Do you believe that some owners mistreat their dolls?

I agree with the people who say that if it's your doll, you can do anything you want with it because the reality is that it is an inanimate object. How many of us have in our youth shaved all the hair off of Barbie or dyed her skin red while experimenting and pushing the limits of the material? For the people who neglect the care of expensive dolls, I think it is because they are young and have no concept of how much effort it takes to make and save money-another immaturity issue.

However, dolls are such powerful figures because they have human form and elicit strong emotions. They have a term for it-pathetic fallacy. Decent people are all prone to it.

 

True that, it's their property their right to do what they please. And really thats that despite how much you may sit on the side an think how perfectly you'd treat the doll.

It'd make sense to do whatever possible to keep your doll as if it were new with the price and all but some people just dont let the exspense sink in. For instance my sister has an SD she leaves her out and dare I say lets her pet rats "mark their territory" on it, she even puts other heavy things of top her. She's full of stains. She just doesn't seem to have much care for it even though its a work of art, a ornament even, she could sit her on the shelf but she doesn't.

 

I totallly agree with this statement. It's their property to do with waht they want. It still kinda annoys me whn I see people throwing around expensive stuff, but mainly beacuase I don't have the luxery of going out and buying a new one of anything I break

 

TELL ME THAT AIN'T SO!!!! A Black Lucas??? The one and only UNIQUE Black Lucas bought originally auctioned off at Dollism in HK??? Are you sure??? Not a regular issue Lucas from DOD????
Cut and sliced off ears, fingers, chipped nose, cracked arm??? Thats more than careless handling, thats negligence - am sure you all know what it would take to cause that much damage to a resin doll, even one with tanned skin. If that really is/was the beautiful Black Lucas, a work of bjd art was desecrated.....
Alex

 

Yup. Sometimes bad people happen to good dolls.

 

I hope the DoD artists will never know about this....
To know about one's own hard work being treated like that is just horrible

 

Will, after I get started on cutting, measuring, sizing and pinning fabric on my dolls, can one say I'm not abusive? You see, I purchased my dolls as an investment. I sew on the side and use my dolls as drafting forms for full sized costumes. They are touched a lot and might need cleaning once in awhile, but I respect the tools I work with and try to keep them as nice as the day they were purchased. They are tools for working and not toys, so I don't do face-ups on them nor do I toss them around like rag dolls. This investment needs to grow for me.

 

I've been thinking a lot about this... especially since the Black Luke post (sorry to hear about that!)

I think that, as with so much of the behind-the-scenes action in dollery (love that phrase), it will mainly be to do with intent. Countess Adele, for instance, I can't see how anyone could claim you are mistreating your dolls. From what I see, your intent is clear: to buy them to make clothing. It's hard to get away without handling and pinning material on a doll when you need to do that It's something you love, and you have respect for your hobby and for your dolls.

I feel that doll mistreatment is (clearly, from this thread), extremely subjective, and everyone will have their different levels of mistreatment. Mine will be different from the OP, from the poster above me, from the poster below me. You, reading this now.

My own level of mistreatment, therefore, I would class as something I had personally made a maljudgement on/been careless about, causing something to happen to my doll that I had not intended. If I took one of my dolls out, and accidentally dropped it and caused it damage, then I would be the one responsible for completely unintended damage and that, to me, would seriously suck. I'd damaged my property and "broken my personal rules", so to speak.

I don't particularly have any rights to judge everyone elses' levels of maltreatment, I can only speak of my own, for my own property. I'm responsible for MY stuff. So yes, I believe I could maltreat my doll. And so I'm on the lookout to make sure I don't f#*k up and do something I don't wanna.

 

NosKryme, whilst I respect where you are coming from and firmly believe in "each to their own" since you are new here you're probably not 100% on the idiosyncracies of the forum and our hugely varied populace; me included, whilst I have read each response to your comment (as above) I have to add and elaborate on previous comments, in a debate try and be a little more sensative with your approach; what may seem irrelevant to me or to you might be offensive to another

And back on topic for the OP... mistreating dolls IMO comes probably from lack of research, I've repaired dolls with damage from the cliched 'Sharpie' disaster only to find the owner didnt know - and superglued in eyelashes *groan* and *lol* And I know from my VERY first face-up on a Vinyl Obitsu that paint doesnt always wash off if you use the wrong brand or dont know to seal it first LOL... Abuse comes in many forms and I wouldnt be adding anything new by saying that I've submerged Pukis in water and then taken the time to pull them apart and re-string them, if I let them go gunky and mouldy then that might be seen as abuse (I'd see it that way 4sure!!) But perching a doll of a 1" wide precipice 6 feet in the air for a perfect "cliff hanger" photo; well its your doll, your investment and your choice... like dunking my Pukis is my choice

 

Slightly OT - Can somebody link me to this famous Black Lucas? I'm still new at this, and have no idea what you're talking about.

That being said, if he was truly a one of a kind doll then nathankatt brings up a good point. At that point you really are ruining something that will never be made again. It's more akin to destroying a work of art, rather than a lump of plastic.

 

Ostrich - He's this boy. A one-off only sold at Dollism.

 

I do think there is an extent of abuse or mistreatment, not out of any maliciousness. I don't think letting your children play with them is really mistreating or abusing. it depends on the child. if you have a responsible child and you supervise their play, then there isn't anything wrong with that. I've had expensive porcelain dolls since I was very young, and they're all still in great condition.

However, I do think that there is mistreatment simply by way of not knowing. Like the horror stories that came out when no one knew that when certain tan dolls were exposed to minor amounts of sunlight they turned horrible shades of green.
Or someone who attempted to do a face up without reading anything about how they're done and did one with a sharpee, or left the head soaking in acetone for a prolonged period of time.

Now, what is considered mistreatment is also per case. I've seen some poor dollies that i just cringed and went WHY?!? but in the end, they aren't my doll. If i don't like it, that's alright. I don't have to. It's not my doll. If you want to dye your doll blue and carve out half it's face and put clockwork and fangs and horns and scars and anything else you want, that's your prerogative. if you want to stand it on one foot on the edge of the Eiffel tower that is also your prerogative. I have no say in it, other than my condolences if it falls.

In the end, i guess it really comes down to your perspective alone. just like everything else in the hobby, it all comes down to the owner, and what they want, like, and feel.

 

Of course I can think people is mistreating their dolls. Ppl do things I would never do with my doll, as some ppl probably think I mistreat or does odd stuff with my dolls. But it's dolls, non living object, and ppl do what they do with their dolls And I will continue to think some ppl is ruin their dolls, but I would never say it. It''s my own opinion

 

My sister doesn't mistreat her doll. She just kind of neglects her. She hasn't really bonded with Kaoru and just leaves her in her box all the time with her little face cover on. I've been dying to open the box up and just hold the adorable little thing.

 

The attraction for me is to play with them. If I viewed them as art, something to be collected and displayed, I would treat them differently. And honestly, some of mine do sit quietly "on display" for months without me interacting with them. But the ones I do play with go outside, climb trees (well... small ones) for photos, and are even handled (with supervision!) by my 3-year-old who thinks they are real and talks to them. I consider them toys, and toys are to play with. Sometimes I feel guilty because I know they are expensive, but I guess for me, since I did pay a lot for them, if I don't play with them - which is why I have them - THAT would be wasteful. Does that make sense?

 

I have mixed feelings on this one... what some of us would feel is abusive others would say is the normal day to day stuff in their lives. I have quite a few people here but I only seem to handle a few of them on a real regular basis.. so does my not giving an equal amount of time to each of them qualify to another person as my ignoring the others?

I guess I truly feel that when it comes down to it no matter what as long as it wasn't my money that bought their dolls why should it really bother me what they are doing with them.

People can't all live in the same sterile white box doing the same outline of the same things even if we have "like " hobbies.. we just have to enjoy what we do for ourselves and respect the person next to us until the ride is over ...

I know it's sometimes hard to see these beautiful works of art have some of the oddest things done to them.. but you have to think about it can you save them.. do you have the money to buy them all.. and are you going to tell their owners to stop doing what you think is wrong..

Most importantly..it's what you think is wrong... not the dolls owner...

 

It's interesting to come across this after I just saw some pictures and thought to myself, "God! Some people just don't take care of their dolls!" XD;;

Honestly, though, it's really all opinion. Some of the stuff I've seen, I would never handle my dolls that way, but they're okay with it, so they probably think they're doing okay with their dolls.

To some people, these are just material possessions, like clothes or shoes. Just because I don't get any enjoyment at all whatsoever of jumping in the mud with a pair of Pradas on doesn't mean there aren't people out there who get their kicks that way.

As long as it has no quantifiable negative effect on others, I think people can do whatever it is that makes them happy -even if that sometimes means Dremelling the sh*t out of their dolls' faces and then scribbling all over them with SHARPIES! *SHUDDERS* >__<;;;;;;

 

I grew up reading the book The Velveteen Rabbit. The Skin Horse wisely said that sometimes when you become Real, your hair has been loved off.

I do think of these dolls as a monetary investment. They're expensive, evolving pieces of art and they are very pleasing. I enjoy having them around in their near immaculate state.

However, if I had a child or if I bring these dolls around a child, I'll be happy to let the child play with the doll with correct supervision. The joy that the dolls bring only grows when it's shared, in my opinion. Of course everyone is of a different opinion, but I would be happy to let it be played with as long as I can supervise because some people may not understand resin as you don't encounter many toys in America that are made of resin or that are as detailed or articulate as these dolls.

Now, the question: are these dolls "Real"? That's a complicated question. They have mass and weight, so they are matter, therefore they are real in a sense. I do not think they are living - they don't feel pain, they don't think or dream on their own. These dolls only live because their owners make them live. So if one person loves their doll enough, it is alive and Real. If someone doesn't think of their doll as alive and Real, then they're not, simple as that.

Now, can a doll be abused/mistreated? Well, that's a matter of opinion. One person may define dolly abuse as letting a child play with it while another would consider a dolly abused to NOT be played with. I think if someone wants to, they can smash the doll into a million pieces. The object is theirs and it's their right to do with it as they will. I'd be sad to see a person do this just as I'd be sad to see a beautiful sculpture destroyed with a baseball bat, but it's not because I feel empathy with the doll or the sculpture but because the world loses a beautiful thing. The beauty of the world is decreased.

Too long, don't wanna read: Summary: Dolls are only Real if you make them Real, so everyone has the right to treat their doll as they will and we are not ones to judge because dolls are not living beings.

 

You put it in words much better than I could. I agree with this.

I will add that naturally I will have a bad opinion of a person who, out of carelessness, destroys expensive and beautiful objects, whether they be dolls or paintings or handbags. However, I may still respect a person who causes wear and tear to their doll out of love. Either way I'll instinctively wince, think of the money, and look away - but at the end of the day, this is not my property and therefore not my problem.

 

That time I wasn't really into BJD that much other than my friend's own dolls. But yes, I recognise the sculpt.

Well...I didn't find out more if the girl did get another doll or that she have other dolls...but somehow I really do not want to know which other doll is damaged. -cringes-

But then again. I know this other friend who has lost interest in her dolls, but refuses to sell them. DOD Elf Ivan and DOD Elf Kiril...er...well...I seriously offered to buy them from her as they're seriously seriously in very bad shape. Ivan's totally yellow if I'm not wrong. It had been about 3 years since I last saw her...? Can't remember. So I'm not sure if it was yellow or green. But it should be yellow. Both are definitely in bad shape but she refuses to sell them to me. Same though. A kid.

At least hers didn't chip or break like Luke... The poor handsome lad my mum love so much. But hers...er...both dented their noses and ears due to being very very floppy.... Which some sanding would get them back to normal... I think... I offered to pay her the same price she got them for. Minus the shipping for depreciation of value...

And recently I saw my senior's DOD Si...er...yellow too. Luckily the local doll agent for DZ, AF and AOD managed to help her clean and sand away most of the severe yellowing. And gave him a fresh face-up! My senior admitted to being careless and did not take care of him. So at least she knew...plus her house have loads of strong light entering...

But my friend's...she has CURTAINS THAT ARE DRAWN 24/7...so I don't understand how Ivan and Kiril yellowed so badly... Seriously...why do I have the luck to see DOD babies get into such shape? Plus they're all my favourites...thank god no Ducan in bad shape...or I'd seriously bawl my eyes out...