Your First Doll Stories- The Most Treasured, a Disappointment, or Something Else?

My first BJD (who is my only!) was my obsession throughout my three years of middle school. It started when I was in sixth grade (age eleven) when my good friend showed me Obitsu. I was immediately taken by how cool they were, especially since we were in an Angelic Layer craze at the time. So, for my birthday, I asked for just enough money to buy one, then I never ended up getting it and I bought a kindle that I never used. A few months later, she showed me another type of doll that was supposed to be huge and really pretty! I thought that those were ever better, until I saw the price. For a twelve year old, that was a lot of money. I suppose that those were around the $400-500 range, so I knew I would never get one. This somehow brought me to a ball jointed doll article on the internet, and there was another brand mentioned. Volks. By that night, I was in love and wanting a 2010 Nana SD Renewal. She was so pretty! She was my obsession through my middle school years.

Now, as a freshman in high school, I can't afford anything, and am too young to drive or get a job. I had been seriously obsessing over the summer Volks rereleases of Charlotte and Liselotte, and was also told that, "no one in their right mind would ever buy one of those dolls for you." I still was persistent, and by the time I went to AWA in September, I was back to wanting Nana. I was walking around and looking at the cosplay when I saw someone with a doll. That was the first time I had ever seen a BJD in person, and I freaked out. The owner said that there was a meet later and that I could visit. It was one of the best days of my life. (If you happen to see this, person whose username I don't know, thank you!) Also, that was the day that I got invited to DOA! (Thanks, too!)

Now, fast forward a bit to Christmastime. I was expecting a gift like two hundred dollars that I could only spend on something that I wouldn't really want, and still be waiting for my (soon to be discontinued) Nana. But, on Christmas, I walked down the stairs and saw a Volks box that said "Nana" on it. My dad had bought her for me! I wasn't expecting it at all! She is everything I thought that she would be and more, and her name is Mizuki. Now, all I have to do is get her clothes, shoes, eyes, and a new wig so that she won't be in default forever! But, I think that I will keep her company faceup and maybe just put a bit more blush on, eventually. I really like the Volks faceup! I will never sell her!

That was my (ridiculously long) first BJD story, thank you for reading.

 

My first doll was also a bobobie Apollo, I call mine Helios. When I first opened his box I was a bit thrown by his color, Lt. Tan. I knew I ordered light tan but he didn't look like the pictures I had seen, he looked for lack of a better word Sick. I decided he would need a different face up to give him some color or blood pressure to make him not look so pale. I started on the task of learning face ups, 4 face ups later I felt confident to give him a new face which included a beard, or a face full of eyebrows as I rationalized how to do it. It took a long time for me to bond with him but I wasn't gonna give up on him, now I love him though I am still looking for the "perfect" wig that will come in time for Helios, it's been a long journey for him.

 

My first (and most beloved) doll was my Resinsoul Gang, Leuca. Despite the rather bad photos on the RS site, I knew that the Gang sculpt was everything I was looking for; I love him to pieces. I was aware of BJDs for years before I actually purchased one, and I've never been disappointed. Leuca has been with me for almost four years now, and I can't imagine ever not owning him.

I absolutely adore my other boys as well, but Leuca is (and will always be) so very special to me.

 

I treasured my first doll for many years, but he came from an era where most dolls were not realistic at all, but very anime-esque and stylized, and there were absolutely no choices in skin color besides normal and white. When more realistic - and tan! - sculpts starting coming out, I began to feel like one of those molds would fit the character better. The decision to switch his "shell" was a difficult one, because it *was* my very first doll, but I don't regret my decision. The old doll went to a friend of mine and I know she loved him very much.

So in a way, I still have my first doll... just not in his original shell!

 

The first doll I purchased was new from the company, and by the time I received her I felt no connection and could easily let her go. The first doll I received, but second purchased I fell in love with and I can't imagine selling her

 

My first dolls (I saved for a hell of a long time, cause I couldn't decide between two) came with...very mixed feelings.

They were Dream of Doll E-an and Camine, and when they arrived, I was absolutely in love with them, and in a way, I always will be, but as time went on, and I gained experience of what BJDs should be like, I found that the bodies were *awful* and had a lot of problems, and even their faceups weren't very well done, compared to other companies.
However, I kept them both together until late last year, when the functionality finally got the better of me, and Camine was sold on.

E-an is still with me, and to be honest, I love her so much, I still can't imagine letting her go -- it has been suggested that I just replace her with another E-an, as the faceup quality and bodies have greatly improved since 2007, when I got them...but...that doesn't seem right at all. : /

 

My first doll was a Mystic Kids Milo. I have huge doubts on buying a doll since I wasn't so used to spending so much money on myself. xP I pretty much have big problems when buying an SD male his size, because part of me wants that feeling of being so happy when he arrived. So far most of my dolls are either bigger, smaller or a different gender from him... He's definitely my #1, since he's the doll that convinced me to stay in this hobby. I've pretty much sold and bought different dolls, he's the only doll I can't bear to part with.

 

My first doll, who I only ordered last month, is definitely not a disappointment. He is a doll-leaves WISH, and I love his sculpt, especially his adorable elf ears. I had been looking around for a doll that didn't cost an arm and a leg, but I didn't want to just settle on something I wasn't in love with. When he arrived he was everything I hoped he'd be, and shortly after I bought a whole outfit and a wig for him to wear Unfortunately the first wig I bought for him was way too small - he has a big head and wears 7-8 wigs instead of 6-7 -_-
I cannot see myself ever selling him, as he's my first doll and means a lot to me, even though I've only had him for a short time.

 

My first doll is still with me. I love her dearly, but she also has her problems and I was only able to fix some of them.
Being my first BJD I was really thrilled with her. But I had troubles posing her. Especially her torso joint doesn't work too well, holding poses or posing her smoothly is really hard, even now. She doesn't really like holding natural poses.
After getting more dolls, she's still the worst doll to pose. I am looking for dolls that pose well and already didn't buy a doll once, because I knew that they don't pose well at all.
But she's probably the one doll where it will never matter to the extend that I re-shell her or just sell her.

 

Ardese will always be a treasure to me. I'm a very sentimental person, so I tend to hold onto a lot of "firsts" and I put them on a high pedestal. He's not perfect, I know that for sure. He also came with a few disappointments with not exceeding my expectations (I found his hands weren't as beautifully detailed as I imagined they would be, his face up was darker than I expected AND I ended up chipping it, he's a bit tightly strung so his neck is "kicky" and I'm too novice to attempt to fix it just yet, etc.) but I love him dearly and I can't imagine ever selling or getting rid of him. I'm happy that he was my first doll.