What do you think of "starter dolls?"

A starter doll should be one you've thought about, and know you want, because really, if you're just starting out, you may not want to continue, so going with something you're not overly fond of, is never going to be the best idea anyway.

 

I feel like starter dolls are a good idea if you are planning on joining the more physically creative aspect of the hobby. In this case, a starter doll might be used for modding or faceup practice, rather than using a doll that you 'really, really want', at least if the 'really wanted' doll being ruined or damaged in some way would be distressing. Of course, not everyone takes thar route, and others might decide to buy one they would not change so that they could bond with a doll before investing in one for an art medium they might not continue. It really is up to the person buying the doll.

If I had to go back and buy a 'first doll' (though I love my real first doll very much, I haven't bonded with her as much as I would have liked), I would probably go for one I really wanted, rather than an impulse buy. But that 'really wanted' doll? It might very well be the cheapest on the market. If I had done more research, I might have gone for a doll I could do things with, rather than one I haven't done much with except dress up. It really should depend on the person, their situation(both money wise and ability wise) and what they plan to do with the doll when they have it.

Final thought: Planning. Go for a doll you KNOW you want, but know what you want.

 

I still have my 1st doll. It took me a long time to get a first doll so I don't understand the concept of 'starter doll'. I rather pay more for something I am going to keep than less for a 'taster'

 

I think its a good idea to invest in a doll head (chipped, yellowed, one for cheap) to get practice on if you know you will buy one and do the face-ups yourself for practice. As far as getting a starter doll I have mixed feelings.

My first doll would be considered a "starter-doll," but I have never thought of him like that. I didn't get him because he was cheap. I was able to afford him because he was cheap. I liked the doll. That was why I bought him. I would say if you want a doll, look at ones on the cheaper end not the higher end and if you fall in love with one, get it. If you don't, wait until you find one you love.

 

Not only do I object to the "starter doll" concept, I kind of have a problem with anyone who looks on a doll that costs less than X amount of money as a "starter doll". Some people have budgets that simply won't accommodate a four-digit purchase for a doll, even saving up. On the other hand, there are plenty of lovely dolls that come in at a couple of hundred. These days there are BJDs for every budget, even if you have to scrimp and save to get one. It's more important to get something that appeals to you than to get a BJD just as a status symbol.

If you want to practice faceups, get a cheap large-sized fashion doll from Goodwill or the flea market, wipe its factory paint, and go to. I you want to practice wigmaking, rip all its hair out and have at. You don't have to spend $100+ to get a doll to "practice" on.

 

I am saving for my first girlie and yes she is a cheaper doll, but this was because she was the one I loved the most and wanted the most so no issues there. Even though she is a cheaper doll, certainly does not mean I will be knocking her around or ruin her! I fact I will probably treasure her and protect her with my life!

 

I don't really understand the idea of a starter doll, I mean why buy a cheaper doll that's maybe easier to restring instead of buying the doll you really want? My first doll was a limited edition crobidoll and i can't imagine starting with any other doll. Sure he was expensive and i knew i would have to be extra careful but what's the fun of having a doll that isn't the the captor of you hearts desire.

 

I have to add that it really depends on what kind of person you are. If you are like me, you will only stay motivated if you work on something you've got your heart set to. If I'd buy a doll's head I wasn't overly fond of, I could use it to practice modding, but I wouldn't learn as much as I did if I bought a doll's head I really love. The chances I'm fumbling it up are even bigger if I don't set the 'stakes' too high.

So, if you are like me and you know you work better when you reach for a difficult goal you're head over heels for, don't hesitate to pursue that. We all learn things differently .

 

I think getting a starter doll is a good and not so good idea at the same time. On one hand you get to make the mistakes on this doll that you won't make on the future but on the other hand the longer you have a doll the more you fall in love with it and I feel like I hurt my doll when I practice things on him. I remember when I was sueding him I got nicks on some parts of him and because he was kind of expensive it sucked because he cost a lot and now he has these marks on him so a cheaper doll I could have practiced on would have been nicer but then getting a doll you really love and getting to learn all these new things with it would just bring the two closer [like it did for me]. I do think though that unless your dream doll is a limited edition or is going to stop being sold permanently after a certain date then you should get it if you can but then practicing new things on it would be scary in my opinion because if you're new to the hobby with a $700 doll and you crack or nick something because you didn't know what you were doing or you mess up the face up and seal it poorly before beginning then you ruin that dream doll you've been wanting for who knows how long.
Hmm, so I guess I actually am in favor of a starter doll - from personal experience.

 

I think that generally people know what they want and aren't satisfied until they get it, so why settle if you don't have to? Save up and get the doll you REALLY want! Your feeling of accomplishment will be so much greater!

 

I think a lot of people would end up getting frustrated of leaving the hobby because of buying a 'starter doll' simply because the doll wouldn't really be what they like in this hobby. If you buy your dream doll... I think you will be more inspired to do things with your doll and stuff

 

I had no idea how I was going to collect when I joined this hobby. I started by searching doll sites and the second I laid eyes on the Ante elf doll from Fairyland? Magic. She's really all I want and all I care to have, so I couldn't imagine going "Well...I need to learn a thing before I get her...so i'll just get this other one". I suppose I get it, but honestly- I don't think "starter" dolls are okay. I dont have a huge budget, so I have to put my eye on the prize and work hard for it. Let the spoiling begin....well...when she comes

 

I think it all depends on how confident you feel about handing a BJD. I sort of knew, without ever handling one, that I'd be fine restringing and cleaning resin, and that I wouldn't do anything that would damage my dolls. I have a lot of hobbies that involve doing things with my hands (sculpting, customising things, painting miniatures, etc), and so I got into the hobby with a lot of relevant skills. I didn't need a starter doll, and I was thrilled with my first girl (who was a 65cm Soom with fantasy parts). However, someone coming into the hobby with a different skill set might have found such a large doll difficult to work with, or the restringing necessary to put her fantasy parts on discouraging. Someone like that might have preferred a tiny rather than an SD, or a plain human doll rather than a fantasy one.

 

I can't speak for anyone else, but for me, buying my boy was a big deal. I can't imagine that I would have felt the same joy when he arrived if I'd just picked a doll that was cheap and easy to care for, not the doll I loved. I believe that lack of excitement and enthusiasm is more likely to make you give up on the hobby than making a mistake with your doll.

 

Each to their own really. I admit when I first started my foray into BJD I already had years of Porcelain collecting experience so I already knew the hazards of breaking something expensive.... its heartbreaking as well as wallet breaking. In saying that if you are thinking to get into BJD's for the ability to truly change how the doll looks then chances are you are already into garage kits or have a craft/sculpting background, so to say to someone they don't have enough experience to handle the hobby just yet so "buy cheaper" is just the givers opinion and doesn't accurately reflect the individual looking for the advice.

No one goes out of their way to blow loads of cash on anything so the best advice I EVER got when I first became a member here and can give to any newbies is do your research and stick within your budget. If you have to turn around just weeks after receiving your doll and sell it because you have bills to pay is a very disheartening experience. So is buying a doll you loved that cost you a bomb and then damaging it through inexperience.

 

I don't think a starter doll would work for me. Choosing a cheaper doll that needs work would be too frustrating as those kind of things need practice and i'm a bit of a perfectionist so it would likely be a long time before I had a doll I was really happy with. I'd rather my first doll was perfect right out of the box, so if there was a full set I liked that would be ideal. As it is I'll settle for a doll with a company face-up that I like and pick out a wig and clothes that I think will go well. Maybe I'll even buy a couple of wigs just in case!

Then later on, I'd like to get a cheaper doll, or just a head, with no face-up that I could practice on.

 

I just brought the doll that I wanted for my first and then after I got him I was like "I don't want to try to take it apart just in case I chip him". So I waited until my second doll came (that was A LOT cheaper)(but also a doll I wanted) and took her apart first just in case ^^ So I guess my second doll was in fact my "starter doll" ^^.

 

for me it a starter Doll was wrong. I had my favorite Doll since a year ago and even when I had to look for a cheaper doll, I felt so wrong buying another doll because why should I spend money for a doll I really don't want to have? I was also looking around and decided for another Doll but even I changed my mind, I still ordered the Doll I really want to have.
maybe for some people could be a starter Doll not so wrong but for me it won't make sence.

 

All this information is very helpful. I'm a beginner and have just ordered my first two dolls (I'm now impatiently waiting for them to come in the mail). I've just taken both approaches by getting two dolls. One is a doll I feel more comfortable with trying different looks and practicing face ups. The other is one who I ordered in a full set so even if I do feel like I don't have face ups quite how I want them, I can still have a pretty doll to play with and photograph. They both were about the same price so I wouldn't say that I got a cheaper doll in case I mess up. I consider both of them an investment in this hobby and in my learning in a new skill. I really love both sculpts and I can't wait for them to come in the mail.
Also if anyone is wondering what I ordered they're both Dollzone msd size, I got a carter and an Annie.

 

I'm torn. I think starter dolls are perfect for those not sure if they really want to invest in such a pricey hobby, at the same time, investing in the wrong sort of doll might as well be the thing that turns people off of the hobby. For me, personally, a mixture of the both worked best. I saved up to buy one of the dolls I REALLY wanted, even though he was fairly expensive. I do not regret it as I still love him, even long after a year I first saw him on Souldoll's page and well after seven months of owning him.

Two months after getting my first BJD home, I bought a Resinsoul An at second hand. For while I loved my Souldoll to bits and pieces, the price of him really made me cautious with him. I didn't dare to try to face up him, since I was afraid I would do something wrong and the resin would stain. I didn't dare glue anything on him, like piercings and such. I rarely posed him, since I was afraid I would break the joints or whatnot. And restringing didn't even occur to me, for if I wouldn't get him together back in one piece I would have no help whatsoever IRL.

However, getting my Resinsoul An was a huge success. With him I would dare exploring the limits with posing, the sturdyness of resin, I dared restringing him, I started modding him (i.e. sanding his abs and nose), I gave him my own face up and other modifications such as piercings and burn marks. All that I hadn't dared to try on my Souldoll guy. So through him, I would dare to try new things on my first doll, not being afraid of breaking him any longer.

But, I'd like to point out that even though I said that I bought a Resinsoul BJD as a project doll, I do not think it's a proper starter doll. A project doll, yes, by all means - they are pricey and Resinsoul are so kind as to send different parts and bodies and stuff, whatever you need, so you CAN do these awesome projects if you like without selling half your house and a kidney to afford it. But as a starter doll - no. They are real tricky to pose (the single jointed at least) and I think it takes both time, effort and experience to make a RS doll bring out their true potential. Unless you see an RS doll and think that "that's the doll I really want, need and crave, I shall love it forever and ever", and instead think that it's a doll to try the hobby with, to see if it's something worth to invest in ... I wouldn't go for it. The chances of being turned off the hobby, because it's tricky to pose and the eyes like to point in different directions and they splay the legs and arms like crazy, is what I think high.

Ergo: Get the doll you really want as a first doll, and if you want to get more out of the hobby after that, by all means get a project doll to try your way. It really worked well for me, so that's what I'll be recommending :3