What do you think of "starter dolls?"

I remember getting myself an barbie sized obitsu (30 something bucks) because I didn't want to wait, while saving for my first real BJD, without trying out dolly-like projects. I remember that having her taught me all about staining and face-ups along with posing techniques and how very possible it was for my dolls to fall over when sitting D: I think it was a great doll to start out with even though It was never meant to be a starter. When I got my first BJD, an Unoa, I barely ever had accidents :] the only problem I had was slight staining from clothing and wigs but I knew to be prepared and always had cleaning supplies suitable for resin~

 

I am a newbie to BJDs - although an "oldie" as a doll colector. st. James, I totally agree with your response. I particularly loved your phrase, "proportions of such artistic merit that it can't help but photograph well from any angle." I don't think it is about starters or non-starters. I thinkk it is all about buying a doll that evokes a sense of wonder for the purchaser. I've never, in years of doll collecting, kept a doll simply because she was a "good buy." The dolls I keep are the ones that take my breath away no matter what angle I espy them and no matter what light. With my frst BJDs, I've purchased faces and bodies that I think are beautiful and have artistic merit - for me.

I hope not to hurt or injure them and that is why I read on DoA constantly, hoping to learn (or identify the right resources) to be the best owner I can be. After all, I did not buy something of beauty in order to destroy it. So far, I've learned it is necessary to learn how to restring each of our BJDs. This is an unavoidable task if we own BJDs. I've "watched" face-ups but know I am nowhere near wanting to do one of my own yet. Wig caps? Velcro? I don't know yet but I will learn and if I am ever doubtful - or fearful - of doing something wrong, I will ask for help.

I'm new at this but I think quality - no matter the price - shows and a gifted sculptor gives us beauty. Buy what you love, no matter if it is your first or your last. And learn patience as the weeks roll by, the bank funds are expended and the shipping is exceedingly slow. So, for a beginner, I would counsel about biding one's time to choose and then biding even more time waiting for arrival. And then waiting longer than even that. This waiting, however, is giving me plenty of spare time to read!

 

I guess it depends on your own talents and experiance. I'm an accomplished artist and have made dolls from scratch, but never had something a complicated as a BJD. I also have a lot of cats, and I know that I don't always take the best care of my things. I opted for a "starter doll", Rylin, an Obitsu 55cm boy for about $250. More than I've spent on just about anything frivolous, but certainly easier than spending $600 on something I'd never seen before. He's vinyl, which I chose specifically because I worried about not knowing how to handle him and I didn't want to break a finger! Also, Obitsu has replacement parts for cheap, including $20 heads so I didn't have to worry about staining on my first face up. And boy, did I stain the first head! I also wasn't quite prepaired for the size of such a large doll; I knew the dimensions, but until you see one up close it's hard to wrap your mind around the size. He's been stain, knocked about, dropped several times, and taken a real beating that a resin wouldn't have survived. But along the way, I learned a lot and when I was finally ready to commit to a large resin doll (my Super Senior Delf I bought earlier this year) I wasn't at all worried and knew just what the limitations of painting and portability were.

Not that I don't love my first boy; he's my favorite and I take him all over. I just know that, for myself, I should try to start small because I'm one of those people who will launch into a hobby at full speed and just get in way over my head. If I had started with my big resin boy.....? I probably would have wrecked the head (Rylin's had 5 face-ups) and broken a few fingers being way too eager to work on him and take him around. It was also easier for my to justify the purchase to myself knowing that I was a responsible doll owner and could more than cope with BJDs. But that's only my personal experiance.

 

I can completely understand the folks that fall into the "practice doll" camp, but for me, getting a starter doll would be like wanting a brownie and eating an orange instead. No matter how great the orange is, it's still not a brownie, and you are just going to want the brownie after you eat the orange.

I certainly did not start with my dream doll, and have had to work up to it, but i didn't settle for something i didn't ultimately want either.

 

octobercrow the Windsor and Newton brush cleaner is the one you have to soak them in right? I am not sure if I want to soak, but if it's that gentle... Oh and I will be using a practice piece anyway.
If I use Mr Clean magic erasers at all, I am going to get gloves. My ex told me a while ago that those things cause cancer. Not that everything else these days doesn't. But I'm mindful of them. I read somewhere that mild soap and water works, too?

St. James there's a Customizing Subforum?? Thank you When I first found out about BJDs I went online to research a bit. Once I realized I WANT one, I red some general stuff about care, saw a couple of restringing videos, and read about maintenance in general, but now that I ORDERED one, I have to prepare, and have all my stuff on paper, and my supplies at hand and all that, for when I need them. Don't want to have to run out in an emergency to get anything. At least not at first. Thanks dear I don't know what I'm doing wrong yet, but for some reason I can't search very well on here.

Jobee hi how much of a n00b are you? I don't even have my first doll yet, that's how new I am Do you have any dolls yet? Have you decided which one you want?

blythegalaxy lol I love that, "it's like wanting a brownie and eating an orange instead..."

 

I'm one of those people who bought their dream doll first (Souldoll Tae). He was the first doll I saw that really made me say "I've got to have him!" and I knew that he was the one I wanted to bring home first before any others.
I don't think starter dolls are a bad idea though, I've just never been interested in the aesthetics of the companies who make them (Bobobie, Resinsoul, AOD, etc.) I've seen a lot of people here on DoA buy dolls that would be classified as starters and really love them though. Whatever makes you happy!

 

I thinkn this is a really astute observation! andI agree with it fully.

Much like a lot of peopel in this thread I belive that the 'starter doll' can work for some people, but it all depends on the person involved. and I don't think either is a wrong answer. Choosing a doll is such a personal thing... and if a friend wanted to et into BJDs, depending on -who- it was, and waht they were liek with their hobbies, I'd reccomend something diffrent.

Becasue in the end, (after spending some time with your doll) you might findthat your dream limited isn't all it's cracked up to be, or your carefully planned character doll dosn't 'feel' right to you. Or you fall in love with a doll that yuou never thoguth you'dlike in person after seeing it at a meet-up...

Dolls wll suprise you, no matter waht doll you buy, expect suprises, I thin kthat's the point I'm looking to point out

An other thign i agree on from earlier in this thread, and it's worth re-stating that, I think the term 'starter doll' should mean something else... I think it should be a term for a doll that's easy to care for and love. one that's easy to buy/sew for, re-string, photograph, carry around ETC then maybethere wont' be a stigma against the concept... ((whatI m ean is, if you take otu the element of 'price'... starter doll shouldn't mean 'cheap'))

 

I like the idea of starter dolls, but I also cannot conceive of someone only having one, so I fully expect people to have a want list of several by the time they get their first, I know this is not the case for everyone, but it is how I am so I find it difficult to imagine anything else. With that in mind I will answer the question

I do not propose a starter doll be cheaper, but I do propose it to be easier, so when I suggest a starter doll what I am suggesting is if you have to choose between a difficult to handle doll, and an easier to maintain one, and you like them both, get the easier one for your first doll. how to tell the difference? well some indicators are things like fantasy parts, extremely long limbs, and coloured skins. Price is actually NOT part of my consideration unless you are planning mods, in which case I say just be bloody careful.

My first doll was NOT a starter doll, he was a Dollshe Hound type two. I planned on modding him, and in fact did so the first day I had him, but why do I not consider him a starter doll? First of all he is not strung iwth S hooks, so his stringing is a BITCH to redo, secondly he is lanky, if you are inexperienced the long limbs can be hard to manage, and thirdly, that bloody belly pop issue.

Cheap dolls are not necessarily starters, I have a RS Feng, a very cheap doll for 70cm, but he drives me insane. The string that RS use is too weak, and the dolls arrive floppy in this scale. That makes posing and handling them difficult. I love Anubis, but he is a right mongrel for me to handle, and I have been in the hobby wuite a while. I can imagine this being disheartening for someone new and uncertain (please do note I specified and uncertain, some people take to it like a duck to water and would not care!)

basically I think any doll that is going to stand and pose sollidly, be beautiful, and fit what the person wants, will make them happy, and is not going to make them give up in frustration or disgust is the right starter doll. If the only doll you have your heart set on is a Soom Monthly with bird feet, wings, 5 heads, 18 hand parts and coloured resin then go for it, but if you are trying to choose between that cute mini and a tanned 70cm guy, get the mini first, it will let you learn on a doll that is easier to handle

 

... you forgot the scorpion tail

 

Interesting topic.... I recently got my first BJD, and she's a SD13 Elena. I don't think she's a "starter doll", because she's not cheap. But I fell in love with her and I just couldn't find another cheap doll that I like as much as Elena. I know I won't experiment on her because I love her so much. For sure I am not spending over $300 on a doll that I don't truly like and just to experiment on. I am just going to be very careful on what I do to my doll I say if the budget allows, and you really love that doll.. go for it! You will enjoy the hobby much more.

oh and may I add... get a good quality doll, because a poor quality doll might actually put you off the hobby.

 

A starter doll sort of fell into my lap, quite honestly. Back when I knew little about BJDs and DOA was still a vague website recommended to me in passing, I came across a unique situation wherein someone was raffling off a doll (anybody remember Katie Bair's OOAK BJD raffle back in, like, 2008?) and I leapt at the chance to enter. Needless to say, I won the doll, only to realize after much research that the sculpt aesthetic was nothing I found attractive and it was old and obviously "well loved". So it became my practice doll. Everything I want to try doing with a doll, I do with this doll first--not to say that I don't love it, only that it's little monetary worth and dubious origins leave me feeling comfortable enough to make mistakes with it. And perhaps it's those reasons why I haven't sold the doll off yet to attain a doll on my actual wishlist. So I guess that leaves me in a guiltless, middle of the fence position: I couldn't sell the doll if I wanted to so I can do what I want with it with little remorse for the consequences. *shrugs* Maybe I'm not the best person to answer this question....

 

I had a 'starter doll' because I always had big issues with the high price of the dolls. I bought a limited one that was quite cheap for a whole complete doll with wig , costume, make-up and shoes.
When he arrived I loved it. But the time went by and I bought my second doll, at that time I wasn't afraid of doing make-ups, mods and stuffs anymore. So I was much more bold for customizing and posing the doll without thinking it might break into pieces XD
nd right now I'm in the process of selling my first doll beacuse I didn't had the same kind of attachment for him as my second doll.

 

Nah, I don't believe in starter dolls. Personally, I jumped in the deep end and learned to swim from there, getting a dark tan and, at that time, LE 5 doll as my first. Dolls are not as fragile as you may think. ^_^

 

In my last post a page or two ago, I mentioned that I was considering a "starter doll"--a ResinSoul Ai, specifically. While I wasn't considering wholly because of the price and she's still on my wish list (because I like how she looks), she has been demoted down the list because she's a starter doll. I've been doing my research, I have a pretty good idea of what to do and not to do, and what to expect... but while I don't want my first doll to be a fullset that I don't have to touch to make perfect, I don't want a "project" that I will have to put a lot of extra work into just to get it "working". I'll get one of those when I have some experience and skills under my belt.

 

I think a "starter doll" will only satisfy those who still aren't sure about getting into the hobby. if you know that getting a BJD is what you really wan then you should just go for it, and while you are waiting for it to come, do a little research on DOA for tips on what to do and not do.

As for me, personally I didn't get a starter doll, I found one I really like and wanted and was all gung-ho about getting her and stuff for her. now Five years later I'm still in the hobby and happy that I bought the doll I really wanted instead of being safe and getting something cheaper.

 

this is a good point ^^
I've choosen my first doll because of this doubt. I consider it a starter doll, because of few parameters: already strung, with eyes in, a wig, a default face. plus, not dramatically expensive.

Before buying, I've seen dollfie photos, read the most I could find on the net, watched youtube videos, but still I didn't have the chance to see, and touch, a bjd in the real life. I was uncertain also regarding the joints, as I've never had jointed dolls before.
I made a small search, and looked for a doll that I could afford, which default face-up I could consider nice, and which didn't require me any work to have her ready to be dressed, photographed... lived.

the answers I was asking myself were something like "and what if I don't like not the single doll, but the whole kind of doll?, what if, when it arrives, I'm still in doubt, and the fact that the doll is difficult to manage makes me wanting to drop this interest?".
so I searched for a "starter doll", according the parameters of "affordable" and "ready to go".

I still think it has been a good choice. inside the budget I've considered "affordable" there was more than one charming doll, and between those I've choosen one that still makes my heart beat

now I'm saving for other dolls, and after the first I've purchased more expensive ones, but since I'm a newbie I'm still after for the "ready to go" doll... which in a sort of way makes more expensive dolls still some kind of a starter kit. I'm still afraid of even thinking of customization!
I guess that if I'd like to learn doing face-up, I'll go for a blank head... and maybe have someone after me

 

The first thing I thought when I read "starter doll" was: you won't be able to bond.

To me a starter doll seems like an excuse to buy a cheap doll, probably generic in its sculpt so that it has no real meaning to you and that you can mess about with to learn. To me, I would be put off this hobby a lot more by being unable to bond with dolls than unable to restring them *is currently picturing Mihael in pieces in his bag because I failed*.

My Leeke Mihael is a nightmare, he has crazy arms and legs and then when I tried restringing him he had floppy arms and now he has one arm that's half-okay, one arm that is still too tight and the rest of his body is in pieces. But that's my perfectionism demon making an appearance. If I could go back I'd still buy him without a doubt. Customising is somthing that can be self-taught, there are tons of tutorials all over the intenet, especially here. I feel like it's more important to enjoy the doll than learn how to take care of it.

I did plan on buying a cheaper doll as a 'practise' doll, but I wouldn't get it as my first. However it seems time (and funds) won't wait so my dolls have to be brave and take mutilation until I improve

 

I'm on a very balanced fence on this one.
I used the starter doll idea, but for a very specific reason: My intention in the hobby was modding. So, I did a metric #%@$-ton of research, found a doll in the MSD size that I loved the sculpt for (My dream doll at the time was a Hound), and ordered him. I figured; this is a balance for my budget. If I don't blow this up with my modding, then I can rest assured in spending the $600 on my big boy.
Now, If Modding hadn't been a big point for my interest in the hobby, I really wouldn't have needed a 'starter' doll, despite the obligatory 'N00b' mistakes. (I'm sorry, but it's IMPOSSIBLE to read every single piece of dolly info out there, AND be able to pick through the difference between paranoia and truly detrimental practices without ever having had a doll of your own.)
Honestly, even WITH the modding intent, if I hadn't picked a doll I loved for my first, I probably would have walked away from the hobby entirely.
So, My advice boils down to this; If there are Several dolls you are in love with, sure, pick one that's going to break the bank less for your first (or just in case the hobby isn't for you), but if there is a doll you love, don't settle for something less just because someone thinks you need a 'starter doll'. If you're going to break something, you're going to break it. That slight yellow tinge or chips in the fingers on a doll you will love for a very long time are not going to ruin the hobby for you. But that doll you never really wanted in the first place and still spent $100+ on will.

 

My first doll was a B&G Freya (before they came out with the Type 2 bodye and Freya/Sky 2 mold). She was one of those dolls you could get under $300 (at the time, they are a little more now) so she was a cheaper starter doll. My dream doll (at the time, anyway) was a DOT Shall, but I opted for the cheaper doll first. I LOVE my Freya. I loved the B&G dolls so much I eventually got another Freya (the Type two doll and face sculpt). And buying the cheaper dolls fulfilled my "must buy" compulsion so that I could take more time to look through the different doll companies and research different dolls, so much so that my dream doll changed from a DOT Shall to an Iple Harin. And I got my Harin and I was able to better appreciate her because I had "cheaper" dolls that I could test and experiment their limitations and what I could or could not do.

But I have nothing against getting your "dream doll" right off the bat. If you truly love the sculpt and it is a price you are willing to pay, then it is worth it! But if you have doubts, then "cheaper" is the way to go. And then you might discover something wonderful, like I did with my two Freyas! I loved the Freya sculpt and I thought I would just get her, experiment, learn about resin dolls, sell her, then buy my "dream doll". But that did not happen. I bought her and then could not part with her! I cherish both my Freyas dearly and it was a surprise to me how well I bonded with them when they were only intended as "starter" dolls.

And I agree with Ayilachan that you have to buy a doll that you love, even if that doll is just a starter doll. If you buy a doll just because it is cheap then you may lose interest in the hobby.

 

I really agree with the above. My first doll cost me over $650 including shipping, custom fees, clothes and wigs, but it was a Dream of Doll DoT boy and DoD was considered one of the "cheaper" companies back in those days. It was a lot of money and maybe I would have never gotten my first doll if it wasn't a gift, but after my first doll I've always happily paid the same or more for a decent doll.
There wasn't much complicated about my DoT boy. Single joints, S-hooks, one elastic in the arms and one in the torso going to the legs, and hands and feet were made out of one piece. He was taken apart for seam removal and put back together within 24 hours after arrival and I only had a piece of wire at my disposal. After that I've restrung tons of SD and MSD sized dolls, but I still don't like to restring tinies that don't have S-hooks. Dolls without S-hooks are more of a hassle.
I didn't like the fact that my Dollshe boy had his elastic strung through his hands and feet and I had to cut the elastic to restring the doll and add S-hooks. It was no big issue for me, but I imagine that a person new to the hobby wouldn't feel so comfortable of cutting the elastic of their first doll. If only my tinies without S-hooks could be restrung with S-hooks, I'd do it in a heart beat, but for some it's not possible so I don't restring them.

I really liked the dolls that could pose like a dream right out of the box, but was upset with the ones that posed like a wet towel even though I could easily fix them with restringing and sueding. There's something sad about opening a box and have a doll in your hands that looks like a poor broken doll that will slump down to the floor no matter what you try to do. With my experience I know how to fix dolls like that and know it's not a problem, but I'm so glad that my first doll stood like a rock when I got him.

A good starter doll would be one that is ready to be played with right from the box. For some that is a full set, for others that's a blank doll ready for customisation and in certain cases some people like the DIY kits where you just get the parts and you have to put it together. Definitions of "play" differ, but I think the majority of people looking for a first doll to buy want a doll that is ready to be played with and doesn't have to be fixed before you can play. Whether you get a full set, a blank doll, or a kit, you don't want to hunt down parts or do mods to fix whatever you got.

In the sense of photography I rarely take pictures of my first doll. DoD dolls are notorious for being a challenge to photograph and beveling the eyes is recommended to fix the O_O expression some of them have. So I wholeheartedly agree that a doll that is ready for play right out of the box and looks good at all angles without having to fix it first is a good starter doll.