'Cabinet Babies' or Playthings?

I bought mine to play with and thats what I do! I display them when they arent in use.

 

Mine are by no means 'cabinet babies.' I don't have a cabinet or anything to display them in in the first place, nor do I want one. I take them with me a lot of places: friends' houses, parks, restaurants, cons, etc. When I do take them places though, they're usually the center of attention, if I was going to go play lasertag, they either wouldn't come or stay in their bag in the car for later fun.

They normally spend their time somewhere near me... like when I'm at school they're scattered on my desk (Cordelia's standing and showing off her new dress to the left of my computer, Arabella and Madeline are on the rocking chair placed on top of my printer to the right, and Oliver is sitting by the printer in 'time out' because he refused to pose with Cordelia yesterday XD) I have a bag for them with straps and such that I sewed in for when I take them places, so I do take good care of them, but I also won't be the person who plops them down in a puddle of mud.

I guess having them around all the time is easier for me since I don't have any pets. They usually stay in my room when I'm home, or I'll take one around the house with me. My mom doesn't approve of them so I try not to have them all around me all the time when I'm home.

Also, I feel terrible if I leave them in their bag for a long period of time. Like if I go home for the weekend and have no plans of spending time with them, I'll put them in their bag and stash it in the closet so if I come back and someone's missing a finger or something, I won't have to kill my roommate XD

 

Not playing with them would be a waste of resin.

They are dolls.

Dolls are playthings.

Not playing with a doll, no matter how expensive, would be like not wearing an expensive pair of shoes. Shoes are made to be worn,. dolls are made to be played with.

Of course, other peole are entitled to their view on the matter, but that's mine and it hasn't change throughout a lifetime of collecting and playing with dolls. My porcelain dolls get played with and taken places, my vinyl dolls get played with and taken places, I don't see that my resin dolls should be any different.

When notbeing played with, they live on shelves or sideboards (or on top of a pile of weaters in my bedroom...{g}) - but I wouldn't really call them as "displayed" since they're rarely placed and posed neatly... it's more of a convenient place to put them where I know I can find them again.

Teddy

EDITED TO ADD: Whoops! I see I already commented on this topic last year. sorry for the repetition.

 

It doesn't make that much of a difference what someone else does with their doll, but I do think it should be kinda half and half. I certainly don't think they should be put it a cabinet just for display, but I don't think you should be you know . . Too rough with them either, like you said they are expensive. I carry Zetsumei around with me, but I don't like, throw him around or anything ^^;;

 

Some people think it should be a bit of both, and seeing their reasons, I'd have to agree.

When I got my little non-BJD, 27cm dollfie, Mimi, my dad said I had to keep her in the box. My dad is the "do as I say" type, if you know what I mean; so I was gonna have some issue telling him that, from all I've seen on the net, none of what I saw kept theirs in the box. The box is twice as large as she is! But this was Christmas Eve of '07, at night, so I opened her box when everyone went to bed. I did make an effort to keep the box, cause it looked so cool, but I think I broke it, and threw it out. I wanted to do everything other doll owners could do, and were doing, with their dolls. I cracked her leg a little before I realized she couldn't bend her leg as far as others I'd seen. But she's ok.

Now, she's with my other 27cm dollfie, Nya, seated next to my bed, on my nightstand along with alarm clock, light, and remotes for various gadgets. As school goes on, I don't have time to do so much with them. I don't have them looking in my direction, because as much as I love them, and still have a load of dolls/build-a-bears in my room, it would totally freak me out to have them stare at me in my sleep...

 

I don't think anyone could keep them locked up in a cabinet. Those are for other dolls.

Ball-Jointed dolls are for moving and handling (carefully I might add) it's part of what makes owning them enjoyable.

 

While I don't fling my boys around like I might with a Barbie (when I was little I used to "sacrifice" my Barbies "to the gods" and keep them hanging outside by their ankles ), neither do I treat them as though they're made of spun sugar and diamond dust. I like my dolls to be close to me...my roommate and I are literally surrounded by our dolls. I do pose them naturally where they sit on every available surface, so I suppose in a way they're on "display", but I also play with them. Sometimes I take them places, carry them around, even take them on cross-country trips (though of course while traveling they're with me at all times, usually safe in a padded carrier). I touch them, dress them, play with their hair...I do love to just look at them as well, but I couldn't enjoy them as thoroughly if that's all I did.

I suppose I can understand why people might want to keep them in a cabinet...they are a pretty big investment, and they can be harmed by such things as sunlight or overzealous pets but I need my dolls with me. Maybe if I had some kind of one-off....

Nah, I'd probably still play with it.

 

Heck I wouldn't play with them the way I used to do with say barbies but I bought them to play with. I'm not spending more than £100 to sit her on a shelf and never play. I'm not a believer in cabinet anythings. I'm far too hands on for that!

 

I myself could never justify buying a doll as expensive as BJDs tend to be if its only purpose was to sit around and look pretty. I mean, that's what porcelain dolls are for in my opinion. And they're cheaper.
I think one of the greatest things about BJDs is their posability, so they can be played with and posed for the purposes of art. And I really love going to meetups and showing my boy off. I also take him to the bookstore a lot so I can pose and draw him while sitting in the coffee shop.
But it's not that I look down on people who just display them; I just can't justify doing it 'cause I'm not very well-off financially. ^^;

 

I try to be aware of resin's weaknesses and limitations when I’m playing with my dolls, but honestly? If I spent this much money on something I just sat in a cabinet and never touched I'd feel ridiculously guilty. They're made to be mobile, so why not play with them?

 

I would feel soo awful if I put my boy away into a cabinet and left him there! He's usually out and about with me almost every day (he sleeps in my little traveling bag) but then again its my money, those who put theirs in cases or keep them in the box they came in can because its their doll.

Its a toss up between "I spent serious money on this guy/girl and I don't want it ruined." vs. "I spent some serious money on you so lets go show you off!"

 

I dont own any bjd yet, but i have been collecting other dolls for years.
I have Sybarites, and i do keep them in their boxes i dont play with them as i know how fragile they are (i havent broken any doll but i know that many people has even if they were taking a lot of care of them).
I take a look at them from time to time to ee how are they doing but theres not much fun in it.
I also own Fashion Royalty, and i keep many of them in boxes, as i have been loosing the interest in them, sometimes if i really like one i can take her out of the box and play a little or change her.
One thing that i like from the bjd is that they doesnt look too fragile, and they are very versatil to play and take pics.
Just my opinion, and sorry for my bad english

 

It's up to nobody else how one chooses to enjoy the hobby, and I find it a bit repelling to see anyone stating that their way is the only way to do things... and that if another hobbyist isn't doing the same thing, then there's no possible way they can be enjoying the hobby as much, or even deserve to be in the hobby. It's a bit wierd.

The bottom line, the main point, is that YOU enjoy it. The only time you're doing it wrong is when you're NOT enjoying it

Personally, I baby my playthings They are not put in cabinets 'cause I don't own any! I do avoid them being in direct sunlight when I'm not playing with them, although they are on display the whole time on our bookshelves. I don't pack them away in their boxes, because I'm terribly lazy and find it an inconvenience to unpack them every time I play with them or want them around! I play with my dolls virtually every day, even when I have very little time when I'm up my eyeballs in projects. They are not taken everywhere with me as I find their size awkward... although perhaps if I get a tiny somewhere in the future they'll accompany me a lot more!

 

Yes, kateb, it's REALLY weird, especially when someone in a collectibles hobby tries to say that you can't possibly love/enjoy an item just by collecting & displaying it. Smacks of severe tunnel-vision to me.

 

I think more along the lines of both.
They should be played with, but to an extent. If not being played with, I think they should be put up in a cabinet or something.

 

Play. :3 I love playing with my Mira, talking to her, brushing her, and taking her all sorts of places, like I use to with my dolls when I was younger. Except, with Mira, I feel a deeper connection, given the fact that I can make her how I like, so the play has a deeper meaning. But I do take care of her a lot better than I had my other dolls, friends of mine often took them and...erm...played with them... XD;

 

I have all sorts of sizes in bjd's. From a 65 cm super gem to the 11 cm puki. I take my dolls with me alot. Though, my puki usually stays at home because I tend to loose their magnetic parts in my pockets and purse, and panic when I can't find them right away. *.*

I can't put them into a cabinet. I would feel like they are banging the glass to get out. These dolls seem to have a bit of soul to them. Try looking into a regular doll like a Barbie or baby doll, and then look at the bjd, there is something about them.

They really are my friends and are endless of the fun things you can do!

To take away my bjd's, not a good thing to do

 

OKAY THIS MESSAGE POSTED TWICE???? PLEASE DELETE

I have all sorts of sizes in bjd's. From a 65 cm super gem to the 11 cm puki. I take my dolls with me alot. Though, my puki usually stays at home because I tend to loose their magnetic parts in my pockets and purse, and panic when I can't find them right away. *.*

I can't put them into a cabinet. I would feel like they are banging the glass to get out. These dolls seem to have a bit of soul to them. Try looking into a regular doll like a Barbie or baby doll, and then look at the bjd, there is something about them.

They really are my friends and are endless of the fun things you can do!

To take away my bjd's, not a good thing to do

 

I love my kids, they are still new but I'm not afraid of taking them around. I go to cons and they keep me company in artist alley . I can kinda understand why someone would be so careful with then but I feel like in the long run they'll detoriate . I wanna enjoy them to the fullest.

 

Personally, for me, I think they should be played with and enjoyed. when I’m dressing/posing/playing with my dolls…I feel like a kid again, I love that feeling. However, I also think that everyone is different and everyone treats their dolls differently. I would never think negatively about someone who never plays with their dolls, only keeping them in glass cabinets or sitting high up on shelves untouched. IMO, there are two different kinds of BJD collectors….those that collect them because they are fun, and those that collect them because they are pretty. ß (hope that doesn’t sound weird, no disrespect to anyone)