This concern is absolutely justified. The regular care is not so bad, you'll want to powder her from time to time in order to make the skin feel smooth again, and when you get a WM Doll in these days, the TPE doesn't need to be oiled too much, in fact you would risk to oversaturate it when you overdo it. The risk of taking damage on the other hand - that's quite an issue, or at least it has been for me, especially in the first weeks. First of all, the TPE is really responsive to any contact with solid materials, and the doll is really heavy and bulky to move around, and in the first days, she kind of developed a life of its own when I tried to move her. You should really have some space around you when you practice to handle her in the beginning. Also, fingernails and eyelashes are kind of a constant issue, because they always fall off or get damaged somehow just by laying her on the bed for instance. And the makeup won't last forever either. Plus there is the staining issue with darker clothes, which of course you can avoid by simply not using darker clothes, but if you like black, then you will sooner or later come across stains. Luckily, there are ways to repair most of those daily life accidents, be it with special glue or with tools like a soldering iron or a hot air rework station, or benzoylperoxyd acne cream for the stains. I was really hoping that I wouldn't have to use all these things if I simply watch out well enough, but it happens faster than you can look. So now I have a soldering iron and a rework station, both with adjustable temperatures, some tweezers and a magnifying lens for the eyelashes and the makeup, a brush for powdering her, some 3M primer 94 (which was not easy to get in my country because of bureaucratic constraints) and a thin brush to apply it, a makeup case and several brushes for application, and even an iron and an ironing board for her clothes, because I never needed one for the clothes that I wear. And a couple of carbon combs and brushes and several accessories for her hair, so I can make some ponytails and stuff. And curlers (the curls on the blonde wig are self-made)... the list goes on.Scatterling wrote: ↑Tue Apr 23, 2024 4:15 pm Yeeaah, that's the main thing I'm unsure whether I'm really up for - the expense isn't so much the issue, but the frequent care & maintenance.Plus the fear that despite best efforts, a doll might only last a couple years - or take damage earlier with just a little bit of bad luck or a moment of carelessness. My heart kinda sank when I read about the first faceplant incident on Mausi's part; that's gotta suck. She came back tho!
Now this might sound a little intimidating, but if you're not averse to handicrafts (in fact I really like it), then there is little to be afraid of. It will become a new hobby, and - speaking for myself - most of the things like renewing the makeup or the eyelashes become a routine after a short time, and reward you with sheer beauty. It is quite an investment, true, so you will want to get a quality doll from a renowned manufacturer in the first place. And if you are careful, you might not even come across any issues, just remember to always place her on soft, smooth surfaces and avoid contact with your environment when you move her around. And if you want to change her stance, better lay her on the bed or something similar first, before you move her legs, or else she will probably crash down and you will look quite helpless trying to hold her.
But at the end of the line it's a fantastic product to have and to play around with, and even though it needs some attention, the fun is always in the foreground. Just be careful and aware that it needs some care, you can read all you need to know in this forum, and once you know what to expect, you can prepare yourself pretty well. Look at me, I'm still having fun after all that's happened! By the way, I bought my doll from dollsclub.de, and I wouldn't recommend them, see this thread. Those offers are often launched by the manufacturers, and the vendors just pass them on to the customers, so when there is a 2nd head for free, it's probably free on several resellers.
But it makes total sense - I only ever iron my stuff for the rare occasion that I need suit+shirt on me in good shape, but a doll of course is all about the looks and style. 
like here:
That's a lot of work, and an outstanding result 
