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What is the most important factor for you when buying a doll?

Jan 3, 2017

    1. Absolutely the sculpt and especially the head and faceup. There is one in particular that I've absolutely fallen in love with because of his faces and faceup. And honestly, probably the whole ensemble is a huge deal since I don't have a ton of time to devote to making a lot of clothing myself, so the fullset looking beautiful all on its own is a big factor. :)
       
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    2. For me, the face sculpt is probably the most important part of choosing a doll. I like the cute/pretty anime look on one side of the spectrum and more unusual sculpts on the other.

      Size is also a major factor. I prefer to keep my dolls between 75cm at largest and Yo-SD sized at smallest. (The exception being animal dolls--I don't mind if they are smaller than Yo-SD.)

      If the doll has wings or translucent parts, or other fantasy parts, those are also a plus. ^_^
       
    3. I have to have a plan for them. Otherwise I would get far to many dolls. When I buy one without a plan, I always end up selling them.

      My current list, the ones I have plans for so am actively saving: 3 Iplehouse EID Arvids (they will shell some of my OC's) and a IOS Bel Canto with two heads (He will be my Tim Curry, lol. One head will be Frank N furter and the other will be Pennywise)

      My want list that I refuse to buy until I can justify a plan for them.. Iplehouse Dexter in EID or HID size, (Unless they make an FID) and Iplehouse Stella in FID.
       
    4. 1. Scale, as many people mentioned (I can't handle overly tiny dolls, like under 15cm, nor SDs)
      2. Sculpt, of course
      3. Price, most of the time (unless it's for a grail doll or smth, then I'll probaby splurge)
      4. That I can see the doll "working out" for me; like already having a personality, I guess
       
    5. Although I think that face sculpt and face-ups are very important, I actually value aesthetic posing ability way more.
       
    6. Its more on a how does the body look thing for me. It's kind of hard to explain what I look for, but I Iove dollzone bodies and some doll chateau bodies. Since I received my first SD doll I am in love and I think I want to commit to that size. I like soft faces. I do not like anime/japanese like faces.
       
      • The scale
      • Definitely ask myself if I really want the doll and how badly
      • The price and how long it will take to save up for it
       
    7. If I'm creating a character doll, "does the head looks like the character?" is the most important thing for me. I have a few dolls whose head resin color doesn't match their body resin, but the height and body shape matched, so I got the body for the head. The height also has to fit in with the rest of the dolls from that particular storyline, so I look for dolls with the looks I need in the height I need.

      But if its an OC doll, poseability is most important. I lean towards certain companies for that reason, but sometimes, I just fall in love with the sculpt or faceup, so I end up getting the doll. If I don't like how the body works, then usually I'll only have one or two from that company.

      Ryu
       
      #68 Ryuichi Sakuma 13, Mar 23, 2020
      Last edited: Mar 23, 2020
    8. I kinda do have a list of things that'll get a doll kicked from my wishlist, just to thin the list out and not overload it with dolls I'm only *a little* in love with. Things I'll consider are:
      1. How much I love the sculpt, naturally.
      2. What the company face-ups for that sculpt look like. I try to find owner pics to see if it looks good outside of professional photo shoots or if it looks good in the resin color I want. I have no clue how to tell a face-up artist what I want -just yet- so I gotta love what the company can do in that regard. I'm sure I'll eventually get to the point where I'm comfortable commissioning face-ups but until then...
      3. How poseable the body is. Less poseability won't automatically knock a doll off the list but it will put them closer to the bottom on my priority list. Since I'll have to consider getting them a different body that still matches the resin if the poseability is way too lackluster.
      4. If the company offers things like heel feet or different hands. Again, won't completely rule a doll out but can get them bumped down in priority. Especially if for some reason the doll *only* comes with heel feet/legs instead of flat feet.
      5. Height. I'm wary of dolls that sit in the that weird in-between space of SD or MSD. They seem like they might be harder to find clothes and shoes for. Also, they won't really match with other dolls, too small to hang with SDs and too big for the MSDs.
      6. Build of the body. While I LOVE certain dolls with stylized anatomy, clothing them seems like a struggle.
       
    9. I dont have a lot of experience buying dolls yet but with the only BJD I currently have, I considered the size since I didn't want to start with even an MSD sized doll. As for dolls I am planning to buy, I'm considering the overall visuals more han anything else. My next planned doll is a Luts Model Delf Bliss and I decided on that size because I find the body the most beautiful of the available options (Senior Delf, Senior 65, Delf body). I also like the MDF faceup the most. Other than that, I don't really think of anything else. Luts has clothes for MDFs so that isn't a huge concern. I don't have any other dolls to match his size to, and the other doll I would like in the farther future is a Minifee anyway.

      I guess I almost entirely rely on aesthetics in my doll choices. Price is sort of an issue, I guess I would limit myself to $500 in total. It will take me years to save for any doll so I'm not worried about waiting. I would almost never buy limited since it's almost impossible for me to have enough money on hand.
       
    10. The sculpt and I prefer my dolls to fit each other in height and physique.
       
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    11. For me, the most important thing is to materialize the characters in my story.
       
    12. I like little girl dolls that are pretty so pretty faces draw me in. I only have one BJD but I have other dolls and pretty faces seem to be the criteria I use for doll selection.
       
    13. The body is a make or break deal for me. If the torso is only two part, I don't want it. It has to be a three part torso.

      I prefer MSD, in the 40-45cm range. No dolls bigger or smaller have stayed.

      Resin color. I don't like white resin at all. I've tried having white resin dolls but they just... were not for me. Non-realistic skin colors (blue, green, purple, even grey) also are a huge turn off, no matter how pretty the color.

      And what company it's from. I'm not willing to wait a super long time, so if I'm ordering from a company that takes forever to make a doll, I'm going to wait until it's in stock or on the secondhand market.
       
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    14. Because we can't often handle the dolls before we purchase them, I go mostly on visuals. Whether the body looks like it would be perfect for the character intended for the doll. If not, I move to the head alone and seek out a body elsewhere. I also look to determine if I can see the character in the face. I prefer to find images of the sculpt without a face-up, unless the company option fits already.

      Pose-ability, too, if I can find photos of the doll 'in the wild'. So, Instagram shots or Facebook. Owner reviews, as well.

      The availability of accessories and clothes is something I will start to look at, too. Those of a standard average size are easy to build wardrobes for, but there appear to be more and more that are 'breaking the mould'. Thicker thighs, bigger feet, broader chests, wider hips. I'm starting to learn how to sew, so I don't mind so much, but I'd like a few 'pro' pieces to dress them in, as well. And, I'm not a shoemaker/cobbler. I can try, and I do intend to for my FID when he comes in (his shoes are 'antiquated'). So, measurements are going to be a major factor from now on.
       
    15. I am new to BJDs and dolls in general but i have found when researching and looking at sculpts that the face is what i am drawn to the most.

      I prefer tiny dolls as my main hobby is doll house miniatures so I focus on how small they are but how easy it is to dress them. I think I will eventually get a Realpuki over an Amelia Thimble because i know Realpuki is more popular but i still prefer the Amelia Thimble face so I am conflicted . I think it comes down to how you feel about one in particular and if you can envison a character or personality.
       
    16. since I buy my dolls to be characters it's important for them to match the general aesthetic, and to be able to fit in my small room lol.
       
    17. I have two things I consider when I'm eyeing a doll-
      Do I like the sculpt, blank and posability-wise?
      Is it a "like" where I forget about the doll in a week or is it a love where I can see myself owning this doll for a good long time?
      Most dolls fail for me on that second one. I'm so dang picky and flit between so many things. I'm still undecided on whether it's a good or a bad thing as doll purchases do not happen often for me these days :XD:
       
    18. It would have to be the head sculpt along with the face up. I love to get black goth clothing so the face up has to fit along with that.
       
    19. My only doll is a 70cm boy. He has got small head and feet. So if I buy another doll it must fit him. So: Head must be 20-21cm, body must be well sculpted. Ugly ankles and long second toe is a big no... Double jointed everywhere where a doll can be double jointed. Elephant legs is something I totally don't like, so it's important to have nice legs. It must be sd/uncle sized. Thigh joints is a must have too. Girl only: feet can't be 8 cm long. Head must be under 20cm. Every doll must be a good poser. No testosteron titans. No Girls with pear body. (At least not too pear. ) I can say no tiny boobies for girls, but I ordered a DC girl, so it just not an option now. I read what I wrote and It's a wonder that I have a bjd...