dolls just for lonely people?

I don't know, I don't think I was lonely when I started collecting. However it may be compensating for something, I don't know I've haven't given it too much thought before now.

 

I don't think they are for lonely people, but being quite a lonely person myself, it helps just to feel the presence of another "being". It's sort of like having a pet. It fills a part of the empty void, but not all of it. I have friends that are more social than I that have dolls. One friend in particular says it helps to go home to talk to/be with someone/thing that isn't tired of you.

 

I started colecting dolls from my childhood, so there might be something there.
They made me feel cozy like with an old friend.
That doesn't mean I'm lonely or antisocial.
I'm a nurse and my job requires me to talk all day long. Being anti social would be a problem.

 

I dont think I started getting into the hobby because I was lonely but now that I think about it, I guess I am a lonely person. Although I have a lot of companions around I am not exactly "the life of the party." I don't really like going out much either lol >.<;; but I like it that way. I'd much rather spend an afternoon inside with my boys than out with friends at the mall.

 

I am always have been in this world, maybe not exactly in the doll collector´s world, but i always liked manga and anime and i always collected merchandaising, so i think it was a natural move to start with this hobbie too.

Although i am a little bit lonely i am not consider myself as a person who started this on this hobby because she felt alone. also in this hobby i found new friends so for me in that has been a really good thing.

 

i think the hobby itself is a bit of a godsend for lonely people, really! you're bound to make friends/have people to chat to in the doll communities online, & even offline - taking a doll out anywhere is a definite conversation starter & going to meetups must be super fun.

i AM a lonely person but i didn't get my doll to help with that but the experience in general has already gotten me some new friends & given me another shared interest with people i was friends with already so the whole hobby is such a positive thing!

 

Collecting dolls... this certainly helped to kill time when i first moved to Canada. But no , it cant replace real human contact . Now i get to meet dolly friends in the area. The hobby has a way of bringing new people into my life. In that sense , I am very thankful .

 

I am happily married to my best friend.. have bunch more.. My dolls are mine. Not an outlet, friend replacers, kids, parent issues, nothing other than beauty captured- a perfect moment taken out of time

 

I think it depends on the person. Me personally, I got them because I really liked BJD's. I don't like any other dolls and I tend to be very picky with BJD's too. I, myself, like BJD's because of my love for Anime as for lonely I think everyone gets lonely at some point. As for antisocial I think I'm just like you, I make my opinion on someone due to the personality of the individual. sometimes it gives me the wrong opinion but it gives me a start. So as I previously stated it depends on the person, their likes, dislikes, and so on.

 

Very interesting question! I think a lot of people who are out of the hobby thinks this way, not only about dolls, but also anime and games.


I do not think that's real. I know owners of dolls that really are quite closed, but I think it is a hobby that has all kinds of people, like any other.


I can say I have a very busy social life haha. I'm always with my boyfriend and friends, and I go out a lot. Some of my friends have said "do not know why you collect dolls," probably because they think that way ^^'.

 

I think my dolls have sort of replaced having pets around all the time now that I'm living in a college dorm. But I don't think my pets were filling a void, I just loved having something around to pick up and cuddle or talk to without being judged... yeah, that does sound like it's replacing human interaction
No, I mean I have animals because I love them, and that happens to be a side effect, and I also have dolls because I love them.

A couple of family members have jokingly mentioned that I'm replacing friends with dolls, and that really kind of hurt me at first, but I don't think I am. Dolls and pets both fill a totally different hole for me than people do, even if I am shy.

 

Hmmm... I'm not really a lonely person and I always have friends I can talk to both online (and by friends I mean people I've been talking to for several years, my oldest buddies dating back to 2002) as well as offline (because sometimes online can't quite match up to real life relations you know? ) but I love my dolls regardless, they fill a great role in my 'time for myself' breaks and I'm infinitelly grateful for that.

 

I've collected all sorts of junk my whole life, and it's not any different with dolls, I buy them because I like them, not because I'm lonely.

In the end of the day, a doll is an object like any other. You can buy something because you need, because you want or because you desire to compensate for something else. When I was younger I used to buy a lot of cosplays and go to conventions, I did that because I wanted attention, I wanted friends, I was a lonely kid and the cosplay was compensating for my lack of attention received from my most-of-the-time absent parents. I got over it and now I'm good, but it's not any different with dolls or toys or plushies. It may not be the rule, nor may it be so common, but I am pretty sure that there ARE people out there with dolls because they feel lonely and are compensating for their lack or social life/friends. I just read a thread about a girl whose mother died and instead of accepting the grief, the compensated it buying many many dolls. I'm not saying this is bad, nor good, I'm just saying this happens.

It happens with dolls, cars, jewelery, anything really.

 

I would definitely consider myself an antisocial person. I don't know about "lonely" though, since that to me implies that I wish I had people around when in fact I really, really don't. More often than not I will pike on social functions if it is an option, since I don't like dealing with people.

That said, I find that dolls as a hobby is great because I don't need anyone else to participate with me. I don't use my dolls to keep me company, nor do I consider them anything more than beautiful mannequins to play dress up with and photograph. But I do find them hugely helpful in assisting with the problem of boredom, which can be a huge issue for me.

 

I admit that I'm a compulsive buyer--I used to buy things to make myself feel better if I was depressed, and the "things" I bought were usually dolls. But this type of fix never really works. You feel happy for a few minutes when you get something new, and then you're depressed again, wanting something else. The thing is, though, that I actually do love dolls--it was just the way I acquired them for a while, and the unnecessary amount of them I would buy, that was bad. In fact, the compulsive buying actually got in the way of my love for dolls, because I truly view them as works of art and want the ones I own to be an expression of my artistic taste. Now I've started trying to sell the dolls that don't really "belong" in my collection so I can focus on the ones that are truly my style and that I just plain adore.

Lonely? Sometimes. But dolls don't fix that, they can only serve to mask that kind of thing for a little while, in my opinion. And when I'm not lonely, I'm still drawn to dolls. My jaw still drops when I see a beautiful one, whether I'm happy or sad, and my mind often starts turning about how I can customize it and make it my own. It really is an artistic expression for me, and I love nothing more than sharing this with others. I think that's why collectors photograph their dolls, right? To share them? For me it wouldn't be nearly as much fun if I kept them hidden in a closet where no one but could see them but me.

That being said--okay, I am a little crazy. I do assign personalities to inanimate objects, and I do do things like try to give my dolls equal attention so that no one, um, feels bad. So I don't know, maybe that undermines everything I've just said.

 

I decided to buy dolls is because i wanted to dress them nicely. I think i am quite anti social as i don't really like to go out much and i don't talk much with people except for my best friend. Having doll is also my hobby ^^

 

I do not think these dolls should be bought just because one is "lonely" These dolls are worth a lot of time and effort and have much deeper meaning than that in my opinion But I will admit, they probably are good company. I just ordered my first doll and I keep getting excited thinking about all I will do with him. Especially when I am lonely do I think about my incoming doll Since I graduated I moved away from all my friends and then they all moved out of state for college and such so they do not really talk to me let alone see me And my boyfriend (whom I moved in with) is always busy with work. I think my doll(s) will definitely be a nice company to have since I do not have many people around me currently but the main reason I got him was not because I am lonely, it is just a bonus That thought never even crossed my mind until after his order
So in a nutshell: I do not think it should be the main purpose, but it is a nice bonus

 

i have a doll just for craft and artsy stuff. i have a family and a few close friends and still hae one. it is more for a past time for me than a replacement

 

I agree =) I bought my dolls because of the artistic side of the hobby, I never saw them as dolls for lonely people.

But I moved out from my mom's house 3 months ago and this was the first time in my life that I would be by myself, paying bills and having responsibilities. I had a lot of stuff so I left my dolls with my mom, I wanted to take them home when the house was ready. Two days later I was heading to my mom's house to pick up my dolls, I felt sad and depress being in my new apartment all by myself and my mom couldn't visit me yet.

When I was in my apartment with my dolls I felt a huge relief and comfort just by being with them. They calmed me down and I didn't feel alone or sad anymore this is when I realized the importance of these dolls for some people, like me! because I see them as family, they make me happy and keep me company.

 

I've always been the popular one when I was in school. I was the prefect, and I joined lots of competition that involved stardom. However, I was not happy. I had to succumb to others' opinions. And when I entered college, the fame somehow faded. I was only popular among my classmates and the lecturers. And the moment I finished college, I was on my own. It was my dark time as I had no confidence to go out and meet the public. That's when I got my first doll, and for once after a long time of my own, I feel like I could really use my talent to make myself happy and to be happy for myself. And as time passed by, I met few more friends who collect dolls as well and never judge me for being myself. And I've met them personally, and must I say, they're the nicest people and eventhough this relationship is only virtual, I'm happier than I used to be.