How did you convince yourself it was worth it?

my hubby had always told me: "the reason you earn money is to get things that would make you happy. if you just keep it all, then what's the point?"

 

You don't get your money when you die, and if it makes you happy, then it's worth it. So long as you're not sending yourself broke and exercise control that's what hobbies and interests are for - making yourself happy.

I treat my dolls like my companions and I like to take them out with me and take pictures with them. Maybe money can't buy you direct happiness, but it can buy me a doll, which can give me happy memories forever.

 

I one day realized I had drooled over these dolls for over ten years, so it wasn't likely it would be a fad for me. I also had a discussion with a friend of mine who told me we weren't getting any younger, and if you have dreams you should try to make them true while you still can. It just really hit me. Life is short!

Since it was COVID, my other dreams (like travel) were not possible to do, but I could get that doll I had wanted for so long....

 

I learned a while ago that it doesn't matter what other people thinks.
To me there isn't a difference in if you spend the money on a car you're going to customice and then show off to your friends. or if you end up spending them on just the right outfit for yourself. A hobby is a hobby is a hobby. Some enjoys expensive handbags, others prefer dolls. Just cause it isn't the norm doesn't mean it's more wasted than on fake nails or an expensive hairdo.

 

I find they are worth it because they bring such joy to my life! This hobby has intrigued me since the beginning, and when I finally got into the dolls, I fell for the whole doll hobby in general and adore how these dolls bring stories and fantasy ideas to life!

 

When I first saw them, I thought they were beautiful but also a really useful tool for my art. Since I was going to school for art when I first saw one in person, it felt natural to gravitate to something that was customizable but also a piece of art itself. After finally buying one, I realized that they brought me more joy and happiness more than a mere drawing/art tool. They sit with me while I play games, watch youtube, and just keep me company when I feel lonely

To bring a positive experience to my life in such a way, it only reinforced why it was worth it for me

 

It brings me great joy! It never was about convincing myself but more of a goal or dream. So I worked hard. I remember dreaming of owning my very own BJD one day. Lol I wish I could buy more at a time!

 

I didn't need to convince myself. The dolls convinced me immediately

 

I didn't. When I first decided to do Sandor Clegane I had no idea how much it was going to cost and honestly didn't think of it until i sat down and realized - oh wow I have about $1100 in this doll and Beric will cost a similar amount before all is said and done and I still want to do Brienne and Tormund.

 

Funnily enough I'm having the opposite problem at the moment. I have one order which has production time + shipping time so I'm fully expecting that to take long enough that it'll get further delayed by the mania that is Christmas shipping but will be a great start to 2022.

But another site have another doll in stock which I really like and shipping time on that could be here as a late birthday present. I have the money, I just didn't want to jump into this hobby quite so hard and fast. But now I've made the leap and bought one doll, even if she's not here, my difficulty with delayed gratification is biting me so the prospect of a thing that could be here sooner is hard to resist

 

i get this ssue totally. After 10+ years in the hobby, the first thing you learn is patience XD your grtification will come later and theres not much to do about that. Time to stalk the tracking number constantly and stare out the window wistfully!

 

Patience is definitely something I’m learning with this waiting game. While I was all read up and ready with the news of production times and shipping periods , I’m just properly feeling it now, with two dolls in the waiting.

Immersing myself in all the pictures was the first step of walking down this path. I had stories to tell, characters to live on, but I kept pushing these aside with the excuse of ‘no time’. After sorting out my mindset and seeing that spending for myself is better than spending for others, that was another step forward.

the finagling with customs and customs fees was the next thing that held me back. I read up so much @@ reached out to local owners in my country (so little of them that I could find though!) and after talking about customs, learning of their experiences and sitting on those expected fees somemore… I did my calculations and stared at them fo quite a long time. When I saw Alice’s Collections offering DHL options which I had good experience with, took a look and calculated the expected customs fees, then just went ahead with ordering my first doll. It was like something clicked in my mind .

Now I’m second doll in, and I’ve promised myself my grail whom the artist said will be releasing in November! Have yet to experience the shipping and customs , but that’s the story so far of how I convinced myself it was worth it .

 

I've been in this hobby for a long time now and I don't remeber my original reasoning in detail.
My current reasoning (and my reply if someone thinks it's a waste of money) is that if I calculate the hours of entertainment each doll gives me and divide the cost by that, it's actually very cheap entertainment per hour. Especcially if you compare it to something like a dinner out or a cinema visit and calculate the cost per hour of entertainment for that.

 

I figured it was finally time to indulge since I had spent years getting my finances and retirement planning in order and had amassed a small fortune during covid since there was nowhere to go and nothing to do. Maybe I’ve gone a bit overboard and need to start reining it in