Designer vs LE

[Matthewlondon]

Just wondered is their any collectors who just collect the designer dolls or do you just collect the 17inch dolls or do you collect both?
Is their any that maybe just collected one series of the designer dolls? Or did you collect all 3 series.

I have noticed most people seem to collect all the dolls and not really noticed many who just collect specific characters.

I have been selling most of my dolls off and just collecting Sleeping beauty merchandise which is nice because designer wise you get one from each series(princess, villain, fairytale) but it is hard not to pick up the others that I like! Especially Designer Cruella who I really want to get but keep telling myself no she will be out of place with the others lol.

Which do you prefer the designer series or the heirloom collection? Personally I prefer the designer as you get lots of merchandise to go with the dolls + a nice case for them. But the quality is better on the 17inch.

Really interested to see which you collect.
I started out just collecting the designer Villains but got sucked into others lol and then sold them and now just concentrating on Sleeping beauty which is easier because otherwise I'd want them all lol.

 

[Frozen_Jane]

Is Heirloom= LE? I'm fairly new to the dolls themselves, I just collect what appeals to me. I wouldn't buy a set if I didn't like all of the items in it. But that's just me- I know some people go for potential value so they can trade for other things they want down the line. Doll wise I have the March LE Frozen, the DS Maleficent dolls and a few classics here and there, the bulk of my Disney stuff is Frozen. But I don't buy *everything* just 'coz it's Frozen- only if I like it! I wouldn't say no to future dolls though if I liked them. Hoping to get LE Aurora if I can!

 

[Matthewlondon]

Yes heirloom is the 17 inch LE dolls.
That's a great way to collect just buying the dolls you like. I wouldn't buy a set unless I liked all the ones in the set. Thankfully the two sleeping beauty designers and the upcoming fairytale couple sets have all been my favourites anyway.

 

[Luna_Ray]

I have mostly collected the designer dolls, but I do have 2 of the LE dolls. Almost all of mine are the same characters- I have Cinderella, Belle, Jasmine, Mulan, and Rapunzel from the 2011 Designer set, none of the villains (didn't care for them), and then the 5 dolls from last year's release. Cinderella was always my favourite growing up, and I loved Belle (although I wasn't allowed to call her my favourite since she was my older sister's favourite lol) and I really really loved Jasmine when Aladdin came out. Recently Tangled came out and I loved Rapunzel so I wanted to get her dolls as well. I started following the Frozen hype mostly because I love snow (like, cannot stand spring and summer lol, I am happy to be waist deep in snow) and I heard Idina Menzel was going to be playing the snow queen. So when I saw the blog post about ordering the November Elsa doll, I went ahead and ordered her and my sisters gave her to me for Christmas. That was my first LE doll, then in January I ordered the Nordic Anna to match. I almost got the LE Cinderella when she came out, but I wasn't big on the design of the doll so I decided to just not get her. I am planning on getting the Cinderella from the upcoming set and possibly Aurora because I do like her character and would like to own a doll of her.

I agree, I am more partial to the designer dolls, they look so nice displayed and I love the merchandise that comes with them, but since getting LE Elsa and Anna, I can see the quality that goes into the LE dolls. They are absolutely gorgeous. I have to say I'm a little bit disappointed with the upcoming fairytale set, last year's set was very nicely detailed with the different fabrics and embroidery and lace trim, this year's seems a little more rushed and less creative. Cinderella looks amazing to me, and I like Aurora's face and hair, but I hate the bottom part of her dress so I'm iffy on it. I'm not collecting dolls after this though, I don't have enough room for them and I'm getting a little dolled out. I only collect the ones I really like, but even so, I have 10 designer cases and need to find a new bookshelf to display them, and 2 LEs that are displayed on a small end table in my room. I'm going to be moving within the next year and I shudder to think of moving them all, it'll be a nightmare, especially as I cut out all that plastic backing so I'll have to pack them really securely.

 

[Siren]

I only collect the Designer dolls of the characters I love the most, which is usually Aurora, Ariel, and Snow White. I didn't like Fairytale Snow White though from last year so I didn't get that set. For the LE dolls I'm collecting the princesses and classic heroines like Alice because I love the details they have.

 

[shooting4ownhand]

I collect based on character not collection. If I like the doll, I'll get them. I didn't really care for the LE Ariel doll so I didn't get her but I really liked the fairytale designer couple and got them. I would try to get the original designer Ariel doll but she is way out of my price range now (got into collecting after she was released). I love the LE Snow White but she is sadly way out of my price range.

I do have small collections of all the princesses but Snow White, Ariel, and Jasmine are my biggest collections. I wasn't sure if I liked the designer Aladdin & Jasmine doll enough to get them at the time but now I regret that. I do have the Ariel/Eric, Rapunzel/Flynn, and Snow/Prince dolls. I am not sure if I'll get any of the dolls from this new collection but I really like the Cinderella doll. I will be getting all the journals and mugs though.

I didn't really care for the designer villains collection because I don't collect villains.

 

[NightmareMermaid]

I just collect dolls of my favorite characters and only if I like the way the doll turned out. I personally prefer the Heirloom collection. I think the dolls are better quality and I like the display boxes better. They're also so much easier to get open than the Designer ones. I didn't like the DP dolls, so I don't have any of them. I liked the DV collection, but Ursula was the only character in the set that I really collect and I passed on her doll since it looked like a purple-skinned Morgana. The only Designer dolls I own so far are the Ariel and Eric set. I plan on buying the Pocahontas and John Smith set this year. I may also buy the LE 17" Aurora depending upon how well she turns out. I was planning on getting the Briar Rose and Phillip set, but I don't like the way her skirt looks and that he doesn't look like himself. So far the LE 17" dolls I have are: Ariel, Ursula, Snow Queen Elsa, Coronation Elsa, Snow Gear Anna, and Coronation Anna. So that makes a total of 7 LE 17" dolls and 1 Designer set, with 3 being TLM and 4 Frozen (my two favorite Disney princess movies). I'm looking forward to LE 17" Jasmine since she is one of my favorite characters and so far I haven't been completely happy with the Designer dolls of her. I hope that we get a LE 17" Pocahontas and a Designer and/or LE 17" Kida. I would also like to see another 17" Belle that is done much better than the first one was.

 

[OlafOlaf]

I collect the ones I like but I noticed that (up until now) I like the LE dolls most.

 

[TinkerTigg]

I collect the villain LE dolls. At first, it was just going to be the Heirloom collection. The designer villains came out and I tried to be underwhelmed and talk myself out of it. Then, they went on clearance and I figured I would get my 3 favorites front the collection: Cruella and Queen of Hearts (DS Clearance) and Evil Queen of Amazon for barely more than retail. However...when they were reduced yet again...I was able to get Ursula, Gothel, AND Maleficent at the twice reduced price thanks to a site error. Talk about truly happy camper! So, thankfully, I now have every villain doll released from 17" Mother Gothel to now...plus both Elsa's and Fairies...and hope they include more Fairies...and also want the Designer Couples Tiana and Naveen.
So, originally, only baddies held a special place in my heart and were the ones I collected. Then...a little light made it in and my collection really diversified and grew. Moving forward, unless there are more fairies or some designer Elsa doll...the villains are still my primary focus.

 

[Tarnation]

I only collect the 17" LE dolls. It started with Cinderella and just went from there. I was never going to collect them, but (as embarrassing as it is to admit), I thought they were too expensive, then I saw how much Snow White was worth and I bought Cindy. My interest has now changed from money value because I love each doll I collect, only buying the ones I really like. I collect the princesses, their villain & princes where applicable. I haven't bought Woody/Buzz/Calhoun/etc because they're not princesses, I didn't get Rapunzel because her face just doesn't sit well with me (so I also didn't get Gothel), and no Elsa because I wasn't fussed on her character.
I wanted to collect the designers, but I missed the first lot and they're way too expensive for me to try to own now, particularly when I don't really love them. I might crack and buy the Cinderella & Prince designer this year because I think she's truly stunning, and she's not even my favourite - I just need to decide if I'd be okay with only having that one couple as I don't want the rest (not even Ariel and she's my favourite).
So um... that was long winded, sorry haha. I guess the short answer for me is: only 17" select LEs.

 

[Matthewlondon]

Love reading everyone's replies!
Seems most people love the LE dolls the most.

 

[PrinceAli]

For me I collect both LE and Designer dolls, only though if they're from my all time favorite movie. So pretty much I only collect the dolls from Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and The princess and Frog (From my Top 5 favorite movies). If I had the space (of course, money lol) then I totally would collect all of the dolls that came out so far. But just to make my collection smaller and more sense wise, I would only get the dolls from that particular movie. So far, I have all the 17" LE Little Mermaid dolls that out in 2013 and have the Fairytale Designer of Aladdin/Jasmine and Ariel/Eric. I'm still on the look out for the first designer dolls of Jasmine, Ariel, & Tiana and the Designer Villain of Ursula. Plus, I'm also trying to search for the 17" of the Tiana doll but she's somewhat hard to find atm. But that's why it's also fun to search down your favorite dolls somewhere So I'm definitely excited for the Designer Fairytale of Tiana/Naveen coming out this fall! & praaaaaaaaaaaying that Aladdin is going to be released out of the vault in the fall of 2015 and hoping that's there going to be 3 LE dolls from Aladdin to come out as well!

 

[angelwings]

I usually end up collection the set because I know they are difficult to get on secondary markets. I do prefer the 17" LE dolls better than the 11.5" designer dolls. Although I managed to collected all of the designer dolls so far. I'm missing only a few of the LE 17" from early on like Snow White and Belle.

I really like what they have done with the Fairytale collection and I'm excited for the next 5 to come out.