Would you ever pay a LOT of money for a face up?

So I answered this 5 years ago and I find my answer has changed a bit over time. I find that I play with my dolls less now. They're turning more into sometimes displayed art objects for me than play dolls. I'm also waaaaaaaay pickier about faceups now and I was already pretty picky to begin with. I've also noticed a change in my "willingness to spend money" habits. I am actually less likely now to spend serious money on the doll itself secondhand, but am more willing to pay more for better clothes, wigs, and accessories for the doll. I've been too burned by doll secondhand prices tanking to really want to pay more than retail for a doll anymore.

Getting into collecting original comic art, I find I am way more willing now to spend a big chunk of money on a piece of art because it's an original and one of a kind. It's supporting an artist whose work you enjoy.

So I'd probably be way more willing to spend more now on a faceup if it was an artist whose work I really admired and who was correct for the doll I was putting together. Sure, I'd like to spend less, but if I had to spend like $250, I probably would.

 

Nope.
Sometimes when I buy a new doll I feel lazy about having to do a faceup and I think "oh the default faceup is nice. I should just get it", but it's $65 and I could buy a wig and eyes for the doll instead!
And when I think about getting a custom faceup, I realize I don't have a clear idea of what I want anyway and I'd rather wing it myself for very cheap than leave "carte blanche" to someone else for $50+. I'm also nervous about sending half of my doll away. So really, more than free is too much for me for a faceup! :P

 

Yes and I have. With our poor dollar face ups cost more now and when you include ems with insurance for shipping both ways (as I don't trust normal post for something of value) on top as well it can really add up. For me it has been worth it though to get the looks I want. When I started collecting I got company face ups but now as I tend to shell characters I want a particular look and end up paying for it.

 

For myself, no, but that's because I do my own faceups. I only have one head currently who's been painted by someone else, and he's more of a show piece (he's on a bust and will never be put on a proper body, he just hangs out on a display). I can't remember what I paid her for the work, but it was a fair price, and because we lived nearby and worked at the same place, there was no shipping cost involved.

My own faceups may not be as nice as some of the ones being done by customizers who charge for them, but as I practice, I get better, and I prefer the act of doing it myself over sending a head off. The process of faceup (and blushing, because I do both at the same time) lets me get more familiar with the details of the sculpt, how the parts fit together, and how the character's looking for me, and I can't put a price on that.

 

All my dolls have company faceups and I'm happy to pay extra for them.
I'm an artist myself (my art commissions pay for my dolls) and I am interested in doing faceups, but for me... to get started, to buy all the materials (sealants, paints etc.) it just isn't worth the expense and time involved in starting. My dolls aren't really my own made up characters either (I'm not very creative about coming up with my own character ideas), I just stick with their default company look/theme, so I have no desire to customize them anyway really. ^^;

 

I don't think I would ever pay. I spent a good chunk of cash on buying supplies to do my own face ups so it would be pointless to pay someone to do it. Plus face ups are fun! My work certainly isn't the quality of a pro, but it is better than my doll's original company faceup so I am satisfied.

 

for the most part I do my own face ups, but once in a while I see company or another artist's face up I like and I'm happy to pay for them.

 

I don't think I would (but you never know) because one of the two big reasons I got into this hobby is that I really love painting. Even if I could afford an expensive face up, painting my doll myself lets me feel more connected to her.

 

I’d pay in the neighborhood of $50-70 for an official artist’s faceup. That seems to be the usual range of cost. As of right now I feel like getting a doll without one feels incomplete. But doing faceups seems really fun too and an important aspect. It’s this sort of thing that has me prioritizing dolls that where an extra head can be purchased, one for having the official artist’s vision faceup and one for doing my own.

 

I used to pay for company face-ups when I first started the hobby but after I managed the scratch one of my doll's blushing, I decided to give it a try and paint them myself. At first I sucked but got much better over time. Now I paint all of my dolls myself (except the vinyl ones that come with default face-ups) and I'm quite happy with the results. Would I ever pay someone else to paint them? Probably not.

 

Definitely not, but it's because I do my own face-ups and even if they're far from perfect, that's one of my absolute favourite part in the hobby ! So I won't pay someone to do one of the things I love the most.

 

I suppose 'expensive' varies from person to person. I've paid $90+ for a faceup & I'm pretty sure I'd go up to $130 or so if it was truly impeccable work.

A good faceup can really bring out the best in a doll, not to mention it's a good investment if you ever choose to part with the doll.

 

I would have been willing 5 years ago but after all my experiences, I prefer to keep practicing to better my face up skills and do them myself.

There are wonderful face up artists but I have learned that no matter how good they are, sometimes their work don't fully represent my dolls, even if they follow all my instructions. I have spent a lot of money and time because of this but thankfully, I decided to do my own face ups last year and I'm happier with my noob skills because I am the one who really knows what's best for my dolls.

As of right now, 90% of my dolls have my face ups and they look like themselves. I'm going to give the rest a face up soon even though there is one whose default face up is perfect for him and after 8 years, it still looks awesome (thank you Soom) so I might just keep that one until it starts to fade. By then my face ups skills would have improved more so I'll be able to give him a similar face up.

So...my answer is no. ^^

 

I have a Soom Saiph who came with a decent face up that i wiped off!!!
I've redid her face up 2 times now, and i can't seem to get her to look as edgy as i want.
i refuse to send her to someone and get a face up done.

i just dont have the money nor the time

 

I'm sure I would but I think what is considered "a lot" is relative. Honestly I'm less concerned about the cost of the face up than whether or not can I trust someone else with my doll. If I like the artists style and I think it will suit the doll; I'll pay for it. Ultimately this is a personal hobby for me and I do what I can to make it the most enjoyable for myself.

 

I believe the highest I've seen charged for a faceup was 110+? And honestly, had that artist still been taking commissions at the time, I would have shelled out that money. For me, the work costs too much when I feel the quality does not match up. If I am going to pay 100+ dollars for someone to paint my doll's face, I want to commission someone who does quality work and who also has good feedback from previous customers.

 

If I really liked the style of a particular artist, Yes!
I also just recently bought a faceup set (Pencils, paints, and brushes) so I may be trying my hand at it soon enough!

 

I feel like I would probably pay around $150 tops for a faceup or otherwise just attempt to do it myself? I feel like any amount over $150 could be spent on another doll head so I would probably just end up doing that instead? aha