selling/buying a "character" along with a doll

I think it would be fine if the original creator of the character had no objection. I have so many characters for dolls waiting in my head that I never even think of buying anyone else's. The only thing I ever kept was a previous owner's doll's name because it suited her and I liked it. I call her by a diminutive form of the name, though, in case the original owner would like to use the name for another doll.

 

Depending on the name, and if the seller was okay with it, i dont really think keeping the name of the doll would be weird or a problem or anything, but the character....might be a bit much.

Personally, if i were to ever sell a doll, i'd probably be kind of horrified if someone tried to keep my character for the doll. My dolls are representations of my characters, helping me to work out and portray my stories. While i'd feel honored that someone would like my character concept that much, if i'm selling the doll obviously the doll did not suit the character or my tastes very well, and it would really bother me to see my character in someone elses hands.

On the flip side, if i was looking to buy a doll second hand and found that a seller had details of their character in the sales info, that's a definite way to get me to click the back button. I think if you want to sell the doll, sell the doll. Chances are the buyer is not going to keep the personality or name it was given in its previous ownership. If the seller isnt ready to give up the character in that particular form, then they probably shouldnt be selling it in the first place ^^;


and jumping back to keeping the name across owners--If the name is unique or created by the previous owner, it might be kind of odd to keep it. I know not everyone does that, but i know if i were to sell one of my dolls, i'd have an issue with someone keeping their names since i make up most of my characters names, and many of them have story and character related meanings.

 

I had someone actually choose me to sell her boy to *because* she knew I would keep him who he was.

 

I totally think it depends on the seller. I think it is the sellers right to yea or nay, since it is their creation. The seller has no rights over the physical doll, obviously the buyer can do what they like. As for an anime character or any other pop culture doll character, that is the buyers choice, since no one 'holds the rights to' using that character as a doll, except the celeb or creator of the character. I think if the buyer decides to keep a character, they MUST ask first. I know many people re-shell their characters into new bodies, and it simply is not right to rip off a character.

 

I have once sold a doll and the new owner kept his name, but it would have been impossible to keep him as the same character, he did not appear often enough on the boards for that.

Honestly I would not feel right about it unless it was a particular situation, such as if I had passed on (or left the hobby but I think the former will come first) then I would pass my dolls on or sell them on, and if a friend bought or took certain ones, well then they could keep the character, otherwise I would be uncomfortable with a stranger interpreting my characters.

People have asked me about Corpse before when I have talked about reshelling the character and selling the Hound, and my response is "if I sell him I am cutting his ears down and changing his faceup completely, I would never sell Corpse, just a Hound with elf ears that once housed him"

As for taking someones else's dolls and keeping their characters? I don't think i could unless it was a few noteable exceptionsNow I will make the disclaimer here that I know these dolls would 99.9999% never be sold, or passed on to me in any way, I am just saying that they are the ones I feel I may know well enough to do some sort of justice to.

 

I could totally see myself creating an outfit for a doll with a relatively elaborate backstory. My creative work tends to be of very good quality, so I could see someone who buys such a doll + outfit keeping the name and story together with the doll. It wouldn't matter to me if they didn't, but if they chose to do so I think it would be very flattering.

 

When I bought my Limwha ToYou she was previously named, Bernadette. The previous owner had bonding issues and didn't mind if I used the same name. She thought it was nice even. I did give Lil 2 names though, Lillian Bernadette. I don't think I would keep the whole character when buying someone's doll, if its an Anime/Manga/TV Show character (etc.) and I'm buying it then that doesn't apply. Some sculpts lean towards certain types of personalities and keeping some traits I think is fine. I don't have a problem with people keeping the character but I wouldn't do it and if it was a original one of mine I wouldn't want someone to do that to my doll. Really its all up to the buyer and seller.

 

Well, I can't help but think that it's kind of silly. At the end of the day, the doll is just a doll. It doesn't matter what name I give it, or whether I choose to decide that my doll hates eating peas. If I sold a doll and the new owner asked me if they could keep that info, I'd think it was pretty strange, but whatever floats your boat I guess.

The closest I've come is keeping the name of a doll I bought on the marketplace, and I did ask permission first because I know how people can get about their characters. It had nothing to do with wanting to keep the character, it's just that after I heard the name, it stuck. No matter what I tried calling it, any other name didn't sound right.

 

Interesting question, I'm really not sure what I think o_0

If I knew the original owner well and their intentions for the character I might feel confident enough to take on the doll + character. But even then I think I wouldnt lkike the feeling of obligation to the original owner. I think it's something that would have to be done between friends, not as a transaction with a stranger on the marketplace.

As for having two versions of the same character around, that wouldn't bother me. Since there are quite a few dolls based on well known characters from anime, games etc there. And loads of dolls have the same name. But as MareOfNight says, it's something you've really got to ask the original owners permission for.

I guess I wouldnt mind if someone re-used the character of a doll I sold to them. But I certainly wouldnt want to have to take on someone elses character if I bought a doll from them. Too much responsibility to maintain that character.

 

To me it is rather strange to include the character in the doll sold. A doll's "soul", i.e. character and history, is created by the owner, which is similar to writing a story. Selling the character is just like letting the others to continue the story as the way they like. Personally I am reluctant to see my character being altered; I guess many people would be similar, in stronger or weaker sense, as long as thay care about the character they created.

 

I don't think it's strange at all. But its appropriateness varies from case to case, of course. I've known many people who've sold dolls that had "fans" of their characters & style, and the owners were happy to sell them to buyers they knew would give that specific character a loving home. One friend even managed to sell a couple intact... the seller put up a note that said she wanted to sell them as a set... many detractors scoffed "yeah right good luck wit dat"... but soon, a buyer showed up who was a fan of the doll couple, & thought they should stay together. (True love prevails! ) In these cases, the seller was "finished" with that character/shell and didn't mind letting it go.

If it's a character you're keeping, though, and just "re-shelling" into a new doll at home, sure you might be unwilling to let the buyer use that name/character.

For the few pre-owned dolls I have, in most cases I rarely bother to even inquire about the doll's life before it comes to me. But in a couple cases their names and personalities are totally different from those of their previous owners.... none of them minded, because we all agreed it was cool to see the same doll become somebody so different.

I have never sold any of my dolls! But if I did, I'd probably be in the first camp. I wouldn't require that the buyer keep the name/character, but I'd like it if they went to live with a fan/friend. I like the notion that I am merely 1 way-station on this doll's journey through the world... and if his character/name happens to last for more than 1 stop, then that's pretty cool. If I did want to keep the character, I'd keep it for myself-- but the buyer could have a 'copy' of it, so to speak. No character will ever remain 100% unchanged in somebody else's hands (as fanfiction fans well know!), so I wouldn't care if somebody else was taking my creation & running with it.

 

I would be pretty pissed if I sold a doll and the person decided to take the character as well. Although, techincally there would be nothing I could do about it I'm a big advocate of your doll, your rules. So I'm also against seller's selling dolls with conditions, if I spend my hard earned money on a doll I'm going to do as I please with it. But I think its bad karma to steal original characters intentionally and especially if I wasn't even asked.

However, I'm aware that certain dolls have certain looks and if I styled my doll to be a "bad boy" theres a high possibility someone else is going to want a "bad boy" character too, which in that case I have no problem with as long as they arent trying to make a direct copy of my character/storyline. That said, if I ever had a doll that was styled so specifically to my character that it would bother me to have more than one around, I would simply wipe the faceup or tattoos and sell it blank.

I wouldn't mind selling a doll/character to a close friend especially if we were sharing a storyline or RP'd regularly. I understand dolls and characters have "fans" but since all my characters are in some way reflections of my personality I think it would be weird having a complete stranger to me use it.

 

It really depends on the doll. None of my dolls have, really, THAT strong of a character with the exception of, of course, one really tiny crabby person who shall remain unnamed (Juniper Snowpea Juniper Snowpea Juniper Snowpea Juniper Snowpea)

I'd be tickled if they liked the name I chose enough to keep it, I guess, but since I sold the doll.... I'd figure I don't have much of a right to say anything.

If I ever sold Libertine and whoever bought her started dressing her in goth lolita cupcake outfits, I might be unhappy about that, but again... if I sold her... I can't dictate "who" she is anymore.

On the contrary, with a doll with a SUPER strong character like Juniper Snowpea, if I ever sold her and somebody kept her name but completely changed her character, I'd be pissed. I'd ask that they change her name. And if I ever DID sell Juniper Snowpea, you wouldn't see me around anymore, cuz I'd have to go into witness protection for life.

 

Although my (so far) only BJD was brand-new, I've collected a few other kinds of dolls over the years, and have two second-hand dollies. So, here's my two-cents.

I really don't like re-naming dolls, for me it's like re-naming a pet or even a kid... so if a doll comes with a name, I don't feel comfortable changing it.

Sometimes the doll's name fits that particular doll really well, or nothing else works quite as well as that one name.

Another thing to think about is buying dolls from people you know. I bought a doll from a friend who had to downsize her collection, and kept the doll's name. I've never asked her if I could re-name her doll, and I've never thought of re-naming the doll, but I think it's a matter of respect here. I think that re-naming a doll would be like saying "I don't like this name, so I'll just change it to something 'better'..." I really don't like that.

Characters are a whole different story, but not one I can really think of anything to say about, right now. One thing though, dolls have extremely... "fluid" personalities, it's not that hard for a minor tweak to become a major change. I'm not sure if it's entirely possible for a doll to keep the same exact persona with it's original owner, let alone when the doll changes hands.

Maybe that was a little more than "two-cents"... Sorry for ranting so much

 

Just to play devil's advocate: imagine you're an aspiring writer/comic book artist, who also happens to make your original characters into dolls. Then, lo and behold, your Magnum Opus is published and becomes a new sensation, movie rights and all. And the BJD characters you lovingly designed suddenly are replicated in Kens and Barbies all over Wallmart. Ka-ching for you, but OMG, your sweet darlings are prostituted in cheap vinyl... How would you feel?

Edit: I guess, to clarify my point, I'm saying that I have a hard time believing in sincerity of anyone who claims they won't ever part with their OCs - it's just the question of how much money and fame is offered. I would be happy if someone proves me wrong though!

 

This is the exact reason why, if I'm selling anything of my dolls, be it an old faceplate or a whole doll, I do not mention anything about what it was originally. I know some people do not like renaming dolls that originally had one, or changing their personalities, so I make sure that nothing is mentioned. My characters are from my stories and are dear to me, I do not wish for someone to take them from me. I have purchased dolls second hand that someone has already created a character for, the first thing I do is immediately change it. To take another person's character seems to me like stealing something from them, I won't take that off someone else as much as I wouldn't want someone else taking it from me.

 

Well I think you are talking about 2 different things. Someone who truely wants to keep their own characters for their personal use isn't going to seek out a book/movie deal for their OCs in the beginning. However, if they did everyone would know that it was their original idea. But with selling a character on doa, there is no recognition of originality or I assume their wouldn't be at least (I don't think everytime the purchaser posted the doll they would do it with a disclaimer) so I feel as it would be an issue of not giving credit where credit is due more than a money/fame issue.

I wouldn't consider creating a book/movie as "parting with OCs", to me its more like sharing them because then fan fiction/art/etc. would be expected but everyone still knows that they're yours.