Do you feel alone in the hobby? (even with the forum)

There are doll clubs out there that are not specifically BJD dolls. I belong to a UFDC doll club and we are always looking for new members. We are trying to reach out to a group in our area that do things with BJDs but so far, we have not been able to connect with them. (United Federation of Doll Clubs)
Also, I meet with a group that makes doll clothes. We meet once a month at a quilt shop. We have "Show & Tell" and discuss all aspect of making things for dolls.
There may be a group in your area that makes porcelain ceramic dolls. They also would be talking about painting faces and finding wigs, eyes, shoes and clothes for dolls.
Just some ideas for those who want to connect with others who love dolls.

 

My one friend that told me about BJD's moved away a few years ago and now I'm alone in this. I don't know anyone interested in BJD's in person. I only have DOA and I still have no one really that I talk to one on one. It would be nice to make some friends that where interested in BJD's. I'm just glad DOA exists to help with my questions/concerns.

 

At times, yes. But, I'm more often content being alone in the hobby. I get to enjoy my dolls as they are. I would like local friends I can trade items with, or meet up for photoshoots/get-togethers/etc. and admire/advise each other. But, the BJD community in my country is not very big or vocal.

And, I'm an introvert. I don't often go out of my way to meet new people; it's difficult for me to pluck up the courage, at times, and yet I can travel to our capital on my own and breeze my way through a weekend in a hostel dorm! One day, I will attend meet-ups and maybe make friends I can trade items with and arrange get-togethers/photoshoots with. Maybe join a sewing club, if they still exist, and introduce people to BJDs.

 

On the forum I don't feel alone at all since we're gathered here because of our hobby!

IRL it gets too lonely though, considering most of my friends who got into BJDs either grew out of it or are located in a town several hours away from mine, meaning we can't just spontaneously meet up for a couple of hours during a weekend and then go back home. So yes... THAT gets pretty damn lonely.

 

I do feel quite loney. I'm shy/awkward at the best of times and most people I meet are not the sort I can discuss BJDs with. A lot of interaction and meeting also goes on on Facebook, and for various reasons I am not (and never will be) on Facebook, so I get left out.

 

YES! Especially because I'm new. I don't have any local friends or family that belong to the hobby. It seems daunting that all the OG doll owners have their friends and groups that they are a part of and I just kind of float around. Especially since I don't have a doll on hand, and I really mess with MH, Blythe, and the doll that I'm sculpting myself.

 

I feel like a lot of BJD collectors are similiar. A lot of us may be shy, introverted, feel socially awkward, and the hobby itself is attractive to that type of person. Because you get to create your dolls as much or as little as you want. Giving them personalities, character traits, we bond with them in the quiet and safety of our own space. At least, that's what I'm hearing reading a lot of the earlier thread comments. So this in itself makes finding/making friends in RL a challenge, because that's something that a lot of us find difficult normally anyway.

I try to share my passion for my BJDs on facebook, on DoA and with my friends. I don't have any RL BJD collectors I can befriend in person that aren't many hours away. There are times I wish I could share with someone in real life... but then I share online to make up for it. Facebook has helped, I joined a group for NZ and Australia. I love DoA and am very grateful for something that can bring us all together. We get to join in on the things that interest us about the hobby, and can choose to stay away from topics that don't. I'm much better at writing than talking anyway.

I just wanted to say as well that to everyone posting here feeling alone, or like they aren't good enough, or worried about doing things wrong, there seems to be a lot of people who share your feelings, so you aren't alone. We may be separated in real life, but online we can share and connect with people we'd never be able to otherwise. I'd like to give you all virtual hugs and say that you are welcome in our community, you are awesome as you, and I hope we can all be kind and share caring with one another.

 

A little bit, and definitely more so since my best friends have lost interest in the hobby. I want to ask one if I can borrow his pastels to do faceups, but I don't really want to talk about dolls with him anymore, since it seems like the subject wears him down...

 

To be honest I feel alone in most of my hobbies (make-up, video games,collecting funko pops, and bjd's). The internet seems to be the only place where you can be an adult with a full time job and not be considered "childish" for wanting to have fun in life. I'm considering starting back a youtube channel just so I can have a place to vent about my dolls and be excited about them (which no one wants to hear in real life lol).

 

I do feel lonely, as I haven't found any groups in my area but I really need to search more and see what I can find. I don't particularly hate being on my own in the hobby, but it would be nice to be able to socialize outside of forums and meet new people with similar interests.

 

Yes, I do. Nobody I know in real life even remotely likes dolls - most people I know think they're weird or creepy. It can be exhausting having to constantly defend something you love just because others think it's strange. It's isolating for sure.

 

I feel extremely alone in this hobby. I hide the hobby from everyone I know because I fear the consequences that would come if my mother knew about it, but also because I am scared of how my friends might react, or even if they didn't think negatively of me, what they might tell other people about me. I am also scared because I have an interest in living dolls and people who look like dolls, but there's such a stigma around that that I don't want to negatively affect me.
I have a doll blog on Tumblr and I sometimes leave my two cents on drama or comment on people's dolls, and of course participating on DoA as well. Giving my feedback on peoples dolls is one of my favorite things to do as I do not have a doll of my own, because gushing about dolls and complimenting all the work and love they put into it is fun, and I feel that if I were the doll owner, I would appreciate constructive feedback or nice things about my own doll. But lurking doesn't feel too much like knowing people personally, even if we've talked a few times or I notice that they saw my comments. I also feel alone because I do not have a BJD myself, so I don't have a very core component for participating in a hobby like this. I am saving for a preorder on my first doll, but until then I feel that all I can do is lurk and look, and practice faceups and sewing on MH dolls. And of course watching doll vids on youtube - shoutout to lovely people like Andreja, tamakyu, and Mozekyto for being so friendly and helpful on this platform.
I think it would be ideal if I could find a solid group that I can meet with in-person and talk to, but I have to wait to try to find that. Once I finish my associates degrees I can transfer them to a university in Florida, where I'll be settling. I hope that once I'm there, I can find people that I can join for tea parties and doll meets.
This was a pretty self-indulgent rant, sorry. Thanks to OP for posting this thread and giving people the opportunity to talk about this!

 

I found this hobby somehow browsing Pinterest. So, I hadn't seen a BJD in person until I order mine second hand. :] Lonely is very easy to relate to, as I don't have anyone to talk to in person about all the cool stuff I'm doing or finding or making.

 

The BJD collectors here are scattered. Except for the bigger cities, nobody lives very close. I've only made one lasting offline friend, and we try to see each other a few times a year.

We used to drive to a midwestern USA meetup, but that online community fell apart. Many of the old members transferred to a forum that holds their meetups even further from us. It's now too long a trip.

I encourage the hobby wherever I can. Take outdoor photography, transfer basic info... even give dolls. But it's boring being an island.

 

I never really thought about this... But I guess I do feel alone in doll collecting in general. None of my friends or family collect. That is what made going to Doll Shops and Conventions fun, back before the economy stopped them in my local area. Some of the nicest, most accepting people you ever will meet are doll collectors. And having online support is great, but different from in person interactions.

 

Well, I am not as sociable than others might be. My life is rather limited to my work and family. Therefore I assume I would not enjoy having others around for doll meetups. The forum is good for seeing new dolls and writing/reading about favourite dolls. I enjoy feeling sometimes lonely with my hobby, I am simply just that kind of person.

 

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I feel the same too. Now I am not very active in forums and so due to my studies but even when I was I felt the same. I thought it was my fault because I am not too sociable but it helps knowing other people feel the same.
I think forums are a great place to communicate with other members of the hobby but what I was missing was a person to person interaction. Someone you can go to walk with while talking about purchases and pictures, to help with photo-shoots, to share drawings and stories and so on.
There aren't much doll meets where I live and because my studies and my job I am not usually able to go.
Luckily this year I recovered a bit from that feeling of loneliness because I found a real good friend. She is not in my city but we talk through Facebook when we can and I feel that kind of bond with her. I share even personal stuff (besides dolly stuff) with her because we are a lot alike.

 

I feel very lonely, it doesn't help that I have a fear of people! Living in a very small country town in rural Australia means going to doll meets in Melbourne (if/when) they happen is very unlikely. I'm also not very good at typing out what I am truly trying to say...

 

I feel very very much alone at my doll hobby collection. Especially i am male!!!! I don't tell anyone about my hobby
I'm worry ppl call me name or make stupid comments. I did get some stupid hurtful comments which make me very upset .