What rules do you follow to curate your BJD collection?

My BJD world is 1/3 scale, so 58-80cm dolls are teens and adults. The few MSD and smaller dolls I have are children.

Any new BJD that comes in the house must look compatible in style with my first and favorite BJD, Volks SD13 Link. My Dollfie Dreams and other vinyl dolls of that size are a slight exception to that rule, but their worlds are a little separate anyway. I've always preferred the more anime style BJDs.

My last "rule" is, when I am considering buying a new BJD, I ask myself if I have another doll very much like the new one. If I already have one, I can usually talk myself out of buying another. I have so many BJDs now that it is overwhelming, and I'm trying hard NOT to add more!

Linda S.
galatia9

 

I'm the other side of that coin. Many of my dolls are hybrids and I've had very little problem getting bodies for the heads I've bought over seventeen years of having BJDs. The threads on the subject tend to be scewed becuase if there are no problems, there's nothing to write a thread about so you only see threads by the people who have had issues.

Teddy

 

I don't have a lot of rules honestly. My collection is all over the place. It took me many years to shake off a lot of conventions other collectors seem to have. That's not to say they're 'bad' but they never suited me and yet I tried to hold myself to them thinking that those were the 'correct' ways to be in the hobby. Coming back to the hobby after years away, I am currently revamping and rethinking my collection because there are so many new dolls now! My guidelines are fairly simple:

I have to like the doll sculpt nude (no face-up) and the body needs to suit what I like in a physical form, but have a lot of poseability.

It has to add something unique to my collection: be it a new resin tone, facial features, proportions or sculptor/company I don't have a doll from.

It has to fall within my own personal budget based on the size of the doll.

I don't generally have characters for my dolls but if I receive one and it doesn't seem to give me concept ideas then I'll let it leave the collection. I don't have an overarching story for my dolls so I don't need them to fit together.

 

I don't have a very cohesive collection at all, so I guess my rules are mostly just avoiding things that I don't vibe with.

- No dolls costing over $700USD. This isn't really a conscious rule, but I've found this is a hard line I'm not able to cross. I can afford more expensive dolls, I just subconsciously stop desiring a doll after I find out it's too expensive.

- No dolls with head circumference under 16cm and (somewhat related) no dolls with eyes smaller than 10cm. This might sound kind of arbitrary and dumb, but small heads do nothing for me.

- Under 40cm, thicker is always better than thinner. If they're too small, very skinny dolls are too delicate- I learned this one the hard way by getting really into Doll Chateau tinies early on.I didn't break anything, but I found that smaller, skinnier dolls were a pain to restring and didn't have a hefty enough handfeel for my liking.

- Keep height in the 25cm-51cm range whenever possible. Teeny tinies and fragile, difficult to paint and don't have enough heft, and SDs are difficult to photograph, nearly impossible to find attractive and functional bodies for, expensive, and take up way too much space. I used to be really interested in getting a little taste of every size, but lately I've really reeled it in.

- Prioritize more stylized/simple dolls over more realistic/detailed dolls. This is why I've been really into anime dolls lately... I find that more blank slate sculpts let me embrace my faceup style a little more, which makes my anime crew more cohesive looking in general.

 

Rule #1...No character, no doll. All dolls must shell characters...period! One of the things I love most about this hobby is creating my own characters, and the intricate way that process develops through my own form of visual story-telling. So no dolls purchased as “just another pretty face” for me!

Rule #2...Full dolls only. No floating heads if I can at all help it, and I prefer a head to have a matching body from the same company whenever possible. I have broken this rule a few times from necessity in creating a unique character, of course, but I really prefer not to because it causes me no end of angst until I can pair them with an appropriate body. It’s just not worth the stress on my nerves!

Rule #3...Celebrate diversity and eclecticism in my collection. My doll world is set in a fantasy realm in order to encourage unique sculpts and characters. So while I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase multiple dolls I like from a favorite company, I likewise don’t hesitate to branch out to different companies if I see something I want. Likewise, size doesn’t matter…I’m open to whatever suits the character best.

Rule #4...Adhere strongly to my own personal aesthetic...the more stylized, traditional old-school faces like Luts and Volks, and the more stylized innovative things like Dollzone and Doll Chateau, as well as the strong elf-like character faces of some of the Fairyland tinies. I learned early on that sculpts that are too realistic just aren’t for me, no matter how beautiful they are or how much I admire them. I’m creating a fairytale world here and I don’t want too much of that pesky reality creeping in.

Rule #5…Fashion…it’s all about the fashion! I got into this hobby in the first place to explore my lifelong fascination with fashion, anywhere from historic to fantasy and sci fi, to the wild modern innovations you see on Harajuku street in Japan. I’m frankly of an age where I’m done wanting to wear such exciting things myself, but I absolutely love exploring fashion through my dolls. So if I’m seriously considering adding a new doll to the collection, you can bet my fashion-brain is already in full gear with plans for an extensive wardrobe!

 

I currently have too small a collection (two dolls lol) to really have rules, but I do have some limitations. Seeing how big 70~cm is on a tape measure has lead me to decide that 1/3 will be too big. My two dolls are in the 1/4 range and I originally bought them to learn to sew historical
doll clothes. In that regard also, I think I’m going to stick to smaller busts on female dolls. Not that I have anything against large chests, but since they’re solid on a doll, makes historical silhouettes harder to achieve when you can’t move boobs around.
I also will likely stay under $500usd for a doll, unless I get the money to get a Popovy doll. I’m always going to do my own faceups and never going to buy premade outfits.
Beyond that, we’ll see where I go!

 

My little townhouse doesn't have infinite space for dolls (or anything else-) and I'm sort-of a Neat Freak, so I absolutely refuse to allow the gang to clutter up the place by taking over more than a certain amount of real estate... That means that my collection, while large enough to be ludicrous by any objective standard, is still ultimately limited to the number of dolls that will fit in the display cabinets in my sewing room.

I'm pretty close to the limit currently. I'll have room for the Spirit Doll girl and new Soom Heliot that I have on order... and I ought to be able to find a space for Max if the Volks lottery-gods smile on me... But past that? No more room at the inn.And that makes it pretty easy to resist "impulse buys" and other random-dolly additions to the crew.

 

I'm pretty close to my limit for dolls. I have a ridculous amount of them, and I've grouped them by size. I keep telling myself that I should not buy any new dolls until allt he ones I have are presentable (i.e. have eyes, wigs and clothes).
But of course that's a guideline only.

 

I'm trying to have only MSD for now as I'm living in a small apartment. In the future I might get a couple of SD for sewing purpose or my grail dolls. I would also love to have all the skin color dolls for different outfit style but as for now 3 MSDs are enough for me

 

This reminds me, I have to like the bodies nude, even if they will always be dressed. I just can't keep dolls with bodies that I find "ugly", I always end up selling them. For example, I don't like floating elbows and kneecaps, I think they're aesthetically unattractive. However, blank heads are different. I've had a few heads that looked like ugly bugs when they were blank, that were absolutely stunning when suitably faceupped.

I'm the same way. I only buy a doll with the intention of keeping it. If it turns out that I don't love it in person, I normally sell it very quickly.

Linda S.
galatia9

 

- No SDs. too large & heavy and far too expensive to maintain. (which is a shame, there are so many beautiful sculpts and cool bodies out there!)

- My collection limit is that it has to fit on my bookshelf (MSDs) and in my dollhouse (YOSDs/tinies) I don't have a strict number limit on my collection anymore because I primarily collect YOSDs, So 20-30 dolls sounds staggering, but they take a loooot less space than MSDs or SDs would... That being said, I'm *trying* to keep the MSDs under 10 between myself and my partner, but I won't hold my breath... As long as I can make them all fit on my shelf, it's fine!

- No body blushing, and generally only blank dolls. I find body-blushing superfluous unless the doll wears less clothing to show it off- and the thought of chipping it off while dressing them stresses me out! As for face-ups, I always find myself wanting to do them myself, so blank is best. There are rare exceptions, but yeah.

- Trying to only buy 2nd-hand dolls with their boxes whenever possible. I hate not having a native company box for 2nd-hand dolls... It's silly, but it bugs me... ;_;

- Try to have over half my dolls in some state of completion before buying more. Any combination of wigs/shoes/outfits is fine, but if over 80% have no faces that would be unacceptable to me. Hasn't happened yet though!

 

I have some rules/guidelines in varying degrees of strictness. So, in approximately descending order of how strict I am on it:

1. Gotta fit in my one nightstand/storage case, and preferably all boxes go under the bed. It's why I'm not doing SDs (at least for now) and am trying to seriously limit the number of dolls I get. Maybe some day, should I move into a larger apartment or a house, I'll give more room to the dolls.

2. No YoSDs or tinies. I don't want them competing for space/attention with the playline dolls I have.

3. Gotta love 'em, and preferably don't do a same-day buy. I have one like, same-day impulse purchase, and everyone else I either have or am considering getting, I did so for at least a few days. I don't want to deal with the hassle of reselling if I can avoid it.

4. No floating heads, please? This one is pretty loose because one of my first dolls was sold as only a head, but I ordered a body for her shortly afterwards. Which is probably my contingency rule for if I get floating heads - everyone gets their own body. I don't want heads sitting in boxes waiting for their turn.

 

Interesting thread! Over my years on and off in the hobby I have developed some rules that I follow. These rules are probably why I am struggling to find the perfect doll to get back into this hobby, but they are also rules that I follow in my other hobbies as well.

Purchase with intent. If I am going to spend my hard earned adult money I will buy with the intent of making something out of the purchase or at least have full intention of keep the item for some time and it having a "useful" purpose. So for example, I will not buy a doll just because it's sculpt is popular or because I "need" to complete a specific collection (such as having every specific doll from the Volks Disney Princess Collection or Tokyo Boys Story etc). If I am purchasing a doll it needs to fulfill a character or a specific ideal that I am going for so that I have reason to take pictures, dress, faceup etc said doll. This keeps me from keeping dolls that although I like I will not love or find meaningful purpose having in my home.

No impulse purchases. If I am purchasing a doll it will not be on whim. I have done this in the past and no it does not work out. Yes, the doll ends up sitting collecting dust and I end up selling it rather fast. All dolls that I purchase or intend to purchase in the future will have been slept on and ones that I have given great thought to. Although I would like to impulse buy a doll as soon as it comes up if I feel it fits a specific character, sleeping on it for a few nights or weeks gives me the opportunity to make sure I am actually interested in the doll and that I actually want this specific sculpt/resin color/etc in my collection.

All dolls must have a story and or character that is connected with the other dolls. No dolls that do not have a story and just sit pretty can remain in the collection. No matter how expensive or how much the doll is a grail doll to me. I have enough collections that are like that. I don't care how the connection is to the rest of the dolls, but they must have their own developed back story and be connected in some way. This keeps the creative juices flowing and provides me with something to go off of.

Dolls must fit their specific character range. By this I mean, no mature mini's for child characters. Sizes must match up to the character and their story. Resin color must match up etc. So for example, no purple resin colored mature bust minis for a 10 year old girl doll whose character is based on a vampire who was turned as a child in the northern regions of Europe if that makes sense.

If the doll no longer works, there is no reason to keep it. This is the final one. If I no longer find interest, or the doll no longer fits the story that I am going for, or whatever reason that there is where I fall out of interest with a specific doll, it is time to sell. There is no need to keep things that I do not like or have no interest in working with/enjoying. I can always repurchase a sculpt down the road. However, selling makes room for another doll who could be better suited for my collection.

 

I broke my rules and it was a terrible start...
At first, I said I would only stick with large dolls, but I accidentally brought a MSD, and my collection has gone crazy.
It has reached a point where even if I want to quit and sell my msd, it would be hard because I kinda brought too much of them XD

 

I don't buy dolls I don't intend to keep forever. I don't have unlimited space so I must be choosy when deciding if I truly want to drag this new doll around with me the rest of my life. I could just sell a doll that doesn't work out but I'd rather prevent the situation and save the cash.

I will no longer buy minis or tinies. I don't like playing with dolls in those sizes even if I find so many of their faces to be cute. I really love the 1/3 scale but I am hoping to someday buy a holiday size. I'm willing to make the argument that holiday is 1/3 scale.

No more floating heads. I still have one I bought in 2009 and I doubt that boy is ever getting a body at this point. I think I can declare that purchase a waste of money.

 

No matter how good of a bargain I can’t buy it unless it’s something I really love, two dolls I picked up for a “good deal” were resold quickly.

The second thing is something I can’t say I will never do but I don’t plan to buy from a company if the wait time exceeds PayPal protection. I may possibly break this rule if it’s from a well known reputable dealer that has no negative feedback. I have dolls from companies that take longer but I bought them in stock.

 

I don't have a ton of rules really. The big thing I've learned for me is that I have to have a plan/ character in mind when buying a doll. I bought one doll just because the sculpt is cute, and she's sat blank for over a year "until I can figure something out" which is kind of frustrating and not a good financial choice.

The only rule i have on sizes is, since most of my dolls will be for preset characters from books or shows i like, the heights need to be proportionate to the characters' descriptions. Which can be a little difficult, since there's not always good sculpts that can work together for what i want/ need in various ranges (which is why most of mine are 1/3. 1/4 scale would be nice but it's very hard to find more adult looking face sculpts, especially if one character is supposed to be taller than another- I'd end up with one being oddly babyfaced).

And not dolls exactly, but customizing supplies- I'm not allowed to buy more fabric unless i have a set plan for it! I have so much fabric i've bought because i though it'd be good for doll clothes and barely any of it is actually good for what i want to make!

 

I've made rules over the years to help keep my collection on the smaller side.

I mostly stay away from realistic looking sculpts. I've owned them and as much as some sculpts really appeal to me I struggle to feel inspired by them. The only realistic sculpts I've got are in fantasy colours and have been modded to be even further from the human looking base sculpt.

I also used to have more cutesy smaller dolls which I've sold in favour of sticking to sculpts which compliment each other better as a group.

Restricting my collecting habits to fit a narrow selection of dolls has definitely helped me to build a cohesive looking collection.

 

My rules are that new dolls have to look cohesive and proportionate with the ones I already have; no more than I can fit in my display area (pretty close to that point now); and any dolls I add have to add something new to my collection-- no "overlaps". This means I stay far away from having more than one doll with the same overall look, and try to keep each one unique from the others in coloring and style while still making them look like they come from the same general world.

 

I gave myself a set of general rules at the beginning and I've been adding more specific ones since then (and crossing out one or two xD). These are the most important ones:
- Nothing bigger than a MSD and nothing smaller than 1/6 (and nothing above the 500$ price tag).
- No more than one doll from the same company (I already broke this rule).
- No impulsive purchases and I must have a clear idea of character for the doll before purchasing.
- No buying more than one doll at the same time and always giving a character, a face-up, a wig and an outfit to the most recent doll before even thinking of buying a new one.