Anyone out there ever get fed up?

Eh for now, being recently single (perhaps because of getting divorced) I feel like my money is my money now. This is the time before I have children to spend my money on things I like. So other people's opinions don't really bother me. That said, I am somewhat of a minimalist and having "too many" dolls without a place or a plan for them is usually on my mind. Really someday I want a curio or something to stick my "perfect" dolls inside, sell the leftover clothes and dolls that don't fit in with the collection and maybe occassionally treat myself to a new "art" piece. My great grandmother made dolls and had a doll collection, it was passed down to my grandmother who refined it and distributed them to relatives and my mother, and maybe someday I will have one of her dolls to add to my collection. Doll collecting appears to be in the family, and my family doesn't mind it, and I think if I had kids, so long as the dolls had their place and it wasn't excessive, they would probably see it as a collection too, but I have no idea. I'd raise my brow at them if they tried to tell me what to do as adults. I'd think they were thinking I was squandering their inheritance or something. Pfft. If I have a monetary inheritance, it's going to a well rated charity. That way there will be none of that :P

 

I struggle with anxiety and depression, and there have been a couple of times I've walked away from DoA and the hobby community because it was honestly just not something I wanted to deal with right then. Not because of the so-called "drama" or "elitism" that I've never actually encountered, but because I was just...tired.

 

I spent years unemployed or underemployed and loving bjds from afar. Now that I have money, I'm going to enjoy myself. There's no reason to feel guilty: there's a roof over our heads, food in the fridge, and money in bluboy's college fund. If anyone has a problem me spending money on a hobby, well, that's okay. I don't really get why my friend spends so much money on golf or why a different friend uses every inch of spare room in her house for rabbit rescue stuff. In the end, everyone's hobbies are strange to everyone else.

I do think it's normal to be fed up from time to time or to go through periods of disinterest. That seems to happen with most things in life like hobbies, careers, relationships, etc.

 

I feel like phases of disinterest happens in pretty much everything in life. I know for a good chunk of my hobbies, I went through periods where I just didn't want to look at the projects I was working on, but I end up coming back to revisit them once in a while (a lot of them remain unfinished). I can imagine it'd only be the same for this hobby. Yeah, sometimes you might feel the money is well spent elsewhere, and it just might be. But ultimately, if you find happiness in them, then there's really nothing anyone can say or do to sway you from doing what brings you happiness.

I'm sure people are going to call me crazy for spending what I'm about to spend on the upcoming doll I'm waiting for. I mean, blowing four figures is no joke. But I said the same thing when I bought my brand name bags -- No, you might not see the significance of owning it, but ultimately, it makes me happy to own it, use it, and have it in my possession. I may not take it out with me every time, but the thought that I have it makes me not regret my purchase at all.

 

I've had a string of incredibly expensive hobbies over the past few years (some of them more productive than others - art hoarding, adoptables, online forum games, and now BJDs and mobage) so I think my friends/family have become somewhat desensitised to my spending habits - or maybe I've just gotten better at justifying them (lol).

At least imo when you're in a position where you're financially stable and you're able to budget responsibly in other areas of life there's absolutely nothing wrong with spending the money you put aside for leisure however you like - use your money however makes you happy!! Of course that also means if you're feeling a lot of stress or embarrassment around the hobby maybe it's time to take a break and come back when you're feeling less pressured and can enjoy it more fully.

Regarding getting people to embrace & understand niche hobbies I've found it helps a lot to try explaining it in terms of things that each person is interested in and is used to spending money on (i.e. to my fashion-minded & koreaboo friends I'm getting into trendy Korean fashion dolls, to my artist friends I'm getting into sewing/crafting doll clothes, to my money-minded friends I'm getting into collecting high-value, handmade dolls, etc.). In the end friends & family're there to be supportive though, so no matter how you present it it's a little mean-spirited for any of them to try to diminish the amount of enjoyment you get out of something you genuinely love.

 

I haven't gotten fed up, but I do feel like I am at a stopping point. I've just come to realize that I'm happy with my collection as it is, and I might pick up a doll here and there if there is a new release that I fall in love with, but my wishlist is now down to zero. I don't regret what I've spent because I love them all dearly. They are very much worth what I've paid, they are a wonderful outlet and hobby for me.

 

I tend to have lots of saving pots, if i need something for the house i save a bit of money for that, and a bit for repairs, car etc, then i see where i am and if i can put some aside for fun stuff i.e dolls then i do. It takes me a while to save for things but over the years i have learned to be content with what i have no matter how much i want to buy something else lol

 

I've been fed up for a long time now, to be honest. I find the biggest problems of acceptance aren't from non-doll people but from within the community itself. It's not money issues and it's not outside pressure that make me want to quit, but experiences I've had with other individuals within the hobby. At times, it has become a source of great stress and I find myself constantly weighing my personal enjoyment of my dolls against how much enjoyment I really get out of being part of an online community. Yes, being part o a community can be very good and very enjoyable, but because it is a more or less closed community it's difficult to go unnoticed once somebody draws unwanted attention to you. So, to answer the question, yes...I'm quite fed up now and I've thought many a dime about offloading my collection and giving it up for good.

 

I made the mistake of telling my mother in law how much this hobby cost... I regret it everyday. Sometimes she does make me feel bad.

But truthfully this is all I got. I never go out, I don't have friends and I never buy anything for myself (beside bjds).. And a lot of times when I do buy something, I take it back! >w<#

But I do get fed up sometimes... I've even sold my whole collection...

If I was you, I'd tell my boys that those silly dolls are their inheritance! Haha

 

I've thought about giving up quite a bit recently. Mostly because I don't have anyone else to enjoy the hobby with. I just don't feel connected to the online community either. Plus I'm tired of feeling like my dolls have to be perfect or they be judged. I have pulled back and am slowly heading for the exit. I will keep my dolls, and keep them to myself. I've had more fun on Flickr than anywhere else.

 

I know exactly how you feel because I also bought a Souldoll Tera Zenith. How do you like your new doll? I watched my neighbors planting new hedges in their yard and I thought to myself, I could have done that instead of getting my new doll. I could spend more money on my house because owning a house, you could always find something that needs fixing or could be better. I like spending time outside when I'm having a barbecue and entertaining but I realized that I don't do that more than I spend time creating for and enjoying my new doll. There are times when I worry about my budget. I get fed up with thinking about how to balance my finances and maybe if I didn't get into this hobby a year ago, I would have one less thing to worry about. Before I discovered this hobby, I had many other hobbies I spent money on like collecting figures, painting, sewing, sculpture, decorating, creating, photography.. Etc.., so the bjd hobby fell in with rest perfectly. Except now instead of using paper or clay, my Bjd is my canvas.

 

Meh, I don't waste time with anyone I don't like or who doesn't like or understand me (and that includes extended family) my "inner circle" doesn't judge me or nag me and random people on the street don't know my business, nor are they entitled to so I'm satisfied. Back when I was younger I was less choosy about my company and I would sometimes get those "it cost HOW much?! I could buy ___ for that!" I'd just point out whatever expensive and frivolous thing they bought or collected XD My grandma once said to me (lecturing me on being frugal or something, I don't remember) "I don't have a $500 doll!" My response was "well I don't have an $8,000 necklace..." she never brought it up again lol. I'd think that nowadays if someone was going to be weirded out at me for something it would be the dressing in spandex bodysuits and going to comic book conventions or spending 2 weeks at Disneyworld each Halloween season with my BFF and both of us dressing as princesses for the Halloween party and nope neither of us have kids