Do you feel that ABJD's compensate for something you don't have IRL?

A bit of both for me... I get them because I want them (Haha, obviously..! -o-;... But I guess I like how much attention I can shower on them. They can be so loved. Maybe it's to make up for the fact that my mother never had that much time for me (Work + Single mom + I was raised by my grandparents). But I'm not sure. ^^;;

 

Fantastic concept.

My to-be doll Raziel is a lot more to me than compensation, but I do think that must be a part of it.

Since I was little I've wanted to be male, although at this point I'm learning to just be content with the body I was given. While I wouldn't want a male romantic partner [as I'm very happy in a long-term monogamous relationship with a female], being able to own and love something / someone male is some kind of a replacement for actually being male, I think.
A lot of Raziel's character, the life that he lives, is the kind of thing that I occasionally catch myself fantasizing about and have always had somewhat of a fascination with- old aristocracy and the dandy social life, decadence, etc.
Vaguely tied into those two and related to the first post, I can dress him in the kinds of things that, as an overweight female, I could never pull off.

One could also say he's a replacement for children [at least, that's my girlfriend and I's rationalization for spending so much money], but the feelings I'd have for children would be very different from what I feel for Raziel.

Do excuse the horrendously long post and drowsy, rambling style. X3;

 

Unfortunately, I'm still saving up for my first doll. However, I can imagine why I'm getting it. Like many people here, I'm basing my dolls after characters that are in my head. Right now all of the personalities are cobbled together into separate little parts of my brain; Sei in my cerebellum, Aoi in my frontal lobe...and now I sound like a total fruit-loop ._.; But I'm totally okay with that.

Ahem, anyway...basically, it's getting very crowded up there and they need a way out as they're getting very unhappy. As soon as I learned about ABJD's, all of them said *Very synchronized-like* 'Get those and let me out of here!'

In other words, yes, I'm a little insane... ^^;

If I have to go with an opinion that sounds a little more sane, I'd have to say that I'm probably getting them because my characters have become very dear friends of mine and I'm compensating for the fact that I've never really had many friends in the past or in the present. I think I want something tangible that my characters can be a part of ^^

 

That is really something to think about. When you spend that much money on your doll, it is probably more than just a doll to you.

It's not unlike buying an LV - it's more than a bag to you.

Dolls are such perfect little things. I like owning, looking at and admiring pretty things. To me, my doll is something beautiful. It's also a little kindness, a little beauty in this world that at times can be quite ugly.

 

love.. a relationship.. I'm pathetic..

 

Oh surely not!! I thing we are a LOT in this case ! And not say it !

 

I had a thing against dolls when I was younger, so I attribute my interest in dolls to three things:
-Reclaiming a better childhood experiance
-Having a child figure that I can't due to medical condition and dislike of children.
-having a stable relationship with "someone," which doesn't often happen in real life.

 

This question about relationship coles again and again. As all of you I searching "someone" I could have a sincere relation with without fear and something I could love plenty without the restrictions this kind of relationship can generate.

 

This is a very interesting subject, one I hadn't really thought of til seeing this thread.

My situation is similiar to RubberDuckyPinwheels, with creating the characters that seem to be the friends I never had. At the same time though, it's also a confindance in the kind of romantic relationship that's almost too good to be true (My two soon-to-be dolls are a couple) that I don't think I'll ever achieve. Finally, if I ever figure it out, it'll also be an adventurous or even fantasy-like background story that makes up for my sheltered and so-far boring life.

So yeah, I suppose it's definately compensating XD

 

As others have said, I don't feel that my dolls compensate for something I am missing in my life. I feel that they allow me to surround myself with beauty whether it is in the sculpting, the clothes, or the faceup. I think of them more as sculptures I can move.

I will say that the one area I probably can vicariously live through them is the clothes. But, again it's almost from an artistic persepective. The clothes they wear are more like the haute couture that you see on the runway that no person can wear in real life. I can dress my dolls as outrageously without the fear of having to actually function in that garb. They're really an outlet for creativity for me rather than compensation.

Good discussion and topic.

Nancy in CT

 

They compensate what I couldn't have in my childhood - a close-to-real-human-looking dolls, for which I could make costumes and items

 

A little for me. I have a job that requires me to look "people friendly" so the dolls are a great way for me to express myself without getting into trouble! That and I never had Barbies or dolls growing up since I lived with so many boys.

 

Maybe a little, but not really compensating. Expanding, more like. I'm not a boy. I'm not gothic or brooding. I'm not a girly-girl. I'm not a samurai, a magician, or look on the world with innocent eyes. Nor do I want to be. My dolls are part facets of my own personality and part things are not at all like me. I guess it's sort of like exploring a "what if" universe, the way we used to when we were children and playing let's pretend rather than compensating for things I wish I were or had. If, as adults, we reshaped our personalities and styles as often as we do our dolls may of us would be considered scitzophrenic!

 

Yes, When I'm thinking about it more deeply.. I guess my dolls are a kind of replacement. I'm crazy about victorian lifestyle's. I love Lolita clothes, aswell as real victorian costumes, and everything that surrounds it. My dolls are both dressed up in Lolita clothes, whilst I don't wear lolita clothes at all!
This may be becouse I find It different to wear such clothes in society.
I DO own such clothes, but I only wear them at certain meetings and festivals.

So yeah.. I guess my dolls are victoms of my way to express myself

 

I guess mine does.

Since I didn't play with dolls as a child, I think I'm experiencing child-like actions now. Young girls play with their dolls like babies, and so I treat Valentino as my real son to the point where I dress and undress him everyday in accordance to the time of day. (Creepy dolly noob is creepy.)
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I'm also quite envious of the clothes that they make for BJDs. So, I guess Valentino also compensates for the kind of clothes I really wish were human sized.

 

The beauty and serenity they possess and the fact that they never age. I guess I am afraid to get old and die. Also I am not good at social situations, and keeping friends. But my doll will always be here no matter what happens. Did that just sound sad?
But that's not the only reasons I got her, it's just a fun hobby.

 

yeah.. With them, we are sure that our relationship will never end (except if we decide to)..

 

Yes - but it's an obvious one. They can change their appearance totally and easily! I love getting dressed up, especially in alternative/heavily customised ways, but I'll never be able to change my hairstyle from short and one colour to long and another as easily as a doll :3 Plus, I keep my dolls on a budget so they also manage to get their looks without spending the money you sometimes have to fork out for human clothing items (like shoes u_u. Dollie killer books $15, human ones closer to $100...).

 

I'm not the type of person who likes being photographed, though I like sewing and various creative stuff.. So I bought my Himitsu basicly for sewing clothes and take photos. Sounds quite shallow, I know, but now I'm into this for sure. So my bad self confidence made me think that my BJD can act as a substitute for what I'd like to be..

 

I don't know.
You've really made me think.