What rules do you follow to curate your BJD collection?

Gosh, same here on the MSD size- I'm just getting back into the hobby after totally burning out with my Iplehouse EID years and years ago. He's too big and clothing is such a chore lol. (Not to mention the huge price bump if I ever wanted him to have some same-sized companions) The MSD size dolls are just so wonderful to pose and handle. I will never buy a big doll again. I'm actually looking forward to curating my doll collection in the future so that they can all wear the same size clothing. When I was younger, I definitely thought that the bigger the better when it came to dolls. (Which is definitely a worse outlook to have when you are a teenager with a much smaller amount of disposable income!)

A personal rule for me going forward is that I don't want to have any dolls with over the top faceups any longer. I used to have some pretty wild ones with facepaint and crazy tattoos, and I just felt like I could never match them properly with clothing. Plus I feel like the sculpts really get swallowed by intense makeup. I always gravitate toward ones other people own with simple makeup- to me it makes them feel more alive and makes them more versatile. I tend to be too heavy handed in adding details and I'm making it law around here that less is more!

 

I don’t have a size limitation, though I’ve been gravitating more towards SD sized dolls lately. I really enjoy my MSDs though, and definitely want at least one more yosd, but 3 is probably my max for them. So i basically just go for whatever size i think will fit the character i’m shelling best

but! to keep myself from just going hog wild and having dolls that i have no inspiration for, i do only let myself get a particular sculpt/full doll if i have a character or plan beforehand for them. sometimes, i’ll have some strays (usually event heads) that didn’t have a character in mind and developed organically once the head was in hand, but they’re usually floaters who fit on more than one body so they can thankfully borrow if need be. I also try not to get full sets - so far about three have caught my eye, but overwhelmingly i try not to get full sets for price and space. Usually i don’t want the extras since the character the doll will be won’t fit with them.

i’m pretty loose with my rules though. thankfully i don’t tend to just order anything that catches my eye (even if there’s SO many pretties out there LOL), i also remind myself “do you have the upcoming time to do faceups, wigs, and sew for them?”

if the answer is no to usually all three, i move on!

 

I don't have any hard rules, just kind of parameters that can have an exception or two. For instance, I have plans for a collection of vampire dolls and generally, I'm only interested in vamps with visible fangs in the sculpt since modding possibilities could lead to borderline hoarding. But one of the sculpts on my list for the "coven" (a Studio Naiko Duke M) doesn't seem to have fangs, but he looks too much like a Dracula otherwise for me to pass up (plus, he has another facial feature I like, one partially closed eye, so that's a bonus in his favor).

I also know now through experience that I prefer large dolls to most small ones. I started the hobby with slim MSDs and there's only one of them I'm going to be keeping and it's mainly because he's an oddball in the face and I like that (a Dollzone Benjamin, that nose is die for!). In general, I'm realizing it's the "weirdo" sculpts (I use the term lovingly, promise!) that not only draw, but more importantly KEEP my ADHD attention.

I also don't want to have a doll that's by themself. They need to have at least one friend in the same part of my collection, or it feels like they're lonely. So, the DZ boy is going to have another oddball MSD, a Dream Valley Bethel, as his lone companion. It just feels more complete that way.

I tried to set hard rules for myself, like only MSD and smaller or only dolls under a certain price point, but I found it just stressed me out more and I was missing out on plans/ideas for dolls that I kept thinking about or even obsessed over. I almost gave up on the hobby entirely cause I felt burnt out by the rules I set. So now I'm more open in general with options for my collection(s) but have loose guidelines to abide by so I don't go overboard. I have a peace with my plans/ideas now that I didn't before, and it's nice

 

My first rule is SD sized only. I like having a group of dolls that maybe could exist in the same world together. But since they're big, that leads into rule number two: only getting another doll if there's reasonable space to do so. With the number I have now I'm totally fine, it's more a rule for the future. I kind of like to decorate around my dolls and I want to make sure I could still do that in the way I want.

I'm also the type of person that likes to really think about whether to get a certain doll. So I don't allow myself impulse purchases unless it's a secondhand doll that I wanted already. I think it really minimizes me potentially not liking something I spent a ton of money on.

I think those are the only strong rules I have. Everything else is fair game or case-by-case.

 

no slim msds, no matter how tempting fairly land is I cannot stand dolls of the same scale having differently proportioned heads.
That's my only rule for myself, as long as they look decently proportional to each other its all good.

 

I only have one rule: they must be able to join a preexisting group. I've made too many of those already, so also no more new groups!! I've got Old West Vampires, Fantasy Big (subgroup: The Wizards), Fantasy Small, and Fashion Crew. And the Vampire group is closed for new applications.

There are 2.5 dolls that don't fit in those groups, but I refuse to make new sections. They're the free floating babies (one was my very first doll, so she stays forever, and the 1.5 is a grail+a tiny that mesh well together).

 

The one rule I set now is. to limit my collection, Im into Pasha Pasha now so I try to keep it below 12. and then for SD n up my limit is set at 2. I dont collect MSD. dolls at all. regardless of how cute they are.

 

No rules here. Just chaos.

Well, okay, there is one rule. I need to have a pre-existing character that I've actually written about before a doll comes home to shell it. That keeps me in check - a little.

 

Hmmm.. Other than having had a vague isdea (long since blown out of the water) that I needed to stop at 30, I don' really curate it at all - I have all sizes from little ReafPuki up to a Dollmore Lusion, I don't tend to shell preexisting characters but instead get dolls I like the look of and get to know their character as I get to know them.

On the rare occasion I don't bond with them I move them on (mostly around 8 inches tall is a size that I don't bond with - I dress them, display them, forget about them for months until I redress them, and set them back on the shelf to be forgotten again... enough have moved on that I don't tend to buy that size any longer). Other than that there were a couple of MSD's that didn't stay and that's it.

I am now at the stage where I've run out of display space for them (I'm a lifelong doll collector, so the house was already fairly full of other types of dolls beofre BJD's came ontot eh market and it hasn't got any less ful over the seventeen years of BJDs being added to the stream of incoming dolls) so that has now become a bit of a consideration, especailly if it's a bigger doll I'm considering.

Teddy

 

I think I have two main rules.
1) Is the doll part of my Ultimate Doll Plan?
2) If above is no then these questions have to be answered: 1.Is it on my grail list or favorite list? 2.Do I love it?

I don’t want to get a doll to then sell it. I want each doll to mean the world to me and have a place in my life. These rules help me to not window shop and help prioritize the buying/crafting process.

 

My only real "rules" for my collection are based on my limits: storage & display space, time & mental energy, and budget.

I've already gone past the number of dolls I thought would be the maximum when I first started collecting. : D Once I found out I could add another row to my current display shelf... Yeah. I had different ideas about how my collection would be when I started out, but self-imposed "rules" aren't real to my brain unless they are based on something with concrete limits.

 

What rules?
I mostly kid, I do have a few loose rules for my resin army.

Rule one: no mermaids from Soom, and/or anything else that looks like the sales photos have been Photoshopped to hide flaws or quirks with joints/posing. I do not mind a "quirky" doll or one with a few small flaws. However I want to know just what I am getting, as learned that the hard way.

Rule Two: (Which came from the doll that was the base of rule one.) If for whatever reason I can't bond with and/or I fall out of love with a doll it is to be resold or traded. No hanging on to one and say I hate X Y and Z, but it's so pretty or cool otherwise. If there is any anger frustration or a thing I hate to the point it impacts my liking the whole doll it goes.

Lastly for me there will be no more body blushing from company. (Double so DollZone) I've had too many dolls where it has chipped in shipping and one case where a tan doll was just plan Cheeto orange from the blushing. (Due to rule two I traded the tan boy to a friend with no regrets and we both got dolls we are happy with. She did removed the blushing though.) I have some lovely dolls with fantastic body blushing. However most I've gotten with the default company blushing option, it has either fully chipped off or been a color train wreck and I'm not spending the money for it again.

I am sure I have a couple other looser rules, but they do not spring to mind so.

 

Right now, it's no SDs... which is hard because they come in lots of different beautiful sculpts!...but I'm low on space and short on budget right now. That rabbit hole might get opened once I have a proper doll storage solution LOL.

 

I don't have a rule about style (I like diversity and lots of different looking dolls), but 'only MSD or smaller' is my hard rule. I have only one Slim MSD, and I will not get another one since at this point all my MSDs are within the standard proportions and can share clothes which is very valuable, to me.

I'm reaching the limit of space atm, which has made me a lot pickier overall, as well. I don't want my dolls to look cramped or piled up on shelves.

 

Ahahaha, what is this "curating" you speak of?

tbf I don't have a huge collection. I have avoided getting floating heads, I want a whole doll or nothing. I suppose this has limited me as far as niche artists go, but I haven't seen any sculpts that I utterly adored where it was a head only. Reading threads about people trying to hybrid various heads where the artist doesn't do bodies has scared me off even more.

I've only gotten one nude doll and I focused on him until he had a faceup, clothes, and a wig before I even thought about looking at any other dolls.

 

I keep several rules:

-Stick to 13 or fewer dolls. But sometimes, it does go up to 16. But I know any more than than that, and I'll start feeling overwhelmed and need to let a few go.

-Only SD range, so 52-65cm. I have owned everything from 10 to 73cm, and realized the SD range is best for me, so anything else is probably going to be a waste of money for me.

-Dolls must be completed within a week of arrival. Faceups, wig, eyes, clothes. The only exception is if I ordered something that arrives later than the doll, but then they must have a temporary option until then. Any doll that sits around blank, naked, bald, in pieces....they won't last. It just means I don't have enough interest to complete them.

-Dolls must have a character before buying them. All of my dolls are roleplay characters. I've tried building a character around an impulse doll, and it very rarely ever works. Usually I just end up with a very boring generic character or one that's being pulled in too many directions, since they're not somebody grew to love and "know" before bringing them home. It doesn't even matter if the doll is one I've loved for years. If it doesn't have a strong character, it won't last more than a few months max.

-All doll characters have to be connected. It's very rare that dolls not in the same story as the main crew stick around.

-If I start seeing dollar signs instead of dolls/characters, it's time to sell. Once I start thinking about selling one, it's time.

-A "revolving door" type of collection is perfectly fine. I get bored easily. I lose interest in things and get excited about new stuff easily. Some people keep every doll they ever buy, and that's great for them, but doesn't work for me. In my case, it's better to sell the ones I lose interest in and replace them with something exciting and new.

 

I like dolls to fit in with the aesthetic of my room, they need to be fully fleshed out and put together as soon as I get them. I love playing with dolls of course but I want them as décor that I can interact with in different ways. And if I want a doll I save up to the point where if i wanted to buy two i could, that's how I know I'm committed. Other than that I follow no hard and set rules.

 

The majority of dolls I have now, I bought as impulse purchases (this is how you go from zero to four in only four months!), and I felt a lot of buyer's remorse from buying them so quickly. I love all my dolls now and don't regret them, but the initial feeling of guilt dampened my happiness for a while...

So! My personal rule is first and foremost to sleep on it! Right now, I wait until the company I want to buy from is having a sale before buying anything. Just keep the tabs open on my phone for what I want to buy, then...don't do anything! While waiting for a sale to come along, I can sit and consider if I reeeeally want that doll or not.

For me, that's really it. Sitting on it and waiting lets me decide if I really love the doll or not, and it lets me think, "What will I do with them after I have them?" The idea of having my dolls just sit on the shelves, never changing their hair or outfits or posing them, makes me sad, and sometimes I love how a doll looks, but sitting there in their fullset look looking cute isn't what I want. (So that can be considered another personal rule of mine!)

I don't mind collecting dolls of different sizes or with different looks, but I realized after my second 1/4 arrived...the proportions of the two dolls' faces were totally different!! So I also made it a rule that, if a new doll is supposed to "go with" another doll I have, I need to carefully examine the two head sculpts to make sure they look normal together.

 

No rules allowed here!! Lol I guess my only "rule" is that I have to be able to sleep on it before I buy. It helps me realize which dolls I actually want vs what's new and pretty

 

My BJD world is 1/3 scale, so 58-80cm dolls are teens and adults. The few MSD and smaller dolls I have are children.

Any new BJD that comes in the house must look compatible in style with my first and favorite BJD, Volks SD13 Link. My Dollfie Dreams and other vinyl dolls of that size are a slight exception to that rule, but their worlds are a little separate anyway. I've always preferred the more anime style BJDs.

My last "rule" is, when I am considering buying a new BJD, I ask myself if I have another doll very much like the new one. If I already have one, I can usually talk myself out of buying another. I have so many BJDs now that it is overwhelming, and I'm trying hard NOT to add more!

Linda S.
galatia9

 

I'm the other side of that coin. Many of my dolls are hybrids and I've had very little problem getting bodies for the heads I've bought over seventeen years of having BJDs. The threads on the subject tend to be scewed becuase if there are no problems, there's nothing to write a thread about so you only see threads by the people who have had issues.

Teddy

 

I don't have a lot of rules honestly. My collection is all over the place. It took me many years to shake off a lot of conventions other collectors seem to have. That's not to say they're 'bad' but they never suited me and yet I tried to hold myself to them thinking that those were the 'correct' ways to be in the hobby. Coming back to the hobby after years away, I am currently revamping and rethinking my collection because there are so many new dolls now! My guidelines are fairly simple:

I have to like the doll sculpt nude (no face-up) and the body needs to suit what I like in a physical form, but have a lot of poseability.

It has to add something unique to my collection: be it a new resin tone, facial features, proportions or sculptor/company I don't have a doll from.

It has to fall within my own personal budget based on the size of the doll.

I don't generally have characters for my dolls but if I receive one and it doesn't seem to give me concept ideas then I'll let it leave the collection. I don't have an overarching story for my dolls so I don't need them to fit together.

 

I don't have a very cohesive collection at all, so I guess my rules are mostly just avoiding things that I don't vibe with.

- No dolls costing over $700USD. This isn't really a conscious rule, but I've found this is a hard line I'm not able to cross. I can afford more expensive dolls, I just subconsciously stop desiring a doll after I find out it's too expensive.

- No dolls with head circumference under 16cm and (somewhat related) no dolls with eyes smaller than 10cm. This might sound kind of arbitrary and dumb, but small heads do nothing for me.

- Under 40cm, thicker is always better than thinner. If they're too small, very skinny dolls are too delicate- I learned this one the hard way by getting really into Doll Chateau tinies early on.I didn't break anything, but I found that smaller, skinnier dolls were a pain to restring and didn't have a hefty enough handfeel for my liking.

- Keep height in the 25cm-51cm range whenever possible. Teeny tinies and fragile, difficult to paint and don't have enough heft, and SDs are difficult to photograph, nearly impossible to find attractive and functional bodies for, expensive, and take up way too much space. I used to be really interested in getting a little taste of every size, but lately I've really reeled it in.

- Prioritize more stylized/simple dolls over more realistic/detailed dolls. This is why I've been really into anime dolls lately... I find that more blank slate sculpts let me embrace my faceup style a little more, which makes my anime crew more cohesive looking in general.

 

Rule #1...No character, no doll. All dolls must shell characters...period! One of the things I love most about this hobby is creating my own characters, and the intricate way that process develops through my own form of visual story-telling. So no dolls purchased as “just another pretty face” for me!

Rule #2...Full dolls only. No floating heads if I can at all help it, and I prefer a head to have a matching body from the same company whenever possible. I have broken this rule a few times from necessity in creating a unique character, of course, but I really prefer not to because it causes me no end of angst until I can pair them with an appropriate body. It’s just not worth the stress on my nerves!

Rule #3...Celebrate diversity and eclecticism in my collection. My doll world is set in a fantasy realm in order to encourage unique sculpts and characters. So while I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase multiple dolls I like from a favorite company, I likewise don’t hesitate to branch out to different companies if I see something I want. Likewise, size doesn’t matter…I’m open to whatever suits the character best.

Rule #4...Adhere strongly to my own personal aesthetic...the more stylized, traditional old-school faces like Luts and Volks, and the more stylized innovative things like Dollzone and Doll Chateau, as well as the strong elf-like character faces of some of the Fairyland tinies. I learned early on that sculpts that are too realistic just aren’t for me, no matter how beautiful they are or how much I admire them. I’m creating a fairytale world here and I don’t want too much of that pesky reality creeping in.

Rule #5…Fashion…it’s all about the fashion! I got into this hobby in the first place to explore my lifelong fascination with fashion, anywhere from historic to fantasy and sci fi, to the wild modern innovations you see on Harajuku street in Japan. I’m frankly of an age where I’m done wanting to wear such exciting things myself, but I absolutely love exploring fashion through my dolls. So if I’m seriously considering adding a new doll to the collection, you can bet my fashion-brain is already in full gear with plans for an extensive wardrobe!

 

I currently have too small a collection (two dolls lol) to really have rules, but I do have some limitations. Seeing how big 70~cm is on a tape measure has lead me to decide that 1/3 will be too big. My two dolls are in the 1/4 range and I originally bought them to learn to sew historical
doll clothes. In that regard also, I think I’m going to stick to smaller busts on female dolls. Not that I have anything against large chests, but since they’re solid on a doll, makes historical silhouettes harder to achieve when you can’t move boobs around.
I also will likely stay under $500usd for a doll, unless I get the money to get a Popovy doll. I’m always going to do my own faceups and never going to buy premade outfits.
Beyond that, we’ll see where I go!

 

My little townhouse doesn't have infinite space for dolls (or anything else-) and I'm sort-of a Neat Freak, so I absolutely refuse to allow the gang to clutter up the place by taking over more than a certain amount of real estate... That means that my collection, while large enough to be ludicrous by any objective standard, is still ultimately limited to the number of dolls that will fit in the display cabinets in my sewing room.

I'm pretty close to the limit currently. I'll have room for the Spirit Doll girl and new Soom Heliot that I have on order... and I ought to be able to find a space for Max if the Volks lottery-gods smile on me... But past that? No more room at the inn.And that makes it pretty easy to resist "impulse buys" and other random-dolly additions to the crew.

 

I'm pretty close to my limit for dolls. I have a ridculous amount of them, and I've grouped them by size. I keep telling myself that I should not buy any new dolls until allt he ones I have are presentable (i.e. have eyes, wigs and clothes).
But of course that's a guideline only.

 

I'm trying to have only MSD for now as I'm living in a small apartment. In the future I might get a couple of SD for sewing purpose or my grail dolls. I would also love to have all the skin color dolls for different outfit style but as for now 3 MSDs are enough for me

 

This reminds me, I have to like the bodies nude, even if they will always be dressed. I just can't keep dolls with bodies that I find "ugly", I always end up selling them. For example, I don't like floating elbows and kneecaps, I think they're aesthetically unattractive. However, blank heads are different. I've had a few heads that looked like ugly bugs when they were blank, that were absolutely stunning when suitably faceupped.

I'm the same way. I only buy a doll with the intention of keeping it. If it turns out that I don't love it in person, I normally sell it very quickly.

Linda S.
galatia9

 

- No SDs. too large & heavy and far too expensive to maintain. (which is a shame, there are so many beautiful sculpts and cool bodies out there!)

- My collection limit is that it has to fit on my bookshelf (MSDs) and in my dollhouse (YOSDs/tinies) I don't have a strict number limit on my collection anymore because I primarily collect YOSDs, So 20-30 dolls sounds staggering, but they take a loooot less space than MSDs or SDs would... That being said, I'm *trying* to keep the MSDs under 10 between myself and my partner, but I won't hold my breath... As long as I can make them all fit on my shelf, it's fine!

- No body blushing, and generally only blank dolls. I find body-blushing superfluous unless the doll wears less clothing to show it off- and the thought of chipping it off while dressing them stresses me out! As for face-ups, I always find myself wanting to do them myself, so blank is best. There are rare exceptions, but yeah.

- Trying to only buy 2nd-hand dolls with their boxes whenever possible. I hate not having a native company box for 2nd-hand dolls... It's silly, but it bugs me... ;_;

- Try to have over half my dolls in some state of completion before buying more. Any combination of wigs/shoes/outfits is fine, but if over 80% have no faces that would be unacceptable to me. Hasn't happened yet though!

 

I have some rules/guidelines in varying degrees of strictness. So, in approximately descending order of how strict I am on it:

1. Gotta fit in my one nightstand/storage case, and preferably all boxes go under the bed. It's why I'm not doing SDs (at least for now) and am trying to seriously limit the number of dolls I get. Maybe some day, should I move into a larger apartment or a house, I'll give more room to the dolls.

2. No YoSDs or tinies. I don't want them competing for space/attention with the playline dolls I have.

3. Gotta love 'em, and preferably don't do a same-day buy. I have one like, same-day impulse purchase, and everyone else I either have or am considering getting, I did so for at least a few days. I don't want to deal with the hassle of reselling if I can avoid it.

4. No floating heads, please? This one is pretty loose because one of my first dolls was sold as only a head, but I ordered a body for her shortly afterwards. Which is probably my contingency rule for if I get floating heads - everyone gets their own body. I don't want heads sitting in boxes waiting for their turn.

 

Interesting thread! Over my years on and off in the hobby I have developed some rules that I follow. These rules are probably why I am struggling to find the perfect doll to get back into this hobby, but they are also rules that I follow in my other hobbies as well.

Purchase with intent. If I am going to spend my hard earned adult money I will buy with the intent of making something out of the purchase or at least have full intention of keep the item for some time and it having a "useful" purpose. So for example, I will not buy a doll just because it's sculpt is popular or because I "need" to complete a specific collection (such as having every specific doll from the Volks Disney Princess Collection or Tokyo Boys Story etc). If I am purchasing a doll it needs to fulfill a character or a specific ideal that I am going for so that I have reason to take pictures, dress, faceup etc said doll. This keeps me from keeping dolls that although I like I will not love or find meaningful purpose having in my home.

No impulse purchases. If I am purchasing a doll it will not be on whim. I have done this in the past and no it does not work out. Yes, the doll ends up sitting collecting dust and I end up selling it rather fast. All dolls that I purchase or intend to purchase in the future will have been slept on and ones that I have given great thought to. Although I would like to impulse buy a doll as soon as it comes up if I feel it fits a specific character, sleeping on it for a few nights or weeks gives me the opportunity to make sure I am actually interested in the doll and that I actually want this specific sculpt/resin color/etc in my collection.

All dolls must have a story and or character that is connected with the other dolls. No dolls that do not have a story and just sit pretty can remain in the collection. No matter how expensive or how much the doll is a grail doll to me. I have enough collections that are like that. I don't care how the connection is to the rest of the dolls, but they must have their own developed back story and be connected in some way. This keeps the creative juices flowing and provides me with something to go off of.

Dolls must fit their specific character range. By this I mean, no mature mini's for child characters. Sizes must match up to the character and their story. Resin color must match up etc. So for example, no purple resin colored mature bust minis for a 10 year old girl doll whose character is based on a vampire who was turned as a child in the northern regions of Europe if that makes sense.

If the doll no longer works, there is no reason to keep it. This is the final one. If I no longer find interest, or the doll no longer fits the story that I am going for, or whatever reason that there is where I fall out of interest with a specific doll, it is time to sell. There is no need to keep things that I do not like or have no interest in working with/enjoying. I can always repurchase a sculpt down the road. However, selling makes room for another doll who could be better suited for my collection.

 

I broke my rules and it was a terrible start...
At first, I said I would only stick with large dolls, but I accidentally brought a MSD, and my collection has gone crazy.
It has reached a point where even if I want to quit and sell my msd, it would be hard because I kinda brought too much of them XD

 

I don't buy dolls I don't intend to keep forever. I don't have unlimited space so I must be choosy when deciding if I truly want to drag this new doll around with me the rest of my life. I could just sell a doll that doesn't work out but I'd rather prevent the situation and save the cash.

I will no longer buy minis or tinies. I don't like playing with dolls in those sizes even if I find so many of their faces to be cute. I really love the 1/3 scale but I am hoping to someday buy a holiday size. I'm willing to make the argument that holiday is 1/3 scale.

No more floating heads. I still have one I bought in 2009 and I doubt that boy is ever getting a body at this point. I think I can declare that purchase a waste of money.

 

No matter how good of a bargain I can’t buy it unless it’s something I really love, two dolls I picked up for a “good deal” were resold quickly.

The second thing is something I can’t say I will never do but I don’t plan to buy from a company if the wait time exceeds PayPal protection. I may possibly break this rule if it’s from a well known reputable dealer that has no negative feedback. I have dolls from companies that take longer but I bought them in stock.

 

I don't have a ton of rules really. The big thing I've learned for me is that I have to have a plan/ character in mind when buying a doll. I bought one doll just because the sculpt is cute, and she's sat blank for over a year "until I can figure something out" which is kind of frustrating and not a good financial choice.

The only rule i have on sizes is, since most of my dolls will be for preset characters from books or shows i like, the heights need to be proportionate to the characters' descriptions. Which can be a little difficult, since there's not always good sculpts that can work together for what i want/ need in various ranges (which is why most of mine are 1/3. 1/4 scale would be nice but it's very hard to find more adult looking face sculpts, especially if one character is supposed to be taller than another- I'd end up with one being oddly babyfaced).

And not dolls exactly, but customizing supplies- I'm not allowed to buy more fabric unless i have a set plan for it! I have so much fabric i've bought because i though it'd be good for doll clothes and barely any of it is actually good for what i want to make!

 

I've made rules over the years to help keep my collection on the smaller side.

I mostly stay away from realistic looking sculpts. I've owned them and as much as some sculpts really appeal to me I struggle to feel inspired by them. The only realistic sculpts I've got are in fantasy colours and have been modded to be even further from the human looking base sculpt.

I also used to have more cutesy smaller dolls which I've sold in favour of sticking to sculpts which compliment each other better as a group.

Restricting my collecting habits to fit a narrow selection of dolls has definitely helped me to build a cohesive looking collection.

 

My rules are that new dolls have to look cohesive and proportionate with the ones I already have; no more than I can fit in my display area (pretty close to that point now); and any dolls I add have to add something new to my collection-- no "overlaps". This means I stay far away from having more than one doll with the same overall look, and try to keep each one unique from the others in coloring and style while still making them look like they come from the same general world.

 

I gave myself a set of general rules at the beginning and I've been adding more specific ones since then (and crossing out one or two xD). These are the most important ones:
- Nothing bigger than a MSD and nothing smaller than 1/6 (and nothing above the 500$ price tag).
- No more than one doll from the same company (I already broke this rule).
- No impulsive purchases and I must have a clear idea of character for the doll before purchasing.
- No buying more than one doll at the same time and always giving a character, a face-up, a wig and an outfit to the most recent doll before even thinking of buying a new one.

 

In general, I have two rules
1. I must have a character for them
2. No 1/6

My friend has one 1/6 and as cute as she is, I'm always terrified I'll drop her. She's so much lighter than the 1/3 and above boys I'm used to. As to the first rule, I've broken it twice *sigh*. The first one when I got my grail doll. I bought him without thinking of a character because I wanted him so badly. The second was for a limited sculpt for the anniversary of my favorite anime. Technically, he already had a character so maybe that wasn't exactly a break of rule one XD

 

I have a few rules, but I need to make more.

1) Have a plan for the doll. Clothes, hair, wig, eyes, faceup. If there is no purpose or plan for the doll, no doll.
2) The doll MUST be able to fit in my bookcase. That means sticking to 1/6 scale dolls. And I have to have room for them before I buy more. No room, no doll. If I want more, I'll have to get rid of at least one other doll to make room.
3) Don't get too attached. If a doll doesn't turn out right, it's okay to let go of her if she isn't what I was wanting. I make mistakes. I'm only human.
4) No impulse buys. I've broken this one already, and I regret it. Need to sleep on it for multiple nights before I click the "Buy" button. There's always the second-hand market if I can't get my hands on a doll the first time around.
5) There's always another doll. Will I really want this one in the future? What if another doll comes along, will I still like the one I want right now?

 

Hmm… I don’t think I have a super hard set rule. But I try to have a financial price cut-off. Like no more than $800 for a doll I really like, and no more than 1k for a grail. So I know at least one grail doll shall never be mine therefore. But oh well. I try to stick to it and so far I am doing it Otherwise I don’t really have much rules.
More of a general guideline of “I want to do everything myself”. I buy the dolls usually blank because I want to create everything for them or else i grow quickly tired of them.

 

I think about space. I think about how similar it is to another doll I own. I consider the quality based on past experiences and I try to guard against buying dolls just because they're shiny and new. Though I do have one or two that break all those rules.

 

I don't have much of a collection but I did set a couple of rules for myself:

1) Must be less than 800 dollars.
2) Must have a PLAN for the doll. I don't want to buy something just to have it sit in a bag or on a shelf in my closet for years and not do anything for it. Whether this is a character in mind or another project, is whatever.

 

I'm still pretty new to bjds, but I've learned a lot about my doll habits from the non-bjd dolls I've collected over the years and honestly my only really hard rule basically boils down to this: every doll has to feel special. For me, this means keeping my collection pared down to dolls I absolutely adore, which means keeping my overall collection quite small. I prefer to have a handful of dolls that really speak to me rather than a huge impressive collection. This is kind of a painful rule when there are SO many gorgeous dolls out there, but I know myself well enough to know that I enjoy my dolls so much more when each one feels irreplaceable to me instead of being just one of the hoard.

This also means I don't really have any hard rules about budget/space - I ended up spending WAY more on my first bjd(who was also bigger than most of the other dolls I'd been eyeing) than I thought I would...but he's absolutely perfect and I'm so glad I went for him. It really cemented the idea for me that I'd rather spend a ton on one perfect doll than have a bunch of cheaper, less ideal cuties(but I do still want more dolls lol)

The only other kind-of rules I have is that I do prefer to have all my dolls fit a somewhat similar aesthetic; I just want them to look nice together I guess? Or at least look like they belong to the same person. They don't necessarily need to look like they live in the same world though since I kind of like the eclectic "gang of misfit toys" vibe. I'm also not super picky about size for the same reason, but I avoid very tiny dolls- I just end up getting annoyed with trying to find ways to display a bunch of tiny things and I don't like the feeling of having a doll that feels more like a prop or accessory than a doll itself I guess.

 

I am same with small number collection!! I feel so guilty for each of them if I have too many because I can’t adore each of them as much. I haven’t really written a list of rules until I saw this thread.

1) my dolls has to be realistic. I’m waiting on a fox for their pet. It looks lifelike too and is adorable
2) Age setting. Bigger dolls are older than smaller. SD for teen to grow up character, MSD as a kid, YOSD as preschooler age.
3) Keep collection small to maintain intimacy with my dolls. Well, I have two floating heads and feel little overwhelmed already. There is one doll I want to add tho - boy SD for my SD girl. But I’m waiting to find the one and not sure how long it’s gonna take. So far, I have SD girl, SD head on the way, MSD girl, MSD head (waiting for body. I want to turn it into boy if feels right), YOSD boy (I intended him to be a girl but he spoke up when he arrived here. Lol)

4) I’m more careful for measurements. I have a few regrets not researching enough and later unable to find clothes and shoes to fit

 

I stopped setting rules for my collection, because I realized I just kept breaking them and then would impose this weird sense of guilt upon myself, which is honestly really silly if you think about it. So now I just buy what I please at the moment, and that makes me happy.

 

I just have to enjoy my dolls that I add to my collection. If I am not feeling the doll any longer then they have to go.

 

My rules for my doll collection have evolved somewhat since I got my first doll.

No SDs. I've seen them in person at doll meet-ups, and while many are stunning, they're just too big for me.

Avoid impulse buying. I try to wait at least 2 weeks before ordering. I have often regretted those I didn't consider carefully beforehand.

They have to be special in a way that inspires me. They all have names and I write stories about their characters. No doll comes home without a character idea, and they have to feel unique from my other dolls to me.

I have to love them in person. Limited mobility, not fitting with other dolls in the same size group, or seeming too similar to another doll have all been factors in me not loving a doll enough to keep them.

 

I have a couple of mental guidelines that I try to keep in mind:

Do you want an MSD or a YOSD?
Can you afford it? Is layaway an option?
Is it on sale or is there a discount that you can take advantage of?
Is it nearing a special occasion (birthday, xmas) where you want to buy this doll for yourself as a present?
Do you love the DOLL or the doll's FULLSET? Is it love at first sight, MUST HAVE IT or an infatuated impulse?
Is the doll's mobility and posing good?
Do you still like the doll through owner pics or do you just love the stock photography?
Can you create a solid character out of this doll if they were in your collection? (personality, quirks, interests)
Will the doll fit in well enough with your current doll collection? Do they match as friends/family/lovers for your other dolls?

There's more that I constantly ask myself, but this is the gist of what my brain goes through when I consider buying a new bjd. It looks like a lot, but I usually think about these one at a time when it becomes necessary xD I also give myself quite a number of days to dwell on it too, just to be absolutely sure that I'll love them and that it's not just an impulse.

 

I see from the above responses that my rules are not really exceptional... Rather, that they are typical and common, so it gives me peace, that everything's fine with me (Sometimes I have weird "life rules," so it's cool to see that when it comes to dolls, I'm "normal" xD)

Anyway, I have several kinds of rules, many of which have been already mentioned

As for the sizes, I only like one size: petite SDs (so, sd13 girls and petite boys who can share their clothes AND shoes). For every doll isze I had, I needed a separate wig, shoe, accesory and clothes box, so to keep the number of boxes to a minimum, I needed to keep only one size. This gives me (currently) only 4 boxes. It may increase in the future (or the boxes may just get bigger), but it's alright now. Petite SDs are the perfect size, because they feel like an 'enough' of a doll. A solid thing. But also not a giant block of resin.

As for the body type, I love girly dolls. Girly boys, girly girls. Just girly. I like it when the girls have small breasts (the flatter, the better), but I love curvy thighs. I only have one boy who is not only as small as the girls, but also very delicately built (no abs, no muscle def.) and looks great in the girls' clothes too. It's useful especially now that I don't have a set of clothes just for him yet and he'd have been naked otherwise. I also don't like overly leggy dolls, where the legs are super long. So, Zaoll Luv has imo the best proportions - hers are so natural and realistic! So, no iple girls or herculean boys for me, thanks! xD

As for the technical issues, I like only single jointed dolls, moderate realism and no floating heads. No faux-double joints, because it counts as double anyway, to me. Pure, original, single joints only. YASS. My dolls don't do acrobatics, it's just regular sitting or standing, so I need stability. Single joints give me that. Besides, I like dolls that are 70-80% realistic. Idealised and cute, but generally could be mistaken for humans by non-dolly folks. My one exception is Volks Nana, but it's an exceptional doll and a grail. She takes a special place in my heart Also, I like it when all my dolls are out on a shelf, so no floating heads. If the head is worth keeping, it's worth a separate body, even if it's an old, yellowed, cheap volks bod (I honestly love old volks bodies for the reasons mentioned above)

Besides, I like "idiotproof" dolls that look nice no matter what. They must be 'easy," "generic," and "basic'. I used to like obscure and unknown sculpts, but now I go for those that are already popular, so that I can see from the owner pics, if I'll like the doll or not. The more popular the better, unless it's a 'current trend' only. I don't like overpriced, fashionable dolls. I like the old classics that everyone has had at some point. I mean... Supia Rosy, Zaoll Luv, BC Kaorin and VS Nana. I like having an original taste in music and clothes, but never in dolls xD So, no trailblazing when it comes to new sculpts.

As for the number, price, etc. I have this one in= one out rule. I've been trying to be a minimalist for years. Only recently did one of my cousins visit me and say, "wow, you have so few things!" which felt so good and, still, I am nowhere near where I want to be. Anyway, currently, I have 5 dolls. I'd been thinking of either growing or getting rid but I know that any new doll would bring me TONS of anxiety and any less than now would make me miss them. I love my dolls My price limit on each of them was $500 and I'll never break it. Also, I don't buy dolls where the waiting time exceeds the time of paypal protection (this has been mentioned in the thread!), so I prefer second hand dolls. I love pre-owned ones, because it's like "saving' unloved dolls. But if it's new, I usually keep it in my shopping basket for quite some time and buy only after some time, when I see it's not a quick, short-lived crush. It's funny but each of my dolls that has stayed with me was not an impulse. Or even if it was, it was just an impulse purchase when there was a steal-like deal on a doll I'd wanted for ages.

As for the aesthetics and "having a plan," I like dolls that will match the ones I already have, so they can look like friends or a couple on the photos. But I don't OCologise them anymore. Okay, I have just construed one couple, but, other than that, they have no "story" besides the cool names and visual styles. I don't do stories. I used to do so, but it was severely limiting. As long as the doll fits in with the rest aesthetically, it stays with the team. I also stopped buying dolls to "show off". When I had little money, I felt the pressure to "appeal" to others. Now that I could comfortably, at least, triple the current collection within a week, I prefer not to do so. I'd rather spend the money on other things and buy the dolls for my own pleasure and not to show off. That's why I also don't care if they're 'cheap and yellow'. Honestly? The older, the better. Then, at least, they won't yellow anymore Also, I don't stop myself from having what I want in terms of the dolly couple/gender performance. If I want a lesbian couple, I'll have one and if I want a girly boy, I'll have one too. I have had this character of Marcel for almost 8 years, on and off. I used to let others persuade me that there's something "wrong" with me for liking to drag the poor fellow or liking a male doll in general. Now, Marcel is like that child from the previous marriage - you either accept me with them or you're out. So, any of my next boyfriends, no matter their gender performance style, has to accept my girly boy and the dolly girlxgirl stuff or g(tf)o. I promised myself never again to sell Marcel. Plus, his current shell is the best-looking one to date and FINALLY he can share the clothes with the girls without any issues.

I guess the above is more like the essence of what I have rather than a list of features for future reference, because I have no plans (and I mean it) for having any more dolls. Reading through the whole thread has helped me a lot in defining my own points

 

My rules can be broken but I try to stick to it for now:

1. Elves or fantasy sculpts only. I don't want a collection of humans.

2. Get them with a faceup, eyes and wig. Consider buying clothes from the sculptor.

3. Make sure I can afford the full price outright. I love the convenience of layaway but suck at budgeting so want to make sure I don't find myself in a difficult situation.

 

1. I must have a detailed plan for the doll. What kind of character is she, what kind of outfits will I put her in, etc.
2. No layaways, I have to be able to afford it outright and I'm not great at budgeting just yet.
3. I'm a college student and due to a chronic illness, I don't have a typical job. It's a little sporadic. So since I don't have a huge amount of disposable income, I won't spend more than $1000 AUD on a doll right now. No matter how beautiful they are! (Looking at you, Dolk Shinku...)
4. This is a bit of a no brainer, but do I have enough space? I have such a huge book collection that I sort of struggle to find room for my other hobbies. I've got a little nook on one of my shelves cleared for my first doll.

 

I’ve been admiring dolls for a decade now but I only recently started collecting. I have a few rules but I’ve already broken some :P

1) Only get grails
Like everyone else I have limited resources. The amount of space, time and money I can dedicate to the hobby is precious. I wanna make sure that I’m curating a collection that I find aesthetically excellent. So grails only


2) One doll per company
I live for variety! When I shop outside of the doll hobby I always make sure stuff I’m buying doesn’t look like things I already have. I wanna make sure that my collection represents all types of beautiful dolls. The only way I can break this rule is if company offers multiple resin tones that meet my third rule.

3) Only buy from companies that offer dolls in deep skin tones
Most folks who collect BJDs have a light complexion and often their characters do too (which is completely OK). Because of this a lot of companies and artist offer a variety of light resin tones. But the financial incentive for these companies to offer darker complexions is just not really there. Especially when you weigh it against the technical difficulties of making darker resin. So I think it’s my personal responsibility to purchase from companies that do offer a darker tones. In my years admiring the hobby I have seen so many companies discontinue darker tones. If I don’t buy these dolls who will
There are some companies that offer more than one dark resin tone and that’s the only time that I’m letting myself buy multiple dolls from the same company.


4) Only add 2 dolls a year
Pretty self-explanatory. I want to give myself time to dedicate to my dolls. Make sure that they all have flushed out wardrobe and character. I don’t think I can reasonably do that by adding more than two dolls a year.


5) Only buy a floating head if I have already selected a body.
The only way I’m allowed to purchase any floating heads as if I already have a plan for it a body along with a layaway or budget. I’m not really too deterred by floating heads in a collection. I do count a floating head as a “doll” tho so there’s no getting out of the two dolls per year loophole


Rules broken this year 4/5

 

1) Do I like the doll?

If yes, buy. If no, do not buy.

2) Can I afford the doll?

If yes, buy. If no, scramble for cash or beg for a layaway. Consider selling organs.



But seriously, I do have a few basic rules.

1) The dolls have to look nice sitting on a shelf next to each other. I only have two shelves so there's not a lot of room for vastly different aesthetics.

2) The dolls have to actually fit on my shelves. If it can't sit or stand for display, I pass.

3) The dolls all share clothes with each other so any new dolls have to be of a similar size. Currently, I have a female SD, standard Volks MSDs, three MSD Big Babies, one "slim" YOSD, two standard YOSDs, and a tiny. I really don't have more space for more clothes and accessories. I actually need to thin the herd now that I think about it.

That's pretty much it!

 

I have drafted vague rules by trial and error over the years, but I break them occasionally. We wouldn't need rules if we didn't have tortfeasors, right?

1. Only SD size and a certain range of body and head measurements is allowed. I couldn't buy, say, a Doll Chateau doll even if they are technically SD size, because their slim proportions would make them look like they're starving next to my curvy Iple women. I like all my dolls to fit together, especially the ones within the same story universe. I tried to own a childlike MSD that was "in scale" with the rest, but I sold her after a year of ignoring her. I just cannot bond with small dolls.

2. No duplicate heads or bodies. My collection is getting out of hands as is, last thing I need is multiples of a sculpt that I already own. I broke this rule once, when I ran out of heads with a certain company, already owning them all, and a particular head was just perfect for an important OC. I also have a duplicate body on that same head because it's difficult as is to find a muscular female body.

3. No extra floating heads or multiple heads for a single OC. This is more for my own comfort. I never bother to change the heads anyway, and I get frustrated with the loose heads my brain considers clutter. I've managed to keep extra heads away, but I do have an issue with ending up with multiple headless bodies.

4. No buying something just because it is pretty. I find it very important for the bonding process that all the dolls have characters and that they fit in the story with each other. I have lost count on how many dolls ended up being sold after I bought them on a whim because I liked the styling in promo images or someone else's owner photos. In other words, I just liked a stranger's vision of the doll. When I got the blank nude doll, I realized I don't have any own vision or character for it, but I never bought it intending to make it a copy of an already existing doll. The dearest dolls to me have been the ones where I see the promo pics and other hobbyists' pics and go "This sculpt has potential and I want to do something totally different with it!"

 

My most important rule is: wait before you buy. I usually only order on the last day of the pre-order period. This is how I reduce impulse purchases. In many cases I have lost interest in the doll by then anyway.

 

Humans only. (Not counting pets.) No fantasy dolls. I like fantasy, but I just want all my dolls to be human. Scale doesn't matter to me. I have them divided into groups my room, 1/3 & larger dolls here, 1/4 & smaller on shelves. I also have two different storylines for them.

I have a rule where all dolls from the same company are related. If I end up with a lot of family members, I need no more dolls from that company. I'm trying to limit the amount of dolls per company, as I need more variety. I now ask myself, do they really need another family member from this company? If the answer is nope, I look else where.

I've not been too happy with full set dolls. As pretty as they look in the company pictures, they just never look that good to me once I get them home. Maybe I am just bad at taking pictures, but when I put the doll in something I made or bought them, I am always more happy with the look, then I was with the full set that ends up being stored, wig included. Full set is pretty much out for me, although Ringdoll tempts me with their clothing.

Seriously think about the doll, and don't just buy something because I am in the mood for a doll, I impulse bought a doll once by having people vote on which doll I should get. While I am actually really happy with the doll, I also realized that was a stupid way for me to pick a doll. I am glad the people chose well.

 

1) No tinies. I'm just not a fan of small dolls, I find them extremely difficult to sew for and they just feel too fragile for me.

2) No more floating heads. I purchased a floating head this year, and finding a body for it stressed me out a lot, so I'll probably only purchase full dolls from now on.

3) Maximum of 20 dolls total in my collection; anything more would feel overwhelming to me. If I want another doll, then I have to find one I'm willing to part with.

4) I only purchase 2 dolls per year, excluding dolls that're gifts or were ordered last year and have yet to arrive. I think this rule can be more flexible depending on my income level and the price of the doll.

That's pretty much all the rules I've set for myself at least off the top of my head!