Dolls and Malls. Take um or not?

We certainly have, and that is one of the few times I've set foot in a mall since I was a teenager. For me personally a mall is a place to be avoided at all costs. I am probably in a mall two or three times a year and that is for a very specific purpose. However if I went to a mall just to hang out I would not be opposed to taking a doll with me. Sometimes I take my dolls out shopping with me in bookstores or Best Buy, or out to the movies or restaurants. For me taking a doll to the mall would be no different. I don't even go to conventions without my dolls now. They help with my social anxiety and over stimulation making it far easier for me to be in large groups of strange people, where it is busy, loud, and there are so many shiny objects to distract me. Having a doll with me is soothing. I do not have a problem hauling a 70cm doll around all day, but I can see how it would get tiring for some. I think it is just a matter of your personal comfort level.

 

I've taken mine to the malls on multiple occassions. Wal-Mart, malls, shopping...etc. I've had pictures taken with them with Santa and the Easter Bunny. ^__^ I take them everywhere. Even Disney

 

Hmm... I've taken my dolls to the mall a few times in my arms, but it was always awkward and felt unnecessary. Nowadays, I only do it when I think there might be a doll sized item I'm looking for, but I'm not sure if it quite fits, so I bring the doll in a handbag to see. Same goes for other stores, like JoAnn's and Target.

 

i bring mine all the time to the suncoast anime day. that's in the mall here. never had an issue

 

I've taken Dominic to the mall and had no problems at all, for the most part people just complimented me and the girl at Claires actually wanted to know everything about him XD I got a couple weird looks from people but nothing that would make me nervous, mostly just the expected response from someone seeing a 6 foot tall dude carrying a doll XD

 

I don't bring my dolls to malls. When I go to the mall, I go there to shop, and it's almost always to buy clothes. It's a pain in the ass to balance a doll on my arm while picking out clothes, and I don't really like putting her on the dirty floor when I try them on. It's best to just leave them home.

However, if I am out seeing a friend and we decide to go to the mall, I may bring a doll with me as opposed to leaving it in the car (especially on a hot day), but so far that hasn't really happened.

 

The only times I bring my dolls out is for a shoot. I don't see the purpose of parading my dolls around purposely. If I do that, I fear someone might want to take them. >.<
​

 

I would to my local mall, but not to one of the other malls I sometimes go to. Why? Because I live in Merced-- our mall is, to put it kindly, not large. It's not super-crowded except at the holidays, it's close to my house... and there are a few places where I could just sit down if I got tired before I was ready to head home. But, the malls in Fresno and Modesto are a lot larger and busier, and require a time commitment since I have to drive about an hour to get there. And the malls in the Buena Park, CA or Portland, OR areas? Forget about it! If I take a doll travelling that far, they can stay locked up with my luggage if I go out a-malling.

=^__^=
Anneko

 

I go to the mall to shop, but will happily take dolls with me, people stop me, ask questions, all that, but it never bothers me. The only thing that does is sometimes 2.5 kilos of Hound is a bit much to drag around

 

But... but... they are so heavy and awkward to carry! I need my arms while shopping!

Okay, so I've had a Brownie in my phone cover once or twice, but otherwise...

 

I don't really see the point of taking your doll with you everywhere. Only when there is a meet-up will I carry a doll with me.

 

I hate shopping so i never go to the mall, and when I do it's usually for a cosplay meetup or to see a movie. Since my dolls usally have costumes to match mine I take them with me. But I make sure I have a bunch of other people with me. People who are willing to watch out for my dolls while I'm not around.

 

Not. Honestly I really don't need to take my dolls everywhere I go, they go to conventions and I drag them back home with me when I go from home to school- and that's it.

 

If you're nervous, don't take them, it's as simple as that.

 

After all the horror stories I've heard I figure it best not to. I don't care for the attention I would bring and I would have a hissy fit if someone wanted to even touch my "kids" D: I may take them to a park or someplace that I could do photographs, but I won't let strangers handle them, just look. Mostly will take them to secluded areas lol otherwise no malls! O.o lol unless there's some kind of doll meet up but even then I'm not letting people handle them much X.x;

 

I take Raz (my DOI Luke) with me to the mall all the time. We live in a relatively small-town area in Alabama, though, so even on the busy days, most people who aren't local to this area wouldn't think it too busy. We have a Books-a-Million in our most local mall to us, which is where we spend most of our time there anyway, and the BAM crew loves to see us when we come in. My husband usually brings along the GM (his Soom Kanoa hybrid), and sometimes we meet up with (or bump into) other local doll owners, so it becomes an impromptu doll meet at the Joe Muggs. ^^

But really, carrying around the 70cm isn't a big deal for me. I've carried him for eight hours or more, sometimes with him carrying an MSD and a tiny in his lap, along with carrying the 60cm hybrid on occasion in the same arm. What's real fun is to have both of the resin boys in one arm and a five-year-old boy in the other. He's not grabby, always asks permission to touch the dolls (usually by means of asking "Can I pet him?"), understands that he must wash his hands first before touching them, and so I have no worries about him around them.

The big thing is that the dolls, regardless of being expensive, are still just that. Dolls. Toys. Things meant to bring joy and happiness to the owner. If it makes you happy to bring them with you, then by all means, do it. If you're afraid of risking your investment by taking them out of the house, then leave them home. I bought (and am buying) my crew because I love toys. There's a simple joy to be found in playing with them, and that's why I keep mine close at hand. Even if my primary carry does tower over everyone else's at meets.

 

Until my health stopped me from lugging the heavy resin around, I took my big guy Shuichi (IH Soo Ri) with me almost everywhere.

Now I carry a mini or even better, a tiny, and I have no qualms about taking them to malls or the grocery store or restaurants.