User blog comment:Rai-Knightshade/My First Dolls!/@comment-26958589-20160613012855

thats so good! i remember how excited i was when i got my first dolls (mine was an apple doll!) ;w; if you're looking for tips, heres mine.

i would always buy irl or off of ebay, just to be sure you're getting the doll you want. a lot of the time amazon sends rereleases and sometimes theres just not much you can do to fix them up in that case. if you're buying off of ebay and the doll isn't in the box, make sure it comes with all it's accessories. i didn't check this with my apple and raven dolls and i really regret it. also, check their eyes before you buy! sometimes dolls will have really wonky eyes and it can really detract from the quality and overall look.

if you want the dolls to stay in perfect condition and have more resale value, i would keep them in their box. personally, i cant stand keeping dolls in their boxes because they were made to be played with ;3; i always take mine out so i can restyle their hair and pose them! plus i have younger siblings who love playing with dolls, so it's nice to have that option. (if you want resources for this kinda thing, i would be happy to help!). another reason i take them out of the box would be that not a lot of the boxes match any more. this doesnt bother all collectors, but i know it bothers me. though, admittedly, the wave of boxes where it looks like they have book spines look amazing stored just like books on a shelf.

the main problem with taking them out of the box is the dust they will gather. i wash my dolls hair from time to time to clean them up and restyle any hair that needs it.

either way, no way is a 'wrong' way to collect dolls. do whatever you would like! happy collecting<33 im so sorry this ended up as an essay oh my gosh