Ever felt guilty for having 'more dolls' than someone else?

No guilt, no envy, no sense of competition in any form. The joys of being a solitary doll collector!

 

No. I have more dolls than my best friend, but I've been in the hobby longer and I assign higher priority to doll spending than other recreational spending. Also mine were mainly bought secondhand and the majority of them were fairly cheaply acquired.

Another friend of mine has fewer dolls and I don't feel guilty for having more than she does, but I do feel badly about the circumstances which prevent her from having a larger collection.

 

Sometimes - I got into the hobby without realising a friend was also into it, and while it was awesome to have a friend in the hobby, sometimes she'd be a bit frustrated with me that I had more dolls than her when I'd been in the hobby for less time. I have 6 dolls and I've been in the hobby about four years. Two of those were gifts from my partner (both second hand, one from the friend I mentioned), two were with birthday money, and the other two were layaway purchases. Sometimes she'll just off-handedly say that she's saving up for a doll, and "Soon I'll have as many as you", or she'll say "Oh I wish I had as many as you" etc - it's hard cause I budgetted carefully for the dolls I got on layaway, my partner bought the second hand dolls at good prices because of their age and such, and then the two that I got with birthday money were just that - birthday money. I just brush it off usually, but sometimes it does get hard to. It just happened that at the time I got my dolls, I had the money to do a layaway for them, or had the money to buy them outright - at the moment, I don't have the money, so haven't gotten any dolls. And sure, I get more expensive company dolls - Fairyland, Dream of Doll, and I'm planning an Iplehouse JID - but that's the aesthetic I prefer, so I'd rather save up for one of them.
So yeah, I definitely feel guilty over my dolls sometimes - but usually I can remind myself that I had every reason to use my money to buy them, and that I don't need to be guilty over it.

 

As is learning to be happy for others, I think.
It's hard not to be jealous when someone has loads of dolls and is getting another one. But I just take joy in their happiness! It's why I love box openings, particularly for dolls I want.

 

At some point I felt guilty/ashamed that I only had one doll! Everyone else had 4-30 dolls and I only had one *boohoo*
8 dolls later I'm begin to not care about the doll amounts (tho I can't even imagine having/seeing more that that 10 dolls in a same place, so how does one have 30?! D8)
But yeah, I don't think the quantity is a thing to be ashamed or being guilty about

 

Well, I only own one doll now! I've owned about 10 in total though. At one point in time I had a friend who also wanted to buy a doll, and she did kind of act a little jealous at times, but I never really felt bad about that.

The way I saw it - she had income and did not have any financial obligations of her own. She chose to spend all of her money on cosplay and anime trinkets instead. So, I guess she just wanted that cosplay and those trinkets more than the doll - and hey, that's fine. It's her life and her choices. But I shouldn't feel bad about mine either. I saved, scrimped, worked two jobs and picked up any extra shifts I could find to buy my dolls, and I'm fully entitled to enjoy them.


As for me, I have NEVER felt jealous of anyone who had more dolls than me (which is not that hard, really... if you own more than three dolls you own more than I've ever had at a single time ), and I hope they don't feel guilty about it either. Large collections are awesome! I hope to have one some day, but it's just not possible for a full-time student. And that's okay! I'll vicariously live through the people who own the big collections for now.

 

mmnope. I once felt a little jealous of a friend of mine who had been in the hobby for a lot shorter a time than I had, who it seemed like was just always buying more dolls and selling them almost as regularly. I know she wasn't being fickle, and she does earn a considerable amount of her doll funds on her own, but her family is relatively wealthy... She really does love her dolls though, she sells them if she CAN'T bond with them, which I understand. I just give it a bit more time, since I don't have as much money to spend on a replacement... She's one of my best friends though, and I no longer feel jealous 'cause I have almost my entire wishlist now! I'm happy with my collection, and I've come a looong way! I've met some new friends who are older than me and don't have dolls yet, or only one or two, and they seem impressed by my collection and maybe they're a little jealous because I'm relatively young for a doll hobbyist, but there's never any hard feelings. It's all for the love of dolls, and that's all that really matters. I love my dolls. My friends love their dolls, whether they have a lot or not.

 

I felt a little guilty when my sister was thunderstruck over my Volks SD & MSD while she did not have any. So when she bought her first doll, I bought her some clothes to go with it.

I feel bad for the people that don't have any dolls yet, but not about the stuff that I have, bc I've worked hard, & saved up for the dolls/clothes that I do have.

There are people who have dolls & some that are LE that I just about cried when I lost out on the lottery or trying to buy them... but I would never try and bring someone else down bc everything was just right for them to be able to get the doll that they wanted.

SDCG Renèe is a perfect example of how some people had a strong sense of entitlement when Volks held a lottery and it's not like anyone could have cheated.. but some people had some serious sour grapes !! Even more so when she started showing up for sale at double the price in some places.

 

Yes. I have one full doll and I keep buying floating heads because they are easy to order on an impulse, but a friend of mine is getting into the hobby and is taking a while to save for her first doll due to money issues. I also feel a bit bad when I get super excited for a new doll I nearly have the money for (when I'm talking to her, that is), but I don't think she minds THAT much...? I do worry about liking a doll she wants, and I decided not to even plan for my own version of a doll she's saving for, because I know if I bought it she would probably feel bad- but that, I believe, is a different topic.

 

No, I don't! How other people feel shouldn't determine how I spend my own paycheck. Many dolls I have, I saved for years to get!

 

Everyone has 1 life. We also have choices on how that life will be. Will we work hard at school for a high paying job? Or have lots of fun when we're young and worry about career later? Will we spend our money on trips or things or charity? Will we be willing to work over time, even if it gives us little time for anything else? We all have these choices. I hate when people use the word "lucky" to describe something someone else worked hard for. I don't have my doll yet but I'd never go around making people feel bad about their collections, that's just petty! I chose to be a stay at home mother, I chose the spend my savings on going back to school, and I'm proud of my choices. But that doesn't mean everyone should do the same as me, or that I should be angry that I don't have as much money for hobbies as others.

 

I finally have been able to get over the whole jealousy thing with my friend since she's lost real interest besides complimenting my new girl and some outfits I made. I've of course decided not to tell her about all the REAL fun things in the hobby like meet ups and stuff because frankly...I don't think it's a place for her, she'd get too bored and wind up being a pest...And because it's MY thing...She got into it and pretty much copied my second doll down to his eye color because she wanted HIM but couldn't HAVE him...So yeah...I decided I'm not telling her anything and if she asks "Oh that one? Christmas gift." Besides..I have since had a heart to heart with her about how it makes me feel when she does stuff like that and she's stopped...For the most part.

 

Oh man, no one pushes buttons like a sister.

No, I have never felt guilty for having more dolls than someone else. Not once. Dolls are an expensive hobby and there were points in my life where I could not have afforded it, for sure. This is not that time for me and I am going to enjoy my hobby to the absolute fullest!

 

Nope! I think comparing yourself to someone else about what you have or don't have is only going to make you miserable. I say be happy with what you have, because someone out there would love to have what you do; and likewise don't indulge others who do try to make you feel guilty about what you own by saying you're sorry for having what you have. If you worked hard for it then enjoy your doll collection.

 

No, and I really can't imagine why I should feel guilty about that. Different people make different choices about what to do with their money. I don't think I should feel guilty for making choices that have allowed me to collect a relatively large number of dolls, and I don't think it's unfair for me to have as many dolls as I have (we could get into a discussion about whether or not it's fair for some people to have access to more money than other people, but I think there are much more important consequences of that inequality than the ability to buy more dolls).

 

No, I don't feel guilty. I saved and planned like most people do to have what I have. But I also try to be very aware of those who may feel insecure about not having a doll yet or only one or maybe just a head. No matter what there will always be people in life who have way more and way less than us.

 

I've never felt guilty about having the amount or quality of dolls I've had. I did have a friend who seemed jealous that she couldn't by more dolls. But now the table's turned & she can afford to buy dolls while I no longer can. I'm not envious of her though as I'm very happy with the ones I have. I just enjoy them to the fullest & recently bought my first BJD in over 2 years. It felt good to get a new doll but I have no great urge to buy another.

I guess I just take things as they come & don't stress about how many dolls I have or don't have.

 

I refuse to feel guilty because this is what I spend my discretionary income on. I don't have closets full of clothes, I don't have drawers of jewelry, I don't travel, and I drive an old beater (to be replaced with another beater when this one dies).

If I have money burning a hole in my pocket, it usually goes for doll stuff. This is my fun money, and I intend to enjoy it.

 

I don't feel particulary guilty for having as much dolls as I do, but sometimes I do feel guilty when I hear people talking about that they don't have money and want to order a new doll, when I am getting a new doll. (especially when the doll I am ordering is also on their wishlist).
But then again, it is not that I have a lot of money. And then I realise that it is just a matter of choices. Some people prefer to spend their money on Starbucks coffee or going to large festivals, or choose to start a family and spend their money on that for example. I don't do those. After paying my bills, almost all my money goes to my biggest hobby: dolls.

 

Nope, not at all. I work hard for my money and love to spend it on dolls, therefore I pass on other things like clothes, shoes, bags, whatever. Sometimes I feel bad when I see other owning more dolls than me. Joke^^ I am very happy with my collection, no matter how many or few dolls others have