Do you believe that some owners mistreat their dolls?

@Ratty
I disagree; I still believe every doll that has had human hands create it is art, even if they did not come up with the original design, but I also believe that about clothing and furniture when it is not mass-produced. Artisan crafts are still art; Art is a fluid word that can be stretched and shaped for definition.

Nevertheless, I still don't pretend that I have any diction over somebody else's possessions, or that there are any ethics on treatment. Is it a waste to just completely treat your dolls like a rug under your feet, and somewhat rude to those that work hard for their dolls and sacrifice for them? Perhaps, but there is still no code to doll-handling.

 

I think it is abuse and not abuse at the same time. Sure when poeple leave them in places that they might be damaged or ruined in I call that abuse or if they throw them around, but it is a doll. Sure if someone did that my dolls I would shot them up side the head, but well now i've confused myself. To some it just becomes a sour hobby and if they start to abuse them, I think it's time to give them to someone who will love them.

 

I think I understand what the original poster is meaning whatever the term that is used.

There is a certain type of doll that I love that seems to be very disrespected/unloved by most of the doll community (she is considered fashion so I won't mention the brand or type). I don't understand why because I think the dolls are lovely and beautiful. But I buy every 'used' one I find for sale on the secondary market because I know they are not otherwise loved. I have "saved" many of them because they have arrived to me in bad shape for resin dolls. Many repairs have been done. But I am proud to feel like I have a sanctuary for them.

I guess I am a sucker for the underdog.

But then people have different 'versions' of what constitutes 'mishandling' of a doll. I like pretty dolls. I don't like vampires or zombies or dolls with zippers and scars and to me some of those type of dolls look "abused". I have seen dolls that are supposed to be 'art' that truly disturbed me...I mean really graphically disturbed me. But that is the owners' choice to do whatever to their dolls.

Beauty, art, modding...it is all in the eye of the beholder.

 

I'm of the opinion that I can think someone is mistreating their dolls, as long as I never tell them. It's their business and responsibility, like never cleaning dolls, leaving them out in the sun because they don't care about yellowing or folding them in half and stuffing them in their school bag (you are guilty of this one, bibi-kun*! xDD). Those I all things my eye starts twitching at because I cannot ever agree on handling such expensive dolls like that. But still, I would never think less of a person because in the end, dolls are only objects.

*bibi-kun is my IRL friend.

 

I've seen some dolls that made me think why on earth would you spend so much money on something just to destroy it... Wether it was actually scratched/broken or if it was a very bad faceup I suppose in the end whatever people do to their dolls is their own business... I suppose some may even buy them for the sole purpose of having something else to take their frustration on than on themselves. And yeah I understand that some of the cases mentioned above are simply a form of difference in artistic taste... I actually lost my trail of thought there, but I guess my answer is yes, I do think some people do mistreat their dolls. If it's on purpose or not that's individual.

 

i couldn't care less
It's their property.
Now, if it were a pet or even a plant, I would not be indifferent.

 

I did see a photo story - or several - by someone who consistently had their doll as a character who always lost out and was always sad. I know it's really stupid, but I could never think my dolls into situations like that. I'd want them to be happy. I know it's stupid ... but I just didn't get the 'always making him miserable' bit.

 

Well, some people use their dolls to experiment face ups on. This doesn't mean it comes out nicely but at the other hand, it is removable (and how else will you leaen?) and people can choose what they want to do with their doll. Like give it stitches or piercings. A doll is someones personal purchase and that person has the choice to create the doll as they have in mind. It is all about imagination and that is a good thing!

Wheter we should do the same or not is not the question then.

 

I remember when i went to my first doll meet i was very disappointed because i felt some of the dolls were neglected. Neglect being a type of abuse so yes i believe so.

The dolls were harshly posed (what i mean by take is their head were jerked rather then turned around), one of them fell from the table and the owner just brushed it off. The hair was in tangles as if it hadn't been brushed in weeks. so it was sad for me, i let people touch my dolls but i always say 'please be careful and don't touch their face."

 

Hmm... On one hand, I believe they're inanimate objects that the owner can do whatever they like with. If they want to toss it around, or leave it in the sun, that's fine by me. I'm not going to judge people who choose to do things that may result in damage to their doll.
Mainly, if you know the risk is there, and you do it anyways, that's your right.
My only problem is with people who want to, and think they're caring for their doll properly, but don't bother to do even a slight bit of research, which is all readily available on this forum. There's are tones of tutorials, and even tones of "Do NOT do" threads.
I roll my eyes whenever I see a doll in the "Emergency Help" subforum of the workshop, because an owner thought they didn't have to spend money on any real art supplies and could just use a sharpie.
If you're an experienced artist, and you want to give your doll a sharpie tattoo, knowing full well that it WILL be permenant, then I have no problem with that.
And it's not so much that the people in the HELP subforum mistreat their doll that bothers me. More, it's that they're now in a panic, finding out they have to do a ton of sanding to save their doll, and even that might not fix it. It puts themselves in the position of being upset over having possibly wasted so much money, and it could have been avoided by doing a little reading.

 

yeah i mean, if you are going to invest in a bjd. i dont think people should just leave it lying around. take care of it. and if u dont want it sell it.

 

This thread worries me, only because of what people view as abusing a doll. If only because I don't want people to think I'm abusing MY doll when I get him. I am new at this and have yet to actually receive my first doll. Still, though, in the meantime, I'm taking great pains in making sure I know how to take care of him properly once I receive him. That aside, I bought my doll for specific reasons. I didn't buy him to keep him in his box or in a glass case or to never touch him. I bought him to bring a character to as much life as I could. I want to have him around for inspiration, take pictures of him, take him to meet other people, play with him, etc. I don't view this as abuse as long as, in the meantime, I am making sure to take care of his actual maintenance.

I guess I don't view much as abuse anyway. Doing things with your doll doesn't equate abuse to me, neither does not doing anything with your dolls or doing a very specific hardcore faceup or body modification. Not to mention, when it comes to maintenance, people can handle it how they want to. I mean, personally, I wouldn't want to spend this type of money just to fling him around, not clean him, touch all over his faceup, etc. But that's because it's MY money. I can't insist other people conform to what I think should and should not be done when it was THEIR money they spent. Plus, I can't be so quick to judge because one never knows. After all, someone could get a doll and just not understand the maintenance of one and, yes, one can research their care but what if someone doesn't even know they need to research it in the first place? I got lucky and had someone to guide me here and that's how I found out that BJDs aren't just your standard, run of the mill, buy off the shelf doll but, otherwise, I'm not sure what I would know and not know.

So, that's my two cents.

 

People really mistreat their dolls at times. I have seen a few people who just have them to have them. They do not really have any kind of knowledge about their dollies and only bought it because they wanted to.
It always makes me so sad to see that. I wished everyone respected the things they have more.

 

This doesn't really make any sense to me at all.

Why would someone buy something they did not want to have? I see nothing wrong with buying something because you want it. What are you supposed to do, buy things you don't want to, what, not have? There is nothing inherently disrespectful in any way about buying something you like when it is made available for sale.

 

People really mistreat their dolls at times.!
Yes first hand i work on them and mod the one's who nead to be fixed and re strung.
I restrung a flexie for some on in 1 of the meetup grupe's i go 2 and after 11+ hour's cleaning and sanding and fixing over 5 joint's when i gave it back to her all fixed and clean she just thrue it on the car floor in the front no towel or doll carry bag or any thing.but people do with there stuff as they wish. no for my kid's and any one elseies i ware white glove's and allway's get there ok to handle there kid's .
Basicley it a matter of opinion

 

"Mistreat" is a strong word, but I do know some doll owners who don't "take care" of their dolls. There's one gal I know who didn't wait to save up for any kind of sealant (even Testors, which isn't that expensive all things considered) before doing her doll's faceup, and he's pretty yellow from sitting out on her shelf all the time. Yeah, she bought the doll, it's hers to do whatever she wants with... but it still kinda bugs me. Just a little more effort and you'd have a doll that looks better and isn't stained. *shrug* It it what it is, but yeah, it's a bit of a pet peeve for me.

 

Once, at a convention, I saw a very old doll (I would have guessed about 8 years old?). It was incredibly yellowed, his resin was shiny because of being touched so much, and a finger or two was broken off. That sounds like a state of disrepair, but even though I wasn't that fond of the doll itself, it seemed to radiate being well-loved. I could tell the owner didn't mind any of his "faults" and was happy with him.
So, I guess it all depends on how you want to play with your dolls. Personally I wouldn't let a doll get into that state, but maybe older dolls were harder to take care of/not as sturdy to start with? What you do to your doll is your own choice and is none of anyone's business anyway.
The only time I would worry about "doll abuse" is if a person was deliberately being violent towards a doll, like if they threw it down the stairs or smashed it into something. Even then, my concerns would be for the well-being of the person, not the doll (as long as it belonged to them! Otherwise I'd have to intervene!). Although I would feel really bad for the doll D:

 

It's their doll so theirs to do with as they wish. That said, I would have to wonder if a person perceives his/her doll as a living entity and severely abuses it, what does that say for them as a human being? Food for thought...

 

Now that Emma's here, I still wouldn't keep her near my Persian. As I said, to have spent so much money on her, and leaving her with a cat who might throw up on her or her stuff would be immature of me. You spend X amount of money and time on something you should love, and you place it in a vulnerable position? It's foolish for me to leave my doll where there's a big chance something might happen.

But, I think as long as you're not breaking them on purpose, then it's ok with me whatever you do. And I don't think anyone should judge someone as not a 'true' owner if they decide to not do something many owners do. Just because you're all about doing face ups, doesn't mean the next owner is less of a hobbyist if they don't want to do their own. (no one's ever made me feel like that, fyi)

Emma's been placed in the sun, fell off our shredder, and moved constantly. Her long wig hasn't been 'brushed' or meticulously fiddled with since I had her. I've tried to put barrettes, or little hair things in it, but it never really looks right.

Hoping to keep the face up as long as I can, though, cause I didn't do it, and I don't see myself doing it or sending her out. And unless I compared her early shots with those taken in a few years from now, I probably wouldn't notice the yellowing.

So yeah, you can do whatever you want with it - just make sure you love them. It surprises me how these dolls almost take on roles of human kids - everyone has their way of 'raising' their doll, and some might disapprove of a doll not treated as they would treat theirs. But as long as you know they're loved, you're going to find out there are more than one way of loving a BJD.

 

I think that you can abuse dolls, but are thier feelings hurt? No. Because dolls (meaning an expensive piece of resin) can't have feelings.

I guess it just depends on the person. When I see people 'abusing' thier dolls, it does make my stomach turn, only because it's sad to think that someone just wasted all that money to destroy it. I also don't like to beautiful things damaged for no good reason.