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Looking for doll no-buy buddies

Aug 31, 2022

    1. I contacted NYC Doll Con, asking if they'd like one of my dolls as a donation. Here's hoping they say yes, and I have fewer ignored dolls in my home.
       
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    2. That's a really nice thing to do @saraquill hopefully they will take you up on the offer.
      Not bjd but I donated two dolls I won in a raffle to habitat for humanity this week. They list certain valuable and collectible items for sale online as well as having the brick and mortar re-stores. Maybe that organization is an option if you've got one local and are ever itching to unload something for charity.
       
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    3. Hello everyone! It’s been many months since I’ve logged in to doa, or even thought about bjds. The fact that I have too many dolls, and no money for them, has kept me firmly on the no buy wagon. I do miss the new doll planning and excitement phase. I think it was (for me) the most enjoyable aspect of the hobby, and that’s what got me over spent, overwhelmed, and burnt out. Coming back here today was very enjoyable.
       
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    4. Welcome back @kurogane it’s great to see you’ve returned, and here commiserating with the rest of us. It’s an ongoing struggle we all deal with. But this thread is an excellent place to hang out…plenty of good advice, lessons by example, and general support with what I feel is one of the most difficult issues in this amazing hobby of ours! For me, it was the realization that I was done, my collection complete…and facing the difficult realization that I had no new stories to tell. Temptation is everywhere, so not adding to my (already largish) numbers has been very hard indeed. I’d trained myself to be on the hunt (not uncontrollably so, but still…) for 20 years! And boy, it’s a difficult habit to break. So kick back and settle in with us…we’ve got you!:)
       
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    5. @PoeticSoul thank you so much for the warm welcome! I have enjoyed your posts over the years sharing your doll journey. You have inspired me many times with your sage advice and amazing dolls! I think I’m finally ready to start my doll journey again. This time I’m going to try new crafts and experiment while not being hung up on perfection.
       
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    6. It's my 1st update of 2026
      I think I've 100% finished organize shoes & eyes storage

      here's a picture of my shoes boxes if they will help sparking idea for someone here

      [​IMG]

      These are used to be Osechi boxes so it's also a kind of recycle practice (Usually people threw them away after ate the inside content though, I just pick the one that look clean, strong and have enough space)

      This is how they will look when put together.
      [​IMG]

      I also recycle the old shoes box for eyes storage. For updated picture of eyes storage please feel free to visit my old thread about 'how I store my dolly stuff'

      Next is the props, step by step, hopefully:3nodding:
       
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    7. @PoeticSoul You will have new stories to tell, you'll just tell them in a different way. When I was younger I was almost ritualistic in the way I played alone with my dolls now I write with words.

      I tell you what, the wallet doesn't have room for a birthday doll when it's buying you a birthday set of quality colored pencils. My local doll show is in April, while I only saw a BJD there once I have somehow never managed to come home empty handed. I'd like to break that streak or at least like last year keep it $$. Never any regrets but running out of room.
       
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    8. Awwww…thank you for those sweet comments.<3:)<3 They mean a lot. And when it comes to your collection, never worry about perfection. Artistically speaking, perfection is way overrated anyway. Just create from your heart and have fun! Your dolls will love you for it (and so will we.):3nodding:

      Whoa! Color me impressed. What a stellar idea! All I have is human-sized dressers filled to the brim with doll clothes and shoes in plastic bags. Yeah, it works for my large-ish collection…but your solution is way more cool! (And pretty enough to display in an artistic way too…which is always a plus in my eyes.):D

      Ha! Running out of room is exactly where I’m at these days…so if I have a new doll story to tell, one of my existing crew better be willing to absorb it into their character.:eusa_naug But you’re right, these days I’m finding ways to tell my creative stories through other mediums. And in fact I’ve taken up adult coloring with some of those quality colored pencils you speak of. Coloring a new page is like going on an adventure for me, creating a new story, and then when I’m done I just close the book and put it away. It takes up next to no space, which makes my hubby very happy (so he was more than thrilled to buy me those quality pencils!);)
       
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    9. No-buy-win-wednesday? I've spent ~ a full month not obsessively browsing Manda/Dollyteria/other second hand sites which I'm both surprised by and pleased about. Usually I'd get an itch to look by this time, so I can only gather that I have all the dolls that I want and need ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
      I've also taken all ways of engaging with the hobby online off my smartphone for now (no shops, no doa etc) and the barrier of having to get out my laptop has been good enough to get rid of the "I will just have a peep" that ends up being a very long peep spiral I tend to fall into when bored or stressed. I know my brain is able to come up with endless things I'd need that I don't actually need if I give into it, so it's better to make it very hard for myself to have access all the time.

      I've also finally started to feel like I could repaint some of my dolls, so I now have projects at home and I don't need to worry about all the project dolls that could look so great freshened up. I simply have to prioritise what I already have and can't get anything additional because I don't want to overwhelm myself :aangel: I have 6 lovely dolls at home, I am so lucky I get to enjoy their company without having to wait for any additional friends to arrive.

      CNY sales are coming, I hope everyone who doesn't want to buy anything will face minimal temptations this season!
       
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    10. Oh man, I forgot about CNY sales. Wishing everyone the best luck holding out!

      I had a bit of a slip with my off-topic figure collecting hobby last month but I'm working on reselling them to make back what I spent.

      Thankfully the urge to buy a new doll is minimal! He'll be joining me when I table at an art event next month. At first I was thinking I should get him a Valentines themed outfit, but then I realized his winter outfit works perfectly fine for the season and I can decorate him with the Valentines decor I already have. A little win but still a win!
       
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    11. :daisy
       
      #2891 AlisonVonderland, Jan 30, 2026
      Last edited: Jan 31, 2026
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    12. Sounds like you could use what I call a tornado of thoughts book, it's a bit art journal, writer's journal, smash book, and commonplace book with a sort of anything goes in rule. You write down every thought that comes thru your head, no matter what it's about, so it gets out of there and makes room for new thoughts. It's also relaxing so that when you come up with creative ideas you can put them in there and don't have to worry about trying to remember everything about them so you'll feel less anxious about it. It's not a proper writing project and no one else has to see it unless you want to share.

      Little Walken's Mind Dump
       
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    13. I have been doing really well on my no buy goals but now a doll on my wishlist just became available on the second hand market for a fair price but I just bought one of my grails this month. My buy/no buy rules is only buying from my wishlist but two in a month is pushing my limits a little. Oh so if I wait one more day it won’t be in the same month :sweat. Why do my grail/high value wishlist buys always come close together?
       
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    14. Because there are times when the universe says let's get old things done so you can go on to new things.
       
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    15. This is such a fun way to frame it! I've kept a sketchbook since... forever but lately I find myself doing less drawing and more scribbling. A "tornado of thoughts" book indeed :3nodding:
       
      • x 1
    16. Well, I definitely had a no-buy win this weekend, even though it kinda hurt. I have a head for whom I decommissioned a character when I fell out of love with it, and I used her body for another doll (which worked out perfectly, I must say.) But this is a rare head with a wonderful and unique faceup, and I’d started feeling rather guilty about that. So I spent the past few days looking for an easily accessible, affordable body and found one that would be absolutely perfect for her at DenverDoll (and they even offer layaway…easy peasy.)

      But… I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t make myself buy that body, it just felt all wrong to turn this girl into a full doll once again. So she will remain as one of my sentient hat stand characters in my hat display case…and there she’ll stay, still seen and still enjoyed and still loved as just a head.

      [​IMG]
       
      #2896 PoeticSoul, Feb 1, 2026
      Last edited: Feb 1, 2026
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    17. I still have yet to see a doll that offers me any life improvements, so I'm okay at the moment.

      I do highly recommend this "tornado" style journaling though. I post my sketchbooks online and people sometimes ask to look through them so it would be Quite Embarrassing to write much in my sketchbook. Sometimes you really need to talk some crap and your journal is a great friend to confide in.
       
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      • x 1
    18. That’s certainly very interesting…I was unfamiliar with that term and I love learning new things.:) If that was something I wanted to do, it would be super easy…just remove the base and elongate the stick. In my dollyverse I have four heads displayed in this manner…two from decommissioned characters when I needed to appropriate their bodies for other characters, and two surprise heads that showed up with a Luts order years ago. All have full faceups, wigs and decorated stands. They reside in the hatmaker’s shoppe, gossiping and passing fashion judgement on the other dolls in my collection. I mean, they’re just heads so what else could they do?:lol:
       
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    19. Accidental no-buy victory.

      The DoA marketplace has a brown toned Harucasting Joa. This is one of the dolls that's been on my "would be nice, maybe one day" list. Her nude photos show she has the kind of bust I dislike. I feel some relief i won't have to argue with myself about buying her.
       
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    20. Not really a win, but because I'm clearing my wishlist this year and getting a whole bunch of dolls, I am banning myself from news channels, RSS feeds, Dollyteria and other bookmarks, and everything else where new dolls may show up. Especially small Chinese artists seem to get to me lately and I don't want to end up with more floating heads. All that's left is the bodies, and I've already decided on which ones to get so I have no reason to keep track of releases. I've got a sewing machine incoming, and I also want to get a camera next year. Whatever is left in my budget will go to clothes, wigs and props. I'm still not sure this is a sound plan, but I feel more relaxed this way.
       
      • x 8
    21. Well, well…well…and yep! You guessed it. I only made it into February (patting myself on the back for all my good virtue) before my last remaining grail reared his handsome head at a killer bargain price in the marketplace…and I snagged him! Sorry…not sorry. I’ve been wanting an Elfdoll Mir for about 15 years now (handsome boys with Asian features and an old-school vibe are so hard to find in this hobby.) This was the last character of mine I’d ever wanted to shell (and had pretty much given up on because of the current SD male trends, which are just not my aesthetic.) But he was offered at such an amazing price I just had to have him!

      And there-in is a valuable lesson to remember: being carefully “no buy” curtails those regrettable impulse buys and leaves you with enough $$$ to snag a grail when a great deal falls into your lap.;)

      And now it’s back onto the no-buy bandwagon for me!:lol:
       
      #2902 PoeticSoul, Feb 14, 2026
      Last edited: Feb 14, 2026
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    22. My latest "no-buy incident" turned 2 years old today. I feel so lucky to own him :love
       
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    23. Made it past my birthday with no new doll and now my goals are to make it to the April doll show with BJD money incase another one shows up. I've never come home empty handed from there but it spoiled me with a Unoa with two face plates that first year.

      All other spoils have been off topic from a set of doll dishes I had as a child that were stolen from me to Jason Priestley Ken, a Blythe of questionable ancestry for customization, and a replica French Bebe who's old enough to be considered vintage. My only slight regret was a fashion doll case but I finally found a pic of the artwork on the front so it all worked out in the end.
       
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    24. Oh no I've been thinking of replacing a body:vein I keep telling myself that "I can do it later!!! It can wait!!!! There will be bodies for sale always!!!" but there is a little impatient goblin inside of me who is, on the other shoulder, whispering "doooo itttt nowwww". Anyway, the listing I was looking at sold before I bought it so that's good I guess :sweat I've never kept a doll I've purposely bought a new body for, either, so maybe I should no-buy that idea altogether? I guess I'll go back to sitting on my hands about it.
       
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    25. No-buy win: I've gotten a bit of doll money from selling a few outfits and parts, and instead of being tempted by a new doll, I've finally gotten around to commissioning a wig for an existing doll. Progress on my 2026 goal of having more dolls "photo ready"!
       
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    26. I haven't been here for a while because I haven't needed the accountability of this thread. Still waiting for one doll on preorder (I mentioned it waaaay back here - the production is moving at glacial pace). Very happy with my collection, don't want anymore dolls. Still watch new releases out of curiosity, but nothing moves the dial, let alone poses a temptation. I'm happy and relieved that I'm finally out of the "oooh I WANT this" cycle.

      I do have two wants: a second tall 1/4, and a grey-skinned doll. But I've been saying No to them for so long (over a year at this stage) that it's become rather easy to just sit on the ideas and not act. Not all doll ideas need to be shelled... I suppose I'll keep waiting. If I come across a doll that fits these criteria, I'll see whether they move my heart so much that I'd get out of my contented no-buy place, and back onto the treadmill of adding them to my collection. A doll that moves me that much is probably one worth buying.

      Edited to add more -
      What have I been doing with BJDs in the meantime? Photography as always, but this is progressing slower because my home life has changed significantly, amongst other things. Sewing has again fallen by the wayside (always the first to go when I feel the squeeze) and who knows when I'll have the focus to get back to it. I'm thinking of new ways to tell my dolls' story that doesn't involve as much physical setup, and there's only so much that wordless photography can do anyway. I think I'll be doing more writing - the story, and other things for my doll website and the wider community. Somehow I took it on myself to write a guide to authenticating BJDs/avoiding recasts when buying secondhand... it's a WIP and I'd better keep pushing on with it...
       
      #2907 aihre, Feb 25, 2026
      Last edited: Feb 25, 2026
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    27. Not to enable but there's a grey skinned mini in the marketplace /threads/200-–-junk-project-rowandoll-genevieve-full-doll-gray.879465/ that would have tempted me back in the days when I felt more like taking on a project.

      I need to get to organizing the projects I already have but I did make some decisions on what I can call "it just ain't gonna happen" ideas and projects and they are going to be part of the getting stuff done year of the sunk cost fallacy. Even if it's not getting rid of all the projects it's going to be about deciding which ones I really want to do and can physically do. Little stitching projects yes, tapestries nope.
       
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    28. @DollyKim Thanks for the rec - that doll has a lovely grey skintone :love but it's not what I'm looking for. Thank you anyway!

      Good luck with getting projects done this year. It is tricky to decide which project to let go of, and which ones to tackle next based on limited resources, and then trying to gauge whether the resource will last to project's completion.
       
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    29. This is where I'm at.
      I do have two dolls I pre-ordered, and I'm not feeling bad about it at all. Like aihre, I haven't been here because I took a doll break. But when Aolingshi Mina came out - yeah, I pounced. I ordered her in black resin, and I am pumped to get her.

      As far as doll wants - I'm good. What I really want is to get more projects done and seriously lean into sewing. I'm at the too many dolls stage, and I've started thinning out the collection with a vengeance. Turns out if you list dolls for playline prices, you can get rid of them fast, and I need the space more than I want to "recoup" what I spent on the dolls.

      I need to get myself over to the BJD making thread. This Dollmore Trinity F body is driving me crazy. I desperately want to craft a new upper body and arms for her.
       
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    30. No Buy Mode - Activated!

      I just ordered my last planned doll for this year. There is still two more on my list for eventually, but they can wait until next year. Both are fairly common sculpts and there is no sign of either sculpt being discontinued anytime soom. I don't even need them yet for next year to be honest in my story, because it not time for either of these future planned characters to show up.

      It's going to feel weird not to buy BJD's for the rest of the year. We are also hoping to move up north this year, and get out of Florida! I don't want to worry about any outstanding dolls, so this extra motive for me not to buy anything. I want to save money for moving expenses and what I might want to get to decorate the new place. I am going to want to put up more shelving to display all of my dolls.

      I did make a goal for myself with an end reward. If I can go the whole rest of the year without getting myself another BJD, I will let myself get that Smart Doll Boy in December that I have had my eyes on. I want my Smart Doll girl to finally get a boyfriend. But... That's only going to happen if I can stay strong and not get anymore BJD's for this year, and that includes second hand dolls as well. A big weakness of mine.
       
      • x 7
    31. Last time I was on I said that I was going to try no-buy for the month... I lasted two days. Problem was a family trip to the mall where there were blind box bjds in person and I succumbed. Funny enough I got one I did NOT want, but he's grown on me more than one I would have wanted. Go figure. I was good for the rest of the month.

      I've been bad with scrolling, and rejoining sales groups on Facebook. Though everytime I see someone posting that they're cutting down their collection, I've felt more jealous of that than any of the dolls! Like why can't I have the patience and stamina to go through all my doll stuff that desperately needs done.

      Other than that, I've been fairly good, being faithful to making long term plans instead of Impulses.
       
      • x 3
    32. I'm having success staying on the no-buy. I managed to sell some things, which has given me a decent reserve to pull from if something I like comes up.
      I've also gone through my dolls and outfits and put a few more things up for sale that I haven't been using.

      I did order a pair of gauntlets from Taobao, but they were something I'd been wanting for a doll and was able to pay for them entirely out of the sold-items fund.
      Funnily enough, having a Taobao account makes it easier for me to stick to no-buy: anything I buy has to come off my "doll shopping list" and then I have to have enough items at the warehouse to make it worthwhile compiling a parcel.
       
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    33. You know what helps reinforce no buy goals? Rearranging the doll room :nowords:. I just put six bjd away in their boxes with intention on selling maybe four of them at some point and realized my taste has changed a lot. So the scrolling for new resin, even though I have nothing I want, has to stop! That goes for ot stuff too.
       
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    34. In the span of a week and a half, I talked myself out of...
      • a corset bust body for Amara in historical dresses (extra space needed for storage + very expensive novelty = ❌ )
      • shelling a plus-size OC (neck girth way too small for my hybrid + lack of dark tan = ❌ )
      • a 70 cm hybrid with a fantasy head from a Russian doll artist (non-OC doll + 30% tariffs + lack of dark tan and buffer body options + Ken-doll smooth groin = ❌❌ )
      • settling for a sculpt just to shell a character ASAP (neither sparks flying nor eureka moment = ❌ )
      So instead, I wrote a fond, slightly obsessive blog post about the doll and character I just recently paid off.
       
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    35. New I took a forced hiatus, then when I felt better I became jealous of pictures of all of the dolls [out there]. Between that shock and the nightmare I had prior to wondering back, I just stayed quiet. I am unclear if the nightmare was telling me to sell 5 more dolls or slim down my collection to be just 5 bjds. I don't know.
      I saw a new doll that looked just like Uma, and it has cute fangs. They would make cute sisters OR I can just re-shell Uma. But, after 1 year, I still have minor hiccups with Uma's development. I'm lukewarm on the current body [that needs lots of sanding and I want extra parts], her story is too complicated/real, and I have feelings of getting her character perfect. I have been thinking about refusing to continue with her. I'm just not sure if this will be a deal breaker for keeping her.
      I am also experiencing the opposite with a couple of other dolls. There's something about them that feels underwhelming. I don't think that it will be possible to find new homes for them either. I don't know what to do.

      I did a fail. I bought some horns for one of my dolls. I still did not buy any doll heads, though. Especially that one I've been looking at for over a year. So, instead of buying a large doll head, I cleaned some of my mini doll heads for face ups.
      I don't have tickets to the doll-con. Feel confused in general.
       
      • x 4
    36. New I finally have no other dolls to look forward to - I generally take a look at what's new and upcoming, but this time I'm just stalking for pictures of the ones coming home. There's nothing I feel missing from my current crew and all my wants are satisfied. I don't even have to talk myself out of anything.

      I had in mind to rush the bodies for the 3 floating heads coming this year but I decided to delay things a bit and place an order to get everyone an outfit, and two wigs for dolls who needed one. Later this year I'll have to replace Leona's wig and get stuff for Rayne whose body I still have to decide, but the two dolls who are coming in the earliest will have things by the time they arrive.

      I'm also going to make some side money, so I'm pretty relaxed about my budget. Pretty happy with all the pieces falling in place.
       
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    37. New Extra parts don't count. Different face plates are cheaper and take up less space than a new doll. I'm not telling my teeny tinies they can't have extra hands, feet, and ears.

      Over the years I've half wondered about upgrading or reshelling my Xavier, then without realizing it he was turning beauty green, the slight bump on his back that kept him sitting upright was wearing away from being held, and our time together was in double digits. Now there's nothing I would change.
       
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    38. New So....that one little limited doll that I really want is up for sale again and usually when he appears, then a LOT of stuff I like tends to appear. So, I made the mistake of looking at my limited avenues of second hand buying and found stuff.

      1. Tiny limited doll. I assume no one owns it in the wild.
      2. Lots of mini dolls that I would like to own.
      3. Mini anime doll head that I bought at the last minute, but the dealer canceled the sale. It'll be hard to find second hand. (I have to be tough about anime dolls because it can be harder to make anime dolls unique.)
      4. Mini doll head that has a similar smile to previously mentioned, but costs at least twice as much as the average blank sculpt.
      5. Wanting to buy ANOTHER pair of horns for a bjd. (The ones I bought are pretty, but at the cost of your average bjd head, let's forget that those exist for now....)
      6. Various tall large bjd lady bodies. I've seen very few second hand.

      I also saw a doll that made me feel a bit confused. It's a hybrid. Tall girl body that I would like to try and a head sculpt that I already own. The doll has the artist's face up, but it's the one I didn't like and the seller isn't charging for the it.
      Resin's a different color, so I can't swap the heads, but it's white resin. So, I would always see if the tan floating head could use the body, too.
      I've been seeing that getting a normal resin color body would put me out the same amount of money. (costs wr full doll = costs nr full doll, therefore shrug) But, also I've been on the fence about keeping this head sculpt, anyway.
      I was trying to avoid buying a body for a few reasons, including possibly going to the doll con and wishing to scale back the collection. Wait..is doll con a bad thing for me???

      One of my problems is that I feel like I've done enough with Hestia, Uma, and "Little Guy" all together. I just want to move on, to the next project. I don't know if this means that I should re-home Hestia or Uma or both.

      I own a few bjds where "the dedication" needed too make them work is too much plus having too many [to build from the ground up] and that's why re-homing a few might be better. I wish I had a friend to help me decide who really needs to go. Because I do not understand why I still feel sad about things like "I decided to get rid of a floating head because I could be unhappy maintaining an 80cm doll, yet I STILL miss owning the sculpt". (I still miss my Jia floating head.)

      I'm not sure if broadening my horizons (finding places where people sell dolls) to help de-clutter is the right move. I don't know of any websites of where to go to achieve this. (One of the reasons for limited avenues is so I can avoid trying to buy all of the dolls.) I'm scared to count how many dolls I have, but I keep getting a feeling that some need to go. Or maybe someone could share a check list for "You really shouldn't buy this one" and "maybe don't hold onto that one"? My brain feels exhausted from all of this.

      BTW - I haven't bought anything this week. I did not even pre-order that Myou doll that looks just like my Uma. (That Myou doll DOES have cute fangs.) And, I have been considering letting go another 2 bjds. Also, ANOTHER floating head is feeling like a fail aka I'm warming back up to it and might decide to keep it. Ugh.
       
      • x 2
    39. New In my experience, doll cons are dangerous. That's how I ended up with a Dollmore Trinity (I didn't even want one, but it was such a good deal, and when I held her in my hands, the NEED for BIG DOLL was too strong).

      Can you post pics of your dolls here? Maybe we can help? We can be your virtual friends.
       
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    40. New Tempted to break one of my collection rules again and make one of my partner’s characters. In my defence, I’ve literally bought an engagement ring for this girl, so my normal reasons for not shelling other people’s characters don’t apply.

      I’m telling myself instead that the character isn’t possible without modding (and probably dyeing a pastel shade that would be a total PITA to dye over a modded body)
       
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    41. New I've been doing reasonably well with not wanting to buy doll stuff that much but unfortunately I've been hit with... wiglemmas. Are all my dolls wigged? Yes. Do they have multiple options, even? Yes. Do they somehow still need more wigs? Rationally speaking no...? I feel like I'm in this Elijah Wood interview. I think all this wigxiety is coming from the fact that I forgot to send 1 (one) item with my last proxy order so now it's sitting in the warehouse and isn't worth sending alone and imagination of course goes brrrr right away. It's also problematic that there are so many options, because, well, I can't choose! I think I'll just need to trick myself into just getting wig hair again and then not proceeding to go through with my DIY plans :sweat
       
      • x 5
    42. New For me looking at things and figuring out where they fit on the sunk cost fallacy scale has been very helpful recently. So helpful that I've found past me already took care of some of them. The best example I can give is deciding where my physical limits are hobby wise along with little project kits or starters I've had for years but only touched them to move them.

      I also believe that if the cost to have someone else do it or buy it already made seems reasonable to be then I can save myself the trouble. Not only does the cheap come out expensive I know there are things I literally cannot do and it wouldn't be any benefit to myself to learn how and/or past attempts did not work out. (looking at you, stuffed peppers) Rerrooting I can do, wig making unless it's already wefts nope.

      And speaking of wefts is there a human size wig at a costume shop you could harvest? I did that for my centaur, who someone else dyed, and as good as they are at it she still needed a touch up for a boo boo.
       
      • x 3
    43. New I said that I haven't been tempted by new dolls, but my long-term yearnings flared up again. This time it was the grey doll: a Good Secondhand Deal triggered this flareup and so I went down a road of thought ... did a bit of research ... imagined the exact configuration of doll that I want ... did some secondhand browsing and daydreaming ... made a plan ... and put the idea on the shelf, next to my other yearning (another 1/4 doll).

      The itch is settling down again, so maybe making a plan and window-shopping without serious intent helped? But in some ways it didn't help, because I now have a specific doll sculpt on the wishlist, instead of a "maybe nice to have someday" idea that is too nebulous to act on. On the other hand, the configuration I want doesn't exist -- most of the secondhand dolls out there (including the Good Deal) are close but no cigar. So I'll either have to wait until the dollmaker makes that config, who knows if they ever will; or create it myself, which involves effort I don't want to invest. Maybe if I make very convoluted plans, my yearning will die out from too much complexity? We'll see :sweat

      In the meantime, I'm going to the hardware store and art supply shop this weekend, to source materials for faceups, props and backdrops. Best put some tangible effort toward my 2026 Doll Plans, it should keep the yearnings at bay.
       
      • x 6
    44. New March Update from me :
      - Successfully brought my doll outside, very happy with the result!
      - fail and bought 3more eyes...
      - and shoes :doh
      - Successfully prevent Taobao shopping this month.
      - Still no new doll :thumbup
      - I doll Tokyo will happen next week... Totally fearful hahaha :shudder
      - and there will be a Dolpa Tokyo in April :shudder

      ... Sigh... I guess temptation is unavoidable if you live in Tokyo

      And yeah, I have no choice to 'not going' I have to... That even make it harder... I will allow myself to buy 1-2 items I guess, being too strict to yourself isn't a good idea sometime.

      Everything will still ok if I can stick to no new doll and complete selling the unused items this year:eusa_pray
       
      • x 7
    45. New Sculpts I've had on my wishlist for a long time before settling on my current crew are getting discontinued and it's a bit of a strange and sad feeling. Not because I'm missing out but because, after all that thinking and wondering, they're just sailing off like that.
      But one can't have all the pretty dolls. And the fact I'm okay with letting go means I'm happy with the decisions I have made with my crew. I wouldn't trade anyone off for anything else.
       
      • x 7
    46. New
      I have talked to someone recently who shared tons of amazing pictures from vendors and companies at a doll convention in Japan and yeah, temptation must be terrible in Tokyo :lol: if I had free access to all those doll shops I'd be completely bankrupt. And I think giving yourself a little budget to spend on doll things isn't a bad idea. It would be unbearable to visit Dolpa without buying anything.
       
      • x 4
    47. New I am a little under a month away from my local doll show, a regular mixed bag one, and I will be taking my doll savings without any restrictions or expectations. The biggest point is to go and look at the dolls. I discovered a big part of my money management comes down to having the option if I do or don't want to buy as I did not have financial stability until I was an adult. I control my finances.

      As for thinking about dolls and imagining what you'd do with them, that is not wasted time. As long as it's not interfering with your quality of life or that of others trips to Imagination Land are free. If you had some good ones write them down or make artwork.
       
      • x 7
    48. New So far the temptation for new dolls has been non-existant. I'm just waiting for my ANS61 body tail payment (checking ANS's XHS and TB frequently...)

      I'm more interested in working on the dolls I have rather than trying to accommodate more new dolls. I have plenty of dolls who could use wiring and sueding, and I've decided I'll have to bite the bullet and wipe a few secondhand dolls' faceups as they're lessening my enjoyment of the dolls. The faceups are nice, but they're not to my taste, and I'm not obliged to keep a previous owner's characters or ideas – if the faceup meant a lot to the previous owner, they wouldn't have sold the doll in the first place.

      I've also decided to sell off some bodies and option parts I'm not overly fond of. I'm at the point in the hobby where I know what my preferences are and I don't want to settle for "close enough".
       
      • x 6
    49. New I have an unexpected doll.

      I saw Black Ship's 1/4 Oil Painting body and fell in love. Saw the price and fell in love harder. Space Studio opened international pre-orders and I jumped on it. Which meant I had to buy a head as well and have had to consider backup heads if the first one doesn't work

      In terms of where she'll fit in my collection, she's probably going to end up in her own little universe as a sort of baroque muse, which means I get to recreate historical fashions.
       
      • x 4
    50. New
      I feel you. I bought that body in 1/3. I’ll be putting a spare Twigling head on it probably, but for now I’m just stoked to get it at all. What colour did you get?
       
      • x 2
    51. New It must be the season for obtaining bodies it seems, even by us “low buy” stalwarts.:lol: I suppose even during periods of no-buy, the urge to complete a doll can be very strong. I don’t acquire floating heads as a rule. Any “extra” heads I acquire for whatever weird reason get turned into my small collection of sentient hat stands for my SD-sized hat collection (just a homemade wooden stand, decorated, no body required.) But even I succumbed recently to the call of completing a character I thought I’d decommissioned (in order to use her body for another doll.) Turns out I missed her character after all, so when I saw a cheap Resinsoul SD body (and for sale at that!) at DenverDoll, I simply bought it on layaway which made the payments pretty negligible. I’d always wanted this particular doll on a more slight, lithe body anyway so Resinsoul was a good way to go in that circumstance. Because it’s for a pre-existing doll I’d come to miss, I don’t consider it breaking my “no buy”…just a body replacement (and overall improvement) she required. In my mind that makes it more of a doll maintenance issue. But thank goodness I never made the decision to sell her head! It was her beautiful and unique faceup that kept calling me back to her character.
       
      #2932 PoeticSoul, Mar 16, 2026
      Last edited: Mar 16, 2026
      • x 3
    52. New
      After a lot of deliberation I went with Mia Pink. I don't think it's an exact match to my Mayak Doll's Ichi head, but the images of the close-to-Volks-Normal looked far too yellow for the head. Also if the head doesn't work, finding another one in a tone closer to Mia Pink is probably going to be easier.
       
      • x 1
    53. New I'm definitely not buying any more dolls for a long time, none of my dolls are even fully clothed yet.. I have three dolls on the way currently but now I feel like I'm getting a diverse enough crew to feel good about focusing on them. Kinda weird thought process but I feel like I can't "settle"? until all the dolls themselves were sorted out. Now I can focus on giving them character and clothes though lol. I did sell a bunch of beloved childhood figures, ps4 and 3ds to afford them....:sweat
       
      • x 2
    54. New
      Not weird at all, IMHO. I love hybriding dolls, but the extraordinary danger is realizing that multiple heads fit multiple bodies, and I couldn't decide the final hybrids. Took... hmm, about 2 years to finally decide on some matches.
      Now I'm wriggling in collector impatience because Spouse took my airbrush table (it was for a good cause), and I haven't set up the new airbrush space. Finally broke down and got an airbrush spray booth by Vevor - the cardboard box+fan interim solution kept being sabotaged by cats. Once I accepted how much I hate the temperamental nature of MSC, I knew I had to get a more permanent solution.

      Paying for face-ups guilt-free, cuz I've admitted to myself that I hate eyebrows. I do love body blushing and color-matching, so I'm working on that instead.

      I'm also at the point where I would almost seriously consider paying someone to come over and kick my behind into gear on sewing. My dolls are so many different sizes. I'm tired of spending money on "fits OK, I guess" clothes. I want outfits fitted specifically to each doll, especially since I now have very concrete ideas of how I want them to look. Been watching sewing tutorials. I know I need to just do the damn thing. I should post a marketplace trade: "Will exchange doll for nagging."

      I love watching other people sew, but dear LAWD do I get frustrated as soon as I sit down at my machine (why is thread not threading??? What does that pattern instruction even mean?!? Why do these edges not match up!?!). I tried sewing with my mom, but she's a "sew by the seat of my pants" gal, and I just can't do that with 1/3 or 1/4 scale outfits.
       
      • x 5
    55. New
      I think this is a totally understandable mindset. I was also fixated on collecting the dolls to represent my characters…and this went on for 20 years! Who knew my creative mind would come up with so many characters?:? Truly, the only thing that saved me was those dreaded wait times. In order to reduce the anxiety of waiting, I would busy myself with hunting down the things they’d need upon arrival, sewing their costumes, and building their displays. It’s kept me very busy, active in the hobby, and allowed me to have a more complete collection.

      I’ve sewn almost all my doll’s wardrobes so I can well understand the frustration of it. (And I’m one of those "sew by the seat of my pants" gals, which can be even more frustrating because you’re doing a lot of guesswork and don’t even know if it will work in the end.) The only thing that saved me over the years was the encouragement of taking part in the monthly sewing rounds in the workshop area here on DoA. My doll sizes and individual characters were so varied, there was always something I could do to match the monthly theme. So I just kept going…and going…and going. And it worked! In fact, when the original person left the hobby, I got permission from her to take up the mantle to keep them going. And my very spoiled crew is still getting their specialized outfits to this day.:3nodding:
       
      • x 7
    56. New Sewing lessons? What are these sewing lessons you talk about? I sew most of my BJDs' clothes and learned everything I know about putting them together from trial and error with Barbie outfits and teaching myself how to draft.

      For videos see if you can find something from PBS like Sewing With Nancy, for sewing books start at a legit free book site like Project Gutenberg. There's all sorts of old timey books that start with teaching school aged children how to sew for their dolls up to how to make your own clothes. Also check junk stores, I have a generic "sewing with major pattern company" one from the mid 60s that covers a lot of basic stuff.
       
      • x 3
    57. New Having paid for the Oil Painting body and acquired a head for it that I am hopeful will work, I am now being tempted by another body to be the oil painting body's girlfriend.

      Current rule is that I cannot buy the body until and unless I find a head for her, which is hard when you have a variety of constraints (1/4 size, mature head, <15.5cm circumference) and the warehouse order for the body ends in April. Also if I want it, I have to learn how to use Superbuy, which is a little bit scary but the price for the body is very good.
       
      • x 1
    58. New @Chameleon @aihre @castironteapot

      Good going on resisting. Also, the weather has been interesting. So, I am wondering how everyone's projects are coming along.

      I've been stalled at doing some face ups and I will eventually get to sanding a doll and celebrate her gotcha month.
      Then, other things started to happen. Recently, I tried to repair a household thing and found out I "failed" at repairing household thing. And, now must decide to try again or get a replacement.
      There IS money for the replacement. But, there was a few unplanned break downs in the household that had already happened and that means their life time use has shortened.
      So, let's hope a certain limited doll that I've wanted doesn't re-appear for at least another 2 years.

      Wednesday Win:
      * I'm starting to notice, about 1 year after initially seeing a sculpt, my perception changes. That has been my only consistency. But, it's not just love to meh. It could also go a bit full circle. So, I have to find out how to look closer than that.
      * I'm gonna stand by my decision on the current body for Uma. Sanding it will be great practice, but sanding it will not transform it into the body that I want it to be. I still like the head sculpt, I believe.
      Wednesday Fail:
      * I am unsure if to keep Uma's current body for another doll.
      * I am still thinking about keeping the one tiny doll head.
      * I bought the "moon lady" head from the one dealer that "shot my doll out of a cannon (I choose to remember it as such)". I've been looking at her for 16 months.... I did ask the doll sculptor if they had any extra before deciding this.
      * I am wondering if I should let go of bjd #1. She would make a sweet desk buddy, but I got nothing. When I took her out of the box and tried dressing her, she ended up more than I imagined. She's too much. I haven't settled on any look for her in all of this time. I don't know what to do with her. The reason I bring it up as a fail is...
      * Considering all of my dolls and finding reasons why they need to go, has opened the gates of wanting to collect more. (I really do need to take pictures, too.)
       
      • x 4
    59. New I saved myself from buying something g by finding out it had been quietly discontinued, and then rearranging most of my collection to make a character happen with only parts I had.

      Did a trade as well and got a very nice new body that sparked a new character. I might even be able to sell a body when one of my preorders comes in.

      As for my projects, today I hot glue sueded some heads, and put together some hybrids. I’m gonna be painting some heads probably later today, and I’m excited to get doing that
       
      • x 4
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