When did you first feel you had "bonded" with your doll?

Sometimes the "magic" isn't instantaneous. Sometimes your beloved doll has to "find" herself/himself. This can happen with the change out of eyes, different style and color wigs, and that perfect outfit.

For me, there have been times although rare that even after a gorgeous face up I couldn't bond. I was forced to re-home.

But. Oh boy, when it happens? You can't stop looking at her/him. She/he steals your heart, and soul.

 

For me it was in 2009, when I had visited friend in Murmansk (north of Russia), and at that time I picked up the BJD at the first time. It seems I and the doll both were equally afraid of each other. I was afraid to drop her, because I knew about the fragility of BJD, and Eugene feared a stranger, who tried to take him by trembling hands. But by evening our facial expressions was changed to a mutual interest.
And altogether I 'bonded' with dolls from childhood...

 

I bonded with Larten before I even bought him. I wasn't looking to buy a doll that con, but once I saw him I couldn't get him out of my head. I kept going back to the table over and over to look at him, and once I'd named him, that was it. I had to have him. Darren, Evra and Ian I bonded with the moment they came in. Actually I think it was picking Evra up and holding his little graspy hands. I REALLY bonded with Darren when I made him his first outfit. Ian was just love at first sight plain and simple. I bonded with Dean after he'd gotten his faceup.

 

I bonded with my Yo-SD as soon as I got her, by changing her clothing and learning how her body posed.
For Armelle, I spent a lot of time changing her clothing and her wigs, but I didn't fall in love. However in the last week, I ended up getting some new clothing and I dressed her again. After putting her in a matching wig that I had never used before, everything just clicked, and I couldn't help but keep staring at her because I loved her so much.
I still haven't really bonded with Mignonette, but I'm sure that day is coming soon.
It just feels really nice, I instantly know when I've bonded with my doll. You end up feeling really lucky and glad that you purchased your little friend.

 

I became bonded with Soraya very quickly. Although I chose her mold on a very quick impulse. I had the money available, And it was the only doll in stock that I liked. I was worried that I wouldn't like her as much in person. But the moment she arrived I just totally melted. At that point though it was more like "She's just a pretty doll that I like" I really started bonding to her once I started my long adventure of mental health. I took her to all of my appointments and would cuddle with her the whole time. That was when I really started bonding with her. That would have been about half a month after her arrival.

 

My first dolls were a chocopuki and two pukifees.. I bonded with my puki puki straight up but the other two took years to bond with.. I adore them now but it stopped me from buying a new bjd for 4 years out of fear I wouldn't bond with them. I'm so glad I didn't sell my pukifees as I planned to

 

I have to agree with Ayas-Shadow the bond starts as soon as I see the doll I want. When my first bjd arrived I thought she was even nicer than in the photo I then couldn't decide on a name for her, put her in the display cupboard in my room. During the night I woke with the name Clementine came in my head. In the morning out she came and I said 'Hello Clementine its so nice to have you here'. From then on she dictated what I had to do next, a chair to sit on, a bed to sleep in, warm covers because its cold and a dog companion while she waits for more bjd dolls to arrive. The bond is very strong , I am really enjoying having her around.

 

With my boy it was pretty instant.. unfortunately for my girl it took me a little longer, probably when I took her to meet my best friend and went on the train, it was the first time I'd been alone with just her and sat her on the seat back tray... Just felt more of a click... Didnt do much with her while at my friends admittedly, but definitely got a good bond with her now

 

It was bond at first sight hahaha, I bought only the head, had faceup but no eyes nor wig and even that I felt something very special and wished I could buy a body soon just so I could hug him

 

I'm not so great at knowing when I bonded with my dolls.

For my first, a pukipuki Pipi, he'd gone through changes in character before he even arrived but in the end once I made Set his first pair pants, putting him in something I made and his second wig arrived, he fell into place and I would never be able to sell him. He's just so perfect to me.

My Dearmine Skyrider Oz fullset was a gift, and my first fullset. I have no real idea when I bonded with him. I had some after a few good pictures of him posing, and even more by the point I got some good eyes in him as a change from his defaults. But I guess I really knew I was when he took a tumble and chipped his face up and I was just distraught about it. I've fixed it, and I love the guy even more than ever. That was about a year in total XD

My second two arrived at the same time, and I wonder if that isn't causing me issue. I know that my fourth doll, my Dearmine Creature Claw Oskar was mine and perfect the moment I say his bubble wrapped mummy. He's my first MSD and everything about him made me happy and just looking at him gives me the same feeling as my other two boys. I've finally switched out his eyes, which has done something good for him and am on my way to finally making a wardrobe so that his fullset isn't all he is and I can only imagine I will love him even more then.

As for my third doll, a pukipuki Rose, well, I know I love her. When I see her with my Oskar, Leo, its like perfection. But Iah was supposed to be Set's companion, that's who her character is. And a lot of the time I see her as that, but some of the time I don't. I think her proper eyes and getting used to her expanding wardrobe will tell me if I got the right Iah. But whether or not she's Iah or someone else linked to Leo, I know that my puki Rose will go no where. I guess I did bond with her after all.

 

As soon as I took her out of her box. I felt absolutely no buyers remorse and I was chock full of ideas for her. Its like that for all my "bonded" dolls.

 

As many people have said...it was when I opened the box. Only 2 of them I was like... vs. .

 

For me it takes a different amount of time for each doll. A couple had to be sent for new face-ups before I decided they would stay, but some of them I just knew they were keepers from the moment they arrived.

 

It's actually complicated and takes a couple of stages.
Because all my characters are pre-existing, I'm trying to find a doll that would fit that character.

1st the promo pics would help me decide if it was suitable. I would started imagining them in their clothes and the character I had for them. I would file them in the right folders and look at each doll every now and then to try to feel for them. I would look at owner pics and pick out flaws I know I would hate about them. As soon as the doll has one of those flaws, the line snaps and I won't even bother with them any more.

2nd. It usually takes a photo of someone who had done a photoshoot with a sculpt I like. If they happen to capture that perfect feel and character, I know I'm in so by the time I clicked the "pay" button, I already feel really strongly about them.

3rd When they get here, I complete the bonding process by putting them in their "costumes". The clothes are actually really easy. It's the eyes and wig that's a lot harder.

So technically speaking, the bonding happens in the 2nd stage when I see that perfect photo, or that perfect faceup and I go, "Yep! You're it!"

This doesn't apply to my first doll who I bought without having all that stuff happening because the bonding happened in the 1st stage. The company faceup was already perfect. So I ordered the faceup and that exact wig.

 

I instantly bonded with Raine (MNF Rheia) as soon as she arrived and I laid eyes on her. We have been bonding even more since I FINALLY got the courage to change her eyes last night! Green is so her color but now I think I want more eyes. Every outfit I put her in she just looks so much cuter!!

 

When I got my second doll, I was in love from day one. I still am. My first doll, I could tell I wasn't bonding, and I still haven't. Most of the others so far have taken a little bit (compared to my second doll anyway) but I know I could never part with them now... For me, I just KNOW. If I'm not bonding, I can tell. Sadly, that's when most of the dolls I've parted ways with have gone to new homes... Hopefully their new owners will have a better time bonding than I did, in those cases.

 

It's been pretty much instantaneous with all of my dolls, with the exception of Cesavier and Neeko whom I bonded with before they'd even arrived due to what their characters meant to me.

 

My first doll, I was just so excited to have after saving up for two years and waiting three months after ordering for him to finally get to me. I loved him immediately and made clothes for him and took pictures of him before I even had a chance to give him a faceup. But he has sadly shifted from my most favorite thing to something that I have. His old character brought back bad memories and before I decided to change him, I wasn't happy. And I still can't seem to shake off his old character, but I will when I have the time to make him new clothes and get his new wig.

For my last doll, it was instantaneous. I loved him before I even opened the box. I did purchase him second hand, but it was so worth it and I love him to death. He sits right next to me when I browse the internet (which is often). And I'll be even happier when I get his full outfit finished, and when I take him out cosplaying with me

 

Most of my dolls I bonded with right at the start, even if I later fell out of love with some & sold them on. A couple of mine have taken a while for me to warm up to but eventually the 'magic' happens. There are a couple of dolls in my collection that really had a big impact on me right out of the box. My Angel Egg Umi and my Volks F-32 literally took my breath away when I first saw them in person. And my ShinyDoll Meefa is the one doll that I don't think I could ever part with for any reason, ever! But sometimes even if I really love the sculpt I'll stop loving a particular doll for some reason and feel like selling them off. I have one packed up right now that I've had since 2008 but I no longer feel the same about her. I'm really hesitant to sell her though. Maybe I'll get her a new faceup before I decide to sell or not...

 

For me, if I don't bond more or less straight away, it's probably never going to happen... which is really sad and has been why I've sold two of my dolls (both were impulse purchases too...) I mean, most of my dolls I bonded with literally within seconds of opening their boxes xD Even when I ordered a blank doll which I'd never done before, I bonded with him as soon as I opened him even though he was full of imperfections (very badly marbled tan resin... but I worked it around his character xD). However, if I don't feel that straight away "weeeeee" feeling, it's bad. The two I later sold, when I opened their boxes, I only really felt the initial "new doll" feeling but nothing special.