A BJD owner who wants to restart? Anyone ever felt this way?

*Raises hand* I've done this before and I just might do it again. I am one of those people who likes all their dolls to be the same size - I was like this even as a child with barbie/kelly and other such dolls, I could never play with barbie and kelly together because of the size difference. So when I first got into BJDs, I wanted only MSD-sized dolls. But over time, I got bored with them and decided I wanted a different size.

So I sold them all and am now in the process of getting YoSD-sized dolls and if those don't work out, I'll give SDs a try. At this point, it feels like it was the right thing to do, I feel a lot happier starting fresh. And I've seen other people do this too who seem to be very happy in the process. I have a real life doll who used to collect all sized BJDs who sold them all and started getting into Dollfie Dreams and Mini Dollfie Dreams instead. I think a big part of it is over time, your tastes might change and you start liking different types of dolls. I know it was that way for me. Sometimes it's just nice to start fresh.

 

I've sold all the dolls I started with and replaced them with dolls I like better. I'm much happier with the ones I have now.

 

I have had this problem with other collecting hobbies. I find that just packing them all up for awhile works for me.
Abstinence makes the heart grow fonder.

Then maybe just having one out at a time, may help you get re-acquainted.

 

Oh man, this describes how I feel a lot of the time about this hobby.

From the very beginning, I've been asking myself what "direction" I want to go with BJDs. For a while, I thought I wouldn't embody characters as dolls because with the type of characters I have it just seemed silly to me. I only have a small handful of characters who I feel are cute or pretty enough to be represented by the kind of dolls that are currently available. On the other hand, I haven't been able to bond with any of the dolls I've owned save one, who is the only success I have had in embodying one of my characters in resin form (and even then, I have doubts about the accuracy of the character's similarities with the doll form. The doll doesn't actually resemble him at all OTL). I didn't bond with those dolls, not because of their molds...I quite liked their appearance, I just didn't know what to DO with them. I had no creative impulses towards them.

I've been collecting since late 2008-2009 and I haven't been able to build up a collection of more than two dolls at a time, because I have sold all but one of those dolls (and my one floating-head).

Even so, I'm pretty sure what I want from the hobby now, but I can't really guarantee bonding problems wont come up again. To be honest, if you really want to start over, I highly encourage you to! It can be liberating to start fresh and there's really no reason to feel guilty about it.

 

I can understand the feeling, but I never had it myself. I'm more of the eclectic type of people and I like all sorts, and that's reflected in my collection. So If I'm a bit bored with one size I hop over the the other size and feel very happy again. I still haven't sold any of my bjds. But good luck to you all and your changing collections.

Hugs,

Jolanda

 

I've never associated my dolls with a pre-existing character. I have always just discovered their personalities when telling stories about them and playing with them. But to be fair, I am happy if they just sit around and look pretty.

I have sold off other types of dolls I owned because they just didn't appeal to me. And I find that it can be good to get rid of something you are on the fence about. I'd rather look for something perfect then have a doll just sitting there that gave me such mixed feelings. Positive or nothing is how I see it; they cost too much!

 

I did this exact same thing. A couple of years ago I felt just like you do now. I was unhappy with my collection, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out what was wrong. Oh, I tried the "sell one buy one" at a time thing, but that didn't work and only left me more frustrated and confused. Eventually, I just made the decision to sell them all...every last one, with the determination to start over absolutely fresh. The funny thing is that not long after my initial collection was gone, I immediately knew what was wrong at last...my collection of SDs had simply been too big and overwhelming for me and my display spaces. Once I figured out the problem, I immediately went on the hunt for MSDs and smaller. Today, I'm completely thrilled with my new collection. I'm deeply bonded with each and every doll, and my collection finally feels "right". Getting rid of my initial collection was the best thing I could have ever done.

 

I was going to say "nah, I haven't." But now that I think of it, it's all I've ever done D:
December two years ago I got my first doll. And since then I had many, I think I used to have 16-18 total. I never had more than 5 at the same time (or 6, can't actually remember xD ) and one by one I would sell them off and replace them with other dolls, that in the end had similar personalities.
So technically I didn't start over because I didn't replace them all at once, but one by one xD
Right now I have four girls, and a head (which has a body on the way) and the newest one isn't complete yet, but I still have my first doll, that I will never sell (even if she somehow isn't my taste anymore, I'd still keep her) and the other three I just love so much more than any other doll I've ever owned. So I think I'm done replacing them
If I hadn't 'started over', I would never have the dolls I have now and wouldn't be as happy.

 

I'm doing it with one of my dolls right now. I was on the fence about selling her (although she did go up on the MP for a time) so I've had her out of sight for a few weeks. Her old character has "gone away" as it were and I'm thinking up a new one. I'm hoping to do a few mods that will help and a new faceup, as well. That way I keep the cute sculpt, but have a "new" doll. And hopefully it will work.

EDIT: It's not wrong to sell your first doll. It's yours. Do what you like with it.

 

Nope, I don't think it's wrong. Why keep something you don't like when you could use the money for something you do want? I sold my first doll and all my other dolls to start fresh. I sold my first to cover real life expenses and my others to save for new dolls. And even if other people think it's wrong, what does that have to do with you? Don't live your life based on how other people think, go with how you think and feel.

 

I sold my first doll, because I wasn't at all happy with him, what's the point of keeping something if you don't like it anymore? Personally tho, I don't find anything wrong with doing nothing with your dolls, mine just sit in their cabinet all day. But I love having them around regardless. :3

 

Sometimes you need a break from this hobby. And when you return to it, it feels like you are starting over fresh again. There's nothing wrong with it. And I really don't think not having a specific character or story for our doll will prevent you from enjoying them. After all, they are very versatile and can be anything you want them to be.

Selling your first doll is no problem. It's not a sin. I don't know why people try to play a saint in this hobby by saying things like how could you sell your first doll? etc etc. If you lose interest in it, you don't want to keep it anymore, then you sell it for something else that will make you happy. Nothing wrong with that.

 

Maybe you should pack up (or maybe even sell) your dolls' clothing/wigs/eyes/shoes/etc, remove their face-ups (if they're not too heavily modded), and put them away for a while. Then when you've come up with new characters, bring them out again and get them the wigs/clothes/eyes/shoes that go with the new characters. That is, if you like the sculpts/sizes you have.

I've kept my dolls' face-ups the neutral, company-made face-ups, so when I get sick of one character's story, I put in the new eyes/new wig, change the clothing/shoe style, and it's sort of an instant new doll, and cheaper too.

 

I can understand this feeling... a bit.

I've never sold any of my dolls. That's just me. I know that I'd have vastly different dolls if I started collecting NOW versus in '04 when I did. BUT... the up side is that I've got some amazing dolls that I really love. I'll never sell any of them, if I can at all help it!

 

Don't feel bad at all.
It could be that your tastes are changing. ^^
I have tons of stories, some survive and some get scrapped.

You should try looking for REALLY versatile dolls so if this happens again,
you can keep them, and change them how you see fit.

You might need several stories, or several characters
from all around. It sounds to me like you need to keep
the variety. Don't limit yourself and,commit to things you
have the most passion and drive for!

You just new to keep a fresh outlook!
Hope this helps!

 

I just started in this hobby this year, so I haven't sold my dolls... but I have already changed my story once and revamp the looks and names of my boys, lol. My Patrick head has already seen a name change twice in just 2 months! To me however, I guess if it means have to restart my story, changing characters for my boys, etc in order to keep my love for the hobby alive, I'd do it. Sometimes all it needs is just a change to keep things refreshing! I can't say for sure about selling my dolls (don't think I'd do that), I think you'll have to judge that for yourself since it's your dolls. E.g. if you can bond with them but just dont like their characters then maybe all you need is a change of story or character without the need to sell, unless you really can't bond with them or something...

 

I'm only two years into the hobby, but at the start of this year I was doing absolutely nothing with my five dolls, and hadn't done anything with them for months. I toyed with the idea of just changing wigs and eyes and such, but I decided in the end that I was just plain tired of most of them for various reasons. When I sold them off, I was actually relieved to have them off elsewhere, and almost considered leaving all together. I later decided I needed another one, and as for my current ones, I love them to pieces, even if I don't use them very often. I made sure I chose dolls that were more versatile and haven't really anchored a huge pre-planned backstory to them, they're just kind of making it up as they go along, I suppose, and that's just what seems to really work for me. I kept my two original characters to continue their deeper story when they're totally done, but that's a while down the road, so I'll re-introduce myself slowly, I think.