Hi!
Welcome to the forum - apologies for being late in doing so.
It's important really to ascertain in your own mind what you want a doll to do and there are many people here who will offer advice in one way and another. And sometimes you might find that your doll does something unexpected. . . so you have to expect that too.
Inflatababes, which and who, as they can take on a character, have given me personally much fun and amusement for nearly a decade but suddenly a doll looked me in the eye and the Aira and Chloé thread on "Meet the dolls" resulted. It's very dangerous to let a doll look you in the eye, and then when he or she does, see if your reaction is the same two months later. The doll has to decide that she or he wants to come to live with you, rather than merely the lustful reverse.
As soon as you enter the realm of real dolls, they are akin to people themselves.
Although the story is on the thread here "Chloé's holiday" it's easier to link into a particular post in another place and Chloé tells me that there are three rules of doll ownership which the wise obey, and this also leads to considerations about which doll one might buy if one is buying one who has had a life with someone else:
http://ourdollcommunity.com/forum/in...74299#msg74299
The psychological relationship one has with a doll is an important consideration.
Another consideration which is vital is that of weight. Is she going to be merely a statue, an artwork which keeps one company, or is she going to come alive in some way? If the latter, no heavier than the 25-28kg range is comfortable. Much beyond that is an area of which I don't have experience.
If you buy new, customs from abroad can be expensive. I've read that if the doll is declared as an artwork it attracts a lower tax rating. Perhaps that can be helpful. Brands of doll that have UK and French agents have advantages in having all of the import hassle taken care of, as well as a more locally personal service, than buying direct from a manufacturer, but if that's an important consideration, then the extra cost can be worthwhile.
As someone new to the experience, I can also add that I'm so happy to have been able to buy a doll from someone else with experience who was able to show me how "she" liked to move and what mistakes to avoid. If you buy new, it's important to make sure that whoever is selling actually does an instruction book or video about movement. Often a doll's movement is counter-intuitive. One has to move the limbs from the fulcrum, the point of the hinge, not the end of the lever. Both Chloé and Aira have experience of meeting people who want to move their hands and arms - and start pulling the hand, or worse, the fingers when in reality one has to think for the doll and start at the shoulder, and the elbow, and start to point the limb to the direction desired. This in actual fact how we work ourselves, but it's counter-intuitive when we meet a doll as another being. So buying one's first doll from someone else means that you might learn from someone else's experience or mistakes, and if you do make a mistake then it's a less expensive mistake.
Aira ended up in dospital the other day because I hadn't understood how to catch a small problem in time - and with the confidence and experience she has given me, should ever a new doll decide she wants to play and have fun in my madness, she'll be well understood and pampered well as a result.
Incidentally, whilst my girls are others, the Real Doll brand is a classic and is the source of great enthusiasms.
Best wishes
Harem