Will you sell your doll to me?

I occasionally get an email or PM of people asking me to sell them my automaton mod, and I've had a couple really persistent people ask to buy my dolls at conventions.

I'm always happy to give info and write down the names of the doll, company, or dealer I got the doll from (usually ends happily and they wander off to check out the site themselves) but on two really memorable occasions, I had people who would not leave and would not take "No." for an answer. >.>

On the last encounter, after at least 15 minutes of declining offers from one woman and explaining that my doll dressed as Big Sister for a display at the event was NOT for sale, I snapped and yelled a few unladylike phrases. Eventually, the 'bouncer' for our room came over and had to escort the patron out of the room. She was still miffed that I wouldn't sell her the doll & outfit then and there. I had offered to sell the outfit separately AFTER the display was taken down, but she wanted the doll & outfit RIGHT NOW. (For the record, the top dollar she offered was 1/3 the cost of the basic doll, no painting and not including the outfit and electronics.)

I just..... don't understand some people. .__.

 

I think, because I live in a very conservative area, I only get funny looks when I take my dolls out. People typically guess my age at about 5-8 (lolwat) years younger than I actually am but even for a person at that age, it would be strange to carry a doll around. I think I would be flattered but at the same time, I would have to tell them that they might like this one, but there's probably one that they'd like better because of the amount of variety there is.

 

No one has asked me to buy my doll when I am out. But friends will say if I want to sell then they will buy. I do get strange looks when I photo in public.

 

"Will you sell your doll to me?"

Only if you pay me $3000 in cold hard cash!

I don't remember people asking to buy my doll off of me on the spot when I'm out in public, but I do recall giving out information where to buy BJDs and their price range. Some people who have some idea about BJDs are not shocked at the price range. Others who don't know tend to be... well, overwhelmed. XD

I use a doll carrier when I bring my dolls out of my home so they're not conspicuous--that's why no one has asked me to sell my doll to them--yet.

 

@ roguegirl9929
I imagined her being like Princess from the power puff girls! I would have been so mad and probably hit her for even touching my dolls (like after seeing her treat them badly)!

 

Nope, there has been a few people who wondered where I got them from but no one's ever tried to buy them from me. But i think I'd take it as an insult if someone tried to buy one of them from me. The act just shows a disrespect for me, it's like saying "I don't care what you think or feel for this doll, I want it, so give it to me." I guess it's also situational though. If someone just walked up and asked while I was walking down the street, well, of course I'd say flat out no but if I was in a shop or something like that I think I'd be a bit more considerate in my answer and in explaining why I wouldn't sell it.

 

Nope, but I would never sell my girl anyways!

 

NEVER ever. I would never sell my dolls . At least a doll that I own for years or months... if is a doll that immediatly I receive and I don't like since the first second or few days, I could sell it, but I can't sell a doll that I loved and I play with for years! ^^

 

Sooooooo......we all remember my story from my last con. I went to another over the weekend and my friends and I had a table in Artist Alley. We all brought our dolls with and set them cute and placed a few signs around, "not for sale" "please do not touch" and similar stuff. I had one doll for sale that was on the table (our personal dolls were next to the table). The same girl from the previous con shows up and demands to buy my dolls again. I tell her that I am selling one. She demands I lower the price to $80. I tell her no and she says that she wants my dolls. I told her once again that I wasn't selling them. She then proceeds to say that she'll get one of my dolls eventually. I tell her that I'm attached to my dolls and I don't plan on selling them and definitely not to her. She goes to pick one up and I say don't touch. She then rolls her eyes,walks awayand then yells back"Don't get so touchy. It's just a doll. If I want to I can touch the," Excuse me? Really?

 

I've never had that happen to me. If it did, I would never let them have either on of my dolls. I've only had people ask me about what it was and where to get one.

 

Should've reported her to security.

 

We did mention it to security and they made sure she didn't come back to bother us at all.

 

Since it will be ages before friends or especially strangers ever see my doll(s), this is a pretty unlikely scenario for me, but I can relate to it in a pretty huge way.

When I go out flying radio control planes, I constantly get people stopping at the park to watch, interested in them. I get 20+ questions from them all, and a big one is can I buy that plane!? Or kids ask if they can have it. (Actually, more common, they all ask to FLY IT!)

It shouldn't be, but it's difficult to explain to someone why they cannot fly a $300-$1000 aircraft that took me 10+hours to build. (and some can go well over 100mph, mind you) Heck, I barely have the skill to keep some of them in the air and I've been doing this for a couple years!

With dolls, I can understand the bonding and attachment and value of a bjd, and certainly the hurt that you'd feel if someone were to drop your doll or be rude and demand that you sell it to them. I would never let a stranger even hold mine. But with planes, the same questions are 10 times more bewildering to me. Not only are they expensive, but there is ZERO chance that a random stranger who hasn't ever flown before would be able to put it in the air and back down again in one piece! An even bigger concern, is that when it comes down, it could very well hit a building, a car, or a person! And explaining this doesn't get through to them, they're upset that I won't let them fly my planes!

Add the fact that they usually try to do this arguing with me while I've got one in the air... or better yet, while I'm trying to concentrate on landing it safely. What the heck!? :p

So, in short - There is no shortage of self-centered people that for some reason believe they should be entitled to things that aren't theirs, regardless of reasoning or common sense. So unfortunately, this stuff happening with BJDs is no surprise at all to me. No single way of handling it is going to work for everyone either. It's the negative side of having such a nice hobby to enjoy.

But heck, the positives far outweigh the negatives, so we deal!

 

Wow. That...is really entitled. And if it's "just a doll" then why is she so eager to buy one, and one of yours specifically?

 

I don't really take my dolls out, so I haven't ever had someone come up to me and ask to buy my dolls... let alone just grab them out of my hands.

What has surprised me the most though, reading through all these comments, is how many people have just pm'd others about buying their dolls, and not taking no for an answer. I don't know about everyone else, but I adore my dolls, and a lot of time, money and effort goes into them. I couldn't imagine just asking some one to sell their doll to me... because to me it comes across like I have no consideration for their effort into making the doll what it is today.

I have pm'd another doll enthusiast about their doll, but I was asking about the specs of their doll (like is their doll custom face up and body blushing, can you get this doll straight from the site or do you have to email them and ask for a custom order, and such) because even though I wanted that doll, I respected that it was their property and that they had probably spent a lot of time on it.

Also, I like getting a new doll. It feels more special and closer to me simply because I have been their for the whole process, and the doll was made FOR ME. Its an intensely self-gratifying experience

 

Haha, you know...

I had a Veruca Salt moment happen to me that was really interesting. I can't remember where I was, but a little girl and her mother were passing by me, and the girl is ogling the doll. Which is fine, people ogle.

However, she tugs on her mom's sleeve and says, "Mommy, I want it, I want it!" And the mother approaches me and says, "How much do you want for the doll? $20?" I started laughing and explained to her that this particular doll is way more expensive than that. I think my price point for 'selling' was about $2000. Then I watched the kiddo go into total meltdown mode when the mother explained the actual price of the doll.

A fair amount of people would like to buy my dolls off me, but balk at the price point. :p

 

I've never really taken Dolli that far from home. Not that I don't want to, but Dolli is 66 cm, and pretty heavy. So, she isn't quite as mobile as I would like

 

To my surprise it happened to me a month or two ago. Someone emailed me through flikr that person asked if my Custom House St. Mina was for sale, I answered politely I didnt have any plans in the near future to sell my dearest St. Mina

 

I really do not want to be in this situation ... also here in Russia is not very nice people, so I just do not give anyone my doll in hand and do not answer questions. Sorry, I do not speak English very well, that would be to talk to you

 

It happened to me the other day. Someone messaged me on Flickr wanting to know if my LTF Madeleine "was looking for a new home". I gave this person a polite but firm no and told them that my Madeleine is happy where she is.

But really, why is it that people think that this is acceptable behavior?