Dolls and Conventions

I've brought various dolls to a lot of anime cons and through airports (including my Bermann and a couple Volks limiteds), with no real bad experiences, and no damage to the dolls. There are always people who will be interested, and there will always be that idiot who makes the snide comments... I try to talk to the people who make the good comments, answer questions and encourage them, and just politely ignore the rest.

I do always bring a carrier or a large purse that I can fit them in if I don't want to carry them in my arms in the halls, which happens sometimes, especially in thicker crowds.

Also, I've made a new rule for myself... if I don't have a room at the con or a car to lock them up in (with weather allowing me to do so without frying them), I only bring one doll... or a couple small ones that add up to one big one. Because trying to carry them around all day without a room to put them in safely when you get tired of carrying them really sucks.

I'd probably treat them with about the same safety as, say, a laptop. I take bags into the handicapped stall with me if I can't fit into a regular one, and I never leave them unattended for even a minute. I've never really suspected that they might disappear, but all the same...

 

A lot of people liked them, actually. You'll probably get a lot of positive attention. I didn't get any flak, either. Because men dressed as Sailor Moon don't really have any room to give someone a hard time about carrying a doll. lol

 

I'm going to be watching this thread for responses! I'm planning on going to anime Iowa this fall and want to bring my darlings (will have to find a shinigami uniform for Rukia though! The doll, I'm going as Yachiru.) with me.

La

 

I just took my dolls to Ohayocon, and I carried Vincent my 70cm DZ Wing around all day. A few people asked to take his picture. Most people who noticed him, liked him and were very respectful. I also took my Pipos Baha. She got handled a lot more, people were very curious about her, but still she was treated kindly, loved and respected. It helps that we had a good turnout of BJD's so a lot of people walking around had them, and there were quite a few hanging out with their people in Artists' Alley This was my first con experience in many years, and my first ever with my dolls. It was good. I'll take my dolls again.

 

We usually have an Artist Alley table at ACen every year... and I put my dolls on the table... but I dress them in their finest and usually stand them on stands, so people recognize that they're something they probably shouldn't touch.

We've also carried them around, and when we do this, generally everyone is really respectful... I think there was one time when someone made grabby hands and snatched up one of the dolls... but despite their pushy means of getting a hold of it, they were very delicate with it once they had it.

 

I am going ot bring my Naomi to Megacon coming up and I was concerned abou the large crowds, but I never thought about people wanting to hold her and what if someone were to try and Doll-nap her! Would a leash on her be considered a good or bad idea? Maybe one that would strap around her neck or maybe a small one that would fit around her body like those ones parents use on toddlers. I could tie it around my wrist as i carry her in my arms.

 

o__o Doll leash? That's an awesome and kinda funny idea at the same time. If you do make one, please post pictures. XD

 

Yep, like what everyone else have said before me: Always keep your doll(s) in site at ALL TIMES, unless you totally trust whomever will be babysitting them while you cruise the dealers market. ^_^
Was just at Anime LA this past weekend, brought 2 MSD -XiaoLang and Ace- on Saturday and had to leave them sitting on the hotel bed when me and pal went for a private photoshoot in the hotel stairwell (no crowds of people! great setting!). Now that I think about it, good thing her roomates were very respectfull or disinterested, seemed like nobody touched them while we were gone. XD
As for Sunday the last day of the Con, I only brought one boy -Ace- with me and he was quite the star of the day! There was a small D.Grayman gathering in the afternoon, so while we were getting photographed in the parking lot, he was chilling on the rooftop of somebody's pickup truck, guarding all the bags and personal belongs of us co-sers. Then the photographers started snapping his photos when waiting for us to get the setting right, it was quite interesting and fun! Ace defenately seemed like he enjoyed the attention, was smiling whole day until we got home at night. XDll

Conclusion: Con-goers are mostly very respectfull towards the Dolls, but there are always exceptions so keep a close eye on your babies, bring a carrier for easy stowing or when the arms get tired, and just have fun! =D

Hope this helps~

 

More power to you guys who take dolls to cons... I don't know how you do it. I guess I'm too twitchy -- I don't like the thought of my doll getting dirty, or scratched, or anything else. I saw someone with a doll at DragonCon 2006 -- maybe one of you guys, heehee -- and I honestly would never have even considered bringing my doll to a place like that. It was SO crowded there, and tough to get through the absolute crush of people to get anywhere... I would have been so worried about losing part of his outfit, or wig, or having him stolen, or me getting bumped into and him falling... oof. I'd think it'd make me a nervous wreck to bring a doll along. It was hard enough just worrying about my purse and trying not to lose my best friend and my mom, heh.

Are you guys just extra chill, or am I just overly paranoid? XD

 

I took my boy to Oni Con 07 just 2 days after getting him!
For the most part I left him in the room, I was too afraid to take him out. But the few times I did most people either ignored it or were nice to me.

I was dressed as Allen Walker from D. Gray-man (2nd uniform) so I had my boy in my hand, straddling one of my massive fingers (part of the costume, the fingers are like a foot long). I think some thought he was part of my costume. ^0^ Then the next day when i was EGL Allen Walker, most people just thought it was part of the whole EGL scene to have a doll. ^^;

Really most people are nice about that sort of thing at cons, but then again I only have one con experience to go by. BUT i do plan on taking him and my new girl to Ikkicon in early February. ^_^

 

Vincent holds on to wigs pretty well, but his "D" hat was a pain, and I ended up holding on to it rather than letting him wear it. When someone wanted to snap his picture I put it on, but it fell off too easily to leave it there.

I wouldn't cart him around in a fussy outfit again, with things that could fall off.

Now falling is a good point, I had a brief mishap with a down escalator ont he way to the cafe meet up, the escalator grabbed the pull of my zipper and held on to it (the wall of the escalator has something sticking out. I thought it was going to pull me over!! In a second, the escalator ate my zipper pull and let me go -- and i didn't drop either of the two dolls I was carrying, not mine, and not my friend's doll, nor my purse or bag. Woot! Libra's have balance! But I could have easily fallen and that would have been a really bad place to fall.

If you don't feel comfortable, don't do it. It was a little risky. We made it out okay, tho. No scratches, no dirt, no lost items.

 

Melime, I'm extra chill, hehe! I'm a little TOO chill maybe XD If someone asks me about the dolls and seems genuinely interested, I usually let them hold the doll. But you just have to be vigilant and watch people carefully. And it's okay to be firm about people holding the dolls. You have every right to say no to a pushy person if they insist on touching a doll without asking.

NEVER let the doll out of your sight unless a trusted friend or family member is taking care of it. I did hear of a horror story where someone had their doll on their artist table, and they bent under the table to get something, and when they looked up the doll was gone.

I highly reccomend EvaFriedel's advice of bringing only one doll if you don't have a safe place to store them. Even one SD gets tiring. @_@ And definitely bring a bag for the doll. :3

 

We always take our dolls to conventions with us^^ But we always make sure to have enought bags to carry them in if we need to XD Most people at conventions have seen or at least heard of dollfies (and their cost lol) and don't touch. Though there are a few people who just don't care^^; But you get that everywhere. It's kinda like carrying a doll in a mall but everyone running around feeling completely at home. Gah, don't know if that made sense or not. Anyway, it's pretty safe for your dolls at conventions, just don't let them out of sight ^_^ I think someone on here lost their dolls at a convention or something a year or so ago, right?

 

Umm, I don't know. I guess I've taken my guys out enough that I'm just used to maneuvering with them. If I have hold of my doll, no ones going to take it, dirt washes off--the wig issue, ah yes. There's nothing like having your doll's wig fall in a puddle. Most of my guys have their wigs velcroed to their little heads. Rubber bands also work to take up extra space in a roomy wig and can really help hold them on. I figure if I can turn them upside down and not have the wig come off, I don't have too much to worry about.

 

I saw a lot of people at Otakon carrying their dolls around, and at the local con, a few people carried theirs. But the dealer's room coordinator had set up a dollfie corner where people could put their dolls on the table, like a giant display. People really seemed to like that.

 

My sister and I each brought one doll to Fanime last time we went, and had no problems (well, except for the two hour registration line, grr). We did meet and take a few pics with another nice girl who brought her Hound, and had no problems with people being rude or rough with our dolls. We took big dolls but I've taken minis to shows before and they are even easier to bring! And since she's a mini you can get away with just putting her in a backpack if you don't want to hold her anymore, perhaps with your jacket around her, which is what I do. Also, if she sits well you can just sit her down on the table/booth you are looking at while you browse, if there is room and you need two hands. Just keep an eye on her and you should be fine. Oh, and a "travel wig" is something I highly recommend, like others have mentioned! Something in fur or mohair, or something short, that stays on well and doesn't get easily mussed. And same with clothes, try to pick things that stay on securely and are low-fuss. It REALLY helps not having to worry about losing things or constantly having to fix them.

And about the doll leash thing . . . I actually did carry a doll around my neck to Fanime once. It was a 1:6 Dollfie (like Mini Gem size), and I used one of those little water bottle holders on a neck strap, her waist fit in where the water bottle top was supposed to go. XD

 

Hee. I bought my first doll at YaoiCon, so I guess I never considered NOT bringing them to cons. XD

For the most part, people are cool about it. You may get the odd comment about them being "creepy" or "weird", but I've tended to get many more people asking to look at them, or commenting about how pretty they are. Many people at cons have gotten used to them, so there's fewer strange looks as more people bring them along. I've had several non-doll people who wanted to take pictures!

If you're nervous, though, I'll repeat someone's earlier statement - bring a bag with you that you can put your doll in if you get nervous about having them out. ^^

 

Naaah, no one at Mega is gonna steal your doll. No one had any sort of problem last year.

Lolita Minako had an idea, carrying her three dolls in a basket, that I gleefully stole. I can put just about everyone in the big basket my mommy gave me (moms are the best!) and that way I can carry them all easily.

I only ever let other doll people, or people personally known to me, handle my dolls. That keeps them pretty safe. I also do not let my dolls out of my sight at cons unless we are in a safe atmosphere...that being a doll panel or gathering. With doll people, I know my dolls are safe. Otherwise, I keep them close or with trusted people.

 

Hahaha, yeah, I'm sure she will be perfectly safe, but hahaha I just bought all the stuff to make her a leash. I couldn't resist, but I am SO excited to bring he rto Megacon. Much fun will be had!

 

I took one of my dolls to NYAF and everyone was very very sweet and gentle with her....the few people who touched her acted like she was made of glass.

I have a general feeling toward con-goers, that most of them are really good, kind people. I bought an Ah My Goddess cel a couple years ago at Otakon (or maybe Katsu, I really don't remember) and accidentally left it on my chair after the cosplay event. It was the biggest event of the weekend, and the cel cost me a few hundred dollars (it was a nice one ), so I expected it to be lost forever. However, when I went to the lost and found, there it was. The same thing happened to me a few years before that, when a Hello Kittie plush fell out of one of my bags.

I'm not saying leave your doll around of course....I guess I'm just saying people at cons are generally safe to have nice things around^^