BJD hobby expenses

I really, really wish I had done this. I'm in the position of having some things to sell, but not knowing what the price is at all. Bummer. I'm definitely going to do this from now on. Thank you for idea.

 

I don't keep track, I just try to spend as little as I can and only spend it when I have the extra money.

 

This is a really good idea! I keep a spreadsheet of the shoes/wigs/eyes I have bought so I don't re-buy the same thing multiple times but to keep an expense spreadsheet is a really good idea!

 

That's a really good idea.

... But I'm pretty sure if I actually tried that I'd feel insanely guilty. I am noooot a savvy spender, and I always lust after the thingies that are most rare, pricey and hard to get.

The closest I've ever done to this was that one time I was selling three dolls at once, and one of the dolls happened to be a clothes horse so I was selling all of his outfits too. I needed a spreadsheet because I had probably about 40 items for sale (plus the dolls) and I needed to make sure I had a handy reference of what I sold, what I shipped off, and how much each item cost. That got me over to $2500 on the bottom line - but that was a good number to see since that's how much I actually made this time around!

 

I did this for about 6 months when I was still a college student. I had a goal for each month, and a neat spreadsheet with everything I bought, when I bought it, when it arrived, and (of course) the price. Around the time I got a real job, I quit keeping track. I had a part-time job as a student, and then got a full-time position right when I graduated. Since I had no debt (I had scholarships, so no student loans), I just bought whatever I wanted. For me, keeping a list only makes me feel guilty - it doesn't really curb future spending. My guess is I've spent around $20,000 total on this hobby, but I have sold some stuff (including 8 full dolls), so the net amount wouldn't be quite that high. I don't make a lot of money, but I use the "I have no debt" excuse to justify the spending.

Also, I don't see the need to keep a record in case of reselling. If it's a doll, I'll remember how much I spent (or look it up from either old emails or the company website), and if it's a less expensive item (like clothes or wigs), I can compare it to similar items on the MP to determine a fair price. I do check to see how much I paid for Dollheart outfits, but that's an exception because they can cost over $150 (which is a lot to me). I will admit that I have looked at some things I've bought and thought "What is this and what did I pay for it?", but that's rare.

 

I like the way you think ^^. And as long as you don't give up things you need just for a doll... why not? It makes you happy and that is good mental health ~_^... LMAO yup I just justified this expencive hobby as maintaining your health LOL... I bet golfers who pay insane green fees 'never' smile every time they look at a golf club! or a score sheet where they didn't make par!

HAPPY SPENDING DOLL LOVERS!

 

I haven't made a spreadsheet, but I regularly check how much money went into this hobby since I started saving back at the end of 2005. The main reason is that I don't want to spend more than a $1000 a year on this hobby and this is how I can keep track of my expenses.

It really works! It's been over 7 years, but my spendings are well below $6500. Having a budget doesn't mean you can't own expensive dolls - I own several pricy limiteds. It means, knowing how much money you want to pay, and what you want to spend it on. (basically, I really need to keep an eye on my budget, because I tend to fall for 'hard to get' items...)

 

I honestly can't remember every single doll I've bought, let alone how much I've paid for all of them, along with all of the accessories I've bought over the years. It's not like knowing how much you paid for something really matters in the end because you rarely are going to get that money back when you sell the item. And I don't mind now knowing how much I've spent on this hobby. I mean, I don't keep track of how much I've spent on going to movies over my life or how much I've spent on eating out, two things I also enjoy doing and thus make my life more enriched.

 

I haven't bothered to set up a spread sheet on my computer of my BJD related purchases. However, I have kept all of the receipts and have pictures of the various items. This is especially important to me for the outfits in the off chance I decide to sell some of them in the future that way I have a reference as to what should be included.

 

I should do this but there are some things that I bought so long ago that I don't remember the price for ^^;
but I do keep a mental tally and would prefer not to think about it most of the time

EDIT: almost 3 years later and I still haven't even attempted to do this...maybe someday
admittedly I haven't bought much but I just did a mental tally of what I've either spent already or plan to spend this year alone and well
then I totaled the amount it would take to buy all the other clothes that I want (not including shipping) and that number is much much crazier, and it's not even including the dolls!

 

i dont keep track of my bjd expenses but i still remember my dolls' price XD so yeah, i base my expenses from my memories

 

I have a little notebook dedicated to my expenses. But I also remember all the money i've spent on almost everything. XD

 

I don't track expenses like that for any of my collections or hobbies... which is... probably for the best. I think I'd probably be horrified by the numbers. LOL

 

I think if I tracked the numbers like that, I'd probably have a mild heart attack, feel guilty and not be able to enjoy the dolls as much as I do now. I have an idea about how much the dolls themselves cost, and I'm ok with that number, it's when you start adding up the other things that it gets frightening. I started once, with just my eyes, and realized I have over $700 in just eyes (not including the shipping). So no.... I don't track.

That being said, I never spend money I don't have. I don't put myself into debt for my dolls, nothing goes on credit, I've never even done a layaway - everything is paid for with cash I have in hand. I'm a lot more responsible with my money and spending these days than when I was younger

 

This is actually a pretty good idea to start to pick up while I am starting in the hobby, haha. As of right now I have no list of expenses and stuff for things and I am going to take a guess out there and say I have spent roughly over $650? Haha, wow, just realized how much I have spent already on one full doll and a floating head (who still needs a body).

 

I don't really keep track of what I've spent. I have a rough idea of it, but when I do end up selling I realize there's no guarantee of making back all the money anyway. I don't really buy dolls based on what I can sell them for anyway, because I do buy with the intent to keep, but sometimes it just doesn't work out.

 

I am the same way. I buy the dolls and their things because I really like them and want to keep them, but sometimes things get in the way, and objects need to be sold. More often than not, I end up selling at a loss. I admit that I have tried to keep a log of how much I spent in this hobby, but that made me feel ill...not unlike when I have too much ice cream.

 

I probably should so that I can stop spending so much, considering my very conservative estimates alone is around $500 a month. >_< It adds up. >_<

 

If I did I would probably scare myself. I am pretty sure I could have bought myself a Kia Sorrento by now

 

I do keep a spreadsheet, of just the dolls and their vitals: total price paid (with options & shipping & fees itemized where possible), order date, arrival date, previous owner if secondhand, a Y/N checkbox for COAs & other paperwork, notes about the doll's release/edition, and notes about the fullset items/options purchased. I also printed out all of the PayPal, eBay, and other purchase receipts I could. Any kind of provenance is a good thing!

I don't keep track of the clothes & eyes & wigs & other items I've bought, although I do have the Paypal receipts for some of the bigger-ticket outfits, for future resale reference.

And I don't keep a "total" column on my doll spreadsheet, either; I am not interested in the total outlay, but if I do need it for insurance purposes, it's all calculatable there.