Second Hand Hunter

I really want to start buying second hand dolls! I wasn't actually sure where to start in terms of finding sellers/communities, which is why I actually signed up with DOA.

 

I love searching the secondhand market, maybe even more so than looking through all of the dolls that are available from companies. Cx you never know what you can find, and sometimes just the right thing comes up, even if you weren't looking for that specific things.
Both of my tinies I found second hand, not expecting to really get anything, just looking for general ideas, and lo and behold I could not pass them up, no matter how hard I tried.
And my all time favorite sculpt I found second hand on instagram while scrolling through the tag at like 4 am.

 

I wouldn't have most of my dolls if it weren't for the secondhand market. Alistair, Guinevere, and Johanna are all limited sculpts that are no longer produced, and Alistair also happens to be from a company that folded, so secondhand was the only way to get them. Sure, Alistair has two broken fingers and Johanna's face-up is in rough shape, but those were pretty small problems, and Alistair's fingers were easily mended by his prior owner so that was an even smaller problem. I love the secondhand market.

 

I love buying dolls secondhand! For me, it's less about wait time* and more about how interesting looking for secondhand dolls can be - I see so many cool dolls that I otherwise wouldn't have known about.

A lot of my secondhand dolls have come with clothes and wigs, which I love, and have unique faceups. I also prefer to get them used because I get nervous when a doll is "brand new" and perfect - I barely touch it for fear of ruining something. But when they've been played with a bit and have some little scuffs, I don't feel bad about handling them, and I also don't care about the wear marks. I've gotten some amazing deals on secondhand dolls, too! It's fairly common to find a whole collection of BJDs being sold from an estate for low prices.

I mostly buy Fairyland dolls, which are easy to find on the secondhand market. The only ones that I want and haven't been able to find are less popular sculpts like Pukifee Flora. I've only seen one for sale and she was very overpriced.

*except with anything from Latidoll - their wait times are absurd and I will only buy secondhand after once waiting 8 months for a shipping notification.

 

I think of my 18 bjd and/or resin dolls, only 4 were bought new and 3 of them were made especially for me. I did try to check the secondhand market for them, but they were not available. New dolls will make me think very hard before purchase, because it's very likely I would loose money if I didn't like them. I have to really, really want a doll to order it to be made for me. I doubt I would ever let any of the made for me new ones go. I really don't like to let any dolls go, but some have left me, usually in trades. Sometimes I just decide it's very likely someone else will appreciate them more than I do, so I find them good homes. I enjoy the second hand market for several reasons. First, it just feels nicer to me to help another collector get some funds so they can have something they really like. I usually get a doll for a bit less than new, so that is a good value to me. I don't mind to wait for a doll to me made, but it's fun to have them home very soon after making a deal or payment. It's fun to get to talk to someone you may never meet otherwise. Sometimes they come with unique faceups, I do my own, but it's nice to not need to worry about someone being blank for a long time if I'm not feeling up to doing it right away. The owners can tell you more details about the doll than companies list, they can take lots of photos for you, and many will even be very helpful to accept a payment plan if your funds are small but income is steady. I really like to browse. There are several dolls I would like to find second hand, but will not buy new because I'd just like to have them, but it's not so urgent to get them since I already have several and I don't always have so much money at once. I've found a few dolls I really, really wanted to have when they were released, but I was too scared I wouldn't like them. After the doll had been shipped to several people, then there is more information to reference to make a decision, but by then the doll isn't available to order from the company.... so I just take time here and there to search the MP. That is a fun hunt for me! I do enjoy the satisfaction of the 'I found you!' moment. It's very exciting to make the offer and have it accepted. There's a couple I would be thrilled to find second hand, I hope in the MP here. I know when I have let a doll, accessory or whatnot go to a new home, the new owner is very thrilled, so that is always nice to know you helped make another collector very, very happy. I would imagine plenty feel the same way on both sides of that situation.

 

All of my dolls came from the marketplace. Sometimes I had an idea of what I was looking for and other times a doll just called my name. I would like to have the experience of ordering a doll fresh from a company someday though.

 

I wish I could get more secondhand. As it stands, I got three heads and one body that way. But I tend to want particular things, and that doesn't always align with the secondhand market. It is nice to get doll parts so fast though. Maybe I should try more WTBs in the future.

 

In my opinion, secondhand dolls have a different feeling. I love how they have a history behind them, and if they're damaged, you could repair them or easily add it to their character. I'd like a few dolls but theyre no longer available by their companies, so I'm looking for them

 

Love secondhand dolls! I like giving them a new home, so to speak. I honestly haven’t bought a doll direct from the company in years.

 

I like to keep an eye out it anyone is selling a doll on my wishlist. Usually no one is but I like to look. There is a peace of mind buying directly or through an authorized retailer.

 

About half of my collection is made up of secondhand dolls, and I love them. There's a sense of relief there -- especially if the doll had some damage before coming to you -- that you don't have to be quite so careful. And of course, I'm more likely to practice my faceup and other customization efforts on a doll that came to me after having had a life as someone else's new doll.

I've stopped letting myself look through the Marketplace for dolls, though. I'm really prone to seeing a doll offered for sale, and feeling this urge to rescue it! If I gave in to that impulse, I'd soon be pushed out of my own home by the resin horde!

 

I love secondhand dolls; all of my dolls are actually secondhand! You just never know what you're going to stumble across. Plus, I like how rewarding it feels to "fix up" a previously owned doll and give them a bit of TLC-- it makes my love for my doll even stronger!

 

I don't really have a specific style in my doll family because I like all of my dolls to be unique. So, I browse the secondhand market pretty often since I'm not looking for a specific doll, size, or style. Also, it tends to be a bit cheaper! There is something special about opening a brand new doll, though.

 

I love second hand shopping, mostly because you can find something that you would have never looked for in the first place or a sculpt with a faceup that makes it amazing

 

Secondhand shopping is especially good for those, who want rare/limited dolls... Such a blessing! And every doll has it's own history that you can think about. It's somehow special.

 

I am often checking second hand market because some dolls & accessories are not available from companies/authors anymore. Also sometimes you can see a good ideas for styling, face up or inspiration for making new photo.
For a new one in this industry second hand market is a good opportunity to discover authors & companies, peculiar properties of their dolls & molds and form his own preferences.

 

Yeah that’s me. Everything I love is either old or no longer in production (cp elves anyone?). Finding them, though, makes the hunt so satisfying!

 

I have no problems buying second hand dolls and if i dont like the faceup i can just change it to how i want it

 

All of my dolls actually came to me used! I don't know... it just feels nice to take a doll that the original owner couldn't bond with and give that doll the love that they deserve. I have a few dolls I want to get new for various reasons, but... honestly, I think I prefer going for used dolls. You find a lot of unexpected treasures that way.

 

Everyone has mentioned really good reasons to buy secondhand! These are my top five:

5) Shorter wait times and generally cheaper shipping.
4) Receiving exactly the product shown in photos.
3) Recycling within the community.
2) Ability to purchase long-discontinued sculpts.
1) THE THRILL OF THE HUNT.

I love antiquing, thrift store shopping, flea market haggling, etc. You'll usually find something unique that isn't available anywhere else, and it might not have even been something you thought you were in the market for but ends up being perfect. Of course this would translate to BJDs for me as well!