We all know how difficult and sometimes complicated choosing a doll can be, especially the first one since we are often unfamiliar with a lot of things. So many choices and so many factors to consider! Out of curiosity, what are your personal reasons for choosing your first doll? I'm just wondering what other people consider/decide are the most important factors when getting their first doll in this hobby Thanks and I hope everyone is having a great day.
I knew I wanted to get mine from Volks, and it took a while during which I looked at various sculpts, but it was SD Mark who stuck with me so I went to get one for myself. The most important factor for me was suitability to character. I felt there was enough of a Hanwing "vibe" for him to be Hanwing . He was the right height in the right scale, from the right company, and had the right expression for me.
Well the first thing I looked for was a beautiful face, then a nice body with good posability and plenty stores carrying clothes in the correct size(that's why I decided against BlueFairy) I also looked for less common model, I wouldn't like having the same doll everyine has (Like Iplehouse's Akando or Luts' Ani). I finally choose a Darae from Luts, so far I've only seen a couple of them around.
I was mostly just looking for a good deal at the time... I hadn't hit the 'Oh, it's only $600 dollars!' mentality yet. :P I wanted a boyish looking boy, who looked (or was trying to look) badass. Luckily, I came across, actually liked -and still love!- my AOD Chen. I am still very happy that even for my first doll, I looked around enough to actually fall for the boy I thought I would talk myself into. ^_^
I spent my first days in the hobby drooling over SD size dolls. But when I finally decided to commit to buying my first doll, I couldn't bring myself to throw down for an SD. So I looked around a bit at MSD, and decided that a Winter Event-priced Kid Delf was just right for me. I'd always loved looking at Luts dolls, they were so sweet. And she was a brand new sculpt. Being one of the first to purchase her made her even more special to me. My Litchi is still with me, for almost 3 1/2 years now. (...holy crud really?? Wow I didn't realize it has been that long already!)
I spent over 2 years looking at dolls as I waited to get one. I ended up getting AR Ami... really just because she was the one. I just kept going back to her! I got her without clothing, sanding, or makeup, as I wanted to do these things myself. I got an MSD sized doll mainly because it was my first doll and I wasn't really sure how big or heavy they where... and at the time my friends SD sized AR doll seemed massive! : D
For a while I was interested in getting a doll but always told myself "no" due to the fact, these little darlings cost some good cash, but it didn't stop me from window shopping xD. I was looking on ebay for something cheap but was built decently, and looked wonderful. The dolls that I really wanted were like, $500+ but as a college student, some things would always remain a dream~ So while on ebay, I came across dolls that were bran new, gorgeous, built nicely and their base cost was only $310. I came across this one male doll that popped out to me, and I fell in love, jackpot! xD I told a friend about the doll and how I had planned to save for him but it would take a long long time to do so. So a few days later, she mailed me and asked me "out of curiosity what would you get for so said doll?" and I told her...it was a few days later I found out she had bought him with a full outfit, shoes, makeup, wig, accessories, and special skin tone, as a present for me O.o So I was willing to get my first doll for about $300 some, but it was a great friend who got me the doll I had been digitally stalking (lol), and for that, I'm am so very grateful
(If you have no time for long stories, skip my post, lol!) I had originally wanted a Volks doll; the reason for this was because, in 2007, my friend somehow found the Volks website and that was all I knew until I found DoA. At first, I felt that Volks was the supreme being of BJD shops, and everywhere else was not as good (I strongly believe I never said this out loud here, but if I did, and it was around 2008... excuse me). Anyway, I finally found out that there were a lot more BJD sites, and Volks was just one of many. Since 2008, I kind of fell off the BJD fandom wagon, and got on again in 2009 when I decided to save for a BBB or RS Mei. I had a good chunk saved up (since my mom flat-out said 'no') and kept on doing research. I was really ready to do this thing; bring it on! ...As you might notice, there isn't a BBB or RS Mei in my signature of dolls... As I did more and more research, I found out one issue: she was a slim mini. I tried to ask questions on the DoA boards, and got a jumble of responses as to what clothes she wears. At the time, I was nowhere near interested to take out a sewing machine and try to sew anything, and a lot of the sites I went to had clothes that were too big. So, I gave up, and spent the money. Cut to last May/June. I decide that I want to get back into the hobby again, and ask for the same doll again. Still, no. My dad asks if I could find something less expensive (and I find the Dollmore Kids) - still, no. I decide I have to save for myself. It's going to be the most money I have ever saved, but I have to try. End result was that I got my BJD because she was a lot cheaper than a Volks doll, but I bought her because I also liked her. Strangely, Volks has taken a back seat since I've become much more educated in terms of BJD companies and such.
My first doll I started to save up for was the doll that made me fall for bjd's in the first place; a DOD DOT Shall. Then the first doll jumped from a Bluefairy May, to a Dearmine Dorothy, and in between several other companies including Infinitidoll, to Iplehouse. I finally decided for my first doll(s) I wanted TWINS, and decided to purchase both boy and girl sculpts of their Luts' KDF Ani doll. I figured MSD size would be perfect to practice sewing projects on, and I could go either way with size adjustments.
My '1st' doll was a DOC Kirill. He was a present from my gf. But I love anthro dolls more so I trade him off unwilling to a dearmine, oriental debon recently. I think I will get a kirill again if I got the cash.
I chose my first doll just the way you see brides on TLC or on tv shows choosing their gowns.I looked at vary many dolls before, but when I saw Hajime (my Boy& Girl sky type2) I automatically fell in love with him, and I knew none would top him off!-I didn`t really have anything particularly that I was looking for, but when I saw him I knew he would be the one.There was just something so special and so magnetic to him, mabye his wide dreamy eyes or his beautifully shaped lips.So I baught him , and I still own him and love him.That`s just how I was
Impulse, impulse, impulse And as a result I ended up selling him, my DoC Si. He wasn't what I wanted at all - he had the cute face and everything but the DoD default face-up didn't do the sculpt justice, and the plastic-y body (it honestly didn't feel like resin at all, more like the plastic that kids' toyboxes are made out of) really irked me. Couple that with the fact that I wanted NS and got OMGPINK and... well... he was adopted into a loving home elsewhere ^-^ It wasn't until I got my second doll (Angell Studio Vera, still with me and still a favourite) that I realised all of this though, by which time it was too late. I learned the hard way that I need to take time to fall for a doll - a lesson I am still, unfortunately, learning
i got my first one to be a drawing model so posability was a big factor. then i picked a head that i liked the sculpt of. unfortunately i didn't do enough research first and didn't know the resin color wouldn't match. that poor girl is still headless years later 'cause i didn't like any of the sculpts from that company! so for my second i checked other possibilities for posing and got the whole thing from one company...
It's funny, I was so HOOKED on a Delf El in the beginning. i even had his picture taped to my monitor at work forever! But when the time came to click the button, it was Yder's huge eyes that got me, and I've never regretted the decision. With me and dolls, it's all about the face. I didn't care what size or if I could find clothes (because I sew) or anything else. Of course, that was also the first (and only) doll I put on a credit card, so I didn't care about the pricetag. Since then I've realized I can save for anything I want, with enough patience!
I wanted something I could "play" with out the box, so I got a fullset. Didn't need to worry about faceup or hair or clothes while waiting for him, it really helped to have it all come in one go so I could experiance a completed doll. Learning to do faceups came with all subsequent, blank dolls. Had him for a long while but he's since been sold after I figured out a more of what my tastes in owning dolls are compared to just looking at pictures of them ^^;.
My first BJD is a MSD sized DOC Petsha and I was attracted to her promotion picture when I first saw her I went on looking at pictures posted by Petsha owners on Flickr and I was convinced that I want to get her I'm still new in BJD collecting and thus, I have decided that my first BJD to have fullset for my current dolls are all 1/6 sized dolls and I have little idea of how I sould make clothes for her
I wasn't sure what BJD I should choose at first. But what did I know was that I will buy a doll from Dream of doll. There was another doll too and I picked my first doll cause he was cuter than another one : D And of course the price was one reason. He wasn't too expansive and the company was reliable.
My first doll closely resembles the main character from my manga ^^ That is one of the reasons I chose her. She is just so adorable and small. : D
Well for one thing, DOC Wi was much more affordable than any of the SDs from Luts and Volks that I liked. He had the tall, pointed, European nose and cat-like eyes..he was just too sweet to resist! That and a friend of mine ordered U, so it was nice to order dolls from the same company. In retrospect it was most likely a bad idea to buy a doll from the same place just because my friend did, but I ended up falling hard for Wi anyway. Still with me, even five and a half years later.
I really wanted a female Asian sculpt, but all the gorgeous girls were huuuge SD sizes which just plain scare me I'm not sure how I found Iplehouse, but as soon as I saw "i" it was love! I had to have her I think the most important thing to think about when getting your first BJD is to ensure it's the one you actually WANT, and that it's the one that makes you keep coming back to look at and compare to others XD Settling for a doll you like, rather than adore, isn't a good idea and will end up costing you both in money and emotions. I know this hobby is expensive, and not everyone can afford the doll they truely want... But it's worth the wait and so much more amazing if you save for him/her!
