Your Grail, but then it’s not?

I have a relatively long list of dolls I consider grails, but I haven't lost interest in any of them, despite knowing I can never get any of them. They were all either really limited releases, or really unpopular that there's probably less than ten of them around (let alone any in MIB-spanking new condition). The funny thing is that I don't know if it's a good thing, or a bad thing that I still haven't lost interest. I know it would be pretty hard for me to find any in the condition I would be willing to purchase them in, because I am very strict about how I keep and store my BJD, but also one of the dolls doesn't really exist. It is a complete one-off custom doll, but I highly doubt I'll ever have that particular doll altogether (I do own the head sculpt, but it's not quite there yet as far as likeness I want to achieve). I spend a lot of my hobby money on OT toys nowadays (long preorders), so if I suddenly found one of my "existing" doll grails (highly unlikely) in the condition I would pay for them, I wouldn't be able to purchase them, so I kind of have ambiguous feelings about still wanting those. I don't like to do layaways and don't make large purchases with credit unless I know I'll have the funds to pay for it within days. So, it would be really frustrating if I did suddenly find one of my grails for sale. At the same time I know it's highly improbable, so maybe that's why I still want them (because I know I can't ever actually get them)? I'm weird. DX

 

Yes, I wanted an IOS infernale so bad. And now, even after toying with buying a few times i'm kind "eh" about him. I still think it's a really cool doll but just would not fit with all my tiny pastel colour anthros

 

It really is! The thing is, the dolls i ended up with, were not the dolls I ever thought i would have. I do have a dollzone Yo-Carter and i'm always looking at him thinking how off he looks, even though i really like him.

 

I think it's completely natural for tastes to change. When I started collecting BJDs, I was collecting mainly child like BJDs from different artists. Now that I've been collecting BJDs for 6 years, I'm much more drawn to mature girls (I've collected other types of dolls for a long time). It's hard for me to say I have a grail because I don't really have just one doll I'm pining over, but there have been dolls I have desperately wanted, wasn't able to get, so I just moved on and haven't thought much about them since.

 

I sort of had this happen. I bought two of my grail dolls and realized that it just feels super awkward having two of them. Sold the other and now I'm decently happy again. I thought I always wanted many of them, but now I know I don't ever want two same sculpts and probably not bodies either.

 

My grail was Volks Lieselotte but my husband got me another Volks doll as a wedding present that I ended up loving her face so much more! I honestly just liked her lip shape and her nose but I didn’t love her teeth. If you’re going to pay for your “grail”, it should be perfect(to me) and it just wasn’t.

And for once I could’ve afforded her but I bought my other dream dolls instead. The amount of smackeroo’s I’ve spent spoiling my wedding doll would’ve gotten me the dang head at least! She’s princess of the household.

 

Yes, that recently happened to me. As much as Volks Williams had been a grail since I entered the hobby (so for 13 years), I no longer want to own one. It was a strange feeling, thinking of how I admire the sculpt but don't desire owning one. My tastes have changed a bit but I think it's more that I'm more drawn to shelling particular characters. If I'm interested in getting a sculpt without a character these days, it's more unusual faces with option parts that draw my eye.

 

I can understand this process really well. DollShe's David Kunicci always had a kind of magnetic attraction to me. From time to time, I look at DollShe's website and admire his pictures. I also love to look at the gallery here on DoA. Also, he would perfectly fit my preference of big, musclebound men.

On the other hand, he would be all by himself. I just would not know what to do with him. Well, he could be the third magician in my crew or something. To me, he is not worth the hassle. Another aspect is DollShe's astronomical waiting time. I am not really keen on this experience...

I also had it happen the other way round. One sculpt, at which I looked totally randomly, started to tell me his story. For half a year or so, I tried to push him away and tell him "No, I don't want or need you". Didn't work. Finally, I had two of said sculpt in my house (I am looking at YOU, Impldoll Nicolas).

 

This has happened to me, I waited to long and my tastes changed. I still love looking at other people’s, but they aren’t for me.

 

In the past (and not so lang ago) I was always moaning about my favourite BJD (= First Love BJD) which has been out of production and that I couldn't get him anymore. I'm talking about DollZone Hong.
Now I have also DoA marketplace access, but...
It seems that in the last weeks (or at an earlier time?!?) something has changed inside myself.
I still love to look at this BJD on pictures, but I'm not sure anymore if I want to own him, too.
Until now I'm still keeping him on my BJD wishlist. Perhaps it's just for nostalgia times. Because he's no longer my priority second hand buy.
Time will show what is going to happen... Maybe he gets to my home after all, or he will vanish from my wishlist. Because there are other dolls I love more in these days.
I know he's just a doll, but I have a little bad conscience about my new feelings for my once upon a time favourite doll.

 

I don't think I have a grail doll? The one I've ever gone gaga for was my first doll, Iplehouse Louis. It's been over 10 years and sure my tastes have changed and while he's not as wowzers as some of the new ones out there, I still think he's cute. I may need to get him a pro face up and restring him...

 

Hi
I had a similar situation where I so desperately needed a certain grail and had been saving up so I could make a decent offer. One came up and we were negotiating prices and shipping and the seller began to seem a bit reluctant to let her boy go.
About 4 weeks earlier I was browsing Instagram when I saw the most gorgeous boy and my heart sunk he ticked boxes I didn't know I had. Also he was not for sale and very different to my current group.
After the seller of my grail said she needed time to think, I went online and I didn't instantly recognize the Instagram boy but he was for sale. As much as I kept telling myself I need to save up for my grail I felt insanely drawn to him. Before I knew it I had messaged the seller and paid for him. Only after she asked for feedback on Instagram when I had a look it all clicked.
I've never been happier and more excited about meeting a new bjd. I definitely would not not have been this happy if I got my grail and after getting this boy I've lost interest in that grail. Funny thing is my grail and new boy have similar sculpt names. (Terra and Terru) lol

 

Me too
This has never happened to me before, can't explain how happy I am with my new boy.

 

I've changed my grails a few times as I've learned more about my taste and what I like.

 

I read a bunch of these and I agree, I just bought a doll I comitted to buy (over 740 with shipping!) OUCH
im worried because I have wanted a doll from this company for 5 years. I do have one. but face-ups are so costly and everything post corona, feels so difficult. Honestly, I believe I will love the doll and just be mad at myself for the outlay of money!!!!
i think i have to make some choices!

 

I had that experience recently, after decluttering a lot of my collection. After sifting through all the dolls, bodies and heads I realized that a lot of the stuff I owned just wasn't for me. But what did quite surprise me (though it was more of a growing realization) was how little I felt for my grail. After having seen owner pictures of her I had absolutely fallen in love. There was no doll I wanted more. I even thought, if I have her I won't need any other doll. And then I finally found her and was able to bring her home. That's been about a year now. I haven't done anything with her... Originally it was planned to upgrade a character of mine. But I feel like this character no longer needs to be a part of my life. And by extension, neither does the doll. It is weird to feel like that to be honest. But maybe I liked the idea of owning her more than reality. Or I was just enchanted by the way someone else had styled her, without considering how mine might look. I have not yet sold her, but am seriously considering it.

I think another factor that plays into this is getting to know your tastes. Through handling various dolls this year, I was able to try many things out. Having your grail sort of puts pressure on you, that you need to be happy with it, that you need to do something with it, that THIS is the thing you like. That felt stressful, as there were many dolls I loved, but because of style differences I felt unhappy about it (yes, I'm quite picky about that unfortunately ). All those plans I had to bend to make my grail work just were so time and energy intense (and costly). So it felt like I needed to complete it. Allowing myself to say: hey, you really loved this doll, the older version and all the ideas you had, you are also ok to move into a different direction. That felt really, really good! Maybe someone else has experienced this too and understands the feeling I am talking aboutAnd maybe I will also find an allower inside of me, who says: she can stay too, it doesn't need to be perfect or match. Who knows :P