DON'T Call Them "Toys."

Hmm... I don't think it'd bother me to have my dolls called toys. If it was intended to be a rude /sarcastic comment then i might have a problem with the person.
After all in the end a doll is a toy.

I'd take a different approach though and point out that it is indeed an expensive toy much like an X box (in terms of price and whatnot) and that i'd appreciate it if they didn't act like it was your run of the mill barbie doll.

As for the emotions involved, i don't think i'd get offended enough to cry, i do think i'd be pretty angry if someone were intentionally trying to be mean about it. This isn't so much about being touchy about my doll being called a toy, as it just really bothers me to be harassed for no reason.

 

I haven't had anyone call them toys. For me, they say "Dolls" like it's some common Barbie. What actually ruffles my feathers is when people call my dolls cute or pretty and they sound pretty dismissive to me. I don't know why it bothers me so. I just don't consider them those words. Awesome comes to mind.

 

Well, technically, they are toys - but at the same time, they're not meant for kids.

Don't let it get to you, though. It just comes with the territory.

They're going to be criticized - called toys, called a waste of money. It's going to happen, because you can't assume that everyone accepts and understands. That's why we take it upon ourselves to educate people, at least a little, about something we hold near and dear.

My mom thinks they're pretty much toys, though she won't say it. My dad has a hard time putting the pieces together - they're not child's toys, yet a lot of people don't just keep them on a shelf out of harms way. It's hard to understand, sometimes.

I think you know that it won't be the last time, either. We associate dolls with toys, naturally, and sometimes people who would rather hurt us than think can use that against us. But because it won't be the last time, eventually you learn to avoid those people (especially if they might want to try doing something with your dolls) and we learn to dust off the harshness.

As long as you like what you do with your dolls, and you're not hurting anyone, it's nobody's business what you do.

 

Yeah, I wouldn't like it either, especially if they meant it maliciously. But some people just don't understand the value of these things. If that's the case, it's their problem. What matters is that you care about and value your resin buddies.

 

When it is said to demean or get a rise out of me then yes, it does anger me. I don't like it when people do things just to aggravate me. However as others have already pointed out, they are toys. They are expensive toys but still toys. I guess they could also be considered collectibles, but toys fits. Then again, I play with my dolls. I didn't play like a normal child so I play pretty similarly with my dolls now. I make up stories about them, dress them, and cuddle with them/talk to them.

 

They are my toys, I love them, and I don't care what anyone else calls them. Doesn't bother me at all.

 

Legos aren't cheap. I collect those ^_^ When one itty lego figure can go for $30? not cheap. I also collect McD's toys. I'd die for more McNugget Buddies.

ANYWAY. Since I basically collect 'collectibles' which range from Legos to Barbie to Action figures from varying artists and styles, I would take slight offense to my most expensive (in terms of basic acquiring price as opposed to 'could be worth on ebay' price) being referred to in a way that made them sound cheap.

That being said, I do hide my collection from the general populace, namly facebook. Sure, people I can see face-to-face, and people on DOA and flickr can view my collection...but I just have this towering feeling that if I started mixing my doll collection with my facebook "friends" it'd start an argument that I'd only walk away from unhappy. ;_;

 

I'd say that would about cover it. Yeah, there are insane, expensive toys out there... The modified MLPs actually... hell they can cost $100 or so if you pick out the right ones... I wouldn't be too angry about it. @__@

The bottom line is that you know what you put into it, and you know its value. Everything beyond that is just semantics.

 

I might get offended depending on the context they said the word "toy" in and the tone they said it in. Personally though, I am okay with ppl calling them dolls or such but compared to 'toy' I'd rather prefer to use the word 'doll' or 'collector item' or 'collection' because I do see them more as art, or rather a platform for art (that's just me though). I never use 'toy'. But in general situations when I know the person know nuts about BJDs and they are just referring to my dolls as 'toys' with no malice intended, then I'd just close one eye to it. But it does irk me when people use the word 'toy' and then add the useless/wasteful label to my doll.

 

I'm a toy junkie so I don't really mind unless they're saying with jerky intentions. In which case I'm offended that they feel the need to be a jerk over something in the first place. People making mistakes in regards to my dolls doesn't really bug me because I expect it - people aren't psychic and don't know about everything in the universe. Can't really call it ignorance to call them toys though.

 

I wouldn't be mad at someone just because they called my doll a toy. It only bothers me when people use the word "toy" as a way of saying "grow up, you're too old for that." It's not the word that bothers me, it's the way they are using it.

There's always going to be someone who can't accept it, doesn't understand it, or will go out of their way to taunt you about it for whatever reason. I try not to get too upset about it.

 

Well technically speaking they are toys... in the same way a catamaran or a yacht is a toy, or how about that Jaguar your brother pants over? or the special blingbling dress your sister in law wears to go dancing.

One of my coworkers called one of my resins a toy and I just laughed and replied, "Yes, My 3 months gross pay toy" and walked away.

Frankly it's not worth getting upset about. Why raise your blood pressure over them when you can go home and play with your resin "toys"?

 

I'm not bothered if my dolls are called toys, because they are toys in a technical sense, albeit very expensive toys. I even refer to them as such because I need a general term to describe my hobby. Like me buying Legos as well, they can be pretty costly, especially the big sets, but they are toys all the same. If people are being malicious about it, I just tell them they are being a jerk and stop giving them the time of my day.

 

I would be more upset if they called it a Barbie. Though, I do like a lot of Barbies, the fact they clearly don't even know what they are even talking (hating) about, rubs me the wrong way.

 

As frustrating as the situation may be, I'd be a little upset as to why this person was wasting my time, with an argument that greatly depending on the need to 'agree to disagree'.

In turn, I would also be a little put off, as to why they would make themselves out to be a complete idiot in order to prove a point? Are your opinions that important to you, that you'd rather ruin someones day, and now your own image, just for someone to hear them.

If you don't hope to change their view point on something, why even give your opinion?

They only work if people listen.

And I'm damned sure that they didn't expect you to go
"You know, you're right! I'm just gonna give up all the things I love and believe in just for you!!*kisses8'

So yeah..
That's my opinion.
That was silly of them and you have the right to be mad.

 

Someone in general calling my doll a toy wouldn't bother me at all. I consider them that myself. Someone doing it to be mean and nasty I'd just ignore and go on about my day. Like someone said it's just semantics and everyone is going to call things the way they see it. No point for me to get upset over it.

 

But...they ARE toys. In the end, you play with them, love them, enjoy them. They are dolls, they are meant to be played with. Yes, they are art. But they are toys, too. I tell myself all the time that my dolls are my beautiful, expensive toys. To stay grounded, because no matter how much I spend on them, I have to remember that they are just toys. My toys. To play with. That's why I have them.

As for the person in your post there, Zest? What does he or she spend their extra money on that's inanimate that you could safely call a toy? Electronics? Car? Games? Significant other? Jewelry? (Baubles are toys too.) Just do that. They will get the point, hopefully.

 

My boys get referred to as my toys all the time. -shrugs- Doesn't bother me. Then again, all of my manga, anime and anime figures get referred to collectively as that 'jap-crap' by my family. So I'm probably thick-skinned about all this stuff.

But to be honest, they are actually toys. In the same way that my playstation 3 (which I bought when they first came out, so I dropped a lot of money on it, and it didn't retain the value) is a toy. Just because there is greater or lesser monetary value placed on something doesn't make it any less of what it is - in this case a doll. A doll is a type of toy. If A is B and B is C....

But then again, there is a huge market for adult collectible toys these days. Living Dead Dolls, Grumpy Bears, Skeleanimal plushies, Anime figures... the list goes on. They all have in common the following fact: They are toys aimed at the adult market. A lot of people will not have been exposed to that sort of niche culture, and will have the conception that toys are only for kids, which will lead them to be demeaning. -shrugs-

Now I'm going to watch Doctor Who with my replica sonic-screwdriver while my dorries sit next to me on the couch. Act my age? NEVAR!