At what age do you think it’s appropriate to get a doll?

I'm pretty sure all US based forums/sites have this requirement due to COPPA. I definitely prefer 18+ forums, not for content, but for the maturity level of the posters. That being said, there's definitely adult users with maturity levels under that of some older teens and some older teens more mature than adults! I'm not sure it ever needs to be a hard and fast rule because of that. I definitely welcome everyone of all ages to do their research here, even if they are only lurking. There's so much information here that I think everyone looking to purchase a BJD should be doing lots of reading on this site!

I really think the right age is when the person is mature enough to be willing to commit themselves to buying the doll with their own money and be able to research the company they're sending hundreds of dollars to. This is a different age for everyone. This age also implies that the person is old enough to not choke on the parts

I agree that the person must also be able to accept the consequences of their actions. If they decide they don't like dolls or want a different one, they should be able to deal with that. I also don't think it matters if the parent or another adult is willing to help them afford the doll partially, just as long as they're able to understand the value of the money. Learning how to save up for something is a great part of this hobby.

 

I think it really depends on the person, though considering the price of these dolls, I'd say it's when you're mature enough to save up enough money to buy the doll yourself and have enough interest and do enough research to be ready to invest the time and work into them. A BJD is a very expensive gift, and I personally wouldn't just randomly give one to a child. Children (and teens) can go through phases quickly, lose interest in hobbies as fast as they get into them, and between the cost and wait times, it's a big risk. Of course, again, this depends on the person! I've seen/heard stories of children as young as 10 who have grown up around a parent or other family member who owns BJDs, have experience handling them, and have loved them for years--they're ready for a doll. On the other hand, my niece is 15, doesn't take care of her playline dolls/toys, loses half of them, lets the dog chew on them--I wouldn't even consider getting one for her.

 

I'd say that starting with something less expensive first to see how the child treats the doll would be the most safe. Even with very well-mannered and careful kids, I think there's always a greater chance of them not being as cautious as they need to, not washing their hands before touching the doll, playing with it roughly, etc. When the doll in question is hundreds or even thousands of dollars, that could end up being very sad for the parent and the child.

 

Considering you can get some resinsoul dolls for less than the cost of something like an american girl, if your child is interested and relatively responsible with their toys, getting them a less expensive starter doll would be a nice holiday/birthday present. I would say 8-10 is a good potential starting age, again depending on the child.

 

In general I think kids should wait to be in their mid to late teens before really getting into BJD’s. Like maybe 15 and up. The main reason being that these dolls are not a toy; so how much could a kid really enjoy it? I remember being young and having limited addition Barbies that stayed in the box. That was like torture for 8 year old me hahaha. I made I little hole in one of the corners of the box, just so I could touch the edge of her dress! So even though most kids are smart enough to be taught that BJD’s are not a toy, that they need to be handled with care, and that they need supervision to handle them, it just wouldn’t be that fun. No kid wants a ‘toy’ that they can only look at.

 

So personality dependent combined with what behavior the person giving the doll thinks is appropriate.

Some kids tenderly dote on their toys while others give everything flair with coloring, sticker sticking, decapitating...The adult should be aware of how they'll play and if that's ok.

 

i've heard of responsible 12 y o who cherished their bjds and I sometimes see maltreaded dolls which belong to adults. I think age is just a number... in this case Within reason, but I guess it's more about the responsibility. I think a good way to check if it's okay is to persuade the kid to start to save up money for the doll on their own. If they're unable to save even a part... I doubt it's a good idea. Also, if they have no crafting skills whatsoever and just want a BJD, because it's fashionable, etc.

 

Is there really one that can be agreed upon? I think it's down to each individual person, child or adult. I wouldn't let my 3 & 6-year-old nephew and niece 'play' with my vinyl boy. He stains too easy, and they probably wouldn't appreciate his value (monetary and sentimental). Also, he loses his right leg really easily. He's also a breeze to put back together, but they won't know that. So, I'd rather just not take the risk. You know?

But, if I had a Pico dragon by Aileen Dolls, or one of the Mariko dolls by Pipos. I'd probably introduce my niece that way. Or with a Resinsoul doll that's cheaper to replace than my Ringdoll Sol or the Charmdoll Carson I have on layaway. I've honestly never thought about even introducing them, as these dolls get expensive.

In short, I don't think there's an appropriate age to get a doll. I've seen some introduce their young kids to dolls or pass on 'junk' sculpts they're no longer interested in and can't ship off elsewhere, but I've also seen some kids that can't respect their toys because the parents will just buy them a new one in about five minutes flat when it breaks.

 

Even at 30, I feel like I'm "too rough" of a person to be handling delicate dolls! The dolls I had as a kid, I treated well though, based on how the adults in my life valued them. The collectible Barbies stayed in their boxes and I wasn't even tempted to take them out and play with them. I did take one of my own Barbies' heads off when I was very young to take off her necklace, but I think that could have been the beginning of customization... LOL! I agree with most others in this thread that it absolutely depends on the maturity and carefulness of the child, and whether they're too young to be OK to leave unsupervised with small parts and so on.

 

This is so totally dependent on the kid in question. I gave my daughter her first BJD when she was just turned 12-- I'd ordered a doll for myself during a company sales event, and the gift was a free tiny BJD. I let my daughter pick the sculpt for the free event doll and gave it to her; she absolutely loved her doll and took great care of it, and BJD became a long-term hobby for her-- years later she now has a really awesome doll collection, and that first little doll is still with her and still in perfect condition despite being much-loved and played with. It's really up to individual parents to know their own child and know what the child can handle/appreciate, whether it's likely to be an expensive passing whim or the start of a lasting interest, etc. That being said, I wouldn't start a kid of any age off with a very expensive or very large doll.

 

I would say 13 yo & above would be a good start, since they would have their own money saved up and they're mature enough to take good care of the dolls

 

I really think it depends on the age of the child/teen, the prior hobbies and the interest level. For example, I started collecting in 2006 when I was 15/16 (2006ish, I'm 30 now). Prior to BJD's I had collected barbie dolls. I fell in love with BJD's because they reminded me of the anime characters that I watched and I loved the outfits that they had on. Looking back although I did care for them somewhat appropriately I was not ready for them. I did not understand that they were not like barbies and cannot be played with as such and needed to be cared for differently than what I was used to. Resin is not like plastic/vinyl they yellow, they break easily, they are delicate. I wanted a doll to play with. Not a doll to appreciate. However I have met some 15/16 year olds who are mature enough to have them, can care for them properly and totally would do well in this hobby.

What I am getting at is that it depends on the person and their intentions along with prior experiences. Everyone is different. If there is interest in BJD's and resin dolls and the person is not ready maybe an alternative would be best. Obitsu is a good option (which I see has been suggested) along with dolls similar store brands such as the bigger LOL Dolls, Monster High and possibly dollfie dream if they get better with care and handling but basically dolls marketed for the average consumer and or collector who wants something to customize AND play with.

In my own opinion and to sum this up. I am not for or against any age range. I think it depends on the person. There are alternatives that are similar that could satisfy the need for resin BJD. If you understand and can properly care for a resin BJD and understand how delicate they are then go for it! Other than that start small with something similar yet cheaper and watch to see care/play/ect and then determine from there.

 

I think I would let my kid have an expensive BJD when they are old enough to save for one, lol. Mistakes with these dolls are very expensive. I would buy them something cheap, probably not a BJD but one of those flexible Barbies or something, and see if they stay interested from there. Before a certain age, would they even know the difference?

 

Depends on the individual child, but I’d say 12 is probably a safe age. But you know they’re going to attempt face-ups with thick globs of craft paint and sharpies, and they’ll handle their doll with greasy kid fingers, so it’s gotta be a cheap doll, lol. Basically a practice-run doll. More expensive dolls would be reserved for when they’re in high school.

 

I would say 12. My daughter is 12 and is interested in character creation and is old enough to know the value of them. Then again I know 12 year olds I wouldn’t necessarily give a doll to either! 12 seems to be a good average.

 

I think pre-teen age is a good age to start. They are beginning to understand the concept of something being valuable.

 

I think 10 to 12 is an alright age to start. I work with kids in that age group (and ones under it...) and I think that a few of them could handle a BJD. It depends on the kiddo of course. I would probably start off an interested child with a cheaper doll, maybe even an ABS Hujoo rather than anything resin.

 

Azone and Volks only sell their dolls to people aged 15 and up. Personally I would not be opposed to giving a collectible doll or BJD to a child younger than that provided they seemed interested in the hobby and capable of caring for them. If I had children, I would hope that they too would have an interest in doll collecting.

 

Imo, you can start collecting at any age as long as you use your own money. Well, I'm talking about BJDs. BJD is an expensive hobby that can really get you addicted. You have to and should be financially responsible before thinking of getting into the hobby.

I think it's wonderful if you have someone to financially support your hobby but I dont think they are obligated to fund for it considering that they have other expenses too and BJDs are not like your common dolls that you can find in Walmart or thrift stores

 

There is no age label on dolls in my opinion. It is more about money than age. Well, some children aren't careful with dolls or other toys. But these children usually don't really have the collector or crafting tendencies! So most of them would be entirely happy with non-BJD dolls. There probably wouldn't even learn about their existence. In my experience, children who like collecting or creating things are really really careful no matter their age.