Which is most important?

When I buy a doll usually everything has been decided for beforehand because they're long-standing characters. What I buy in order is usually eyes > wigs > shoes > clothes. That's because I can make clothes easily, I can put together some types of shoes like sandals or soft suede boots and make wigs from natural fiber but I can't really make eyes. Accessories get priority if I can find things that go along well with my dolls, worlds and characters and aren't really acquired in order. Sometimes I've had accessories ready for dolls wayyy before I even ordered them.

After I've got their wigs and eyes down I prefer shopping for clothes, shoes and accessories of course. I will rarely have the urge to switch a character's/doll's wig unless I'm not satisfied with the quality or the character undergoes some change or something similar...

While I'd love to buy furniture for them I'm currently restricted to making it.

 

Character, because it determines everything else. Normally I already know who the doll is going to be when I start searching for a sculpt, so it's really a non-issue. Beyond that I'd say faceup, eyes, wig are the most important. I'm generally OK with temp clothing for a short while as long as the doll itself has the correct expression and coloring.

 

The connection with the old is important to me because if I don't feel strongly about it what's the point of buying it? Only to sell it after I get it.

 

From the most important to the least important:

• Some eyes
• A wig so they wont be bald forever
• Personality, likes dislikes. Stuff to do with their personality.
• Some clothes for them to have when they arrive. A new outfit.
• shoes so they aren't barefoot all day.
• Accessories
• Furniture

The first thing(besides a face up) I would like to get is eyes. The eyes are so important to me and they help me choose the wig. The wig is next to help me get a vision. When I have the right eye/wig combo, the personality comes next. I don't do characters, I let my dolls tell me who they are and then create the character that's why the personality comes after I have a vision of what they could be (face up, eyes and wigs help with this). Clothes to go with that personality , then shoes to go with those clothes and accessories to go with the whole combo. Furniture is not as important to me.

 

I decide personality first, it will help solve the rest. They would come in wig > eyes > clothes > shoes, accessories. The wig would come with the doll or ordered soon after, eyes as well but they usually come free and if color can be picked it's settled if not its solved after the doll arrive. Clothes I can wait quite some time, be using temporary or even leaving naked until I can pick a perfect outfit. Only after I worry with shoes or accessories. If possible I get all items together so the doll can arrive complete or at last with items close to each other.

While I have plans for a room for the dolls, furniture is something I don't worry much. Is like a last detail and with things done by me mostly.

 

I tend to have a character in mind way before planning on buying a BJD.
First, the doll has to be sculpted similar to the character's body, with the right skin tone etc.
But even more important is picking the clothes, wig and eyes that will suit the character's personality. I want him/her to look the part.

 

For me, it can vary from doll to dool, but usually:

1. Personality/story. My dolls represent RP characters, and I need to be sure I feel something for the character before dropping money on the shell.
2. Wig/eyes. I want the doll to be complete asap when they get home, so I usually order the wig and eyes at the same time.
3. Clothes. At least one outfit that it for them and them only. My dolls mostly don't share clothing, so that's important.
4. Shoes. They can borrow from another until they get here.
5. Accessories. Unless it's something that really makes the character, they can come along later.
6. Props/furniture. Only 9 of my dolls have 'rooms', so future dolls most likely won't even need furniture at all, they'll be hanging out in a friend's room or on the community couch.

 

I have very little order of preference, except that if there is no backstory/character possible for the doll, it's unlikely to come home. If it's not an existing character, but I can find a way to fit it into the story? Then yes, there's a good chance that doll will show up here. So...

1. Personality: Most important, as it determines whether or not a given doll is one that will be purchased, or will be admired from afar.
2. Wig/Eyes: Normally, I try to get these ahead of time, when I know I have an incoming doll or one to be purchased in the near future. I've got a set of eyes that was ordered last year waiting for the doll they belong to... who hasn't been ordered yet. (I'm waiting for an event to buy her.) I do keep a bunch of spare eyes on hand, and am planning to make up at least a few basic fur wigs to have on hand as well, so I can get newcomers close to their proper look when they arrive, but occasionally they'll beat their stuff here, or they'll show up unexpectedly and have to wait their turn.

I have clothes on-hand, enough so there's always something that's the appropriate style for a given doll (though I need to expand the tiny collection a bit more). I am extremely picky on shoes, so many of my dolls are barefoot and have been for ages. Accessories and furniture arrive as they do, and aren't essentials at all.

 

Hands. Hands hands down pardon the pun.

Hands make or break the doll for me. They need to be exquisitely sculpted, beautifully detailed and expressive.

If a doll face I adore comes on a doll body which has horrible hands it'll still stand a chance if it can be fitted with the SoulDoll Zenith hands

 

Here's my order

• Eyes. I order these soon after receiving the doll so I can try different sizes and colors that I have hoarded.
• Wig. Like the eyes, I order these soon after getting the doll so I can try some different styles.
• Clothes and shoes. These are about equal priority for me. I try to make most of their clothes, and I buy their shoes, though it can take a lot of searching to find the perfect pair.
• Furniture. At least a chair or something, to pose them.
• Personality, more in-depth for some dolls than for others.
• Accessories. I don't have many accessories at all, actually. I guess I just don't like keeping track of them.

 

The first thing I buy is the wig. Before I ever get the doll I buy the wig for it. It helps to really anchor me to the concept I have for the doll to have a piece of it before the doll is here. The second thing I prioritize is clothing. I really hate having naked dolls when they arrive, and I find it winds up in me doing considerably less with them because of it. So, I always try to make sure they have clothes before they arrive.
I usually buy company stock eye as temporary eyes/size testing. I always buy custom eyes for my dolls, but until I see the eye size in place I don't order them.
Accessories and furniture are something I don't do until I have the doll. I am extremely nitpicky with how things scale together, and having the height of the doll isn't good enough. I need to see how thing will line up with their hands and general proportion. Especially with furniture and odds and ends (like pans or lamps, I love dishes!).
Shoes are probably my last priority, especially since I started making my own,
My backstory is usually in place long before I ever get the doll, so it has no priority at all. Especially since I do a lot of character dolls, which I don't need to do any story for at all.

 

When buying a doll I would always focus on personality first. That's what I would do when I was collecting Pullips. Once I found out her personality, I would buy the wig, eyes, and clothes to match it. It's easier for me to purchase the items that way since I know that they'll match my doll since they match her personality. I have often realized when buying a doll and not having her personality in order by the time he or she arrives will cause me to have issues with her.

 

When buying a doll, I'd always make sure that I really like the sculpt first. After the purchase, it'll be items in this order:

Wig
Eyes
Clothes
Shoes
Accessories
Furniture

Personality comes last, not because it's least important, but because my dolls' personalities are always only set after they've arrived. ^^

 

For me it has to be the building of a character and deciding on the sculpt that will fit the persona. I have had doll that were beautiful but the depth is missing as I don't know who they are meant to be.

 

The thing that ultimately draws me to a doll is the face sculpt and overall aesthetics. But even if I have a solid idea of how I want the doll to look, I'm never certain which eyes/wig/clothing style will really work until I have the doll in hand. For that reason, I like to have lots of clothes and wigs and eyes to try out right away. To me, there is nothing sadder than having a new doll and nothing to put on it.

I don't do faceups myself, so I've been buying my dolls with completed faces. It drives me nuts to see a doll all dressed up with a wig and eyes and outfit and NO FACEUP! To me, that is half a doll. I wouldn't ever have one out on display without a faceup. So I guess you could say that I am a manic completist! I need the full package with all the pieces in place, or nothing at all.

 

At the moment i am only loving fairyland dolls becuase they are so girly so when i am buying something for them it def has to go with there personality, i couldnt just buy anything for them and hope for the best. Second of all i do like to keep my dolls up to date with the weather (i know stupid) so i do like to but summer stuff for the hot months but becuase england is mainly cold i love buying coats and long sassy jumpers for them