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Would You Buy An Unstrung Doll?

Jul 4, 2019

    1. If it's a doll I really want, sure. I've restrung dolls before. Of course I greatly prefer a prestrung one.
       
    2. I string all my offtopic/in progress printed dolls. I appreciate company-strung dolls, if it’s done well (and it’s usually better than my stringing), but I’m perfectly comfortable stringing a doll. If I could get a better deal on an unstrung doll, I would absolutely take advantage of it, though I’ll admit I’d probably think a bit about *why* it was being sold unstrung - if all the product photos were unstrung too I would be worried about the doll being in poor condition in a way being unstrung made it harder to see (like uneven yellowing.)
       
    3. Not yet as I’m not comfortable yet as not got the hang of putting them together
       
    4. If you know how to string a doll, I don't see why not. If it saves shipping costs, even better! Though I'd rather the parts be divided into individual ziploc bags or something so that I know what parts are left/right/etc.

      Given, restringing is... so annoying when you get to the hands/feet, but if you have someone helping you, it's all fine.
       
      • x 1
    5. I haven't had a problem with LTFs, but the one time I had to restring a Puki Fee....it was almost the end of me. I was at that thing for hours before I finally figured out the knot goes in the larger thigh. Tears were cried that day. Many, many tears.
       
    6. Shipping costs to places like Europe often rise significantly due to custom taxes. Because of this, people often request for parcels to be undervalued to evade these very high (and often kind of unfair imo) taxes. However, even when value is marked down, parcels may sometimes still be caught by customs, in which case you'll have to pay custom taxes anyway. Downvalued parcels that are smaller are much less likely to get caught than bigger parcels; and where most YoSD and MSD-sized dolls are small enough that they don't get caught by customs, I would definitely have interest in buying SD-sized dolls unstrung. This way, the parcel can be small enough that those won't get caught by customs either!

      -If I learn how to string dolls first, that is:XD:
       
    7. There's also a compromise unstringing - the torso/pelvis, legs, feet and head joined by the larger cord are unstrung and pieces wrapped separately. But the chest part (if there's a jointed torso) and arms/hands joined by the shorter cord are left attached and wrapped tightly "mummy-style". That still allows you to use a much smaller box, but alleviates some of the restringing headache.
       
      • x 1
    8. I would absolutely buy an unstrung doll and have done so before. I've found that I'm really picky about how my dolls are strung so it is almost better for me to get them unstrung. It helps too that I enjoy restringing, sueding and wiring my dolls.
       
    9. If it came with the strings & hooks it'd be fine with me ^_^ but it can be quite daunting! I can feel my fingers aching right now! Restringing traumas of the past O_O
       
    10. If the doll comes directly from the manufacturer, I’d definitely want it strung and very well strung in box, with complete outfit and accessories. Nothing missing or damaged. Without spot and blemish.

      If the doll is bought from the secondary market as a non full set, then, it can be shipped unstrung without box and accessories to save on shipping. If the doll is very old like more than 10 years old, I will unstring it when it arrives for purpose of cleaning, inspection and maintenance which includes re-stringing. My incoming doll which I bought from DOA market place is on his way home unstrung without original box and accessories. He’s 14 years old.
       
    11. I've bought unstrung dolls before to save on shipping. I've even bought a doll that had no box so had to be sent unstrung. Its not as difficult as people think to restring a doll, especially since I tend to buy SDs or larger. I'm not even worried about restringing a tiny, it just takes patience, stubbornness and determination, all three of which I have when it comes to BJDs. :XD:

      But, because I like to keep the original box if available, I'd rather have the doll strung.

      Either way is fine with me, as long as I get the doll I paid for. :3nodding:

      Ryu
       
    12. I would buy it if it's something I absolutely love. Most of the time, I just buy my dolls directly from the factory or the dealers. I'm addicted to that new resin smell :kitty1:kitty1
       
    13. I have absolutely no problem in buying a doll unstrung, even though I'm still not the best at getting the right tension on the elastic when I restring. Actually, I find restringing quite fun, in a puzzle-like way. :XD: For now, the only one I've actually bought unstrung was DiM Flowne during DiM's closing sale.
       
    14. There has no problem with me for the unstrung BJD 'cause I think I could restring myself.
      Just care about the beauty of the child and how it will delivered to my house
      (In my opinion, there might has some breaks by delivery in case the doll is unstrung, and in compare with the strung BJD, it seems it happen more usually)
       
    15. I wouldn't buy one unless it was one of my grail dolls or a bargain priced one that I really like. But yeah, whenever I see dolls that are unstrung in the Marketplace, my eyes automatically skip over them and I have to remind myself to really check to make sure they are not one of my grail dolls. Although I've been in this hobby for years, I don't trust myself enough to do it correctly. My first doll had messed up string because of the way a friend played with her so I took her to the Volks store way back when to have them restring her. If I needed to do it again with any of my dolls, I probably would email Volks and hope they would be willing to do it for me even for a price. :sweat
       
    16. I would definitely get an unstrung doll. My first dolls (off topic BJDs) I made myself, so stringing was certainly a process, but not something I would shy away from. Some dolls i'd love to see unstrung just to see how the joints/pieces look for reference for making more dolls myself in the future.
       
    17. I prefer to have the original box and I have both coordination and strength issues that make restringing an absolute nightmare, so no.

      I got a doll as an unfinished kit once fifteen years ago when I was new and nooooope never again.
       
    18. Definitely to save on postage cost.
       
      • x 2
    19. Most of the dolls I've bought were strung, and overall I'm pretty indifferent about it, but I think if I really had to choose, I would prefer buying unstrung. There have been times when I've had to redo the stringing or change the stringing, and other times when it was good enough for me. I don't think I'd mind just starting with the whole process myself. Living in the USA, we have it easier than a lot of the rest of the world in that we don't get custom taxes, but shipping costs for bigger boxes tend to be more expensive, so that'd be another perk to buying unstrung. I also feel like the pieces have less of a chance of getting damaged when they're not under tension from being strung.
       
    20. The second doll body I ever purchased was an unstrung body from Migidoll :lol: Big incentive was the reduced cost price. He shipped in an adorable box designed to look like a suitcase :chibi

      Not sure if I would buy one unstrung specifically to save on shipping (because I’m a box hoarder lol) but I think having the option is nice. Pretty sure I have considered asking for it in the past.