Starting Out: Questions from a Newbie and Your Start

If you've been reading my past posts, you'll know that I'm currently considering a DD. What do you suggest a newbie do? Get one of the basic, assembled dolls with a faceup and wig that Volks offers? Get a blank head and whatever bust I want? Go for secondhand?

 

I'm wondering, how did you all start out? What got you started? Who was your first doll? Do you still have her? If you've had other types of dolls (especially resins or Monster High) in the past, what was different? What did you like more or less?

It really depends on what your motivation is and what you can afford at the time.

 

If your looking for the "bang for your buck" and an all around solid use of money, any of the volks standard models are a good bet.

Standard model pros:

Standard models come assembled with a face-up, eyes, wig, and slip. You can always order a smaller or larger bust part for her later, and wig and eyes are obviously interchangeable. Forum member pscindy_13 has an adorable pair of MDD Rena twins!

Standard model cons:

You have the mass factory face-up unless you decide to give her a new one, a large sum of money is required at once to bring her home.

 

If money is an issue in large sums you can go the custom route. Decent custom dolls end up costing around as much as a standard model and quite regularly even more.

Custom Doll Pros:

One of a kind doll, tailored to your creative ideas and desires, can pay for parts as funds are available. A fun process to build your girl.

Custom Doll cons:

Paying multiple times for shipping fees on items. Not finding quite what your looking for in terms of eyes, wigs, etc. Lack of face-up skills could add an extra cost to get a professional face-up done.

 

That is from a money perspective which most new owners think about.

 

If money is not an issue, then the sky is the limit! You could go for a limited doll through volks lotteries or yahoo japan auctions, or go for a custom doll head through again yahoo japan auctions or customizers on the forums and flickr.

 

If you are creatively impaired I suggest the standard model, limited model, or ready made custom doll. If you know your way around a paint brush you may find it rewarding and fun to do your girl's face-up.

 

Face-ups are subjective and everyone views and likes something different. What I find attractive, you may find hideous, and vice versa. However there are creations that everyone knows are terrible and are too polite to say anything,(and what is the point of making someone feel bad) just as there are universally attractive dolls that most agree are amazing. The main thing is as long as you are happy with it, thats all that matters.

 

Good luck and read a ton on the forum before you purchase. The Dollfie dream guides are a good place to start.

I just got into DD's and can give you my 2 cents. I've done some homework before buying.

 

If you don't mind me asking you what is your budget range?

 

Are you wanting a particular limited model because you like the character, or are you just looking for something generic?

 

Is there a particular DD face sculpt you really like?

I started with MSD-size resin dolls so I wasn't sure if I'd like DD or not. I got a basic head to start with (HDD-03) and experimented with faceups and the resin bodies that I had. I think just getting a head is a good way to get a feel for vinyl and the scale of DD if you don't have any 60cm dolls.

I still have my first head too, she's gotten a few faceup revisions but is always my first DD crush

 

If you want a doll that's ready to play right out of the box, one of the standard models will be fine. You can always customize them later if you want to change eyes, wig, or faceup. Volks has just released the DDy, DDS, and MDD standards recently, so it's not like everyone will be sick of seeing too many around. And even standard dolls get a lot of love in this fandom.

Agreed with chibinezumi: Your motivation for considering a Dollfie Dream is what you need to be inspired by.

 

Ideally, you shouldn't need to ask the community what doll to buy so much as how to take care of her once she's home. That is to say, you should buy whatever DD it is that you fall in love with from seeing her, such that you just have to have her. It doesn't matter whether that's a standard, LE character, or custom.

 

If you don't have such a DD yet, I'd recommend not buying one at all until you find something you love that much. Dolls are costly enough that you wouldn't want to buy one just for the sake of saying you have one. While you wait, you can set aside some money each month. Then, when you find the DD you absolutely must get, then pick her up right away.

 

I would recommend that if you end up falling in love with a girl who has a complicated wig or outfit, to buy a regular non-limited wig and outfit to practice on first. You will learn how to dress the doll and put on wigs without fear of damaging a limited item that can't be easily replaced.

 

That's more or less how I got started myself; I saw some promo pictures of DD Rin Tohsaka online and thought she was too cool to pass up. Only later did I learn she was a doll, 2 feet tall, purchasable by lottery, and all the rest.

You shouldn't let others decide what's the best doll for you. This is a expensive hobby and if you don't "feel" for the the doll you bought through recommendations or because it was "cheap" then it have only just been a waste of money. Look around at the dolls that are both standard and limited, you could be surprised what you actually like.

 

Almost all of my BJDs are really old loves that I've been looking at for years. I didn't have the budget I needed when I was younger so I just waited. I mostly sat and looked through information about care and similar topics before I even had the opportunity to buy my first doll.

 

A good way to start even before you have bought your doll is to check the forums on how to take care of it, what to avoid etc.

Sakurasylph pretty well summed up what I was going to say. Really, get whatever doll it is that you fall in love with. My first girl, Yuriko, was was 100% custom built from parts, but that was the only way to match the idea in my head of the girl I wanted. Other people fall in love with a specific pre-made character, sometimes one of the limited anime or game characters, but some of the standard models are rather popular as characters as well. Basically, get the girl you'll be happy having, and don't quibble too much over price. Certainly don't settle for someone you won't bond with because of a difference of a couple hundred dollars in a hobby that can easily cost over a thousand to start in. If you get a doll you aren't truly happy with, then that money, no matter how much, will have been wasted. Even if it means having to wait a few more months to save up the extra, it's definitely worth it to have that one special girl who is the right one for you.

Agreed with others that you should definitely take your time making sure the girl you pick will hold your interest. However many times a person's first doll is not what they were expecting and they sell and move onto another until they find the right one. Which is perfectly fine. If she is somewhat expensive then take time to save up.

 

And money is and will always be a factor in this hobby. The idealist idea of a few hundred dollars not mattering here and there is actually a lot of money to some folks. Financial responsibility in this hobby should always be your first priority. As a new owner I would not recommend going for a $1000+ limited doll, even if you saved for it. Go for a face you like in a mid range price, so you are not scared to stain her, or drop her, etc. As many new owners quickly find out, you will be saving and searching for that 2nd doll within a week of getting your first anyways! So that expensive doll can be worked towards later.Again these are all just suggestions, the final decision should be yours.

 

As for as me starting out, its been a decent amount of years ago, but I started with a blank HDD-01 head and did the face-up, saved for an MDD body, and took time to find wig and eyes. That doll does not exist today. Over time her face has been repainted 3 times. I find that my dolls are always evolving somewhat and never quite keep one look. I definitely love my custom girls a little more than my limited girls. Actively participating in designing and creating them has proved to me I enjoy customizing the most.

I suggest spending time going through the Flickr Dollfie Dream pool and see what appeals to you,

 

http://www.flickr.com/groups/dollfiedream/

 

Unfortunately if people don't tag their photos and you're not familiar with all the Dollfie faces, it can be hard to figure out how people have customized their doll. Going through the Dollfie Dream Style Database forum here will help with that.

You can also check this database which got entries of all the prepainted dolls and both official and owner pictures of them:

http://myfigurecollection.net/search.php?type_id=25858&root=0&type_strict=1&type_p=-1

Awesome Answers!!

 

This is an addictive hobby and a expensive one too but so worth every penny and every hour spent! I have been a Dollfie collector for years but i haven't got a DD almost all my dollfie so far are all SD13 Resins and MSD.. I stopped this hobby for a while and just now got back into it. DD is so awesome and there is so many options for me! i think that once you figure out what you think like such as the Flickr Dollfie Dream pool as Foo said earlier has really helped me decide my next dollfie and my frist DD!

Other than considering the cost of obtaining a whole DD, it is important to consider the cost of the buying some of the things needed to go along with the DD such as spare clothings, bodysuit, stand, magic eraser and many others.

There are so many ways you can go and it really all depends on you. I would say the main thing is for you to really think about what you want. Do you already collect dolls or anything else? If so look back on your collection and think back on how you started and where you are now with it. I believe you have to decide for yourself what's best for you; but since it's alway fun to talk about me, here's my story.

 

I have been collecting resin BJD's and other dolls for 6 years now and I have sold every one of those I bought in that first year because I didn't know what I really wanted, I just wanted to buy dolls! Later on through looking at the forums and pictures on blogs and Flickr I was able to refine my doll taste and could make better decisions based on what was best for me. The main thing for me was to stay away from buying the dolls I was drawn to simply because of the beautiful pictures some people were able to take, or the cute personality that someone had developed for that mold. I had to really give some serious thought to what I would be doing, and how they would fit in with the rest of my doll family.

 

I started my Dolfie Dream collection only a few months ago, but had been looking at them for years, knowing that someday I would start collecting them. Over time I figured out what I wanted for my collection, how I saw them interacting and what kind of personality types would be best for my personality and situation.

I ended up getting a new MOMO as my first, because she was the first one I fell completely in love with and then got a Fate/Extra head because I love her face mold but didn't want the L bust or her full-set. Move forward a bit and I bought her a body with a smaller bust from Volks and also a blank head so I can start customizing my third. I have a short list of the DD's I really want in the future and then a second list for those that I like but am not sure about.

 

So whatever you do, remember that the final decision should be yours, and if you decide down the line you are not happy with who you got that's okay because the second hand market value on these dolls is pretty good, and for me anyway the buying and selling is part of the fun of this hobby.

I am also a newbie, having only just ordered my first.

 

I went the route of getting a standard model (Yukino) from Volks. I've ordered eyes and a wig from other stores, and I will be getting the outfit I want made locally. I'm still not sure what to do about the head. I may buy a custom made-up one from YJA, and when that arrives, send Yukino's off to somebody to get customised for my next girl. I'm not sure of anybody in my country who does it, though, and international postage is prohibitively expensive, and will increase the cost significantly.

 

Having found some local seamstresses is what made me take the plunge. I can get exactly the outfits I want, and be involved in the creative process and production at every step. It means I can truly create a character doll that I want.

 

I'm already planning my next two or even three dolls. The bug has firmly bitten me. My next will almost certainly be a complete custom build from parts (since Volks don't sell white or semi-white bodies, or any with S busts).

 

As for how I got started... I've been collecting anime figures for years. Through such communities, I've also been looking at Dollfies for years, but did not want to take the plunge because of the costs involved, more than anything. Having spent so much on figures now, though... what harm can some dolls do. >.>