Do you hide your hobby from certain people?

I hide my interest in bjds from most people. I do not own any, but I do own porcelain dolls I once saw at a flea market. THe reactions to them weren´t really pleasing as I would have wished to. A lot of people don´t even know what bjds are and would confuse them with fashion doll. Also I just feel weird telling someone that hobby of mine. Only two of my friends and a few people on the internet know I am interested in bjds...

 

I told a couple of people, but mostly in the sense of 'I need something to sew for'. None of them know how expensive they are OTL To be fair, my grandma has a case of porcelain dolls and I'm pretty sure those dolls have a fair chunk of value, so at least I can say it runs in the family? For the most part it's not 'oh you collect dolls?' that ends up being the issue, it's 'oh you collect poseable and anatomically correct dolls that look like miniature adults...' ^^;

 

I try not to intentionally hide it, if I meet people who react rudely when I tell them about my dolls I take that as a sign that we wont really get along since dolls are only one of my more eccentric interests.(Though no one I know really knows how expensive they are! I'm pretty sure I'd get a lot more disapproving looks that way)

 

The topic doesn't really come up spontaneously that often so I wouldn't say it's necessary to hide.
I do leave it out when asked about my hobbies, especially if the asker is someone who would focus on the cost alone.

I'm okay sharing sometimes to other friends like cosplayers, lolitas and figure collectors, since they can relate to aspects of the hobby like making clothes, saving for grail items and a general appreciation for Japanese-flavoured cute and pretty things. Come to think of it, I don't think I have anything really doll-specific to say to a fellow collector anyway, so it's quite alright like that.

 

I am selective to who I tell. My family is very supportive and have even contributed to my doll funds. I haven't told my boyfriend about it and I am hesitant to tell him about it.

 

I don't hide it, but I don't talk about it unless it comes up. A couple of my close friends know, since one of them got started in the hobby at the same time as me. My mom bought me my first doll, so she's very aware haha. Thankfully she thinks they're pretty cool. I haven't told any of my newer friends from the last couple of years since no one has ever brought it up. If they had a problem with it I'd likely deflect any negativity to my wet specimen collection or the bug box I'm working on. I haven't directly brought up the hobby with my boyfriend outside of once two years ago when he mentioned someone on social media posting there doll. I told him I had one two, and that was pretty much it. I feel like he's pretty ambivalent, maybe thinking it's just some more weird crap I'm into. Well, he'll have to deal with it since we're planning on living together soon.

 

I'll talk about it to whoever, but I do downplay the price of the dolls. I'm not swimming in money and a lot of people don't understand why I'm okay with spending this much money on a hobby when I'm so careful with things like groceries. It is what it is, though. They're mostly supportive of my interests and bjds make me happy even though I haven't taken the plunge to buy one yet.

 

My family knows about my lil BJD obsession and they're okay with it, but I haven't told most of my friends because I'm like 80% sure they would hit me with the biggest WHAT THE HELL ever.

 

My close friends and family know about it, but it's not something I go around sharing. I don't take my dolls out in public because I'm afraid of the looks I'd get, as much as I'd love to take Faye out with me...my friends don't get it but they accept me for it. I think them knowing that I collect toys (Transformers, action figures, Hot Toys) before getting into this hobby helped, they probably view this as "just more toys."

 

I tell everyone about my obsession with BJDs. Pretty much everyone at my job knows I have them because I've brought my favorite doll to work with me twice this year. My friends, family, husband, etc don't seem to think it's weird. In fact, they say its a very "me" thing to be into... whatever that means! lol

 

I tried to hide it from my boyfriend for as long as I could because I knew I would get teased if he found out his 22 year old gf was "playing with kid toys" LOL... But eventually I had a long talk with him about how I genuinely enjoy the hobby and he fully supports me and actively asks me about projects/my sewing/faceups etc! I'm still embarrassed and I still try to hide it.. but he is very supportive and I am thankful for that.

Luckily I live 400 miles from my nearest family members so they will never know, unless I post a doll on my main FB or instagram but I'm still very insecure about my dolly passion so.. for now, it is just between me, myself and I. And my bf...

 

There is nothing wrong with a 22 year old playing with dolls! Hey, I'm 34 and I play with dolls! I'm also a teacher, and my students say I act like a kid, so maybe that could be the reason I'm okay with it.... lol...

 

Before I moved, I was living with friends who were incredibly trash-talky and judgy. When I first got my doll, I kept him wrapped in his little white blanket that Mystic Kids sends them in, and kept him tucked away ALL the time.

I just moved, and recently came around to my mom about it, who seems to think they're okay, if not disinterested, so he's on display right now on a small pedestal. And my boyfriend finds them fun, especially since I'm going to start making OC's of ours, so he's good, thankfully. He's the only one I'm not shy about it with.

But man. I don't like talking about it with people.

 

lol how fun!! It is quite silly to feel "too old" for something. But it's like... you have silly, irrational thoughts that you KNOW are irrational such as "I'm too old" or "this is so silly to have a passion for dolls"!!!! But you can't make them go away!!

 

I don’t hide it from anyone but I don’t talk about it in detail with certain people, like ones who don’t have creative hobbies themselves. Most people in casual conversation take it to be a form of consumerism and not an actual interactive hobby, which is honestly the easiest way the conversation can go in my opinion. Someone thinking “oh you collect things” is easier for their brain to accept than “you own dozens of miniature glass eyeballs and a bunch of half painted human-like heads...?”

 

im quite shy when someone found out im having a bjd as my hobby. but luckily no one say bad about me

 

tend to hide it from my family as i dont like them judgeing me on how much i want t spend on these dolls as they call me stupid n everything just for wanting these dolls so just tend to not tell them about it at all xD

 

I'm guilty of this. I wouldn't say I go out of my way to hide it, but I certainly don't make it common knowledge. In fact, I'm not sure my parents know! I think I mentioned it in a throwaway comment to my mum once, and I've shown them to my brother and sister, but yeah. I have a group of friends who I just haven't mentioned it too. I suppose I'm just anxious about how they'd react, since I'm pretty sure they wouldn't get it, and it would be awkward... so I avoid it altogether.

On the other hand, by best friend doesn't really get it that much BUT I'm working hard to try and convert them, and they're definitely coming around! I'm currently working on getting them their first doll for their birthday.

 

I don’t purposely try to hide it from anyone, but there are people who I just simply won’t discuss my hobbies with because I know they would never understand. I guess you just have to get used to it, if they see it let it be, if they don’t see it just don’t mention it, keep it all natural I guess.

 

I don't hide my hobbies from anyone, but for most of time it is not necessary to discuss all your hobbies with others. My close friends all know about my dolls. They never judged me although some of them has phobia about these kind of things, and i totally understand those who are afraid of dolls and won't show mine to them. Friends should respect each others.