How did you convince yourself it was worth it?

Honestly, when you see the right one...he/she will convince you!! LOL

 

There has been lots of good advice here, but I may just add my own! I suffer from quite serious anxiety and just recently I was like you, having admired BJD's for years but never getting my own, because I NEVER spend money on myself, and absolutely not that much! Just the thought of getting one would get me all wound up from all the thoughts and questions circulating in my mind, "What if I won't like it?", "What will other people say?" and so on. Although now I've finally gotten over that and ordered my doll! What I did to get over the initial anxiety was to go for a sculpt I had seen before and always liked, I also purchased her recently during one of the many winter events going on so that I saved some money (I got 15% off) and I purchased her from the dealer Alice's collections which made me save money on shipping, and they were also extremely helpful answering all questions I had. Another thing I did was that instead of taking money from my savings account, I took extra shifts at my job and allowed myself to ONLY use money from my paycheck to buy her. This helped calm a lot of my anxiety. Another thing I like to think is that this isn't a decision that'll last forever, if you end up not liking your doll you can just sell it, the re-sell value of bjd's is very good I also think about how happy my doll will make me, because I am sure that I want one considering I haven't let the thought go for years, and if I didn't spend the money on a doll it would just sit in my savings account not giving me any happiness at all. Multiple people I've heard from has also said that they're dolls has been a big help and source for distraction, creativity and getting some kind of outlet for your personality when suffering from anxiety and other mental illness. And if you think a new doll is too expensive you could always buy one second hand! They're are lots of dolls not only here on the DoA marketplace, but also on ebay for example. And if you're nervous what people will say if they find out, just don't tell them! The only ones I've told are my boyfriend and my mother, which both of them were like "Ok, you obviously like it so good for you!" and then nothing more. I think you should go for it since you seem to want one, but don't rush yourself if you don't feel ready yet, they won't dissappear! What makes it most worth to me is getting a outlet for my creativity and being able to pick up old hobbies I've lost due to mental illness and other sucky stuff that has happened. I know that my girl will bring me joy and comfort in times I need it, and other people don't have to understand why, because it will make me happy and that's what really matters!

 

I couldn't stop thinking about them and they fascinated me, so I took a chance. I did a lot of research and was very careful with the dolls I purchased when I first joined the hobby. All of the dolls I ended up buying are ones that I fell in love with, so I didn't have any regrets.

 

To be quite frank, it's kind of hard to say if it's worth it starting out. At least it was for me. Then again, when I first got into the hobby, I didn't do as much reading and research as I should have, so I was not prepared for the long wait that was ahead of me when I ordered my first doll.

But once she finally did arrive, it was love and wonder at first sight. Suddenly, I forgot about how much I paid for her, and I didn't care. For all those days that I waited for her to come home, I made things and window shopped because I couldn't stop thinking about her. And when she came home, it was the same. Even now, years later when I hardly pick her up, I feel nothing but excitement and satisfaction in just having her. And it's been about the same for every other doll I've bought since then.

 

It's difficult for me to spend money on myself that are "non-necessities" so what I do is think about all the things I don't spend money on especially on things that most people spend their money on. I don't have kids or pets. I don't drink coffee or alcohol. I don't buy new clothes/jewelry/make up/hair products (I wear scrubs every day with my hair in a bun) or get my nails and hair done (my mom cuts my hair). I don't play video games, pay for cable/netflix, go out for dinner/movies/drinks/concerts, or take expensive vacations. From this frugality, I was also able to buy my car cash, buy a house, pay down over half my student loans in a couple years, and pay cash for the rest of my schooling. I feel all the hard work I put in to be financially stable justifies the reward of buying a doll.

 

Everyone HAS to have something that gives them pleasure. Humans cannot work all the time without relief.
The first bjd is probably the hardest to justify, but it can be the beginning of a healthy mindset that you are worth it and you are allowed to enjoy things in life.

 

I was lucky enough to get to see one in-person when I first learned about them, the owner of the doll kindly allowed me to hold her doll and I could tell right away it was worth the price. The skill and quality of these dolls is something that is best appreciated in-person, I tell you nothing convinced me faster to get my own than being able to handle one

What makes it 'worth it' to me is the sheer ability to customized these dolls to WHATEVER you like, as someone who enjoys partaking in art it's a very fun and creative way to use my art skills, having a beautiful and well made canvas to create your own vision on is something I enjoy to the fullest!

 

I was talking to my father about the hobby recently, and I said “Heh, it’s like model airplanes... Except it’s model people.”

He laughed, agreed, and began to talk about how jazzed he was about model airplanes when he was younger.

I’ll never feel guilty about the hobby again.

 

I think life is short to not allow ourselves simple things that bring us joy. If you think about it, mostly what holds us back is the idea that dolls are a useless waste of money, and sure they're not like a car and they're not food, but think about it like this: in life, we're taught the most important thing is to work. We work, come home, eat, sleep, work, maintain our safety with the money we get from work, but what's wrong with having something else between that pattern? something that can bring us joy and color to our lives? I think your world is meaningless unless you're enjoying what you do. I guess I convinced myself by the fact that they make me happy, and I think that's good enough, as long as you're not living beyond your means and spending all your money on dolls.

 

Well at first I'm not gonna lie it was really really hard when there was judgement on how much I spent on these dolls and how my "age frame" of being a senior in high school was too old for play dolls but too young to understand collectibles. But after I graduated I realized that you know what? It's my life, not theirs. If they have a problem that has nothing to do with me of course, that's just their point of view. So now I have 3 heads coming in all at the same time and saving up for one full doll

 

Like many others have been saying, if it makes you happy, it's worth it. If you are able to spend money on the hobby without it affecting real responsibilities, then don't worry about things like whether your hobby is a waste of money. I personally have a set amount of money I set aside each month just for hobbies/fun stuff. Sometimes I spend that money on art stuff, sometimes I spend it on new clothes, and sometimes I spend it on dolly things.

People in general spend a lot of money on things that aren't "worth it." Think about it this way. Maybe you spend $100 once a month on doll stuff, and someone else spends $4 twenty five times a month on Starbucks. Both of these things are essentially "useless" at the end of the day. You didn't NEED a doll. The other person didn't NEED a latte nearly every day of the month, but the doll made you happy and that other person looks forward to that latte from the second they wake up every morning. Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy things that make you happy. : )

Enjoy the hobby, be responsible, and don't worry about pleasing others.

 

I told myself it was worth it when I got my paycheck from Woods of Terror. I had been who eying my doll on Facebook for a while and she had come with all of her things.

 

I completely 1000% agree with you! I have gotten to the age and financial security that if it's something I'm interested in and I want to do then I go for it. The lovely thing about BJDs is their never ending possibilities! I can incorporate a lot of the artist traits and skills that I already have and use them to further my love for a new hobby! I don't like buying expensive shoes, cars, clothes, jewelry, or hand bags.....so that just leaves dolls! Oh and food..I do like food. lol

 

I think for each size, there are some always some best dolls. I like to collect the best one for each size, vivid design and make up is always the most important thing to consider firstly.

 

I already knew it's worth it.. i've been loving BJDs since god knows when so when I finally get to have one, I am very happy. Such small problems like resin match not being perfect, or sanding marks visible made no negative impact. Just holding and playing with my doll makes it worthwhile. I've been hesitant at first as well and mom doesn't like the idea of me buying dolls (she doesn't like dolls and moreover, she's got more better priorities, talk about being practical), but once it arrived it's like a miracle happened and now everything is good.

 

I'm a person who doesn't think I deserve to have many nice things; I can relate to you, OP.
I found out about BJD when I was young, too young to own my own. I tried to forget about them after a few years but after 9 years I was still infatuated with them and I finally got my own! I was excited during the wait, but of course I asked myself a lot of questions about whether it would all be worth it in the long run, or if I should just be content to look at BJD from afar. Honestly after receiving my first BJD, even without accessories or hair or any clothes, I didn't regret it at all.
The BJD hobby unifies my varied interests into one thing I can focus on, which makes me feel less overwhelmed about trying to explore all of my interests. No one around me really gets the BJD hobby, but it's art you can not only interact with, but also contribute to by way of customization!

Other than that, there's the undeniable fact that BJD make me very happy - when I'm struggling mentally, I turn to the BJD hobby. I don't know why it helps, but there's no reason to feel bad about it!

P.S. @verdigrisVagabond Nice Blindsprings icon

 

Wow! So many interesting replies! Thanks to everyone for your opinions.

For me it was simple. The first doll I purchased was Dream of Doll Ducan and he was worth everything in the world!
Seriously, I would go to another country my self to buy him if needed. It seemed he was made just for me.

And everyone else...well I still think they are too expensive for me, and I keep thinking what's going to happend to them once I'm gone, and do I really need this much... But I continue to collect, I guess I'm just crazy, but whatever if that makes me happy

 

I won't lie I do still look at some price tags on dolls I'm interested in and find myself taken aback at the price tag once everything's compiled in the cart. But that's cuz I tend to stack a lot all at once!

At the end of the day whatever I spend I know I'll make back eventually and I definitely can't take it with me in the long run lol So why not enjoy the now?

A little reckless I know, but I feel I moderate my hobbies well enough.

 

I was thinking over and over again when I hit my 11 years in swooning over BJDs, and then it was like why would I wait?
I can remember my thought when I made a decision to buy my first doll. My thought was like "hey, I've been waiting for more than 10 years now. Do it!". I really want a doll, so it's worth it. Now, I love him so much

 

I’m very much the type of person to go into interest “phases” so I was scared I would buy a doll and immediately become disinterested. However, once I began looking at dolls to the point where I would spend hours on bjd websites instead of doing my schoolwork, I knew it wouldn’t stop until I got a doll. With a bit of compromise and saving, I finally managed to buy a 60cm hybrid doll under $200.