What are your thoughts on the waiting times from companies for dolls?

I think it's really important companies are given the time they need, and at the same time, take the time they need in order to go for max quality. In case there are lots of orders, that pressure might lead to a hastiness which isn't good.

 

Silk: It did not take a year for my car, but then again I have a Mustang not something super top of line like a Lambo. It only took a couple months. Maybe 2.

 

Yeah, I was talking about the top of the line cars; the ones you'll have to pay millions for. Sometimes it only takes a few months, but from what I can see, it's more likely you'll have to wait up to a year for one.

 

I see it the same way, I was reading the waiting of the company so I know I need to wait at least the time the company told about it. I actually take the time to talk to people who wait too, look around about clothes, wig, acc. and so on for the doll. Think about stories, personalities, name..I can save up money the complete waiting time when I bought the doll complete off.
I see the waiting time well more positive and if I know, I don't need to wait so long I become all exciting about the Doll and can't wait to get finally a message he will be shipped.

 

You get used to it. My first doll was in stock with a dealer, and the 5 days to get here seemed like forever! The first time my sister pre-ordered a doll, it took 3 months (THAT dealer didn't tell us it was a pre-order, and also didn't tell us any estimated time, just "keep waiting" if she replied at all) and we both panicked and freaked out, thinking we'd been scammed. It really hurt her bond with that doll. NOW.....I'm like..."Three months? HURRAY!" since I have waited up to 6 months for a doll, and have friends who have waited over a year.

Would I wait that long on other things? Sure. My wedding dress took a couple of months to make and then had to be altered. I pre-ordered the XBox One for my husband and had to wait on that. I waited over a YEAR for a certain musician I like to finally put out a first album. I bought One Direction tickets in December of last year, been waiting 6 months and the show is still not for another 2 months! I'm kind of used to waiting for stuff I want. Its not so bad when I know I'm in for a wait. It's only terrible when "a couple of weeks" turns into "5 months later...".

 

I guess, it may be difficult to get used to "long time waiting" for new BJD collector but I can say after a year, you will get used to it definitely because waiting time is very common in this hobby, since almost every product needs to hand-make, so it will take sometime before shipping out order to buyers. I have waited more than 6 months twice because of dealer and company's errors but I didn't complain anything because in the end I got my doll safety. (That was more important than having to wait longer) I can't beg for fast delivery and short waiting time but at least I will pray for getting my order correctly, safety and no defect.

 

I can sit the wait times, I just wish that companies would give more accurate making and shipping estimates. If I'm going to have to wait for several months to a year then I want to know at the time of ordering.

 

I think the wait times are a bit ridiculous since I know that dolls can be made much faster. I mean, I wouldn't expect them to be shipped out in a matter of days, but I have seen wait times up to a year, and I think that is entirely too long. A couple of weeks seems right. That gives them time to cast the doll in a mold, iron out the seems, and do face-ups if needed, and then ship them. And I doubt hiring more workers would cause prices to skyrocket. BJD companies make quite a bit of money off of these dolls...like, a lot. But then again, maybe they will, because business is business and companies like to make tidy profits.

Of course, all this being said, I don't think it is going to change. People will continue to buy dolls, and people will continue to wait because it has become a staple of the hobby. And if we stopped buying dolls, I don't think that would fix the wait time. Maybe doll prices would drop, but I think wait times will remain the same. All in all, we can only complain so much. Overall, customer service is nice, and so are the products. So, nothing to get up in arms about.

 

For the dolls themselves I actually find the waiting time only helps to build the excitement :P I typically enjoy waiting for one thing or another (like an event of some sort) on my calendar, something to looking forward to to get through the week. These waiting periods have me eager for months XD sure it's a slight pain but knowing they're handmade and you'll be getting something that's good quality is reassuring when it comes to a waiting time

 

Only a couple of weeks to cast a doll AND do a face-up and ship them off. That is too short a time. You need to keep room for error. A cast could go wrong - too many bubbles or whatever. Weather could be too humid - resin is finicky and the conditions have to be near ideal to get a perfect cast. Seam sanding takes time as does doing a good face-up.

Most of the backlog happens when companies underestimate the time they would need to get the orders shipped out. When there are a lot more sale than they anticipated, for instance.

Where do you get this idea from? Do you own your own company with employees? Hiring employees is expensive, because (in the Netherlands), you not only need to pay them their wages, but you need to also pay for their medical insurance and their retirement fund. You need to give them a vacation bonus, provide for a safe work environment.

There's a lot more to it than just giving them a couple of dollars at the end of a workday.

Again, what is your basis for these assumptions? BJD's are expensive, yes, but so are the material - and production costs. Let's not forget the rent that needs to be paid to keep a small office and the time it takes to design and sculpt a doll.

Let's look into a personal example, okay? For every 10 dolls that I sell, I make $1000. That's only a $100 profit for each doll. Now, sculpting a doll takes many months; most of the time up to a year. So, if it took me 10 months to sculpt a doll, and I'm only selling 10 (the average I sell is 20), I make a whole $100 a month. Whoopteedoo.

Of course some companies sell more dolls that I, but they are also slightly bigger (with 3 or 4 employees). There is a reason why most doll makers only do this part time. Making dolls just doesn't pay the bills.
We sculpt dolls because we like to, not because we intent to make millions.

 

I'm ok with wait times I guess. I'm currently waiting for a bjd from Spiritdoll that I ordered on the 5th of May.

I'd rather wait a long time, than the companies put on more staff, which would probably result in the dolls prices going up.

What does irk me is I don't want to get her wig, eyes, or more clothes until I see her. The wait for those will kill me.

 

Personally I don't mind too much. They're luxury items made-to-order in a very small number, not mass produced play-line dolls like Barbie and Monster High. I'm busy enough in my life outside of dolls that I don't really feel inconvenienced. I don't know about all doll companies, but I'm pretty sure my favorite ones, such as Volks, have a very strict timeline that they follow when it comes to design, production, and release.