How did you convince yourself it was worth it?

It is worth it because it makes me happy. Simple as that.

I feel like everyone deserves to be happy in their own way, and if owning a doll does that for you, then by all means, buy a doll that makes you happy!

Its no different than purchasing expensive front row tickets to see your dream band/singer,
its no different than buying a pair of fancy shoes,
its no different than buying a brand handbag.
its no different than eating a fancy meal

Also the feeling and experiences you are going to have with your doll will be priceless.

Also because #YOLO. (i mean, humans live to about 90 years in good health, so why waste any time wishing and wanting when you could just HAVE it and be happy?)

 

I'm also new to the hobby and boyfriend is fainting when he hears the price tags on my dolls. But my dad also collects resin figures (movies and comic action figures) so he understands (he's also fighting with mental illness). It's good to have someone to support me. My mom is kind of indifferent to this hobby...
I convinced myself by two things. Firstly, I decided I won't spend any of my regular salary on the dolls. I make some extra money by selling my art and sometimes I take some part time job and that's the only money I'll put into the hobby. I have also sorted through my old things and sold some of them on sites like ebay. Also I will ask for money for my birthday instead of a present. It's easy way to get money for a doll.
The second thing is that dolls don't loose much of their selling price when you purchase them. So you can think about them as an investment. If you decide to leave the hobby or regret spending so much money later you can sell the dolls for almost the same price. You can even make the price higher if they are limited, have unique faceup, clothes etc.!
I hope this is helpful. Just as Pico said, there's nothing bad about spending money on something you enjoy. As long as you're not getting into a debt or something I think you shouldn't feel bad about it.

 

I have kids and live on a budget so for myself I save up for things a little bit at a time. As a Mom a lot of my time, energy, and love goes into taking care of our daughters. This often means I have just a few hours of me time, and I feel guilty at spending money on myself. Fortunately, my husband encourages me to do things not involving our kids that make me happy too.

BJD is one of those hobbies that relaxes me, calms me down, and lets me express myself artistically. I can do BJD without feeling guilty of money thanks to sales, events, and sites that do layaway. I trim costs further by making doll clothes, and doing my own faceups, that way in my own mind it's not really too expensive for me to do. I also find that with layaway just makes me even more excited to get the doll. I currently have my first resin BJD on layaway, so I'm pretty excited.

 

The fact that right now I don't need to pay for rent, health, children's expenses and other debts makes them worth it for me. If I wait until I live alone and have all those things to pay, I may not be able to buy myself dolls, which are the things that make me the happiest, yes. I love dolls and my characters and think about them every minute of the day. I wouldn't like to not buy dolls and regret it in the future. To me it's better to think that if I do regret buying a doll, I could always sell it later.

 

I just don't look at prices and buy what I like!

 

Well to be perfectly honest I didn't give myself much time to think and just dove right in with my first doll. I purchased him used on Ebay with my credit card on a total whim. I was having a bit of a personal crisis at the time from years of stress and decided I needed to start doing nice things for myself every now and then.
Haha -- now, I don't buy dolls on credit anymore, and I really take my time to decide on new purchases because these dolls really are very expensive for me. But this hobby is worth it because it gives me another creative outlet and brings me many new ways to pass the hours alone. These dolls bring me a kind of happiness that nothing else has ever made me feel before, and I am glad I found that.

 

I came to the conclusion that after I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus five years ago I was going to buy and do what I want. I don't have any children (Not interested.), in the process of buying a house and have a great job. If I don't do what I want now, I'm going to leave everything I have back here for other people to enjoy and I didn't have the option.

 

I have an obsession with pretty/beautiful things so it wasn't hard for me to get into the hobby. I have a friend who told me about dolls and i was instantly interested! I feel really bad because ive only been in the hobby for a few months and i have 5 dolls already v.v I ask myself what would i do without them, and i could never find an answer. To me i think they are worth every penny, but only because atm i can afford to spend money on dolls. Within the next year i wont have that luxury. I also need to stop browsing v.v thats the main reason why i have 5 dolls already hahahaha (im so impatient -.-)
Also, I like to treat myself!...all the time xD

 

I never had to convince myself. I like pretty and creative things and if they make me happy, I get them when I have the means. I collected quite a bit of different thing and things I like end up being expensive so I don't even think about price, I just think what I really love and would make me more happy. I learned that regret is connected to decisions you are not sure stead of a price tag.

Everyone enjoy the hobby different, so my advice is know what you want to do and why you want them. Do you just want them because they are pretty, because you want to make OCs, because customization, photography, inspiration for art or stories, models to work on fashion? What you want will influenciate how much you expend and in what.

I got my first bjd on my 16th birthday as a gift, passed the whole year joining money and it was worth it. It made me incredible happy and learning to customize them are fun. After my second bjd I passed years without buying anything bjd related and was still happy. It was only on 2015 that I went back to getting bjds and last year I decided to not get anything again.

 

My brain troll tells me i'm not worth nice things all the time.

I justify it with "I don't have any other hobbies or vices that take my interests, this is my one addiction".
And "it offers me an escape which is good for my health".
But I still save like hell and have to convince myself I "earned" the money and the extravagance.

I still struggle to spend more than a few hundred though.

But the way i'm justifying it right now is that instead of spending like £300 on 20 fashion dolls I haven't got the space for, i'm spending that on ONE doll i'll spend months finishing and then years playing with.
It'll slow down my "drowning in dolls" thing, which is a good thing lol.

 

I never had to convince myself. I loved the dolls and I had the money. I don't spend money on movies and clothing and sporting events and dinners out and fast food and all the other things that most people spend money on, so why can't I enjoy the money I have on something different that makes me happy?

The only time I can't justify it is if I don't actually have that money in the bank. I don't want to get a mass of debt, but as long as I'm using extra money that I don't need, why not? If you save up and you get the money, who cares how much it is or if others don't understand? I don't understand spending masses of money on clothing or dinners out, but I don't see any problem with others doing so if that is what they enjoy!

We should all just spend our extra money without guilt. All of us deserve to treat ourselves now and then. Whether you do that everyday with small purchases or now and then with larger ones isn't really a big deal, as long as your not hurting yourself financially then it's all good!

 

I literally made it as an excuse to look forward to everyday instead of wallowing in sadness. That's how I convinced myself. It made me excited again about everyday activities, looking forward to the day my doll comes. Also, I may not know if in the future I'll still want my doll like any other fears of beginners like me everywhere; but what I do know is that right now I feel like I can't do without the doll. What everyone said is true - do what makes you happy.

Besides, it's not a waste of money if it sparks your creativity so much that this hobby helps you with other hobbies tied to it like photography or writing or crafting. Overall this is what I thought - I love Arts in general and making one, and I think bjds can further that even more. It would help me be more creative, and if that's the case it's not so bad to buy it.

 

'How did you convince yourself it was worth it?''

My personal experience is that:

1. I wanted to crochet and knit without it taking ages. A doll, especially one which I could carry around and could hold poses, seemed the way to go.
2. Then, after admitting that 2 dolls weren't going to be enough, I felt I needed some kind of rewards for future achievements. It worked very well.

The outcome is that, craftwise, I have become less of a dreamer and more of a maker, and, in other parts of my life, I have proven I could go higher and improve my prospects. These are great results.

 

Never feel guilty for something that makes you feel good. Just enjoy it!
Don't overthink. And besides, it's your time, effort and savings that are being spent in something that will last probably forever (if you take proper care) and that will bring you joy and happiness

 

Surprisingly, when I was younger and had to meticulously save every penny for months to get a doll, I was nowhere near as apprehensive about buying as I am now that I actually have a relatively steady income. I just bought my first doll in four or five years, and I'm not gonna lie, I definitely had some of those pre-purchase jitters. Dolls are a lot of money, no matter how you look at it.

But what convinced me was just...my own excitement I guess? I have a habit of being SUPER excited about something for a little while and then my interest just drops off the planet. But even when I was "taking a break" from the hobby, I still occasionally looked at dolls and things like that, because I loved it so much.

Then, when I decided to buy my most recent doll (my DZ Carter), I just knew I had to have him. I was so excited, I had a character and a plan, I absolutely adore the sculpt...so I ignored the "what if I don't even like BJDs in six months when he gets here" and went for it. I was kind of jittery that night, but the next morning I was so thrilled, and knew I had done the right thing.

So I guess for me, embarrassingly, it's all about the feelings!

 

Simple: I didnt / I dont.

I've been weighting pros and cons around in my head for a while.
First time I encountered bjds i lived at home, had no real income and thought the dolls to be simply way to expensive for me.

Years later I was already employed and encountered them again. Instantly I remembered them from the first time.

Then I did my research, found "the one" and bought it. Because I could afford it without having to feel guilty or needing the money for other stuff. The dolls are still expensive, but having an income and a slightly different feeling of what was "way too expensive" I didnt have to convince myself it to be worth it.

Even now, when i breached my personal set limit for one doll, i still have little regrets. Because I debate with myself if the doll or the item is worth it or not. And i dont buy until I'm sure.

If you are having doubts and need convincing, then maybe you havent found "the one" yet.

How qbout trying to save up a buget of 300$ first and once you made it, see which doll really is it that charms you. And if you still have doubts, maybe go to a doll meet or convention if you have the chance? Seeing them in real is quite different from seeing them on screen.

Usually doubts and hesitations already show that you are not yet convinced. Personally I can only recommend to wait and see and only buy when you are 90+% certain

 

That's how you know it's worth it. If it makes you look forward to the day instead of dreading it, if it makes you feel that creative spark again when you haven't in a long time - then it's worth it.

 

I was always into expensive things and I'd rather have a few expensive dolls and have them forever than making an expensive trip and only having the fun for a short while (no offense to people who love going on vacation, it's just not my cup of tea). I think everyone needs to decide that themself. If you question it, I wouldn't start with the hobby because in the end you may enjoy it and get addicted
No, but seriously; if you really want a doll and you are sure you will not just have it lying around in your room but actually play with it or take pictures of it, then I'd go for it. You can always try to start with some cheaper dolls. I started with a PukiPuki (which was a bad idea because I can not pose it nor am I skilled enough for a faceup on my tiny man) to see if I could get into the hobby and even if I ended up not playing with my PukiPuki much, I was amazed by the smell and feeling of resin And I always had a thing for collectible things which you can completely design yourself (as in wigs, clothes, faceup, ...)
I think as expensive as this hobby is, it is the most fun one I have. It motivates me to draw more again, it motivates me to sew outfits and practice sewing and designing and I got better in photography. All these creative skills you adabt when you collect or own dolls is amazing and is definately worth it for me!