Dolls making you materialistic?

- Have you noticed that BJD's increased your materialistic wishes?
Nope, they haven't increased my wishes anymore than they were before. In fact I gave up other hobbies and spending for them.I let go of tons of possessions before and during the first year of doll ownership. I'm craftier now and think about what I'd rather spend my money on abit more. I realized I'd like alot of dolls but that I don't need to own them all.

- Does accomplishing one of your wishes (besides dolls) increase your happiness or do you feel like you need 'more' to really be happy?
I used to think the more I had, the more 'hardcore' I was into a hobby and that I would be happier. I've no idea why, it doesn't work that way. I've dispelled this and while I still often find dolls I like, I have to plan and do trade-offs to get them. It's not just going over board.

 

- Have you noticed that BJD's increased your materialistic wishes?
I don't know if what you're talking about is really materialism since a lot of the materials are just a means to an end. The supplies and tools don't make you happy.. just the things you get to do with them. (And creative projects are more mental than material, aren't they?) Which is, by the way, how I feel. I need certain supplies to do all I plan to do with my dolls.. and yeah, that means I have a bigger wishlist, but.. materialistic? ....maybe. I don't know. D:

- If yes, do you experience this in a positive or negative way?
New materials are stressful. But they can also open up opportunities to do and learn new things. So, both, I guess.

- Does accomplishing one of your wishes (besides dolls) increase your happiness or do you feel like you need 'more' to really be happy?
I think many material things increase my happiness. You have to do it right, though. You have to think of what practical effect it will have on your life, and if it will continue to make you happy for a long time.
Like the mug-warmer on my desk. Someone gave me it a few years ago, and it still makes me happy because I drink a lot of coffee and it's nice not to have to worry about drinking it before it gets cold, or running to the microwave a dozen times. It is a small and simple thing, but it has the practical application of taking away some brain-clutter, and making it so I always have something warm to pick up, right on my desk. (That last part is a novelty but it has not worn off yet, lol.)

 

- Have you noticed that BJD's increased your materialistic wishes?

I guess a little... but I'm an artist so I always want tools and stuff, nothing really new to me. You don't 'need' to buy these things right away. It's always good to have a list and start prioritizing. I don't 'need' to buy urethane eyes... but I'd like to.

These are all tools for the bjd though... every hobby has expenses. I dance so I need to buy leotards, tights, flats, pointes, hairnets etc. then there's photography (which is another common hobby with bjd collections) you need a camera and lenses... you could also get props and lights etc. etc.

In the end, it's all stuff for the hobby. Materialism, to me, is more like "oh I wan a $400 purse and I want a new pair of x designer's shoes" and I think everyone is materialistic to some point.

- If yes, do you experience this in a positive or negative way?

Well this hobby hasn't put me out of house and home, just make sure to budget and it's always nice to have something to save up for!

- Does accomplishing one of your wishes (besides dolls) increase your happiness or do you feel like you need 'more' to really be happy

It makes me happy. I don't feel like I need 'more' (at least not right away lol) but that's human nature, to strive for more. But like in that one song "It's not getting what you want, it's wanting what you've got". Be happy with what you've got and try not to feel the need to constantly 'upgrade'

 

- Have you noticed that BJD's increased your materialistic wishes?
Personally I think buying the dolls in the first place is the first step to getting that materialistic feeling and from then on it snowballs. Spending alot of money on a doll is already seemingly materialistic as it's neither something you need or would not be able to live without, yet we do buy them. To satisfy ourselves ofcourse! ^_^ I accept this and know that wantig a newer, prettier or bigger doll is all materialistic but I've always had the want for [I want to say unimportant but they're not really they're special] ever since I started earning money. I have yet to recieve my first BJD. Starting the hobby so close to Christmas means gaining patience! But I already plan outfits, and I mean ALOT of outfits!
- If yes, do you experience this in a positive or negative way?
It is positive as all the examples you said are in some way new things that you can learn and develop your skills in through life. I personally am excited to learn to do faceups and make clothes and the money spared in between is ok as the skills I will require will last me a life time.
- Does accomplishing one of your wishes (besides dolls) increase your happiness or do you feel like you need 'more' to really be happy?
I will be over the moon happy when I do my first faceup and create my first outfit! I have always had a need for things as I said before but I never take anything for granted as I usually save or sacrifice other things in return for the new item. If something's special or exciting iot always will be in my eyes. ^_^

 

I'm sort of (and by sort of I mean completely) a basket case. I shop used, all the time. I think anything over $7 is ridiculous for a shirt. I'm very frugal, so one might presume that I enjoy having a lot of money, but as many of you know, I enjoy having enough money for my dolls and their needs. This is not why I am frugal, though. I'm just used to lower prices and I haven't adjusted to inflation, I guess.

I would consider myself materialistic, but not in the common way, and NOT because of my dolls! For some reason, I have problems trusting people and attaching, but I have very deep connections with inanimate objects. From crushed thimbles I find on the ground to a silk dress to, of course, the dolls, I feel as though they have feelings and I cannot bear to part with them. I'm a hoarder of sorts, but not so far as to have my entire house be a magpie's nest. I've seen articles about those hoarders, and it makes me afraid of myself, but I know I can't ever get that bad.

Whatever my problems are, they aren't my doll's fault.

 

- Have you noticed that BJD's increased your materialistic wishes?
No, not really. I've always been materialistic in the sense that I acquire stuff. I collect books like it's my job and I do a lot of craft work, mostly sewing and knitting.
I'm not materialistic in the sense that I feel like I have to have the newest and best. Most of my books are second hand, as are some of my craft supplies. I don't see anything wrong with acquiring things - mindfully. When I get things I try to think about them: am I getting this because I want to read/use/enjoy this often? or am I getting this because I want to get something (plays *get item* music)? If it's because I just want to buy something, I can usually talk myself out of it. I've never really been of the "gotta collect 'em all" mindset.
- If yes, do you experience this in a positive or negative way?
BJDs have actually helped me, in a weird sort of way, by forcing me to consider why I want something and how it works with what I have. I like miniature things and now I consider if it's in "scale" with my two before I decide to buy. Also, I have lots of fabric remnants which are mostly earmarked for doll clothes now. I'm going to buy fabric anyway; the dolls just make me consider my purchase more so I can get more than one use out of it.
- Does accomplishing one of your wishes (besides dolls) increase your happiness or do you feel like you need 'more' to really be happy?
well, most of my wishes are accomplishments: I want to do something rather than have something. When I got my fifth-kyu certificate in aikido, I was really proud of myself; I'm not athletic at all and sticking with one martial art for 2.5 years before I got that...well, I'm as proud of that as I am my college diploma. When I sew, I'm usually going "Yeah! I totally caught the look of this character with my skillz" rather than "Yay! I have a costume". Weird but that's how I am.

TL;DR version: I see nothing wrong with mindful acquisition. Dolls helped my materialistic tendencies. Doing means more than collecting to me.

 

I'm about to order my first doll and I feel the same--like she's going to need a lot! I want to learn beading and sewing and modding and all that too. And yeah, I can see it's going to be expensive, but I like to think of it as a little more productive than other things I enjoy/collect. I collect Transformers, and there's always super limited event figures out there. Also like Max Factory and Good Smile Company's Black Rock Shooter/Vocaloid lines, and those figures are pretty expensive. I also like clothes shopping, alas. I've always had to budget on what I could afford, and never buy something if I don't have the cash in hand for it.

But as much as I love those hobbies (I used to collect animation cels too) at the end of the day all you can do is look at them and appreciate the art, or the feeling the character gives you. With these dolls you're learning skills, making something personal, and I like that aspect of it. Aside from that, for me I have to think a whole lot more about what doll to buy and how big it is! One thing about living in Japan, there's not exactly a lot of space to put these things, and more often than not I don't buy things simply because I have no room for them and I can't stand clutter.

So I suppose I'm as materialistic as I was before, just the stuff I'm buying is a little more creative and that's a plus

 

i've honestly never seen an issue with spending all of my money on art supplies, but i do like to search around for good deals.... so i honestly don't think you're being materialistic, because you want to buy things in order to CREATE. for me, the essence of being human and enjoying life is the ability to create, whether it's silly little doll clothes or a large painting. if you have to spend money to buy supplies to make your creations, what does it matter? you're still gaining something far more valuable than what you spent, IMO.

 

I don't know what people think about my dolls, really, because most of my friends are too polite to say something mean. They probably think it is materialism. For me, its more of a creative outliet.

I am so busy right now trying to figure out how to get my BJDs to look the way I want them to that I don't have time to be materialistic. I guess perfectionism trumps materialism.

 

This pretty much sums up the kind of response I would have made.

 

Once a person "grows up" and start saving they learn how difficult it is in fact to earn money and manage them. I don't think dolls make you any more or less materialistic than ...for example..going to buy the groceries list.

 

Dolls making me materialistic? Hell yes. I now worry about money more than I do most other things. And there is that little bit of greed that makes me go "WANT" to something that I may not really want all that much, hence why my wishlist is so big (but hey, wishlist does not equal buy list). Not that being materialistic is a bad thing, but I think it is good to take a step back and recognize it.

 

Yes, I want things. No, I don't need them. This does not make me materialistic. This makes me human. If you really think about it and if you're honest, nearly everything we own we don't need. Cars? Computers? Cell phones? With cameras and texting?

Yeah... I doubt we need these things.

Dictionary.com defines materialistic as a person who is markedly more concerned with material things than with spiritual, intellectual, or cultural values.

I won't even pretend to speak for anyone else (yet I'm sure a lot of people agree with me when I say this), but I seriously doubt I put my material possessions over my friends, my pets, or even my car! In fact, I can't count the number of times BJDs have taken the backburner to those things.

 

I've grown into and out of a few hobbies over the past 10 years or so and I have to say that BJD's are definitely the most "beautiful" but also the most expensive.

It's created a lot of "wants" which are frivolous and materialistic but I won't go spending money beyond my means if I can't afford it. What I've noticed now is that when I'm out shopping and I see something I like (but don't love) I try to think of things like "I could buy this, or I could order X number of wigs/shoes/whatever from Volks/Luts/Dollmore instead...." LOL

 

I think my doll has increased my materialistic needs probably similar to how having an actual kid would. You buy them clothes, buy them accessories/toys... you go out of your way to take care of your doll.

For me, it kind of felt like I was prepping for a baby that would arrive in 3 weeks - I needed eye putty, a carrying case, a space to put the doll, possibly a wig brush, and a whole lot of other things. Only half were acquired before the doll came, and some haven't been gotten yet. It was all very surreal, and also somewhat bizarre.

The only thing that I'd go a little crazy on is trying to see what kind of keychain toys I could buy, that would pass as MSD-sized toys and not be too big, or too small. A lot of what I find is too big or too small, also.

 

One might argue that if we were never materialistic to begin with we wouldn't have
purchased our first ABJD. And that anything that isn't "essential" to living is giving
into materialism. I would argue that life is meant to be enjoyed and often (no, usually)
enjoyment costs money.

I'm going to make a comparison: having a baby.
Very few people expecting a child will only have the necessities that baby requires.
(keeping in mind different cultures & religions of course)
Most of the items out there are essentially for the parents or onlookers to enjoy. I doubt
any infant would be sad or feel neglected without a blinged out pacifier or an eight hundred
dollar stroller. Does that make every parent who buys non-essentials for their baby or child
materialistic? I don't think so. It's just an extension of loving their child and how they enjoy
those years with them

I really think that all the things you mentioned are just extensions of the hobby, too.
Faceup supplies, sewing supplies.......how do you know they wouldn't make you happy,
since they are things you already want, until you actually get those things and use them?
As for feeling greedy, I understand. There was a point when I felt really bad for loving
so many dolls and bad for the dolls I already had. It took some time but I learned how
to separate really liking a sculpt from wanting to buy it. Was it easy? Definitely not.
But now I feel better about the hobby and my involvement in the hobby itself.

Nobody here can tell you how to feel, we can only offer our opinions about our own feelings
relating to the hobby. Being this is an older thread I don't know if you've come to terms
with this subject or not, but I hope you stopped beating yourself up over the happiness
your doll/s have brought you, and all of the other interests having an ABJD has opened
up to you!

 

Dolls have not made me any more or less materialistic then before I starting collecting them.

 

I do feel that this hobby is a materialistic one. Not all hobbies involve the sheer amount of stuff we purchase, a lot of hobbies can even be nearly free, like outdoor sports, reading (library), singing, drawing etc. However, BJDs are a collecting hobby for many people and collecting hobbies tend to involve more purchases, whether you collect stamps, antiques or buttons ~ the cost varies but a collector usually invests money continually in to their hobby.

I don't like spending the amount of money that is the norm in this hobby, my funds aren't endless and so I have to budget and a new doll might mean sacrificing a holiday or some new clothes for winter. I've sort of taken a break from this hobby for the last few years while saving to travel. Coming back to it I am again shocked at how much everything costs (and those dreaded shipping fees!)

That said, I don't think you should feel bad about buying supplies. To me, the most positive side of this hobby is that it encourages people to learn new skills and express their creativity. Buying fabrics or paints to customise your doll is, in my mind, less materialistic than spending hundreds of dollars on Y!Jp dealer outifits. The skills you learn will help you in other areas. Making doll clothes taught me a lot about making clothes for myself, and with the sewing machine I can repair old clothes, make curtains.. etc.

I should probably mention that I have bought Y!Jp outfits before, so I'm not judging anyone, we each have different budgets and skills and ways of enjoying our dolls ^__^

 

If you say that wanting to buy paint/sewing supplies/beads is materialistic, it'd mean all art is materialistic really. Think of painters, musicians and writers; they all have to buy stuff for their hobby; musicians need music notes, instruments, rosin (well, those with bowed string instruments do - it's resin too btw!) etc. Writers need at least paper and a pen, too XD (but preferably a computer). And think of all the people who do visual arts... Whoa, the loads of stuff they need.
I don't find BJDs a much more materialistic hobby than those, really. It's very creative, and we learn many kinds of skills with it. And besides, who said it's wrong to be materialistic? We walk on material, we're made of it and we breathe and eat it. BJDs make us happy, and that's all that matters! >: D

 

Hm.
I have always been materialistic and a hoarder of 'decorations'. I dont think dolls have increased my tendency to be materialistic, it has always been there.