Would still buy a doll if the artist required a contract?

half the appeal is to be able to make dolls look however we want; a lot of artists hope that their work will be valued in its original condition, but it's up to the buyer what they want to do with it; otherwise you're not really selling, just permanently renting .__.

 

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say this, but the artist who would require a no-modifications contract for anyone who bought their dolls is the same one who was most vocal on here about mods being desecration and sacrilege and all that.

 

Honestly, it sounds a bit ridiculous of her. The entire hobby is built around customizing your doll and making it your own. I remember hearing about an artist who would also paint your doll but you didn't get any input on it, at all. I even thought THAT was a bit much. I'd be staying clear of her and her dolls.

 

Exactly! Art isn't complete without someone to View It. If it's GOOD, it will speak to people, and they will speak back!

 

A contract like that is utterly ridiculous. Are they really intending on going around policing who does and doesn't mod their dolls? I agree that fear of recast and the like is, of course, reasonable. But persistently denying purchasers the right to modify your work even slightly? That's too restricting. As many have said prior, this hobby is about customization. Taking a set doll and seeing what you can do with it. Everyone has a unique doll in some way, shape or form. No two dolls are alike, most likely! So the restriction of such creativity, in this hobby overflowing with it, is downright criminal. I wouldn't purchase a doll with a soul-binding contract like that.

 

To me as a doll-owner who has modded, hybrided and customized all of her dolls , a contract like that seems more than idiotic. The artist would also have a hard time stalking her customers to make sure they're not being naughty. But maybe it will also be part of the contract that you have to report back to the artist every month or so to make sure the doll is still in pristine condition …?
One would think that an artist would like to see what people are making of their doll, what becomes of the clean slates they sold.

However - as a marketing trick an outrageous contract like that might even work.
It has already started working. We're discussing this unknown artist although we probably haven't seen any of their dolls yet. We're getting curious who this artist might be, and once they're releasing their omninous doll with the hilarious contract attached we'll go: "Oh! That's the one!" Instant fame.
Most people won't buy a doll from this artist, but some will, if they like the doll enough. A lot of doll owners don't mod their dolls or do anything with them. Why should they care? And some also know that the artist will probably never track down their activities anyway, so they'll buy the doll. Plus, we don't act rational when buying a doll we love. We go to all sorts of lengths to get it, even sign a contract. No huge sales for the artist maybe, but a few limited copies to start with. And no individual mods, so still with the artist's name written all over it. The owners will feel real special because their dolls are so rare. And because it's rare and hard to get and even connected to some sort of sacrifice and story (signing the contract), more people will begin to like these dolls. Time for the artist to do a rerelease or come up with a new mold …
(That doesn't mean that I want to encourage such kind of contract or approve of it.)
I only hope that the artist in question doesn't exist or at least doesn't come up with something great …


(I actually know a company that came up with a contract similar to this. Not a doll company, but a maker of musical instruments. They became not only famous but a "cult")

 

Absolutely not. I would not buy a doll like this even if I had zero intention of doing anything outside the artists wishes. I also believe this is akin to other things companies are doing to control their products after they have been sold. I believe this will eventually be illegal. A consumer has the right to do what they want with a product after they have purchased it.

 

Yeah I definitely wouldn't buy a doll with such a rule tbh I'm not interest in modding any dolls I may get in the future, because I don't have that much creativity or talent to do so. But I still wouldn't be buying from this artist because honestly, I wouldn't want to support them? They seem controlling and like they wouldn't be pleasant to do business with. Also I'm sure they would not be able to keep track of all her dolls to make sure they're not getting modded??

 

Honestly I would feel a little bit unsafe, but if I really liked the sculpt then i would really would not care that much to be honest.

 

Yeah, no, see I'm the type that would purchase one of the dolls for the specific purpose of hybriding and/or modding the hell out of it. I don't normally even hybrid or mod dolls, but I'd be willing to make an exception. Kind of a "What are you REALLY gonna do about it?" toward the artist.

If there's one thing I hate, it's being told what to do, especially with the property I pay a crapton of money for. Heh.

 

I am also the same. I don't know how to do much else mod wise except pop a head off and put it onto another body. But you can bet your bottom dollar I'd be first in line to dip contract dolly in a dye bath.

Though given how pricey BJD's are, I'm more likely to buy from a company that doesn't think their products still belong to them once their in my hands. Like, I'd take that money and see what crazy doll Resinsoul could make for me. (Four armed centaur with two heads maybe?)

 

Considering that I want to make specific characters, hybridization is mandatory for my dolls. So, if I found a doll like this? No matter how much I wanted it, I could not buy it.
I'm also not a fan of being told what I can and cannot do with something I own.

~Evan

 

I would not buy a doll with that many rules attached. The point of owning dolls is that they bring us joy. It feels like owning this particular doll, you would have to be very careful and would almost feel like you had an eye in the sky watching how you treat your doll. I dont care how limited a doll is, once I buy it, its mine. I can modify, take apart, customize however I feel. If all that is legally taken away from me, the doll looses all appeal.

 

I'd run not walk away from someone who insists on a contract. She needs to chill and learn to be inspired by the creative vision of the buyers (if any) of her dolls. Who knows? Maybe her next inspiration could be the David of the dollworld?

 

I think such a contract shows a bit of misunderstanding of what BJD are about, aka, modifications. There are some types of dolls that are usually bought to be left as they are, like special edition barbies, or art dolls, or figurines.
In these, I would understand the desire for a little control and for wanting to sell them to people who would leave them intact, because that's what the customer culture usually is (there are people who customise barbies, even "rare" ones, but I feel they are not the majority of the collectors?)
On the other hand, BJD really are aimed at modification, and encourage it even at a basic level with eyes and wigs. Someone who wants their work to be left untouched should market at another crowd, or they're up for disappointment.
With this said: no, I would not buy a doll if I had to sign that contract. Customisation is what I enjoy, so I leave untouched dolls to others.

 

I gotten into a similar situation on a non-topic doll, I was told that I couldn't sell it or do anything to it in case I want to sell her, because she wanted first option to buy it back. Anyway, it can be a nasty deal for the owner, it's not worth the hassle.

 

That's ridiculous. But not only that, I highly doubt such a thing would be enforceable. Typically for breach of contract you have to prove some sort of damages to the original person. Mostly those would be monetary related. The artist selling these dolls would not be damaged in any way whatsoever by a person choosing to mod and/or hybridize the doll. Not only that, but typically civil suits like this have to be filed in the local area that the person who is being sued is in. I don't see this artist traveling around to various countries/states/cities to file a law suit.

 

Yeah, it was stupid of me to enter into this deal. At first, she sent me e-mails asking how's her baby doing, I didn't know what she was talking about, then it dawned on me that she was speaking about the doll. I sent her pictures of it, then she got sideways because I put a new dress on her. She wanted her back, I told her that she can buy it back, at 5 times the amount I paid for it. I paid 2500.00 plus shipping. Needless, to say it ended badly. So with that I say as a warning DON'T DO IT!!!

 

If I wanted the doll badly then yes I would agree to the contract but I would not stick to it

I will block and live my life with my new cool doll

I don't care about the contract and they can't get to me so good luck suing me from half way across the world haha

Contracts are very hard to force if it's something like personal property doll I think

They got their money they have no right to tell me what I can do with what I buy

Hard to think this exist I am surprise by some of reply here

 

That sounds absolutely ridiculous to me. If I buy a doll, it's my property and I am free to do with it as I please. Honestly, she's just shooting herself in the foot and alienating possible customers.