Self-imposed rules prior to purchases

I had an impulsive streak as I got back into the hobby this past spring and summer, but now my rule is to only buy dolls that I can make into my D&D characters that are important to me... And orc dolls, if I can get them.
I don't know that I'd be this reasonable if I had money to throw around, though

 

My number one rule to control purchases is “no character, no doll”, period! And by character, I mean including a firm grasp of their fashion style (each of my dolls have their own wardrobes), eye and wig color, name, etc. If I can fully flesh them out in my mind artistically, then they can come home to live with me provided they also fit into rule number 2: I have to be able to put them on layaway and comfortably roll the payments into my regular household budget. Between these two rules, I’ve managed to build a pretty stellar collection I can be proud of over all these years I’ve been in this hobby (since 2006.) And having already gone through my “experimentation” phase of learning my own personal aesthetic early on, like we all do, I haven’t had to sell a doll in years and years. This method is not without its own tinge of regret however…that Iplehouse EID Luo I couldn’t fit into my parameters and still pine away for.

 

Hmm, I usually revert to the tried and true for almost all purchases: can I afford it. After that it's: "think about it for a few days", "do I need it", "do I already have something too much like it" (unless I'm looking for a replacer item), "does it reaally make me happy", "how would I feel if I didn't get it", "will I use it enough". There might not be use for all the questions in every situation but mostly with dolls it's that "try to think how you would feel without it", on non-limited dolls "come back in a couple of weeks: did I think about it a lot, do I still reaally want it".
Making any absolute rule for hobby stuff would just cause unneeded anxiety, for which I'm prone to. I guess the rule for me is to think about it beyond the lust for new beauties and cool things.

 

Yeah, I agree with this a lot!! It can be really easy to just impulse see a doll that I think is pretty and just want to buy it, but I think it's always good to go back to the idea of "okay do I still want this in a few days? Weeks?" etc. Thinking beyond the initial excitement of "ooh pretty!" is what I try to do, too!

 

Hm... Wait you want me to tell you my rules and also to hold myself to them? that's a tall order!

I often buy things on flimsy pretence and it's part of a cycle I see with myself of low mood and boredom. I think your idea about writing is similar to my own. I try to be realistic with myself and remind myself that (especially at this point where I already have a lot of dolls) the new doll is not strictly necessary. I try to focus on what I really enjoy in the hobby which is sewing, faceups, so on. Sometimes I can just freshen up a character, recycle a doll into a new character or remind myself of my unfinished crafting projects and that keeps me away from a purchase. Sometimes I want to buy more because I'm lonely and what sometimes verges on hoarding instinct is a reaction to lack of security and fulfillment etc. Silly as it is, sometimes what I actually need in that case is to just remember to handle the dolls I already have and I get a little rush of happiness remembering how I love them. For extra endorphins I take them somewhere for prettier pictures like a park or something special like this.

But to be honest sometimes I just am not going to stop myself from buying a doll. To deal with this I try to wait a long time after I feel infatuated to actually purchase. Time Limited releases are not for me. but if I take the time I need to actually think over my decisions, even when it's buying another doll I probably shouldn't have, I don't feel regrets with my choices and that's what works for me.

Another thing I do is I try to analyze why I am drawn to buying a certain new doll, and then I look at my collection and try to see if it's actually bringing something new to the table or if I should just be enjoying the practically the same thing I already have

I know my advice is more geared towards a certain situation: having been in the hobby a long time and having enough dolls but I hope it's helpful

 

The main self-imposed rule I have is sticking to one company. For me this happens to be Volks, because their dolls appeal to me most for some reason (rip wallet) and un/fortunately also gives me the choice of collecting both dollfie dreams and super dollfies (another rip wallet...)
And the one that is better put into use, that isn't so much a rule as it is just my brain being my brain: Staring at a doll for hours obsessively until I notice something I don't like and then don't want them anymore

Fortunately (but also not for wallet once again) I do tend to overcome this probably half the time I'd say.

 

Fellow impulse purchaser here! Since joining the hobby I've really struggled with long wait times and if I see something "in-stock" that I like (not even love, like smh) - I tend to jump on it without thinking twice which is definitely something I want to change. I do think that sticking to one specific size (MSD) helps some, and also knowing I have a full doll cap of 4 (maybe 5).

 

I've been going by the rule of 'if I want to buy a new doll, I have to sell an existing one'. It really tests how much I want that doll! It also frees up money for the new doll, helps to prevent my collection from getting too large and means the dolls I have are the ones that I most enjoy having. But it's not a hard and fast rule, sometimes i've bought dolls that were very time limited and i'm getting a little stuck as all the doll I have, I really like and don't want to part with
But yeah, there's so much choice out there with BJD nowadays, learning to be super picky or having rules to narrow down on the temptations can be a good idea

 

Yeah, i've had to learn to listen to that 'I like everything about this doll except...'. If there's something that niggles me then I know it's always going to bother me. It's helped me back off a few dolls now I don't ignore it

 

I haven't really sat down to think about my hardset rules. For the most part, if there is a single thing I don't like then I say No.

1) MSD or smaller.
2) under the budget always.
3) don't duplicate purchases, like don't own 3 white shirts unless I need it for 3 separate characters to wear at the same time.
4) Face up or bust.
5) Avoid layaways, in full or wait.

I've broken rule #4 and regret it. I need to get a face up for that doll now...

 

I have a rule that says, " No more pure white dolls". I have a lot of white dolls and so I wanted to at least add some variety to my collection. Funny story is I accidently ordered two Dearmine dolls from a dealer when I meant to just buy one. I contacted the dealer and she had already shipped both in stock Dearmine dolls to me. I planned on sending the second choice doll I had been considering back for a refund. The unopened box with white resin Dearmine Lio sat in my house for a week, but I finally broke down and opened the box! Of course I fell in love with him, kept him, and he's now probably my most favorite doll, even though he is in white resin! So rules broken sometimes have a happy ending!

 

I haven't quite bought my first doll yet, but my wife recommended a hardset rule for me;
I find passions, and when I do I hyper fixate. Until something happens (varies depending on the interest) and I drift away from the hobby.
She wants me to wait on it for about two weeks, and if I am still interested we can start saving up, as an extra layer of insurance.
Currently what I am doing with LS from Doll Zone. It has been about two weeks since I have seen and been captivated by her, and now we are moving into the saving phase.

 

I'm a roleplayer, so my dolls have to be a character that fits into the story. I know I won't bond if I buy a doll because it's pretty but has no connection to the others or personality. My general rule is that the character needs to be played for several months before I buy, but sometimes, I slip up on that--sometimes playing a character for a month shows me how much I really like them. I also have an "allowance" each week, and I can't spend more than that, so it sort of forces me to either save up for a doll and think about if I really want it that bad, or put one on layaway and decide if I really want to be paying on it for months.

 

The pandemic was bad for my impulse buying but I do have some sort of rules:
1) Do we like it?
2) Does it have elf ears?
3) Is it time limited? How long do I have to think about it?
4) Can I do layaway?
5) Do I like the default face ups or not?

If the answer is yes, I wait pretty much until the last second to order them if there is a time limit. I really try to think hard about each doll purchase - they have to have a purpose. If they can fit into my own recreation of Middle Earth, they are welcome.

 

1) I don't buy a doll if its size isn't what I already have. For example, I only have SD and YoSD dolls right now. So I don't buy any MSD dolls so that I don't have to buy more wigs and clothes for the new size.
2) I wait at least a month before I actually buy the doll. Meanwhile I look for the pictures of other owners. That way, I can decide whether I really like the sculpt or I just liked the picture from the shop.
3) I love taking pictures of my dolls together. So I always consider chemistry between the dolls. If a doll's style or head size doesn't go well with the dolls I already have, I don't buy it.

 

My current rule is nothing else until I have my 38cm doll for the character I got into BJD's to shell. Which is either a Bimong Narae 38cm fusion (and preferably the jointed hands to go with the body) or making my own.

Then I need to track down or making an appropriate doll for her partner, which needs to be a posable 47-48cm mature male sculpt.

At that point I'll probably have reached the one in, one out stage.

Of course this is all dependant on money. My rule there is layaways are OK if and only if I already have all the money. I did one for my Jude who's arriving soon-ish just because that was his discontinuation sale, I had to have one and that made it less abrupt.

 

If it’s a limited release then I make myself wait until the last day of the ordering period and if it is not limited I wait about 2-3 weeks. If if it preowned and a popular sculpt I sleep on it and if I miss out then it wasn’t meant to be I guess.

 

I've done the impulse buy thing, more than once, so I get that dopamine crash and 'Oh goodness, what have I just done??' feeling all too well. At the same time, I got out of the hobby for several years due to health issues, and in that time I've sold off some dolls I greatly miss and can't get anymore, so it goes both ways.

But anyway, rules! I have two main rules for myself. 1: I'm a roleplayer, so any new dolls HAVE to have a complete character (general idea of personality.... though sometimes they still surprise me, eye and hair color, how they fit into my current crew since connections are important to me, etc), and I have to play them for no less than a month before I'll consider buying a "shell", because if they don't work out/I can't bond to the character, there's no point in spending the money on them. 2: This one seems to be common but, can I afford them? I love layaways, there's just NO way I can save up, but a layaway becomes a "bill" and gets paid. However, if I wont be able to make whatever that payment will be each month, it's a no-go.

 

I decided that I would need to do the faceup for my next doll because I've always wanted to do my own faceup since I tend to not like the company ones and I'm afraid of asking too much of the person I commission.
So I made myself practice a tiny bit on a practice head.

I also made a goal at work to get as much of my experiment and protocol writing as I can and get some results before I buy the doll. (I work as an undergrad in a micriobio research lab)

I always want to "earn" my dolls or accessories for them. I did the same with supplies for my other hobbies. (knitting, embroidery, crochet)