BJD and other hobbies

Do you have another hobby aside from doll collection and customisation? If yes, what is it?
Yes. I play video games, create and participate in original text-based rps, and create and participate in online tcgs that generally deal with anime. I also used to collect make-up because I'd taken several courses on its application and fell in love with it- it translates into my bjd hobby since I'm once again trying to work with 'make-up' with the pastel materials and such. And sewing... I used to cosplay-sew a lot, and the bjd hobby also got me back into that.

How do comments such as the above affect your experience in the hobby of your choice, and in the doll collection hobby?
I admit, I feel that in the bjd hobby, people who like anime or play video games get stigmatized as being otaku. I also feel that some people look down on those who create their dolls based on original/fan characters or even existing anime characters. I like my rp hobby to overlap with my bjd hobby. But I don't let it affect me. I just make a point to stay away from the more close-minded people and share my joy of the hobby (and other hobbies) with those who are interested in them, too.

If you have a spouse/SO, or someone close to you who has another hobby, have you used that hobby to defend your own?
Only if the hobby is being attacked. I know a woman who collected jewelry from a certain store. I know a man who collects fountain pens. There's another woman I know who collects Sailor Moon items... and I have several friends who are into video-games hardcore. So yes, if anyone starts being negative towards me, I can point out that just about everyone has their vice.

Do you think that attitude is justifiable? Why/Why not?
I think it's fine when you are stating a fact. 'I don't like x hobby.' or 'x hobby doesn't make sense to me.' It's when people start using attacking words like 'stupid' or 'crazy' that I would be offended. You're entitled to not like something because you think it's a waste of money. But you're not entitled to calling someone stupid over it.

 

My hobbies - artistic pursuits - lead me to this one. In fact this hobby is just a very expensive extension of what I already love to do. I am an artist. People in my family gasp and shake their head at the cost but they also understand who I am and are in the very least always interested to see what I do with my dolls.

At this point in time however if someone were to argue about the cost vs. my circumstances I would have to concede that they were right.

 

I figure, my life my hobbies. I don't really care what anyone thinks about what do or do not do.

I do have a few more hobbies that do not consist of BJD. I collect CDs and I love videogames and I also love to draw. And by draw I mean anything. I tend to draw animals most overall I also enjoy cooking and going for walks. I can promise my many hobbies don't have to consist with my dolls, though I do love them

 

Another hobby?
Yes. I am into miniature wargaming - both Fantasy and Sci-fi in the Games Workshop games systems. I like painting and assembling the models and playing games with them.
I'm also into Gundam, a giant robot anime. It's not because it's anime, I like the universe they've built up over the years. There's a whole canon of law and time, akin to that of Star Wars or Lord of the Rings.

Effect on this hobby and my other hobby?
Well, I don't let it bother me. When it comes to miniature wargames like the one I play, let's be brutally honest about this. I spend my money on toy soldiers. Other people spend their money on booze or music CDs. Different strokes for different folks.
Applies to BJD collecting too. Yeah, we can be honest about this too - they might be high detail collectible customiseable and all that, but end of the day, you collect dollies. You spend vast sums of money on dollies... Other people might blow more than that on clothes for themselves. If that's what makes them happy, then so be it. I'd not look down on anyone unless their hobby caused direct harm to someone or something alive.

spouse's hobby as a weapon?
Nope. We're all into different things, that's what makes people people. My partner doesn't really LIKE bjd, but we share our other hobbies with each other. Through that we bond and don't use stuff as weapons against each other.

justifiable?
I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

Do you have another hobby aside from doll collection and customisation?

Yes.


If yes, what is it?

I make art from found objects, dabble in jewelry making, and collect other things besides dolls. When I was a bit younger, I was a singer and actor.

How do comments such as the above affect your experience in the hobby of your choice, and in the doll collection hobby?

I don't worry about what other people think about my activities. Everyone is different, with different interests and skills. I would not have it any other way; how boring would that be, if everyone was the same?


If you have a spouse/SO, or someone close to you who has another hobby, have you used that hobby to defend your own? (Either to others or to yourself.)

I don't have the need or desire to justify any of my hobbies to my husband or anyone else. I think my husband recognized very early in our relationship the futility of getting me to do anything I don't want to do, so we are both perfectly free to pursue our individual interests without censure. I would not tolerate a domestic partner (or a friend or relative) who attempted to stifle me in any way, nor would I want to stifle anyone else.


Do you think that attitude is justifiable? Why/Why not?

I am simply myself and I do as I please. Looking down on other people because of their personal interests seems silly and childish to me. Some people put down other people in the attempt to feel better about themselves, but I have no patience with that kind of petty behavior.

 

When I think about myself, I don't think of me as a dollowner. I think of myself as a regular teenager who loves music and art more than anything. I also love to write.
That doesn't mean that my dolls doesn't mean anything to me. They do, of course, but the hobby is only one among many others.
I spend as much time and money on my dolls as I do listening to music, going to concerts and buying Lolita-clothes.

 

Do you have another hobby aside from doll collection and customisation? Yep!

If yes, what is it? I have so many hobbies. I play video games, I write, I play Dungeons and Dragons, I collect Zelda memorabilia, I read a lot, and I collect succubus-related items.

How do comments such as the above affect your experience in the hobby of your choice, and in the doll collection hobby? They don't really affect me. I see them as commentary on how others spend their money. I wouldn't have started collecting dolls if it hadn't been for Dungeons and Dragons introducing me to succubi/incubi. I got my doll because it looks very reminiscient of an incubus, and he is an important part of my collection. BJDs are a hobby only as a function of my succubus-collecting hobby.
If you have a spouse/SO, or someone close to you who has another hobby, have you used that hobby to defend your own? (Either to others or to yourself.) No, I haven't. He has, though. Out of the blue one day, he said that he wouldn't complain about the money I spend on dolls if I don't complain about the money he spends on hiking. It's been a good deal for us so far.

Do you think that attitude is justifiable? Why/Why not? It's justifiable because most people have hobbies, and most hobbies become expensive. I still haven't spent as much on my doll as another friend of mine has spent on Warhammer. Warhammer becomes outdated. Dolls become venerable. Well, they also yellow, but you can prevent that. You can't prevent Warhammer from releasing a new codex.

 

Do you have another hobby aside from doll collection and customisation?
Oh yes! I used to have a lot more, but they've narrowed down to just a couple (that actually overlap each other, so maybe just one...) ;;

If yes, what is it?
I used to draw quite a bit, but now I've veered more into fashion design and sewing. I also cosplay, and I'm a bit of an anime person/gamer, but I dunno if that counts ^_^; since I don't actually purchase games or anime, and I almost never socialize with people in that group, unless they're just friends before same-interest friends. But yeah, sewing is my main hobby, which probably accounts for some of my interest in the BJD hobby.

How do comments such as the above affect your experience in the hobby of your choice, and in the doll collection hobby?
I don't think I've ever been offended by that sort of comment. I use lines like that all the time xD I've never found them particularly mean-spirited, more of a comparison to show that yes, doll collecting is a valid hobby. It's more of a "if you're allowed to spend $X on Y, I can spend just a much on a doll, can't I?"

If you have a spouse/SO, or someone close to you who has another hobby, have you used that hobby to defend your own?
Aha, yup. My boyfriend is a huge gamer and spends just about all of the money he gets on games. So I have to play that card a lot, seeing as he likes to guilt trip me about the fact that instead of saving up for a doll, I could be paying for him to come visit...

Do you think that attitude is justifiable? Why/Why not?
Sure. It's not really bad, it's not like I'm saying "your expensive handbag is ugly and dumb! My doll cost just as much and it's way cooler!" (...which is how I feel most of the time, but I'm not that rude!) It's easier for people to see your point if they can see it as something they like, instead of a doll. So saying "what do video games do for you that a doll won't do for me?" is more of a way to put it into perspective than anything else.

 

Do you have another hobby aside from doll collection and customization?
Yes, I have a couple of other hobbies. ^^

If yes, what is it?
I draw and illustrate, as well as write. Writing also comes hand-in-hand with roleplaying on another forum that I go to. I'm also very keen on singing, as well as KPop dancing :P I also play MMORPGs and I'm also into anime and manga. (Lolita used to be a hobby of mine, but we've parted ways. I still love Lolita dresses, though.)

How do comments such as the above affect your experience in the hobby of your choice, and in the doll collection hobby?
My hobbies all intermingle with each other at some point. I personally don't care about the comments, or at least do my best to shrug it off. If someone tell me that they're weird, then I just laugh and say, "Yeah, they are kinda weird. I still like them, though." However, this doesn't usually apply to the rest of the BJD community, as well as other hobby communities. As BJD collectors and hobbyists, we are either stereotyped as otakus or weirdos, or our dolls are stereotyped as creepy, possessed beings. However, most of us are smart enough to dismiss such comments and criticisms

If you have a spouse/SO, or someone close to you who has another hobby, have you used that hobby to defend your own?
A few times. It wasn't really "defending," but I was giving a reason why I'm so willing to "spend so much money" on BJDs.

Do you think that attitude is justifiable? Why/Why not?
I'm rather passive on this matter XD I do believe that it's justifiable; there is such a thing as too much. However, when other people make fun of you or look down on you because of your hobbies, that is definitely wrong.

 

I have plenty of of other hobbies aside from BJDs, actually. I write, RP, draw... I also run an Online RPG (which incidentally is how one of my doll-characters got created). I'm a full-time college student - technically not a hobby, I know, but it certain takes up enough time and I generally enjoy it well enough that it kinda gets that label. I do tabletop RPGs, which is always fun, and I model for my photographer girlfriend occasionally, or help her with her shoots.

I generally ignore anyone's comments about other hobbies. We all like to think our own hobby is the most fascinating thing in the world, and having other people to talk about it can make us forget that there are some people out there who collect and play video games, or movies, or books, or cars. I know I've been guilty of this, and I know I've never meant anything by it. It's like I know I can talk about ancient civilizations and their impact on the modern world for hours and hours, but not everyone else can do that, and it's okay.

My boyfriend builds and mods computers as well as the game thing. He can get a little pushy and hard-headed about this hobby, and he admits that it's probably mostly because he doesn't understand this hobby. I've had to use his own hobbies to defend my own (to often disastrous results - hard headed thing that he is), but for the most part we just agree to disagree. And he agrees to not give me too much crap about the money I spend.

As far as how I feel about the attitude a lot of doll hobbyists have in regards to using other hobbies to defend their own... It's never worked for me in the past, so I don't use it. At all. I'll just stick to my "agree to disagree" agreement, and be content from there.

 

Do you have another hobby aside from doll collection and customization?

Yeah. I am a quilter, I draw, I moderate a group on Offbeat Bride, I play a lot of tabletop RPGs and board games. I'm also a writer/poet and photographer.

How do comments such as the above affect your experience in the hobby of your choice, and in the doll collection hobby?

No, because I don't really care what other people think about what I do with my money and my hobbies.


If you have a spouse/SO, or someone close to you who has another hobby, have you used that hobby to defend your own?

Only once. My future hubby collects designer board games that run around $60 or more a game, and we have dozens of these. We've basically agreed that once basic needs are meant, my money is mine, his money is his (though he very sweetly just bought me a couple patterns and some eyes today).

 

Do you have another hobby aside from doll collection and customisation?

If yes, what is it?
Sure I have several other hobbies. I collect manga and books in general. I would say books probably more so than manga even. Reading is my primary hobby and I have a massive library. I have been addicted to the written word, both reading it and creating with it for as long as I can remember. Now my books individually do not compare to dolls in price, especially when buying used or on my kindle (oh new toy how I love you) but they do take up space and the price adds up over time. They were my first love and I will never give them up. I also write. I know so many people here do and it is my love of writing that brought me to dolls. Writing and telling stories is far more important to me than dolls. I enjoy my dolls but they would not matter to me at all if they were not shells for characters and part of my writing. As I say, I have been addicted to words for as long as I can remember. I began creating stories before I could write words down. I also collect tattoos. I don't know if that can be considered a hobby but I have a quite impressive collection of ink and it is ever growing. It is also expensive. Some of my medium sized pieces easily rival the prices of my larger dolls and my largest piece could pay for my whole collection when it is complete. I guess the question is can pain be a hobby? Perhaps art on skin? I am also seriously considering beginning the process of rebuilding an old Dodge Charger. I enjoy playing with tools. So yes, I have hobbies.

How do comments such as the above affect your experience in the hobby of your choice, and in the doll collection hobby? (By which I mean, do the comments make you second-guess your other hobby, or do they not affect you in any way? Do they make your experiences in the BJD hobby less enjoyable by creating a hostile atmosphere, or do you see them just as a commentary on the different ways people spend their money? Or anything else, as well.)

They don't really make me think anything about my other hobbies. I just see them as what they are, commentary on the different ways people spend money. It is true, different people value different things. At different times I value different things. Sometimes I really want a doll so badly that is all I save for. Other times I want to put all of my money towards a tattoo. Then there are times all I can see are books. That is just how it is. Doesn't mean I love my dolls any less at that moment.

If you don't have another hobby, what is your opinion on how those comments affect the BJD community?[/B]
N/A

If you have a spouse/SO, or someone close to you who has another hobby, have you used that hobby to defend your own?
Actually hubby collects dolls as well. He also enjoys gaming, and manga, books and tattoos. It isn't hard for me to justify my hobbies to him. The only one he isn't too sure about is the car rebuilding thing and I think that is because I've never wanted to do it before and I am going to need a lot of help from my boss to do it. But hey it's my money and I can do what I want with it. He is supportive because he is a good husband and he thinks what I do is awesome. He also thinks it is great I am going to teach the kids how to rebuild a classic muscle car. You don't get much better hands on experience than that. I have never had to explain any of my eccentricities to him (well maybe other than the weird over sensitivity to touching thing). I don't justify things and I am lucky that he is very sensible. As long as all of our needs are met, he makes sure we all, the boys, and the two of us, have a great time.


Do you think that attitude is justifiable? Why/Why not?

I don't think it is wrong to point out that BJD's are just as valid of a hobby as say gaming or manga or electronics. They are a perfectly wonderful hobby and I believe all people should be free to follow their passions within reason (if you don't have enough money to eat because you spent it all on a hobby you have a problem). However it is not ok to criticize some one's hobby to make yourself feel better about your own. It is no better for me to tell my brother he is wasting his money on his computer components than it is for him to say the same to me about my dolls. Unless he has spent so much he is in a financial bind I should support him in what he enjoys and he should do the same.

 

Do you have another hobby aside from doll collection and customisation?It is my other hobby that got me into dolls. I love anime! As soon as I discovered Dollfie Dreams I had to get one. Especially DD Saber as she is from one of my favorite animes. Other hobbies I have include archery and gaming.

How do comments such as the above affect your experience in the hobby of your choice, and in the doll collection hobby?
Well, anything I spend my money on my mother nags about it. So buying dolls and nice things for them do not bother me at all. I'm a guy btw. All my friends are open minded and they do not make any offensive comments on them and they also refer to them as my daughters. Any negative comments I tend not to care about at all but I'm rather pleased when I unexpectedly get good comments.

If you have a spouse/SO, or someone close to you who has another hobby, have you used that hobby to defend your own? I do not have such person. I imagine though that if I did and they aren't to keen on my hobby I probably would defend it by saying that everyone needs a hobby.

Do you think that attitude is justifiable? Why/Why not?
All comes down to situation really. If they say money is tight then yea I would probably stop buying things for my DDs or getting more DDs. If all is good then I'd defend it and try to come to a conclusion where everyone is happy. Everyone has a hobby and if it makes you happy then that should matter to you and your partner.

 

Do you have another hobby aside from doll collection and customization?
If yes, what is it?
Of course I do. I have MANY hobbies...too many. Firstly I collect hobbies. I guess.
-Play Video Games
-Design Video Games (also my job)
-Digital Art (also my job)
-Webcomics
-Weekly Pocasting
-Custimizing My Little Ponies
-Write Fiction
-Animation
-Sewing <---Just restarted and took a class
-Wing Tsun (for exercise...I'm going to take up Tai Chi after my contract is up or dancing).
-Someday doll making (Because no company has what I REALLY want.)

How do comments such as the above affect your experience in the hobby of your choice, and in the doll collection hobby?
At my age, no one gives two bits about what I do or collect. The only comment I got about learning to sew so I could make doll clothes was "That's tough because they're so small. You should start with people size clothes first." Which...to be fair, is solid advice.
Since BJD's are not my primary hobby, (art and video games are) I don't get comments that make me second guess.

If you have a spouse/SO, or someone close to you who has another hobby, have you used that hobby to defend your own?
No, I've never had that happen.

Do you think that attitude is justifiable? Why/Why not?
I find that if you start getting defensive about something you do then that's just a bad attitude. If the other party is not willing to accept or just want to tease you, then it's best not to try justifying anything. It's not worth your time or energy.

 

I was into minature-based tabletop wargames and is into a little bit of airsoft. I have dabbled into the SCA. I still play video games and watch anime. These kinds of comments never bother me because I find that it's actually pretty rare to be into JUST one thing.

Actually it was my SO who got me into playing Warhammer 40k and into airsoft. He's WAY more into airsoft than I am and it's also a pretty expensive hobby, but I don't use that as a way to justify my hobby but rather as a way to help us understand each other's hobby better. You'd be suprised to see how many things in common imitation firearms and highly customizable dolls have.

 

I do have other hobbies, of course I do!
I run a rattie rescue (on hiatus currently, got too big!)
I am off and on with horses (have been since I was 7)
I draw and read.
I love gaming, both table top and video games (need to get more table top in my life though!)
Cooking is my life.
And a bit of a lot of other things.

How do comments such as the above affect your experience in the hobby of your choice, and in the doll collection hobby?
It doesn't affect me. People who make these comments may think our DVD collections are a dumb thing to spend money on, but that's because it's not what appeals to them. Maybe they buy prisma markers. I think those, in my priority list, are a dumb thing to spend money on (I do draw btw, just was never that impressed, aha). It goes both ways. I've never thought it so much as trying to demoralize other hobbies, as much as justify their spending on dollies by comparing what others spend ridiculous amounts on.


If you have a spouse/SO, or someone close to you who has another hobby, have you used that hobby to defend your own?

Nope. But people close to me also have respect for what I like. The worst I've gotten was a concerned eyebrow from my mother for spending it when I didn't have it (which wasn't the case, she shipped way late! aha)

Do you think that attitude is justifiable? Why/Why not?
I think it's justifiable in some sense. Like I said above, I've never thought people who have that attitude or make those comments to be putting down the hobbies they mention in general, it's just more of a "well this is a normal hobby that people spend x amount on, why can't I do dollies?". I say this because every time I see it mentioned, it's clothes, dvds, shoes, or cars that people bring up, things that western society considers acceptable to spend huge money on.

 

Raisallie, you run a rattie rescue? I used to do the same years ago! [/Off topic]

Do you have another hobby aside from doll collection and customisation?
I'm a Crazy Cat Lady, a proud one My cats are my life, especially my 3 special needs girls.

How do comments such as the above affect your experience in the hobby of your choice, and in the doll collection hobby?
I never saw that comment as putting down other hobbies in comparison to mine. I agree with the comment that it's more about establishing a common ground, and I actually use this quite often myself to do just that.

If you have a spouse/SO, or someone close to you who has another hobby, have you used that hobby to defend your own?
My husband is into cars and it's definitely not something I understand. Comparing cars to dolls helps us to better understand each other's feelings about our respective hobby, it's a way for us to explain ourselves in languages the other person understand. Whenever I get frustrated with him fixing his car again or buy another part, I try to think about how he must feel the same way as I do when I buy dolls or doll parts.

Do you think that attitude is justifiable? Why/Why not?
For me it's definitely a positive thing, basically trying to see things in other people's shoes and vice versa.

 

Do you have another hobby aside from doll collection and customisation?

Oh man, I have a decent list of hobbies. I play games, I make 3D models, sculptures, plushies, jewelry, clothes, digital and traditional art. I also have metal welding experience and I am hoping to learn taxidermy. I've studied under herpologists and majored in biology, I had quite a few reptiles in my time and a lot of experience with all types of animals, including training dogs to be service animals. Compared to that, the doll thing is a minor hobby that kind of fits into my hobby of sculpting, drawing and sewing. Once I get the supplies to do so, I plan on making my own dolls.

How do comments such as the above affect your experience in the hobby of your choice, and in the doll collection hobby?

Seeing as I chose to spend hundreds of dollars on a corgi and a gecko before I got a doll (still don't own one at the moment) comments don't bug me at all. I've gotten comments like, "How can you spend that much on a gecko?!" before, but never from the doll community (since I can hit back with, "For the same reason you spent that same amount on a doll.")

If you have a spouse/SO, or someone close to you who has another hobby, have you used that hobby to defend your own? (Either to others or to yourself.)

Never have and never will, since I don't know anybody with a more strange hobby with more insane prices. I've known people to spend $600 on a tarantula, or $5000 on a gecko. After that, spending $2000 on a computer or $800 on a doll doesn't seem as crazy. However, I do kind of raise an eyebrow at people spending $55,000+ on a car, but I still understand the reasoning behind it. Besides, whom's business is it what other people spend their own hard earned money on? People might think you're crazy (or rich) for having a $800 doll, but at the same time, you could have just as easily spend $800 on little things that nobody would have noticed (Such as food, some cheap new clothes, and a new set of silverware and bedsheets or something). It's the large expensive pieces that stand out and make people think you're rich, when the truth is, you're just patient and careful with your money.

Do you think that attitude is justifiable? Why/Why not?

I understand why people see it either way. I think when somebody gets into a hobby that can be considered expensive, they'll start to see the reasoning behind other people's hobbies as well.

 

Do you have another hobby aside from doll collection and customisation?
I make jewelry of all kinds (though chainmaille is most dominant), I cosplay, read constantly, write, and draw. A lot of these lead me into BJD's, I can draw up a character and write, and if I choose to bring them to life in a resin shell. Cosplaying, I can't look perfect, but these dolls can and i can take pride in that. And I can use my jewelry making skills to make all sorts of stuff for my dolls.

How do comments such as the above affect your experience in the hobby of your choice, and in the doll collection hobby?

They don't bother me, I don't particularly see any hobby as better than another. In simplest terms, they are for enjoyment. Who cares if your hobby cost pennies versus thousands? Personally, I don't enjoy videogames, but I don't think anyone that buys every console known to man and x amount of games and accessories is 'stupid'. It's their money to do with what they wish. my mothers boyfriend rebuilds and resells cars as a hobby, so if he makes fun of my dolls (...such as commenting on my collection of 'shruken heads' while I worked on the bodies), I just shrug it off or ask if he has any new cars to work on.


If you have a spouse/SO, or someone close to you who has another hobby, have you used that hobby to defend your own? (Either to others or to yourself.)
Most of my friends aren't what I'd call hobbyists, but we all do enjoy different things. Plus, it helps that I have a longstanding reputation as the creative / quirky person that I am. I get varied responses from my dolls being called a waste of money, to others thinking they're gorgeous and interesting. I even have another friend that's starting leatherwork whose willing to help me make a doll corset!
The only hobbyists I do know are my mothers boyfriend (cars), and my grandparents (photography and jewelry making respectively) so they do understand the idea of it better than the actual dolls. So if my grandfather makes a comment about price, which is rare, I'll just joke him about his many lenses that cost thousands of dollars. But no one's ever hostile or defensive.

Do you think that attitude is justifiable? Why/Why not?
I think it's okay to use it in an attempt to reach some common ground. As I stated before in other answers. I can't understand cars and videogames, but I can understand needing to spend money on something that provides an outlet, creative or not.

 

Do you have another hobby aside from doll collection and customisation?
Of course.

If yes, what is it?
I enjoy drawing, writing, photography and video games.

How do comments such as the above affect your experience in the hobby of your choice, and in the doll collection hobby?
It doesn't really bother me, I do understand where they're coming from and why they would be confused about spending so much on a "doll". They just don't understand it's more than that

If you have a spouse/SO, or someone close to you who has another hobby, have you used that hobby to defend your own? (Either to others or to yourself.)
Yes, i have with my boyfriend and my family. Sometimes people don't understand that the time/labor/health hazards/materials make the hobby cost what it does.

Do you think that attitude is justifiable? Why/Why not?
Sure. Like I said earlier, some people just need it explained to them, and using their hobby as an example will (hopefully) help them understand that dolls are just as important to us as their hobby is to them
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