What do you think of "starter dolls?"

I'm a little split on the subject... it makes sense in that you don't want to spend 500+ on a doll then decide you don't want to be in the hobby, but if I didn't get the doll I liked best, I wouldn't be as happy, I don't think, because I'd be too busy trying to scrape together money for that doll I wanted in the first place and I'd ignore the "starter doll". (At least, that's what I think would happen)
And even if I did get a starter doll, which I'm not, I'd probably end up choosing the most expensive one accidentally, haha, so why not just get the (slightly) more expensive doll I wanted in the first place?

But if the newcomer to the hobby is younger (I'd say 10-13) I can completely understand the parent wanting to buy the cheaper doll.

 

I'd say if you were to get a starter doll to just make sure that you're not going to make major mistakes with a really expensive brand new doll, they should probably buy something really off of the secondhand market.

 

Personally, I never listened to the whole starter doll thing & it turned out fine for me. Really, what I wanted most was a doll I that I was head over heals in love with. Didn't want to settle for one I liked less to "practice" with, because I was looking for a doll that I could treat like gold & glass. However, i have family members that were part of the hobby before me, so I already had some idea about it before diving in. Depends on anyone's preference. It would be wise to have some experience with them first, so that you would know how to handle & care for one. Especially with the thought that the doll could get damaged or lost when you put down so much money for it.

 

I think also it's a personal choice, as everyone knows the risc when getting a expensive doll.

 

I HAVE purchased a cheap "starter" doll (plastic and thus off-topic, but still visible in my avatar picture), and I must say that it was a very smart move on my part. I didn't buy her to "ruin," but rather because I thought she was cute and because I knew she'd help me understand more what I was getting myself into with the hobby. She has helped me learn how to restring limbs, how to put wigs and eyes in place, and how to put together a decent-looking dolly wardrobe. She also helped me figure out what size of doll I prefer; I thought I'd like the larger dolls, but owning a Yo-SD-sized doll made me appreciate the small sizes more. I haven't attempted a new faceup because I like what she's currently got, but she'll be my guinea pig if I ever want to make an attempt. Based on my experience I'd say that starter dolls can be an extremely good thing. You've got a learning tool and a little dolly companion rolled into one item.

 

I sorta got a starter doll. She was pretty cheap (less than 200 due to an event), but I liked her face compared to dolls even twice her price. She was a good bargain and has been manageable to me. She is a Doll-Love, and other owners have said their faceups last well, their bodies are pretty well made, and they are pretty hardy. But she still has a purpose. Just because she is a starter doll doesn't mean I didn't really want her or that I plan to replace her. She was a bargain and has been worth the price, and I love her I recommend starter dolls to other newbies, because I think it helps to have a reliable doll as your first, whether it is $150 or $900.

 

This is my first time hearing the phrase "starter doll."

Personally, it's not something I subscribe to.

 

I believe, after all these years I've been in the hobby, that the best solution would be to get what you like. Get the doll you fell in love with regardless of the cost. Yeah, it might take longer to put together the cash to do so but it will be all worth it in the end. Besides, if you start with a doll you're not that in love with it might put you off the hobby experience as a whole. I don't think I'd have gotten many more dolls if I wasn't 100% satisfied with my first... and it's never about price.

 

When I bought my first SD, she cost me $1000 - which was the going rate to get one to Australia. At the time, there weren't really any cheaper options, other than going for a MSD, and they weren't exactly cheap either. A starter doll would have been quite impractical. The flip side is one isn't as adventurous. My SD still has her basic (and rather crude Volks) face-up.

 

I think it really all depends on your personal preference & financial situation. For me, I tend to jump into new things headlong, then loose interest. So, knowing that about myself I didn't want to spend several hundred dollars on a doll that I might stick on a shelf & forget about in a few months. So I bought a BBB Sprite, fairly cheap as BJDs go. I thought her face was sweet, and I loved her elf ears. She was a great starter doll for me. I found that I loved the hobby & I can't ever see myself loosing interest, so that allowed me to feel OK about saving up & spending more for dolls I really wanted. I eventually did sell my Sprite, as I didn't like her body at all. I still like the face sculpt and I could see myself making a hybrid one day.

 

I could see someone getting a cheap faceplate by itself to practice faceups, but I totally agree that newbs shouldn't have to settle for a doll they don't like, just because it's cheaper. After all, $100 or so is really inexpensive for a BJD, but it's still a lot of money to invest if you don't actually like the doll you're getting.

That said, if there are 2 dolls you want, and you're new to the hobby, go for the less-expensive one first if neither is a limited edition.

 

While I definately think nobody should settle for a doll they don't like JUST because of the price (That would be like throwing money out the windows), I also think that with all the good prices available out there for MSD and smaller sizes, it IS possible for a beginner to find a beautiful doll that suit their tastes AND their budget. That's what happened to me, I was browsing trough the more budget friendly ones, not allowing myself to look at very expensive dolls for that time. And fell in love with a 140$ sculpt...

 

I'm not into the idea of starter dolls either. But it might be helpful for some people.
Personally, I'm an extremely careful person and all my other hobbies have started well without me having to settle for less for a trial. Doing research before anything makes a big difference, but of course some people are naturally more careful with everything and some are less. The person themselves probably know better than anyone else if they do need a starter or not. Like somebody mentioned earlier, a person asking others what doll they should get is most likely one to need a starter doll. Though I'd rather recommend for people who can't even choose their doll to wait til they can, or just drop the idea of getting one.

Also, as others have pointed out, it might be "cheaper" but it's still not actually cheap. In the end it's still a big sum of money to put on something you don't want 100%. In expensive hobbies like this, you go all out or go home. Unless you have the time to deal with the regrets and troubles of selling later on.

 

I bought RS Mei as a starter doll, and now I wish I'd held out for a doll I would really love. Mei is cute, but she doesn't fit in with the rest of the dolls I have now, and I'm not in love with her.

Even though Mei is considered an inexpensive doll, she still cost a lot of money. I regret spending all that money on a doll that I'm not in love with.

 

I don't own any dolls yet, but I wouldn't purchase a starter doll. I actually plan on purchasing a doll early of next month and it's the doll that I'm in love with. It's pricey, but it's what I truly want. So, I think you should just save for the doll that you really want then get it, don't settle for something you aren't going to bond with. I think that'd be a waste of money, regardless of how cheap it is.

 

Personally, I think folks should save up for the first doll that calls to them and settle for nothing less. My first BJD cost me almost $400 but she was worth every penny (and still is). I own many dolls from what some collectors call "cheaper starter brands," but I chose them because I was drawn to their aesthetic---their lower price tag was just a bonus!

 

I started with more expensive brands and got less expensive ones after. It was the lesser expensive ones that I wasn't afraid to take apart and "experiment" on.
So, I don't think "starter dolls" is bad advice. Even starter dolls are expensive as far as I'm concerned.

 

I certainly wouldn't mind if other people did this, but I wouldn't do it, nor would I recommend it so someone personally. I feel like if I just got a doll because it was cheap instead of because I liked it, I know I wouldn't be able to "bond" with the doll. This would discourage me. I did this at one point with a couple of ABS tinies. They were too small for my taste and I didn't really like them in general and I did sort of take a break for a while afterwards thinking that maybe I just didn't like the hobby in general. Now I'm back though and have ordered two new dolls that I got simply because I love them, and I think that I'll enjoy the hobby as a whole much more now.

 

I think starter dolls are a terrible idea, because they're grounded in the assumption that every newbie is going to destroy their first doll, or doesn't have the patience to save up for the doll they really want. Being new to something doesn't make you a fool, and personally every time I've caved and gone for the doll that was easier to obtain or cheaper than the one I really wanted, I sold them and ended up wasting more money in the end.

 

I was originally going to get a cheap 'starter doll' because I wanted to get a feel for strung dolls and have a go at restringing and stuff before spending too much money on something I was going to be too terrified to do anything with. That didn't happen in the end, I never did buy that 'starter doll', but that was due to circumstance not because I changed my mind. I think it's a personal decision, it's right for some and not for others. As quite a nervous person myself I know I like to do this in steps and I don't like uncertainty, so that was my reasoning. It wasn't that I thought I'd wreck my doll, it was just a personal comfort thing I suppose.