Should limiteds or oneoffs be modified or split into pieces?

I guess I should clarify the topic...of coarse I find if the original owner wants to modify their doll it's theirs and theyare able to do as they wish...I guess what I'd like to emphasize is when they want to sell said modded doll on the marketplace. I see a lot of untouched limited dolls and heads go for a pretty reasonable markup so I'm curious if you would buy a limited doll with heavy mods to the point of it being unrecognizable would this doll and or head be worth as much as a perfect untouched limited doll. I feel a doll which has been modified to an unrecognizable condition(even if skillfully done) takes away the resell value. What do all of you think? Keep in mind it's a limited doll/head that has been modded and is now up for resale(not the owner keeping said doll)

 

I would not buy a heavily modded limited doll, especially if it was unrecognizable, unless the mods could easily be reversed or repaired.

 

As for a modded LE, unless I'm specifically looking for a mod, I would have no interest in buying it.

I recently saw a OE MNF Breakaway head up for sell for an amazing price, and strongly considered getting it, until I really looked at him, and realized the extent of the mods done to the poor boy. Unless I did a very dark, gothy face-up, which I have no desire in doing or having, the halfway-done mod work would be painfully obvious.

It wasn't that he wasn't recognizably a Breakaway, or anything, it was just a case of him still needing some work, and me lacking the skills to do so.

 

It really depends on how well the mods are done--some people will pay a pretty penny for a well-done mod (even if it's done on an LE). I prefer to do mods myself, rather than buying ones that someone else has done (but I would consider buying a doll that has had light modifications). As for my modded doll, I wouldn't sell her because I feel like she'd only ever be valuable to me. I have a deep personal attachment to her because I put sooooooo many hours into getting her to look just right. That, and I am not a professional modder!

 

It certainly depends on what the mods are and how well they are done. I do think it's a bit silly to modify an expensive limited to the point that it's unrecognizable, simply because they could probably use a cheaper head and get similar results... but hey, if they don't mind spending the extra money or losing out on resale value I guess that's their choice.

Certainly some modifications can increase the value of a doll to certain buyers. Think of it this way: an unmodified limited doll is somewhat rare, and there are fewer of them around than standards, but a really beautifully done modification is one of a kind and if you really love it you only have one chance to buy it (unless the new owner resells as well). Some customizers are also very well-known and people will pay for the name, which you can see particularly in Yahoo Japan auctions. If a modification is appealing enough, even if only to a small group of people, they'll pay more for it. On the other hand, some mods really will decrease the value significantly- not only poor quality mods but also well done mods that just aren't appealing to others for whatever reason. Maybe it's something that's just too specific to the owner's character and wouldn't have wide appeal, maybe it's something too drastic like an extreme gore mod or a scar of an offensive symbol, maybe it's a modification that's the opposite of what people usaully want like cutting down elf ears into human ears.

Just as it is with dolls straight from the company, where one is more popular than another even though they seem to have the same type of appeal, it really depends on the specific modifications and how they affect the face. A relatively small detail can change someone's opinion of a sculpt pretty drastically!

 

I have actually done this, the doll wasn't as popular and is actually still available for sale, also I wasn't as attached to the doll though lovely for various reasons had sold the body to a very happy person that wanted the skintone since it was only available for LEs and I have recently sold a modified head from that doll and charged slightly cheaper than a normal head because I've done some heavy moding and my own faceup, though it was a fairly decent mod I felt I shouldn't charge much more than a normal head with faceup options, because it's the first time i've done such a heavy modding. I managed to find a very happy buyer who liked my customizing very quickly and she's currently paying the head off. She commented that she didn't like how the original look of the sculpt looked on the company site but fell in love with mine. So I'd say if you're fairly confident inyour customizing skills I'd not have an issues over it because someone just may like the differen look better.

 

Once the doll has been bought, I feel that it is up to the owner as to what they do with it, whether it be split, modified, etc.

I don't think I personally could ever modify or sell off parts of a limited, unless I really didn't care for the outfit he or she came with.

 

I think it's a waste to re face up limiteds. But if, you r happy with the re face up, then why not. I understand alot of pple in this hobby have characters and buy dolls to make them into their characters, it's prefectly fine. You paid for it and you should get as much joy out of it as possible. But on the other hand, it will be really sad if the new face up did not turn out good and person gives up on the doll and sells it. :X

 

I personally wouldn't mod a limited or oneoff doll head myself, which is why I have to buy another doll to suit my busty character because I can't bring myself to mod my LE Asha-I bought her as is-no changes. I could never change her punk lolita faceup-it suits her but maybe in the future I would sent her off to get her double jointed knee and boob jobs only on the new body if needed. I would never sell her because she's the perfect doll for my character. As for clothes, I would mod them as needed to fit my doll easily because the outfit might fit a different character than any other outfit does.

 

It really depends on the situation -- well done appealing mods can bring in extra money as you are paying for that artists skill. The reputation of the artist also plays a part as well as just luck -- are the people that would be interested in such a thing looking at buying a doll when you go to sell yours? Resale value really comes down to what somebody is willing to pay, and since we all have different tastes and interests, it's not possible to say that heavy mods will always lower the value.

One thing to keep in mind is that some of the dolls that get resold later weren't bought with that intention. However, unless you're buying with the sole purpose of turning around and reselling the doll later, I think it makes more sense to treat the doll as if you were going to keep it permanently. If you buy the doll to enjoy, then enjoy the heck out of it while you have it -- that's the way to get your money's worth, because even if a doll is kept in pristine condition, you can't always readily predict if/when/and by how much something is going to go up in value.

 

Well, if the owner is planning to keep the modded doll, I'm all for them modding the head. It's their doll, and the best feature these dolls have is that they are completely customizable...

About splits, I wouldn't participate in one unless I really disliked one doll but loved, say, its outfit. In general, I'd rathe own the compete set. But I find it quite alright that people split limited sets, works nicely for a lot of people.

 

I guess it depends just how limited the sculpt really is. If it's limited, but there's still a decent amount of them, it doesn't bug me so much. But if it's SUPER rare, it just seems wrong to mod such a rare doll...

I think changing faceups is fine, but anything that can't be undone would just make me a little sad. Unless the owner knows they'll never sell it. But if there's a possibility of re-sell, ... it makes a limited a bit less appealing.

 

This is a complex subject and I believe it depends more on the personal opinion of people, different people might be asked the same question and have a different answer because they think different about splits or modification, I, personally, don't think neither it's completely "wrong", but like I've said, the opinions might change depending on the people, and this doesn't mean that neither one it's wrong about it, for them it's good or bad to do this to their dolls, and as I always say, if you are happy with it...

 

The choice will always remain with the owner. If he fits a character and you have no reason for the other parts, that's best to do. If he's a collection item to remain a fullset forever, that is also fine. all choices.

 

it depends on how 'disfigured' you make them as you could get the same end result from a 'normal' mold, which is then really harsh to someone who you just took the last one away from, when they were desperately saving, or an avid collector who you just ruined their collection for. but thats always an issue any time you buy a limited of anything. the point you have to make is do you really love that doll for who she or he is, or are you trying desperately to make them something they arent ( like telling a female child you arent allowed to be a girl even if you want to be). if you love them for who they are and give only little mods but can still see the original shinning threw then i think its OK esp if you dont intend to sell them and so on. but its never fun trying to tell that one person who you took the last from, 'oh you wanted that but look what ive done to it, isnt it now better' esp if they go off in tears (as many would). difficult subject really from all perspectives, but personally i think i could never 'rip apart' ANY doll regardless of being a limited or not, as if i wanted change i would make the doll myself and not take it away from another owner who would love that doll for who she is.

 

I dunno, I woudln't call the doll "disfigured' if it is what the owner wants. I mean in the end, unless the doll is a one off, I don't think the sculptor would mind what the owner does with it. It belongs to the owner and as long as they like it, they can do what they want. The colthes are just clothes and they might actually suit another doll just as well or even better in some cases.

If someone can't get their hands on an LE doll and really wanted it, they should keep in mind that another LE will probably come along and steal their heart again. Wasting time fuming and feeling badly over something you can't control, but makes someone else happy (ie. modding a rare LE doll makes the owner happy) is not worth your time and stress. The best you can do is hunt down something you can get your hands on or play with your existing dolls to make them what you want.