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How did you convince yourself it was worth it?

Jan 26, 2017

    1. The hobby really does make me happy and inspire me artistically and that alone makes it worth it :D Dolls, miniatures, and crafting have always been special interests of mine and BJDs give me a super satisfying outlet for them. The cost doesn't bother me honestly because right now I can afford it. I'm still currently living at home so I only really have to worry about my car insurance and gas and with a full time job I have more than enough to cover those, my hobby/other things I want, and saving up to be able to move out eventually. In a year or two, when I have bills/rent/etc to worry about, I probably won't be able to just buy doll stuff whenever I want and will have to carefully budget the hobby into my life, but for now it's a totally guilt free thing for me.
       
    2. If it makes you happy go for it. It Is pricey so you don' have to buy tons of dolls but just getting different outfits works for me. I still like looking at pictures of others and I would like more but having one is a great start. My mom doesn' know and I'm not sure what she would think of it. I think she would be mad at how much money it is but it makes me happy. You need somthing you love for a hobby. And I think this one is pretty amazing!
       
    3. I'm saving for my first BJD right now and honestly I think that if it makes you happy and you can afford it then you should go for it! Life's too short to worry about if it's a waste of money (that is, if you have the money to spend).
      Hope this helps!!
       
    4. I've had your same anxieties with the amount of money my 2 dolls were. The second guy I bought, I honestly felt a little ashamed because of the amount. But you know what? At the end of the day, its about making sure the first priorities (like rent cc bills etc) are taken care of and if so, why worry? Especially if you set money aside or saved up to get a doll, treat yourself :) Everyone I feel earns a little luxury item that purely is there to make them happy. At the end of the day its about owning something you can come home from a rough day of work or daily stresses, look at said item sitting there waiting, and smile knowing you proudly saved up the money to get that item. For some people its classic cars, fancy swords, that fancy jewelry set, what have you. People deserve something to help keep them sane in really rough times.
       
      • x 1
    5. TBH I used it as an art expense. I convinced myself that if I got one little YoSD I could use him for angles and poses I wouldn't be able to get from your average art 'doll' model, those wooden ones. As well as the fact that the clothing was super detailed and accurate, that would help me to understand the lighting and angles of certain poses.

      I mean, it was definitely an excuse, though it was also a very good way to get myself into the hobby ;3c.

      I finally gave in and decided to start purchasing for my own happiness and it's been really nice.
       
    6. If you were truly on your own financially, you would see that spending your hard earned and timely saved money on yourself is no ones business. I am not sure how old you are, but you sound like a good daughter if you are concerned with your mother's feelings. Maybe the anxiety you face is due to the fact that you are still being financially supported by your mother and that money should go to your savings to have a place of your own or to her instead of a doll. If you have your own bank account and she doesn't have access or say on what you can spend on yourself, then as long as you are not using this as a distraction from your priorities and goals, I don't see any harm being done. Everyone has their own personal taste on what they would spend money on and I like to go by feeling a lot with my decisions, but I always make sure I have the extra funds to play with first.
       
    7. My answer to the original question of the thread: It is worth the price if it gives you joy. Is 500-1000-1500 USD for a 'toy' expensive? Like hell. But how much is a flow of warm feelings and a smile on your face worth? How much is your good time worth? A friend of mine always says: no matter what your hobby is, if you take it seriously, it will cost you a lot of money. It is true. If you play tennis, your rackets, shoes and rental will cost you a lot. If you are in travelling, the sky is the limit. Are you in designer shoes? OMG, you should see the price tag of a Blahnik.

      But no matter which one you choose, if it gives you joy every day (and if you can afford it), it will be worth the price. Not the item you buy, the feeling it gives you.
       
    8. I just try to keep it in perspective. Some people collect Lamborghinis and Maseratis...and when I look at it that way, this hobby is darn cheap! :XD:

      Exactly. So if the enjoyment substantially outweighs the guilt, then I say go for it. ^^
       
      • x 2
    9. I was exactly the same and still kind of am. I have anxiety and also have the worry of it being worth it and nor deserving to spend that much on myself but already the happiness that two floating heads have brought me has convinced me it's worth it. I suffer badly with my mental health in general and this hobby has given me something to hold on to and work for and be happy about. My mum doesn't know yet and I think she will find them weird and not worth the money but in the end, even though I still live at home, it is my money, I only spend/save what I can afford and don't need and with how shit I feel a lot of the time my happiness is worth it.
       
    10. I have an account that I specifically set up as my "fun money" - every time I make a purchase with my debit card, at the end of the day, a dollar gets automatically transferred from my checking to the fun account, and then I can say that I've been saving all year for something big I wanted (in this case, my first doll) and it wouldn't technically be a false statement.
       
      • x 1
    11. Honestly, it was very hard to convince myself. Even though I make enough to not have to worry too much about bills, I still have to think of emergencies and retirement one day. But in the end, I feel that very few things make me this happy. It occupies me in ways other things don't. So as long as I'm not getting into horrible debt or risking my family's future, I feel ok about it.
       
    12. If I have to convince myself something was "worth it" then it usually wasn't worth it. If something's really worth it - I don't have to convince myself it is.
       
      • x 2
    13. I started with monster high. I had so much fun sewing for her that after a few months I knew it was something I would stick with so I got minifee.
       
    14. YOLO. I had wanted a bjd for 10 years or so, but only decided get one after my mental health hit rock bottom last year. To be honest, I was going to kill myself, but waiting for my first doll to arrive and feeling exited about something gave me the determination to stick around for a bit longer.
       
    15. If you love it, then it's worth it.

      Dolls are expensive & realistically I can't afford the expense but they bring me so much joy that do indulge from time to time. One perk of being doll collector for 30 years is that there is usually a doll I can part with to get what i'm obsessing over. My collection has changed over almost completely over the years, even many of my BJDs have left home & more are going. For a while I thought I was done then I fell hard for a little doll that I just had to have. She makes me very happy & is rousing my interest in the other BJDs that I already have. So it's definitely been worth the money for me. (Not to even mention the friends this hobby has brought me, a really big perk!)
       
    16. Its bring me many happiness! Looking at them take away some stress and created new hobbies for me like photography, faceup and maybe sewing in the future. :)
       
    17. I can understand your concern. Frankly, I have debated about it for years now. Our family income wasn't that great when I first started learning about BJDs and couldn't afford it. I spent years like that and gradually forgot about even wanting a doll.

      But after returning to my home country, getting a decent paying job and providing for myself and my family, I thought that it was finally the right time. I pay our loan for our car monthly and I put 90% of my paycheck in our savings account for housing, food and whatnot. I jumped from one hobby to another, using up cash that could have paid for a 300$ doll easily. But it wasn't until much recently that I started customizing MH and EAH dolls. Just because I saw they were on sale plus I've been watching a lot of YouTubers do them as well. So I thought I could dive into this hobby.

      After my first faceup, I basically fell in love with the process. It's very rare for me to invest so much time and effort into one thing for hours. I get distracted quite often, but that day I found myself sitting there and enjoying the process too much. That's when I knew that my desire to own a BJD was still there and that if I don't do this now, I will probably put it off again. By then, I'll be using money that I could have used to pay for one. And like the other members said, it's not different than buying any other branded or expensive item. With a doll, you have endless of ways you can enjoy the hobby and express your creativity. From faceups, sewing, wig and eye making to photography.

      There are endless of possibilities. That's why I'm saving up to buy my own doll. I found myself looking forward to every day and coming up with ideas for her character. (Today, my sister bought me two wigs from a convention and I honestly cried seeing how gorgeous they are and imagining how it will look on my future Chloe) So in the end, it is definitely a worthwhile hobby. You get to meet such lovely people too and you'll never feel alone.
       
    18. My dolls are an escape from the world and sometimes I REALLY need something that will keep my mind off that stress. My dolls make me very happy, and I need no further justification if I know they will help with my mental health!
       
    19. I already knew I like dolls and creating stuff for them, so for me BJDs were kind of a way to have more variety of dolls. I knew they would help me combine a lot of my hobbies like sewing, photography, etc. I also figured it's my money, what else am I going to spend it on if not things that make me happy?
       
    20. I love this thread because it was so hard for me to consider even buying one.

      I'm a little spoiled so when I asked my aunt for one and she said that it was ridiculous I pushed it aside.

      But when I got my first one I was so happy. Happiness, simple as that. If you want it and can afford it why not?