What is the longest time you've spent hunting for a doll?

Have you ever had to hunt down a doll (doesn't have to be limited edition, can be discontinued or otherwise rare)?

Yes. I`ve done so with a few dolls.

If so, what is the longest you've had to wait and why (whether it was for it to show up at all, or if you had lack of funds when the doll turned up etc.)?

The longest was 2 and a half years. It was not a major company doll, it was a one-man show and the person is originally a Blythe customizer, and made a BJD through sheer hobby. He mostly made them for his personal collection, and barely let go of dolls, so I really didn`t have a chance to purchase them. Then one day, there was a one-off of the person`s doll at an event, and I had enough luck to be able to buy it.

Bonus points: What doll were you waiting for?

The one I am referring to as "longest" was my Cygophilia doll. This is not the same "size" as the one I wanted, but it is still made by the same person and I love it much.

Other dolls I have waited were:
Volks Kurt. I wanted his original outfit, and his body with the webbing and fins intact. People tend to sand off those things when they let go of him, so I couldn`t find one easily.
Napidoll Aesh. He was long gone before I had a chance to know Napidoll, and was hard to find as not many people seem to own Napidoll in general.
Volks Kaelin. He grew on me 6months AFTER he was released. By then he was long gone, and I was lucky to find a cancelled version of him in November. It was quite some time after I gave up looking for him.
Volks Sasha. As someone who likes whiteskin dolls AND school A type heads, she was one I was looking for. One day she popped up in a used store "brand new" with all her items intact, and I ran to pick her up.
Volks Neon. I wanted either Neon/Kanon, but secondhand prices were absurd and I`m pretty cheap. A friend let me purchase her Neon one year later.

I probably have a few more, but these are the ones that I remember agonizing a bit for.

 

Several. I've been looking for my boys since I started this hobby (around a year), and a representation of them ever since I started to write their story (seven years-ish). Still haven't found The Sculpt for any of them, though I did find one of the main supporting characters.

Specific doll, the Dollzone dragon tiny from 2010(?). I didn't find out about it until last summer when they were doing the panda and some people mentioned it. Instantly fell in love and have been looking for it since. I've only seen one for sale since then and I couldn't afford it, but I have hope that someday all the stars will align and I'll get it.

 

I've never hunted for anything... I end up buying the ones that catch my eye while I'm browsing randomly.

 

Ashley took me a year, but not because of a specific sculpt, so much as ANY sculpt that would fit the character. He's very dark skinned (not tan but DARK) which already limited me. He's also a masculine adult, which made it harder. The only dolls at the time that came in a suitable color were either too big (70cm Iplehouse and Soom), or too skinny or childish (BBB/RS). or just simply not to my liking. Finally, I decided a brown Withdoll Juwel was great! I found a head on the MP, then ordered the body from WD....and after waiting almost twice as long as the estimated shipping time and week after week of empty promises telling me he was ready to ship but not shipping him, then stopping replying at all, I ended up filing with PP and they refunded me immediately with no explanation. I STILL don't know why my doll never shipped, if it had been ready for over 3 weeks to go out. So...then it was back to searching for a sculpt and I sold the juwel head. a couple more months passed, still nothing....until my bff stumbled upon Jie Doll. by that time, I had started upgrading most of my MSDs to SD, so going 62cm instead of 45cm was fine! It still took another 2 months for me to finally have the money to get a chocolate Michel. He arrived home 2 days ago and is stunning! Definitely was worth the wait and I'm glad I didn't settle for something that would not have been "him".

 

i found her shortly after she came out in 2008. she sold out in a very short time. and i told myself that i couldn't get her but i have looked for her. and when i did find her i had no money. so then my Mom took pity on me and helped me get her. i finally got her this last fall. Beryl love me or die.

 

Have you ever had to hunt down a doll (doesn't have to be limited edition, can be discontinued or otherwise rare)?

Yes, I've had to. Twice. ^_^

If so, what is the longest you've had to wait and why (whether it was for it to show up at all, or if you had lack of funds when the doll turned up etc.)?

I've had to wait 4 years. From the time he was released (no funds) throughout the two other special rereleases (no funds) and the ONE time I saw him on the MP (someone else got it before I did). I finally got in on the doll this January and my wait/search was finally over.

The second longest was 3 years from the first release (no funds). I got one of this doll relatively quickly on the MP -- but I needed two. So I've had to wait 3 years for the second.

Bonus points: What doll were you waiting for?

4 years: Crobidoll Mikhail.

3 years: Crobidoll Dante.

 

I've never really had to hunt down for a doll yet. Most of my doll purchases are results of me just coming across something I happen to like a lot. And what "rare" doll I did want, I happen to have gotten lucky that the company rereleased it and that I could get it at the time. This has happened for both of my grails at the moment. I never really had to actively search for them.

So in a way, the dolls find me.

 

I've been seriously searching for the "perfect" sculpt for an original character since 2009. I've gone through two heads since then, and only found what could possibly be the best sculpt last year; but I got fed up with searching and moved onto getting other characters, ahha!

 

The longest? The longest? Probably since Johanna's body came out! When I was given a Volks Kaelin I just loved his face, and thought I would be content with him as a boy. Then I saw some of the Kaelin girls out there and I had to transform him. But, I wanted the *~right~* body. Joanna bodies can be hard to come by. I literally dreamed of running off to the Volks company and sneaking into their cast room to make one myself, or finding one magically under pillow.

Generally once I decide that I am going to get X doll next, it doesn't take me very long. My friends say that the universe just brings me resin. COME RESIN MINIONS, I SUMMON THEE.

 

The longest search was for Amber, but it was only about 9 months. It felt way longer than that since I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find her, and if I did, I wouldn't be able to afford her. I contacted several sellers on different sites, but was too late. I was not a DoA member at that time, but when I joined I found one within a week of gaining MP access that met all of the critera I wanted. I think it was fate

 

I'm not a big 'hunter', but I am sort of hunting for the third doll. I usually just choose whatever looks good.

 

Have you ever had to hunt down a doll (doesn't have to be limited edition, can be discontinued or otherwise rare)?

Yes, yes I have. Only the one time, so far. I haven't fallen in love with any other LEs or such.

If so, what is the longest you've had to wait and why (whether it was for it to show up at all, or if you had lack of funds when the doll turned up etc.)?

I looked around ebay and the marketplace for about 5 years before one popped up. I had actually given up on getting him and decided out of no where to look on the marketplace and I was happy to see that just one was for sale!

Bonus points: What doll were you waiting for?

Luts' Senior Delf Azure.

I was very new to the hobby when he was released in 2007. In fact I didn't even have my first doll yet and knew almost nothing about them yet. I didn't realize they were different sizes or that you could take out their eyes. I saw him on Luts' website and fell in total want with him. But, even if I had just been able to click and buy him, I never would have had that much money back then. So it all worked out in the end. I have one payment left of my layaway and he will be sent to me!

 

yes, ive looked for juri 08 for 3months only. every time i searched her either she is on hold or already sold. and last march she was offered to me and thats how i saw her. im very happy with her.

 

I waited 2 years before i could adopt full set original faceup SD16 Yukinojo Sawaragi by Volks. The first time he came up for adopted, he was priced at $2200 on ebay Korea, I could not afford him at that time and did not dare to buy from ebay. I hesitated and he was taken. It was the same for SD17 full set Reisner, if I remembered properly, he was priced at $2400. I did not take him from ebay and he was gone quickly. When I spotted Yukinojo full set for adoption from a US collector and a respected DOA member at a slightly lower price of $2000, I adopted him. Because Yuki was hard to get and I lost the previous ebay auction for him, I adopted him immediately without questions.

 

Have you ever had to hunt down a doll (doesn't have to be limited edition, can be discontinued or otherwise rare)?

Yes, I have.

If so, what is the longest you've had to wait and why (whether it was for it to show up at all, or if you had lack of funds when the doll turned up etc.)?

I waiting about 6 months or so for one to be in the MP, then crossed my fingers for another two weeks waiting on my paycheck to get him. It was smooth sailing from there, and he arrived less than a week later.

Bonus points: What doll were you waiting for?

DZ Hirry - just his head, but still...

 

I'm still looking for a Dollshe Salubia, so that's been around a five year search (not that I still have the money for her but I'd have to find a way if I found one). I wanted a Secretdoll Yomo early in my time in the hobby, but it took me til 2011 to get one, though she was an older release from around the time I wanted to get one in the first place. I'm not sure that counts though as there were several ways to get the doll since then and I never did, instead holding out for the oldie.

 

I finally have the funds to continue my doll hobby. Im currently saving for my first Volk's Girl.
Ive wanted one since I discovered BJDs as a teen in 2004 but life happened, lol.
I started to think that maybe instead of buying from the standard line,
I should save a bit longer to get a limited. Even if they started out as a floating head I could always get a 2nd hand body.
But most of the limiteds I want are hard to come by. And if Im spending that much, I might as well just go for it and get my girl new.
It'll be a neat experience for me. The other dream dolls can come later, lol.

 

I´ve hunted the longest for my Dive Seimei, even though it was not very difficult, they just don´t turn up much so it was simply a case of sitting n my pennies and waiting. I think it took about a year and a half until I decided I wanted him that I could actually get him. He´s been completely worth it, though For waiting times, I waited the longest for my Volks Irvin(who I don't have anymore), but compared to some wait times nowadays, four months was peanuts!