Elitism - How much is perceived?

And in two posts people prove my point about Volks being the end-all example of Elitism. I'd like to remind people that Soom monthly dolls cost into a thousand easily, Dollshe Bermann can easily fetch $3,000 on the market, and other companies call the loyalty that Volks has without being quite as economical as other companies. I would also like to point out that while Volks are not exactly cheap from the company, and can have a high after-market price, it also has many dozens of dolls and combinations. That is one reason why it has the loyalty from Volks collectors.. the sheer number of choices and sculpts from one company.

 

let me start by saying. your writing style is so elequant! I'm a little off topic in saying so but I like the way you worded things in the intro to the thread there XP

back on topic now. I've known a couple people who bridge on the elitest line but I've never had any experiences where people have been really really bad. I had a friend who got her first BJD about a year or two before I did. and she kinda acted like a know it all. she doesn't do this anymore, because I had to teach her to restring her doll. not that I was trying to show her up. but it was a little satisfying to see that I could do something she couldn't after she was being such a know it all. really that's the closest to doll snobs I've seen in person. but I have heard some horror stories. and you know, I'm sure some pretty frustrating people exsist. but if someone were to snob it up and insult one of my babies (I only collect Resin Soul dolls which admitedly aren't very expensive but they ARE good quality.) I would probably shrug it off and keep on rolling. I think the value of a doll is what the owner makes of it, not the price tag.

 

I must admit I started to believe it was more of a myth than anything else! xD;; the people in my area are such lovely people, there is ZERO discrimination toward any doll company. everyone is so polite like "it's not at MY taste but just because I don't like it doesn't actually make it bad!" and most people on the forum seems like that too. however, an online doll friend of mine told me there are quiet a lot of elitist people in her meetups :/
But I never saw any

 

What? Huh, where? I think I must have missed something, 'cause I can't remember. (lol, I tried to use the search function, but the forum died on me)

 

I think it comes down to being confident as a person and also confident in your doll purchases. This doesn't matter which company your doll comes from or how much you've spent on your doll. You could have a Dollshe in a sockdress and a Bobobie in Dollheart and it is none of anyone's business which dolls you buy and what you do with them after you've bought them.

It is tiring to see Volks come up again and again as the font of all snobbish elitists. I have Volks dolls because I love them. I love the style, the quality, and I also find the mythos cute. Customer services have always been excellent with me, which is always fantastic to know, and I love that when I order a Volks doll, I know exactly what I'll be getting.

I've not met a single Volks collector online or in person that has been such a vile, snobbish person as described in many a BJD urban legend. I'm not saying that these people can't exist, but I am saying that in nearly 4 years in the hobby I've not met anyone like this, which certainly tells me that elitism is rarer than most people think - or that I've been leading a sheltered existence

So Volks dolls don't do it for you? That's fine, there's more for me Dollmore dolls really don't do it for me, so congratulations! There's more for you Sometimes I feel that people are too quick to assume that a simple preference for a company means that you hate or exclude all others. Not true at all.

 

I'm a monster of urban legend, YAAAAY! *runs off into the night and the wilderness* xF

But, on reality, I am not an elitist, just confident in what I do and don't like. I can't be held responsible for the insecurity of other people. No one should be. Elitism is primarily perceived in this community, and the stuff of urban myth. Maybe they once existed like told, but that is gone the way of the dinosaur.

 

There is a big difference between having a preference for one thing and utterly despising everything that is not that one thing.

I prefer marmite, but I don't hate people who like peanut butter. I prefer Volks dolls, but I don't hate other companies or other companies' dolls or other people who collect non-Volks dolls.

I think this is an important point. If you're confident about your doll choices and your own preferences you can shrug off criticism - My own mother can't stand my dolls and when I'm posing them or just sitting with one on my shoulder or my knee she can't resist talking about them and the features she doesn't like. If I was insecure about them I would probably let it get to me, but I'm confident in what I like about my dolls and I just accept she has different tastes.

 

^This. I used to be bothered when there was yet another Volks-bashing thing going on, now I either shrug, or I don't even notice it. Don't really care anymore what other people think of my dolls or the brands I prefer; I like them. That's what counts.

@girlwholived: I really want to be a monster of urban legend too, could you teach me?

 

Yes, I shall teach you my young little padawan. Clutch your Volks dolly very tightly, make a draw a pentagram in the blood of virgin unicorns at your feet and stand in it. Now chant "My Dolly has a soul and all other are empty." And you will be transformed! Now, feast on the resin of others!

 

Wait, do I have to draw an upright pentagram or an inverted one? And where does Mother SD come into this? I do not want to swear or chant anything, if she isn't blessing me in some way.

 

Mother SD does not approve of Volks Elitism. This is a transformation spell to become the Volks Elitist Monster of urban legend. x)

 

Tsssk. Well, obviously she doesn't understand the superiority of Volks dolls. So much for her blessing. I'll get myself a nice herd of unicorn virgins and join the legendary masses of snobbish monsters.

 

I have always failed to understand why people spend any time judging other peoples dolls.

Once at a doll meet I met a girl who was extremely happy with her new doll. She was really over the moon. She showed it to me and the mold and body sculpt did not work for me. Frankly, I found the doll fugly. Yet I felt very, very happy for her and squeed with her. Why? Because she found the doll she truly wanted and loved. It was her precious baby.

Would I want to own that doll? No. Did I tell her I loved it? No. Could I feel happy for her and join her excitment over her happiness? YES!

 

Can I be the Soom one? Please? I really do have enough spare parts around here to turn myself into a creepy flesh-resin hybrid millipede with a horn crown of some kind, I'm sure of it. (I have a fever! Blame the fever, I beg of you. *hides now*)

 

Wait.... so... if I only collect Fairyland dolls... will I be an elitist?

8^/

 

Sadly my tastes are to varied for me to even attempt to be a snob. Anybody got a magic potion, chant or voodoo witch doctor that can help with making ones tastes more focused?

 

I heard of it...and i think i've seen it but i'm not sure : / Someone called me an elitist bust because i have many soom dolls....Little do they know my favorite boys are still ResinSoul and DF-H hybrid.

I know some people snob other's dolls and sometime i have no idea why...

 

Exactly. I don't love every single doll sculpt out there, so it's not so far-fetched that what I like might be considered unattractive by someone else. It's not something I take personally. I have my own doll likes and dislikes, and so do others.

Owning dolls from X,Y or Z company versus B,C or D company doesn't make (general) you better or worse than any other doll owner. Buy what you like and accept that others are going to do the same.

 

Hopefully I wasn't one of those people......

Seeing as I own Volks myself, I wouldn't exactly say Volks owners are the end-all example of Elitism; I'm just saying that one meetup group is almost exclusively Volks owners, hence their preference. I'm not criticizing Volks dolls, or their owners.

If I was saying that Volks is the end-all example of elitism, I'm tarring myself with that brush as well......

I fully agree that most doll owners are fantastic people. However, there are some people in and out of the hobby who need to bolster their fragile egos by fanatically convincing everyone else that they are right and you are wrong right down to not allowing you to agree to disagree with them. Not to mention what I consider another type of elitism, something one of my Meet up groups experienced recently. The "if it is popular, it must be gotten rid of". A person came to our group with a Fairyland Chloe and when they discovered that there were three other Chloes in attendance and talk about in my opinion is an over reaction, immediately listed Chloe on D.O.A. as she was too popular! We were all amazed, but it was her decision.

Mostly, however, I'm of the opinion that this hobby is large enough for all of us to have the dolls we want, and if they're not the dolls you want, then "different strokes, different folks".

 

Yeah, that snarky site - takes my breath away, how touchy & nasty those delightful little people can be. Very funny as well although I doubt they mean to be. However, if you want effective criticism of your artistic efforts I highly recommend taking a deep breath, trying not to say much of anything, & ask for a critique. Some of the comments will be offensive, but overall you will get an honest, knowledgeable critique.
As for elitists, people like the ones referenced above often ARE elitist - about a lot of things. I've suffered pseudo-intellectuals a great deal (spent a long time as a professional college student LOL). I expect a universe of motives cause this. I've seen specific doll elitism once, at DragonCon - reminded me of the high school popular girls snubbing the little dorky girl (LOL) Only one girl, ignoring a very earnest doll owner who'd made her (maybe not so rare or expensive) doll an outfit & was very proud of those efforts. That's not nice.
I do think that there is NOTHING wrong w/saying you don't like things! When I do that I try giving the reasons. Anyway, to me elitism is either ignoring or looking down on other people because they don't like things you think they should, or don't own things, or have money, etc etc etc. Its one thing to wonder 'how could someone love that', quite another to insinuate that no one with 'taste' could ever do such a thing to a doll.