ Hid for my best friend's b-day. I knew what character she would want to turn into a bjd, and I started looking for molds that would fit him on my own. then regularly I would show her my findings to see if she loved any of them. One day I was looking through the marketplace and I found one second hand, with a custom faceup. I showed him to her and she instantly loved him. By that time she had figured out that I was getting her a doll though! xD He's now home and we're working hard on turning him into Zexion from Kingdom Hearts

As for tips, like it's been said before, be sure that you friend/relative really wants a doll. If they don't really want one there isn't much point in getting one. I discovered that showing pictures every now and then to the person (not too regularly, unless you're crazy like me and look at bjd pictures practically every single day) and making it look as though YOU're the one interested in the doll and you're asking the person's opinion whether they think you should go for it or not works really well too. And when you get the doll, don't play with it more than you need to. I made him a quick starter set of clothes since he only had boxers and he was going to a house that wouldn't have taken that too nicely, but once I was done he went straight back in the box.

Or do like I did 2 days before buying my friend's doll; flat out tell the person you're buying them a bjd, and be told that they knew for a while xD It's the best failproof way to find what mold they prefer if you're willing to sacrifice the surprise. In my case, I think my friend was even more excited to know he was coming home than she would have been if I had just walked up to her with a big box.

And like HappyBentoKid said, giving a doll should make you happy too. I just love spreading the love for bjd all around me apparently, as I also have a CH tiny on order for another friend xD Just seeing how happy my friends are because of the dolls makes it incredibly worth it I think.

Wow this was turning into quite an essay xD

 

Find out what they like - if they're interested in BJDs, then they wouldn't mind even looking through websites with you. Of course, you don't have to tell them you're shopping for them - even just asking them which ones they think you might like for yourself can tell you which type of doll they like.

Also, if you own dolls yourself and they show preference to a certain one - you might be able to get something close that they will enjoy!