Try Before You Buy??

I did see a few dolls before I bought my own BJD. I like the larger dolls, so the size was the part that made me hesitate a bit. However, I also just fell in love with a few dolls I saw, so I knew a few would be joining me eventually


Do you have a specific doll in mind to buy?

 

I knew I wanted a BJD long before I ever held one, but I got to hold someone's doll at a local con a few weeks ago and it was even better than I imagined. It really made me excited for my own! That being said, I would still be getting a doll even if I'd never held one before. I wouldn't NEED to 'try it out' first.

 

I've ordered one, and she will be my first one. And I've never "touched" and "felt" a BJD before!!!
So, I'm waiting for the replies on this post, too.

 

I did attend a doll meet before ordering my first doll, in order to actually see how big each size was and hold them. It was also really useful talking to BJD owners face to face and getting their input and ideas. It eased my mind about the whole thing, although I probably would have gotten the doll anyway.

 

I had never seen or touched a doll until Amir got home. And I cried when I picked him up, he was the most wonderful thing I'd ever held (with the exception of my dog. :P ) He was absolutely perfect, even with no face or wig or clothes, it was instant love!

I think if you do your research and look up lots of pictures of a sculpt before you buy, you'll go with one you love. Of my 17 dolls, I had only seen one of the sculpts in person before I bought them, and that is Sixx, my AoD Tao Hua Dao hybrid....and that's b/c he was my sister's and she traded him to me. A couple of my sculpts (AE Adzuki Bean and Only-Doll YiFeng) were so new when I bought that I couldn't find any owner pix at al! I have the first and only Bean on DoA (as of this posting) and love him, and am hoping I'll say the same about my YiFeng when he gets home, as I have still not seen any pix of him.

 

When I got my first doll I had never held one or seen one before. I had an idea of height from going to a lot of teddy bear shows but I had no idea about weight My first doll was an MSD and I was amazed at how she was weighted and such, and even more amazed when I held my first 70 cm SD a few days later when my I saw my best friend's doll. Now, in my mind she barely weighs anything, especially against SDs.

I agree with CloakedSchemer. As long as you did your research and you're sure about the sculpt then you'll be fine!

 

Hi, I have also never seen and touched a bjd before but I have bought one she is on her way my first bjd. I just fell in love with her face and kept going back to stare at her picture. Took me while before I decided to buy one because what if I didn't like it. I'm scarred and excited at the same time. I'm so happy for you and will be waiting to read what you think when your doll arrives.

 

I bought my first doll without seeing or holding one in person. I did a bunch of research on bjd's here and on the web, before I purchased one. I knew how tall she would be, but I was really suprised at how heavy she was. She is a DIM Benetia so she is an MSD, but she sure felt weighty to me. Now I have an SD who is even heavier - I carry her with both hands just because I don't want to drop her.

I also changed my mind several times on what sculpt would be my first. So many lovely dolls out there!

 

I never touched a BJD before buying one. @_@ But I have the same OMG I have doll in my hands!!! sort of reaction on all four of my dolls...



I'm always too scared to ask people if I can hold their dolls so even after having gone to doll meets and stuff, the weight of the doll is always something that sinks in at first meeting.

 

I had never seen a BJD in the "flesh" before I bought one, let alone held one. When I finally met that first BJD I was really surprised and a bit freaked out by the way they move, I just hadn't expected it.

 

I never saw a doll in real life before I bought one as I had no friends into them at the time. My first was an MSD so I was not that shocked, when I first got an SD that shocked me! Whoooaa big boy

 

Though I ordered my first BJD before I ever held one/saw one in real life, I ended up holding one before I actually received him. I ended up forcing myself to go to a doll meet before my doll arrived and it was a very great first doll meet/first ever BJD-related experience to have. I literally had dolls plopped into my arms so I got to feel weight differences and understand size differences. I even got to carry hold/carry a Sabik and I got to dress a doll. It was really great and it made me feel confident I had made the right size decision. Mind you, I just got my first MSD and I LOVE her size but SDs are my favorite!

I say, if you are really freaked like I was and unsure of things, to try a doll meet. If you can't hold dolls or are too nervous to, you can at least check out sizes and see how people move them. That alone is worth it.

 

I'd seen several pictures of a friend's male CP/Delf doll, but the only BJDs I'd "met" in-person prior to ordering my first were that same friend's much older Volks girls.... She didn't have Kaga yet when we lived in the same city.

So, I sort-of knew what I was getting into with Harumatsu and Tien Jen, but not exactly.

 

I bought an SD head and a MNF without ever having seen or touched a BJD in person...I guess I was most surprised by the level of detail, even in the tiniest features...I spent several hours just holding the heads under good light so I could fully appreciate the faceups. x3

It also took me a while to get used to the way they posed, and then when I got my second BJD and it posed differently than the first it was even more confusing...I've found that each doll has a certain feel about them when you're handling and posing them...so each doll takes a short "introduction" period for me to get used to before I feel familiar with them.

 

I ordered two before I even touched one (or saw one) in real life. Once they arrived, they were everything I wanted and more!

 

I had never touch a bjd before I bought my first. I was sort of shocked to see the face without makeup. And I didn't know WS was so...white. I was also a bit impressed with how hard and light the resin is. I'd really like to see a large doll in real life. I assume that tinies are for me, but I've never even considered MSD/SD

 

I'm of the opinion that it's an excellent idea to see one in person before ordering if it's at all possible. I fell into the trap of saving for my first BJD at a rather convenient time as the local anime convention was right around the corner and so I went as I knew there would be a not only a BJD panel but a BJD meet-up. This doll was going to be a large expense for me and the first item I'd really saved up for by myself, not to mention the stress of ordering it from Korea! I was still very nervous about the whole thing, especially the customization part and how not to ruin it, so with the affirmation of my aunt, I decided to wait to place my order until I could attend the meet-up, see some of these beauties in person and gather a much more realistic view of what exactly I was getting myself into.