A For Life Hobby or a For Now Interest?

Time will tell. I have had some sort of doll collection all my life and it just has evolved from one type to another. BJDs are so interesting to me now. It's just a natural progression to me.

 

*Do you feel like your BJD collection is something you will keep and stay active with forever?

Finally I can definitely say yes. I have had hobbies in other areas when I was much younger that have come and gone but I am at an age and stage of life where I know my dolls are here to stay. It's no longer just me that loves my dolls but my kids do too. If any of my current collection were to go not only would I be upset but my kids would be devastated too.

*Do you feel as though someday you'll loose interest and get out of the hobby?

No. This hobby for me has grown organically and fit itself in perfectly with family life and my own interests...especially now that I'm getting back into doing my textile work and wearable art (I hope to work on more wearable art for dolls in the future too). This hobby and my dolls have become too much of a muse for me and my current dolls feel too much like family for me to ever give them up.

*Can you see yourself passing your BJD collection on as a sort of heirloom (or do you believe with the nature of resin, it simply would not be a pretty situation in twenty years?)?

My kids have already decided who gets which of my dolls when I go
My daughter already has one BJD I act as caretaker for, a Pipos Dali named Raffles, and one of my Charlotte sisters (Andjelica) she has decided is hers too. I won't be surprised if she ends up being a future partner in crime in this hobby. She already loves being involved in and giving input in what I buy for or make for my dolls...and has already given me a list of what dolls she'd like me to buy (next it's a dollfactory Popo she wants for herself and Bluefairy TinyFairy Robin she wants me to buy to be the boyfriend for my May) and what she'd like me to buy or make for them next too I'm pretty sure that she'll end up being the one who takes on most of my collection when I'm gone or at least make sure they are well taken care of. She's fascinated with the maintenance aspects of the hobby too and loves to watch me and has tried helping me re-string, clean, fix and replace wigs, suede and re-attach magnets. Yes, resin ages but it can be looked after, cleaned, sanded, repainted, resprayed with sealant etc so that resin dolls can still have a long life and stay "pretty" for as long as possible.

 

I am fairly sure that I will not be 'active' in it forever... I bet there will come a point where I have collected enough, and don't want anymore... but I will not then say I am done and get rid of the ones I have. Unless my well being depends on it, or if I do not like the doll in the end, I do not plan to sell my dolls.

 

I don't see that I have any other choice than to be active in this hobby forever, since I'm 63 years old and just started. I do not feel as though this is a passing interest, and I also feel I will be passing my dolls down to someone I know will take very good care of them and love them as much as I do. And I really love them!

 

Do you feel like your BJD collection is something you will keep and stay active with forever?

@RoniBro: Nice to see another one of over 55 crowd in the hobby! I have been into bjds for about 8 years now and have a growing collection. My hobbies ebb and flow but never really go away. Well, except when I was playing women's rugby in my younger years. The knees gave out so that hobby is one I put away for good except to watch it on tv. LOL

Do you feel as though someday you'll loose interest and get out of the hobby?

Nope. Probably just run out of space unless I add yet another room onto my house just for the dolls.

Can you see yourself passing your BJD collection on as a sort of heirloom (or do you believe with the nature of resin, it simply would not be a pretty situation in twenty years)?

Actually I have already included ALL of my collectibles, figures, bjds, and for that matter, my pets in my will. I have left the dolls to my sister and niece who know what the dolls mean to me. The pets, well, they have a trust fund so they don't need the dolls. No children and no plans for any at 58 years old. I don't really care what they look like down the road. I think it is very human like that the resin also "ages" like people do.

Thanks for the great question.

 

*Do you feel like your BJD collection is something you will keep and stay active with forever?*

i have no idea how long my 'forever' is going to be, since your life is not forever at all (yes i know, figure of speech). i cannot predict if any circumstances in the future would make me lose interest either - people change a lot while often essentially staying the same. i've liked dolls and toys for all my life so far, and wanted a BJD for over 2 years before i got my first one. so we could predict i will always like them but we cannot be sure.

i think this answers the 2nd question so i am just going to answer the 3rd one as well.

*Can you see yourself passing your BJD collection on as a sort of heirloom (or do you believe with the nature of resin, it simply would not be a pretty situation in twenty years?)?

i don't care what happens to my possession after i die, of course the idea that they might be neglected hurts the *living* me, but since dead people can't have thoughts, feelings, or self conciousness (sorry if this happens to offend anyone who is religious, but i am an atheist and therefore i believe in science) and dolls are not alive, i consider all my possessions to only be worth caring about in that scenario if someone who is my personal friend would like to inherit them.

aside from that, if i were too die the only thing i would care about before dying is the future wellbeing of my pets, friends and family and how it would affect them, which to me is more important than worrying about what happens to my doll collection.

also, in just 20 years i would be in my 40s so well.. who knows? maybe i'll still be going? haha

 

*Do you feel like your BJD collection is something you will keep and stay active with forever?

Yes, I do. I've always been into dolls, the more realistic the better. I was into American Vinyl 18" dolls before, but was always disappointed with their lack of mobility and the limitations they had. Then I met a BJD in person at a doll shop and fell in love. Now I have four, with two coming in the near future, and I make furniture for them. I think I'm hooked.

*Do you feel as though someday you'll loose interest and get out of the hobby?

No, not really. There's always something new in the hobby, there's always something else to work on, and I've made some great friends through it. It's the perfect hobby for someone like me.

*Can you see yourself passing your BJD collection on as a sort of heirloom (or do you believe with the nature of resin, it simply would not be a pretty situation in twenty years?)?

I could see that, yes, if someone wanted them. But that's a along way off, and I have plenty of time to convert family into the hobby.

 

*Do you feel like your BJD collection is something you will keep and stay active with forever?
So far of all my hobbies in past I do come back to dolls time & time again, but always a different kind. But these have held me for 5 years & I love it more then any other form of doll collecting.

*Do you feel as though someday you'll loose interest and get out of the hobby?
I hope now, as it has opened so many opportunities for me, both in taking more & better pics, but also finding me so many good loyal friends.

*Can you see yourself passing your BJD collection on as a sort of heirloom (or do you believe with the nature of resin, it simply would not be a pretty situation in twenty years?)?
My dolls that I totally love will be with me as long as I can hold them and see their sweet faces. As for passing them down. Guess it depends on what I have at time. My DIL loves Tinies, while my DD likes them, but tends to just have her dolls as display ones. So I guess whatever ones they don't want to at least remember me by will hopefully find good homes, as they both know their values.

 

*Do you feel like your BJD collection is something you will keep and stay active with forever?
I'll probably be involved with dolls in some way, since it's a creative outlet.

*Do you feel as though someday you'll lose interest and get out of the hobby?
Possibly, but I hope to stay in touch with the friends I've made in the hobby.

*Can you see yourself passing your BJD collection on as a sort of heirloom (or do you believe with the nature of resin, it simply would not be a pretty situation in twenty years?)?
I don't think resin is going to age well, but if anything is left, my survivors are welcome to do what they want with them.

 

*Do you feel like your BJD collection is something you will keep and stay active with forever?
Yes I don't have one yet and I'll have to wait a couple of years before I'm financially and geographically in a place where I can have one (I'm going home in a couple of years) but I can tell from the fact that I have marvelled at and plannned my dolls for about two years already that it'll last. Plus it makes me really happy just to look at them.

*Do you feel as though someday you'll loose interest and get out of the hobby?
No, especially once I have a doll, they'll be special to me and have a special part in my life and my heart.

*Can you see yourself passing your BJD collection on as a sort of heirloom (or do you believe with the nature of resin, it simply would not be a pretty situation in twenty years?)?
I hope that my dolls will last long enough to do that, but realistically know it might not be a possibility if the resin yellows far too badly or breaks down in some way which would be a real shame. I'd love to hand them down as heirlooms, as I said they'll be very special to me.

 

*Do you feel like your BJD collection is something you will keep and stay active with forever?
You never can tell what kind of dolls come up next, but if I look at the things that are important to me in a doll (changeable eyes and wigs, poseability, possibility to mod and repaint), I think it will probably be BJD for a long time.

*Do you feel as though someday you'll lose interest and get out of the hobby?
Never.

*Can you see yourself passing your BJD collection on as a sort of heirloom (or do you believe with the nature of resin, it simply would not be a pretty situation in twenty years?)?
As you state, if there is anything left to inherite! And I hope to life a long time.
I’m pregnant with my first child and he is a boy.

Since im not very healthy I do have a written testimony what I would want my husband to do with my dolls. Some would be sold, some would go to friends in the BJD community and some to family (my mother).

 

*Do you feel like your BJD collection is something you will keep and stay active with forever?

I will truthfully admit that for the most part I will not buy a doll that doesn't fit my personality. And unless I find out I super hate the body and the way is poses, I will not sell the ones I get. I got into the hobby for the artistic aspect of dressing, posing, doing face-ups, and taking pictures of the beautiful bjds.

*Do you feel as though someday you'll loose interest and get out of the hobby?

Not easily. Unless I go through a drastic personality change I will hold onto my dolls and continue taking pictures and the lot.*Can you see yourself passing your BJD collection on as a sort of heirloom (or do you believe with the nature of resin, it simply would not be a pretty situation in twenty years?)?

I don't plan on ever having children so when I die I would sell my dolls and donate the money to USARK and other animal based charities.

 

*Do you feel like your BJD collection is something you will keep and stay active with forever?

It took me a while to find out exactly what I like and what fits my personality, so I am very selective and particular while buying, and I don't give in to impulses. I have a smallish collection and I would like to keep it that way so that each one of my dolls gets proper attention. And they are here to stay. This is not just one of my hobbies, this is "THE HOBBY" for me

*Do you feel as though someday you'll lose interest and get out of the hobby?

NOPE. I've been playing with dolls and collecting dolls ever since I was a toddler (not BJDs initially but you get my drift). I'm 30 now and there's no way I'm going to have a drastic enough personality change to get out of this hobby.

*Can you see yourself passing your BJD collection on as a sort of heirloom (or do you believe with the nature of resin, it simply would not be a pretty situation in twenty years?)?

Surprisingly I have the exact same plan as Castor. I do not plan on ever having children. And I already told my husband to sell my dolls when I die and donate the money to an animal shelter.

 

I don't know if I will be interested this much in BJD for the rest of my life. What I know for sure is that I will never sell my dolls, they will stay with me. I never give beloved thing away

 

*Do you feel like your BJD collection is something you will keep and stay active with forever?
Something I will keep forever? Probably. Something I will stay active with forever? Probably not. I think I will come to a point when I have all the dolls and accessories I want (at least I hope so!) and also come to a point when I become less active in the community. The latter is already somewhat true, I just want to avoid drama and sometimes it's more enjoyable to keep up with the hobby on my own. However my dolls are very special to me. Two of them I couldn't imagine selling, and the rest I hope I don't come to a point where I need to sell them.

*Do you feel as though someday you'll loose interest and get out of the hobby?
Possibly. At this point no, but there's no telling what I'll be interested in further in the future. Interests and hobbies change. I hope BJDs are forever.

*Can you see yourself passing your BJD collection on as a sort of heirloom (or do you believe with the nature of resin, it simply would not be a pretty situation in twenty years?)?
If I have children, then yes if they have sentimental value to them. If I do not have children, I would want them to go to someone who loves and appreciates them as much as I do.

 

I will stay with my Bjd's and the rest of my dolls as long as I'm able, at 65 I still have years to go before I have to worry about my interest dieing! LOL I have already talked to my youngest son and he will take all my dolls. I'm working on a notebook to catalog all my dolls for him.

 

*Do you feel like your BJD collection is something you will keep and stay active with forever?

I love the dolls I have now, and while I am active in the hobby currently, I think that eventually, my interest will start to wane. I'm like that with a lot of things, so I don't believe the dolls will be anything different.

*Do you feel as though someday you'll loose interest and get out of the hobby?

I may get out of the hobby...it's really hard to predict, so I'm just taking it day-by-day. The dolls I have are very special to me, but there may just come a day when I wake up and decide that they mean nothing to me. Right now, I have lots of interest in the hobby, but I know that things change, situations change, and so who knows? Maybe my interest will pass as well. And when that happens...if it's time for the dolls to go, then so be it.

*Can you see yourself passing your BJD collection on as a sort of heirloom (or do you believe with the nature of resin, it simply would not be a pretty situation in twenty years?)?

If my kiddos want my dolls when I'm no longer interested or no longer here to enjoy them, then they are welcome to them. I'm also OK with my family selling them, if they feel like the money would help.

Is it love? Is it forever?

So hard to say...I do love the dolls, but forever is a might long time.​

 

*Do you feel like your BJD collection is something you will keep and stay active with forever?
Although I am new to the hobby, something tells me that I will be with it for a very long time.Everything that I've ever been interested in has stuck with me since I was a child. Even if I stop doing it for a while and take a break, I always come back to it and remember how good it felt to start in the first place. When you find something you love, it's nearly impossible to get away from it.

*Do you feel as though someday you'll loose interest and get out of the hobby?
I doubt it,but you never know. There are so many things you can do in this hibby. Everything from sewing to face ups and customization! The possibilities are endless and I love being able to do more, I think it's what will keep me interested. I love change!
*Can you see yourself passing your BJD collection on as a sort of heirloom (or do you believe with the nature of resin, it simply would not be a pretty situation in twenty years?)?
I have thought of that. If I ever have children and I can see that they love the dolls just as much as I did, then I will easily hand them over. However, if I had children that disliked them or found them creepy or strange, I'd try to find another person who would love and cherish them like I did.

 

I feel like I'll always be interested~ I may not always have one or may not always want one, but I think that if I do ever get out of the hobby, I'll keep one doll on my shelf just for memory's sake.

 

It's hard to say. Sometimes I just fall out of love with things that I had been interested in for years.