bjdonabudget

It’s underway, as I write this I’m in the main house and my dear sweet Mr. is getting into the re-working of our little cottage. The princess adjusted quickly, after we realized that she’d be much more comoftable with her mum sitting by her cage and I ran to be by my little lizard-girl’s side. Not quite that melodramatic, but I’m ill with the most pleasant of viruses today and really don’t mind if I do embroider the truth for my own amusement, it’s less effort than finding other pursuits. Even blogging from a borrowed computer, it’s got a touch screen! Yep, fancy and fast and very confusing for the malady beseiged brain I’ve got here, just rambling through the medication and sleepy awakeness. As tired as I am, I don’t know how sleeping is going to go, it’s always odd that first night away from your familair bed. It’s just next door, but it’s the same no matter how far you go, if something isn’t yours, you can’t just use it like it is.

As the bell tolls in the kookoo clock, I know that’s going to get really annoying really quickly. Whatever, it’s not that long, I can block out most anything if I really want to. In a couple months I’ll have a sweet neww place completely without any beige at all and it’ll be just fabulous.

So I’m stalling, every box I try to pack up hold a treasure- and i want to play with every single one. The hard part of being a pack rat is knowing that amidst the crates and boxes lies my shameful love of stuff. I admit it, I’m in love with stuff, it’s hard for me to part with any of it, even temporarily. My hubby isn’t the same way about things, so we’re coming against a wall- I don’t like packing, because it’s hard. I get distracted, I see a project halfway done and don’t want to pack it away, I want to finish it, right now. At least I’ve gotten most of the yarn tucked away- yarn can kill a day for my like nothing. Same with dolls, I want to dress and comb their hair before I pack them, because it’s like saying ’see ya later’ to my little plastic friends, I don’t like parting on bad terms. While I debate what to pack away next, I do so with a heavy heart, because I know it’s going to be a while until I’ll see it again, and I love to see my stuff- it’s all been carefully selected for my own amusement after all. In the end though, I know it’s worth every harsh good-bye to these overvalued possessions. We’re re-doing our place, to be more practical- and for the first time in a long time, I’ll be able to unpack EVERYTHING I own and enjoy the massive collection of knick-knacks who’ve been tucked away so long that I can’t recall everything that awaits, but at the same time, I’m anxious about it all- it’s going to mean moving into somewhere even smaller than where we are now until it’s done. Oh well, I’ll go out in the yard if I need space.

We’re about to re-do our whole place from floor to ceiling, which includes a move to the main house while our cottage is being worked on, so I’m packing away most everything, save for a couple lucky dolls. Of course, Loolu isn’t going to see the inside of a box, she’s the favorite and everyone knows it. The other, well, she’s the unnamed employee of my etsy store, my blythe doll, because she’s part of my shop. In my month or two of being down to two dolls, I hope that my Blythe will reveal her name, if not more of personality. Thus far, she’s a quiet little thing, very shy. Once I know her more I can do her makeover, I’d hate to goth up a hippie doll or go too girly on a tomboy. She won’t reveal who she is, maybe she just doesn’t like me. Oh well, I like making things her size, so until there’s enough spare cash to get prettier, nicer Blythe, she’s mine, and she’s got no say in the matter. Aren’t I mean? Someday I might try to rip out her eye-chips to change their color, or just for kicks, I haven’t decided yet. Heard that the ADG dolls are horrid to customize so I’m holding off, but if the girl doesn’t speak up soon, it’ll all be my choice Ah well, the joys of owning a uppity doll.

I want you to swill along with me on this one, trust me, it’ll be okay; unless you’re at work but that’s your choice. Go get yourself a bottle of pucker, doesn’t matter what flavor, I’ve got cherry-berry and it’s pretty tasty, and a bottle of sugar-free lemonade. Got em? Good. Now we’re fixin’ to fix ourselves something tasty, so go get all dolled up and done up nice, we’ll wait….

Aren’t you fabulously darling! Ok cutie, get a glass, pour it about halfway full of pucker. Yes, just a little bit more, there ya go. Now we pour in a little lemonade, about the other half of the glass, give it a swirl with your favorite swizzle stick- those things are just the bee’s knees, aren’t they? And now you take a sip of my wonderously simple delightfully wicked new beverage. What should we call it? The Pouty Princess comes to mind, because it could easily be prissed up with an umbrella, or an ice cube. Whatever, that’s just how we roll in these parts.

Ok, either we dance, or we go home, so let’s shake it my babies

My plan is to take some that foam sheeting type stuff sold in the craft shop kids art department and make shoe sole shaped cut-outs, loolu’s foot being the model. To the MSD sized soles, I will attach ribbons and cords twisted, tied, knotted and crocheted into the most fabulous little sandals, with beads if they look right. Just making notes of things to myself really, but if anyone wants to try my vague plan, go for it. I’m waivering in my interest to blogging like this, I’m having soo much more fun on etsy and there’s a content site that’s been a bit more generous in paying for my writing. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to keep doing something that’s just not working into what you’d planned. I’ve got bags of half finished projects to be unraveled for re making. Maybe this is one of those things that I should tuck aside for a while and see if I can look at with fresh eyes or when it doesn’t stink of sweat.
if you happen to have a sheet or two of that oh-so cheap craft foam that you don’t need, drop me a line, I’ll trade you something shiny for it. I love to barter, so I’m also in the market for a custom banner for an etsy shop, should you be handy with graphics and like getting the random trinket in the mail. Alas, my tea is ready so I bid you adieu

If you’ve been following doll news, you no doubt know all about the bratz/barbie fiasco and the deadline of December 2009 for final Bratz products. It’s been an ongoing battle for the tween girls for years now, and it seems that Barbie had a secret weapon, a great lawyer. As a loyal friend to my favorite plastic lady, I can’t say that I’m surprised, she’s the better doll and she should win, but I am a bit sad to see the Bratz go, their funky glitter-coated faces and off-putting proportions aside, they had some great accessories. Great accessories are all it takes for me, the tiny stuff will win me over every time, and bratz had it, in bulk. There were fabulously outfitted salons, sushi bars, and apartments. There were fabulous handbags and tiny little packages of cosmetics. I couldn’t really get into a doll whose feet stayed in their shoes when they changed. Bratz have these very distressing little pegs on their legs where feet should be that hold their snap-on shoes and boots in place, without feet. Barbie’s toes may be unrealistically small and stupidly arched into perma hi-heel pose, but she HAS feet. Huge bonus points for a doll that has all it’s body parts. I’m not pretending that I won’t be mining the clearance from cool Bratz sets, but it’s my Barbie dolls that will enjoy them.

In a couple of the swaps I’ve joined on swap-bot, I’ve received things that while well within the guidelines of the swap and quite nice in their own right, aren’t right for me. Sometimes it’s just a surprise that was already in my collection, but what to do with this stuff? Thus far, I’ve been saving it in hopes of someone else loving it. But I’m not going to be as swap-crazed as I was before, I’ve found etsy, I can trade things for paypal there, and paypal can become anything. Of course, paypal is real money, which makes it hard for me to spend. I’ve just got the cheapness right down to the marrow of my bones. There’s lots of excess stuff around my house that’s not right for etsy though, so I’ll keep swapping until I’m completely happy with every single thing I have. Yes, that means until I go senile and don’t know that the tee shirt I’m wearing isn’t a Dior evening gown. There’s just no end to it, I’ve been trying to tidy up in preparation for our remodel, and just keep wondering what I’m going to do with all this stuff. So, my obligatory Etsy pimp of the day:

As you know by now, I’ve become obsessed with Etsy. I’ve got a number of items in my shop modeled by a Blythe doll, who I haven’t played with nearly as much as some of the other dolls, who is going to get a make-over soon due to her duties as Knot By 9 spokesdoll. Being as the URL and name of this blog are set, I can’t adjust to reflect some coming changes, but be warned, there’s non-BJD dolls to be discussed and I’m not sorry about it all.

Perhaps we should start with a name. Or a hair style. Or thoughts on make-up. Let’s call it what it is, this is a full-doll overhaul. I’ve always thought of her as a shy little artsy thing that lives on fancy coffee drinks and vintage everything, like many of the girls I knew (and dressed) in college. Suzie? Sounds nice, but I’ll keep thinking. Post away if you’ve got an idea- maybe it’ll become a contest.

Want to see what I’ve Etsied today? Adding doll clothes, vintage clothes for Blythe mostly, for the next few years… seriously, I ain’t about to run out anytime soon, so don’t worry about my dolls will wear, they’ve got plenty.

I’ve just opened my shop on etsy , the perfect venue for a crafter who loves vintage to offer up their wares.  Knot By 9 is going to be stocked with handmade dolly wear, vintage treasures and all the things I love to make.  Right now, as a special thanks to my blog readers for their support, I’d like to offer an extra-special surprise gift with any purchase just by mentioning that you’re a reader of BJD on a Budget , or my other bargain-centric blog, Fabulously Frugal .
Coming soon: vintage delights from my personal jewelry collection, toys, handmade hats and scarves and much much more….

This offer is open to the first THREE buyers who mention that they’ve seen either blog, at my discretion and until I decide otherwise.  Prize has no cash value, and is not redeemable for cash.

Well, we’re back safely from a visit to good old Detroit, and despite some car trouble, everything went great.  If I had a magical suitcase, I could’ve brought back all my old toys and had a bed and case for Loolu, but being as Spirit charges for more baggage and I’m a cheapskate, I didn’t drag back more than I needed to.  I saw a couple nice doll chairs at the Council for The Blind thrift, an old favorite (who got quite a hefty donation when I left town!), but they’re too bulky to pack, so they’re still on the shelves.

Another old favborite, Village Antiques on Michigan Ave in western Dearborn, had some great stuff I wish I could’ve brought back, but I did pick up a couple new rings for me.  A nice modern styled amber one and an antique styled opal one, yep, I bought myself some presents and it was a blast.  Got some great buttons too, and Dad got mom a nice birthday presesnt, because it’s our go-to shop for gifts.  MY hubby’s wedding band came from their well-stocked jewelry counter, as did countless other gifts over the years, it was the first antique shop I dealt with because I could walk there from the house I grew up in.  A couple years back my pop and I got mum a great Steiff weinerdog, for a song!  I miss the deals from Michigan antiques shops, much larger selections of ’smalls’ than these darned east-coast shops.  I love a nice piece of furniture as much as the next girl, but sometimes you want something little, a low-priced little something that doesn’t turn up too often in the ‘decorator showcase’ style shops that abound in my area.  Nothing against my local dealers, but I’m a midwest girl out on the hunt for fun little stuff to go into my fun little house- there’s a place for fancy dishes and art-deco era knick-knacks, it’s just not in my cute little crackerbox home.

As I prepare for a short visit back home, I think about the darlings I’m leaving behind, my beloved Princess Bobarella the iguana has a great pet sitter, but who will keep my resin friend company in my absence?  Time to get out the other dolls and see who’s feeling friendly.

I think Loolu’s companion will be Delilah, my Pullip Assa, the one with those fabulous dreadlocks and most beautifully natural face.  Del’s my go-to doll, she’s a clever little hippie sort that inspired several sales post by telling me she wanted to have a yard sale.  Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but so is the little cutie I’m dealing with.  She was my first ‘fancy’ asian doll, I found out about them through Takara Jenny message boards, I still like those dolls as well, but the quality was getting spotty.  From there, I got another, a previously owned Little Red Riding Hood, because the red hair was just about the same shade as my own.  Well, curiousity caught hold by then, I needed a Blythe too, but I regret cheaping out on her.  I bought the Ashton Drake Blythe rather than spending another thirty dollars on a Takara, and wow, I can see where that thrity dollars goes, she doesn’t photograph well, her skin tone is just weird.

That doll taught me to get what I really want.  I was looking at dolls when I finally decided to take the jump to ball-jointed, the dollzones were affordable and had several nice molds, several other companies offered less expensive dolls, I was looking hard for just the right one.  I went to sleep one night after wandering the web for hours seeking that ‘just right’ doll and had a dream about the prettiest big blue eyes I’d seen on Dream Of Doll’s website, they were a bit pricier than the planned range, but if I skipped a face-up and outfit, I could justify it.  Face-ups were one of the big draws to ball-jointed dolls, the idea of making a doll take on whatever charatcher I imagined whenever the mood struck was great, it would be a doll that could be any number of dolls when the mood struck, so heck, why pay about fifty dollars for someone else to have that fun?  I can sew, and clothing has long been a passion of mine, I can dress my doll, thank you.

I’m sipping at a cup of Red Rose tea, plain old black tea is good stuff.  Better yet, Red Rose comes jam-packed with memories of my grandpa’s gift of collecting, the miniature figures that come in Red Rose tea were the first of many collections my grandpa started me on.  He heartily encouraged my doll collection by helping me step up to collector dolls while my friends were still wrecking the hair on their Barbies.  My great grandmother drank Red Rose, and when her estate was divided amongst the antique dealers and collectors in the family, I was given all the ‘commons’ from her Wade collection.  The little figures are known as “Wades” to their collectors, being as they were, possibly still are, made in Wade, England.  Color variations alone can make an interesting collection, I’ve had every shade of yellow in the form of rhinos and several shades of green in the turtle figure.

A darling display could set-up for your dolls’ collection of art objects in an inexpensive ’shadow box’ as the craft shops call them, tiny little shelves just the right size for your resin friend to show off their exquisite taste in art.  Wade figures are only the tip of the iceberg in things your doll could collect, tiny art pieces abound in import shops and trinket stands.  A few beads affixed together with sturdy glue can form a priceless vase, top it with some tiny silk flowers and you’d think Better Homes and Dollshelf magazine was coming for a photo shoot.  Be creative, your doll will love their decor all that much more when they know you made it just for them!

As a new doll mum, my msd has a limited wardrobe.  The other night when I went to the mall, I did something about that.  The Build A Bear store in the Smith-haven mall DOES have Friends 2 b made items, just not many.  Loolu is currently wearing an adorable turquoise spiderweb-printed witch costume that was only five dollars!  It came with a broom and a hat as well, the hat is a bit too large, but the broom makes a cute accessory.  I also go a black jumper with attached striped tee, haven’t tried it on yet, but for seven dollars, it’s a cute little dress.  It’s a good thing the mall is about forty-five minutes away, now that I know there is a Loolu-sized department in Build-A-Bear.  My cohort who went shopping with me was dismayed at even going in, but being a good friend she put up with me squealling about the msd dresses and even started looking at the toy critters.  The place fascinates me, I’ve never made a critter, but I love watching the machine shove fluff into the bears.

In NYC, there’s a huge build-a-bear and friends 2 be made has a whole shop, so maybe I’ll get to there sometime and give a full report of the cuteness.  I seem to remember it was near Amercian Girl Place, which I didn’t venture into as I’ve outgrown the American Girls dolls, just not too interested in young girl dolls, I like the ladies.  Perhaps one day I’ll sell off my Kirsten and Samantha dolls, both from the late 80’s before the company was bought-out and quality was at an all-time high.  Right now, I beleive the dolls are many states away, tucked safely into a storage closet at my parents’ home, with soo many other things I don’t have space for in our current home.  That’s what made Loolu such a great idea, if I focus on one doll, I don’t mind all the others being packed away due to space limitations.

Yesh, forgot the Japanese word that means lucky bag, but you know what I mean.  The dollmore bags last year yielded between three and four garments, with nothing fabulous showing up anywhere I saw in my websearch last night.  The system is different this year and includes a bigger variety of items, like shoes and wigs along with clothes, but if I’m sending someone sixty dollars for doll clothes, I want something more certain than a mixed MSD size baggie of fun.  I know if the bag had wigs, they wouldn’t fit, it might be boy clothes, it might be plain old boring stuff that we don’t like, so no lucky bag, at least from Dollmore, for me.

Maybe the Mimi’s parcels would be more my style, there’s a vague list of what to expect.  Everything on their site is nice, I wouldn’t mind any of it showing up in a lucky bag.  I do like that there’s certain to be shoes in the pack, shoes are what my girl needs most.  I’d might be better off just buying some shoes that I know for sure that I’ll like and will be in good colors.  It’s the idea of getting all these fun things at once that appeals to me really, not that I’d turn my nose up at a pair of msd jeans just showing up in the mail or anything, but a big old goodie pack of doll stuff just sounds like when I was a little girl and my grandmother was moving, my uncle brought over two HUGE crates of my mom and aunt’s dolls for me to take care of.  Sure, it was in June, but it was like a dozen Christmases in one, well, two, boxes.  I’ve still got darn near every one of those dolls, only sold off a few that weren’t to my taste or were roughly enjoyed by my aunt in her odd childhood.

While thinking of what I could ask for this upcoming holiday season, I came up things for my doll I can’t easily make myself, like shoes and wigs.  Ebay star mimiwoo has a shop with some nice deals on MSD shoes, my favorites being the creepers just like mine which I’ve mostly seen on boy dolls, so they may run big, and the ‘green bamboo’ slip ons, which any teenager will tell you, ain’t really bamboo.  Yes, they’re adorably cute little shoes printed with pot leafs!  I’ve been eyeing those shoes before I even knew what size doll I’d be getting, they just too funny.  Paired with a special-effects type eye it might bring a whole new meaning to glassy-eyed stare.  Does your doll have habits you don’t approve of?  On the next Maury…

There’s there pretty green eyes for $2.99, and these cute purple anime style eyes for the same price.  Santa better get his lap over to the computer, I’ve got some sitting to do!  If santa is looking for a ‘lucky bag’ they’ve got those too, the fukubukuro idea of mystery items that are a certain size in a surprise package sounds fun.  Wonder if they’re putting good stuff in the bags, wonder if it’ll be a great surprise or just a good deal.  It’s certainly a surprise, and I love a good surprise! 

Jpop dolls is also doing fukobukuro lots, here’s the MSD girl size one.    A pretty blue and black wig on their sales page might tempt me as well, something about curly wavy poofy hair on Loolu just looks soo right.  The owner pictures of their multi-tone wigs always look much prettier than the website shows them as.   Something about getting a new wig onto your resin darling makes for a bit of playing to get it ‘just right’.  Multi tone wigs may take a bit more play to get the perfection, but the website photos don’t seem to do them justice.  The sales wigs at Jpop all look nice though, their full price wigs are dreamy and worth a look too, but hey, this is a bargain-happy doll blog, I can’t advise my fellow clearance hounds to buy full-price, that’s what the alot of the other doll blogs are for!  It’s free to lookthough, so go get your fill of dreams and pretty dolls at Jpop and Mimiwoo’s.  You know what I’ll be drooling over…

So, to my own Santa-sweetie-darling:  If you’d like to be brag-worthy in a way I can share with the other doll-dorks and get my girl stuff for the holidays; Loolu is an MSD sized doll, and she wears a 6/7 wig, a 14 or 16 millimeter eye, and you can’t go wrong getting a girl shoes for her resin MSD-size feet, they’re much easier to get the right size for than my human feet (8 in ladies, 5 and a half or 6 in mens, including Chuck Taylors).  He’s a sweetie, he reads my doll-related gushings although I’m not sure how much of the doll-lingo has sunken in yet.  Poor guy, he’s getting his payback for me vaguely knowing what a ‘lucky dog’ is in racing, he can hear about face-ups and wigs and shoes… Not an even trade-off, but I’ve got the bigger end of that stick so I’m swinging it!

While my wrists beg for a break from the yarn, I’ve started thinking about sewing and other things I might be able to do without causing pain due to carpal tunnel related aches.  Given that I’ve just unearthed a large cache of old clothes with awesome details and small flaws, I’ve got plenty of fuel, now to light the fire.

Part of what makes it hard is that my doll has yet to quite define her style for me; she’s a quirky little thing.  We’re still getting to know each other, it’s been a few months but I’m rather guarded, as is she.  Surprisingly, she doesn’t object as much to light colors as I thought she might, odd how my own tastes aren’t reflected by my doll’s choice of dress.  Rather the way my lizard has different taste in music than I do, she clearly enjoys reggae, though some of it is not to my taste.  Am I being as crazy as that sounds?!  If you’d seen Bobarella the iguana’s reaction to music, you wouldn’t think so.  Something makes her glance around until she finds the source, either the tv or the stereo, or sometimes one of her humans will make fun noises for her amusement.  If I could post videos, I’d share the delightfully cute way she zones out to Pink Floyd’s guitar solos and perks up when the lyrics kick in.  Ahh, the joys of pets, doing cute things that no one else cares about for millienia now.

Perhaps I’ll stitch Loolu up something fun today between loads of laundry and other mundane household drudgery.  I will NOT touch yarn, no knitting, no crochet, no yarn at all until my wrists and arms stoip hurting for a few days.  Darned carpal tunnel.

This afternoon I had thrifting fun with a friend.  Nothing doll-scale worth bringing home to be found.  Yet, the great universal force that leads me time and again to the neatest thing on earth that can be had for only three dollars did not fail me.  I was sad earlier this week, noting how hard it is to find Barbie tee shirts printed on a black shirt.  Yes, I need a black shirt that says Barbie, because I’m into dolls does NOT mean I like pink.  One of my previous treasures suffered severe cracking in the bootleg logo, it was a child’s large tee that I found a pair of, different bootleg barbie images on each.  The cooler of the two is suffering from overwearing and underquality.  Today, at the very end of a ladies tee shirt rack was a NEW one, a legit barbie tee shirt printed on a black tee.  Given the New York to Michigan exchange rate, I did not balk at five dollars for a tee shirt, it was worth it.  I might’ve even paid that in Midwest dollars, where the thrift shops are notably cheaper.

I looked at the porcelin dolls for outfits that may fit Loolu, but nothing struck my fancy.  There was a poorly made chair that would’ve fit, but I’ve already thrifted a lovely Pottery Barn chair that Loo’s quite fond of.  My cohort was amused, she knows my doll’s name, that’s a good friend.  She even pointed out a nice little couch, it was just a bit too big for a barbie, but it was a very nice idea.

psst- to anyone in the Port Jefferson area of Long Island, there’s a fabulous thrift called North Shore, look it up.

Feeling a bit under the weather, but at least I’ve got a lovely resin friend to keep me company as I sip at some tea and await the sinus pills to do their magic.  Thus far today, I’ve got an adorable little hat halfway made up, it’s lovely shades of red, purple and a tiny bit of deep orange with wooly bumps in the yarn, it’s going to be quite nice, but it’s not a style Loolu would wear, so we’re planning to set up a sales list of some sort, for the things I’ve made practicing to make things for Loolu.  It’s terrible, I know, every time I get an idea I have to try it out in a less-enjoyable yarn first, just to be sure I won’t wreck a ‘good’ ball of yarn trying something new.  The same with sewing, it sounds silly, but when I make small items like doll clothes, I start out by making several in hopes that one will be perfect when it’s all done with.  I’ve learned not to re-scrap the trial projects though, after many afternoons wandering though an arts and crafts fair thinking that I’m far too harsh on my own work seeing what these ‘professionals’ are doing…
Ah, the weather is a bit overcast, not too chilly but just right for a fall afternoon spent needle in hand to create some dolly wear.  Perhaps I’ll even sew snaps onto all the nearly-finished garments that’ve been waiting in my sewing basket.  The ongoing project of re-packing all of our belongings for the upcoming remodel has yielded a massive uncovering of elastics and fabrics I’d forgotten, ready to become cute little undies and dresses- a complete wardrobe is in order for my resin darling, I’d better be going to fetch my sewing basket and get on with the stitching.  Have fun, I’ll probably have a new project idea for us to try tomorrow!

A big part of the fun when I first recieved my first ball-jointed doll was trying to find any and all the weird bits of this and that around my collection that MIGHT be her size.  As a lifelong doll collector, I had quite a sizable stash of doll clothes, shoes, and whatnots, almost none of which ended up being suitable for a mature mini sized doll.  Oddly, what I’d thought of as a Barbie coat fit Loolu like it was a custom tailored asian style evening blouse, modeled in the above photo.  A couple of Ken’s looser fitting shirts were servicable ‘camp shirt’ styles, one Hawaaiin printed shirt being particularly adorable.

While the modern doll market offers Friends 2 B Made by Build A Bear, most styles of which fit reasonable well on most MSD size dolls, the vintage size charts are lacking.  In my childhood toys I found a few pieces from a Mattel line called Hot Looks, from the mid to late eighties, which while very dated are fairly close in size.  The dolls story had it that they were fashion models, so the plethora of fabulous stetch pants and tunic tops in all the greated shades of bedazzaled are out there.  Clothing from the Ideal’s Chrissy family is supposed to be fairly close on SD size dolls, though her little cousin Velvet’s dresses are rather tent-like on a mature mini.  Alterartions could be made, but it’s hard for me to cut into a piece of vintage anything, let alone doll clothes.  I’ve seen a good number of people admit to stripping the porcelin dolls they find in thrift shops, a cheaper way to have the ornate Victorian gowns for your resin girls.  I wouldn’t be shocked if sometimes the shoes fit as well!

Until next time, happy dolling

There are literally hundreds of posts on various doll message boards about how hard it can be to save up the several hundred dollars to buy oneself a ball-jointed doll.  First off, my gut reaction is that every little bit counts, it all adds up, patience is part of collecting.  Just wait until you send off that hard-earned money, the waiting is even more difficult then.  It’s all part of the process though, it makes the doll all the much more special to you when they arrive, the hours you’ve spent pining away looking at the stock photos and checking several times a day for a shipping notice are an important time for a new collector, or one with a dozen dolls already.  The waiting is a great unifying force amongst collectors, we hate it, but when it’s over we can rejoice in our new doll.

When asked about budgeting advice, my mother’s voice enters my mind and brings up the envelope method, a beginner’s tool which I’ve advised many friends to try.  A series of envelopes are marked out as different parts of one’s budget, rent, grocery, bills, fun, etc, and one divides cash amongst these envelopes according to what’s required.  Starting with the highest priority, usually rent or a bill, and working down to the ‘fun’ envelope, cash is doled out into the various expenses.  Now take out the ‘fun’ envelope, see how much you’ve got left.  Is it enough for all the fun you’d like to have until next payday?  Could you cut a few corners, say by skipping a latte or going out to lunch rather than a dinner with your friends?  It’s all little stuff, but remember, every little bit counts.

Start tucking away whatever crumbs your budget can spare, and soon enough the end will be in sight.  Bear in mind that shipping from Asia is pricey, add another forty to sixty dollars to your goal to cover EMS shipping on the doll.  As you near the final stretch, it can become even more difficult knowing that only another fifty dollars separate you from a new resin friend, so get creative!  There’s a statistic floating around that the average home has over two thousand dollars worth of things not being used, which could be sold off on ebay or your choice of local options.  Gold values are at quite a high, perhaps that little trinket from an ex beau could find a new home at the local jewelry buy-n-sell shop.  Certain states offer a return on bottle deposits, like the famed episode of Seinfeld that has Kramer carting empties to Michigan for the dime deposit (which MAY be illegal, it’s certainly unethical to return bottles outside their state of origin where the deposit was lower).  Don’t break any laws, but if your area offers a nickel for a can, start picking up the rubbish and do a doubly good deed- less litter and more cash for dolls!

My own doll was purchased to commemorate a special occaision, I’d made it a year in my first full time yet dead-end job which I hated, despite that it paid well; which just so happened to occur around the time that tax refunds and the economic incentive checks were issued.  If you’ve got a major milestone in life coming up, it’s okay to get yourself a little treat sometimes.  It’s just easier when there’s unexpected money to make it possible.