Dolls and other hyper fixations?

If you have already identified new things / activities you want to spend your hobby-money on, don't feel bad for saying "see you later" to doll hobby shopping. If you really have your heart set on this particular doll/faceup/set as it is being offered right now, it'd be a good idea to get it while it's available. A lot can change while you're away, as far as companies, trends, active community members... The dolls themselves are not living things, though; the ones you have already collected will wait for your attention to come back around. They'll be there, and your fellow collectors will be here to welcome you back when you're ready too.

 

I bounce between a few different hobbies/interests as hyper fixations, dolls being one of them. I'd say if the doll you want is time-limited or is from a company with a history of discontinuation events, go ahead and get it and then wait until you're back on the doll kick to really customize or anything for it. If it's a basic edition and can be bought whenever, it doesn't hurt to wait and let your other interests have the front seat for a while. Also, personally, I'd argue that it's easier to get certain limited or discontinued items in this hobby secondhand versus some of my other interests (pins/merch of characters I like for itabags and SH Figuarts action figures which can get up in price to the cost of an SD-sized BJD if you miss their original order period. My most expensive figure cost me more than either of my first two BJDs did cause I missed his pre-order from Bandai RIP). I don't know how new you are to the hobby, but if this has happened before and you've come back around to dolls, maybe try to remember about how long your break lasted? Obviously, no one's hyper fixations are on schedules (that would be too convenient ), but it could give you a clue as to how long you may be less interested. And, something I'm still working on reminding myself when I'm less interested in my dolls is that they'll always be here for me to come back to when I become fixated on them again, which is comforting.

 

I feel less NEED to buy new dolls, and more desire to buy stupid amounts of outfits for the ones I have, now.
I guess that's a good thing? xD

 

I have ADHD, depression, anxiety and thyroid issues. I think that it's fairly "normal" to bounce between different things in general, and even more "normal" if you have a condition that makes it that way.

As of this past week, I have just gotten back into playing with my dolls because I've been depressed. I am medicated for it, but I can still tell when there are times that I would rather hide in bed with the blankets over my head instead of playing with my dolls. The little hits of "happy feelings" came from other things, buying clothes, buying eyes, and organizing their clothes. I haven't even picked up doing faceups (which I enjoy) for at least a month because of feeling so down.

I don't think that if you purchase her now it will make it more difficult to bond with her. Like others have said, enjoy the things in the hobby that are making you happy now. If you're ordering her new chances are that it's going to take her a while to get to you; by that time you may have rotated back to wanting to play with her. If not, she can happily wait in her box until you're ready for her. Don't put yourself on a timeline to enjoy your hobby in.

 

I always find as well that my hyperfixations roll back around down the road so I’m never quite through with them, even though sometimes it does feel like it at the time. My own dollies have been sitting in their spots waiting for their turn to come back round. The nice thing is, they don’t feel bad about waiting If you think the doll is one you would really like to have when you get back into your dolls, go ahead and make the purchase, or perhaps set aside the money for it until you come back to the hobby and see how you feel then, if it’s not a limited edition one.

 

If you’re not feeling the spark, that might be a sign she’s not what you’re really looking for and to let her go. There are always beautiful dolls being made and there could be better ones that reignite the spark later down the road, but if you think you’d regret it months or years from now and you can afford it, then get her and see how you feel after she arrives. You can always sell her if you’re still not feeling it after you get her.

 

I'd have throught that if you buy the doll now while not hyper-fixated, when your fixation swings back around to the doll - you' won't have the long wait becuase you'll alrready have her....

Teddy

 

I mean, I had one doll that took so long to come that I wasn't hyperfixated on dolls very much at all by the time she came. It comes and goes. I managed to scrape up enough dopamine to craft her some basic clothes, buy her some shoes, and stain a chair for her. I even took some photos. And now I'm just gonna have to wait until I have the interest to craft for her. I've had a few small bursts over the last year. It's not ideal, but she doesn't seem to mind very much.

To tide her over, I may order her some clothes. Nothing wrong with ordering your doll clothes because you can't make them; I wouldn't ever judge another hobbyist for that. The fact that I theoretically could make very nice clothes is irrelevant, because I can't make clothes right now and may not be able to anytime soon.

 

ADHD and Autism combo meal here

My hyperfixations ebb and flow all the time, but I always find myself coming back to dolls. I actually just came back to them again a couple weeks ago, after a stagnancy period of almost a couple years (I still bought and did some doll stuff during that time, but it was more out of a sense of obligation and hope for reignited interest than a sense of joy and enthusiasm, like it is again now). I find this hobby perfect for the cycling interests of ADHD expressly because there's so many different elements to it- faceups, wigmaking, sewing, photography, props, eyemaking, etc etc. It's great for cycling through different related interests.

But! If you're in a downswing period now, and able to recognize that fact (I rarely can), I would hold off on any doll related purchases, and instead use your fun money on the hobby that sparks joy for you currently. What I would do, however, is weekly, biweekly, or monthly (depending on your availability) "check ins" where you pull out, redress, and photograph a doll or two. That way you can recognize when the spark is returning, and avoid that sort of float period where your interest has waned in one area and you're not sure what to do with yourself.

Hope this helps a bit!

 

I havent been diagnosed with any attention or neurological disorders (multiple people in my family have however), but I totally feel what you feel. I hop back and forth between hobbies every few months or so, and I feel guilty for my dolls when my attention isnt 100% on them. You aren't alone!

 

I definitely have felt this before but couldn't think of how to word it! Thank you for summing it up so well while sharing your experience.

In my experience, these obligation actions actually add to me resenting the fixation, which just makes me sad in the end. So for me, ordering the doll now would be a bad choice because too many "what if" possibilities when they arrive (What if I don't like them in person or as much as before, or I'm not even interested anymore)

 

I'm autistic and a longtime member of the hobby. I've embraced my fixation swings. My love of the dolls remain, they just change form from time to time. Usually this means I'm hand sewing versus machine, taking knitting back up again, etc.

 

I'm autistic too! and I find that sometimes I go a couple weeks without doing doll stuff, then i cycle back in. I like to rotate my way through projects, sometimes this doll's wig, then that ones outfit, then something else entirely for a while. There's nothing better or morally superior about the time spent on any one hobby fixation, so just have fun, and if the doll isn't thrilling you for a while, put it aside and it can wait. Things can sit on a shelf for a bit until you get the urge to try them out again, but for something as pricey as these dolls I'd try letting it be rather than say, selling it abruptly. Or swap out eyes and wigs, and see if trying a new look strikes your fancies.

 

I'm on the autism spectrum, so changing hyper-fixations can be both an asset and an aggravation. If I'm obsessed with a sewing project, one of my dolls gets new clothes pretty quickly. But there's times when I've been obsessed with ordering a new doll only to suddenly have my interest shift or fade. I sometimes order some basic clothes with a doll if I buy through a dealer so they have something to wear until I'm ready to sew them clothes.

 

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I'm not diagnosed, but there are "strong" or "significant" indicators - according to a couple of tests - that I am autistic. Again, I've not yet been diagnosed, but I am considering it.

As such, I have found myself hyper-fixating on certain things. Dolls being one of them. But, my hobbies, they come back around in a cyclical sort of fashion. One month, I'm more into my dolls, the next it's my writing. So, I'm kind of trying to tie each into the other, by having dolls based on OCs and some fan projects of my favourite characters from the franchises that I've become fixated on in the past. That way, when I become fixated on Resident Evil again, I'll have my Leon. Or, when I become engrossed in my writing for a week or a month, I'll have my OC.

And the great thing about these dolls is that they don't require the same level of attention or care as, say, a pet. The occasional dust, change their clothes once in a while, comb their wig; that's all they need, if that. My (current) favourite boy often just sits next to me or in my lap.

Also, one tool I'm trying is a countdown app. I'm due to get a nice pay-packet next month, after covering so much for illnesses this weekend (not had a day off since last Tues...), so I'm planning on putting a doll on layaway. But, in the meantime, I've set up the widget to count down to my payday. And I'm looking at selling a few of the ones I have already, to make room. That way, I can determine if I do really want this desired boy, or if it's a hyper-fixation based on my renewed interest in writing and the dolls already here.