Do you love all your dolls equally?

I mean, no, I do not love them all equally, however I do love them all. There is nothing wrong with liking them different amounts and for different reasons. If you think you would miss a doll then don't rehome them. It's understandable having sentimental attachments to them even if you don't feel you "use them" enough. If it becomes time to rehome a doll you will know, just try to follow your heart and do what makes you happy. As long as the hobby leaves you feeling good, you are doing it right. When you feel guilt and stress and worry too often I think it's time to re-examine and see if you can find a way to make it only fun for you again.

 

I definitely have favorites! My first girl is a Volks SDC Kaede that I got on eBay when I was 16...so... Almost 16 years ago! And she definitely holds a special place in my heart. I call her my favorite all the time. If I had to get rid of anyone it certainly wouldn't be her.
Other than that I have a Notdoll lab Lady Ligaya that I did the faceup for myself, and I adore her look. She is my favorite as far as having an overall and completed look.
I have a couple of dolls that don't currently have characters because the characters got older ... And I really don't do anything with them. I have a Dream of doll Twinkey and Wi that I don't do anything with. After having so many other dolls I find it difficult to deal with their crappy posing.
No matter how much I get kind of "meh" about a doll I have only gotten rid of one. She was a Bobobie Chun, her body was so unruly I hated handling her, and a friend of mine fell in love with her and I felt like she deserved that amount of love.
Several other dolls have names and sort of a vague idea of style but no real story or personality, and those definitely don't get as much love as my really fleshed out characters that have tons of backstory and a family unit within my collection.

 

I have favorites and I think that is fine. They are all for me to enjoy, so however that happens is fine. Some of my dolls are cabinet babies, they look pretty and I enjoy gazing upon them. Some dolls are beloved characters. Some dolls are eternal works in progress, outlets for my artistic inspirations more than any tie to a character or story. Some dolls I love to photograph, some I never do. And that changes over time. I have one doll that is blank and is just snuggly, for when I want to hold a doll and not worry about scuffing a faceup. Some dolls are legit just packed away because I need some space. But they are patient, and when I feel like it, I can pull them out again. I don't think there is an obligation to do a certain thing, or at least this much of said thing, with a doll to mean that it means something to you. It's yours, simple as that. Please do what brings you joy.

 

I'd be lying if I said yes. I do love all my dolls, but I do have one that I would my favorite, second favorite, etc. But I don't think that there's anything wrong with that, though, since different dolls have characteristics I like more. Sometimes each doll is my "favorite" depending on the aspect of the doll. For instance, I like my Myou Michelle's faceup and sculpt the most, but I like my KDFs posability way more.

 

No. I was so happy handling my first MSD after just collecting tinies for seven years, it made me realize that some of those I just like and don't love should be sold on to new homes. I have sold a few in the past once I was certain I was ready to let them go. For the moment I've got most of those I'm least in love with in their boxes/carrier bags. I won't sell any of them unless I'm really sure I want to let them go.

 

Pfft, no way. I have a couple of 'grails' - love at first sight, limited editions that I missed out on - and I could not stop searching until I brought them home. They are my favorites, and the rest of my beloved crew will just have to deal with it, lol. They're chunks of resin, and they don't care if they take second place. I'm certainly not going to feel guilty about it!

 

I definitely have favorites! The way I think about it is if I only had a little bit of space when evacuating for an emergency, who would I choose to bring? If I could only grab 5 dolls, I know exactly who I would be taking. Hopefully I am never in a situation like that though!

In addition to that, I'll cycle between being more into dollhouse size/tinies and MSDs, in regards to who I craft for, buy things for, and take pictures of.

In regards to your question, I think you need to let yourself off the hook. I used to feel guilty for picking favorites between my dolls and stuffed animals, but I think it's normal and unavoidable. Making myself feel bad about it would just take away from my enjoyment of this hobby. It's supposed to be fun, not a guilt-trip. I have one doll I don't really love anymore (Lati Blue Cara) but she was my first MSD and I probably wouldn't be able to get another one if I wanted to in the future, so I've chosen not to sell her. I dress her up sometimes but mostly she sits in a cabinet, and I'm okay with that. For me, keeping her is the best option, and that's the decision I'm happiest making.

However, I did sell my second-ever BJD. It was a boy I bought on impulse and I figured out that I just don't like boy dolls! I felt bad for buying him on impulse and didn't enjoy having him so I sold him and felt much better. Having him around made me feel bad.

 

I also think it's very okay to wait, put a doll away, and let yourself have the breathing room away from the doll. Someone here on DoA made a statement about not needing to rush through craft projects for them because, "the dolls aren't going anywhere," and that resonated with me both when it comes to crafting, as well as when it comes to feeling excited about the doll.

I have a full doll and a head that I intend to do a huge project with at some point, but as they sat out, no progress being made, I started to resent them a little bit. I put them back in their boxes and into the closet... and now I like them more? It's easier to be excited about the project and think about them sometimes when they're not always staring at me, expecting me to be working on them or interacting with them when I don't have the time or desire right now

Regarding the favorites, I have three, depending how I feel like ranking them in the moment.

My Myou Snow Delia (profile pic) gets honorary "first doll" status.. even though she's not quite my first doll, she came in around the same time as a couple I had ordered and got the bulk of my attention because she just was so much better than I even imagined. So receiving her was much more memorable than any others around that time.

My Alchemic Labo Latea was my grail, and once I got her, I really haven't felt the need to purchase any other dolls since. So it's clear to me that she really filled some specific spot of desire in my heart, and I just LOVE to see her. She is so beautiful and perfect to me.

And finally, my Hypermaniac Sirang made me understand the concept of "bonding" with a doll. There are so many aspects to her that make her special to me, and I feel like I "found" her because when I saw her face on a secondhand listing she just seemed so fascinating... and then to learn how old she was made her seem SO cool. When she arrived, truly, her face just was so engaging that I love to keep her on my desk these days... and I was also inspired by some of the imperfections and workarounds that comprise her body... it's clear back in 2003 people didn't all "know" how to make the bodies fully posable by casting single pieces, etc., so I appreciate the historical interest of her construction as well.

Sometimes I think about whether it's funky that I can't decide my favorite favorite out of those three, and it changes depending on what aspects I'm thinking about in the moment ... haha. But I have such passion for those ones that I do really feel a little guilty for the other ones sometimes

 

While I do try and give them equal attention, the truth is that my first doll will always be the most "special" to me. In my case, my DOT Camine holds huge significance for me, and so in that sense I love him more than my other dolls. I think this is very common though - people love their dolls but often have that one that just hold a special place in your heart, for whatever reason.

Of course though, I do love each and every one of my dolls and couldn't part with any of them.

 

No, I don't.
I love my SMD because she's unbreakable and great for travel and photography.
I love my AOD because she's a shell of my ffxiv character.
I love my DV foxy cause she's cute and tiny.
I love them all, but not equally, but all for different reasons.

 

I definitely play favorites! But how can you not? There’s sentimental value with the first doll or extra excitement with a limited edition one, or just that love at sight. And I don’t feel guilty about it, unlike my dogs!

 

No, haha I always have a favourite. However my favourite changes depending if I get something in for them, my mood and other things. Right now I love my Nanuri 19.2 the most haha

 

When I entered the hobby, I decided to research each doll I got a crush on because I have a lot of doll crushes. I read the sculpt discussion threads; look at a lot of photos to determine how flexible the sculpt is for styling; and watch marketplace threads of the sculpt. I keep researching until I either get bored looking at it or the crush converts to love. The research phase gives me time to save up. I love all my dolls (I have 14 dolls). Some get more play than others, but everyone gets attention. Each one has its charms.

 

Nope! I think tastes change over time and I used to feel bad when I no longer felt the same about a doll. I don't feel guilty anymore. Once I am at a point I am no longer enjoying a doll it is time to move it on. Sometimes I never enjoy a doll and try all different looks to try and enjoy them but it just doesn't work out.
I have said a million times that if I could see them all in person there are a TON of dolls I never would have bought. When I decide to let a doll go that is it. I do try and keep any money I make selling cycled into dolls, and I have gotten to own a lot of dolls I never though I would this way.

 

lol nope. I have one clear favorite, then I have what I think of as my "top 5" (my fav is such a fav he's above the top 5 even), and then a top 10, which shuffles around depending on how I feel about my dolls. Then all the rest. And even out of those, some days I like some of them better than others.

 

I for sure have favorites. But then I think I also just love them in different ways if that makes sense?

 

I can't explain it but having a Woosoo like...my other dolls never had a chance lol. But I love them all, he's just...the clear favorite.

 

I’m newer in bjd collecting but I’m sure I’ll eventually fall out of love with a doll, I think it’s natural for our taste to grow and change. So far weirdly enough I have noticed I decide if I love the doll the minute I first open their box. I’ve had about 7 MSDs in my possession and with 4 of them the love was just instant. Those 4 I love equally, with moments of favouritism going around XD. With the other 3 I just didn’t feel all that happy when I opened them, and no amount of time seemed to resolve that. So I think I have dolls that are ‘My Dolls’, and dolls I just don’t have the courage to sell yet.

 

I love all my dolls but I got to admit that i love some more than others. I admire them all but when I get my eyes on the favorite ones Im in an awe staring at them.