The mindset behind purchasing headsculpts?

[celestia]

This is a question for headsculpts only; not the bodies.

I know a lot of people find themselves purchasing dolls and selling them again because the doll didn't 'fit', not up to expectations/standards or was an impulse buy, etc. etc.
A lot of reasons amount to them being limited edition, harder to purchase later, you have the funds now, it was love at first sight- etc. :p

Or maybe you are someone who plans till the doll is concrete in their mind. You know whether or not you want that particular doll and you know you aren't going to be disappointed because you've analysed that headsculpt at every angle and still find it aesthetic beyond comprehension.

So my question to you is, What is the mindset behind purchasing your headmolds?

For those who don't know what i'm asking, here are some of the co-related questions I'm interested in knowing from you- you obviously do not need to answer them all. X3


What are you thinking when you begin to fall for a headsculpt? How long does that feeling last before you buy it? How fast is it before you find yourself losing the effect? Have you done anything to control it or is it the kind of 'fickleness' you can't stop? Do you try to take extra measures to enjoy the doll (another face-up, re-modding)before selling it again? How much money do you think you have saved/lost as a result of your methods?

Personally, when i fall for a headsculpt, it's usually love at first sight before owner-posted-pictures are even available. I seem to be able to differentiate between "oh i love how s/he looks" to "s/he's definitely a sculpt i'm buying" because i've never bought a doll off my 'consolidating list'.
A lot of the headmolds i choose end up transgendering so most dolls designed to be females become males and most intended for males turn into females (though it is by all means a far common phenomenon) but that aside, I've never understood why people have bought a doll only to sell it again due to issues not-for-direct-profit reasons.

Doll molds i like from a distance go into my consolidating list. If I find a better mold after, i switch out; it's a patient sort of procedure. Most dolls i choose, i love but if there is always one concern with it not feeling quite so right, i've had no reasons to immediately purchase them and often they end up being scrapped from the list anyway.

I can't say I've saved a lot of money as a result because I've never really lost out on the dolls i've chosen- and I've never had the opportunity to experiment with a doll I was only half-minded about.

[jinlin]

Umm, as with everything, I tend to be a little bit helter-skelter about choosing headsculpts ^^;;

With some dolls, I just HAD to have that particular headmold. I only have two of those -- my first two boys. There are certainly many gorgeous dolls I enjoy looking at; I guess it is a sort of "blessing" that i have difficulty recognising headsculpts. I figure, if I can't tell it apart from the other dolls then I must not love it enough to get it XD

With character dolls I usually write down a list of characteristics, then choose the headsculpt that suits it the most. For instance, for Rosy-chan, he just needed to have a masculine-ish, lean face (no baby fat!). For Enma Ai she needed to have big eyes and a mouth that wasn't smiling.

I do find that if a headmold is not particularly limited I tend to postpone actual purchase. My third boy was meant to be a School A, but until now I haven't gotten him. I'm actually switching his mold to School C, so that I can put it on an SD10 body and get some variety in my dolls' bodies.

I will usually go very very far out of my way to keep the things I have bought; changing faceups, wigs, even giving Rosy rather different personality than the one I had planned. Then again, his personality has room to change. Enma Ai, as a character doll, if she arrived and had turned out to be totally unsuitable for her character, would have been sold in a heartbeat

[Raouken]

I'm not one for impulse buys, partly because I can rarely afford it and partly because I'm very wary of buying something on impulse-I'd rather pay a bit more for an LE on the secondmarket but have the chance of seeing owner pictures and analyse it, do mock-ups, see the sculpt in not so flattering photo's and see if I still like it. If I do, then yes, I will buy it. I once bought two Gomidoll Iru heads on impulse and sold them because..I don't know, maybe because it went too fast, I hadn't thought it through. It took a long time to settle on F16 for my next doll but now that I'm certain, it feels really good-that you'll know you'll love the doll and won't have second guesses because this is really, truly the doll you want.

I do notice I keep coming back to the same sculpts XD So in the end, for me, my first loves are the ones that end up on my saving list.

[kawaii_mon]

I do tend to have a "love at first sight" feeling with the sculpts I like, but lucky for me, I don't have the money to go and buy a doll the second I see it. So it goes on my list, and if I still like it further down the track then I will buy it. Although most of my dolls are limiteds, the only doll I scrambled to get then and there was Phoenix, my V. Elf Chiwoo. His character was originally meant to be a Woosoo, but in the end this sculpt suited him better.

I also have a rule where the dolls I buy must have a character that fits into my world somehow. I have one doll that doesn't really have a developed character, and I find I spend the least amount of time playing with her. This way I have found that I get over the initial love of a scuplt rather quickly, cause I know that I just won't appreciate it as much if I brought it home.

[Taco]

A lot of the headsculpts I chose, I picked because they looked like one of my characters. In some ways it makes it easier--the head either works or it doesn't. With my non-prexisting character dolls, the choosing was more difficult. I bought my Kawainino Anna head just because it really grabbed me in a way that a lot of the heads I had been looking at didn't. She just had that something that made me go "ooh, I need to bring you home". I put a lot of thought into purchasing my SD13 Megu head. I really wanted a girl and liked a lot of the Volks girl headsculpts. However, I had also been eyeing the sleeping Soony head (I really like dreaming/sleeping dolls) and a tiny girl. I ended up picking the Volks head, because it felt right at the time and I wasn't sure I would bond with a tiny or not.

Some sculpts grab me right away and don't let go, while others have grown on me. There are also a number of sculpts I've considered in the past, but over time came to the conclusion that while they were nice, there were others I wanted more.

[Amaryllis]

There are sculpts that I have seen that have made me go, "Wow, I really, really want that." And so I buy it. I'm very choosy and don't make the final decision to buy a headmold until I know 100% that it isn't something I will just turn around and sell any time soon. Would I like to get one of them a new body? Sure, but the head is what truly makes the doll.

[Meyari]

For me, I buy only dolls I love. Some it was love a first sight, others it was love that grew on me. I have literally thousands of characters I could get bodies for as my stories are huge but I'll only get a body for a character if: 1) the character interacts with my other pre-existing dolls, 2) there's a sculpt that 'matches' them perfectly and makes the character happy, and 3) I love the doll itself. If one of those three isn't there, the doll doesn't get bought, no matter how I pine for it.

Naturally, this has limited the number of dolls on my wishlist pretty well! :p

Despite that, I have bought 6 dolls who had no characters whatsoever. I just loved the doll itself. They became characters, in some cases very important ones, but they didn't start out that way.

So far, I've only had bonding problems with one body and never with a headmold. I have 16 dolls and 2 floating heads. Currently, I can't imagine ever letting any of them go sort of loosing my job, my hubby, my house and having to live in my car. Even then I'd fight it tooth and nail.

I guess my rules work fairly well for me!:heart

[saraquill]

The primary mindset for choosing a headmold is if I go "Ooooh, pretty. :p" Then I wait a while, and look at other pictures to see if I have the same feeling. I usually wait and think for a very long time before I buy a girl.

My upcoming girl though, is an impulse buy. I had the idea for her in my head for a long time now, and when I saw that Cherish Doll was having a sale, and I found one of their sculpts pleasing, I jumped at the chance. I would like to add though, that I had enough money saved up to afford such an impulse purchase.

[nakitama]

My mindset is, "Do I have the money for it, and I like it? yes? IT'S MINE!!!" :p


Naw, seriously.... I'll answer the questions ;)

What are you thinking when you begin to fall for a headsculpt?
"Sonofa..... :mad"

How long does that feeling last before you buy it?
Not long. I find that the longer I wait to buy a headmold, the less interested I am in it. A doll that stays on the wishlist for over a year is a doomed doll.

How fast is it before you find yourself losing the effect?
Very quickly. The ones that are "love at first sight" are almost always the ones that aren't for me. The ones that grow on me are the ones that are the best for me. :)

Example: I ADORED HD Dorothy from the moment I saw her pictures. Now, I think "...eh." Other people's Dorothy's are beautiful, but she's not for me.

SD13 Heath? Didn't like 'im from the start. I almost hated the guy..... and then one day, I don't know why... I realized that I hate him so much because I love him!! Same with SD Mark, I screamed "FUGLY!!!" when I first saw his photos; now I'm working him into the budget.

Don't ask me to explain it, cuz I can't :XD

Have you done anything to control it or is it the kind of 'fickleness' you can't stop?
I don't even try to control the fickleness anymore XD I just spaz out at will :p

Do you try to take extra measures to enjoy the doll (another face-up, re-modding)before selling it again?
No, not really... I've tried spending time with that doll alone, but so far, nothing has changed my final decision to sell a doll.

How much money do you think you have saved/lost as a result of your methods?
Oh god, you don't even want to KNOW how much money I've lost.... I have NEVER sold a doll for what I paid for it. I've always had to undercut myself to sell the doll.


I've never understood why people have bought a doll only to sell it again due to issues not-for-direct-profit reasons.
My reason for selling a doll has always been because the doll didn't fit in with my other dolls. I can't explain what "fitting in" means to me. It's not a matter of headsize, or proportion. It's just a feeling that I get from the doll. All the ones I've sold just didn't have that feeling, sadly... :cry

[jayyne]

For me, it's a matter of feeling just a little "start" when I see the face for the first time. That's how I felt when I saw Soo for the first time...my heart gave a little jump and I thought, "That's the most beautiful doll I've ever seen!" But owner pics really sealed the deal for me. Every single picture I've ever seen of Soo has been beautiful to me, so I knew for sure I'd love her. I felt the exact same way when I saw Namu for the first time. I was a tiny bit turned off by the number of people who pointed out his flaws, but every single time I saw his face, I loved it just as much as the first time I saw it.
I bought my F-14 because she was the first head mold I saw that I liked...and her eye shape reminded me of my own. I love her, but not as much as I love my Soo!

[bunnydots]

I'm not really into selling dolls. I buy a headsculpt with the intention of keeping it. If I really like the headsculpt I will probably buy several of it, perhaps in different skin tones or slightly modded or with plans to slightly mod.

If and when I decide to sell any dolls it's not going to be due to their headsculpts. It will most likely be either because I need money or because I've decided to take the collection in a different direction.

[Brightfires]

I'm not really into selling dolls. I buy a headsculpt with the intention of keeping it. If I really like the headsculpt I will probably buy several of it, perhaps in different skin tones or slightly modded or with plans to slightly mod.

If and when I decide to sell any dolls it's not going to be due to their headsculpts. It will most likely be either because I need money or because I've decided to take the collection in a different direction.

We're in the same boat. I buy mine with the intention of keeping them, and if I take a real fancy to a sculpt, I'll end up with "variations"... Open-eyed, Dreaming, Elf, Modded, different resin colors, or whatever else the case may be.

Some sculpts have been very much a matter of love at first sight. They just grabbed me by the eyeballs for some reason and wouldn't let go. When one does that, it's more or less inevitable that I'll end up with it sooner or later, as well as its alternate versions, if any. (A price-tag over $2k is about the only thing that would make me give up on one like like. I've never been able to justify to myself spending more than that on a doll, no matter how much I loved the look-) That's what happened with Shiwoo, Harang and Moon. Most recently, it happened with my Amakusa. There's just no denying a sculpt that strikes my fancy as strongly as that boy did...

Other sculpts that I'm fond of now honestly didn't start out that way. I was indifferent to Breakaway and Yder, and didn't care at all for Yukinojo or Williams... But they grew on me after I saw some of the very cool things that different owners had done with them. In some cases, all it took was seeing how adaptable they could be. I just needed to see them in a way that made me think, "You know, with the right faceup and such, that sculpt would make a really ace Character X or Concept Y."

Some of those "learned to love" dolls I've added to my collection, others I haven't for one reason or another (Breakaway and Yder are here, Williams just hasn't presented himself at the right time yet and Joe... Well, as much as I like Joe's face, SD16 bods are just too big and too heavy for me to deal with. 'Pity about that.), but love is love. Once they're here, it doesn't really make much difference if they started out as a "Must Have NOW!" or an "On Second Thought-". ^_^

[sarahdipity]

I find that there are some sculpts I love that I can never own. I'm not sure how to describe this. But there are some sculpts where I look at them, I love them and I wish that I could own them. But, I know they would never be like that for me. I guess I really believe that part of photography is seeing something and showing it to others. I just don't think I could "see/love" those sculpts as much as the owner pics I see do.

[Kiyakotari]

I'm to the point now where it looks like I'm going to be ending up with multiple heads for individual doll-characters! In two instances because there are simply two heads that work for the characters, and I love both, and in one because the character in question has three different 'persona' that he disguises himself as.

For me, it's all about finding the doll that most closely matches my character. And if a new mold comes out later that works better, then yeah, I'll sell the first one in a heartbeat. That goes for heads, bodies, hands, feet - everything! However, I usually do put a lot of thought into a purchase (there have been a few exceptions, but I've also never regretted those, and still own them). Only one doll didn't fit, and that was more the character than anything else. I just decided I didn't want a doll of her - I wasn't attached enough. Amusingly, she's one I'd planned for months and months, and was NOT an impulse purchase at all.

I've been resisting another urge, lately. The urge to buy heads that I like, but have no particular attachment to or use for, and use them as 'extras' in photoshoots. They would have no identities, and would get plopped onto different bodies (and have their wigs/eyes/clothes switched out) in order to become peripheral characters as I need them. Part of me is mildly horrified by this idea, because of how I interact with my dolls, but another part of me is fine with it because they'll be non-characters (and I don't feel the same way about them because of that), and also recognizes that (with the direction my photostories and methods have been heading) it's something I'm probably going to end up needing.

[Tereya Chan]

Like Taco I go into looking for a headsculpt generally with a character in mind. My first four dolls were all bought in a specific order actually. I didn't totally plan that it would happen that way, but I knew I wanted those four first. Usually I know what companies tend to suit the personality of the character I'm looking for so I tend to focus in on them while browsing other companies.

I do admit, my last two doll purchases were a bit more impulsive than I normal. For Yuu I spent months looking and two months contemplating before I ordered him even after I'd decided on the mold. For Jini, I'd decided on her shortly after I'd bought Coal, but I didn't get her till about 7 months later and even then it was partly because she was being discontinued that I got her.

I had thought I'd known the mold I'd wanted for Buttons, but after spending some time looking at the F-01 sculpt in person and through owners' pictures I completely changed my mind. This is one reason I'm glad I'd waited. Aside from money, spacing out my doll purchases allows me to be really certain of which dolls I want. This also means I tend to not even bother looking at limiteds.

I had originally saved up to do a F-17 FCS for Escher, but thankfully Volks put up pictures of Amakusa well ahead enough and some owners had posted pictures of him before the After Event here that I was able to make up my mind to get him. For my Mimi I actually only spent a month really thinking about getting her, but I'd also gotten to see her in person non-default which helped with the decision. And for me, it's personality combined with esthetics that is the final say for me. My dolls may not match my art/concept perfectly but they convey the attitude and look of the characters well enough.

[washi]

I have two types of doll - Dolls I've gotten specifically and dolls I've more or less fallen in with.

In the case of dolls I've gotten specifically, I usually have a character in mind. I look for dolls that look like the characters - usually they have the same eye shape and/or face shape, or other key features that the character has. I look at LOTS of pictures of the sculpt, angst over it for a while, let it ruminante and then, if I'm still sure, I'll buy the sculpt. Sometimes this can be something of a challenge - like when I decided that Rain was a Tan Jade, well after the NT sale had finished. I nabbed them second hand from the market place, thank god!

Dolls I've fallen in with are a completely diferent story. Often they're gift heads, dolls that come in pairs or a sculpt that I got on something of an impulse and worried over later. They don't have characters set out for them, but they find their character later. Sometimes they're dolls I'd NEVER have gotten normally, but now that I have them I don't regret them one bit. They often get the nifty face-ups and mods.

There are two good examples of dolls I've bought this way - my two mini girls, Sigil and Kiana. Sigil is a Bee-A, who I bought simply because I wanted to buy a Too. I wasn't sure if I'd keep her, but by the time she arrived she had a character and personality mapped out for her. I can't imagine not having her - she's absolutely beautiful. Kiana is a Mythdoll Yue, who I was thinking of because I thought she would work well with my other dolls and because she was quite cute. I wasn't 'oh wow!' over her, but I was drawn to her. Eventually, on an impulse after looking at her on the website every day for a week, I bought her.

Bodies tend to be chopped and changed around, but to date I've never sold a head on. I think I've been lucky in that respect - even heads I've gotten and thought 'DAMN, that's one funny lookin' dude' have become characters I adore.

[DimWitted]

i'm really strange...but....

i have a penchant for buying head sculpts that are mostly unknown/unpopular (they could be both limited edition or standard) with the sole purpose of doing/dressing them up and to see if they can become a massive popular hit. most times i don't even like the sculpt but if i can turn a lot of heads to see how beautiful it can be then there's my satisfaction. as soon as they're popular though i normally lose interest in them and tend to sell them off.

[celestia]

Dimwitted: just curious, have you been successful in this endeavor or has it only seemed like you were successful- or in contrast, have they been total coincidences? (or has it not happened at all?)
And even after you've 'done them up' do you decide to sell them or do you end up keeping them even if they don't become immensely popular?

[Gallye]

My original problem with BJDs was that I didn't like any of them enough to put down the money on them.

I enjoyed looking at pictures of other people's dolls, and exploring the various doll companies' sites, and I thought many dolls were pretty, but there was always this firm, definite sense of 'pretty... but not for me, not at that price'. I've always been good (or horrible, I suppose) about talking myself out of making major purchases before I actually complete (or even begin) the transaction, and BJDs were not exempt.

Then one day I was browsing around as usual and, for the first time, I hit the Iplehouse site. I went to look at Soo Ri and... something clicked. I found myself saying to a friend, "This is the first doll I've ever seen that appeals to me enough to make me consider buying him." A few days later Iplehouse released Lion and Louis, and I liked them both, Lion so much that I bought him first.

Why Iplehouse? I've tried to nail that down for a year now, and I'm not sure that I've ever managed to do it, not completely. I think the head-size-to-body-size ratio of their sculpts makes the dolls look a little more mature, since adults generally have smaller heads in proportion to their height. Their facial features strike a balance between realistic and stylized that really appeals to me. The bodies are the same way: not so realistic that it's disturbing, but still reasonably well-defined. In the end, I'm still not sure I understand why the 'balanced' Iplehouse aesthetic appeals to me so much, but I know that it does--as the dolls in my signature probably make perfectly clear! :sweat

These days, while I still find many dolls attractive, I still find myself thinking 'pretty... but not for me' most of the time. I did, however, recently buy an Esthy Peroth head, for the same reason that I bought the Iplehouse boys: I was struck immediately by the sculpt, to the point where I kept going back to look at it again and again. That has only happened to me a few times, and almost all of those dolls I've gone ahead and bought.

I haven't yet bought any dolls that grew on me slowly, so I can't speak to that. It's always an immediate 'yes, that's for me' or 'nice, but I don't think so'.

[Seiko]

I like a lot of sculpts, but I only own 3 doll molds I actually like on their own (Kasumi, F-17 School C). That said, the other three molds I own (Tony, Kun, and Eliud) - while I absolutely adore my characters and their repaints - were all bought because they were the ones that I was convinced would fit the characters best (or in Eliud's case, he was the 2nd option and way cheaper than option 1). That said, I bought Kasumi and made her specifically into an already detailed character that didn't have an exact specific look. For the School C, I just got lucky that I found some modded ones on Y!J that showed it would fit the character so I got one. The F-17 is a whole huge big story I won't go into here.

But, basically, I like a lot of head molds that I probably will never own because I don't have a character for them. If I can fit a character into a headmold I already like, great. But most of the time I just go with whatever works best for the character - usually by outside opinion from friend's - and I honestly haven't been disappointed. I've only sold one doll and that was because I just had a hard time with the mini size.

[byouyuuken]

Somewhere in the back of my head I have this list of all the dolls that catches my attention...everytime a new one comes out, I'd mentally rank its attractiveness to the list, and decide if it really compels me to buy. Most of the time the appeal from a new doll will cure itself if I wait out one or two weeks, sometimes more (like Breakaways or Bermanns)...but I tend to stay away from the limiteds no matter how much they appeal to me.

By the time I can decide where the sculpt can fit into the family, or have a rough idea of what I want it to be, it's about time I think about getting it for real.

I've also purchased floating heads for purely faceup-practices...and to see what I can do with a particular headsculpt etc. Those may not always be a sculpt that I really like, with no intentions to keep them permanently, but actually I'm regretting a little now about the selling...well, I try to justify that there's a separation between enjoyment as a customizer and as a doll owner, but that doesn't help really...

[Se-chan]

My mindset behind selecting sculpts at the moment mainly has to do with masculinity. I am looking for men instead of boys.

[Daniel Falls]

I'm sure I can answer your general question if my head was more clear, but it's not. Instead, I'' just take answer each simplified question:

What are you thinking when you begin to fall for a headsculpt?
When I fall for a headsculpt, I think that theyll suit a specific character of mine or that headmold will make an interesting character who will fit into my storyline or the headmold is just my type of aesthetic.

How long does that feeling last before you buy it?
My first impressions usually last until I see more photos or until the actual sale. I will make up my mind whether I will try for the doll by then. For example, I was so infatuated with Volks Cristal when we first saw initial photos, but after even more photos showed up, I changed my mind. It just looked a little too masculine for me, and even though I could turn it into a pretty boy male, I just didnt care to force another character into my storyline. I may regret this decision, since Cristal seems to have skyrocketed in popularity and price.

How fast is it before you find yourself losing the effect?
I think this question can be incorporated into the previous question, since I've only really focused on Volks dolls.

Have you done anything to control it or is it the kind of 'fickleness' you can't stop?
If I bought every doll I fell for, then I'd be swamped with dolls. I usually limit myself by asking: Does this doll fit a character in my story? Can my character be incarnated in another doll? Do I have the money to spend on a doll? ...which crosses with .... Can I sell the doll for the same cost so if I dont like it then at least I dont lose out on money?

Do you try to take extra measures to enjoy the doll (another face-up, re-modding)before selling it again?
Yes. I would at least try another faceup.

How much money do you think you have saved/lost as a result of your methods?
I think I've broken even. Of course Ive lost money, since the dolls I have now are money...but in resin form.

[lin]

What are you thinking when you begin to fall for a headsculpt?
Usually, I see it and fall instantly in love.

How long does that feeling last before you buy it?
I put it on my mental "wish" list and buy it as soon as I can.

How fast is it before you find yourself losing the effect?
Almost never; I did buy several CP elves before I decided that I really prefer realistic dolls, so I sold them.

Have you done anything to control it or is it the kind of 'fickleness' you can't stop?
I kept those elves for a year or so, but had simply fallen out of love.

Do you try to take extra measures to enjoy the doll (another face-up, re-modding)before selling it again?
No; once I accept that I am done with them, out they go.

How much money do you think you have saved/lost as a result of your methods?
I don't like to reflect on how much money I have lost; at the time I sold them, I just wanted them to go. I have learned, however, to be more discriminating in the first place before I buy a new doll.

[ravendolls]

I don't always have a 'character' in mind. If I like the sculpt on its own enough, I'll buy it!
Fortunately (or is it sadly) I see very little that calls to me these days!

But actually I do have a sort of character I've recently "de-shelled" and am waiting on the right sculpt for...

Raven

[nakitama]

i'm really strange...but....

i have a penchant for buying head sculpts that are mostly unknown/unpopular (they could be both limited edition or standard) with the sole purpose of doing/dressing them up and to see if they can become a massive popular hit. most times i don't even like the sculpt but if i can turn a lot of heads to see how beautiful it can be then there's my satisfaction. as soon as they're popular though i normally lose interest in them and tend to sell them off.
I LOVE doing this too! :blush My favorite thing to do with dolls and the reason I've stayed in the hobby for so long, is taking unpopular sculpts, and bringing them new life. There's beauty in every sculpt, and I totally ADORE taking a sculpt that most would say "bleh" to, and bringing out the beauty that wasn't apparant at first glance. Like, my Dollshe Van. Many people who didn't like Van gave him a second chance when they saw mine. Some couldn't believe he was a Van at all! That's what I call a success! :)

Sometimes it's not even an unpopular mold; it's an uncommon idea, like my Reisner girl. She's gorgeous, and Reisner makes a fantastic girl :D

I kind of feel pity for a doll who isn't popular, because I know they can be; they just need a little "push"! :)

[Daniel Falls]

It's interesting if you buy head molds simply because they are unpopular. is it just that one reason? Or are there other reasons behind it?

With these dolls costing hundreds of dollars, the inspiration to buy dolls based on popularity or obscurity is interesting although strange to me. I mainly focus on whether I like a doll's headmold and if itll suit a character in mind. The thought of its popularity only ever comes into the equation if Im unsure about the "fit" of the mold for a character and if its obscurity/popularity will make it much harder or much easier for me to sell later on.

I think I have enough saved up so that I can drop cash on a doll in a heartbeat, and I've recently done so. But only if it was a doll that I know there is a demand for. If its an obscure doll, then I wouldnt want to be stuck trying to sell an expensive doll that I no longer want.

[celestia]

Well, since a lot of the hobby is showing off over the internet; popularity for a doll is rather common. What i wanted to know was... if the doll was not successful in gaining the attention or "second glance" they were after; would they keep it or sell it or keep going *until* they got that reaction.
So in turn, would the hobby be impressing others to impress yourself or would it revolve around others liking your work in order to satiate your intentions?
None of this is a negative thing-
I even used to think about collecting molds, modifying and giving them brand new faces and selling them again; but to get a mold, modifying it and know it wont be popular- if it was a mold i liked to begin with, i wouldnt have had second thoughts about purchasing it. If it was a mold i wanted others to like; i wouldn't do it-because i find photoshop is safer 8D. Of course each to their own; but that's why mindsets are so interesting.
I like it when molds i really like aren't so popular though. It gives me great assurance to know there won't be an influx for them anytime soon and i can take my time bringing out its full potential. Even more so, i like it when a popular mold gains more attention for looking so different- but it's not coming first that counts... it's being the best at it. It's kind of unfortunate it hasn't worked this way with such an artistic hobby.

[Kim]

I'm all over when it comes to which dolls I do end up buying. I own a mold that I actually think is pretty ugly, Olivia Morgan, but when I saw my head put up for sale painted the way he was, I instantly went "ZOMG MUST HAVE LEON" (I may have also scared the girl who painted him since her sales pics were for a girl head and I was all "He's gonna be so hot!") So sometimes it's me seeing a head that works perfectly for a character, my own feelings on how that heads looks on its own merits aside.

Other times it's me wanting the doll and then figuring out a character for it. My Unoa boy was me really really wanting a Unoa boy thanks to their unique features. I really fell for that grumpy Piccolo face thanks to the Volks pics so I bought the Piccolo that would become Itachi. I purchased my Bluefairy Niky because I love that head, turned him into Kurenai, and then picked out another Bluefairy head that best fit his twin. May's not a head I would have purchased by itself, but it's perfect for Natsume.

Sadly, my all time favourite sculpt I may never own thanks to money constraints and really not having an excuse anymore to buy one thanks to the dolls I have accumulated. Volks Michele is about as perfect a head to me as you can get.

[Malice Librarian]

With the hopes that this will be the first and last floating head I ever buy, I'm buying one out of a miserly mindset. Instead of having two dolls with the same exact body, I bought one fullset doll and am planning to buy a floating head so as to switch between the two. *shrug*

[DimWitted]

Dimwitted: just curious, have you been successful in this endeavor or has it only seemed like you were successful- or in contrast, have they been total coincidences? (or has it not happened at all?)
And even after you've 'done them up' do you decide to sell them or do you end up keeping them even if they don't become immensely popular?

it started as a personal challenge...to make an unnoticeable doll become noticeable, or to present them in a way most would not have done. as far as being successful or not i don't really know, i guess my only way of telling is the fact that with some of these heads i've done up, i get daily messages/emails from ppl who specifically stated that they are going to buy this sculpt after seeing what i've done, (i don't count those messages that just says your head is pretty cause that is quite vague). i tend to sell them off either which way they turn out to be (popular or unpopular) cause i'm in this hobby just for the customising part, i don't really like keeping the dolls themselves.

[nakitama]

It's interesting if you buy head molds simply because they are unpopular. is it just that one reason? Or are there other reasons behind it?
Well, no, I don't buy them just for being unpopular, but I find that I can't feel inspired by a doll that is popular, because I feel like that doll has already had it's beauty shown, and nearly all angles explored. With an unpopular doll, there are hundreds of looks to try on the doll!!

To me, it's kinda like being Christopher Columbus: "Yeah, Spain is great, but why just stay there? There's a whole new world to explore!" :p

[celestia]

I'd be stressed to find a beauty in a popular doll that wasn't shown before- but then again I see endless possibilities with any mold.. it all depends on which one requires the less epoxy and sandpaper X3
Lishe is a wonderful example. Outrageously popular- though once in a while you see an artist who can do something to the sculpt to make it look ever so *OMFG SHE CAN LOOK LIKE THAT?!*.

Someone once said to me something like Why bother to look like the individual in a crowd when you can look the same and still be different?
To dolls, it would be as though the name of the sculpt was what they had in common and what the artist did to it that made it different. The quote was never intended for dolls of course... but i love how versatile it's become lol!

In any case, hypothetically, if the hobby were to die down and there wasn't such a market to sell dolls (everyone can answer this)- would you still be in the hobby knowing the resources might close down? And if so, how much of a gamble do you take with selecting molds? Is there a selection within that selection? Would you only purchase dolls you find safe?
For customisers: would you start to select molds you know you can sell with your modding potential? or is it still unchanged?

[Meyari]

In any case, hypothetically, if the hobby were to die down and there wasn't such a market to sell dolls (everyone can answer this)- would you still be in the hobby knowing the resources might close down? And if so, how much of a gamble do you take with selecting molds? Is there a selection within that selection? Would you only purchase dolls you find safe?
For customisers: would you start to select molds you know you can sell with your modding potential? or is it still unchanged?

It wouldn't make a bit of difference for me. I only buy dolls that I love and intend to keep. Whether anyone else loves them makes no difference to me. I only customize my dolls to match their characters with every intention of keeping them forever, so resale value is never an issue for me. But I'm not exactly the person that this question is aimed at. ;)

[JennyNemesis]

What are you thinking when you begin to fall for a headsculpt?

Usually I am thinking something like, Gee, my pants suddenly feel too tight.

I can never tell when & where the lightning-bolt will come from, either. But as Justice Stewart once said of pornography, "you know it when you see it." Love strikes as it will. Pow.


How long does that feeling last before you buy it?

I bring him home when I feel he's ready to come home, and "the feeling" lasts the whole time.

Sometimes, it depends on how long I have to decide to buy him (i.e. if it's a limited release, auction ending tomorrow, event sale, etc.). If I'm on a schedule like that, there can be a mere week between falling in love & actually purchasing. This is almost always the case, since I keep falling in love with rarities & limiteds, and have to be ready to pounce. But when I have time to decide (doll is not gone from secondhand market, regular stock, etc.), I prefer to mull it over for a month or so.


How fast is it before you find yourself losing the effect?

It doesn't go away. I am still every bit as in-love with all 15 of my boys as I was on the day I took each one out of the box.


Have you done anything to control it or is it the kind of 'fickleness' you can't stop?

Depends on the sculpt.
Some of them start with a powerful infatuation, you have a courtship with that face, and then you decide it's not True Love after all, and you part ways.
Some of them start right out with MUST HAVE NOW and don't let up, and you get married on the first date.
It seems 'controlled' in its own natural way, but I wouldn't say I have any control over it.


Do you try to take extra measures to enjoy the doll (another face-up, re-modding)before selling it again?

I don't resell anyone.


How much money do you think you have saved/lost as a result of your methods?

None. I wasn't thinking of the money. :heart

[Gelfling]

What is the mindset behind purchasing your headmolds?

Money issues aside, if I like a headmold I will consider buying the full doll. I like cute but I prefer loads of personality. I like versatility but there are some dolls that look great one way and that's the way I want them. I prefer faces with a touch of anime than realistic sculpts.

I don't intend to sell the dolls I have bought, but I haven't been in the hobby too long and if my tastes change... who knows?

I can be turned off by a body, though, actually, but maybe not completely.
Body engineering interests me.

What are you thinking when you begin to fall for a headsculpt?

Er, "Oh, that's really nice"?

How long does that feeling last before you buy it?

Generally it goes on and on. I waited a year to purchase my Domuya Potpourri. I still haven't purchased a DoT Shall.

I try to be cautious and *not* impulse buy but wait days, weeks, months until I'm sure it's the doll and not the bling of something new. I have impulse bought, though - but as I survey my crew I am pleased with 'em all.

How fast is it before you find yourself losing the effect? Have you done anything to control it or is it the kind of 'fickleness' you can't stop?

Doll desires stick around. But I have quelled my desire for all the beautiful SD Volks dolls (F-16, Liz, Anais...) by buying a Tsubaki. Ain't that interesting? Wonder if it'll last?

I don't buy SD dolls. They are too big. That's my rule and so far it's saved me mucho moolah. (Tan Re-Che... eek! keep away!)

Do you try to take extra measures to enjoy the doll (another face-up, re-modding)before selling it again? How much money do you think you have saved/lost as a result of your methods

Haven't sold. May never sell. Even if I did sell, a hobby is always something to lose money on - I just accept that.

When it comes to summer I plan to redo the faces on most if not all of my dolls. Customisation, however modest, is a large part of my enjoyment of the hobby.

[Cloud'sPimp]

Hehehe! I've always luved this type of question :)

Usually when I'm interested in a head mold to the point where u want to buy it, I didn't plan for a character in my mind first so it's the head mold that attracts me :) After that, I give him a character ^^ Except for Cloud though ^^ I've already had the chara in mind to create the doll out of him.

When I know I want to have the doll, usually it strucks me at first sight :nod
There are many dolls which are beautiful, but when it does not struck me at first sight then I'll know I just enjoying them from afar :) And yes I'm very picky on head molds ^^ So that's why mostly my dolls aren't the popular ones like CPs and Volks. I tend to like semi realistic (proportioned) looking head mold ^^

[Aruri]

personally my mistake, that required me to sell my El was just sheer impatience, instead of thinking about it thuroughly and deciding on a doll love I was impatient and selected a doll that was good looking and fairly cheap, so I could have a doll.

he never developed, we completely clashed, and I knew it wouldn't work

[Kit]

I've had some "love at first site" moments (White Cat Chris, Soo, Gena), but I'm not an impulse buyer. I go back and forth forever before making the decision to buy the more expensive things because it's a little difficult to justify spending so much on myself anyway.

Generally I wait out those first feelings to see if that mold still appeals to me later on. I adored Soo at first, but after some time I realized she just didn't suit me (no matter that I still find her adorable ^^). It took a pro/con list to help me decide though. ;)

[Melaidhrin]

It took a pro/con list to help me decide though. ;)

How can I forget the night of the T charts... :shifty

I think I just slowly fall in love with molds. Sure, some make me go "oh my god WANT!" but then I think about it and usually decide I don't really want it that much. The ones I do end up wanting just sort of creep their way in.

[Kit]

How can I forget the night of the T charts... :shifty

Yes, that's right. It was several charts for different molds even. I remember "boobies" being both a pro and a con of different ones. :?

I still like the Chris/Lucas dolls, even after all of this time. But some molds I feel just as happy about seeing pictures of as I do thinking about owning one. In those cases I'd rather not buy them. Hopefully that will keep the doll family at a minimum! :blush

[Myth]

most of my dolls were bought on a whim (tho with my F17 & F16 only the timing was unplanned). I decide very fast if I like a headmold or don't, and I buy fast too... well, there are other factors involved, like if i can afford it (or rather if i can allow myself go into debts >>) and the availability of the doll, which can delay the decision (i wanted to buy a Chris, but had no money, when i had the money - i decided i don't need him). I love a lot of dolls, but i don't want a doll collection since i would like to give my dolls attention and a story, and i'm not a person who could handle too many stimulations at once, so i'm careful with that. I also make sure it's a doll i'd really like to keep, and the idea of selling any of my boys is so daunting. yet, i felt like i keep wanting more and more dolls. i've only now, with the purchase of my schA (the only one of my boys i actually planned, for almost 2 years!), reached a point where i don't feel the nagging desire to buy another doll. i'm so content with my doll family at the moment :)

but anyway, i realize that's how i shop for other things even clothes (i really hate to go shopping, esp for clothes & shoes) - if there's no immediate 'click' i don't buy.
one exception was my Reisner boy, i only wanted to buy the body for my F16, but then i thought Reisner is pretty and i should keep him. it really wasn't the same like when i bought my other boys and i had hard time liking him at first... (but after he returned with a new faceup i'm in love over the moon *___*)

it's a shame i won't be able to see in person other headmolds i really love, i wish there were more doll owners here... but i'm satisfied with viewing pics of all the dolls i'll never own.

[MaddPuss]

Well, I bought Jay's head with a particular character type in mind, something cute and innocent. Sadly, that was not to be. The Jay I wanted did not match the Jay that happened, not at all. Course, instead of getting rid of the head due to it not fitting what I wanted, I worked with it. I'm glad I did too.

But, I'm eyeing some other heads now because they do fit characters I write about. Here's hoping the transition from mental to resin works out. XD

[halfling]

Head molds tend to be love at first sight for me. Then I wait and save, save and wait, then wait and save some more. I'm still waitin' and savin' for my first dorrie love. I'll wait as long as I have to get the doll. I see doll sculpts I like and then a character comes to mind.

[Cloud]

When I first discovered BJDs I loved every mold I saw. I learned over time to distinguish the features that most appealed to me and those nitpicky "can't stand" features. I made myself some "rules" i.e. no french resin or deep eyewells etc. Nevertheless, I was surprised at how fickle my individual preferences turned out to be. And yes, sometimes the popularity of a mold will influence me. I loved Lishe at first, but that quickly faded when I saw how popular she was. I'm weird that way (probably a throwback to not being in the "popular crowd" in high school) I don't buy headmolds based on any pre-existing characters. I buy heads I love and want to look at forever as I don't plan on selling any of my dolls. I had already bought three dolls, one a Chiwoo, before I realized I don't want any boys. I'm going to turn Chiwoo into a girl :nodNow I take my time. If the head stays on my list for even three months after comparison with all the new heads coming out, then I know it's for me. The only time I think I'll ever buy on impulse is if I see a fabulous One-off at the LA Dolpa!

[kathrynmary]

for me i have never bought just a head without a body but i pick a doll based on look and i have been trying to stay in the tiny arena but i really want a dollstown soph and i like th unoa's a lot too. i dont think about characters but i am starting to go that way now that i have been in bjd forums. i love reading about a dolls personality and think i need to focus on that some. i am not as creative that way but i am trying to put more thought into what is this doll character what is he/she like where does she come from.

[chizzie_shark]

I'm not one for impulse buys; and even if I do, as soon as I get the point where I have to pay, I start hesitating. And even if I buy it, I end up with buyer's remorse. And since BJDs cost so much...

Headsculpt though is the major thing I look at when I choose a BJD. I wouldn't buy it straight away, but I'd save the pic and look back at it multiple times, then come back to it again and see if I still like it. If I think about it constantly, or if every time I'm struck by how beautiful it is, or if I consistently think the mold is attractive without even knowing it's that particular doll (did that make sense?), then I know I like it. Even then, though, I may not buy it if it doesn't fit with my plans - I absolutely love the Lishe, E-an and Ryu molds, but I don't intend to buy either of them, as I don't have a place for them and that's a lot of money to spend on something I don't have a use for.

[ArcaneMuse]

I have fallen in love with a doll at first sight but only two of my dolls were purchased after first sight love. The others sort of grew on me. I liked all of them and kept coming back to them but wasn't sure if they were intriguing enough to bring home. I usually don't pounce as soon as I fall in love with a doll. I find most of the time its a crush and I get over it. Sometimes, quickly, other times, over a matter of weeks. If the doll isn't a limited I will hold off for a couple of months before laying down the money as I know how fickle I am. Since I've been in the hobby, I've never missed out on a doll, but I can think of a couple of sculpts I wish I would have known about a year or two before I got into this hobby.

[Carolyn.S]

Hard question. I fall for two kinds of dolls - friendly beauties and pretty imps. With the friendly beauties I feel that they are not wrapped up in themselves and would be my friend. With the imps, I feel a battle of wills similar to growing up with 3 younger sisters.

Except for tiny Dollmore Banji I have never bought a doll based solely on the manufacturer's photos. I almost always look at every single owner photo I can find - repeatedly - before I buy a doll. When I am in love with a head sculpt it just speaks to me from all directions - it conveys or evokes emotions and connects with me. So far, I have never made a mistake that way. My only mistakes have been a few dolls I bought on impulse without being in love with the head sculpt and I sold them to people who would appreciate them more (but those dolls had more I didn't like besides the head sculpt).

Carolyn