Doll Meets: Why? What are they to you?

I like to look at other people's dolls--to see what they've done with wigs, faceups, clothes, etc--and I like to show off my dolls. I've been to only four meets, though. Two were at a convention, and I had the most fun at those. There were a ton of dolls, sculpts I had only ever seen in promo pictures. It was really neat to see how they pose and what the owners had done with them. I tried attending two local meets, but both times, only one or two people showed up and the venues were extremely public. I won't be trying to attend a local meet again. I am probably entirely too self-conscious, but I really prefer not to have "normal" people staring at my wierd hobby.

In my imaginary perfect doll meet, there would be a wide variety of dolls and doll-parents, and we'd meet in a private or semi-private location that is good for photo-taking.

I'm also totally blown away with the doll meets that the Russian group has been posting here on DoA. They choose a theme and everyone creates these amazing costumes and sets. That sounds like so much fun!!

 

I've only been to a couple of meets, and they were fun, but to be honest, they exhausted me. Meeting new people is hard for me, so meeting a lot of new people all at once kicks my social awkwardness to all new levels. I enjoyed looking at other people's dolls, and talking about them, but in the end, I think I'd prefer tiny meets with only a few people. I also prefer outdoor meets to homes, and I don't think I'd ever go to one at a restaurant -- with my luck, my doll would end up ruined somehow.

 

To be fair, Manami, you (along with many of the other current "regulars"-) started attending meets well after the period I'm remembering. They were already starting to be an over-crowded mess by then, and D&F's eventual move away from Crossroads didn't help. When the gatherings ALSO started to outgrow Oasis, it got even worse.

 

One girl with a doll, taking pictures = crazy doll lady
A flock of girls with dolls, taking pictures = artistic/photography group of ladies

There's strength in numbers.

Second this! It's bound to happen at any given meet. Last night I swapped dolls with a friend so we could check out posability, how clothes fit, etc. Our group moto is "it's not a real meet until somebody gets restrung". Most of our members travel to meets with a restringing kit.

There's lots of things I love about going to meets:
- Being able to chat with people about dolls
- Being able to chat with people about the characters/stories behind the dolls
- Hanging out with such a friendly, laid-back group
- Knowing that somebody is always willing to help if I have problems
- Seeing how people interpret the meet's theme

 

Doll meets really helped me get involved in the hobby. I've been in the hobby(and going to meets) for about five months. I went to my first meet because I knew a girl there and I wanted to see how the dolls worked in person. A very nice woman lent me a bjd that night (which I later purchased after falling madly in love with it) because she wanted me to have something to play with so I wouldn't rush into a purchase decision. Our group is large but not too large and every month so far there's always been someone new to talk to. There's usually someone fixing something, showing someone how to do something, trimming wigs, planing mods, showing off a new doll and taking pictures. People talk about their dolls back stories if they have them and the people who don't seem to understand and enjoy the conversation anyway. The group has been around for a long time and started out more about fashion dolls (I think) and then morphed into bjds but all dolls are welcomed and appreciated so we get to see some really cool dolls and bjds that we otherwise wouldn't. Every few months there's an optional challenge to make something for a theme which people do with whatever skill set they have.

It's perfect for me and based off of my experiences I think that it is possible for everyone to be happy.

 

I think to most outsider doll people, our local meets are probably horrifying as they take place in a Japanese restaurant's private room and while we all do gossip about dolls, we usually get into really nerdy discussions about other things and eventually we're spamming each other with youtube videos, in depth discussions of Neon Genesis Evangelion, and cheesecake pinup fanart of Disney princes. All of these have happened in the past. They're become more an excuse for our core group of local owners to get together and talk about anything while enjoying good food, checking out and showing off new dolls, and helping each other when necessary with resin matching, restringing, head swapping etc. We've got a lot of interesting collections between us so we all get to see dolls we wouldn't buy ourselves but are always cool to see in person.

I know I often have trouble just relating to someone as a doll owner as that is only one tenuous connection between two possibly very different people, so I like more relaxed meets where people get to know each other better and sometimes aren't entirely about the dolls, though I could talk about my dolls at length for hours should I be left to do so, I doubt everyone else wants to hear it. There is also that disconnect when you find out you are a different kind of collector than someone else, and the dreaded moment when you are left twitching over a doll that offends your eyes. I can be really blunt and I like going to meets where I know I don't have to mince words about this hobby. Our local group knows each other well enough we can have disagreements over dolls we actually own and be fine with that.

 

Our group is a pretty good size, but it seems we never get over 15 people at the most. We're all pretty good friends, most of us, so we can chat about nearly anything, and admire the dolls. We have done sewing meets, an overnight meet! (females only), resturants, the zoo, gardens, even mini cons, and a couple of us have gotten together to do faceup meets, if you'd like to call it that.

I am normally kind of quiet, listening rather than speaking a lot, but I actually enjoy myself. With all my friends either online, and our group scattered, I tend to have nothing to do on weekends. So when it's meetup time, I'm super excited! Sure, with gas being what it is, we've cut back to now every other month as the big group, but some of us do try to get together at least once a month.

 

I have still not yet been to a meet, and am actually afraid of going to one because of this topic, what if i expect one thing and get another, what if we get heckled by passer bys and or looked at disaproveingly, what if i don't get on with anyone and don't make new friends that i can hangout with for more than just the dolls?

 

Well, just because something wasn't what you expected doesn't mean you won't enjoy it Life can be funny that way. Passersby you just ignore, and honestly, there's safety in numbers. They're a lot less likely to make comments to a whole group. Most people don't make comments period, though, unless they are genuinely interested. You won't know if you get on with people or not till you meet them, but if you're with a group, you don't have to be best buddies with everyone there. Most likely there will be someone you'll hit it off with. Nothing ventured nothing gained you know.

 

I've only been to a couple of meets in the last ten years, but the reason I attend is the same reason I go to conventions--a sense of community, of belonging, of being with a bunch of other people who don't think you're weird.

 

I feel the same!

Though if a doll meet comes around in my area (amherst, northampton MASS) I would try it out.

 

I echo others in the getting a sense of community. I love getting together with the people who've been going to our meet ups for the past few years, seeing whats new with their dollies (and more so, themselves) and just having a fun afternoon with other people who share my niche little hobby. Since I don't really get down into the arts and crafts portion of the dolls, I prefer general meets (Man, I don't even really do photography, aha!) but will sometimes show up at workshop type meets to see if I can learn something. I also love seeing different companies dolls that I would have never seen in real life if it wasn't for the meets. Gives me a better idea of what I like and what I'm looking for in future dollies.

 

I wish our local group was bigger...

I like seeing other dolls in person and what people do with their dolls. I like to have someone to 'talk dolls' with too. Usually it's me rambling on to semi-bored/appalled family members. But it's nice to discuss the latest new releases, see a doll you had hoped to in person, and see your favorite dolls that belong to other people. I know I look forward to the local Victorian Winter Odette at our meets.

We even sell and trade things sometimes too.

 

I first started the hobby thanks to a friend and doll meets. Doll meets for me are more than just social interacting. I get to see and sometimes hold or explore various molds and models and sizes and resin colors and face ups. I get to see how this doll stands and how they sit. I use them as research for dolls I am considering or dolls from the same company. Sometimes I get to meet face up or mod artists and see their work or people like my friend Amu who knit or crochet sweaters and other various clothing.

I like discussing companies and their style or how they're changing or growing. I like getting critiques on doll characters I've created and how I can improve them or their image.

My friends. I don't get to see them all the time but its nice to catch up with them and their dollies.

 

Why do we go to doll meets? To meet people with a interest similar to mine and get to show off my dolls and see new dolls

what do we want from doll meets? I think this is the heart of my issues. What I want from doll meets is not what I'm getting right now.I am a very creative person, and I enjoy the creative aspects of the hobby like doing my own faceups, making the clothes, and taking pictures. So far, in my "local" (a meer 5 hr drive) theres one or two others that do faceups and that's it.

What I get is I do get to gossip about new dolls, and I get feedback on different customizes that people have used, and I get to hold new dolls. We haven't met in any locations that are good for pictures.

Is it possible that what people want from a meet varies with how they "use" the hobby?
Not for me it doesn't.

Is it possible to have a format for a meet that would make everyone feel welcome?
Tricky. I'd say no. In my area of the world in particular, there just aren't very many BJD collectors and so the chances that someone else who enjoys sewing for all the size ranges will show up to the same meet that I go to and want to discuss her sewing trials and triumps with me is really slim. People who don't make their own doll clothes will compliment you, but other than that they aren't interested in how you made it.
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I know I've been in the hobby for a long time but I would consider myself a casual participant. I am not sure what I expect when I meet doll owners but I am 100% always surprised by them. I can best describe the encounters as awkward.

When I had just gotten in to the hobby I stumbled upon a group of ladies at a convention and they were openly hostile. Like if you could call someone a "noob" in this hobby I think they would have called me that. Den of Angels was still a yahoo group then and I assumed everyone in the hobby was nice like the group. I was wrong! XD

My second encounter seemed alright until I invited the person to my home where she unjokingly scolded me for not "socialising" my doll more.

Still I met for a third time and she brought an out of town friend - that meeting seemed much more fun. I also got to see and hold new dolls. Sadly one owner was from out of town and the other owner moved out of the city.

I met another owner much later and...again it was awkward.

When I went to California my friend and I visited the Volks store. There were some doll owners there who were so intense that it was uncomfortable staying there.

I did stumble on a real meet at an anime convention last year. I would have loved to actually sit down with them since I brought my doll with me. Unfortunately I had to stand in line for almost 2 hours to get my tickets and when I got back they were gone. >.<!

~*~

I have concluded that I am either way too conservative and weird or I have been meeting the wrong people. I still want to go to a doll meet and have the kind of fun that's been written about. But doll meets are non existant where I live. Not enough doll owners.

 

For me it is a way to meet people with people with a common interest, and discuss things you wouldn't normally be able to often. I knew very few people that even knew about BJD's until I went to a doll meet, now I now lots. (:

 

Okay I can see why you're just a casual goer then! lol
If I had those experiences, I'd be beat with the meet-up thing
for a while. I also thought they were a bit awkward myself and in every
meet I've been to, I've had to start the conversation myself. @@

Are we all this antisocial? LOL

 

It alows me to meet others who have dolls.