What was your first doll?

[Kirahfaye]

My first doll as an adult hobbiest was a Hujoo Berry. She was adorable - I was given permisson to have her face-up fashioned after a particular painting of an artist I know so she looked like an adorable big-eyed fairy. However, in order to afford my firt resin, a Bobobbie Mei, I sold her. I know I have some photos of her, but can't locate any right now.....

[bombaykitty]

My first, first, first doll was when I was...maybe 2-3 years old. It was one of those plastic dolls that, if you lay them down, their eyes would shut. She had a disk in her back that could play certain phrases. I loved her, because my grandfather bought her for me from Japan (I lived in China at that time). I thought it was the coolest thing since China was really, really poor back then and I had never seen anything like it (a doll that could talk and move her eyes?? Whoaaaaaaaa *-* ).

Then, when I was 6 I moved to the US to live with my mom. Her boss' daughters gave me my first 2 Barbies when I went to their house and showed an interest in them ^-^ Super nice family. After that, mom got me a few more until I was about 9 or 10 and lost interest in dolls in general.



I stumbled on BJDs in university when I was looking for posable figures for drawing and got hooked, but they were so expensive that I thought only super serious collectors would buy them. Even so, I browsed some companies looking at how beautiful they were, and kept going back to Dollmore's Kyle Reese sculpt.

Fast forward about 5 years later, having worked at my first full time job for two years, I ended up circling back. I had bought a Taeyang doll when I saw him at a hobby store and he reminded me about the whole BJD hobby. I figured now that I had some money saved, why not? I did some more browsing, but it was still the Dollmore one I liked best, so I went for it.

The doll itself, along with face up, body blushing and sanding costed about $800, and then I added furniture, clothes, shoes, wigs, eyes, and my order ended up being almost $2000. That was literally the most I have ever dropped on anything at one time. He is STILL my most expensive possession, nothing else costed that much.

Three years later, he's still with me. My interest in the hobby has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs, and he's been there through it all

[Mary Kathryn]

My first "big purchase" was a Soom Minigem Uyoo Elf. I bought her from a seller in California in 2006.
Her name is Lizzie and she has a permanent place in my home.


She was semi-swiftly followed by two other MiniGems, Aren (Jolene) and a Sosle (Meggie.)

I think a 1/6 scale BJD was a perfect jumping off point for me.

[Linteia]

My first 'big purchase' was my BBB Ariel, Aisling. And they've just gotten bigger ever since. But before I took the plunge I bought a Moxie Teen Tristen to see if I was really sure I wanted to start collecting jointed dolls, so she was my first in the hobby. My Barbie trio were an Easter present when I was four that used to belong to my mom when she was a girl, so they definitely qualify as my 'first' first, but they're....separate....from my collection in my mind.

[Tasuke]

i started out in 1/6 Anime doll collecting back in 2001 with the short-lived three-doll TOYNAMI "Tenchi Muyo!" character doll series that had just hit market at the time. they were very poor dolls, but i cherished the "Princess Ayeka" from the line for a great many years, and she was my impetus to learn how to sew, since i was more than a little unsatisfied with how she was dressed out of the box;







it all started very simply, i just wanted her to have a decent set of undies and socks, and i started out by buying Barbie clothing, and crudely modifying them to fit. Ayeka's first Brassere, for example, was fastened onto her by a STAPLE, i kid you not.

after a time, however, i discovered sew-on snap closures, and that is my standard means of fastening doll clothing to this day.

i'll spare you the pain of sharing the many years of fumbling misteps made in those interim years, let's just say i made my Ayeka a TON of crudely fabricated but well meaning outfits such as this;



and, a good fifteen years later, i've come to this;







- ever since getting internet around 2006 or so, i've been able to expand far beyond anything i was ever once satisfied
with during those dark ages of the Tenchi Muyo character dolls. i discovered 1/6 Anime dolls, usually intended for the japanese market, and the OBITSU doll body system, and i've hardly ever looked back since.

today, i have a small, select, but gradually growing harem of 1/6 character dolls, all based upon the OBITSU body,
save for a pair of 1/5 TSUKUDA HOBBY dolls. this means that any clothing i now make can fit any of my girls,
save, of course for those two TH ones, which, of course, i have to make outfits for especially.

it all works out quite well anymore; i either buy pre-made outfits i like, on occasion, or, more often,
i get inspired by something i see in a movie or Anime, and it's often immediately off to the races,
busy for a few days making my own 1/6 treatment, either closely or loosely based upon what i had been inspired by.

one of my favorite examples is the dress i made for the Queen-Bee of my harem, -my "Mikuru Asahina"
of "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya" Anime fame- that was inspired by/loosely based upon
this dress worn by the lead Actress in one of my favorite childhood films,
1984's generally unpopular/little known "ELECTRIC DREAMS"










all the same, the girl that started it all has hardly been forgotten.
indeed, i honored her with a desperately needed new face-up just a few years back;

[embyquinn]

This thread concerns the 'expensive' beyond the norm type of doll, I think?

I'm guessing the OP meant your first expensive, OMG-I-have-to-save-up-for-it kind of doll purchase, but I'm choosing to completely disregard that because, well, I haven't made that kind of doll purchase yet and I may never do so.

My first dolls, when I was a child, were a pair of Scottish dolls in a box I was never allowed to play with. This is probably why I grew up to be a rabid deboxer. XD

The first doll I was actually allowed to play with was a Color Magic Barbie. At one time I actually had most of the Mod era Barbies - blond Marlo flip Barbie, a redheaded Stacie, a brunette short-haired Francie, a blond Casey, a talking Ken, and my very favorite of all, P.J. I also had a Living Barbie and a Live Action P.J. It was Living Barbie that introduced me to doll articulation, and I later got a Dollikin (Action Girl) that was even more posable. I've always preferred articulated dolls, even long before I discovered Japanese fashion dolls and BJDs.

My first Japanese doll was an Obitsu--the one who eventually became the first Megumi. I didn't actually have to save up too much for her, but it was still a bit more than I'd ever spent on a doll before.

I have yet to get a larger BJD, but should I ever do so, it would take a lot of thought. It's good that there are so many choices, and yet it's also frustrating in a way. I would like a BJD version of Cherry, but I'm not sure about reshelling her. I'm happy with the way she is now.

[Tasuke]

This thread concerns the 'expensive' beyond the norm type of doll, I think?

Oh.

well, in that case, IIRC, $150shipped was about the most i have yet spent on any one doll.

specifically, the exceptionally rare 2004 AZONE "Chinese Fantasy" Maya;

[arrowchild]

My first doll as an adult collector was my 1/6 Neo Go Volks boy, L


My first big resin boy was Emile, my Limhwa Mano


I think I got L in 2006..?
And Emile in 2007.
They're both still with me

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

The first dolls I ever saved up for were 3 dolls with soft bodies and porcelain faces, hands and feet. They were in old fashioned outfits - one dark green, one burgundy and one brown. I saved up my pocket money and bought them over a period of 2 years while on holiday. I know I called one of them Letitia.

Fast forward about 3 decades, and the next dolls I really saved up anything for were my first BJDs - resin souls which I no longer have as I didn't get on with the white!