Do you keep the cost of your BJD's from your non BJD friends?

I tend to keep the doll prices between my mom and I. Most people I talk to do not understand why I’m in the hobby, and I think knowing how much I spend on it would only worsen their idea of the hobby. They only need to know once they learn to appreciate the hobby!

 

My family knows how expensive they are. Everyone in my family has an expensive hobby or two: Mom likes fish, (step) Dad likes fixer uppers, and brother likes PC gaming and the performing arts. My partner loves Japanese rhythm games, and computers so we tease each other about our hobbies' cost.
My Mom collected those high end Barbies when she was my age so when she asked how much I asked *her* how much. She hasn't said anything since.

 

I've never told any of my friends how much my dolls were. None of my friends collect bjds and I don't share much of my hobby with them other than the occasional photo. I just don't think it is something important. I know if my parents knew they'd flip, but I'm an adult and manage my own finances. Now if anyone ever tried to handle them I would ask them to stop and probably tell them.

 

The only ones who know what my dolls cost is my significant other and my BJD friends. Everyone else gets the token "expensive" and that leaves it up to their imagination.

 

My mom and my boyfriend know. My mom is disapproving but she knows that it’s my money and I’m smart with it. As for my boyfriend, he’s a techie so he’s used to spending copious amounts of money on his hobby, so we get along just fine!
As for other people, I haven’t found a way to explain the prices to them. To me the high price is what differentiates my BJDs from regular childfen’s toys... but that in itself can be contradictory considering there are extremely expensive toys..
I rarely talk about my dolls to outsiders but when I do I say they’re collectibles (which they are) and pieces of art. I compare it to art you’d buy at a show (which would most likely be expensive). After explaining that people seem to get it for the most part!

 

My mother knows and some of my friends who not judge me for this. My mom said when I got my doll, that it's ok, so I can stop searchin and I don't need to get another one... We are living in the same household, so I can't make a secret about my doll related purchases. When I tell her, that she got two half professional cameras, and gym things, she gets mad... But sometime she is very supporting. I think because she always thinks I stop buy props and accessories at last. It's a mistake... I fell for miniature things (I've got buttons, rubic cube, a glass of miniature dice, kitchen props, etc, so I will never stop...)

 

To be honest, I try to avoid the topic. They know that they are expensive enough to stay away from them XD
But when I think about telling one of my friends that I just spent almost 120 Euros on a doll-wig... they would probably freak out.
I'd rather keep the prices to myself, I guess

 

My mom is the one who got me started in the hobby, so I tell her how much they cost. My dad knows they can be pretty expensive, but rarely asks about the prices of the ones I have so I don't tell him unless he asks. Most of my friends that I see in person on a regular basis aren't in the doll hobby, but they do raise show birds that can be just as expensive as the dolls I have. My closest friends know the price ranges of my dolls, and I sometimes bring one of my dolls when I visit them, and they think it's cool. My other relatives and non-dolly friends know I collect BJDs, but all they know is that the dolls are expensive.

I would say, in general, I don't mention exact prices except to very few, and only give price ranges if someone asks.

 

I talk about cost with friends who are interested in BJD. The ones who aren't, don't care.

 

I don't tell my boyfriend anything regarding my hobby. And don't think it's actually anyone else's business. If you aren't paying my bills and I don't owe you any money then it's nonya. I actually don't even let myself dwell on how much it all costs, or I start to get anxiety lol

 

I don't think about how much my dolls cost once they're in my hands so my response is usually, "uh, a lot." I have to look up the prices/do the math if it's important enough.

If someone doesn't ask, I don't think to tell them unless they're handling them. I just say they're expensive unless someone asks me something really weird, like whether they can buy one?

Like... I can almost understand that online with varying social norms between collecting communities, but in real life in someone's home? Do you ask if you can buy people's couches too? Weird.

EDIT: Forgot about this, but I once had a dude straight up ask to buy my coat off me on the bus once. I still think about how rude and entitled that was sometimes. It's like some people think everything they can see is listed on craig's list.

 

My other half knows how much it costs and just shrugged like '''as long as you think they're worth it" and that was that! We both have expensive hobbies

 

I generally don't see the reason to advertise how much I've spent to anyone other than my spouse. He's also heard me gripe more about doll shoe prices than anyone else.

I rarely get asked by those who aren't considering the hobby. Those who are interested will do their own research and decide if it's right for them. Those who are already in the hobby don't usually ask either.

 

I don't even want to tell my family, i already the looks i would get . Mainly because they couldn't put that much money on a toy. I have thought long and hard about buying my bjd and she's not as costly as others, but still i wouldn't tell them the cost.what they don't know won't hurt them.

 

I do not tell anyone how much my dolls are.
Mainly because I know what type of reactions I am going to get, and I honestly cant be bothered with that.
Only once, has one of my friends asked me “Is it expensive?” When he saw a doll I ordered, and I just said “Maybe” haha.
It is not my intent to be mean, but I have heard all type of comments about my anime figure collection, which are costly but not as costly as bjds, so I can’t imagine what they will comment knowing how much my dolls are.

 

The only person I've ever told was a fellow doll lover lol everyone else i know would just freak out so i dont bother

 

Ok , I have exactly the same problems . Only my mom knows the prices but not the full amount for them . I do not have anyone else who I could say . Only bjd friends . Wish I could have more bjd friends who we could talk about bjd

 

I haven't told anyone I know irl about the cost and have no intention to do so. The only one who even knows about the dolls is my mother; she doesn't like the dolls and if she knew how much they cost, she'd probably like them even less, haha. I feel for everyone who has gotten mean comments about their dolls! I think people tend to forget that being into specific hobbies will always cost a pretty penny.

 

I have coworkers that I've discussed my dolls and the costs with! We're all adults with everyone having hobbies, some more expensive than others. They might not "get it" but I haven't had any disparaging comments.

My family on the other hand doesn't know, haha. About the hobby or the cost. I'm sure they'd think there's better things to spend my money on.

 

I don’t really hang out with people who wouldn’t understand the cost of an expensive hobby (basically, interesting people who are into interesting things) so I’ve no problems there. My grown kids just admire them and only remark that “they’re expensive” in a way that denotes general admiration for Mom’s collecting and creative abilities. My hubby, on the other hand, is hilarious! From the very beginning he insisted that he didn’t want to know…and after all these years of my collecting, he’s still adamant about that. If I try to tell him, he just throws up his hands and says, “No, don’t tell me!” As long as I buy on layaway (working it into our small household budget a little bit per month) he’s totally fine with it and I can buy whatever I want. I’m lucky. He truly enjoys the dolls, and especially how happy and creative they make me.