Should I sell my first doll to get my grail doll?

There's a lot of things to think about.

Well, I think you should first consider if your grail doll is the same price as your first doll was, brand new, and if that's the case dolls rarely, if ever, end up selling for more than new/market value secondhand, unless they are exceptionally rare/linited, and even then, it can be a hard sell. You might want to see if you can get your grail doll second-hand, or through a doll trade, but even then, those pose their own respective gambles. You might feel a lot worse about giving up something close to you, especially if you feel more chemistry.

I was in a similar situation. My 'grail' doll was teased at for months, and I told myself I would save up, and save up. I was even telling myself that I'd finally take the plunge and buy her this week (this was earlier in the year). In that time, however, and despite putting her in my shopping cart frequently and almost hitting send, I stopped myself, kept asking if I really wanted her? And over time, I realized I didn't need her. And after over a year of waiting for that particular doll, I found myself with three that were better, more insiring. I knew/know what I want to do with them. Whereas I think I only wanted my former grail doll because it was "cute". And again, I realized I could just as easily, and possibly at a much lower price, incorporate those features onto one of my preexisting dolls, or create something or someone new, and better, in the future.

 

Two things come to mind here. First, if you've been contemplating this for over a year and still have such a hard time with the idea of parting with your first doll, you probably shouldn't, at least not yet. Secondly, it would be very sad if the grail ended up not being quite what you imagined and you regretted your actions.

If I were in your position, I would try my hardest to wait and save up for the grail separately, even if it took a year or two, and keep looking for new ways to enjoy doll #1 in the meantime. Maybe when you've got half the money saved, you will decide you've truly fallen out of love with your first doll and the path will make itself. Or, maybe your grail will become less important to you.

I spent a few years waffling about the sentimental value of my first doll even though I didn't care for his looks much anymore. I held onto him until I was entirely certain (3-4 years, until he literally just sat in a closet apart from my other dolls because my collection had changed so much), sold him a few months ago and regret nothing. Even though I did ultimately part with him, I'm glad I waited long enough to feel 100% okay with putting him in that shipping box.

 

In this hobby I try to stick to "if it's a maybe, it's a no".
If you aren't positive you want to sell her then I would suggest you don't. It's likely you'll come to regret it later on.
If your Grail doll isn't limited I'm sure other ways to be able to afford her will come up in the future. Try not to rush into making a decision.
Sorry if this wasn't much help.

 

I got my first doll from my father, who I am also incredibly attached to as a person. He's the only family member I have that I care for.
However, years down the road I too changed my taste heavily and no matter what I tried with my first doll, I couldn't rekindle that love again for him. In the end I sold off his body but kept his head, because in the end that is what counts as the actually "doll" for me (difficult to explain). The body is just like a glorified bust to me to put the head on, and only the head really matters to me.

Maybe you can try this? If you regret it you can just get a body again for the head.
Bodies tend to be more expensive than heads too, so you only would need to save up a little by other means to buy your grail.

 

Personally, I wouldn't sell your first doll.
Unless the grail doll is some sort of one-off model, you can always wait for another opportunity later

You can't buy/get that sentimentality back. Even if you buy the same doll again later, it's not the same doll. And for me that's the real defining detail.

 

If neither are limited, just save for the grail doll, it might take awhile to get the doll, but it will be worth it for you not to lose your beloved first doll.

Can you put your grail doll on lay-a-way? Some places offer lay-a-way, and they will send for your doll one you begin payments, this means that your new doll might be waiting for you when you pay off the lay-a-way.

Or just put a little aside at home if you feel better doing that, make a doll fund for yourself, and cut back a little on something to put it into the doll fund.

 

Like what others have pointed out, as long as neither of the dolls are limited, you have the luxury of time to be able to save up on the grail. It also lessens the pressure on you to make a rush decision whether to sell your first doll or not. Take your time on it.

I myself thought I would never sell my first doll because there's nothing like the thrill of the first doll. However, I wasn't really happy with how she looked with my 70cm, and I started searching for other options eventually. The change didn't happen all at once -- first it was just a change of head, then I upgraded her body. With the reshell complete, I was finally able to let go of my first doll.

It turned out I was more attached to the character of the doll (I enjoy them that way -- not everyone does) than the shell itself, and thus I didn't regret it when I put her up on the market when more spot-on sculpts came along.

 

Sounds like you have ample opportunities to get your grail right now. Meanwhile if you were to sell your first doll, you will pretty much have zero chance of getting that doll back since it is the only one. Since you say you are unsure, I would suggest waiting for those reasons.

 

I wouldn’t sell the first. I’m going on 12 years in the hobby, and I still have my first. I don’t do much with him anymore as he’s totally different than what I like in dolls now, but his sentimental value is much higher than his secondhand value. I’ve owned a couple of trails in my time here, and while I did love them for awhile, I ended up selling them in a few years. A lot of my love for them was in what others did with theirs, and the appeal faded over the years. First guy still hanging in strong!

The thing is, especially with an unlimited grail, you can always save up or buy the doll later. Many people have grails who have been discontinued for years or were very limited, and will spend years saving and hunting. I hunted for mine for four years. That’s kind of the definition of a grail doll—one you desire above all others, but will be a long journey to obtain. If you can work and save for a long time and finally get that doll, it’s so rewarding and makes it extra special!

If, instead, you sell your first to buy the grail, you can never undo that decision. You could rebuy the sculpt if you regret it, but getting the exact same doll back from the buyer would be much less likely, and in the exact same condition is very very rare. A new doll of the same sculpt might look the same or similar, but she won’t be the doll your uncle helped you get, and won’t have the same sentiments attached. Many unlimited dolls also don’t hold value well on the secondhand market, so depending on your doll’s company, sculpt, if she’s a full set or has faceup, what condition she’s in, you might not get anywhere near the original value if you want to sell fast, or might have to wait a long time for her to sell at close to original price.

Ultimately, the choice is yours and yours alone. Think about the pros and cons of both sides before doing it, and best of luck in the choice you make!

 

Well, if your grail doll's not limited, even if the company discontinues the sculpt, there might be plenty to be found on the second hand market once you got the money saved up. Or you might be able to get the doll directly from the company later - I'd expect a non-limited model to stay around for a while. (Even if it were a limited model, there'd be the chance of getting the doll on the second hand market - it only takes time and patience, but you'd need time to save up the money anyways.)

I wouldn't sell your first doll. Even if you can get the doll back at some point, it won't be the same one. I got a doll here my aunt bought for me (as in - I told her what doll I wanted and she gave me the money to buy her). I know I won't be doing much with her (but I'm not doing much with any of my dolls, sooo ...) but she's still special because she's the doll my aunt bought me, and I'll always remember that when I look at her, and it always will make me smile. If anything happened to her and I'd have to get her again (assuming I could since she's very limited) - it wouldn't be THE doll my aunt bought me.

 

I agree with everyone here. Especially with the grail not being limited, I would not sell your first doll given everything you have said about it. I would save and get the grail. In this case, I feel the chance for remorse at selling is to great to justify the "instant gratification" of obtaining an easy (relatively speaking) grail. If this was for a hard to find or limited doll, I would suggest mulling it over a bit more, but even then, I would hesitate. Things tend to pop up eventually on the secondary market if you look hard and long enough.

 

@honchodolls
Your body isn't lying to you. If you tear up when you think about selling your first doll then you simply don't want to sell her. Save for the grail instead. There is no one way to have a doll so don't feel like you need to be *doing something active* with that first special doll. Simply being a special sentimental thing is a valid reason to keep her. Saving for your grail will give you the time and perspective to make sure you want it before you buy it.
I can tell you that I spent a year debating whether I wanted to get a doll I really wanted before I finally decided I did want him and could afford him. Since he wasn't limited, I didn't allow myself to pressure myself to make snap decisions about buying.

 

Sakura Miku is at least 'semi-limited' it's likely she'd be back in stock at Volks eventually. We don't know when and it might be years in the future and even then she is likely to be snapped up quickly when she is. She might not be truly 'limited' but she is in rather short supply.
She seems to be anywhere between 70,000 and 100,000 yen (about $650 to about $930) on the secondhand market. (However, those near the lower end are likely to be missing parts or stained). Which is quite a bit more expensive than what she was originally sold for on Volks upon release. Because of this, the price of the doll is likely to increase.

Whether you sell your first doll is exclusively up to you. I can't tell how you are feeling or what is more important to you. But I do think calling 'Sakura Miku' an 'unlimited' doll doesn't really explain her scarcity enough.

 

It sounds like selling your first doll would break your heart and be something you'd regret I would say don't sell her and instead slowly save up for the grail as a second doll.

 

I wouldn't in this case. Even through your first doll is not a LE, once we own a doll and put efforts and time into it that doll becomes uniquely ours. If you are attached to your first doll I would keep her.

Sounds like it's possible to have both dolls, make it an and instead of or

 

Honestly, your statements are kind of conflicting.Your current doll is extremely precious to you, you tear up when you think about selling her...and you don't cherish her enough? Sorry, but - what? I don't get it. If she is precious to you, then you should absolutely not sell her, or you will definitely regret it eventually. But if you are just working to convince yourself that she is precious even though she's not, then stop trying to force sentimentality, sell her, and get what you really want. Whoever buys her will love her, so no need for guilt. These are lumps of resin, not living creatures - apologies for being pragmatic, but choose whichever one you want more and bring it home.

 

I would wait for a Sakura Miku rerelease event. I've noticed VOLKS selling Vocaloid DDs around the holidays. Smartdolls (assuming this is the doll you've talking about) tend to sell very fast on the secondhand market. It's something you could do at the last minute so to speak.

Consider if another doll came out, would you be willing to sell Sakura Miku for that doll too? If it's possible, I think it's best to save up so you can have both and really compare them rather than selling one that you sound very attached to so you can afford the other.