So Why Is Sasara so expensive?

There's no way I would ever think about getting her, but just wondering why. I don't see many others going up to the price ranges she's at.

I have a theory why certain dolls see their prices skyrocket while others don't get much above the $1k mark.

 

#1 is that a doll must have a unique look: no other doll can look like her. For example, if I really want a Marisa but can't quite find her, there are a lot of dolls who have a very similar look -- Reimu and DDH-06 for example. Who looks like Sasara? No one. Only Sasara looks like Sasara. A lot of the more expensive dolls (Beato, Miki, Rise, Aoko) have a very unique look that you can't "mimic" by getting a similar doll.

 

For a long time, Yuki was suuuuuper expensive. However, as more and more dolls came out that had similar looks, her price began to slide. Now she's still expensive, but not as expensive as she used to be.

 

#2 is that a doll should be from a popular series. Sasara is from To Heart 2 which, according to the wiki, has had "six anime series, four OVAs, four manga series, fifteen sets of manga anthologies, three Internet radio shows, two drama CDs, and six novel adaptations" in addition to the original game plus several spin-offs.

 

Similarly, Beato, Miki, Rise, and Aoko are also from very popular franchises that have seen lots of adaptations.

 

I also think that the fact that these dolls appear in games, where you can "interact" with them and develop a "relationship" with the character, plays into the 2nd-hand market value. Collectors feel they have a connection with that specific character, and so a doll that looks similar but isn't actually their desired character simply won't do.

 

#3 is that the doll should be from a series with a primarily adult audience, or at least a significant adult following. This is because adults typically have more discretionary income than children and teens, and are able to spend more on the things they love (and thus push up the prices). I think a good example of this contrast is the Blythe and Pullip markets -- in my experience, the Blythe market seems to be dominated by adult collectors while the Pullip market seems to be dominated by younger (teens and pre-teens) collectors. While they're both big-headed dolls, Blythes typically go for FAR more than Pullips. There are a lot of other factors involved, but I think the age of their fandoms is an important one to consider.

 

Same thing here... Sasara is from a franchise with a large percentage of adult fans (especially considering the "eroge" version of the game).

 

I also think that the fact that these dolls appear in games, where you can "interact" with them and develop a "relationship" with the character, plays into the 2nd-hand market value. Collectors feel they have a connection with that specific character, and so a doll that looks similar but isn't actually their desired character simply won't do.

 

 

That absolutely influenced me to get my first DD Kos-Mos. The first DD I ever saw were Yui & Mio from K-On, and while I love the anime and the character Mio the cost just didn't seem worth it. When I saw DD Kos-Mos from the Xenosaga games I had to have her and the cost didn't matter. The connection I had to her character was definitely stronger due to the interactions in the games. Xenosaga is also deeply psychological in it's themes, so the character interactions are much more intense than a lot of games.

 

The use of philosophical ideas from Jung and Neitzsche give the game a much more adult appeal too. Kids can enjoy the games, but unless they are really well read they will miss a lot of subtext.

Sasara head mold is great, especially the eyes mold, because most DD have such an open eyes there are not many option if you want to do a semi realistic custom faceup.

 

Also, Volks kept the supply low so that's another thing.

I just want to say that Cauldroness is awesome!