First Dollmeet?

My first doll meet was this past July! It happened down in Victoria, a good 7 hour drive from where I live. My brother wanted to go down to Victoria for his birthday anyway and since he can't drive, I totally did.

I was super nervous, I remember. We were the second ones to arrive at the BC Legislature, where we were meeting up. Dagger was already there. And totally friendly. XD Soooo many dolls! I wanted to get all touchy but was nervous about it. The other girls showed up and we talked doll. Being fairly new to BJDs at the time, I had no idea about what a lot of what they were talking about!

 

I walked in the room, and all the boy dolls had no pants on haha. Needless to say I was a little bit shocked LOL. That was a year ago, and now noting phases me hahaha.

 

x_x Been in the hobby just over a year and have a plethora of doll meets across the country I could easily attend and just...haven't. Nerves :

More meet-up stories! They are fun to read to get a feel of what to expect! ...pantless doll boys wasn't expected though.

 

I was so nervous and worried I would be oldest person there, but wasn't and by third one was having a blast. Once you learn real names it's easy to see friendly faces and actually know who is who. Even if only can recall 3-5 names I am happy.

 

I remember my first meet up...x.x It was half pleasent, and half not... I had enjoyed my self when I had gone, but then after wards the experience turned sour.

There are no other doll owners in my town. They all seem to be in the city a full days drive away from where I live.. I had asked for my birthday for my mother to drive me to a meet up, and to stay a couple days.. I thought the meet-up had been fine, but getting back home all of them had blocked me on msn, and refused to talk to me or even acknowledge my exsistence...x.x I still dont know what I did wrong.. but it turned out to be a waste of time and money.. I dont think I will be going to meet again, at least not down there.

 

My first one was a meet where the first half is walking around at a doll shop, and the second part is sitting around (at a different sort of doll shop) and talking and trying on wigs and things. I remember being very nervous... I brought all 3 of my dolls at the time, I had my sister and cousin (who now has two dolls of her own) with me and we each carried one. I sort of wandered in and looked around, and walked up to the first person I saw with a doll, and then we were all talking and it was pretty relaxed and fun!

At my most recent meet I drove up to the "rain date" meeting place, and I saw the people in the car next to me had dolls so we just rolled down our windows and talked for a moment until others arrived and we all stood around and talked outside before going in. Very relaxed and friendly, we were checking out the dolls before we even went inside, and since I had 3 with me someone held one for me for a while. I've been to 5 meets now in 4 locations with largely different groups at each one, and they've all been very friendly and welcoming.

 

Hm...my first meet was back in May at ACen. I was incredibly nervous as it was my first meet and everyone was older than me. (it doesn't help that I'm an introvert) But yeah, everyone was nice and I saw dolls that I would've never seen. There was also a special...um...dolly encounter? going on. Uh..hm..lets say depantsing was just the beginning lol

 

The first doll-meet I went to was wit a friend, and I always loved dolls and longed to have one of my own. It was really neat to see all the different dolls and I loved them. My mom finally cracked when I asked her if I could get one. And then I actually just went to my first doll meet with dolls at Otakon. It was so much fun! I have to say I was pretty nervous and a little scared but hey, once you get past he nervousness then you're golden.

 

sadly my first "doll meet" didn't last more then 2 minutes. It was at AWA a few weeks ago and the room we were to meetup in was so packed, I couldn't fit my friends wheelchair in. I just wheeled her out and pouted for the rest of the day. Hopefully I'll be able to go to another one

 

I went to my first doll meet earlier this year. I'm not new to the hobby at all, it just took me a long time to finally join DoA and go to a meet :P
It was at a college in Seattle, organized by a girl who is now a good friend.. I didn't talk very much, cuz I'm shy. It was so bad that I made my husband go set my dolls on the table while I stood off to the side! LOL

 

That really sucks, and after making the effort to go to the meet.

My first doll meet was as a photographer and generally interested person. I was surprised how many of the girls had more than one doll, because at the time I could not bear thinking of how much money they spent to get them, plus clothes, bags etc. We hung around a park and took photos (scaring other people walking past) and then went to a cafe. We took up at least 2 tables (and the dolls took up an entire couch/sofa). I got to play with about three dolls properly then, thanks to three lovely girls (Teabender included, who is the best friend who introduced me to the hobby properly). I got plenty of photos and more than a passing interest.

Now, I am saving up (albeit very slowly) to buy my own doll; a kid delf Bory. Soon followed by 2 Brownies.

 

I attended my first doll meet last October (wow, I can't believe its going to be a year already) with a friend of mine who already had her first doll, though I can't remember if she had him with her or not.

I wasn't entirely new to the hobby, since I had seen my first BJD way back in 2004, but I didn't know much at all about them. I had finally found the mold of my dreams after my friend introduced me to DoA, and decided that going to a meet would help me figure out what to expect and whether or not it was worth the money.

It was kind of a shock, suddenly seeing all these people and tables of dolls. I'm really shy- though trying to work on it- and had no idea what to do. One thing I have learned since then is that, when in doubt, go with the whole "is that your doll? What mold are they?" which is pretty much what I did while quietly taking pictures xD and it was fun. Everyone was really nice and was willing to answer all my n00b questions about face ups and companies- I had asked someone about the quality of Dollmore dolls and she told me everything I needed to know and more (and now I'm hooked, ha!).

Since then I have learned people by name and face, and even know a few of the dolls by name. But I have come a long way since then- I can actually recognize molds now, have my own dolls, and can start a conversation a lot easier.

I still get nervous every time, but I look forward to our monthly NYC meets and the summer Miami meets (you guys were totally awesome too).

 

2005, January, Huntington Gardens, CA (So-Cal). Seventeen plus people. We met out in front of the Gardens and put our dolls on one of the park benches. I didn't know who would be there, since I was NEW-new-NEW and had only had my first doll for a month! But I had my own doll carrier and could spot others roaming about with doll carriers... It was like a big secret with codes! My first few meets were like that, actually, arriving and looking about anxiously for signs of BJDs!.

So-Cal is a big dolly-owner area. Back then, that many people and that many dolls in one place was rare... but it's only gotten bigger since then.

I discovered that I already knew people there! Several people I knew from other hobbies (and who I knew were into the dolls but just hadn't coordinated with) were there. I like meeting new folks so I didn't care whether I knew people or not--well, I did care a bit--it was comforting to see familiar faces. But I met many fantastic folks there. It was a GREAT group. There were newbies like me and there were people who had owned dolls for about as long as you COULD own dolls! Aimee Steinberger., a Den of Angels founder was there, for instance. And Mercy, who I knew before BJDs, but who has been an owner long before I was.

Everyone set up their dolls and took photos, just on the bench, waiting for others to arrive. We got attention, of course, from other visitors to the Gardens. And some owners had actually made up little business cards with the DoA address and some info on dolls to pass out to people who had questions!

We went in and started posing our dolls with each other and around the gardens. Everyone was in a great mood, very friendly and happy. It was a gorgeous day. We talked with the non-doll people who came by. People wanted to take photos of my doll and I was happy to let them and to tell people about him.

We got in trouble with the guards roaming the Gardens who were upset that we were doing some weird promotional work. But that was OK. It was kinda funny, actually.

Unfortunately for me, my camera's batteries crapped out so I didn't get any good photos inside the gardens, but only a few while waiting outside... Here they are:
http://aprillee.tripod.com/vg/lameet.html

There used to be a meetup thread for it, but I can't find it, so maybe it's gone, since it was so long ago!

Anyway, I've been hooked ever since! Every meetup I've gone to has been different and all have been wonderful with all kinds of great people. I haven't had a bad experience and years and years of fantastic ones, at cons and Disneyland and Tea Rooms and Picnics and Dolpas and Ren Faires and doll stores... They've all been amazing.

 

My first meet up was pretty good. The friend who got me into the hobby was hosting it, and she also let me "borrow" a doll for the day so I didn't feel left out. It was an outdoor meet, and I was the second there. Pretty low-key meet over all, and half the people who showed up I had known and was friends with from college! So I think mine was probably a lot less nerve wracking than other peoples experiences since I already knew so many of the people. XD~

But everyone was super awesome, and we got to take *LOTS* of fun pictures around the park we were at. I still remember it as my favorite meet to this date too. XD

 

I somehow managed to organize my first meetup in my introductory thread. >.> Still somewhat baffled by that one. ^^; But it was great, got to meet four or five of the locals, took lots of pictures, still have a great one with a doll wearing underwear on her head.

Second one was even better, because of the larger turnout, and because I made some really good friends that way. Planning on an 'anniversary' meetup next month.

 

I think my first meet was sort of an accidental instigation -- I introduced myself and mentioned where I was from, and a couple days later got a PM from the very lovely Sheri who let me know that they lived in town and would I like to meet up? I'd never seen a doll in person before, so I jumped at the chance and we started up a meetup thread. In the process, we found two or three other people in town who were into dolls. We set up a meet at our local Borders, in the cafe; I was ridiculously nervous, had NO idea what I was looking for, then finally spotted dolls. (I don't recall who was there first. I THINK it was Poptart; I seem to recall seeing her Saint first and recognizing him instantly because the friend who got me into dolls has a Saint.) I saw dollie, I wandered over and introduced myself, and then everyone else drifted in. I think we sat there for a good three-four hours and just chatted and drank coffee and had a good time. Incredibly low-key and relaxed, and amazing at putting a hardcore newbie at ease. (Though, caveat, I am ANYTHING but shy -- anyone who's ever met me at a Sakuracon/Otakon meet can probably attest to the fact that I tend to jump in headfirst and talk to EVERYONE! )

That was in March or April of 2007, somewhere in there...and now we pretty religiously get together every month (even though I couldn't make the tea party because I had a sick kiddo to take care of, bawww). The group keeps growing, too -- and we periodically get people filtering in from other areas nearby, and that's always fun!

 

My first meet-up was a little different from most folks'. It grew out of our very small fashion doll club after several of us starting buying BJDs. One of the girls posted here in the meet-up thread inviting others to come & the turnout was unbelievable. It was great to meet all the new folks & see such a variety of BJDs. A completely fun time for me & I guess for most of the others as they keep coming back & new folk join in too. We meet every month, do swaps, challenges & mostly show & tell. We're currently looking for a larger free space to meet in as we've sort of outgrown Border's cafe.

 

That's just not right! You'd been more than welcomed at our meetup! I know I'd never block you!

My first happened cause I asked for one. I think. It's been so long, lol. I didn't think anyone in the USA owned one, and or if they did, they lived in huge cities I had a fat chance of ever visiting. Yes, I really thought that! Then I figured well, no, there's got to be more, but likely not in SC. So I asked if there was, and come to find out, there was one in Greenville and on his way to meet me, he stopped to get another, who ended up living not more that 15-20 minutes away! But she moved to CA to work in Volks, but then found others...

All in all it was a good experience.

 

My first real doll meet was actually last Sunday. It was a workday and was a lot of fun! Though at the same time it was a little disappointing.. only because of myself though. There were about 6 tables and when I got in there, there was only 3 others already present (maybe 2) and they informed me that I couldn't sit at one table for sewing and another for the dolls, so I moved to the table behind the sewing table. (yay, run-on sentences... FTL)
More and more people began to come in and I got all excited when people kept putting their dolls onto the table (especially when someone pulled out a Glot!! (Or was it a Glati? x_x) Either way, after more people got there and the whole sewing table was gone, leaving me and 3 others at separate tables.. I began speaking on and off with this one girl sitting at the same table as me, but she mostly conversed with the sewing table. I guess I should have tried to join in too, but I didn't know them and I was nervous. Maybe I should just wait for an actual meet-up, meet-up.. instead of a workday or get together. ^^;