Second Hand Hunter

I think probably about half of my dolls were new, half were secondhand. I don't really mind either way. I like buying new because I know it'll be clean and not yellowed or damaged, but I like secondhand because sometimes I can get a good deal and having my doll home in a few days is better than several months! Also, I like when secondhand sellers toss in free extras, especially clothes or shoes, or when people accept my trade offers.

You never know! My sister had wanted a limited doll for a very long time, he almost never popped up on the market, she posted a WTB thread and had him within a couple of weeks! Sometimes people don't feel motivated to list dolls for sale if they think no one will be interested, and others might be undecided but will sell for the right amount.

As for ruining the fun of the search...maybe, maybe not. I've had two grails in my time in the hobby. One of them was much better as a fantasy than in hand. Gorgeous sculpt, but I didn't like the default body and nothing I did like fit him. I ended up selling him. The other, I'm so glad I got him after four years of searching, he's a great doll and even better in person!

 

The really nice thing about second hand dolls is they may have a few rubs or marks or the like which allows me to feel like I can enjoy them without worrying about the need to handle a new doll literally with kid gloves. I also like a doll who already has a face up. I can look at a sculpt without a face up and simply can not envision what the doll would look like. Maybe I just don’t have a good enough imagination. Lol.

 

I LOVE getting dolls secondhand, and as another said, especially with a faceup I adore. The only problem I find is getting the stars to align budget-wise when I see dolls in the marketplace... Yup I'm usually broke when that happens. It sucks to be eyeing an older thread, watching it, checking on it every few weeks...until it's finally snatched up or the owner changed their mind. *shrugs* But it's probably one of the very few downfalls of buying secondhand.

Ironically, the dolls I'm hoping to get this year are all new (pre-order) so the waiting is going to be really tough on me!

 

I love the market place. Too much! Most of my dolls are second hand now, heads at least. It seems I always end up selling the new heads. I love them at first, but then after about a year, I can't get into them anymore. I don't know if it's because they arrive too perfect. Their slates are too clean. I have second hand dolls with default face ups, so if I had bought them new they would have looked the same as they do now, but for some reason those dolls develop into stronger characters than the brand new dolls. I just don't fight it anymore.

As for WTB threads, I always search the threads before listing a doll because then I know the person purchasing that doll really does want it and it's not an impulse buy. I've had pretty good luck and I can see why people may prefer to sell that way. @dreamingneko I can see how after 7 years you would want the acquisition to be perfect though, including "the grab". Best of luck with your search!

 

This is literally me. XD I'm always wanting old dolls and constantly watch for them on the MP.
Also cause I don't like waiting company wait times. Waiting 5 months for two Doll Chateau bodies and an event doll was so tedious. And I only ordered from the company after I couldn't find the ones I wanted on the MP. >_>

 

I don’t prefer secondhand per say but I am a hunter on the marketplace. I often find dolls I’ve never heard of the company before and then I find them so interesting. I also buy from companies so I’m not specific to one or the other but the marketplace is generally my leaping off point. Plus sometimes I find a doll with a faceup I really love and I jump and it’s the best purchase I ever made (sometimes it wasn’t)
Case in point-my dim Marianne, my realpuki soso (her faceup is perfection! Better than any factory faceup)

 

Well I started with fb groups for second hand market and I still didn't see any doll which I'd be willing to buy xd

Also it doesn't help that shipping from US to Europe is so expensive. We are actually lucky that most of the companies are located in Asia as they have cheaper shipping.

 

I prefer new, personally. That said, I’m on the lookout for old, damaged dolls at the moment, as I really want to try some heavy modding but don’t want to wreck something pristine. XD

That said, I do look through the marketplace regularly, and have bought from it. You never know what you might find! (One of my grails, Migidoll Ryu came from there long after he’d been discontinued.)

 

I think I prefer new, there is something really exciting about opening a doll for the first time. Buuut if the price is right secondhand can really be a blessing. Especially if you're looking for old or soul out dolls. I know I'm probably going to have to buy my dragons second hand.

 

Though a little scary, I don't have a problem with secondhand. But both of my grail dolls are in current production and wait times are reportedly up to 6 months. So probably unlikely to find. Honestly for me buying something new with a long wait is scary too, as I might like something better after such a long time.

Not sure how my daughter feels about it, but her favorite (Dollshe Ausley) is also in current production, and she likes factory face up, so buying new may be my only option. Her birthday (for present) has just passed last month, but her name day (Hungarian) Amalia is about 7 months from now!

 

Depends on the doll company. When it comes to Volks, I'm an avid second-hand-buyer, mostly on Mandarake. I discovered Mandarake a few years ago and let's just say that I went from "Oh, Volks is waaaaay too expensive for me, I'll never own even one" to "Oh my goodness, about a third of the dolls I own now are Volks, more on the way. How did THAT happen?" real quick. Mandarake's got some GREAT deals (not just Volks but also other companies, though more rarely than Volks).

Other dolls, like e.g. from European artists, I prefer to buy directly from the artist because they're usually a little (or even a lot depending on the artist) cheaper than second hand and when they're from within the EU - no customs fees! Yay!

 

I don't have a preference for second hand, but a few of my dolls I found secondhand, kind of by chance! It's always such a great surprise to just come across one! My boy Jethro, I was looking for different doll from the company, but there he was, at a great price and I just had to get him. Arianna was another one I came across by chance; she was sitting high up on a shelf out of the way at a doll meet. Actually thought she was the ugliest little doll. She had beautiful purple gray skin, but her faceup was pale, her hair was pale, her fullset made her look chunky. But the second I got her out of the clothes, I could see how stunning she was and it turned out my friend was selling the doll! After a short layaway, she was mine~

 

I didn't know I was going to end up loving getting second hand dollies until I got my first one and honestly since then it's been like a treasure hunt. Sometimes you miss sometimes you don't, but recently I found a feeple60 cygne sleeping head and open eye that I was hunting for and at a reasonable price that I really couldn't pass it up

 

I really appreciate the second hand market. It's not only a great place to find rare dolls or dolls at a great price, but it also encourages people to interact! I've met so many good people just by interacting through the second hand market. As a buyer, you do business with these people and get to talking and, next thing you know, you have a new dollie friend! A lot of times what ends up happening is the seller either has the same doll aesthetic as me or at least the same level of appreciation for a company and that's what makes it so easy to become friends. Of course along with the pros there are some cons to the second hand market, but overall I think it's a really great asset to the hobby!

 

I don't necessarily prefer second hand, but most of the dolls I have are limited dolls than can only be obtained second hand now xp I have 11, soon to be 12 dolls and 1 floating head, and only 2 of them have been bought directly from the company xp

 

About half of my collection is from the second-hand market. Mostly DOA, but Mandarake has turned out to be a good source for older Volks dolls. I've found some deals on Ebay in the past, but since the recast market got so big, not so much.

 

I'm still looking for my first doll, but I am definitely considering a second hand doll! I've been trolling various facebook groups and instagram for a good match! None yet, but I'm hopeful! I'm almost scared to get a brand new doll because I don't want to ruin it ha ha ha!