New to BJD collecting - anyone have tips or advice?

[Pheasant]

I'd like to start collecting a few BJDs, but I literally have no idea how to start! I've been collecting Barbies and American Girl dolls for several years, but BJDs are unexplored territory and I'm looking for some guidance.

• What dolls do you recommend for a new collector?
• What brands are considered high quality? What brands should I avoid?
• How do I avoid re-casts?
• Are there any price-check guides out there?

[Aliyahbetd]

If you don't already have a specific size in mind, I would hit up a doll meet if you can, so you can see what's out there.

The DenofAngels wiki has a list of Dollmakers as well as a list of Bjd's under $300 organized by size (you don't have to be a member to browse the wiki).  Just off the top of my head some popular brands are Fairyland, Volks, Iplehouse, Dollzone, Luts, Soom, Resinsoul and Lati, there are lots of cool companies

It's hard to recommend a specific doll line or company, there are so many, and it's all about personal preference! Pick a doll you love!

For avoiding recasts, I would steer clear of Ebay. Though there are some legit dealers on there (jeeryama is a good one), there are also a bunch of recasts. Going directly though the company is always an option, as well as using a dealer like Alice Collections, Denverdoll, Mintoncard etc...

[TwistedRiver]

Work on your patience if you don't already have the patience of a saint. I'm still waiting on my first baby to arrive and I ordered him first of September. If you don't do so well in that area try looking places like Denver Doll/Junky Spot for dolls that are currently in stock. I put an in stock doll on layway (4 monthly payments) in late October and odds are it'll arrive home first.
There is actually a lot of Den of Angels that can be looked out without joining and it's not a bad place to read up on some dolls.
If you run into any specific questions, there's a lot of dolly fans here that would probably be more than happy to help you out.
Good luck finding the perfect doll for you.

[mothums]

I hope you don't mind my posting, I'm curious as well! Would love to get opinions from experienced members

[rosierjay]

My two favorite places to drool is fairyland http://dollfairyland.com/index.php
and Luts http://www.eluts.com/index.php
both are reasonable and cute for a possible first doll.
I really like them.
as far as avoiding recast. don't go to places like aliexpress (sometimes pictures of the doll you like will redirect you there if you do a google search) those are guaranteed recast. when buying on ebay, there are a few of the companies in Korea that have legit dolls listed, but it's just as easy to order directly from their site. so unless you're getting one used i'd skip ebay if you don't have to use it.

i'm on a few recast friendly groups on facebook, and the nice thing with that is, if you don't list it as recast or legit they post gets taken down, and if it is ever revealed that you sold a recast as legit, well a few things happen, from what i've noticed people are honest, and i've found a few beautiful dolls from there. that way you know for sure that it's not a recast.

non-recast friendly groups don't have to specify as it's imply that they are legit, but personally i like them having to say that they are. then i can claim false advertising and get my money back.

legits (unless they are too old for it) will have paperwork. my friend has a doll that's probably 15 years old before recasting became popular, and well. never got paperwork for the doll, but she bought it directly from the company and i don't believe a recast was ever made of that particular one. anyway, all newer legit dolls will have paperwork. a few companies like mirodoll are very affordable and pose well, but have a pretty limited selection. i don't know if mirodoll has paperwork since they are rarely recast, since they are just as inexpensive if not cheaper than many recast.

hope this helps.

found this on DoA

Spoiler

oh as a side note. i personally recommend getting a reasonably priced doll for your first one. under 400$ etc. mostly just because if you save up for the 1000$ ones and find you really don't like it, you will have a harder time selling the more expensive doll. but if you really love it and want to keep investing, then you can save up and get the more expensive one as well. don't compromise on the doll you want of course, but i did the same thing for most of my collections. tried something more affordable to see if i really liked it, then really invested in it, or sold off what i had and tried something different. (what i've done with Pullips and blythe)

but of course it's totally up to you. just my personal experience.

[Radiance]

Attend a meet up if you can. BJDs have a lot of presence that just doesn't come through in photos. For a first doll, I'd recommend something in a standard size that will be easy to buy clothes for (unless you want to sew your own).

Look at as many owner photographs as you can! A lot of companies, from Volks (a pricier brand) to Bobobie (a more affordable brand) take awful pictures of their dolls. Or they add so many Photoshop effects you can hardly see the poor things! Owner pics give you a more realistic image of what the dolls look like. A doll that looks boring and bland on a company's website might be a stunning beauty IRL.

Join Den of Angels if you haven't already. It's a great resource for finding out about the hundreds of brands out there, and how to care for, craft for, and customize your doll. There are some safety concerns like respiratory protection if you plan on customizing on modding your doll, so please do some research before you attempt those things.

Avoiding recasts... well if the price seems too good to be true on a site that sells multiple brands of dolls it's probably a recast site. Avoid ebay as well, unless you're buying from an authorized reseller. DoA has a huge marketplace of second hand dolls, most at fairly reasonable prices, and DoA is very strictly anti recast. Buying second hand from an established DoA member is pretty safe. Buying directly from the company assures you're getting a legit doll that is made just for you, and if you have any problems like the doll arriving with a broken finger you can get help straight from them. Some companies have great service, others not so much. Again, DoA has a company review section to help you out there.

Mint on Card Inc and Denver Doll Emporium are both in the USA, carry many brands of dolls, all legit, and paying for shipping will be much cheaper than buying overseas. They also offer layaway. Most companies will offer layaway on their site but some don't. If you buy from an authorized dealer that has dolls in stock, you avoid a lot of waiting time. Almost all doll companies make your doll to order, and the process can take anywhere from a month to almost a year depending on the company. Remember most doll companies are really only a handful of people working to make the dolls, so if they get a lot of orders the wait time increases.

Really the best advice I can give you is to shop around, do a lot of research, and don't impulse buy! Give yourself a budget and buy the doll you fall in love with. BJDs, even the so called cheaper brands, are an expensive hobby to have. If you have all the money in the world you can, of course, buy whatever doll you like regardless of price. But if you're like most collectors, you don't have a money tree and it's just realistic to budget your doll spending.

Spoiler

There are some doll collectors who swear the BJD hobby is full of snobby elitists who will belittle and make fun of anyone who doesn't own a $700, popular fancy doll. Poppycock. 10 years into the hobby and I have yet to meet any so called elitists other than a couple of online trolls. The community tends to shut down trolls pretty quickly and is, in the main, supportive of new collectors!   

[SwordPony]

Spoiler

There are some doll collectors who swear the BJD hobby is full of snobby elitists who will belittle and make fun of anyone who doesn't own a $700, popular fancy doll. Poppycock. 10 years into the hobby and I have yet to meet any so called elitists other than a couple of online trolls. The community tends to shut down trolls pretty quickly and is, in the main, supportive of new collectors!   

Spoiler

I'm not saying this to be rude but there are rude people in this hobby. I have personal run across quite a few on Facebook. So there are a select few who feel they are superior to some doll owners. I personal encounter this when I owned a Resinsoul doll. So to say they aren't around is just wrong because no matter what hobby you are in there will always be people who think what they have is better than what you could ever own.

As for tips I'd agree with what everyone else is saying. I do take my dolls out into the sun but they have carry boxes they go out in and when I'm done with the photo shoot they go right back into there boxes. Any who good luck. It's a fun hobby for the most part.

[klein]

Fabricfriendsanddolls offers layaway for Luts as well as several other companies and the owner is a perfectly lovely person who is willing to work with you on layaways etc. I was hesitant about Luts at first as I was a diehard Fairyland fanatic for so long but since I got my first Luts doll I've bought six more from them and not a single one from Fairyland. Price is more wallet friendly and their tiny centaurs are super adorable and built amazingly well.

If you want to avoid recasts and you see that is a site in question look to see if they have a selection of Iplehouse dolls as that brand does not have any official dealers so if you see a store selling several of their dolls for rock bottom prices it's a recast shop. They also tend to keyword spam the titles so like a doll will be listed as "Volks Fairyland Luts Minifee MSD". Minifees should sell for around $400 or so if you see someone selling for $150 or so it's a recast.

[Hervoyel]

I'd suggest checking out BJD Collectasy - they have news of all the latest releases, so you can read through and see which styles of dolls and which companies are to your taste. They also have a huge comprehensive listing of companies and dealers that are great to go through.

As for brands, it really depends on your tastes and what you want to do with the dolls. There are companies that are known for certain styles or for posing or for realism or for animal heads, or for extremely stylized bodies, so any recommendation would have to be personalized based on that - there's no one company that everyone loves or everyone hates (at least in general).

[Uninu]

I echo what others have said already and add this: there's this wonderful list called BJD's for 300 or less.
You might want to check out the dolls on that list, I know I check it now and then when looking for doll bodies for hybrids especially but most of the dolls on that list are pretty on the whole, too!

[autieluna]

Just wanted to say thanks for the posts, everyone! I am getting interested in BJDs myself and will definitely be checking out these resources to get myself started.

[Pheasant]

Just wanted to say thanks for the posts, everyone! I am getting interested in BJDs myself and will definitely be checking out these resources to get myself started.

I second that! Thank you all for taking the time to respond. <3

I have one more question - how long does it take for suppliers to restock? Although I will start out with a cheaper model, I would like to eventually get a Minifee Rin (Sheep and wolf story model) but she's currently sold out.

[Uninu]

Some limited BJD never come back for sale, so it's hard to say.

[SwordPony]

Most all Minifee's when they sell out are just that sold out. You can still get a Minifee Rin but not as a full set. Unless you find it second hand.