'Cabinet Babies' or Playthings?

I dont personaly see the point in paying so much money for something beautiful just to have it hiden away in its box or sat still in a cabinet. In MY opinion what makes bjds so amazing is how they can be posed and made to look so individual. Why buy something that costs extra because of its posing ability if its going to maintain one possition. I can see some people want to keep them safe but at the end of the day I bought my dolls to enjoy and that means taking them out with me and posing them and taking photos and dressing them up, all that good stuff. They spend a fair amount of time when im busy with other things sat posed but they sit about in what ever room il in or on my table waiting for me to get home. Fair enough if you want to look at your dolls thats your choice. But I dont have hundrouds of pounds to spend on decerating my house with dolls and let them collect dust

 

I personally lean towards the stuffy "keeping them pristine" crowd. ^^ It's not because I don't know how to enjoy the dolls... it's all subjective, haha. I enjoy them in my own way; being able to admire them while keeping them nice and neat pleases me, just like how others get enjoyment out of taking their BJDs everywhere they go. I like dressing them up and posing them, and occasionally I'll have one sitting next to me as decoration, but I prefer to have them in a safe spot (free from sunlight, dust, moisture, etc.) when they're not being used. I would love to have a cabinet for them someday. :>

 

I really don't understand some people's problem with other people displaying their dolls or keeping them in a box. To me dolls are not alive in any way. They are pretty things to look at, customize and sometimes take pretty pictures of. It's not sad if someone leaves their dolls in a box all the time, the doll isn't alive. It doesn't care, and when that person does take it out of the box to take photos or what have you, the doll is in pristine condition. I personally wouldn't keep my dolls in the box all the time because I like to see them on the shelf when I'm in my bedroom, but I see absolutely nothing wrong with it.

I do think it's weird when people cart their doll around with them everywhere they go. I don't understand it, why do this? Also when people are just super gung-ho with their dolls and treat them very rough breaking fingers, chipping eyelids, getting scratches and stains all over and not even trying to fix it and yet they say this is "love" and that people like me who handle expensive things with common care are somehow "bad owners."

 

For me, I think it's a mix of both.
It's kinda like having a nice phone carry with you.
You have fun with it, but make sure you keep it clean and safe.

Dolls are the same, you can take them out have fun with them.
Just make sure they are safe.
It's not fun at all to not be able to enjoy them.

 

There is one of my BJD where I feel she is better on display than as a toy for posing, and that is my Musedoll Thalia.
She is very difficult to pose, has a lot of detail, gems and all sorts of 'fiddly bits' that would easily break, and her default outfit is very detailed. I prefer her on display than to play with. She brings me joy when I see her.

But my other BJD are for more of play, dressing up, etc. I think it depends which you like, as long as you find either enjoyable, they are acceptable.

 

I end up storing my doll in his box 98% of the time. Naked. I'm too paranoid about leaving him out in the open with his clothes on for fear of staining and yellowing. I really would like to display him and play with him more often but I'm just wayyyy too cautious with him.

 

What is his skin color and is he french resin? If he's NS and not french resin, your doll should be fine when kept out in the room. I've had my NS Yder for 7 years and he's not yellowed at all. I keep him on a shelf in my room out in the open but not in direct sunlight. If your doll is WS or tan then yellowing may be more of a problem.

 

I think the yellowing fear of mine is greatly exaggerated. I believe he'll be pretty safe to display since the sunlight doesn't really come into my room that much. Buuut...keeping dark colored clothes on him makes me nervous. Also...I have a very curious and agile animal that is incredibly nosy and likes to lick and bite anything that catches his fancy. I'm afraid there's no spot safe from him. I've caught the cat trying to eat my doll's wig after I had just turned my back for a second...

 

Dolls should be played with, I think.
I love my dolls and it seems to me, that they are sad, if I don't play with them for a long time)

 

I have to play with my girl. But I am super careful with her and since she is tanned... yea. Definitely careful, but if she just SAT there, I don't think it would be much fun even having her. I lurve her lots & I need to hold her when I want. But like some (or more I didn't read every comment) said, it depends on the owner & what they wanna do with them

 

Mine are cabinet babies. I just don't know how to play with dolls. Or I guess I don't like to. I like taking pictures with certain story plots though!

 

I play with mine. The fact that they are expensive makes me want to play with them more actually. I feel like its worth the money if I'm interacting with them. But I don't play with them all at once. I play with/carry around one at a time. The rest wait on the display shelf.

 

I believe that the dolls should be a happy mixture of both. If you have the time to play with them all the time and give them all the love you possibly can, then do it. But, if you're often busy and don't always have time to play with your dolls, then it's best you keep them somewhere where they can be admired and won't be damaged in doing so because they are so expensive. I tend to ere more on the side of the dolls being "playthings" because I think that they are meant to be loved and held.

 

Everyone has their own way to enjoy things. Some might enjoy them better when they are kept in a box or on display and I don't mind when people do that, whatever makes them happy. I'm a mixture of both, I play with them like once per month (busy life) so they are most of their time as 'cabinet babies' but I don't have the time like before since now I work, pay rent, bills, go to College and my free time is used to spend it with them...or read a book^^ but when I play with them I take the whole day, no break! and I feel like stress goes away, my BJDs are like a therapy for me, they calm me after so many days of work and boring life.

 

I think w the value of the dolls alone , I wouldn't just take them out unless it was a convention. I would just bring one!!!! Besides tote them around , and their make up might melt , plastic does melt!!!

 

i agree with what a lot of people have said, that they view them as a bit of both. i really wouldn't take my doll out to really "play" with, like you would a barbie doll. i can't see myself carting them around at a convention. however, my doll doesn't always sit on the shelf. i like to put her into different poses, dress her and undress her, take photos, etc. like most collectors do i assume.

 

i think different type for collectors enjoy their dolls in different ways, i do always prefer to be in the middle, to play with them, but being cautious. im sure the kind of person that wont be taking them to a meet or something similar.

 

Mine are definitely cabinet babies! I do take them out sometimes, but 90% of the time, they're behind glass in a sun-proof, dimly lit, somewhat cold room. I do feel like I'd get more out of them if I was a good photographer and took pictures of them more often, but I like just looking at them. They're in my home office directly in front of my desk, so they kind of motivate me to do work. Also, though some yellowing is inevitable, I want to do my best to keep it at a minimum!

I don't see a problem with people who play with their dolls a lot or take them outside regularly. The only exception would be that if they ever try to sell the doll, they should mention if there was significant sun exposure. I do find it slightly annoying when people who treat their dolls roughly suggest that using them for display is a "waste of money", though.

 

I haven't had my bjd very long but, I'm kinda a little bit of both. She spends most of her time hidden away in her box hidden on my bookshelf from the judgmental eyes of my family. When they go to bed, I get her out and "play" with her. We watched Code Geass tonight. I mostly just like admiring her right now. She only has one outfit as of now so there's not really any clothes changing going on. Once my room is finished she'll probably live on a shelf in my walk in closet with my DD and the RS i'm hoping to get. Once I get my own place though I'd probably display them more openly.