Do you believe that some owners mistreat their dolls?

I find it interesting that a lot of people are focusing on some definition of abuse that somehow means "injury of a cognizant being." Abuse basically means "mistreatment." So of course you can abuse a doll. Is it the same as abusing a human or a pet? No. But it's still abuse, depending on the intention behind the actions.

To an extent you can say, "Well, it's not sentient, so whatever you do to it is your business." But it's still cringe-worthy to see someone mistreating their goods. Especially expensive goods. There's a sense of ... if you can't be bothered to take care of it or place that much importance on it, maybe you don't DESERVE it. And it's not the same as being careless ... unless there's a full knowledge that one's actions are careless and one continues to engage in them.

And there's a difference between keeping your dolls in a box all the time and being careful with your dolls. Some are conflating "care" with "uptight behavior." Just because you don't put your dolls at severe risk of dismemberment or disfigurement doesn't really mean you never play with your dolls. It's not like putting your kids in cages, in other words. It's like making sure your kids always go out with helmets and kneepads when they ride their bike. Minimizing risk.

These are expensive items. They're often difficult to replace. I can't see why someone would WANT to be careless or abusive with them unless either money or the dolls mean nothing to them. Yeah, there's "normal play" and the semi-irresponsible "I take my doll everywhere in a totebag" behavior, but on the spectrum of irresponsibility there's a fine line between "I'm just playing!" and "I do not deserve to have nice things ever again in my life."

 

Maybe I'm being oversensitive here, but I resent the implication that I am irresponsible just because I don't treat my doll like its made of blown glass. I do carry him nearly everywhere with me, but I take every precaution possible, irregardless of whether he's in my work tote or in his pillow lined gym bag. I keep his hands tucked in so his fingers are protected, he has a blanket to keep him snug and to pillow bumps and I keep my books and manga around him so he doesn't flop around.

So no finger pointing, thank you very much!

 

I agree with this. A lot of people do play with their dolls in some way or other, but still treat them with care--it's not an either/or situation where you either never play with them or you put them at serious risk of damage. There can be some wear and tear overtime if you handle them a lot, but that's very different than actual careless behavior (and minor bumps and dings can often be fixed). I tend to equate actual dolly mistreatment with actions that could cause serious damage.

 

Exactly. They are bound to show signs of being loved over time.

 

Sure. When people aren't properly informed, they do things that aren't good for their BJDs. When I was in high school, I had a friend who put diesel in her car because she didn't know she couldn't. In a lot of ways, that's what owners mistreating their dolls seems like to me. Sure, an inanimate object isn't alive to 'abuse' per say, but there is a right way and a wrong way to treat dolls, and probably all inanimate objects. Books don't go in water, water doesn't go in our gas tanks, and etc.

 

I agree with a lot of people; that you can't really compare the doll abuse to the abuse of a living creature. But there is a certain point where you can say that someone is cruel to a doll.
However, what someone might veiw as abuse might be what someone else sees as art. Who's to say they didn't mean for the finger to break off their doll's hand? Who's to say that they didn't want to cut it's arm off? I know for a fact I would never do that to my own doll, but maybe that's what the owner wanted to happen.
To each his own, I guess.

 

It's been said in the thread before, but there's just some people that don't have regard for their own things. No matter what it is, even if it's just a doll. They don't take care of things. It's those people I'm afraid to buy presents for, or give things to, because I know it'll get ruined somehow. It makes me sad when I do things and get things for those people, and then see how it looks later, practically destroyed.

 

I just feel really sad for them. I can't believe they'd treat their doll that way especially when a lot of people here consider them something akin to their children. My doll has a personality and I love him very much - in this case, I love playing with him. I try to keep him out of sunlight too much because I want him to last as long as he can. But I don't know why people buy expensive dolls just to RUIN them. But I mean, on the opposite end... I feel kind of sorry for the dolls that have to live their life in a glass case. It seems pretty lonely. But of course... owners should be allowed to do whatever they'd like with them. ^^ They did buy them, I guess.

 

I dunno...... If you pay $200-$1000 dollars for a doll (unless someone else bought it FOR you) then you can run it over with your car if you want. I, myself, carefully put my doll on her pillow in her little box every night and tuck her away under my bed where she'll be safe. But if you spent your own hard earned cash on a doll then you can do whatever you want to with it.... but if you're going to waste money like that you might as well save your energy and just get a lighter and a stack of hundred dollar bills and just burn them. >.< lol

 

Exactly what I mean too!

Although I am totally for the whole dolls aren't human deal, I do believe to still take care of the doll considering the price they are. If you are very careless with them, it's like all that hard work getting wasted. One BJD can be like 6 American Girl Dolls and more and even then I was careful with the AGs.

 

Yes, I do believe that some owners mistreat their dolls. This happens in many ways and for many different reasons, but one I'll talk about I've noticed outside of the doll community as well.

When a person who has alot of discretionary income, or has parents that do, buy 'luxury' items, it is assumed that they would treat them with the respect and care that an item of that worth would deserve, but this isn't always the case. The only explanation I can come up with, without being insulting to anyone's character, morals or attitude, is a simple matter of perspective.

To the average person, a plastic container or jug is easily replaceable and in turn, expendable. You wouldn't think twice mixing paint in it and then discarding it or turning it into a bird feeder or other craft. In a third world country, that same jug could mean the difference between having water to drink or not. It is the same with other things, just a matter of perspective. What one takes for granted is highly treasured elsewhere. What one treasures could be useless to another.

Another way I think owners mistreat their dolls is careless modification. Note, I used the word careless. I don't disapprove of modification, because that's of course what makes this hobby unique, but I do frown upon owners who will cut corners with cheap materials to mod an otherwise expensive piece of art. It would be like painting a beautiful portrait in high quality oil paints, then making touchups with fingerpaint. Your art deserves better than that.

As far as taking dolls around with you or playing with them outside despite sunlight.. That's not mistreatment. If you know what will happen if you're not careful and the risk doesn't outweigh the enjoyment that comes from playing with them, then more power to you. A yellowed or "scarred" doll has a uniqueness that comes from years of play and good times. It's the 'velveteen rabbit' syndrome- The owner will always see their doll as they did when they first fell in love with it.

As for owners who;

1. Don't take the time to educate themselves about their dolls and in turn, break or damage them beyond repair.
2. Are careless with them, due to ignorance or lack of concern, like a child would be with mistreating their toys.
3. Would sooner buy a new one or sell theirs off when it got damaged (over time or through rough play) instead of appreciating its flaws or trying to fix them.

I don't believe you deserve to own one of these dolls. The amount of work and love that go into them from their creation to the time they get to you should mean more to you than just that of an expensive toy. The originals have to be first hand sculpted, the casting process is highly time consuming and work intensive, and for most doll companies they truely believe they are sending a 'child' to you. If you can't keep these things in mind, or don't care to, this hobby is not for you.

Now, I'm not saying that anyone who 'hurts' their doll should leave the hobby, not at all, because everyone knows that accidents happen. I'm talking about blatant disregard for the work that was put into the creation of these dolls. The only thing I could compare it to would be.. melting down a beautiful metal sculpture to make it into a toilet seat. Even if you could afford to do so, why would you?

 

I think the bottom line will ultimately be the fact that they payed for the doll, they can do what they want with it. It is non of my business.

 

A doll is a doll, mistreating it may be a stupid thing to do "Its bloody expensive so damaging it is your money out the window" but you should be able to do whatever you like with it despite that.
However if you mistreat YOUR DOLLS make sure you DONT MISTREAT other's possessions. That there is wrong.

Also true its disrespectful to the artist who crafted the pretty dolls but then again its Expensive for a reason. They're getting paid for it.

 

Wow, that's a whole lot of stupid right there!

 

hi all
dolls are wonderful ^^
and some dolls (not only bjd) are very close to me because i have them for a long time and had spend much time with them.....
but i think you can do what you want with your dolls, it is not a living creature ....so there is no "mistreat" in the handling with dolls in my eyes

greetings to you all

 

I don't know about "mistreating" an inanimate object, but I have seen few who did not take the best of care/"neglected" or were careless with them. One year at AnimeFEST! there was a young girl walking thru the Dealers Room swinging the doll around by her arms like a New Year's party favor. I seriously wanted to take it away from her and smack her one good, but that would not have solved anything. Then I was hoping the elastic would break and the doll would take off for parts unknown, but it would probably just hit the wall or floor and smashed. Someone finally said something to her and she stuffed, and I mean literally stuffed the doll into a bag and walked off cussing at everyone around her. All I could think of was "Yes there is a GOD."
That definitely has to be the worst treatment of a doll by it's owner I have ever seen.

- ShadowHawke -

 

Not sure what abuse means but my dollies sit with me all the time while I work. I use them as my models for my foods and they are also my sewing dummies. Note to clayers: Polymer clay DOES eat resin if you leave them with clay for too long. (I had to sand part of a dolly face plate once because the clay ate part of it. It was repairable.) >.< I do be as careful of them as I can but they are my work buddies. I am not sure how I can be more careful with them other than NOT use them. It is a thin slope. I am sure a lot of seamstresses and what not are in the same boat as I am.

I am not sure why people think "yellowing" is a bad thing. Personally my unoa yellowed a tiny bit but she is my model and dolly companion. It does not bother me. I thought she was too pale anyway. I can't keep her in the dark forever either. I am not sure if that counts as mistreating.

 

I think it can also factor on how you got the doll.

If the doll was bought by having a second job and something along with working hard for them, the person has a better grasp of the expenses, have an equally good personal value to them and such than having the doll as a gift.

And also like what another owner said. It's perspective. For some people, the cost is fine but for the next person, takes a long time to save up.

 

Taken that Madness added that edit to her wording, and given the first few pages.. Allot of people really missed the point of the question. This is my two cents on the matter.

I think if you buy a special limited doll that only 20 to 200 to 2000 copies were ever made of, and you leave it on the ground, or let your kid play with it, or sand off its special features like horns or a tail? Then yes, YES I think -that- is mistreatment of your doll and I think its a slight against the very doll community you spent all this money to become a part of. Yes its your doll, but when you get tired of that doll, there's someone out there who's been dreaming of it, having missed the chance to get one at launch, desperately seeking the second hand market for one and hoping that it came from a good home, where someone loved and took care of it.

Just like you'd want from any other rare second hand collectible.

But then this seems to fit too with any doll, or any expensive item for that matter. People shake their heads when bands destroy guitars worth several thousands of dollars onstage, because it seems disrespectful when so many others would have loved it. Why is this alright to shake your head at, but when you feel badly about a doll being destroyed via negligence, you're suddenly 'weird'? It seems strange that our community would be so quick to jump on the 'its yours do what you want with it' bandwagon.

When we refuse to apply critical thinking to these questions with dismissive answers, it takes the reason for having a discussion forum away.

 

I don't believe you have to do anything to "deserve" owning an inanimate object that is not necessary for the sustenance of life. Period.

A "company" can't actually believe anything. Also, I don't entirely buy the notion that a person of reasonable intelligence and persective can cast some objects out of plastic, stick them together with elastic, and still "truly believe" that the thing they've just produced in their factory is a child. I'm more or less entirely convinced that this is mostly a clever advertising ploy to put "value" on the objects they turn out in their factory - and being hand-casted doesn't stop them from being factory-made objects. It's a collective fiction indulged in by marketing and consumers, and sometimes it's fun to play along - but not to the point of telling people who treat their own possessions as they like that they don't "deserve" them.

I'm absolutely certain that a doll does not hold the same value as a real child.

Wait, letting a CHILD play with a DOLL is a slight against the doll community? As a member of the doll community, I would like to firmly reject your being slighted on my behalf, and point out that for some of us, much of the appeal of dolls is that in their basic meaning they are playthings for children and that it's fun to get specially beautiful, customisable, upgraded versions, like living out chldhood fantasies. Please don't presume to speak for all of us. I certainly don't consider it a slight if someone lets her daughter play with her doll - in fact, I think it's sweet, and shows the right perspective.

I'd also like to point out that I (and a lot of other members) didn't "spend all this money to become part of the doll community". a) I bought my first lbjd, Choseol, because I wanted her, and not to "buy in" to any internet community, thank you very much and b) there are members of the commumuity who don't actually own dolls, but enjoy looking at them and participating in discussions. They are just as much part of the community as someone with 8 LE Volks dolls.

I think dismissing the idea that what are basically capitalist luxury goods are capable of being "mistreated", and dismissing the idea that it's appropriate to make ethical judgements against people doing what they want with them - and for that matter, dismissing the idea that these are somehow more than expensive dolls - is critical thinking. The dolls are promoted to us as more "special", but that doesn't mean we have to be good little consumers and passively accept the meanings placed on them by people who are selling them to make a profit.