Your reasons for choosing your first doll?

I wanted to begin with a small doll. The bigger ones were quite expensive to me, so I had in mind to begin with a Pukipuki. I also wanted a compact doll, not too big, I don't have that much space in my room to display a doll. I had been searching about them, collecting pictures, compare different sculpts,... So a Puki it would be. Funny fact: I didn't pay for my Puki, my boyfriend did. XD He bought me one as a present.

I see my doll as a child I take care of. I call her Pipa, make sure she's comfortable, buy stuff just to make her happy... And yes, she's a doll, but that doesn't mean she doesn't deserves a nice place to live! So, I bought her a doll house, bed, lights, clothing, shoes, underwear, socks, wig, jewelry,... all to make her happy.

 

At first I wanted a doll that matched a friend's doll, size wise.
So I looked at Leeke, but the only doll I kinda liked was too small to fit with my friend's doll.

Then I let go of that doll and looked around at several places. First Peak's Woods where I instantly liked Lavin, an SD.
But I thought that I should look more, so I searched through many more sites but I always came back to Lavin. I had to have her, and so I bought her.

I have thought much of why, and I still don't think I really know.
I just loved her face, her nose, eye sockets, face up and of course her lips. I thought she was so beautiful, and I still think that she is. I have yet to see a doll I find as perfect as her.
Also she was the same size as my friend's doll, and while that matters little anymore, I still feel that the size is great. And also, she has three dolls from the same company. They fit together perfectly.

 

I had no choice in the matter... He simply flung himself into my shopping cart and demanded his purchase!

Seriously though, I had very few prerequisites when searching for my first doll - only that he be 60cm or taller and male. That was it. Beyond that, I was merely window shopping until I happened across the mold that struck me as being 'the one' - a doll that I wouldn't mind spending an obscene amount of money to own. ^^

There was no real reason behind the choice, other than I thought he was the single most beautiful thing to ever cross my gaze. And, more than six years on, I still feel that way about him.

 

While I was browsing plenty of different sites I found many that I thought looked good and had their own appeal, but the one I'm still waiting for seemed to stick out to me in a unique way. He was the only one I kept going back to and decided he'd be my first one. Granted it was not without being impulsive, but I've yet to find anything to make me regret my purchase though some I'm considering for in the future.

 

I really wanted a Dollfie Dream, but I fell in love with Volks Kun instead XD

But I just really wanted to begin this hobby while I can. I hope to expand my collection as I get older.

 

For my first doll, I knew I wanted a cute girl, because I wanted to buy pretty doll dresses, and I knew I wanted a mini, since I had never handled a BJD and 1/4 seemed like a good starting size. After that, it just took looking at hundreds of different molds before I decided on AE Jiao Jr. Actually, the story with Jiao is quite interesting! I hated her mold - or more accurately the company photos of her mold - from the beginning. Then, on Ebay, I kept seeing this adorable, sweet, big-eyed girl modeling what I now know to be HappyCamille's wigs. On DoA, I found a Picture Request thread identifying that same girl, and guess who that girl was. It was Jiao! I ordered her from Mint on Card shortly after that!

Moral of the story? Owner photos are a real blessing! They can show a lot of a mold that you can't necessarily glean from company photos.

 

I... somewhat own my first doll (he's just a noggin right now) because I kept searching and searching and searching for the right doll... and I kept coming back to him. He has a lovely serious looking face, most faceup work I've seen on him is beautiful, and he makes a wonderful mature looking man.

I realized he would be my first when I said "maybe I'll buy him"...and I never looked for an alternative... which I did when I was looking through Iplehouse, Dream of Doll, Dollzone, and other sculpts on Luts.

 

I had always wanted one since I found out about them a few years ago. ^^; My first doll, who is probably going to be in the mail shortly, was originally bought to be one of my favorite anime characters. He's a DollZone Floy who was going to be Amaimon from Blue Exorcist but I've since changed my mind I think. XD

 

When I started looking around for my first doll. I found the DoD website and fell in love with Homme ducan. I didnt care the price he was the one. I kept telling myself. so after a while of saving up I was looking at tan dolls. I thought they were amazing and soon found myself at Dollmore. I saw her Suntan Paran. I dropped Ducan and got her instead. She looked like a little anime character and the larger eyes on her were so adorible ^^. Her name is Kylee Nam. I am so happy now saving for her sister and brother -in law.

 

I seem to have stumbled accross a picture of Iplehouse's Dexter and was totally blown away.
He looked so real and he had an awsome costume.

For a couple of weeks I umed and ared then along came Iplehouse's luo from out of the blue and I bought him on impulse. I never regretted it and he is still my Fav boy. from their it has snowballed! and I still haven't got a Dexter!

 

I got mine for the price and the sculp. (Mine is a bobobie apollo boy) I really loved his sculp from the first time I saw him, and the price was very good on my wallet as I m disabled.

 

The first doll I bought was a complete impulse;a tiny on ebay that was heavily discounted.

The first doll I actively planned for was actually my second. For me, price was a factor, so I was mainly looking through Bobobie and AoD sculpts. I had also decided that MSD what a good size between too small and too large. I liked the Sprite head, but hated the body, and this was before Resinsoul came out with their bodies, so after researching on resin matches, decided to hybrid a NS Sprite head with a NS-P AoD girl body. The body posed well enough for me, but I didn't like the torso sculpt, so I sold the doll after 2 years, and bought an Espree head sculpt, which I'm going to hybridize with a Resinsoul Rong body. During those 2 years, I've also bought other, more expensive sculpts, but I'm still extremely fond of the Sprite/Espree head sculpt.

 

I started out knowing I wanted a beautiful double-jointed SD Girl (MSDs were too small, and I had no interest in boy dolls!)... I wanted her to be perfect, so I searched ALL the websites. There were a lot that I loved, but none persuaded me to press the "buy" button.
Then I was browsing DOA, and a D.I.M. Minimee Cloud Strife slapped me in the face and yelled, "I CHOOSE YOU!" I was really surprised because I never even considered getting a guy! I swear it was like I had no choice in it. It was a lot of hard work to have a first doll be a hybrid(Minimees are only heads), what with all of the hours of research, but he turned out perfect and I love him!

My factors were cost( He was under 500), double-jointed body for pose-ablility (Angelsdoll FTW!), SD size or bigger(He is over 70cm!), and the most important reason I got him was that he "spoke" to me.

 

My single reason was the degree to which the doll fit my character, which I had developed years ago and wished to manifest in a doll form. Once I found the right face, neither the size, nor the price mattered. To this day, my first is my favorite and most beloved.

 

my fist doll i kind of regret becouse for a fist doll i chose a lilac skin yosd BBB doll and she seemed too tiny and too purple skinned and i didnt know what to do with her but now she is just my little fashionista doll and i love her to bits and peices

 

I am about to order (I think tomorrow) on layaway my first doll... so my reasoning is two part, one, I really think finally getting DoA membership and reading and reading and reading is pushing me into a purchase sooner than anticipated and two is the Soom teeny free choice event...

So even though I have a few wishes on my list that are mostly based on me liking the body (one of them), liking the face (a few) and in one case liking the name of the sculpt and I assumed I would purchase one of them...

My first will be a soom teeny gem with an Alk Head and a Glati Body - which I think is totally adorable...
(so with you demonwithahalo!)

 

I mainly consider some points: I must really really like the doll, it must be a worthwhile price including a fullset I like, the shipping cost must be not too high.
I liked the Ringdolls a lot but I concentrated myself on Pullip collection since BJDs were really too expensive for me (I'm currently unemployed). I also discovered Blue Fairy dolls and I like them a lot too, and almost considered or start to dream to get one someday. But I got my eyes off of them.
I've recently found that Ringdolls is also releasing 43cm dolls that are really looking good, with beautifully detailed outfits, and that are quite affordable.
I've started searching infos about them, tried to figure their actual size, and how they look in different wigs or face up, and I realized I really liked them.
Moreover they are being sold by an European dealer that means lower shipping cost and no customs extra cost. I could not ask for more! So I'm hopefully going to get my first BJD soon.

I still am dreaming of Ringdolls Kay and Sol, and of Blue Fairy Olive, Jasmine, Robin, Benjamin, but in the first case the 72cm Ringdolls are too big and really too expensive for me (also considering they'll need expensive clothes and accessories in the future), and in the second case the Blue Fairy dolls are being sold in Europe at higher prices than usual, so anything I can save on shipping is charged on the doll price iself.
Maybe, one day...

Anyway, I'd never buy a doll I don't really like and that cannot satisfy my wish. Although I'll maybe never have other dolls I might adore, I'll still be happy.



@MissMie
Your story is so sweet! And I agree with you!

 

For me, I wanted something small (as the SDs and MSDs were extremely intimating to me) and that completely fit the personality of Finch (the character I was making the doll after). As it were, my very first doll was a second-hand Cherish Doll; a lot of people might find it strange that my first doll wasn’t brand-spanking-new, but I don’t love him any less than a new doll. He was EXACTLY what I was looking for.

 

I originally had my heart set on a Volks Super Dollfie. That all changed when one day I ran across a lady selling a Custom House doll... I didn't like the wig she was wearing but the face was so beautiful. At first I didn't want to purchase her because of the wig but I kept being drawn back. So, I finally took the plunge and purchased her as well as a new wig. When she arrived I replaced her wig and she was as beautiful as I had expected her to be.

I'm really glad that I chose her over the SD!

 

I randomly found him on ebay while I was looking for something else, and fell in love with his face.

I decided I was going to save my money for the Dollzone Alpha fullset that I've had my eye one for over a year, but I couldn't get AoD Chi out of my head after I saw him and I had enoug hmoney to order him, so...