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When someone buys your doll just to resell it at a higher price...

Jul 2, 2016

    1. it happened to me just a month ago.. its not a bjd... its a pullip doll... she was haggling and got a lot of freebies
      and when she recieve the doll she said "oh i now have this shoes and that clothes thanks" and saw my doll for sale on the same price i sold her... omg uts so sad
       
    2. I'm so sorry that happened to you. These dolls are so expensive and the fact that greed comes out of some people make me so angry. But we can't do anything about it and that makes me sad since it's like all our love fades away.
       
    3. This happened to me with the first doll I sold. I priced him at $100 USD, and he was GONE overnight, but I later found out that his new owner hadn't kept him and sold him for a markup. Not much of one, but my pride was still injured. And that's all it is, was my pride. I wished I'd not been so impatient to have this doll gone and priced him a bit higher to begin with.
       
    4. That would make me sad. Everytime I sell a doll, even if it's not a bjd, I hope that the person buying it will love them as much as I did. It would make me super sad to see them buy it only to turn around at a higher price....which I'm not sure how that even really works because it's usually a struggle to sell a doll (unless it's super limited/popular).
       
    5. reaaaaaallly shitty
       
    6. Nope, it just doesn't bother me. If I sold it low, it is because I didn't feel like putting the time or effort in to listing it higher. (For example, I didn't want to do extra work on the listing and photos, extra research, or even wait for the right buyer who wants it for what it is worth.) If someone else wants to put that in, I'm glad to get my money, and let them do the work. Sometimes it works the other way. Sometimes I enjoy the hunt of finding treasures, restoring/cleaning/researching them, and giving those who don't have the time the chance to have them. Either way, I don't sell things I'm attached to, so what happens to it later doesn't affect me. I have had to in emergencies, but I was happy enough to have my emergency paid for that nothing else mattered. Maybe that's the only way they have to make money. I don't know, and I don't worry about it.
       
      • x 3
    7. I haven't sold any dolls for all time in the hobby, but want to get rid of some of them. I believe that the buyer has the full right to dispose of the doll in its sole discretion. If I decide to sell it, I will not worry about the fate of dolls, because I think it is unethical. I take money and buyer do with doll whatever he or she wants.

      But I can say that I dislike speculators and sellers with inflated prices.
       
      • x 4
    8. I am someone who bought a doll (my first) and had her for a month trying to make her work and it just not happening for any of the characters I intend on shelling. I decided it was best to sell her on and get a different doll, one I actually put effort into choosing and not impulsively buying, in hopes that she would work out better. I am listing her for about $50 more than I bought her as I am including nearly a full outfit and wig, head cap, ect.
      I might be listing her for more but I am also including extra's which I didn't buy her with (which cost me a little more than $50!)
      So perhaps that's something that the buyer of your doll did? Although I wouldn't know what you sold and what the buyer is selling the doll with.

      If not, then I think it's pretty horrible that that happened, not because of the doll (they aren't alive after all so they can't care what happens to them). Just simply because someone is out there targeting people who may need the money so are selling things they care about (like the pawn broker example) and is taking advantage of that to profit. That, to me, is what's horrible about it. Even in saying that, the buyer still has the right to do with the doll what they choose?
       
    9. To me, someone buying a doll cheap and reselling is no different than those who buy from a company for a price, then mark up the limited doll to an insane amount for profit. Although I will say I see people having more of a problem with people buying and reselling used dolls that were priced lower than factory pricing than those who mark up 'limited' dolls, which is a little odd to me.

      Example:
      You bought your Soom Chalco for about 700 bucks (Rough pricing, not actual price) but now you want 1000? He sat in a box for over four years, its great to know he's in good condition but you're telling me in four years you never once played with this doll and now you think his value has increased solely because he's limited but the fact he has aged (even in a shadowed closet) doesn't lower his pricing at all? Never mind the fact that a patient buyer simply has to wait for him to be one of the options for their spring/summer/etc events, or for him to be released in a different theme. There are people who will buy big name companies (Soom, Fairyland, Volks, etc) and hold onto the doll for a year or so just to resell claiming they didn't 'bond' with the doll. Sure, I've purchased a doll before and after having her realized I had a different preference...but I also know people who buy limited with the sole intention of waiting a bit to sell at a much higher mark up. Ever notice how suddenly some sellers mark up the prices for limited dolls? I was looking at one retailer site and just about threw up when I saw a 675 dollar doll marked up for 1100 something USD, solely because the outfit he came with was a limited outfit one could no longer buy from that company.

      How is that any different from say, the Soom Dia I snagged from the marketplace for 400, didn't like her and decided to sell her for 600? Its a good price for the doll, but I'm still making a profit off of it. For whoever buys my doll their still paying less than buying from the company and they don't have to wait for as long when it comes to shipping, but I am making a profit compared to the person I bought it from. Does it make it easier if I say I received her and realized she was not what I was looking for? Is it solely the fact that she is immediately up for resale that is upsetting? There are many reasons I've seen people buy dolls and then immediately resell them. Some people only wanted the head to go on a different body, so you'll immediately see them selling a body after looking at their box opening, or vice versa. Or maybe what I really wanted was her limited set, but people weren't willing to part with the clothing in a split so I bought the whole doll knowing someone would want the body/head/etc.

      ((All dolls, prices, and who purchased is completely made up. I am not accusing anyone of marking up a Soom Chalco nor have I ever purchased/sold a Soom Dia. Merely took a popular company and two of the popular molds I've seen discussed here. I admit I may have a soft spot for Chalco though >.>))
       
    10. Ooh! Just stumbling across this thread! It's happen to me too! I'm sorry to hear about your doll!
      I've been on both sides of the fence here so honestly so I guess if you look at it this way it might not be that bad.

      I sold a doll a few years back that I knew it was way under market value since I was in a money pinch so within a few seconds listing it I had a flood of pms. I sold the doll the the first person who messaged me and I wasn't surprised that within a few weeks the doll was listed for triple the price. Sure it was like, "hey that doll looks familiar :ablink:!" but the buyer did me a favour since 1. i really needed the money at the time 2. the buyer was able to pay in full the amount i needed on the day- no hassles/layaways. It was their doll so they could do whatever they want with it!

      On the other side of the fence i was really excited to get a doll after some negotiation but after receiving it ... i just knew it wasn't going to work. I didn't do enough research and the doll really didn't size well with the rest of my doll crew, in addition due to it's uncommon sizing it would cost a lot of money to get clothes & shoes that would fit it. So i wasn't keen to throw money at a doll i knew wasn't going to work. I felt extremely guilty about re-listing the doll because i felt i was obligated to the previous owner to care for it & give it a chance...but, at the end of the day ... i had a piece of very pricey resin that that took up space & i didn't want. Since i wasn't in a rush this time to sell i figured it wouldn't hurt to raise the price slightly to cover previous fees, cover the selling fees, packing materials, the other random things i would throw in with it (head caps, other wigs etc ). In meanwhile i could always take it off the market if i did happen to bond with it. My gut feeling was right and i didn't like the doll & the doll sold and I was able to make my money back and buy a doll that worked for the character in mind.

      So in reflection, I don't think it hurts to recoup some funds (Eg shipping, customs, exchange rate). I also see no point with feeling obligated to keeping a pricey doll since it may be better to cut your losses and get the other doll that's gonna work! (though don't get me wrong there are lots of lovely stories about doll bonding with a doll that was thought to not work). I guess it more comes down to try selling when you have the luxury of time to get it for a good price or selling it cheap to get a quick sale, since i suppose that's just how sales go. :3nodding:
       
      #50 aries faries, Jan 19, 2019
      Last edited: Jan 19, 2019
    11. I know how you feel, it’s sad. Happened to me once with a non BJD vinyl doll. I (first owner) sold her on eBay MIB (mint in box). She was resold on eBay immediately after purchase. She sold quickly to her 3rd owner, the next time I saw her on eBay, Her rooted hair messed up, face dirty and her outfit crumbled and dirty, some little girl played with her and destroyed her. She still sold on eBay at a high price. She was Petite Patti PlayPal, by Ashton Drake.

      Now, I wise up, I never sell any doll cheaply, I sell doll accessories at discount on eBay but dolls are always priced appropriately. eBay fees are sky high and it is perfectly legit to resell (flip) an item. I know many people including doll collectors who bargain hunt and resell. You cannot resell a doll below it’s market value, it’s not safe for the doll, not good for the doll company, not good for other owners of the same doll, not good for you because you lost your doll. I certainly lost Petite Patti Playpal Ashton Drake.
       
      #51 stargazer_i, Jan 20, 2019
      Last edited: Jan 20, 2019
    12. I had a crazy similar experience, OP. I even included a little note like you did.

      It was sort of upsetting, especially since the faceup was custom and I actually had several other buyers who seemed to genuinely want her. I don't miss her (I really didn't click with her) and I actually made a profit, but I just wish she was with one of the buyers who would actually appreciate her.

      Still, it softens the blow a little bit to see that she still hasn't sold at their markup half a year later. That's why I priced her so low, chump!
       
    13. I'm of the opinion that the emotional attachment is the actual issue. Ownership has already changed hands, and they are free to do what they want with the doll. Personally, I would not be bothered in this type of situation because it is no longer my possession and I made the decision to sell it at the given price. It feels unreasonable to project expectations onto someone who now owns something that is no longer yours, especially when it's an inanimate object.
       
      • x 1
    14. I can see where this would leave a sour taste in someone's mouth... What a bummer.

      But if a seller agrees to a transaction, that's that. The new owner can do whatever they'd like with the item. I think the best thing to do is treat this as an unfortunate lesson? Maybe try limiting your buyers to people you know about, either through the forum or feedback. My other recommendation is to have a figure in your head before you sell; at what point is the asking price for this doll so low that I'd rather keep the doll? With the market place so flush with dolls, secondhand prices have dropped lower than ever. These days, I often keep a doll because I know I can't make enough from it to feel satisfied with the transaction.

      All of the power is with the seller until they decide to engage in a transaction. After the details have been agreed upon by both parties, the buyer has all the power. So try to minimize any potential regret while the seller's power still belongs to you.
       
    15. Selling something before you're ready to part with it, no matter the circumstances of the sale, is hard to reconcile. The emotional attachment that occurs with dolls ratchets up the stress tenfold. I can definitely understand why it would feel like a betrayal to sell a doll to someone who didn't feel the same way about it that you did.

      However, I have long held the opinion that whatever happens after something leaves my hands is none of my business. I've given things to people as gifts who turned around and sold them, and I've sold things to people who did the same. Even if I think the person doesn't have to do it for financial reasons, I still don't really have any way to fully know their situation. Once it leaves my possession, it's theirs to do with as they see fit.
       
      • x 1
    16. I have a few heads that I really should get around to selling (I've been saying this for years).

      I personally hate price scalpers who buy from the company, only to turn around and repost the doll at a huge mark up. Especially Volks dolls that are limited in quantity, and a price scalper getting the doll means a real fan who loved the doll is missing out.

      On the secondhand market, it is different, because higher priced dolls definitely don't move as fast as lower priced dolls, or may have potential buyers who want to do layaway, which involves the hassle of working out a layaway schedule. So if someone prices a doll low because they need it to sell quickly, and can't afford to take the time to find a buyer at a higher price, and someone else can take the time to do that, that isn't as bad. Though it is frustrating when people declare that a doll is their dream doll,and the seller includes freebies, only for them to turn around and sell the doll and keep the freebies.
       
      • x 2
    17. If the original seller simply priced the doll below market value, I don’t think it’s a big deal for the buyer to later make a profit. It takes a lot of work and research to sell. Plus, there is the risk that the new owner won’t find a buyer and might even be forced to sell for less than what they paid for. So, more power to them I suppose. As long as the original seller got what they asked for, I think it’s fair.

      I’ve never sold a bjd, but I have sold other things I was once attached to. I don’t think I paid attention to what happened to them after. Just happy to have the whole thing behind me. But yea, if someone convinced me to sell at a lower price because it was their “grail or whatever” and that turned out to be a lie, I’d be upset for a little while at least. Plus, it just seems like a bad thing for the community in general to have people soured on selling or reluctant to sell someone their grail because of past experiences.
       
    18. This will make me feel uncomfortable and even a little angry. Although we can't control it once it is sold, we still hope to find someone who loves her and cherishing her, instead of reselling her at a higher price.
       
    19. Lol I would say good luck selling the doll for the higher price. Most people buy knock offs for a reason and it’s because bjd are pricey. People usually sell when they are getting out of the hobby or in dire need of money. If someone is buying a doll to sell it again it’s a gamble and a waiting game to sell it again. So I say good luck to them with the upmost amount of sarcasm. Lol.
       
    20. Hmm I think I can tell my story - from the other side! I bought a doll recently, but I'm immediately selling her head, I knew I will do it when I was buying it. And it's all because I simply bought that doll, because I needed her body, which is pretty limited and the seller wasn't allowing splits. Of course it's not more expensive than the doll I bought... And that's why I think it's okay to sell a doll even immediately, just not with higher price, that's not really fair. Maybe after some time? if it's limited, it's value is higher after some time (maybe), but it doesnt have to be like that.

      I don't see dolls as something more that really pretty art/objects. It's not like I will miss them if I don't want them anymore.