Silly small economies?

[Gallye]

Ours is an expensive hobby, and it's definitely not worth it to skimp on the actual dolls or their things--but still, we have to save our pennies where we can, right? What silly little things do you do to save money?

For example, I hoard used bubble wrap that comes to me wrapped around dolls or their items. :sweat As long as it's clean, not sticky, and not too damaged (or popped!), I'll stick it in a box and save it, so that when I'm sending out a head or a pair of shoes or something else that needs padding, I can just pull out a hunk or two and re-use it! Saves me a dollar or two and a trip to the store. :lol

I also didn't bother to buy underwear for my boys for a long time. I figured that I should buy clothes that would show before I should spring for clothes that wouldn't. :oops

And, of course, my boys share a large part of the doll wardrobe. I think they've all worn the black jeans that Thomas is currently wearing, and he's wearing a white shirt that was originally bought for Jack, and their belts make the rounds like crazy! There are a few items that are specifically for one guy or another, but most of them serve double or triple duty.

So: what about you? Where do you pinch your doll pennies?

[Taco]

When I buy clothes for them, I try and get outfits with different parts that can be mixed and matched. That way I get more outfit options for less money. I comparative shop a lot when it comes to clothes and accessories as well.

[lyrajean]

I make basically all my resin kids clothes other than shoes...

I never buy doll clothes unless it's something I want to figure out how to make on my own later.

I also hoard bubble wrap under the sink in my apartment.

[VinylFaerie]

I also hoard bubble wrap and boxes. ;) I save a lot of "doll money" by only buying 1 pair of shoes, eyes and wig for each doll and making 90% of their clothes. Every once in a while, something comes out that I have to have, (like a Fer from Dollheart) and I can afford to buy it because I don't usually buy doll clothes so I have a little extra money for this kind of stuff.

[Brightfires]

I've always recycled shipping boxes and bubbles on principle. (I keep the doll's inner boxes and cushions to re-pack them for moving or storage, too.)

I make my crew's socks, undies, PJs and other basic things (I've made about a million yukata- :p), even though I tend to buy most of their other clothes. I'm pretty particular about what they wear and my sewing skills frankly don't live up to my own pickiness.

While St.James & company have provided a fair bit of my crew's jewelry, I make a lot of it, too... I'm as picky about that as I am about the guys' outfits (More or less if I wouldn't wear something, I'm not going to put it on my dolls-), and it's usually less expensive to buy sterling findings, good beads and such to make your own than to try to find good pieces ready-made.

Remnant Bins are your friend. It's amazing what you can find in the remnant bins of a good fabric shop for a couple of dollars, and as little material as most doll-sized patterns take they're a good way to build up a nice fabric stash for not a lot of money.

I buy my basic fabrics (linens, shirtings, linings, silks and velvets in the colors I use most often... that kind of thing-) a couple of yards at a time when they're on sale, and keep them stashed until I need them.

[Hitasura]

I make 85% of all their clothing (and yet, they all have horrible shameful wardrobes still, shame on me!) Underwear is one of those things my boys never wear because I don't even really think it's nessesary, though I really need to get a set for my girl! *_*

Hehe, definitely agreeing with the Remnant bins too, those can be a goldmine sometimes! :D And like VinylFaerie, most my dolls only have one wig/set of eyes that they wear all the time. Which is also a benefit of having your dolls based off existing characters and need to look a specific way. XD

[meronine]

When I buy clothes for them, I try and get outfits with different parts that can be mixed and matched. That way I get more outfit options for less money. I comparative shop a lot when it comes to clothes and accessories as well.

I second this. I also have a stash of boxes, bubble wrap, and other salvageable packaging supplies to reuse. :hyper Any doll clothes I'm not using/don't care for I resell. The rest of my doll money comes from prints and art commissions.

But up until recently, when I sold my boy doll, my dolls had been on dolly welfare. I only yesterday finally put together a full outfit for my girl down to the accessories. :sweat

[sgtgeorgecarter]

I gave up on trying to save pennies... Mostly ;)

But what I do is, I don't impulse buy. At All. I do not buy something unless I find myself going to look at it repeatedly. Then I know I really want it and am not caught up in some sort of emotional thing. I also buy as locally as possible or shop around for who has the best shipping. Price tends to be fairly standard, but shipping varies greatly. I keep a list of flakes and don't buy from/sell to them as no amount of $$$ is worth the aggro they bring. I keep a list of things I want an lurk YJ for it. Patience is a virtue and I have cultivated it. You will hit a time when either everyone's missed a listing, Dolpa's coming up and no one's buying, or some other arcane reason lets you get what you want for a reasonable price.
And if after waiting you find you no longer NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED the item, you've still saved yourself the $$

[Alayna]

I caught myself doing this just the other day. I was ordering a couple pairs of eyes and a wig and when I went to check out I picked priority mail as the shipping choice because I wouldn't pay five more bucks for UPS. :p

I also make all my doll's clothing. I'd rather put the price of clothes towards more future dollies. :)

[rottenlullaby]

I stalk the DOA marketplace. :) I get eyes, wigs & clothes secondhand if I can because its usually cheaper than buying new.

I save bubble wrap and boxes to but thats out of environment more than monetary.

[LauraJ]

I save all the packing stuff ... peanuts, bubble wrap, and boxes. I've got the inner boxes and cushions stored in my room and the outer boxes in another storage spot for shipping other things out.

I've been really working on not buying any fabric unless I have a PLANNED project for it, cause I've already got way, way too much fabric piled in my sewing area. I make my dolls clothing, underclothing and wigs. And I make some shoes, depending on the look I want. I'd really rather have that money to spend on dolls.

With the cost of everything going up so much, I'm really trying to plan and budget for my doll stuff -- which is hard :(
But I've got a small house, too, so I really don't have tons of room for too much stuff.

[Kogepan]

I used the fabric remnants pile at Jo Ann's; doll clothes require only a very small amount of fabric anyway. And I gave myself a budget beforehand - how many pairs of eyes, wigs, etc I thought I was going to buy and how much I thought they would cost. Then I went out to both online retailers and the marketplace and made a long list of links to things I thought I wanted, and how much they cost. For example, my bookmark would be called "blonde 8/9" short dollmore wig, used once, $15 + s/h". Then I review my bookmark list every few days. If I feel an item is a real bargain, of course I snap it up quickly, but otherwise I wait and think about how it fits into my budget.

I've saved a lot of money by buying things second hand, but I also know that as a first time doll owner there are some places where I'll misstep. I might realize that I don't actually like this or that wig on a doll, for example, or that I want jewelry more than shoes. I might let a bargain slip by, and I know already I've bought one pair of shoes that I'll need to resell. Hopefully, my careful budgeting helps to even out those first-timer buying errors.

I'm also delaying buying clothing for now. I give myself until the 20th to make a proper outfit. But, if I can't sew clothing well, I don't want to dress my doll in ugly clothes, so my bookmark list has lots of links to relatively affordable and well-made clothing basics. That way I can order in time for clothing to arrive before my doll does. :)

[tiggywinkletoo]

I take clothes from other dolls for my dolls. I feel bad sometimes about undressing mass produced dolls, but it can be a good source of underwear and socks and tights.

I make dresses and sweaters for my dolls. I take apart people's clothing for fabric and use eyelet bed skirts for doll skirts. I have huge amounts of stuff to turn into doll clothes.

I just need huge amounts of time. :)

[chai_fiend]

i too hoard old shipping supplies for when i sell items. i've got used boxes, bubble wrap, packing peanuts, and more, all hidden in various closets. support group?

i used to sell items and leave half that money in my paypal account for doll related items. or just add a certain amount from my paycheck to my paypal account. but recently i haven't been doing any saving for doll things. yesterday i looked at my small quarter jar and i just decided that i'll keep collecting quarters and some day use that for a doll related purchase. i don't touch those quarters so i figure it will add up soon :)

[meronine]

chai_fiend That's a great way to save money. We have this large coffee can we use for putting loose change in, minus the large coins (quarters and up) and I usually get $100 a year out of it from just the small coins. So if you're saving quarters... ;)

[Malice Librarian]

I try to buy clothing and wigs that I know multiple dolls can wear whenever possible. Thankfully the dolls I have and have planned for are in the same eye size range so they can share those as well.

I'm also striving to make clothes for my dolls instead of always buying them. Right now I'm just getting a feel for making clothes on such a small scale using up whatever fabric is lying around the house.

What helps me most in saving is by not buying on impulse, doll-related or not, as well as setting aside some funds from my paycheck into a seperate account to be used on dolls and other things that are essentially "wants."

[saraquill]

I make most of their clothes. Most of the fabric comes from my boxes of scrap fabric, and I make my own trim. A good chunk of their clothing are seperates for various mix and match looks.

Many of their eyes, wigs and shoes come from American companies, which tend to be much cheaper. They also have most of the wig types I like. ^_^

[Loki's Mom]

I think hoarding bubble wrap, peanuts and the like is a very common thing and I have scads of it in my apartment and storage locker. :p (a support group might be a good idea..)

I also have a coin jar (actually 2 of them). All my loose change is taken from my pocket every day when I get home and put into them. One is for small change (pennies, nickles, dimes & quarters) and the other is for large change ($1s & $2s). Believe me, they add up really fast. I just rolled some the other day and rolled $300 in ones and twos alone.. *_* And that was saved from less than 6 months of saving (and included having been raided a number of times for subway fare). So, yeah, it's a good thing to have a change jar/piggy bank.

I can't sew to save my life (trying to learn), so I'm using old clothes that I'm ripping apart to practice on.. and I 4th(?) the remnant bin idea. I rummaged Wal-Mart's not too long ago and got some pretty nice material for a lot cheaper than it originally sold.

One other thing.. Group Orders. Sometimes it can save a lot on shipping. Not always, but if you're only looking to get something small and don't want to pay $20+ on a pair of $5 eyes or lashes, a group order is really the way to go.

LM
i too hoard old shipping supplies for when i sell items. i've got used boxes, bubble wrap, packing peanuts, and more, all hidden in various closets. support group?

i used to sell items and leave half that money in my paypal account for doll related items. or just add a certain amount from my paycheck to my paypal account. but recently i haven't been doing any saving for doll things. yesterday i looked at my small quarter jar and i just decided that i'll keep collecting quarters and some day use that for a doll related purchase. i don't touch those quarters so i figure it will add up soon :)

[Jme]

I too hoard and reuse packing material where I can, and also get clothes for my resins that they can share by mix and matching. I'm a lot more frugal when it comes to buying shoes for them for some reason; so most of the time, my crew go barefooted around the house! They do have a few pair of dress shoes they share among them though.

I used to have more dolls in various sizes, but now, I've rehomed my only MSD, so yay for having to buy clothes in that size! Now I've only got SD13 and SD10s to worry about, and also a Yo and 2 Lati Yellows. Thankfully, the tinies can share a few clothes with my Blythe dolls, so that's a plus!

Resisting the urge to buy from a webstore/company if I only want one or two items has helped me save a fair bit. I try to only make an order when I've got a decent amount of items I want (no point paying $30 in shipping just for one wig!), so I put stuff on wishlists till I accumulate enough to order. If when placing the order, the item is out of stock, then so be it. The way I see it, that's money saved! :XD

And being patient on DoA's marketplace helps! I stalk there too, and so far have scored some great buys that would have cost so much more 1st hand!

I'm horrid with saving change, though!!

[FunnyLori]

I am a hoarder by nature. I am from a long line of hoarders. My grandmother and I shared one trait, and that was the hoarding of packing materials. I still have every single box and shipper and original packing material from all of my dolls except for my tinies that came in group orders. Those boxes were recycled to ship Christmas goodies to other dolly friends.

I save my change. Small change is put in to a giant tootsie roll bank in the bathroom for doll funds. Quarters are saved in a coconut pocky box in the kitchen for laundry money. This week I'm getting a washer and dryer, so the quarters will be converted into dolly money as well.

I reuse every box that comes through my doors, and I've even been known to scavenge clean boxes from the university recycle bins after a lab receives a large shipment of sterile goods.

As for clothing, I'm big on mix and matching, so all of my dolls tend to be in similar size groups. When I add a new size or a new gender all of my careful stashing is not as useful. I do try to keep as many of my outfits as gender neutral as possible though.

I save my old clothes and use them to create new clothes for the dolls or for patters. I even buy new clothes from clearance racks for the sole purpose of cutting them up for doll clothes.

Before I sound any more neurotic, I developed these careful practices so that I do not spend outside my budget. I run group orders frequently, so hoarding packing materials is the best way for me to keep my costs down and still provide the level of care and packaging the participants in my orders deserve. By saving clothing and buying from clearance racks for fabric I am able to save money on one of the most expensive aspects of the hobby. I have spent over $50 on a pair of jeans multiple times for my dolls. By making some of their outfits myself I am able to keep my dolls well dressed, while saving the bank.

[Glyndon]

My number one economy is group orders. If ever I want to by anything I can't get from a domestic seller, I wait until I can hop on a group order to avoid shipping that rivals the cost of the item in question ($20 to ship a $30 wig? I can't bring myself to do it). Aside from that, I sew as much as I can, and buy shoes and accessories that can be shared between dolls, and outfits. Last is carefully choosing only one pair of "nice" eyes and one "good" wig for each doll.

[Dezarii]

I buy relatively expensive outfits I really love, because those often to have a versatile piece or two, and it will be top quality. I used to waste too much money buying less expensive separates that never added up to a really stunning outfit.

I have a box full of cheap acrylic eyes in random colours and sizes. When I get a new doll, I see what looks good. Even if the size or shade is off, it gives an idea of which colours will work. Then I buy glass eyes without fear of making big mistakes.

I also have various cheap fur wigs for the same reason. I try to buy used wigs because shipping from an individual is usually cheaper than buying from a company.

I leave a lot of flexibility for what I want to buy, I try to avoid paying more because I 'need' something right away. When a good deal comes up on one of the many items on my wishlist, I get it. I ignore sales and special offers unless the items are really what I'm looking for.

I learn everything I can about what's available, so I can recognize stuff from blurry cellphone pictures. I've taken chances and bought from sellers with low feedback. I pay attention to auctions without pictures if the items are MIB.

I reuse packaging too, but I would do that anyhow.

[InkyBear]

Well as of right now seeing as I don't spend alot of money on anything, my easiest way of economizing is simply that. Not spending the money I don't have in the first place. -_-;

But to better answer the questions these are a few things that do help out in the long run xD

All my boys are specific character, so once they have their specific wig ( so far only Fakia has his >.< Everyone else is still telling me they don't like theirs ), I don't purchase anymore wigs for them. Same with eyes. ( although I do someday want to upgrade them really nice quality eyes, for now the cheapies work fine so long as they're the right shade and whatnot x3 )

My sister and I each started our own Save Cans, which are essentially large cans with slits cut at the top. We started on April first and we're not allowed to open the cans again until next April first ( these are the types of cans where you need a can opener to open it so it's a little obvious if someone cheats xD ). It's really more of a fun thing to see how much we'll have to spoil ourselves with in a year, but it's definately a good way for me to hide all my change so I don't go spending it on silly things.

I'm desperately attempting to teach myself how to sew so I can make my boys' clothing myself. Most of their stuff is very unique and fantasy oriented that the only way I'd ever be able to get a piece would be to comission it from someone. So either I learn to sew myself, or I get them each one really nice outfit that fits them rather than lots of seperate pieces.

Not really something I planned for, but because Fakia has hooves, that at least helps me in cutting down costs for shoes. xD

Uh...just drew a blank. @_@ That's it for now~

[Kalani]

My number one economy is group orders. If ever I want to by anything I can't get from a domestic seller, I wait until I can hop on a group order to avoid shipping that rivals the cost of the item in question ($20 to ship a $30 wig? I can't bring myself to do it). Aside from that, I sew as much as I can, and buy shoes and accessories that can be shared between dolls, and outfits. Last is carefully choosing only one pair of "nice" eyes and one "good" wig for each doll.

I'm also trying not to order stuff on my own anymore...group orders are the way to go...otherwise I try to shop off the American sites. (Denver Dolls is a good source when you just need eyelashes because you won't be forced to spend more then the price of lashes for shipping...)

I also like the ability of layaway on a doll...yes you are still spending the same amount of money...but it doesnt hurt to click order as much as spending the $700-800 in one shot.

[Chops]

I am like a lot of posters in that I have every box and shipper box for all my bjds. You never know when one is ready to travel to a new home!

I have bought a lot of clothes from the DOA marketplace, less so with the wigs and eyes. I also have splurge a few times to get a nice outfit that has several pieces that I can use to mix and match.

Because I only collect Minis it is easy to dress my crew. But the head sizes are not the same. I got rid of all my 7-8 wigs when I sold my Souldoll, and now I have a Minifee who needs that size!

[chai_fiend]

haha it seems as if this support group would have a sizeable membership

i think i will start an over all coin jar. i remember my family having one and getting a lot of money out of it at the end of every year. now if i could just get over my obsession with giving perfect change...

i'd like to add that because this hobby is expensive, i actually factor it into my budget, along with rent and bills, etc. i plan on starting to save later for another doll and i already have my pay dates marked in my planner and how much from each paycheck will go towards the doll. i've found that when i add any extra expense to my budget and treat it as importantly as, say, rent, i do a much better job of meeting my savings goals.

[Tabris]

i think i will start an over all coin jar. i remember my family having one and getting a lot of money out of it at the end of every year. now if i could just get over my obsession with giving perfect change...

*_* That's exactly what my problem is. I'll start making a 'coin jar', but then I end up using all the change because I like giving exact change when I have it.
I think I need to get out of this habit...

[Carolyn.S]

Like some others, I go for mix and match - but as in real life I sort of fail at the match part because I end up with a bunch of things that mostly don't go together! I buy a lot of Friends2BMade so I have a lot of tops, but I need more bottoms for my big-hipped gals Narae and Unoa. They can share almost everything, yet still make me buy more stuff.

Carolyn

[Lucy~Nyah~Sama]

I have a money jar known as the Pretty Doll Fund, that's where all my change goes. But I don't have much...
Also my dolls only need one wig and pair of eyes (they are my characters) so I don't need to buy them anymore.
I also have to start making their clothes (Thank Goodness I have my mum to help me!) My Dolls like to be bare-footed so I don't need to buy any shoes~
Small Economies are good~~

[laeticia]

I have been shopping at discount stores like Marshall's and TJ Maxx for things that will work as doll furniture (like jewelery boxes that look like chests of drawers or armoires). I have been trying to sew a kimono, which would be cheaper than buying it except that I have messed up a lot of fabric in the attempt, and spent hours on it... maybe this is a false economy.

[yeast]

If I had a sewing machine and time, I would make some clothes to save some money,
but I don't have one so my option is to buy.
As for saving up, I have a jar that I keep changes (coins only) in.
Plus, whenever I get a dollar bill, I'll put it in a box and will use it for my shopping fund.
Other than that, nothing major. I'm a college student who lives off-campus so most of my income go towards my rent :(
So saving up is hard...

[bishieprince]

I use cloth that were not used for my cosplay costumes to make clothes for my dolls..

[AnnaMayBelle]

Remnant bins are my best friend! Yesterday's dive into Wal-Mart's remnant bin came out with a bundle of adorable fabric... I've used 1/3rd of it to make an adorable outfit I love, and the entire remnant only cost me 85c. I've also found some excellent $1-a-yard fabrics on clearance tables, nice enough to use for formal gowns.

[lilie]

ooh my alltime favourite.. thrift stores and remnant bins and also fabric sales.. then I make everything my doll needs .pants. shirts. undies.socks. beanies scarves etc the only things I buy are shoes and wigs

[Moon Lightning]

I'm new to the hobby. I make my own fur wigs out of scraps of fur material that people give me. Right now I got 20 different wigs. I make my own clothes or go to places that sell clothes that can be moded to fit. Like Friends2bemade clothes or Groovygirl clothes for the cloth dolls. Since I got only my Bobobie sprite she can fit them just fine. :) Other than that I guess I'll just make it and find a way to make monies for my hobby.

[Dr Yami and Mr Hyde]

I've began taking up sewing just to try to save money instead of buying a really expensive outfit. I want to save up for another dolly instead :D

[CreamPop]

Thrift stores are amazing. It's almost like a treasure hunt for me whenever I go to mine, because I never know exactly what I'll find, but I know I'll find something good (esp. fabric and craft supplies). :D

[topazrain]

Ours is an expensive hobby, and it's definitely not worth it to skimp on the actual dolls or their things--but still, we have to save our pennies where we can, right? What silly little things do you do to save money?

For example, I hoard used bubble wrap that comes to me wrapped around dolls or their items. :sweat As long as it's clean, not sticky, and not too damaged (or popped!), I'll stick it in a box and save it, so that when I'm sending out a head or a pair of shoes or something else that needs padding, I can just pull out a hunk or two and re-use it! Saves me a dollar or two and a trip to the store. :lol

I also didn't bother to buy underwear for my boys for a long time. I figured that I should buy clothes that would show before I should spring for clothes that wouldn't. :oops

And, of course, my boys share a large part of the doll wardrobe. I think they've all worn the black jeans that Thomas is currently wearing, and he's wearing a white shirt that was originally bought for Jack, and their belts make the rounds like crazy! There are a few items that are specifically for one guy or another, but most of them serve double or triple duty.

So: what about you? Where do you pinch your doll pennies?

Ugh, I don't think I know how to save. :cry I buy my dolls exactly what I want for them and if I can afford it for that particular doll then I wait.

For instance, I want an awake CP KDF Cherry to go with my dreaming CP KDF Cherry. At the time, I didn't have the money to spring for a set of gumdrop eyes I wanted for the awake one [the sleeping one's eyes are difficult to see into and so I never saw a need to get her any specific eyes] so I passed on adding her to the purchase of my sleeping Cherry. Perhaps I'm just spoiled but I tend to pass on things until I get exactly what I want and how I want it.

Dominatrix much? :XD

Anyway, my first doll is coming equipped with a faceup, shoes, underwear, wig, outfit, random eyes and a minature teapot set right off the bat. There are other things I want for her but she's complete for now. <3 I suppose I try and satisfy myself with what I can afford at the moment and save for what I couldn't afford.

[MoonChild]

One of the most fun ways to save money is to find out about storage unit auctions. If someone defaults on their storage unit payments, the company will hold auctions (once every couple months, usually) and you walk around in a group and bid on the units. It takes a bit of work, because you have to sell or throw away the things you don't want, but I have found some amazing things there...not just for dolls, but also for me, which saves money. I've found jewelry, fabrics, furniture, even storage units with porcelain dolls and their things. It can be kind of hit and miss, but if you're looking to outfit your own apartment or if you hold a yearly garage sale, nothing could be better. You never know what you'll find! I found two beautiful coffee tables, a dining room table that just needed a table cloth to cover it, and a TV stand for $60...cheaper than you could find at a garage sale! I also love garage sales. ^_^ Especially now that the economy took a downturn, there should be some wonderful summer garage sales!
You can make a lot of furniture for dolls from weird stuff you find at garage sales. I'm stunned that no one mentioned garage sales yet, because they're the best source for old dresses for fabric, jewelry boxes that can be converted into a doll dresser, old art supplies for faceups, and tons more!