BJDs in amongst the Walmart Generation

I see nothing wrong with Barbie, if that's what the person wants. But BJD's are completely different. Of course, to someone who is not a doll collector, one doll would be about the same as another in terms of the idea of collecting.
To those of us and yourself, who love BJD's there is a world of difference. I have , on occasion, had people comment , but I just ignore their remarks. What matters is one's own appreciation for the doll.

 

People that shop at walmart aren't always doing it because they're cheap. Most of them shop there because that's what they can afford. You're viewing it from the eyes of someone who knows BJDs and collects them. People spend huge amounts of money on golf clubs, guitars & stamps and to someone outside of their hobbies it might, indeed, look strange.

 

I get this queston a lot and I always answer "This isn't a childs doll." It isn't!! BJDs are so unique and speical from other dolls that in a way, I find it okay for them to be more exspensive. There is so much detail and care put into making just ONE of these dolls that I find it worth it to spend 200 bucks on them.

 

I don't get the need of some people to complain about the price of doll clothes. If you like it, buy it. If you don't like it enough to spend the money on it, don't buy it. Maybe try making your own, or just move on but don't whine and complain that the seamstress or company should make it cheaper. I may want a Tiffany diamond necklace, but I don't want one enough to pay $10,000 for it and so I move on. I don't complain about it everywhere and demand they lower their price. I sew, and I know how much work goes into clothes, especially in such a small size. I think companies like dollheart are very low priced considering what you get. (a 4+ piece outfit and sometimes shoes for $80-$120) If I were to buy the same thing for myself it would cost over $300.

Since I do sew, I tend to get offended that people think a seamstress' time and labor is worth nothing, but it's nice to see there are so many who appreciate quality and effort, and that good doll clothing companies will never be put out of business by sock dresses or shoddy ill-fitting porcelin doll/friends 2b made clothes.

 

I think you raise interesting points. But I still stand by my opinion. While not all cheap things necessarily mean lower quality (there are plenty of cheaper dolls that are comparable in quality to more expensive dolls), there are times when one should research what it is they are buying (so it isn't a sweatshop article of clothing). It may not just be cheaper=always bad. But I just don't see $100USD with the amount of time, the fact they have to live off of this income, etc. as being unreasonable at all. I think if one actually tried living off the income generated by creating doll clothing, they would certainly have a different opinion than someone that has never sewed before.

 

The world does not owe anyone luxury items. Nor does it owe them luxury items at what they think they should pay for them.

I agree that I see it more as a problem in cosplay than in dolls. It's part of why I refuse cosplay commissions. I have dealt with the "Why does that cost more than what it would cost at Walmart?" issue as well. My standard response is "Then go buy it at Walmart." I'm not willing to work for a dollar a day so you can be kawaii kawaii neko desu for three hours at con, sorry. :P People in dolls seem to understand a bit better than artist quality stuff costs more than the bargain store. (Perhaps because the dolls are luxury items from the get-go, whereas... clothes are clothes. People are more used to the idea of cheap clothes than they are cheap ABJD.) If people 'cut financial corners' in the BJD fandom, it's usually on the eyes/wigs/shoes rather than the dolls themselves.

There's a difference between 'cheap' and 'thrifty' if people are feeling particularly singled out or targeted because they buy lower-end doll items.

A 'cheap' person buys the cheapest doll stuff they can find, regardless of how much they actually like it. Their preference in dolls is literally 'Whatever is the cheapest.' They wrinkle their noses at the idea of spending more than the minimum they have to. They'll pass up a better-looking item for a shoddy one because the shoddy one was a whole two dollars cheaper. A cheap person wants MORE, MORE, MORE for LESS, LESS, LESS! THAT is the Wal-mart mindset we're talking about.

A 'thrifty' person may buy low-end dolls and low-end (price wise) doll accessories. But they spend hours scouring pictures of dolls from the lower-end companies before picking the one that best pulls at their heart for what they can afford. It may be the cheapest doll, or it may not be. They're willing to put more in to get more, but still know they have a budget they have to live with. They pour through ten discount doll supply webpages to find the three pairs of shoes that are within their budget, but will still look cute on their doll. They learn to sew doll clothes from remnant fabric, which they can buy at 75% discounts. They become clever at seeing items that weren't meant to be doll props as doll props. They realize they have to pick and choose what they can have in their budget, and that they can't afford it all. That means sometimes, acknowledging there are nice things they can't have. Not begrudging the nice things for not being in their price range.

See what I mean? No one (okay, very few) people hate or look down on a thrifty doll buyer. It's the cheap ones that arouse people's ire.

 

Obviously they have no idea about BJDS! You can't change Barbies eyes, or hair, or pose her as if she were a real person. When I first got my Mei li I had a flashback of being a little girl and trying so hard to get Barbie to walk with out falling down. I would become so frustrated at the fact that no matter what shoes you put on her, she would NEVER stand. Do you know how much my little heart broke when she couldn't properly ride my My little ponies?! even though I am an adult now, when I first held my BJD, the little kid in me said "Finally!"
I am sure your friends are also trying to be a little on the funny side... lol ha.ha.ha.

 

Everyone's obsessed about something, and everyone spends a little just on themselves on something they don't need. Well... those that don't ever tend to eventually go insane.

 

I've actually never gotten the "Why would you spend that much on a DOLL??!" thing, considering I've only told like two people how much he cost, and they're my closest friends so they know exactly what I see in these dolls. I usually don't tell people how much he cost; I just let them think what they want, and, that way, they keep their opinions to themselves.
As for costly clothes, I'm with Nefla on this one. I make my doll's clothes for two reasons: 1) I don't want to spend ridiculous and seventy-five cents for one outfit and 2) I can't ever find outfits that I would WANT to buy, or that suit the character. Solution: make your own clothes. You get exactly what you want and, while it is difficult to make things so small (which is why doll clothes cost ridiculous and seventy-five cents), practice makes perfect and you know you're getting out of it what you put in. The only things I have to buy are the shoes, but considering how much I save on the clothes, I'm more willing to buy $25-$40 shoes.

 

I'm not gonna lie. I'm a thrifty person. When it comes to deals, I like finding them and I'm proud when I do.

But, at the same time, there are just some things I can't go cheap on. If I'm going to end up spending a good amount of money on something, I'm gonna go all out and get what I want. BJD's are one of those things. I look for what I like, not what has a smaller price tag. There are, of course, some exceptions. I can't really go past 1,000 dollars with the situation I'm in. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't when I get a better job.

 

I am a really smart consumer I will skip lunch so I can have the BJD I want but I never buy cheap furniture because it falls apart on the other hand I do not invest in decorator furniture that costs an arm and a leg is uncomfortable and means nothing to me. Same with shampoo I will spend 7 bucks but I will not buy $25.00 shampoo from my hairdresser. I dye my own hair, I like Tee shirts from Target & I shop at walmart for soft cheap blankets that I can put in my 6 cats beds but I go to the small custom feed store to get high quality cat food thereby reducing health issues and vet visits.
I also have expensive Soom, Iplehouse, Elfdoll bjd's as well as the sweetest Bbb Mei and tiny Moona's whom I cherish just as much as the others. For me it's all about balance and usefullness. I have cheap tv's in case anyone wants to steal them but my Apple laptop is stuck to my side and goes everywhere I go.

We just made some expensive wall units and we burned our Logo stamp into the product which says Hand Made by Skilled craftsmen of Lynn Custom Woodworkers. It definately cost more than going to Ikea. We also own Jaybird Designs for custom art boxes and furniture

 

I actually HAVE and still DO take Ryuichi to Wal-mart when I go!

I have tried to explain to people where I work at why I am willing to pay so much for a BJD, which they totally don't understand, yet they'll walk around with $70 boots and a $400 purse and think nothing of it.

What can i say, to each their own.

I'm sure that they're getting their monie's worth out of their $400 Coach purse, just like i am out of my BJD. Frankly, I think its a waste of money to get a purse that has someone else's name on, that you can't peersonalize, nor take pics with to SHOW that you made it your own, but then again that's me.

Ryu

 

I have my one precious AoD Qian, whom I love very much. AoD dolls tend to be on the less expensive side of things, but in this case, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the quality. But still, less expensive still means $300. That could buy me between 3 and 10 pairs of shoes, pay off two months worth of credit card bills, three months of my cellphone (with all applicable fees involved), or a month and a half of my tuition.

I guess with this, I view my Renny as a very expensive piece of art, that I love to snuggle and cuddle and play with. I fully admit that I may not be seen as a 'good' doll mommy, but I love her, and I play with her. She's an investment in quality, and so I'm not afraid to pick her up and play with her. Someday I may get out of debt, and I'll get more dolls to play with, but right now, I'm quite content with my baby girl.

That said, I have a lovely collection of Barbies worth close to a thousand bucks! But I don't even put them in the same range as BJDs. But it does mean when I get the 'Why don't you buy a Barbie?' I can answer "Been there done that!"

 

Never heard this..but you do get what you pay for....if you can afford it..go for it.......
Carol

 

oh Man, I get that a lot. My family always tell me just go buy a barbie doll that is cheaper. I always say no, because a barbie doll and a BJD are totaly two different things. They may be dolls, but the way they are made, handled, and designed are so different. How you interact with a barbie and a BJD are so different.

 

haha yes! I am a proud Qian mommy as well! *high fives*

 

I like to collect blades and rosaries as well as BJD's and I notice A enormous difference in the factory made and the hand made. My mother always collected barbies and I did not like them. I tried GI Joes and they were fin when younger but I lost interest. BJD's on the other hand are customisable and social plus there are so many unique molds even custom to order molds that Almost every doll at a meet is unique and exciting. It really justify's the price for me in how distinctive and beautiful they are.

 

Wow, this is kind of snobbish/elitist thread (as others have said).

It seems to greatly express the opposite, yet closely entwined, view that the OP refers to as the "Walmart Generation": that you always get what you pay for, therefore cheap things will always be lower quality that their more pricey counterparts. A good example is clothing: I can pay $8 for a pair of good, solid, not-too-pretty workhorse jeans and have them last years of heavy use, or I can buy a pair of designer jeans for $150 that are made of thinner, "finer" material, have a more stylish cut and better-designed accents, but wouldn't stand up to a heavy day's work. Same thing with cars: my brother's $500, 20-year-old truck might not be fast or pretty, but I wouldn't use a Ferrari to tow a boat, whether or not it has the capability.

There's nothing wrong with shopping at Walmart, for me. They do carry a lot of higher-end products, and I can get my workhorse jeans for $8 (which, by the way, complement my body type much better than the pricier jeans I've owned). I'm fine paying for quality, I was raised by a traditional woodworker and understand what it means, but if I can get the quality I want and need for less money, then I'd rather go that route.

 

"Why did you pay so much for your cell phone, or your 900 inch flat screen?"
Because it makes you wanted it, pretty simple I think.

 

I wholeheartedly agree. I payed $200 for my phone (even though I really couldn't afford it) and am consciously happy every day. However, a lot of people pay a lot for a phone or flat screen TV without knowing what really went into it or doing their research and end up with something crappy when they could have gotten something better for cheaper, and then still think it's good because of the price.

Anyways, as long as I'm taking not neglecting something more important for it, why does someone else care how much I spent on it (unless they are family and giving me money or dependent on my money)?