Your reasons for choosing your first doll?

This is such a sweet story! It's moments like this that make me really love our dolly community!

 

Just because I liked his face at that moment, haha! But for now, I like girls better...

 

My "true" 1st that I really desired & had to have from the pictures I saw was my David Kuncci. Now I have his boyfriend Markus. Now I have a few more smaller boys & have Enoch arriving from Granado & another David from Dollshe & a boy from someone on this Board!!

 

My reason for the heads I bought was because they were on sale and about to be discontinued and I really wanted them but could not afford the full doll so I just grabbed the heads before they were sold out.
As for my female doll which is just being made, I could not afford a big doll (65cm-70cm) yet so I got an 43cm Iplehouse Cordelia because I'vve wanted a little girl anyways. I actually wanted a child instead of a teenager first (35cm or 25cm) but I feared a little girl all by herself would be a bit sad so I just got a big sister first before getting the little sisters.

 

I'd looked at BJDs for a long time, and thought they were cool, but I was unemployed and it just wasn't really an option. Then I got my first full time job and started to debate buying, but as people have said, it's a lot of money and has to be really special. I can look and think 'whoa, that's cool' but it has to be personal to me, and something that is worth the cost to me.

In the end, it was the fault of the Hobbit films... Having really loved Lord of the Rings and then watching the Hobbit, I really, really wanted a figure of Thranduil, as I collected toys/action figures for years, and I couldn't find one, anywhere. And I really did search like mad. Then I found a modoll head sculpt of Lee Pace, and so I bought one, and a body that would fit, while not costing the earth. He's 72cm tall, which means buying clothes is very difficult. I had to make them, and make a wig too, but I'm really happy with him, so I guess it was worth taking the plunge. I always loved the articulation and 'art' of action figures, but BJDs are like an enhanced version. They're art in their own right, and I love owning them.

I probably wouldn't have leapt straight from 30cm figures to 72cm, if
I'd found a smaller head sculpt, but that was the only one I could find! I didn't want a cosplay, or a doll that could pass as him, I wanted the sculpt to actually match the film. I got a face up for him from Modoll, because I was scared of messing up something so expensive. Then my second BJD got a face up from me... And I enjoyed doing that.

I just love toys, sculpts and figures of all kinds, I suppose!

 

I'd been considering a BJD for years, but I finally saw a sculpt that caught my eye for sale in person for a great price, and couldn't get her out of my head. When she was still for sale the next day, I went back and got her!

 

And I've got the opposite experience - for me it wasn't a well-thought or long desired purchase, I've just seen the doll at some BJD lovers' hands in the park and I got so excited that I asked where to get one and that person advised me the local forum, where I bought the doll for myself the next day xD

 

I had never even considered buying a BJD before meeting him, but I saw his face on a sales group (that wasn't mainly about BJD) and I just knew I had to have him. No questions asked. I started researching bodies, prices, clothing, anything and everything that I needed. I got lucky with a body, but the head sat on my shelf on its own for a while. And every time I looked (look) at him I'm still happy I did, because he's still as perfect as he was when I first saw him.
He might not be new, or popular, but he's mine and I love him :3

 

i simply thought the sculpt was perfect for the character! i originally had another sculpt for him in mind (i actually thought of the character after seeing the doll which is what im doing for all my dream dolls it seems haha), but it was discontinued before i could even think about ordering it :'- (
then i recently saw this different sculpt, and the first thing i thought was "yep! thats him!"

 

I wanted a sculpt where I can have a constant modification of characters design only using one body without the need to buy multiple dolls. For example, one day I would want her to be a "Sophia" who love cute lolita dress and then another day I would want her to be a "Maria" that love to wear dark gothic punk dresses. However, I think that's just me also being cheap and trying to connivence myself I don't need to buy multiple dolls.

 

My first doll buying process (this was just last month) started out with me wanting to buy a bjd and going through a loooooong list of doll companies and their websites. My friend also recommended me some companies, since she's in the hobby herself. I basically just browsed the websites and checked out a huge amount of dolls to find one I would really love. Eventually I found one. She was more expensive than the budget I had set for myself, so I kept her in a another tab and continued browsing other dolls.
But I kept going back to her and secretly thought about names and how I would dress her and what eyes and wigs would look good on her. Finally I came to the conclusion, that I would rather pay more for a doll that I really wanted instead of buying some other doll just because it's cheaper. She was too perfect for my tastes to pass up on. : 3 She's Dollmore's Ballerina Dead Mansion Tara (before you look her up, I have to warn you about there being real raw meat in her pictures! I personally could do without the meat....)
I'm currently waiting for her and the wait for my very first doll is... well let's just say I feel a bit impatient. 8D

 

I was constantly pushing back my plans of getting a doll until sometime later where I was kinda "forced" to get my first doll head since was a really limited one. The sculptor specially said it will be the first and last pre-order so I had to get him or I would definitely regret later

 

I first learned about BJDs in 2006 or so, and was far too young to even entertain the idea of owning one. Now, eleven or so years later, married and having a child, I was scrolling Instagram and re-found BJDs. I looked and looked for the right doll, but couldn't find the one and I'm also not financially able to afford most dolls. I ended up finding a DF-H Xiao Xin face and adored its cute expression. Plus, it was extremely affordable. I'm so glad I picked her because as soon as she arrived, I had my "Aha!" moment. ​

 

Honestly, my first doll was kind of an impulse. I knew that I wanted a doll with elf ears, and I knew I wanted a boy. SD was way too expensive for younger me to consider, so I ended up in the MSD/YO-SD range. I browsed AlicesCollections for weeks until I had enough money for a doll on the inexpensive side. I searched 'elf' in the search bar, and found a DikaDoll Elf Rena. She was cute, had elf ears, and a button nose, so I added that head to the cart. Then I found an inexpensive boy body, a Doll Leaves MSD one, and added that too. I was such a noob at that time that I didn't realize how awfully wrong hybrids could go if the resin match wasn't okay. I didn't even know what the resin colors really meant, I thought they all came in one color! Luckily for me, the body and head matched, and I got the head already with a face-up, so I was all set. Well, kind of. I ordered SD clothes (poor noob me) and they didn't fit that well, but I still loved my doll (ended up naming him Honey) until I got more used to the hobby terms and got my next dolls, who I loved way more. I eventually sold Honey's body, but I still have his head for face-up and mod practice.

 

I looked at so many dolls before I got Vince... and I must have changed my mind a hundred times along the way, back and forth between quite a few. But once I saw him, I really just fell in love. I liked his nose a lot, and on a lot of dolls, the nose was the feature that didn't fit what I wanted... It may not have matched my initial vision/the drawings I make of him, but it felt right.

He had a really cute face overall and I liked the pictures of the body and joints, but the nose was the final selling point that pushed me into buying him.

There's not a lot of owner photos of his sculpt, and there were even less when I fell in love with him, but I definitely haven't regretted making that choice based on the company photos, I wound up loving him even more when I finally saw him in person.

 

I simply thought it is an unique sculpt and I bought. That was my first BJD from Oceanmoon, 26cm one.

 

I'd known about BJD for almost ten years. But I was very young back then. And, bjd is too far from expensive for grade 5-6 student. When I was freshmen in the university, I planned to get one. Since I've been wanted bjd for a very long time, I have a certain wishlist.
I got my first head when I went to the doll event. It's like the love at first sight. I love everything about that head. I could feel my heart beating. At first, I thought I'd fallen for something outside my wishlist, it turned out that sculpt was my long forgotten grails. I rarely seen this sculpt, so I thought I would never get it and I completely forget about it. But, he's with me now

 

My first doll was a Doll Chateau Cyril and he arrived around early 2012. I really liked how unique he looked and at the time his thin body really reminded me of a video game character I was obsessing over at that time, haha. Looking back, I'm really surprised he ended up as my first doll. I always leaned more towards female dolls, and still do. Compared to my other two dolls whom I researched their sculpts for months to make sure I was 100% in love with them, my first doll was a very impulsive purchase. He ended up going on layaway as a birthday present for myself.

 

Found my grail and had the opportunity to get him. Doesn't need anything else. Even more happier to have my grail as the first doll. Makes him super special. And he'll be here between my birthday and Christmas. Combined gift.

 

don't really know why(maybe love his face?)but I felt like I must have him otherwise would be a pity

 

I had bounced between different sites, but decided on the VolksUSA FCS as my first as they seemed to be very dependable for delivery. I kept seeing people talking about waiting 10 months or more and while I was willing to wait several months, I didn't want to wait that long. Plus I loved the face that was available the month I purchased, so I'm happy as can be.

 

I didn't have a grail doll in mind at the time, but I knew that for my first doll I wanted a second-hand girl from the marketplace, so I just kept lurking in the marketplace for months until one jumped out at me and I knew she was the one : 3

 

When I got Olive, it was because I happened to see the promo post for Withdoll's Egon when he was first released, and the promotional pictures of the fullset just caught me. I ended up getting everything but the outfit. The face was perfect - and still is. I'm very adamant about never getting the same doll twice, but I would buy another Egon without hesitating. That sculpt is so beloved it became a basic release from Withdoll due to popularity.

 

I was set on Souldoll and almost got Liddell, but then noticed that the limited Gavi was the same price as a non-limited MSD... Knowing she was an option, I looked closer at promo pics and fell in love with her sculpt, which is stylized but mature and realistic enough to match the supermodel-esque N.L. body. I distinctly remember browsing on my phone in bed when I had the epiphany and am so glad I did. Knowing she's a limited and few were made makes my first doll all the more special to me (though I do miss owner pics!)

 

I always loved body sculpts that were realistic so I thought that my first doll would be from iplehouse. But I never made the purchase because I never felt that any of their dolls were THE doll for me. And then a video of a doll chateau alberta box opening came up on my youtube suggestions feed and i absolutely fell in love. I had this feeling of 'I NEED her'. But the sculpts of doll chateau were so slim and exaggerated and the total opposite of what I loved of realistic body sculpts.

The short of it is that it was the slim and uniqueness of doll chateau's body sculpts that made me get alberta as my first doll. It was so different from what I usually see from other companies.

 

MYouDoll's Delia is what convinced me to buy a BJD in the first place, and I was just on the verge of getting her until I realized she's sadly too big for my preferences. They did recently release a 1/6 version of her, but she looks a bit bobble-headed to me-- I'm grateful honestly, or else I would've been sad I missed out!

Though I didn't buy Delia, I really liked MYouDoll's look and prices (especially since I caught them during a sale period), and when I did research on them I saw pretty unanimously good reviews that their quality was excellent, especially given the price. So I stuck with MYouDoll and ended up buying their smaller Zhuozhuo instead, who looked just perfect for the character I wanted to shell.

Honestly, I'm quite lucky I found a doll I really liked for a price that was affordable for me. I grateful I don't feel like I'm "settling" at all; while I love Delia, I have enough room in my heart to love my Zhuozhuo as well! They're both gorgeous to me.

 

The reason I got my first doll was because her first owner was leaving the hobby and she was an Iplehouse, though she's not the sculpt I had been originally looking for. Iplehouse is one of my favorite bjd shops and they have amazing sculpts.

 

My first doll was a Little Monica Bear. The only thing I was certain on from the start was that I wanted my first doll to be a boy. I decided to look at MSDs because of the price really, but later realised that a SD would have been far too big for me anyway. At the time I ordered my first doll I was still so new to anything to do with the hobby I was literally just looking for a face I could fall in love with - which I found.

 

Pretty much the only doll I've seen that immediately makes me think of my OC. Perfect cute slightly chubby angelic face.
It took me on and off eight years to decide to buy a doll. I'd still check once in a while to see if I still felt attached to the sculpt and every time I still did, so I finally decided I should just do it. :p
I'd be so upset if the sculpt ever got discontinued, and after eight years I think I waited long enough.

 

Well I'd been researching BJDs for like...idk six years before I got one? So I already knew my general likes/dislikes and what companies I preferred. Sadly by the time I decided to get my own, most of the dolls I wanted the most were discontinued (AR Little Fair, MSD Mika) and I wanted my first doll to be completely stock and direct from the company which left me with BF Jasmine, the only still-available doll I really wanted. Looking back now I would have been better off waiting for a stock AR girl to pop up on DOA or get an MSD Mika secondhand because I found that I really did not like the new BF body and Jasmine was instantly my least-favorite after I'd acquired more dolls. And then, three brand new dolls into my collection, I got an old AR girl with her stock faceup and outfit and found that not only did I prefer single joints, but I also preferred old, slightly yellowed Mini-sized dolls with single joints and the classic MSD body type.

Pretty annoying to figure out that I liked an old, secondhand, yellowed doll more than I'd ever liked the three brand-new ones I had prior to her but at least it got me to the point where I know what I like!

 

I suffered from severe depression at the time. Listened to all kinds of "I wanna die and am otherwise super deep" Visual Kei music and tried to look the part, but failed for size and budget. I don't know how I came across Iplehouse, but I saw their Tania in the goth kitty outfit. She incorporated everything I wanted/pretended to be, so I bought her with money I didn't have.

 

I got my doll, (dollsbe potato) because he was small and cute, and I wanted to see if I'm actually *that* interested in BJDS or if its just a weird phase.. Anyways turns out I really bonded n loved the little guy!

 

I had this problem, too! Actually, most of the dolls I've fallen for in the past are probably difficult to get now. It's been a really long time.

Anyway, I happened upon BJDs as a young teen and quickly became obsessed, but for obvious reasons could not acquire any for a significant amount of time. Didn't stop me from daydreaming and making lists of, oh, an eminently reasonable 20+ dolls I was certainly going to someday have. Time passed, my interest level would wane for a bit and then pop right back up, and I'd start making new lists again.

Then, I saw Claude. The first Claude from Iplehouse, the fullset with the armor and everything. I am a huge, huge sucker for knights. I love everything to do with knights. I hadn't seen armor as good as that before... and Claude was beautiful. He was so perfect in every photo, everything about him--that smile! By this time, I actually had a shot at getting a BJD, and I knew this needed to be the one. If I didn't get him, I'd probably spend forever bellyaching over lists I couldn't narrow down and never actually buying one of these expensive things.

So, I got my first (still only) doll.

 

I'm in the same position as you right now! I recently bought a charm doll and wanted her cause she's cute and I can't stop looking back on her sculpt. But I'm also wondering if I actually like bad or wondering if I'm in a phase as well.

 

i know a lot of people have been saying "get the doll you really wanted and not what you think you want" but this is easier said than done
my "supposed-to-be" first doll I chose rather quickly, which did not let me fully bond with it with my thoughts, so in my book, it was a mistake.. i chose it mostly because i was attracted to the price.. and "convinced" myself in a pressure that this could work..

however, I got now this secondhand head that I really wanted and I have a plenty of reasons for choosing it, including the faceup, the sculpt, and the aesthetic. This doll right now is a hybrid. To be honest, I feel like I might have unconsciously bought this doll with this criteria, I was just... it was just like that moment. Magnetic. Right now I could say though that this is the doll that I was truthfully going for, character wise. I love him and I think he's perfect.

 

I've been looking for months for my first doll. I have a lot of characters I wanted to make into dolls but didn't have one specific in mind. All I knew was I wanted either a male doll with Asian features (black hair and slanted eyes) or I wanted a boy doll that looked like he stepped out from an Anime. Other enthusiasts talk about a lot of dolls and doll makers but its very confusing when they use abbreviations and references I don't yet know. When one was mentioned if a picture wasn't posted I would try to search for it online so I could see what they were talking about. I found a lot of very nice choices but they didn't have that asian beauty I was looking for or that cute anime look either. Finally I got lucky when someone posted a picture that was exactly what I was looking for. My first purchase was Orijean from Dollshe. I saw him and just fell in love. Less than a week later I placed the order. Unfortunately I can't get the clothing or the faceup with him that I fell in love with but I liked him enough I didn't care. I still bought him. LOL I've already got another selected for the anime boy too Aooni from Ringdoll.

 

I didn't have much income when I was first thinking of getting into the BJD hobby, and I found that the company Custom House/Aidolls was selling PVC versions of some of their Little Junior sculpts for a lower price than most BJDs. In the end they had production problems, and ended up sending me a resin version of the sculpt instead. I chose the Mars sculpt in particular because his sad little face was perfect for my character. Years later he's been on several different bodies and has had many different faceups but I'd never sell him - he's still perfect. It took me years to be able to send him out for a professional faceup because I was scared of losing him.

 

My first doll was a Luts KD Bory Unicorn. I ended up getting him because he was a combination of everything I wanted in a doll. He had droopy eyes, cute elf-like ears, and so I couldn't help myself. I knew I wanted dolls with all of those characteristics, so I fell in love instantly when I saw him.

 

I really enjoy dolls that are unique and uncommon so it was only natural that I fell in love with mini machina by batchix when I came across a video review of her from a few years ago. At the time I was really sad upon learning that the doll was currently unavailable and likely wouldn't be again for some time, but I also wasn't seriously looking at buying a bjd at the time. Recently I've started following an instagram page that sponsors posts for people trying to sell or find dolls to buy and saw a mini machina blip for sale! I was thrilled and determined to buy her.

Now I fill like I've opened the flood gates and I'm adding many dolls to my want list like skully by mister minou, pidgin doll, and pretty much any lilycat doll.

 

My first doll was Lishe Chicline from Fairyland. It was love at first sight, the doll has been living with me for 7 years.I have seen her photo in the Internet and have understood that I can't live without her
I still strongly love her

 

It catches my eye just like eye in first sight.
Is Gus from AS.
I still have it till now.
The first bjd is always the best!!

 

I wanted a little doll to try out with first, something I could make a fantasy character and one with a unique look. I also wanted one that was ready to go with a company face up. I saw lots of YOSDs that were cute but none of the expressions spoke to me. I looked at lots of companies but no luck. Then I saw the Realpukis by Fairyland and thought "We're getting warm!" They had such fun unique expressions and a pixie like quality that I loved. The banner on the page for them featured this little guy, laying along a branch, smirking to himself and I feel in love with that smirk. He was my tiny Peter Pan like boy and I couldn't be happier with the Papilio sculpt. I'm glad I got him

 

I'm really new to this hobby so all the information is definitely overwhelming for me. I don't even know where to begin to look at to choose other possible dolls.

I chose my first doll (that I don't own yet) courtesy of my sister. She fell in love with this one sculpt (Minifee Celine) and is stuck on it. So we planned to have twin dolls of that sculpt as we kept discussing details of the doll. Which I'm fine with since it is a pretty sculpt.

But when it comes time to pick another doll (maybe...I'm not sure if I'll be ready to own a 2nd doll when I don't even own 1), I'm going to be so lost because of so many options.

 

@flaflooflachan I have twins myself. It can be a fun way to see the versatility of a sculpt. Plus being the same size they can trade things.

 

At the time all I knew about was Volks Dollfies. For 2 years that’s all I searched bc I didn’t know about any others. The first actual in person doll I ever saw was at a local convention I go to every yr . It looked like Sebastian from Black Butler. An so I wanted my first doll to look more animeish. So the first doll that caught my attention was Miko a DDD. She just looked so cute and beautiful all at the same time I said she’s the one I want. So after I got my tax return I sucked it up an spent over $400 for her. She came standard nothing special an after I hit the purchase button I thought why in the world am I spending this much just for a doll??? Plus I didn’t know how big she really was let me just point that out there . I thought she was Barbie size honestly bc I didn’t pay no attention to her messurements. When she finally came in the box was huge I thought that’s a huge box for a small doll maybe they were making extra sure she wouldn’t break. Nope I opened the shipping box an saw her box an thought where am I going to hide this!!? An my old Barbie clothes are deff not going to fit !!! A year or so later I learned about bjd and how much a bigger selection of dolls are out there kinda wish I had waited on my first till I found that “just have to have doll” no matter the cost. Sad thing I have found her an all I can do is look at googles pics of her bc I can’t find her to buy.

 

My first doll was Dollzone Benjamin, and hilariously enough he's one of my only dolls who still hasn't arrived.

I bought him because, honestly, he's the perfect sculpt for me. He's got a really distinct face that I feel makes people either completely uninterested in him or absolutely head over heels in love with him, and I'm definitely one of the latter.

At first I was agonizing over whether I should buy him or Doll Chateau Jodie first, and I decided on him because he was bigger and seemed easier to buy clothes for.

After getting Dollzone Carter I'm really glad DZ was my "Gateway" company- they seem like the perfect mix of affordable, distinctive and sturdy.

 

I just think he's pretty.

 

@0bsequi0us
Benjamin is such a cool doll. His face is so interesting! I really adore him -- Carter and Benjamin are two of my favourite dolls all around.

--

For my first doll, I wanted someone with a somewhat neutral expression and a face that was interesting but not too unusual. Like someone you might look at twice on the subway but wouldn't remember afterwards. I absolutely adore sleeping/dreaming sculpts so I was looking at some of those, but I thought for a first doll it might be nice to have someone who could look around.

Eventually I picked Leon from Dollzone! I love his little eye bags, they're so sweet. And I like that you can leave the wing on for a fantasy element, or take it off and have a more standard doll. From the promo photos, it seems you can his expression look pretty different by using angles and shadows. And I just adore the joints on Dollzone bodies, especially the torso joint -- they're very obvious but still unobtrusive.

 

I chose a Volks Saki because my friend told me it was a reputable and reliable brand with good resin, and I found her the cutest among the three basic models

 

I knew I wanted an MSD size, so I looked around on Alice's Collection that fell into my price range. I started bookmarking everything that seemed affordable and cute, and then narrowed it down to a few. After that, I just listened to my intuition. I felt more drawn towards one, even if I liked the clothes or wig of the others, I knew I would connect with one more than the others. Hopefully she arrives soon! She shipped from China a few days ago

 

I wanted a doll with nice face, body with good posing, but the cheaper category. I didn't know how strong my interest. I choosed a Dragon Doll Ying Ying. She was perfect first doll!

 

Well I really really really wanted a Luts Model Delf Abadon, because that sculpt matched an oc of mine PERFECTLY. But I was short on funds so I picked a Resinsoul Sui to shell the oc instead. He's still a work in progress and he wasn't my first choice, but I still adore him.

 

Eight years ago I bought Loid from Luts. I don’t know why I ordered him, really. He had a okay-ish/nice face, and the brand was reliable. I wasn’t too hyper about him, but about the old OC I made him to be. I sold him ages ago. He was a great first doll, but this time I will be more selective.

 

My first doll was Benetia from DIM. I chose this doll because I really liked the sculpt, and the price was also affordable for my age at that time compared to the other ones I wanted.

 

I actually didn’t choose my first doll! My friend was getting rid of her MSDs and offered her to me for free, and I loved her immediately. She’s a garden of dolls narrah, and she’s honestly so pretty and I’m incredibly pleased with her!

 

ResinSoul Tang was the first sculpt I fell in love with; he looks exactly like a friend of mine who lives overseas. Finding one on the MP was like fate.

 

I wanted a doll with a faint smile that could pose fairly well and also fit my budget. I also didn't think I could bear to wait for months and months, so I picked a doll that I could also find in stock somewhere. The in-stock part was what narrowed down my choice from my final two options, and I've been very happy with the result. It turned out that I picked a doll that's a good, fairly generic size, easy to clothe, and very easy to find eyes and wigs for. Perfect starter doll!

 

I didn't know if I would even like a doll, so I was looking for a first doll that would be fairly good quality and give me a feel for what dolls were like, and would also be easily sold if it wasn't for me. Also one that would hopefully be easy to find clothing for and wasn't too big or too small. Checking out dolls in that category, I also preferred a more mature body type, but not too hyper realistic - and I wanted something with an actual expression, without looking stoned or tragically apathetic. I ended up with a Minifee, who I adore

 

I actually had 2 dolls I really loved. The first one was a CP El. I tried to contact Luts via email about layaway payment (wich was most important for me that time) but they never answered (my fault. I should have just used the Q&A instead^^).
Well the other doll was a Soom Mecha Angel Sabik. This guy looked so cool and handsome, especially on the promotion pictures where he was wearing a suit . And he was huuuuuge!!!!! The tallest doll in 2008!! So, Luts didn't answer and Soom replied immediately to all my newbie questions and layaway request - I thought ok, since I only will get one doll in my life, it should be the tallest, most handsome and perfect dude!
So I ordered Sabik (I still have him in my collection; he is not the tallest anymore, he is not the one and only doll I got in my life - but still deadly handsome . Oh! And I also got a CP El some time later)

 

I just wanted a small one to start with, since I was scared the bigger ones would be "too big" haha. So I started with a Fairyland Pukipuki Pong. Very cute, not as expensive as a YoSD or MSD.