Looking for doll no-buy buddies

I’m happy to report that I successfully managed to keep myself out of the second-hand marketplace for the last month, and I’m determined to continue that into the new year because I just don’t need the temptation. But Luts has been sorely testing me. They released a limited 1/3 gorgeous unicorn boy with hooves (my kryptonite) and then some limited tiny delfs with hooves and antlers. The universe was sorely testing me, I swear! It was so hard! But I resisted by playing the two off one another in my mind…I have absolutely no room for the big boy, and if I bought a couple of the little satyrs, they’d add up to the price of the big spectacular guy which just didn’t seem very cost effective to me. This little trick successfully kept me from entering into any new layaways. Go me!

I’m going to console myself by starting on a new sewing project today: a new story robe for my super old (like 1999 old!) Volks 4 sisters girl who I’ve done up in a white face Shironuri style (do to her yellowing.) It employs a lot of “slow stitching” work which is very time consuming but relaxing and fun for me.

 

Engineering a cloth replacement body for my Obitsu 60 has kept me from looking for a replacement body for him. And I don't know if replacements will fit the clothes I made for him.

 

I posted that on 8 December. Since then, I absolutely went resin hunting and bought 2.5 dolls, including the head sculpt cited in that post. The other two full dolls - I thought about one throughout Dec and settled on ordering it, but the second was absolutely an impulse buy that has scuppered my budget, and I have to reorganize my BJD spending around it.

So apart from a third full doll (budgeted, just waiting for preorder to open), I'm done with buying resin for the year. Yes, I know it's just the second week of January. Given production/shipping time for those 3.5 dolls, I expect to have box openings spaced through the year to look forward to, and plenty of time to integrate them into my doll crew.

So I'm back in this thread and hope to stay the course for the rest of the year!

 

Good for you! That’s the way to do it…just jump back on that horse, so to speak, and keep trying!

 

Me! I have 6 faceups to complete And I want this to be the year to do it! Are we invited to add our faceups to your thread?

I'm gonna attempt this no buying dolls challenge too! I'm not going to start any layaways no matter how much it hurts lol Not until all my dolls have their faceups and at least one finished outfit. Temporary outfits do not count lol I have two coming sometime from last year's pre-orders, and they count towards my list. I already have one project checked off!

That being said, I def already have a wishlist lol That new minifee is very pretty. But I'll wait.

 

[QUOTE="Enzyme, post: 13060

Any and all other kinds of dolls, I have major issues stopping myself from hoarding. DX[/QUOTE]

It seems like the main difference between collecting and hoarding is having the space to display the objects in a nice way lol. Surely it's not hoarding if it's in a small museum, with matching shelves and glass barriers. Then it's... educational...

 

The very basics of hoarding is trying to fill an emotional hole with physical stuff. I come from a line of hoarders and parts of it are genetic. Another line of reasoning is it gives you stuff you can control. There is also an ADHD 'something to do' aspect.

One cognitive approach is to have healthy ways of distracting yourself and getting out of the thought cycles. Get up and physically move around, if you can, engage with something you already have. Make contact with another person. Play with your pet.

If it's about having control then arrange your things in an attractive manner so you can engage with them. Take pride in the part of your world you can control and work on releasing what you can't.

For the boredom part, which I definitely have, clear project bins/bags/tubs help. You can put your projects and tools in a place where you can see them but it keeps them tidy. Stuff gets finished if the tools are easy to find in their designated container too. All my reroot supplies, hair, bald dolls, and tools, are together in one container.

 

I fell off the project bandwagon, but I’ve been keeping myself busy with reading and video games, so I haven’t thought about dolls much.

I did go look in the mp just to see what’s for sale and what the current prices are, and the prices are higher than what I remember, so it has helped me to move farther away from the collecting part of the hobby as I can’t afford bjds anymore, lol. I’m actually happy with this realization and feel at peace with myself (part of myself was still wanting the happiness of ordering/opening new bjds).

 

I love this! People who visit here (where all my husband’s and my collections are carefully curated and on display artistically throughout our home) always comment that our house is like a museum. I just happen to think that’s the ideal way to live!

And sadly, folks, I didn’t make it very far into the new year before I fell off the “no buy” bandwagon. I’ve successfully given up perusing the second-hand marketplace completely, and I didn’t succumb to Lut’s holiday offerings which is a very good thing. But Dollzone snagged me good this week! In my defense, they caused my slip in two different ways. First, I paid off and received a layaway I’d been waiting for, and when I opened her, she was amazing! I was thrilled with her as my new yosd-sized Pokemon trainer. But this caused me to suddenly remember I had another Pokemon trainer I still needed to shell. I’d had such a difficult time shelling this particular character, I’d actually relegated her so far to the back of my mind, she had slipped from my active on-going thoughts completely. But when I saw my new doll, and especially fell in love with her unique body sculpt, I was sorely reminded just how badly I wanted to complete my Pokemon gaming trio. And wouldn’t you know it, Dollzone just then decided to release the perfect yosd sculpt for her with the same delightful body…on sale! So yeah, I put her on layaway.

So I slipped, folks. At least this one is small, and her character was pre-planned anyway, so she will go into a pre-existing display…there’s no real harm to my spacial constraints, which is my biggest issue. But I have no more room for anything but teeny-tiny Fairyland realpukis now, which are released so infrequently, they’re more of a no-harm/no-foul when it comes to sticking to my dolly diet (sort of like the proverbial celery sticks.) I’m going to take my own advice I gave here earlier and jump right back on that horse when it comes to not buying any other dolls.

 

@PoeticSoul congratulations anyway, because finding the right sculpt for a beloved character is so worth it! Especially if you have looked for a long time and suddenly the right one appears. I have a couple characters I’ve given up on, but if the perfect sculpt came out, I’d definitely fall off the wagon for it! DZ has a special place in my heart too. Their newest anime/rabbit girl yosd release gave me pause, but yeah, no, I will let her go with a few regrets, lol.

 

I haven't bought anything doll related other than Volks News in 4 months but my acquisition syndrome is flaring up again worse than before I bought the much needed doll body

Guess I should be hugging my dolls more to see if that helps! I really should be researching new wigs and shoes for them instead. Hina's white boots are completely falling apart and I don't have enough shoes for everyone to go for a walk together.

 

I’m here to go no more buying. I ordered my dream doll from Ring Doll (Dracula 2.0 full set), and I also purchased a blank Coralreef ONE. After this, I need to focus on my current BJDs once the climate/temperatures are suitable for sealants to cure (very humid at the moment). I love all of them and I want to have them on display, wigged, clothed and painted!

 

Thank you so much…this actually helped me feel better. My fall came as such a shock really. Here I was, handling my newly received doll from last year’s purchase and thinking, ‘Wow, I love this body!’ Then I wanted to check on my layaway order for another of last year’s purchases because I wanted to go ahead and pay that one off, and wham! There she was on the dealer’s website, newly released, on sale, and absolutely perfect for my final Pokemon character. That newest DZ anime girl you spoke of was the exact same one that snagged me, and fullset at that!

But I’m right back on the bandwagon now…and determined to stay there for the rest of 2023.

 

I had to buy a car at the very beginning of 2023, after my lovable 20 year old rustbucket met her violent end at a red light (I escaped unscathed, no one worry!). So, before insurance came in, it was like 1/3 of my savings, from all my life combined, just… gone.

This morning, the insurance came in, and I caught myself trying to open up Mandarake. Like, no. There is no way I should have been buying heads while replacing my car. There is extra-no-way any insurance money is being used on dolls.

So I have 2 new rules on place—number 1 is no new dolls until I have my savings back replenished from the vehicle. As of now, that’s probably about 18 weeks (9 paydays) off, if I don’t fall off the wagon, but also don’t take any extra hours at work.

Number 2 is that, if I am going to break that rule, I now have to pay my savings whatever I’m spending on dolls. $30 pair of shoes, $30 into the savings, and that’s fine. This is designed to de-incentivize impulse splurging, but still allow me some flexibility if I pick up hours. It also makes a $300 “great deal” doll effectively $600 that I have to come up with, which I know will at minimum slow me down. Also means I need to plan extra dollars for my last layaway payment next month.

To fill the void that I’ve been filling with sad-buying dolls, I’ve been planning faceups, and redressing/re-wigging/swapping eyes on my current dolls, and I’m looking forward to trying to get a couple faceups done maybe on Sunday? If I can make time in my course reading schedule. Last week I had a weirdly cathartic time removing faceups and spraying MSC to get some base layers down.

What’s everyone else working on?

 

@Chameleon That's a relief that you didn't get hurt. Making clear financial goals definitely helps reduce that buying temptation! I've been using similar goals and thoughts to curb some of my dolly spending -- or at the least, help me to prioritize what are the important things I want to buy vs. frivolous/idle window shopping. Playing with and refreshing my current crew's appearance helps me a lot too.

I've been learning how to sew. I'm blogging my progress on my doll blog - here's the post on my completed sewing projects so far. Last weekend I started machine sewing and made new cushions for my doll bench. I also received a big LUTS order a while ago and got a free Winter Event head (Elf Carmine), so I'm back to doing faceups. Yesterday I did a practice faceup on Carmine and I'm happy that I can practice painting without needing to wipe one of my dolls.

I'm enjoying myself, so sewing and faceups have kept me occupied enough that I don't think of shopping... It's the wandering eye and idle window shopping that sucks me into wishlisting and buying doll stuff. So if I spend all my free time keeping my eyeballs fixed on sewing projects or faceups or photographing my dolls, that's time spent not looking at shops. XD

It also really helps that one of the 2-and-a-half dolls I bought in early Jan has just arrived... the "half" which is a head to complete my fourth doll. Unfortunately the body I got for him didn't work out, so I have to research hybriding and resin matching again. Yeah, it's technically buying resin, but I hope I can sell the mismatched body quickly and then use those funds to buy a new body. Besides, this doll needs some work to get him looking like his character -- I want to make clothes for him, and buy some new wigs and shoes. So I'm happy to take my time with selling the old body and finding a new one, as it gives me more time to assemble his appearance. And rebuild some of my savings as well, after buying all that resin earlier this month.

So this fourth doll is keeping me plenty occupied... I've come to realize that I don't like having too many dolls in incomplete state. One incomplete doll at a time is fine, but the thought of receiving any more new dolls while he's still incomplete is... surprisingly offputting and stressful. So I'm hoping this mental "brake" will help prevent me from buying more new dolls this year, especially since the ones I've already ordered will be coming later.

 

I just read through the latest posts on your blog - those pants you made were super impressive!!

 

I clicked the link to your blog and I was absolutely enchanted by the intro: “In which these dolls compel me to learn useful life skills so I can make stuff for them.”

Somehow, that’s so relatable!! Everything I know about power tools I know because of modding dolls. Anything I know about adhesives, milliput, fixing stuff, it’s all secretly doll-knowledge (dolledge, if you will?) also, Halcyon’s yukata turned out so amazing—I genuinely would have assumed you’d been sewing for a long time to have it turn out that good, it’s so reassuring to see someone else who hasn’t sewn since school having his much success with it!!

Once I have more time and less faceups to do, I’m gonna try to learn faceups next, I think!

also I get what you mean, about having unfinished dolls! I have lots of floaters, but they start to bother me when they’re supposed to be a specific character, but they’re missing something—I’ve held onto so many dolls and parts because I’m reshelling a character and “someone has to be them until they get here!”

 

Thanks for reading my blog and for the kind comments @Sno-Oki and @Chameleon - I have a long way to go but I feel like I'm improving all the time, and that motivates me to keep sewing. XD

Heheh, apart from learning new crafty skills, I've been practicing my Mandarin Chinese comprehension - my second language that I haven't used for years and years. All that browsing and searching Taobao means I've read and written more Chinese in the last 3 months than I have for the previous 5 years... This is what BJDs can do for you -- or what BJDs will make you do for them, as it is.

Faceups have an upfront startup cost -- paints and pastels, brushes and tools, respirator, sealant/MSC, alcohol/etc for wiping off faceups -- but once you assemble the materials, it's all painting, all the time, and a little goes along way (except for MSC). I enjoy painting faceups a lot (more than sewing, frankly), the only thing stopping me from doing it all the time is the cost of MSC, haha - that's the consumable that you use the most. If you're prepared to pay the startup costs, I think it's worth trying it and see if you enjoy it.

I'm discovering that incompleteness bothers me quite a bit, especially if it's "fundamental" such as not having the right body/skin colour, hair and eyes. Clothes are a bit less pressing, but I don't like having dolls naked and hair/eyeless for too long. I think this bugbear of mine will motivate me to keep focused on getting my fourth doll finished - making and buying stuff for him, instead of things of lesser priority.

 

I got lucky on the faceup front! At least twice I’ve bought a bunch of supplies to start, and then not started, so MSC is the only thing I’m replacing, and there’s an import shop in my city that sells it for like $14 CAD per can (as opposed to Amazon, where it hovers between 30-50). Last time I was there, I was also not in no-buy and I bought enough cans that I should be able to finish the horde, for now.

Depending on how many redos everyone needs, that is—I’m thoroughly new to faceups, I think I’ve done a total of 6, maybe 7, and I have some that I love, and some that I like, and some that need to be redone asap.

This is one of my faves so far!

Az photo by Indifferent Red, on Flickr

Also learning Mandarin for dolls is the coolest thing ever!

 

Aside from the MSC face up supplies can be used as real art supplies, the use of watercolor pencils set me on a path for higher quality ones, and practice with blending pastels never hurts.

There is a tool called Style Stix by Loew Cornell that are a must have.

 

I looked up style stix and they look awesome!!

also, for pastels in particular, I started with the mungyo set that soon sells, that is way better than expected for its price point. I’ve replaced come colours with higher quality artist pastels, but I’m amazed at the quality of this little starter set!

 

You can’t get better without practice! And pants are really hard, so congratulations ☺️

I’ve found that I have quite a few basics for face-ups, since I’ve also been an artist for a long time. Just waiting for the heat and humidity to die off because I can resume doing face-ups. But like you said, good supplies will last.

 

A good friend convinced me out of bidding on a doll I don't need today. Bless

It was helpful to go through my wishlist and consider if I could only buy 5 more dolls in my life, would this one make the cut? She came in at around 10, so someone else will hopefully be the new happy owner and not just someone with an auction high.

 

The vinyl doll I’ve been saving for is going to be up for pre order Feb 11, and after much thinking and agonizing, I’ve decided not to get it. I realized that I was in love with the idea of the doll, but in reality he just is too big and expensive for me to feel comfortable. However, I did decide that I do want another vinyl msd who is the right size, easy to dress, and half the cost! She just arrived today and is going to be a long term project as I’m going to mod her head to have an open smiling mouth, try and do an anime style face up, and search the internet for the perfect outfit. I feel so at peace with this choice. I am now finished buying dolls for the rest of the year. Well, that is the plan anyway!

 

I did buy a body for an off topic, had to replace her worn out one. Otherwise it's only been Robert and Robert and my only real plans are when his band comes out. I'm 75% sure I want a very particular on topic but haven't found the right one yet and tbh it's one I've wanted a bit since I first saw them.

But I have been doing very very good when it comes to not buying dolls at retail stores!

 

A bunch of my preordered heads came in yesterday, which was otherwise a kinda yucky day, so that saved me from sad-buying and actually opened up the possibility of selling 1.5 reshells of one of my girls! This is a much better direction for the resin acquisitions to be moving in!

 

Oh help.

Someone please tell me I do not need the coffee-skinned Dream Valley Dawn which is currently in stock on a site. Because I so very, very much want it.

But it's $850. Plus shipping. Plus import duties.

 

Ask yourself the following questions:
Is this a dream doll?
Do you have space for them?
Will they fit with your current collection?
If you had to get rid of a doll in order to have this one, would you do it?
And most importantly, do you have a good buffer of savings set aside? As in, would you be in trouble if you bought this doll and then your car/fridge/washing machine/phone/any other important everyday item broke down tomorrow?

Some things are worth it. But you’re here because you want to be on a doll buying ban. Can you do other things with your current collection that won’t involve money?

I find that if I want something, I have to sleep on it for at least a week or two. My last two purchases, I thought about them for nearly a month for Dracula and two weeks for Coralreef. I set aside money and looked at my budget. I also considered my employment circumstances.

I thought carefully about where they would go, and how they would fit with my current dolls. I also considered when I would have the time to paint my Coralreef. As I’m about to head into autumn, painting and face-up season will be upon me, so once they arrive, they’ll be able to be completed.

So if you’re confident she will fit and you can afford all of the costs associated with her, and still be financially secure, then yes, buy her. But you’ve come here to have some advice instead, which suggests that you’re still on the fence. That doubt? It’s a gut feeling to examine. Which makes me say no, leave her for now, and save your money. There will always be more dolls.

 

Making payments to your savings before you decide on a doll is a great idea, and I don't want to get started about the Car of Theseus wanting my doll money. We were blessed to recently get a good car for the first time I can remember.

And then I'm going to say I also know how it feels to have something you want nagging you and thinking you feel incomplete without it. Hopefully time and distance from the want along with enjoying what you have will make it lessen. But I also believe in seek and ye shall find (a bargain) because I was able to replace something that was stolen from me at retail instead of mark up that way.

 

I was noticing this exact same feeling yesterday as I casually strolled through my small home, as one does on a quiet Sunday, noticing my various doll displays as I went along. I was suddenly aware of a sense of peace where my dolls are concerned, and a newly obtained sense of completeness. After years of excited acquisition in this hobby, it really surprised me! My little slip in January (to add my final planned Pokémon trainer when I suddenly found the perfect one) has now left me with a wonderful feeling of “done” at long last. So it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, and not such an “oops” impulse buy after all. Pleasant surprise there!

I had to laugh when I read this! Great minds think alike because I have one of those ancient Volks myself. I couldn’t resist her when she came up for a very good price on the second-hand market a couple of years ago. Sure, my old 4 sisters Megu is unevenly yellowed but still as sturdy as the day she was made in 1999. That sense of history really drew me to her, and the uneven yellowing gave me the perfect opportunity to be creative. I spray painted her head, hands and feet white and gave her a Japanese shironuri faceup. Her name is Poetta and she “creates” story poems about my other bjds…documenting my collection in a creative way. I illustrate this by making her what I call “story robes” that tell the tales, utilizing beautiful sari scraps and fabric story elements. I feel it honors her long history in this hobby.

 

I very much don't want to buy more dolls... But I still like browsing. I also enjoy the sensation of wanting. Am I the only one here that tempts fate?

 

@saraquill no, you aren’t alone! I enjoy looking at dolls and their stuff. I find it relaxing and I get caught up in thoughts or daydreaming and I feel much calmer. But on the flip side, I see things that give me ideas that turn into wants that I have to fight. It’s so hard!

 

I like looking and I'm also lucky in that a lot of dolls that are for sale just don't make me go 'omg i have to have that' although they're pretty. There are a good chunk that have gone in my 'if I won the lottery I would' pile but very, very few have made me actually look at my bank account and start doing maths.

 

Oh yes, browsing for dolls is a lovely pastime indeed…and I love doing it as well. I find it relaxing and I love thinking up creative ideas for some of the dolls I innocently peruse. But then I just sigh a happy sigh and get on with my day. While I find happiness in the creative exercise of it all, I’ve trained myself to leave it at that and walk away. And I’ve given up checking the DoA marketplace for second-hand finds entirely now. I still occasionally check what’s brand new being released from the companies. There is always a chance I’ll get snagged of course. That makes it all the more daring which somehow only adds to the fun. I call it one of my naughty pleasures, but I refuse to give it up and hope to stay strong regardless.

 

Well I bought one of the Lilly cats from Eve dolls, but as they technically aren't a BJD, it doesn't count, right? Right??

 

Oops, I bought my first unplanned resin doll today. I saw a DZ Paca in a box opening and immediately went to DDE to see if they had one in stock….and yes they did, on sale too! Little pet bjds are my weakness, plus it’s an adorable llama. Now I guess box openings are dangerous! Back on the wagon with a tighter grip hoping next time I have better willpower (and the doll isn’t such a good deal).

 

I also saw a box opening of Paca recently - perhaps we saw the same post? It's such a cute doll.

And yes, pet dolls are lethal. I'm usually quite good at resisting BJD temptation but there are SO many delightful little pets out there now. I came perilously close to buying a pet doll several times (get behind me, Dream Valley). In every case I managed to pull myself back from the brink, and have since banned myself from ever buying them! They are bite sized and so much cheaper than the 1/3 dolls I usually buy. But I'm telling myself that I'll be more satisfied if I contributed that money to buying 1/3 dolls or things for them. I mean, if I had to spend money on resin, why not buy a 1/3 floating head that I wanted instead of falling down the rabbit hole into a different doll size? After all, a pet doll ends up bringing home more friends, and then I'll have two doll sizes to keep track of...

Right now I prefer to believe that sticking with 1/3 dolls will maximize my enjoyment, over any kind of pet dolls. Delusion? Probably! but hey, so far the delusion is helping me keep my BJD spending goals in line. I hope it stands the test of time.

 

I found a doll house in reasonable condition on the side of the road (we have hard rubbish collection once a year and people will put stuff out for other people to take, so lots of good furniture for free), so I’m going to do it up for my off topic vinyls and my mature minis (Argonautica Little Ifi). I’m really excited because I’ve been looking for a way to display all of the furniture I’ve accumulated and to make a nice doll box

 

Sounds like how I found mine, especially if it's like a bookshelf made of miter board. Whatever Ikea calls their shelves that hold record albums also fits 1/6 scale dolls.

 

Temptation is everywhere, isn’t it? The most innocent perusal can truly test our determination in the extreme. It’s bound to happen, but as long as we’re willing to jump right back on the bandwagon after a little slip, there’s hope. I’ve always been tempted by pet dolls because “oh, the cute!” And they tend to be small, so they’re easy to fit in anywhere (even on another doll’s lap) so they can be very hard to resist. (Regardless, in stock means instant gratification too, and on sale! So congrats to you!)

I completely understand the temptation, and it’s really difficult for me because I initially set up my collection to be a fantasy world where any kind of being, any size, is welcome. So I have no size restraints to act as a control. Your focus on 1/3 will certainly help. When trying to keep our collecting under control, any little deterrent, any small trick to keep acquisitions at bay is a positive step.

I did the same thing some years back. I found a big mesquite root someone had dug up and left by the side of the road while I was out walking. Problem was it was far too heavy for me to carry, and hubby had the car at work. But I loved the sculptural quality of it and could see great possibilities. So I went home, got a rope, lassoed it and dragged it all the way home…3 long blocks! Neighbors must have thought I was nuts! But turned upside down, it made a dandy tree house for Realpukis. Hooray for free!

 

Bins help so much!! But also, I'm having issues organizing said bins. They look so ugly stacked in my living room

 

Initially I thought this was along the lines of those Facebook "Buy Nothing" groups where people donate items to each other for free haha.

Encouraging each other to not add unnecessary items to our collections definitely sounds healthier though

 

Omg that’s so cool!! It was absolutely worth the neighbours thinking you’re odd. I’m almost tempted to get one of those flat rollers for moving furniture on just to have for shuffling furniture.

 

Oh damn, I’m so sorry. That’s really frustrating. We’re dealing with something similar at work due to a data leak. Can you cancel the card once everything has been paid off and get a replacement?

 

A good thing with the reputable cards is they will back you up. My new bank for my special money put down my address wrong and sent my monthly statements to someone else for six months. Fortunately that account I have to have receipts for every dime spent and everything is good with it. See if your bank has a program where it looks for unusual spending, especially if you're a creature of habit, and sends texts alerts.

On the side of moving big things I kept my one dollhouse on a furniture dolly for awhile. You can get a nice square rolling platform at the hardware store for a reasonable price.

 

Well, this month has been awful for my ‘no buying dolls’, sigh. I have bought four! Only one is on topic, but they do add up: one msd vinyl, one resin off topic yosd, and two resin off topic pets. Nope it isn’t easy to stop. Very disappointed with how easy I’m willing to press the buy button. So weak!

 

Oh @kurogane, don’t be so hard on yourself. It happens! You’re still our “dolly no-buy buddy”. We all know how easy it is to slip up in this hobby when we stumble upon new dolls, regardless of our best intentions. We’re here because we want to support one another in our efforts to stop, and we all know how hard it is in practice. I guess it’s like AA meetings…if you slip, hurry to a meeting as fast as you can to get back on track!

And speaking of slipping, I’ll admit I did one this week too. I did something I should never have done…after staying out of the DoA marketplace for 6 weeks, I was bored one morning and thought it couldn’t hurt to take a little peek just for fun. Yep, you guessed it, suddenly there was a perfect doll for one of those pesky gaming characters of mine I’d given up on ever shelling. For the past 7 years I’ve incorporated two of my characters (from the same game) into one doll, and it’s basically worked out okay. But when faced with the perfect shell for one of those characters…well…definite weak moment there, and I fired off a pm to the seller so fast, smoke was probably rising from my ipad!

 

@PoeticSoul thank you ! We sound so much alike, lol. I’m glad you are able to shell a beloved character, so your ‘slip up’ is more like the universe’s way of bringing you what you’ve longed for. The ot yosd that I ordered is a anime bunny girl which has been something I’ve wanted for years. She is so cute, the right style, size, and cost. I hope to see pictures of your gaming characters! I love how you design your dolls. Each one is so beautiful and unique!

 

SO, I am getting a doll, a DZ Mirai BUT it's a long story! I had a DZ Mirai on 1 year layaway at BJDivas and she was supposed to ship in November. However UPS lost the package! I received a refund and put a WTB on the marketplace, and got a bite! So now I have a DZ Mirai which will be arriving once I pay and it ships. So she will be my first doll of 2023. I can't tell you how many times this girl slipped through my fingers though! I've had 3-4 chances to buy her and blown it each time So at long last she may finally land home with me!

And, I found a little doll on Clover Singing that it absolutely haunting! And I think I may break down HARD. EEK! I've been very very good lately!

 

I bought a book of doll patterns today. Patterns aren't on my "no buy" list, but I'm wondering whether they should be.