Bringing my Doll to a Con

I just brought my doll to a con for the first time last weekend! I was actually very nervous about it (and almost didn't take her) because I didn't have a hotel room to keep her in when I wasn't at the meetup and I actually had to take the metro to the convention center every day carrying all my bags and whatnot but ultimately I'm glad I brought her! The meetup I went to was held in a pretty small seating area inside the hotel's lobby so all of our dolls were in our sights the whole time (the host even brought little chairs/couches/stools for everyone to sit on!) and all of the onlookers who weren't in the hobby were very respectful! They were asking permission just to come closer and LOOK at the dolls much less take photos or touch them, I was pretty impressed.

On the way to the con/meet and after it was over, I kept my girl in a canvas tote bag in a seated position wrapped in a jacket of mine. I had some extra padding under the bend of her knees and I actually took her wig off and put it back in the box it came in to keep it from getting too messed up in the bag, and she was perfectly safe! Not a scratch on her after a full day of being hauled around the city of DC and an incredibly busy anime convention

 

I wouldn't worry too much about taking a doll to a con (I've done it many, many times); just treat it as you would any other valuable object you'd take, like your phone, tablet, or wallet--don't let it out of your sight, and don't leave it laying around unsecured unless you can 110% trust your hotel roommates (and the housekeeping staff--hint: you can't).

With reasonable precautions like making sure you keep track of your doll at all times, not handing it over to strangers or setting it down somewhere and looking away, and not leaving it sitting out in your hotel room, you can actually have a very enjoyable time taking a doll to a convention. Like I said, I've done it regularly; I often carry my dolls in a basket (1/4 dolls that fit) so I can keep better track of them without juggling them, and so if magnetic hands fall off they fall into the basket. I typically keep them set aside in a safe location in the room when I'm not carrying them around (which I do largely if I'm going to a meet or if I've found a place selling BJD related items and want to check for scale/fit), and the people in my room are people I've shared with before and can trust. (And we keep the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door all weekend and decline housekeeping--which not only keeps your property safe, but can also sometimes earn you a perk like a free drink or snack at the hotel restaurant!)

 

I have gone to anime conventions before and I have loved them. Though I have yet to bring my doll this thread has given me some insight as to whether I should or not. I've always wanted to bring my doll to one just to give her a 'ride on the town'. Sort of thing. Plus, it would be cool to possibly meet some people that are interested in the dolls like you are.

 

It' hard to say. I wouldn't bring her. Keep them in your sight at all times and don't let people handle her. People won't know how to take care of her or how to properly handel her. I would Love to bring mine with me but I would be way too paranoid...

 

Personally, I wouldn't bring anything that expensive to a convention. So many people make it easy for someone to snatch your doll and disappear into a crowd. If you do decide to bring your doll, my advice would be to keep her in your hands at all times! And it goes without saying not to trust any strangers with her or anything like that. I honestly wouldn't even let people touch her because they probably don't know how to properly handle a BJD. But maybe that's just me being paranoid haha
Good luck and have fun at your con!

 

I will keep an eye on my doll if I do bring them out. Or hold in my hand always.