cheap vs expensive

[Qrinta]

I like all the dolls! I have a tendency to be drawn to more expensive things (to me all dolls are expensive in some way XD though it could be I'm just cheap) if I like it I like it, the price is only an issue when it comes to actually making a purchase. XD

But yeah. If you love your dolls and they're what you want who cares about the price? People who say things like that are just trying to make you feel down.

[DollyKim]

Expensive is a relative term to the buyer, for the amount of money I've paid Taffy cost the most because of his size, price per inch is a tie between Phantom of the Paradise and Dr Elebenty. Do I go around saying what the dollar amount is to other people? Nope.

My favorite of my balljoint is Xavier a Dollzone mini, "cheap" "fugly" and anything else elitists can call him. I was there when I had a Koosa cat instead of a Cabbage Patch and if that's how they have to be do you really want to be a member of that club? You want to be jealous of one of my dolls be jealous my sister and I worked together to win the twins' heads. Be jealous I've had some of my dolls long enough for them to go beyond yellowing. Be jealous how much I love them instead of seeing them as status symbols.

[AmberRose]

Well for me personally I acquired most of my dolls via gifts or trades. There are a few dolls I admire but I have evaluated and in my mind rehomed in smaller forms and that's good enough for me. A couple of my dolls would be considered mid price range but most are inexpensive or bought during promo events when I bought them for less. There are artists I prefer and to be honest some are hand cast by the artist and I appreciate the slight imperfect nature of them it makes them unique. Does that make any of them less special then another no, not to me regardless of size or price they are all beautiful.

[Stormlight]

Hmmmm. Most of my dolls are on the more expensive side, but that's only because I happen to love certain companies who happen to charge more for their dolls than other companies. Fairyland and Luts, for example. I started out with Luts because I LOVED their sculpts, and when CP moved on to Fairyland and began designing their own bodies and such, I followed. I just adore the engineering of their bodies, the way they look and pose, and I still love their sculpts. Sure, I pay more for one 60cm body than I would for two bodies of the same size from, say, Resinsoul, but that's my taste. I'm not saying Resinsoul is bad, it's just I prefer more elaborate jointing than they happen to offer on their bodies, that's all. And hey, if they ever design bodies with the kind of jointing and posing Fairyland offers, I'll snap them up in a heartbeat!

I've tried going the 1/6 scale route, as well, with Obitsu and Volks 27cm, and I just didn't handle them the way I did my resins, so they ended up being sold on to people who would play with them. I guess I just prefer my expensive resin 1/6 dolls to the not-expensive ABS and vinyl 1/6 dolls. But over those, I really prefer the larger 1/4 and 1/3 scaled dolls. They have more to them, and seem less fragile. I do have two 50cm Obitsu and a Dollfie Dream girl, though, and they're great, although I'm paranoid about staining, so they rarely wear color (at least for long periods of time).

Admittedly, if we're talking about elitism, sometimes I can't help feeling that this forum has its own issues with elitism. Seems like almost every member owns mostly the Obitsu and other inexpensive dolls, and a number seem to constantly talk smack about DOA and how the people over their with their "uber-expensive dolls" are all snobs and elitists and stuck up and yadda yadda yadda.

Well, I'm a member of DOA. Have been since joining this hobby almost seven years ago. I was there long before I was here, but I like both forums. I've never had trouble with either one, so I have no issues with either one. Most of my dolls are the uber-expensive kind that people here scoff at, but I don't consider myself an elitist or a snob. I do, however, sometimes feel uncomfortable showing off my dolls and their fancy outfits a lot because I wonder if people will start thinking I AM a doll snob if I do. I'm not. I just ... have more expensive tastes than others. But for those who like their "cheap" Resinsouls and Bobobies and Dollzones (Dollzone isn't actually that cheap though, are they? I've seen a few gorgeous fullsets that could give Fairyland a run for their money cost-wise...), that's perfectly fine! You keep your tastes, and I'll keep mine, and we'll call it a day, right?

[Iwa_Hoshi]

I have a cheaper end customed Obitsu who looks more like her character than certain expensive dolls of her type could ever be. I have expensive Iplehouse who I bought/saving up for because they have a resemblance to my 1/6 (cheap and expensive )playline dolls and that the idea that they also have a resemblance to way too many well remembered game characters for their own good and therefore an expected long list of shoots with different combination of a basic line of outfits.

Cheap or expensive, I work and save up for them. I buy dolls because I like the way they look and not to make myself fit in with the popular crowd(I still don't own a Dollfie Dream or Volks resin (their 1/6 plastic Dollfie line yes). I see them as a form of relaxation when I make stuff for them or go on shoots (they make me go outdoors and look at pretty parks and festive events like I never done before)

You could have a cheap doll and still behave like a drama queen to others(regardless the price or type of their dolls) and you can have an insanely expensive jackup priced vinyl doll and still be a jerk to others. Some people just want the drama to make themselves look better than others

Be jealous how much I love them instead of seeing them as status symbols.

The llamas that go baying around on the status symbol thing drove me back into hermitage and doing lone shoots. I rather not be cannon fodder and try to proove anything to them regardless of the price of my dolls.

[richila]

I think the point is that cost and value are not the same thing. What an item cost initially has little to no bearing on the value we place on an object. People buy what they find beautiful at the price they can afford. I can afford more now than I could in my 30's; I make more money than I did then. In my 30's I could only maintain one expensive hobby, now I can do two and their auxillary hobbies. That being said, I think that Micros rank as the most expensive by centimeter at $38 per centimeter. A 70 cm doll at that cost would be $2660 - nude.

[Kirahfaye]

Stormlight, I wonder if you might be over-thinking the issue. I've never read a negative post about anyone's doll here regardless of expensive or lack there of and if you have then it should be brought to the attention of the admins.

I doubt if anyone here cares if you like DOA as much as or even better than DS. Sure there might be the periodic DOA bashing, but that isn't against the doll or even the collecting of the doll, but against the negative comments or attitude that pops up there a lot. If someone wants to spend $10,000 on a doll and can afford it without causing financial problems for their family, then I say more power to them! Just don't turn around and sneer at my Monster High dolls because they are cheap and plastic.

I have not had a really negative experience dealing with other bjd collectors in person. First off, my local group wouldn't put up with it. We collect Bratz and Monster High and those little alien fashion dolls all the way up to Lusions. And when I've attended the doll meets at Dragon*Con, everyone has been considerate of each others' tastes in bjds.

[DollyKim]

There's definitely a disconnect between cost and value or a lot of things in the world. I just paid a reasonable price for the complete series of one Animae with bells and whistles, another one is going to cost three times the price for no discernible reason.

I see doll elitism as "you don't have X so you can't play with us" or "my doll cost X more than yours which obviously makes it better no questions asked" or "I don't like your doll/the people I associate with don't like your doll so I'm going to use it to form my opinions of you". Mostly childish behavior that people hopefully grow out of.

As for most of us having Obitsus it's because many of us are members at the Junky Spot forum which is for a store that sells Obitsus and that's how we met. We recommend them because of quality. If you don't have one we'll still let you play with us. If you don't have any dolls you're welcome to play because we're fabulous enablers.

[happyknot]

I thought what made a ball jointed doll was how it was constructed, it's joints specifically, NOT what it is made out of or how much it costs.

There are porcelain ones, plastic ones, paper mache ones, paper clay ones, resin ones, polymer clay ones - and they have been made all over the world, not just in Japan and Korea or China.

So what they must be talking about is a club or a clique, rather than the hobby or ball jointed dolls as a whole. Personally, I wouldn't want to hang out with anyone who makes you feel inferior for something you really enjoy.

[Iwa_Hoshi]

I Personally, I wouldn't want to hang out with anyone who makes you feel inferior for something you really enjoy.

But but what if they want to hang out with you so that you can join in their drama and be cannon fodder for a feud? What if because you don't want hang out with them and it makes them bored and they want to start something about that and then quit the hobby to join another hobby group?

ok sorry i just had to say that.