The urge to "rescue" a doll

I remember you and your dolls! This was close to when I first opened commissions. I was (and still am) very grateful for your business! It's awesome to know what became of her all these years later, and to have been part of her journey.

 

Didn't have this before, but I got a shot of it when I found myself on the Japanese second-hand market yesterday. Mandarake had this MSD which a big "JUNK" label on her and she just... wasn't junk? Like, yeah, she looked really dirty and there were scratches on her faceup but that was about it for as far as I could see. Probably a good thing I don't have much expendable income right now because dang, I was so ready to welcome this girl with a three-stage bath and a new face :C

 

I used to "rescue" off-topic dolls, but not bjds. As someone stated earlier, you rapidly accumulate quantity and not quality (and a large to-do list). I don't recommend this method of collecting - or maybe just one rescue-project bjd at a time. Now I have a LOT of O.T. dolls that will probably go straight to charity.
Sigh...well, it was fun at the time!

 

@Answer42 - yes the one at a time rule helps.

 

I was actually looking for a damaged doll recently because I wanted to try some heavy modding on it! I bought a DC Kid-07 that I just love the aesthetics of, but couldn't bring myself to mod it because it was just too prestine! I didn't end up finding one for the character, but I don't think I would buy a damaged doll with hopes of rescuing it ^^

 

I occasionally have a problem with wanting to rescue a doll.

The doll might not necessarily be damaged, just old. If I see the price dropping and dropping because the owner can't get rid of it, I begin to feel a little sad for both the doll and the owner. I once bought a doll so the owner wouldn't drop the price any lower, because I felt sad for the doll.

Yep, I'm a crazy person.

 

I've felt that need too. There was this lovely MSD girl doll in the second-hand market. The price was astonishing low just because she wasn't posing great and had yellowed and was a little dirty. I ended up resisting it and she eventually disappeared. I'm not sure what I would've done with her if I had bought her, and I don't know where she'll be right now but I hope she arrived at a loving home because I really felt sad about her.

 

There are other types of dolls I can rescue, restore, and repair but I’m not as experienced with bjd yet so I don’t have that urge. For some people it has to do with sustainability and not having damaged dolls go to landfills. Then others like me rescue dolls that are just no longer available to buy new.

 

The urge is very strong for me with this one - I love a restauration project, I love the...um... price that comes with a fixer-upper and I'm always happy if there is less of a long wait to get a doll + knowing how hard selling second hand is right now, I'll gladly help a person out! I'm also inclined to try out more things on a rescue doll rather than a new one so it's kind of double the fun for me.

 

Oh, this is a huge issue for me. It's led to a lot of impulse purchases- dolls I don't really want but feel bad for. I've really had to work on reining myself in and sticking to a set WTB list, regardless of how pitiful and cheap a doll may be. Because even if I don't spend a ton of money on it, I still may not bond as well once it's fixed up.

Repairing and selling on could be a way to scratch the itch without taking up too much money and space?

 

I just rescued a doll, and her sad face and bad pictures just called out to me. She was dirt cheap (especially for a bjd, think playline doll price, but she's a Bobobie so no legitimacy worries) because she was missing her headcap. After a thorough bath and a crude apoxie sculpt headcap, she's beginning to shape up. I just couldn't leave her behind.

 

I also feel the urge to buy dolls to fix them up! For me it’s usually a combination of the price and knowing what I could do with it. I got a bunch of rescue projects all at once from someone who had a terrible ex mess up a bunch of bodies that she’d had to leave at his place. I’m almost done repairs on the last one, but the other two were both dyed lovely colours to hide staining, and fixed fairly extensively to hide milliput for a couple cracks. It was the only way I’d ever afford to own a fifth motif body, or an amadiz angels body, so I was thrilled by it.

Now I’m always scanning for other dolls that need fixing up even though I have two very big unfinished mods sitting on my counter, waiting for me to finish them.

 

I have the same problem, it's difficult to pass on a fabric that feels so tactile and I always have to touch a fabric, then I can't help but buy it!! My third bedroom (also my doll room) closet is full of fabrics that are waiting to be used, not to mention the boxes of fabric filling my Billy bookshelves!!

 

Money is always a problem when you collect dolls! Too many dolls and never enough cash in the kitty!!

 

I feel this urge a lot, I don’t even inherently feel the need to completely fix these dolls, maybe just give them a nice set of clothes and a good wig. Then of course they are cared for and given a good home with me, especially if the doll is pretty inexpensive due to its damages I definitely want to swoop in and save them. Giving dolls a truly loving home is a big thing for me

 

There's a doll on a second-hand site who's in pretty good condition but an... unfortunate faceup... Every now and then I check on her and when I see that deer-in-headlights stare my inner Samaritan wants to take her home. She's been there forever. If she drops in price any further in the future I'll probably bite the bullet.

 

I have this urge a lot, especially with ot plastic dolls as I can restore them and a doll always has a potential to look pretty though I didn't always act on it and those days I never do but I feel it no less even if I resist temptation, the only way that worked till now to get rid of the urge and not feel anxiety is to have my dolls displayed nicely go in front of them and say to myself that I have too many and pretty dolls so I don't need it plus it will be cramped up on the shelf if I add even one doll there.I need to sit there look at the dolls for sometime and meditate while looking at my shelves to make the urge go away.

 

I definitely understand the feeling of wanting to “rescue” those dolls. For the beautiful pieces of art that they are, they all deserve a good home. I normally have to resist those temptations so I can save up for a doll on my wishlist instead, but sometimes it takes a lot of convincing! If you’re willing to go the extra mile and fix the doll up, though, it’s definitely a deal.

 

I get it all the time, hot mess dollies are soooo cute. but I try to resist the temptation, not only some restorations are outside the scope of my skillset and patience, but I have a lot of dolls already, and a lower priced fixer upper may be a greater opportunity for someone else.

 

This is why I need to stay off the second hand market lol I want to rescue every doll I see, especially ones with problems that I see pop up for weeks. I just wish they could have a home too...
I almost bought a CD girl with a broken off leg hook just because I thought "I could fix her!!!" but I had plans to save up for a different one. Thankfully I talked myself out of it and later bought the CD girl I actually wanted. On top of that I realize I have limited time for my dollies already, no need to add a project I won't have time for on top of it.