Downsizing

If you have room for the boxes perhaps rotate the display of them. Life always necessitates change, I hope you find a way to adapt and enjoy your new living arrangement. So grateful you have a new place to live, many are in more dire circumstances. Blessings to you, there is always so many things to be grateful for.

 

I agree with @jhiggi - why not just store some of them in their boxes under the bed or in the closet, display the rest, and then rotate? One day you will be kicking yourself if you sell some that you love, move into a larger home, and then find that you can't replace them.

 

There are a few ways you could go about this. I usually go with whichever I’m not as bonded to, either in doll or character. You could also go with ones are not as important in your doll collection/stories. If they’re all pretty much equal, go with the ones that are easy to rebuy later and either still available from the company or common secondhand, just in case your situation changes and you want them back.

 

I think Konmarying is the best option if you want to actually declutter. Hold each of the dolls in your hands, perhaps try out different outfits, see which one sparks joy in you and which one doesn't.

I am sorry to hear about your forced situational decision. I move very often (once a year on average) and I have a small flat, so I am downsizing too atm. And I totally understand your situation. While I have sold some, I still have a few and I am thinking of selling a few more, but I want to make it a gradual process. And so can you. You don't have to drastically reduce it all within seconds and risk regret. So, I always just order my dolls into 3-4 groups:

1. 10000% keepers
2. 95% keepers in case you still find yourself overcluttered
3. 50-50, but the others have to go first
4. the dolls that are the easiest to part with

What I do is I hold each of my doll and conduct a 'test' based on what's important: How she looks in a black, then a blond wig, how photogenic she is, how's the posing (sitting, standing, poses). I take notes and then the doll that gets the least amount of points goes out. Obviously, meanwhile I consult my "intuition".

What I mean by this is that there are some dolls that may be old, bad posers, etc. but they may be our personal favourite regardless. And they should stay. If you take them into your hands and feel joyful, then keep them And then, there many be other dolls we keep because of the imagined value (so called endowment effect), or because they're "rare", etc. I don't think these are good reasons to keep them. I have sold many limiteds in the past and I still see them every now and then on the marketplace, often for much lower than what I had sold them for.

Also, when I look at my bunch I just know that if I were to urgently have to choose only the most beloved couple dolls, I know what I'd choose. Also, when I had more (a dozen) I knew right away which ones "would be cool if not for that I have even cooler" And while it's cool to be able to keep the collection as it is, for me it was also cool to be able to narrow the focus of my attention. There's only so much time and money I can spend on each of my dolls (which, in terms of time, atm is none anyway) that I don't need to keep them all.

And finally, each time I sell a full doll, I go and buy a pair of shoes or another accessory for the remaining ones and save up the rest of money. It feels awesome

 

@demented pea What about decluttering other things? You've presumably already done this, but maybe see if there's anything else that you really don't need?

As an example, maybe there's a bookcase full of books that you'll realistically never read again, especially with Overdrive to borrow e-books from your local library. (Or regular books, if that's your thing.)

You can take pictures and back them up, if any hold significant memories. Even keep the most precious books, possibly storing them instead, if you're not ready to let them go.

Bonus: fewer heavy books to haul if you move again.

 

I agree with @jhiggi and @celga, rotate which you display and store. I don't have room in my room to display my dolls, or keep the boxes here. So most of my dolls are in a climate controlled storage along with my other hobby collectibles along with my BF's dolls and stuff. In face I recenty did a doll swap and took out a few to do Halloween things with while putting the others back in storage.

The only downside to this is that if someone asks for a comparison or user pic I can help with, I don't always have those dolls on hand, but it's keeps me from having to part with dolls I'd rather never part with.

 

You could also try keeping them in their boxes for now and see which ones you are most compelled to get out to play over the next few weeks/months/whatever. The dolls you aren’t compelled to get out to play could maybe be ready for new homes. That kinda happened to me by accident when I had everyone packed to go into storage while I moved overseas for a couple years. My move ended up canceled due to COVID but I found I had several dolls I didn’t care to get back out and ultimately sold them.

 

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Demented Pea, please don't lose hope! For two years I lived in a One. Room. Apartment that was just over 190 square feet. Everything I owned had to fit, not just my (at the time) 10 various sized dolls (including 3 larges) but my human furniture, my 40 + pairs of shoes (I'm a dancer so shoes are a big deal), my extensive book and manga collection and my person. A lot of people did not understand why I was unwilling to part with my precious hobbies and there was pressure from outside to sell things and downsize. I ignored those voices because they didn't have my discerning taste when it comes to the items I own and consider special. I got very creative with how I displayed and stored my dolls. All my dolls stayed out. It made more sense to treat their shelves like their permanent homes vs places to "display". The things I stored were their clothes and shoes (which at the time fit in with my seasonal decorations). Before I ever considered parting with a doll, I made sure I wasn't holding on to something else ... like an extra frying pan or a pair of shoes I could get rid of. And you know what? I never had to part with a doll over space! There was always something that could go first. I made sure to consider how I'd feel if I had to sell a doll (vs getting rid of some books) knowing I might never be able to replace that doll (vs the books, which are usually easily replaced). That made it easier to decide if it was the doll I could part with or the other thing.

 

I live in a very small home and have a fairly large collection (45 BJDs of all sizes.) And certainly it’s a game of inches here! But I’ve managed it by utilizing the dolls as decor in my home (a small grouping of dolls with accessories can be every bit as interesting as a poster or a painting.) I don’t worry about displaying them all together as a collection. Instead I spread them out from room to room in smaller displays, utilizing any surface available...the top of a dresser, a small shelf, an end table, the top of a chest. I’ve even removed an unused closet door and put display shelves in there. As I walk through my tiny home, there are little groupings of dolls here and there to catch my eye. It’s a bit like wandering through an enchanted world with interesting characters to stop and visit with along the way. I find it a lovely way to live...and my husband loves it too!

 

Wow! I like the idea of that!

 

I also managed to solve it by using my dolls as decor. They usually stayed in their spot placed right between or even on top of other things. Depending on the sized of your dolls they can easily be placed in front or on top of books on bookshelves. On top of a wardrobe, guarding a jewelry box, sitting in the space between my two screens on my desk,... the options are endless if you think creatively.

 

I just found a pic of my old place. Pictured are my minis and yosds (not pictured, the shelf way, waaay up with my larges).

This was the wall between my windows. Finding good sturdy shelving made permanent storage and display much easier. It also kept my floorspace open so I wasn't worried about where to put furniture.