How much is too much for a BJD?

That's more or less my limit too. Not that I don't think some artists dolls are worth it, but I like to play with my dolls and I would be too scared to play with such an expensive toy.

 

I would say a Volks auction model is too much for me. If I had the funds to buy one comfortably, I would try it though.

 

My too much limit thus far is $1000. I've bought a couple dolls near that but nothing over. When I see a price tag over $1000, my brain just immediately jumps to "nope too much".

 

At first thought I would say that there isn't a limit and to just get what you love but then I look the price of some dolls and feel like I could just never spend that much. So I'd say my personal limit is probably around £700+. I've recently just bought a dolls for around £550 and even that makes me feel like it's too much.

 

$2500-$3000 which are the prices of the ID75 limiteds. I’ve only seen one (the violet Garion) which I considered slightly worth it as I loved everything about him. But the price is still a lot especially cause I would never put him in the outfit they gave him. But would feel guilty about selling it and splitting the fullset since it IS so limited. I feel more it’s just better for someone to have who is willing to spend that amount AND enjoy the fullset clothes/items.

Only fullset I’ve bought was Regulus and only because it wasn’t an ultra limited limited-doll did I feel ok buying knowing I would sell the clothes and eventually change the faceup. Otherwise even the $1500 wouldn’t have been worth it to me.

 

I’m not into fullsets or fantasy parts, I can do my own faceups & body blushing, and just in general I’m not very picky when it comes to sculpts or bodies, so I feel like my threshold of “expensive” is relatively lower. I also take advantage of sales & free shipping events if I know I can.

Up until this last month, I don’t think I have spent more than $375-$400 on a single doll in the entire 12 years of being in the hobby. (Not including other clothing/wigs/eyes that I may have bought after the fact) I mostly have SDs, and I also have a few 1/3 vinyl dolls. But as of now I’m trying to shell one of my dear OCs, and the body I feel would suit her most is relatively rare/few in number from an independent artist. An interesting series of events unfolded and long story short I ended up buying two of them at $530 each (including shipping). It was definitely a major “ouch” moment but the quality of the sculpting, the resin, and the engineering are all very much worth it. For one of them I still need to get a head, and the one I’m planning on will probably end up being another $100.

So $600~ is definitely my limit because I don’t think I could justify spending that much on another doll, no matter how beautiful or well made. (At least for now lol) Not to mention that I want to focus more on collecting 1/4 dolls since that’s my favorite size.

 

I think my upper limit depends on whether or not the doll has fantasy parts. I'm a big sucker for hooves and such and my grail cost me about $800. I do my own faceups and body blushing and I'm learning how to make resin eyes, so I don't usually go for fullsets.

That being said, Souldoll's fantasy Caleb WOULD be right up my alley but he's just too expensive in the new skintone plus the fantasy bits. I think, with everything I'd want on him, he'd be about $1200. That's just way too much for me.

 

The only reason I would ever buy anything over $1000 would be if it were a secondhand DoD doll and I were in a financial situation where spending that much would be doable, and even then, only on layaway. For me, I have bought up to $800, and it was a lot and I didn't like it. Ideally I wouldn't go over maybe $650, and that's only if it's an SD and is really nice, like an artist doll. Currently I don't like to spend over $400, and the stuff on my Buy List right now is less than that, even the SDs.

So I guess to answer the question, currently, the highest I'll go is $400.

 

I would definitely say my limit is about 1500 I think as well. That might be a little flexible but dolls that are 2000+ dollars are just in my no go range since I can’t get over that price tag and I honestly can’t justify spending almost a months salary on a singular doll. I have spent a pretty penny on dolls in the past so Im not adverse to paying a bit extra for a doll I want (I'm looking at you feeple65 Carol fullset), but it’s good to have a limit. At this end of the day this is a hobby and knowing how to budget is just another aspect of it.

 

I really REALLY want a MNF Chloe, Mirwen, Jiyu vampire or Lami but I cannot afford it. And looking at the prices on secondary market make me cry, they seem to be even more expensive than when buying a naked, blank doll from Denver Dolls, but then the shipping fee and additional custom fees when ordering from a dealer is just ugh
I would say my cut-off is 400 euro, but realistically, that's half my income so I can only afford 200 euro to spend on a doll.

 

So far, my cut off has been $500 and I’ve been really good about staying under that. But, there are some dolls with upcoming pre-orders that have me re-thinking that limit lol

 

The most that I paid for a single doll so far was about $700, which is probably my realistic limit at the moment (and only on layaway). My psychological limit may go up to $1000, but everything more expensive is just "how much??? no thanks". I have other important things in life, such as food

 

$500-$550, and that's long layaway. Most of my dolls are in the $300-$400 range. I can honestly live with that-I enjoy making my less expensive dolls look as good as possible.

 

For me, depending on the doll, I could stretch the price depending on how much I want or I've been waiting for her to become available.
I would never get over £500. Too much for me. This includes shipping.
The second hand market is my saviour these last years

Edit: I'm only interested on 1/4 sized dolls

 

I prefer smaller dolls (I don't go bigger than 1/4) so I feel like too much for me may not be the same for other collectors. That being said I feel like anything over $700 would be too much for me just based on my budget.

 

$1500 is way too much money for a doll (for me), I paid that much for my laptop if I included shipping; I understand that some dolls are going to be limited but I don't get blinded by that alone. I'm used to saying "I guess It wasn't meant to be" when I don't get to purchase a doll that caught my eye, and I move on. There are always going to be limited dolls or OOAK dolls, some will be better than others and some would even be worth it, but depends on everyone's budget.

And about my price range, my limit will be around $800, and if I have to spend this amount, it better be a fullset, no way I'm gonna spend this much for a blank doll, I want the whole package: faceup (I still don't know how to do them), wig, clothing, shoes, the freaking eyes gosh... I still don't own a doll with body blushing but I guess it would be nice, and if it includes an accessory, that would be cool too.

 

I find that anything over $700 for SD sized or smaller feels a bit steep to me. The exceptions for me being rare second hand dolls that aren't made anymore like DoD's, and the fact that I would like to own a Dollmore Trinity one day and those are in the $2000+ range and since they're fullset only and considering their size it feels more worth it (though I'd still do a layaway even if i could pay in full just for the sake of any life-related emergencies that come out of nowhere)

 

For a full doll nothing over $600 for me.
I collect mostly msd and anything over that is too much for me

 

The most I’ve paid was somewhere in the realm of $600, but anything over $500 makes me squirm and anything over $800 I write off as an absolutely not. That might change if my financial situation ever changes significantly, but I can’t foresee a time when I’ll be comfortable with that.

It also depends a lot on the doll. There’s a mature tiny who I think is gorgeous that’s around $400, but when I love my $200 ones equally as much or more, I can’t really bring myself to spend double on her. She’s definitely worth $400- the artist did an amazing job with her- but she’s not worth $400 to me personally.

 

It really depends for me. How much do I want the doll? How big is the doll? Is the doll in any way different than normal to justify the higher price? Is that doll a grail? For example, $1500 is way, wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy more than I'd be willing to drop on an MSD, but I'd be willing to pay as much for an SD, given it's a shell for one of my main characters that I absolutely need and no other doll will do.

 

I don’t think I’ve ever spent more than $700 (base doll, no extras). I might have spent more when accounting for face ups and clothing.

 

I tend to prefer to spend more on my dolls to get the ones that I want. I don't need a limitless number of dolls.

 

I don't think there are any dolls I would pay more than 1200 for, personally. Maybe that amount would go up with my income, but I don't think it would get much higher. I don't think I would even pay that much to replace one of the dolls I already have.

Of course, it also depends on the doll. If I see a stained, yellowed doll on the marketplace I might buy it just to experiment with if it's <100. I have a few dolls that I like but definitely would not have bought if they cost much more than they did. On the other hand, I have a couple dolls that cost me less than I would have been willing to pay.

 

My limit was $700. I do my own faceup so for a while doll (head and body) $700 should do enough for really detailed or well-established SD size dolls. I said “was” because basically my doll family is complete and have no plan or desire to add or switch anymore. (Even though I’m still waiting on one girl body, one iplehouse BID and release of a male body from Nakana.)

 

I don't exactly have a hard limit. I have spent $400, but I've also spent a lot more. However, I know my collection is going to be tiny. 3-5 dolls probably once I figure out exactly what I want. And I don't have any other personal hobbies (I have many creative pursuits but I use them all to earn my living so enjoyment isn't the objective, even though I do enjoy them). So I don't have a problem paying for an expensive doll now, because the price-per-month-rate or whatever I'm using to calculate is going to even out over the years.

This isn't to say I just throw money away. I spend months considering purchases before taking the plunge, I save as much as possible, and provide for my family (my mother, who can't work, lives with me) before anything else.

But I know the value of art (I create it myself) and I am willing to pay more for exactly what I want rather than try to settle for something less expensive and not quite right. Yes, it can seem like a lot of money, but the artists I support are trying to making a living, too, and the world needs beauty. If no one purchased these dolls, they wouldn't be able to make them anymore.

Edited to add: I also should add that I almost exclusively purchase from single-artist-run companies. Not that there is anything wrong with big companies like Fairyland, Ringdoll, etc. but I feel it's a bit more personal when I know that one person is working so hard on creating something lovely!

 

To me the limits depend on the size and the rarity of the doll. And also on my financial situation. Sometimes, I have more funds and the limit gets higher, and when funds are low, my limit is lowering itself, too.

 

I too bonk my head to the 1000 wall (euros, in my case), and the only doll I saw in that price range that I'd like to own is a Volks, but, as I said, the customs will likely up that price to 1250, if not more, so, I'll pass.

But if you're starting this hobby you have to take into account multiple clothes too, shoes, wigs, eyes, a lot of things that will raise the price you're going to pay when you're ordering the first BJD, unless you're satisfied with a fullset.

 

Ordinarily I would say that it would have to be pretty spectacular in the extreme for me to even consider paying anything above $1000. The most I’ve ever paid (am currently paying) is about $1200 for the Dollzone Sawarieda I currently have on layaway. But I consider her to be a very special doll within that ”spectacular” category, owing to the fact that she’s a grail, 100cm, uniquely artistic, very limited, and I chose to get her in a special fantasy resin color. That warranted me extending beyond my usual limit. I intend to use her to create a “grand art statement” in my collection, which will make her a canvas for my own artistic expression, so she is certainly worth a year of layaway sacrifices for me.

So, in reality, I suppose one really needs to assess their limits based on the special circumstances of each individual doll. There are so many factors involved: size, rarity, desire, extras, and must it be paid for entirely up front or can it be budgeted more carefully over the course of a layaway? Am I willing to pay more for exactly what I want rather than try to settle for something less expensive and not quite right? All of these are financial considerations that can affect the price one is willing to pay at any given time.

 

I have definitely gotten more expensive dolls as I have been in the hobby longer. My upper limit is really a moving target. My current most expensive is $1500 for Dollmore's Mystery Dell who is quite a hunk of resin! I currently don't go above $1000 for a nude 60-70cm doll. My upper limit goes lower for smaller dolls. I have a harder time with $500 for 1/4 scale dolls.

I can't imagine starting the hobby with a $900 doll. My first doll was a $300-something fullset and I was wondering if I was being a little crazy at the time.

But overall it really depends on how I love a sculpt. Like sometimes I stare at a doll and it's like "I love you, but it's not a $500 kind of love" or like "I like you but just as pictures" (do you ever become a fan of someone else's doll. xD I don't need to buy one, I just want to see what they're doing with theirs).

I almost never feel like $150+ for 1/12 scale resin dolls is "worth it" but I do enjoy the size for figures in the cheaper off-topic PVC/vinyl ranges. Something about the tiny size makes me more paranoid about losing and breaking them and it's not as stressful when it's a doll I only spent $25-$50 on. I could never buy a Micro-BJD even if it was the perfect sculpt that hits all my buttons. I feel like it would disappear if I sneeze!

 

I think my personal limit is around $600, but I only buy doll that are 1/6 or 1/4. For 1/6 dolls, i don't know that I would spend more than $300 or so? It's such a tough call sometimes, and it definitely keeps me from buying any full set dolls since those usually come in much higher. I did recently tally up how much I had spent on dolls overall, which did not feel good and may have me lowering my limit now though...

I have been wanting to buy more cloths/wigs/etc but I feel like with that I have a hard time spending more than $50-$100 which can be tough to stay under.

 

It depends on a lot of factors, as others have said (is it limited or not? is it new or second-hand? comes with fullset/face-up?)
All in all, 500$ is kind of the max amount for me (excluding shipping) and that is taking into account that I don't buy anything bigger than MSDs. I understand SDs are more expensive as the bigger the chunk of resin, the bigger the dollar sign.
I think my most expensive doll is something along 450$ so I have never reached that limit yet.

 

For just a basic doll, $600 is usually my limit, though I have gone over a little bit to get that perfect doll for a favorite character. I prefer to keep it under $500 when I can. I do my own faceups and buy character specific clothing, so company faceups and full sets don’t appeal to me and I wouldn’t pay extra for one.

 

I think it all depends in how much are you loving/wanting a doll. If you really want a doll you can always save up for her/him. Even if there are sometimes insane prices out there (for example a Volks limited doll) like, let's say $2000-$5000. Of course this is way too much but if you really want the doll, I guess most of the collectors are going to get it at some point.
The most expensive doll I have seen in the market place was a one off Volks Shinku who was about 950.000 Yen...
Personally I would not ever have bought a doll over $2000, but I broke my own rules buying my Volks Suiseiseki, who was over that price, because I really wanted her, and after searching a very long time and dreaming about her I finally bought her, and I do not regret it a bit

 

When I first started I couldn't ever imagine myself paying more than $300 for a doll. I was so naive then.

Nowadays, it just sort of depends. I paid about $500 for the two I currently own. One of them is super hard to find and the other is a Volks MDD. I saved a bit of money on the Volks by only buying a body from the manufacturer and the head off of DOA. I looked at a few of the full dolls but most of them were either a) not my taste or b)in the $700 and up range. To me that's such a steep curve for usually just the base body.

But if we're talking accessories?

I tend to spend more on the clothing/wigs/shoes than I do the dolls sometimes. This is more a self-inflicted curse, as I can take any doll and easily spend another $200-$300 on it through extras alone. I just like having a specific idea and rolling with it.

I do have a limit. Personally, in total overall, I'd not do more than $1000. Not all at once. It's usually over the course of a couple of years. But there is a definite hard no once I start getting to triple digits.

 

I only buy 1/3 dolls, and I recently discovered my hard upper limit, which is USD $1000. I recently ordered an artist doll (blank full doll) for about that price. The sculptor is known for making bodies with outstanding joint engineering that still look beautiful, and I really liked one of the head sculpts. And should I end up not wanting the doll anymore, I'm reasonably confident I can recoup almost all my money since 1/3-sized dolls from this sculptor seem quite uncommon on the secondhand market.

But now that I've spent almost 1k on a doll, I really, really don't want to do it again. I made a serious exception here for this sculptor. My upper limits are much lower - around USD $600-700 for a blank full doll is where I start finding more reasons to not buy, than reasons to buy.

I'm the same... I enjoy looking at a lot of dolls, but don't love them enough for that price, sometimes any price. On the other hand, I'm willing to stretch my spending limit for dolls I love enough to want to bring home. How much stretch depends on how much I want them. It's pretty subjective all around.

 

I feel like my limit would be $2k USD, especially if it's a full set SD.

 

I think it depends. For layaways, I think it's okay for my personal preference to be about $4000. Although I feel really uncomfortable/guilty about it, but it usually adds up to that much if I add outfits, face ups, accessories, etc. I try not to exceed though $2000. If it's full payment $700 to $1500. If it's a head only then I only would want to spend about $100 to $250.

For resell bjds I'm not so sure. I haven't bought second hand so far therefore I'm uncertain how much I would be willing to pay for it. I did want a lottery doll that I was planning to look for and hoped it would be resold for $4000, and I would only consider buying it if there was layaway. However, it was a lot harder to find and no one was contacting me about reselling it. In the end, i talked to a few people on instagram and found out it was reselling for way more than I expected about $8000 to $10,000+. I was really surprised.

Edit:

Forgot to mention why my prices are so high is because I tend to collect large dolls. Also for me to really spend that much it has to be a really special doll I absolutely want and not sort of want. I recently wanted an outfit for my doll, but it was an auction. I didn't feel comfortable with auctions so skipped even though I waited a few years for this outfit. Anyway I assumed the auction price would sell for like $5000 and was surprised it sold for over $7000. If I did join the bid i probably would only bid like $1000 knowing I would lose. It was fun though to keep up to date on the outfit and auction. It is a beautiful outfit. It seems auctions make people spend more money.

 

For me it really depends on the sculpt or what's offered. It's a hard question to answer because if I saw something I've been dying to find and a seller can work with me, it might change a bit. Also depends on what kind of layaway is offered and if it can be accommodated, because I'm sorry, bills will always be more important. I won't usually spend over $1000, however I have considered the really big dolls that are $2000, but only certain sculpts. Most of my collection I haven't spent more than $800 (new) on and varies greatly, even for certain limited dolls since I usually don't buy new and miss the sales periods.

If it is a Soom Fullset, it depends on that sculpt.
I won't pay a lot for a nude doll with Faceup and eyes from a company, especially since several sell for cheaper than they were bought at (I watched a grail nude Soom sell for $450 & I had just missed it, another with it's fantasy set sell for $800).
I love them all but won't buy them all either. The sculpts from different companies I mean.

Give me a Fullset with everything from a set I desire in a BJD from a company and I may consider paying a bit more than usual. Otherwise I'll buy clothing and the doll separate because it's usually cheaper or I only truly want one or the other.

I don't see myself ever going above a certain mark though. I'm usually pretty picky on price.

Edit:
I forgot to note that's mainly SD+ sizes. I definitely will not pay that much for an MSD or smaller no matter how much I love it. For an MSD or smaller price drops.

Heads themselves will vary. I've never spent over $250 for a head and it has to be one I would like or want. Then again it also depends on the head. I'd really rather not pay full doll prices for a head only, no matter how rare. I will consider it a possibility if it's a sculpt I'm hunting down though. Even then I won't go above certain prices.

 

@Forever We Are Young : Auctions are the devil in disguise. XD People feel competitive in such settings and some get addicted to the chase. I saw some people ruining themselves buying stuff they don't need or even like but because they want the feeling of "winning". It's weirdly interesting to witness.


I think we talked a lot about the hard limit per doll, but it may be worth pointing that this limit may change depending on how many dolls you want. After all, you spend as much money if you buy 5 dolls at 1000 USD each than 10 at 500 USD each. That's a big difference in the limit per doll, yet you spend the same amount money in the end. I am a planner, so I don't see myself having more than 5 dolls. Of course never say never and all that, but I have four and already feel the strain to stop.

Heck, if you only aim at one outfit per doll, you may even spend less for the 5 dolls at 1000 USD per doll!

 

My upper limit is $1000 with a long layaway, give or take a little bit. But, I have to be absolutely head over heels for the doll for me to even consider it; so far the only doll I've purchased in that price range is my Peaks Woods Red (which I still haven't paid off), and there's only one other doll I'd be willing to spend that much on, which is a Peaks Woods Hunky Dory in Urban Brown.

I tend to make my own clothing and wigs, and reuse eyes from old porcelain dolls, so I guess at least I'm not paying a lot for those?

 

I collect mainly 1/6 and 1/12 dolls, but my limit is just about $500 USD. My favorite dolls almost always end up being limited run or rare color, so I don't mind paying more for a smaller doll- and since I don't have a lot of space anyways, I'd rather spend more money on less dolls I like more. I also only buy dolls blank. I love making as much as I can for my dolls, including faceup, eyes, and clothes. Wigs are the only thing that I'll always buy before making myself.

 

I try to keep my largest dolls within the the $500-$700 range. A lot of the time I try to get my dolls on sale, or I buy store displays, or second hand. I don't mind a bit of colour change, or if I am going to have to clean the doll up, or restring it. It just gives me a project, and I saved a bit of money.

I really don't see myself going over $1,000. I think if it was a very rare doll, that I wanted for a long time, I might push that limit, but it would have to be an extreme exception.

 

I mainly collect MSD (have just a couple yo-sds) and I can’t see myself paying over $900 USD for a doll after any conversion. And anything close to that number would have to be a layaway.

 

Anything over $600 would have to be something incredibly special and unique tbh. Even at 500-600 I'm definitely thinking "Is there a less expensive alternative to this?" before laying down that much cash.

This may seem harsh but I can't even imagine a BJD that I would consider "worth" $1000 USD or more. Anything in that range falls in the "nice to look at, but I would never even want to own it" category. A doll being that expensive would actually (ironically?) diminish its value to me personally because I wouldn't feel comfortable handling it... and at that point I might as well just look at pictures.

 

My hard limit is $800 for "normal" dolls and $1000 for any special or LE dolls. I see dolls like the Dollmore Lusions and Trinities and can't fathom spending over $2000, sometimes closer to $3000 on them, even if they're huge dolls. Just... how.

 

I have 2 Mecha Angels (Sabik and Deneb) from SOOM that were almost $2k each. My least costly was my Dollshe classic Amanda that was on “sale” for $350 (supposedly reg. priced at $1500) I am absolutely DESPERATE to acquire a Dollmore Trinity, but at over $2500 (plus the cost of larger outfits, shoes, wigs, etc) I just cant bring myself to spending this much money- especially as I already have 11 bjd’s only 3 of which i keep out of their boxes….

 

I shy away from dolls that are $1700 +, but I will consider it if it is something I really like thats limited (like the dollmore I bought for $2400) and if I have the money to do so.

I also don't have alot of dolls, and I find myself liking the more expensive ones. I don't like layaways, so I budget and save. I also take into account that the conversion rates are a bit crazy so I know i'll be spending alot more than what it says ( since it's always usd)

 

I personally don't have a solid limit yet. Personally I definitely have to consider hard if it were $1000 or over, but for the right doll I'd probably go over, depending on how un/common they are.

 

It depends on different company from 300USD to 1500 USD except for some limited.

 

To be honest, I think that all BJDs are already too expensive. I wouldn't buy a doll for more than $700, wich is already a lot for me. This is my limit because my favourite doll is $680 and I fell in love with her as soon as I saw her (The Trinket Box Elf Meadow full set) so I'm trying to save up to get her. But she's the only doll I would pay that much for.

 

The most I ever spent on a single doll was about $1.2k. Definitely don't have that kind of hobby money these days!! And I sold her at a big loss too... oh well, live and learn.

 

I shamefully spent 1.7k on a 77.7cm doll, but honestly the sculpt fit the character i needed to make SO WELL, but i never should have, or probably would ever, spend that much money on a doll again, i think 600 these days is my top limit, but its hard to find everything you want in a big doll in that range >~<

 

I feel like my limit's gonna keep shifting. Before picking my first doll I was really looking for a more affordable price (around 300), especially since we have insane custom fees plus shipping.
Then I ended up falling in love with a sclupt that was way over that and just bought it (540 I think). No regrets there and thanks to some sorcery involved, idk how but customs were waaaay less than I anticipated.
Atm I'm looking at a doll that'll probably be around 800-900s. It's too much for me. That's pretty much what I make in a month. However I really really want this doll, so might end up giving in... who am I kidding, I know I will. Although I couldn't justify spending more than that.

 

The most expensive doll I've ever bought was an Angelheim limited edition, from a friend on a long layaway for about $850.

I'd like to say I'd never buy one more expensive; and in most cases, I doubt I'd go over $500 or so; but I know for the right doll, I'd sell a kidney or two.

 

Personally I am capping myself between 1,200 and 1,500 USD as that is the maximum I am comfortable with spending. And even then it has to be one of my grails or is something super rare. I wouldn't drop that kind of money on a doll that hasn't sat on my wish list for years.

When it comes to general purchases I try and stay to $500-$600 max for a doll that I am interested that does not fall into the above category. And that is without shipping costs or fees. And even then it has to be special or have something unique about them to pique my interest.

 

My max limit is 425 USD when it comes to either full doll or body-only (both for 60cm and above) and 125 USD for the head. This is what I normally set when going for hybrids and anything that goes above the limit....ouch! >.<

 

It depends on the doll really… I don’t do fullsets and normally only buy blank so the most I’ve ever spent I think is around $1k… I don’t have any particular limit if it’s something that I really want… a few times some dolls I’ve wanted have actually turned out cheaper than expected!

 

The most I've spent so far is a little under $1k but I think the maximum I would go is about $1500. I definitely spend more money wigs, eyes, accessories, outfits than I have on dolls. I think my favorite size is 1/4 but I do have a 1/3 and an uncle size doll.

 

I only collect yosd and smaller so no more than $400. I have spent slightly more on a couple of full sets but I don’t normally go for them.