In other words, my guide to my frugality and how I keep my dolly spending in check. And no, buying two Kenners is not my idea of remaining frugal, but as you will read, I think there’s a time and a place for spending money.

Avoid buying things that I can make myself.

Sometimes this one is rather hard. Pretty dresses are always so very tempting. I do allow myself to buy things that are on the Wish List though. Sometimes there are just some things that you want. Unless it comes up a regular basis, sometimes you have to be willing to pounce on it. I notice this happens frequently for certain dresses by some certain designers. They get listed and then they’re gone in a blink. So some things are okay to jump on, if they’re very highly sought after, priced lower than expected (eg. getting a good deal!) or if I cannot make it myself.

However, keep in mind that it’s not a “good deal” if you’re only buying it because it’s there, or on sale. If you weren’t going to buy it before hand and you’re only buying it because it’s cheap, it’s not a good deal because it’s not something you wanted to begin with.

Trades, swaps, bartering

Sometimes I have something that someone else wants. Sometimes they have something that I want. Bartering/trading is a great way to go to get something that you want and to also get rid of something that you’re no longer loving. The best way to do this is to make sure you’re both aware of the details like: who’s sending what, method of shipping (insurance? tracking? delivery confirmation?), what day you’re both to send it out and to provide proof of shipment (receipts, etc.). This can lower the cost because of instead of finding the money to buy something right then and there, you’re swapping something out of your own doll closet (or collection) for something new-to-you. It removes the fact that you’d need to sell something to get the money and then go and buy it.

Organized swaps are my favourite. People put together packages just for you to your liking. It’s pretty fun. Just remember to follow the rules and to make sure that you’re making something that you would want to receive yourself. It’s no fun to be the recipient of something that falls apart. Whatever you send out in a swap should be something that you would be wanting to receive.

Avoid eBay? Or bond with it?

I have a love-hate relationship sometimes with eBay. It’s great for a lot of things, but you really need to know your prices in order to get a ‘good deal’. As before, if it’s not something that you would have bought before you saw the price, it’s not a good deal. That said, eBay can be fantastic for a lot of things. If you know pricing and can find a decent listing, it can be worth your while (and be a lot cheaper at times). It’s also a good idea to vary your search terms from time to time as some people may improperly list their items or use different words to describe an item. Not everyone on eBay goes and looks up what they have before they list it. They may put in generic terms or assume it’s something that it’s not. I like eBay because it’s where I got some of my Blythes at what I consider to be decent prices. It’s also a place where I managed to ‘score’ on a few vintage Skipper lots, so it does have its purposes. But in order to be successful (and not to overspend), you really do need to familiarize yourself with pricing and also watch out for shipping.

Always set yourself a maximum limit for an auction. If the price goes above that limit, you need to know when to walk away.