Getting Back Into Dolls After a Long Absence?

This just happened to me recently.

I had a lot of big changes in my life. I was forced to move due to my apartment flooding, I quit my job and went back to school... I had a lot going on in general with friends and relationships. My doll hobby was put on the back burner.

It wasn't really until my new boyfriend started asking about my doll that I got back into the hobby. I'd been gone for about two years. My tastes changed a lot though! I find I now prefer female dolls, and I've gotten into MSD and out of SD. I feel like I'm a lot pickier now and dolls I once really liked I only feel neutral towards now.

I definitely understand feeling out of the loop. Slowly I've been able to catch up just by reading news threads and browsing the galleries. It feels almost like a whole new hobby, there's so much to see and learn all over again...!

 

Yup! I was going through it not that long ago. I had just gotten around to looking at my dolls. Life, has been getting in the way of my enjoyment with them. College, Health problems, the Hospital, the necessity to find a job, also the need to eventually learn my license. It has been hard to find time to spend with them. I have also found out that very soon, I will need to sell a couple of my dolls since they are no longer doing it for me. I need to save up for a body for a floating head that I recently purchased from the Marketplace. I really want to pair it down to two dolls. I have about 3 right now. with the head that's like 3 1/2. I'll be going back to school real soon. So, these dolls need to go and the body needs to get ordered in a relatively short order fashion. Because, once I am back in school I'll be too engrossed with homework and studies to really be doing anything with them. So, while I've got the chance I'd like to do something.

 

I took a break from the hobby some time ago for some month. I found some other hobbies I was interested in and I didn't feel like doing anything with my dolls. I spent more time on new company pictures and virtual dolls if any in this hobby at all.
When I was back I didn't think much had changed, though. There weren't a dozen new dolls I wanted to buy, nor any breathtaking new companies. I missed out on some really neat ones but since I can't buy them anymore I rather enjoy looking at pictures of them. ^^
Glad I'm back, though. ^^

 

Welcome back. I kinda know how you feel, I never have actually owned a doll, but I used to be very up to date with current events and info on most doll companies. I got busy with other things for a while, and now I have to kinda re-educate myself, hah. It's so cool to see all this new stuff being made though!

 

I'm recently trying to get back into dolls, even if I don't have any at the moment.

I used to be really involved with dolls when I was a Freshmen in high school. I had tried my best to memorize everything I could and tried my best to save every penny I would get to go towards a doll. However I eventually became busy with school and varies other hobbies I also have.

Now I'm in college, and I recently am re-educating myself with various doll stuff since I should be able to afford one soon enough. I would like to get back into the hobby and be able to try to be active in my local doll community.

 

Just got back into dolls after over a year of neglecting them on the shelf. Just recently had to take all of them down and dust them off >_>; Have to say there have been quite a few limited releases I regret not taking a shot at due to not following the hobby.

 

Welcome back!

This sort of happened to me; let me elaborate.

I took a very long break from the social aspect of the hobby, but not dolls themselves. For about 5 years I didn't actively participate on DoA (I lurked once in a while, but didn't engage in discussion), didn't keep up with releases, companies, etc. But, I always enjoyed the dolls I had and paid attention to them as time allowed. My break from the hobby's social activities had mostly to do with lack of time - finishing up my degree, moving, getting married; it all kept me very busy. After getting married, I slowed down and finally had much more time to devote to the hobby's social activities, which I did miss during my hiatus.

Also, even though I interacted with the dolls I already had, I did not purchase any new dolls for about 7 years. I started with the BJDs when I was still in college and did not want to move around a huge amount of dolls while I was still settling down (I already had 14 dolls at that point, and it was difficult enough having to pack them up every time I moved).

When I got back from my hiatus a year ago, it definitely took me a long time to catch up with everything. I stopped following releases in early 2005, so you can only imagine how many more companies and dolls there are now vs. then. It took me 3 months to pick out my first new doll because it was very overwhelming digging through all the companies and sculpts. Amazingly, my tastes did not change over the years and I still love all the dolls I got in 2003-2004. After researching and catching up on all the news, I got into the swing of things pretty quickly, since I was very familiar with the hobby in general, just not the new companies/sculpts.

I got a lot of new dolls this year, but, I have to admit, my dolls from 2003-2004 are all very precious to me and there is no way I would ever part with them. I've interacted with them and have seen them age (gracefully!) for almost 9 years now, so while I love adding on to my collection, the old-timers will always have a special place in my heart.

 

Glad to see I'm not the only one ^_^;; My best friend and I got a house and our dolls ended up in storage for almost 6 months totally forgotten, now that we have them out again we're getting back into sewing and face...upping? and looking for new babies to add to our little collection

 

I'm definitely going through this as well. It's very difficult for me to get to the meetups with school and a lot of personal changes, which is the main draw for me to play with my dolls. Now that things are starting to settle down a little more, I'm hoping to get over for some meets, but we'll see how that goes.

 

This happened to me. I had big doll plans, but I lost my job and fought to keep steady work for a few years... which equaled to almost 3 years of not participating in the hobby. I kept my dolls, but they were neglected for most of that time.
Now I have a great job. I started writing again, and I thought about getting a doll for my main character... but letting my followers pick out his sculpt for me, you know, as a way to get people invested in the book. I started looking at dolls again... and found myself sucked back into the hobby. The dolls are dusted off, refaceupped and cleaned. I have a new one in the family already and making plans for two more!
You can't ever escape this hobby for long, that's for sure!

 

I did this for about a year and a half. I was focused on college and didn't wan the distraction. My Ryu and my Shoyo sat in their boxes patiently waiting for me. I think also I was having a hard time with the hobby because my Shoyosat wouldn't stand and my Ryu had no body. Plus, I was a smoker at the time. Never smoked around the dolls but still...

I've gotten 2 new dolls since I returned to the hobby with 2 more planned. I'm back twice as strong now that I'm taking a break from school. I still have a deep love for them.

 

I took a break from the hobby for a year and recently came back. My tastes have certainly changed but they are more like when I first got into the hobby. I bought a doll almost immediately upon coming back and surprisingly it was the first "vocal" doll I've ever had

 

I think I got back into dolls after about three years' abscence. So, learning anew. but it's a total joy~~
I'm appreciating my doll again, and finally playing with her as I had neglected her before

also, got a new girl on the way, so~~ I can't wait to open her box!

 

I'm in a similar situation too.

I did a little posting and dolly-related stuff in 2011, but lost a lot of the passion I once had for my dolls. So this year I decided to begin on the right foot - I'm spending a week on each doll, getting to know them again, buying things they could do with or customising them.

So far it's been a lot of fun!

 

That's a very good idea! I've actually been doing something similar since last year - spending time with my old dolls, getting them new face-ups, if necessary (and, since they are from 2003-2004, most of them needed a refresher!), restringing, restyling wigs, etc. It's been a very good re-bonding experience for sure

 

This happened to me too. It was because of depression and eating disorders etc.. It wasn't only the dolls, I pretty much stopped doing anything I had enjoyed for almost SIX YEARS! But the good parts is, I get to re-do all the face-ups and clothes for all of my six dolls that I still love, I just need them to change, as I have changed too. Now the hobby feels new and old at the same time, kind of like falling in love with your husband again ^^

 

I'm coming off a super-lengthy hiatus. I didn't really do much with dolls socially for quite some time; I went to my first meet in at least a year this last Sunday. I've got my first doll purchase in four years on layaway (and dang, can't even TELL you how weird it feels to realize I've been here for that long). It's been nice kind of easing back into it, taking pictures, planning a new doll, playing with pretty clothes and re-fixing them up.

It's fun.

 

I had been away from collecting for several years and then picked up again about 2yrs ago when I retired.
Glad I did. I am thoroughly enjoying it.

 

I was just looking for a topic like this because I'm just now getting back into my dolls after an absence of about a year. Part of the reason was that I lost my job and was going through a bit of financial difficulty. Looking at my dolls made me feel a bit guilty, actually, that I wouldn't consider selling them. But I just couldn't. Even when I'm not paying attention to them, they still feel like little resin companions, so selling was out of the question. But, I couldn't bring myself to play with them either, so there they sat, looking sad and dusty

However, I have since found a very good job, but I'm still having a money crunch, so there won't be any new dolls for awhile. I did splurge and buy some new wigs and I've been having an entertaining time catching up here on DoA and looking at all the new sculpts. And I'm making some future doll family plans for my next purchase.

Glad to hear that I'm not alone!