Selling/trading a doll and regretting it later?

I've sold my first doll which was a Pukifee Luna. At that time I found out I was ill, and everything just seemed useless and worthless all of a sudden.
I sold many things which used to make me happy...
Being ill screws with your head and heart.

I hope to buy a new one in the future ♡

 

I've sold several dolls that I regretted later. My Dark Elf Soo was my second doll and one of my favorites. She had quite the story and character developed. I miss her, but I still own my character, and I hope to be able to rebody her someday in either the same sculpt or a similar one.

Fairyland F65 Roke was another one I sold and wish I hadn't had to. His sculpt had been discontinued for a time, but Fairyland has since rereleased it, so it's my hope that eventually I'll be able to purchase him again.

 

Well, what an interesting question - probably not many doll owners out there who couldn't relate to it!

It's something I've learned about the hard way - selling a doll either because I felt the bond was not still there, or maybe I just needed to raise funds for something else, only to have such massive regrets I would end up spending outrageous amounts of time and money just to have my girl back again ... only to find I was right to let her go in the first place. I've found that for me, once that bond is broken there's no mending it. Particularly not by buying a doll that looks the same but isn't your original doll!

I've done it three times now and I've finally learned my lesson. I'm confident that next time I let one of my girls go, I'll be saying to myself, "it's over - move on." And that's exactly what I'll do - move on to the next relationship.

 

I've sold a handful of dolls that I just wasn't doing anything with and hated seeing them sit there and collect dust, and I haven't wanted any of them back. I have tossed around the idea of purchasing another Soom Chrom, but in a different skintone. At the time, he'd only been released in normal and white skin, so I purchased him in normal. I pictured my character to be tan skin, but thought it could work. I just didn't end up bonding with him, sold him, and later Chrom was re-released in tan and I had to pass him up because of the other dolls I had on layaway. I don't regret selling them, but I do have fond memories of them because I did enjoy having them even if I didn't take them out as much as the others.

 

Until now I sold 4 full dolls, if I remember correctly, and a few floating heads. I regret that I sold my first doll, a Dollzone Shoyo. I even don't know why I decided to get rid of her in the first place. Although I took some sale-photos of another doll in the meantime, I ultimately decided against selling it and I haven't sold any of my other dolls since then.

 

I have a couple I regret selling, but I am hopeful if the new owners have to sell they will let me know. I wouldn't buy one like them because it wouldn't be the same.
My top three regrets are, my Dollstown Hue, Shigure. My Irreal Doll Dingo, and my Fairyland Littlefee Elf Ante with freckles. But such is life.

 

Just the thread I was looking for because I was just thinking about this myself...

I sold my 1st gen Dollzone Wing in Y-NS several years ago and just came across some old photos of him. How much I miss having him hit me like a punch in the gut. I've been regretting selling him for a while now, but seeing those photos hit me hard! Put up a WTB thread... but I'm not holding my breath. Missing his "girlfriend" too... a Luts El head in NS on a Fantasydoll body... those two were a handfull, but they were so much fun, and he was the only one I've been able to ride piggy back on my shoulders and not try to fall off at the slightest brush of air.

 

Sold every doll I've bought thus far. No regrets, because I couldn't afford to do anything with them and needed the money.

 

The only doll (and it was only his head actually, as his body is still here) I have vague regrets over having sold is a Delf Jess. And to be perfectly honest this is only because he's now a sculpt that's hard to get. (I don't mean this in terms of wishing I still had him only to try to sell him for more money now - more that I wish I still had him as part of my Delf collection! At the time though I couldn't find a look for him that worked and decided that, as my Sleeping Breakaway could use his body, I may as well just give up and move him on...)

I do not, however, have any regrets over any of the other dolls I've sold. They weren't working for me for whatever reason, and I like to think they went on to more appreciative homes.

 

Over a year ago I spoke of regrets selling a few dolls. I have since bought an old Hue head, working on getting him to being like Shigure as well as a Ante for granddaughter and a Irrealdoll Nur. I am thrilled I bought all 3 dolls. Now I have a doll on layaway here that I thought I was okay selling, mainly due to could use the money. But as I packed him and took photos I am having deep regrets. I can raise the money and refund buyer, but how do you tell a buyer you don't want to sell? I worry they will be upset, feel betrayed and even feel like I am lying and selling doll to someone else. What would you do?

 

Has not happened yet，every one I sold is well thought out.

 

It happens. You think you’re ready to move a doll on, you’ve picked the perfect new doll to reshell the character... and then it doesn’t feel right. I’m usually pretty good about making absolutely sure I’m done before I move one on, but sometimes nostalgia hits and you buy one back. The secondhand market is a lifesaver in those cases!

 

Yes. I had a couple pretty uncommon tinies, and I often wish I had never sold them. The chances I'll ever find them again are pretty much non-existent. I'm happy with my collection as it stands, but if I saw these particular dolls up for sale I'd have to find a way to get them.

 

Well I slept on it and turns out wasn't regret as much as worry about shipping him to Germany. But I talked to buyer and made changes in how head was packed and feel better about him leaving. I am glad I thought it over and talked to her.

 

O Yes!!! My original and only CP/Luts Soony. As soon as I turned it over to the post office years ago, I was upset. My friend talked me into selling her.
It actually affected me for ages. I even cried

Now I have 2 CP/Luts Soony's that will never, never leave my house.

 

I'm planning to sell a doll, but I feel a bit conflicted and I would like to hear people's experiences on regrets.

When I first came into this hobby I wanted an artist fashion doll. I got her eight months later, but in the mean time, I somehow derailed myself into cutesy YoSDs.

My fashion doll is superbly made, poses really well, and photographs just beautifully. Whenever I see other people's pictures of her on Instagram I feel that I love her, but when I touch her in person... well to put it bluntly, I feel she is too skinny. Perhaps the chubby YoSDs changed my perspective. Some days I can overlook this and find her stunning, on other days I find her unsettling.

After months of waffling I'm considering selling her at a loss. My main reason for selling is that she is a work of art being wasted lying in a box. The artist who made her is kind and helpful, my entire experience was extremely positive.

I have sold dolls before, but this one feels different. Is having lingering feelings a sign that I'll regret this? When have you regretted selling a doll?

 

I have been conflicted about selling (mostly with dolls I know would be hard to get back if I decided I want them again later), but I think enjoying certain dolls solely through other people’s photos is very much underrated. I am in a few different doll communities, and I’ve learned through the years, that there are some dolls I absolutely love in photos on IG but just can’t seem to bond with in real life.

Yes, I have been sad to sell (and sad later, thinking about dolls past), but I wouldn’t say I have ever regretted selling anything. I think as long as you believe in your reason for selling, your heart will be okay with it. Luckily, with the internet, it is always possible to find something later if one really wants to.

 

For me lingering feelings could be a few things. Sometimes, yes, it is regret. Other times it is just a feeling of like...like I never thought I was gonna let them go? Sentimental value is hard to kick. Plus for me when I get accustomed to a certain doll the space they leave after I sell them is jarring for a bit for me. I sometimes am still enamored with the mold and even though I don't regret it it gives me a fuzzy feeling knowing I owned it. I don't know how else to explain it.

As for when I regret selling a doll is when something other then my logical mind made the choice (I did it emotionally without going through my process) or if it really wasn't like I had a choice (Emergency happened and I need money). As for dealing with regret I just try to focus on it going to a good home. I may even comfort myself with the fact that maybe I could potentially buy the doll again. Usually the regret does just kinda fade for me over time though.

Maybe this could help you? This is the process I usually go through when I'm unsure. I'll ask myself "Do I still like the doll/Can I fix something to help me like the doll again? Do I wanna buy anything for the doll? Do I miss the doll when it is in the box? Do I think of ideas for the doll?" If I answer all no to those questions it is a pretty good indicator. If you get a mix then you explore those, or decide to weigh which one of those questions matters to you the most.

Another thing you can do is post a feeler (not on here though cause I believe that's against the rules), but on FB or IG. Sometimes talking about selling it, and making it real will snap me out of it or actually bring me comfort in my choice.

As stated above, you can always ask for the new owner's IG/FB/TW/Tumblr/Whatever social media platform they post on so you can still see her. That brings me comfort when I can see certain dolls, or at least know the owner is still loving on them. Sorry for the wall of text. I hope this helps you in some way, and good luck.

 

Mostly my regrets are related to lost money (shouldn't have bought it in the first place!) or when sales were difficult/went bad... I honestly can't think of any of the dozen or so dolls I've sold that I'd want back.

 

I’m currently conflicted in a similar way. I feel I have too many dolls, and may be moving soon and think I’d like to cut back. But then I worry I’d regret it, and some of them are rare, limited or discontinued/defunct, so I might not be able to replace them if I regretted it. I’m still undecided.

I have regretted selling a doll. He was limited and almost never pops up secondhand, and in the rare chance he has, I didn’t have the money to get him. I sold him at a 50% loss because he wasn’t a popular doll. I’d had some upsetting situations involving that doll and tied the negative feelings to him and just had to get him out. Now, I’m over the feelings and realize it was not the doll’s character/shell that was in any way part of the problem, and I should have seen him as a light in the darkness. But I didn’t and I have regretted it for ages.

That being said, in my 11 years in the hobby, I’ve sold/traded dozens of dolls and haven’t regretted most at all. He’s the only one I REALLY regret. Others I might miss sometimes, but not enough to want to rebuy them.