I would always be willing to wait for a custom order - I want bespoke, and I'm willing to wait for a job to be done right! (I have dolls with custom skin tones etc, so have experience of this). I'm mostly into silicone dolls, so will comment on them mostly.
Packaging has to be top notch for a long wait and transit time though. Too many dolls arrive with damage - to the point where it's almost expected to have stuff like cuts on feet, the neck etc. Sino solved it ages ago by moulding an internal shape around the doll in the box - not sure how they do it, but other manufacturers should take notice!
Other than that, I'm looking for durability - all the time, over anything - especially the skeleton. There's nothing that says more to me about a brand and will bring me back like having a doll that's well made and lasts - I feel that repeat business is up in the doll world. Most people on the forum are getting more than one, and they want their guys and girls to last! If the doll isn't durable, they're going to go elsewhere. I'm a big fan of the Sanhui flexi skeleton- it's very flexible, but rather than actually using the contortionist poses, it's good to have that level of redundancy in a skeleton- I know I'm not going anywhere near the limits - and the doll is designed to handle it.
Also, I think it needs to be stressed for the UK and a lot of other places doll height matters - over 150cm at least, or people here wouldn't consider it. Some manufacturers are coming out with dolls in the 130s/140s and anyone in the know is going to have reservations about import over here. For example, the Irokebijin brand (one of Mizuwali's spin offs from piper doll) - they're anime dolls, and designs are good. Good pedigre too, but their tallest doll is 140 something - not tall enough for the market over here!
Articulated fingers are a great upgrade and something I'll always be looking for now I have a doll with them. Moving jaw/mouth upgrade is the one I'm hoping for in my next doll, and some manufacturers are making.
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