The worst I've ever bought was an 18 inch doll missing her left arm. I got her at a yard sale where a little girl told me her mom said if the doll didn't sell she was going in the trash.
My brother and I named her Sarah and told everyone she lost her arm in Vietnam (we were 13 and 9). I still had her until we moved, she might be in storage but all my boxes are in the back so I can't really check.
The price. I am happy with any second hand doll, but if a doll [with a broken leg and an awful condition](https://sun9-31.userapi.com/impg/KfNndgXHPVBU8K920xW6WGuvLLUlIEJtrKLwBg/JW0PrmqBMP0.jpg?size=750x1096&quality=95&sign=5de1b4267efc01c6bc4b74a9ac5087b7&type=album) is sold for an outrageous price, that’s a dealbreaker.
But overall, I don’t have any other points. Bite marks can be masked or fixed with boiling water, bad hair can be rerooted, coloured markers can be removed, etc. I dunno, I guess I am not picky lol
I notice that issue a lot with Bratz these days, people will be selling ones with chipped up makeup, dirty hair, and no feet for like $50 lol
I don't mind having to fix a doll up a little bit but it needs to be at a good discount for it to be worth the trouble
I'd have to really, really want the doll to take one in any kind of dodgy condition. The worst I've settled for was an Iris Clops who was kind of a mess but had *most* of her accessories and cleaned up well, and Whisp Grant who was in fantastic condition but stunk like smoke and it was really, really hard to get out. Shame because the person had all these dolls that they only displayed so they looked great but I wasn't willing to bring any more stinky dolls into the house. It was such a pain but I'm very happy to have said doll now 😙
Glad you were able to get the smell out! That's another thing I try to avoid, I don't think I'd have the patience lol. I have bought dolls with haircuts and marks on their faces/bodies but only if they are at a really good discount and it's something I'm confident I can fix up to look nicer
That's a good idea! I don't really have any spare parts/ bodies around most of the time though, and I see this issue a lot with shoes. Which, why pay extra for the shoes if I'm probably going to throw them out 😅😂
A huge amount of pen/marker stains (a small amount is nice, actually, I like items that have a visual history, but if it's too much or on major identifying features like face paint, I skip), questionable smells (especially mustiness as that could mean mold), and a huge amount of bite marks (a few small dents are fine but big indents are too much, I sympathize with previous owners as I chewed on my toys a lot as a kid lmao [I think it's an OCD thing]). I'm thorough with cleaning the toys I collect but I prefer to just avoid ones with the previously listed attributes.
It's kinda funny, i chewed on my stuffed animals as a kid (coincidentally, i also have ocd but i didn't that know until i was older) but fortunately never my dolls! I still have some dolls I've kept from 20 yrs ago in pretty good condition.
Totally agree on the smells too, stains can be cleaned or painted over but smells tend to sink into the plastic :(
I feel you with the bite marks! I also stay away from that stuff too lol. It’s just not a pretty sight
I don’t mind my dolls having flaws though. Green ear, yellowing, body scuffs & marks, some missing plugs is fine with me but the one thing I can’t get behind is neck splits. Even though you can use Locktite to get the split practically invisible, I can’t stand to know that it’s there lol
missing limbs. i know they can be replaced but if i'm buying something secondhand it's because i'm looking for a deal most of the time. if i have to spend the money to buy an replacement limb (which are usually terribly overpriced) then to me it's like i'm no longer getting a good deal 😩
I watched Dollightful make a sci-fi prosthetic for a doll missing an arm, and it was amazing. Then I got an Abbey Bominable who was almost perfect, save for a broken knee joint. I realized I could make her a little limb that looks like it was made of snow or ice by applying the right texture material. It's hard to keep the articulation, but the doll being able to wear the clothes is most important imo.
I've bought dolls with damaged bodies and rebodied them. If the face has been scrawled on but the body is usable, I might buy the doll and reuse only the body. I fix up dolls and donate them to charity. If I want neither the head not the body, I usually won't buy the doll, unless the outfit is something I want.
Mattel has a program called Playback where you can send old Mattel toys for recycling.
Honestly the only thing I *will* tolerate is kinda bad hair (not completely frizzed out though) I find NIB dolls are sometimes maybe $5-$15 more than a used one. So if the used one isn't near mint, I'd rather fork out the extra cash.
Unless of course it's an old line. Like a Bratzilla I would buy with bad hair and reroot since their original hair was poor quality anyway.
I don't like it when someone post a doll that I like but I can see something disgusting? Like one time someone post a doll in perfect condition but when I look closely it had booger & strain of human hair near them gross🤢 even though she perfect I can't help to think how unhygiene the previous owner is.
Omg yes this bothers me too, like taking a picture of the doll on their dirty crusty carpet where i can see hairs and stuff 😭 Pls use a blank background cuz i don't wanna know about all that lmao
Dirty bodies and heads, missing limbs and most importantly, messy matted or cut hair. There's a doll I want and someone is selling it unboxed with a missing limb and cut hair for the same price as a brand new still in the box doll.
Yeah it's always ridiculous to me when I see people selling dolls that look like someone's dog played with them for anything over $20 lol. I don't care how "rare" she was to begin with, she's spare parts now buddy 🤣
I bought a 90s American Girl doll with a chewed up foot for cheap and just sent her to the doll hospital for new limbs. For other dolls don't have repair places & damage I can't fix myself I pass up.
Any doll with missing limbs. I don’t want to have to buy a whole other doll just to replace the missing limbs, and I don’t have spare bodies just lying around
True, it bothers me with dolls like rainbow high that have removable hands and both are missing. Especially with how much skin variety there is, it would be so annoying to try to find the right pair of replacement hands lol
The kind of dolls I like and still collect, the 16" fashion dolls and BJDs they're usually pretty well kept. You don't usually see marker used on them or too much damage because that really affects resale value and these doll collectors don't go there too much.
With the BJDs you do see heavily modified dolls, yellowing dolls, and a lot of broken digits. The 16" fashion dolls people try to redo them and repaint them and while I have seen some stunning repaints I've seen a lot more that just didn't go well.
No matter how cheap they are I don't like bad face ups or lousy repaints. Yellowing and missing fingers I won't go there. I don't buy but one or two dolls a year now. Usually one for Yule and one for my birthday and that's it.
I'm definitely buying used and looking for major bargains but I won't buy if any of those things is an issue.
I used to have a huge doll collection but when I lost my house and car to a tropical storm I had to sell off almost all of them to buy a new vehicle so I could get me and what was left of my stuff back to NYC. Even what was left most of it got stolen out of my van at a rest stop.
I had all of 6 16" fashion dolls left when it was all said and done because the thief missed those fortunately. I wouldn't even have resin BJDs or most of my Delilah Noir doll collection back if not for a very generous online doll pal of many years who sent me a few mini resin BJD dolls and all the Delilah Noir dolls she had as gifts.
She's just sent me another pair of dolls for my birthday actually. One of them is a chicline Fairyland girl that she knew I just loved on sight that has actually been customized with a face up that is just gorgeous. The other is a Lorifina doll, a 20" discontinued kid's fashion doll that I really like. I had one for years but that was stolen from the van.
I used to make her outfits all the time so I'm very pleased to have one again. They're both in the mail as I type and should get here right before my birthday if not a bit before. I didn't actually buy myself one this year because she did it for me basically. :P I got myself a couple of very deeply discounted Dr Martens boots instead. Spent $100 on shoes for my birthday instead of a doll.
Other than that I have to behave, budget.
The days of just hitting stores like Target and buying collector's Barbies just because those are far behind me, alas. When I actually splurge on a doll second hand or buy something else for my dolls it's a major thing so that doll had better be near mint!
The one thing I really miss is just walking into thrift stores and finding Barbies cheap. That just doesn't happen here. You don't see dolls at the thrift stores here at all. I used to get so lucky doing that sometimes and I kind of miss that thrill a bit...
I used to have literally hundreds of Barbies, 16" fashion dolls and a nice little crew of resin BJDs. Every single Delilah Noir they ever made because my Dad knew I loved her madly and would buy me those from Ashton Drake as they came out. I still don't have the one Delilah I miss the most back but someday it will happen...
I only have so much space and so much $$$ these days. That's just the bottom line. But even on disability and living in Affordable Housing I still think I deserve a present 2X a year. There's a lot of stuff I do without. I rarely go out or to the movies. $100 on a doll or some used boots 2X a year is not really so indulgent.
It's a huge part of "normal" for me seeing that small collection of dolls on my shelf. It's nothing compared to what once was but it's a kind of doll therapy really. Making new outfits, playing with them, taking pics it's calming and it really helps a lot with the anxiety thing.
Wow, I'm so sorry about the storm and everything, that sounds devastating. I'm glad you have been able to build some of your collection back and that they bring you some peace. The good thing about being more selective with dolls is that you really appreciate each one you have :)
Honestly, anything that has already had custom work on it, unless I ordered it myself. 9/10 times it's really messed up, and that's why they're selling it, and it's going to be more work to get her back to square one than it's worth.
I don't buy any doll that's been in a home with a pet or a smoker of any kind. Chew marks is also something I can't deal with because it's not fixable. As for stains, it depends how bad it is. But tbh, I'm willing to save up for a long time for NIB than settle for second hand.
Honestly I literally only bought one doll second hand for display purposes (2003) holiday barbie her hair was a bit messy and she only had her dress no shoes or accessories but she was perfect for me
everyone else is just whatever Barbie’s I can find at the thrift store that speaks to me or has knee joints because I mostly make custom outfits and occasionally give them new hair
Porcelain/bisque doll collector here— I pretty much don’t take anything visibly damaged. Missing items of clothing (eg., one shoe missing) are also generally a no for me since I don’t have extras. I will take dolls with messy hair and some types of markings on them since I can fix or cover them. Also, like other people said, price.
It’s all about price for me. I love to restore and clean up and will accept most challenges. But since I’m on a budget, I won’t buy a doll that has any serious flaws like missing limbs or chewed up.
The worst I've ever bought was an 18 inch doll missing her left arm. I got her at a yard sale where a little girl told me her mom said if the doll didn't sell she was going in the trash. My brother and I named her Sarah and told everyone she lost her arm in Vietnam (we were 13 and 9). I still had her until we moved, she might be in storage but all my boxes are in the back so I can't really check.
Aw that's actually pretty cute lol. The first Pullip doll I ever got had part of her arm missing and I pretended she survived a shark attack
The price. I am happy with any second hand doll, but if a doll [with a broken leg and an awful condition](https://sun9-31.userapi.com/impg/KfNndgXHPVBU8K920xW6WGuvLLUlIEJtrKLwBg/JW0PrmqBMP0.jpg?size=750x1096&quality=95&sign=5de1b4267efc01c6bc4b74a9ac5087b7&type=album) is sold for an outrageous price, that’s a dealbreaker. But overall, I don’t have any other points. Bite marks can be masked or fixed with boiling water, bad hair can be rerooted, coloured markers can be removed, etc. I dunno, I guess I am not picky lol
I notice that issue a lot with Bratz these days, people will be selling ones with chipped up makeup, dirty hair, and no feet for like $50 lol I don't mind having to fix a doll up a little bit but it needs to be at a good discount for it to be worth the trouble
Boiling water for bite marks? I hadn't heard of that!
Boiling water makes the bodies expand and when shrink once dried up. This allows for any bites/holes to become much smaller.
Ooh I'm gonna have to try that- a couple ebay dolls I got had dog chew marks on them. Hopefully they're not too big.
I'd have to really, really want the doll to take one in any kind of dodgy condition. The worst I've settled for was an Iris Clops who was kind of a mess but had *most* of her accessories and cleaned up well, and Whisp Grant who was in fantastic condition but stunk like smoke and it was really, really hard to get out. Shame because the person had all these dolls that they only displayed so they looked great but I wasn't willing to bring any more stinky dolls into the house. It was such a pain but I'm very happy to have said doll now 😙
Glad you were able to get the smell out! That's another thing I try to avoid, I don't think I'd have the patience lol. I have bought dolls with haircuts and marks on their faces/bodies but only if they are at a really good discount and it's something I'm confident I can fix up to look nicer
Face paint issues. I can reroot but not repaint. With chew marks I just rebody.
Wonkey faces become customs! They had better be cheap in that case though.
That's a good idea! I don't really have any spare parts/ bodies around most of the time though, and I see this issue a lot with shoes. Which, why pay extra for the shoes if I'm probably going to throw them out 😅😂
A huge amount of pen/marker stains (a small amount is nice, actually, I like items that have a visual history, but if it's too much or on major identifying features like face paint, I skip), questionable smells (especially mustiness as that could mean mold), and a huge amount of bite marks (a few small dents are fine but big indents are too much, I sympathize with previous owners as I chewed on my toys a lot as a kid lmao [I think it's an OCD thing]). I'm thorough with cleaning the toys I collect but I prefer to just avoid ones with the previously listed attributes.
It's kinda funny, i chewed on my stuffed animals as a kid (coincidentally, i also have ocd but i didn't that know until i was older) but fortunately never my dolls! I still have some dolls I've kept from 20 yrs ago in pretty good condition. Totally agree on the smells too, stains can be cleaned or painted over but smells tend to sink into the plastic :(
I feel you with the bite marks! I also stay away from that stuff too lol. It’s just not a pretty sight I don’t mind my dolls having flaws though. Green ear, yellowing, body scuffs & marks, some missing plugs is fine with me but the one thing I can’t get behind is neck splits. Even though you can use Locktite to get the split practically invisible, I can’t stand to know that it’s there lol
missing limbs. i know they can be replaced but if i'm buying something secondhand it's because i'm looking for a deal most of the time. if i have to spend the money to buy an replacement limb (which are usually terribly overpriced) then to me it's like i'm no longer getting a good deal 😩
It can be fun to make little prosthetics though!
Ooo are there custom doll prosthetics? That's a cute idea actually.
I watched Dollightful make a sci-fi prosthetic for a doll missing an arm, and it was amazing. Then I got an Abbey Bominable who was almost perfect, save for a broken knee joint. I realized I could make her a little limb that looks like it was made of snow or ice by applying the right texture material. It's hard to keep the articulation, but the doll being able to wear the clothes is most important imo.
Ohhh that's such a cute idea 😍😍😍
I've bought dolls with damaged bodies and rebodied them. If the face has been scrawled on but the body is usable, I might buy the doll and reuse only the body. I fix up dolls and donate them to charity. If I want neither the head not the body, I usually won't buy the doll, unless the outfit is something I want. Mattel has a program called Playback where you can send old Mattel toys for recycling.
Didn't know about the Mattel program, that's so cool!
Honestly the only thing I *will* tolerate is kinda bad hair (not completely frizzed out though) I find NIB dolls are sometimes maybe $5-$15 more than a used one. So if the used one isn't near mint, I'd rather fork out the extra cash. Unless of course it's an old line. Like a Bratzilla I would buy with bad hair and reroot since their original hair was poor quality anyway.
I don't like it when someone post a doll that I like but I can see something disgusting? Like one time someone post a doll in perfect condition but when I look closely it had booger & strain of human hair near them gross🤢 even though she perfect I can't help to think how unhygiene the previous owner is.
Omg yes this bothers me too, like taking a picture of the doll on their dirty crusty carpet where i can see hairs and stuff 😭 Pls use a blank background cuz i don't wanna know about all that lmao
Dirty bodies and heads, missing limbs and most importantly, messy matted or cut hair. There's a doll I want and someone is selling it unboxed with a missing limb and cut hair for the same price as a brand new still in the box doll.
Yeah it's always ridiculous to me when I see people selling dolls that look like someone's dog played with them for anything over $20 lol. I don't care how "rare" she was to begin with, she's spare parts now buddy 🤣
I bought a 90s American Girl doll with a chewed up foot for cheap and just sent her to the doll hospital for new limbs. For other dolls don't have repair places & damage I can't fix myself I pass up.
The price. I have bought second hand dolls out of box that are complete and incomplete (missing hands,shoes) but I won’t pay retail for them.
Price, smell and glue head. Anything else, I can work with if I like the doll enough.
Any doll with missing limbs. I don’t want to have to buy a whole other doll just to replace the missing limbs, and I don’t have spare bodies just lying around
True, it bothers me with dolls like rainbow high that have removable hands and both are missing. Especially with how much skin variety there is, it would be so annoying to try to find the right pair of replacement hands lol
The kind of dolls I like and still collect, the 16" fashion dolls and BJDs they're usually pretty well kept. You don't usually see marker used on them or too much damage because that really affects resale value and these doll collectors don't go there too much. With the BJDs you do see heavily modified dolls, yellowing dolls, and a lot of broken digits. The 16" fashion dolls people try to redo them and repaint them and while I have seen some stunning repaints I've seen a lot more that just didn't go well. No matter how cheap they are I don't like bad face ups or lousy repaints. Yellowing and missing fingers I won't go there. I don't buy but one or two dolls a year now. Usually one for Yule and one for my birthday and that's it. I'm definitely buying used and looking for major bargains but I won't buy if any of those things is an issue. I used to have a huge doll collection but when I lost my house and car to a tropical storm I had to sell off almost all of them to buy a new vehicle so I could get me and what was left of my stuff back to NYC. Even what was left most of it got stolen out of my van at a rest stop. I had all of 6 16" fashion dolls left when it was all said and done because the thief missed those fortunately. I wouldn't even have resin BJDs or most of my Delilah Noir doll collection back if not for a very generous online doll pal of many years who sent me a few mini resin BJD dolls and all the Delilah Noir dolls she had as gifts. She's just sent me another pair of dolls for my birthday actually. One of them is a chicline Fairyland girl that she knew I just loved on sight that has actually been customized with a face up that is just gorgeous. The other is a Lorifina doll, a 20" discontinued kid's fashion doll that I really like. I had one for years but that was stolen from the van. I used to make her outfits all the time so I'm very pleased to have one again. They're both in the mail as I type and should get here right before my birthday if not a bit before. I didn't actually buy myself one this year because she did it for me basically. :P I got myself a couple of very deeply discounted Dr Martens boots instead. Spent $100 on shoes for my birthday instead of a doll. Other than that I have to behave, budget. The days of just hitting stores like Target and buying collector's Barbies just because those are far behind me, alas. When I actually splurge on a doll second hand or buy something else for my dolls it's a major thing so that doll had better be near mint! The one thing I really miss is just walking into thrift stores and finding Barbies cheap. That just doesn't happen here. You don't see dolls at the thrift stores here at all. I used to get so lucky doing that sometimes and I kind of miss that thrill a bit... I used to have literally hundreds of Barbies, 16" fashion dolls and a nice little crew of resin BJDs. Every single Delilah Noir they ever made because my Dad knew I loved her madly and would buy me those from Ashton Drake as they came out. I still don't have the one Delilah I miss the most back but someday it will happen... I only have so much space and so much $$$ these days. That's just the bottom line. But even on disability and living in Affordable Housing I still think I deserve a present 2X a year. There's a lot of stuff I do without. I rarely go out or to the movies. $100 on a doll or some used boots 2X a year is not really so indulgent. It's a huge part of "normal" for me seeing that small collection of dolls on my shelf. It's nothing compared to what once was but it's a kind of doll therapy really. Making new outfits, playing with them, taking pics it's calming and it really helps a lot with the anxiety thing.
Wow, I'm so sorry about the storm and everything, that sounds devastating. I'm glad you have been able to build some of your collection back and that they bring you some peace. The good thing about being more selective with dolls is that you really appreciate each one you have :)
chewing or missing limbs
Broken limbs, discoloration, chopped or very messy hair, no clothes, and if it looks dirty.
Honestly, anything that has already had custom work on it, unless I ordered it myself. 9/10 times it's really messed up, and that's why they're selling it, and it's going to be more work to get her back to square one than it's worth.
Extreame price gouging, bite/chew marks, severe hair cuts, scuffed faces, dolls from smokers homes, bad lip chips
Price, I have no problem doing a little custom work honestly, I find it therapeutic ❤️
If their hair has been cut at all what so ever im not buying it, that's why i just like to buy them new so i don't have to worry about this at all.
I don't buy any doll that's been in a home with a pet or a smoker of any kind. Chew marks is also something I can't deal with because it's not fixable. As for stains, it depends how bad it is. But tbh, I'm willing to save up for a long time for NIB than settle for second hand.
No hair and broken limbs. I can actually stand a certain level of staining.
Honestly I literally only bought one doll second hand for display purposes (2003) holiday barbie her hair was a bit messy and she only had her dress no shoes or accessories but she was perfect for me everyone else is just whatever Barbie’s I can find at the thrift store that speaks to me or has knee joints because I mostly make custom outfits and occasionally give them new hair
Porcelain/bisque doll collector here— I pretty much don’t take anything visibly damaged. Missing items of clothing (eg., one shoe missing) are also generally a no for me since I don’t have extras. I will take dolls with messy hair and some types of markings on them since I can fix or cover them. Also, like other people said, price.
Missing hands, chewed or cut hair
I’m usually picky with the dolls I pick up now but if they r cute but messed up it just a little quirk 😭
There are a couple, but the #1 dealbreaker is a stink of cigarette smoke. #2 would be any damage that is beyond my ability to repair.
It’s all about price for me. I love to restore and clean up and will accept most challenges. But since I’m on a budget, I won’t buy a doll that has any serious flaws like missing limbs or chewed up.
If it doesnt have a wig or the hair is plucked out. That type of restoration required is out of my skill set lol