The Buying Experience: In-Person vs Internet

all of my dolls so far have been bought on the internet. however I live pretty close to a doll store and If the were a retailer for bjds I would definately buy them. It's very handy.

 

Personally, I have not bought a doll in person. The only thing that I go to buy in person is clothes, shoes, wigs, and eyes. And that is all from one store. There aren't very many options open for doll stores in the USA. I believe that we are lucky to get what we can.

 

I wish that I could go somewhere in person to buy a doll, but where I live that's just not possible. There is NO market over here to support an actual BJD shop of any sort. So, I must rely on the internet for my purchasing needs. I would love to go in person, but it's just not possible. I feel more secure in my purchase when I make it in person.

For example, if I were to go to the store and see the doll in person I could fall in or out of love with it right there and be willing or unwilling to make the purchase at that time without fear of the doll looking totally different from it's site pictures. Sounds silly, but I have seen dolls that look little to nothing like their sale pictures that "doll" them up to look especially spiffy and when they get home their owners didn't realize their nose did "that" or what have you.

Also, in person there's a little less of a chance to be jerked around by delays, imo. Where for example an e-mail or post on the message board might be your only method of contact with a company, if you were dealing with them in person it would be a little different. You could go back to the store and ask someone directly what the hold up was and since you're there they really wouldn't have any choice but to answer to your satisfaction vs. the chance that your e-mail or post was over looked or the person that deals with the message board didn't come in to work that day.

I like the internet because it lets me buy the things that I could otherwise never even dream of finding (like back when pocky and ramune were actually import items that you could only buy online), but I prefer to buy it from the store when possible.

 

Dude, why do no companies at least do video? That would help so much, since you could see the scale and posing, and you'd be able to check out the face from a few more angles too.

 

Sigh...I wish I could see a doll in person before buying! Even though there is so much more available through online shopping, it'd be wonderful to see people who are able to deal with dolls as part of their job and check out dolls and dolly supplies in person~ The con is that I always feel inclined to buy something out of politeness >.< and I'm more at ease behind the computer screen. If there was a Luts store around, it'd be absolute heaven! Then I'll be able to check out what's behind the hype of Bory, haha. Bory's a gorgeous doll along with the other CP/Luts creations, but maybe online photos don't do her enough justice because I don't see her as I doll I really want. Oh, another thing about instore purchase is that I'd get to carry the doll home right away and open her up for play ^^

 

I wish I could buy a doll in person~ Although most my purchases have been online only... Usually before I buy a doll online, I look at tons of pictures to try to get a feel of how that doll will look in person, but I always feel like I'm missing something by not being able to see it in person before purchasing. Aside from the ability of looking in person, I've never minded buying online~ It's sort of fun to wait for packages and I just looove opening boxes X3

 

I would love to be able to see the dolls I want in person before I actually buy them but I prefer buying on the internet...
On one hand, it would be really nice to be able to see the doll and to receive it immediately but on the other hand I tend to be an impulse buyer when I buy in person so the internet gives me the ability to think on it for a while. I would hate to buy a doll, not love it, and end up selling it.
And I agree with Asashi above. It is kind of fun to wait for the package and I bet opening the box is going to be really fun ^^

 

My first doll that I purchased I was surprised to see it in person. My Alice Cherry Blossom was found at my local anime convention (Fanime) in the Dealers room from a vender called JunkySpot which some of you have probably heard. I've wanted this doll for so long and I was lucky to have a job and be able to purchase her right there on the spot.. I remember I was incredibly happy to finally have her in my hands and the first time actually posing and holding a BJD ever.

 

Yeah... having a local doll store is my downfall. I dont buy dolls anymore (they no longer offer them, except for a few straggling Elfdoll Fairies) but I keep finding reasons to buy little items like eyes, purses, wigs, clothes....ARG! I could get those items here....and for cheaper!

I do however, love the store and its owners. Thats probably why I keep going back! XD

 

I would love to be able to see the doll in person before I buy it, because even though internet shops have a lot of pictures, they don't show everything. Especially since they are trying to sell their product and make it as appealing as possible, they can hide or photoshop (I'm not saying that any or all companies do this, I'm just speculating) parts of the doll that potential buyers might not find as appealing. I have gotten both of my dolls online, but not before extensive picture research and feedback in general from previous owners and the company site. I'm super picky (and not monetarily endowed), so if I'm about to spend 300+ on a doll, it'd better be worth it!

 

I would prefer to see in person, but as that's not often an option (unless a doll group member owns one of the dolls) so then I usually prefer to see owner's photos. I'm not keen on company photos as they are taken to show off the best features of the dolls and can be misleading. There is definitely an advantage to buying through a dealer or doll shop, my current wait with customhouse (see my signature) is a case in point. Of course, then the other problem is that when you see dolls in person, you can be taken with a sculpt that you had no interest in previously.

 

If you had a choice, would you prefer to buy dolls in-person or over the internet? Which type of buying experience do you feel is better and why?

I would love to be able to buy all of my dolls in person. It's just by far the better shopping experience and it's so much nicer if you can first have a look at the doll you're interested in and perhaps even talk to its creator/customizer.
Unfortunately there's absolutely no shop that carries BJDs around here, hence I do not have this option. I'm forced to buy all of my dolls over the internet. As such I am very thankful to companies that do their best to make shopping over the internet as easy as possible by providing us with easy instructions as how to use their webshop, good and clear photos of the sculpt, etc.

Which is most important to you: accessibility, quality buying experience or the product? In your opinion, can you have one without the other? Is the buying experience a part of the product or should it be?

Usually the buying experience should be a part of the product, especially when buying a luxury product - and that's what BJDs are.
If you as a company sell a very expensive product, you want to make sure you get to know your customers, get to know what they want/think/like and stay in contact with them. For various reasons.
However, as a customer I personally can do very well without that personal shopping experience, because in the end I am mainly interested in the finished product.
Or to put it in other words I'd rather have the doll without the fantastic shopping experience than have no shopping experience and no doll either at the end of the day.

Which company-type (NOT company) do you think is best: internet only, internet and in-person or in-person only? Why?

Best for whom? For the customers the best would clearly be internet and in-person of course, because that way every customer could choose the kind of shopping experience they'd prefer.
What works best for the companies is another question though.

 

It doesn't really matter much to me either way, but would eventually love to make it to a DollPa just *once* for the experience. I don't really live near a shop that specializes in dolls (unless you count one that's a couple hours drive) so everything I've purchased is over the internet.

As with most everything else, I do enjoy going into a store and just browsing. I loved waking through the Tenshi no Sumika stores when I was visiting Japan and stopped into several just to look at the displays! I certainly do appreciate that a lot of sellers have an online presence, but wish there was less of a penalty for not being able to get to a physical store (i.e. Volks special "in-store only" events).

 

I actually would love to see the doll up close and in person whether then rely on photos on the internet. It's really hard to get an idea on what a doll's base really looks like and if it's really something you want. That's why I do a lot of research on every doll I take an interest in because it's VERY hard to come across the same dolls in person, especially since events don't happen very much or when they do they're too far away from where I live. And although I go to conventions, the vendors aren't always there. But it is nice to see in the artist alley the dolls that people own so it gives me a better idea on the sizes. But I sometimes wish there was an actual store I could go into or there's a doll convention that happens where I'm able to see the models that I like so much in person. So internet and tons of research is the only thing I can really do and try to see if I can go to meetups and request someone to bring any of the following dolls that they happen to have of the same sculpt that I'm interested in. ^^

 

Honestly, in-person buying (or at least meeting the seller in person) is the best way to go, in my opinion. It makes a bond between buyer and seller and the seller can tell how sincere the seller is, and vice versa. I'm sure what Volks does is so their dolls don't become junk to a buyer who could care less about their dolls, they want to make sure they're selling to honest people who are interested wholeheartedly in the hobby. As for the strict internet transactions, I'm still iffy on that. Having my identity stolen before, trusting someone you don't know could be a disaster, especially when a large sum of money is concerned.

 

This is an old thread. Anyway, all my bjd purchases have been over the internet because they don't have them in my country. That said, I would love to be able to see and handle them before buying them, but its not possible. I have not been disappointed with any of my dolls.

 

I buy everything online, not only dolls, but clothes and daily stuff for my home.

Most of the things I buy are not available in physical stores but if I had the option to buy online OR in person, I would choose the in-person experience In that way, I can see if the doll is what I want. I've been disappointed a lot of times because the color skin, face up, body etc were not what I wanted.

Needless to say, I would love to go to a Soom store, Iplehouse, Fairyland etc etc but that's not possible :// so I'll keep buying online.

 

I love being in an actual store and being able to see dolls and items in person, but in exchange there is often much less variety and sometimes the prices are jacked up, like in the few booths I see at Otakon.

For dolls themselves, I've only bought two and they were just what I expected since I did a lot of research beforehand. I'm hoping this keeps up with all my future dolls, and I'm confident that it probably will! It would take a heck of a lot for me to 'give up' on a doll I already own.

BUT for OTHER THINGS, man, it's a nightmare. I'm picky about shoe quality, and a lot of times shoes LOOK better online than they feel IRL. Wig colors and eye colors have me totally lost, and I can't tell at all if something will work until it's IN or ON my doll, and it's combined with the other things it's meant to match with. I end up with a lot of stuff that might be nice, but is totally neglected because they just don't work with my dolls! In the end, I'm trying to sell 90% of my doll-related stuff, and I don't even have basic stuff like the right-colored wigs or whatever for some of my dolls @_@ .

Really, it's more like I'm buying stuff just for the chance to try it on my doll and see if it works, and then I have to go through the trouble of selling or trading it almost immediately after if it doesn't.

I would looove to walk into a Blue Fairy store... I'm pretty sure they have one, a cafe, but it's in Korea, so I obviously can't go XD . I want to try their shoes, their wigs, especially their shoes, hahaha! Shoes in particular have me totally at a loss right now. I want shoes that feel well-made and sumptuous, more like real shoes, but it's so hard to tell just with pictures. -siiiigh-

ali

 

I would like to at least have the experience of going to a place that sells BJDs in person just to see what it's like to be in a store filled with them! The closest I've gotten so far has been visiting one doll vendor at a convention I went to in January.

That being said, I personally like vendors that offer a mix of in-person and online sales. What I would love to see (and I haven't heard of it yet, but if one exists that would be awesome) is a doll vendor with a storefront that carries "floor models" of the dolls- i.e. those that potential buyers can come in and handle to get a feel for how they move and which joints they have, then place a pre-order with the vendor at the shop. Unfortunately I've heard of certain doll vendors that constantly keep the dolls they have for sale under lights, and as a result they're horribly yellowed, but are still being sold for the full retail price. I will say that's the main thing I prefer about online shopping- if you're ordering from a seller you know is legit, then you're going to get a brand-new, un-yellowed doll.

 

I would love to buy in person but I usually do internet research first so they'd need both... but as it is, as far as I'm aware my favorite stores that I like are both internet only so that's where my money goes. I'd prefer to get these molds in person but at the same time I like the lessons I've learned from this and not to mention the conventions and the doll shows I've gone to since. I can't wait to go to a meet up!