Would it offend you as a owner?

Sorry for making a detour here and I'm new to BJDs. Does this mean that people usually wipe the dolls they sell?

 

What @idrisfynn said.
The whole customization also includes way more than just the face-up. It's the eyes, wigs, clothes, overall presentation. The more elaborate and customized those are, the harder it is to replicate the full look of course as well.

Most of the time people either sell the doll blank, or at most the face-up stays on, but that's it. It's very unlikely they sell the whole doll as they owned it.
If they wipe, it's usually because it might help with the sale (if the faceup isn't good) or because the person does not want to sell on a face that looks like their OC. It is rarely wiped when it's a custom face-up of certain quality or from a certain artist, unless again the owner just doesn't want to give away the doll while it looks too much like their OC (especially when they plan to get another doll to replace it and/or the design of the faceup is very elaborate).
It is pretty much never wiped when the face-up is default from the company, both for collecting purposes but also...it's not really unique. The OC connection is not really there, when there are dozens of dolls with exactly the same face.

 

I find it extremely offensive and out of touch.

 

@idrisfynn @Ara Thanks! I am not interested in second-hand for the time being but I'm fascinated by the character shelling aspect. Isn't it pretty much the opposite with Japanese vinyl dolls? As far as I know, there's a bit of a character cult associated with dolls and which is why the auctions for customs tend to skyrocket.

 

It happens. I personally find it really annoying, and I tell people they’ll know I’m willing to sell when I make a sales post.

 

Someone cold DM'ed me a couple of years back. They said they loved (rare doll sculpt I own,) and especially liked my doll with her particular face up. And to keep them in mind should I ever want to sell my doll.

I never responded, blocked, or deleted them. However I was, and still am, annoyed that someone would offer to buy a doll of mine outside the Marketplace.

 

This has happened to me before.

A person that I didn't know PM'd me about one of my dolls that they'd seen in a photo story I'd posted. They commented on how cute he was, and asked if I'd be willing to sell him, and if so, how much would I want. I was a bit shocked and quite frankly started to panic just a little bit. This was back before I know about my neurodivergence, and had a wee bit of a freakout for a hot second. After I'd managed to pull my head together and realize it was really a compliment on my doll, I wrote back, kindly informing them that I could never part with him. they were quite gracious, and did add that IF I ever changed my mind, to let them know.

I won't... ever.

Edit: Just to be clear though, I wasn't offended.

 

A lot of doll communities very much revolve around the basic idea of "collecting, for collecting sake".
That means buying all of a certain release, or buying all versions of doll X, or just simply buying a lot of dolls overall. That's also because a lot of other dolls are made by just one company, which supports this collecting itch. You can get more than one vinyl based 1/6 fashion doll (like Barbie, Tonner etc.), but if you want a Blythe? You gotta buy a Blythe. And then you buy more Blythe, because you really like that Blythe look.
BJDs meanwhile are made by many, many different companies and artists. While people do tend to prefer a handful of artists/companies, it's rare that you will actually meet a true collector here (i.e. someone that for example aims to own all Soom MDs, or every Fairyland MNF etc.). Most of us have a mix of artists at home, because...well, we got the options, but also because the whole OC thing usually kind of demands that you have to branch out a bit if you don't want everyone to look the same. It's a cycle, basically. BJDs allow for this type of OC-led collecting, which in turn attracts people that are interested in that kind of thing, which in turn makes this OC thing even more prevalent in our community, and so on.

From dabbling in other communities (Blythe, Pullip, DDs), and watching even more from afar, I'd argue the BJD community is the one that cares about this whole OC culture (and what that means when collecting dolls) the most. That also explains why here people tend to react more emotionally when asked whether they'd sell a specific doll.
We tend to buy blank dolls to customize them to look like our characters, or we commission someone to paint our doll for us for the same result. You also have the ones that buy finished full-sets, or at least default face-ups, but from experience the ones that tend to do that often keep further customizing the doll (the DD people do the same).
Meanwhile with Blythe for example you have the people that enjoy buying the stock releases, and the ones that buy finished customs as a kind of "art collecting" extra hobby. Blythe also have like a handful of molds that slightly differ from each other, the customization is EVERYTHING and often includes extensive modification of the facial features. You can't compare that to hundreds of BJD sculpts available, and the only customization done to it is a technically temporary face-up. Some of these collectors are SO fixated on a specific custom from a specific artist, that they will go extreme lengths to obtain it...and I am not just talking about the prices some of these customs go for. The artists tend to come up with names/characters for their customs as well, and they usually keep those in their new homes. That's how you end up with a doll named "Sophie" that's been with owner number 4 by now, that still looks the same as she did when the artist put her up for sale and that everyone in the community knows as "Sophie from Artist XY". It is also very much understood that one is not "just" a doll customizer, you are an artist that sells finished art pieces the buyer is supposed to treat as such.
Pullips are similar-ish, but because of their lower price point and the fact that their collectors are on average a lot younger than Blythe collectors, it's a lot less intense over there. A lot-lot less

We don't really have that "art piece" culture, because our OCs are often so specific that we do not care about adopting your "Sophie". We prefer to buy a blank canvas to make it our own, or we buy your half-finished painting because we wanted to paint that sky exactly the same way anyway and now just gotta add some happy little trees to finish it. We don't care about your artistic vision, because we buy a doll because of our own vision.

As a face-up artists that can be VERY frustrating, because very few BJD face-up artists ever manage to sell finished heads for high prices. BJD heads are expensive on their own, and most people only want to buy a painted head if it works for their OC. The face-up artists I know that achieve good prices, but still nowhere near close to Blythe customs for example, usually tend to paint popular heads in a popular style for that community. Like MNF heads, painted in a style that is super popular with MNF collectors. The buyer would have most likely commissioned that exact same face-up anyway, if they had sent that specific head to the artist.
There is a lack of cult for specific artists, a lack of "buying a custom for the sake of collecting a piece of art by artist XY". The only BJD artists that managed to achieve that kind of cult for their work, are the ones that are making high-fashion BJDs (like PashaPasha). Which is mostly the case because they are favored by people that come from the vinyl 1/6 high-fashion dolls...which surprise, surprise, have that type of culture there. I don't think the classic BJD collector cares for them as much.
Oh, and some of the Japanese/Chinese face-up artists, but that is mainly because the whole attitude towards artists over there is very different. Within the western community BJD face-up artists are just seen as "service providers", or painting robots. Customer send you head, they pay money, you paint what they want. There is no fighting over slots because they truly wish to own an art piece from you. There is no "of course I pay 500 bucks for an artist choice face-up, I truly just want to own something painted by you!" attitude to be found here

Before I stop, since you asked about those Japanese vinyl dolls (most of them are Dollfie Dreams, so I will stick to them now): in their case most of the releases are of licensed characters. You do have some finished basic models that do not represent licensed characters, but they are really just a handful So next to the regular collectors you got a lot of people that basically just buy a doll for the sake of owning a gigantic action figure of their favorite character. I wouldn't really call those doll collectors, they are more of a character X collector.
Anyway, because of this licensed character situation, most of the available head sculpts are character-tied. So you have a couple basic heads you can always buy, but if you wanted that face with that bigger nose and :} mouth? You gotta buy the Rise Kujikawa Persona 4 doll. Good luck if your fav face belonged to a popular anime waifu that was released five years ago That also means it can be a little frowned upon sometimes to wipe a head, because the stock face-up is part of the full-set/character, and for people that are regular collectors that of course matters.
Since the basic/licensed models are shipped painted, a lot of people are content just doing the whole "default face, rest is custom" route. They either think of it as "Hatsune Miku, but I dress her up in other stuff ", or "this is my OC, she just happens to have the face of Hatsune Miku LOL". People are just happy to have a doll with a decent face, most of the time.
Now the customs...well. I'd argue there is a huge difference between the Japanese community side of things there, and...well, everywhere else. Nobody cares for any western DD face-up artist to that degree. Only for the Japanese artists people fight on Yahoo!Japan and pay 150000 yen or more for a single head that originally cost 50 bucks. Even if you would have the same quality as them, there is very much a personality cult involved as well, and being able to say you own something from elusive artist X.
But once again I'd argue the people who go out of their way for these kind of customs are on a different wave than the vast majority of other collectors in the same doll community. We all got our multitudes

Whooooops, that got very long.
Gotta stop here now, it's off-topic anyway

 

I have seen the opposite happening (or heard from someone who told me about this.) Someone in the Chinese doll collecting circle dresses up their dolls (usually just one or two at a time) and put in a lot of effort to make this specific doll "internet famous". This way, even if it was a more common sculpt, this person can sell their doll as they have styled it and ask for a higher price. The buyer wouldn't just get "a doll of this sculpt" but "this specific character shelled into this doll."

Kinda ingenious, really.

But for someone who shells OC characters into their dolls, asking me if I'd sell my doll would be similar to "Can I buy your character off of you?" in my mind. I don't think being offended is the reaction I would have, but it would definitely be a shock to the system. Responding politely and gently is always the right way to go, I find. But if you ask me about how I would feel... I'm going to say it's going to feel really, really weird.

 

I'd find it incredibly odd and a little rude if I've never given any indication I'm thinking of selling them, mostly because I can't imagine myself doing that to someone. There are marketplaces and sales groups for that kind of thing, so I'd just look/ ask there instead of cold messaging someone to ask if they'd sell something to me. I guess it might depend on if i know the person (as in we follow each other or they follow me and I've seen their name before) or if it's a completely random person. How they asked would be a factor in how i act in return. If it's completely random and they don't even start with a hello? They're getting blocked; it comes across as scammy to me.

 

Totally depends on the situation.

If it's polite, I'll gently turn them down. If it's rude...probably just NO and block them. I wouldn't say I'd be offended more annoyed than anything.

I'd be more likely to consider if it's a friend, or someone I "know" either as a follower or just seeing them active in the hobby and they have a good reputation. Even if I still don't want to sell, I'd make a note to contact that person if/when I'm ready to sell. I have done this. I do tend to buy and sell a lot, so it's actually pretty nice to not have to bother listing a doll and just contact that person and be done with it! (Assuming it's done somewhere this is allowed, not on a forum or group that does not allow transactions outside the marketplace.)

Also wording it like "If you ever decide to sell this doll, would you consider contacting me?" is much preferred to "How much for that doll?" when it's not for sale.

But even asking rudely is still not as bad as just demanding it. It's been more than a decade and I still haven't forgotten the person who flat out told me to give them a doll because it "wasn't fair" that I had so many.

 

Is it ok?
If it’s a doll they’ve owned for a long time and never ever post pictures of:maybe. like, hard maybe.

Is it disrespectful?
If it’s a doll they clearly love, post lots of pictures of, and clearly put thought and care into customizing: yes, it is disrespectful.

I think of it as walking into someone’s room, picking something up, and asking “can I have this?”

 

Thanks for the post, it was a great read

Seems the same as in Japan with vinyl dolls. It's interesting that it's all about a different mindset toward artists.

 

I’m also in the ‘Depends on the manner in which they ask’ camp with this. It’s only offensive if the person asking is being offensive.

I know it sounds a bit snobbish and is probably due to my age but if all I got was a brief message with no introduction, no punctuation, no please or thank you and a few badly spelled or even worse, abbreviated words then that message, comment or whatever would be completely ignored. I also hate the use of ‘Plz’ and ‘Thx’ as to me they don’t feel as if they are meant in any way. If someone doesn’t care enough to be polite then they certainly aren’t showing that they have the capacity to actually care for the doll in question.
Messages such as “I like ur doll plz sell it too me cuz I wont it n I dun hav much money cuz (insert sob story) n u got to sell it cheaper plz” instantly put my hackles up and yes I have actually had that kind of message on more than one occasion! Not on here thankfully though. They get firmly but politely declined at first but any subsequent barrage of pleading or abuse is met with appropriate wrath and action.

What I will entertain is a comment or remark, obviously not in here as it is against the rules, where someone says something such as “Aww I love her, she reminds me of such and such. If you ever need to rehome her give me a shout!” because it indicates an attachment, is made in a friendly way and is a suggestion not a demand.
I’m sort of in this situation just now but having difficulty contacting the person who asked

It doesn’t hurt to ask as long as you’re polite and respectful, good manners cost nothing after all.

 

I think it also kind of depends on who you are asking. Are you inquiring about a beloved OC character that you want to buy, or are you giving a lead to someone who generally buys and flips dolls regularly? There are people who I think could be politely asked and they would appreciate the heads up, as well as people who are very attached to the dolls that have been customized with lots of care and love.

As for myself, if someone were to ask me on Instagram, I might be receptive because I see them more as projects to complete. I have some that hold sentimental value, and I don’t expect someone unaware of that fact to read my mind. I’d point them in the direction of the artist or dealers. Once I complete a doll the way I like it, sometimes it’s perfect, and I want to display it. Sometimes it’s underwhelming and I’m not pleased with it, and I decide to sell it. I would much rather have a buyer lined up in those situations, but that is incredibly rare that they would want something at the same time I would want to sell. It never works out like that lol but otherwise I would be flattered and actually delighted to help someone find the doll they are looking for. I also don’t care if people copy my dolls, so I might be in the minority on this. I just see them more as art projects and display objects than anything else. Occasionally they pull at my heartstrings but it’s very rare that one becomes “real” and loved like the velveteen rabbit

 

It wouldn't offend me if it was polite and they took no for an answer. It's a bit bold, but you never know until you ask. Now, persistent or rude questioning even after a "no" has been given? Absolutely offensive. Instant block.

 

Yes, this would come across as incredibly rude most of the time. My dolls are my dolls. If they don’t have an MP listing, they’re not for sale. I recently had someone on Instagram DM me to give them one of my dolls, which I’d argue is ruder, but honestly, their comment would have been equally unwelcome if they’d offered me money.

There are two times I make an exception to this. Number one is for a friend, who has said that if ever I sell the dolls I’ve made of our DnD party, he’d appreciate it if I let him know and let him buy them first. I don’t mind this because this is a close friend who I talk to on the regular about things that are not dolls, he’s not pressuring me to sell them right now, and we were talking about how I regularly sell dolls to reshell characters, so he didn’t ambush me with the topic. The dolls are also related to a shared activity—they’re OUR characters, not just mine, so it makes sense that he’d have some feelings about the dolls. We agreed that I’d give him first dibs if ever I sold any of them, and he’s now trying to shell the same characters out in different sculpts that he likes better.

the second scenario I didn’t mind it in was I had just sold someone a head, and she just asked that I notify her if I ever sell the other head I have by the same maker. She’d just bought a doll from me, so our relationship was just about sales, and she wasn’t pushy, and didn’t try to talk me into selling, she just stated her interest. I have her name jotted down in case I ever have to sell that head.

Most of the time though, it’s unwelcome because you’re entitling yourself to something that’s not yours. And because if there’s any attempt at persuasion in there, it reads as trying to push someone into a sale they don’t want. Especially if you talk at length about how you’ve searched for the sculpt and you’d give it a really good home, honest. I don’t want to be told that someone else would love one of my dolls more than I do, and I don’t appreciate the feeling of being pressed to sell something.

Before I got my Twigling ingenieuse (a sculpt that’s quantity-limited, and was only released once in 2014), I followed someone on Instagram that owned I think two or three of them, and another person that owned one of them. I also unfollowed both of them at one point when the want for that doll made it hard to see others that had her but only posted occasional photos of her. Because me wanting their dolls wasn’t their problem, and I would rather I not get to see the doll often to the chance that I would message either of them asking about her. I got mine in the end, by listing a wtb ad in the marketplace, and bumping it for a year and a half until someone saw it that was willing to part with theirs.

in short, you can eventually get whatever sculpt you want. Post a WTB listing rather than messaging people that have what you want.

 

If someone messaged me about purchasing one of my dolls, I would respond by saying I'm flattered but that she's not for sale. Most of my social followers know that my account is not for selling but for sharing my passion for the hobby. This is an interesting question/situation and one that I have not yet encountered.