different types of BJD owners?! which are you ?

I'm kind of a blend of all three, in my opinion. I buy dolls that I think are pretty and would be nice to have/look at, but I'm also a crafty person in general, so they often become my muses and subjects for various projects and skill development. Eventually, because I grow attached to them and decide they need names, they sort of develop "personalities" in my head that become characters! Some just get names and general dispositions, others get full-on backstories complete with extended families, occupations, educations, friends, and more.

 

I want dolls to make crafts for them, and I use them to flesh out my writing and the images of the people I'm writing about, but primarily I want something to adore. Similar to, but not quite a child. Though I have been looking at vintage baby furniture for my dolls

 

I am both the 'I want a pretty thing to look at' and 'I want to make a character real' owner.

 

I just really like jointed dolls. I find them super fascinating as objects. I've always been really drawn to them! They are such a marvelous mix of human-like and other, art, vessel, and potential.

 

I like to handle and admire them, as well as use them as a creative outlet. While some are based on characters I've written in the past, most of them sort of develop characters as they go, which is another fun aspect!

 

I've always been a fan of dolls, from a very young age. Iplehouse got me into BJDs after I watched Angelic Layer, and I think there's something fascinating to me about the appearance and mobility. They also seem to be a muse for my creativity, and vice versa, as I've always enjoyed creating characters.

 

I buy dolls to objetify my emotions, turn than less abstract.

But im curious, if you just want to spoil someone why not find a poor child on street?

 

thats true, real kids have emotions and taste of their own, specially when they are child of someone else
but still, when its child day (in october) we buy cheap toys and give for poor children and its very rewarding
some will recognize us and wait for us in the next year
I do this with my parents since young, now 26 so I can go alone, but I would say there never too young for that, you just need a group of volunteers so you wont go there alone

[edit]I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm pushing you to do something else, its just that I want to show how wonderfull it is to be able to bring joy to these kids sometimes. I mean, I am also in this hobby, we're all expending our money on expensive dolls instead of helping others, but we can always do both

 

It's all about the characters for me. All of my dolls shell my roleplay characters, and I enjoy them because it gives me something tangible to see, feel and play with instead of just having vague ideas of characters in my head. It allows me to hold and cuddle them.

I also enjoy sewing for them, taking them to meets and cons, and taking pictures of them, but it's really about the characters. A doll with no character or a weak NPC character doesn't last long around here, regardless of how pretty they may be.

 

They’re pretty toys to me. I mean, I cherish them and they elicit some strong emotional feelings from me at times, but I don’t do characters or crafts or anything like that. I just enjoy having them and being in the hobby/community.

 

I am the pretty to look at type with at least attempts at the crafty type. I enjoy the ability to dress up and change up a very beautiful object that won't complain.

 

I admittedly didn't get into bjds because of some cuteness factor or prettiness. Honestly, outside of baby animals (animals in general, I guess you could say)—I don't really do cute.

What I really do in regards to bjds is give the characters I've created life and meaning. It's my way of providing vessels for characters I've yearned to make physical and bring them into reality. They're also a creative outlet for me, as I'm an artist/graphic designer by trade (I've loved doing arts and crafty things all my life, and bjds gave me a different outlet of this to explore).

For me, they allow my creative juices to flow in regards to the development of their characters and the stories in which they exist. I plan to eventually write novels based on their story lines, once I've overcome some mental health hurtles that have been stoppering that flow of creativity. On that subject—I guess you could say that bjds are also an outlet to better my mental health, allowing me to be creative in other ways when my main avenues of interest are on hiatus.

So, in all—I'm a bjd collector for the creation of characters in a physical form, and as an opportunity to bring out my artistic, creative side.

 

Absolutely.

Yes.

I've been making and dressing other types of soll all my life, as well as doing ful sized costuming sicne my late teens, so outfitiing BJDs is a big part of the appeal.

Nope.

The characters come after - as I'm getting to know the doll. Sometimes it's just a name and a vague outline of their personality.

Play.

I think a doll that doens't get played with is an ornament rather than a doll. I play with my dolls, plick them up, hold them, sit them togehter in socoal goruping, take them places. Sometimes I photograph them while doing this, but usually not. I don't enjoy photography, and tend to regard it as a "necessary evil" that has to be done if I want to share my dolls online, so most of my pictures of them are simple snapshots rather than carefully posed scenes. Play is something I do because I enjoy playing with dolls - not a means to an end for creating pictures I can share, or anythign like that, although it is nice to share and to see other people's pictures.

Teddy

 

.

 

It’s definitely all three (and beyond) for me. I began collecting BJDs because I wanted to do my own artistic face-ups and freely explore fashion through sewing their wardrobes. And I wanted to create elaborate displays for them throughout my home like art installations, which necessitates both creativity and play. The added bonus to all of this was a naturally evolving character development, and I discovered very early on that I was creating my own stories in a visual way with these dolls without even needing to write it down. And to top it all off, through years of enjoying this hobby, I discovered that it was all extremely healing and stress-reducing as well. Having a little creative fantasy in one’s life is a lovely break from the constant pressures of everyday life in a troubled world. It’s a very healthy thing that has brought me many years of joy and has been a great coping mechanism.

 

They are pretty to look at. I’ve always loved dolls and like a previous comment said bjd are like art in a way. I also love photography and other dolls in my collection are not easy to pose as bjd.

 

I'm "just a collector"...

I'm not an artist trying to create something unique, or a writer trying to shell my fictional mind-babies. I'm not a "bonder" who believes that my dolls are anything more than pretty inanimate objects.

I consider my gang to be toys, pretty much. Sometimes my photography models, or excuses to sew miniature outfits in styles I'd never pull off wearing myself... but mostly they're just cool playthings that I like tinkering with.

 

I want to craft clothing, shoes and jewelry for my doll and maybe wigs. That being said though, I also want her to be pretty ( but not conventionally beautiful) and I want her to have a name and time period of sorts. I prefer to dress my roll in Edwardian or earlier clothing.