What do you think of "starter dolls?"

My first doll was pre-loved by someone else but was a simple doll when I first got him. I've been careful to handle him and I get really paranoid when handling him sometimes. I'm actually glad to have gotten him first, because it lets me look for exactly what kind of stuff I want to look for in my next doll.

I'd recommend a starter doll, but one that they love and not one they're just going to ruin OuO

 

I think starter dolls aren't for everyone but I would recommend it. I never bought a 'starter doll' to say but I've been around them a lot before getting my first doll.
If you don't know very much about taking care and maintenance then that's the best way to go. But, it's all about preference. It's your doll, do what/how you want. ^ ^

 

I really hate the idea of "starter dolls".

First, as others have mentioned, it's really insulting to people who buy "cheap" dolls because they like them to have their doll called a "starter" doll, as if nobody serious about the hobby could possibly want one. It makes these so called "starter dolls" sound like a toddler's training toy and not something to be proud of having.

Second, I really think everybody should get what they like. Yes, my first doll was "cheap", but I loved him. If I had gone for, say, a BBB tiny just because it was the cheapest thing I could have gotten to "test out the hobby? I wouldn't be here now. I have NO interest in tinies and the aesthetic and posing of BBB is not at all what I prefer. So I would have been extremely disappointed and probably not bought anything else, whereas my first doll was a dream, I love him and he resulted in me buying 50+ more over almost 5 years.

Third, if you want to practice faceups, what does it matter if it's expensive or not? If you do your research and use the right materials, you can redo a faceup or restringing as often as you like and it won't hurt the doll. For modding, I would recommend doing it on a "practice head"....which doesn't mean "starter doll", IMO. You might own a cheap doll that you absolutely LOVE and I would NOT recommend practicing modding on something you love.

 

I did get told to buy a starter doll, so that I could get my feet wet, so to speak. But my first doll was one I'd found years ago and had been stalking for ages. My DZ Yuu-2 was the first doll I ever bought, and still the most expensive one I own. I've taken him apart, sueded him, restrung him, body blushed him... and my viewpoint is that if I messed it up, it was MY doll, so it wasn't hurting anyone.

 

So, I posted in here months ago about how "starter dolls" is such a ridiculous concept. I still agree with that I said.

I am still SO confused...

Seriously, who came up with such a thing as a "starter doll?" When did this emerge? What IS a starter doll? What makes a doll a starter doll? Makes no sense...

Edited to add: It's like people are comparing dolls to say...for a very specific example horses. If you are a beginner/never been around horses you probably aren't going to buy an untrained, high strung horse that you can't control. You'd want to get a horse that is experienced and has a low temperament that won't control you.

Now, with dolls, they're just objects. There is no experience needed to own a doll. The doll isn't going to hurt you. The doll isn't going to be any harder to use whether it's $100 or $1000.

 

I don't know specifically about having a "starter" doll... I can see why some people might recommend against getting a limited at least as a beginner doll, especially fantasy part ones, but it just happened that the doll I've chosen as my first doll has gotten me praise on choosing a good "first doll" because Dollmore Youth Eves are user friendly (they don't have a biting tendency, they pose pretty well, etc) and also are fairly resilient (I've heard Dollmores don't yellow easily) as well as DM being a good company to work with (seeing as they always have replacement parts listed on their site I imagine some dolly woes can be dealt with easily).

Yes, when I said I liked the RS Dan but was thinking about getting it on Ai's body with the hooves, my sister discouraged me a bit from that, but honestly her perspective was, having handled one she had trouble getting it to stand, and Thothep can get just about anything to stand, whereas I am the clumsy little sister I discouraged myself from looking at the other fantasy doll I was considering, but that was because a centaur seemed a little much right away just for myself. I still want those dolls, but I think I need to learn basic care first.

So I guess I'm in favor of a "starter", but if you can't find one you can say "I want this" about, then remember it IS your choice, get what you want.

 

Not sure if I have responded to this thread before, but my opinion is that a "starter doll" is not a great idea. If there is a doll you want but can't afford, don't settle. Save up to buy a doll you really want, and then if the hobby isn't for you, you can resell it. Like others have mentioned, if you're already spending a good hunk of cash on a doll, it makes sense to save a bit more for one you actually want.

 

Technically speaking I'm saving up for a starter doll. I fell in love with all the Doll in Mind dolls but they aren't in my price range at the moment. My friend also had a spare floating head that I actually got to see in person. I couldn't pass up buying it after her giving me such a good deal and being able to see it with eyes and a wig.

Let's be honest here, this hobby is very expensive, so I can see why people think you should just dive in and buy your dream doll, but that's not realistic for me personally. I'd rather have a simple doll that I can afford maintenance on then my dream doll and not being able to afford anything else for her.

If you're going to get a starter doll I still think you still have to think hard about it. I wrote up a list of criteria I needed for a doll and this starter just happened to fit.

I found a head with a sculpt that was similar to my dream doll with similar proportions. She also has a blank head so I'll probably use this head to practice face ups. I feel like this starter doll will help me be less nervous about restringing and general maintenance ect.

 

@Quinn--haha, I ordered RS Dan as my first doll. And as a "starter" of sorts, I guess--I don't know how well this hobby is going to stick, or if it does, how much I'm going to want to prioritize it in comparison to, say, my jewelry (if I'm spending hundreds of dollars on dolls, jewelry stuff would necessarily kinda fall by the wayside, and I do love making jewelry). So I didn't want to drop $500 right off the bat, you know? And having shopped around the other less expensive dolls (and I TRIED, I really did, to love MSDs but I just haven't seen an MSD face I love) Dan is the one I like.

I am aware of the posing nonsense. I'm prepared to work with her on that. Or, I guess, let her lay around like a derp if I'm unsuccessful xD

 

I guess to some this may be a good idea if you plan on customizing your doll(Changing faceup,body blush,sanding,etc.) but I personally don't like the idea very much because it's like settling for less. If you really like one doll more than another but you won't get that doll because it's more expensive then just save.

 

I don't like the phrase "starter doll" because I think it implies that everyone who is new the hobby is going to ruin or damage their first doll due to incompetence and inexperience. I think recommending that someone get a "starter doll" (meaning a cheap or simple doll) is presumptuous and has some negative connotations.

That having been said, my first doll was an Elfdoll K, and I was terrified to work on him because I was afraid to mess him up somehow. I don't think I would've felt any differently if my first doll had been a cheaper doll (I adore all my beautiful ResinSouls that I have right now!!) I think I'd feel just as bad if I damaged one of my RS angels as I would if I damaged my Elfdoll boy. I think there's always going to be a degree of anxiety, apprehension, whatever when a first-time BJD owner does something to their doll for the first time, no matter how much the doll costs. Whether you spent $200 or $800 on your first doll, it's still your money that you've spent, and your lovely doll that you're "risking" when you do something for the first time.

 

I think it really depends on the person. For me, when I got serious about dolls, I spent weeks reading into them, trying to learn what the difference was, what I liked, what size was what, etc.
I decided I wanted to try my luck with an Obitsu doll first, to see if the hobby really stuck before I invested in something pricey. I've also picked up a few 1/6th scale dolls (A thrift store Barbie, a Liv doll, and a Moxie Teenz) and after crafting for and playing with them for a few months, and still enjoying it, I decided I would in fact like to pursue further into the hobby.

The dream doll I instantly fell in love with (Raspberry by Asella) I just flat out can't afford currently (I'm in between jobs), but I grew fond of a Resinsoul one while I was in my research phase (Before even knowing the price! Very convenient that it worked out that way), so while I'm saving for my must-have Raspberry, I figured I'd buy the Resinsoul and familiarize with an actual strung resin girl. I think this method will work well for me. I'll get comfortable with the hobby with a doll I wanted initially, that also won't break my bank if I somehow ruin her while learning.

 

I've been thinking about these "starter dolls" recently, and I came to the conclusion that cheaper dolls does not guarantee a scot-free entry point to the hobby. Sure, it's less heartbreaking to damage a doll when it's not limited or costing upwards of $500. But when you look at it in the long run, cheaper dolls usually mean more work.

Let's take the general "get a Bobobie/Resinsoul first so your finances won't hurt as much". But in my observations, the best-looking Bobobies/Resinsouls are the ones where the owners put a considerable amount of effort (a very specific custom face-up, a custom outfit, even mods etc.), an amount that will usually be daunting to an average newcomer. I actually see them as intermediate-level dolls, because you kind of have to have an exact idea of what look you're going for if you want a Bobobie/Resinsoul.

"Starter dolls" for me are those who will put the least amount of stress to a new doll owner. Some points I consider:

• Shop with Good Customer Service (or a very nice second-hand seller)
• Good sculpt base (one that looks good without face-up, so an aspiring faceup artist will have less trouble)
• Good default face-up (for those uninterested in doing it themselves)
• Good body poseability or aesthetics (whichever the owner puts importance to)

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One can always avoid damage just by being sensible and mindful of what one does with their doll, so it does not matter whether the starter doll is $100 or $1000. What matters is that when the doll comes home, it gives the new owner such joy and desire to stick to the hobby for real.

 

Yeah, there's really not such a thing as a "Starter doll" as far as I'm concerned. From what I've seem most of the time you start this hobby because you see a doll that you love/like and then pursue it from there. Sometimes it ends up as your grail doll cause it's really expensive/limited and sold out. In that case you have to go with another doll, but if it's like what i did, you get the doll you fall in love with.

I started with the Yuu-2 from Dz cause i saw tons of pictures on Deviantart of someone Else's dolls. I fell in love with him. And even after almost a year i was still in love with him. He was my first doll and i had no idea what i was doing when i got him. But he's still in one piece, and no damage that I'm aware of. I did to a little research before hand, but it was pretty much jumping in headfirst with him. I learned as i went.

Getting a starter doll, so you don't damage your first doll or something like that, is kind of pointless because if you don't love it or even really want it, but get it to test things out, you're not gonna care about it. and the caring about the doll is what tends to get you to learn and be careful. Why show care for something when it's not what you wanted...kinda like wanting a pony and getting a rocking horse instead, you know?

 

I sort-of did this.

First, I wound up buying an Obitsu(of a scale that's not on-topic), but ultimately found that difficult to work with. Then, I wound up ordering a Dollzone Floy at a time when DollZone was offering a free spare head if you spent x-amount of money on their products or bought one of their SDs or something. So, I wound up getting one head with the factory faceup and a spare Floy head that was blank..

I still have the blank head, and I intend to make use of it. But, part of the reasoning behind choosing a spare "Floy" sculpt as the bare floating head, was that I could try my hand at doing a faceup and if it didn't work, I'd still have the factory faceup to rely on if all else failed. So.

Honestly? I don't see anything wrong with the idea of getting a "starter" doll. If it's what someone wants, then they totally should?

There is also my wanting to comment that, if it were a lower-cost doll, that the person wouldn't really be out much money if they did ultimately decide that this hobby wasn't for them, you know?

 

I had a "starter doll" in the sense that she wasn't what I originally wanted as my first doll, but I definitely knew the basic do's and don't's for handling BJDs beforehand.

She hasn't been on the receiving end of any kind of damage because I've had prior experience of working with BJDs of various sizes before adopting my own. Personally, I would recommend that people actually do their research first (there's an abundance of resources online) before jumping into the hobby so that they won't make "beginner" mistakes that lead to chipping/discoloration/etc. Perhaps someone in their local comm would be willing to teach them? My local comm was a great help and I was fortunate enough to be allowed to babysit some of their dolls so that I could get used to handling BJDs.

It might just be me, since I prefer to do plenty of research before jumping into anything, especially when it's something that could potentially damage something I've invested in.

 

I agree but it's the same with me I wanted a soom md Adamelli (still do) but they sold out then I got stuck between a dz June sd and a fairyland mnf Rena I pick Rena my dad bought her but I didn't bond with her so I had her but never really played with I think it was the size and I like to customize so I sold her and now I'm getting a new dolly yay. Anyway starter dolls have there pros and cons it really depends on the person

 

As a "newbie" to the hobby myself I'm not really sure a starter doll exists. I say this because even the very cheapest BJD's are still several hundred dollars and that's not something that I'm willing to buy knowing that I might ruin it.

I also believe that as with any new hobby you need to do your research. You should get a doll you love but you should also research everything you can. When I was doing this I found that when one question was answered, I would have several more pop up. I also think that as with anything important or as expensive as these BJD's are, it's important to know what you're doing to it. This shouldn't matter if your new to the hobby or not. If you're going to try something new you should definitely look into it and see what other people's experience/advice has been.

For me Youtube was and is an excellent resource! I have found a lot of information in watching other people just talking about these amazing dolls! (Youtube would also be my advice to any newbie as well. It's good just to see others with dolls and how they interact with them to see if it's something that you would truly be interested in.)

 

I honestly think getting a "starter doll" would be kind of a waste of money unless you wanted to practice extensive mods on the body, otherwise I'd just get a practice head for face-ups. I mean, even for a "cheap" doll you're looking at spending at least $150 which could be put toward the dream doll you really want. IMO you should save up for the doll you really want, do plenty of research beforehand on what materials to use and how to keep it in the best condition, and then go for it!