When do you prefer to think of a character?

I tend to think about them before and after I get one? It's kind of half and half for me in this kind of situation.

To be honest I'm still trying to figure out my doll's character >_<

 

I only have one doll right now, but his character and personality were created long before I got him. In fact, I have a huge list of 10+ characters with complete, multi-page profiles that are all the profiles of my future dolls ^^;;

I created all of my characters when I first got into the doll hobby as I progressively identified all the dolls I wanted in the future...The instant I found/find a doll I really want, I made/make a character for them xD

I did wind up changing my current doll's hair color, name, and nationality, but that's only because me and my brother's story underwent an overhaul. Otherwise, he's still the same character.

 

I have a general idea of what I want for a character, but when Moth arrived she just developed her own personality and her story just came to me after that.

 

I've tried to think of characters before getting a doll.
My latest was supposed to be a girly girl with frilly dresses and pink robbins poking out everywhere but she's in my hand and I start dressing her and end up being pretty mixed but sort of darker and so before I knew she's a weird girl. But a happy one, not the emo-type. ^^;

 

i found my first doll and thought of her charactr and the rest all fell into place, if i find a doll i like that dosent fit a character i will add them too

 

I recently purchased a BJD, and am waiting for it to come in the mail. Strange thing is, he is completely opposite from what I had decided I was going to get. For one, I had decided I was gonna get a girl, and I wanted to make her some kind of demon. Instead, I fell in love with Megi-2 from DollZone, a boy, who looks very college kid-esque. I've already thought of a name, his likes, his dreams... Now, when he gets here, he might tell me otherwise, and that is my question: how many of you buy a doll with a personality in mind, or do you let the doll tell you his/her story when they arrive? Please share your stories.

 

For me is was a bit mixed up. Basically, I bought Kauko first. Had no idea what or who he was. I was just gonna wait and see. Then I came across a DZ Ying. Secondhand with awkwardly weird gothic face-up. I wouldn't have liked him normally but to me his personality was so clear even from just the picture. So I got him. He arrived here first and when I had him, the personality belonging to Kauko got obvious too. Still not sure about the Narin, but it's slowly coming.

It's kind of an interaction. Which doll is loudest about who he is and how do the other's fit into it. In my case it was Hjalmar's personality being most clear and Kauko's just clicked into it. I don't know if this makes any sense XDDD

Edit: I forgot about Pavi. He's still personality-less. He was a gift and I have no idea what to do with him. Tinies are just not my thing it seems.

 

I bought my migidoll ryu simply because I fell in love with his face.
Love at first sight.
I didn't know what he was gonna be like, I had no idea what to name him, what kind of clothes he would wear, nothing...
It is my first bjd, and I'm not used to the way majority of experienced doll owners think.
Some of the doll-owners I've encountered here have already formulated personalities in mind before hunting for the perfect doll to fit the description.
In my case, I liked Uno's story best. (He is a Volks who has his own account here - in case you're curious) He arrived and his owner didn't know what he was like.
His owner spent the passing months learning more and more about Uno as days went by. And with time, he became someone. And his owner learned to love him for that personality which he'd developed.

My doll's body just arrived last week. First time I held resin - it was awesome. I tried to make him stand and when I try to set him down, his knees kept bending up, and his arms would fold in over my hands, like he was clinging to me and didnt want to stand. So then it hit me - he's a lazy bum! haha!
And now, I've learned a lot from him too - like how he hates it when I change his pants and underwear. He curls up whenever I touch his hips! (So I guess - he's shy bein in the nude? lol)
It's more fun learning along the way, in my opinion!

Hope I didnt bore you. XD

-Anj

 

Oh, me!!! This totally happened to me! I bought a Kid Delf Litchi when she came out. Her name was gonna be Arielle or Danielle, and she was gonna be a sweet little french girl....

She came home and told me her name was Rachel. As she got used to living here, I discovered many things. She is bossy and egotistical and sarcastic, and she isn't even french! But you know, she was my first doll, an impulse buy (she was new, therefore I wanted!), and I absolutely adore her. My snarky little sweetie.

My first SD boy was the complete opposite. He's a character of mine and I'd been plannign on making him with this sculpt for months. And I was not dissapointed. He is exactly what I wanted.

 

Very good question.

My dolls are merely representation of my original characters who existed before I even got into the BJD hobby.

Except for some of my dolls, which I bought mostly because their sculpt and costume appealed to me. I let them tell me what their stories and personalities are.

I think it was a bit more difficult for me to find the perfect doll sculpt that would somewhat or accurately represent the original characters I have. I simply got very lucky to find Dollshe SA Husky sculpt to represent my original character, Kenji, in doll form--quite dead on. And this was very easy for the doll to adopt the personality of the character.

 

I mostly have a visual image in mind of what I think I would like my next doll to be, like a teenager with a certain expression, or a younger doll or whatever, and then when I find that doll (or I might find a completely different doll that I love) then I'd buy the doll. But I don't like making up personalities for them really until I see and hold them. So in my case I chose a name that I think is suitable for her, but once I get her, who knows what will happen.

 

I've been almost entirely in the boat of getting the doll home first, then figuring out who they are. I don't even have names in mind before I get the doll. The only doll I purchased with a definite character in mind was my June, and even she made me go through a fake head for her first.

 

I tend to get a doll to fit a very basic rough personality outline and a spot in the story. Like "Doyle's mischievous brother" is all I'll figure out before I get the doll. Then I'll figure out everything else once they get here. I do tend to name them first though.

The one time I tried to do things in reverse order, I had everything about the character figured out before she even shipped. When she arrived, the crazy personality I'd decided on just didn't work with her sweet sculpt. I tried to bond and even tried changing the character... but it just didn't work and I ended up having to sell the doll.

 

I almost always have plans for their personalities, but I sometimes change my mind after they get here. I don't have back stories for them except in a vague unorganized way, so they are often a surprise to me. They've all turned out to be various aspects of myself, regardless of the plans I make for them before they get here, and that's been the biggest surprise of all.

 

I love this question! It's one that my friends and I talk about off DoA, too . . . for me, the personality definitely comes from the doll, and I love seeing how the personality develops after I have the doll in hand. When I'm drawn to a sculpt and decide to buy it, I hardly ever even think about names before the box arrives (though sometimes, if I had really good seller pictures, I might have a name tentatively picked out).

 

I answered this question yesterday in a very similar thread: http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224451

 

My dolls have their own ideas on who they are and what they wear and how they look. I tried that finding a doll to be a certain way, it don't work for me.

 

If I buy a bjd before I have to be clear that fits in my family. Normally when I see the mold that I want the character, his history,... come to my mind. While it's true that some of they change their personality when they arrive home...

 

I created a character and a bcakstory for Nesha...

..when he arrived, he had other ideas for his personality. xDDDD

 

I have a plan for a hybrid I want to make in the future, but until I acutally get him I don't know if that'll change or not. I'll let you know ^^