I'm not certain that "crazy doll lady" would be the appropriate term. Pretty sure my dolls won't eat me after I'm dead. :P Jokes aside...meh? A sizeable portion of adults today either watch cartoons/anime, read comics/manga, play video games, or collect figures/figurines. Collecting dolls isn't exactly going be the first thing on people's make-fun-of-for-"not-growing-up" agenda, nor is it out of the norm for how people spend their leisure (i.e. doing what they did as a kid, but with adult insight in mind). In any case, being stereotyped as a crazy woman in a rocking chair with her dolls is preferable to me than being stereotyped as a fat manchild with a Cheeto-puff-stained T-shirt that owns hundreds of body pillows. lol
That boat has already sailed before I even left my teens. I’ve always had dolls and I can’t see myself ever not having them. Since I treat bjd as another artistic hobby and I’m writing their story, and getting ready to assume the Comparison Heaven website, my creative friends just take it in stride as a thing I do and I don’t really care what the general public thinks. I’m not really much of a geek/nerd, those were labels I kind of worked at to escape back when they were not cool, lol...and I’m not into fandoms so I’m often pushed a little forward as the more normie among my doll bunch here and I hosted the bjd meets at the library with a friend for quite a while, quite official, or so it seemed, heh. Sometimes making it a Society or a Club lends the gravitas needed to not get the weird looks and questions, it worked for us anyway. But yes, behind the scenes, crazy doll chick 4lyfe.
collecting is a natural habit for most humans. We place value on items that have special meaning or make us feel a certain way. Out group just happens to be attracted to dollies.. being labelled 'crazy' is just a way to make you feel bad for what is natural.
I am pretty sure that I will be - or maybe already am? - that ‚crazy doll person‘, and I am not ashamed of being in love with dolls, and basically toys of all kinds. My doll collection has a worthy rival in my LEGO collection... Then there my anime figurines... the Skylanders... and the MLP toys... and finally all my LARP, tabletop and RPG stuff... My house is basically an adult child‘s paradize.
I am 24 in a months time and my entire home is filled with all kinds of collectable toys.. so my dolls just feel right at home here... I move them around the house and I’m really not concerned about them becoming a larger part of my collection anyone who comes into my home knows who I am and I’m definitely not one to hide my hobbies or interests.. personally, I hope my dolls multiply to the point of creeping people out, because for some reason that makes me really happy
I am pretty new to the hobby and apart from my MH-doll-collection I have only a few BJD's... obviously that is enough for my friends, because to them I already are the "crazy-doll-person" Personally, I don't care. I have always been considered weird and my closest friends are used to it. I am what I am
Not really. You only turn to the crazy doll lady if you accept that you might've become crazy doll lady.
I definitely feel like I have too many BJDs. In a very short span of time I accumulated a large number of dolls, cause getting them kind of became like an addiction. o.o But many of them don't even have clothes or shoes or wigs so there's no point in displaying them! Plus, I don't have room for them all.
I got to thinking about this more after re-reading the OP and some of these concerns are so relevant, I have a little more to say... This fits so many people in hobbies...I really dislike the mainstream media for ridiculing hobby or even lifestyle-based things by focusing on some sensational views-grabbing cases that do not represent anyone but the few most outre examples in any given lifestyle or hobby. Anime? Sure, interview the pillow-toting so-called western ‘otaku’! Lolita fashion? Find the living dolls! Online gamers? Find the most basement dwelling Cheeto-encrusted awkward ones. Females into manga or fanfic? Focus on fujoshi! Goths? Find a Satan worshiper or cutter if you can. BAH!! No wonder so many people are hesitant to be forthcoming with their hobbies even when most of us are none of the above, most doll collectors will NOT become ‘crazy doll ladies, creepy doll guys, insert some other negative doll person stereotype here’ But good luck trying to successfully put this across in general when so many peoples first impression is a negative one. On the other hand, maybe it’s time for some of us who do not care what people think (and who have the luxury of not having to care about it!) to start that blog or YouTube channel.
Tbh I wouldn't care about the label that much I've always had labels attached to me "crazy teddy girl" "weeb" "Ladyman" stupid stuff and tbh that's all it is just a label that means nothing, don't let it ruin what you enjoy
I do not care how people see me and my dolls. I love them. I have spent a lot of time and money on them.
Not really. The "crazy doll lady", like the stereotypical "crazy cat lady", is an invention created by a society that can't stand single women who are independent and don't need a man to give their life meaning. So instead of saying oh, she takes such good care of her cats, or oh, her doll collection is awesome, they say we're hoarding and crazy. I do not care what society thinks. I like both cats and dolls.
Honestly most of my coworkers would probably be confused if they learned I found joy in BJDs because of an incident several of us had in getting creeped out by a doll who used to be in my workplace. Some past employee or volunteer had made a child-sized cloth doll that used to sit out on display. While close up it didn't look particularly realistic, its size made it easily mistaken for a child at a distance, scaring anyone who came upon it unexpectedly (especially if the lighting was dim). Finally, to the relief of all, someone took it out of the building and gave it to their very young granddaughter, who reportedly loved it. What startled me was not it being a "creepy doll" but coming up on something unexpectedly and having it be something other than what I thought it was. I don't have to worry about that with my MSDs - they're stylized, miniaturized versions of my characters and couldn't be mistaken for children in the dark. xD That said, everyone is creeped out by something, and it is hard to refrain from judgment when someone you know loves something that you find unsettling. Someone who's afraid of spiders or snakes would have a hard time visiting someone who had pet tarantulas or boa constrictors, for example...so I'm sure someone who's afraid of dolls would be unsettled if they visited me and saw my dolls. I'm self-conscious and have a hard time explaining what I enjoy/why I choose to live my life the way I do in general, so I usually keep my doll collecting to myself, though I don't actively hide it (I just don't really have visitors over to my apartment - not much space for social gatherings, and I'm not inclined toward social activities anyway). I know that part of of the negative perception of doll owners is a lack of understanding of the hobby, while part of it's a difference in lifestyle and in priorities. I find many pastimes and passions difficult to comprehend, but that doesn't make them any less valid or important to the hobbyists who find value and meaning and joy in them...something I try to remember when I worry that others might judge me (or when I start to judge others). Even within the hobby, I'm sure there's judgment - people who have cheap dolls vs. expensive dolls, one doll vs. one hundred, those who buy secondhand or those who buy new, those who own rare dolls and those who only get the most popular. "Crazy" means something different to everyone. As long as you know your limits and are happy with your hobby...well, it's likely impossible to never care what others think, for humans are social creatures, but hopefully your enjoyment can outweigh the judgment of others as well as make you more tolerant of the "crazy" collections of your coworkers, friends, and relatives.
Self control is definitely important. I feel like it is cool to express your love for doll but it’s not okay to to shove it in others’ faces and force them to understand. It just takes a while to adjust but at the end of the day everyone has a hobby and as long as it’s healthy it’s fine.
I don't see any conflict between being a mature, elegant person & loving dolls. Dolls are not a substitute for children for me as I never had/wanted any. They are beautiful examples of art & are definitely more elegant than many socially accepted collectibles. I'm in my 60s now & have been involved with dolls for over 30 years. (Having never liked them as a child this became quite the surprise to me.) I often refer to myself as a crazy old doll & cat lady but in a joking way. I don't consider having dolls as being anymore out of the mainstream as those who collect stamps or coins. In fact, dolls are the #2 collectible behind stamps & coins which are lumped together for some reason. If they were split, dolls would win hands down as the most collected item. I collect dolls & currently mainly BJDs which I see as the ultimate fulfillment of the type of doll I really want.
