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

Normally, if I buy anything I make it a big purchase. (Well, a couple hundred dollars.) I do it to save on shipping and wait time but every time I do it I feel like "OMG, I spending so much!"

 

I was surprised at how much a Realpuki costs once Aki actually arrived, about the same as one of my MSDs XD but! I love her.
In terms of buying THINGS for my dolls I'm super thrifty.... I find alternative shoes all the time i.e. Tesco winter boot xmas tree decorations (they look like fluffy white uggs) that fit my SDs
shoes are the One thing i Cant make myself but I am good at finding bargains

 

I KNOW I've spent too much money. I have ten completed dolls and another on the way, with two floating heads and I'm still looking for more. Then there's clothing, wigs, and eyes for everyone. And my cheapest doll was $350. I'd really rather not think about how much they've cost me. I've been in this hobby for ten years now, so I've had plenty of time to rack up the BJD expenses. I started as a teenager who couldn't afford anything on her own and somewhere along the way, I transformed into an adult who could probably buy that multi-thousand-dollar grail if she was willing to risk it all. :P

Sadly, that doll won't be coming home anytime soon (unless I get the biggest windfall of all time), because I really do try to be responsible with my money. I put as much as I can in savings (as in not doll funds) and make sure I have enough for bills + other expenses. However, that doesn't really change the fact that I have a huge investment in my dolls. They're extremely therapeutic for me and I love the ones I have more than words can say, and so I think that money has been well-spent. But I won't lie, I still drop $100 or so if I see something for them that I absolutely have to have, and I'll scrimp and save until I can afford a wishlist doll (usually with the help of family or my boyfriend who pitches in as a present - my SDC Kaede was a very special joint gift from my divorced parents on my last birthday, for example) and then I'll drop a ton of money and freak out.

 

I feel like I've spent waaay too much on this hobby, ha ha. I still can't believe how expensive dolls are. Of course, I wouldn't sell off my dolls for the same amount of money, so I don't regret spending too much. It's a strange mixture of guilt (at being so irresponsible with money) and relief (that I got the dolls I wanted so badly). I can't bring myself to buy extra clothes/wigs/eyes, though. It's a hurdle I'm still trying to overcome. My dolls almost never get to change clothes, poor things.

 

There are times when I do feel guilty, I'm still fairly new to the hobby. Buying clothes and accessories that cost about the same or even more than me is surreal. But there is a sort of satisfaction that it brings. This is a character of mine that I can pose, take pictures, change clothes and much more! I think it's more about spending responsibly, and knowing where your priorities are. I don't mind spending the extra money as long as it makes me happy in the end.

 

Yes of course
It's very expensive
I feel guilty sometimes to buy a doll instead a jacket for me
but I buy dolls anyway

 

I feel guilty after buying a doll usually because their so expensive but not for the clothes and shoes and such because thats less... even though it can add up >< I usually space it all out so I dont feel as bad about everything.

 

I think it's hard to see all that money go into resin, but it the end what makes you happy is more important.

 

It depends on how I earned my money and how I spend the rest of my money.
If its straight from my paycheck: I feel a tad bit guilty because that money should be going towards something more like savings.
Or it could go towards a nice dinner date with my husband, but if we really need to save money we tend to cut out our luxuries.

If I earned my money on the side: Heck no, that's my hobby money. I don't draw for free, and when I do its for myself. Call me a selfish artist, but if I'm sweating over someones OC, I better get paid. Holla holla makin dolla for my doll... er- ah.

 

I'm 47, disabled led since I was 28. Nearly fatal car accident. Haven't been able to read for pleasure anymore. Some of my injuries are physical and permanent. My husband has a good paying job. Believe me I paid for it with my life.
I don't have children but I do have my dolls. I suffer from chronic depression as well. Somehow after all that, I don't feel too guilty about the money I spend on my dolls. It's about all I have anymore. Only thing I feel bad about is not doing enough with my dolls. I need to do more with them.
Need help with natural fibre wigs and learning how to handle them properly. Also want to make some handmade clothes and shoes for them.
Waste of money. Definitely not.

 

My dolls fall into 2 categories: dolls that I love as much or more after they arrive as I did when I saw them online, and dolls that disappointed me after they arrived. Buying dolls without seeing them in person first, is like gambling. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes not. You have to be able to take that risk to get something you truly love.

With the dolls that disappointed me, I do feel like I spent too much or even totally wasted my money. You can never sell them for as much as you paid, even if they are still new, and selling them also takes a long time. So I feel cheated and that I wasted my hard earned money. But with the dolls that I love, I never feel I spent too much. I feel they were totally worth every penny. Fortunately I love most of my dolls. But I'm disabled and retired too, and my income is very limited, so when I buy a doll I'm not totally happy with, it really hurts.

 

My son accused me of having $20,000 in dolls. I laughed and then wondered how much I really have sunk into the 16 beautiful dolls I have. So I added it up and it didn't reach $5000 in the 3 years I've been collecting. I make most of their clothes and get bargains where I can find them. They look great, some are strange so maybe he thinks I spent more on those, but I am the one who modded them into their strangeness.
I don't think I have spent too much on my dolls over the years but then I'm not the one who bought the largest curved screen TV on the market either.

 

LOL SteamWitch I had to giggle when you mentioned the big TV. My family is like that. My brothers think nothing of spending thousands of $$ on their "toys", but if they actually knew what I spend on dolls, they would probably say I was wasting my money.

 

Personally, I don't think I've spent too much yet. I bought two mid-priced dolls in short succession, which had a high up-front price tag, but I got them for the purpose of making their clothes and doing their faceups and practicing my photography and so on, so the expenses should level off from here. When I feel myself wanting to buy more more MORE (there are so many adorable/gorgeous dolls out there!), I remind myself of other things on the horizon that I need to put my money towards--namely, student loans and my wedding--and it helps me stay on track.

Now, I have a couple things I feel strongly about and would like to say (sorry for the long post):

First, about "dolls as investments." Unless you are actually buying the dolls AS an investment, i.e. carefully researching market trends, buying limited editions and leaving them mint in their box, or otherwise buying dolls as collectible items with the intention of reselling them, then... no. Just no. Sure, one silver lining in this expensive hobby is that dolls do hold their value better than a lot of other hobbies/toys/leisure goods, but they're not gold; you will in all likelihood get something back if you end up giving them up, but it's a gamble whether you will be able to recoup the majority of what you spent, let alone making money. If you love dolls, then buy dolls, but don't try to rationalize spending more money than you comfortably can/should by telling yourself that "it's an investment." You're just setting yourself up for all kinds of trouble and frustration if you do. (Although if you're just using the term "investment" to mean "putting a good chunk of money into something that will bring you years of enjoyment," then yes, they definitely can be that.)

Secondly, be very careful of comparing yourself to others. This works in a lot of ways.
>One is the "well, so-and-so spends more on such-and-such, so it's ok" line of thinking which I keep seeing mentioned in this thread. On the one hand, yes, maybe they are being hypocritical and narrow-minded about what is "worth" spending money on; on the other hand, maybe their spending is unhealthy or wasteful or compulsive, in which case it may not be the best measure against which to be judging your own habits.
>Same goes for receiving criticism on the costs of dolls. Maybe, like I said before, they're just narrow-minded, in which case you do you and pay no mind to that kind of negativity. Maybe, though, they are genuinely concerned for your wellbeing, and from their vantage point it really does look like you might be heading towards trouble. Don't beat yourself up about the former, but don't just disregard the latter.
>Furthermore, in comparing yourself to other doll collectors, you might be tempted to think "sure, I've spent a lot, but that person spent ten times what I have, so I'm fine," or you might see someone else's dolls and feel like you have to spend more money to get where you want to be in the hobby. Everyone is coming from different places, with different backgrounds, incomes, needs, goals, etc., that you may not see.

In general, just be mindful and truthful with yourself, so you can truly enjoy your hobbies without guilt. Also, do put something in savings, and don't just ignore your finances because you don't like thinking about money...

Bonus fun fact: what people are talking about regarding "I could have done this/bought that/gone there with all my doll money" is called the doll's "opportunity cost." It's the cost of the doll in terms of what you're giving up in order to get it. If you wouldn't have done anything meaningful with that money (or time) anyway, then the opportunity cost is very low because you're not giving up anything; if you're sacrificing things that are really important to you, then the opportunity cost is very high. Just another thing to consider in thinking about "how much have I spent in this hobby."

 

As longs as you aren't putting yourself into dept and you get pleasure out of it, why not? When out for dinner it is easy to spend £60 or more on a night out on drink and partying. At least when you spend the money on your doll you have it for as long as you want and not flushing it down the toilet.

 

The accessories and clothes can seem expensive (and worth their price) though I see them more as opportunities to NOT buying further dolls.
The good thing with BJDs is that they never stay the same. My dolls' initial personalities barely exist anymore. My dolls are like chameleons, forever changing. And new accessories and new clothes help their transformation.
And, as other people said, who cares as long as you can pay your bills and don't threaten your future by buying these extras?

 

I know a lot of people spend over 1000 and I'm not even close to just one lol. But yeah I feel like I've spent to much even though I haven't actually spent all that much. The people in my life make me feel guilty for evey doll related purchase so maybe that's it?

 

I know that I've spent far too much in the eyes of others, but it's something that makes me happy and I have fun, so it doesn't really bother me too much.

 

I haven't spent "too much" as in I put myself in debt or that I couldn't take care of myself, but sure, I know I've put a lot into just my one doll so far. There are people who spend less than me, and people who spend more. For the most part, the price isn't what matters to me, especially when layaway exists. It just matters that I'm happy with my purchases.

 

I have spent a lot but in the end, it's what makes me happy that matters. The only thing I will say is that I rushed a bit with my purchases and should have waited longer between them and paced myself. Now I have one completed doll, one floating head (no face up) and a headless body (they can't be matched up since I want the character to be on a different type of body) that I can't really progress on because I had sudden other commitments I had to prioritise my money for.