'Cabinet Babies' or Playthings?

This is my opinion and frankly, Im not going to take any BS anyone gives me on here.

You pay, 100, 200, 500, 800, even 1,000 dollars for BJD. Whether be it Obitsu or a Soom or Dream of Doll. What you do with you doll...your business, but I feel if your paying big bucks for something, it should be attended to and "played" with. I can not see myself paying huge amounts of money on something and storing it somewhere, just never touching it. Lets face it, if you are trying to put it behind glass cabinet's or in storage from fear of yellowing or ruining it, best you face the fact that all bjd's will in time, yellow or get a little dirty. I make the most out of what I pay for...
But hey, thats just me.

 

I think dolls should defenitely be taken good care of (always kept in safe places, not too much sunlight or dust, etc...) but you should totally play with them D:

its just so much fun changing their clothes and posing them and taking pics and showing them off in public, why bother paying soo much on something to just look at once in a while D: thats like buying an expensive computer or something, it has so many great uses but since its "expensive" you dont want to risk doing anything with it

 

I would say maybe a bit of both- but if the person pays that much for the doll, they should by all means do what they wish with the doll. Personally I do a little bit of both- i love the feel of opening the box, and 'playing' with dolls, rather than just making them into new items for display. I think it is whatever suits the person who made the purchase, and their preference.

 

In my eyes, if I'm going to make a huge investment in a BJD, I'd like to be able to enjoy my investment rather than hide my baby away in a cabinet for all eternity. It's not like they're made of porcelain or anything, they're durable things, and I enjoyed nothing more than walking around with my friend's Dollfie at a convention, and I can't wait to do it myself when I order my Souldoll Queena. Plus I love cosplay and I'd love to share the hobby with my doll. ^^ As long as I take good care of her (keeping her clean and out of the sun too long, etc.) I don't see why I can't play with her too.

 

I think they should be handled safely, but definetly played with. Like others said, what's the point of buying it, if you're only going to look at it behind glass? I myself, still have that little-girl connection to any of my toys or dolls. ): (ie; them feeling bad when they aren't played with </3) I think any doll, expensive or not, should have a caring owner that will not only keep them in good condition as to the best of the person's abilities, but also play with and enjoy the doll to its fullest. I mean, it's a doll; that's what it's for. .__.;

 

i think you should do with them as you like, if that is puting them in a cabinet or play with that is up to you, i think.
personaly i take my dols outside and close to me, but definitly not in a cabinet, off course i do handle them with care.

 

Well I truthly LOVE playing with my dolls and taking photos of them and making photostorys, and showing them to the world. I dont have anything against people who keep there dolls in a cabinet for show, I might do that when Im older and my dolls are more fragle ( MUCH MUCH OLDER!! ) I think playing with them just brings out the dolls personallity more and whenever I bring my dolls to the mall or to a park and start taking photos of them, people come up curious and want to learn more about them which I always love sharing info about.

 

i keep my dolls in a safe place,away from sunlight.but occationally i like to play, talk,dress them and bring them out...infact i like to see them around and interact with them instead of keeping them in a box.im a collector,but i feel that i should enjoy being with them...instead of been old or dead and selling them to another collector for a higher price? money can only worth so much...but never bring me satisfaction,afterall nothing is forever.

 

I think the middle ground between cabinet baby and play thing is how a doll interacted with. I don't really see the point of paying so much money if you're not going to touch the doll and just leave it hidden away in a cabinet. I can understand people wanted to collect them and keep them in good condition, but I think playing with them and moving them around every so often is fine. When I get mine I intend to use her as both a play thing and a model for items I plan on making for dolls which means I'd have to keep her in good condition so I would take care of her. I'm not going to take her out and have her roughed up, but I'm not going to keep her hidden away either.

 

Well, one of the main reasons I got my dolls was because of the artistic aspect. I like customizing them, and making unique clothing for them. Photoshoots are some of my favorite things to do with them (though I have yet to post any photos), and I use them from time to time to practice sketching. They're the perfect models! They never get tired of holding a pose, and I can arrange them however I'd like. And, of course, they do look beautiful being posed on a shelf or in a cabinet. However, I also like to take them out to meet-ups and conventions for some "play dates" as it were. I like to do a lot with my dolls, but there will be some dry spells in between fun things (due to shifting work schedules) where they are merely cabinet warmers, so to speak. I'd say a little of column A, a little from column B.

 

I take them with me wherever. My girls are gonna live a rough life I think but that's okay because I'm not the type to sell them so it's just me who has to live with any problems.

 

I'm a hands-on kind of person. I definitely consider my dolls playthings, but I play nicely with my girls. A middle ground is definitely where I am - they don't get beat up or dragged in the dirt, but they do tag along with me around the house and such.

I had a really nice Barbie as a young child that I received as a gift. My mom made me keep her in box and on a shelf - I wasn't allowed to play with her. Why the heck would I want to do that to myself all over again? :P

 

Keeping dolls in cabinets is like people who keep their action figures in boxes. Ultimately it keeps them nicer if you want to sell them later, but if you want to keep and enjoy them, it's better to take them out. I think they generally look nicer out too.

I plan to play with mine, take her places, and have her sitting out in general. I don't have a cabinet to keep a doll in and I'm not buying one. I'm getting a big 60cm doll, but I have some nice chairs that are very rarely used by people in the house. I'll probably have her sitting in one of those when she's not being posed or played with. The nice thing about the chairs is they're cushioned well so if she tips herself over she won't damage herself.

 

I just received my first ABJD a couple of days ago, and I am in love and can't stop playing with her... but when I go to sleep, or am going to cook/bake I put her in my curio cabinet - along with my other dolls. I have some antique dolls that are too fragile to play with, so having this new BJD is so exciting to me! I will not keep her in the curio cabinet because I just couldn't - she would end up hating me! I enjoy her too much to ever keep her behind glass all the time. So it's a little bit of both for me. Everyone is happier when she's out playing ^-^

 

People can do whatever they want with the dolls they buy with their own money.

That being said, I'm definitely not going to just keep my dolls in some cabinet somewhere. That would defeat the purpose. I want to buy a doll because I want to play with him and take him places. Yes, it's a lot of money, but I don't really think there's a point in paying so much for something that you can't really enjoy. That's why I don't really understand people that pay so much money for things like porcelain figurines or Swarovski crystal things when they're just going to be sitting in a cabinet on display (you can't really do much else with them). I'm not criticizing, everyone has their own thing, I just personally don't understand.

My doll will definitely be played with. And when I can't play with him because I have other things to do, then he'll probably be sitting out on my desk. My room's usually really dark anyways, so I wouldn't be worrying too much because of sun exposure.

 

I think that everyone is entitled to the way that they enjoy their dolls! I collect other things that I enjoy the most just on display.

As for me though, I wouldn't like locking my dolls up in cabinets. The way I play with dolls is that I sit them around my house in different poses. Usually my dolls are posed in their house but I also leave them sitting in the kitchen alot (my kitchen is a popular place XD) or they follow me around the house (like sitting at a table I'm working at).

I don't really see myself taking them anywhere other than anime conventions, or lolita or doll meet-ups. I'll probably take my first tinies places though (they're coming in the mail)! Maybe even on trips or vacations. They're so portable!

 

I think everybody can do whatever they want with their doll - it all depens on person. If they able to give such huge amount on doll that they will look at only or they will play with it is their decision. True is that as long as the dolls have our attention and we love them everything is all right!

 

My dolls wander around the house after me, simply because I like looking at them, and because I have to move them to make room for other things (It's a small house, so any flat surface gets used for storage, eating or construction) and so I can clean around them. I suspect the basic material the dolls are made of may not hold up over a long time (I hope I am wrong) but the fact they yellow and oxidize makes me think that they may get brittle after a few years, so I am going to enjoy them now

 

I feel like nobody has any right to tell people what they should do with their doll. You spent your own money on it, do as you please. Some people want to have their dolls next to them constantly, where some want them in a locked case kept safe from the elements. Anyone who judges someone for what they choose to do is ridiculous.​