Dolls and "diminishing marginal utility"

Interesting question. I do believe the 'wonder' of things that would be totally new to a first timer (such as pillows, the complete doll, and the smell) does of course diminish. I think with all the thought and effort that usually goes into our first dolls, it's even more special on top of just everything being new. By the time our second, third, fourth dolls roll around, we know our way around, we're not enchanted by the posing of the bodies and veterans often judge a dolls quality and how well they 'fit' in their collection, which is something that can make the experience less special. Also the more dolls you have the more likely that you won't properly bond with one, which is a real bummer. So overall having more dolls equals more experience which can lead to a more logical look at dolls rather than a pure emotional one.
That being said, I have looked at a video of me opening my second doll and me opening my fourth (I believe...) and to me I show the same level of excitement. If I truly have prepared and done my homework on my doll, and waited for it, I get the same excitement level.
However where the hobby starts becoming mundane for me is when I do impulse buys over the marketplace. When I haven't done my due deligence, when I'm not amazed at the doll out of the box, when I feel something that I had never felt with my first couple dolls, disapiontment, that is where the excitment ends and I have to get pratical.
As for multiple dolls making it less special, I don't really know yet, I definately love some of my dolls more than others, but that mostly has to do with my personal preference and the 'history' I have with the doll (as in my 1st doll is my all time fave, while my latest is still working his way into my heart)
I hope this post makes sense, I tend to ramble...

 

The first week I had my very first doll, we were inseparable. Six years later I never see him and I maybe think of him once or twice every month or three. Everyone I used to talk to on this forum has also gone silent, so I know it's not just me, but I don't think we could use quantity of dolls as a measure for how soon the love runs out. I actually think those people who are able to keep buying more stay in the hobby longer, because with each new doll, the hobby becomes "new" again and they get to start all over building a new doll. I only have three whole dolls, and I was kind of done with the hobby after two. I only bought the third to try and get the spark back (it worked for about a month or two).

 

Oh, no - my enjoyment increases - it's based on my being able to look up & see my little families forming and the various scenarios being finished about my house. I was delighted to get my first doll, my first limited, etc but now I'm equally or more delighted to scratch off one more character home Wouldn't part w/a single one!

 

does our enjoyment of our dolls diminish with increasing the amount of them we have?

It's probably like everything else... too much can be too much. But the level of too much will vary with each individual. The thing is, most people simply can't spend endless amounts of time with their dolls. There is just real life stuff that gets in the way. So time with dolls will always be done for pleasure when one can allow the time for it. And if one isn't finding the pleasure--it's not exactly like working or eating... you don't HAVE to play with dolls! You can take a break and do something else or change your hobbies. It's not a big deal.

For example, were you happier when you unwrapped your first doll, or your last doll, or does it stay the same?

The experience would and SHOULD be different between your first and last doll, and between any different doll. It doesn't mean it's better or worse, just different. But this isn't crucial to life... if you don't enjoy getting a doll, it's no big deal. If you don't bond, just sell it and go do something you DO want to do.

Even if you just have one doll, were you happier in the first hour you played with it, or the last time you picked it up?

Must someone always experience the same heights of feeling every time you interact with something? If you have a favorite game to play, some sessions will be better than others, but if you like the game, you still play it. If you totally get tired of it, you stop. Same with dolls. If you still enjoy your doll, you will play with it and keep it around. When you stop, you stop. If you wish to continue to enjoy your doll you can then think of ways to up your enjoyment, but it REALLY isn't like you HAVE to do it. So it's not like you suddenly don't want to go to work, or you are tired of your pet or something like that! Your pet isn't going to make you happy the same way 100% of the time, but you still love and care for it. That's just how life works. Dolls you can continue to try and enjoy, or you can stop. It's not like a pet or your job (although you can certainly get rid of a pet or leave your job, too... but those are more important decisions than playing with dolls or not!).

I have ten dolls, and I'm trying to work out if my enjoyment of them has decreased as their numbers have mounted.

I don't need my dolls to be absolutely special every day. It doesn't bother me if box openings differ. If I stop enjoying opening dolls, I'm pretty sure I'll stop buying them! That solves that problem. But I don't need to feel a huge high every time to enjoy a doll.

If a person is happier with fewer dolls, then they should cut down their collection to where they are most happy. It's individual, and it's not a big deal, really. It depends on how you feel about things. If you must have the same excitement every time, then maybe buying endless dolls isn't right for you.

Myself, I still really enjoy getting a new doll. That isn't always a good thing! I wish I could be happy with just a few, but I keep wanting more and I really enjoy them. Everyone is different, though.

I really did enjoy opening my last doll; but then, when I opened my first doll, I was completely awestruck and blown away by his beauty and the smell of resin and even the pillows! I definitely do love all my dolls, but I wonder if it's become less "special", simply because of the quantity I have and the amount of time I play with them. And if so - why?

Well... people talk about how first falling in love with someone can be a total rush, but then they have problems with a long-term relationship because you have to deal with different things--no longer the new-love passion. Sometimes you have to move on to develop a different kind of relationship. With dolls, it's not so important, of course. If a person wishes, they can keep buying and selling dolls forever, if they want that "new/excited" feeling. Or they can still look at their dolls even after many years and find them wonderfully beautiful. To each his own. Although there is the typical human psychology behinds it--like the article saying that being at work can mean you treasure your non-work time more. On the other hand, there are people who can spend all day doing non-work stuff and have no problem! But it makes sense that the former can be pretty typical. Anyway... with dolls, it makes sense that you will treasure the time more when it is scarce and may be more excited with your first doll... but the excitement may ebb. But thousands of doll-owners on DoA have kept dolls beyond that "new love" period. Some haven't. It's just life, psychology, and how things work.

For me, yeah, giving all my attention to one or two dolls would be lovely. But doing it for more dolls is lovely, too. If I didn't like it, I'd probably stop doing it (or at least I hope I would).

 

I can't say I get as excited or anxious as I did with the first...oh...twenty...but I do still fall in love and want to play with them. Even if I don't have time (overtime omg I'm like nevar home...) I find things to do with them such as bringing them to work and knowing they're in my bag all snuggly. Or sleeping in a bed surrounded by cuddly boys. Or brushing their hair and changing things out to see if a different wig or eyes would make them happy.

I make clothes though, too...so that's always helpful in keeping me excited. I also love to go junking, so when I find a miniature that I know they'll love, I can't wait to take it home, clean it, and let them play.

They're more like...children...that I don't have to worry too much for. But I do. All the time.

I don't think anything has diminished. Except for my wallet.

 

Diminishing marginal utility is an economic term that technically should apply to any commodity that is bought. Imagine running a marathon and needing water-- that first bottle of water is both more useful and makes you more happy then any subsequent bottles consumed. Eventually you'll reach a point where any additional bottles of water will actually have negative utility-- it actually makes you less happy when you consume it. With dolls, it should be the same thing. However, every individual has a different utility schedule than another-- the amount of dolls you consume until the utility becomes negative differs from person to person. Economically speaking however, every person will have a point where they feel as if they bought enough or too many dolls-- and each additional dolls becomes a burden. For some people, that point might be at 10 dolls, and for others it might be at 200. Either way, at some point, either the dolls begin to take up more space than available, eats up more money than you are willing to spend, detracts time from playing with each doll, etc.

So short version-- yes, as bjds are a commodity to be bought and had, diminishing marginal utility does come into affect. However, some people may never feel its affects in their lifetime. Like the name implies, the diminution is marginal, meaning it decreases by maybe 1% each time.

 

I actually noticed this effect in my own collecting (and their related habits) recently. I used to be able to spend endless hours on DoA digging through galleries and information and participating in discussions. I used to be desperate to attend doll meetups, agonize over buying a new doll up until the very last minute of its limited availability. I actually watched Rozen Maiden all the way through on a bad Youtube upload because I was so desperate to experience "BJDs", even though I can't STAND anime.

Now I can tell if I want a doll almost immediately after seeing its full sales page, and I buy it almost instantly if I have the funds, or put it out of my mind entirely if I know I'm not going to follow through with buying it. I don't post box openings anymore (not really) and I really only spend time on DoA when I need a break from spreadsheets (which I'm doing right as I type!) I also always used to imagine myself cuddling the dolls I don't have yet, like they are a kitten or something, and will make me feel warm and cuddly on the inside. Now that I have a few (or twenty, whatever) I realize I can never handle my dolls in this manner (delicate costumes, finnicky wigs, I am a particularly greasy/acidic/disgusting human being so I don't want to soil them.) It's just the novelty has worn off I guess.

I don't think that my OVERALL enjoyment of them has lessened though. I think I just enjoy them in less "squee" type obvious ways.

 

I really think it depends on the doll honestly... I mean, I've been pretty excited about all my dolls! I was especially excited for my first, of course... I was excited when Yugiri arrived (he was not the second)... and Juri's arrival. I didn't feel the same excitement for some of the other arrivals (but I love them all the same). I think I'm most excited for my future arrival, honestly. It definitely changes depending on the doll itself, for me.. as my new doll coming in is a 'grail doll' so to speak, so I'm super anxious and excited n_n

So I guess, final answer would be that it depends on the person and the dolls. For me, the hobby hasn't been diminished by how many I have.

 

I have four dolls and a floating head. I'd like to sell one of the dolls and someday get a body for the head, but other than that, I don't plan on buying (or selling) another doll anytime soon.

I think I appreciate my BJD's more the fewer I have. If I had too many, I think I would begin to consider them as a collective whole instead of as individuals.

 

My enjoyment of the hobby increases every time I get a new doll. It's hard to explain,but I didn't really bond well with my first doll when I got her and I was just really overwhelmed. I didn't think I could learn how to do faceups or sew anything decent,and that almost scared me away from BJDs altogether. Now I know more and I'm getting better at customizing. I'm up to three dolls now and this hobby doesn't intimidate me anymore. It's just more fun than it was when I got my first doll.

 

I feel I have divided my enjoyment among all my dolls. When I only had one, I lavished all my attention on him. Now that I have so many more, I want to give them plenty of time and attention too, because I enjoy being with each of them. But I have noticed that the backstories I have for my newer dolls are MUCH less detailed and developed than those of some of my earlier dolls. I spend less time on some of the newer ones in that respect.

Do I feel that same love every time I open a doll box now? No, but occasionally I am still completely bowled over by a new doll, especially if it has a faceup. When I received my Bobobie Weylin, I felt a rush almost exactly like the one I had at my first BJD's arrival. So that kind of enjoyment has not worn off.

I don't get as much instant enjoyment now from a new doll's arrival. I used to only get dolls with factory faceups, but now I like getting custom faceups so I can have exactly what I want. It's difficult for me to adore a faceup-less doll right out of the box, so gratification is *delayed* while I wait for a new head to come back from an artist, and wait for the doll to be assembled and dressed and wigged and given a character. Instant bowling over doesn't happen as often now.

I don't "play" with my BJDs as much as I used to either, so I guess you could say I don't get as much enjoyment as I used to. But it doesn't mean I love them less, I feel like I just love them differently now. And I still think they are all incredibly special. I like the idea that my love for them has multiplied rather than diminshed.

Linda S.
galatia9

 

Never. My enjoyment actually grows with time with each doll. I look at the doll and go "I cannot believe this is MY doll?! I am so lucky!!" even after having my dolls for years.

But, I get more enjoyment from playing with my existing dolls rather than adding new ones. I know people who get more satisfaction from actually accumulating dolls or forming a collection, but I also find those types of collectors are never really content with their collections because it becomes about the "next" dolls versus the dolls already there. They experience that "ah, he/she came" moment and then sit on pins and needles waiting for and anticipating the next release. That said, I think those kinds of collectors are not really in love with their newest dolls more, but rather enjoy the "rush" of waiting and anticipating and buying as well as the feeling of satisfaction that comes with successfully building a collection. I am sure they have favourites within the collection itself, but the collection tends to take priority. If it makes them happy, I am happy for them. There is no right way to enjoy the hobby.

 

The novelty might wear off. The love - I hope not! Each doll is unique, and since I'm planning to shell characters that are very dear to me I'm sure I'll love them all, both for their resin beauty and the OCs they represent.
I was over the moon when my Stella arrived, but also scared I might damage her (first doll and all that). Now when I pick her up I feel much more sure about what I'm doing, so it's actually more fun than before. I love playing with her, I love making clothes and accessories for her, and I'm looking forward to doing my next dolls' faceups and things. I don't know what's going to happen if I'll ever reach the point where all my OCs from their storyline are shelled, but since that's not going to happen for a few years at least I'll not worry about it now

 

Well I got one doll after another and now I own 8 of them I can't really say I lost the enjoyment of picking them up and playing around with them.
I guess it's because I'm a collector so I like to have a certain amount of something.
When I got my first doll I barely touched him after a certain time and now I just can't stop looking at him and the others : 3 They're so pretty.

 

Were you happier when you unwrapped your first doll, or your last doll, or does it stay the same?
I only have 2 dolls so far, but I was actually happier when I unwrapped my 2nd doll. I don't think it had anything to do with the order they came in though, just their respective sculpts. My 1st doll has a face that I got attached to the more I looked at him, and my 2nd doll was just one that made an impression (I blame her shiny red eyes). XD


Even if you just have one doll, were you happier in the first hour you played with it, or the last time you picked it up?
I get more and more satisfied with my dolls the longer I'm with them.

On the other hand, I do believe the old maxim that "love doesn't divide, it multiplies". What do you think?
This probably depends on a lot of factors. Having just 1 doll seemed rather lonely, but as soon as I got 2 I kind of got a feeling of 'completeness'. Not to mention that even my mother, who was against BJDs at first, agreed that now that I have a couple they look "sweet" rather than "creepy". More dolls would be great, but for me I never wanted a lot of them to begin with. I personally only want maybe 2 of each size.

 

I would just substitute "novelty" for the econ jargon. Sure, novelty wears off. By definition, novelty wears off. Love doesn't. Novelty is what gives that new-dolly (or clothes, or whatever) happiness/excitement feeling whenever you bring home a fresh one; love is what keeps you from selling that doll 7 years later, even though you don't play with it every single day, simply because you love having it around.

 

Hmmm... to put things in order... First of all that's a really good question. I recall making this same conversation with my best friend -who I also pulled in the hobby- about it not feeling as 'special' as the first time anymore. I'll agree and disagree with that.

When I received my first boy I was beyond excited because I got to finally own a doll after studying the hobby since 2004. In addition he is a doll I had fallen in complete and utter love with -and to this day I don't think I've seen a face as nearly as perfect as his-. I was also very relieved because I had been terribly anxious about his delivery -because he disappeared from the tracking radar for a good week-. So add to this the excitement and awe of it being my very first time doing that and you have one wonderful experience.

My following dolls weren't less special than my first but they'll never be my 'firsts' therefore there's no awe involved in the experience in and of its own. My awe is directed towards the beauty of the sculpt, its features, its faceup if it came with one, how nicely it fits the character I have in mind for them... to this day I have not opened a doll box to find myself disappointed. Even for my more impulsive purchases they were sculpts I truly loved and I've only ever sold two dolls for being unable to fit in their character.

I can't really say that my love has increased or decreased with every new doll that arrives. I have several dolls at this point (eight, one on the way and four heads) and I don't think any is less special than the others. When I get frustrated I want to just flip and sell -some- of them sometimes but then I realize that I love them -and I'm flipping about them due to my own inability to bring them where I want them- and I could never deal with parting with them.

As for the dolls I have at home, I think I love them more the longer I spend time with them, the longer I take to figure out their little quirks and what makes them 'tick' in a way. Maybe that's also the reason I'll always love my first doll the most. He's been by my side in this hobby since day one.

 

Maybe it's because I don't buy many dolls, or doll stuff in general, but every time I receive a doll, or an outfit, I feel just as happy as the first time I opened the box.

I can't wait until I have enough money to buy bodies for my Williams and Peroth, because then - after years - they'll finally be complete.

 

I've never lost that little spark of magic whenever I look at my crew...I still feel it every time, that feeling of awe (how did I ever get so lucky to have such a wonderful collection!) And my way of knowing a doll is perfect for me once it arrives is that whenever I handle it I think, 'Oh, you're my absolute favorite!' Then I'll handle another one of my dolls, and I swear I think, 'Oh no, I'm mistaken, you're my absolute favorite!' And so on it goes. This is the way I feel for each and every one of my current crew...and if I didn't feel that way, then I'd know they were not yet right or perhaps even needed to move on in some cases. But then, that's how most collections get built. But I've been in this hobby for 6 and a half years now, and it's still as creative and imaginative and exciting for me as it ever was. Once they perfectly fit in around here, then they're here for good...it's like they become part of my family and my love for them never wanes.