Collection Indecision

I’ve been through this many times; sometimes it’s necessary to sell a doll or two in order to ‘move on’ I think, but more often than not I try take the time to actually sit down with these ‘problematic’ dolls and swap out their go-to outfits, wigs and eyes etc. more often than not, a simple fresh change is enough for the spark to be lit again. The last time I felt like this was with my Impldoll Carlee and Bimong N410; the Bimong now resides happily in my cabinet with a new outfit and wig that suits her much better, while the Carlee is on her way to a new home

 

Personally, I clear out my dolls regularly. I don't have a ton of space, and it gets to be difficult once I reach a certain point in my collection. I just gave my sister an older MSD and a DD and don't regret it one bit. Essentially, I feel good about it because I am happy when dolls I don't spend enough time with get second life with a new owner. One thing I won't do is sell my limited edition / very rare dolls that I'm on the fence about. I once sold a rare outfit and regret it. I'm still trying to track down that dang dress 5 years later.

One idea would be to put them in a box tucked away for a month like you said or whatever length of time you choose. Sometimes we experience fatigue and putting them away for a bit can renew your interest. If you didn't really miss them after that time, then I'd consider selling.

 

I've been feeling this way recently, too. I have my few bjds that I adore and are ones I'd only sell if I absolutely had to. Then I have some that I love but are mostly completed, creativity-wise. I don't feel a need to change them or update them or do anything with them. Right now they just sit or stand there. Nothing wrong with that, of course. But that's why I wonder if I should sell them to someone that has a new dream or idea for that doll. Indecision indeed.

 

I, too, have been there and have never regretted the decision whenever I've sold those dolls and parts. I guess already the fact that it drives me insane helps me make up my mind because I don't enjoy being on this state at all and it's a relief to get rid of the thing causing me such olympic level brain gymnastics There have also been times where I've made a listing and realised I actually want to keep the doll after all, but appreciate how my action has at least given me some surety.

All in all, if you already feel you are not enjoying them to the capacity you'd like to, there's no shame in letting them go and moving on

 

Yup, I’m going through that just now. I really need to thin my collection and have finally after a lot of swithering back and forth decided to sell one who, just as you said, ticked all the boxes in theory but I was never able to bond with.

Another problem I have regarding letting go is guilt when I’ve adopted them from someone else as I feel I’ve let the previous owner down somehow.

 

I'm going through that at the moment. There's a doll I think is so beautiful, and I'm scared that if I sell her I'll regret it for that reason, but also there feels like something is missing. I just don't care as much about her as I do others, and I could use the money, but what if I do regret it? It's so hard and sadly I don't have a solution, haha.

 

Yup, been in that spot where my interests changed and now I have a bunch of centaurs lol
And now I have no idea what my human-legged dolls are even worth XD

 

Same here tbh. I need to clear some room, boxes take so much space and reluctant to throw them away and have limited display space so they are on rota. And my tastes have been subtly alternating. That being said, I think I need to get my monies worth more while owning them, so it is less hurtful when coming around for selling. Especially when making huge losses when selling it does feel like I have thrown money (sometimes $300 plus per bjd) away when selling barely touched bjds.

 

Coming up on two years ago I made a list of nine I hadn't done anything with for several years (I'm increasingly short of doll space) although several of them I was indecisive about. Istill haven't listed a single on e of them, although six of them have found new homes.

The first one alomost instantly because I mentioned the list to a friend who said, "If Frankie's on the list, I want her!"

The next two because i took one fo them in to work as my "desk dolly of the day" and poted on instagram mentioning he was on the list - someone said they'd have him and another firn ed asked if another of my boys was on the list. That was about a year ago.

A couple of weeks ago I hosted a dolly day at mine and one of the atttendess kindly took some photos of the remaining six dolls on the list as a way of moving me toward creating listings for them. I shared the pictures on Instagram when I posted about the olly day and three more of them were claimed... one of them was one of the ones I'm stil indecisive about (I have two of the same sculpt)

So I'm down to three remaiing dolls from the list, one of which I'm still undecided about (even having moved her brother on), , another I've been undecided about all along, and another that has been unnamed, unpainted, and with no eyes in all the years she's been sat in the cabinet with the rest.

They've all been moved out of the cabinet and out-of sight so we'l ee if i miss them being out and within reach.... and whether I actualy get aoround to listing any of them for sale.

Teddy

 

I have one girl I keep going back and forth about keeping, I just recently started sewing for her though and it's revitalized my interest in her. I think there's nothing wrong with thinning the herd though, and if I am questioning keeping her again in the future I am more than happy to pass her along to someone who will give her the love and attention she deserves!

 

I can totally relate to this. I went through this exact same thing many years ago. I’d been happily collecting for a few years and then my grail arrived (see avatar.) She completely eclipsed every other doll in my collection at that time, which gave me no end of angst. After much thought and wringing of hands, I made the very difficult decision to sell the rest and rebuild my collection entirely around her in hopes it would allow me to create the “perfect collection”. And it worked. While I still occasionally have warm nostalgic thoughts of those dolls I moved on, I know I did the right thing. Well over a decade later, I’m still thrilled about my decision because it enabled me to build the fantasy collection of my dreams.

 

I've had that problem many times over many years. I hate to waste resources so I try to make the best of what I've purchased until I'm truly out of energy to keep trying. Even though I think very hard about everything I sell I still have many regrets. You simply can't do everything perfectly, or make all the best choices for your future self. Knowing that sometimes makes deciding what to do easier, but sometimes harder. I think all these kinds of feelings are probably pretty normal. There is a lot to think about for one's collection in this hobby. Ups and downs and mistakes and losses, missed opportunities and a little grief seem to be part of it.

 

Such a wise and insightful post, thank you so much, @AlisonVonderland , you good, artistic, wise soul!

 

So far the feeling of relief after selling has been greater than sentiment when I get that feeling. When I recently thought about selling one of my dolls for fund, I thought "I love ALL my dolls there's nobody I can send away" for first time and I felt content, and I am loving that feeling.

 

It happens to me. I've sold a couple of floating heads, but those came to me from a lucky bag and when I saw them they didn't fit my family.
I have a couple of mulecas that I ignore and sometimes I think about selling, but at the same time I'm afraid to do it in case I regret it. I know I will not get the money I invested in them.... But I feel that when I sell them, maybe later I will see them in someone else's hands and all of a sudden I will want them again (It happens to me with everything, even with clothes and I have a lot of accumulated). So it is very difficult for me to sell something and avoid that feeling.

 

My entire 17 years in the hobby have been a lot of buying, selling, trading and refreshing. A few special dolls have stayed with me for a long time (and I still have my first, he'll be turning 18 this summer!) but most only last maybe a year or two and move on. I get bored when things stay the same for too long, I need something new and exciting! And space and money are limited, so sometimes I need to let one go to bring home a new one I'd rather have. It usually does mean selling at a loss, unfortunately.

When I'm on the fence, sometimes I will go ahead and take sales pics and box them up, just to see how I feel as I do it. Am I excited to move them on? Or does it make me too sad to do it? Sometimes, a doll just needs a new outlook. I actually listed and later price dropped Cassie last year, had no buyers, and every time I'd look at her box or sales listing, I'd just feel....bad. Then one day while out shopping, I accidentally stumbled upon some plants that her character loves but I'd never seen in person, they just aren't available in my area. I took that as a sign I had to keep that girl! Got her a new wig, some new clothes, worked on her story line in depth, and she's now one of my main girls!

 

I almost never waffle on whether or not to sell a doll. In my case, I like to wait for a bond to develop with a doll naturally, which may take months (or, in some cases, years!). During this time, I will try things out and see what works and what doesn't in hopes that they grow on me.

Once I hit the point where I'm even beginning to think about selling a doll, it's like a switch flips and all I want is the doll sold and out of my house. It doesn't matter if the sale comes at a loss, if it takes a while to find the right buyer, whatever, I need to take pictures and put it up and send it on to the next interested person. Any financial hit I take, I consider my "fun tax," as I got to learn something and have some fun along the way before paying it forward to someone else.

I, too, struggled early in my collecting years with wanting to have the "perfect" collection. Over time, I've realized that my issue isn't necessarily that I want a perfect collection as much as I want the perfect dolls for my collection. I can be very prone to FOMO and hype, which can (and has!) lead to me impulse buying dolls because they're popular or time limited or whatever, rather than saving for and buying dolls I really want and will treasure. I did a soft reset back in 2020 where I sold most of my dolls and rebuilt my collection from scratch. Several are still in various states of completion and in need of work, but I love them all now and I feel very satisfied even with my small mountain of WIPs.

 

As others have said collections change as attitudes and trends tend to cage. Over the years of being in and out of the hobby I find my interests don't change as often as the revolving trends. And because of that it sometimes makes it harder to find releases or items that still interest me especially with such a specific aesthetic in mind. I've realized after owning different dolls and different sizes what might be a passing interest. For instance, I've owned both male and female dolls but always end up selling the males and keeping the females. And I find the 1/3 size is actually perfect for me after having owned different sized dolls over the years. Essentially finding what doesn't work for you sometimes brings you closer to what you want the most.

 

I just had this experience. There was a doll I DESPERATELY wanted, searched the market for nonstop and finally got it. When it arrived I loved it, but I wasn’t crazy about the doll’s head, and had been planning a MNF hybrid. The hybrid head came in, I put it on her, and…did not feel the instant love I had expected. I tried different wigs, clothes, posing etc but there was always something bugging me about her. Even though I did appreciate her beauty sometimes! In theory I should’ve loved her because I loved her face sculpt and her body sculpt, but something just didn’t sit right and it really affected my enjoyment of the doll. Eventually I sat myself down and asked myself: If I could trade her for x y z doll, would I? And the answer was yes. So I knew it was time to pass her along!

For me the thing that was hard to get over was the personal embarrassment I felt about being so excited, searching so hard, and then being like “yeah I don’t dig this.” I was kind of ashamed about my purchasing decisions.

I was also trying to force myself to like something different because I felt dumb for liking a very similar doll type across my collection. I kind of felt societal pressure to diversify, almost? But you like what you like and shouldn’t be ashamed of what you like in dolls. If you have a doll type, you do. Who cares! Now I’m trading for two dolls I really adore that fit squarely in my “type” xD

So maybe have an honest talk with yourself and see if that’s affecting you at all too!

 

I don't buy a doll 's until I have an entire character and outfit planned out for them or how they'll fit in with the rest of the group

 

I think that's a really good idea to just pack them up and put them away for awhile. Walk by the empty spaces frequently and see how it makes you feel.
If it's really distressing to you, then hang onto them for awhile longer. Sooner or later you will be able to make the right decision.
Best of luck to you!

 

I'm like that now with one of my dolls. The biggest problem is that the dealer that I ordered her legs from, I think never ordered them. And, the legs are already been paid for long ago and I know that I'll never order a doll that color again (even if they could color match it).
So, don't know if I try selling her now, or wait to sell her, or try to work with her.

Spoiler: Derailing

The problem with working with her, is that she doesn't strike me like her promo images (in person, she's not that girl). And, the story I made up for her, while waiting for her vanished. By vanished, I mean my brain gave me an image of what to make her into and I have no desire to make her into that and that I'd be disappointed with the result. I don't care to try, just for her, but she's almost always the first doll I pick up. If I don't like her, it's okay. But, at the same time my brain is making up that "there's no other doll like her", (edit: because that isn't true). So, should I sell??
I have no imagination to give her the make over that she needs to fit the new image. (And, I'm nor sure if that image is interesting to me.) My brain doesn't say "I like you" when I pick her up. I want her to move me and not be "just okay".

 

I've had this dilemma as well, especially with the doll sizing and LE items that are now discontinued.

I like the idea of 1/4 dolls for easier handling, but most sculpts lean towards the cuter side, whereas the 1/3+ dolls take up more space and can be a pain to handle at times. The 75cm dolls are half my height….but I love how mature they look and that really draws me in towards them. Which made me question on if I should let go of some dolls, to which I did end up letting go of a few 1/4 sculpts with no regrets.

One current issue is, I have a LE 1/4 doll head that's been discontinued. He's still new and nude, so I've considered selling him off a couple of times, but then I would see photos of him w/ full face-up from other collectors and artists and it'd make me question myself if I should really let him go. Would I come to regret selling him because he's no longer being made? So I'm still debating myself on this.

 

I really need to go through my collection some time soon, sort the floating heads and boxed dolls, and… put them all to one side again. I don’t know why I do it; I get too attached to ideas, and there must be some subconscious notion of ‘I’ll do something with you, eventually’. It’s that ‘eventually’ that I can’t get over, like I’m waiting for the *perfect* character for them. Plus, I think I’m worried they’ll sit on the market for ages, too, so I might as well hold on to them a while longer. Just until the economy allows more people to make such luxury purchases again.

But, one day, I will thin out my collection. Or get creative with all of them.

 

I finally managed to sell a rolling head I had. I loved it as soon as I saw it and I'm ashamed to admit that I'm a compulsive shopper. If at a specific moment I like something, I get a rush and buy it without thinking, I'm dealing with it so it doesn't happen, but the one I sold was the result of that rush. I'm glad to know that even though it didn't fit in my family, it's now in the home of someone who will treasure it and give it life.

 

I mean, the lowest cost strategy is just set up multiple dolls and switch wigs and clothes around and feel the vibe.

I had a resin soul I was about ready to sell (I'm not a big fan to start with, but he taught me a lot of bjd lessons) I slapped a head on I was not vibing with that came with a abody I traded for. Voila, I now have a doll I actually really like now in his cute little outfit. From two bits I did not care for separated.

So for floating heads? Do a face up, just mess around and see if you get some inspiration. On the one hand, you got practice, on the other, you can see if you got something hiding within the doll. Kind of like Michaelangelo talking about finding his statues in the blocks of marble, he just had to let them out, lol. So long as you seal it right, you can always just wipe it, but if you did. Have decent job, you might help convince someone to buy it if you a vision so to speak.

Another way is to consider mods. I've goofed around with heads that I was very meh about and suddenly I am very excited to do a face up and make a wig and get them dressed cause now it's a new guy. Some thing simple like elf ears, demon horns, vampire teeth, y'know bjd basics. It kind harms the selling potential, ngl, but if it's something that really gets you going, you did buy the doll originally for your pleasure.

I've also gotten dolls with proportions I didn't like once I got it. Ive shaved stuff down, cut stuff down, or added just so that it's more pleasing to me and makes me want to keep it. There was something I liked, so with a few adjustments and elbow grease, I can make it my personal ideal doll

Consider trades! Ive been trying to stick to SD's so I've been open to trading msd's. I only trade with a goal on mind and a bunch of people are open to it if you offer to pay the difference if they have the more expensive doll. Or you be willing to take a little cash if you get a doll you want that's maybe worth less value then the one you have.

There are so many ways to get back Into the doll. But if you look at the doll and you just hate the idea of trying new things with it, you gotta let it go.

 

I’ve only ever sold a full doll once. Loved her, but circumstances surrounding her arrival spoiled her for me. I don’t regret that.

Where I have had indecision is with floating heads. There’s one I badly regret selling. Another I won’t sell because it’s a practice head, but I like the sculpt and go back and forth between wanting a body for her or not. Though I’d need another practice head if I did that lol.

Yet another head, the Summer 2009 event head from Luts — I tried to unload this thing for years but no one bought it. It’s grown on me now though and I definitely don’t want to sell it anymore. Still, I am not sure if I want to invest in a body for him either, so for now his head is floating alone on a shelf.