How important is it to preorder? And how do you decide which ones to preorder? I have a few that I’ve preordered. Then I had to stress, hoping their balance due would come at a time I had dolly money. Now I have 2 Aprils and a Tony on preorder. I want to pay a couple of them off early, but don’t see that option. (I’ll probably email MacPherson and Irresistibles if y’all can’t tell me how to pay them off early.)…And then, there’s Tobiah. I ignored the preorder the day it started. I went to preorder him yesterday, and he was already sold out at MacPherson. I got him on LLE’s site. But I’m wondering…would he be available anyway without a preorder when he’s ready? Now there’s Olive by Ping Lau. I want her. But I would rather be able to wait and buy her when I’m ready to paint her. Is that a bad idea? Is she likely to sell out with the preorder?
I don’t preorder kits too often, but did order April. With her, I just paid the whole invoice at one time. I definitely prefer it this way because there are no surprises and I’m not constantly checking my email for the remaining balance invoice.
Whether it’s the exception or the rule, it seems like there are usually kits available to buy when the kit is released, so I may not even bother to preorder anymore unless it’s a kit that I just really have to have.
I used to preorder every kit that came out. I have so many in my stash, though, that I have really started to pull in the reigns on my preorders. Plus, I get irritated when I preorder and then find that the kit has flaws/issues that negatively impact their sales. It really all depends on how much you want the kit. As we get closer to the holiday season, the kits that are going on preorder now will likely be seen on the secondary market being sold due to money being needed for presents. I also believe that awake kits are less likely to become kits that soar in value after becoming a SOLE. With that said, I wouldn’t invest in preorders with the hopes of getting the next Jayden Scholl. If preordering is causing you stress(because they do seem to come due at the most inopportune times for many of us), then skip it knowing that another will be out just behind it that will also be a must-have for you.
How could I forget to add this? Yes. I, too, get highly irritated when these kits come with flaws that I don’t know about until after the kit is released and people start painting them. Very annoying. This is one more reason I like to wait now unless I just really needed to have the kit.
After much hard work, my kit stash is pretty small now. What helps keep it that way is that I’m way pickier about the kits that I order.
If I love it and it’s a LE I will pre-order. Otherwise, I wait until it’s released.
But I tend to love way too many LE kits 
All the great Realborn kits and the way many of the artists are doing the 1st and 2nd editions has really helped with those that need extra time to gather dolly money. I wish I was one of those artists that work with only 1 kit at a time, like mentioned above. I actually strive to get to that point. However, after 8 1/2 years, I just have to admit and accept that I am a kit addict. I get as much pleasure getting a new kit as the new mommy gets getting a reborn.
Tobiah is still available at Once So Real…I ordered him the other day. The site is all in German and its hard to get around because you can’t copy and paste…I think someone said using a translator through a browser worked. I have just managed to figure it out. Its now my fav site and easier for me because I don’t have to worry about taxes because I live in France. He is on the front page and you are required to pay full price so that makes it easier 
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Ive been waiting on Mei Lien by Ping Lau forever now…I preordered her months ago and she is still not available…not that i have time to paint her anyway because I keep buying kits LOL
I HATE pre-orders, much prefer unlimited kits.
I preordered Mei Lien and got her a few weeks ago. Where did you preorder her from?
I pre-ordered Princess Adelaide and bought her body at the same time. The body got shipped on it’s own right after i placed the order. When the kit finally came in the distributor called to tell me they were sending a new body and a pre-paid envelope for me to return the body I’d purchased. When I asked why, she explained that at some point during production the original sculpted legs got changed, and the distributors were not notified. So when the kits arrived they were in for a shock to find that all the bodies they’d purchased (and already sold) no longer fit the kit. How insane is that.
Bebaby in Italy
Depends on how bad you want them because you are taking a chance on not getting it if you wait. Ones I just have to have I Pre-Order. Once I waited a few hours and it was sold out. I don’t NEED any more kits I’m only getting ones I really want because there’s only so much room to store them in.
Hello Shannon I am a kit addict also. Isn’t it great!
I used to preorder every kit I liked but now I have waaaaay too many to paint lol so I stopped preordering. Then Sunny came out, and I didn’t preorder her. Now she’s sold out and I’ll always regret not getting her. So now I limit my preorders to those kits I can’t stop thinking about - the ones I know I’ll always regret missing out on if I don’t snag them!
I agree, I made some preorders early this year and found myself having too many kits. So even if I love it, I wait and see how I feel. I’ll keep coming back to look at it. If there is ANYHTING at all, that even gives me a wiff of MEH, then I eventually pass on it. I really look at the prototypes as well, several of them. Sometimes one protoypes will make me want it sooo bad and then when I see other prototypes of that kit and it shows different angles, I will lose interest. I have made some must have features that if the kit doesnt have, I will not buy it. Like the hands gotta be JUST right and if the crease behind the knee is weird or thick, I skip it. If hands look too dolly, I skip. Its gotta be the perfect storm LOL!!
I never preorder but Tobiah got me! She sold out in an hour on Macpherson’s so when I saw the preorder was opened on LLE site, I definitely had to get her. I don’t think the preorder is necessary though. There’s always another adorable kit around the corner if you miss out on one you really loved.
let me reword it then, I hate pre-orders AND limited edition kits! As a custom toddler artist, I get orders for years, of the same doll kit, and would have nowhere to store masses of large toddler kits
A few months ago, I had five orders come in and I was so stressed. It use to be okay before I retired but in the last few months I have had to handcuff myself to keep from ordering. I did preorder Lucian and I am not sure why except when my husband saw katinafleming’s wolf, he loved it. Anyway, there are several right now that I want to preorder and am trying hard not to. I want to start getting more of BB’s kits.
Yup. Retirement is hazardous to reborners. lol