A Small Collection or a Big One?

I've gotten to be kind of a minimalist, so even a group of 10 or so looks like a large collection to me! I have four dolls right now, and I keep thinking I want a fifth but that's probably a bad idea since the ones I have kind of pair up and if I got a fifth I'd probably go for a sixth...

 

I've learned that it's probably not a good idea to make plans when it comes to this hobby.

I originally started with the idea of "just two", my minifeee Miyu and Rheia who would be sisters or bestfriends (we're still figuring that part out), but not too long after I added a minifee Chloe and then after that a Shushu. So I'm up to 4 (plus a Juri 10 head I got with the Chloe), which I thought would be my limit, as 4 fit the story idea I have in my head.

But I go through mood swings with my dolls. The ones I thought I'd love the most aren't as appealing to me and the one I sort of bought on impulse has ended up being the favourite. And lately I've been thinking about adding some testosterone to this very estrogen-high environment, but because I love (read: OCD) sets and even numbers, I can't just add one male, it would have to be 4. And one minute that seems like a great idea and I'm all "WANT ALL TEH DOLLIES!!!!!1!!1!"

Then a week later, when life has been so crazy busy and I've realized I haven't actually had time for anything other than looking at my dolls in a month or more, I start to feel guilty about how much $$$$ is sitting there neglected and I'm tempted to cull the collection down to just 1 (maybe 2). Because somehow I feel that would be more manageable. This probably stems from the fact that the way I enjoy the hobby is to sew clothes and photograph my dolls. And I feel like each doll needs its own "style" and shouldn't have to share clothes with the others and needs a very large and diverse wardrobe... and that's just not happening with my 80 hour weeks of school + work.

But then I look at them and can't really decide who would go or who would stay. Because even the ones I'm not 100% happy with, I still see potential in and go when I see other people's pictures of them. A large part of it is that I'm not so happy with my faceup skills even though I keep trying. May need to just suck it up and commission someone else to bring their faces to life for me.
For now... I'm not making any decisions to grow or shrink the family until December when I'm done school and will actually have some time for them. I'd hate to rehome someone just because I feel bad I can't do anything with them and seriously regret it later on

TL;DR: I'm spastic, can't make up my mind if I want 1 or 10+ dolls, but have no real time for the hobby right now so not making any decisions to expand or downsize the collection yet XD

 

Haha correction i have 12 bjds and a head. I didn't count some of my bjds
In the beginning i only wanted one bjd.

 

I have 2 bjd's and am hoping to keep it to less than 5.
I think too big is up to the individual.

 

At the moment I have nine dolls, and I've only been buying them for three years or so. It works out to about three a year, so if I keep it up at this rate, I'll have thirty dolls in seven years' time. But I don't think I will keep it up - I just don't have the space, time or money for so many dolls (the vast majority of them are SDs), although my brain certainly likes to come up with new characters to inhabit the beautiful sculpts I keep seeing! I feel that once I've shelled the most urgent characters in my head, I'll be able to devote my time, energy and money to the dolls I already have, rather than acquire new ones all the time. I can see myself owning around 15-20... having said that, let's see where I am three years from now!

 

I have three dolls and a head after six + years in the hobby, and I prefer to keep it small. I do count multiple tinies as being "one doll" as they're so small, so I wouldn't mind having a few of those around. I like small collections for several reasons: costs, portability, less chance for "neglect," space... Five and under is a small collection. 6-9 is the middle ground, and anything over that is large to me. But there are some people with 30+ dolls in this hobby, which is fantastic to me.

 

I have a small collection of one at the moment. I plan for four, however... knowing me it will grow. :P

 

I have 3, with two on the way, so I guess I'll say I have 5. To me thats a lot already, but it sounds more than it feels. I think I'll keep the number under 10, but I guess in terms of other people 10 or a little more is perhaps an average collection?

Although in theory a large collection would be AWESOME, for guilt and money I'll keep a smaller collection. I already have more than I think I should, but I don't spend money on smoking or games consoles and games or much else really so I try comfort myself with that. I'm just glad I don't feel this guilt when I look at them.

 

I plan to keep a limit of 15 dolls maximum. I've got 13 planned and put two more in for leeway. I'd rather not dolls be the only focus of my life so even though in my eyes 15 is a lot, in comparison to some, I'm sure it's quite small ^^

 

I have about 10 with a few floating heads. I find that if the dolls hover around that area I am quite fine. Its still small enough that everyone get's enough attention. With 20+ dunno if I could handle that. XD

 

I guess the perception of big/small collection does depend on the size of the dolls and also just what you're comfortable with.
I have thusfar managed to keep it at about 1 doll/character per year I've been in the hobby. Now I did have several years of not buying, but I kinda caught up on that. Technically I'd been in the hobby for at least a few months before wandering over to DoA, so I could count it as being one short right now. Hmm. XD
I do have one floating head I did a lot of heavy mod work to that is stuck with me but I'm never sure if I'll ever bother to turn it into something. One other floating head whom I'm hoping to find a body I'm happy with, as she has a character. For the most part, I try to part with any floating gift heads before they get a chance to cling to me.

Those tiny ones just bring a little voice that wants you to get more. I have one yo-size tiny, I would love at least one more, probably ten. And I decided after seeing a friend's that I should never get a puki, as I'd just end up buying them in six packs.
However those two giant SD's do manage to look like they take up so much less space being all cuddled up...

 

I have a teeny little collection of, um... I don't know how many there are but I am positive it's over 100. And it's definitely not the largest collection I've been aware of in the nearly-seven years now that I've been collecting them.

My limits are that the collection must stay within the confines of its one corner of the house (except for photo shoots, if they ever happen again, and painting/maintenance, so forth). If the shelves start getting too crowded I get visual-clutter angst, and anxiety and my body do not play nicely with each other.

At one time I used to feel it was required that I spend quality time with each and every one of them, and now I am content to let most of them sit and look like the fantastic little resin muses that they are - because after all, that's why I got them!

I also believe that what each and every person in this thead said about "big or small" collections is the right answer. Whatever feels correct to you at the time is the right size. You may change your mind later and that *also* will be the correct answer. And don't let a single soul tell you you have too many or too few. Life's too short to worry about that sort of stuff.

 

I currently have 6 dolls, and am not wanting my collection to grow over 20. The biggest limit I place on myself is that I need to have a character to fit the doll before I definitely add it to my wishlist. If I can't come up with a fitting character, then I don't buy the doll. Perhaps the only exception is the upcoming Feeple60 line that's being released by Fairyland this month, and they've said that they're bringing back the old Delf sculpts. With that being the case, I REALLY want either a Dark Elf or Angel Elf Soo, character or not (and even then, I've considered re-shelling my MNF DES's character into a Feeple60).

 

Right now, I have 3 dolls in the house and 1 on layaway. So, 4 or 5 is about my limit. The problem with this logic is that I keep on looking! So my plan for a very modest collection depends solely on the manufacturers. How large my collection gets is all their fault. That's all.

 

I intend to collect a relatively large collection, though some enthusiastic collectors would still consider it small. I currently have three girls, but I would like to get maybe 8 more. My reason for wanting a large doll family is that every doll will reflect an aspect of my personality.

They will serve as my inspiration for writing, a sort of physical manifestation of how some of my stories' characters may interact. I am also a photography enthusiast, and I have difficulty finding models to photograph, so having a large doll family will give me plenty of choices for portraits and photo stories.

 

I think I will end up with a large collection. I love the idea of group photos and been able to pose them together

 

As much as I would like to have a big collection of tiny BJDs, I think because of physical space issues and finances, my own personal collection will be on the small side.

 

I am currently downsizing my collection because I am young and poor!

Over the years I have bought dolls with money Ive saved up and after that I never got around to buying them clothes or anything to really enjoy them. So now I'm downsizing my collection to just 1 doll.
I figure I can use the funds from those sales to get my girls lots of clothes.

I am looking for a job, so I think once I have a stable income and I have things together I will get my girl a sister and just go from there! Over the years I'll will def still be collecting them!
Ive wanted them since I was 14, and while my tastes have changed I still love the hobby!

Where will I stop? There is no telling yet...but for now Im just really happy to have Freya.

 

When I first started, I wanted just 2. But any fellow collector will tell you its not realistic. After rehoming 6, I am still left with 15 full SD dolls. I will consider my crew medium-sized. Anything more than 25 full SD dolls or equivalent is considered large to me cos of the space they take up. Im crossing my fingers that my crew will not exceed 20 in the next couple of years until I do up my spare room to house them and all their furniture and belongings.

 

I'll just wait and see. Like so many I thought one doll would be all I needed and now I'm waiting for the 12th. Since the number of dolls grew so slowly I'm used to it.
But I think I could only take it up to 20 at most.
(Let's see whether I come back here after some years and say the new limit is 30 )