Do you believe that some owners mistreat their dolls?

I leave my doll standing in dangerous places (a table at PersaCon last year, which she fell off within 15 minutes). I take them out in the sun almost daily. I take them to places like tattoo parlours that they could easily get ink on them. I let random people handle and photograph them, and I actually encourage this behaviour.

But do I mistreat my girls? Not at all! I can believe that I am pretty careful with my babies, though not as much so as most people in the hobby ^_^

 

Hmm... I would say that 'abuse' or 'mistreatment' would be to ruin a doll on purpose.

The keyword 'ruin' is debatable, but I believe that as long as the intention is to ruin (disfiguring's fine, if it's part of creating a Frankenstein doll or for an artistic reason) the doll, then it would be abuse. It doesn't have to be the doll owner. A random nobody picks up the doll and snaps off his/her head - you can sue the person for abusing your 'property'. Straightaway.

I hate it when people intentionally hurt others, for whatever reason they give...

 

It's a toy, so I don't care how people treat theirs. You can't mistreat it. You can ruin it at best, but then you can still buy a new one. The world doesn't end because ruins their doll. You are not abusing, neglecting, mistreating etc. a doll, because it's inanimate. Just like you can't abuse a house, or a chair or whatever. Stop making dolls more than they actually are.

 

Yes, a doll in just an inanimate object- however, I guess I am one of the VERY few people out there who do feel that these dolls (which to me is more like little pieces of art rather than just expensive toy) should be given some kind of care and respect and love. These dolls are such precious creatures and I can't help but cringe and think to myself ''dolly abuser, ick!'' when I sometimes see dolls with extremely badly done mods or faces that are sanded off!
But it is of course up to the owners how they want to treat THEIR dolls and their things


EDIT:::..my englerlish is awful, sorries.

 

Sure I swing him around by his arms and legs but thats just cause we're playing. ^^ I hug him and kiss him and tell him I love him. Sometimes what others see as mistreatment (like swinging the doll around XD) is actually just people building bonds with their dolls.

And besides its only mistreatment when the owner actually means harm, right?

 

I have actually had someone say behind my back that I may abuse my dolls.
I was like "Whaa?? " considering I handle them with the most amount of care possible. It was very unpleasant to have that said about me, particularly by someone I considered a friend, and I personally think that it was none of her business what I do to my dolls, as they are mine.

I also think that some people are probably less careful with theirs and the thought of rough handling or damaging these works of art does make me cringe, but again, it's none of my business what they do.

 

It's definitely none of my business regarding what people choose to do to their dolls, whether it's swinging them around by their ankles, tucking them into bed with them and rolling over them while they sleep. They can paint all over their heads in dry-eraser markers, submerge them in a bucket of acetone overnight, etc. What I really wish these people would consider, however, is that their treatment of their dolls will eventually reflect upon their Marketplace sales. Would you trust this kind of seller to be totally honest on the condition of their doll, while their other posts elaborate fondly about the time they went sunbathing together with their doll and took a swim in the ocean? There's nothing that drives me crazy than as purchasing a doll second-hand on the Marketplace and finding rotting elastic inside the body, undisclosed stains or clumsy sueding.

Personally, I'm one of those people who cringe at an "arteestic" creation being handled so casually, but I also don't expect everyone in the hobby to share my views. These dolls are also a commercial product, the companies or individual artists producing these dolls expect them to be handled.

 

I totally agree with Strow. On a personal level, yes, seeing dolls that obviously haven't been cared for - very dirty, chipped, faceups half rubbed off does make me crazy. But ... their doll, their choice. I get very angry, though, when these dolls go on the marketplace without full disclosure. I take VERY VERY good care of my dolls, and don't want to purchase one that is in less than ideal condition.

 

Very true. As someone who has more friends in her book collection than she does at school and who is still very fond of certain stuffed animals, I can't see why someone who 'loves' this thing they have would actively mistreat it. Maybe taking it into the sea with you at the beach is out of love but for the love of pete, restring it once you're done! It cannot be satisfying to buy something of such OBVIOUS value (talk to other doll owners, or better, those who don't have one yet!) and wreck it. Not mod it, wreck it by negligence. If you don't have the money for it, that's different, but if you're just too indifferent to take care of it or it's too much of a hassle, SELL IT! It's like living in a mansion and letting it all go wild because you only use one or two rooms. Buy an apartment and sell the place.

 

I totally agree with this.

But really, it's not my business what someone else wants to do with their doll. Sure, I'd be a little sad if someone scribbled with sharpies all over their doll. But I wouldn't feel bad for the doll, I'd feel bad that the person that was too dull to realize they just wasted all that money that they may not be able to get back.

Why anyone would throw money away is beyond me, but at the same time, some people think we're throwing money away by spending so much on dolls.

 

I'm seriously worried about my little cousin if I ever get a doll..

It's not 'abuse', but he tends to fiddle and break most things he touches..

Of course, he's only about 4, it's his nature as a toddler, but I wouldn't want him to do that to something so precious. =)

 

It's not the idea of abusing a DOLL that is the bad thing it is abusing ANYTHING. It means this person degrades and devalues. Its like the snotty friend you had in gradeschool who's barbie dolls were headless and the hair was uncureably matted. I assume what you are expressing as 'dolly abuse'. Well, I've always had a respect for all objects. Not really anything in particular, I always would like to see an item in full working condition and wouldn't want to ruin it. But then I walk a fine line.. I will make sure to keep my watch out of the water when I wash my hands but its really not my first priority. My dolls have loose stringing the moment they reach the doorway because I've already played with and posed them so much ;D, but they 'sleep' in a bookshelf nook covered from the sun. But when they are out they hang out in the sun.. wherever I am or wherever the pictures look good... But I groom them, keep their wigs in good repair, sew them clothes...
I do not yet take my dolls out of the house, I am paranoid about them. I think valuing any physical object too much is bad, and devaluing any physical object too much is bad. I wouldn't be able to be a delicate sweetheart and hide my dolls from the sun or clean them every day.... well.. cleaning only out of desire to play more... but I also could never leave mine in the sun for hours or whatnot... Ah.. now Ive lost my train of thought. Point being... I think it's a fine line. I understood after my first why people love their own custom faceups even when they are blatantly horrid. Some people even love the dreaded sharpie... to each their own, but to not appreciate an object is bad, but so is valuing too much.

 

rant/

personally i strongly believe a doll no matter what the cost is still JUST A TOY. it doesn't have feelings or emtions. as much as we all say oh he looks angry oh he's happy can't you tell?

no it's a hunk of plastic. an expesensive piece of plastic but still just a toy. I let CHILDREN play with my dolls, just like all my other TOYS. i tought an elementry art class on bjds and let CHILDREN color ON THEM with watercolor pencils. guess what? omg it washes off with a magic eraser. was that abusing my dollies? no, it was letting kids explore the possiblities of these dolls and get a joy from playing with them and handling them. something they may never get to do again.

i let random CHILDREN at the mall, renfaire and other places we have outtings hold carry and PLAY with my dolls. i'm right there but for the most part let them go crazy. even omg CARRY them by their ARMS and LEGS. oh the best one at renfaire, the cute little kid DRAGGING my sd through the DIRT since he was almost as big as her so she could show her mommy the big dolly by his ARMS no less.

i took my dolls out on the pool DECK in Tahati. for a good 3 or 4 hours. they SUNTANNED on a lawn chair while i took photo story pictures.

i don't believe you can abuse a doll, in any since. it's a toy it's meant to be played with any way you can possiblly imaganine! if it gets a little roughed up in the process so what? it's a mark of a well loved toy. just like a scar on a person it has a story usually a good one that makes you smile or laugh from the goods time that you were having when it happened. a toy is gonna get those scars and marks too if it's well loved.

one of my boys face up is chipping off, so i'm gonna redo it. big deal. another has a big chunk of his back broken off from just sitting at a freinds house for a poor choice by the maker in my opinion to put a metal ball in his back. i'm gonna fix that. another has a small chip on his headcap from a fall from a car roof, so what you can't see it unless the light hits it a certain way. i could sand it out, but nope gonna leave it. if i can find when i do his face up i'll make it a scar, like the one my brother has from a bat.

a toy isn't abused from playing with it and enjoying it. if you want to call anything abuse i'd call not playing with it abuse. watch toy story 2 and you;ll get the idea. but still unlike in toy story are dolls don't come alive when we leave the room. they are only "alive" in our heads. so you can't abuse it.

someone wants to tell me i'm abusing or miss using my dolls cause i let kids play with them and man handle'em go ahead, and i'll laugh at them and say no i'm loving my dolls.

/rant

 

For me... I agree with alot thats being said. The owner should be able to treat their doll however he or she wants to. However, with that being said. I know a girl from school who treated her doll poorly. I felt sad for him because she had used permanent marker on him, had spilled some type of liquid on him that stained his upper body, had dropped him a couple of times and such. Mind you she knows about DoA but has no interest in really becoming a part of DoA.

BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT, with that being said.... I know how much she really loves him and how much she cares for him. Which makes me happy for this Shiwoo.

Sometimes I think that, the reason why we are all so careful sometimes, is that we dont want to damage their re-sale cost if we ever did want to sell him/her to someone else... and i think that, that is my truth. Ive wanted to try face ups, body blushing etc on my doll before but due to the sake of reselling, I didnt........

 

I think everyone has a right to do whatever they want with their dolls. I mean, once you purchase an item, it is yours to keep. However, from a personal point of view, I agree with Idrisfynn. Whenever I spend a great deal of money on something, there's never a moment when I'll forget what my parents said about appreciating what you have bought or have for the matter.

Well, see, I was raised by parents who grew up in extreme poverty when they were young, so their values were inflicted on me when I was growing up. Although I'm not a kid anymore, I still value what my parents have taught me.

Getting back on topic here, when I first got into this hobby, I remember when I said that I had no intention of buying a bjd, because they were so expensive. I thought it was ridiculous to spend a great deal of money on a doll. But then, I said, "okay, I'll get just one doll." When I first got Mini-Me Lady Saiyan, I said, "I'm gonna try so hard to take care of her because I spent a great deal of money on her. If I do something totally redundant to the doll, then that was a waste of money." Funny how I said that I would only get one, and now I have four. Of course, I never forgot how important it is to value what you have... particularly things that are so expensive.

Yes, they are toys, and yes they are inanimate objects, but the truth is, a great deal of money was spent by obtaining these dolls. With that said, I'm going to take the careful approach with my girls, but that's just me.

 

For completely obvious reasons you are quite biased due to the adventurous, virtually carefree way you enjoy your ABJDs. That is perfectly fine because like others mentioned, you payed for them, you can enjoy them any way you please.

And by the way people, you can abuse *anything*. Just because it is a harsh term, and is horrible when living things are involved, doesnt mean the term itself can only be aplied to living things.

I cherish my dolls, they are definately NOT "just toys" or "hunks of plastic", I could and would never think of them in that way. They dont have personalities, they dont have "souls", but yet I do believe they deserve a certain degree of respect.

YES- People do abuse/mistreat dolls.
I agree with idrisfynn 100%.

*Jen

 

i would love to be foster parent to this poor neglected and abused dolls
i might even adopt one or two

 

I think everyone would see "mistreating" in a different way, it's very hard to say this is the right or wrong way to treat a doll.

Personally, yeah, smashing a doll's head in with a hammer is mistreating your doll. However, people care for their dolls in different ways, and as long as they don't care nobody should worry about what they do.