BlytheLife.com opened in July 2010 and is a blog and resource hub for all things Blythe!
QOTW: Love at first sight?
Written on June 16, 2014 at 12:00 pm by MichelleFiled under: Question of the Week
Whenever I see listings for dolls that are up for sale or “adoption”, I frequently see phrases like:
I didn’t bond…
She’s just not what I expected…
She doesn’t fit in with my family…
And it got me thinking – with how often people use phrases like this, it makes me wonder why this happens. Sure, a lot of dolls are very pretty and attractive in photographs online, but it doesn’t mean that I’m going to go out and buy them just to see if I’ll like them in person as well. It’s costly endeavor to buy all the dolls just to see if you like them. Not only will you likely be out some money if you’re the first one to remove her from the box, there’s also the costs associated with shipping (that you paid originally) and shipping materials (that you need to buy in addition to ship her out). Plus there’s the cost of your time, since time is money! This seems to happen most frequently, it seems, with new releases. Since nobody has seen them in person, or had the opportunity to buy one secondhand, it stands to reason that there may be those who decide that the doll is too far off from the promotional photography that it isn’t worth keeping around. And then you have those who buy a doll that costs nearly $200 just to “steal” the stock outfit from, and then resale at nearly the same price due to high demand of a popular doll.
Kitty Brighton, my Jackie Ramone, is the only Blythe doll that I have ever
bought based on promotional photographs alone.
For me, Blythe shopping is an event that happens far and few in between. I don’t buy new dolls frequently, and nor can I afford to do so. I also cannot afford to buy dolls just to see if I will like them, so I tend to stick with dolls that I’ve already seen in out-of-box photos. The doll itself may still be never removed from box, but I will have had the chance to see other people’s dolls out of box, and the general quality of the hair, how well they look with chip changes or new (better!) outfits. The ability to do this is so wonderful because it means that I can imagine what my doll will look like in other clothes besides the stock outfit. Older releases or secondhand dolls are great for this reason, if you’re buying them on the secondhand market, you’re more likely to get to see photos of the doll from various angles, with flaws magnified in photos taken with the macro function. And if you ever have questions, you can always ask for more photos! This is definitely something that you cannot do with brand new dolls that are still in the box. So there are always pros and cons to the condition of the doll that you’re buying.
Was it love at first sight for you? Or do you resell dolls after not bonding?
I am fairly new to Blythe collecting and have looked at probably hundreds of pictures of many types of Blythe dolls trying to decide where and if I wanted to own one.
I discovered that not all Blythe’s appealed to me..I prefer the more child like looking dolls as opposed to the more grown up sophisticated type.
The first Blythe doll I purchased was a re-rooted Pickle Winkle with wild brown and white mohair that I fell in love with and will always keep.
Second “Blythe” was a CCE doll with a face I loved instantly who has a big personality shining through, even tho not a real Blythe. I would never get rid of her!
My third and only NIB Blythe is Simply Mango and that doll was also love at first sight. I had to save my pennies to purchase her, but finally she has arrived and I am not ever letting her leave my little family either.
So I guess I am one of those love at first sight doll collectors who hesitate in purchasing a doll until I get that “oh, you will live with me forever” feeling…then I am not afraid to make that buying decision.
I do believe in love at first sight when it comes to dolls! But also in slowly discovering you like a doll after seeing her around a lot.
I’ve only resold a doll (a Tailor Gibson) once, and I felt pretty guilty about it! But it’s true, we didn’t “bond.” I still love TG when I see her in other people’s photostreams on Flickr, but IRL, it didn’t feel right having her, and I felt guilty for having a doll I didn’t really want to “play” with. It’s so strange, since I love TG. I think it’s possible to love a doll from a distance, when she’s in other people’s hands, and they are dressing her, styling her, possibly customizing her, and yet hold the same doll in your hands and realize she’s not for you, that she looks different in person or doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of your collection. Unfortunately you have to actually buy the doll to ascertain that sometimes!!
At this point, I buy a Blythe abooouuut once a year, if that. I don’t consider myself constantly in the market or interested in acquiring every doll that I like. It’s generally something I think about for a while, postponing the purchase to see if my fancy for her passes after a bit or hangs around. I do like seeing pictures of her on Flickr first, since they tend to be more accurate than official pictures. They show flaws in quality, but also bring out beauty that is sometimes not evident in stock pictures.
On the subject of adopting dolls out, I see all kinds of reasons, but I don’t understand the people who don’t seem to hang onto ANY doll for more than a few months. I think most people have a somewhat steady “family,” or a “forever girl,” but I think others are just attracted to attaining dolls, don’t really bond with any of them, and find it more appealing to keep up a constant stream of adopting dolls and passing them on again. To each his own, of course, but it bewilders me a little, especially when they poach stock.
It was absolutely LOVE at first sight when I unwrapped my very first Blythe doll,she is a custom doll, I had never even seen a Blythe doll in real before seeing her,which I was very nervous buying an expensive doll not knowing whether I would like this type of doll or not, I have 3 others now another custom a part custom and a fake but still Raven my first will always be my forever favourite I think, and needless to say I just LOVE Blythe’s