does anyone feel like they've spent too much money?

Yes! I think the amount of money I've spent does not correlate to the happiness the dolls have given me. Sure, they're pretty and I enjoy them, but I think I should have stopped about 20 dolls ago. I have so many that I can't display them well, and I have to lock my new kitten out of my doll room because they won't all fit in places she can't reach. I imagine I'll still buy some in the future, but my goal is to stick with mostly tiny BJDs from now on.

Also, out of all my hobbies/interests, BJDs are one of the least important, but I've spent far more on them than my other hobbies combined. I hope one day I'll enjoy photographing them, but that's something I've been saying for years...I do think if I did something with them, I'd feel better about how much money I've sunk into the collection.

 

I think it's the same with any hobby you find yourself drawn to once you get past the beginner phase of not quite knowing what you want. There's kind of an initial sticker-shock, followed by a feeling of being in the big leagues...I think that happiness is essential, and no mere money can make me as happy as I am when I'm crafting or creating, for doll friends or human friends.

 

No definitely not. I know they are expensive but for the joy they give me they are worth it. To me they are works of art, something to channel my creativity into, very important OCs as well as the fact that just looking at them makes me feel happy. If I had spent the same amount on other things I doubt I would have gained so much. They have also been wonderful at cheering me up while I have dealt with a major illness. For these reasons I think they are worth every cent

 

Always, sometimes even felt guilty... before I started this hobby, I had never spent money like this. But when i am with my doll, I know they worth it, because they have brought my a lot of fun.

 

Occasionally I do feel bad. Mainly because I think, "Well you could have visited your mom with that money." Which is why I am trying to resist any more purchases for the rest of the year I think. The other way I look at it too in order to make myself feel better, I would have found something else to spend the money on anyways. At least this way in a way, it is an investment as well. Unless the dolls are marred, they for the most part keep their value. It isn't so drastic a difference from their original price that it scares me if I ever have to resell one. ...which I've almost ever considered seriously, ONCE. I was nearly heartbroken thinking I would have to too, but thankfully things worked out in the end.

 

I often think that. I often berrate myself for that. But I know I have a bit of a spending problem. :P If I wasn't spending all of that money on BJDs, I'd be spending it on tattoos.

I often get mad at myself because there are way more important things I need to save for like certain Elective Surgeries I will eventually need to get. /coughs But for some reason, I just find it extremely difficult to do so.

 

Sometimes

 

I disagree with thinking of these dolls as an investment. Generally, they aren't. Yes, they're more of an investment than upgrading your electronics regularly, eating out often, or many other things people spend money on. But once you factor in how much you're paying for the original shipping and Paypal fees, you lose a quite a bit. If you need to sell quickly, you'll get even less money. I noticed someone selling a brand new limited for less than half of what they paid for it, and it had been listed for months. Though, my view of selling might be a bit skewed because I tend to like less popular sculpts; maybe other dolls hold their value better than mine. Anyway, hopefully you'll never want to part with your dolls, and won't matter what their resell value is. I do think putting a hold on doll spending for a while and using the money to visit your mom would be great, though. In my opinion, there's no doll that's worth more than spending time with the people (or pets) you care about.

 

Oooh.I really like buy thing for my bjd. But I spend on it all my pocket money. It's worries me =( And my parents...=_=
Because of it I try to sew myself and make some stuff by myself...

 

All the time. In one year I bought 4 dolls. And since they are different in size - I had to buy whole sets of wardrobes for them. But... on the other hand - I do adore them and it makes me happy so why not?

 

YES. And I even buy only 3 dolls in all my life..... yet is too much I think. They are too expensive, beautiful but I really feel guilty to spend so much money. My third will be the last.... Im ok with 3 dolls!

 

When I first bought my doll I didn't feel bad at all. In fact, I was quite proud to have something so beautiful and uncommon in my possession. I got a Lusion Doll, so it was even a bit more uncommon than others, so that just made me more proud.

Until I got it 5 months later and took it into my work with me. I worked at a bookstore and went in to shop. I got wonderful, admerable compliments on my doll. And then one of my male co-workers came up, saw the doll and asked how much it cost me.

"A little over $2,000."

"$2,000! You could get a car with that kind of money!"

Which he was right, I could have, and I actually needed to...and sort of never did.

I did start to regret the decision afterwards, but the more I thought about it, the more I regretted all the rest of the money I blew elsewhere instead.

Then I felt better, ....kinda.

 

Sometimes but not really? Dunno if that makes sense. Yes it's a lot of money but I haven't spent it irresponsibly. I only spend what I can afford, I never buy on layaway only with cash in my bank account. My goal for this year was to not buy anymore new dolls (I've already broken that, whoops, but I'm going to try hard for no more!) so instead I've been spending money on wigs, shoes, eyes and clothes and I'm not sure that it's been any cheaper!
I get so much joy out of my dolls, I just can't regret it. I did a rough calculation of how much I spent on dolls in 2013 (my biggest year yet) and I averaged it out at a little over $100 a week, which is probably a lot... but in my younger bar-frequenting years I easily spent that much or more on basically nothing. So nope, no regrets XD

 

Yeah, but I felt like I spent too much money just entering this hobby in the first place, which is why I never committed.

 

I may have spent a little too much but I know he'll be worth it. I only plan on having two dolls so I can spoil them. If I wasn't spending my money on dolls, I would be buying, anime figures, plushes, video games, and other trinkets.

 

If you refer to 'right now' maybe there have been months where I felt I should have waited to buy something, etc. But overall? NEVER! These dolls might not be an 'investment' in that you won't probably MAKE money by selling them, but they hold their comparative value fairly well. Certainly a lot better than that cruise to New Zealand I will be making sometime (gotta see Middle Earth ya know), or my yearly trek to Dragon*Con, or even my subscriptions to Crunchy Roll, Drama Fever & Viki (feeding my KDrama obsession...). I have NO plans to sell my babies for the foreseeable future, but I will be giving them to my daughters when I'm senile LOL & at least one of my girls has every intention of selling them. Neither will get a dime from my cool memories of cons & cruises, but they will from this. And I get pleasure from it in the here & now.
BTB, you think some of these dolls won't be worth huge $$$$ in the future? As in, say, 100 years? Well, I invite you to go look at the current prices for Jumeau & BeBe dolls in good condition. If you've got 30 dolls & just ONE manages to hit that stratosphere, your descendants will bless you for your dollie obsession.

 

Yes.
But I don't really regret any of it. I try (TRY) to be very careful with my spending money, that it's pure spending money and not needed for bills. And usually only spend money from selling dolls or a second source of income, never my primary.
That said, yeah. I've spent a lot on these puppies that probably could of gone to "better" things, but that's relative anyway.
And sadly, no, most are not an investment. Unless limited or discontinued, I've found doll prices seem to drop over time since they get more realistic sculpts or better jointing etc that replace them in demand.

 

That's one of the things that's kept me form buying my first doll, worrying I'll spend too much.

 

some days, yes i do. others i'm like "heck with it!". I get a lot of flack for spending any money though, so even getting gas or new deodorant can be traumatizing. But i'm learning that its my money and as long as i can afford the stuff i need, take care of loans and bills, and keep a savings buffer, then i can do what i like with the leftover.

 

The only time I feel like I have spent too much is when I look at all the clothes and wigs I have and do not and may not ever use, yet for some reason can not bring myself to sell.