Try before you buy - theoretical debate on dollfie lending.

Have any of you heard of Bag, Borrow, or Steal (also known as Avelle)? They rent couture handbags and accessories. I mention this because I view their business model as applied to renting BJD. Sure, BJD are customizeable and are meant to be personal or used as characters, but think about it from a business model point of view. For example, Avelle can rent me a couture bag that has a retail price of $1600 weekly for $57. I pay for shipping to me, they pay for shipping back. They automatically have insurance up to $150, but I can buy full coverage for an addition fee as well. If I really love the bag and it is available to buy, I have that option too and the rental equity is used towards my purchase. If I destroy the bag they automatically charge my card for the damages or replacement. Sounding familiar?

I am using this company as an example because I think it can be applied to BJDs. Of course, you would not be able to customize your doll or change it permanently. The dolls would either have to be naked when they came to you or Limited editions with their own Limited wigs eyes and clothes. It could work.

However, whether people feel comfortable renting a doll or not is not the point of my post. Whether it would be worth it to the customer is another matter as well. People always say, where there is demand, you must supply and you don't really know if there is demand for this kind of service because it's not out there yet. I am not sure BJDs are like handbags where people feel the need to rent them because they are so expensive and that they can't afford to buy a new one every season, but who knows?

edit: I don't think this would be a good idea for a doll company itself, but for an agent or dealer. Therefore the company does not lose any money or deal with rentals, but the agent does. People would be renting from the agent with the expectation of receiving a used doll.

 

It's a horrible idea from a company's POV.

Even if someone is honest and responsible enough (1 in 20 people, maybe?) to return a doll like new the company would still lose money if they were to refund the full deposit. Most people don't realize the expenses of owning a business. The company would still have to pay employee wages, building rent, cost of materials, etc. Refunding your money does not mean they break even. With enough people returning their trial dolls back it's quite a substantial loss, probably enough to send a small company out of business quickly.

Also, since these are mostly international companies there's different jurisdictions regarding credit. If a shrewd individual should keep (steal) the doll, what exactly could the company do? I have no clue.

 

Apart from anything, the next person would be getting a used doll. As a dealer myself I would never go for this for that reason. You want your stock going out to the customers perfect, not handled and played with by a third party.

 

I can totally see the good and bad in this idea.

Yes, it would be wonderful for many reasons. Companies would be able to put their dolls out there in the hands of the consumers to 'test,' which is a good idea generally speaking. Consumers would be able to try out dolls without having to buy them up front; you'd be able to see if you enjoy the doll, and if it lives up to your expectations of it. To be able to turn around and send it back would be fantastic, were there not so many Cons...

Companies would never lend out such fragile goods if they knew what was good for them. BJDs are highly expensive, take great time and skill to make, and are easily broken or flawed. Even just a scratch could mean a big deal for the company if it was returned to them. Certainly they could charge a 'raised' fee for the rental, something that is not refundable and can be used to pay for cleaning and repairs. But how many people that you know would want a 'refurbished' doll? Especially if it is simply a 'stock' doll, and coming directly from the manufacturer? If I had the choice of it, I'd want the brand new one. Even if that used doll came to me in perfect condition, there's no way of telling if it has been weakened in some way or another by the unknown number of 'testers.'

Another main thing about this is that no one in this world can rightfully be trusted by anyone. The number of people who would steal the doll, sell it themselves for profit, or just plain destroy it in the process heavily outweighs those who would be honest and careful in this endeavor. I don't believe any company would trust complete strangers in this exchange, even if they have the option of directly charging that person for the stolen/damaged goods. There are too many ways it could all go wrong, or at the very least be an inconvenience to the company.

The Cons seem to outweigh the Pros here, especially considering it would require a lot of time and money, on both parts. While it certainly can work great for handbags and other items, I can't see it working so well for BJD, especially when so many collectors and hobbyists are so incredibly finicky.

 

I don't like the idea for dolls. You'd be having to shell out quite a bit for shipping just for a trial, and it could be risky for the companies. Some users also prefer not buying used, and they'd be getting dolls that had already been handled by someone else. I also grow very attached to my dolls, so the idea of renting one is really bothersome to me. And to be honest, if I really think I want a doll, I have no problem just buying the doll. Sure it's possible that things won't work out either immediately (though that's never happened) or down the road (which has), but that's life. It's not a catastrophy. Besides, how can I tell if a doll will really work for me until I work on it, which wouldn't be possible with an item that was rented or on loan. Sometimes it takes time for me to figure out a doll, and the longer it was in my possession, the greater the opportunity for something to happen to it or if the trial period was short, it might not do me much good anyway.

 

This doesn't seem like a very feasible idea at all. If a company wanted to give potential customers more exposure to their product I think it would be better for them to attend doll shows and conventions or possibly have doll/toy/collectible type shops carry their dolls.

 

If it were a case of a brick-and-mortar doll shop, which would dedicate 1 of each doll type to being a 'loaner' (a la car dealerships), then that might make some sense! Because you'd have to show up in person, fill out paperwork, show ID, leave a deposit, etc. and no shipping would be involved. But then again.... if you're there in the shop seeing the doll in person, that sorta obviates the need to take it home anyway.

So, no, I can't really see the point in it. It'd be way too much expense & hassle & risk (for both maker and customer) to do such a thing online... and there wouldn't be much need for it if you could actually go to a shop and see the doll IRL. I would just reinforce everybody's standing wish for more actual brick-and-mortar BJD shops in our parts of the world!

 

The company would have to be very large, I think. But this is done, as has been suggested, with expensive instruments. If I wanted to buy a new clarinet, a company I know of would send me 3 of them to try and pick which one I liked best, and send back the other two. So, its definitely something that IS done, apparently with little risk, since the company continues to do it, with the security of a credit card in case I did not follow through with the return.

But as someone else mentioned, there just isn't a big enough justification for most hobbyists, and these companies are relatively small.

 

I could see it working on a very short term basis, say at a Dolpa or a doll-related convention; You could leave your passport/deposit/credit card with the dealer, and get to carry around and play with a dollfie for a set number of hours. Being at a set venue, with props, dolls to compare to, people to interact with and the like, it'd be like getting a large part of the "doll experience", (at least the social side of it, if not the customisation side) in a really doll-friendly atmosphere. Hey, if it was expanded a little bit, you could hire a blank doll for slightly over the cost of the head, spend an hour or so giving it a faceup, put it on a body, walk it around for a few hours, then if you liked it you could buy the body too - If not, just keep the head.

 

I think it'd be nice, but then, if you didn't like it and haven't send the doll back yet, something terrible happens that you can't fix cheaply! You'd have to pay for it, and you didn't want the doll. ._. I'd constantly worry. I probably wouldn't use such a feature.

 

This really wouldn't benefit the company much at all. Thankfully this community here provides a lot of information that would be hard to obtain otherwise.

 

Oh I think that would be awesome, but as you say I find it unlikely to happen D:
It seems a lot of BJD owners have a whole warehouse of old eyes/wigs that they went through that they don't like, problem solved if you could return them or trade them in for different ones, eh?
If they offered to .. let you rent a doll with no option to buy or rent clothes .. I don't think I would. xD That's teasing in the first count, and I can't imagine an occasion where my doll would be required to dress up in a one-time outfit (ala renting a tux for a wedding?!). Unless.. maybe.. if you were REALLY into photography, I can't see the point. Up until ball proms anyway.

 

Hi. I actually came upon this thread in a search on a totally different subject, but I felt I should put my two cents in. I only own MSDs and was honestly a but put off by the relative massiveness of the larger sizes. I borrowed my friend's SD for a "sleepover" and it completely changed my mind. I was a bit concerned about damaging him, especially while I was doing some photos, but it all turned out ok. Since then we've traded dolls on more than one occasion for art projects and whatnot so I'm a lot more comfortable on that front, but I ramble. My point is that while its a little risky, I do see how it could reward the companies. On the other hand, I don't see much of a need for it, as dolls don't lose much value, especially in the short run. If someone really dislikes the doll they bought, they could resell it at very little loss.

 

I would love if this option was available! Especially as a first-time buyer and someone who is new to BJDs this would be the perfect opportunity to see if I could bond with the doll I want. It's a fun idea-in theory. xD Now while it's fun to talk about, if it were actually an option I don't know if I'd be so keen on it... .I'd be wary, for sure, because of all the problems, but I'd still probably do it. For me it's the size issue- to test it out and see if it's right for me.

 

No..No...too risky.. what if the doll was lost in shipping, and then the company would say i already got it..or when i returned it but they never got it back...uh..scary scenarios.
The idea of trying first sounds good if the company was near like around the block from my house, and i just had to pick it up and returned it later :p

 

It would be great if there were a BJD Sephora with all kinds of BJDs from various companies on display and if people were allowed handle them in store under surveillance! As for actually renting one and taking it home, I don't believe it's a good idea since one major idea of owning a bjd is to become emotionally attached it.

 

Yes, this is excatly how I feel.

 

As wonderful an idea it is, I think it would be bad in practise. I think part of the fun of these dolls is the intense planning, research and staring at pictures of them online with the big build up to them finally being yours in a month or sos time. I think its great preparation. Also I think because these dolls more or less dont lose value if you take care of them you can sell them if theyre not for you. I think our version of try and buy is other peoples pictures and reviews, plus for those lucky enough there are doll meet ups and company stores to go and see the dolls up close.