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Do you prefer to buy dolls from the same maker, or a lot of different makers?

May 21, 2019

    1. I have 9 dolls (including those ordered) from 6 different companies, ranging in size from 65 cm to 11 cm. None of the ones from the same company are the same size >.< I like to see how different companies deal with engineering and structural issues, so I keep adding from different companies.

      I figure someday I'll pick one or two companies whose posing I like the best and buy more from them.... wait! I'm supposed to be done with buying new dolls!
       
    2. In theory I'm open to buying from lots of different companies, though in practice almost all of my dolls are from one of two companies >_<
       
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    3. Different. I have a Volks(super cute childish innocent look) and a Soom( harpy baby). To me a lot of companies sculpts are a little too similar and once I have one thats all I need.

      Edited: holy cow spelling errors
       
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    4. It depends. If I like the maker's style I will always buy his or her dolls.
      I like Aidoll and Rosenlied :) so I have brought a lot from them.
       
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    5. Kinda both for me :) I simply buy what I like. Many companies and artists have their own distinct style that permeates many or all of the dolls they make, so if I like one doll from a certain maker, I'm often drawn to others they make as well. For example, I have several Volks dolls because I love their classic, "porcelain doll-like" aesthetic of many of their dolls. But I also have dolls from very different artists and brands, including Merry Doll Round and Unoa.
       
    6. Newbie here. Just browsing this site. I am amazed at the amount of BJD makers and artists. Personally I adopt dolls that speak to me. I don't have a specific type or theme. I have many different artist dolls, human and Elf like. Some Kaye Wiggs, Connie Lowe, Meadowdolls, Isalnddoll and just bought an Impling from the Mushroom Peddler.
       
    7. I have repeatedly tried dolls from other companies for my characters, but I've ended up selling most of them because they didn't fit into the group the way I'd hoped. So I've ended up with mostly Iplehouse, SOOM, and Migidoll sculpts...
       
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    8. I have a complete mix of companies right now, but I definitely know what kind of aesthetics I like in my dolls and select my dolls based off that. I will probably get more dolls from some of the same companies since I really like the aesthetic of their sculpts but I definitely recommend trying different companies out to see what you like.
       
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    9. I don't really care about what company my dolls come from, counting mine and my SO's collection of around 20 dolls it looks to be at least 9 different companies/artistcasts. My section of the collection that is smaller is more going to be 3, 2 companies and an artist cast. The reason we'll end up with multiple dolls from one maker is that we're fond of their style, like anyone else! We don't buy to have them fit together really, it's just what we like.
       
    10. I have a certain aesthetic but I like having dolls from different brands.
       
    11. Depends on the character I have in mind for my dolls. So I really don't have a favorite dealer I like going to.

      I really don't have a company per say that I go to anymore. I use to get all my heads from DIM when they had their minimee services, it's a shame that the company doesn't exist anymore. For their heads I have to hybridize my characters with different bodies, which I don't mind.
       
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    12. I'm looking at getting my dolls mostly the same company, not only because I absolutely love the sculpts of said company, freaking Iplehouse has stolen my wallet T.T, but that way I know that they all go together well. It's the same reason I plan to do all my dolls' face ups; I want them to look like they belong together because they're all in the same story. The ones I have from other stories can be and are from different companies and artists though.

      I got a doll from a different company to be part of the crew for a story I already had two dolls for and even though they're the same size, both 70cm, the difference between them is so noticeable it bothered me too much. Iplehouse dolls are huge in comparison to other dolls but when I got them I didn't realize that and the two I have are just so perfect for their characters it's the odd man out.

      So far I haven't had any bad experience with the other companies I've ordered from. Apart from ringdoll, mainly only because I'm now on month seven of waiting on a pair of hands from them that I don't even want/need anymore. So, for me, sticking to one company is purely because I like the aesthetic of said company and like a certain uniformity in the crews for my stories.
       
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    13. I discovered Elfdoll first, and bought two of their dolls, then Iplehouse, which I still totally adore though they do not pose very well, and I have several of those. I really like Piposland, their Cheshire cats I find simply irressistable. I like really realistic adult dolls for the most part, and no one does that sort of doll better than Iplehouse so I rarely even look at other companies anymore.
       
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    14. I want the dolls to be different from each other. Therefore, it is logical not to dwell on one maker.

      However, for me, much more important is whether I like the sculpt or not. And if I like the doll of the same creator, whose work I already have, it will not stop me.
       
    15. I admire a lot of different makers but I definitely have my go-tos. I don’t mind my dolls not being aesthetically cohesive but I do like being familiar with a company on a retail end. If I have a good experience buying from a company I’m more inclined to buy from them again than try a new company. I really have to love a doll to be willing to take a chance on a new company.
       
    16. Depends! If a company has more than one sculpt I like, then of course I'd go back to buy more. If they don't, then it was just a one-hit wonder for me with them for the time being. They may come out with other dolls I will like in the future.

      I do try to match aesthetics though too.
       
    17. my favorite firms are Spiritdoll (2 guys) for their stunningly beautiful noses and Domuya (3 girls) for their pretty appearance
      I like dolls of one company because they are part of the same family and looks harmoniously together
       
    18. I definitely see the appeal of buying different dolls from different companies. More variety and if your shelling already established OCs, different companies might work better for different characters.

      But I personally like the thought of having a collection made up of one company. I think that way they blend and match together better.
       
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    19. I personally love having all my dolls from one company. I find it's sometimes hard to find ones that fit the same sort of look and they feel too out of place for me, but I love seeing it with other peoples dolls.
      I'm very cookie cutter with my own dolls :lol:
       
    20. If I really like a company I want a lots of their dolls, but I don't still want to restrict myself. However, currently I focusing on few companies, just because I like their scuplts and they all fit nicely together. This also probably because I want more animal dolls and there are not that many companies that do animal dolls anyway (at least compared to human/human-like dolls).
       
    21. Dollzone - It's like an addiction.

      I have forbidden myself no more Dollzone dolls until I round out my collection a bit more.
       
    22. I really like the idea of having dolls from different companies. There’s so many good companies out there and it feels like a shame to both them and myself to limit myself to one company just because I really like one.

      That being said, I fell in love with Luts Kid Delfs and I’m trying to decide now if I just let my heart be free and get a bunch more or if I should try a different company for my next purchases. :XD:
       
    23. Personally, I think it's great to buy from a lot of different doll makers! But there's particular ones that I always end up going back to because they just have the doll builds and aesthetics that I'm a huge fan of. There's only 3 or 4 "regular" companies that I keep up with as far as new dolls go, but I think it's always fun to see a doll maker you haven't heard of before that makes dolls you really like :)
       
    24. I tend to switch around a bit. I'm drawn towards dolls with elf ears, so I'll usually go with a pretty elf-eared MSD when I see it! I have a bit of a weakness for SOOM little gem fantasy dolls, and have the greatest number of dolls from them (one volo, one roxen, one sueve, and another on the way), but the rest are a decent mix (1x resinsoul, 1x souldoll/minifee hybrid, 2x Mystic Kids, 1x flower and junior/myou hybrid, 2x dollzone, 2x doll leaves, 1x Magic Time, 1x DikaDoll).
       
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    25. I like having dolls from different artist
       
    26. Rather than having one favorite company, there are lots of companies with one or two dolls that I love, so there's no reason for me to restrict myself. I do want my dolls to fit together aesthetically, but I don't want them to look too similar. I love Fairyland, for example, but I don't see myself getting a second Minifee unless it was a sister or otherwise connected to the one I have. They all just look too similar to me.
       
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    27. I like a lot of different makers but I have somehow ended up with heaps of fairyland dolls haha
       
    28. Different makers! I like a variety of sculpts, styles, height and body types. I still have my favorite makers that I would buy again from them via my dealer.
       
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    29. Same. Been very happy with Volks and would snatch up any of the other old K-Doll heads if they came up for sale.
       
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    30. I’ve always purchased whatever has best suited a specific character, so I have a mix of looks certainly. However, I find myself going back to certain companies again and again (mainly Luts and Doll Chateau because they suit my personal aesthetics the best.) But I also have individual examples from different companies too. Like I said, it’s all character driven for me.
       
      #90 PoeticSoul, Dec 11, 2019
      Last edited: Feb 8, 2020
    31. I like to have variety in my dolls, so I spend a long time looking at different doll companies. I usually end up buying from different companies, but I do have a certain style or look that I prefer. ^^ Dollzone has a really nice aesthetic I tend to lean toward.
       
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    32. I love doll leaves because they have great prices. So far I'm going to have 3 from them (2 of the same sculpt as I wanted an aspen tan doll).
      However I loooove doll chateau, I'm getting 2 DC dolls so far.
      I love quite a handful of companies, so I do want to buy from multiple for variety in sculpts and bodies.
       
    33. A little of both, to be honest! I find myself going back to a few artists again and again every time they have preorders because I love their styles (Lillycat, Rap1993, and Villitunes are some of those artists), but I do branch out every now and then, too. Sometimes I do think I need to be a bit more decisive in what I buy. :blush But then I also think I won't be able to discover anything new if I don't!
       
    34. I get the appeal of both. I once was a „only one doll from a company“-person, but now I highly prefer Volks. But I have to get some dolls from other companies since I have a lot of characters with darker skin.
      also, I am pretty much into soom too
       
    35. I think I will end up...like you as well.
      My first two doll are from Luts, they are both Diez in different versions. And, I plan on waiting for another Diez sculpt come out in future (I will choose different skin tone this time).
      I also pre-ordered a head from Switch, so I will start (addicting to) Switch as well.
      Beside those two companies, I do have some dolls from other companies in wishlist. However, I have to check on them again.
      You know, sometime the different face sculpts just do not look good together in the same photo :(
       
    36. There's so much diversity between dolls that I prefer to buy different dolls from different companies. However, I can see myself buying multiples from companies I like.
       
    37. I like buying dolls from different companies. I currently have two dolls and nine on the way. All 11 dolls are from different companies! :XD:
       
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    38. I find dolls that fit my characters usually, and try to keep a somewhat cohesive collection in terms of aesthetics. Something that admittedly drives me crazy is that certain realistic dolls don't blend in well with my earlier, mostly CP, collection. As such, I do stop myself from purchasing from certain companies regardless of how much I love their dolls.

      On the flip side, I prefer all my dolls to be on different bodies because they are supposed to be of different heights and builds. Lots of hybridization over here...
       
    39. Oh man, it has been a loooong time. Welp- I only ever had an affinity for DoD dolls. Something about their sculpts just seemed special/aesthetically pleasing to me. It was never about wanting to stick to a brand or intentional preference for the brand. I could browse other brands, but none of them caused me to feel that rush of "I WANT" like DoD did. That being said, I guess anthropomorphic dolls don't apply to this rule 8Da as I do have a Pipos Mango. Perhaps her case was different in that I had her as a character in mind before I saw the doll. With my DoD boys, the characters developed after/while I waited for their dolls. So perhaps character creation does play a part in whether or not someone buys from different companies.
       
    40. I'm the same as the person above my post: I never really thought about buying only from one company, it just so happened that I primarily buy my dolls from Volks. Their body sculpts and faces are just beautiful and I love their resin quality.
      But I also own one Dollshe Pure body and two Rumpeldoll bjds (Abby+Morfeo) since I fell in love with the heads designed by Rumpeldoll.
      And while the Morfeo sculpt is gorgeous and definitely my favourite after the Volks SD-F-60, I must admit that when I look at dolls online I always feel most drawn to the dolls from Volks. Something about their aesthetics just speaks to me and makes me want to own one of them.
       
    41. I use to own a lot of different ones (with no Volks), though now i do have some variety, it seems like Volks has surely taken over my collection over time. even my main guy has changed to Volks, which i NEVER saw happening.

      its great to get some variety, as no two people are the same really either in some sense. But nothing wrong with owning all the same company either... makes clothes easier to fit :)
       
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    42. Hmm I think I prefer the same company maker. Currently I have 2 different company dolls and I can’t stand the difference like in body proportions. When taking photos I can’t find the right angle for them to look even in size.
       
      #102 Kananshii, Dec 12, 2019
      Last edited: May 15, 2021
    43. I like the difference in different makers since it also makes more differences between characters. Even skin tone is different and can add more detail to a character. There are so many amazing sculpts from several makers and I don’t want to be limited to one maker. I still have companies I tend to find myself going back to though.
       
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    44. I have been eyeing Lillycat Dolls recently, and have bought from them three times, only recently got a Ringdoll, I don’t know how I feel about the large dolls compared to the small ones, but I guess it depends how they make you feel.
       
    45. I think company has their own styles so if you like one particular style you are more likely to buy from the same company. I buy dolls based on how my OC looks so I will shop different company to find one that matches.
       
    46. I think I agree with OP, I like variety or so I think "Well I already have one of those".
      Buuuut, I do tend to like some company's styles better than others for sure, some I really like but not enough to choose. Despite at the same time thinking they're beautiful.... I just don't see myself owning them.
       
    47. At the moment, all I have are one company dolls. I love them to death in terms of size and design. Although, I'm definitely open and even actively looking for dolls of similar size and type (anthro)
       
    48. You know, I am also pretty new to this, and I must say it has been quite an experience thus far. My first purchase was a dollzone Iris, which I am still waiting for; due to my impatient personality, I decided to buy a resinsoul doll which was in stock at Denver Doll, and after she arrived immediately purchased another sculpt from them in a fantasy color. I then wanted a full set, and was lucky enough to find a Mint Loong Soul second hand, a few states away. In working with these dolls, I am really getting to know more and more about the differences between manufacturers, but feel all of them are unique and each have their good points. For example, I hate the way the Resin Soul’s pose, but love the sculpts and the colors the offer. It has been quite an education.
       
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    49. I have some favorite doll companys, currently i have 7 volks yosd, 4 aidolls, 3 rosenlied, 2 xagadoll and 2 doll love. But i do love a wide variety of 1/6 doll! Napidoll, lina chouchou, crobidoll, dollsbe, loongsoul, little monica, myou, miyadoll, miadoll, onlydoll, gray plumage, dearmine and fairyland. I love them all! lol
       
    50. I am also very new to this hobby, and so far all of the dolls I've put on my list are from the same company. However, I've looked around and seen quite a few other dolls from other makers that I like, so I think down the line I will own dolls from different places! The question for me then is going to be, do they all go together and can they share a wardrobe, or do they look too dissimilar and will I have to buy clothing specific to each doll!? It's a lot to consider.
       
    51. I’m new to the hobby but always loved Crobi so I do plan on buying more from them. At first I didn’t expect to like a lot of other companies sculpts but I’ve found Switch and Ringdoll to have a similar style that I really like.

      I don’t know that I’ll buy another Ringdoll (depends on how bad the wait for Hui is) but more Crobi boys and hopefully Switch eventually.

      I better make some space for all of these SDs...
       
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    52. I dont mind getting more than one doll from the same company, but I do have the slight worry that the dolls being the exact same height and proportions might bug me, so I've decided that OCs that go in the same story cannot be from the same company/not be the same size. Other than, I think both sticking to what you already know you like and getting some variety is almost equally important.
       
    53. I think it is good experience to explore variety of doll makers until you find the right style. Also for a variety of doll size if you can afford.
      I loves DOD and Volks when i start this hobby. Then I reach Crobidoll, Switch, which looks younger and animate-like. Afterwards, my mind changes and interested in mature and human-like dolls like Soom and Iplehouse.
      Focus on same size of doll is a challenge. Medium size n small size dolls can very convenient for traveling. Dolls over 60cm is a heavy load on both physical and mental aspect. But large size dolls can show more detail on outfits.
      You will understand what you need during this exploration, by purchasing different dolls or doing more research.
      Finally u can a style u like most.
      I am now focusing on Switch and Iplehouse, and little bit of Volks after observing myself and my hobby for 10years.
       
    54. That happened to me in two months. I'm all over the place! Just like you, Crobidoll and Switch have been my two main favorites because they're well... pretty? Then I started seeing pictures of IOS dolls everywhere and some of the Ringdoll growns and I was like NO! Now I want a larger doll! Goal for 2020? Pace myself. No more dolls until I finish the Rua head I ordered and try him out because he's an uncle size and going to be huge.
       
    55. I tend to like all different styles of dolls so I'm pretty likely to buy from lots of different companies.
       
    56. My first doll was Iplehouse, My actual boy is IOS and Universe Doll hybrid and I just ordered a Doll Chateau girl... I think I just like that how different they are.
       
    57. Somewhere along the line, I developed an obsession with iplehouse dolls, and the majority of my collection is comprised of iplehouse dolls.
      Still, I also have dolls from different companies that caught my eye. I have a few dolls from impldoll, a couple of fairyland, a handful of Dollshe dolls, two aileen bjd dragons, a PlanetDoll David, and some of the Soom dolls.
       
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    58. Currently, each of the five dolls I own are from a different company-- Ludo is a Unidoll, Near is a Simply Meant To Be, Rem is a Doll in Mind/Loongsoul hybrid, Liam is an April Story/Mirodoll hybrid, and Light is a Pygmalion head who doesn't have a perfect body picked out yet.

      Looking at my wishlist, I only repeat companies a few times! I was a few from Switch, two from Supia, two from Merrydollround, and then a bunch from other companies-- islanddoll, freedom teller, Loongsoul, black cherry, luts, DC, dollits, Rosen Garden... I guess I like variety?
       
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    59. So interesting that even if I tried a lot to collect data and experiences from others about different brands, I always end up with welcoming a new child from Volks, in spite of I want to have a new experience myself somethimes.
      Sadly, I really want to have a big-size doll of about 70-80cm but as far as I know Volks only have the size upto 65cm.
      Still thinking about BJDs of Granado and Dollshe, I think I love their bodies...
       
    60. I quite like getting dolls from various companies, if one suits my OC I’ll get them from anywhere. Though I am biased and still have my preferred companies, namely Dream of Doll, who are my favourite and I would more than happily get more of them second hand. I have a couple RS dolls, and would like a BB Sprite with a RS body one day. I love Doll Leaves too, I didn’t expect to get a third doll of theirs after my twins... my latest dolls are MK, with an incoming AOD body, DFA and Akagi Doll, so totalling... about 9 companies over 15 dolls
       
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