How did you know it wasn't a phase?

I don't think someone can know whether something is just a phase or not.

I don't think mine personally is, because once I obtain a hobby, I stick to it...

When I was in middle school, I was ZOMG POKEMON kid, and here, about 7 years later I still love me some Pokemon, haha.
Every hobby I have ever picked up, I still hold onto to this day.

And besides, if I ever get out of this hobby, I can always sell my dolls on the secondhand market and get close to (if not exactly) what I paid for them.

 

I like to think of it more as a hobby than a phase.

I've fallen in an out of hobbies all my life. However, it usually takes quite awhile before I quit (1-2 years). The last time I was into dolls was when I had my American Girl. Looking back, I believe it was the lack of customization that threw me off. Since BJDs fix that issue, I should be good.

 

I go through phases like nothing else... I'll get into a hobby or craft and be bored with it within a week or a month.

I've been into BJDs for 2 full years now. I think I knew it wasn't going to pass when I hit about 6 months with no waning in my interest.

 

I knew this wasn't a phase when I'd been pining over them for about a year and
when I realized that I was more than happy to spend so much money on DOLLS.
[I've never been one for dolls.]
And my suspicions were confirmed even more when after I got my first I wanted another.
And another. And another. Etc. XD

 

Honestly? When I opened Heavenlea's (my first BJD) box, unwrapped her, and held her in my arms. I know that sounds cheesy and probably not a little unbalanced, but there ya go. Simple as that. And as I began building my little family, doll by doll, each one with their own personalities and their own meaning to me, it only intensified the feeling that I'd found my true doll hobby at last.

 

Same for me. A "phase" for me may last a couple of months or some number of years, but eventually I'll get to the end of any hobby, and then I'll move on to something else... I may come back to it a few years down the line, or I may not. Dolls won't be any different from any other passtime when it comes to that.

In the meantime, though... I do enjoy having them, so even though all of my hobbies are "just phases", I can't call them a waste of time or resources. They fulfill their purpose NOW, even if they won't still be doing it five years from now.

Enjoy things while they're fresh.
It's not a crime to eventually lose interest and move on.

 

I had a similar experience to Krissy. I also worried that I'd sink a lot of money into my first doll and then either not like him after all or lose interest. I don't usually drop a hobby completely, but it can take years for me to cycle back through, by which time I've sold the books and donated the materials . So I spent last spring and early summer longing for my Delf Moon while reading and researching and lurking here on DoA, trying to convince myself buying him would be the right thing. I needn't have worried! When I opened the box and realized he had a strong distinct personality in his own right, I understood that I was meeting a friend, not taking on a craft project . Even on days I don't pick up any of my dolls to play with, I feel my bond with them. Buy the doll you love best, the one you keep going back to look at over and over, and see if you don't feel a special relationship begin!

 

I've had dolls for over two years now and I still don't know if it's a phase. I tend to get into a hobby for a few years and then move on, and that'll probably happen with the dolls too. I'll likely sell them all off someday, or maybe just keep one around. I don't think that's bad, particularly. It's just how it goes.

 

I tend to cycle through my hobbies & interests, so if my passion wanes for a few months or so, I don't worry about it. I still love seeing our crew every day, even if I don't redress them/take pictures of them for awhile. Plus now that my fiancée has joined in, it's twice as much fun!

This is pretty much how I feel too. Not that I necessarily believe the dolls themselves are "alive", persay, but you get to welcome a whole new character into your life, and for me (as someone who likes to write), that's almost as addicting as that new-resin smell.

 

I've got no idea if this is a phase; it's pretty normal for me to pick up a hobby for a while and then drop it later, so who knows? Of course, even if I lose interest in BJD, I'll still keep my boy around. There's just no way I'm going to let go of something so beautiful.

 

I've collected dolls all my life (childhood dolls, antique dolls, fashion dolls, 1/6 size, art dolls) and still have my favorites of all those. Ball-joint dolls are to me just another aspect of a hobby I have always had. I expect that I will always collect some sort of doll and I don't really worry how I will feel about them in the future.

 

well, I don't have a long attention span...so for this hobby to last almost 3 years and still going strong I don't think it's a phase. I think the hobby evolves for me and sometimes I take a short break, but I always come back in the end. ^__^

 

Personally, I have always loved making miniatures of things. It isn't necessarily the dolls that attract me to the 'fandom' (though I do love my boy, and am saving up for a girl ^_^), it's all the cute, tiny little things I can can make for them!

Since I doubt I'll ever grow out of my love of small things, I doubt I'll ever 'grow out' of dolls. I'm having way too much fun.

 

I know that when I get into something, I tend not to really get out of it. I know it seems like a "You can grow out of anything" kind of thing, but if I do it takes me YEARS. (The last thing I got out of was Pokemon cards. I just sold mine in May, and I've been collecting them for like 10 years. xD)

So yeah, I thought that even IF I do grow out of them, it won't be for a very long time, so I may as well buy them while I want them.

 

to tell you the truth i dont.

i may be a phase. all i know is i want one and i will want one until i have one. and when i get one if i dont like it ill sell it.

im almost positive it isnt a phase though.

 

I'm saving up for my first doll, and was wondering the same thing; thanks so much for starting this thread! I got to read everyone's opinions. Yaay!

Whenever I start to wonder if it's a good idea to add this hobby to my already overstuffed life, I'll realize that nearly every artist I watch on deviantART is into BJDs, and I look forward so much to the pics!!!

I think there's a very good chance you'll stick with it, if you're that enthusiastic! I've hardly considered making my own doll!

 

Well, I was actually into BJD's for about 3 years before I decided to take the plunge and buy my first. Hehe so I guess I just kinda figured that since I had liked them that long, It wasn't going to just stop...

 

I think that because of how much of an investment it is, you will have already thought about doll collecting being a phase. I have only been in the BJD community since May of this year, but had been obsessing over them since August of 2007. They make me happy, much like a lot of hobbies that have stuck with me my whole life...such as reading, writing, and drawing. I'm sure you will know when you receive your doll.

 

I know because I just ordered my first doll, and I've been wanting one or 7 1/2 years now (not joking, since I first saw one in the 6th grade I've always wanted one of myy own!) So I guess knowing that after 7 years i've still always wanted one, and that i'm finally getting one.