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

I do not know anyone that's into dolls or bjd and know most people would mock me or think I am weird if they knew! My youngest daughter is the only one that knows just how much I love them!
I am not good with people and have a social phobia so the dolls give me something to do and I enjoy photography and love to take photos of them!
It's still early days for me so I haven't been to any meet ups but deep down I know I wouldn't go!

 

I have one friend at work I can talk to occasionally, and that's it. And she doesn't like to talk very much about them I don't think in front of others.

 

Definitely. I know no one around where I live who are into BJD's. It would be nice to know a few close by. My friends don't really know about my love for this hobby, as when I've tried to talk a bit about it they've expressed their hatred for dolls or told me that I'm weird or 'crazy' in a way that's been pretending to be joking but isn't. My husband is supportive but isnt at all interested in the hobby.
I enjoy spending my time here on DoA and I'd love to have more friends around here too

 

I used to live in an area where I could go to the odd doll meets. I miss going to them to be honest. It was fun to be in a park full of diverse hobbyists and a sea of dolls to see in person, take pictures, chat with their owners, take silly pics of our dolls together. Since I've moved, doll meets just wont happen, hehe. I'm glad I have DoA as an online community to participate in but I'd lie if I said I didn't feel a tad alone in the hobby.

 

Somewhat but not in a bad way. The nearest doll meet group I know is a few hours away. I used to try very hard to go to the meets but now I don't. Their doll collections and tastes are very different from mine. The dolls are lovely in their way, but not ones I like or feel "omg I have to see this in person!" about. If there happens to be a doll I do want to drive for, I'll go if I can swing it. I don't go out of my way anymore. I do have a friend on fb that posts pics of her dolls regularly, and her style is one I like to see. I get my fix of pretty and pretty to me dolls that way.

 

I have collected dolls all my life and it's always been a fairly isolating hobby for me; I didn't have any doll friends growing up and I wasn't on the internet until I was almost an adult. The internet really changed the way I viewed doll collecting! Now it's a hobby I can share with others: both online and in person when I go to meet-ups. I know there are other doll lovers like me out there. This is still primarily something I enjoy on my own, but there's also a strong community to share with me too.

 

It seems i'm not alone facing loneliness, but you know I've get used to it for feeling this for more than six years since the arrival of my first girl. Though I usual got to know several guys in my college, but it was never permanent due to graduating. And now it feels like back to the beginning since i went to Worcester where I found it impossible to find anyone sharing my hobby. But it is ok anyway. I couldn't change the fact while I'm still here at DOA and could talk with all of you. So it is actually not so good but also not too bad. At least my dolls are always accompanying me.

 

I do not know a single person who knew what a BJD was before I told them, let alone some one who was into them. So, I do feel pretty alone with my little obsession right now. Having this forum around helps a lot though. I love being able to talk to other hobbyists and look at their beautiful dolls.

 

Most of the people I know who actually know what BJDs are think they are creepy. It makes me sad, because it comes up from time to time that I own one and then it always leads into some story about how they had a run in with some "creepy" person at such&such Anime Con they went to. And this person had a doll and they were acting weird and talking to their dolls and blah blah blah...its upsetting. It honestly seems a bit close minded coming people who have a love for cosplay - which, if you aren't in that hobby or don't know what anime is you would think it was creepy to run around dressed up like a "cartoon" character.
Ive only got 2 or 3 friends who actually think they are cool, but they've no intention on buying one. So it is somewhat of a lonely hobby for me. But I love it none the less, hopefully I can attended a local meet up one day and make some new friends.

 

Ya I feel pretty lonely too~ I live in Vancouver but I can never really find anybody in this hobby (especially in my high school). I only know one person who recently started to like the hobby but we never really talk at all. Most of my other friends simply pretend I don't even like BJDs~ ( I can't talk to them about it or else they make fun of me ) Personally, I find this extremely offending~ I don't understand why people around me are so against dolls~ I am younger in this hobby, though, so most of my friends immediately think that dolls are for little children, babies, etc. I feel like the only people who really think BJDs are nice are my parents~ I also hope when I am older that there will be less of this immaturity and maybe I'll finally meet a friend that likes BJDs I don't feel isolated on the forum much though!~ There are many nice people here

 

I started the hobby when I was in grade 8 or somethig. My friends or people around me either find it interesting or creepy. Alothough I never get laugh at but I understand how you feel :p now I'm in university and leas and less people know I'm in this hobby. Btw I' from vancouver too )

 

I only have one friend to talk to about my dolls but she isn't part of the hobby. My other friends don't really mind it, but I sometimes wish there were other people nearby to discuss dolls or go to meetups and meet. It's hard when any other people you might know are sprinkled around the state!

 

Unfortunately there isn't a single person I know that knows about ball-jointed dolls so I feel pretty lonely in the hobby to be honest. I was hoping to find some kindred spirits over here so if anyone is lonely in the hobby and wants to be 'pen-pals' sort of speak they are free to message me on the forum. It seems fun to exchange pleasantries about our dolls. I miss the fact that DoA doesn't seem to have a chatbox or something like it.

Someone at work accidently found me surfing on DoA and she asked what I was doing. When I told her I was browsing a forum about dolls she had a field trip making fun of me and the hobby. I don't know why some people seem to enjoy breaking others down. Although she told me I was so childish I feel like she was actually being the childish one.

I'm hoping to be able to attend Dolliverse next year to see what meets are all about but that is going to be one very long car ride. I wonder if there are more accessible meets in Europe close to Belgium/Holland?

 

I feel alone in this hobby because I live in central Texas and no one gets it. They see dolls like Tonner who also create some bjds and that they are the cream of the crop here. They don't see why you spend more than $100 tops for a doll on the highest end and they don't 'get' why you would want to customize a doll. It's very close minded in that sense. Now in bigger towns like Austin, Dallas, Houston it's a different story. But essentially in my town a diamond and a doll are both a waste of money if they cost more than a used car and lets be honest when you add up your collection, it might be that much. So yeah, I do feel alone. I can't really comment on feeling alone here yet cause I'm still new and I've been welcomed with open arms so far! =)

 

A little- I am uncomfortable meeting new people so I wish that the ones I know would be more interested in the hobby...

 

Absolutely one of the lonliest hobbies. I have one friend who hates all doll so no use talking to her. Another friend of mine isn't a collector so although she is very polite about the dolls she just doesn't get my obsession. That is why places like DOA are great for me, I finally get to talk with people that understand my love of dolls.

 

I can't say that I feel lonely in this hobby at all. For myself, "a way to make friends" was not at all a reason why I got into the doll hobby--- I already have friends, I just started collecting dolls because I really like the dolls. I don't view "the hobby" as synonymous with "the hobby COMMUNITY". My hobby is customizing, making things for, and photographing my dolls. And those are all happily solitary activities. I can easily lose hours (on the too-rare occasions I've got them to lose!) all alone in my art room, with my music turned up and a doll project going, off in my own little world. To me, working on dolls is no more of a social activity than the other creative things I pursue, such as painting. The hobby is what I DO with my dolls--- talking to people ABOUT my hobby is not at all the same thing as my actual hobby.

When it comes to sharing my dolls with people/enjoying them with other people: honestly, for me I don't find that those people really NEED to be "doll people" themselves. I sometimes make silly photostories with my dolls (and other assorted off-topic dolls and figures) mostly because my family and my best friends, NONE of whom own dolls or have any interest in owning dolls, enjoy them and get a laugh out of them. And that's very cool to me. I'm lucky to have friends and family who like the stuff I do because they like ME, without it needing to be something they're necessarily into for themselves. Dolls are also not even close to my only hobby/interest; they are just one facet of my life and interests--- so I have plenty of other common ground with the people in my life. I actually find it much harder to talk to people whose doll hobby is their whole world than I do to people who don't care about dolls at all!

As far as DoA: I don't agree with the sort of mindset that this is a scary place where people are practically waiting to slap your knuckles with a ruler the second you post something "wrong". I find it to be a pretty easy forum to participate in. And I've come across quite a few cool people that I like from what I can see of them on a forum. I guess it's all down to expectations as to what your experience is here. I expect it to be a place where I can find information, see cool pictures, share my own thoughts/information and pictures, and enjoy a forum that is polite, on-topic, and organized. And that's exactly what I've found it to be.

 

A little.
But I think it is because I'm noob and don't have anyone to talk irl =D

 

Hi from Georgia, I'd love to talk doll things with you and try to meet up sometime. I don't own a doll yet so I'm really curious to see what they are like in person.

 

I went to a local meet-up once and it was awkward. I mean everyone was nice but they were also much older then me and seem to be in their little groups. I felt kinda lonely then and I feel lonely now. It'd be nice to have a local friend whose house I could visit and we could watch anime with our dolls! My family doesn't really understand why I love them and are to busy to get it. If they are any local CT bjd lovers we should hang out sometime