BJD - Are they too pricey?

I think that no one's holding a gun to my head forcing me to buy them and anyone who wants to try telling me what I can and cannot spend my hard earned money on had better back the hell up quick.

If you're an adult, you earn your own money, all your responsibilities are cared and paid for and you're not in any debt, it's no one's business but yours how much you choose to spend on your hobby and it's ridiculous allowing anyone to try.

I have to ask why on earth your parents have any access to your bank account in the first place?! Are you still a minor?

 

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/s...r-when-people-ask-about-the-cost-of-your-doll...
I think you want this thread.
Also, please tell me you're a minor, and that's why your parents can see into your bank account...

 

They aren't too pricey if people are willing to pay the money asked for them. Anyone who bats an eye at my doll's costs (and as supposedly 'cheap' as mine are for me they still cost quite a lot) had better look at their own spending habits. Those people who say " $xx for a DOLL?" are the same people who would put that same spare cash towards their video games or movies or something else that I find totally ridiculous to spend cash on. Like a 60 dollar pair of jeans, or 120 dollar pair of boots. Man, I shop at Walmart, when I shop at all. My fun money goes to special meals that I buy the stuff for and get my mother to make me (I don't cook for fear of setting things aflame) or my dolls for which I am constantly buying accessories and fabric for stuff to make them.

My own MOTHER doesn't control my money, even though we live together. She doesn't care what I spend my excess on so long as the bills we need are paid first. If your a minor, I understand your parents still having some say in your funds. But if you're an adult, and you're being responsible, a doll isn't that big of a deal. Well... To me $1000 is a bit much, but I don't like to spend my money anyhow. I'm just a cheap person.

>-> That sounds bad. I like inexpensive things better. I don't feel as guilty about buying them if I didn't have to spend more than my rent and bills to get it.

 

Honestly, I think you care too much about what the people around you think. You won't please everyone and trying to is a sure fire way to end up feeling miserable. If this is your $1000 then you don't need to justify what you spend it on to anyone. So long as you've financially taken care of your responsibilities, then that is your money to spend as you wish. I'm sure your parents and friends must spend sums of money on things that you wouldn't.

If your parents are footing the bill for your living expenses etc. then I can understand their interest in your spending habits, but if not then I would prevent them from accessing your bank account in the future and just keep the financial side of this hobby to yourself.

 

Some parents are more controlling than you think, don't blame her for that /: They can easily find their ways around to it if they want to <<

Anyway, I thought I was reading MY story while reading your post, Arisa, hahahaha! Seriously, my mother has access to my bank account (so that she can put in money without fees? I don't know, it was a lame excuse that I think isn't even valid, but then she was all like 'Why are you so against it?' so /: Note: I leave in another city from my parents for uni purposes! ) and I really didn't want her to find out where I spend my money on. I did create a secret account, which I use for my BJD purchases and I did think exactly what you're thinking, "if suddenly x amount of $$$ disappears, parents is gonna become curious". That's why I set up a limit for myself, to withdraw only 300$ per month from my account, an amount that I can partly excuse. (100$ for food and stuff, 100$ for going-outs with friends though I have no friends so I dun go out *coughs*, 100$ for my wallet in case smth happens? ). If a doll costs more than that, then I get it with next month's withdrawal, if it's limited...well too bad ^ ^;;; (Btw, I'm NOT telling you how to do this!!! Really, I'm not trying to advice you here, as there have appeared a few problems around and I'm thinking of closing the secret account AHAHAHAHA!!! I'm just saying my experience <: )
Do not let other people around you decide where you spend your money on, seriously /: In the end, you and them are not the same person, you have different needs and wants. /: You should tell your friends to keep their opinion on where you spend YOUR money to themselves and only comment about how beautifull your dolls are 8'D
About their price...well they are a bit pricey but they are totally worth it and it's understandable. I don't feel sad throwing away my $$$ on BJD, because money is there to be spend to make you happy, not be kept in a wallet so they can look pretty /:

 

Legally, no, they can't. If you're an adult and the account is in your name, you have absolutely no obligation whatsoever to allow them access and I cannot fathom a world in which I would EVER have allowed my parents that level of control over me once I turned 18 and was no longer living on their buck.

 

I think many dolls are priced too high. ^^

I understand that they are works of art that are difficult to produce; the environmental factors all have to be right and resin bubbles and messes up easily, so they will obviously cost more and are high quality. But there are also companies existing that produce cheaper dolls that cost hundreds of dollars less and are also good quality, so the whole "Bjds are expensive to produce" excuse is overused, I feel.

However, even though I think that they're overpriced, I still drool over them and buy them. *shrug* If you're willing to pay the amount, go for it!

 

To be fair, it looks like Shailara isn't in the United States so maybe the law regarding things like this is different over there. But I'm with you, I would absolutely start table-flipping if my parents tried to exercise that much control over me.

...so?

This topic has been gone over repeatedly -- as Rosslyn noted, and I know there are other threads pertaining to the 'too pricey' nature of this hobby. It's a luxury hobby. These things are going to be expensive. They aren't 'overpriced' -- they're priced so the creators can earn a fair profit for their work above the very hefty cost of actually creating each of these dolls. Other people can go ahead and think they're too pricey. Other people can also shove their opinions.

I really dislike the term 'overpriced' when it comes to this hobby and the dolls themselves. 'Pricey' is one thing -- and yes, they are, they ain't exactly cheap. 'Overpriced' implies they cost too much for what they are and what goes into them, which they absolutely are not. The solution for 'too pricey' is pretty easy, though -- don't buy them. I didn't buy a doll for four years because they were too pricey for my budget, and the only reason I have one on order now was a massive windfall of a sale and the beautiful thing that is layaway. 'Pricey' or 'expensive' is pretty concrete. 'Overpriced' is extremely subjective.

TheAnniBanana -- cost of production isn't the same for every company. That's why there's a price discrepancy and some cost so much more/less than others.

 

My parents no longer have access to my bank account, but I was perfectly honest with my mother when she asked me how much bjd dolls cost. She was shocked, but then rationalized it in a way that I really appreciated. I'm also a tech fiend, and I spend just as much money (if not more) on the latest gadgets, so it didn't surprise her that I would spend several hundreds of dollars on a doll. In fact, I think she thought it was more legitimate than, say, buying a new phone every year, or a new computer. "Collections cost money" she said, and I beamed. She also said that if I was hard-up for doll money I should start selling off my manga and anime collections.

I do find that these dolls are expensive, and sometimes I wonder if certain sculpts are worth the price. But if I'm fairly sure that I'll be happy with my purchase and the doll really fits my character, I'm not going to regret my decision.

 

YES. I really do think that BJDs are overpriced. I've accepted it (as pretty much everyone here has which is why the dolls continue to be these prices) and I know about the time and effort but srsly I don't think that the dolls don't have to be THIS prices especially for larger companies. And thinking about it from a very black and white viewpoint, faceups I think should not be like $40 and up. I know its time and effort, but as a business, it shouldnt cost THAT much. I think of $20 as perfect. :/ But this is just my opinion lol. And as for the doll itself, take the height of the doll, cut it in half, and add a zero. Thats pretty much what I think SHOULD be the pricing >.> But I don't actually know how much it costs to make one of these dolls. I just know that the workers have to be paid a lot for working with toxic resin and that the resin itself is hard to work with because of air bubbles and hardening buuuuut still...

I totally understand how parents don't accept the hobby easily. Heck, I love bjds and yet I think about the price all the time. Most of the time I think we as hobbyists just try to justify it hehe. (this is still opinion). If I had a kid trying to collect a $300 doll, I wouldn't approve (from a very logical standpoint). Yet here I am. I feel like when people at first enter this hobby we're all like " gaah, so expensive!" and then later we're like "So? a lot of effort goes into making them." but I think that we're a little too accepting of it ^^" not that I have a right to talk, since I'm willing to dish out that much cash on a doll too...

 

Arisa Thats EXACTLY what my face looked like LOL! :3

 

When I started, the USD was almost double the AUD so a $350 cost me $700. Now the dolls are nearly the same price anyway. Personally, I used to think the dolls were worth the money, now that I have over 40, it takes a lot to make me spend any money on a doll. I need to feel the dolls are individual, unique and worth the expense. My wishlist has gone from 20 plus dolls down to about 3. I've always rationalised that my hubby and I don't drink alcohol, smoke or go away on holidays so we have extra funds to spend. I think you need to look at whether it is worth it to you and perhaps wait for a doll that you absolutely have to have.

 

When I was in highschool, my mother and father were in control of my bank account, I had no access to it. It had my name and information on it but I'd never even touched my debit card before my 18th birthday. I went to school and worked part time. I paid my car insurance, car note and other things like tires and repairs for the car. They gave me $20 a week for gas. When I asked for money to buy things, it was always " Why do you need that? " and " You are wasting your money " so I can empathize with you a little bit there, Arisa.

Of course, when you live under the roof of your parents, you feel bad about demanding total control over a bank account that has your name on it. You don't want to be like, " It's mine and I'll do what I please with it Nyah!! " especially to your parents. Minor or not, family dynamics are different from family to family, culture to culture and generation to generation. Let's not create ill feelings towards things that we don't understand or have a hard time believing.

If these dolls were mass produced in a factory like Barbie, Monster High dolls, American Girl dolls and other readily available inexpensive toys, then it wouldn't be a problem with the price being within the same range as said toys. In reality, these dolls are made in limited numbers/batches at a time. They are made by hand scultping, mold making, resin pouring methods and that takes time, money and man hours.

I don't think they are overly priced or pricey. I work a regular job and I pay bills. I can't afford to buy a bjd every month and it's okay with me because this helps me avoid rash purchases and impulse buys. I buy what I want and make it a point to have a set price in mind when I am buying a doll.

edit: Secret account? Not a secret account... maybe a side account and have your parents know you plan on saving bit by bit. I think this would prove you really are serious about buying one and that it wouldn't take away from what account you currently have with your parents.

 

There is a Debate Discussion of this issue.