Girls view on guys who own BJDs

Well... you know when you see a picture of a boy holding and looking at a baby with extreme love, and it kind of makes your heart swell and beat a little stronger?It's similar, but not quite...

 

One of my customers is a burly truck driver type and on one of his long road trips, he listened to a show on NPR about BJDs and when he found out that I owned them, too, he became really interested. He did his homework too, because he could come into my place of work and talk intelligently and informatively about them. I don't work there any longer, so I don't know if he ever made that leap into ownership, but he should...he definitely has the interest and knowledge to make a great collector.

 

A doll owner is a doll owner, so its not that big of a deal one way or another to me.

Though I've noticed that some of the men collecters out there are like the oppeset of a big cave through women collecters.

I've seen a few men who ONLY have girls, usually loli girls. Where as there are a bunch of girls who ONLY have boys. and some that even refuse to get a diffrent gendered doll.
I find that odd, not bad by any means, just odd.

 

I can't stand gender stereotypes, so I welcome the thought of guys with dolls.
I admit I can be a little freaked out, when I see guys owning girl dolls dressed up in overly sexy clothing, but it's their doll, so I just look away. No one should decided how other play with their dolls.

 

I'm a guy who owns BJDs. I was the one who got my friends into it.
I also have 3 anime figures, but only one is a busty figures (Only reason I have that one is because Scarlet Witch is my favorite Avenger).

I got into the hobby for the art of it. I was an artist when I found them, and when I saw all you could do with them... well, lets just say I loved the hobby.

 

actually... it was my husband that got us into BJDs XD
At first I thought it was a bit odd that he had a doll, not in the ''omg that's immature'' sense since just about every hobby he has would be deemed immature for his age by some, but as a woman it was odd to think a guy would get into a hobby I had only ever known to be a girl's hobby (not BJDs specifically, but to me a BJD was a doll in the end, just a more unique one)

But even if I didn't ''get it'' he's my husband and I love that he's not afraid to be himself and not afraid to start a new hobby that his own wife might deem odd. Since I am a stickler for detail and I am a lot better for the tedious and meticulous things, he always asked me to help him with things like fixing the wigs or taking photos. After more than a year of helping him upon request I started telling him ''oh move over, you're not making her pretty enough'' and then eventually I wanted my own, and now I have her and am going to buy a body for a 2nd when I have the money

So... I had thought it odd only because I was not accustomed to the idea of a man ''playing with a doll'' to put it the way I saw it. I didn't think my husband was odd, just the thought of it was a bit odd. Now I couldn't care less and I think it was just something I wasn't used to (as all things, something less than common in your every day life will strike you as odd when you eventually come across it but soon grow to be a normal thing)

I have run across some guys (not on here as of yet) that kind of weird me out because they focus on more immature bodied BJDs, then I'm thinking ''steer clear'' n.n''

To tell you the truth though, I never made female friends very easily, so I like the idea of making guy friends that have BJDs.

 

I don't really understand the fascination for a man but I understand that is sexist and that why should a man not want to collect them any more than a woman

 

To be honest my initial reaction to seeing guys with BJD's is "I wonder if he's gay" and I know it seems bad, but it's in no way a critical thought, it's just that in my experience the only people I have ever known who are male and have BJD's are gay or bi-sexual. This certainly is in no way a bad thing at all, as I have many gay guy friends and a gay brother as well, all of whom think my dolls are pretty, but insanely creepy lol. I am a very forward thinker and an active participant in the LGBTQ community (I am pansexual myself) and equal rights movement and think guys having dolls is great! My response is simply a reaction based on my own personal life experiences.


I guess it might say something about me that I assume that any guy associated with a typically "female" thing such as a doll must be gay, but if it does I hope it is not something bad or negative because I can't really help it, it's the way I was programmed by western society. Girls play with dolls and boys don't is the general gender stereotyped mantra right? Now that I am older I can make the choice to not believe in and not proliferate such “ideals”, and my own children will certainly be free to choose what they want to play with, however when you grow up having something like that constantly repeated and displayed in front of you, it is hard to break the mental "knee-jerk" reaction you have when presented with someone, like a male BJD owner, who goes against those social norms. There are hidden opinions floating all over, and I’m sure that there are people on the outside of the hobby who look in and think we are all strange, considering any adult, male or female, playing with dolls is considered abnormal by main stream society right? I mean, I have a distant relative who, when she found out about my dolls through facebook, thought I had something wrong with me mentally because “only crazy people play with dolls at her age” and advised my mother to seek psychiatric help for me. *rolls eyes* My mom told her where to go after that little comment and we haven’t spoken to her since.

I guess the point of this is that what really matters is how you view yourself; in the hobby, in life. How you view your own personal side of things should be the only things that matters.

 

I love that guys can be into dolls. I converted my boyfriend on accident, though he has yet to purchase his first doll. I know a lot of people on the outside looking in might think that guys are only into it because of sexy lady dolls but I find that's rarely the case. And I love that not all doll guys were converted by their girlfriends\spouses, a lot of them just liked dolls already! Every sub-culture is diverse, especially one as open as dolldom.

 

It actually makes me very happy to see guys! And I've met all kinds of guys who collect. I'm one of those people who don't think toys or collections should just be for one sex only. As a kid, I played My Little Ponies and Barbies with my brother, but also played MicroMachines and Legos. (For some reason, he wouldn't let me play Turtles with him. :\) Plus, as a kid, my brother used to want one of the AG dolls - Molly - because she looked like my Samantha. How cute is that!? Little brother wanting to be like his big sister.

So I think because I have always seen how both boys and girls can like the same kinds of stuff, I can't imagine why a guy wouldn't want to own these awesome dolls. It's not about gender (especially as there are dolls of both - and neither! - gender), but about imagination. As long as you have imagination this hobby is for you - and imagination is not defined by gender.

So bring on the boys!

 

I think it doesn't matter person is boy or girl. If he likes dolls why not? O_o But my boyfriend has another opinion... =( (but he has a couple of anime figures)

 

This explains my feelings very well!

I see a guy with a baby or playing with a little dog and I go: aawwww

Same with dolls :] I think is cute when guys show their soft side. But it depends on what kind of dolls. I know a guy who has an Obitsu(or dolfie dream?? it's one of those dolls with anime faces) with huge breasts and in provocative clothes >_> not so cute anymore... it's cool he's into dolls though :3

 

When I first started making porcelain dolls about 25 years ago, the person who got me into going to doll shows and collecting was a guy who owned a contract electrical company at the manufacturing plant I worked for. He owned a doll shop in my little town named for his oldest daughter, Susie.

He was a rough and tumble construction type. NONE of his employees would kid him about his "babies"! I bought my first Himstedts from him. He and his wife traveled all over the south to doll shows. They were impressed enough with my work to show them along side their expensive porcelain and vinyl store dolls. That eventually lead to my becoming a one of a kind doll maker. I sold two of my dolls to famous men....one was Clint Eastwood.

Here is the type of OOAk dolls I liked to do.



After he retired he was able to spend time with his dolls and vintage cars until he died. I will forever be grateful to Graham for being man enough to enjoy what he wanted out of this world without caring what others thought. Remember, many of the most famous antique doll makers were men so they certainly should be able to appreciate this wonderful artform as much as we women do!!

 

I don't think it really matters. If a guy wants to own/collect dolls then why stop them. I never really understood how people gender items like that (like how girls have barbie and guys have action figures though they're essentially the same thing). It just doesn't matter to me. Do what you're happy with.

 

I don't really know. I don't mind - my boyfriend owns 4 dolls. But in some casses i think it is kinda sad.
Like a boy at my school. he's into barbie dolls, and thats all he ever does. Sits in his room and "play" with them. The only one he talks to is me, 'cause of my BJDs. That, I think, is a bit sad.

 

I think it's cool. It's nice to see that it's not just a girl thing. I have a guy friend who has taken interest in it and really wants to get one. I think it's pretty cool

 

one of the things i like most about doa is a certain amount of anonymity, so i never even thought male/female. i love talking dolls with anyone and i don't wonder when i am writing whether the person on the forum is male or female, black or white, blue, or purple. but i certainly think it's fine for men as well as women.

 

i wish i actually knew some guys around my area into them,would make for some interesting conversation sometime!

(I still do not have any real friends btw...)

 

I think its awesome, as it creates more variety in the community and can add more variation with opinions as guys generally think different then girls, mostly because our brains are different e.e

More brains, the better!

 

I think everyone should be allowed to like what they like and not be judged for it. Doesn't matter your gender. If you like dolls, all the power to you. Plus, I agree with what I have seen a few people say: guys tend to have really good ideas when it comes to dolls.

Keep it up, guys!