Waiting Time For Wished Dolls

I've only been in this hobby since 2021, but I had to wait only one year for a re-release from Peakswoods which I had no idea that was going to happen. How I dealt with it was by buying other male dolls to replace the Gumiho Neo I wanted. This wasn't a good idea because I wasn't completely satisfied with my purchases of the other male dolls. I think I was trying to replace my desire to have the doll I couldn't get. I didn't know how much I would regret skipping over Gumiho Neo. I didn't know at the time that was what I was doing, and couldn't figure out why I wasn't completely happy with my purchases of the male dolls. Once I heard Gumiho Neo was coming back with the exact face up I wanted that's when it dawned on me what I was doing.

There is a doll I want from 2008. I accidentally discovered this doll and I want him so much. Then I found out not many of him were made because of some issue with using this actor's likeness without permission, so the sale was cut short that's what I've been told by someone on doa. I was disappointed, but got over it eventually.

I got used to disappointment with this hobby early on because many of the dolls I wanted I couldn't get due to the dolls being very limited, the doll company I like shutting down, or for any other reason that made it so I couldn't get that doll. I used to get devastated over it, but then I realized there are other new dolls constantly popping up that might be better or to my liking more, so I don't need to be upset over missing out on a doll that i couldn't get or it's from before when i entered the hobby.

In my mind I think since I missed the previous doll I have more money to spend on the next doll that might be better or more to my liking. I don't completely give up on the doll I wanted I just put it to the back of my mind and if I one day come across that doll I hope i can buy it.

 

When Souldoll released their Chiron Centaur I knew immediately that his face sculpt was perfect for an OC of mine. In fact, I rewrote the OCs appearance a bit to more closely match the sculpt because I thought he was so perfect. Except the size. On a human body he still would’ve been 70cm and back then I thought that was way too big for me. I’ve since changed my mind and I love the big dolls.

So, I hunted for a smaller alternative and I did find one, sort of, but he never felt quite right, not like Chiron. So, I happened to find a gray Chiron centaur head on the MP a couple of years ago and immediately bought him because I didn’t know if I’d ever get another chance. This was maybe eight or so years after his initial release I think? He’d been long-discontinued at Souldoll.

This year, Soom released a doll in gray skin that’s a really close match to Souldoll’s gray so I bought him, too, since I prefer Soom’s bodies over Souldoll. (plus I’m not sure if they sell gray anymore). So now I finally have my completed Shadow King.

 

Volks SD Tae 2 fullset was the doll that enticed me into the hobby, but I saw it 2 years after it was out. At that time, they had only done the two releases, so I got other dolls instead. 8 years later, I found a fullset Tae 2 on Mandarake. It was like a miracle. The doll had barely been touched, the clothes not even opened. Until then, I had only collected MSD sized doll, but Tae was my first SD. Still can't believe I found an almost pristine one after all those years!

 

For dolls I was actively looking for, I think I've found them all within 1-2 years of searching. My favorite doll was discontinued before I ever got a chance to order her, but I've been lucky enough to find two of her heads secondhand. So much of the hobby is about patience, but please don't give up! Don't underestimate the power of the marketplace and the community's willingness to help. I know of a hobbyist who spent nearly a decade waiting for an extremely rare head to be sold secondhand, but ultimately they found them!

My advice is would be:

• Post a WTB here on DOA and elsewhere when you're able
• Check frequently - you never know when something will pop up
• Follow other owners' of the doll you love. It's just nice to see them! And if they ever sell, you'll be familiar already
• If the price is higher secondhand, you may need to adjust your expectations for what you'll pay. This can be a trade off, especially if you think it's possible there may be a re-release

I've rather recently had my interest piqued by several dolls that were available when I started the hobby (2007ish) but are discontinued and rare now, like some of the Elfdoll girls and Iplehouse's original YIDs. I'm slowly hunting them down, but the chase can be part of the fun.

 

Shortest: Withdoll Alex. Decided not to pursue the January 2020 pre-order and deciding to wait for re-release whenever it happens (I thought I'd have a year or more!) Then Withdoll wound up re-releasing them in May 2020 and I jumped on it.

Longest: Soom Viol. Saw a few owner
pics shortly after the first release in early 2016 and thought it would be a good fit for a doll concept I had. When they did a re-release in 2018 I jumped on it.

Honorary Mention due to my weird wishlist curation issues: Bluefairy SF May 2nd. She was on my wishlist at one point before she was discontinued/renewed (what I really wanted was more owner pics but alas, that never happened and so I moved on to other more attainable Bluefairy dolls). Found her secondhand this year (basically like a decade later) and brought her home. Ironically her Mandarake pics were everything I wanted from owner pics originally.

 

When Luts released their limited Baby Delf Daisy Elf I fell in love with her immediately. But alas, I had other dolls in the works at that time and there was just no way I could possibly come up with the funds in time. Unfortunately they never released her again, but I was able to find one in tan, second-hand in the DoA marketplace and I jumped on the opportunity as soon as I saw it. That was 4 years after her initial release!