Doll Meet up etiquette?

Definatly do not touch the faces. I generally pick my own dolls up by their heads but other people will snap and get nasty with you if you touch their dolls face-up. I learned it the hard way! It's ok if your brushing hair out of their face but otherwise, avoid the faces!

Generally be a polite person, ask for permission before taking someones doll, make sure to handle them with extreme care. Also try and make conversation, i know people who are more quiet at meets creepy me out a bit and make the situation feel awkward. So be chatty and positive!

 

Oh yes, I agree! Definitely! It can be hard if you're shy, but nothing will come of it if you don't try and talk to people! After all, they share a love of the hobby too! You have at least one thing in common ^_~

 

I'm pretty much gonna end up saying what everyone else has said, they seem to have it pegged.

Be nice! No one likes a party-pooper :3
Bring things to fiddle with if you're going to a work meet. That's sort of implied, of course. But if you're not a sew-er or someone who makes things for your doll, bring something to mess with should everyone get really engrossed in their work (which is not uncommon)
Be chatty! Find something you have in common with the people (Dolls are implied), but if you find someone who enjoys the same music you do or like a movie you enjoyed, you have more things to talk about (Me and Kit found out we share a love of Gackt, Hyde and Miyavi XD)
You can ask where people got things, or who did their faceup if you really like it.
There's nothing I love more about going to a meet-up than taking pictures of everyone's dolls. But be sure to ask if re-arranging is necessary to get a good photo...you wouldn't want someone new to mess with your darling without your permission either, I suspect.
Like kuraiangels said, once you've been to a couple you'll be familiar with who allows you to do what with their dolls. Some don't care if their doll's faces are touched (though that's a general no-no) and others won't mind if you pose their darling.
And finally, if you're looking for someone to help you with re-striging or sueding or really anything, don't be afraid to ask on the meet-up thread for your area. But don't just show up expecting someone to be ready and willing. Mel-Mel was pretty much booked the entire meeting, and I thanked the Stars I had asked in the thread before I went to have my girl re-strung...

It'll be fun, though. No doubt about that. I love doll-meets :3

 

Sounds like good tips. I'll keep these in mind if I ever go to a doll meet. *nodnod*

 

One thing that embarassed me when I went to an out-of-state doll meet during the summer was when I pulled out my camera and took a picture of someone's doll without realizing that the flash had accidentally been enabled. I know that flash isn't a huge deal, but some people don't like using flash on their dolls and I felt a little awkward afterwards. Moral of the story, make sure you either A.) know what the doll owner would rather you not do to take a picture, or B.) take a picture of the ground as a "test" to make sure it's in the right mode.

 

Wow, I never even thought of what other people would think about using flash! O.O Good advice!

 

Is flash actually a resin problem...? O_O;

 

I just don't like flash because it washes out the details on a doll. I've never heard of it being a problem for any other reason.

 

Flash has no damage but if it's prolonged flash (constant people taking pictures of your doll repeatedly) I think it "fades" the face-up - sorta how art museums have "no-flash" cameras because it fades paintings. But if your doll is under flash like paintings - nearly 24/7 - then I'd worry about it... but since majority of dolls aren't, I don't think there are any damages :3

 

This is kinda repeating but just be polite and by all means Do Not Touch The Face! And of course ask to hold someone elses doll. Once you go to one you'll be able to feel out how they usually go pretty quickly. So don't be to nervous ^^ And have fun!

 

Being chatty is important to make yourself more at home, but I, being a shy one myself, have noticed that it's really hard to do if the "regulars" don't make the same efforts towards you. I'm not sure if it's cultural or not (I'm from the Netherlands), but at a lot of meets I went to the atmosphere was like "Yay, us hardcore meetpeople/best friends are together again!!! *insert horsing around and having fun* Oh hi newbie *continue horsing around and haveing fun*" (Someone actually said to me "Why would I have to go greet you and say "nice you're here"? Everyone already knows we like to see them." ) I was taught by my (American) Sensei to always go and introduce myself to the new people in the group and welcome them. This helps you get through your own shyness and through the other person's and it'll make you both feel better^^. I do admit, if noone seems to be willing to make that effort, I'm not very much inclined to either, sadly.

And yes, ask before touching a doll! I still can't get over the fact that someone took my doll, pulled off wig&silicone cap, opened her head, adjusted her eyes and started posing her to take pics without asking me (posing her with her hands along her cheeks, with a single jointed doll, off course the hands slipped a few times, and then she had the nerve to tell me there's a very small spot of damage in her faceup).

I never thought about people shutting you out because of the orientation of your doll though, that's something that just doesn't happen in Dutch meetups AFAIK. I do wish some people would be a little more considerate when putting their dolls together in lewd poses on meets, especially if it's outdoors meets and especially if it's questionable couples. If you must act out such things, do it somewhere private, in the bushes or something:P But I suppose that kind of stuff happening on some meetups is Dutch too^^;;

 

Another point, if you do have the meetup at a restaurant or cafe type place, it's probably better not to order greasy finger food. It makes some doll owners nervous to see oily things near dolls and the whole hand-food then hand-doll thing. It's not nice.

 

Dutch meet ups are very different. (noting to shuri's post). Most of us are very good friends, know eachother very well and we pretty much only use a doll meet as an excuse to see eachother again! Because we know eachother so well, we know how each owner wants their doll to be handled. We still ask eachother if we can hold eachothers dolls, but we really do trust eachother and are careful with someone elses doll ^_~

Its true that if there is a newcomer or a shy person around that the situation might be akward to them because we are so close. If you have a situation like this.. just try to join in on the conversation! Don't be discouraged because they know eachother very well.. join in! It might be the start of something great

 

Well, I was on my first two weeks ago and I've sent the Organizer a message before (so it's easier to organize food e.t.c.).

Normally the people are very polite and nice. Always ask If you can hold someone else Doll, talk with the people and let them hold your doll too ^^ Be sensible and just care for the other dolls like you would like other people to care for yours

 

I actually went to my first meetup by accident (it sort of happened after a panel at an anime convention), and am now utterly terrified to go to another one. I don't have my doll yet, and most people didn't seem all that interested to talk to me. I really, really tried to talk to people, but I didn't have much to say because I have no doll. It took me the whole panel to work up the courage to tell the lady next to me that I thought her boy was gorgeous. I also got the feeling no one took me seriously because I'm only sixteen, and I didn't have my doll - like they didn't believe I was really saving up.

It's not like everyone ignored me (two ladies in particular were very nice, one even let me hold her doll!) but my advice is definetely to have a doll. It's weird if you don't and made me about ten times more nervous than I usually am around people.

 

I haven't been to any yet, but a friend of a friend actually had one of her doll's faceups scratched. On purpose. She hasn't gone to a meetup since. So if you feel like someone is having issues with you, don't let them near your doll; they're an easy target for bad people.

Generally this doesn't seem like a problem. But it can and does happen, sadly.

Laela; I had the same feeling when I meet some BJD owners at a con this fall. Some of them were very nice and even let me hold one, but others seemed to feel like they didn't believe I was serious about getting one. >>;

 

these were helpful for me too^^ thanks

 

I disagree with this statement. Remember that meetups at cons are NOT the same experience as a meetup outside a con. At a con, there are so many other distractions, and people who have been harassed for carrying a doll all day (as often happens at cons) may be more wary to a stranger who expresses interest. Con meetups are just really, really different from other meetups, in so many ways.

In general, people without dolls are more than encouraged to come to non-con meetups! Most people love to share their doll knowledge with others, and it's also a great way for newcomers to see a wide variety of dolls and decide what types or sizes they'd be interested in.

Here are the rules we have at our big local meetups (usually over 50-60 attendees):

• Be respectful! Always ask permission before handing another owner's doll.
• Only bring as many dolls as you can care for.
• Keep food and dolls separate.
• You are responsible for your belongings and anything that might happen to them, so be mindful of your dolls and possessions at all times.
• Have fun!

I also think it's polite to ask permission before taking photos of a doll whose owner you don't know very well. I know it can be unnerving to have strangers snapping photos over your shoulders while at a meetup, so I always make sure to ask if it's okay. So far, no one has turned me down! It's just a common courtesy thing.

 

i find this really really silly :/

at a con you'd expect curious poeple to come up who don't have dolls and want to talk and ask about them. because it's not a doll only kind of setting.

to discourage someone who is new to them at a setting like that, exspeically at a panel, or after a panel at a meet up, that is meant to introduce new poeple to the hobby is really goofy in my opinion. they should be more open to newcomers espeically those with out dolls.


and laela i totally understand. at some of the bigger cons we sometimes get some really mean and rude people. and it's horrible how they treat people who are new and show genuine intrest.

at a bjd panel at otakon, a little boy with his mother came and he brought his blythe doll. he was saving for his first bjd. and was 12.

well during the panel a bunch of people were sliding up and putting thier dolls on the stage for pictures and such and people to look at. he tried to follow suit and put his doll up next to mine. cause he knew he could move mine to hold his.

the lady giving the panel stopped the panel, to tell the little boy and i quote "get that ugly thing down off there. it is not a ball jointed doll and it's hideous no one wants to see it. take it back." a very large portion of us were down right appauled with her behavor and rudeness to him and had a minimeet up with him after wards down the hall so he could see our dolls and play with them.

there are very rude people at cons, but usually they aren't the ones who go the meets outside of cons i will also say that. we have a few rotten apples in our area that go to cons, but they never come to our meet ups. and i'm sure that'd it be pretty safe to say the same for your area as well.