Trying to choose your next doll?

Once I get marketplace access, I'll probably look around for a Soom Wolf the Knight or a Soom Ace. It'll probably be a while before I can find those two grail dolls of mine, but I'm hoping!

 

oh god, I have this problem ALL THE TIME. never fails, I swear. I get stuck on a doll sculpt for EVER and I'm like YUP THAT'S THE ONE and either it's limited (WHICH HAS HAPPENED WAY TOO MUCH FOR MY POOR LITTLE HEART TO TAKE D': ) or I spot another one which I then think is teeeen times prettier.... and then the cycle starts aaaall over again with the new sculpt -___- I'm hopeless....

 

I look at everything about the doll. The sculpt and body. I usually end up finding that one thing that kills it for me. Like boring flat hands. Weird joints. A nose/eyes too large or small. It really helps me when I'm already saving up for a doll and I see a new release that looks to die for. Which actually happened last night. I'm currently saving up for my last doll for a while and Sseiren released a new cutie, J.D. I gushed over him telling my friend that my plans were ruined and I had to have him. Then I went to look at the body. It's weird. I'm not a fan of it at all. It's too muscular for the sculpt and I hate the joint on t te chest. Killed it for me. I'm back to my original plan now. I may purchase the head later on but I will have to find a different body.

 

Over the years my tastes have changed quite a bit. At first I would go for the full sets offered by many companies and never modified them in any way. After a while I would rehome the ones I "fell out of love" with or just no longer appealed to me after I got them. In the past year my tastes have turned towards mostly the small edition artsy types. My collection contains a few Doll Chateau dolls with another on the way, Angel Eggs, Popovy Sisters, a TriffonyArtworks Sphinx anthro and I am awaiting an Ahkmel Aki as of yesterday. Also I am getting into dolls that look like certain people. I was lucky enough to find an unbelievable David Bowie minimee on a Dollshe body modified by the amazing Katyok to look like Jareth the Goblin King and my own project, a Soul Doll Fafner modded to look like Stahma Tarr from 'Defiance".

So now when I go "doll hunting" I search for the art dolls and small editions that are unique and weirdly wonderful. I am going to rehome several Pipos, Sooms, and a few others this year to make room for my new direction.

 

I generally have a character of some sort in mind for each one; for some, it's an OC I've had for years and done enough drawings of that I can look for a doll that matches the look and personality. For others, they're "character dolls" who give me plenty of reference art to work with, and for others still, I have enough idea of the character's personality in mind (and perhaps at least some idea of a look) to find a doll that will carry the character well.

And then I search. With the picture open on another screen, or with the concept in mind, and with the looks of existing dolls in the set in mind as well (so they become a cohesive group). In some cases, the right doll has jumped out at me instantly, and in others, it's taken a few months of searching around (and sometimes a lucky find on Flickr or in the box opening gallery--which is a great place to see dolls "in the raw," so to speak). The key with the search is that eventually, I'll see something--the right face and body combination, or the right owner photo, or the right blank sculpt, and I'll just know. On a recent purchase, I hunted around, waffled on a number of them, thought several were "close enough" but wasn't quite ready to actually take a shot at them, hemmed and hawed, and then spotted a company I hadn't heard of. And in looking at one of their sculpts, I was sure I'd found her at last. (And some owner photos convinced me the rest of the way!)

So I guess my key is, don't rush it. Eventually the right doll will speak to you, if you just give it time.

 

I just spent 5 months trying to decide my next doll.
I have no grail doll and nothing currently out grabbed me as "the One". Then I kept thinking I should just be done, but the itch of finding " just one more " never left.

I kept checking weekly all around, hoping maybe a company would release something I 'd fall in love with. Nothing there either.

Now I finally decided to get a bigger version of my most beloved sculpt instead. And I am very excited about that!

 

I am too going for more unusual looks. I thought I'd want tiny dolls and at first I loved Lolita looks so I bought a LittleFee Bisou and a Darak DoDo/Cezanne. I discovered that while I think big eyed dolls are adorable, my true tastes run more towards edgier looks. So I recently ordered a DC Faust head for my Darak body. We'll see how it fits! I still love Lolita looks, but now I prefer weirdly whimsical outfits like those that you find on Doll Chateau and the Popovoy Sisters dolls. I've been looking for an ebony doll but none have the ethnicity that I'm looking for. My grail doll is Nabarro's Booth! I absolutely love the sculpt and I'd take any color of resin.

I just bought two more Doll Chateau bodies for my Doll In Mind heads. I really, really love this combination and plan to buy DIM Larena. I'm looking for an MSD boy for my girls and will probably go with a DC body. I'm also looking at buying a 15 yo Dollstown boy to go,with my 13 yo Dollstown girl. I just haven't found the right head yet!

 

My dolls normally shell my roleplay OCs, so usually, I look for a doll to shell whatever character is most interesting to me at the time.

However, I'm letting my husband pick my next doll! My birthday is next month, and he asked what I wanted and gave me a spending limit, so I told him I want a tiny, human bjd, no bigger than 27cm....but for him to choose it, and surprise me. This one won't be shelling an existing character unless it just happens to be perfect for one of them. Most likely, I'm going to have him help me pick out wig, eyes and a name for them. Most of my dolls are large, but I want something tiny to take to work and sit on my desk, to make me think of good things when I get stressed out.

 

I don't have specific characters in mind, so I also have similar problems. For instance, I only want to get a pair of SD sized dolls, but there are two pairs that I really like. I won't be getting all four and only plan on saving up for the two, but it's a really tough call.

I don't have enough saved up for them yet, so I have time to decide on which I like best. I've been looking at videos from each company to see if I find some pros and cons...

If I see a used one in good condition at a good rate, I might just decide that way. XD

 

Sometimes I know what I want - I had been eying two different Luts dolls, one of which I've wanted to buy for two years now. In the end, I went with the slightly cheaper HDF this time but that KDF shall be mine, hopefully in the spring.

As for right now, I'm wandering around the MP. I have a character, I know who she is, but I have no idea what she looks like (or even what size she is!). I'm hoping she'll jump out at me while browsing around. If not, there's a few that have caught my eye but rather than jump on them, I close the page and come back the next day. I look at them, then close the page again. If I'm still as in love a week from now, I just might buy the YoSD girl that's calling me but we shall see.

 

I'm not sure what will be next, I'm currently waiting on two Fairyland dolls, the new Feeple 60 Moe and a minifee. There are several more minifees I want, and a TS Rin FP60 but...I also love Luts dolls and have some plans there too...

 

Well, my approach isn't "oh, I want to buy another doll!" at all. I don't ever plan I want to buy a doll and then go looking for one. It's rather more like the doll "finding" me, meaning I'll be browsing the forum here (the company news, the marketplace) or doll sites (company websites or Mandarake's doll section) and I'll see a doll and - wham! I want it. I'll usually give it a day or two - or sometimes, a week or two or maybe longer - to make sure I really want it and it isn't just "ooooh, shinies! me wants!" *grabby hands* (which, in my case, will pass pretty fast). If I really want it I'll get it. If not - then not.

 

I tend to make myself a list to stick with at the start of the year and work with that. I am not one to make characters for my dolls, so when I choose them I tend to just go for what appeals and I like unusual sculpts The list doesn't always get completed, but reworked a few times during the year according to how my tastes change or if new dolls come out that I like. Last year I made a list and I have three of the dolls from that (well I did have four but I sold one after it arrived to put the funds towards another doll purchase). This years list is on the large side, so I am going to stick with the ones that are manageable in terms of their size (I'm due to move and it will be a huge downsizing) and the costs involved.

 

ive been trying to choose my next doll for some time now. first I liked misha from ringdoll then there was huaxi from angell-studio and there is a new one from soom which I like soo much. its just as hard for me to decide as well!

 

Right now, I'm just trying to decide on my first one!! I know I want a tiny, narrowed it down to a littlefee (that posing ability!!!!) (It was initially going to be a Realpuki, so while I saved I got a few Zelfs to subsume my realpuki longings.... but I decided why not spend that bit more and get a bigger one that can play with my Zelfs instead!)... now I'm stuck on sculpts. WAAAAY STUCK. TOOOOOOO MUCH CUTENESS!!!! How on earth am I going to choose just one!!!!

 

Jack the Ripper. PLEASEEEEEE!

 

Same thing for me [MENTION=16933]Khell[/MENTION]
I never think, "Oh let me go buy a doll". I'm just going about my business looking here, there, or every where and all of the sudden one jumps out and says..."I'm the one you want".
How I ultimately decide is of I see a doll and a look for the doll comes to mind. The character of the doll follows and then I'm thinking of clothes...I start the planning process is when I know it's not just "Oh that's pretty, I should get it".

 

Over the last year, my second in the hobby its been less about choosing and more about doll on my wishlist available with no wait time, or limited and amazing, or about to be discontinued. I love my true 1/6 scale (mature tiny) dolls, but the few companies that make them keep discontinuing them! So for me it's usually not a decision but "pounce on it before it gets away!"

 

If I have a character in mind, I have set parameters, but then some dolls it's just a jolt! And that jolt means "I need you right now and I am ordering you thank you very much"...which I usually do (unless they're really not limited, in which case they go on my to-buy list)