Something you know now that you wish you knew then?

DO NOT START BUYING GIRL CLOTHES FOR BOY DOLLS XD there's so much more girl doll clothes, I would save so much money... if only I never started this in the beginning XD

 

So true it hurts.
Yet hurts so good.

Yea right this hobby will consume money and time, but as long as you enjoy the hobby, you won't regret it. As we always say, you never actually lose your money as it stays with you in various forms. =)

 

Congratulations on your first doll!
I'm definitely seconding wishing I had known how many people online are just reselling things off Taobao. I also wish I had known that there are some companies you're better off ordering from directly, and some you're better off ordering from a dealer/ordering from a dealer is your only option.
I also wish I had been able to join DOA sooner because there is seriously a wealth of information here!

 

Etsy is a great resource! You won’t need to restring your doll often, but when you do need it, it isn’t hard. Don’t be afraid to grip it with your knees! XD And above all, keep in mind this is something you love. It doesn’t matter what others think. Congrats and hope to see pictures (if you’re into taking pictures!)

 

On the subject of the hobby being expensive - don't feel guilty for not being able to afford things and/or how amazing and presentable other people's dolls look compared to yours. Often people have saved to get those things as much as they saved for the doll, and a lot of people just don't share their "incomplete" dolls on social media. It's fine to enjoy your doll naked, wigless, and/or eyeless for as long as you need to, if not forever. Patience is key.

Many people forced nudism on their barbies as kids, I think a bjd can deal with it.

My first SD is gonna need all custom clothes because of course I picked a weird size, and it's gonna take awhile because I made some financial miscalculations. He's been mid mods ever since he got home a year ago, and I'm probably another year or two from finishing him. He's still super pretty.

I wish people would share their incomplete dolls more often so newbies didn't feel as self conscious.

 

I wish I knew how amazing fairyland dolls were sooner. I fell in love with my Minifee and I wish I just had more fairyland dolls and had saved up for those instead of budget dolls at first.

 

Oh, she's such a pretty sculpt, and I just love the Lillycat bodies - they're adorable! Congrats on your first bjd, it's always so exciting! I hope you'll share pictures when she arrives.

 

I wish I’d known how hard it is to get clothes for the really big dudes. Maybe I’d have collected MSDs instead. Most of what I see on Etsy is “Minifee sized”...

 

Keep in mind that going into debt is not always the better option when it comes to buying those "limited" dolls. In many cases they seem to pop up for sale as soon as people start receiving them since they themselves have changed their minds or just need the funds. I have acquired a few grails this way. Plus debt just adds unneeded stress to a stressful life.

Enjoy your dolls however you want to. Don't let others tell you you aren't doing it right. We are all as different as our collections.

Congrats on the beautiful doll choice! Hope you love the hobby as much as the rest of us!

 

-If you want to do faceups, invest in a mask and good materials. Doesn't have to be the most expensive, but decent. You'll waste too much money on cheap stuff that is clumpy or not enough pigment to show, and that $35 mask is worth not damaging your lungs.

-Stringing is easy once you learn it. It's not as scary as it looks, and it's totally worth it when your doll poses better and stops flopping into a lazy pile of resin.

-Buying the wig/eyes/clothes you want, regardless of price, is the best thing to do. Others might be cheaper, but you won't be satisfied and will buy so many things to get it right that you'll probably spend more than if you just bought the one you liked in the first place. If the one you truly love is low priced, consider yourself very lucky!

 

+1 to being patient, especially with customizing. Don't be in a hurry to do it all at once! you'll find the right eyes, wig, style of dress, faceup, etc all in good time. heck, you'll probably want to mix it up a few times along the way.

Related and also important: Relax and have fun. Enjoy being a part of a beautiful expressive hobby! And if at any point it wears you out or you feel like you can't make time for it, don't feel guilty about taking breaks. Is ok! Dolls will still be there.

Congrats on taking the plunge!!

 

Seconding the 'don't think of them as an investment' - comment. Dolls that are going for high-end prices now, will probably be forgotten about in a decade. So, I'd like to add: Don't be afraid to modify your doll if you want to. Yes, it may have a negative impact on the value of the doll. Yes, they may become harder to sell. But if you step into this hobby only worrying about what might happen in the future, you're going to miss out on so much our hobby could offer. These dolls were meant to be turned into our own vision. Enjoy yourself.

^This times 10. I've been in the hobby since late 2005 and none of my dolls are finished and I don't appreciate my dolls any less (I love them more, knowing that I still have something to do).

 

I do wish I knew in advance what wigs and eyes I would eventually settle on before I bought all the others before them.

As for waiting to show off dolls, that’s me! I have saved for years before buying the perfect wig, outfit and eyes. Face-ups get the long wait too. I usually send them off so I have to save up for that. So yea, I have a doll right now without a face or wig. People can show off their dolls naked, eyeless and wigless and I will be just as excited to see the sculpting and work in progress as a “finished” doll. Feel free to share! I honestly only wait because it’s kind of a hassle and I always end up aching afterwards.

 

That the community isn’t as cliquish as I was afraid it was. If I had met the right people 6 years ago, maybe I wouldn’t still be a noob after all this time!

 

That it is horrible complicated to find fitting doll clothes... specially for 70+
And that if you started you cannot stop xD

 

body blushing isnt as scary as it seems and doing it yourself will save you a lot of money

 

That if you let it this hobby will push you to learn new skills and those skills can be useful for other things.

I learnt how to use UV resin and epoxy resin through this hobby because bought a pair of eyes that I hated so I tried to make my own. Now I enjoy making random things out of resin.

 

I dont bond with " realistic" proportioned dolls. The pictures of them can be amazing! I love looking at them online, but i dont like them in person, an the never really inspire me when they are here. Ive bought and sold too many before i just started getting other dolls instead