question Price for limited heads?

Hello!

So, I've kinda realised I like the idea of having both the factory face up and a custom faceup as an option for my dolls.

So I've been contemplating buying second heads that I can send off to an artist.

But , of course, I'm over thinking and second guessing it...So I've come to ask what I should expect price wise ? Is it entirely based on popularity and/or waiting for good deals?

It's going to depend very heavily in the sculpt's popularity, rarity, did it have more than one character released with the same sculpt (Natsuki/Moe), state of the economy/secondhand market, amount of staining/damage you'll accept, etc. Without knowing what you're trying to get ahold of, it's hard to name a price you should expect.

If you're not looking for any particular head, you can often find good deals on older, less popular sculpts on Dollyteria or JP Mercari, especially with the current yen conversion rate. If you're looking for something specific, you may have to shell out more or wait longer for the right deal to come along. Or, if you prefer the proactive approach, put out WTB threads and hope some kind soul looking to sell theirs reaches out to you. The market is fairly slow right now due to the current state of the global economy, so I'm seeing rare heads go for much less than they did even just a few years ago, though well-known artist faceups are still garnering a premium. I watched a sales post for a head for well over a year just to have the seller drop the price by half, putting it firmly in my allotted budget.

Whenever possible, always check against recent-ish completed sales. They're generally a fair indicator of what dolls are selling for, which also means they're a fair indicator of what buyers are willing to pay, and most sellers try to set their prices appropriately for quick sales that minimize loss.

23 minutes ago, Thespian said:

It's going to depend very heavily in the sculpt's popularity, rarity, did it have more than one character released with the same sculpt (Natsuki/Moe), state of the economy/secondhand market, amount of staining/damage you'll accept, etc. Without knowing what you're trying to get ahold of, it's hard to name a price you should expect.

If you're not looking for any particular head, you can often find good deals on older, less popular sculpts on Dollyteria or JP Mercari, especially with the current yen conversion rate. If you're looking for something specific, you may have to shell out more or wait longer for the right deal to come along. Or, if you prefer the proactive approach, put out WTB threads and hope some kind soul looking to sell theirs reaches out to you. The market is fairly slow right now due to the current state of the global economy, so I'm seeing rare heads go for much less than they did even just a few years ago, though well-known artist faceups are still garnering a premium. I watched a sales post for a head for well over a year just to have the seller drop the price by half, putting it firmly in my allotted budget.

Whenever possible, always check against recent-ish completed sales. They're generally a fair indicator of what dolls are selling for, which also means they're a fair indicator of what buyers are willing to pay, and most sellers try to set their prices appropriately for quick sales that minimize loss.

Thank you for the detailed reply🙏 so it's a waiting game situation.

I'll be looking for all of the Vocaloids. Which I have a feeling is both easy and difficult. Easy because they show up often, difficult because I feel asking price can be a bit everywhere?

Since my intention is to have them customised - I'm not too picky about condition as long as it isn't serious damage or unfixable staining. hopefully that makes this easier.

I also have Utena and Anthy. A few yrs ago a search would have probably been more plausible. I like their factory faceups enough to not intensely want custom versions anyway. (Of course, if the opportunity comes up I'll take it, but yk...)

7 hours ago, luna_Lillie said:

I'll be looking for all of the Vocaloids. Which I have a feeling is both easy and difficult. Easy because they show up often, difficult because I feel asking price can be a bit everywhere?

Your best bet for Sakura Miku, Luka and Meiko is probably to buy them new off someone. These dolls were just released/up for preorder, so there are probably a few people that just got them/will get them and want to offload them for whatever reason for a reasonable price. The longer you wait, the more unlikely you are to find just the heads for a decent price. The Vocaloids specifically go for insane prices on the aftermarket, and it’s not very common to find just the head for sale. You can sell the bodies and fullsets separately to offset the cost.

4 hours ago, ragnamuffin said:

Your best bet for Sakura Miku, Luka and Meiko is probably to buy them new off someone. These dolls were just released/up for preorder, so there are probably a few people that just got them/will get them and want to offload them for whatever reason for a reasonable price. The longer you wait, the more unlikely you are to find just the heads for a decent price. The Vocaloids specifically go for insane prices on the aftermarket, and it’s not very common to find just the head for sale. You can sell the bodies and fullsets separately to offset the cost.

Ah- thank you. yeah...I will have to take this into consideration.

 

this project in general is...,well, indulgent, so I accept having to search and spend a bit (though I refuse to spend near full set prices for heads.)