'Cabinet Babies' or Playthings?

Agreeing with many others so far, what you "should" do is perhaps the wrong phrasing, what you choose to do with your property is really up to you. Personally, my lot get hauled all over the place! I have some that very rarely go out or to meets, but that's mainly due to size contraints, carrying 3 SD's around is just too much for me, so my mini's tend to go all over and the SD's only make it to rare events

Like some of the others have already said, I don't really understand the point in having something this expensive and NOT playing with it, but that said, if that's what makes a person happy, fair enough

 

Like so many have said, there's no should or should not. Everyone enjoys their dolls in their own way.

Personally I'm a combo of both. I generally keep my dolls in cabinets & some on shelves simply because I like to have them displayed where I can see them, no dark boxes for me. But I do play with them, change clothes, wigs, eyes, rearrange the displays, use them for sewing & jewelry models, take them out for photos & meet-ups. I don't worry about them too much, they're pretty sturdy. I'm more careful with the ones with custom face-ups & more aware of sunlight on the tan & whiteskin dolls. And since there's not enough room in the cabinet for everyone, I sort of cycle them thru there to give each some dust free time.

I imagine if I had a very special limited fullset that was entirely perfect looking to me, I'd keep it as a cabinet only piece, a little work of art, but so far everyone has demanded some changes be made so they all end up being art as toys.

 

To me cabinet keeping seems like buying an expensive sports car and never driving it. Like keeping it in a garage all the time so it will never get any wear or damage. Just seems like a waste. Not that I would feel angry/ranting at someone for keeping their dolls in a case all the time or anything like that. I would just be puzzled as to why they'd want to do it.

I bought a bjd for a friend of mine, and she plunked him down on a shelf and hasn't touched him since. Now I know she likes him a lot and everything, she even refused to sell him when she really needed the money (though I told her I didn't mind) but it still makes me go D: when I think of the doll as a display item.

 

Good question.
I DO have my dolls in a glass cabinet, and the blind is drawn in the room so as not to let direct sunlight in, BUT I also am very 'hands on' with them too. I love looking at them, and could never keep them away out of sight in their boxes, but I get them out to photograph them, take them to conventions or meets,change their face ups and dress them for different looks etc.

 

As so many have already said, it totally depends personal preference. BJDs are extremely expensive and somewhat fragile, so I understand why many want to keep them safe in boxes and cabinets. They are also likely to be the collectors' items of the future, so it makes sense to protect your investment. However, I guess that, for many, the whole point of owning these things is that they serve some psychological purpose that can only be fulfilled by having them around. Why obsess over the right mold, wig, outfit etc etc if you can't then appreciate them?

Personally, I like having my eye candy within eye sight and sit my chaps on my bookcase for most of the time where I can see them and take them down for a "play". When I am sick of them, they go into their coffin boxes until I want to see them again (well, they are vampires). When they are out, there is the constant risk of damage by small children and marauding cats. However, the point for me of having them is to look at them and fiddle with them. I have therefore made a considered judgment to take that risk.

Personally, I do treat my chaps as over-sized, over-priced action figures.

 

I would say 5-6 days of the week my gang sits on a shelf and I just admire their beauty and abilities, but those 1-2 days a week when I can arrange my housework and life busyness I sit and change clothes, wigs and take pics. It's my me time and I think it helps my HBP keep at a sane level as well as makes me feel special to have them in my life. So while not playthings per say they are things I do enjoy playing with, carefully.

 

My dolls come out and play. I like to make clothes for them, pose them and take their photographs. I like to sit them on the couch and watch tv with them. But at the end of the day, they go back into the glass curio cabinet. I have two curious cats and while they behave with my dolls when I'm around, they can't be trusted unsupervised. So, I guess mine are part-time cabinet babies.

 

Hmm... I myself am not having a BJD rite now, but for me, I think I'll keep her save in her box when I can't take her with me. But when the time is rite, I'll take her for an evening photo shoot or meeting my n her friends~

But I won't take her outside too much~ Why...? Because it's too risky... Ppl in my country sometimes r too freaky, so I'm afraid they will do something bad to my girl if they see n quickly grab her from me, just because they wanna see my girl closely...

It's not because I always think that negative to other ppl, it's just because I dun wanna ppl make her got broken or else...

I'll take her with me when I'm sure, she'll save, because ppl around her r nice ppl that will treat her nicely...

 

I feel the same as you. Where I live the children have no discipline really. The parents can't control them and they've caused a lot of trouble so I don't even like to take my dolls out around my house.

I like to take my dolls to visit friends, but I keep them safe in their bags until I do.

At home I keep them by me to keep me company when I write or draw or watch TV. I also feel like madammaumau because to me, I see my dolls as action figures. Maybe this is because I like comics a bit too much sometimes~ I like to pose them and keep them nearby, but I don't think I really "play" with them. I do like dressing them and brushing their wigs.

 

With me it depends on the doll. All of my customs are playthings who are used. Of all the toys I have, a lot, 4 are still in their box- an action figure and set of marbles for collecting reason and a Barbie and Tommy for basic laziness and not wanting to play with them but not get rid of them either. The resins spend a good deal of time on display in their chair and the littles are in their house but we still play together.

I won't play with a doll if it's fragile, like an old celuloid or wax one. If it's rare I sort of feel a duty to keep it protected so others can see and perhaps a copy can be made. If the doll is beyond repair I may attempt to fix it.

 

I actually had a debate with a friend over this the other day. He owns a doll, but rarely touches her for fear of breaking her, and as someone that is very hands-on with her dolls, it almost irritates me how careful he is. I prefer to keep my boys out and do things with them and pose them around the house for fun (which is sometimes annoying because my apartment is usually flooded with sunlight - there is no safe place at all )

However there are dolls I handle more than others. Cain, since he is the mos fragile, mostly sits around. Hyde is almost too precious for me to touch, so he sits around too, playing his guitar. But Hideto is my baby and gets carried around everywhere, handled constantly, snuggled and doted on and generally abused. XD It just depends!

Also, I'm 21 and definitely still "play dolls". XD It's a bit ridiculous. Again, usually only with Hideto though .. He gets toys and cuddles and dressed and redressed. I think it's because I'm not allowed to have a pet where I live. XDD

But ultimately it is up to the owner. They can do whatever they want with their doll.

 

Mine are out on a table in my living room. next to them is a large box with their clothing/wigs/shoes for my grand daughters to play with them. They don't touch the one with the custom face up, but the others they know they can play with. The only things in my cabinet are my action figures, so the baby doesn't eat the small pieces.

 

I always feel kind of sad when I see a doll that never leaves the shelf and must be dusted.

They are dolls and as such I play with mine...too much sometimes...Izzy needs a cleaning in the worst way.

I do have dolls that don't leave the house though. They are all tan and that's more fear of the resin changing color from sunlight than anything.

I have met the occasional person who is frightened to handle their doll. I think it's two things that motivate "Cabineting"....the cost and not knowing how to clean or fix anything that goes awry.

Either way I fall on the side of..."It's your doll. Do with it what you will"

 

Oh yesss~~ It's true... -___-;;; Esp. if bring BJD into a family meeting, OMG.. I can't... My nieces n nephews will come over to my girl n in the end, I'll lost her...

Yeah~ Agree with u, just let our dolls save in their boxes 'till we sure they're save to get out from it, heheh...

I'm collecting action figure too~ I take their photos sometimes, but yeah, I'm not playing with 'em~ Kinda scary if I do something that make 'em broken... Oh no, my mom will yelling at me when that happens...

Hm, I think I kinda understand with ur friend's feeling about his girl~
For me, I kinda scary if I'm the one that make my girl broken... OH... That will make me sooo saddd...
But ofcourse, sometimes we must let our doll feel the fresh air~ They need it too, because being in boxes make them dusted n look unwanted, IMHO...

Just take 'em for walk around or havin' tea time with friends, but not all the day, just when the time is rite, ahahah...

 

really, again, theres no should or shouldnt.

personal preference, however, i would never subject my little ones to being "cabinet babies" (awesome phrase btw XD) There's so much life in them to me, and they're alive to me. I wouldnt shut up the children i'll never have in closets, and i wouldnt lock my dolls in them either. They're meant to be loved, and i cant very well love something i cant touch, or something i'd feel so scared of breaking or hurting. I'll admit that i'm always a bit worried that i'll hurt my girls faceup, but thats because its a luts faceup and its downright beautiful and perfect, and i'll hate to wipe it. My boys, however, i dont carea s much because i did them myself and i know i can redo them.

I personally would never be able to justify spending 300+ on anything if i'm not going to use it. I can hardly spend 50 or 20 on something if i'm only going to shove it somewhere and forget about it. i've got this shelf with anime and game figures, including a cloud figure with his motorbike that cost me 60$. I love it to death, but its dusty and i dont do anything wtih it. Also, while i love little statues and snowglobes or stuff like that, i cant justify having them if they're only going to collect dust. These dolls...I couldnt justify spending that if i wasnt going to touch them. While they are indeed art pieces, and canvases of my own, they arent just items to be put on display. Those little balls of acrylic or glass can show so much emotion, even if its only me projecting it on them, and i would feel guilty if i kept them locked in a glass case.

thats one of the reasons i'd never want a oneoff or a superlimited doll, too. because, like, a oneoff, i'd feel horrible changing something about it. The clothes? No, i wouldnt want to change that, its part of the set, and i'd never get it back right. The hair? Oh no, that'll never work. Eyes? Psh, they're limited eyes too. God forbid the faceup gets messed up. I'd cry. I couldnt do it ^^;


long post short: While i am indeed careful with them, and freak if they fall or faceplant or something, i would never lock them up. They're too alive to me to do that. While they spend a depressing amount of time on my shelf looking pretty, i like that i can just reach over and grab them all the same. ^^

 

I used to keep my crew displayed out in the open, but that ended when we moved to our current location... My little townhouse is right off of a very busy street, it's surrounded by huge cedar trees that throw enough pollen into the air to choke a dinosaur and there are several large construction projects going on within a few blocks of us. Between them, they make the dust situation absolutely awful. Every surface in the house gets covered in fine, black crud unless it's dusted daily.

So... I did what I originally said I wouldn't. I bought a set of matched display cabinets and put my dolls behind glass.

This way I can still keep them out of their boxes, to see them and tinker with them, but I no longer have to worry about their wigs, outfits or face-ups being ruined by the dust and grime. It's sort-of the best of all worlds.

 

In my opnion it isn't a doll unless it's played with.

I know people were shocked that I let a friend's toddler take one of my BJD home for a couple of weeks, but it's a doll, she liked playing with it and didn't do it any harm that couldn't be fixed by giving the wig a comb-through, adn I got it back the next time I babysat.

My dolls (of all types) go places with me, I carried two rag dolls around dozens of castles and ruined priories in Shropshire for two weeks while in holiday two summers ago, I take my BJD's to historical reenactments, medieval feasts and revels and science fiction conventions quite often.

Teddy

 

Well, it's a thing with two ends. They are expensive, so no-one wants to break them, but in the other hand they are expensive and just having them sitting around feels like a waste of money for me.
I rather like the 'playthings' view more. Though I wouldn't like to take my doll out of my home, where she'll be safe.
My point is - if I buy something expensive, then I should enjoy it as much as possible. It's like if you buy a computer and never use it nor take out of the box. You wouldn't do it, right? You would enjoy it.

 

I am very hard on my stuff, and the dollies are no exception. That said, I do try to protect them from direct sunlight, especially when they are not "working" (as actors in my inexplicable photostories). And I try to keep work-related injuries to a minimum, removing duct tape residue and being thoughtful about scrapes and abrasions from when I dangle them off roofs, and so forth. (Kidding. Well, no, I'm not.)

My main doll-related trauma has been yellowing resin. My first BJD was a Souldoll Paris in French resin--not a material I recommend for beginners. User error, as they say, hastened his color change to what it is now, a deep and uniform lemon. I try to have clean hands, but in general I am cavalier about skin oils and so forth. As my friends in the hobby can attest, these guys travel "economy class," and if they are lucky might get covered with a soft cloth before they're tossed in the carrier.

I take the position that these guys make me happiest when we are making art together. I accept the potential side effects of this, the same way I accept the possibility that my (rather nice older) car may sustain damage as I drive it around.

Right now the posse is uncermoniously hanging about on cushions in the living room. Really, they need a trailer (and a personal trainer and lots of mineral water).

 

For me, I really like to have Lisi out and around, I play with her a LOT. Also, I'm probably not as good at keeping her out of sunlight as I should be, the blinds are always closed with rare exceptions but she's probably still exposed to way more light than she should be. I figure, I wanted a doll for the joy of doing things with it, and that's what I'm going to do. I can see where a lot of people would want to keep them away from harm and not do anything with them, but I really couldn't resist the temptation to take her out and bring her around with me