Should limiteds or oneoffs be modified or split into pieces?

Honestly? I understand some inflation with limiteds...but... going from buying it from the company for 600 and selling it for 1000-1200. I find a little ridiculous. Regardless if the face up is wiped or gets some elf ears modded on...I don't think it should change the price, and that goes for getting some uber popular face up artist to paint it for you so you can turn around and sell it for 3x what you bought it for.

 

Deffinatley a good point

 

I would only think that a doll's value decline when the doll isn't kept in the best condition. If the faceup is wiped off, you better hope that the new faceup on it is far better and the best quality... Nothing too amateurish. Kinda a hard sale when there's a bad faceup on the doll, limited or not... I mean, even the original company could've put a bad faceup on a beautiful mold and fewer people will buy it. (SD16 Garnet for example.) Then there's supply and demand. If there isn't a lot of that mold worldwide and a lot of people are seeking to own it, of course the value will increase. If there are a bunch of them that exceeds the demand, the value is much lower.

 

I could see if the faceup artist is exceptional paying a little more, honestly there are some so-so defaults that when replaced with a good faceup is a different doll. But in most cases with limiteds, I think it would decrease it.

On the modding, especially if limited, I could see it losing value, especially with something like modded elf ears, horns, or mods not everyone might want. It narrows the amount of potential buyers and may lower the price, or length of time before the right buyer comes along. Its only worth what someones willing to pay. So I wouldn't mod a doll to increase the value, but to increase my liking of the doll, and understand its not really an investment.

 

A doll might be better looking with a new face-up or a mod or both in your eyes but it really depend on what most people think. Also some limited is released a basics too in wich case it's the face-up and the outfit that's limited. If a sculpt excists as a basic and you want to change it, you're better off with a basic rather than a limited IMO.

There's another thing this make me think of though. I know a lot of people are selling dolls almost as fast as they buy them. But I still think that if you can't do what you feel like to something you own because it might drop value if you decide to resell it, then you never REALLY own it. You're just borrowing it from the next owner.

This is actually one of the reasons I'm not fond of limiteds at all.


Dustbunnie

 

It would depends a lot, I think, on the mods and on the limited doll itself.

If part of what makes the limited doll limited is the faceup, wiping the faceup will definitely decrease the value. But then, the new faceup could bring the value back up equally.

Kinda the same with mods. Like my Shoyo-3, part of what makes her limited is her ears. If someone were to mod human ears on her and close up the holes her kitty ears attach to, that would decrease her value as a limited, because you can get the Shoyo face mold with human ears. But if someone were to mod her kitty ears into, say, super amazingly awesome bat ears, that would probably bring her value up, as it is unique.

Some of it will depend on the buyers, too, and how long you're willing to wait for the right buyer. Someone may hate the faceup on a LE. Someone may absolutely adore the mods you've made.

But like someone else mentioned, modding and re-face-upping something just to turn around and sell it is kinda iffy. If I were to mod something, it would definitely be on a non-LE sculpt, though. What if I end up hating the mods? At least then I can sell the modded one, and get a new non-modded one.

 

But sometimes, a limited just increases value randomly as tastes in the hobby change. Some of the more anime looking sculpts that were very popular in the early days of the hobby are not very popular now, so you might lose money on a LE like that even without any mods. Or the Dollshe Bermans that were seen as weird when they came out, and are now crazy sought after. Soom Limiteds are really popular right now, but if too many other companies do similar fantasy sculpts, there is a possibility that people would get sick of them.

I see a limited as just another doll. I only buy one when its perfect for the character I'm trying to create. I think modding is the same, if you are a skilled and talented modder, go ahead, it will probably make the doll more valuable. If you are a beginner, maybe invest in a vinyl practice head first.

 

It's really going to depend. If the mod or faceup is really good, it could add to the appeal. Some people aren't as comfortable modding themselves, or don't like sending heads out, so getting a doll with really nice custom work already done is a plus. Also, some people buy LEs for the sculpt, rather than the look of the full and aren't going to be as bothered that things have been changed.

However, there will be some people who want the doll in it's original condition--you can't please everybody all of the time, but with so many people participating in the secondary market, one would think that there are enough of both types to ensure sales...providing of course that the work done is quality work and that there aren't other economic factors going on that make it hard for anyone to sell dolls. It can be hard to predict how dolls will hold their value overtime anyway, and even keeping a doll in it's original form won't guarantee it will rise in value (though obviously some do quite a bit).

 

Hmm, interesting topic.

I think with limited dolls, if you mod them that would drop the value, at least in my eyes. I'd rather buy an unmodded limited than one that's been fiddled with.

I personally have a limited that I changed the face on. My Elf Ducan. Ducan looks fine on DoD's website but in person I found his face to be heinous. Glitter purple-y eyeshadow, gross orange lips with a line so dark it looked like he had just sucked tar, icky eyelashes and the white eyebrows that only go with white hair. I sent him to SDink for a repaint and I'm way pleased with him now. If that means he'd sell for less, I'd be bummed, but honsetly, his real limited-ness comes more from the elf ears and outfit.

Old

New

 

My first BJD I ever bought was an LE, he's a Latidoll Aida. I bought him because I loved the sculpt and I wanted a "complete" doll for my first. I passed up many modded Aidas in my attempt to get one still left in its original condition. Now I wouldn't mind so much if the Aida sculpt was modded a bit, and if the mod was particularily unique and good, I would still pay the same price. People's minds change all the time like that. I think the only thing that really causes a price drop in limiteds is either damage or eagerness to sell. If you leave the doll up for sale long enough, you're sure to find a buyer somewhere that'll pay what you're asking.

 

Yeah, I think it truly depends on the type of modifications because if I found it aesthetically pleasing I would want the doll and wouldn't care if it was limited or not. I don't think that it would necessarily increase the value unless it was an extremely good job by a well known faceup artist or mod artist.
If the doll originally had a beautiful faceup/face that I really fell for and was searching out in specific, I'd probably search for one unmodded if it was a limited doll and pass on any modded ones.

 

i think if its sent to one of those artist that dont except to paint everyones dolls they will go up in price.
but if the mods on the dolls are very plain or not soo unique it will lower the dolls price.

 

byke stegosaurs - I agree with you.

I myself would not sell a doll - limited or not - for a higher price than it's original one no matter what moddings made.

 

well following the natural comon sense, I gess, it losses they value...
You are changing the "professional" make up. If you change a characteristc that made them a limited item in the shop you should change ther price too, or at least keep it if you made a great job!

 

Some people won't like the "professional" make up as well, though. ABJDs are also meant to be customized--I know that can be a sticky subject sometimes in the case of LEs, but I think there's perhaps less of an expectation of keeping a doll just as it was than there is with other types of collectibles. It's also going to depend on why people want the LE--because they love the full set, or they love the sculpt (think of how many Volks sculpts are only available as LEs). Lots of people just love the sculpts. That's why so many splits happen in the marketplace. In that case, I would think having the original faceup wouldn't matter so much.

 

I think that if someone, or several persons wants to buy or split a LE and keep it for themselves, that have the right to do whatever they want with it. As Taco says, maybe they just like the sculpt and would like another face up or outfit ^^.
But of course, if they want to sell it later, it will lose value... But as they are owners, they have the right to do what they want with their dolls.

 

I don't really see why it's a problem. I only really care when people modify limiteds, i find it to be quite sad i mean if you don't like part of the mold then don't get it in the first place. But really splitting doesn't bother me as much, unless it's a oneoff, general limiteds should be allowed to split because there's always going to be someone who keeps them as their full set!

 

Hummm... I can see your point!
Good point!

 

Peerhaps this is a sticky question but say your dream doll is a Volks Williams, and you have tried forever to get one, and all you can get is the scarred version at a price that you can afford.

Do you then, remove said scar to get the doll you want, or just respect it as being the limited doll it is, and resell it later for your dream doll?

 

I don't think you should avoid doing anything to your own dolls, but I personally would want to be very sure of my skills before I tried anything!

The one think I don't get is when people sell off their dolls after taking all of their limited items, and then say "limited doll! Will come naked!"... surely I could just buy a basic doll?