What do you think of "starter dolls?"

I have collected antique dolls bevore I collect BJDs and in this theme I started with not so expensive dolls. Later I changed them against better and more expensiv dolls. I think in the most collections you make experience in this period of time.
In my opinion it is fun to sell this dolls and buy new and better, bcause I save my money like this - haha -
Otherwise you need more space for the dolls, so you have to sell something.....
I don't know exactly what is better. Perhaps it is perfect to buy a doll and love her a long life, but my way is to change sometimes.....
Otherwise I have ny first Hujoo :-) And I love him allways, till now...

 

I wouldn't drop the cash for a cheaper practice doll when I could be saving for my first dream doll. The only point I can see to have one would be to practice faceups or body blushing. I ordered my first doll with a faceup, planning on building up the courage to rid of it and create my own. When I first got my doll, it wasn't my intention to begin messing with him right away. Sure, practiced restringing him, and I dressed him. As a new owner, I didn't want to touch him too much in fear I would ruin him. After I warmed up, I dove straight into him, practicing faceups one after another. You should always be careful enough not to ruin your doll. That goes for a starter doll as well. It isn't as if they come free. You're still spending a lot money on something, and it would be wise not to get it with the intention of ruining it.

 

I dont know, i think i´m new with this hobby but i already know which ones are the dolls i love...

 

I'm not really quite sure specifically what dolls would count as a starter; I got a kdf luts for my first one which tends to run cheaper and probably is easier to string, but I didn't really care about that for a starting, I just fell in love with the look. I guess if someone is more nervous about owning a doll and caring for it, having a starter doll might be a good idea just to get used to it, but otherwise I think people should just go for a doll they're going to love.

 

I'm in the process of putting my first BJD together. She'll be a hybrid--- I've ordered her body and am waiting for it to arrive, and am in the process of saving up for her head. This face sculpt is the one that took me from "bjds are interesting enough to read about for hours" to "I need to own one and it needs to be her." I'm strongly considering getting the company faceup when I order her head, though--- because it does suit what I have in mind for her, and I love her face so much I just don't want to subject her to my first faceup attempt! So... no starter doll for me, but I guess the faceup will be a concession to my inexperience.

 

I can see the argument for learning how construction and maintenance works in a lower-risk environment (on a less expensive doll). Who wouldn't want to have less harsh penalties for mistakes?

I guess it depends on how one decided to start acquiring dolls though. If you came from "wanting to get into dolls in general" and needed to decide which one to pick, then getting a starter one could work. If you came from "seeing something you liked" and buying it, only later understanding that it was a BJD, then there's no opportunity to learn except on what you have. Either way works.

 

I agree with those who have said even the cheap dolls are still expensive. Rather than drop a substatntial amount of money and then more on something you really want, why not just get the one you want straight off the bat? So long as you do your research and you know what not to do, there should be no problem, really.

 

Not really but it depends - I agree with everyone who said you should start with what you love. Because in the end if you get a doll that you half love it's sort of like money wasted if it ends up being uninspiring, collecting dust or sold at a loss because you don't really love it (as much as another doll).

But on the other hand I do believe one way to go is by getting an inexpensive starter "head" for practicing face-ups if you have intentions on doing your own or pursuing this side of the hobby. When I found out there was a promo for $25 practice heads I bought one. Eventually I want to do my own face-ups but too chicken to use one of my permanent characters as practice. And $25 bucks for a major company blank head is a very affordable place to start for any beginner. Even if the sculpt is pretty basic, I think with practice it can look just as amazing and will eventually get a body when I feel that my skills are at a level to work on my other dolls.

So in a way I think a practice head is a worthwhile "starter" doll to kind of explore the artistic side of the hobby.

 

Having went straight towards my grail doll without any starter(not counting my Dollfie Dream), I actually think it'd be a good idea to get a cheaper BJD first, like Bobobie or ResinSoul. Not really because I think people new to dolls will ruin their first, but because it helps build you into the hobby. I only recently got my (technically) first BJD, an Iplehouse man I fell in love with a couple years back. But I feel almost nervous to play with him and dress him up, it's way different from my Dollfie Dream, and I get so nervous that I will ruin him if I'm not careful--because I have no experience with strung resin dolls!

Having a less expensive doll to care for first, learn how to dress up, string, etc, would've benefited me a lot. He's absolutely GORGEOUS and I love him, yes, but I don't think I'm experienced enough to care for him. It makes me a little sad, almost like I'm regretting not going for a starter first.

Just sharing part of my story for anyone considering jumping into the hobby. ^^

 

Stand by of those who say that you need to buy that doll that likes. But I have often faced with the fact that the purchase of the first dolls, people were lost because of its size. Someone already classic SD giants, and for someone 75 centimeters - just right.My first doll was not the most popular of the company (now the company has not), but I never regret that I bought it. Because this doll I liked her right away and I really wanted to. With this doll was much the first time, although I still have not learned to do a normal constriction

 

I'm not a huge fan of people telling me that I should have bought a cheaper one instead of the >$500 I just recently bought as my first, but then I've been floating in and around the hobby for almost five years and I've gone to meets and met up with really nice people who've let me experience the hobby first through dolls I didn't even have to buy. I knew the sizing and the handling before I had one so maybe that was what worked for me.

Honestly I don't think people should suggest someone getting a cheaper one before any other, particularly if someone has a specific sculpt they have in mind and have started towards, but it's a good idea for people really new to the hobby. It's also really good for those who want to practice face ups and blushing and possibly even modding, in my opinion. But no one should have to start with a cheaper doll just because they're new.

 

I don't believe there is a right and wrong way. Pros and Cons for either side. Each person might even try a plus and minus sheet for themselves. Any factor, like tan resin, might be a plus to one person and a detraction to another. But another thought comes to mind. I am reminded of my first art class. The teacher told us our experience with the medium would be very affected by the quality of the paper and the paint. There would be limitations to what could be done with the poor paper and pigments that don't mix chemically as well as better quality ones. I have a lot of dolls, and a fairly good number of some of the more expensive ones. There are, I suppose some factors that are like the quality of art supplies, and it would help to understand as much as you can what the factors and effects of them will be on the experience of bonding with a doll. Right now my favorite ones are what most would call a starter doll.
Most of the time, if a relatively normal price is paid, no decision has to cost an "arm and a leg" :P -- no rules say a decision has to be permanent. Most of us find our tastes change as we go along and our collections take different directions. Some dolls may feel like family members, and others will feel like they just came for a visit.

With that in mind, I would hope someone new to all this, just trying to understand what all the abbreviations we throw around, and what the sizes will be like, for example, may just have to make a decision and jump in there. We are a friendly enough community that no one has to drown in their first decision. I'm all for lowering the amount of anxiety that goes into something that is mostly to be a joy and fun creative process.'
Some personalities know what they like, and like only certain things with a steadfast nature that is not going to change. Others see so many possibilities and may need more time to explore even themselves and not just the dolls. If someone wants to pose their dolls and get very realistic stories, they won't be happy with joints that aren't designed as well to hold poses and stand. But someone could start out thinking that is what they want, and discover they enjoy the more unusual dolls or less "humanoid" varieties...

 

I'm not sure if it's because I collected an army of non-BJDs (Pullips, Blythes, etc) beforehand, but I felt like I was ready to tackle my grail BJDs first thing. I researched so much about the upkeep of a BJD and all of the ways to avoid heartbreak over doing something to a doll that may permanently damage them and I think a lot of it is (mostly) common sense unless you wish to delve into face-ups.

I'm really glad I went for my grails and didn't settle on anything that I somewhat liked for the sake of s/he being a more inexpensive "starter" in relation to my grails. I think everyone should follow their hearts and obtain that which they love most, but of course research beforehand to avoid any accidents.

 

See, now, that first part is just asinine. Why the hell would anyone tell you that you should have spent less? It's your money, it's your doll. Spend however much you want, buy whatever you want. Are you happy with your purchase? In the end, that's the only thing that matters.

I went for the low-end of the price spectrum on purpose when I got my first, but it wasn't because I was going to practice on him. I am as not-artsy as you can possibly get. I don't do faceups or mods (those would end in tears) and I can't sew for beans. But I wasn't sure this was a hobby I was going to stick with. I've had something of a track record of getting into hobbies all gung-ho, then losing interest a few months later, and I figured that I wasn't comfortable dropping $700 on a doll if I didn't know for sure I was sticking with it. Clearly, I stuck with it. But that's me, and that's my situation. Everyone's situation is different, and the only thing that fundamentally matters is whether or not the doll owner is comfortable with their purchase. If you're feeling twitchy about dropping the big bucks right away, then don't. If you're set on a certain sculpt that's more expensive, go for that first. It's all individual and as long as you're comfortable, that's all that counts.

 

I think if, among the list of dolls you'd love to own, there's an option that's cheaper then it's a good idea to go for that first rather than buying the most expensive thing off your wishlist. If there's not a cheaper doll among the list of ones you love or you don't have a long wishlist, just one dream doll, there's not much point buying something you're "eh" about just because you feel like someone else thinks you should. There isn't really anything in this hobby that's actually cheap and there's not much point outlaying this much money on a luxury hobby if you won't be happy with what you get.

Ultimately, the measure of whether your first purchase is a good one is in how much joy you get out of it, not whether it is a $150 victim of your emerging extreme makeover skills or a fifty bazillion dollar full-set limited edition that shoots rainbows out of its eyes. Either of those can be the perfect first doll for the right person and I think most people end up making the choice that is right for them at the time.

 

hmm...how interesting. I guess my Peakswoods FOF (26cm) is a starter doll since all other dolls I'm interested in are 60cm or above. Like their new AB line and the Idealians, MegaGems and EIDs.

 

Yeah, trust me, those were weird conversations. X| And I do agree with you there , on how your surety of the hobby and your is a big factor in whether you want to spend to much at first.

 

Basically, you've said it all right there.

To be honest, my first doll was my dream doll, which was followed by a few "cheaper" dolls that I've since passed on.

It's a "hobby" that requires patience and attentiveness regardless of the doll you start with. In my opinion if you're going to do anything - do it right. And if you're so afraid of yourself then you should know to start smaller rather than bigger, so to speak.

 

I think it's best to start with a doll that is fairly 'standard'. A doll that has unusual proportions, is rare, obscure or hard to find is probably not advisable.
It's your money, it is your doll but why make life so hard for yourself?

 

My believe is always buy the doll you love, not a starter doll that you think is cheap and you can experiment with because if you don't love that starter doll, you won't enjoy the hobby as much as you could have if you had adopted the doll you love. Besides, dolls these days (any type of doll) are not cheap, they cost around $150-$200+++ and I won't call that small change. I think starter dolls are a waste of money. Better put that money aside and save for the doll you really love.