How will the recently implemented tariffs affect your doll collecting?

My Fairyland order arrived today with no drama. I was tracking it over the weekend from Korea and it just stopped updating. My partner heard something being dropped on the front porch this morning and that was it. Nobody rang the doorbell, so no tariff charge, just the box waiting. Here's hoping that preorders for all are as drama free.

 

I currently feel like I shot myself in the foot. I ordered the most basic of the 73cm yin long from bjd divas (I needed a long layaway). If the tariffs stay the same, I will be paying the price of a whole SD doll on customs alone.

That's not Including, clothes, hands, and another doll I had ordered.

This will most likely be my last company doll and since I rarely if ever see people do 3d printed SD dolls, I likely won't have another doll till I learn to make my own.

A while ago I swore to stick to one size Instead of hoping around. It's about to save me a ton of money since they'll be too expensive for my budget, now, lol.

I had meant to body blush everyone so it's happening now for sure.

 

And even if there are artists printing / casting in the USA, where does the resin come from? I suspect a lot of the materials used in molding, casting, or printing come from other countries outside the US

 

I have 3 out-standing dolls - all coming from China (even though the doll maker is from another country - Meadow Dolls). One might come before the < 800 tariffs take effect. The other 2 (possibly all) will be very expensive to receive! I won’t be buying anymore dolls because it appears that I will have to be paying as much in tariffs for them as I did in the first place.

 

I was lucky that the last few dolls I ordered are all home now, but I did have some others on my wishlist that I won't be buying now because this mess is just too unpredictable, my "allowance" is just too tight to try to wildly guess how much I might owe and plan for it. I do check the secondhand market regularly, and will still buy secondhand within the US if anything really calls to me! I also do check out US dealers and Etsy shops for clothes and accessories, but my dolls have very specific styles that I can't always get here.

About fabric--I'm at the point where I rarely buy new fabric anymore unless I need something really specific. With JoAnn's closing, there aren't any other fabric stores near me. (I don't count Walmart and Hobby Lobby...) I go to thrift stores often, though! Buying clothes to cut up is often cheaper than buying fabric, and being pre-owned, it's usually been washed enough that staining isn't a concern. Spring is here, so yard sales are also a great option, you can get some good clothes/fabrics for really really cheap.

One thing I did take a risk on was the Leekeworld closing sale. I just could not pass up wigs and eyes that cheap. I'll update on whether I have to pay any tariffs on it. It should be here this week. Even if I do have to pay, it'll still be significantly cheaper than the order would have been at full price.

 

Update on my package from Alice's Collections-- the big doll box arrived today via DHL with no customs fee due.
I have no clue why not, but I'm happy!

 

I’m still new to BJD, paying off layaways on an in-stock doll and a pre-ordered doll as we speak, and I might have to keep it to those two for a long long while once I’ve paid for them in full. Especially for the one I pre-ordered which I don’t expect to see anytime before the latest tariff roulette is enacted, even if I payed the layaway off today.

Depending on the future I might not be completely SOL to expand my collection. Buying in-stock dolls instead of pre-orders might become more feasible as long as it’s coming from somewhere like Denver Doll or BJDivas if they absorb some of the pricing of importing. And if that doesn’t happen then I will invest in learning how to sew and become the best face-up artist to make variety happen with two dolls. Maybe learn how to make wigs too.

 

That's the spirit!

 

As a consumer there is the possibility of higher costs of items and we'll just have to cut back on what we buy. Ultimately I'm more worried about the artists that depend on an international income as their primary source of revenue. It seems like it took many years for these companies to build an international audience and it may hurt their bottom line when we're purchasing less because of the increased cost. How these imposed tariffs affect doll companies because of shrinking spending habits is what I'm more concerned about than the higher prices.

 

There are no tariffs when importing under 800. That ends in may

 

SAME. BJDivas said because my yin long was a fullset, he wasn't in the last shipment, it was only blank dolls. I won't be able to afford his cost twice over if he arrives now and they charge the tariffs to us and I doubt they'll give me a refund so I have no idea what to do. I've waited over a year for this doll and the whole situation just sucks.

 

I have a package from Leeke's closing sale that got to the US on the 2nd, as everything was going down, and it has not moved. Scanned in to the sorting center in Jamaica NY and then nothing. I'm really worried about what's happening with that. At least it's not a doll or something, but still. We're certainly also going to be seeing postal slowdowns, but this is getting to be a long time...

My biggest worry now - aside from US folks dealing with not just tariffs on preorders but daily life - is definitely all the companies. This is affecting US collectors very obviously, but what will happen to other economies, and especially small businesses... not sure what to say but that it's profoundly upsetting, now that we have a much better idea of how bad it is/will get.

 

I just had a package from Japan arrive, no fees. Ordered March 29 from mandrake.

Edit- shipped with EMS

 

European countries asked for their gold back and he folded on tariffs

 

LOOOOOOLLLL Hurrraaaaaay!! Good going. I'll sit on my hands and not say anything about the Orange hmm hmm. Just, ohhh lordy.

 

DHL doesn't seem to use a standard waybill, so I can't tell what value was put on the package. Maybe it just squeaked under the limit. Thanks for the info.

 

Have to stay positive through all of this somehow

 

If it helps, I've had packages take a week or so to move once they hit that same sorting center, and I'm in NYS. Hopefully it'll update for you soon! My last one to go through there didn't update until it was out for delivery in my town a few hours away!

 

I just came here to check if anyone was worried as well. I also have some dolls I preordered and now with all this…I hope I don’t have to pay twice as much for them. Plus, everything else becoming more expensive. But it’s really upsetting that this is happening somewhat suddenly and people who preordered items before all this will still have to pay for it.

 

I remember the orange ....... proclaiming his faulty tariff "logic" all the time on the campaign trail but never in a million years did I think even one person, let alone millions, would vote for the......... by now. So I did order Moth Girl in September, but after Nov 6, realized time had come to take a break.

 

Ugh, with four dolls on order and one coming from China probebly within this month or the next one, I am holding my breath that I don't have to end up paying the125% tariff.

Honestly, 10% with the de minimis rule instated is doable. But more then doubling the price of an original sale is just greed. The sour faced Orange is out of his mind.

I can't do anything about my four pre-orders, but I am going to have to pause the two final dolls on my wish list this year until this gets cleared up. Hopefully this gets under some type of control, because it a crazy situation right now.

 

This has me very worried, with five (!!!) outstanding doll orders, all from Chinese artists, because of course all my favorites had to be from the place getting hit the hardest. Only one of those is going through a UK dealer, so maybe there's a chance I won't have to tank the full 1000+$ value a second time, along with whatever ghastly shipping price the 1/3 scale Yin Long ends up having in the end. I don't think I would actually be ABLE to do it, especially not with four other dolls besides him. One of those others is a fullset of Dollzone's Light, so we're talking about him ultimately costing me over 2k if I'm understanding the math correctly.

For once, I'm hoping every one of those takes the maximum wait time to be completed, by which point I can only pray that the situation changes. Even if the dealers write in a lower value for some of these, it still might be drastically more than I can afford.

So...yeah, not a single doll or accessory is gonna get purchased for the foreseeable future unless someone puts out something that's perfect down to the last detail and I'm willing (and able) to pay 2 or 3x the price for it. I'd say "or until the tariffs are removed" but I don't trust that they won't simply be reinstated in the blink of an eye. I hate the unpredictability. There's no way to make a "responsible" purchase like this, not knowing what the endgame is.

 

I hope it all goes well! Yeah that’s the most frustrating part! Every day it changes and there’s no way at all to know what we’ll have to pay. Infuriating.

That sucks. Me too I really wanted to buy the asai body, and preorder closes today…but it comes from China and I just can’t bring myself to buy it in this situation…

 

Yeah, but don't give them any excuses.

In other news, my Iplehouse JID Alice along with some clothes arrived today. No tariff. Via EMS. May have arrived in the US just under the wire a couple days ago, may be subject to de minimis, it's a mess right now, I'm just thanking my lucky stars.

I also got a JID Kassia from within the US today. I got her to hedge against import bullcrap. Now I have two newly acquired JIDs. Well, Alice is going to be the daughter of two of my adult dolls. I guess they're having twins now.

 

Oh dear.... I preordered that body last month and I was wondering how much I'm going to have to pay because of the tariffs.... but I'm going through with it anyways I've been wanting to make my character for a year or so now and I still haven't got a body yet for him.

 

My Leeke order sat in Chicago customs, scanned in April 3, and just showed up at my local PO tonight, set for delivery tomorrow. There were no updates between customs and local, even though there should have been a few stops. So it's possible your package is moving, just not being scanned. I have not gotten a tariff notice on it, we'll see what happens tomorrow.

 

I asked NewCloverSinging about the tariffs and shipping methods. Here is what she said:

“we use the "small post parcel shipping" way by air, so there is no tax now.

Yanwen express told me if your local custom office will ask for a tax on the "small post parcel shipping", it may ask from Yanwen (our side).”

Ofc I can’t guarantee this is accurate or how things will change.

 

I'm a vendor (non-doll related) and basically have to reshift my entire product line and drop some products entirely just to stay open. 2 of my dealer friends have announced either closure or no restocking until further notice. It's rough out here, fam.

I wanted to buy some doll parts but I'll have to stick to local groups for now. Sigh

 

I want to have hope but now with the latest update for tariffs, China increased their retaliatory tariffs, I’m slowly becoming more worried I may not see my pre-order ever. Because I have a gut feeling this could go to trade embargo since neither side wants to back down…

If that happens I wonder if pre-orders can be directed through another country just so orders can get fulfilled so they don’t show it’s shipped from China. Maybe vendors and dealers are figuring out how to make that happen anyway since this situation changes unpredictably, and it could at minimum let them fulfill anything already ordered.

 

I have been worrying

RBBM

I have been worrying about the same, this lune in the WH. Two dictators, neither of them with the personality to back down, but instead double down.

 

That would be a good idea…hopefully we find a way. And ofc it’s a bad situation for several more important reasons but also…we still want our dolls.

 

I got my Leekeworld order today! No tariffs on it, though it did come from South Korea, not China. Still, nothing was owed. I asked my postal worker about tariffs, if she knew anything, what to expect, how to pay, etc and she said they have had no training at all about it, and she has no idea how it's going to work or when it'll start or who it'll affect. They're just as in the dark as the rest of us. It might be important to note that I live in a tiny town of about 500 people, so maybe the bigger cities would know more, but just the fact that she is the manager and only employee at our PO and knows nothing is....concerning.

I think this is a perfectly fine way to feel. Our dolls bring us comfort and are a nice little escape from reality. It's not about toys being more important than lives, it's that we can't even relax and take comfort in our hobby when the world is crashing down. Just knowing what is going on and that you will get your doll would be one little ray of sunshine in all of this uncertainty!

 

I have two dolls on order from Chinese companies, Miracle Doll and Xaga, and am currently hoping that this will resolve itself by the time it comes for either to actually ship sometime later this year. Both were a splurge and having to pay for them all over again on import makes me feel sick.

My comfort thought right now is that the entire situation is so untenable that the Senate is likely to take away the presidential ability to impose tariffs and rescind the current ones. Fingers crossed!

 

I also got MY Leeke order today, and also did not have to pay anything! BUT, it came in a Priority Mail box, which was a bad sign... and it was covered in "damaged due to improper packaging" stickers. And it was extremely heavy, which is weird for doll wigs (the original label from Leeke WAS on the outside). I opened it, and... there were 4 cold packs (melted), and a tightly wrapped and taped Priority Mail padded bag... with about 20 pieces of steel inside! I was able to figure out they were replacement blades for a lawn trimmer?! No receipt or other label, so who KNOWS who they were intended to go to (or who ordered something that was supposed to have cold packs in it and doesn't, cause it wasn't my doll wigs OR blades person).

I did check the doll things against my Leeke order, and everything IS here (very glad this didn't happen when I'd ordered a doll head!). But I'm sharing this update because... the USPS is STRESSED, y'all. Expect things to be slow, and definitely check carefully everything you ordered is there. And tariff charges seem likely to come up wrong under these circumstances...

 

Omg…this sounds like a huge mess…Glad you got your order though!

I asked the agents/stores I ordered from to let me know when the orders are ready and we’ll try to figure out the best way to ship. I know there’s a tax-included way by sea…probably others but everything is such chaos rn.

 

I decided to come back here because all this crap has me stressed and I actually have a new doll in for the first time in years. No other dolls planned, but trying to get her basic stuff like eyes and a wig is going to be a headache. And I hate that our Joann's is closing, I keep popping in there like once a week just because I know I'll miss it. Just trying to hunker down, but I'm a fed, so...

 

@iamkathybrown I feel so sorry for all the feds! My sister was also a fed. What a mess.

I came across an article suggesting that customs might charge fees retroactively on imports that were delivered without. This seems to apply only to large freight importers though (hopefully). The reason was because they don't have the correct numbers in their system yet for certain kinds of items.

 

It coming in priority mail box didnt sound so bad at first because usually that means the packaging got damaged in transit in some way and Ive noticed buying small items from Asia they use the most inexpensive packaging even if it’s an unpadded envelope. Not all the time but often enough that I’m surprised certain things survived the overseas transits.

But when you said you got the cold packs and 20 pieces of metal I was shook . USPS is stressed but even that seems unusual when the issue is around the tariffs. Repackaging items incorrectly is a whole ‘nother issue.

Though at least you got your wigs. And in good condition I hope? Melted freezer packs are just water right?

If that’s true it’d make sense to retroactively charge the large freight importers rather than us hobbyist buying dolls, accessories, or anything for personal use only. But that could hurt small businesses and I would hate for DDE or BJDivas or any others, get hit with retroactive tariffs just trying to import dolls for us as the middlemen to get BJDs stateside

 

Very fortunately, the freezer packs didn't rupture from bouncing around with all that steel (I think they were the kind with saltwater inside? not sure). And the wigs are okay! A few bent cardboard pieces, but I also had some glass eyes that were fortunately safe in little plastic cases. If that Jerome head had been in this box, he might not have made it! Totally wild.

 

The first round of tariffs earlier this year were repealed, if I remember correctly, just in time for my Miracle Doll Ian to arrive after being lost in the mail for about a week. I felt incredibly lucky and I am still relieved he got here at all.

When I first heard of the de minimus repeal or whatever coming in March, I naively thought it wouldn't be too bad if I ordered a pair of doll shoes off ACBJD right away hoping they'd get here fast, and if not, that the $25 shoes would become $50 shoes and since they were the exact shoes I need for the character, I figured I could handle that if I had to.

That was dumb because I forgot that trade war means escalation can happen. I believe last I checked the shoes will cost me an extra $75 or more if they don't get here by May 2nd, that or I'll have to abandon them, which is probably what I'll end up doing since a $25 loss is better than a $100 one. I FAFO, basically. And I feel stupid for thinking the orange would just back down like last time.

I was really hoping to win the race against time here, since the shoes and some eyes I ordered earlier this month are literally the last things I need for my current doll projects that I can't make myself in some form. I wanted to do more making rather than buying anyway, and I have a lot of fabric hoarded, so I was already assuming I wouldn't need to buy anything after these two things (well, aside from Puppy's body, but he's a low priority right now and I already figured I'd focus on my other dolls first). I can handle having to make more things, because I was already planning on making my hobby experience much more DIY focused. But if I can't get my doll his proper eyes, I can't easily get the same ones in the USA, let alone the special sized shoes, and I was so excited to be able to finish this project-- not to get to bleak but art and these doll projects are the main thing getting me through things right now with so much horror and so much up in the air both metaphorically and literally (the eyes and shoes I ordered just left China customs, apparently. I am wishing them a very swift flight!!).

That said, I very much sympathize with people who have entire dolls on the way because damn does that sound expensive. I was anticipating that with my Ian before he got here, and frustrated because I really did expect the election in 2024 to have a different result and therefore I didn't even consider tariffs when I pre-ordered in July. I'm lucky things worked out with my doll at least.

I still have some anime figures coming in in the coming year and a half, and while most of them are through a USA branch of the company (and said company is honoring pre-tariff pre-order prices), some aren't and I'm already both anticipating in anxiety any issues that come up, and kind of kicking myself for spending that much money at all on frivolous things when the future is so uncertain in so many ways.

And some uncertainty is indeed about material availability, and some is about more of the existential kind- but with things changing every other day I just have to act naturally knowing I can't prepare for every eventuality. But I will definitely not be doing much if any online shopping for a long while.

I hope everyone gets their dolls with no problems. I hope the orange blinks again or some other thing happens that makes things better, at least for a bit. I kind of have to hope, because it's all I have. At least my dolls are here with me, and I have a lot of projects to work on that don't require much more than my own effort and materials I have. I'm lucky, I guess.

 

I just wanted to pass out big hugs to everyone.
I am willing with all my might for everyone to be okay, SPECIALLY feds, and I hope for all of us that saner heads will help repeal this craziness. And that we may be able to welcome our treasured dolls and their styling things and do not have to have them returned to sender. Remember MidTerms next year! Fingers crossed he can get reigned in severely, when those results are in! Exercise your right, Nov. 2026!

 

The tariff is so high now I cannot afford my favorite doll WDYM i gotta pay for like 50~100$ more for my doll when my salary is like 300$/month ? I'm devastated 'cause this end of April Doll Leaves will stop all of their previous dolls to start new ones, but my saving money can't cover up to buy a new one including VAT, taxes, etc. I really want a Camilla...

 

@fallriverx0x0 Aaah no that is dreadful timing!! Can you email them and ask to set at least a Camilla head away for you on a lonnng lay away? And perhaps then tariffs will be less crazy by the time she might get shipped, and lower because it is just the head? I would try and ask them that for sure, to have a chance at that cute sweet face!!

 

This might work, however tariffs are from country of origin, so if customs decides (figures out) that the package or item originated from China even though it came from somewhere else. It will be tariffed as coming from China.

 

What the hell?? That is so random and weird! But I’m glad your wigs were in there and safe!!

I definitely believe you about USPS being stressed and weird stuff going on. I have one final package I’m waiting on, a doll coming from just three states over, and she’s priority mail and has been in transit for 11 days and still nowhere near me.

 

Has anyone spoken with Denver Doll Emporium considering preorders from China? I'm going to ask them myself, but I thought I would check in on here in case anyone has already found out info from DDE themselves before I ask about it. I pre-ordered from them back a couple of months ago. I pre-ordered 2 Resinsoul dolls and 3 Resinsoul bodies. I'm not exactly sure what I'm in for, and I'd to have at least a flexible preparation plan for what could be in store, financially I do realize this is all subject to change. I just wish my orders had been made before this, but it is what it is.

 

Honestly, I would try emailing them about maybe ordering but holding the order until all this is sorted out and if we do end up in an embargo or something, perhaps the possibility to cancel or just wait it out? I suspect a lot of companies will be understanding knowing how this whole situation is going down.

 

They sent out this in their newsletter last week:

"We have received several inquiries lately regarding the new Tariff situation in the U.S.A and how it will affect our products and preorders. The short answer is...
we have no idea. Unfortunately, like most retailers in the U.S., we have not received any notices or facts regarding the potential new Tariff system. Please note that we will do our BEST to keep our customers informed and any extra costs at a minimum.We really appreciate everyone's support and patience!"

 

@ViperOrchid - thank you so much! I had no idea they had a newsletter. That answers my question. Thank you!

 

@pepperonipizza You're welcome! If you scroll down to the very bottom of their site, there's a way to subscribe to their newsletter.

 

That's actually a good idea! I'll think about ordering only the head and maybe by the time they ship her to me everything is getting better. Thank you so much for the help!

 

I've been buying from them for so many years and how I never saw that, I do not know! I'll subscribe now, lol!

 

I unfortunately have a doll coming in the mail now…I’m not even sure what to do and it’s giving me major anxiety. If I’m calculating this correctly, for a $200 package, the tariffs would be (145?) $290, +whatever postal fees ($90?) = 380???
So, again, for a $200 purchase, the grand total would be $580?
Pls someone tell me I did this very wrong.

 

I've had a few members of my discord just get their dolls with no fees added. So there might still be hope?

 

The de minimis rule is supposedly ending May 2, so packages from China before then with a value under $800 *shouldn't* be charged tariffs. I say shouldn't and supposedly, because there have been inconsistencies, things keep changing from day to day or being walked back, etc. But fingers crossed that everyone manages to get their packages before then and you're NOT charged. I don't think you should give up hope!

 

My DV Moth with Alice is still on Processing, I keep hoping against hope she might arrive before May 2nd, but know that chance is slim........

 

Idek what to do if I get charged like 3x the price. If I abandon it, and I ever want to buy again, including whatever tariff they’ll settle on, I’ll likely pay the same amount…It’s so chaotic and upsetting.

 

And even though the de minimis (less than $800) is ending May 2nd, the rates are less - like 90% or $75 flat fee (increasing to $150 on June 1st. Of course this could change.....

 

Oh it’s not the dreaded 145%? Or 125%… I can’t keep up!

 

I think it's already changed to $100 flat fee, increasing to $200 in June. It's been changing so often I feel like I can't keep up