What do you think of "starter dolls?"

I share the opinion as the most of the people above, I do not like the idea of "starter dolls".
Starting with a doll you don't love, just because is cheaper, won't make you bond in the hobby like you would with the doll that you fell in love.

I made that kind of mistake when I started playing electric guitar and bought a "starter guitar". It was horrible, it would detune every time I spent a couple of hours playing it, and even in tune it wouldn't sound the way it should. If I had not bought another guitar, I wouldn't have kept playing.

So personally I wouldn't recommend anyone to buy a doll just because its price if they are not in love with it.
And I know there are a lot of dolls with low prices that are really beautiful and well built, so price isn't always a barrier to fall in love with a doll.

 

It seems quite expensive and unnecessary to me to purchase a doll you don't like as much with the expectation that you will ruin it. But for certain people, it may be a good idea.

 

I think there are plenty of popular dolls which make good starter dolls. I consider Minifee Chloe and Resinsoul Mei to be starter dolls as they appear to be the 'go-to' ones for newbies.

its good, you don't have to worry too much about not finding clothes or shoes that fit or not having any owner pics.

 

I had no guidance whatsoever, but I gravitated toward the cheaper doll anyway.

Starter dolls are a good guideline, but it shouldn't be a requirement. Most people I know started with ResinSoul/Bobobie because of the price and I feel like those are a little more common to mod or dye or experiment with.

I can imagine it would be a community loss if a limited were messed up somehow.

 

I considered once getting a starter doll like a Resinsoul... but to me, even a price as low as that was still "a lot of money" for me to spend on something that I only sorta liked. I think, if you're worried about a new person ruining their doll, starter dolls aren't really the way to go. That's still a waste, and can cause more distress/unhappiness. Better, is to READ UP a LOT. Look at tutorials, basics about getting a BJD, about what not to use on them, how to clean them, how to prevent yellowing etc. etc., how to restring. I have my DC Elizabeth, an EXPENSIVE first-resin doll, and so far she's still alive and undamaged xD.

Well... actually, now that I think about it, I DID get a few "starter dolls", though they are DoA off-topic. Like a Hujoo x'D very cheap ABS-plastic, but still a BJD. Though I learned that you clean ABS and resin differently, I learned a LOT about restringing, faceups, wigs, etc. etc. But that was a cheap money investment, compared to a full resin doll. I also bought a tiny resin doll that only cost me 50 bucks, a Doll Family-A Kai (doesn't have jointed legs, so off-topic), and learned about painting on resin material through there. Their combined price are definitely cheaper than buying a full-on "starter doll", so I suppose there's something to the whole concept of baby-steps.

So IN CONCLUSION, I'd recommend that someone either do a lot of research and then buy the doll of their desires, OR buy an ABS BJD and/or a tiny resin doll. Less of a waste of money that coulda been saved for one's grail, with also more ability to experiment without fear of damaging something too expensive.

 

I don't think it's a bad idea, particularly if someone is on the fence about dolls in general. If it turns out dolls just aren't for them they aren't in big a hole as they could have been. Unfortunately, disappointment in this hobby is expensive.

 

I honestly don't believe in starter dolls. You should be buying a doll because you like it and no other reason, money does not determine if the doll you bought is a "starter doll" or not. I think before you drop any larger amount of money on something you should be doing some research on it because even the cheaper dolls are around $200. Might help that when I got my first doll I was so scared I was going to break him or drop him in some way and I didn't want that so I did my fair share of research and eventually ended here! The best place to be for doll related questions! ^^

 

First doll is the most memorable. I don't think anyone should tag it as starter doll. Thats so blunt (imo) so regardless wether its cheap or expensive, just take care of the dolleh in the best of our love and knowledge.

 

Easy solution find a "cheaper doll" you actually like. It'll make you want to learn how to look after it properly so you won't have to replace parts if you break or stain them. My first doll was and Angel Fantasy, she was "cheaper" and single jointed but I still love her sculpt, I made mistakes with her but I still have her.

 

I thought about getting a "starter doll", but none of them really interested me. I think you should always buy the doll you want, never settle because of the price. I ended up getting Minifee Celine, so she's by no means cheap.

 

I don't think you should buy the absolute cheapest doll you can get just to have a bjd you wont love or play with as much. Picking a doll you love is more important, and worth the extra money. However if you love a few different dolls, no harm in choosing the cheaper one first imo. That way you can figure out if you actually like bjds or a specific size without dropping down a ton of cash on an expensive one.

 

Liking a doll and using a doll as a starter aren't mutually exclusive concepts IMO. I shopped carefully, knowing that I wanted to play with customization, and chose a doll I liked at a price that I felt comfortable with even if the experiment went south. I learned SO MUCH from that first doll, and I loved him for the time he spent with me. I then sent him on to a new home (where he lives to this day, I think). Starting that way also allowed me to experiment with lots of different kinds of dolls until I figured out which ones were right for me and how many I was actually comfortable having in my house at one time. It also introduced me to a lot of talented people. So yeah, the idea of having a 'starter' doll doesn't preclude the possibility of actually liking the doll. I never would have gotten good at some of the customizing if I had started right off with the more expensive and rare dolls I now keep as models.

 

I own 1 doll and he is not a starter doll, I spent a long time researching and planning before i get him. It is because he is my first doll, hence he has to be special!

 

sadly i did got a starter doll
i m regreting a bit now...
but i guess this is always a newbie trap...

 

depends where you get it.

If it's a steal-kinda thing, like an old, yellowed thing for really small money that only needs restringing and cleaning - then yes - I still want to adopt such a doll. like, some older, not as well-known and even non-existing-anymore company/sculpt that is still adorably cute... definitely yes

but if one just buys the cheapest dolll possible new bc it's cheap... they usually end up with something less appealing and hard to e.g. pose, of low quality and a nightmare they'll remember and regret forever. At least I did... still do and it's my biggest bjd-related regret ever.

 

There are plenty of "starter dolls" that are super beautiful. I feel like my Ryuna from Dreaming Doll was a FANTASTIC choice for my first doll. She poses very well and is a beautiful sculpt all around.

 

I remember, when I first decided to take the plunge into this community, the person who helped me decided what I should get as my first doll encouraged me to get the doll that made me happy. The one I couldn't stop thinking about, no matter the cost. She told me about ACBJD, DD and MoC. I originally was going to get a RS Rong. I thought she was beautiful, I didn't seen a lot of her, and she was under $300. Then I lost my job and money as tight. I stopped talking to that person and got into a funk. I still looked at Rong now and again, but I just didn't care. Then I started talking to my now girlfriend. She was shelling a character into a doll and I realized that was what I wanted to do. My first doll ended up being a Souldoll Vito Elan. I was so connected to the doll because it was special. He didn't just represent my character but also my connection with my friend and it made joining the community easier.

Really, a starter doll should mean a doll you are connected with that you can love and will pull you into the hobby. If I had ended up with Rong as my first doll, I would have hated it and I wouldn't have three more dolls as I do now.

 

I got my starter doll one years ago, as it was a gift from my dad, i dun want to waste his money so i chose the cheapest doll, now i look back and regret- choosing a cheap doll you dun like is a waste of money, but having a doll u like is not a waste even it is expensive,since it gives u happiness

 

It would have been pointless me getting a "starter doll" as I had no intention of doing any modifications to it or a face-up. I'm satisfied with company face-ups and if I don't truly like it I can always commision someone else later on to re-do the face-up. As a rule I only purchase dolls if I like them the way they are without me having to make modifications. I don't mind hybriding a head with a body but again I have to like how the head and body looks because I'm not interested in modding. Also it depends what you classify as "cheap" because i've never come across a resin BJD that I would actually classify as low-cost. Yes there are some dolls that are less expensive than others for various reasons but for many people it can take considerable time to save up for ANY resin BJD they happen to want so it's really important that folks buy a first doll they really want instead of just wasting money.

 

I got really lucky and my dream doll was already cheap so I didn't have to hesitate for financial reasons \o/

I largely agree with you though - if you're getting your first doll and planning on modding it or doing your own faceups, etc. it may be better to start with something cheap. If you're planning on keeping it for personal reasons then imo get something nice that you know you'll like since you'll already be spending quite a bit!

Besides, unlike a lot of other hobbies, dolls can be resold if you end up not bonding with them, so even if you don't get all your money back you can still recoup some of it if it turns out BJDs aren't the hobby for you.