What matters more, a doll's appearance or posing abililties?

It depends on the doll. Not all dolls have the same "job" in my house, if you will.
Some dolls are adventurers, and they have to stand & pose well-- because they're the ones who go to the meetups, conventions, vacations, outdoor photoshoots, action-shots, etc.
Some dolls are cabinet beauties, and they do not have to stand & pose well-- because they're the ones who spend their time sitting in my house, being photographed in soft places, & simply being adored for their gorgeousness.

But overall, I guess I'd say "appearance" nudges out "poseability" as the main priority, by just a little bit. My photography is primarily done at home, indoors, in natural light, on soft surfaces... and I take a lot more closeups, portraits, & nudes than I do action-photos.... so, usually, the dolls only have to pose well while sitting/lounging.

I sure do love my Volks SDCutes, though-- those guys are built as sturdy as little trucks, and they pose like big action-figures!

 

A little bit of everything is essential to me.

If the doll is 100% beautiful (in my opinion) but has like 10% posing abilities: I don't want it. And Vice versa.

Luckily, all my boys pose well, or at least they can do all the poses I want

 

I think posability is inseparable with natural body curves, which is beauty.
With all the various beauties on the forum, I would probably be happy with any of the sculpts plus an amazingly posable body. I can mod my aesthetic tastes into the doll if I want to, but posability is too hard to perfect at home.

Beauty is important though, I just like to move and play with my dolls more than taking pictures of them.

 

For me it's about how much do I feel attached to it. I've been on a hunt for a doll of my own and I've realized that it's about how much do I like it. Does it draw me in like the other ones? Do I feel like it's the right doll? I ask myself these questions. I guess, for me personally it's all about drawing me into the point that when ever I look at any other doll, they just don't seem to have that same feeling as the one that I really like. Maybe it is just about beauty for me. I'm not really looking for poseability anyways because I am not sure if I'm interested in taking pictures.

 

For me, I always pay more attention to beauty than posing abilities.
My first boy was chosen by his beauty, and luckily he can pose well too.

 

For me it's the beauty of the sculpt and if the doll poses well that is a bonus. As far as I'm concerned all of them have their posing quirks although I must admit it is a joy to be able to have my EID guys stand so solidly on carpeting.

 

I can't imagine choosing a doll for its body over its appearance. The personality is what I'm looking for.

Nope. Face sculpt wins. I have no qualms about hybridizing - and even if that's not in the cards, a lot can be done with smoke and mirrors (and temporary wiring, doll stands carefully concealed, double-sided tape, brute force, and Photoshop) if the doll is a really poor poser.

 

Given my current dolls, I think I have to say beauty over movement. ^_^"

I have a Soom Amber after all...and while she is beautiful, she doesn't have the best design. I'm learning to love all of her, but it is taking me a long time to get used to what she can and can't do.

That said, if there is an option for the doll I've fallen for to have a body with a mobility joint or not, I always opt for the joint. I like to get as much movement out of what I have as I can.

 

I'd have to say posability. My first doll was a Yo-Sd size and although she's lovely, trying to pose her little body was such a pain! My second is a Pukipuki, and I discovered how awesome it is to be able to pose dolls easier (although the fact of how little she is affected that some, her joints are still amazing to work with). Although appearance is what first draws me to a doll, I like to look for a balance between the looks and the ability to pose.

 

For me it is actually both!
I cant like a doll if her face was not to my liking, I think I'll be drawn away from her right away. Also for poseability, if she was kicky and doesnt hold still and always giving me a headache that will frustrate me!! whats a BJD if not kindda poseable? D:

I second that~!

 

I'd get the first doll's head and put it on the third doll's body, if the resin match was decent. If not, I'd either blush to match, or start a hunt for a decent body to match. But, if it's more than just the doll's face that you like (or you don't do hybrids), I'd get the first doll. Posing is a plus for dolls, but even the worst posing dolls can be made (more with patience than with modding) to get into some of the poses that double-jointed dolls can do. I've made singled jointed dolls bow, kneel, and various other things.

Really, it's all about how you feel about the dolls in question, and what you feel confident doing with them (and I don't necessarily mean modding).

 

appearance for me, although it would be nice if they could pose well, but that's always fixable.

 

Why would you favor a doll for their appearance or posing abilities?
While I love posing ability - appearance is first priority. If the look of the doll is 'right' for me then I will work with what I have. There's always wiring, sueding etc.

Does the posing play a big part in dolls you buy? Or is the the appearance?
Abit of both. If I am pretty even on two beautiful dolls, chances are I'll get the one whose posability is better. But if I like the appearance of one more and it's slightly less posable, that'll be the one I choose.

 

Hybrids! I am all about the hybrids. There are so many options out there now, it really is possible to create that "perfect doll" with enough patience and some hunting around. Forme, I like a good balance between poseability and aesthetics... After a lot of trial and error I finally found the balance that works for me.

I value poseability a bit higher when it comes to bodies, but if I truly dislike the appearance then the posing isn't worth it. I've had doll bodies that were lovely, but posed terribly... and amazing posers that I couldn't stand the aesthetics... and I've sold both. A good combination of the two is important to me.

I always start with face sculpt, then decide which body will go with it. A good number of my dolls are hybrids, either because the "default" body type isn't what I want, or the poseability isn't enough, or it isn't aesthetically pleasing to me.

But... as JennyNemesis said, it also depends on what you want out of the doll. Some of my dolls are intended to be acrobats or dancers so I like a greater range of poseability for them. For the "princesses", I require less flexibility. But I do like most of my dolls to be solid and well-balanced when standing.

 

Why would you favor a doll for their appearance or posing abilities?

Appearance is most important-- the head sculpt. But I do consider everything-- the body sculpt, the quality, the posing, the reliability of the company. I'll weigh everything just a bit differently, depending on how important it is to me. I'll think twice about a horribly bad poser, mostly because it might indicate a lack of quality with everything else! But if everything is pretty acceptable and I just adore the sculpt--that will overcome any slight problems.

Does the posing play a big part in dolls you buy? Or is the the appearance?

Appearance. But as the OP says, bad posing can affect the overall appearance. I'd have to think about it, in that case. I usually have to have almost everything PERFECT before I'll consider buying a doll ('cause, you know, they aren't cheap and there are a lot of choices out there).

 

Posing is one of the most important things about these dolls to me. I have little fear of hybrids, and am thankful that the 1/3 size sculpts I love best hybrid fairly well (delfs). For that reason, only one out of my small collection (Soony) is non-hybrid.

I'm so frustrated by my female delf type-1 body that I am going to be taking a handsaw and dremel to her upper arms and thighs in a bid to make her a bit more poseable.

 

I'd rather go for faces as that is what shows in pictures. Bodies get covered by clothes eventually. I don't care about posing so much cause I've found ways around that during photoshoots.

 

I hope for both, but appearance wins by a wide margin for me.

 

FACE
Definitely. Though I am a sucker for amazing poseability. I have debated purchasing a Loongsoul just for the guilty pleasure of playing with it XDDD And I really want an Iplehouse EID someday because I looovee that thigh joint -or what I've seen in some pics hehe- but I also really like their molds, which led to discovering the joint ^^

 

Beauty >>>> poseability

I do want both beauty and poseability, ideally. But it is better to have a body sculpt that can look really good in a limited number of poses, rather than a body that can do a lot of poses but does not look really good in any of them.