How do you choose your next bjd doll?

I choose next dolls by picking one that is unlike something I already have.

Sometimes I badly want a certain doll, only to realize that the reason I love it so much is because it gives me the same vibe as one I already have. Then I don’t really want it as much anymore I don’t love it any less, it’s just that I feel a whole lot less compelled to want to add it to my collection.

Most dolls I have started out as loves at first sight though

 

All of the above for me, but my first doll I had based on an old, old iplehouse styling of their own sculpt Soo I loved, but by the time where I could order her, I couldn't get most of the stuff I wanted. So I bought her blank and shipped her off to a faceup artist I commissioned. She's my current profile picture, and I do need to redo pics for my crew outside...
More typically though, I already have a vision to execute and I look around for the right sculpt.

 

for me its a mix of multiple factors.

Occasionally I have that "love at first sight" reaction in which case I usually try and save up/go for the fullset because the fullset is what Im in love with.

More often though I have a "love at second sight" reaction where I see a new sculpt and think " oh that's neat" but it takes me a a second or third look to really decide that its what I want. I usually buy my "second sight" dolls blank or with only a faceup because I want the flexibility to play around with how they look and build a character around them.

 

I usually decide to buy a doll when I see it and it reminds me of a certain concept, or a certain scene.

 

Basically my criteria is - If a sculpt catches my eye and I can't resist.

I don't create chartacters before getting the dolls and "getting to know them" as that's a high speed road to frustration when the doll arrives and refuses to slot into the character I have waiting for them. Occasionally I will see a doll that is already perfect as they are for a charcter (like Lula, my Magikademia Taliea) but that's extremely rare.

I also don't go looking for my next doll to buy. I am overcrowded with dolls so to avoid things getting COMPLETELY out of hand, I don't plan on buying any new BJDs. I don't avoid BJ posts online and still read the doll forums, like DoA here, but I don't go looking for new dolls to buy. Occasionally I'll see a post about one and be unable to resist gettiing it though.

Teddy

 

I basically shell my OC's into doll forms, so I'm really picky with what dolls I want. My 'next doll' is typically whatever dear OC and story I am into at the moment. A year ago, when I bought my first (Cotomy), I was really fixated on the story she is from and I spent hours looking into a sculpt that reminds me of her the most.

Likewise, my new (currently-on-layaway) doll (Akasan) was also chosen this way. I spent more than half of the summer fixating on another story of mine, and that's when I knew I wanted my most beloved character as a bjd. So there I went, looking through sites and pictures for as long as it took to find a sculpt that fits the character! And when I found the one, I was dead-set on getting that one.

Soo... that's how the process usually goes for me, I'm very character oriented and struggle to have dolls I don't have clear plans for!
It will be another while until I will buy my next one, but at the moment I am thinking of getting Akasan's sister next. Like her brother, she will be a Doll Chateau -doll, but which one? I do not know yet. I'll have to look at the options I have and take the sculpt that resembles her the most >_< !

 

For me, I have one hard-and-fast rule: no character, no doll. I simply won’t buy a doll…any doll…without having a fully realized character for them first. My collection is based in a diverse fantasy world (somewhat akin to Tim Burton’s movie “Alice”) where anything and everything sculpt-wise and size-wise is fair game. So early on I realized the need for “limits” to keep impulse buying to a minimum, and character is where I drew that line. Choosing any new doll thus became an exercise in “recognizing” my character in that sculpt, which kept me clearly on task and allowed me to build the wonderful and varied collection I have today.

 

Sometimes I have the character in mind first, and look for a doll to fit the roll. I try to keep a loose concept of what I want. Like casting a role for a film, but not certain of the actor that will play the role.

Other times a doll just catches my attention. Then I have to get the doll and a character forms around them.

I've tried to get more diverse dolls dolls lately. I don't want them all to look similar.

 

I've had to stop taking "love at first sight" dolls into account because I can't discern what's an impulse buy and what's something I'll actually keep. Now it's a matter of character and longevity. If I can come up with a character concept and know I can complete it, I'll buy it, but...there are a lot of character concepts that are simply too complicated for the work I'm willing to put in. What helps is also not putting money into something until it's been on my wishlist for a while. I've had greater success keeping dolls that have been on my wishlist for years, so. At this point I'll only buy limited dolls from Luts because they are less hit or miss, but. No more limited sculpts for me for the most part.

 

A few dolls are regular ones I fell in love with and bought when I had the money available, but the actual division of purchasing goes something like this:
~40% limited-date preorder dolls (usually by smaller companies or independent artists) that I find out about a month or two in advance and force my finances into compliance
~40% Marketplace/other reputable secondhand sources, either that I stalked for months before giving in or impulse bought (or "impulse bought" in that I specifically went searching with a budget but no doll in mind, so only which doll was the impulse)
~20% Alans, new or secondhand
~tiny remainder is in-stock orders or unlimited orders from companies or dealers

(Not even kidding; I did the math, and the Alans are almost 1/5 of my collection by head count.)

I used to buy dolls for the character I pictured when I saw them, but I now have a list of OCs that dolls have refused to be upon arrival because they picked their own characters. Around the fifth time that happened, I gave up and just started buying dolls that I like. They'll pick a character or they won't.

 

I'm something of a curator at heart: the dolls I own aren't simply the sculpts I love, they tend to be made by a sculptor whose entire body of work I admire as well. So for me, choosing the next doll often begins with the thought, "I like what such-and-such company/sculptor is doing, and I'm not contented to merely admire their dolls in other owners' pics. I want to own something made by them." So I watch that company's production, or go through their back-catalogue, until I find a sculpt of theirs to fall in love with, and decide, "OK, I love you and want you to represent the sculptor's body of work in my doll collection." This goes for both head sculpts and bodies (I hybrid dolls) - I curate doll bodies in my collection as rigorously as I curate the head sculpts.

Sometimes, falling in love with the sculpt happens first, and then I learn more about the dollmaker. But usually, it begins with first admiring the dollmaker, and then finding a doll of theirs that I want to call my own. Currently, I'm following a few dollmakers in the hopes of eventually buying one of their sculpts.

 

My dolls (usually) shell my roleplay characters, so it's (usually) a matter of just picking which doll best fits the character I want to shell next. But sometimes....it's impulsive. Like I see a secondhand doll I fall in love with at a great price, and I just gotta.

 

I just fall in love with sculpts, characters can come after.

 

So I used to buy based off of what is available and also pricing. When I started, I was getting major FOMO because a lot of the dolls I wanted were limited in size so the only way I can get them were through other collectors so whenever a certain doll is being sold, I jump on it without really thinking twice. I’m doing better now and actually being purposeful with my purchase. But I always want to have at least 2 dolls from whatever artist since it feels weird to only have 1 LOL

 

I usually choose my doll after their size,face and body type. I LOVE pear-shaped dolls, so I have my favorite brands that I like to support with my purchases. I am from Europe, so I often choose a Lillycat Cerisedoll or a DoDollsDream doll.

My biggest issue tho that I prefer 1/6 dolls with a semi-mature or a teen look, so childish YOSDs are a NO for me. I had a very hard time finding a doll in this size I love, but then DoDollsDream started making BJDs)) Lucky me!

Sometimes I don't know in advance how the final doll will look, but I prefer semi-realistic and not fantasy dolls. And I do everything by myself. I mean, not everything, but the faceup and the wig. I also buy 1-3 pairs of eyes, so it is sure one of them will fit perfectly.

 

All of mine so far are shells for characters of mine from old RPs with my forever bestie. So I usually have a character concept in mind and look for the right doll to fit the character. it has to have the right expression, the right mood.

 

It depends. Most of the time I "choose" somewhat impulsively and snap up a doll because it generally fits my aesthetic sensibilities and interests, ideally isn't something over-represented in my collection already, and has an element of FOMO.

The priority list is basically:

1. Limited Availability, and perfect for a specific original character.
2. Limited Availability, is a thing I know I'll enjoy and don't want to miss, but have no specific character for it.
3. Non-Limited/Consistently Available. Even if there's an OC I really want to make, I may hold out on a sculpt that's always around and wait to see if there's a more limited thing that fits better. Unless an unlimited doll is absolutely perfect as-is for my concept, or I sincerely doubt any other company will make something similar, this almost always comes last.

Because of how this industry works, I currently have way more unplanned purchases than premeditated ones But at this point, I've covered enough bases that I can be a lot more discerning. Any new designs will be measured against what I already have, and unless I like the new thing much better, I can safely pass on it.

 

When I first started collecting most of my dolls were impulse buys because I fell in love with the fullset, and when I received the doll I realized I didn’t actually like the sculpt at all Took me a while to figure out that the doll itself should be the selling point, and now I’m really into unique looking sculpts and OOAK/small production type of dolls. I still love my beautiful uncle boys and those are typically love at first sight for me.

 

For a couple, it has been a love at first sight thing. For the majority of my BJDs, though, it's been carefully trying to find a sculpt that embodied a character that was pre-existing in my mind. It's definitely meant it's taken time to get some of them, but that's probably for the best.

 

Love at first sight!

 

Hi. It's been mixed for me. Sometimes it's like 'love at first sight' and other times it's 'ooh love this character's backstory.' I guess it's like art...some dolls just speak to me. It's like they chose me instead of the other way around. This could be why I don't have a wishlist or grail because all my dolls are very special. I take my time when considering them for my collection.

 

I think it's 50-50 for me - sometimes I've got a fully developed character and I'm looking for a doll to shell it. And sometimes I just love the sculpt and feel the urge to have it, and the story comes next.

 

Trying to keep my collection very small so if I don't have a fully fleshed idea for a sculpt, I won't buy it.

 

Im not picky buy size or human/ beast ( have nearly all sizes and beat/human forms xD). But the doll have to have a character that I like, my own or the company to even consider to buy . Then the body and head, is it something I like blank, if not I don't buy. I often wait to last weekend to order, then I know if I want it ir not.

 

When I still did buy new dolls ( Let's hope these are not famous last words) it was always love at first sight that I then let percolate a few weeks to see if the love would stick.
Longer than a few weeks in half of the cases because it would take a while to find them to buy ( either second hand or a new pre-order was announced,.stuff like that)
I had not bought a doll since 2020 ( Myou Loretta) when suddenly in Jan 2024 I discovered Acorn Doll Cha Cha and was elated in August that year to find the head up for another round of presale. Ghost moth girl was a severe love at first sight as son as DV teased her , and ordered the first day she became available. I have been safe since, also because I am firmly NOT looking, ha!

 

For me it’s purely on a catch my eye basis but before I commit I think carefully about its size, will it need body blushing to look complete (if so then I give it a miss as a rule because I can be clumsy sometimes), how easy it will be to find clothing, etc for and whether or not it actually adds anything to my collection.

Character generally comes after I get the doll and start work on the faceup. Even then it can take several attempts to find something that suits them.

It’s rare that I have the idea before I look for a doll to fit it.

 

Personally i try to pick something that is different from what I have, anf mostly love at first sight ! But to be honest, I sometimes struggle with picking the right sculpt (sometimes, the way a sculpt is displayed matches my aesthetic so I'm more driven to it, while i couldve liked a sculpt i like more of a doll displayed in a different aesthetic than mine- if that makes sense). So I just wait a ton of time and make edits to try and see how I could style her if I bought her !

 

Usually I stumble across an adorable doll in someone else's collection and immediately become consumed with a NEED for that particular sculpt lmfao. Especially if it's one of those moments where I just KNOW how I'd like to customize it—usually it either suits one of my OCs perfectly, or it sparks an idea for a new character~

 

My collecting focus is small (MSD size) adult, realistic human dolls so that's what I'm drawn to first. I'm new to BJD collecting and my first two dolls should be shipped in a few more days, Raccoon Doll Henry & Ivy. There's a handful of other dolls I'm interested in for future orders by Raccoon Doll, SartoriaJ, & Iplehouse. My dolls will all fit into my historical world (possibly alternative history), so I don't need them to be a character or have a back story. I have general ideas of the characters for my world and their stories, so I look for dolls that fit what I have in mind.

The issue I'm having at the moment is a combination of want but indecision on who to order next. I've sold off a bunch of non-BJD dolls to fund my new hobby. I know Henry & Ivy will be here in a couple of weeks or so but I'm excited to decide who to order next. However since I can't decide maybe I should hold off and check with myself next week. I tend to be a little impulsive sometimes.

 

For me it's love at first sight.

If I fall in love with a doll and can't stop thinking about how badly I would love to add them to my collection instantly, then it's a sign that I need to add them to my collection. This is how I've ended up with all the dolls I currently have.

 

Vibes, mostly. Because they're such an investment, I make sure I still want the doll a week after I first see it before buying it. Otherwise, I would be in debt up to my eyeballs, with way more dolls than I have the space for! XD

 

Love at first sight, but I also had a few archetypes or features I wanted (e.g. an open-mouth sculpt with teeth). Once I get a doll who fills that spot it's easier to think "I already have that" when something similar comes up.

All that's left is a smiling sculpt, namely some kind of smirk or mischievous grin, MyDearBoy Kanea was the closest.

 

I let my heart guide me I'm pretty picky and I know what I like, so once I run through my personal criteria, it's really easy for me to go "that doll is cute, but I don't love it enough to actually want it".

I have a mental checklist that I run through whenever I like a doll:

• Is it something I like enough to look at every day, or is this just the "oh wow, cool!" novelty factor drawing me in?
• Does the body pose well? Will I need to wire or suede? (This in itself is not a dealbreaker if wiring and/or sueding can help)
• Does it "handle" well? Are there especially fragile parts that I need to keep in mind (like thin, delicate fingers)? I like to carry my dolls around and handle them often, but I'm a bit of a klutz, so I don't want to have to worry my head off.
• Does it seem like the doll would feel nice to hold? This might be my weirder criteria. I'm sensory-seeking, so this can be more important than you'd think. I can't really put it into words. It either is fun to hold, pose, and dress, or it isn't
• Does the face and body shape suit the character I have in mind? If not, does it spark inspiration in me to create a new character around the doll?

This helps me narrow down quite a bit.

 

It's often love at first sight, but it's sometimes to shell a character.