How do you decide whom to sell...?

[Janne]

I really envy people who have never sold a doll! Unfortunately, my eyes are a little bigger than my piggy bank and I've had to make some tough decisions when a doll becomes available that I really love!

When that dream doll comes along, but your hobby money's already spent, how do you decide who has to go...?

Do you decide there's a size that doesn't really fit in with the rest ...?

Do you look around at dolls you really don't play with...?

Do you have a rare doll you're actually afraid to play with...?

(For the record, I think I've used all the rationales above, from time to time. Also, I still have the first 5 SD I ever bought, so I'm not completely heartless. ^^;;; )

And sorry if some find the very idea offensive!

[sgtgeorgecarter]

LOL I never thought I'd sell a doll.

Then I got my SWD Piccolo and right away I knew he was not for me. I know what people mean now about someone not fitting in. I used to think it was just another excuse but no, I know what they mean now.

Fortunately I knew someone who was probably looking for a Yo and when I put them together, it was a great match. I think they are both still enjoying one another :)

Actually I nip the problem in the bud by not looking at new doll threads :oops

[SapphireMusings]

Personally, I choose a doll that I haven't really gotten attached to, for example, I just sold the body to a doll I've had for a couple of weeks but never really played with to get a Latidoll Green Ronnie. I love him! <3

But I'd be really stuck if I had to sell any of my current dolls. I really love them all, there's no way I could let go of them!

As for rare dolls, I don't have any. If I did, I bet I would be afraid of damaging them and end up selling it...imagine breaking the hand of a bermann!

[Kurosakura]

Ugh, I actually thought about this question last night... just musing since my husband and I were joking around about who would have to go if he kept me to my original decision of 'only 2.' (I have 5... with another one on pre-order.)

Its easy when a new doll arrives and you know its not for you. Its just a matter of repackaging it and sending it back out the door to a new owner. Or if you know you simply can't afford to keep the new arrival. No chance to get attached. It only gets really hard when something bad happens and you desperately need the money, so you have to decide between dolls who have been with you for awhile.

My initial judgements would be based on who I 'play' with the least. For instance, I love my tiny, but I don't interact with him much. So he'd probably be the first to go. I would then think about which doll is the most personal to me and probably keep that one. My most personal doll is my custom Minimee girl. It'd be so wierd to see someone else owning her! From there I would think about who is relatively limited in what I can do with them. (For example: My SD16 girl is a character tribute doll. She will never become anything more than that, so in that way she's pretty limited in what I'd do with her. So she would probably go too.) If I had to cut back even further, I would then start considering who I photograph the most and who is the most user-friendly.

Its really a wierd thing to think about, but potentially quite useful too. Even if its all theoretical, it does allow you to put your dolls' "value" in perspective.

[Catdancer]

I have sold dolls for various reasons, one was a rare doll that I just had to have but after I got her, I only took her outside once for some pics, never changed her outfit, wig or eyes, for fear of losing or something happening to them. And after a while she just stood around on the shelf..so I put her in her box for a while and I didn't miss her..so I sold her..she was too rare to have fun with...she was a BB Alice.

other times its just ones I bought on a whim, over spent my limit and just resold because I felt guilty for buying them in first place and second they turned out to not be for me anyway

At first I really spent alot on buying dolls due to a medical condition which caused me to be depressed and have OCD, but now its under control..and if I want a doll I have to either sell one, sell some stuff and or put it on layaway..and I have been...pretty good about it..;) I've fell off the wagon a little but not so much that I couldn't pay it off.

sometimes I get tired of looking at the same old dolls..

[Brightfires]

I've sold very few of my dolls...

The original Pups (MNF Shiwoos) went because, even though they were adorable, the dolls just didn't suit who I wanted Kita & Tsuki to be. They looked too young.

Shakti (Juri '05 mod) was sold because I never did anything with her. Of all of the dolls here, she got the least attention, and so I never really established any kind of affection for her. I finally just decided that keeping her "just to have her" was a little silly.

My Igon head was one of those immediate "not right for me" situations, so he was never really part of the crew to begin with. It wasn't a difficult choice to send him on.

Otherwise, everyone who's come in has stayed, and I don't have any plans to thin the ranks. If I absolutely HAD to sell others, though, I would pick the ones to go based mostly on two things... Who I had the least attachment to, and who would be the easiest to replace sometime down the line. (ie: Harumatsu, Al and Teacup aren't ever going anywhere. Period. Likewise, my other CP elves and Breakaways, and the dolls who are unique in some way would be a lot farther down the sell-list than my basically default Hound or Vampire Shiwoo.)

[Kahli]

:oops It's hard to decide while they are looking at me so if there is one (or more) I'm thinking of selling, I put him or her in the box for awhile and see if I miss them (or just forget where I put the box!).

Then it's easier to find him or her a new home.

I've done it lots of times and I've never regretted it even once. Helps to be really forgetful, too (which I am). :dance

[Chops]

I have sold two of mine so far. My first, a MSD Souldoll was the first I sold. I loved her so much, but as I started aquiring other "mature" MSD minis, she didn't fit in.

Early in my bjd collecting, I found it hard to understand how a doll could not "fit in" until it happened to me. My souldoll had a bigger head, so all her wigs were a size bigger then my mature minis. Her torso was also larger, so she could not switch clothes that easily. It just got to be a hassle have different size clothes and wigs.

I also had to be careful how and where I placed her in photos, as her head was bigger. So I cleaned her up, took photos, pack her up in her box, and let her sit for awhile. Soon enough it was time for her to find a new home. It was 100% the right decision for me.

Then I sold my second. That beautiful doll was almost too perfect for me. Never really "bonded". I can't believe I wrote that--"bonded". I suppose it means I never liked her as well as the others!

[saranilla]

:oops It's hard to decide while they are looking at me so if there is one (or more) I'm thinking of selling, I put him or her in the box for awhile and see if I miss them (or just forget where I put the box!).

Then it's easier to find him or her a new home.

I've done it lots of times and I've never regretted it even once. Helps to be really forgetful, too (which I am). :dance


I use that method too. My last girl was a SD16 and she just left the other day. I really loved her, probably more than any I have ever had, but she just seemed so fragile compared to the others. The slimness of her fingers, every time I handled her I was worried I was going to break something. She was also very hard to handle when posing and dressing. So as long as she stood their looking at me I really wanted to keep her. But the minute I put her away in her box it wasn't hard at all. The reasons against her staying far outweighed the reason to keep her.


The short of it is I consider my dolls to be a luxury. If money is needed I don't have a problem rehoming someone at all, and usually the last one in is the first to go.

[astrosnik]

I think it depends on who has become more of a "character", and how they all fit together. I haven't sold many dolls, but they were ones who just didn't look right (style or size) with my other dolls. If it came down to deeper necessity I'd have to consider who would be easiest to replace mold-wise. Because all of my dolls are faceupped and most modded by me, it's really difficult to consider gaining a new doll to be more important than the ones I have. (Although if Anais ever comes on the market...) I'd rather sell stuff than dolls, though!

[ready2rokk]

I've sold about 6 dolls total. I'm very fickle when it comes to choosing the perfect doll for me, so when I buy a doll, its like trial and error. The first two I sold were minis and I just decided that minis weren't for me because they lacked presence. The next was a doll I thought I liked, but in person I absolutely couldn't stand it. The fourth was cute, but I couldn't figure out a personality for him. With the fifth, I had him for over a year and while he was adorable, he didn't have a personality no matter how much I tried. The sixth just didn't look right with my other dolls, her skin tone was too pink for my yellowy volks boys and looked very fake next to them.

My reasons for selling varies, but it all comes down to the doll just doesn't work for what I'm looking for. I sell the dolls I'm least bonded to or just can't figure out personalities for.

[purplewiz]

I do my very best to prevent the problem from happening by only buying dolls that I can afford Right Now and who grab me to the point of never forgetting about them. I've only sold two dolls, and that's because they were duplicates - through a long series of events I was going to end up with either two each of these dolls or none, and I decided to go with the two because I really wanted one! Selling the duplicates was no big deal, and they each went to good homes.

I'm glad I've read this thread about "not fitting in" because there is a doll I've been considering, but she's of a form completely unlike any of my other dolls. And while there are many compelling reasons to get her I think I'm learning something from all of your experiences!

Marcia.

[Loki's Mom]

I've sold one doll (Mythdoll Leroi) and am about to sell another (CP elf Yder). Both were (mostly) impulse buys. Not that I regret buying them, but over time, I found I just didn't play with them as much. I guess I never bonded because I've never come up with solid (proper) names for them either, just nicknames.

I think it'd be based on who I was least attached to if I had to part with any of the others. Bran (CP elf Shiwoo) ain't goin' nowhere. He's my first doll and basically one my two dream dolls.

LM

[Myriai]

I've sold three dolls altogether. One because he just wasn't working for a character like I hoped, another because there was a bit of drama stigma attached to him, and one because the character it originally housed more or less 'left the shell'.

The ones I have left would be very hard to let go of. I'd much rather sell off bodies than whole dolls simply because oftentimes it is the head of the doll that is that particular character. If I had to sell dolls though, I probably would go by the ones I'm least attached to followed by dolls I can replace fairly easily. There are a few I can't (at this point) see myself selling, one is my Kohya because I really don't want to have to hunt down another one later, another is my Tanned DES because she was more or less a gift from saishuu to me for all I still have to pay her back, and my BC Vin for the same reason (except he was a complete gift from my mother for my birthday).

[thesaraghina]

After a little over 2 years in the hobby, and thinking that I wouldn't ever sell any of my dolls, I've just finished selling three of them, and am in the process of selling a fourth. :( It was a very difficult decision for me, but it ended up being the ones I just didn't pay very much attention to. I sold both my minis, as they're just not the right size for me, I really prefer SD13 size and the little Yo size, and two of my really gorgeous boys, one of whom was probably my most photogenic doll, but issues with his body (Dolkot), and just not having many ideas photographically had me keeping him off to the sidelines more often than not, and the other who'd been bodiless for the majority of the two years that I had him. I also never really had a reason to pose them with my other boys, and not taking photos of them very often kinda led me to something resembling indifference, and I knew that they should go to someone who would pay them more attention than I was.
I do still have thoughts of selling a couple others, mainly for lack of attention given to them, or being frustrated with the way they photograph, since taking pictures is a big part of my enjoyment in the hobby. :<

[Coleva]

I usually take a look at the ones I interact with the least, take the fewest pictures of, have the least desire to pull out of the box, etc - and that's the one to go. Sometimes it surprises me which ones I end up deciding to part with. There are a few that I'm quite sure I'll never let go of, just because they're too special for whatever reason.

[miss sha]

I've been in the hobby since 2004 and I've sold... a ridiculous amount of dolls. They went for various reasons, usually because my plans changed and I wanted a different group of dolls, so the ones I had went flying out the door. In most cases it was never very hard for me to get rid of them... I usually never got very attached to them, and if it was hard for me it was just exasperation with myself for never being satisfied with my decisions.

The hardest selling decision I ever had to make was selling my Syo and Anais boy when I left the hobby about a year and a half ago. I still wish that I'd ever sold them, as they're two dolls I would dearly like back.

Since I just bought a Bluefairy Walking with Tommy, I'm going to have to sell my Ayumu girl and my Ryu head to afford her... both decisions that were pretty easy to make since I've been waffling on both dolls and if the sculpts were right for the characters, and if I even loved the sculpts enough. Now I just hope that the Tommy girl will stay. =___=

I do have one doll that I don't think I'll ever be able to sell, and that's my Syo girl. She's the first doll I've ever felt this attached to, and I really genuinely adore her. I could never easily get rid of her. <3

[Ridgeway]

So far, I've only sold two doll heads and my one and only mini.

With the heads, I bought them for their bodies with the stipulation that if the heads happened to work for another character I'd keep them. I bought the first version Soo-Ri to get the body for Max (Re-Che) and thought the head might work for Lex. Once I saw him, I knew it couldn't be Lex. That head was way too tiny and Lex is a big guy. Sold the head within 48 hours. I recently bought a Senior Delf Dion so I could have the body for Sean (Williams) and I'd hoped to make the head my Bainbridge. About a week after his arrival, I knew he wasn't right for the character and I sold the head to somebody who'd posted a WTB.

The mini was a little different. I thought the Kid Delf Cherry boy was the cutest little thing but he never seemed like he was my doll. I even took him to Japan with me so I could get used to him with one-on-one photo time. I managed to come up with a character/storyline to work him into the story and although I liked the concept, the doll in my hand wasn't right. So, he moved on. I'm keeping the character though and plan to get another mini someday.

I can talk a good game about "If I could only keep one doll or three or five" but in truth I don't think I could do it unless something drastic and unforeseen happen in my life. Perhaps a couple of them will move into new shells some day, but that's all I can imagine. Some of them are in the best shell already so they'll just stay here.

[lyrajean]

This discussion is very interesting, as I've never rehomed a doll, only parts...

[Jenova]

Mm, a tough question...

Generally, I'll decide to let someone go if I'm just not giving them enough attention, in comparison to everyone else. I've found, most often, that this happens to dolls I buy because I like the molds, rather than dolls I buy to be specific characters -- I guess having some intended background gives them a "purpose" to be here... ^^; I also have a problem with mini-sized dolls... maybe because none of my characters are children (or little sprites, or what-have-you). As much as their looks may appeal to me, I just never end up giving them enough attention, so I'd rather they go to be with someone who will.

In one instance, I sold a doll because he was the wrong mold for the character, and I'm perfectly willing to let go of them for that reason if it happens again. The fact that that character will return keeps me from feeling too badly about it.

If I was in a real pinch and had to sell... I'd pare off the most peripheral characters first, and then the most easily replaceable. :( There are a few who I would never sell except in the most dire circumstances....

[koi]

Really difficult thing to do. I sell a doll I know for sure I'll never play with and even then, it takes me forever to sell her/him. Still, I rarely sell anything. I've deleted my own FS threads a couple of hours of posting them because I couldn't go through with it. That's how I've ended with so many floating heads.

Even dolls that I've purchased to customize and sell, end up staying. This is the reason I don't sell on e-Bay that often. I automatically name the doll and once they have a name, they can't leave.

I just sold an Ushi head and it took two months for me to finally post the FS thread. And I posted it initially as a feelers. There was one person whom I know really loves her dolls. She's been looking for an Ushi for the longest time, so I knew it was the right match. Knowing that the doll is going to be enjoyed instead of staying in a box made it easier to sell her.

[scube]

I've been in this hobby since 2004 and for the longest time, my personal motto was to not have to "resort", so to speak, to selling any of my dolls. My (admittedly rather weak) rationale was, I'd bought them because I liked them in the first place. And I didn't for a long time, until I broke tradition this year.

Maybe it's because my doll count exploded exponentially (and I still don't know why), coupled with the opportunity to acquire one of my longstanding dream dolls, I decided to let go of a Yo-SD (then my newest acquisition) whom I felt deserved more love than I could give her.

It was a bit of a painful decision, especially when the transaction was in process. But I was amazed at how relieved and light-hearted I felt after the doll left my hands.

There is another doll I have actually considered selling from time to time, but every time I pick this doll up, I just can't bear to do it in the end. XD (Obviously, I suck at this ._. so I'd like to know how you all do it too ._.) I often feel that even if in future, I do buy back the same model I sold, it's just... not quite the same anymore?

[Bel]

I sell bodies first. I only sell heads or full dolls when they really just aren't working here, which has only been a couple of times. But selling is hard, no matter what. Demoting a full doll to a rolling head makes me grit my teeth, but if it's worth it, it's worth it.

[nakitama]

When I can't stand knowing that the damn thing is in my house... then I sell it XD

I find that I get frustrated when deciding to sell or not. I often get so fed up of thinking about it, that I reach the breaking point I either do one of two things: Take the doll into my arms, or put it in a box and shove it as far away from me as possible. XD If I shove it away, well then there's my answer! :3

Sometimes you know what you should really do, but refuse to come to terms with the fact. And sometimes it's that inkling of "but" that really means that you shouldn't sell it!

It's a funny thing, parting with these little guys. ;3

[fitz]

Those I havent bonded with, loose heads are often the first to go. I usually buy a head, get them painted and if I dont like them- they go, but it can take a while. I hate wiping faceups, I feel like they are someones art, so I'd rather sell then wipe. Then some dolls just look vacant to me, then off they go. But most I keep.

[byouyuuken]

I do sell heads, but have not sold a complete doll yet.

For the heads I treat them a little differently--because I like to paint faceups and try different things on different sculpts, I kinda justify painting and selling heads as another aspect of the hobby--like a faceup service that gives me more freedom than doing commissions.

I think I'd like to adhere to that any complete dolls that arrive to me will not be sold. I just take a long time to decide before "adding to the family".

[Bern]

If I had to put 'value' to my boys...

David [Kid Delf Cherry boy] would probably be the first to go, because I don't have the attachment to him that I have with the other two. In fact, I've been considering it every now and then. But he's so adorable and portable that I'm loathe to sell him. XD;;;

Tigris [Souldoll Paris] would be really really really hard to part with, because he's just been around for so long and he was and is one of my dream dolls. But his sculpt is not limited, so worse comes to worst I could always sell now and buy back later.

Ben... oh, Ben. My heartbreak boy. He's a Shou-Ryu; had been sparkling over the doll ever since I first saw him in photos... back in 2004? 2005? So when his owner put his head up for sale, I jumped immediately. I had been wanting to get a doll for the character anyway. If I sold the head, it'd be bloody near impossible to get it back again; the first and third editions aren't quite the same, in my opinion. Plus, I'm really attached to the character.

So... if I had to sell my dolls, David would be first, then Tigris, and if I really really really really needed the money... I suppose Ben.

[hoshinokachi264]

well i only have on doll right now, and i am thinking about getting at least two more. i am not sure i would be able to sell one of my dolls unless i got it and it didn't work at all, as in the face wasn't what i thought it was.

my girl could use some friends when i get the money.

[jpopdoll]

If it has been awhile and I am not creating clothing, wigs or something for a doll, I consider selling

[earthspirits]

When I first happened onto BJD's, I purchased dolls just because of the "omg cute / pretty" factor, but they were quickly re-homed. This has also come to apply to the occasional "floating heads" I've acquired (each of these heads were beautiful in their own way, but somehow none of them, for whatever reason, really worked for my characters, so they too have all been re-homed).

I now keep strictly to only purchasing dolls that purr-fectly embody my own literary characters, this has really helped to nicely consolidate my dolls down to a lesser (but in the long run, happier!) number. As things stand now for me, I have found that no matter how cute or lovely a doll might be, if they don't fit my character(s) as an avatar, they get re-homed. I also consider posing and resin quality, and realism of a sculpt (my personal tastes now being focused on realism), + how well they photograph is also a big factor in determining if a doll stays or is sold.

Considering how expensive these dolls are, I really can't afford to keep one around if they aren't 100% right for me! ;)

[aichaku]

i sell those who i am unhappy with because i can't bond with them or they don't express what i expected them to have, eg. a particular mood or sense that i am wishing for in the doll. it's not easy to sell but usually when they've been around for some time and have been dissatisfying, it becomes easier to part with them.

[flpinkboxsociety]

I dislike selling my dolls as well, but sometimes one recieves a doll, and finds the bonding issues have come up... i am glad i am not alone in this. I try very hard to make sure the doll goes to a great home tho, so that i know they will be loved and enjoyed, and moreso than i could offer.
I love to sew for my dolls as well, but found my AODs were tough on sizes, and found them a new home. I know they are happier living with denise then they would be on my shelf ignored. Thanks for the thread, it really made me think!

[glass_mountain]

I have to confess I'm a pathologically restless doll owner. I'm much better than I used to be, but I can only afford a finite number of dolls.

It is tricky...I think there are some you become terribly attached to. I have an Anais I and for a while I sold her and changed to an Anais II - then I changed back. I came across Anais I quite early in my collecting history and she is a crucial doll for me.

At the moment, I find it easier to part with hybrids...I currently have more heads than bodies.

[Janne]

I have to admit to buying back a couple myself. *^^* The same exact doll, when possible.
They're individual enough that even the same mold, painted by the same artist isn't quite the same or quite right.

[derilan85]

:cry I had to sell my most beloved doll (Hypermaniac Ksy) to help my husband get a lawyer, but I know she went to a very good home with a member from DoA that really wanted her. That's the only time I will sell my "kids" off. I just can't sell anyone now no matter what happens....I will eventually get a EL or Lishe again..next year..

[Amet]

The only doll I've sold was my first, who was bought because I thought he was pretty and my attempts to tack a character onto him did not work. The whole procedure of actually selling him was traumatizing in a get out of my house NOW sort of way, so I'm a lot more careful when considering a mold now, and only allow myself to buy dolls that embody mine and my partner's original characters, so I've already got a bond with them before I get a chance to nitpick their flaws. ;) It just works out better that way.

[Nikittin]

I know it's time to part with a doll when I don't have/have little desire to play with the doll anymore. It's sad to realize that since I almost always have the intention of keeping a doll when I intially buy them. (Although I will admit some of my purchases were more of a, "I like the way they look, let's see if it works out..." situation.)

There have been dolls I've sold out of necessity, but thankfully no doll I really regret letting go of. And there have been instances where I put dolls I was still fond of on sale because I had to, but I was able to get the money some other way and keep the dolls :sweat

I've traded a doll before because I didn't like his posing issues and his faceup wasn't what I asked for. I got the same mold back some years later with excellent posing and a faceup I was really pleased with. That was my only time buying the same mold back.

[dollseye]

I haven't sold many, but I've sold a few. With me it seems to happen to the ones who I begin to feel as if I've done everything with them. It feels like the end of the road, a kind of mental burn out and I stop focusing on them. There always used to be one who I just knew would go next if or when a time came when I needed some money quickly. But there isn't any more. I don't really want to sell any of them. Sometimes I get this catastrophic fantasy that I'll just sell them all and then move on and do something completely different. But I think that's just like a feeling of contemplating running away because in reality I'm very committed to doing things with them and yet there's something which I always find slightly unnerving about having a commitment to a bunch of dolls!

[Nikittin]

But I think that's just like a feeling of contemplating running away because in reality I'm very committed to doing things with them and yet there's something which I always find slightly unnerving about having a commitment to a bunch of dolls!

I can so relate to this feeling! But in a way, it just shows you how meaningful they are.

[KeiCai]

Aah, this is a very good question. Over the past two years I've sold about 11 dolls and heads. Normally what ends up happening is that the newest addition goes on the chopping block. I still own my first doll (I don't think I could EVER sell him), but it took me a good year+ to find a second doll that I would keep. Shortly after that my third permanent resident came to be, and I have yet to find a definite fourth permanent member.

There will be some times when I have a few dolls coming in at the same/similar time that the newest addition is NOT the one being sold, but rather the second newest. Most of the time I will sell a doll to buy another one, and if another one I desire does not pop up (that must be bought due to time constraints) then I just won't sell that most recent doll, even if I don't bond with it. ^^';

[Lotte Rotten]

I have sold heads (event heads)- without being upset. However, this year I had to sell my DOT Camine because i needed money badly. At the time I only had 2 dolls with me; Camine and my Iz boy- and Camine was the newest of those 2 and also the one whom i hadn't yet bonded that well with...so it wasn't hard to decide which of the 2 dolls that had to go.
Luckily Camine went to a very good new home- but when his new owner sometimes posts pictures of him, then i must admit that i do miss him... :(

I have 2 boys livign with me now- my Iz and a modded Chiwoo- both are so special to me, so I hope i won't ever have to part with any of them.

[glass_mountain]

I can so relate to this feeling! But in a way, it just shows you how meaningful they are.

Oh yeah...me too. I'm attached to them and it unnerves me *_*

[annina]

i don't think i am a person who can sell dolls, it seems that the ones i get are meant to stay. but i don't know the future so of course things could change.
but right now i don't feel like i can sell any doll i own. i get so attached to each of them!

[Hobbysue]

Well, I've sold mine for various reasons - mostly because I wanted to buy other dolls. If the doll doesn't make your heart sing when you look at her, I figure why keep her? There's too much money tied up in these dolls to keep them when you're not sure if you really like them. I've had some dolls arrive and I've kinda bonded with them, but for various reasons been disappointed and sold them. My Happydoll Dorothy was one of them. She arrived with her headcap magnet around the wrong way, her seams were horrendous and she looked awful. She was one of my first dolls and the first that I had to pull apart and sand. I hated her body because her hands looked like claws. Now I might look at getting different hands and experimenting around with her, but then I was just horrified. I paid almost $1000 AUD and she looked terrible. I never got over the initial way she arrived. When I finally sold her, it was a relief. I loved her face, and eventually grew to like her body, but I never fully bonded with her. I still think Happydoll overcharge for their BJDs and need to go back and resculpt those hands.

[penguin]

I'm kind of ruthless when it comes to rotating my collection ^^;
I see a new doll I want, concider how much rainy-day money I have set aside...
Then I look at the crew and say "Okay, who's getting boring?"

And that's how I do it. I've sold 6 dolls this way.
I still have my first 2 dolls, though; they've got sentimental value. ;)

[Tenshi]

I usually end up selling a doll if I can't find personality in my photos. I don't want my dolls to look cold and dead in pictures. That was the kiss of death for my Elfdoll girls. I still think Sooah and Hana are gorgeous dolls, but they have no personality that I can capture. I also had a Dollzone Shoyu at one point that was sold because I lost interest in his personality.

I've only unwillingly sold one doll -- my Kun. She definitely had a personality in pictures! However, she's just a standard and I desperately wanted a chance at Cristal. I still miss my little Cailet and I hope to bring her back one day, but I am so happy with Cristal (uhh, both of them :P) I don't regret selling her.

If I had to choose now who would go if I needed the money, I think it would go like this:

Sugar: Hasn't come yet, haven't bonded, no big deal.
Papi: I love Mikan to death but I could live without her.
Standard Cristal: It would hurt, because I love her tomboyish faceup, but I'd deal.
Aone Cristal: She has the most perfect faceup ever. I think I'd cry for a long time ;_;.

I'd never sell Akiko, my Magie. She's my little Velveteen Rabbit :).

[Anavel]

Maybe repeating others opinion, but whoever I have not paid a lot of attention to; or whom I cannot bond at all for whatever reason would be the first to be given up for adoption.

[ArcaneMuse]

I also never thought I would sell a doll but I've come to the decision one doll in particular will have to be sold. I don't get inspired by her like my other dolls. The others I look at and remember how in love with them I fell the first time I saw them. I also continually think of new outfits and scenes I want to put them in. This particular one, however, gives me no excitement. She'll be the first doll I will sell , but who knows if she will be the last.

[KeiVendetta]

I've sold lots of dolls >_<
Reasons why:
Not bonding.
Mold just didn't work out like I'd planned.
Upgrading to and SD from a MSD.

[PawPaw]

Well, I actually have a method! If I'm having suspicions that I might want to sell one of my dolls, all I do is remove the eyes, wig, faceup and clothes, and leave the doll in it's box completely characterless. If I don't really notice or care about the fact that the doll is "gone" from the family, then I know it's time to sell.

[MieAga]

I think it would come down to how bonded I was. My bonds flux every month. Depending on how desperate I was, I might put multiple dolls up for sale and see who sold first. That way I wouldn't feel guilty having to really 'choose' and would get the quickest sale. One thing I do not handle well is having something up for sale for a long period. It really effects me and then I start hating the thing for not going away so that I can stop feeling bad.

So far I've been lucky. I've threatened to sell 3 dolls so far and all have worked out in the end. So no one has left yet. (crosses fingers)

[kfunk]

For me, it is just about how I feel. If I no longer am enjoying the doll and never play with it or sew for it, then I see no point in having it. So far I haven't sold anything, but I think my Chiwoo hybrid will soon be finding a new home!

[captainkyo]

Selling dolls were pretty much the only way i could get other dolls.

So if there was a doll i wanted to get.. id have to sell one off.

Ive sold all my previous dolls for various reasons..
didnt fit with my current group..
just didnt fit/click w.e.
i decided i didnt like that size anymore...
my tastes changed.

[Carolyn.S]

It would be tough for me to sell a doll I still like just because I don't really spend time with the doll anymore. So far I have only sold dolls that were impulse buys that just didn't fit in with me or my other dolls. One was Souldoll Kimmy - he was my first male doll ever and I just couldn't get my mind wrapped around having a male doll, and my ToYou didn't care for him either. The other was a nude DIM Ballerina Choseol - cute girl but her size and skin color made her not fit in with my others so I sold her to someone who wanted one more than me. I currently have an AR Dana I should be selling - I bought her secondhand just on impulse once and have never played with her.

Carolyn

[KeiVendetta]

I've sold dolls for various reasons. I wasn't bonding with them, they were too small (my MSDs and tiny, apparently SD is the perfect size for me), I wasn't loving them as much as I used to, it was a good time to upgrade them and I needed money to get them into a bigger form.

[mxiong]

For me, I sell a doll I don't really bond with when I find another mold/doll that fits my newer tastes better. I had a Tan Lishe, then a Tan Ruru, now a Tan Deneb is on the way.
I hope that my love for the tan dolls will finally be satisfied, because Deneb will the most expensive doll I won. My collection consists of mostly limiteds. And they can be hard to re-sell because of their price tag.

Doll heads with no bodies, I don't really think twice about selling. They haven't had much time to be loved or cared for, so sad...

[creamyjade]

It really depends for me, but often is because I don't feel like I'm no longer inspired by the character I created. I usually try changing eyes/hair/clothing/character on a doll I like and don't feel like parting with, but it rarely works as I still think of that doll as the first character I invented for it >_<;

[aernath]

If it is just not working out and the doll is giving more frustration than joy, then... it's time.

[Artemille]

Well, I've only had three dolls, and all three of them were bought for very specific reasons according to the character they were based off of, so I haven't had the reason to sell any of them. The only time I ever thought of it was when I was trying to rethink Dashiell/Tobienne's characters and what molds either one of them should be. I almost sold my El in order to get a Breakaway, but that didn't happen, so I kept him.
I don't really do impulse doll buys. I plan them out for quite a while.

[Agnes]

I envy people who can do this. If I think about selling a doll and the go pick him up, I feel so bad about it...

[Sam]

I haven't sold any of my original SD's, but I never seem to have much luck with girl dollfie. I think I have sold around three a short while after getting them, I just never seem to bond with them ^^;; I do have one unoa lusis, and thats the only girl here at the moment. I hope I will get a girl SD sometime soon!

[K_en]

I sold a doll to a friend for dirt cheap. It was partly because she had money troubles and could probably never afford one she'd really want and well...I wasn't at all bonding with the doll.

It was a Mythdoll Leroi and though I loved his coy smile he was so out of proportion next to my twins DX

Out of the dolls I have now I know who'd be the first to go. It wouldn't be hard as I'd keep the clothes, wig,access. and just rebuy the same mold when I could : x

I was tempted to sell my JP Gise head as I've had it for over a year but after taking pictures of it for the FEELER thread I fell in love with the mold again DX

[Osaka]

I generally don't sell whole dolls, because I get terrifically attached to certain headmolds. I sold my Dollmore Lilis Liv due to a great deal of drama--I still love Dollmore girls, but I couldn't own one again. She's the only whole doll I've sold.

Now, bodies, those are a whole 'nother story. I'll sell a body I don't like in a heartbeat. It means I have more heads on bottles, but bodies happen. :oops

If I had to pair down--ooh, that's tough. I get very attached, as I said, and some are next-to-impossible to get any more. I'd have to keep Isao and my School A--those are two of the sculpts that dragged me in to all this. I think also my DIM Real--he means a whole lot to me; and my Jinwoo--he was a gift. I think everyone else I could live through getting rid of. :o

Eep...I still keep four dolls. :oops

[chizzie_shark]

Interesting thread. I only have 1 doll right now, but got several planned...for me, because I'm so sentimental, I definitely wouldn't sell the one I have right now, even though he's not my favourite, because he's my first ever (and also because he'll be the only guy...for a while, at least). As for the others....Elfdoll Emma is my dream doll, so I couldn't sell her. Zaoll Black Romance Muse I fell in love with at first sight, and although she's nothing like the others I have planned, she represents a part of me. Don't think I could sell her (we'll see when she gets here though). My Minimee Beast head...nah, he's too special. Couldn't let go of him. That leaves Soom Dia....at this stage I'll say I'd sell her off if I needed to. But she hasn't been released yet, so I don't know how much I'll like her yet. :)

[Ravnsvart]

Because I feel so emotionally attached to my dolls, I have not yet sold any of them... And my Soom Spinel is my all time favourite, so I will never sell him no matter what. I feel guilty for wanting to sell some of my dolls. Right now, it is getting to a point where I feel nothing but guilt about my frist BJD, AOD Mo, I never play with him or photograph him, the sculpt does nothing for me as I have grown way more fond of mature, realistic sculpts. I think I really should try and sell him to someone who would appreciate him, even though I hate selling stuff. I don't think I would be willing to sell my favourite dolls for financial reasons, neither do I think of them as investments. But when it comes to a point where I no longer enjoy having a doll, and even start feeling guilty, it is time to part. Or if I do not bond with it after keeping it for awhile.

[mrscollins]

This is an interesting topic. I hold a firm opinion that you cannot know if you will bond with a doll until she is before you. I have really wanted certain dolls from time to time.. and once I got them we just did not bond. I like to play with my dolls alot. If I do not bend with them I'm not enjoying them. I would then rather adopt her/him out to a loving home where they will receive the attention these beauties do rightly deserve.

This an expensive past time. I have met many who sacrifice to buy a doll. Why should you keep a doll when you do not bond? Someone else is looking for just that dollie.

Additionally I've spoken to many who say they feel guilty about selling a doll. For the aforementioned reasons, I wouldn't feel guilty at all. By all rights you are creatin a "win win" situation when you adopt out a dollie you do not feel bonded with.

Just my 2 cents.. getting off the soap box....

Happy hump day.

[rosen_mystica]

I sold my DOD e-an. . .
Which is wierd because i once thought that she was my dream doll.
I was happy for a while but i didnt really bond after 3months so i sold her
to someone who wanted her allot.
It was a very sad experiance.

[Ophiomancer]

I just went through the process of culling some of my crew. I'm unemployed at the moment (though hopefully not for much longer), so I really needed the money. Basically, I picked the dolls that were frustrating to me, who never developed real personalities in my mind, or who didn't have any real connection with my other dolls.

I've also found that while limiteds don't intimidate me, I have rotten luck with fullset dolls. My first doll was a fullset, and I had to get rid of him, because he never really felt like my doll. It just got my back up, like an animal reacting to a rival animal's scent. I recently sold another fullset doll, and all of the clothing and accessories to another. The only way that I can happily keep dolls that have been pre-designed like that it is to completely scramble their look as soon as they get in the door. Otherwise, I feel like I'm just holding them until their real owner comes back for them. Which begs the question, why do I buy them to begin with?

In any case, I've sold a few dolls, and I haven't regretted it yet. If they don't make me happy, they don't need to stay.

[Ladysaiyuki]

me personally...if I can look at a doll Bald naked and eyeless and still think it's the most beautiful thing in the world then I know that, that particular doll will never leave my side...but when I get new dolls...(like volks) you can't see what the doll looks like bald nakie and eyeless so sometimes I take a chance as they are limited and I may not get another chance to acquire one at a decent price as the secondary market prices for some of these dolls is beyond ridiculous O.O but if I get them and they aren't everything I wanted them to be or expected them to be...I won't keep them as this hobby is way too expensive to be hoarding a bunch of dolls that you are not totally enraptured and In love with O.O (don't get me wrong I give each doll that comes to me a fair chance...but I won't hang onto $1000+ dolls that I'm just Ok with cause he/she's cute in that one particular outfit and particular wig and eyes...they have to be beautiful without that as well ^_^ )

[Rosebud]

So far I don't think I would have to sell any. But if I did it would be because I didn't bond with them. I look at other peoples pictures of them before I commit.

[Pixel]

I sell based on whom I'm just not bonding with, or whom I'm the least close to. Usually I have to have a very good reason to sell my lovelies even if I'm not bonding as well, as I've worked pretty hard to earn each any every one of them. It's never easy letting them go even if I don't feel as close to them as I do others. :tantrum

[lisaastrup]

Well, don't shoot me please :blush

I have had a few dolls living here trough the years, and I loved them for a time - and then I sold them again, one at the time.

Now that I don't have them anymore, well I miss some of them a lot and regret that I sold her/him - I'm very impulsive,
and sometimes that is a real pest.

Right now I have opnly my minifee ShuShu and I never think I'll sell her, she is a real love :heart

I have a dark Lorna comming and I hope she'll be a great love too.

I have fallen in love with a Sould doll Mayu and I think I'll add her to my bjd family too.

[lisaastrup]

Well, I think I feel like you, if a doll don't give me :heart, then it has to go -
but I have also sold doll that I deeply regret :cry


This is an interesting topic. I hold a firm opinion that you cannot know if you will bond with a doll until she is before you. I have really wanted certain dolls from time to time.. and once I got them we just did not bond. I like to play with my dolls alot. If I do not bend with them I'm not enjoying them. I would then rather adopt her/him out to a loving home where they will receive the attention these beauties do rightly deserve.

This an expensive past time. I have met many who sacrifice to buy a doll. Why should you keep a doll when you do not bond? Someone else is looking for just that dollie.

Additionally I've spoken to many who say they feel guilty about selling a doll. For the aforementioned reasons, I wouldn't feel guilty at all. By all rights you are creatin a "win win" situation when you adopt out a dollie you do not feel bonded with.

Just my 2 cents.. getting off the soap box....

Happy hump day.

[Letizia]

I have never been in such a situation that I would have had to decide, "whom to sell". I do not sell a doll that I like to get money for another. When I sell a doll, it's because I don't seem to bond with it and I don't like it enough to keep such an expensive item.

I have sold two complete dolls, and selling those were right decisions. I felt relieved when sending them to their new owners and have never regretted selling them.

[lisaastrup]

I have never been in such a situation that I would have had to decide, "whom to sell". I do not sell a doll that I like to get money for another. When I sell a doll, it's because I don't seem to bond with it and I don't like it enough to keep such an expensive item.

I have sold two complete dolls, and selling those were right decisions. I felt relieved when sending them to their new owners and have never regretted selling them.

Lucky girl you are :doh

[Saash]

I have a difficult time deciding who to sell because the majority of my dolls are limited, or not sold anymore. Basically if I keep noticing flaws with the doll, I end up putting it away for a while, and if I don't miss it then I sell it. So far it's worked for me.

[royalprincess]

Very interesting discussion.

My first Volks SD still stays in my home~
When that dream doll comes along, but I don't have any money.....I will pay more patience to buy it from any later auction on Yahoo!JP or waiting the doll release again~~

Do you have a rare doll you're actually afraid to play with...?
Yes, I do! My Self-Made Porcelain BJD....Because of all of them are OOAK, I actually afraid to play with.^_^||| Only keep them in the cabinet carefully.

[fieraentara]

Oh I hated the idea of selling. But a wedding popped up *cough mine cough* and bills started pilling up. So I had to choose. Mostly I look at who is the newest, or who I am not bonding with as much. There is one doll I will never sell, my first. But I'm sure others have said that too. >.<

[Lokita]

I really don't know if I'd be able to sell any of my dolls.. I was never really big on selling, like if I didn't need something anymore I just keep second-guessing myself about if I want to sell it or not so I just put it away in case I'll eventually want it again someday.

Heck, I had a hard time selling off some of my manga from my giant collection :p I can't imagine a doll.

[chantrune]

I'm currently trying to sell a doll because I simply have no idea what to do with it. I took a few pics but since then, the wee one just sits around. Which then made me think about my other dolls and whether or not to sell them as well because I seem to focus only one my Abadon. (If I could change the past, he would have been my first doll.) I have an FCS MSD girl from Volks that I've hardly spent any time with - pictures or purchases for her. But I'm hesitant to sell her because she is a sunlight skin ordered by chance at my one and only trip to California.

For me, if I didn't spend enough time 'playing' with them, that might mean my interest was waning, and it might be time to sell. I'd rather see them adopted my someone who will spend more time with them, than sit on my shelf.

[Aussie grrrl]

Well, I have sold 5 dolls this year, 4 of them recently. Included in them were my first 3 dolls I ever bought!
I have only been collecting for a couple of years and it was always a case of "I like that one, I'll get it!" but as they grew in size there were a lot that just didn't fit. It was a bit of a patchwork collection (but not one of those beautiful ones where everything coordinates, one of the old ugly ones that Nana takes to the footy to keep her knees warm!) I think that I have finally found where my direction is, unfortunately it is a very expencive road! (curse you Volks for making such beautiful boys!!;))
So the question "how do you decide who to sell?" It was the ones who didn't fit with the rest of my dolls. If they didn't have at least a pair (and that was most of the collection) then they were rehomed and the boys are moving in!

[seoff]

I would have a difficult time selling my dolls. I have sold a few pups before and I always paid a house visit before allowing anyone to buy my puppies. I would also check to see if they had a fenced yard and believed in allowing dogs in the house. If they didn't meet some of those standards I would say sorry, no sale. I am proud that my puppies went to people who allowed them to go to work with them and also sleep inside the house,often in bed with the owners. My dogs were little dogs.

I think I'd be the same way with my dolls.

[jwegger]

Tastes and direction for collections change, eventually most collectors will want or need to sell a doll to move in a new direction. If not your kids will do it when you die and chances are they really don't care for your collection nearly as much as you did, I've seen it thousands of times. A collector dies, the kids (or spouse) calls up a dealer and asks what the collection is worth. Chances are they will talk to a couple of dealers and take the highest offer. Usually 10-20 cents on the dollar.

[Resin Angels]

I've sold a few dolls out of my collection, some were an easy choice to sell, others it took a little while to decide. I think I'm at a point now where everything "feels" right.

[Astrid]

I have a sold a couple dolls and heads and its because they do not go with the 'master doll list' that I have in my head. I think that once I get the dolls on this list then I will not want any more... anyways that is the plan.... but when I sell someone I feel a little sad Ihave to send them off but happy that someone is getting them that will love them.

[Meow]

i've only sold one doll, reene. it was a tough decision....
she is very cute, she has such a face that everyone will love her at the moment they see her, so did i
she came to me as an accident, at that time i'd no plan to get one more 40cm range doll, i did not have outfits that suits her; i could not think of a name for her, i just called her reene and that was strange to me, felt like i had a distance with her; i could not think of an image for her, i tried to use the image that i plan for another doll, but that just didin't suit her well; i did not miss her much if i did not see her for a few weeks...
in the end, i understood that though i like her, she was not for me, i had to let go. so i packde her up with a few items and put her on sale quick...
after this incident, i never bring a doll home before i can think of a name and an image first...

[Cynthia]

If I can't come up with a name and personality that "stick" in pretty short order, that's a good sign that the doll won't be around for very long. I have a few right now who really need to go up for sale and find homes where they'll be appreciated.

But also, sometimes I'll see a WTB for a doll that I haven't taken out and photographed/redressed/changed wig and eyes in quite a while--and that usually prods me into making up my mind about the doll, one way or the other.

[Chinamoon]

I tend to do it by which dolls can share with the others (ei: clothes wigs, shoes,etc.) I'm just now parting with my SDC's because I haven't had time to redraft my Rococo patterns for them or pay them any attention. So rather than feel pressed for time I decided I am ready to let them go to another home where they will be loved better.

[animemadness]

im selling one of my minis right now,i never thought i would sell her as she was my first bjd,and she is so pretty,but i have bought more since her,and i do prefer the bigger sd size,but it wasnt her size the reason im selling i have since discovered and bought other face sculpts that i love more,so im not that sad to let her go,

[gaylejoy]

Really, really hard to do is sell a family member..but if you have your eye on another kid and don't have the funds..well it's time to sell and move on..I as yet have not sold one.

[shelley]

I want to sell my second one, a boy, mostly because of the bad financial situation. Sometimes the idea strikes my head, that I shouldn't have bought him in the first place... But then again, I look at the doll, and start thinking, how on earth could I sell him? I would regret selling him as much as now I regret buying... Never even made any costumes for him, though it's almost a year after his arival. With my first doll, a girl, it took some time for me to "get used to" her. Right now she's got dozens of clothes I made and I could never sell or give her to anyone. With the boy it's different, and the ideas of selling him almost never leaves me... :(

[usagi665]

Sometimes a doll just doesn't fit in like you thought it would. My dream doll was a Sweet Dream Syo. Then they finally released him, and I got him home and wasn't really into the sculpt since it wasn't the original Syo with modded closed eyes. You just can't tell before you get the doll in person.

[Geass]

I had the hardest time selling my first three dolls, but mostly because it was out of sentimentalism. Once I pulled myself together over that, the rationale was easy enough.

For the first two, I decided that I didn't like their skin tones versus the rest of the group (or at least character wise, their family, they didn't match at all) and that stylistically I wanted slightly more realistic and mature sculpts for them. I never gave them much attention because I felt I couldn't photograph them properly or make them look the best that they could really be. I hit a limit on them, I suppose.

My third doll's body frustrated me. And while his look for the character was pretty good, I felt there could be more improvement. And he was a little off compared to his family members. Ohh life.

[ellynor]

I see a doll that seems to inspire something in me. Sometimes, I wait and wait for them to arrive and ftttt, nothing. In person, they just do not do it for me. I usually sit with them for months, hoping..... when there is no chemistry, zippo, they are re-homed. Currently, I am doing this with Glot and Glati. I may need to switch out their legs to see if that changes my mind. AnnMarie

[Klein]

I sold one of my tinies, she was the only doll I bought on a whim (although I did kind of have two dolls thrust upon me now that I probably wouldn't have chose on my own ^^; ). She never quite felt right to me, I had the ideal of no more three tinies and she just didn't fit in with the other two. Her sale partially helped to fund my grail doll Hinaichigo.

[djsiberia]

i never thought i would sell a doll. i sold my first doll to get her replacement because we weren't bonding at all. i was trying all sorts of things, taking her with me through out the apartment, having her sit by my computer etc...it just wasn't working. it was even more apparent when i got my first boy. i felt so guilty for selling her and i would make the post and delete it right away. i'm sure to the mods at doa, i looked like i was crazy. in the end i really wanted to replace her with my current girl...so she had to go.

i just sold my second doll - i realized that yo-sd size wasn't for me and i really wanted to get my mnf's ordered since i kept dreaming about owning an mnf el.

[kurisuteru]

This was a major issue for me at first. I bought a tiny to begin with only to realize it was not for me in any way shape or form so it had to go. After that I got a msd, no good, and an sd still not good. they were too much for me, too big. So I sold them as well. I also didn't bond with them well due to certain aesthetics, eye shape etc. I ended up settling on Yo-Sd sized dolls, namely Bambi Crony's. I've been happy ever since.

[Blizzard]

I am very picky and very careful about ahat dolls I buy. I always have an idea of who they are going to be before they get here; though they DO develop a bit on their own. My Second Resin doll, Largo (BBB Nissa) was a gift from someone and was totally unexpected, but she HAS developed her own character as well

No, I'd never sell any of them, ever.

[angeliue]

I decide which doll that i'm not connecting with anymore then i'll sell it. but so far i've only sold one a tan Lucifer aka tenshi

[pake4pleasanton]

I sold the body and kept the head from the Megu I bought in 2002 and I also sold a very tiny becuase she was so small. That's it, but I think I should sell the ones that stay in their boxes for years and never see the light of day.

[Wisteria]

I really have a difficult time selling my dolls, but I have sold two so far. One I just didn't bond with, although, comparing my sale to others that came up for sale later I probably could have sold her for more with all the extras I included so I'm kind of bummed about that. Oh well, the buyer got a super steal.

The second doll I sold was actually my only large doll, and she was my first BJD ever. I realized that in all the time I had her I never really paid any attention to her. Then I started buying the MSD and tiny size and realized I liked them better. It was a hard decision, but I decided to give her a new home where she could be played with more. Actually, the buyer mentioned she always wanted one and never thought she would see one for sale so that made me feel good.

I have one other doll that I've contemplated selling, but she was a limited and I would hate to regret selling her after she's gone, so I'll probably keep her for a while. The others will all be staying for sure :)