Looking for doll no-buy buddies

Today's lesson- be patient, when you're at the right place and time to get it you will find it under your own nose.

 

Well, big splurge happened with the money I just got paid out by my car accident—i Gotta save the rest so that I can afford my next tattoo and also possibly another chameleon, so I’m planting myself back firmly down in here after a solidly “impulsive” last few weeks. No one ask how many dolls were purchased (they were mostly Resinsoul and Impldoll, which are cheaper!)

I’m going to start creating mood boards for the new dolls, and getting back into my mod projects, so that I spend less time shopping—case in point, I splurged on DZ papillion’s dress today, and I’m back to restricting how much I use the AC BJD site.

Weekly Win Wednesday, today I also transferred enough onto my mortgage to keep it paid for the next long while, refilled my contingency savings, hit the limit on TFSA contributions for the year, and made an appointment to move more than half the settlement into an account that is now devoted to repairing my roof when it goes in around 8 years, and saving for my eventual wedding, because I learned that my girlfriend is looking at rings when she’s at work…the rings she likes and the stones she likes are going to be spendy, but I want to be able to get her a nice ring when the time comes, so I’m going to start putting wedding money aside.

I can still hardly believe it. I’m looking at saving for a wedding??? Me??? We agreed, no one gets a ring until we’ve lived together for a year, but I first started spending weekends here in January, and I moved in for part of the week in February/march, and fully moved in in May. Depending on which date we count from, I could need ring money in a few months. So the doll spending is getting axed until I have double what a ring with the cut and stone she loves would cost me in my bank account.

I’ve never been so happy to be cutting funding for dolls!

 

You're gonna thank yourself for that roof fund. Would doing some preventative maintenance be of any use? I know with our car $$$$ spent on repairs we could have let go awhile longer was the right way to go before it became $$$$$ or a new to us car.

Sounds like for the price of the ring y'all could go to Crater of Diamonds state park and she could dig for her own stone. I've had more enjoyment out of the pick a pearl ring, I got two pearls out of the same oyster, and the piece with the meteorite and tektites.

 

Wednesday Win?
* I am doing better than I thought waiting for "Little Guy"'s head to be back from face up. (This and two other things 100% ruins the excitement for Mr. Destin's gotcha month.)
* I made a dolly tier list, three weeks ago. I found it strange that the doll I'm not so sure about (especially his face up) has scored low and Jia was scored near the top. ("Little Guy", Sujan, THEN Jia.) I don't understand why Jia scored so high, with me.
* I didn't buy anything during my time off. An outfit I wanted to buy was in China and the doll head I bought in Spring did not ship, yet. Tariffs as hidden costs are not appealing. There were two outfits at an US dealer [for a different sized doll] I'm trying not to buy, either. (I still want an outfit.)

Fails:
* Forgot that Mr. Destin's gotcha month is now-ish.... I wonder if he STILL has new resin smell. I am currently unable to take photos of him for doll tax. (Hiding my hobby.)
* A different body that I wanted to try hybrid with Uma (I'm not liking how she looked on the one I showed the pictures weeks ago) might be out of stock. (Or at least not in the color I want anymore. Once again a white-pink based body. Besides it showing up while I was on break, I was not sure if there would be a tariff fee on the first body I got. I might be in the clear now.) Don't worry, I had a plan B for the doll body.........I think??
* Dragging my feet on putting things back up on sale.
* I want to order more cheap eyes, but I get the feeling that they're not going to make me happier with the appearance of my BJDs.
* Feeling hasty, about deciding if to get rid of OR "try to salvage instead" certain things. I don't think the tier list worked?
Did I buy certain sculpts because I thought they were pretty, or did they move me? Most are just "pretty" I guess. (Pretty isn't a bad thing, btw.)
Even though OT-MJD has a personality (Eyes - FaceUp - Wig) and there's something that brings me towards her, the moment she's out of my sight - it's like she never existed.
YES, that happens with WAY more than two dolls. Any suggestions about what that could mean or what to do?

The biggest of Win / Fails.
* Cue Happy Tom Cruise jumping on Oprah Winfrey's couch video. * MY DOLL FAMILY IS COMPLETE!
"But there are still so many without face-ups or bodies or clothes-."
MY DOLL FAMILY IS COMPLETE! Wait...why do I feel it's complete? (I still have a big wants list, too.)


@aihre Nice job waiting to purchase the pet doll and the doll head!
@cobaltconduct Two months is good effort AND you sold things. It also gave you time to think about what adjustments the dolls needed.
@Chameleon You're doing so well with saving! I'm loving this post of your Wednesday Win. Making plans with your SO must be so exciting!

 

Trying to keep strong and not go overboard for a doll craft idea to make a reasonable amount of things I hope to sell while dealing with thoughts that every time I did this in the past I only sold one if any and ended up stuck with the rest or had to get rid of them at a loss.

So after a trip to the dollar store where I don't intend to spend more that $5 for related items help me keep strong. Xavier's birthday is on Halloween and I want to have some savings for him.

 

@DollyKim My sympathies. It's hard to resist the pull of a hyperfocus. It's why I have so many partially completed projects.

 

Weekend wins

Well for the last month I have not bought or caved in for a lot of fantastisk releases. first there was the dream valley cowboy wolf that got my attention ( loved him, but there was a few thing I didn't like, so no buy). then the big reales from SartoriaJ came ( was looking forward to the mermaid, but was not what I hoped for, so no buy). then Luts came with their vampires (I was looking at Bory but vampire with elf ears, was not what I hoped for, so no buy)... and now DoDollsDream have Teacup Marionette up for preorder. - I do have another doll that have some of the same things... So I hope to pass this release too .

Funny thing is, after all that chaos in the world with tariff and shipping ( and my problem with a package from Us im still waiting on), gives me les and les reason to buy. That include dolls too. And more doll I have, les I vant the new releases, Still looking for a body to a flowting head, but im in no hurry.

 

Weekly update:

My no-buy resolution remains strong. I was tempted by a few wigs, outfits and a head, but considering I'm going to Japan in 2 months, I'll have plenty of chances to peruse secondhand and new doll accessories over there.
The head also wasn't in a close enough colour to match the body I'd put it on, so I quickly eliminated it as a possibility.

I'm glad I (early) spring cleaned my doll accessories before my country suspended shipping to the US, because the English-speaking secondhand market isn't in a great spot with the state of things.
It also means I have to very carefully consider any doll-related purchases, because now if I buy something I don't end up liking, I probably won't be able to sell it.

My work has also been very busy, which means less time for window shopping, which means less temptation.
The downside of being this busy is I don't have much time to sew and play around with my dolls.
I have been trying out some sewing projects and are gradually working through them, but that's "work-life balance" for you!

 

My last doll arrived, and I will be 'no buy' for awhile. I have my full current cast of characters, and it feels great not to be waiting on anything right now.

Way down the line, I want a Mystic Kids Qing Chen FOX. But I don't need him anytime soon, and won't even think of ordering over seas for the next 3½ years. I would like to eventually get Avery a twin, and I still have room for a small msd boy that have wig, eyes, and complete outfit for. I will look on the secondhand market for that one.

But, I am completely 'no buy' for the moment. Not even looking at the second hand market for the three above dolls/concepts. II just really need this break from buying. I'll see how I feel in a month or so. I might check the marketplace then. It just feels good to have them complete for the time being.

 

My husband is a bad influence on my spending habits xD I recently got in a potential different head for my character, but it's a little too big and there were some issues with the original one i have that I wasn't sure about too, so I've been stumped. And then on instagram I saw a head I had considered for a really good price, which I hadn't gotten before because it also has some things I wasn't sure about. When I told him about it, he told me to get it because it'd be a good price for a head to practice mods on if it wouldn't work out otherwise. So that should be on the way soon, which takes me to 3 potential heads for the one character lol

I don't plan on buying anything else (potential fabric or craft supplies for making things not withstanding), but I do have some things I might try to sell soon. Parking myself here so I stop looking at things in the marketplace or on instagram.

 

My brain is insisting I buy fabric. I tried to make do last night by digging through my stash, but the itch is still there. When I told my brain that none of the fabric i saw online sparked joy, that did the (temporary) trick.

 

Wednesday Wins:
* Final payment for a doll is in. That was an unexpected purchase opportunity. Oh dear.... You know what, I might as well try selling one of the other dolls. Let's test if it wasn't meant to be.
* Second hand outfit?? (For doll that was an unexpected purchase opportunity.)
* I did not buy the "moon lady head", yet
* I'm trying really hard not to buy dolls
* Checked DoA Marketplace listings for trades [Fail: DoA folk JUST DON'T trade things].
* Maybe I should sell some eyes, too??

Wednesday Fails:
* I don't want to decide on buying another doll body for Uma or an expensive pair of eyes for her. I may choose one, hopefully not both. Dolls don't need planning. And, maybe I shouldn't wait for a bonus or something to come around.
* Bought a doll head, when I wasn't supposed to. It's a long story. (TLDR: Reasons might be sus, but okay enough. Still a few excuses that led to a fail. I will confess my point of view, if you think I'm hiding anything.)
* I'm stumped. (edit: I deleted stuff.)

I finally got "Little Guy" back. He's mostly on point with what I wanted. But, some of my initial photos of him did not test well. I'm also afraid of dressing him up, like I'll hurt him when I finally do it. I don't want what happened while making Maria's character, to also happen with him.
No photos of him for this post because.... You know what, have a

Spoiler: cursed photo

I used one of my girls' wigs to measure and make a reference how long a future long wig should be, for him. And, now I have this bizarre fuzzy photo. Maybe he's just a short hair guy? Or maybe romantic styling doesn't work for him?

Why should I care as much, anymore?

 

What exactly about dressing him up will hurt him? I thought dolls liked to play dress up and one of the selling points of a BJD was being able to change things about them that wasn't working.

On one hand I know what it's like to only have past experience to base future expectations on, not enough room for examples here, on the other it's just a dolly and it's your dolly to decide what to do with. And if a character isn't working they're really good at being able to change. I've got off topics who are probably older than you and some have had more names and characterizations than you've had hot dinners.

 

My brain is also insisting I buy fabric Somehow Japanese colour-coordinated patchwork kits have such a strong hold for me I keep dreaming about the patterns on my dolls but I keep reminding myself that I still have some fabrics of a similar vibe I have not even cut into yet. I bought a bunch of second hand clothes in the spring to make into doll clothes and I still have leftovers so those will have to serve for my plans. I did slip and buy some fun fleece-type fabric, but at least I had nothing like it in my stash already and I do have definitive plans for it.



I've found a new trick to scratch buying itches: I've realised Pinterest is actually really good for outfit inspo, so instead of scrolling taobao for thoughts on how to dress my dolls (bad, very easy to slip and buy things, cart is full in 10 mins) I go and save pics of nice fashion ideas and sort them by doll (almost like putting bits in a cart but it is free). I often don't even feel like sewing or putting together the outfit in the end, but it feels good to break the "browse=buy" circle and rewire the brain a bit (plus I can't buy the clothes because they are not doll sized!) It's also better than browsing social media that is full of ads these days, and there is still lots to look at without running out of content so I don't get bored that easily. I've been realising how miserable being on the internet can make me and trying to cut stuff that doesn't make me feel good this year, so I'm glad to have discovered something for myself that doesn't get annoying nor costs me money Plus I think my dolls will get styled a bit better as a result!

On no buy fails - most of the stuff I ordered as a no-buy slip-up ended up not fitting I'm a bit sour about a wig especially, as judging by the product pics it would have fit the doll I wanted it for pretty decently, but that was not the case in real life. I gave in and ordered a bigger wig from somewhere else as my last straw but I don't think I'm interested in wig shopping for a long time now. That's perhaps just karma slapping me for being too lazy and not making my own Wigs are always cursed

 

Might face temptation later today, an off topic GTFO sale, but only if it's the full batch in the same place at the same time. All or none has been helpful with many temptations, especially if I wasn't too interested in getting them at regular price.

 

I think that I adopted some mix of beliefs and I'm not sure if I had always thought "don't harm inanimate object". Then again, it also could be some imprint of a mild issue I have from a job that I used to have. Your [the employees'] point of view is always wrong. I think "Don't harm it" was originally meant to be a have patience thing. And, that evolved over time.

@DollyKim Here's hoping that there's no temptations for you at that sale.

I know how that feels @cobaltconduct . I am hoping that there's a way that you could repurpose some of the items. And, I think that using Pinterest is a great idea.

 

It was a Saturday win for me, the store had all the dolls but not the clothes, and I wasn't too impressed by the dolls themselves. The previous quad spoiled me with the quality and amount of stuff compared to these newer overpriced dolls. Having gotten myself thru a lesson learned on another batch of off topics it feels good to not have any doll spending on the horizon outside of getting Xavier something for his birthday, but he's very picky.

Where the doll gods shined upon me was at the junk store with a definitely made in the 80s wooden trunk with Jem/Barbie and the Rockers inspired art in great shape. I just have to replace one of the ribbon ties inside. It's reminded me of my desire to display my doll trunks but have them open with contemporary occupants and stuff inside.

 

My Saturday win was finally putting all the pieces I’ve been working so hard on together for the first time for my complete revamp of my PicotPrince Makoto. Working on those parts separately, you can never be sure the final result will come together like the vision in your head. But his new kitsune inspired character came together perfectly. It’s like having a brand new doll that’s actually been in my collection for years! That’s certainly a no-buy win.

 

@PoeticSoul He looks so awesome. The outfit you made him suits him so well!

Looking at the awesome kitsune above reminds me that I did recently purchase two pairs of fox ears for my dolls from China. I paid the import fees ahead of time and the for the ears. It cost me almost double the original fox ear price to pay the import fees. Today I noticed the ears have almost doubled in price. I wasn't going to get anymore fox ears this month, and they won't even arrive until late October. Although I had more dolls I had wanted to get ears for, eventually.

It got me thinking. I am going to try to make my own resin fox ears for my BJD's. It will save money, time, and shipping. I've made additive mods on a doll before, I think fox ears can't be that difficult? I have a family of fox spirits I want ears for, and another sibling who's brother has ears. I bought these little tiny magnets today and I already have Apoxie Sculpt clay that is ready to be mixed up.

Hopefully I can pull it off and save myself future spending by making the fox ears for myself!

So far no buy on dolls, or material. Material being a big weakness. Trying to stay strong!

 

My concern is ears out of Apoxie Sculpt could make the doll top heavy. It also dries fairly quickly once mixed together so you have to be ready to go and work fast. It will take wet on dry tho if you work in stages and you cain paint it etc when dry.

If it were me I'd make a paper pattern then sew the ears out of fake fur or fake suede. If you put pipe cleaners in the edges you can shape them.

 

Here's a good tutorial for no-sew fabric ears if anyone's interested. They're for cosplay but people use this for bjd ears, too.

As for me, I've not really done anything with my dolls lately. I'm in a fallow period, which is nice in its own way as I've been using it to focus on my mental health and by extension sprucing up my room. I moved stuff around and it gave me an entirely new perspective on all the problem areas I thought I'd never fix up. I'm not done by any means, but any doll money has been going to making it nicer to be in it, so my mood's improving.

I will be going through and dusting my doll shelves soon, so that means going through and deciding what feels right and what I can do without again. I know not everyone needs to prune their collection because they're satisfied with it, but I'm feeling it's about time for me and this gives me a good opportunity to do so.

Is anyone else going through something similar? Even though I love my dolls, I really enjoy not working on or even thinking about them when I get like this. It's not like I don't want them anymore, either, it's more like they present challenges I'm not in the mood for atm.

 

I've been doing *mostly* good. I did get one of the 1/5 scale blind box girls and she actually really helped with putting most plans aside. I then was productive at a friend's house putting together minverse kits, made my first pair of cat ears, and almost finished a tiered skirt. Now I want to make more ears!

On the bad side, other than the blind box gal, I just saw the new standard DD models and am in love with one. Oops. Curious on how the head might like on a mdd body though as I don't really want more sd sizes.

 

I guess I’ve been successful at not buying a bjd in a year and three months, but not from willpower. ….

But, recently I’ve been watching Japanese doll collector videos and saw a doll that got my interest. I couldn’t identify her from the ones I’m familiar with, so I went digging, and now have one on the way. I’m slowly getting back the original excitement I had when I first started this journey. It will be fun to make her mine, though very slowly. I’m not going to be in a big rush like I was before. Trying to find clothes etc, and not , was a big frustration for me. So I fell off the no buy wagon, but am back on again!

 

@kurogane a year and 3 months is a great win, especially if the thing that broke it brings you excitement! Have fun with your new incoming doll!

I've enjoyed the doll pauses a lot, too, this year, although they have been a bit different for me. But I agree there is sometimes *a lot* to do with them and just not having to face that for a bit is really nice. Coming back from not spending time with them has been very helpful for pruning my collection over the summer, I'm very glad I've sold some dolls and things.

I thought I wanted to further reduce the number of my minis and listed another doll for sale last week but turns out I still liked handling them too much to pass them on. Does that count as a no-buy fail or is this a no-buy neutral? Anyway, I guess I'm not getting more shelf space for myself then I do feel very happy with the dolls I have and the number of them is manageable, and all buy-temptations have been very fleeting thankfully.

The bad wig luck still continues so I'm giving up getting another alternative for Dott and will probably just cut a long wig shorter or make something from scratch instead. Thankfully I've managed to re-home all the ill-fitting stuff without too much trouble but it's also a bit annoying to have to do that of course. Keeping fingers crossed that the time/energy windows align sometime soon so I can just DIY myself out of my problems

 

Congrats @kurogane on waiting a year and 3 months. Hopefully it'll be a great addition to your doll family.

Good job on decluttering the ill fitting items @cobaltconduct .

I am also in a "don't feel like crafting" mood. I don't want to try painting or anything.

 

I’m with you on that. I’ve been trying to craft lately, but I just couldn’t bring myself to start, even though I knew I’d enjoy it.

Turns out I was almost anemic. My executive function utterly cratered because iron is used to make neurotransmitters like dopamine. So for at least the last month (and I suspect longer!) I’ve been absolutely dead tired and unable to motivate myself to do anything, whether that’s painting dolls or doing dye jobs, or what.

I am a little vindicated that there was something wrong with me that caused this and that it wasn’t just that I didn’t have motivation.

 

My upcoming holiday is keeping my no-buy resolutions strong. I've had no temptation to buy any dolls, parts, outfits or accessories – the only things I'm buying are non-doll-related things for travel.

The potential long-term effects of US tariffs and high cost of shipping also make me think before buying anything, as the majority of English-speaking BJD hobbyists are in the US and understandably curbing their hobby spending, which means non-US people like myself are less likely to be able to sell anything secondhand.

I've also discovered it costs about twice as much for a person in the US to send an equivalent weight item to me than it would for to send to them pre-tariffs: sending a doll head to the US cost me about $20 USD, whereas getting a doll head send to me (in Australia) from the US is minimum $50 without any insurance.
While this isn't ideal, it helps curbing impulsive "bargain" purchases – the bargain isn't really one when you factor in shipping and currency conversion.

 

Anemia people in the house! Just gonna say proper nutrition and regular exercise, even just getting up and down and walking around whenever possible, will do you good, and take regular naps if you need them.

As long as I don't look at the 18 inch doll aisle I can't be tempted to spoil the BJDs. It's going to be Xavier's 18th birthday this year and we want to turn our thoughts to what he wants to be for Halloween.

 

Thank you so much for the advice. My girlfriend and I are making chili with just so many beans to try to up my iron, and I’m trying to eat more spinach (and also red meat, cause plant iron is harder to absorb). I didn’t know exercise played a role, so I’ll look into that and see how much exercise I should be doing.

 

*SIGH* Dragging myself into here because I'm trying real hard to resist some dolls. -_-
One's not even on my 'approved' buying list and the other is the sculpt I want but the color isn't exactly what I planned on... but like MAYBE I want it anyway?

I need to focus on the dolls I have!
Echoing some of the other voices in this thread: I just can't get motivated to actually making clothes for the dolls I currently own. -_- Not ideal. I literally started taking some Iron supplements this week.

 

@Chameleon Light to moderate exercise, nothing that will make you tired, just get the blood flowing. Do stuff around the house, go for a walk, play with a pet. Get an iron skillet to cook with or look in to a lucky iron fish.

As for burn out you might need to take a bit of a doll break and do another hobby. I sew doll clothes but I also sew patchwork quilts and a few other fabric things. I haven't done a doll related craft, outside of resin miniatures, in a little while but I've done other creative things. The dolls are cool with it and know we'll play together again when we're all ready.

For the temptation side hold out for the color you want. This is a luxury hobby in many ways so you should give yourself the luxury of having the exact one you want.

 

I feel like this also. My future doll buying plans are hitting the brakes on big doll purchases .. except my multiple layaways!

 

@Chameleon i'm sure your doctors told you this, but be sure to have something with vitamin c alongside any iron supplements or iron rich foods you eat to help absorption!

@DollyKim i might have to look into this lucky iron fish you mentioned. I haven't heard of that before and don't really want to buy new pans ><

 

Hello fellow iron deficient people (in addition to quilleth's suggestion of taking them with vitamin C, it's also not the best to take them together with caffeine or milk products as they counteract with absorption. I usually have mine with a glass of orange juice or one of those vit c fizzy tablets between meals. But also consult your GP ofc as we're entering the vitamin D deficiency time in the Northern hemisphere and fatigue hits us with bricks in so many ways... it's like we all need our elastics tightened.)


I think my demotivation has mostly to do with having lots of tasks to do right now (job, school, chores etc) and whipping out a sewing machine or starting a project that I can't just casually drop to continue whenever isn't very appealing at the moment. I've been knitting some doll stuff and that has been nice to ease into and out of - sewing and wigs take more space prep and cleanup and that makes it very hard to get going with them I think... and makes it much easier to just want to buy things instead. But then (shockingly) they take so long to arrive I could have made the thing all along. The cycle never ends

Sending everyone some favourable craft vibes, the winter ahead is long and there's lots of potential to make nice things in the cozy long evenings!

 

This week's no-buy win:

I'm currently travelling in Japan. I went to Volks Tenshi-no-Sato in Kyoto with my SD girl, and left with my SD girl. There were pretty dolls there, some for immediate sale, and I got an entry form for buying the current Volks one-off models which were on display. While some of the SDM coordinate models were cute, I'm really quite contented with my one SD doll. Glad to know I can enjoy admiring so many pretty dolls at the Super Dollfie headquarters without being at all tempted to buy one.

Still not clear of all temptations yet - I'm going back to Sato for an event, and want to check out the various secondhand doll stores in Osaka, including Mandarake. If the conditions are right, I might try to snag a secondhand body for one of my incomplete floating heads. But I'm pretty confident that I won't cave for a completely new-to-me BJD.

Spoiling my crew with clothes and accessories? Different story. Already splurged on them at I-Doll West convention I did pick up things (mostly props) I'd wanted but had been lower priority in the past. It's OK to be a bit spendy while on holiday, and I don't think I was too frivolous at I-Doll... We'll see how I do at the Osaka doll shops.

 

Wednesday Wins:
* Put "Little Guy" onto doll stand. It doesn't hold his weight well, so maybe I need to figure out something to reinforce it. It might need padding?? (The arms are a bit wide, too.) I'm lucky that he can still stand unassisted.
* I didn't remember how his wig wasn't the proper fit. It feels like it was made to stretch on the sides, so the sides are baggy and makes the wig look like a hat (at certain angles). It does not dent inward, on the top. Any suggestions on how to pad it? (I have not settled on how to style his hair, yet. It probably can't be much shorter.)
* "Little Guy"...he has "stage presence???". I'm not sure what to do with that. I also feel, ...the character is always trying to act older or more mature than what he really is. There's no obvious reason or an occupation as to why that would be so.

Wednesday Fails:
* A doll dealer tells me NOW, this month, that they are unable to ship my doll from country "X". So, they're not going to ship it to me. The doll's been instock for months and I feel like they always knew it could not ship. I don't know what to do.
* I'm tired of doll dealers, this year.
* I think I need better lighting? I think the ringlight I have been using is too small. It's good enough for resin comparison. I just took photos and felt I need more ambient lighting / reflection.

Spoiler: Back to the drawing board

Back to the drawing board.

Right now, my mind does not understand how much more complete "Little Guy" is than all of my other bjds. And, I have this feeling that I've barely started with "Little Guy". I am uncertain if the stage presence thing will turn into keeping him out on display for long periods of time.
As most of you know, my original expectations for most of my bjds was to have minis and tinies as desk companions and maybe take a couple of photos before rotating out to the next mini. I've had no expectations for displaying large bjds. (It was: remove from box, enjoy viewing for 2 hours, stow away. Repeat when necessary.)

I've never considered building a background for any of my BJDs. Especially since viewing periods was so short AND the plans of restricting the whole collection to their boxes 4-6 months of the year. So, you understand why I never planned a background for really large BJDs.
Also, whatever name I had prepared for "Little Guy" probably isn't going to stick. So, ...here's to starting a new phase with him.

 

My newest doll came, and no complaints, just happiness.

I do need to get a wig for her, but since I have to wait until mid month for funds, I haven’t measured her head so I can’t be tempted to search for a wig. So far it’s working! I get tempted, but then realize why bother, I don’t know the correct size, and move on. I found a way for me to stop getting hyper fixated on finding something by not having everything figured out beforehand. Guess I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s working.

 

Brain is telling me to buy more fabric for one of my dolls. I agree the fabric is pretty, but I'm not in a buying mood.

 

Here’s a Wednesday Win for ya…I was very, very, very tempted to buy a Fairyland Realpuki Pupu during their recent extremely limited ordering period (I’ve been wanting one for years.) But our old TV suddenly went out after a gazillion years of trusty service, so I had to buy a new one instead. C’est la vie!

 

I find myself looking at dolls, and then have to yell at myself to stop. It's so hard to resist when there are really good sales going on with some of my favourite companies. Eventually I want four more dolls, but not anytime soon. I don't even need them for any of next years photo shoots!

The main one that I want is still a full set version of Mystic Kids Qing Chen FOX
I want one Ringdoll teen boy, haven't even decided, and am yelling at myself to avoid buying the White Rabbit on sale.
Then some random boy and girl doll, I am just going to get later, possibly second hand. I'll work the characters around the dolls.

Must avoid the White Rabbit....

 

In the end, I went to Japan with 1 doll and came back with 1.5 dolls. In Osaka, I went to Mandarake Umeda after seeing on their webshop that they had a Volks SD17 body in-store. It was indeed there, so I bought it for my Illusion Garden boy, the only resin that I planned to buy in Japan if I could find it. He fits on SD17 so much better than the first body I tried to hybrid him to - that was a big failure - so it's hybriding Mission Accomplished to my great relief.

Also my first time buying a doll/body in-person and walking out the shop with it, and somehow this immediacy was more nerve-wracking than preordering? The doll was right there, and that gave me commitment anxiety But my first hybrid attempt failed despite all my research, so I was feeling indecisive about committing a second time. Still thought I should go for it anyway - SD17 was my new #1 choice for this hybrid (I was about 80% sure of this choice), I could afford it, I won't have to pay shipping fees. It worked out, so I'm thankful that the opportunity appeared and I seized it.

As far as BJDs are concerned, my Japan holiday went well! I didn't get tempted by new dolls (though at Tenshi-no-Sato I lingered over the SDM coordinate models and noted down some sculpts to check out in owner pics); I went with the plan to buy specific things and managed to get them; the unplanned buys were for particular dolls in my crew and they ended up fitting the dolls nicely. So far I haven't encountered the thought, "why the heck did I buy this?"

I'm back in this room now. I've been mildly tempted by a new release by a sculptor whose work I adore. She's finally made a male BJD (the boys always get me), but she works in a doll scale I don't love. So it's no-buy without question, and I'm going to very deliberately look away from any new boys she might make in future

 

Buying in person allows you to get a good look at it tho.

I've found that if I'm not exactly positive about a doll I see at a retail store I'm better to leave it there and give myself some time to get over it. Most of the time when I go back and get a second look I'm affirmed in all my reasons why I didn't want it. The few times something comes home it's been for the right reasons.

 

It sure does. If I find myself dithering too much over something in a store I usually don't buy it. I think this case was a bit different because I got burned by that hybriding failure. (And it wasn't my fault - the doll company provided inaccurate measurement data, nothing in my research suggested that, and I only discovered it when I had the hybrid body in hand and busted out the measuring tape.) I'm usually fine with making decisions from less hybriding research, but I felt extra paranoid about a second failure with this particular doll, nothing short of trying my floating head on this exact body would've soothed that paranoia. I don't usually ignore gut feelings but I think this was the right time to do that and trust my research instead.

This is my first time ever buying a BJD in person and walking out the store with it. There's a certain immediacy here that's rather intimidating: this thing is following me home RIGHT NOW, so I'd better be absolutely sure RIGHT NOW that I want this thing. This pressure makes me anxious! I really thought about walking away from Mandarake empty-handed. Whereas when I'm contemplating a preorder or secondhand listing, I have time to ease myself into the idea that a new doll will be coming home. I mean, money still changes hands first, but it's all kinda distant and abstracted for a while, y'know? Or I can walk away from the whole deal and never see what I actually missed out on.

I suppose buying and selling BJDs takes place so much online, that I'm used to more abstraction when making BJD-buying decisions. But I think it was mostly fear of second failure that made me anxious here. I'm terribly relieved that the hybrid worked out.

 

Sometimes tho the universe has seen your struggles and just wants to hand you a solution. I've had several times where I didn't need or wasn't looking for a doll or other interest related thing but I accepted it, thanked whomever provided it, and opened myself to something new using the time and space the previous thoughts took up. Personally I didn't realize how much unconscious background irritation was taken up by my spirit being unhappy over a stolen gift and a broken childhood toy until both were "replaced" and I felt so much better.

Other times the universe puts a doll in your way because it knows you'll give it a better home than a destructive toddler or hoarding reseller/collector.

 

Spoiler: Last week's Win-Fails

Wednesday Wins:
* I took Sujan apart [AGAIN this year] and have temporarily restrung her arms. The string I'm using was the original one I cut to restring her legs (I didn't use it because I cut it short). I'm considering sanding the surface of one of the parts. I'm not sure if the forearm pushing off towards the side may cause damage to the joint and upper arm. It's a trivial fix versus the sanding of the leg, that should be done. Unlike the Luts doll, I do have to unstring the doll to switch to the heel feet. She came with heels, by the artist. I was first against using them, but I might as well try to use them.
* Sujan's arm elastic WAS too short to string Maria's feet. So, I'm planning on cheaping out AGAIN and try Sujan's weird leg elastic. (I wanted to record the length of both before tossing them, I don't know why.) Yes, Maria CAN stand without elastic in her legs, it's puzzling. I'm not sure if legs "not being strung" is the reason that she...[forum rules, forum rules].
* I'm in the mood to paint?

Wednesday Fails:
* Begging for refunds from dealer(s?).

"Little Guy" still does not have a name. And, for some reason my mind quickly made a skeleton of what could be his dungeon-ing story, for him. The expression of "I hate dungeons" because there was a time where he was captured by a witch, and enslaved to do missions for her. After he had survived enough times, he became one of her favored pets and started teaching him magic. He feigns that his ability is inconsistent, to avoid using forbidden magic.

Wednesday Wins:
* Maria is now strung and I took a picture of her standing. Trying my best not to change my mind about her. And, getting concerned that someone I know whom probably hasn't looked at her keeps telling me to keep her. Then again, I never told that person the laundry list of why Maria is probably best housed elsewhere.
* Tried Uma's head on Maria's body. Neck was the right length, but the shoulders were small (because MDF heads are too). But, that's good information to have.
* I'm liking the new doll head I bought, on the body I tried for Uma. It's okay that the resin colors are far from matching. But, I think that I need to paint faces before making my final decision to use that doll head versus another doll head.
* I'm in the mood to paint. But, ...who first?!

Wednesday Fails:
* Begging for refunds: Now, I'm concerned if one of them will go out of business, as the one has had claimed that they have my stuff months ago, but never shipped. I don't get why sending or refunding is such a big deal. If they're doing this with "low value" items that they already have, then I question how they are treating typical orders.
* I'm thinking about keeping some eyes that I maybe should get rid of.
* I really need to remove face-ups from Uma, etc, because they were never sealed and are fading.

I keep getting the feeling that I'm forgetting about something or that something is missing.
Do I want more or just completed dolls? I still haven't figured out how to choose a lane, but I haven't bought anything new...yet.

Welcome @twylight . Congrats on starting your journey of "no buy". There may be a fail every once in a while, but we got to keep on trying.

Ouuuu, bunny-. Sorry. Resist that rabbit!

@aihre Congrats on the match! I'm sure looking at things in person made you as nervous as finding the right car. I'm glad you got to experience all of that. It must have been so satisfying, afterward.

 

@aihre Buying a doll in person, the dream! I hope the sd17 turned out fitting and am looking forward to seeing/hearing about Zahra's adventures in Japan


Wednesday check-in: I was almost ready to buy a doll on a whim but then listed all the negatives and accepted that that dun werk right now. There will be the perfect doll in perfect time! I have grown old and tired from hybriding and avoiding this has started to weigh up the scales in favour of no-buy

Fail of the week: I have learned that a sure way to get me is to make things in doll scale that I own in human size. I got absolutely smacked on my head by the idea of twinning with my doll after seeing a pair of doll shoes that are similar to mine and I hope I can retain some enthusiasm for making a matching outfit once the slip-up accessory order arrives. There is apparently nothing more luring than a tiny fun shoe in this hobby for me...

I have purposefully made time to craft for my dolls and it's gotten me out of the funk a bit. I made a wig! I made some clothes! I've resurrected my confidence in being able to make what I want to make somewhat closely to the mental image and unticked a lot of bookmarks I no longer to feel the need to buy as a ready-made product. Now that the ball is rolling, I'm more excited to sew than to buy again.

 

A boy (on a girl body) I want both popped up on mandarake and was sold while I was sleeping last night, so I didn't have to worry if I should get him or not. I'll get him eventually, but now isn't the right time. I can wait.

 

I managed to resist the White Rabbit...

However my finger might have slipped on buying another doll, literally...

____________________________________________​

I am looking at the second hand market when my mother comes downstairs talking about getting Halloween decorations out of the shed to decorate our lawn. Our whole neighborhood does this. I go to listen to her and my finger literally slipped on the 'ADD TO CART' button.

I tell her my finger slipped and a doll got added to my cart. She asks if he was a good deal. He was. She tells me well if it's already in my cart I should by it. My mother is a bad enabler.

Now I have an SD boy on the way home to me.

____________________________________________​

I can use him for the character I was going to shove the White Rabbit into. I don't need the White Rabbit anymore.

I made it two months August and September without buying a doll. That's it two months out of the whole year. I am pretty bad at this No-Buy thing. I am not mad at myself. I like the doll. I will be excited when he gets here, it's just I have really bad impulse control.

 

Oops on that slip! At least he's a good price and cancels out the white rabbit temptation.

Wednesday wins for me: I've managed to talk myself out of the new standard model so far. I'm just telling myself anytime the temptation comes back that she can be a future plan someday.
A friend also stole me for a weekend last month so we could do doll photos. This actually helped a lot, as it forced me to take photos (something I've loved with the hobby for me but haven't had motivation) plus helping me with no buy. Lugging an SD around the gardens and a park has made me really rethink wanting anymore resin for a long time. I'm getting old.

 

@cobaltconduct Thanks. Now that my doll is on the SD17 body I no longer feel discontent and unhappiness about him, so it worked out ^^ I'll share of Zhara's adventures in Japan eventually - stay tuned!

I think a twinning project is a fantastic project. The shoes were a purposeful purchase for this end, and I hope this project gives you lots of enjoyment. And well done with picking up on your crafting again - it does take effort to start up, but once you've got momentum going they do suck you in and end up feeling really worthwhile. (At least it does for me. I too need to get back into crafting, it feels hard to gain traction now, but I'm sure once I find the "in" it'll start rolling.)

@tinyflame Yes - seize the day, do the painting! As for who to paint first... perhaps the doll closest at hand to you? Or the one you've had the longest, out of the ones you want to paint? If you want an "in" to getting started, perhaps the one that you don't have a lot of strong ideas about? Approaching the art as play does help to lower the stakes (and therefore performance anxiety), and sometimes not having a clear idea is a way to start experimenting and playing.
As for refunds, if you're having trouble with a dealer, perhaps asking in Shipping & Ordering forum might help? Others might've had similar experiences...

@RabbidBunnies Two months is still two months of no-buy. And you were able to let go of White Rabbit too. Now that the clock is reset, perhaps you can set a new personal record for the year? 2026 is (shockingly) about 3 months away - it may be a nice goal to stick with no-buy until this year is over. I believe in you!

@Kynthiamoon Well done with outdoor doll pics! they're challenging but I hope you found it rewarding too. I always think that when one is doing things with their dolls, one is already not window-shopping and being tempted by new ones. ^^

 

My Wednesday win is ordering a wig for my girl. I got the color and style I was wanting at a very reasonable price. I just hope it looks good on her.

 

Lots of luck on the no buying dolls! It is like going on a diet which then makes the graving 10 times worst!

 

The wig came today, and looks great! I am so relieved .

 

Dealing with a project that went south and looking for the inner strength to not doll shop my way to feeling better. Got to remind myself it's two weeks to Xavier's birthday and if nothing else we should spend some of it just being together and rememebring why I bought him in the first place.

 

@nyaaain @RabbidBunnies , well, at least those temptations are gone.
@cobaltconduct A twinning project sounds excellent. I'm confident that you can make it work.
@Kynthiamoon Outdoor photos with a friend? I hope that's one of the highlights for this year.
@kurogane Congrats on finding the right wig.
@DollyKim Happy early birthday for Xavier. Will you also be crafting for him or taking pictures of him?

Okay, I will-had posted my shipping question in the appropriate forum. Thank you.

I'm NOT looking for dolls?? It's interesting because since the shipping issues came up, it made me feel that the collection is missing something, again.
I have a feeling that I have too much resin. Or is it, just the right amount of resin in the wrong combinations? No fixes for either, currently.

I had a few minutes of creativity, an idea for a photo session. Forgot the exact catalyst, I think it was possibly my sadness about the shipping issue. And, I'll pick one of the dolls in the group photo to get painted.

"Blue Boy" got here! I know that I don't have a body for him or anything, but that's okay.

Spoiler: another floating doll head for now

I don't know if I'll eventually "regret" the purchase. I wish I could see "the finished project", all of the things that I want him to make him into, right now. I'm thinking, two major cosplays, one minor cosplay, and possibly one pirate King.
I will never understand how I went from not caring to however my brain got me to purchase him. (This is possibly the opposite experience, to purchasing "Little Guy". That's why I'm guessing I'll probably go through a regret or buyer's remorse cycle. I still would like to see him blue....)

 

Xavier never knows what he's going to do for his birthday until he's doing it. His main job is seeing me thru the day and helping me figure out what half priced candy to buy, lol.

And I know the feeling of "missing something" holding me back from doing whatever. Mine comes from a childhood of literally not having and feeling/knowing I'm not able to do what ever it is for lack of key ingredients/supplies. Meanwhile Jim Henson said take what you've got and fly with it.

As for shipping and tariffs we've all got to really sit down and figure out what's important and what's worth paying for. I've been looking at a $$$ non doll thing where two slightly different versions cost the same but the preferred one would also come with VAT and may or may not even get here. Meanwhile I'm hoping I can figure out a DIY work around.

 

I've been eyeing this thread for a while and it's finally time I make a post!

Lately I've had a lot of stress in my life. It's making my impulse buy itch harder to distract from. I keep getting tempted by lovely secondhand dolls but I'm trying to remember that I know one doll is enough for me and that money could be spent on new clothes for him instead. With the tariff situation going on in USA I'm also trying to hold back despite how low yen currently is and stick to domestic sales only.

 

@rainglow - the realisation that x number of dolls is enough is both great and also really tough when nice dolls are up for sale, I agree! I'm trying to convince myself the same but it is a slippery slope. Have fun spoiling your boy!

I went through the pro-level brain gymnastics of "do I get another 1/3" all week last week and spent so much time looking. In the end I just got Dott a new, nicer pair of hands and called it at that, repeating like a mantra that I should finish all my dolls to my satisfaction before even considering getting a new project in. The craving eventually went away and the wallet is safe.

My slipped taobao order came through and the shoes I was so enamoured with are so cool in person! But they are a tad too big and don't work so well visually as oversized so I'm a bit unsatisfied... Not sure if I'll end up keeping them, but surely enough I'm not so interested in trying to get more options for trial and error so at least lesson learned! Everything else I got was lovely and the dolls seem happy with a couple of extra bits which brings me lots of joy! All my dolls seem to be nicely finished currently, and that lets me finally enjoy them in a very non-stressful way which I greatly appreciate!

Wishing everyone luck with the upcoming intense shopping season! No-buy through nov-dec is a lot

 

I'm a sucker for doll sized versions of stuff I have, and human sized versions of some of the doll stuff. This is why my general motto is "miniatures are for the playscale (1/6) crowd". I allow myself to have the Barbie sized dream house I didn't have as a child and plastic food is cheaper and easier to find than therapy, lol. For the BJDs the exception is for things like art and writing supplies, we have some pocket mirrors that look like my electronics, but otherwise we all agree at this present moment there's nowhere for them to put anything else. There's always exceptions but I can't think of any ATM.

Upcoming shopping season aside this also looks like it could be an intense time for grifts and scams. Remember- it's not your job to support or enable anyone else's lifestyle and do not put yourself in a hole for anyone else, and that includes buying presents. Definitely don't let anyone around you know if you have any doll money saved up because it's yours not theirs.

 

@cobaltconduct They're so darn cute and tempting! I'm currently in the middle of the mental gymnastics involving picking up another 1/4. Been window shopping like crazy but I think I'm finally coming to end of it and remembering to stick to what I said about only owning one. Sometimes I get thinking that he might want a friend, but two dolls means double the outfits, wigs, eyes, etc. It's like never ends with these little guys sometimes. I'm glad you've reached a point where you can comfortably enjoy them in their completed states!