What inspires your doll purchases

Initially, it was to get into the hobby, then the beauty of the individual sculpts. I wouldn't necessary purchase them, but I would dream of owning them. Now, it's more about the affordability and adorability (is that even a word?) over pure "attraction" to the doll's face-up.

I'm also banning myself from buying anything over 45cm tall. As much as I love Alex, my Ringdoll Sol, he is just too darn big to do anything with other than pose him at home. I need a travel-size resin companion that I can take to meets, to get more involved (physically) in the hobby and find like-minded friends. That's why the next doll on my purchase list is a Mystic Kids Cris. By the end of this week, I should've put my order in for him.

 

If I see a doll and can't get it out of my head, then I start looking into how to acquire it.

 

When something looks like it would match my character perfectly or it looks like something my character would want.

 

Hyacinth: "Awww! She's pretty, fits my budget, and is in stock!"

Saskia: "Dang. She's pretty, fits my budget, and would let me sew clothing Hyacinth could never, ever pull off."

 

I only buy a doll if it has a place in my story. The doll that I have now is a character in my novel and I'm getting two more who will also be characters in my story. Now I just have to settle on a sculpt for them!

 

Most of my dolls have characters that predate them (as is the same with many on here), but if I can immediately see a character in a sculpt that works just as well. More recently I purchased a doll that will be a homage to one of my favorite books. Not entirely the character, but definitely inspired by. I'm super excited to see where I can take that.

 

I'm inspired by the silhouette of a doll especially. I'm really in love with the structure and sculpt of each doll I want and thereafter make it's character. I really admire those who have a character in mind before they ever have the sculpt in mind, but I don't think that will ever be me

 

Odd ball themes mostly.... right now I'm into fantasy style ears and would like to add one to my collection. I have plenty of elf ears, now I want feather type ears. I've never been interested in this style until recently. I think I'm trying to make collecting a bit more difficult (and fun) by setting stricter requirements. Any new doll joining my crew has to be msd size, have big feather style ears, big open eyes, be relatively inexpensive, preferably secondhand but not a must, and I'd like to start with just a head and have the same fun finding a body. I hope it will be a challenge and take a long time. (I've already seen the Impledoll Adela who fits this really well, but no, this has to be hard!)

 

I think for me to own, I get inspired by/like dolls with historical context, as well as ones based on old myths/folklore. I might want to shell a character someday, but even most of my characters are based on history or old mythical creatures/folklore, soooo.... I guess that goes right back to my initial point...
I also like dolls from series or games that I like, like the KOS-MOS Ver 4 and Momo from Xenosaga III that were made by Volks, I think? Basically if it's any of those things and it looks nice, I'm going to want to purchase it!

 

i normally get inspired by the characters i design for my art stuff.
someday i just thought it would be a cool thing to have my character as a figure
(i didnt thought about dolls at that moment) but i never knew how to do that.
one day i saw a BJD and i was like OMG you could customize the doll completely
and they are so pretty! after i got my first doll, i did all my best to customize her
to look like my designed character, which was so much fun.
and that is how i basically get inspiration for my future doll too^^

 

Same as you! If I think a doll will work as a character in my story, that's what ultimately makes me purchase them.

 

Story doesn't drive it at the moment. It was beauty at first, then evolved into type. The style and character come way later after purchase.

 

I'm not that creative unfortunately... I've tried for years to come up with characters and storylines but I never seem to be able to! I love faces though, in art and stuff, so I guess that's my main motivation. I work in fashion and I love looking at models so it's kind of the same with dolls for me! If I see one online or in person that has a face I love, I just have to get one for myself!

 

For me, it is the desire to create a fantasy world I can freely express my creative talents in, so I look for sculpts that can fit into that realm. As a little girl, I always imagined a fantasy world filled with beauty and diversity. It was a lovely dream that got me through the darkness of child abuse. As an adult, building my collection became a joyful experiment in celebrating my imagination and survival. I’ve collected slowly...roughly 3 dolls per year...and have thoroughly enjoyed the creativity of face-ups, sewing wardrobes, character building, and making displays. Today my crew of about 45 dolls are displayed artistically throughout my home, and walking from room to room is like wandering through a fairytale, with fascinating characters to visit at every turn. It’s a lovely way to live...a celebration of life, if you will.

 

The same as you actually. I like to plan a story and develop a character. As part of that I look at dolls to see if they can inspire a character. I recently did that with a doll that will be my first. My story is richer as I know I will be shelling her.

 

Just aesthetics really. No plan to shell dolls as characters my own or otherwise.

 

I love unique and macabre dolls.

 

I just buy what I like. No stories. It's a combination of reliability and quality of the company I buy from so I go for sculpts that I like with default face-up and usually whatever items it comes with as I usually buy full sets (doll, face-up, wig, eyes, clothes, and shoes). Only two dolls I own and a floating head didn't come with any default full sets but with the first one I got a full set combo that I liked the same day I got her and the second one is perpetually in a werewolf costume that I eventually got for her as well.

Sometimes, I want to change things up and buy maybe a wig that might look better on one of them or various outfits, but I tend to stick with just one outfit that I really like on each of them.

 

I've got a list of characters I'm looking to shell, so usually if the doll seems like it fits one of those, I start looking into it! Though once or twice I've had a character I've had no plans to shell but a sculpt I saw was just so perfect...

 

I don’t generally have predetermined characters in mind when choosing a doll. The sculpt and the overall aesthetics are the main draw. I do like a variety of sizes. On reading another thread today, I suddenly felt the need to have a new tiny in my collection. Something not too expensive that I can carry around in a bag and not worry about it being damaged. So, spur of the moment, I’ve just ordered a 15cm Resinsoul Yu! (And now the wait!)