avoiding conspicuous consumerism in the hobby?

Yah, I haven't felt the need to keep up with other people and what they think is a "must-have" item. I buy what I want if I have the money to do it. I never thought there were going to be some dolls I'd actually WANT to really have from companies like Soom someday...now here I am looking all over for two of their Limiteds -sighs-. They are both so prettyyyy and one of my most wanted dolls.
But like I said, I don't conform to other people and their likes and what everyone else thinks you have to have when you've got a BJD.
I HAVE had the "I reallyyyy want to buy this" kinda thinking and so to keep me away from those thoughts I usually steer away from the marketplace and other places to purchase dolly goods when I'm not in the mode of looking for items (eyes, clothes, wigs, etc.) for them. I have a doll on order that I wont get for at LEAST five to six months, I think, and so it give me more time to save money for that wig I want to get him and those pretty multicolored eyes I saw the other day. It's all about self-control and how much you have of it.
I can usually look though ebay and other sites for clothes and the like for a doll I ordered and have to wait on and bookmark it or the seller and wait until the funds are there to get them. I've had to learn quite a bit of self-control throughout high school for different situations and so that's made buying things a lot easier on me.
I like what I like and if someone else likes it then that's nice, good for them. If I like something because I like it and someone else I know hates it or would never get it, good for them...because I'd get it anyways. (:

 

I have a similar problem. I don't even have my first two yet, (waiting paitently for them to be sent) and I am still tempted to buy more. I have chosen to stick strictly to dolls 30cm and under to limit my wishlist and be able to find or make clothes more easily. And of course, help keep the spending from preventing me from saving any money. I like making things, so I plan to create most of the accessories from food to furniture. But Soom makes LEs small enough to tempt me. However, many dolls being too big or the wrong scale is great in terms of saving both space and money. I have many hobbies, and the dolls have to fit with everything else.

 

I don't tend to judge my collection on what anyone else does, the hobby is mine and mine alone. No one ever sways me. I do how ever end up spending more than I'd like to. I think we all feel like that though. I do tend to buy a doll every year but that's generally a pattern I just fell into. Dolls are very addictive and they keep bringing out gorgeous ones.

 

Thankfully I quickly get the feeling of being overwhelmed and weighed down by stuff, so, that helps me personally a TON.
I may see something charming for my crew, even if just accessories, but then the notion that -- I'll have to give it a place somewhere in our tiny apartment and TAKE CARE of it and all that-- grabs me by the throat. And I quickly close the web page so I can breathe again
This is not just related to doll things.
I also leave my filled shopping carts in stores before checking out, because the thought of having to take the stuff home and caring for it and giving it a spot makes me dizzy and I run for the exit.
It's a strange neurosis, but, at least, a money saving one.

 

For me two big thing influence how much I spend, what I like, and what I can afford. Yes to some extent I do see other people's dolls and plan to get certain things accordingly, but I keep it within my budget and try not to put off any real life expenses due to it. I do like having clothes and accessories, but I'm not competing with anyone, it's just what I like, and what I can afford. If its a good deal on the marketplace, of course I will go for it (so long as I have the means).

 

I have a friend who has been in the hobby about a year or two less than I have, and she has... a LOT of dolls. If she didn't sell as many as she does on a semi-regular basis, she would have a collection three or four times larger than mine. Now, it's not that she doesn't appreciate or love her dolls, but tastes change, characters don't work out, etc. So sometimes, I do feel a little bit... behind. But it doesn't really affect my spending habits as far as I can tell. My tastes change and my characters don't work out as well, but because I don't have enough money whenever a new doll catches my eye, I have a lot of time to think it over, and look at owner pictures, and all that, so many dolls have come and go on my wishlist. Mostly, I do my best to keep the amount of characters I want to turn into dolls to a minimum, and focus on finding the PERFECT sculpt and body for that character.

Admittedly, now that I think about it, I have wanted dolls every once in a while just because it seemed like everyone had one from whatever company, and that I should at least have ONE to round out my collection... I think I've gotten over it every time though, even if I did originally become interested in Unoas this way.

 

Of course doll companies want to sell dolls. Of course they are going to do their best to try and temp everyone to buy more. And that is their business, so they should be good at it or they will be out of business and their dolls won't get produced and we won't be able to buy them.

No one should buy because other people are buying. No one should do anything because of other people. They should buy because they want to buy.

No one should worry about what someone else is buying. They are responsible to themselves and no one else, and no one else should be responsible for them, unless they are a minor or have a guardian or mentor or something like that.

That said, yeah, we all need to be careful about spending. This goes for buying anything, cars, computers, movie tickets, clothes, whatever.

If someone is being responsible, they should buy whatever they please.

It's all very simple.

(although, I need to buy less! It's not easy. So many beautiful, wonderful, fun things in the world to spend money on! And limited funds, always, no matter how much or how little you have.)

 

Unfortunately, I have bad habit of spending way more than I should in this hobby. It isn't because I feel influenced to keep up with everyone else, but because there are just so many unique and gorgeous dolls out there that I'd love to have in my collection. Especially of the fantasy variety. I'm a sucker for faery and elves and such, so when I see a gorgeous elf sculpt I'm always tempted to buy, and unfortunately the fantasy sculpt market has sort of exploded over the past six years or so. Then, of course, I see certain outfits and think "Oh, that would look so amazing on so-and-so!" I need to learn to sew, just so I can make some of these types of outfits myself instead of spending money on them. Same goes with wigs. I tend to amass wigs trying to find the right one for certain doll, then end up re-selling the ones that don't get used as much.

On the plus side, ever since starting this hobby, I don't spend nearly as much money on other things like DVDs and manga and video games as I used to. Or clothes and shoes for myself, for that matter. lol

 

I already had a spending habit before I got into this hobby,and BJDs kind of made it worse. I'm more addicted to buying the dolls than I am buying clothes and accessories. I was about to buy yet another doll last night,but my boyfriend talked me out of it. He said,"Your dolls are sitting here naked and without shoes,and you want to buy ANOTHER one? Why not spend that money getting the ones you have some damn clothes?" Lol,so true. I just want to buy every doll I see,and I have been spending way too much on this hobby. Last night's clothes and shoes order will be the last I ever spend on BJDs aside from strings and stuff you have to have. If I can't make what I need,too bad.

 

This is also me. ^^ I don't particularly feel any peer pressure or the need to "keep up with the Joneses". If I were, I'd probably be buying Iplehouse, Fairyand or Volks lol. I like what I like, and I spend what I can afford. Sometimes I really want something, but there really are no 'must-haves' for me. There are times of the year when I spend more than other times, like if I save up a bunch of money for hobbies & fun, then I might go on a bit of a spending spree for my dolls, but I do know how to be responsible with my money and I know how to exercise self-restraint. I don't find that a lot of people are actively engaging in trying to 'peer pressure' others around here anyway.

 

I've fallen in that trap. I am trying so hard to see new dolls as "Nice, but not for me, no character, no need for it!" And it works 99% of the time. I have a list I wanna follow, and trying to get out of debt too, so trying to do that; follow that list and get out of debt. I like to window shop for clothes, but dolls, I'm trying to stay away from.

 

^^^This is me too! I've never been into 'trends' or 'must haves'. In fact, I tend to avoid them. But I've fallen so hard for the hobby that I have so many ideas that I want to bring into fruition that tempt me to spend more and get more. I did collect dolls when I was a kid, so I'm not really surprised. BJDs are my dream hobby items. I realized that I never stopped playing dolls, I just grew out of barbies

These are my thoughts too XD I think that that's totally the case. I doubt if they'd ever notice it. I have noticed the 'trendy' clothes and dolls to buy at this time, but I'll save that for later. Luckily, I don't really want most of it, and I totally agree with buying a little later when the flames have cooled. I just can't justify buying a head for $1000 dollars @.@ Not looking down on anyone else though that feels they can of course

 

Splynterhayde and mdonline03: I thank you both for being so knowledgeable and articulate.


I personally don't like to think of it as "keeping up with the Joneses" because that makes me think of suburban wasps in the 1950s -- but I do worry that some of the dolls in my collection aren't fashionable anymore, and that their clothing or face-ups might be negatively judged.

Of course, one should ideally put those worries aside, since everyone has their own preferences and standards, but whenever a lot of care and effort is put into something, I think it's understandable to hope that other people will respond in a positive way. In this sense, there is often pressure to "keep up," and spend more, and if not, then seeing the magnificent creations of other people might at least inspire one to create something unique, which in turn (frequently) requires the purchase of raw materials.

I also went through a veritable agony and ecstasy of commodity fetishism when I was actively looking to buy new dolls. Now that I feel like I have luxurious number of dolls, I've mellowed considerably. Temptations still exist, and I do have a couple of dolls on my wishlist, but my attention has largely shifted from purchasing new dolls, to making stuff for the ones I already have.

 

I never felt a need to 'keep up with everyone else', but I did go through a phase of buying dolls one after another. In fact, for about a year, there wasn't a single day when I didn't have something on layaway. Most of my collection is Soom MDs, so there was definitely a constant source of pressure to buy, buy, buy!

Luckily for me, Soom's sculptors seem to have shifted their design aesthetics, so fewer and fewer MDs have been appealing to me lately. I must admit I'm enjoying the hobby itself a lot more now that the focus has shifted away from 'what next?!' and back onto enjoying what I already have

I don't think the BJD is any more consumerist than any other 'collectible' hobby, though. I think the main difference might be that some people enter the hobby without the 'collectible' mindset, and end up picking that up from other people around them.