Selling a doll the day you get it

I got in dolls before and went "THIS... is not at ALL what I wanted, why did I do dis?" Now yeah, normally I'll redo a faceup and see if that fixes it, but if it doesn't work it just doesn't work.
If I ordered a really expensive dress that I loved, got it in and it didn't FIT... I'd sell it or return it! No biggie. XD

 

The main reason I've come across in our small community, is that people fall in love really quickly over a sculpt, buy it, and during the time it takes them to get the doll home, they've fallen in love with some new sculpt. I have a hard time understanding these things, perhaps because money have more value to me than to others. I don't spend that much money on a whim. On a doll I've seen for the first time, thought I loved, and then bought within a fortnight or even less. Also, unexpected expenses are unexpected, but if you are so down on your economy, that you have to sell a doll to afford rent or an operation or whatnot - you really shouldn't have bought the doll to start with. That's how I reason. Plan for the unexpected. I would never, ever forgive myself if I had no money to pay for my pet's treatment - or spend all my money on something else than rent or food or whatnot. I know there are people that take this hobby really serious and reason quite differently than I do, but really, the "OMGSH I looove this doll! Nope, don't like it anymore, gone"-attitude is really frustrating since it's often those people that also makes the biggest fuzz about getting a doll. They make it out to be the biggest thing in the world, only to change their minds in the next breath and sell the doll they just bought. The very same doll they sold half their wardrobe and a kidney to afford, since it was "the doll of their dreams". If you take the time and look at the sculpt, not only on the company's homepage but also photos from owners, you won't have any serious surprises when opening the box. But people are too impulsive for that kind of research, I've noticed.

I am not an impulsive person, and impulsive persons tend to come across as both irresponsible and immature to me - especially when it concerns economy and money handling.

Also, I'd like to point out that I am fully aware and understand that sometimes you need to sell the doll you've just bought, for any kind of reason which is no one else's business. But when it is the same person who does the same thing, over and over again - it gets on my nerves. It really shouldn't, but since these sort of persons makes everyone involved in their dolly business, one can't help but react. If they had bought the doll without making it out to be as important as the return of Elvis, people wouldn't react as much.

 

I once ordered a doll and then changed my collection and what I was looking for before they arrived. I knew before they even arrived that I would try to find them a new home but I don't know if I put them up for sale the day I got them. I also ordered two tiny dolls recently having never owned a tiny before and not being able to decide whether I wanted both or just one, and which one at that. When they arrived I knew that only one of them was right for me but I waited a week before finding a new home for the other. I think some people have good reasons to put a doll up for sale the day they get it, but selling a doll almost always means losing money and I wouldn't to it unless I was certain.

 

Long wait times can make me eventually fall out of love with a doll. This happened with my asleep eidolon polly mermaid but then i changed her faceup. But i can understand the reasons behind selling it the same day you got it. Sometimes it just doesnt work out

 

I haven't been in the circumstances described by others as the justification for their sales, so I don't have a like experience to share. But I do admire people who can recognize that what they want isn't what they have in hand; and who are then able to quickly & cleanly divest themselves. Thus, they can then move in a direction that hopefully will result in a better result. My collection is made up primarily of second hand dolls. I'm grateful to those who were able to part with them, so I could enjoy them!

 

Personally, I wait awhile before making a decision about selling a doll. I spent a decent amount of money on it, and there was something about it that made me want to buy it, so I want to fix whatever isn't working. I wait a couple of months, if it's not working by then I let it go. I don't want to sell the doll then regret it later. However, if there was a doll that popped up that was a grail or just something that I had lusted after for a long time, I would probably consider selling the newest one if I hadn't bonded yet. It's just up to the owner what they feel is right

 

I'm guilty of this. I've got dolls that I knew immediately that I didn't like (example: Ringdoll Valo and Ringdoll Pan), and then wasted nearly $300 buying stuff for them like new face-ups in hopes I would like them. And, of course, the stuff I bought didn't help them sell for more money when I eventually gave up and put them on the MP. With those dolls, I hated the feel of the resin and how thin the faces were, which was something I should have realized would never change. I wish I'd just listed them on the MP the first day I got them. However, I'm just not good as knowing with some dolls. I've went as far as making sales threads, but before posting them, suddenly realize I want to keep the doll and never list it for sale. This happened with my Crobidoll Yeon-Ho, and (at least for now), I'm glad I decided to give him another chance. For that doll, changing his eyes made all the difference between "meh" and "yay!".

I have listed some dolls soon after getting them, and most were limiteds. With limiteds, you don't have a lot of time to decide if you really want the doll, and you don't have access to owner's photos. Most companies go through a lot of trouble to edit their photos to show the doll at its best (obviously, since they want sales!), which can sometimes be misleading. Also, the sooner you list a limited, the easier it is to sell because people who missed out during the order period will still have the doll fresh in their mind and may be actively searching for it. A few years later, there may be no one who cares about a limited that was popular years ago, so you either won't get as much money or you'll have to wait longer for a buyer to show up.

Here's an example: when Crobidoll listed their E line "Tragedy" dolls, those dolls originally sold for around $350 + shipping. They were quantity limited, and sold out in a couple of days. I didn't like mine when I got her, but did give her a couple of weeks to be sure I didn't want her. I noticed others successfully selling those dolls for between $500-$600, and I decided to try selling mine for $520 shipped. She sold within a hour, and I made a profit of around $100 once you factor in shipping. That's one of the only times I've ever made a profit from selling. Fast-forward months later and I noticed those dolls not even selling for their original price. So, my decision to sell quickly was best.

Some reasons people might decide to sell right away:
1) They have awesome judgement and know the doll will never work out.
2) They know they'll likely get more money for a doll in pristine condition than an older doll.
3) They lost their interest in the doll during a long wait.
4) Some financial problems occurred during the wait.
5) The doll looked different in person than company pictures or the company's pictures didn't show the doll from all angles.
6) The texture of the resin wasn't what the buyer wanted. (Example: some of us like rough resin like Dearmine's, some like smoother resin like Ringdoll's.)
7) They bought the doll for a hybrid and it didn't work out.
8) They bought the doll just to get a limited fullset outfit with no intentions of keeping the doll.
9) They bought the doll to flip it. (Which is really not the best idea, since once you factor in shipping and Paypal fees, you're not typically going to make much profit.)
10) People like the "high" they get when buying a new doll more than they like owning it. (I think this is rare, but I've known people like this.)
11) They bought the doll for a character, but found a more suitable sculpt during the wait.

I'm sure there are many other reasons, but I think it's perfectly valid to list an unwanted doll as soon as you get it. Sometimes I list a newer doll that I'm not happy with thinking "Well, if someone wants it, I'll get some extra spending money to put toward something I want more and another person will get a doll in mint condition. If no one wants it within a certain time period, I'll try a makeover". I think this is better than immediately dumping more money into customizing a doll I'm unsure about. Especially since the face-ups I like probably won't add value to the doll, despite costing me at least $60. Even if the face-up is extremely well-done, many people prefer blank dolls so they can personalize them to look more like their character.

Summary - The doll isn't what the person wanted, and the owner will usually get more money if he/she sells the doll right away.

 

Well i guess the reason mostly because the doll is different than what the company put on their promotional picture. I never sold a doll directly after they arrived, most of the times i would try to bond with them for several reason. Mainly because it's hard to sell a doll here because of the highly crazy ems rate, and if i buy one, it means that there's something on them (aesthetical sense) that i do like, i will try to get rid what i don't like and see if i can change them to what i originally pictures them to be. Selling and rebuying another doll is just costly, not all dolls can be sold on the same or higher value. I have a soom jet that i do like but can't bond since he reject all the wig i have lol. I will try some more before i sell him i guess :P

 

I'm guilty of doing this not once, but FOUR times and all for the same reason: I did not like the doll the once I received it. Granted, I'm lazy about listing on the MP so they were not put up for sale right away, but stayed in their boxes for a bit.

Doll #1 was a gift. My best friend who is VERY well off was asking me about my dolls. I mentioned I've been wanting a big girl and later mentioned I liked Fairyland dolls. She got me the Lora fullset O_O as a gift. She broke down and told me about a month after she ordered it because she's lousy at keeping surprises like that. I chewed her out for buying me a doll that was that expensive, especially since I was not sure if I even liked her. When she finally showed up, I tried liking her, but it was not to be: Her faceplate was a beast to get off, I was not crazy about the faceup on NS and the upgraded eyes were not to my liking. (I have since seen her in WS and boy what a difference!) Since she has been my best friend for about 30 years, when she asked, I told her I was not crazy about her. SHe was not offended in the least and told me to sell her. I wound up splitting her (Body, faceplates and outfit) and got back what she paid for it. I now have an IH doll that I LOVE and she jokingly refers to it as "her" doll. Moral of the story: don't let your best friend buy you doll stuff as a surprise. (and I told her she is never EVER allowed to buy me something that expensive again)

Doll #2 was Tokyo Tedros. I wanted this doll SO bad. I ordered the fullset and waited. And waited. And waited. I grabbed him from the Post office and immediately drove to my best doll buddy's house for a box opening. I opened the box and hated him instantly. I the Light Brown skin was much darker then he appeared on my monitor and not want I wanted. I've since learned that Real Skin is the shade I wanted having seen it at a doll meetup. He made it to a meetup the next day then went in his box until I sold him. Kept his outfit and accessories so I can get him in RS and sold the doll for what a new one will cost me (that money went to a different doll though >_< )

Doll #3 was a Peaks Woods. Can't remember the scuplt I resold her that fast. Opened the box, took one look at her joints and noped out of there. Put her up two days later and sold her within 24 hours for what I paid.

Doll #4 was my Moe Line Fairyland Minifee fullset. Opened the box and the big boobs and childish face put me off immediately. Dressed her up and still, nope. No problem rehoming her once I got off my lazy butt and did it.

Note on my laziness on selling dolls: I don't have a good camera and when I take photos with my iPhone, I'm never happy with them. I usually wait to borrow a camera or wait for a sunny day (I live in Seattle. That sometimes can be harder than you think!) to take pictures outside.

 

If You collect dolls which offen are limittet then it's better to buy and sell after than tray get it in the second hand market. Is offen more expensive and sometimes almost imposible.

 

For me, seeing & holding a doll makes all the difference. Pictures just cannot tell me if I will really love and bond with a doll. Since they r so expensive, if I do not really love it after a day, the doll goes for sale. I just cannot wait and hope that I will fall in love later.

 

One thing to point out is that the impulsive nature of collectors, which as an economy, lives by impulsive actions, is often under the inherent pressures in the hobby known as the LE. This tool, wielded like a surgeon's knife by companies like Iplehouse, is definitely responsible for purchasing decisions that might not have happened without that pressure.

I've got a doll coming that is possibly going to hit the MP as soon as it arrives because I bought a smaller doll which I thought might work because at the time I didn't have experience with them. I realize now it's not to my taste. I really did hem and haw and on the last day bit and pushed the buy button. Now that I've seen the dolls arriving on the box opening thread, I realized that company photos don't give you a good sense of scale. Uh oh! This last summer and fall I was getting back into things after being out a while and was definitely excited and acting impulsively. Unfortunately this was my second impulse buy cuz I can be impulsive, reckless and yes, irresponsible. I'm definitely more considered now.

The other thing to consider is that all this activity is a learning curve. Often I've seen people developing their story, changing their minds and going in a different direction. We change and grow in life and so often things just don't work out. That three month wait can be a long incubation period for different aesthetic ideas to assert themselves and sometimes we're throwing off the pictures and ideas of others and defining our own. That's what happened to me and my first impulse buy fell out as I started to realize that I did have an overall aesthetic and that this doll didn't fit. Before that I think I was looking at dolls that I liked the looks of but now I'm much more invested that they fit my aesthetic and, as I started to develop a story, I wanted them to be able to fit into that milieu. Not everyone works this way but that's what happened to me.

And of course, the plethora of other things that happens to people in their lives as we move through this world. Earthquakes, tidal waves, bad breakups, paying rent, too much bourbon while surfing the internet.....etc etc....

 

I've never understood that! I'm glad it's not just me.

I think maybe some people buy a doll on impulse and regret it after, or a big bill will come up they need to pay and the doll was too big a luxury. Some times people see a doll they like better too late after they already ordered one. That's all I can put it down to.

 

I've had dolls that I wasn't sure about that I came close to selling. Every time, something was holding me back. After trying a different face up, or wig, or eyes, I suddenly fell in love with them and couldn't imagine parting with them. So I am not a sell on the first day kind of person. Also, I tend to really agonize over a doll before I buy them, so I'm usually really really sure that I want them.

 

I sold one the day I got it because I was very impulsive in ordering him, to begin with. It was a limited and looked really good in the promo pics but I didn't really like how he looked in person.. Although redoing the face /may/ have helped, I fell out of love once I started seeing the arrival pics and all that.

These days I'm incredibly picky with the dolls I end up ordering..

 

I sell off a lot of parts right after getting the doll because I usually find selling off pieces when you have the doll is easier than finding split partners for single items. Usually.

I'm also a bit of an 'early adopter'. I like to try new companies, before there are a lot of owner photos. And I've gotten quite a few 'doll looks completely different when not photographed from the company's extremely careful chosen angles/photoshopped images' dolls.

And of course the 'This doll is perfect for this character'.... and then 'This doll is even MORE perfect!' happening when a new doll is released while waiting for the other order to ship.