Dolls and Conventions

I have yet to bring a BJD to a con yet,as she hasn't arrived.
When I do,I'll probably wrap her up well and put her in a sports bag I can have on my back.
Please,let her be here soon!

 

hm, i plan on taking my boy to acen 09 but i think it does depend in some way, on what convention you're going to. they're all kind of different. i've been told that people have been bringing their bjd's to acen for a while now, so i assume most regulars are educated with them in some way, or at least have seen them around. i went to acen this year for the first time since 2003 and i saw plenty of people holding dolls, i even went to a few of the bjd panels and it was a lot of fun. i had just ordered my doll a month or so before hand, so it really helped to hear from other doll owners, and be able to see them up close and etc.

 

I have been to a few cons/events at the Netherlands and so far I haven't experienced people being unrespectful to my dolls. Most people liked to take pictures of us together. And for the rest of the time, I was very carefull that no-one would bump against my doll. (I was holding her at my arm)

 

Wonderful, I'll likely see you at Fanime!

Personally I trust that "doll people" will handle my dolls with care. These are people that love these guys, not just their own and know how to handle them safely. I actually left my boy at the doll meetup at Yaoi-Con this weekend while I registered and came back to him posed with his hair styled (All of you at the con were awesome~)! It's funny, I was snuggling the Sard at the con for the millionth time while in line for the auction and his mom was actually laughing at how anal I was being about sunlight hitting him! It's important you treat any doll your handling with the same precaution you would your own if not more and I think most of us in the hobby understand that.

What you do need to watch out for is other people with no doll experience. I've never had anyone come and try to take a doll out of my arms or anything but I have had to remind people not to kiss his face because of his faceup. Also, not to try to stand him up as it's hard enough for me to do without him falling over. Most people don't mean any harm but they don't know better until you tell them.

 

I carried mine in my backpack, padded with a fluffy blanket. I had him out for about an hour, but most of that time was spent at the DoA meet, so I didn't notice any weird reactions specifically because of him. I was dressed in gothic lolita (he was dressed formally, and his vest matched me ^.^), so I'd been getting weird reactions all day anyways XD

 

This will be the first year that I'm interested enough in BJD's to attend meets and panels (though I went to one or two at Anime Festival Orlando last year, as my best friend had just received her two first dolls at the time). I'm a fairly serious cosplayer, and have been debating about how to handle both interests, as bringing around a doll (and an expensive one at that) can be quite a handful. Both myself and my cosplay group of friends don't typically like to carry more than we have to. While a con that I'm staying at the hotel for shouldn't be a problem, for I can simply go get my doll and then return him when I'm finished, the cons I go just for the day are a little different. I'm only attending Megacon for one day this year, so I'm still debating on if and how to handle bringing my doll for the meet.

Personally, whether in costume or not, I don't see how anyone would enjoy carrying more than one doll around without some sort of bag. You take so much risk doing that. I'm a relatively new owner, so I'm a bit paranoid about protecting an item that cost me so much money. All the details and advice about dealer rooms are true - even without a doll, juggling what's in your hands while you browse and pay for things gets hectic regardless if it's crowded or not. It's so easy to lose things (I've done it), drop things without realizing it, and I can imagine anyone motivated enough would try to lift something from you.

To each their own and what they enjoy - it's not my place to tell someone what to do with their belongings. I just know that unless you take precautions, it's really not a good idea to spend an entire convention carrying your collection in your arms.

 

Get a backpack-type doll carrier like those coffins they sell at Dollmore: this leaves you completely two-fisted free for SHOPPING. I am sorry, but dolls have to take a back seat when there is a Dealer's Room to be combed through. Shopping shopping shopping. Priorities.

It's also just common courtesy, when you're in a tight crowd, to mind all sharp fragile things you're carrying. Don't expect the crowd to take care of the doll for you, and don't expect them to part for you like the Red Sea. Gird thyself as though for battle, and expect impact. Carrier-bags are safer for your doll & better on everyone around you.

 

It's alright to bring them to cons just NEVER loose sight of them, better yet if at all possible don't set them down unless you're really sure they're safe.

We had a girl here in Indiana who just bent down to fiddle with her bag and had one snatched, luckily she got him back but it's scary none the less... Really though as long as you're careful it should be perfectly fine.

 

well if its Fanime I wouldnt be to worrie, everyone this is pretty respectful, ive goe there for 5 years
and there are always dolls there. this will be my first year bringing my Doll. but im pretty confident nothing bad will happen to him

and Junkyspot has a table in the dealers room every year ^_^ DOLLY BUYING lol so ya
I dont really think u have to much t worrie about and if u get there and decide u dont want your doll out in the convention hall. u can put him back in you hotel room for safty

 

I think that your doll would be okay. Just be sure to take someting to put them in when you don't want to hold them. Trust me, they get heavy and there are a lot of things to do at cons that require 2 hands.

 

I do not have a doll... and I never went to any cons..... but I am already prepariong to go to my first one (Otakuthon) and I will certainly have 2 dolls by then

I am also going to certainly bring them both >w<

I cannot wait

 

I second this!

Especially at Anime type cons where the dealer's rooms always seem to be crowded.

Lue's been to several Kawaii Kons, and one AWA com, and he stayed in his coffin carrier for forays into the dealer's rooms.

Lue's not real thrilled with being in and around crowds anyway, so he's much more comfortable staying in his coffin. =D
Lol, he does his shopping from inside his coffin too, and he has no trouble making his purchase wishes known!

Now, at the L.A. Worldcon he actually got to come out and do his own shopping in the dealer's room during one of the quiet periods. ^_^

Different type of con, different type of fan.

The only comment we got there was that people kept referring to him as a miniature version of me....

Err, Lue is a Volks MSD Kohaku....0_o ?!?

 

I went to Fanime with my girlie once. I had no problems whatsoever. I even went to the doll meet up there, you might want to go to that too. The people at the con and the doll meet were both respectful and cool.
Some tips:
-Just keep doll in box/bag/case if you happen to have a party in your room.
-If you spot fangirls running, hold your doll and step away.
-pray that you don't get randomly glomped. It would help if you didn't cosplay as fangirl material.
-Be aware of crowds (i.e. dealers room, movies, events)
-Might want to have somewhere to put him/her in when you shop or want to take pictures.
- And have fun showing off your doll
These are kinda no brainers but helpful i hope.

 

Well, at Oni-Con this past winter, I brought Kano, both days. With no carrier. I did have a slinged back pack though, so, when I didn't want him directly in my arms, I would move the back pack to the front and set him on it laying down so it almost looked like I was carrying a baby with me.

On the matter of leaving him with somebody else, one of the doll people had an Artist Alley table with a nice box on top of the table with plenty of room under that box, and under the table. So, a lot of us doll people just chucked(gently of course) our stuff under the table, and headed off to a late lunch before we had to go to the panel. Artist Alley tables are a very good spot to leave your doll as long as you can trust the people that are running the table.

Now, I'm planning on going to A-Kon this summer, and staying with a couple of friends, and hopefully cosplaying too. one of the roommates is a little scared of dolls, but, he's gotten much better with it, I'm able to hold Kano with him around and not have him freak out. But, I will only bring him out probably for the meet-up or if there's a panel, that. Or maybe if I find some fantastic miniatures in the dealer's room or artist alley and just want to be sure of the scale.

 

i'd have no problems bringing my dolls to cons, sadly, most of the doll owners where i live are over 30, and being very young i'm afraid that i would feel very awkward (plus it's boring to explain everyone that i have dolls because i worked to get them and i'm not a spoiled brat @__@)

 

I've done 3 trips to conventions with my dolls and so far nothing bad has happened to them. What it came down to was not taking all of them with me all day everyday of the con. I could only handle one or maybe two and be sure they were being cared for and be watched. Meet ups at the con, I just remind those I haven't met before to be careful with my dolls and to keep them over the table to avoid a nasty fall. I got a lot more questions over what type of doll they were as I carried them around than anything else.

If you are cosplaying I wouldn't bring more than one with you. If you can only handle one doll the first or second con, that's what you bring. I'm comfortable with bringing all of them with me if there is a meet up at the con, but most of the time I only have one or maybe two and I rotate them so they all get attention and that con experience.

I've taken my dolls to AnimeCentral and Midwest Fur Fest. No other cons as of yet, but I can say it is far easier at MFF as it is a way smaller con compared to Acen. Acen if I know I'm going in the dealer's room I tend to leave my dolls with a friend in AA or leave them up in the room cause Dealer's Room is a nasty place where items can fall and you not notice it until it's too late.

 

I am taking my doll in March or May to a historical re-enactment for a phoot shoot. I am very nervous about reactions from the public. I hope that no one asks to touch or hold my doll. That is what worries me the most.

 

I'm going to ACen this May in Rosemont, IL...I'll have my doll by then and I may take it with. It should be interesting to talk to other people that I don't really know about dolls (and maybe trade stuff). I might be a bit overprotective of other people handling or touching my doll though and I'd also be extremely careful with it myself.

 

last year at sakura con a friend brought her doll and from what i saw everyone was respectful. but as with anything, i wouldn't help myself to touch a stranger's belongings without asking. but it was definitely enough of a good experience that i don't have any second thoughts of bringing my hana...

 

I would heed those who have done this warnings as some of these cons can be so crowded and also remember the weight of the doll as it will be tiring after about 4 hours. I took tinies with me one year and it was not much fun. I worried to much so if I go again I would take a MSD at least. But it does inhibit me from taking pics and that was a major boo boo so I will take camera and not a doll so I can take pics.