Anyone wish they had got into the hobby sooner ?

No. When I was first interested in BJD, I would never have been able to afford it.

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Sometimes I do! I first discovered the hobby in 2013, but I was too broke and my life was a trainwreck honestly. I am disappointed that there are some dolls I probably will never get from back then, but I've got a nice little collection of 13 right now. They've all got clothes, wigs, eyes, shoes and a decent little wardrobe ^^
Even IF I had been able to get a doll back then, it probably would have been a doll I wasn't really satisfied with because of a low budget (not that cheap dolls are bad) it would probably be wigless and naked.
I'm happy with things now though, I'm thankful my situation has turned around and I'm able to have these beautiful dolls now

 

I was a child when I first got interested in the hobby, so I've experienced the salt of watching the dolls I fell in love with get discontinued before I could come close to being able to afford them. More than the dolls I missed out then, however, I feel a bigger regret through the hiatus I ended up taking. I was a busy and poor student, but the one of the very first companies that really got me hooked into the hobby ended up disappearing during those years before I could get any of their dolls.

I can't help but feel like I let an opportunity slip right through my fingers. I think I just assumed I'd still be able to get the doll later, or I'd see a doll that I feel even stronger about.

I think I was half right about those assumptions though. When I see some of the improvements companies have made to their doll bodies, the bigger selection of clothes and accessories, or a new sculpt that I can't help but adore... I may or may not have completely fallen in love with a new doll and ordered her right after declaring my return to the hobby... Ahem. I think that perhaps it was for the best that I ended up saving my money. Oh I still do sometimes fall in love with older dolls I can no longer get and wish I had a way to get them, but the feeling when the 'right' doll just happens to make a debut when you're ready and able to get a hold of them... I really can't compare the satisfaction and happiness I feel when that happens.

 

I got into Dollfie dreams around April/ May of this year, and have just very recently moved on to acctual bjd’s and honestly I agree with everything you’ve said SOOO MUCH! There’s so many cool ideas I have but I just need so many more dolls to do it

 

ugh this is literally me! About 2 years ago I had a really good paying job with low cost of living and could have afforded all the dolls I wanted but didn't take the plunge. Now I have no money for myself and live across the world, with a low paying part time job. I'm not complaining about my life, I'm happy, but I do wish I had taken the plunge sooner. When I didn't have to ask my spouse before I make a big financial decision haha.

 

Definitely. I wish I had got into it before Dream of Doll went kaput.

 

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He's adorable..! The fantasy parts, especially the fox ears, are so detailed. I hope you post photos of him once he arrives.

Ah yes... That's the company that made me regret my break from the hobby........ I feel you.

 

I’m also relatively new to the hobby, but I feel like I became interested at the right time. Like others have said, the financial aspect played a big part of timing - I didn’t want to go into debt for a hobby.

But also, I actually feel a little “lucky” getting into BJDs later since there’s lots of information available to newbies that probably wasn’t around in the earlier days. I can look up reviews about companies & products here on DoA and make informed purchases. I can read tutorials about how to choose the right eyes, how to properly clean my dolls, or watch restringing videos without having to fumble around blindly while trying to figure it out alone. And while there are a lot of beautiful older dolls out there, there are also plenty of new dolls to admire too.

 

I first got into the hobby about 8 years ago, but I didn't acquire my 2nd or 3rd dolls until 5 years later (2017).

I think now is a good time for me to be into the hobby. Back when I first started 8 years ago, I was a penniless college student who got my first doll as a Christmas present from my mom. Now I have financial independence and more expendable money, so I can afford a new doll without guilt. Plus, I found out that the newer dolls are made with better resin (yay!) so most new dolls I buy from here on out won't yellow quite as badly as older dolls.

 

Personally I'm glad I didn't enter the hobby sooner.
I've changed so much as a person since I first started to admire bjds. Now I can afford to buy the ones I absolutely love, my taste in what I consider aesthetically pleasing has changed. I'm also a lot more picky now lol
If I'd started earlier I would have just ended up with hundreds of dolls with no purpose, reflecting my lack of knowledge and random purchases I know I would have made.

 

I wish I didn't take such a huge break during 2016-2019 because Volks had some great releases, but now they're super expensive and hard to get.

 

I got my first doll in 2006 and...to be honest, in some ways I wish I'd gotten into dolls later! I wouldn't give up the dolls I have now for anything, but as the number of companies expanded, I spot sculpts that would have fit an OC better every so often and by now I'm too far sentimentally attached to the ones I have to even consider reshelling them. I apparently buy for life(!).

That said, there's no wrong time to come into a hobby that brings you joy. Especially now, with the flourishing amount of independent companies and shops out there. Even if you think "darn I missed this sculpt by a year", there's guaranteed to be more that gets you right in the money bits!

 

As an old-time collector (in the hobby and in age), I kind of have mixed feelings about when I learned about these dolls. I definitely don't wish I could have learned about them sooner, because there weren't as many companies around, and paying and ordering them was a pain in the gut as it was already mentioned. However, at times I do wish I had learned about them later, because then I wouldn't own as "many" larger ones, and would actually own ones I would do things with. On the other hand, I've become a lazy old bum, I don't do much with most of my toys anymore. So, maybe even if I had discovered BJD late in the game, I wouldn't do squat with any regardless. I don't regret the dolls I do own, and actually regret not getting some others, not due to my ignorance of the hobby but due to brokenness at the time (I was still in college when I started collecting, then took a stupid "break" off the hobby when I didn't have to).

I get ambiguous feelings, because I would have preferred owning smaller mature BJD, which weren't a thing back then (and kind of are still rare even now). Then again, I would have liked to still own the sculpts I do own now, just in smaller sizes --- which would not be a thing anyway. So, I guess I'm good having discovered BJD when I did, I just wish I had a shrink ray (which is improbable). DX