This Ginger is an example, although I actually started with the outfit and not the doll. From the time I acquired the first piece of the outfit, to the time I finally found a doll to wear it, this project doll took about three years to complete.
Why do it that way? Well, for one thing it's often less expensive, as mint, complete dolls typically command a pretty penny. But my biggest reason is that I enjoy working with my project dolls. It gives me a mission, a list of things to watch for as I browse eBay, and often gives me my doll/shopping "fix" at a lesser price.
The pink dress and bloomers were the first pieces of this outfit that I acquired. That was back when I didn't realize the outfit was supposed to include a pinafore; after I learned that, I found the pinafore (untagged) by recognizing it in a picture of a lot of vintage 8-inch doll clothes. The hat I also found as a lot, and convinced the seller to sell it to me separately.
Finally I found the doll. This can sometimes be the hardest part for me, because I like to look for a really good deal. And that she was: I bought her for only $17, and all I had to do was rebraid her hair (the rubber bands had come out, but the hair was still parted and crimped from the braids, so it was easy to do). I even managed to find vintage pink ribbon that looks like original Ginger hair ribbons!
All said and done, I think I spent about $80 on this doll. It seems like a lot, but it seems to be a sought-after outfit: Pre-recession I saw a Ginger wearing this outfit, incomplete and not in as good condition, sell on eBay for considerably more. Regardless, spending time completing the outfit gave me many more hours of enjoyment than winning a single auction ever could have.
Note: This outfit is also Holiday Series #444, though evidently an earlier version of the other one I have. There is also a later outfit, which is pictured in another of my Ginger catalogues, which is (I think) orange with a white organdy apron and a different hat.
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