Do you consider yourself to be a BJD collector?

There's a saying that 1 is for fun, 2 for interest and 3 makes a collection.

Oh, yeh. I have a collection. But I don't collect bjds (or anything to do with them) like I would any of my other interests/collections. I just get what I like and enjoy.

Though the Fairyland littlefee faceplates that I own could possibly be called a collection.

 

well there are people who collect shark teeth and snow globes and I doubt highly that they will get every one in existence XD but I think that you kinda define yourself if you are a collector or not. (you say if you are or not I guess) and if you get more (which we all know happens) and keep wanting/on the hunt for more then I think you'd be classified as a collector~ hmmm I really suck at getting my points across lol XD

 

I often refer to myself as a 'doll collector' to other people. Like in a conversation: "Do you have a hobby?" - "Yes, I collect dolls." It's easier to say that than to explain why I need eleven of them
But for myself I don't consider myself a collector. I mean, I play with them, they are not a collection by any means

 

I've been bitten by the Soom bug, so I would consider myself a collector. There is an element of "have to get them all" to my buying, and it's not suprising, since I'm prone to that sort of OCD collecting in most of my other hobbies as well XD

On the other hand, I won't buy any doll or part just to complete my collection (as proved to myself by passing up Sphaler and all his pieces, even though I had planned to get him). When dolls don't appeal, I can let them go without stressing out about my 'collection'.

 

I don't consider myself a 'collector' in the mass-market, 'gotta get them all' sense of the word. I'm a collector like a art collector, cherry-picking singular pieces that match my tastes and budget from producers whose ideas and general body of work I feel good about supporting (with the occasional 'mad whim' choice, just to mix things up a bit!).

I think that definition of 'collector' is better-suited to ABJD, because art collectors operate -to a certain extent- in collusion with art producers, in determining the meaning of the artwork. In ABJD, the line between producer and consumer is even more permeable, where much of the appearance and presentation of the 'end product' is in the hands of the consumer - I can't think of any other kind of art that even comes close to this unique relationship.

 

I don't like to call myself a collector. I just happen to have a lot of bjds.

 

I don't think a collection necessarily means that one feels a need to have every single one.

The only reason why I have a hard time saying "collection" for myself is because I only have two dolls. This number is too low for me to consider it a collection, but considering that these dolls are expensive, I would say that 4-5 would be the start of a small collection.

But if someone asks I will say that I collect dolls for reasons mentioned before, that it strikes an understanding with them.

 

I never knew that being a collector meant you had to buy all of them. To me, being a collecor of something means you buy the ones you like (whether it be BJDs or cards, etc). People that buy tons of video games aren't referred to as Video Game collectors, they are just gamers. I don't see BJDs as something you collect.

 

I would not consider myself as a collector, at least for the moment.

I got this doll for my happiness and not to pursue some big goal like collecting...I got him for something that I feel is more...personal? I guess.

Haha..that's all. But I bow to whoever collects them for a living

 

Nope, I don't consider myself a "collector". I just really like dolls and they are much more personal to me than "collections". I don't need to "have them all" or even have all the dolls I really, really like. To me it's much more important to have a few that means a lot to me and I can photograph and sew for. They are much more my hobby than my collection

 

I am also a collector of dolls, of which BJD's are one type. I've also collected Blythes, Barbies, Kiddles, Momokos. However, "collecting" does not necessarily mean "gotta have 'em all." Trust me, if I bought every Barbie doll and item ever made, not only would I go broke, but I would not have room to move through my house, much less if I tried to buy every BJD ever made - forget it! I do own multiple sculpts from my very favorite BJD manufacturers but for the vast majority of manufacturers I would only want a couple at most, or maybe one or none, of their dolls.

Since childhood I've enjoyed collecting and having toys, in some cases more than actually "playing" with them. That's not to say I never played/ play with my dolls and I'm certainly not a "must keep this mint in box" or "must have this in perfect order in a display case" person, but I don't spend hours on end acting out stories with them or changing their outfits.

 

I would have to answer no as far as BJD's go. Yes I have the Pipos Mouse and do plan on getting a few more in that size. As far as venturing into the 16" and taller BJD's I just don't have the room for them.

Everything here is really 1/6 scale since I collect FR dolls and yes debox, redress and have fun No I don't buy every single one that comes out. As others have said "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" so I only buy what I truly want though I do favor one character in particular and always buy that one. Since childhood I loved dolls and toys and still have a couple of MA's from the 60's that Mom bought for me.

 

It's interesting to me, this assumption that so many of you seem to be making about "collecting" these dolls being somehow mutually exclusive to any sort of character-play or emotional attachment.

I'm a BJD collector. I make absolutely no bones about that.

But I also play the "character game" with my collection. They're all avatars of one sort or another, and some of them have backstories every bit as involved as the ones non-collectors come up with. I know I'm not the only self-identified collector who does that.

I'm also pretty darned attached to the majority of these guys, and I tinker with them constantly. They're not untouchable display-objects that I only keep as status items or becase they're pretty.

So... just keep in mind that we collectors may not be as hands-off and uninvolved with our minions are you assume. Collectors can be just as nuts as the rest of the hobby.

 

I am a collector of many things. BJDs are one of those things.

I don't know why everyone assumes that to be a collector - which this hobby seems to feel is a negative label - you have to want to have them all, when most collectors that I know don't want every single whatever ever made. They want every single piece that fits their personal....goals or criteria. Most collectors have a specific focus to their collections that you see with doll collectors as well. Some people want every Shiwoo type ever made, some people only buy Dollstown, while someone else may have no multiple dolls from a single company but a very strict storyline. Those are all collecting focuses.

I collect doujinshi, which are Japanese fan made comics most often about well known anime and manga series. Comic fanfiction. I don't want to own every single doujinshi ever made, or even every doujinshi made about a specific series or a specific character pairing. I generally collect books by particular artist circles for certain series for certain pairings. The focus of my collections are often fairly narrow, but I still consider them a collection.

 

I call myself a BJD collector, not because I want to own them all, but 'just' own all the ones I like. Which are quite a lot dolls.
But when I first started with this hobby I dind't see myself as a collector. I started to call myself a collector after I owned around 10 dolls.

 

Call it what you will. After a year in this hobby, I've managed to purchase eight dolls and have a few more on order. So I guess you can call me a collector although I'm not collecting any special grouping of dolls, i.e. Limited Editions, Special grouping of dolls or one company's editions.
A serious collector, in my mind, is a person who has the money, time and resources to delve into the hobby while gaining the knowledge needed to develop a collection that is very unique with many out of date editions.

 

To me... a collector is just that, someone who collects things... not necessarily ALL of a thing. Think about coin collecting, or stamp collecting. There's no feasible way for someone to collect every coin or every stamp. Or what about seashell or rock collections as well? Same thing.

I see someone who "must have them all" as a "completionist collector". It's more like a subset of the general "collector" category. If that makes sense.

So within that definition, I do consider myself a BJD collector. Just not a completionist collector.

^ I agree wholeheartedly. I am a collector... but I am also very attached to my dolls and their characters. You can have it both ways in this case.

 

I've always viewed 'collecting', in terms of a hobbyist, as keeping a group of like things and maintaining them in a certain condition. My anime figures are kept in a glass case, my dolls I customize, lug around and all around play with. So while I consider my anime figures a 'collection', my dolls, I don't.

I think that makes sense, at least...

 

I only have one so I am not a collector, and I try to stay one

 

I'm not sure if I should call my self a collector or not. Yes I love bjds and they are a huge part of my life. I have 4 SD dolls, 1 tiny and waiting for my first msd. I also want some cute YOSDs and pet dolls. Right now I'm working on creating a dollfamily out of some of the dolls I have allready and some of the dolls I have on my wishlist that I'll buy later. And I know my room will end up stuffed with dolls. I guess I do collect sorta... just not that I need having tons of dolls from from the same brands. Like with those pokemon cards. I remember I used to collect those cards I'm very passionate about my hobby. And love my dolls more than anything. I want to learn as much as I can. And become a pro at painting face-ups.

So am I a collector? Everytime I spend some time on the computer I do drool at dolls. Dollsdollsdolls and accessories, clothes etc.Yah I'm addicted for life.