Shelling OCs vs Dolls You Like

My first doll was named after a character of mine and I picked a wig and eye color to match said character. She definitely wasn’t exactly like the character she was named after just because I would have had to make some very ambitious modifications to make her match the oc’s looks. I decided to just let her diverge naturally and have a loose character that helped me decide what clothes to dress her up in.

Since then all my dolls have been their own characters with a similar loose personality so I can be flexible with what they wear. I might consider shelling an oc in the future but till then I let my dolls be their own thing

 

For me, shelling OCs typically takes priority over buying the dolls I just like the sculpt of. I think I have a love for the hunt for The Perfect Sculpt (or maybe it's love/hate considering the difficulty sometimes). Of course I also think the sculpts I end up shelling for OCs fall under the same umbrella as "dolls I like". Focusing on shelling OCs also helps me, personally to keep my spending in check.

Lol, that being said, if I found a sculpt that I felt I just couldn't live without, and I had the extra money to buy it, I definitely wouldn't say no. I actually do have one doll that I bought just because I love the sculpt. He's a wildcard though because he goes against everything that is my typical "type" when it comes to what I like in bjd sculpts.

 

For me, what more often happens is I find a doll that I fall in love with, and then I make a new character based on how that doll looks! That's what I'm doing with the doll head I just bought recently, and I did that with the 2 full dolls I already have as well ^_^ It just depends on what you prefer, although I generally need to really, really want the doll to spend so much money on it if that makes sense. I wouldn't want to end up with a doll I'm not 100% happy with.

 

I have too many existing oc’s that I’m super attached to to shell into dolls. And if ever want to shell one of them, I’d be way too picky about the details. Either I’d shell them right or not at all.

So I don’t shell characters. I just pick dolls I like and and make new characters to fit them.

 

I'm somewhere in the middle, I guess. I bought my current and only doll based off an idea I had for a visual concept and the sculpt suited that idea, but the longer I thought it over, the more concrete that idea became and gradually a character developed from it. I think I'm more likely to shell a character than to get a doll simply because I like them - I wouldn't know what to do with them, since I use my dolls for photography concepts and build wardrobes based on their personality or the situation I see them in. I don't see myself doing detailed photostories so there's no character-based inspiration coming from that direction, but generally I find it more useful and sustainable if my dolls were based tangentially off characters or ideas I gravitate strongly towards, because it makes more sense personally to keep them around for long.

 

I'm more inclined to buy dolls to shell OCs, because a) it helps me tailor my collection - there are so many sculpts I love and I prefer a smaller collection, b) I'm not really into frequent customisation/dressing up of dolls, so limited options for clothing/face-ups (whilst remaining true to a character) doesn't bother me too much, c) I really enjoy having another representation of some of my favourite OCs!

This is not to say I've never bought a doll just because I liked it though -eyes her Pathos Tale Misheng-

 

I've never purchased a doll with the intentions of turning them into an existing OC. I prefer my art and writing OCs to be separate entities to my dolls. I've never even considered drawing or writing anything involving my dolls either. While my OCs have set personalities, appearances and mannerisms my dolls are more of a "feeling".

 

I primarily look for dolls with the intent to shell OCs. There are plenty of sculpts that I find aesthetically pleasing, but without the connection I have with my OCs to tether them, I know I'll likely have a harder time bonding if I buy just for the sculpt and not because it embodies a character. I'm also a person that enjoys the thrill of the hunt, so searching for the perfect eye color or the perfect wig is a lot of fun, and it makes clothing shopping easier since each OC has a particular style concept.

 

I've bought all my dolls simply because I liked the sculpt a lot, then I build a personality around that. When I see a sculpt I really like, I imagine what kind of character I could build it into and what kind of aesthetic I want. I haven't shelled an old OC into any doll, they always end up being new ones!

 

I've never purchased a doll to shell an OC, probably because I have so few of them & I seldom come across dolls that fit the look I picture in my head. My dolls were all bought simply because I loved the doll itself & then a character would come to me. My dolls are also part of a story that arose from the dolls themselves. The 1:3 ones have their own universe which is different from the JIDs' & slim minis' one. Then there's the little world of my Little Fees & Peak;s Wood 1:6 dolls who are all sprites.

I've always approached dolls this way. They "talk" to me & a little story arises. I don't know, guess I'm just weird that way.

 

Shelling core OC/fave char.
It helps to shortlist the sculpts I like. The one was that right for the characters got me to explore the hobby further.

And since this hobby is so highly customisable, the two OCs that followed the starter doll were versatile enough for changing looks to suit themes.

The existing crew covers a. range of personalites that makes it challenging for the any hopeful applicants to stand out. Especially so when it comes to wanting more male sculpts. Both my male and female dolls( as a bishie young man and cute boy type) go all out to counter them in the name of more clothes.

 

Shelling my OCs is a priority when I go looking for a new sculpt. The hunt for the perfect sculpt is really what drives me and keeps me looking, and planning + doing mods to make them match the character is a lot of fun. I like a lot of different sculpts, but I won't even consider a purchase of it doesn't fit a character... unless it really resonates with me. There's only one doll that I want that doesn't fit any of my OCs.

 

What is OCs?

 

Than you so much ^^

 

Finding the perfect doll to be my OC has been a 10 year ordeal... but I finally think I've found the perfect one. It's been a huge part of my hobby to be honest!

 

My first doll was chosen to be the perfect shell for one of my most used OCs. All the other dolls I own also have characters but mostly they were created specifically for the doll. So I'm in the middle of both worlds, I'm not interested anymore in shelling my OCs from stories and so in dolls but all the doll I buy must have their own style, personality and background before I even think of purchasing a new doll.

 

The first doll I ordered as an OC's shell. However the second doll I purchased, I got because I absolutely fell in love with her sculpt. From there, a new OC just arrived and in buying a doll I just really liked, I wound up shelling an OC anyway because of the story she inspired.
So really, I think doing both things winds up being inspiring on one way or another.

 

I think I have to agree with a majority of the people who have already commented; it depends on the doll. Granted, I'm still figuring things out, so I don't have a lot of practical experience, but I already can tell that I am going to want to do both. At the moment, I'm torn between a face that I just like and one that reminds me of a favorite character.... So, I guess, both?